Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/2094015.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Major_Character_Death, Rape/Non-Con,
      Underage
  Category:
      Multi
  Fandom:
      Tsubasa:_Reservoir_Chronicle, CLAMP_-_Works
  Relationship:
      Kurogane/Fai, Tomoyo/Yuui, Sakura/Syaoran, Touya/Yukito, Watanuki/
      Doumeki, Clow/Yuuko, Seishiro/Subaru, Fuuma/Kamui, Kakyo/Hokuto, Sorata/
      Arashi, Kusanagi/Yuzuriha, Kakei/Saiga, Rikuo/Kazahaya
  Character:
      Kurogane, Fai, Yuui, tomoyo, Souma, Sakura, Syaoran, Amaterasu, Ashura,
      Touya, Yukito, clow, Yuuko, Soel, Larg, Watanuki, Doumeki, Himawari,
      Kakyo, Sorata, Arashi, Kyle, Yue, Kero, Fuuma, Kamui, Subaru, Kusanagi,
      Yuzuriha, Chitose, Chang_Ang, Eriol, Haruka_Doumeki, Chi, Seishiro,
      Koryu, Kokuyo, Hisui, Spinel_Sun, Ruby_Moon, Caldina, Kotori, Fuu, Ferio,
      Kujaku, Tarta_-_Character, Kakei, Saiga, Rikuo, Kazahaya, Karura,
      Rasetsu, Clef, Ryuu-ou, Zima, Dita, Hana, Erii, Akira, Nokoru,
      Karyoubinga, Miyuki, Nataku, Ichiro, Kazuhiko, Mong_Ryong
  Additional Tags:
      Alternate_Universe_-_Fairy_Tale, All_the_Clamp, All_The_Ships, Sleeping
      Beauty_-_Freeform, Massive_Crossover, Fem-Yuui, Don't_let_the_childhood
      fluff_fool_you, I've_learned_well_from_the_ladies_of_CLAMP, Alcohol,
      drunk_teenagers, snake_bites, Masturbation, Voyeurism, Mind_Rape, Oral
      Sex, Anal_Sex, Seriously_graphic_mind_rape, Eating_Disorder, Guilt,
      Pregnancy, Blood, Mpreg, Vaginal_Sex, PTSD
  Stats:
      Published: 2014-08-07 Completed: 2016-01-19 Chapters: 43/43 Words: 423846
****** La Belle Au Bois Dormant ******
by Anath_Tsurugi
Summary
     Queen Sakura had longed for children for many years, but when Yuui
     and Fai are finally born to her, a terrible curse is placed upon
     their heads.
Notes
     Well, I began this monster of a tale back in 2008 and finished it in
     2011. Considering the precarious state of ff.net, I decided it was
     about time to move my baby over here. Hopefully, it will find just as
     loving a home on AO3 as it did on its first site. For anyone brave
     enough to take it on, I hope you enjoy this Sleeping Beauty story.
***** Once Upon Another Dream *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
The story was always the same. The old woman came to the sleepy little village,
bringing her tales of the old world: tales of brave warriors, of deeds good and
bad, of powerful kings and queens, tales of the ancient faerie people and their
hidden kingdom, tales of the wars of long ago, of love, hate, revenge, despair,
defeat, and triumph…tales of nations that had long since turned to dust.
The ancient storyteller was of a different era…a dying breed. Some thought she
may well have been the last of her kind in all the world. The time between her
visits stretched longer and longer as the years passed because it took her so
long to make the journey between each village. Everyone knew the old
storyteller. She’d been a part of their lives for as long as anyone could
remember. It was sometimes said she was well over a hundred years old.
They all knew and loved her. Several people had attempted to offer her a
permanent place in their village, or at least a horse to make her long journeys
a little easier on her aging legs, but she always refused. She always said the
road was the only life for her. Someone had to keep the old stories alive.
She would never stay anywhere longer than a week. Her visits were treasured
times and all work ceased in the evenings, sumptuous feasts were prepared, and
those who wished to could gather around the bonfire in the meeting hall and
listen to the old woman spin her stories. The older members of the audience
would wait patiently for her to begin, having listened before and knowing she
would come to it eventually. The younger ones, however, would pester her about
what story she would tell.
“Tell the story of the Battle of Shirahime!” a dark-haired little boy demanded.
An even younger girl, his sister, put in shyly, “But I wanted to hear about the
dragon and the phoenix.”
Yet another child, blond this time, asked, “Granny, would you please tell us
about the mirror queen?”
The old storyteller chuckled at their antics. “Be patient, you little scamps.
Can’t an old lady have a moment of peace? I’ve been walking for weeks and have
only had a few moments rest and a few mouthfuls of stew. I bring you my
wonderful stories and all you can do is nag me. Perhaps I should take my tales
elsewhere?”
The children immediately settled down, sitting before her in a neat little row
and apologizing for their behavior, begging her not to go.
“All right, all right. I suppose I might as well stay. I’ll come to all of your
requests eventually. They are, after all, a part of the same story: the Tale of
the Two Princes.”
A hush fell over the crowd at this. It was a story they had all grown up
hearing, in fragments, anyway. No one told the tale quite like the old
storyteller. It was said only she knew the whole story.
“It isn’t the oldest tale by any stretch of the imagination,” she began in a
gravelly voice. “The history of the world goes back much further than those
two, but they lived at a time when the world was changing, as it had not
changed since the birth of the Nihon Empire. At that time, there was only one
other country on our continent apart from the Nihon Empire: the kingdom of
Valeria. It was all that remained of the ancient empire across the ocean,
Gallia...
                                      XxX
Once upon a time, in the far away kingdom of Valeria, there lived a king and
queen. The king, Syaoran, was a noble and just ruler, and his queen, Sakura,
was wise and beautiful. They were kind and gentle rulers and under them,
Valeria prospered as never before. However, as warm and caring as the young
royal couple was, there was a dark cloud hanging over their reign. For many
years, they had longed for children, but Sakura had been unable to conceive.
Year after year, the young queen tried, but still her womb remained empty. But,
finally, after so many months of failure and heartache, Sakura suddenly found
herself two months gone with child.
                                      XxX
"So, Yukito? Can you tell me what's wrong?" the nervous queen asked her high
priest. Yukito had also been trained as the palace physician. Normally there
wasn't a great need for his services as a doctor, but for the past two weeks
Sakura had been violently sick most mornings. Every evening she would seem to
be getting better, but by morning the sickness would always return. Both
Syaoran and Touya had been getting worried and insisted that Yukito have a look
at the young queen. At this point, he was fairly certain of what was "wrong"
with her.
"Yes, Highness, I believe I know what the…eh…problem is. I hope you don't mind
my asking, but I need to know…when was your last blood?"
Sakura tilted her head sideways, confused by the question, but thinking it
over, nonetheless. "I…I'm not sure…I think…maybe…" A warm smile spread across
the priest's face as comprehension dawned in the queen's sparkling green eyes.
"I…I'm…" The words refused to leave her mouth as her hands slowly traveled up
to rest protectively against her womb.
"Yes, nearly two months would be my guess," he said, placing a hand atop hers.
"In early spring, you will bear twins."
"Twins?" Sakura whispered, practically faint with joy and shock.
"You heard that, I take it?" Yukito suddenly called over his shoulder. At that,
Touya's head appeared in the doorway to the king and queen's bedchamber.
"Only because I was eavesdropping," he said matter-of-factly as he swept into
the room, dragging a bemused King Syaoran behind him. Touya was the only one
other than Sakura who dared to manhandle Syaoran so. This was probably because
he had been king before Syaoran. He had reigned in peace for several years, but
once it became apparent to him that he would never be able to provide the
kingdom with an heir because of his love for his childhood friend, Yukito, he
had abdicated in favor of his little sister and her husband. Now he and the
high priest were happily married and Syaoran and Sakura shared the throne and
would soon produce the longed-for heir. Touya had no great love for his
brother-in-law, but he apparently trusted him enough to leave his sister and
the kingdom in his care. Syaoran still came to him for advice, though.
"Syaoran?" Sakura started, gazing at the young king with tears of joy in her
eyes. Syaoran ran to his wife and seized her in a tight hug.
"Twins, Sakura. Twins! At last," he whispered to her as he lifted her from
their bed and spun her around.
"Hey! Be careful with her!" Touya shouted. "You can't be so rough. She's going
to be a mother."
The king blushed and quickly set his bride back down. "I'm sorry, Sakura! I
didn't mean…I didn't hurt you, did I? Or the babies?"
"It's fine, Syaoran," the young woman said with a giggle. "I'm just so happy."
Syaoran was about to respond when he suddenly felt an arm around his neck.
"Now comes the part where I kill you for getting my baby sister pregnant,
bozu."
"Now, Touya," Yukito began to scold. "If you wanted to do that, then you
probably shouldn't have named him king in your place. He can have you beheaded,
you know."
Touya released Syaoran with a grunt. "You're no fun. Besides, if you'll
remember, I didn't name him king. I named Sakura queen in my place. He just
happens to be her husband."
Syaoran and Sakura had long ago stopped listening to the banter of the priest
and former ruler. Syaoran had settled himself next to Sakura on the bed and was
holding her close once more.
"Sakura…it's so wonderful."
"I know. Children of our own…after all this time."
"There is one other thing, Majesties," Yukito said, hesitantly interrupting
their tender embrace.
"Yes?" Sakura asked. Suddenly fearful, she placed a hand back upon her stomach.
"Surely, Queen Sakura, you know by now that you are beloved of the faerie folk.
After so many months of bareness, these babies are surely a gift from the
faerie king. You must be certain to thank the fey properly when the time
comes."
Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as she collapsed back into her husband's arms.
She'd been afraid that something was amiss.
"We'll thank them a thousand times over," Syaoran whispered in her ear as they
cuddled. "We'll invite the whole court to the naming if we must."
                                      XxX
"A very kind sentiment, King Syaoran, but unnecessary," the faerie king, Clow
Reed, commented as he surveyed the happy scene.
"Well, if you don't plan on sending the entire court to the naming ceremony,
whom will you send? Do you…plan on going yourself?" his right hand faerie,
Kimihiro Watanuki, asked, sounding more than a little surprised.
"Since you asked, Kimihiro, I believe I will send the three of you."
"Yay! A party!" Himawari Kunogi cheered from her place beside Watanuki. She
quickly stood and began to dance in circles around the reflecting pool where
they were all gathered. "Flowers, music, wine, cake, little baby humans! Won't
it be so much fun, Kimihiro!" she sang as she swept Watanuki and their
remaining companion, Shizuka Doumeki, into a big group hug. Watanuki had been
grumbling about the prospect of having to attend a human celebration. He did
not much care for humans. But the instant Himawari started dancing for joy, he
gave her a reluctant smile. She was, after all, his adopted sister, and there
was very little he could deny her. Doumeki, on the other hand, remained as
stoic as ever.
"You sense something," he noted, phrasing it as a statement of fact rather than
a question.
"I do," the king said sadly as he gazed down on the beautiful queen and her
husband in the throes of their joy. "Queen Sakura is a wonderful woman, a
friend to our people and a pure spirit. I imagine that's why Yuuko chose to
hate her so much."
"What's Yuuko got to do with these babies?" Doumeki asked. Yuuko was a very
powerful, very insane faerie who had been banished from Faerie many centuries
ago for treason. Once, she had been Clow's wife, but now she was the queen of
the Dark Court, the group of faeries who had followed her into exile.
"I believe Yuuko was jealous of the fact that I chose to bestow my favor upon
the queen. So she cursed her womb with infertility. But Sakura is a good
person. I couldn't stand to see her suffer any longer, so I intervened in
Yuuko's curse and allowed King Syaoran's seed to take root, just this once.
These children will always have a touch of fey magic in them."
"So…what is it you fear from Yuuko, Your Highness?" Doumeki continued to
question.
"I'm afraid she might try something at the ceremony, when they've survived the
first five months and are officially anointed royal children. Knowing her, she
won't try to harm them until after they're born. She'll give Sakura a chance to
see them first...to love them. When the time comes, I want the three of you to
go to Valeria and do what you can to protect the babies."
"As you wish, Majesty," Watanuki said solemnly.
                                      XxX
Just as the high priest foretold, early in the spring, the queen brought forth
twin babies, a girl and boy, named Yuui and Fai. A great holiday was proclaimed
for all of Valeria on the day of their naming ceremony so that all of high or
low estate might pay homage to the longed for infants. Among them were the
rulers of the empire of Nihon, Ashura and Amaterasu. The two ruling families
had been friends and allies for many generations and had fondly dreamed of the
day when their two kingdoms could be united as one. And so, on this day, they
would announce that Kurogane, Ashura's son and heir, to the eldest twin, Yuui,
would be betrothed.
                                      XxX
The babies lying in the cradle were both very pink and very chubby, neither of
which was an attribute the three-year-old Prince Kurogane cared for. He really
didn't understand why all the grownups were making such a big fuss over them.
You couldn't play with them. They didn't talk or do anything interesting. They
just…lay there. Occasionally, one would kick out a pudgy, useless limb or make
an inane baby noise that the adults found oh so cute, but that the young prince
just thought were annoying. Why were they paying attention to the twins? They
should be paying attention to him! He could actually do things that were
interesting. He could climb tall trees. He could lick his own elbow. He could
jump out his bedroom window and land in the branches of the sakura tree just
beyond it. When it struck his fancy, he could cover every inch of skin and
clothing with mud. One point that was of particular pride to the boy was that
he could yell loud enough to make the castle windows shake. He could even use
his toy sword to do some of those tricks his father's guards had taught him. He
was the height of interesting! But the grownups would still rather coo and fuss
over the twins. Seriously? What was wrong with them?
"Don't be shy, Kurogane," his father said, having noticed him staring into the
cradle. "Give little Yuui-chan your gift."
The little boy just rolled his eyes. He wasn't standing here staring at these
boring lumps of…boring because he was shy. He was still standing here because
he couldn't for the life of him figure out which one was Yuui and he wasn't
about to ask for help. But, luckily for him, Queen Sakura seemed to realize
what the problem was, so she knelt down beside him and whispered
conspiratorially in his ear, "Yuui's the one on the right, the one farthest
away from you."
Kurogane nodded his understanding and stretched his clenched fist toward the
baby. He opened it and allowed the gift to dangle from his fingers over the
little girl's head. It was a small pendant hanging from a silver chain. The
pendant was in the shape of a crescent moon and it was set with deep blue
sapphires. His mother had given it to him to give to Yuui. She'd told him it
was his father's gift to her on their wedding night. He had always worn the
pendant's twin: a golden sun pendant set with blazing red rubies. Kurogane had
seen them place the two pendants together before. When joined the crescent moon
fit perfectly into the embrace of the sun's rays. His father had told him he
would give him the pendant "when the time was right"…whatever that meant. His
mother had said the necklaces would be good luck for him and Yuui. Good luck
for what? Were they going to be playing on the same ball team someday?
The only problem with his parents' brilliant gift-giving plan was that the baby
girl didn't seem particularly interested in his gift. She gave the silver and
blue thing a passing glance, but immediately turned her attention back to her
own feet, seeing if she could grasp them and put them in her mouth.
"Hey," he started, dangling it closer to her face. "Don'tcha want it?"
She clearly didn't - but someone else did. The other baby, whom Kurogane had
completely forgotten about in his attempt to be rid of his present and get away
from the crib, reached out and snatched the shining, dangling object and
promptly began to suck on it.
"Hey!" he said angrily, snatching the necklace back. "Tha's not yours, you
brat!"
Afraid of the harsh voice and distraught over the loss of his new toy, baby
Fai's lower lip began to tremble and his big baby blue eyes began to fill with
tears. He opened his mouth wide to scream…
"No! Don't! Shh!" Kurogane hissed urgently. Afraid the adults would spank him
for making the baby cry, he quickly jammed the pendant back into Fai's open
mouth. Fai looked surprised for a moment, but lacking the mental capacity to
question his sudden good fortune, he seized the silver chain in his pudgy,
sticky fingers and went back to contentedly sucking on the crescent moon.
"Fine!" Kurogane said, angrily turning to stomp away from the cradle. The boy
was more than a little irked that he'd been outmatched by a baby. "Keep it,
brat! I don't care!"
"Don't worry," Sakura whispered soothingly to him as he passed her. She had
seen the whole thing. "I'll see that it gets to the right person."
Kurogane blushed slightly, feeling like a stupid little kid for losing his
temper in front of the queen. He liked her. She was nice. The boy continued on
toward his parents with a little less petulance in his step.
Sakura smiled warmly after the young prince. He was a good boy. He would make
Yuui a fine husband. The queen was still basking in the glow of her joy when
she began to notice an actual shimmering glow in the middle of the throne room.
The people gathered in the room all began to chatter indistinctly as the light
grew brighter. Before long, three figures could be seen in the ray of light.
Two male and one female, they moved so lightly across the floor they almost
seemed to float.
"Fey," Sakura whispered to her husband as he leaned curiously forward in his
throne.
"Your Majesties," the three faeries said as one as they bowed before the royal
couple. The shorter of the two males, who seemed to be the leader, quickly
stepped forward. He was dressed all in red and garlands of new spring flowers
were draped across his body. The scent of spring followed him wherever he went.
"Unfortunately, King Reed could not answer your invitation directly. He sends
us in his stead to offer his gifts and blessings to your children. I am
Kimihiro Watanuki. To my right is Himawari Kunogi. Allow her to present the
first gifts."
The fey woman stepped forward, her movements even swifter and lighter than her
two companions'. Her delicate frame was wrapped in green fabric and rabbit
pelts. Her curly black hair hung unbound to her waist. The scent that wafted in
the air around her was not quite so easily distinguished as Watanuki's was. The
only thing that was certain was that it was the scent of something wild. In her
arms, she held two…things. They were unlike anything the king and queen had
ever seen. One was black and the other was white. They had long ears and feet
like rabbits but that was where the similarities to any known animal ended.
They had little round bodies like…cream puffs, really, and stubby paws.
"These are the Mokona Modoki," Himawari introduced cheerfully. "Faerie animals
from King Reed. They will be companions and guardians to the prince and
princess."
Syaoran nodded his agreement and Himawari quickly went to place the fey animals
in the cradle. Yuui giggled happily and grabbed at the shimmering blue jewel in
the black Mokona's forehead. Fai reached out curiously and grabbed the white
Mokona's long ears. Then he pulled hard, just to see what would happen. The
little white thing moaned in pain.
"Ears! Ears!" it squeaked in a voice so small that only Himawari and the babies
could hear. Himawari smiled and gently removed Mokona's ears from the baby's
strong grasp. Fai squealed with delight at the smile the Faerie woman was
giving him. He reached his tiny hands up toward her, asking to be picked up.
Himawari shook her head and smiled once more as she backed up.
"And now each of us the children may bless with our own gifts," Watanuki
explained before making his own way toward the crib. As he gazed down at the
babies, the faerie suddenly felt a change sweep through him. Before this
moment, the proceedings had been just business as usual. But now, these
children, looking at them…he felt a warmth he hadn't felt for a very long time.
His own mother had been dead for many centuries. The only people he had that he
considered family were Himawari, her father, and…okay, fine, that idiot,
Doumeki, too. But these twins, seeing their innocent, helpless, smiling faces,
he felt an immediate kinship with them.
"You sly trickster," he said of Reed as he reached down both hands to run
gentle fingers over their chubby cheeks. The king had known this would happen.
He knew his advisor too well to think he wouldn't develop a soft spot for the
little ones, human or not. He would certainly have no trouble honoring his vow
to protect them.
Yuui suddenly seized one of his fingers with both her tiny hands and placed it
in her mouth. Smiling her sweet baby smile, the little princess began to suck
contentedly on the digit. Watanuki gave the baby girl a warm smile before
reluctantly taking back his hand.
"Little babies, receive unto thee the gift of beauty," he whispered to the two
of them. "Grace and gentleness, and skill with all things born from the Earth."
Then he placed a gentle kiss on each of their foreheads before stepping back
and allowing Himawari forward to give her own gifts.
"Sweet children," she said softly as she reached into the cradle and picked up
little Yuui "I grant thee wisdom and the voice of the forest. Song, the voice
to speak with all things wild." As Himawari gave the child in her arms a gentle
nuzzle, the girl reached out with her pudgy fingers and seized a tendril of her
glossy black hair. The faerie laughingly extricated her hair from Yuui's grip
before laying her back down upon her bed of blue silk.
Last to approach the cradle was Doumeki. Syaoran and Sakura watched this faerie
with more than a little apprehension. He had not spoken once since the trio's
arrival and he was by far the most physically imposing of the three. He was
dressed in shades of blue and gray and wind played about his crown of jet-black
hair. A bow and quiver of arrows were slung over his shoulders. Lightning
flashed in his amber eyes. The scent that accompanied his movements was
unmistakable. It was the scent of ozone, of lightning, married together with
the fresh breath of spring rain. He was as peaceful and volatile as the spring
sky.
Doumeki said nothing as he gazed down at the twins. He could feel tension
somewhere in this place - like the calm before the violence of the storm. It
was building, getting louder, centering on these innocent children.
"Have a care," he whispered to them as he reached down into the cradle and
lifted Fai from his resting place. He held the little boy close as he turned to
face the center of the throne room, as if to protect him from what was to come.
Watanuki and Himawari both caught his gaze and allowed their own eyes to follow
it. It was coming…what the king had feared. For a while, everything had seemed
peaceful and Watanuki had hoped they wouldn't be needed, but he now saw he'd
been foolish to hope Yuuko wouldn't make a move.
Syaoran, Sakura, Touya, Yukito, Ashura, and Amaterasu were all shocked to see
an actual storm spring up from the place the three faeries watched. A scorching
wind tore through the great hall, shredding banners and snuffing out torches.
The gale crescendoed and came to its peak as a sickly yellow-green light
appeared at its center. Out of the pale globe a figure appeared.
Yuuko was tall and achingly slender. Her skin was a sickly shade of white that
came from living without sunlight for many years. Her vindictive eyes were like
blood and her hair was the color of darkness. She wore a black gown that left
little to the imagination. Twin ravens were perched on her shoulders and in her
hands, she held a long golden staff that was topped by a glowing emerald orb.
None of the humans could quite name the scent that followed her, but it was
something sharp and distinctly metallic.
"Yuuko," Sakura whispered, her mouth going dry. Doumeki instinctively clutched
the infant he held tighter.
"Well," Yuuko began derisively as she glanced around the great hall. "Quite an
excellent gathering, Queen Sakura. Royalty, nobility, the gentry, th-" She
paused briefly when her eyes fell on the three faeries. Then she laughed
condescendingly. "How quaint. Even Reed's lackeys." Watanuki glared at the
insult. Himawari, fearing that he meant to act on his anger, placed a calming
hand on his shoulder.
"I must say, I felt quite distressed at not receiving an invitation to the
ceremony," she continued conversationally. "Am I so much less a ruler than
Clow?"
"You wonder why? You weren't wanted!" Watanuki said angrily, his fear for the
children clouding his better judgment.
"Not wan-" Yuuko's voice broke off. She played the part of astonishment to the
hilt. The mortals didn't know what to make of her, but she and the other
faeries were well aware of what was really going on here. "Oh, my. What an
awkward situation. I was hoping it was merely due to an oversight. Well, in any
case, I'd best be on my way," she said, turning as if she truly meant to leave.
"And…you're not offended, Yuuko-sama?" Sakura asked nervously, slowly moving to
stand in front of the crib where her daughter still lay. Doumeki moved to stand
beside her.
"Why no, Sakura-sama. Of course not," she said in a sickeningly sweet voice,
turning back toward the royal dais. "And to show I bear you no ill will…I, too,
shall bestow a gift on the children."
Watanuki and Himawari took up defensive positions in front of the crib, though
they were well aware their own power didn't hold a candle to Yuuko's. Doumeki
turned slightly to hide Fai from Yuuko's sight, as if that would actually help.
The faerie's heart twisted painfully when he felt the infant's tiny hands grab
at the blue fabric of his tunic, seeking comfort, for he had none to give.
"Listen well, all of you," Yuuko said with a grand sweep of her arms.
Sakura threw herself across the cradle. "Please, Yuuko-sama! Not my babies! My
children!" she begged.
"Fine gifts the king's servants have granted these children. The twins shall
indeed grow in grace and wisdom…beloved by all who know them," Yuuko narrated.
"However…before the stroke of midnight on their eighteenth birthday, Princess
Yuui shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel...and die!"
"NO!" Sakura screamed, seizing her baby daughter in her arms and holding her
tightly against her chest.
"And of course, Prince Fai will perish from grief soon afterward. It shall all
be as I have said!" the wicked faerie queen declared with a bout of cruel
laughter.
"Seize her!" Syaoran commanded angrily.
"Stand back, you fools!" Yuuko snarled as green flames erupted from her very
skin, terrifying the guards who had surrounded her.
"Take it back, witch!" a lone voice suddenly sounded above the tumult. The
terrified guards parted ranks to clear a path between Yuuko and the owner of
the voice…Emperor Ashura.
"And just what are you going to do about it, little man-thing?" Yuuko asked
condescendingly, the green fire glowing brighter and hotter.
"I will make you take it back!" he declared boldly as he moved toward her.
Watanuki, Himawari, and Doumeki all looked on in shock. It was true that
Nihon's emperor was not unschooled in magic but - to see a human standing up to
Yuuko like this - they had never seen its like, and considering what would come
of it, they were not likely to see its like ever again.
The emperor raised his hands and fired a bolt of magic at the dark faerie.
Yuuko's eyes widened briefly as she watched the attack move toward her. Then
she easily raised her staff and absorbed the bolt. The next instant, before
anyone even realized what had happened, Yuuko sent the bolt of magic flying
back at the emperor. There was nothing anyone could have done. Ashura didn't
even see the attack, let alone have time to dodge it. It struck him head on,
sending him crashing to the floor.
"ASHURA!" Amaterasu screamed as she raced toward her fallen husband. Kurogane
was hot on her heels, brandishing his toy sword at the evil woman.
Yuuko laughed then. She laughed at the dying Nihon emperor and his grieving
wife and bewildered child, at Queen Sakura, sobbing over her daughter's tiny
body as if she were already dead, at the twins, howling at the pain her curse
had caused, at King Syaoran, standing with his fists hanging at his sides in a
helpless rage, at the anger and sadness on the faces of Watanuki and Himawari,
at the impassive face of Doumeki, who still held the wailing Fai tightly in his
arms. It was all so terribly delicious.
Finally, the green flames consumed the faerie entirely and she and her birds
were gone as if they had never been, but her laughter echoed in the hall long
after she was gone.
"Oh, Yuui! Fai! My babies! My babies!" Sakura cried helplessly. Syaoran moved
to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to sooth her. Touya and
Yukito rushed over to the fallen Ashura.
"Ashura!" Amaterasu cried softly as she cradled her husband's head in her lap.
"Don't leave me."
"I'm sorry, Tera," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "It's my fault. I
knew I couldn't defeat her. But…I had to try…"
"It's all right," Touya said gently as he knelt beside Amaterasu. "Rest easy,
my friend. I know Sakura appreciates what you tried to do…and the twins will
know of your sacrifice."
Ashura laid his head back and closed his eyes, smiling gratefully. "Kurogane?"
he called softly to his son. The boy quickly sidled up to his father. He didn't
really understand what was happening. Why was his father lying down?
"Kurogane…I'm- sorry…sorry, I have to go."
"Go? Go where?"
Ashura didn't speak. Instead he reached shaking hands behind his neck and undid
the clasp of his sun pendant. Then he clasped it around his son's neck.
"Remember- it's a symbol of great strength. But…strength without direction…is
nothing. It is protection and love, too. Use your strength…to protect the ones
you love." Then Ashura pulled his wife and son very close.
"I will always be with you." Then he spoke no more. His final breath passed his
lips and his head fell back onto Amaterasu's lap. The bereft empress laid her
head down on her husband's still chest and wept silently in an attempt to spare
her son her grief.
"Tou-san?" Kurogane called out, shaking his father's shoulder to try and wake
him. "Tou-san?"
Touya and Yukito both turned away from the horrible sight, wanting to give the
little family even the tiniest bit of privacy. The priest and former king moved
back toward their own family just in time to hear Watanuki attempt to console
the young royal couple.
"You mustn't despair, Your Majesties. Doumeki still has his gift to give."
"Then…he can undo this terrible curse?" Syaoran asked, turning desperate eyes
toward the stoic faerie.
"No, Sire," Doumeki answered, a small sigh escaping his mouth as he laid Fai
back down in the cradle.
"Yuuko's powers are far too great," Watanuki said regretfully.
"But he can help," Himawari said, turning hopeful eyes toward her companion.
"Bring Yuui here," Doumeki said, patting the place next to Fai. There was a
heaviness in his voice that his companions were painfully unused to hearing
from the taller faerie.
Doumeki did not do regret. Regret only made things harder for beings who lived
for many thousands of years. So he couldn't for the nigh eternal life of him
understand why he felt so guilty for being unable to protect these two small
lives. By the time their bones were dust, he would look the exact same as he
did on the day of their birth, but…if he could not save them…he knew it was
something he would regret until the end of his days.
The Mokona glanced worriedly up at Doumeki as he placed his hands on the twins'
foreheads. He closed his eyes and he prayed with all his might, calling down
power as he spoke the words of his gift.
"Innocent children, these words of the spindle must come to pass, but all hope
is not lost. You will not die, heirs of Valeria. You'll only fall asleep…a dark
sleep, to appease the whispers of death. Only the sign of a lover's heart's
pure yearning can end such a sleep. Only true love's kiss can break this
curse."
Doumeki opened his eyes and gazed down at the twins again. Yuui had fallen
asleep under the warm glow of his magic, but Fai remained awake, looking
curiously up at him. The baby boy had placed his own small hands upon his
larger one. It was probably just his addled conscience, but there was
something…almost sad in the infant's stare. As if he had already failed them…
"I'm sorry," he whispered as he lifted the baby into his arms once more. "It's
the best hope I can give you."
                                      XxX
But King Syaoran, still fearful of his children's lives, did then and there
decree that every spinning wheel in the kingdom should on that very day be
burned.
And so, it was done.
                                      XxX
"Ridiculous nonsense," Watanuki muttered to himself as he gazed down at the
blazing pile of spinning wheels from his place at the window. He and his two
companions were the only ones remaining in the great hall. The Nihon royals had
been planning on staying about a week, but now they had to return much sooner.
Amaterasu and her son had to escort Emperor Ashura's body home for burial. It
had taken the empress several hours to pry the little boy away from his body.
Syaoran had gone off to oversee the burning of the spinning wheels and Sakura
had disappeared with the twins.
Watanuki's thoughtful glare remained on his face as he paced back toward his
two friends, sitting on the steps of the royal dais. Himawari was daintily
chowing down on a handful of tiny cakes and Doumeki was drinking directly from
a bottle of red wine.
"A bonfire won't stop Yuuko, you know," the storm sprite said to him, offering
him the bottle as he sat down beside him. Watanuki raised an eyebrow at this,
but eventually accepted his friend's offer and took a swig from the bottle.
"Of course not," he agreed as he handed the bottle back to Doumeki. "But what
will?"
"Well…perhaps if we were to reason with her-" Himawari started.
"Reason? With Yuuko?" Doumeki asked, raising an eyebrow.
"She can't be allbad," the younger faerie insisted.
"Oh, yes, she can!" Watanuki shot back vehemently. Himawari had not yet been
born when Yuuko was banished. She didn't remember, didn't know, what the insane
faerie was capable of.
"But the king asked us to protect the babies. Yuuko could come and force her
curse on them at any time. What can we do?" Himawari wondered hopelessly.
"I don't know," Watanuki replied with a sigh of exasperation. "Yuuko will be
expecting us to do something crazy like turn them into trees or some such just
to keep them from her."
"What won't she expect?" Doumeki wondered, more to himself than the other two.
"She knows everything."
"Oh, but she doesn't, Doumeki," Himawari said with a small smile. "Yuuko
doesn't know anything about love, or kindness, or the joy of helping others.
You know, sometimes I don't see how she can be very happy."
Watanuki snatched the wine bottle from Doumeki and took another swig as he
mulled over Himawari's words. Love…kindness…helping others? Maybe…they could…
"Of course!" the nature sprite shouted as he leapt up from the steps and turned
to face the other two. "You're brilliant, Himawari! It's the only thing she
can't understand and won't expect! Now, let's see. We have to plan it
carefully," Watanuki said to himself as he began to pace the hall. Himawari
drifted to her feet and followed after him, confused as to what he was talking
about.
"The woodcutter's cottage, yes…the abandoned one…of course, the king and queen
will object. But when we explain it's the only way-"
"Explain what?" Doumeki asked, remaining in his spot.
"About the three peasants raising two foundling children deep in the forest,"
Watanuki said, looking rather pleased with himself.
"That's…very nice of them," Himawari began slowly, still confused. "Who are
they?"
Watanuki snapped his fingers and was instantly dressed in peasant garb.
Himawari and Doumeki glanced down at their own clothing and found that they,
too, were suddenly dressed as peasants.
"Oh! It's us!" Himawari squealed in delighted realization as she spun in
circles, her skirt twirling around her.
"We us?" Doumeki asked, sounding more than a little surprised as he stood up to
inspect his own clothing.
"Take care of the babies?" Himawari asked gleefully.
"Why not?"
"Are you sure you're up to it, idiot? We'll have to feed them-"
"And wash them and dress them and rock them to sleep," Himawari sang. "Oh, I'd
love it!"
"You realize we'll have to do this without magic, don't you? If we want to keep
them hidden, we can't be drawing attention to ourselves. If we can help it, we
probably shouldn't even let Yuui and Fai know we're fey. Can you live without
magic for eighteen years?" Doumeki asked the shorter faerie, tilting his head
curiously to one side.
Watanuki sighed resignedly and squared his shoulders. He wasn't going to delude
himself into thinking this would be easy, but he had sworn to protect these
children, sworn to his king…and sworn to himself. He would do what was
necessary.
"If humans can do it, so can we. And my name's not 'idiot'. It's Kimihiro
Watanuki to you! I am the king's chief advisor after all."
"Doesn't make you any less of an idiot," Doumeki mumbled to himself as he
shoved his fingers into his ears to spare himself Watanuki's further ranting,
though he couldn't quite manage to keep a faint smirk from tugging at the
corner of his mouth.
"Hey! Are you listening to me?" Watanuki shouted as he pulled Doumeki's fingers
out of his ears. "Do you want to get left behind? If you do, that's fine with
me, but Himawari and I are going to see the king and queen." Having said so,
Watanuki spun on his heels and stalked out of the throne room with Himawari
close behind. Doumeki allowed another slight smirk to grace his normally
unreadable face as he rose to join them. This wouldn't be so bad. Goddess knew
he could use an eighteen-year vacation from the court, raising two human
children who would know him for him and not for his reputation. Selfish as he
felt for taking these babies away from their parents, he relished the thought
of being a guardian to them.
                                      XxX
And so, King Syaoran and Queen Sakura watched with heavy hearts as their most
precious possessions, their own children, disappeared into the night.
                                      XxX
The forest of Celes lay between the kingdoms of Valeria and Nihon. Neither
kingdom had ever claimed the large piece of territory - neither dared to. It
was a place where the lines between light and darkness blurred beyond
recognition. One was either very brave or very foolish to enter its boundaries.
Things both beautiful and harrowing lived within its depths. It was the bridge
between the human realms and the land of Faerie.
It was this place that Watanuki, Doumeki, and Himawari sought. They had all
been somewhat relieved to be out from under the saddened eyes of the king and
queen as they stole away from the palace under cover of darkness. It hadn't
been easy to convince them, but in the end they had all agreed it would be best
for the twins if the three faeries fostered them within the relative safety of
Celes Forest, where Yuuko could not get to them. They had been moving silently
through the forest for what felt like hours now. The two Mokona were perched
lightly on Watanuki's shoulders. Himawari held a sleeping Yuui, wrapped tightly
in a pink blanket. Doumeki carried Fai, swaddled in a blue blanket. He, too,
was sleeping, but not quite as peacefully as his sister. Doumeki just hoped he
would at least stay asleep until they reached the safety of the cottage.
Almost as if he'd heard Doumeki's thoughts, Watanuki stopped in his tracks and
pointed up ahead.
"There. Just beyond that grove."
At first, the other two didn't see anything. But as they moved closer,
something manmade began to take shape in the darkness. The small, two-story
cottage had been almost completely swallowed up by the forest. It had
originally been built by a woodcutter who thought he could make a decent
business by selling off the supposedly magic wood of the trees. However, it
hadn't taken long for the forest to let him know that his lucrative ideas
weren't welcome there. His cottage had been empty for years.
"Looks like we've got a lot of work ahead of us," Watanuki said as he wrenched
the door open. From what they could see in the darkness, the house was just as
thickly covered with foliage on the inside as it was on the outside.
"Well, we've got eighteen years to clean up," Himawari said cheerfully. "But
we've been walking for a while and I think we're all tired. Let's leave it 'til
morning."
The other two silently agreed and they all spread out through the cottage,
searching for suitable pieces of foliage to make a rough bed for the twins.
Once they had gathered a decent pile of leaves, Doumeki and Himawari laid their
new foster children down on the makeshift pallet. Then the three faeries all
lay down in a protective circle around them. The Mokona quickly moved in and
snuggled up with the babies. However, even in this warm, safe atmosphere, one
must not forget the fact that Fai and Yuui were both newborns. Fai was the
first to wake up crying for his mother. At the sound of her twin's tears, Yuui
was soon awake and yowling as well. Their new guardians quickly sat up but
Himawari motioned for her two friends to lie back down as she gathered both
babies in her arms.
"Shh, little ones. It's all right. I'm here. Everything's all right," she
soothed, holding both of them close and gently rocking them. Then, ever so
softly, she began to sing to them.
Come, stop your crying.
It'll be all right.
Just take my hands
Hold them tight.
I will protect you
From all around you.
I will be here.
Don't you cry.
Himawari didn't even need magic. The sound of her voice alone was enough to
sooth the crying children. Slowly, they began to drift back to sleep. Even
Watanuki and Doumeki found themselves being swept away by her sweet lullaby.
For ones so small
You seem so strong.
My arms will hold you,
Keep you safe and warm.
This bond between us
Can't be broken.
I will be here.
Don't you cry.
Himawari laid Yuui and Fai back down inside the circle they'd made for them and
the Mokona cuddled back up with them. As she lay back down herself, she rested
a hand in between the twins. Yuui took her thumb and began sucking on it. Fai
contented himself with simply holding onto her pinky finger. The young faerie
smiled warmly, filled with a maternal peace she had never known before. As her
own eyes drifted shut, she sang the last words of the song
'Coz you'll be in my heart.
Yes, you'll be in my heart.
From this day on,
Now and forever more.
You'll be in my heart,
No matter what they say.
You'll be here in my heart
Always.
"Always," the three whispered together, too tired to even be aware of each
other's voices.
Chapter End Notes
     So of course "You'll Be in My Heart" is from Tarzan. You'll see a lot
     of those throughout the story, as my intent when I first wrote it was
     to have at least one lullaby in each chapter. I'll always let you
     know where each one comes from. Other than that, I hope you enjoyed
     and are looking forward to next week's update.
***** One Gift *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
"Oi!" Watanuki called down into the house. "Toss up some more hay!"
The little family had been in the cottage almost a week and had thoroughly
cleaned out its interior. They had decided it would be best to leave the
exterior covered. It would help to hide the small dwelling. But there were
several small holes in the thatched roof that needed to be repaired. Watanuki
was sitting on the roof now doing just that. Doumeki and Himawari were in the
living room below, feeding Fai and Yuui goat's milk from bottles.
"We should probably think about setting wards up around this place," Doumeki
commented, completely ignoring Watanuki.
"Won't Yuuko be able to sense that?"
"Not this deep in the forest. There's too much magic here for her to pick out
one little warding. Besides, once she's searched all of Valeria, she'll
automatically assume we've taken the twins to Faerie."
"But…Yuuko can't get into Faerie."
"Maybe she can't. But she has ways of seeing inside the court. And when she
figures out that they aren't there, I'd personally like a little more standing
in between them and her legions than a few trees."
"That wasn't a suggestion!" Watanuki snarled. "Unless you want the twins to get
rained on and catch cold, you'll get me the rest of that hay!"
Doumeki rolled his eyes and laid Fai down in the rough cradle he'd cobbled
together for the babies. Fai whimpered a little at the loss of contact, but
soon contented himself with his favorite chew toy…the moon pendant the young
prince had "given" him. Sakura had never gotten around to giving it to Yuui and
Doumeki didn't have the heart to take it from him; the little boy loved it so
much. Plus, it kept him quiet when he wasn't being held. No such luck with
Yuui. She had to be held constantly.
As Doumeki moved to help Watanuki with the last hole, Himawari moved to sit
beside the cradle to watch Fai suck on the sapphire moon as his sister
continued to suck greedily on her bottle of milk.
"Who's a cute little baby?" she cooed down at him. Fai left off sucking on the
pendant and smiled shyly up at Himawari. She wasn't his mother. He could tell
that just by the scent of her whenever she held him. But she still made him
feel safe and warm. He liked her. He also liked the other two who would hold
him and his sister. They were nice.
When Yuui finally decided that she'd had enough milk, she glanced toward her
brother and saw him smiling. The little girl giggled with delight and reached
her small hand out toward him. Yuui liked it when her brother smiled. Fai, in
turn, saw his sister's happy face and reached his own fingers up toward her.
Himawari gasped and an enchanted smile spread across her face. She leaned
closer to the cradle, allowing their hands to touch. Identical looks of
surprise blossomed upon the children's faces at the new sensation. But the
surprise soon melted into joy and wonder.
"Watanuki! Doumeki! Come and see!" the animal sprite squealed ecstatically.
Doumeki was by her side in an instant, fearing trouble. His approach was
followed by an exceedingly loud thump from outside. Watanuki stormed through
the door mere moments later, reeking of some foul odor and rubbing his sore
backside.
"Not that I don't just love falling off a roof and landing in a pile of horse
leavings, but when…you…" the angry faerie's voice faded off into nothing when
he saw the twins' fingers twined together. His hands, which had been
gesticulating wildly only moments before, dropped uselessly to his sides and a
warm, enraptured smile washed away the anger in his eyes. A small smile even
tugged at the corner of Doumeki's mouth.
The spell was broken when Himawari laid Yuui down in the cradle next to Fai and
the twins fell fast asleep, full, happy, and still holding hands.
"You were saying something?" Doumeki suddenly asked.
"Oh…er…yeah," Watanuki said slowly, trying to remember what it was.
"The…uh…roof's finished."
"Good thing, too, because you need a bath and it's about noon. The twins are
fed but the rest of us are getting hungry."
Watanuki was about to go off on a screaming tirade when Himawari gracefully
leapt to her feet and placed a finger against her lips, pointing toward the
cradle to remind him that the babies were asleep. Watanuki cringed slightly,
happy that she'd reminded him in time. But he would not let Doumeki have the
last word. He turned back to him and started hissing.
"I am not your slave! Make your own damn lunch! And I will take a bath when I'm
good and ready!"
Doumeki said nothing. He simply held up three fingers in front of Watanuki's
face.
"What the hell?!"
Two fingers.
"What are you doing?!"
One finger.
"I don't-"
Zero fingers.
"Oh, Watanuki, why won't you make lunch? No one can cook like you can,"
Himawari implored with another oh-so-charming smile.
"Coming right up, Himawari."
                                      XxX
Watanuki grumbled to himself as he trudged through the thick forest.
"Stupid Doumeki. Wanting to set the warding so far away from the house! But
still," he mumbled, glancing over his shoulder, "if it's for you…"
Yuui was strapped to his back in a sling made of white rabbit fur. Himawari had
made it and one identical to it for Doumeki to carry Fai in. It would take all
three of them to set up a descent barrier and none of them felt comfortable
leaving the children at home yet. Not even with the Mokona around. Now they
were all placed in a circle around the glen where their little cottage was.
Yuui with him, Fai with Doumeki, the Mokona with Himawari.
Ready? He asked in his head.
Ready, the other two responded immediately. As one, the three raised their arms
and began to chant.
"Oh, things possessing will, gather together with me to twirl the shadows that
flicker to create this shape. For the true form of the ultimate one can achieve
strength within. Let there be light in that which forms the cornerstone!"
A thin circle of light was drawn in the earth, linking their raised hands. A
shimmering wall of light was called into existence for a brief moment. Then it
was gone…and their defenses were in place.
                                      XxX
"Mm, how long has it been since we had any sugar?" Himawari sighed dreamily as
she hung the washing on a clothesline outside the cottage.
"Probably three months ago…at the naming ceremony," Doumeki commented, not
taking his eyes from the task of making new arrows for his bow. He was the only
one of them who knew how to shoot. As such, it had become his job to keep the
little family supplied with fresh meat. So he had to keep himself supplied with
new arrows. It would be more accurate to say that he kept one eye on this
particular task. The other eye rested on the twins, laid out on a soft blue
quilt. Yuui was dozing peacefully, snuggled up next to the black Mokona, whom
they had affectionately dubbed Larg. Fai was lying on his stomach, chewing on
his necklace and playing with the white Mokona, whom they'd named Soel.
"If you want, I can take Leval into Shirasagi tomorrow and buy you some,"
Watanuki said cheerfully as he strolled around from behind the cottage carrying
the load of laundry he'd just finished washing. Leval was the family's horse
and the beautiful creature had a coat as white as new snow. They had all
decided that it wasn't safe for them to be seen in Valeria. So whenever they
needed to do any shopping, one of them would take Leval into Shirasagi, the
capital of Nihon.
As Watanuki and Himawari continued to make plans for the sugar, Doumeki turned
his full attention to the babies. Soel had grown tired of having its ears
pulled and struck back at Fai by snatching the moon necklace from him. Instead
of crying, as was his normal wont for an outrage like this, the baby boy's face
turned red with anger and he started pounding his tiny fists against the quilt.
He wailed, "Mo-mo! Mo-mo!" over and over again. Ah, yes, the twins were
speaking now. Yuui had been the first to do so. One morning, when the idiot had
been a bit slow taking his turn to feed her, the little princess had proudly
screamed, "WATA!" to get his attention. Of course, he and Himawari had gone all
to pieces over this and a tuneful cry of, "Himi! Himi!" had followed soon
after. Doumeki had been surprised that the two hadn't died of happiness on the
spot. And, not long after, he himself had been swept into the happy whirl of
speech with Fai's first word.
"Douma!" the princeling had called out, covering his own mouth and giggling,
looking rather pleased with himself. Doumeki had picked him up and hugged him,
hiding his own smile from the beaming Watanuki and Himawari.
"Good job, little boy," he'd whispered to him, his voice betraying none of the
pride he felt. That emotion was reserved for Fai alone and it was conveyed
through his amber eyes rather than his voice.
As of this very moment, the boy had added Mo-mo to his vocabulary, an obvious
reference to Mokona. His face was practically purple with rage and, fearing
that he would start sobbing, Doumeki made a move to take the jewelry from Soel.
However, Fai's next move stopped him dead in his tracks. The baby raised
himself up on all fours, wobbling uncertainly. Then, very slowly, he started to
move forward, hand by hand, knee by knee.
"Come and get it! Come and get it!" Soel teased in a singsong voice, bouncing a
few paces further from the quilt. Fai continued his slow trek toward the fuzz
ball, determined to have his treasure back.
"Watanuki. Kunogi," he called softly. "You might want to see this."
His two companions turned toward him and saw Soel at their feet…with Fai
crawling toward them.
"Oh!" Himawari gasped joyfully. They waited breathlessly for the little one to
reach them.
"Come on," Watanuki whispered under his breath. "Just a little farther."
At long last, Fai reached them and Soel placed the pendant back around his
neck. Himawari swept him up in her arms and danced around in circles.
"We're so proud of you, Fai-chan!" she sang gleefully.
"You're a vicious sneak thief, aren't you, Soel," Watanuki said with a shake of
his head.
"It worked, didn't it?" the Mokona said deviously.
                                      XxX
"Himawari, would you mind passing me another knife?" Watanuki asked as he wiped
the sweat from his forehead. It was the twins' first birthday and he was in the
process of putting the icing on a large chocolate cake.
"Of course," Himawari said, complying, and then quickly moving back to her
previous task of setting gifts out on the table.
Somewhere in all of this last minute hustle and bustle, the twins themselves
had been forgotten. The two of them were sitting under the table. More
accurately, Yuui was sitting, watching Fai try to hold himself up by one of the
table legs. The little boy released his grip on the wood and, for a moment, he
stood on his own, but then, just like all the times before, his little legs
buckled under him and he went sprawling to the floor.
Yuui crawled over to her brother, half-expecting him to start crying. But Fai
did no such thing. He got back on all fours, looking more determined than ever.
Once again, he used the table leg to pull himself up and, yet again, released
his hold on his crutch. This time, he remained on his feet.
For a moment, the child looked surprised, as if he'd just discovered a vast
pirate treasure. The only one more surprised than Fai was Doumeki, who happened
to be walking through the front door at the time. When he saw the little boy
standing, unsupported, he silently closed the door behind him and dropped to
his knees. He held out his arms for Fai and waited patiently.
"Come on, Fai," he whispered under his breath. He did not alert Watanuki and
Himawari for fear that the slightest noise would break the young one's
concentration. Fai looked straight at him, zeroing in on his eyes as he took
his first step.
Another soon followed…and another and another, until Fai was bowling forward at
full speed, carried by his own momentum.
"Watanuki! Look!" Himawari shouted as Fai collapsed into Doumeki's waiting
arms.
"Moron!" Watanuki scolded, flinging a dishtowel at the other. "Why didn't you
say anything?"
Doumeki easily dodged the projectile as he bounced a beaming Fai up and down in
his arms. "Didn't want to distract him," he answered simply.
"Oh, Fai-chan's so smart," Himawari cooed, moving over to Doumeki and placing a
kiss on the child's small forehead. Not to be left out, Yuui crawled over to
Himawari and began tugging incessantly on her skirt, the beginnings of tears in
her eyes.
"Don't fret, Yuui-chan," she soothed as she lifted her into her arms and
pressed her slight nose lightly against the girl's button one. "You know I love
you, too."
"Fai's walking! Fai's walking!" the Mokona cheered together as they bounded
around the flower-decorated room.
"Cake's done!" Watanuki said cheerily as he placed his chocolate masterpiece on
the table. A single blue candle was set into it. 'Happy Birthday Yuui & Fai'
was written intricately across the chocolaty surface in blue icing.
"Happy birthday, twins!" everyone said together as Doumeki and Himawari set the
two down on the table in front of their cake.
"Blow out the candle!" Soel instructed excitedly. Watanuki and Himawari both
made blowing motions with their faces. Neither child really understood what was
going on, but it looked fun, so they decided to copy their guardians. Finally
the candle was blown out to thunderous applause. Watanuki began to cut and
serve up slices of the confection. Yuui stared curiously at the cake for a few
moments…then stuck her hand straight into it and pulled out a fistful.
"Yuui-chan!" Watanuki scolded half-heartedly as the little girl smeared the
chocolate cake across her face. Her eyes lit up with delight as her tongue
ventured out to taste the sugary treat. Instantly, her hand shot out to grab
more cake. Then she reached over and smeared it across her brother's face.
"Yuui-chan, that wasn't nice!" Himawari started to scold. But then she noticed
the transcendent look on Fai's face - as if someone had just handed him the
keys to paradise. He started rolling around on the table, giggling at the
silliness of everything and babbling excitedly at the glorious new taste in his
mouth. Yuui started clapping, squealing and giggling just as loudly as her
enraptured twin.
"I take it you like chocolate, Fai-chan," Watanuki said, trying to suppress a
giggle of his own.
Fai lay completely still for a moment, staring up at the ceiling.
"Chalkit?" he said to himself, licking more of his new god off of his face.
Instantly, the contemplative look morphed back into a joyful smile.
"Chalkit!" he shouted, placing his hands over his mouth and shaking with silent
laughter. "Chalkit!"
Soel and Larg joined in his merriment, bouncing up and down, yelling,
"Chocolate! Chocolate!"
"Chalkit! Chalkit! Chalkit! Chalkit! Chaaaaaaaaalkit!"
However, somewhere in the middle of it all, Soel's eyes grew very large and the
red jewel on its forehead started to glow.
"A message from King Reed," Soel announced.
"Really? Then put him through," Watanuki said, quickly removing his apron and
attempting to pat down some flyaway hairs. The red gem flashed and an image of
Clow Reed appeared in the air.
"Greetings, Kimihiro, Shizuka, Himawari. How are things?"
"Things are well. No problems so far," Watanuki said.
"I called in to wish the twins a happy birthday. I see they enjoy your
cooking," he said with a grandfatherly smile, nodding toward Fai. When the
twins heard the new voice, they both stilled and turned to see the shimmering
image of the faerie king. Fai tilted his head curiously and Yuui pointed and
smiled at the new face. "I figured I should see them while I still can. When
they're old enough to remember, I won't be able to show my face anymore. So I
thought I'd send you these while I still have the opportunity."
Suddenly Soel's mouth opened wide and several things came flying out to land
smoothly on the table. Two plush toy bunnies, one white and one silver, and two
baskets filled with bottles.
"Oooh, faerie wine!" Himawari squealed excitedly. "It's been too long."
"Yes. I thought you all could use it. The toys are for the twins, obviously."
"Really? I was thinking they were for Watanuki," Doumeki said with a completely
straight face. Watanuki started to seethe, but he dared not lose it in front of
the king.
"How are things at court?" Watanuki asked, suddenly becoming serious. The
king's face fell instantly.
"Things have been boiling quite a bit since you all left. Kamui is stirring up
trouble again."
"What does he want now?" Doumeki asked.
"The same as always. Fighting for Seishiro's right to be named as my heir."
"I've never understood that. Kamui doesn't even like Seishiro," Watanuki said
angrily.
"You know why," Reed said, fixing him with a piercing stare.
"It's because of Subaru," Himawari said meekly. "Kamui may hate Seishiro, but
he'll do anything for his brother."
"But…Majesty, what doyou plan on doing about Seishiro? No one else can
legitimately challenge his claim to your throne," Watanuki said worriedly.
"You know that isn't true. Fuuma could challenge him for the blood right. He is
my nephew, after all."
"But Fuuma would never challenge anyone for the throne!" Himawari insisted. "He
doesn't want power. He's loyal to you, Majesty."
"If it came down to it, Fuuma might challenge Seishiro to single combat just to
prevent him from challenging you for the crown," Doumeki said matter-of-factly.
"Fuuma wouldn't kill his own cousin!" Himawari said shrilly. At the sound of
the panic in her voice, Yuui immediately started to cry. The young sprite
quickly stifled a gasp and swept the girl up in her arms, dandling her up and
down to comfort her.
"I'm sorry, Yuui-chan. Please, don't cry." Doumeki gave Himawari a slightly
sympathetic look as he passed her the silver rabbit to give to Yuui. The little
girl left off crying the moment she was cuddled up with the soft toy.
"He may not have a choice," Doumeki said quietly.
"Either way, let us hope that we won't have to cross that bridge for some time
yet. I've lived for many millennia already and I don't expect to die anytime
soon," Reed said, giving the little family a sad smile. "Enjoy the wine," he
said before vanishing.
"You know," Himawari began absently as she continued to comfort her foster
daughter. "I'm almost happy to be away from all that. I like living here with
the two of you and Soel and Larg and the twins."
"Me, too, Himawari," Watanuki said as he continued to serve the cake. The same
sad smile that King Reed had given them was on his face. Doumeki was the only
one to see it.
Yuui was babbling contentedly away in Himawari's arms when she happened to look
up and see the distracted, almost sad look in her eyes. Something was wrong
with Himi! She hadn't the faintest idea what, but she did know that it wasn't
okay. Yuui didn't like it when Himawari wasn't smiling. Maybe…the nice, soft
toy would work? It had certainly cheered her up.
The warm, motherly smile returned to Himawari's face when she saw Yuui holding
up her new toy with an almost pleading look in her eyes.
"Himi-wa?"
"Oh, Yuui-chan is wonderful! Someday soon she'll be able to say my whole name,"
Himawari said, snuggling fondly with the little girl and her bunny as she
seated herself beside Watanuki. Fai saw this, crawled across the table toward
Doumeki, and held out his arms, asking to be picked up. The barest hint of a
smile tugged at the corner of the weather sprite's mouth as he picked the boy
up and set him in his lap. He grabbed the white rabbit and began to dangle it
above Fai's head. When he couldn't reach it, he started to pound his small
fists against Doumeki's legs.
"Doum-ki! Doum-ki!" he cried incessantly. The tall faerie finally relented and
handed Fai his present. When Watanuki got around to passing him a slice of
cake, he started feeding tiny bites of it to Fai.
"Not too much, you idiot! You'll rot his teeth!"
Doumeki raised an eyebrow at the nature sprite. "Teeth? What teeth? He has
four."
"Maybe so!" Watanuki fumed. "But the rest will start coming in before too
long!"
Doumeki just rolled his eyes. He knew that Watanuki didn't really hate him, but
for some reason yelling at Doumeki seemed to make him feel better…so he let
him. He could see that Watanuki needed to feel better right now. He didn't know
why, but the king's visit had saddened him. He would have to ask the shorter
faerie about it sometime.
I like it here, too, Kunogi…Kimihiro. I like that Fai and Yuui aren't afraid of
me. I like that I can be something more to them than just the Darkness.
Doumeki felt warm…warm as he had not felt since becoming the Darkness all those
years ago…Faerie's chief assassin. Fai and Yuui, Watanuki and Kunogi, even Soel
and Larg…none of them saw him as the bringer of death. He felt that…with
them…he was truly alive.
What will I do…when it all comes to an end?
                                      XxX
Kurogane winced as he listened to his mother's screams echo from her chamber.
His caretaker, Kusanagi Shiyu, was impressed by even that slight display of
emotion. Ever since the emperor's death, the prince had been a solemn child.
The boy was already throwing himself wholeheartedly into the rigors of learning
swordsmanship and he wasn't quite five years old yet. Kusanagi had already
graduated him from his toy wooden sword to a short training sword. The sword
master had to admit that he had never had such an apt or intense pupil. The boy
would move on to true blades before too long.
Kusanagi glanced down at the young prince when he felt him tugging on his
sleeve. His normally intense red eyes were filled with unshed tears of worry.
"Is…is Kaa-san going to die?" he asked, barely managing to keep his lower lip
from trembling. Kusanagi pulled his charge into a tight hug as another tortured
scream tore down the corridor.
"Of course not, Kurogane-sama. The empress is strong. It's just difficult to
bring a new life into the world. It was just like this the night you came to
us."
Though, if memory serves, it was a bit more difficult with you. You wouldn't
leave the womb without a fight, Prince.
Mere weeks after Emperor Ashura's death, Amaterasu had started to sicken and
the court physicians had pronounced that the empress' stomach would soon swell
with her husband's last child. The pregnancy had been hard on the grieving
empress, but she was determined to see her baby into the world.
One last cry of pain echoed from the empress' chamber - and was soon followed
by the shrill cries of a newborn. Several breathless minutes passed before two
scribes came barreling through the door.
"Send word throughout the land!" one shouted.
"A princess is born!" cried the other.
Kusanagi stared after the frantic men a moment before taking Kurogane's hand
and sidling over to the open door. He took a step inside and when no one shooed
him away, he decided that it was safe to enter and led the prince toward his
mother's massive futon. The woman looked thoroughly drained, but there was a
bright smile on her pale face. Kusanagi was fairly certain he hadn't seen such
a smile since before the emperor's death.
Kurogane crawled up on the futon beside his mother. Kusanagi made a move to
pull him back but Amaterasu waved him off. She reached out weakly to give her
son a hug.
"Kaa-san?"
"I'm fine, Kurogane-chan. Your baby sister's fine, too," she said, her smile
growing even warmer as one of the physicians approached them, carrying a tiny
pink bundle. The woman placed the bundle in the empress' arms, bowed, and
backed away. The baby was yowling her little lungs out. Kurogane found this
noise extremely annoying and he was afraid that it would prevent his poor,
tired mother from getting some well-deserved rest. So he did the only thing he
could think of. He placed a finger against the baby girl's lips
"Shh!"
The baby immediately left off crying and stared curiously at the face above
her. She placed her tiny hands on Kurogane's and began to suck on his finger.
The boy's first impulse was to be disgusted, but then he saw the peaceful
expression on his sister's face.
The first and most vital instinct of an infant, apart from breathing, is to
suckle. Even though her brother's finger wasn't providing the baby girl with
nourishment as her instincts told her the action would, it was still comforting
to her. Out of the womb barely twenty minutes, the outside world can be scary
to a newborn, and this one was willing to take any form of comfort she could
get. So she clung to Kurogane's hand and sucked on that digit for all she was
worth. For some reason, the four-year-old was struck by the aura of perfect
peace that surrounded the little girl.
"Would you like to hold her?" Amaterasu asked, seeing the look of awe on her
son's face. Kurogane just nodded and sat down cross-legged beside his mother.
Then she carefully passed the newborn to the awestruck boy. His finger never
left her mouth. The moment the young prince felt his baby sister's weight in
his arms, he knew that she was special. She was a person who knew nothing of
the world or the pain and evil in it. Kurogane wanted it to stay that way. He
knew that he wanted to be someone who could protect her. Heaven help the poor
fool who tried to harm…
"Um…Kaa-san?" he started, glancing up at her, feeling a bit sheepish.
"Hmm?"
"What's her name?"
"Tomoyo."
                                      XxX
Clow Reed roughly massaged his temples, attempting to stave off a growing
headache. Kamui and Fuuma were at it again and they just would not let up.
Kamui hadn't even requested a formal audience this time. The king and Lord
Subaru Shiro had merely been passing in a corridor and Fuuma, his advisor in
Watanuki's absence, and Kamui, captain of his little brother's guards, had
started going for each other's throats.
"Tell me, Kamui, why is it that you always manage to conveniently forget that
Seishiro forfeited his claim to the throne of Faerie when he was exiled with
his mother?" Fuuma reasoned level-headedly.
"Don't be so free with me, Fuuma! I may have chosen the position of guard but I
still have noble blood in me!" Kamui said angrily. "Besides, Seishiro is His
Majesty's own son! How could another heir even be considered?"
"Would it bother you to stop talking about me like I'm not here?" the king
asked. As expected, neither combatant paid him any attention. Reed rolled his
eyes.
"Seishiro is out of the question. He may be our prince, but he's also Yuuko's
son. Giving him the throne would be like handing all of Faerie to Yuuko on a
silver platter," Fuuma pointed out.
"What would you have us do instead? Name you heir apparent? Do you know what I
see, Fuuma? I see you making a power play. You certainly aren't leaving us much
choice!"
But thereisanother choice, both the king and his nephew/advisor thought as one.
But instead of foolishly revealing this, the next words to come out of Fuuma's
mouth were, "I would never do such a thing. My place is beside the throne, not
on it!"
"A likely sentiment."
"Why do you speak of this as if you expect the king to drop dead any moment?
For all we know, we won't need to be having this conversation for another
millennium."
"Personally, I would rather not have our future in doubt."
"In doubt? I should think our future would be even more in doubt with Seishiro
on the throne than if we had no ruler at all. You don't even trust Seishiro
yourself, do you?"
"I don't deny it," Kamui said calmly. "But Subaru trusts him…and I trust
Subaru."
"And of course we all know why Subaru trusts him."
"Stop right there."
"Come off it. Everyone knows who your brother is fucking when he leaves court.
That could be construed as treason, you know?"
Faster than the eye could track, Kamui was on Fuuma. He seized him by the
throat and slammed him into the wall of the corridor. Reed's four guards
instantly moved to surround them.
"What my brother does outside of Faerie is no one's business but his own!" the
captain hissed in his face. Fuuma, however, remained calm throughout.
"Careful, Kamui. You go too far."
"No. You go too far!"
"Kamui, stop this," Subaru interfered, his face still a bright shade of red
from Fuuma's earlier comment.
"He insulted you," Kamui said angrily, never once breaking eye contact with his
intended victim.
"Kamui, release him," Clow ordered. The younger faerie glanced sideways at his
king. For a moment, it seemed that he meant to defy him; but then he
relinquished his grip on Fuuma's neck and backed away.
"As you wish, my king."
"And Fuuma, I am forced to agree with Kamui. That comment was out of line."
"Of course, Uncle. My apologies, Subaru."
"Subaru, Kamui, I will see you both tonight," Reed said with a nod of his head,
letting all involved know that the conversation was over. Subaru and his guards
swept down the corridor in the direction that Clow and company had come from.
"And if the five of you don't mind, I will retire now," Clow said as he moved
away toward his chambers. Fuuma and the four guards simply bowed and went their
own way.
Once the king was safe inside his own quarters, he leaned against the door,
placed a hand against his throbbing forehead, and addressed the real reason for
his headache.
"What do you want from me, Yuuko?"
Ah. Finally alone, I see. Where are they? Where did you put them?
"I assure you, I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about," the
ancient faerie said to the voice in his head.
Don't play games with me, Clow. I'm not a patient faerie. My spies have turned
Valeria upside down. You're hiding those children from me. What better place to
spirit the twins away to than Faerie - the one place where I cannot touch them?
"Regardless of what you may think, dear Yuuko, I am not a fool. You and I both
know that you have ways of sliding your slender, murdering hands into Faerie.
What makes you think I know where those babies are?"
Who else in Faeriewouldcare for the children of that half-human bitch!? Yuuko's
voice snarled. You hid them! I know it!
"Even if I did somehow manage to hide them from your sight, what makes you so
arrogant as to think you could pull their location from me?"
My minions have failed me. I have failed...but there is one who will not fail.
If you do not hand them over freely…I will send Seishiro after them. The
Sakurazukamori will stalk the night once more. If he should find them…well…he
could do much worse to your precious servants than my other minions ever could.
Would you risk the safety of your loyal servants for the sake of a pair of
mortal bratlings?
Reed slid weakly to the floor. He was happy that Yuuko couldn't see him like
this. Her power was affecting him more than it should have. Liquid pain was
coursing through his very veins, but he continued to speak in a clear, strong
voice.
"Yuuko…this is between you and I. I beg you…leave them out of this. Sakura,
Fai, Yuui…all of them! Leave them be!"
What will you do? Send the Darkness after me? I've heard the gossip. The
Darkness is no longer at your beck and call. You've sent him off into hiding
with those despicable humans. Seishiro will kill him, too…and Watanuki…and
Kunogi…and they will suffer hell at his hands. Our son will make them beg for
death before the end. Can you picture it, Clow? Their wasted corpses lying in
growing pools of their own blood…the little children weeping over their slain
guardians…then screaming in terror as the murderer slowly walks toward them?
Can you imagine the way their helpless bodies will break as he forces them
through the same hell before my curse finally wraps itself around their throats
and destroys them? Can you hear them screaming?
He could. He could hear those defenseless babes crying in pain and terror. He
could hear Sakura keening over the bodies of her murdered children. Seishiro
could make everything end exactly as Yuuko had dictated. He had no doubt that
he had it in him…his own child.
But it doesn't have to end like that, darling Clow, Yuuko continued mockingly.
Not if you give them to me now. Hand over the children and I will spare your
three servants. Yuui and Fai don't have to suffer before the end. The siblings
can slip peacefully into an eternal slumber without any light or pain. I will
bury them together. They can spend an eternity sleeping within the depths of my
realm, watching time pass through eyes made of dust.
"Never," the king hissed. He would not consign Sakura's children to such a
dreadful fate. "Why do you hate them so much?"
Youknowwhy, Clow, she whispered as her power drifted apart like the dust she
promised to make of Fai and Yuui. Her fading magic left the faintest, most
heated of kisses on his lips.
It's because you betrayed me.
                                      XxX
"Yuui-chan! Fai-chan!" Himawari called worriedly as she traced diligent search
paths through the forest. The little family had gone out beyond the wards on a
berry-picking expedition because Himawari had found a "wonderful new patch of
strawberries". Unfortunately, somewhere during all the fun, the twins had
managed to slip away from the three faeries.
"Fai!" Soel shouted.
"Yuui!" Larg called.
"Where could they be?" Himawari wondered aloud, clearly on the verge of tears.
"Don't worry, Himawari," Watanuki attempted to console her. "They were only out
of our sight for a minute. They couldn't have gotten far."
Doumeki had not spoken once since the children's disappearance. He didn't say
anything to his companions, but he feared for the safety of the three-year-
olds…and not from any danger the forest could show them. He had been moving in
ever widening circles around their home when he left to hunt and, as he had
expected, he had begun to see signs of Yuuko's minions in the forest.
"There," the assassin said suddenly, pointing calmly into the trees ahead. The
twins were playing in a clearing not ten feet away. The anxious family
immediately moved toward its lost members, but no sooner had they moved two
feet than Himawari threw her arms wide.
"Don't move," she ordered softly. She could see what none of them had been able
to see from a distance. Fai and Yuui were playing with a black bear cub. And,
as everyone knows, where there is a bear cub, the mother bear is not far
behind.
"But…they might be-" Watanuki started to speak, but his words were interrupted
by a snarling, rampaging mass of muscle, black fur, and rage. The mother bear
came charging into the clearing, straight toward the twins and their new
playmate. Watanuki started to move forward, but Himawari held him back.
"Shoot it!" he shouted frantically at the ever-stoic Doumeki.
"She's just protecting her baby," Himawari said calmly.
"What do you think I'm doing?!"
"Wait," Himawari ordered with more calm than she actually felt. "Just wait."
The mother bear stopped just short of the three young ones. Instead of
immediately tearing the intruders limb from limb, she quickly nuzzled her own
cub and turned to inspect the new ones. She sniffed at their blonde hair. Fai
immediately began to giggle. He didn't see the mouthful of sharp teeth above
him. He knew only that a soft bear maw was tickling him and he liked it. He
reached up and grabbed handfuls of the bear's luscious black fur. The mother
bear seemed more surprised than angry. She gave the children gentle nuzzles and
scooted their tiny bodies closer to her own little one. It was in this moment
that Himawari moved into the clearing, making no more sound than a lone mother
wolf on the prowl. Moving very slowly, she came to kneel before the great bear.
Please, Great Mother, the young sprite said with her eyes. These children are
mine. Allow me to take them from your embrace and back into my own arms.
The black bear growled low in her throat…and backed away into the forest,
taking her cub with her. Yuui was still waving goodbye to the baby bear as
Himawari swept the wayward twins into her arms.
"How did you do it?!" Watanuki shouted as the others ran toward them.
"It wasn't me, really. She never would have harmed them. Do you remember my
gift? The voice of the forest? Your gift called for the earth to recognize Yuui
and Fai as its own. Mine calls for all things wild to recognize them as their
own. Between our gifts, the forest will never harm them."
"Himawari, that's-"
"Shh!" Doumeki suddenly hushed the two, raising a finger to his lips.
"Wha-" Watanuki started, but Doumeki simply held his hand up, cutting him off.
Before another confused word could be exchanged, the Darkness seized his
companions by the shoulders and steered them out of the clearing. The Mokona
siblings followed close behind as he forced them all into hiding beneath the
thick foliage. Himawari remained silent, but Watanuki continued to bluster.
Doumeki seized his gaze with his own.
Someone is coming.
Watanuki immediately clammed up and hunkered down with the rest of the family.
Several tense moments passed before a figure cloaked in black stepped into the
clearing. Yuui immediately started squirming. Himawari tried to hold her down,
but she underestimated the girl's strength and she escaped her grip. All three
felt their hearts leap into their throats as Yuui ran toward the cloaked
figure. It knelt and held out its arms as the child came forward. Doumeki
immediately leapt to his feet, trusting the others to keep Fai hidden. The
moment the little princess was in the stranger's arms, Doumeki had an arrow
notched in his bow and pointed directly into the recesses of the dark hood.
"Release the girl and no harm will come to you."
The stranger did not acknowledge him. A full-bodied, masculine laugh echoed
from the hood as he jiggled the little girl.
"Well met, little princess," the man said, holding his free hand in front of
the girl's face.
"Put her down now!" Doumeki ordered, keeping his slowly building rage in check.
The man holding Yuui prisoner snapped his fingers and a blue rose appeared in
his hand. Yuui clapped excitedly as he handed her the delicate bloom.
"Do i' again! Do i' again!" she cheered. Her captor quickly obliged. He waved
his hand and an orange toy cat appeared before the princess.
"This is the last time I am going to tell you. Let. Her. Go." The bowstring
stretched audibly as the assassin drew the arrow further back, ready to shoot.
"Darkness, I'm surprised at you. You would slay your friend for a human child?
Don't you know me?"
The arrow did not lower even a little bit. "I know who I think you should be.
But I also know that the senses are easily deceived. If you don't want an arrow
between your eyes, then show me your face."
"You won't shoot me…not while I hold the princess. Would you wager her life?"
"You know as well as I that I cannot miss." The archer said this, not out of
pride, but as a simple statement of fact. If he had a target in mind, Doumeki
truly could not miss a shot.
"An arrow won't kill me," the stranger warned.
"Mine will."
Yuui's captor laughed yet again. "Well…perhaps you're right." He handed the
smiling child the stuffed cat and pulled back his hood. Doumeki tilted his head
curiously to one side. Himawari's first instinct was to jump up and run to
them, but Watanuki placed a hand on her shoulder, silently telling her to wait.
"How do I know you're really Fuuma?"
The faerie lord tilted his head to one side in imitation of Doumeki and grinned
at him.
"I am."
The Darkness stood motionless for about ten seconds before lowering his bow.
"Okay."
Watanuki suddenly leapt up from his hiding place.
"Okay? Okay?! That's all you're going to say to him?!"
"He's very persuasive," Doumeki answered matter-of-factly.
"PERSUASIVE? PERSUASIVE, MY ASS! MAYBE YOU'VE FORGOTTEN, BUT HE'S STILL GOT
YUUI!"
"Shut up, idiot. I was just coming to that," he said before turning his
attention back to Fuuma. "You do realize that I'm going to be forced to kill
you if you don't put her down? So do it."
"Mm…no. I don't think I will," Fuuma said thoughtfully.
"Why not?"
"I should think that was obvious. I've come to take her away. Little Yuui will
be going back to Faerie with me."
"That's where you're wrong, Fuuma," Doumeki began calmly. "Yuui is staying
right here with us…with her family."
"I thought your task was to protect the twins. Well, this is the best way to do
it. The twins will be safer if they are split up."
"We'll be the judge of that," Watanuki hissed dangerously.
"The decision is no longer yours."
"Does King Reed know about this?" the nature sprite asked, suddenly fearful
that the noble had the king's approval to take Yuui away from them. Why would
he do such a thing without telling them? Did he not trust them?
"No," Fuuma said, his face suddenly growing pensive. "My uncle is not conscious
to know anything right now."
Himawari gasped as she, too, crawled out of the foliage, hugging Fai tightly
against her chest.
"Fuuma…what happened?"
"We're not certain. Shougo found him passed out in his chamber two nights ago.
We've managed to keep it secret from the rest of the court, but we have reason
to believe that Yuuko was involved. I think she may have mentally assaulted him
in an attempt to pull the twins' location from his mind."
"Will he be all right?" Himawari asked worriedly.
"He should be fine, but I'm still worried. Yuuko's magic shouldn't be able to
affect him so much. The king is not as strong as he once was. If that insane
bitch should…manage to break him…I want at least one child under the protection
of Faerie."
"But their magic is stronger when they're together," Watanuki tried to reason.
"Precisely the problem," Fuuma shot back. ""Such powerful magic makes them that
much easier to detect."
"Fuuma, please…don't take Yuui-chan away from us," Himawari begged quietly. The
hard determination Fuuma used with Doumeki and Watanuki melted away when he
turned to face Himawari. It was replaced with sympathy and concern. Fuuma had
been present at Himawari's birth more than a thousand years ago. He had watched
her grow. Of the few in Faerie he could truly consider his friends, Himawari
was first among them. He couldn't stand to see her unhappy…but he was honor-
bound to guard Faerie's best interests.
"Himawari, don't try to make me the villain here. Don't you want what's best
for the children?"
"This is what's best for them," Himawari said as she rested her head against
Fai's blond hair. "Growing up together in a normal family. How would Yuui-chan
be raised at court?"
"Like the princess she is," Fuuma promised. "We would honor her and protect
her."
The sadness that radiated off of Himawari let her friend know that he had said
very much the wrong thing. She nuzzled Fai as a mother wolf would her cub,
imbedding the image of the protective mother in Fuuma's mind.
"There is no worse fate for a child," Himawari began, sounding far more serious
than any of the others had ever heard her. "She'll be all alone. She won't ever
know her brother. She'll be trapped in a glass cage, never to be loved again.
Yuui-chan is like my own daughter. Best friends we may be, Fuuma, but do not
ask me to stand aside and let you do that to her."
The challenge was clear. Himawari set Fai down and Soel and Larg came to cuddle
with the distraught little boy. The dark-haired sprite took a decidedly
offensive stance. There was something vaguely predatory in her usually gentle
gaze, like some caged wild thing trying to break free of its bonds. Fuuma noted
the change in her with a tech of alarm. He had seen Himawari lose control only
once before - when her grandmother, General Hikaru, had been killed in the last
great war to unite the warring courts of Faerie into a single nation. She had
been very young then, nigh twenty years old. Himawari had a kind heart, but her
animal nature, the very magic that she was possessed of, tempered all of the
love that was in her with just as much savagery. It was something the young
faerie had to work very hard to control. When she'd received news of Hikaru's
death, well…the slayer had not come to a particularly pleasant end. Fuuma did
not want to think about his odds against such primal rage. He was a spirit of
air and light. He had no illusions about who would win in an all out fight
between the two of them.
Doumeki, as always, remained completely impassive when he began to feel
Himawari's magic fill the air.
"Himawari?" Watanuki whispered uncertainly.
Fuuma held her cat-like gaze. "Don't do this, Himawari," he whispered under his
breath.
It would most certainly have come to blows if the twins hadn't chosen that
moment to unwittingly work their own brand of magic.
Yuui had liked the dark-haired man at first. He had a nice smile and he'd given
her a new toy. But she was starting to be afraid of the tension she was feeling
between him and the others. The little girl started to fuss. She wanted the man
to put her down. She wanted her brother!
Fai saw his sister start to panic. Instead of giving into his own fear, he
jumped into action. He moved toward the man on shaky legs. The Mokona tried to
stop him but he kept moving. He sat himself at the man's feet and wrapped his
arms around one of his legs.
"Please," the little boy began tearfully, using the new word Watanuki had
taught him. "Pu' Yuui down. Don' take my sistew away!"
Fuuma glanced down at the little prince clinging to his leg and suddenly saw
himself. His gaze shifted back to Yuui and he found himself looking at his own
little sister, Kotori. The two thousand-year-old faerie felt an immediate
kinship with Fai. He, too, would give anything to see his baby sister smile. In
that moment of weakness, Fuuma backed down. He placed Yuui on the ground next
to Fai and took a step back from them. The twins hugged each other tightly,
crushing the toy cat between them.
The glint disappeared from Himawari's eyes as she moved toward the children.
She swept them up in her arms and hugged them close. She remained kneeling,
burying her face in their fair hair to keep the others from seeing her tears.
They were not just tears of relief. They were tears of confusion and fear. In
her thousand years of life, Himawari had never known the pains of a mother.
These little ones were not of her body. She was stealing their love away from
their true mother. She had no right to claim herself as their mother; and
yet…she was the only mother they knew. And they…the only children she had ever
known. They were not hers, and yet…the thought of losing them had almost sent
her over the edge. She feared that edge and the terrible things it could make
her do, but…if it could help her protect Fai and Yuui…she would use it. That
willingness to slay, even for them…scared her.
Suddenly the distraught faerie felt arms around her shoulders.
"Himawari," Watanuki began, holding her and the twins close. "It's all right."
"I think you've done enough damage for one day, Fuuma," Doumeki said, the hint
of a glare lighting up his amber eyes.
Fuuma glanced ashamedly away from his friends. He had hurt them…he knew,
but…they had to understand.
"I'm sorry, Himawari. You have to understand. I was only doing what was best
for our people."
"Our people?" Himawari said bitterly, not looking at him. "What does the safety
of our babies have to do with our people?
Fuuma stared curiously at her, then back at Watanuki.
"You mean you haven't-" He was cut off by the warning look in Watanuki's eyes.
Doumeki noticed the look but remained silent as always. Himawari had eyes only
for the children. Fuuma, meanwhile, locked eyes with Doumeki.
"Darkness, I will leave the prince and princess in your care for now, but you
had better keep them safe," he warned before disappearing into the forest.
Doumeki glanced down at Watanuki and was about to ask him what he and Fuuma had
been talking about when the former advisor gave him a look that plainly said,
not now.
"Will you be okay, Himawari?"
"Can…can we go home now?" she asked softly.
"Sure," Watanuki answered, helping her to her feet. "I can take Fai-chan."
But when he reached for the boy, Fai shied away from him. He and Yuui clung
desperately to their surrogate mother. They didn't understand everything that
had just occurred, but they did know that something very bad had almost
happened. They wanted the comfort of Himawari's embrace, the knowledge that
they were together and that nothing could separate them so long as they held
onto each other. As the small family moved back toward their home, the twins
fell asleep like that, holding hands and clinging to Himawari.
"Watanuki?" Larg whispered to the faerie from his place on his shoulder. "Will
Himawari be all right?"
"I hope so."
                                      XxX
Red eyes stare steadily into his. Something about them makes him feel like
their owner will devour him whole.
"Dear child," a serpent-like voice whispers to him. He's being held in a
woman's lap. She's holding him close with her cold hands. She seizes his face
and presses her mouth right up against his ear.
"Did you know that everything you are…is a lie?"
"What do you mean?" he asks, his lower lip trembling. This lady is scary. He's
never met anything scarier, but he is trying his hardest not to cry. Only
babies cry. He isn't a baby!
"Watanuki, Himawari, Doumeki? Those people you call family? They stole you and
your sister from your real parents."
"You're lying!" the little boy yells, beating his fists against the woman in
order to make her let him go, but she just squeezes him tighter.
"You're going to die, you and your sister. You won't live to see your
eighteenth birthday."
"NO!" he shrieks, struggling even harder to escape, but in vain. The woman
wraps her slender hands around his throat…and squeezes. He fights, but he can't
get away. He can't move. He can't breathe!
The hands leave his throat, but he still can't move. He suddenly finds himself
lying spread eagle on cold, hard ground.
"Let me go," he pleads, hot tears streaming down his face. He can't help it.
He's terrified. "I wanna go home!"
"You can never go home again. You belong to me. You belong to the darkness."
"DOUMEKI!" he screams into the darkness, fighting tooth and nail against the
mysterious force that holds him down. "SAVE ME!"
"No one can save you. No onewantsyou. You're going to die!"
The darkness around him erupts in flames and a hideous black dragon bursts
through the fire. It has the same glowing red eyes as the woman.
"I DON'T WANNA DIE!" the stricken child sobs. The dragon is circling overhead,
"Good night, sweet prince," the creature hisses. Then its mouth opens wide and
a jet of flame comes streaking toward him.
Fai awoke screaming. His small body was covered with sweat and his face was
streaked with salty tears. Moonlight was spilling across the bed he shared with
Yuui, Soel, and Larg. The next moment, his sister and the Mokonas were awakened
by his cries.
"Fai! What's'matter?!" Yuui asked, starting to panic herself. Fai was still
crying hysterically when Himawari, Doumeki, and Watanuki burst into the room.
"What happened?!" Watanuki demanded, on the verge of hysterics himself.
"Mokona doesn't know," Soel started, clearly frightened. "Fai just woke up
crying."
Himawari rushed forward and sat down on the bed in front of Fai.
"Fai-chan? Sweetie? What's wrong? Are you hurt? Did you have a bad dream?"
Fai didn't answer her. He just threw himself into her arms and sobbed as if his
little heart were breaking. Himawari didn't press him. She simply held the
five-year-old close, whispering comfortingly to him and gently rubbing his
back.
"It's all right, baby. You're safe now. Nothing's going to hurt you," she
continued to soothe, but his next words caused her to stiffen.
"I s-saw…I saw…a l-lady. A r-really m-mean lady with r-red eyes," the boy
whimpered. Himawari did not let him see her reaction. She held him tighter and
tried to keep him talking.
"Did…the lady say anything to you?"
Fai hiccupped twice before answering. "She s-said…that…Y-Yuui and me…th-that
we're…g-gonna…gonna…"
"Gonna what, pumpkin?"
"DIE!" he screamed as a fresh wave of tears came pouring down his face. He
buried his face in Himawari's chest. "I don't wanna die! I don't want Yuui to
die!"
Himawari held the boy closer, running tender fingers through his hair. "Hush,
my little Fai-bear. You're both safe. No one's going to die."
Fai clung to her like a lifeline and cried harder. Yuui cuddled with Soel and
Larg, trembling as her brother's muffled sobs filled her ears.
As Himawari tried to keep the atmosphere calm, Doumeki pulled Watanuki out into
the hallway.
"She's coming after them," he noted calmly.
"I noticed," Watanuki responded in exasperation.
"If she can get enough of a lock to invade their dreams, she knows they're in
the forest. She can't come herself. You know who she'll send."
"Seishiro, I imagine!" Watanuki hissed right back. "But it…it'll be fine. Maybe
you are a brutish, brainless oaf, but Seishiro's no match for you."
"You think so?" Doumeki asked, the hint of an edge in his voice.
I'm not so sure.
A heavy silence stretched between them as they listened to Himawari soothe the
distraught twins. It was an uncomfortable silence filled with painful secrets
and half-formed thoughts.
"You know," Doumeki started, finally ready to give voice to the thoughts and
suspicions that had been boiling in his head for the past five years. "You
never did explain."
He couldn't see Watanuki, but he didn't need to. Darkness was his element.
Darkness was like his third eye. Words spoken in the darkness reached his ears.
Actions hidden by the dark of night were laid bare before his senses. He could
feel Watanuki stiffen in the air next to him.
"Explain what?"
"Kunogi said it two years ago, though I imagine she didn't realize the
implications because she was so upset. Fai and Yuui…what does their safety have
to do with Faerie?"
Watanuki smiled bitterly. Doumeki could feel the twist of his lips through the
darkness between them.
"You've got a pretty good memory for an idiot," he said wryly, trying to dodge
the issue.
"Don't play the fool with me right now," the assassin warned him. No matter how
good you are at it. "I asked you a question. I expect an answer."
"Doumeki," the nature sprite sighed, finally coming clean. "I wish I could tell
you. I'd love to tell both you and Himawari everything,but…you aren't the only
one in Faerie to whom the darkness offers up its secrets. Some things are best
left unsaid. No one knows, except the king, Fuuma, and I. You will know
someday…but not now."
"I'll wait," the archer said. Watanuki breathed a sigh of relief and was about
to step back into the twins' bedroom when Doumeki seized his wrist.
"As long as you need me to, I'll wait…and when you're ready to talk, I'll be
right here."
The taller faerie could feel the unsaid words hanging in the space between
them. The darkness told him that Watanuki's words were there, but it could not
tell him what those words were. He knew what his own words were. Watanuki knew
what they were, too, though he had never spoken them…and he would not, not
until Watanuki was truly ready to hear them. Nearly eighteen hundred years had
passed since they'd first locked eyes and still, neither was ready to hear the
words they could both feel suspended between them.
They stood like that for a few moments, but Watanuki finally extricated his
wrist from Doumeki's strong grip and the two of them moved back into the twins'
room as if nothing had happened. Himawari had managed to get Fai to stop
crying. The twins were hugging each other tightly and Himawari was holding them
both, rocking them gently. Larg sat perched atop her head and Soel was sitting
on her shoulder.
"Fai-chan? Yuui-chan? Do you know what you should do whenever you feel scared
or alone?" she asked them quietly.
"What?" Fai sniffled, still not quite over Yuuko's nightmare. Soel and Larg
bounced off of Himawari as she leaned down close to the children.
"You sing a song," she whispered to them, as if imparting some great piece of
wisdom.
"But…we don't know that many," Yuui said despairingly.
"Don't worry about that, Yuui-chan. I'll teach you all the songs I know,"
Himawari said with a small giggle. The twins gazed adoringly up at her.
"Himiwari? Will you sing us one right now?" Yuui asked shyly. Himawari answered
by starting to sing.
Under the snow,
Beneath the frozen stream,
There is life.
You have to know
When nature sleeps she dreams.
There is life.
And the colder the winter,
The warmer the spring.
The deeper the sorrow,
The more our hearts sing.
Even when you can't see it,
Inside everything
There is life.
After the rain,
The sun will reappear.
There is life.
After the pain,
The joy will still be here.
There is life.
For it's out of the darkness
That we learn to see.
And out of the silence
That songs come to be.
And all that we dream of
Awaits patiently.
There is life.
There is life.
During her song, Doumeki and Watanuki had sat down on either side of Himawari
and Soel and Larg had snuggled up with them. The small bed could barely contain
the whole family.
"Feel better?" Himawari asked.
"Y-yeah," Fai said, wiping away a stray tear. "But…can…can we sleep with you
tonight?"
Himawari laughed and smiled warmly down at the siblings.
"Yes, you can."
Chapter End Notes
     "There is Life" is from the movie Bambi ll, which just so happens to
     be a good movie, in my humble opinion. I should also warn you that
     while I did succeed in getting at least one lullaby into each chapter
     the first time around, things may fall differently this time. I'll be
     dividing the chapters up into slightly smaller, more manageable
     sections, as that did seem to be an issue before. The story will also
     be undergoing some edits in preparation for its new home, filling
     plot holes and catching mistakes and the like. Other than that, very
     happy to see that people still remember the ol' sleeping beauty in
     the wood. Hope you enjoyed and are looking forward to the next
     installment.
***** Gold of Sunshine *****
Blue…blue so rich and cool the world has no right to it. The boy feels that he
could drown in that vast blue…in the eyes that contain it. Yes. He would
willingly drown in the whirlpool of those shimmering eyes and he would never
once scream for help.
"You have nice eyes."
"Thank you, Prince-sama."
"What's your name?" he asks the pale, mysterious boy.
"I can't tell you that," he says with a wink.
"Why not?" he asks, wanting to be irritated with the other boy, but somehow
unable to be.
"Because we haven't met yet, silly."
"What are you talking about? We're meeting right now!"
"No, we're not," the blond child says in a singsong voice. "We're four years
from meeting, you and I, Kuro-chan."
This time he can't help but be a little angry. "What did you call me?!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Kuro-puppy is funny," the blue-eyed boy says before pouncing on
him and giving him a big hug. For a moment, he could almost swear the other boy
has cat ears. "Fai-kitty wants Kuro-puppy to be its friend!"
Now he's just confused. "Okay! Sheesh! I'll be your friend if you get off me!"
"Yay! A new friend!" the boy cheers, finally releasing his hold on him.
"No more of those dumb nicknames though."
"NII-SAMA! HELP ME!"
Kurogane was torn violently from his sleep by the sounds of his baby sister
screaming. Instantly, the haze of the dream was gone and the eight-year-old was
tearing out of his room, down the corridor. He beat her guards and caregivers
by a mile.
"Tomoyo!" the concerned prince shouted as he burst into his sister's chamber.
Her futon was empty. For a moment, he felt sick to his stomach, thinking she'd
been kidnapped. But then he noticed a trail of rumpled sheets leading to the
far corner of the young princess' chamber. There he found his little sister,
curled up in the fetal position, clutching her favorite purple blanket, and
sobbing in terror.
"Tomoyo?" he said softly, not wanting to startle her. The four-year-old's head
snapped up and the second she saw her big brother, she rushed into his arms.
"What happened?" he asked, holding her and letting her cry. Instinctively, his
embrace tightened when he heard her guards pour into the room.
"Nii-sama," she whimpered as Kurogane carried her back to her futon. "I was so
scared."
"What was it, Tomoyo? Another bad dream?" he asked, still holding her close as
he sat down on her futon. Tomoyo just nodded weakly, clinging desperately to
her brother.
"What did you see, my Princess?" a voice suddenly sounded above the hushed
murmurings of the guards. An elderly man dressed in red robes emerged from the
sea of black-clad warriors. Kurogane glared angrily at the high priest.
"Leave her alone, Chang Ang. She doesn't need your stupid rambling right now!
Can't you see she's scared?"
"But my Prince, we must know the dream that the princess had. I have long
suspected that her Highness might have…special powers. If I might be allowed to
interpret-"
"That's why I want you to leave her alone!" Kurogane snapped. "I don't like you
scaring her!"
"Kurogane, stop it," his mother ordered as she entered her daughter's room.
"But we can't just-"
"I don't like it anymore than you do," she interrupted. "But if Tomoyo has the
gift of dream sight like Chang Ang-sama suspects, then she must be properly
trained to her gifts."
Kurogane bowed his head in defeat. Then he looked down at his sister. "Don't be
scared, Tomoyo. I'm right here. Chang Ang wants to know about your bad dream,
but don't worry. It can't hurt you. I'm here for you."
Tomoyo nodded her consent and the high priest took his cue to come forward. He
glanced at Kurogane for approval but the young prince just grunted in response.
The priest slowly placed a hand on Tomoyo's forehead. Both pairs of eyes closed
as Chang Ang reached into the child's sub conscience. Tomoyo trembled like a
leaf about to be plucked from its branch by the wind and sweat started to pour
down Chang Ang's face.
Suddenly, Tomoyo gave a terrified shriek and Chang Ang fell back. Several of
the guards moved forward to catch him as he fell. Tomoyo clung to her brother
and began to cry again. The guards, meanwhile, lowered Chang Ang to the floor
and he sat there, dumbfounded. Only three people were brave enough to approach
the entranced priest: Amaterasu, Kusanagi, and Tomoyo's own nurse, Chitose.
"What did you see?" Amaterasu asked anxiously.
"Tsukuyomi," the stricken priest whispered. "The miko with the power of the
moon is born to us once again." Slowly, reverently, Chang Ang moved to his
knees, kneeling before the princess. "My Lady," he whispered. Spiritually, this
little girl was far above him.
Tomoyo did not acknowledge him. She simply held tight to Kurogane.
"Are you certain?" Chitose asked.
"On this, the fifth anniversary of Emperor Ashura's death, Tomoyo-hime dreams
of the witch-queen, Yuuko. I saw a forest burned to ashes…a great kingdom in
ruins. The only living things were twin children."
A hush fell over the assembled crowd. Everyone knew of the vanished twins of
Valeria. The only ones present who did not know of Kurogane's engagement to the
elder twin were Tomoyo and Kurogane himself. And again, the only ones present
who knew that the twins still lived were Amaterasu and Chang Ang. As the priest
continued his narration of the vision, Amaterasu quietly signaled the guards to
leave. The only ones remaining were herself, Chang Ang, the two royal siblings,
Kusanagi, and Chitose.
"They were all alone…surrounded by death and destruction...and then she came -
the creature with the eyes of blood. She came as a dragon to devour the
helpless children!"
"And?" Kusanagi hissed.
"No more. I sincerely doubt the child could have handled much more of the
vision. It is the future she's seen. Or at least, a possible future. The
princess was born to be a miko. She can never escape the sight."
Kurogane glared helplessly at the high priest as he spoke. What was wrong with
all of them? Didn't they understand that these dreams frightened Tomoyo? Now
they were going to make her deal with them all the time? He had promised that
he would protect his little sister, but…this was something he could not protect
her from.
"We will discuss this further in the morning. For now, I think it best that we
all get back to sleep," Amaterasu interrupted Chang Ang's monologue, noting her
seething son and her whimpering daughter.
"As my Empress wishes," Chang Ang said before bowing and leaving. Kusanagi and
Chitose followed suit. Tomoyo glanced up at her brother, her lower lip
trembling.
"Can…can you stay in here tonight?"
Kurogane glanced at their mother to make sure it was okay. She smiled, nodding
her consent before turning to leave herself. Her two children had a bond that
she had never shared with anyone, being an only child. Kurogane had always been
able to comfort Tomoyo after her nightmares as she never could. Sometimes she
envied them their closeness. She had not been so close to anyone since Ashura's
death. But at the same time, she was glad of it. On their own, her babies were
both lonely children. Kurogane was serious and stoic. He threw himself into his
sword and martial arts training heart and soul, mind and body. Sometimes she
was afraid that he had taken his father's dying words a little too much to
heart. There were only two, maybe three people who could make him smile.
Tomoyo, Kusanagi, and his only other friend, a noble's daughter about three
years younger than him named Souma. Tomoyo was a brilliant child. Even at her
young age, her intelligence was already apparent. She was far more perceptive
than any child of four had a right to be. But that scared her age mates. It
even scared many of the adults in the palace. She had so much light, so much
love to give…but people were just too afraid to get close to her. However, no
matter how alone they were apart, they at least had each other.
Kurogane had quite a time extricating himself from Tomoyo's grip, but he
finally managed to calm her enough so that he could go and gather the scattered
bedding.
"I tried to warn 'em," she mumbled as he tucked the blankets back around her.
"What do you mean?" Kurogane asked, finally crawling under the blankets with
his little sister and hugging her tight.
"Those other kids...the ones I saw in my dream. I tried to warn 'em 'bout the
dragon but…but I couldn' – talk. I couldn' even scream," she whimpered against
his chest, snuggling deeper into his protective embrace. "It was gonna-"
"Shh," he hushed her. "It was only a dream. No one got hurt."
"But…Chang Ang-sama said that…that it migh' happen."
"Don't worry about that now. You should worry about getting to sleep. Sleeping
is actually kinda fun. I was doing it a few minutes ago. I was having a good
dream." Well…scratch that. It had started off as a nice dream. Then it just got
weird.
Tomoyo suddenly glanced up at him, all traces of her tears gone. He could just
barely make out the glint of her violet eyes in the darkness.
"You saw 'em, too, didn' you?"
"Well…not exactly. I saw someone. I saw a boy: a crazy kid with blonde hair and
blue eyes...and I think he thought he was a cat."
Unlike Kusanagi, or Souma, even, Tomoyo seemed to make perfect sense of his
half-remembered dream and didn't look at him funny like they would have.
Instead, she smiled. "He's the one. He was one a' the kids in my dream. 'Cept
in my dream, there was a girl with him, too. I think they mighta been brother
and sister…jus' like us."
"You think?"
"Maybe…if it is the future…do you think we migh' meet 'em someday, Nii-sama?"
Tomoyo asked sleepily as her eyes drifted shut.
"Who knows?" he yawned, barely clinging to consciousness. Kurogane didn't
relish the thought of crossing paths with a crazy cat boy who couldn't say his
name properly. But he actually wouldn't have minded seeing those eyes again.
They made him feel…happy.
                                      XxX
"Ready or not, here I come!" Himawari shouted as she uncovered her eyes. She,
the twins, and the Mokona were out on a picnic for the day and Soel had decided
that they should all play hide and seek. By merit of being the eldest of them,
Himawari was "it" first. She could already see a small foot sticking out from
underneath a nearby bush. She could also make out a few wisps of blonde hair
against the bark of a tree as the wind caught them.
"I don't see anyone," she said despairingly. "Where could my little Fai-chan
and Yuui-chan be?" She flailed around the clearing, searching everywhere but
where she actually knew them to be, letting the twins think themselves so
clever, as one did when playing games with children. As Himawari danced about
the glen, she found herself thinking about how much Watanuki would enjoy this
game. She could just picture him beside her, pretending not to know where the
children were. She could see Doumeki standing a little ways off, watching over
the proceedings with a not-quite-smile on his face. Unfortunately, they
couldn't all be here today. There was work that needed doing. Watanuki was in
Shirasagi for the day, gathering some much needed supplies, and Doumeki was off
on a hunting trip. He never spoke of it but both she and Watanuki knew he also
scouted the woods for Yuuko's spies whenever he went out hunting. Himawari
liked to think that they could trust him enough to tell them if he ever found
anything but…he was the Darkness. He knew how to keep his silence if he saw
fit.
Finally deciding that enough time had passed, Himawari snatched at the foot she
saw and pulled, producing a giggling Fai.
"Found you," she teased, giving his nose a gentle nuzzle with her own. "Will
you help me find the others?"
Fai shook his head as he got to his feet. "No. You have to find them. I'm not
gonna squeal."
Himawari laughingly shook her head as she, too, rose to her feet. She took
another look around the clearing and decided to let Yuui be for a little while
longer. This was partially due to the fact that she had spotted the sudden
glimmer of Larg's blue forehead jewel. She reached into the tightly packed
branches of a young evergreen tree and easily plucked out the black Mokona.
"That tickles!" Larg protested, kicking its feet and wriggling its small body.
After giving it another quick tickle on its small tummy, she released the black
fuzz ball and continued her search. Soel was nowhere to be found, so she
finally decided to go after Yuui. Himawari crept around the tree where she'd
seen her before and found the little girl peeking around the other side of the
tree, trying to see if the enemy was still around. Just as Yuui was starting to
breathe a sigh of relief, Himawari pounced. Yuui gave a delighted shriek of
surprise as Himawari snatched her up and spun her around. Fai ran toward them
and Yuui squealed, "Put me down! Put me down!" Himawari did so and the three
began to dance in a circle. Larg bounded into the middle of the circle and
bounced up and down, singing, "Soel won! Soel won!" Before long, the four
collapsed on the forest floor in a fit of giggles.
"You two are getting so big," Himawari said as she pulled the six-year-olds
close to her. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to grow up so fast?"
Himawari's lamentation was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Soel. The
little white thing came bounding up to them, clearly upset.
"What's wrong, Soel?" the young faerie asked as she sat up.
"Himawari!" the tiny creature moaned, clearly out of breath. "Someone's in the
forest!"
Himawari instantly felt her heart turn to ice in her chest. "Are you sure?"
"Uh-huh. Mokona saw him. He's not far away. He heard you all laughing. He's
coming here!"
"Seishiro," Himawari whispered, her eyes going wide in terror. "It has to be."
She quickly gathered the twins to her and moved back to the tree where Yuui had
been hiding. She lay down against the tree and pulled Fai and Yuui right up
against her breast. Soel and Larg curled up on either side of her head,
trembling in fright. If she attempted to teleport away, their was a chance
Seishiro would be able to track her back to the cottage. She couldn't lead him
there. She had no choice. She had to use glamour; a cloaking magic that would
cause her and those near her to take on the appearance of something else. In
this case, the tree trunk they were lying against. As she drew the shield in
around them, she also tried to weave the magic web as tightly as she possibly
could, so that the spell would not leave a signature for Seishiro to trace.
"Himawari?" Yuui asked, fear starting to build in her own voice as she felt her
guardian's fear grow. "Would it help if we sang a song?"
"No, pumpkin," Himawari whispered, almost wanting to laugh at the child's wide-
eyed innocence. "This is one time where it will not help anything. No matter
what you might see or hear, you must be very quiet. Hold tight to me," she
whispered, holding the shivering children tighter. She was fairly certain that
they could feel her heart trying to beat its way out of her chest, but she
still tried to reassure them through the strength of her embrace.
What seemed like hours, but what were really only minutes, ticked away while
Himawari waited for something to happen. Her heart leapt into her throat when
she finally saw a figure cloaked in black appear through the trees. The
voluminous hood was thrown back to reveal the sharp, pale face of the former
prince of Faerie, Seishiro.
Seishiro had but one grey eye. Rather than heal it or use a glass one, he
proudly left the socket empty as a reminder to all that he had faced and killed
Lord Yasha in single combat. Among the beings that dwelt in Faerie, Seishiro
had a rare ability. His touch could bring death, even to the immortal fey. His
single eye was sharp and held nothing but terror for his enemies. Not even his
own father could claim that he had ever seen his boy smile truly. Himawari had
once liked to believe that he smiled for Subaru, but now, suddenly becoming the
prey to his predator, she could only believe the worst of him.
"I know you're here," he said in a voice no louder than the drop of a pin, but
that still somehow managed to send thrills of terror down Himawari's spine.
"Why don't we stop playing these little games, Himawari? I'll let you go…if you
hand over those children."
He waited a few moments for an answer, allowing his gaze to sweep the forest.
"No?" he asked, almost playfully. "I suppose we'll have to do this the hard
way." A ball of fire formed in his hand and he lobbed it at the tree right next
to their hiding place. The poor thing quickly went up in flames. Yuui started
to scream, but Himawari managed to muffle the sound by pressing the child's
face firmly against her breast.
"I'll just smoke you out," he said as he incinerated yet another tree. She
could feel Fai shaking like a leaf, trying his best not to cry. Yuui's tears
were already starting to soak her skin. As the heat rose around them, Seishiro
suddenly walked right up to their tree and placed a hand against its bark.
Instantly, the green, living tree withered and died. Himawari only just managed
to change the glamour in time. Then the dark prince stared directly at the spot
where they lay.
"Fine. Be that way. I rather like this little game. We should play again
sometime." Without another word, the fallen prince vanished into thin air.
Himawari hadn't realized just how tense she was until she allowed herself to
collapse against the dead tree, drawing several shaky breaths to try and calm
herself. Soel and Larg snuggled up against her in an attempt to comfort her.
She lessened her death grip on the twins, but only enough so as not to
suffocate them. She still held them tightly against her, and they had no
objections. Fai and Yuui clung just as tightly to her. Yuui was still crying
softly and Fai had given into his terror and let a few tears slide down his
face.
"Who was that man?" Fai sniffled.
"A very bad man," Himawari whispered, kissing the tops of their heads. Though
Seishiro was gone, she did not trust him to stay that way. She did not release
the glamour for quite a while. After both sets of twins had left off crying and
shivering, they all fell asleep on top of her, exhausted. Though she was
exhausted herself, she took comfort in their closeness. She was still fighting
off her own case of the chills as she finally released the glamour. She lay
like that for a while longer, trying to regain the shattered pieces of her
composure.
"KUNOGI!" a voice suddenly sounded through the trees. Himawari stiffened in
fear and began to hyperventilate before realizing that it was Doumeki's voice
calling her. He appeared out of almost nowhere, running toward her with his bow
drawn. He saw her collapsed against the dead tree, holding the sleeping
twins…and automatically assumed the worst.
"What happened? They're not-"
"No. They're fine," Himawari mumbled. "But…Sei…Seishiro…" She couldn't hold it
in anymore. Himawari burst into tears. Doumeki laid his bow down and placed his
hands on her shoulders, trying to calm her.
"What about Seishiro?"
"He was here. He killed all these trees. He was looking for them," she cried
softly. Distraught as she was, she didn't want the twins to wake and see her
like this.
"I was afraid of that. I felt the wards shake and I came looking for you. For a
moment there…I thought I was too late."
"Well, no worse for wear," Himawari said, trying to smile through her tears.
"No one was hurt today."
"Maybe not today, but I still think we need to be more watchful from now on. I
think maybe it would be best if we stayed inside for a few days. Let's get them
home," Doumeki said gently as he lifted Fai and Soel into his own arms.
Himawari nodded, climbing to her feet with Yuui and Larg in tow. As Doumeki led
the way back through the forest, Himawari was able to ponder what she hadn't
been able to before in her worry for the twins.
He knew where we were the whole time. He was just toying with us! But…if that's
the case…if he knew…why didn't he take Fai and Yuui? Why did he let us go?
                                      XxX
In the early, pre-dawn light, Queen Sakura stood, forlornly staring out a
window at the beautiful spring day that was about to be born. The air was warm
and smelled faintly of apples.
"Your Highness?" she suddenly heard a voice call her. She glanced down the
corridor and saw Yukito appear out of the darkness. He was holding a baby boy
in his arms. "What are you doing up so early?"
"I just wanted to watch the sun rise," she said, turning back to gaze at the
ever lightening horizon. "They'll be seven years old today."
"I know," the high priest said as he came to stand beside her. "It's hard to
believe it's already been seven years."
"What about you? Why are you up so early?"
"Eri-chan was being fussy, and as Touya says, 'Yuki, before sunrise, he's your
son'."
Eriol was Touya and Yukito's adopted son. His village and everyone in it had
been destroyed by fire. He had survived because someone had thrown a wet towel
across his cradle. Rescuers from the castle had discovered the screaming child
in the smoldering remnants of the cottage two days later. Yukito had taken an
immediate liking to the boy and talked Touya into adopting him, giving him the
name Eriol. Yukito had guessed him to be about six months old when he came to
them, so he didn't need to suckle from the breast anymore. Eriol seemed content
with goat's milk from a bottle. Since they had no idea when his birthday was,
they had decided that he would share a birthday with their niece and nephew. So
today, April 1st, Eriol was a year old.
"You're so lucky, Yukito," Sakura said softly, tickling Eriol under the chin.
The little boy giggled and snuggled shyly into his adoptive father's embrace.
"Sakura-chi," he said softly, using the name he'd not used for her since they
were all children. "We all agreed that it was for the best."
"I know," Sakura sighed. "But I still miss them…so much. They were in my
life…such a short while." Ever since her babies had vanished into the forest
all those years ago, she felt as if she had been missing a piece of herself.
And when they emerged from the forest in eleven years, it would be far too late
to truly be a part of their lives. They were gone from her as surely as if
Yuuko had slain them anyway.
"Yukito…could I please…hold Eri-chan?"
"Of course, my queen," he said, happy to do whatever he could to cheer her up.
She always got like this around the twins' birthday. Yukito smiled warmly as he
passed his son to his aunt. Sakura took the boy and held him close. Eriol had
grey eyes and black hair, but somehow, he still reminded her so much of her own
son. What was he like now? Was he a good boy? What was his favorite food? Did
he get along well with his sister? She didn't know. But she wanted to…so badly.
She was lying on her bed with both babies lying on her stomach, nursing. It was
difficult to feed them both at once, but she sometimes had to and she had
learned that this was the best way to do it. She didn't really mind, though.
She loved holding the two of them close like this, feeling their tiny
heartbeats flutter against her stomach. She had waited so long for this. Fai
and Yuui were her miracle.
Yuui suddenly stopped nursing and glanced up at her, a bright smile lighting up
her round baby face. She released her grip on her source of food and waved up
at her mother. But, as the first light of dawn peeked over the horizon, her
daughter's beautiful face twisted into smoke and faded away. Before she could
stop them, tears began to slide down Sakura's face and onto Eriol's cheeks.
"Five months," she whispered into the little boy's dark hair. "Five months of
memories…and Fai and Yuui won't even have those. I thought Syaoran and I were
finally going to have a family."
"But you do have a family, Sakura. You have Touya, and me, and now Eri-chan.
You and the king have each other, and Yuui-chan and Fai-chan will come back to
us someday."
Sakura nodded, hugging Eriol tighter in an attempt to stave off her sorrow. She
would never have the chance to be a mother…not really. She had known that when
she she'd seen the warmth in Himawari's face as she held Yuui. It was enough to
know that her children were safe.
It would have to be enough.
                                      XxX
Fai sat worriedly beside Doumeki as he spoon-fed Yuui a bowl of chicken soup.
The little girl was sweating and shaking and her skin was much paler than
usual. She had been confined to bed for about a week now and Fai had had to
share a bed with Doumeki because they didn't want him to get sick, too. Yuui
had come down with a case of influenza. At first the three faeries had been
worried, but Watanuki had mixed in a few charmed herbs with the broth they'd
been feeding her. The worst was over now, but the poor girl was still very
weak.
"Is Yuui gonna die?" Fai asked, finally voicing the question that had been
plaguing his heart all week. This was the first time they'd let him in to see
his sister since she'd gotten sick. No one would tell him what was wrong with
her...and now, to see her like this…
Doumeki shook his head wearily at the sound of the tears in the seven-year-
old's voice. "No, Fai. She's just very sick."
"What's a'matter with her?"
"It's called influenza."
"In-flu-en-za," Fai repeated slowly. "When will she get better?"
"Soon," Doumeki answered firmly. Fai nodded, taking comfort from the conviction
in his guardian's voice. As Doumeki fed Yuui the last of the soup, Fai crawled
up beside her on their large bed. He took her hand in his and she opened her
eyes, smiling tiredly up at him.
"Hey, Fai," she greeted, sounding happy despite her scratchy voice.
"Hey, sis," he returned as he lay down beside her. "How do ya feel?"
"Sorta hot and cold…and funny all over," she mumbled.
"You should probably get some more sleep," Doumeki advised as he prepared
another cool, wet rag for her forehead.
"But I wanna talk to Fai," the sick child said, trying to sound indignant
through her sickness. "I haven't seen him in forever."
"Did they tell you that Larg got into the flour?"
"No!"
"Well, he did. He was bouncing all over the place and leaving prints everywhere
and Watanuki got really mad," Fai giggled.
"I can't believe I missed it," Yuui whined softly. Then a yawn escaped her
lips.
"Hey! Are you okay?" Fai asked, immediately getting worried again. "Do you need
to sleep some more?"
"Maybe," she sighed.
"Oh, okay," Fai said, sounding slightly disappointed. "I'll go."
Yuui's grip on his hand tightened. "No. Don't go. Stay with me."
Fai nodded happily and snuggled in closer to his sister.
"Doumeki?" Yuui asked sleepily. "Will you sing us a song?"
Doumeki tensed up slightly at this. This was usually Himawari's area…maybe even
Watanuki's. For some reason, the twins really loved being sung to. But…
"I don't sing," he said as he switched out the now-dry cloth on Yuui's
forehead.
"Please," the twins begged in unison.
Doumeki smiled sardonically. The very thought of him, Faerie's chief assassin,
singing to a pair of children was almost laughable. No enemy would ever fear
him again. But Fai and Yuui were, in some ways, worse than any enemy he had
ever faced. They could break him with a simple look. There was nothing he could
deny them.
"Well, if it will make you feel better…I do remember one song…" he trailed off
as he recalled the singer of the song: his mother…Oruha. It had been so long
ago…
The twins said nothing. They encouraged him simply by giving him their
undivided attention. So, in a deep, baritone voice, the Darkness began to sing
the lullaby from his distant childhood.
Once upon a time
And long ago,
I heard someone singing
Soft and low.
Now when day is done
And night is near,
I recall this song
I used to hear.
My child, my very own,
Don't be afraid. You're not alone.
Sleep until the dawn,
For all is well.
What none of them realized was that while Doumeki had been singing, Himawari
and Watanuki had crept up to the door to listen. At first, they had been
concerned at hearing such an unfamiliar voice coming from the twins' room. But
then, almost simultaneously, they'd realized that it was Doumeki singing. Truth
be told, neither of them was really surprised by it. Yuui and Fai had this
effect on all of them. They brought out everything in them that was good.
Long ago this song
Was sung to me.
Now it's just a distant
Melody.
Somewhere from the past
I used to know.
Once upon a time
And long ago.
                                      XxX
Sweat dripped down the boy's face and into his eyes, but he ignored the sting
of salt as he pressed forward with his training sword.
Kurogane and his sensei, Kusanagi, were locked in a fierce battle. Much to
Kurogane's anger, Kusanagi had told him that he still wasn't ready for a real
sword, so they battled with blunted training swords.
"You're letting your anger get the best of you, Prince," Kusanagi said, not
showing any signs of fatigue himself.
"Of course I'm angry!" the eleven-year-old shot back. "You won't let me use a
real sword! Why are we still fooling around with these kids' toys?"
"Because you're not ready," Kusanagi returned calmly, easily blocking the
enraged swings of his pupil. "When you can overcome your anger and understand
why you aren't ready…only then will you be ready for a blade." Truth be told,
he was disappointed. He had expected much better of the prince. He hadn't
expected him to have so much anger.
"Why am I not ready?!"
"The fact that you need to ask is proof enough that you are not. If you let
your anger control you like this, it will cloud your judgment to the point
where you won't be able to see what's right in front of you. If you lose
control like that with a real blade, you can cut what you don't mean to
cut…destroy what you mean to protect. Right now, your anger is making you
sloppy. You might be the best among your age mates, even a few older than you,
but I can read your every move like an open scroll."
The young prince gave a cry like an enraged bull and leapt high into the air.
Employing a move that should have been a good three years above his skill
level, he brought his sword crashing down, half-meaning to bash his master's
skull in. Both swords shattered on impact and Kurogane collapsed to his knees
before the sword master, panting in exhaustion. Kusanagi stood over him, calm
as ever.
"That's enough for today," he admonished as he picked up the broken pieces of
sword and moved off of the training ground. Kurogane couldn't even draw enough
breath to get in an angry last word. The boy leaned over and pounded an angry
fist against the ground.
"Smooth, Kurogane." He suddenly heard an extremely annoying female voice drop
into the training arena.
"Bite me, Souma!" he said angrily as he glanced up at the intruder. The eight-
year-old noble was dressed in a dark green yukata and her black hair hung
unbound to her waist. "Aren't you supposed to be at lessons right now?"
"Meh, I didn't feel like it today. A girl can only take so much 'always walk
with your head up, never raise your voice, and always hold your chopsticks just
so'," she said daintily, openly mocking her nurse, Sonomi. "I wish I could
train with you, but Father won't let me."
Kurogane smirked, his anger alleviating slightly. Souma was anything but a
proper noble's daughter. Her mother, the Lady Hokuto, had died giving birth to
her. Kurogane barely remembered the event, but he did remember Hokuto as a
bright smile and a warm lap. Apparently, she and Souma were very much alike.
Hokuto hated ceremony, but ever since her death, Souma's father, Lord Kakyo
Kuzuki, clung desperately to ceremony. He forced Souma to be the most perfect
little lady she could be. Of course, that just made her more desperate to rebel
against him. She hated the role she was being forced into. From what she heard,
her mother would never have stood for it. Some of the servants even had the
audacity to whisper behind her back that Kakyo kept Souma on such a tight leash
because he didn't want to be reminded of Hokuto…that he blamed his daughter for
her death. Souma heard the whispers, but Kurogane knew that she didn't need to.
She had always blamed herself.
"Kusanagi-san's right, you know. You really shouldn't lose your temper like
that," the young girl reprimanded him.
"What? Like you're so much better?" Kurogane hissed nastily as he moved back
toward the palace. Souma followed quickly after him, taking two steps for every
one of his.
"Maybe not, but at least I know when to keep my mouth shut," she returned
primly. Kurogane was about to respond when he heard a sound that he didn't like
coming from the shrines.
"Hime, you must try harder," the voice of Chang Ang insisted.
"I am trying!" his little sister's distraught voice echoed to him across the
grounds. "But I can't see anything. I can't choose what I see."
"Well, that's what we're here for."
If it had been any other day, Kurogane might have been able to bear it, but
right now he was extremely pissed off and the stuffy high priest was about to
bear the brunt of his anger. Kurogane marched purposefully toward the shrine
where he heard the voices, Souma right on his heels.
Kurogane swung the thin paper door open with so much force that he very nearly
broke it. There was Chang Ang, standing behind his sister. Tomoyo herself was
leaning over a large black bowl filled with water, staring resolutely into its
depths, but she couldn't hide the beginning signs of tears from her big
brother. Kurogane moved in on the aged priest as Souma moved toward Tomoyo. The
enraged prince spun the man around and grabbed the collar of his robes.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"She's tired. Let her have a break," Kurogane hissed dangerously, keeping his
hold on Chang Ang as Souma hustled Tomoyo out of the room.
"But she needs to practice other means of divining. We can't stop for little
things like breaks right now."
"She's six years old. She's taking a break," he said firmly before turning and
following Souma and Tomoyo out of the shrine. When they were safely away,
Kurogane picked up his baby sister and slung her over his shoulder.
"'Nii-sama, you brute! Where are you taking me?" she asked, half-heartedly
beating a fist against his back. Kurogane always carried her like this because
he knew she enjoyed it. Plus, it was easier for him. Tomoyo was getting heavy.
"To your room. You're taking a nap."
Tomoyo suddenly became serious again. "But…I don't wanna go to sleep. Chang
Ang-sama will make me tell him what I see."
Kurogane sighed. He knew his sister didn't sleep much anymore for that very
reason. She was a growing girl. She needed her rest, but she didn't like Chang
Ang pressuring her to interpret what she saw. She would gladly share any dreams
she had with Kurogane, but the high priest was another matter. He would put her
on the spot and pick her to pieces...and now he was making her learn divining
methods that were well above her age level.
"Don't worry, Tomoyo-chan. We'll make sure you have a nice, long nap. No big-
mouthed priests to interrupt," Souma assured her as the three friends entered
the little girl's room. Souma slid the door closed behind them and went to sit
on Tomoyo's futon. Kurogane laid Tomoyo down and she rested her head on Souma's
lap. Kurogane sat down beside them and his sister snuggled up comfortably
between the two of them. The boy started massaging her back comfortingly and
Souma started to hum a soft melody.
"Mm, that's a nice song, Souma-chan," Tomoyo said sleepily. "What're the
words?"
Souma blushed lightly at the compliment. "I don't remember all of them. It's a
song Sonomi used to sing…when she was just my nurse and not my tutor."
"Sing what you do remember. Please," Tomoyo begged, pulling her best puppy
face.
Souma giggled. "All right. Anything for you, Tomoyo-chan."
Two little princesses
Dancing in a road,
Spinning fast and freely
On their little toes.
Where the light will take them,
No one ever knows.
Two little princesses
Dancing in a road.
Two little princesses
Dancing in a road,
Spinning fast and freely
On their little toes.
Where the light will take them,
There's only one way to know.
Two little princesses
Dancing in a road.
Souma kept singing, humming the parts she couldn't remember. Before long,
Tomoyo was fast asleep, cuddled between the two of them like a little bunny
rabbit.
"You're really good with her," Kurogane said quietly.
Souma gave him an incredulous look. "So are you. I mean, you're her brother."
"Yeah. I'm just saying, Tomoyo really likes you."
The young noble suddenly got a very contemplative look on her face. "Do you
think…maybe this is what Kusanagi-san was talking about?"
Kurogane raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.
"About…destroying what you mean to protect. What if…you accidentally hurt
Tomoyo-chan?"
Kurogane was about to violently protest, but then he remembered how he'd felt
not half an hour ago when he'd wanted to run Kusanagi through. Kusanagi…the
only one who had known him longer was his own mother. If he was capable of
thinking such violence against his own master, what was to stop him from losing
control in front of Tomoyo?
"Sonomi says that most people have to mess something up before they really
learn. I don't think this is something you wanna mess up."
Kurogane sat, frozen, unable to say anything. The thought of actually…losing
control…hurting Tomoyo…
I think…maybe I understand…
He turned to say something more to Souma, but found that she had dozed off
herself, her head resting lightly against his shoulder. The boy rolled his
eyes, realizing that he was in for a long wait. He would have to apologize to
Kusanagi sometime today. He couldn't do that with the snoozing girls draped all
over him. But at the same time, he found he didn't mind so much as all that.
                                      XxX
"You have to pull the string back further," Doumeki coached. He, Fai, and Yuui
were all in a clearing not too far from their home practicing archery. After
the incident with Seishiro, they had all decided it would be best for the twins
to learn how to use some kind of weapon…when they were old enough, of course.
Now that they had reached their ninth birthday, Doumeki had decided that they
were old enough to learn archery. So he had set up several targets away from
the cottage and fashioned his adopted children toy bows and blunted arrow
shafts to shoot with. He wouldn't risk them using real arrows yet and he knew
neither of them was strong enough to string a good bow, but he figured that now
was as good a time as any for them to start working on their aim. He was
currently working with Fai while Yuui waited her turn in the shade of a nearby
tree. She was humming to herself and linking several wild flowers together into
some kind of chain.
"But it won't go any further!" Fai insisted pitifully.
"It will," Doumeki said calmly as he knelt next to Fai, placing his hands on
his to help guide him. "It wants to. But you must find the strength to help it
reach its full potential. That bow is capable of making your arrow fly further
than your eyes can see, but it can't do it without you."
Fai closed his eyes, breathing steadily as he focused on Doumeki's words. He'd
already failed so many times to make the arrow fly. He didn't want to fail
again. He gripped the bow tightly and felt the earth beneath his feet, firmly
grounding him. Doumeki held his hands in place and, somehow, he managed to draw
the arrow back those last few inches. Triumph shone in his eyes as they popped
open.
"Don't let your guard down just yet," Doumeki advised as he relinquished his
hold on the boy. "It's not over until you make the shot."
Fai stood absolutely still for a moment, remembering Doumeki's warning not to
be too hasty and fire off a shot before he was ready. He took that extra moment
to aim the blunted arrow. Then…he released it.
The arrow flew true…and hit home with a resounding thunk. Not the very center
of the target, of course, but at least he'd hit it this time. The next moment,
Fai felt arms around his body.
"Fai! You did it!" Yuui cheered. Her twin was slightly taken aback at first. He
hadn't even realized his sister was behind him. But he soon got over it and
glanced happily at Yuui and Doumeki.
"Yeah! I really did, didn't I?" he said, not quite certain if he was dreaming
or not.
"Yeah, you did," Doumeki said, reaching down and affectionately rumpling the
little boy's blond hair. "Good job. I knew you could make it fly. And now…it's
Yuui's turn."
The little blonde angel growled just a little as Fai removed his wrist guards
and handed them to her.
                                      XxX
Kurogane was bored. And when a thirteen-year-old prince with mad ninja skills
is bored, all the world knows there will be hell to pay.
Earlier that morning, Kurogane had had a picnic lunch prepared and he'd saddled
up his horse, Suwa. The prince had never been very good with horses and no one
had expected him to form the bond that he had with the black stallion. But for
some reason, Kurogane had been determined to tame him. It had taken some doing,
but the proud creature had eventually tamed its wild heart to Kurogane's hand.
Boy and horse had become the best of friends and, as per his training, the only
people who could ride Suwa were himself, Tomoyo, and Souma. Today, the four of
them would have been going on their greatest adventure to date, but Souma had
gotten herself in trouble again. Something about putting blue dye in Sonomi's
hair care items. She was under strict house arrest by order of her father.
There was no way he'd be able to break her out. So it would just be him,
Tomoyo, and Suwa…assuming he successfully managed to kidnap Tomoyo, that is.
Kurogane was listening intently outside the door to the shrine where Chang Ang
and his sister were working. Occasionally, he would peek through the door,
which was cracked open just slightly to allow the morning breeze into the
shrine. Chang Ang was drilling his sister in the proper methods of bone
casting. Kurogane was well aware he would get in trouble for this. He had yet
to hear the end of it from their mother the last time he had stolen Tomoyo away
from her studies. But he really didn't care. No kid could be about their
studies every hour of every day. So he was treating himself and his sister to a
day off. He would have to remember to bring Souma back something cool.
When Chang Ang finally moved away from Tomoyo to help another miko with
something, Kurogane silently slid the door open and crept inside. He placed a
hand over Tomoyo's mouth. Her eyes widened briefly, but then she felt a
familiar arm around her torso and realized it was Kurogane. She quickly
relaxed, allowing her brother to quietly drag her out of the shrine.
Once they were free, they scrambled to their feet and Kurogane started running
toward the stables, leading Tomoyo.
"'Nii-sama, what's going on?" the eight-year-old princess asked excitedly.
"We're going exploring," he answered.
"Ohohoho! Another one of your adventures. Yay!" she cheered as they burst into
Suwa's stall. Her brother's little outings were always so much fun. Sometimes
they would explore the marketplace in Shirasagi. Other times they would visit
some of the smaller villages that surrounded the capital. Once or twice they
had even ventured into Celes Forest.
Kurogane easily helped Tomoyo climb onto Suwa's saddle. Then he led the
stallion out of his stall and climbed up behind her. That was when he heard the
most horrifying sound in all of Nihon.
"TOMOYO! KUROGANE!" Chang Ang bellowed angrily as he stomped into the stable.
His face was red with anger and effort. "Enough of this foolishness!"
Tomoyo glanced sadly back at her brother, as if to apologize for getting them
caught. But Kurogane had a look of steely determination in his eyes. He was not
about to give way to this sour old man. He would be king here someday after
all. He gave Suwa a good dig with his heels, and the powerful animal surged
forward on a collision course with the high priest.
The man stood his ground for a moment. A fierce glee flared up in Kurogane's
chest when he saw the realization in his eyes. The moment Chang Ang realized
that Kurogane was not going to stop, he threw himself out of the way. As the
royal siblings flew by on the black arrow of rippling muscle, the high priest
landed in a pile of soiled hay with an undignified yelp.
Kurogane gave a wild whoop of joy as Suwa shot away from the castle and down
through the streets of Shirasagi. It was too early in the morning for there to
be crowds out. Shopkeepers and street vendors were just beginning to set up
shop as the two flew by on Suwa. The prince had warned one of his guard
friends, Sorata, that he and Tomoyo would be coming through, so there wouldn't
be any problems with the city gates. In fact, he could see the open gates just
ahead. Sorata had kept his word. Kurogane caught a glimpse of him waving as he
and Tomoyo breezed by.
"Thanks, Sorata!" he called over his shoulder. Tomoyo giggled.
"You thought of everything, didn't you?"
"Have fun, you two!" Sorata called after them.
                                      XxX
"I can't believe we actually talked them into letting us go out by ourselves,"
Yuui said excitedly. She and Fai were riding Leval through the forest. Soel and
Larg were perched atop their heads.
"Well, isn't it obvious?" Fai started teasingly. "They let us go out alone
because Doumeki finally decided that I can shoot good enough to protect you."
"I can shoot just as good as you!" Yuui shot back indignantly. "Besides, if we
really got in trouble, it wouldn't matter how good we could shoot because
Doumeki won't let us use real arrows yet. All the arrows in your quiver are
blunted."
"Wanna bet?" the ten-year-old said mischievously as he pulled an arrow from his
quiver. The point was sharp and deadly.
"Where did you get that? Doumeki didn't give it to you, did he?" Yuui asked
angrily. If Doumeki trusted Fai with a real arrow and not her…
"Of course not. I lifted it from his quiver before we left. I figured we might
need it."
"Ooooh, Fai's a bad boy!" Soel reprimanded.
"But you won't tell, will you, Soel?" Fai asked with a disarming smile. "This
is self-defense we're talking about, after all."
"Mm, okay. Fai has convinced Mokona," the little white thing said cheerfully.
It did love a good game. Besides, Soel knew that it and Larg could handle
anything that might happen. The real reason Doumeki, Himawari, and Watanuki had
let the twins take Leval out by themselves was because Soel and Larg were with
them.
"Hey, did you see that?" Fai asked, suddenly whispering.
"What?" Yuui whispered back.
"I saw something up ahead, through the trees. Something black."
Yuui followed her brother's gaze. After awhile, she managed to spot what he was
looking at.
"It's a horse," she announced quietly, "and he's got two riders. But…who would
come this far into the forest? Watanuki said that no one lives here but us."
"Let's have some fun," Fai said giddily as he slithered silently off of Leval's
back.
"Wait, Fai!" Yuui hissed, grabbing onto her twin's shoulder. "They might be
dangerous. Himawari told us never to talk to strangers."
"It's fine, Yuui. Even if they are dangerous, no one can catch me," he said,
grinning roguishly before vanishing into the foliage. He circled around the
overgrown path that the horse was on and easily climbed up a tall tree. Its
branches grew out over the old trail, right over the spot where the horse and
its riders had come to a stop. The riders were a boy and a girl. If Fai had to
guess, he would say that the boy was older than him and the girl was younger.
The boy's intense red gaze swept the forest suspiciously. Fai grinned wickedly
to himself as he selected an arrow from his quiver and notched it to his bow.
                                      XxX
"We've never been this far into the forest before," Tomoyo said, her voice
hushed with awe. Kurogane would have joined in her wonder were it not for the
fact that he knew they were being watched. Kusanagi had taught him well. He
could feel the prick of a pair of eyes on the back of his neck. Someone was
near. He knew it. He said nothing, so as not to alarm his sister. His gaze
swept the forest several times as he fingered the hilt of the sword strapped to
his belt. On his twelfth birthday, Kusanagi had finally presented him with his
own sword, a beautiful piece of craftsmanship called Sohi. He worked with it so
much the blade was practically an extension of his arm.
Suddenly, something white swung down from the tree branches above. In the same
instant, Kurogane drew Sohi, raising it just above his head. The thing stopped
several inches from the young prince's face. It was a boy, a boy with blond
hair hanging upside down from the tree branch. A boy who happened to be aiming
an arrow right between his eyes.
"What are you doing here?" the boy asked, a dangerous, teasing smile working
its way onto his face. "Celes Forest is no place for humans."
"You're a human," Kurogane pointed out.
"Am I?"
"Are you one of the faerie people?" Tomoyo asked excitedly, as if she had
expected the boy to drop from the sky the whole time.
"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. Put away your sword and you might find out," he
said to Kurogane, that oh so annoying smile still in place.
"No way!" the prince shot back. "Not unless you drop your bow!"
"The guest should disarm first."
"Guest? What guest? Do you know who I am?!"
"Enlighten me."
"I am Prince Kurogane Youou, heir to the throne of Nihon! I'm no guest of
yours!"
"A fine title, to be sure, Prince-sama. But did you know that you're not in
Nihon anymore? Celes belongs to no kingdom. This is my home. Therefore, you are
my guest."
"What kind of host threatens to shoot their guests between the eyes?"
"I could just as easily consider you a trespasser."
"That isn't even a real arrow," Kurogane said angrily.
"Maybe not," the boy conceded. "But I do have the high ground."
"Oh, Kurogane! Please put Sohi down. I like him," Tomoyo begged. Kurogane
sighed. It never failed. Tomoyo pulled that sweet, innocent voice on him and he
was helpless. She was a real snake, his sister.
"Fine. But only if you drop your bow, too."
"I can do that."
Never once taking his eyes from the boy, Kurogane slowly lowered Sohi to his
side. At the same time, the mystery boy loosened his arrow from the bow. As
Sohi fell to the earth, the boy flung his bow and arrow away. Then he dropped
to the ground beside Suwa. The horse panicked slightly but Kurogane managed to
rein him in.
"So are you a faerie?" Tomoyo asked as she hopped off of Suwa with Kurogane
close behind her.
"I wasn't kidding when I said maybe I am and maybe I'm not. I'm not really
sure."
"I'm Tomoyo," the little princess introduced herself enthusiastically. "What's
your name?"
The boy didn't answer right away. He turned to glance back into the forest and
called loudly. Before long, a white horse came riding out of the trees. A
beautiful young girl sat astride the horse. Her eyes were blue and her blonde
hair hung unbound to about the middle of her back. Kurogane glanced back at the
boy and noticed that he had the same rare, sapphire blue eyes. For a moment, he
could have sworn that he recognized the boy, but the feeling was gone the next
instant when he started talking again.
"I'm Fai, and this is my twin sister, Yuui. Welcome to our forest."
***** Beauty Fair *****
"How can you not know whether or not you're a faerie?" Kurogane asked
suspiciously.
"We don't have any parents," Fai answered casually.
"Do you live here all alone?" Tomoyo asked, wide-eyed.
"No. We live with Himawari, Watanuki, and Doumeki," Yuui explained.
"And you're sure that none of them are your parents?" Kurogane suggested.
"Pretty sure," Fai said, tilting his head ponderously to one side as he
continued to speak. "We don't look anything like them. Plus, they told us that
they found us sleeping in a hollow tree when we were just little babies. They
waited for someone to come for us, but no one ever did, so they took us home
with them. For all we know, we could be faeries. We don't even know which one
of us is older."
"Well, if you're not faeries, then what are those things with you?" Kurogane
asked, inclining his head toward the Mokona, sitting contentedly atop Leval's
head.
"Not things!" Soel insisted. "Soel is Soel!"
"And Larg is Larg!"
"Mokona is Mokona!" they cheered in unison. Then Soel bounced right from
Leval's head to Kurogane's face, latching on.
"Mokona is so happy to see Kurogane!" Soel said excitedly, clinging to the
enraged prince's face, though he was trying desperately to shake it off.
"Get the hell off me!" Kurogane's muffled voice shouted as he attempted to claw
the white thing from his face.
"Aww, Kuro-tan needs to lighten up," Fai teased as he plucked Soel from the
teenager's face. Kurogane froze.
"What was that?"
"What? The bit about lightening u-"
"No! Just now? What did you call me?"
"Oh. Kuro-tan. It's so much less scary than Kurogane."
"Idiot! I am royalty! You will call me my name!"
"Tomoyo-hime? Why is your nii-chan so grumpy?" Fai asked, completely ignoring
said nii-chan. Kurogane just growled. Nii-chan? And of course his baby sister
would get a proper title. What would this blond moron come up with next?
"Ohohoho! Please, no hime," Tomoyo giggled. "Call me Tomoyo-chan."
"Only if you'll call me Fai-kun."
"Okay, Fai-kun. Don't mind Nii-sama. He just doesn't like being teased. He's so
serious."
Fai grinned wickedly upon hearing this. A sourpuss, eh?
"Well then, allow us to be your guides for the day."
"And why would we want to do that?" Kurogane asked with a sneer.
"Because we know all the best places in the forest," Yuui answered matter-of-
factly. "You don't want to get lost, do you?" she asked as she hopped off of
Leval. She led the mare toward the group and Suwa took an immediate interest in
her. He sniffed at her white mane and neighed in approval. Leval shyly turned
her head away. Kurogane just rolled his eyes.
Honestly, Suwa. Have you no shame? I thought I trained you better.
"Why doesn't your horse have a saddle?" Tomoyo asked Yuui. The older girl gave
her a befuddled expression.
"What's a saddle?"
Kurogane glanced sideways at her. "Are you…serious?"
"Completely. What's a saddle?"
"This," he answered, patting the one on Suwa's back. "Your horse doesn't have
any reins either. How do you control her?"
Both twins stared curiously at the prince.
"Control?" Fai wondered aloud, testing the word in his mouth as if he had never
spoken it before.
"Why would we want to control Leval? She's our friend," Yuui said, resting her
head against the white mare's expansive neck.
"I can understand riding bareback, but no reins? I don't get it."
"It's not hard," Fai said with a shrug. "We just tell her where we want to go."
"Tell her?" Kurogane asked skeptically. "Good one. How do you really do it?"
"That's really it. We'll show you. Get back on your horse and follow us to the
river," Yuui said. Then Fai gave her a boost onto Leval and she helped him
climb up behind her.
"I don't take orders from you!"
"Please, Nii-sama, let's go with them. I want to see the river."
Kurogane rolled his eyes as he helped his snake of a sister climb back onto
Suwa. "It's not like you've never seen the Yume River before."
"Yeah, but not from this deep in the forest."
"Fine," he sighed, climbing onto Suwa himself and riding after the twins on
Leval. As he stared suspiciously at their backs, he saw Yuui lean forward and
whisper something to Leval. The mare immediately headed off the old path and
into the forest. Suwa followed close behind. Fai had his arms loosely draped
around Yuui to keep himself from falling and Yuui kept her fingers gently
twined in Leval's mane.
"I don't get it," Kurogane muttered. "How's she doing it?"
"Maybe she really is talking to Leval," Tomoyo whispered excitedly.
"Oh, come on!" Kurogane hissed back. "Do you actually believe that?"
"Secret secrets are no fun unless you share with everyone," Fai called over his
shoulder in a singsong voice.
"Idiot," Kurogane mumbled, finally falling silent and allowing the twins on the
white horse to lead them through the forest. Before long, the sound of running
water could be heard through the trees. Then, almost before the young prince
realized what was going on, Leval was stopping, Suwa was pulling up beside her,
and the two horses were lowering their heads as one to drink from the Yume
River. Yuui and Fai easily leapt down off of Leval and moved forward to drink
from the river themselves. Tomoyo quickly scrambled down beside them to splash
some water on her face.
"Ooh, Nii-sama, come try this. The water is so much cooler and cleaner here."
"It's the same water."
"Don't be such a sourpuss, Kuro-wan wan," Fai teased.
"I told you not to call me that!" Kurogane said threateningly as he swung
himself off of Suwa.
"Ne, Kuro-rin!" Fai sang, splashing the grumpy prince with some freezing water.
"Aargh!" he yelped as the river water soaked him. His eyes lit up with a demon
fire as he drew Sohi. "All right! That's it! You're dead meat, kid!"
"Uh-oh! Run!" Fai shouted excitedly, leaping up and darting into the trees.
Kurogane raced off after him.
"Kuro-rin's mad!" Soel cried, clinging to Fai's hair to keep from falling off
his head.
"Get back here!"
"You can't catch me! You can't catch me! Nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah!"
"Come back and fight like a man, freak!" Kurogane shouted angrily. Frustrated
at his inability to catch the maniac, he started to lash out at the trees with
Sohi. Fai instantly stopped in his tracks and Yuui shot to her feet. Fai spun
around to face Kurogane, who was still bearing down on him.
"What are you doing?!" Fai cried out, more shocked than angry. It was the
abject hurt and desperation on the boy's face that stopped Kurogane.
"Uh…trying to kill you?" he said uncertainly.
"Not that. I meant the trees. If it was me you wanted, why would you go after
them?"
"I…uh…"
"You mustn't do that," Fai insisted. He seized Kurogane's hand and placed it
against the bark of one of the trees he'd slashed. "Can't you feel its pain?"
Kurogane shook his head slowly, staring at Fai as if seeing him for the first
time. Fai just shook his head.
"If you want to attack me, then attack me. Just leave the forest out of it."
"Maybe you two really are faeries."
"Mm, maybe. Or maybe it just comes from living in Celes so long," Fai smiled,
already back to his bubbly, cheerful self.
"You guys are fun. We should all eat lunch together!" Tomoyo suggested eagerly.
"I don't think so," Kurogane said, himself slipping back into the role of
gruff, suspicious older brother. He was eager to forget the whole incident. "I
only packed lunch for the two of us."
"That's no problem," Yuui said, patting a knapsack she'd been carrying.
Watanuki made a lunch for me and Fai."
"If we go up the river a little, there's a place where it widens and there's a
small island that we can go to," Fai said, going to the river one last time and
dunking his head in.
"Yay!" Yuui cheered. "Let's go! Let's go!" Wasting no more words, the girl took
Tomoyo by the hand and started off along the riverbank.
"Hey! Wait up!" Kurogane shouted after them, grabbing Suwa by the reins and
leading him after the fleeing girls. Fai whispered to Leval and the two started
off after the ragtag band. As they moved, the river got wider and wider and the
trees got thinner and thinner. After a while, the group burst out of the forest
and into an open meadow. The river was very wide here and, just as Fai had
said, there was an island at its center.
"All right," Yuui started assertively, plucking Larg off of her head and
placing it on Leval's back next to Soel. "This is where we cross."
"But there isn't a bridge here," Kurogane said indignantly.
"What? Afraid to get wet, Kuro-chuu?" Fai teased mercilessly.
"No!" Kurogane protested hotly. "It's just that…Tomoyo and I…can't swim," he
admitted.
"Can't…swim?" Fai repeated slowly, uncomprehending.
"Why not?" Yuui asked.
"It's just…not done in Nihon," the prince explained with a shrug of his
shoulders. "It's not…proper for royalty to be swimming."
Tomoyo tilted her head curiously. "Since when did you care about what was
proper, Nii-sama?"
Kurogane flushed red briefly. "I don't," he insisted, "but it's not like
there's anyone around to teach us."
"Doumeki taught us how to swim," Fai said proudly. "We could teach you."
"And why would you do that?" Kurogane asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because it's fun to swim," Fai answered. "We don't want our new friends to be
left out, now do we?"
"Friends?"
Fai raised his own eyebrow at the confusion in the prince's voice. "Yes. We're
all friends here, aren't we?"
Before Kurogane could say anything, Tomoyo enthusiastically hugged Yuui. "Of
course we're friends!"
Yuui returned the embrace just as enthusiastically and Kurogane rolled his
eyes.
"Whatever."
"Best friends! Best friends!" Soel sang.
"Best friends forever!" Larg joined in.
"Would you two talking manjuu buns just shut up?" Kurogane raged.
"Manjuu buns!" Larg shouted in terror.
"Kuro-prince is mean! He's going to eat Soel and Larg!" Soel moaned, pretending
to pass out and fall off of Leval into Fai's open arms.
"Nii-sama, play nice," the eight-year-old princess scolded her brother.
"Play?" he returned deviously. "The only kind of game I can see playing with
these two is a good game of catch…and they get to be the balls."
Both creatures moaned pitifully.
"No need to play so rough," Fai intervened, petting Soel's white fur. "On the
subject of swimming, we don't have to worry about that now. Let's just eat. I'm
hungry."
Yuui heartily agreed and began to set out the lunch their guardian had made for
them. As Kurogane moved to take his and Tomoyo's own lunch out of Suwa's
saddlebag, he couldn't help glancing at Fai, marveling at how easily he had
defused the situation. From what he knew of the boy so far, he'd half-expected
him to make it worse somehow. This kid seemed to have a talent for bringing out
the worst in him, but he also clearly had a talent for subterfuge. He would
have to keep an eye on this one.
"When will you teach us how to swim?" Tomoyo asked excitedly, her tone of voice
completely at odds with the delicate way she ate her rice.
"Next time you come here. You don't want to get those fancy riding clothes of
yours dirty, now do you?" Yuui teased lightly as she chowed down on an egg.
"Besides, that heavy cloth would just drag you down."
"We'll bring you some swim clothes," Fai added, biting into a brownie.
"What makes you think we need anything from you?" Kurogane asked, his eyes
narrowing.
"Well, you're royalty, aren't you? Am I right thinking you don't have everyday
clothes lying around? Besides, Kuro-tan's already admitted that he needs me for
something. Swimming lessons?"
The closest the boy came to admitting that he'd been outmatched was the light
blush that spread across his face. He piped down and went back to eating his
sushi, all the while glaring at his newfound adversary. Yuui and Tomoyo
continued to talk animatedly together as they ate, but Fai fell oddly silent.
The ten-year-old was well aware of the older boy's eyes on him and he couldn't
help but grin at his apparent bafflement. Something about the prince and his
reactions to everything made him want to tease him.
"What are you staring at, Kuro-pin?" he asked after a while.
"How can you eat that sugary crap?" he asked. After finishing his brownie, Fai
had started on some other chocolaty pastry that Kurogane couldn't identify. He
hadn't eaten one bit of real food the entire meal.
"Oh! Kuro-pippi doesn't like chocolate fondant?" Fai whined despairingly. "But
Watanuki makes such good chocolate. You should try some," he said, holding out
the dripping chocolate pastry. Kurogane cringed at the mere sight of it.
"No way! I hate sugar!"
Fai tilted his head curiously to one side. "Don't…like…sugar?" Then he flung
himself at his twin, buried his face in her lap, and began to sob
melodramatically.
"Quit that fake crying!" Kurogane shouted indignantly.
"Poor Kuro-tan! No wonder he's so grumpy! He's never had a nice cupcake to
cheer him up!
"Enough!" the enraged teen snarled.
Tomoyo moved to pat the distraught Fai on the shoulder and gave her brother a
sharp look. "Don't be mean to Fai-kun."
"Don't be mean to him? What about me? I'd say I've suffered the most today,
putting up with this crazy lot!"
"Waaah!" Fai sobbed even louder. "Kuro-prince doesn't like me anymore!"
"Anymore?! I never liked you to begin with, you moron!"
"How dare you insult my brother?" Yuui challenged, rising from the ground in
the same melodramatic fashion said brother was using. "I challenge you to a
duel for his honor!" she cried, slapping him across the face. Kurogane rolled
with the blow, falling to the ground in a tangle of limbs. The strength of the
slap really had nothing to do with it. He was just so shocked that someone
would dare to strike him.
"Speechless?" Yuui said, her whimsical smile immediately falling back into
place. "Guess that means I win."
"Hey! Wait a minute!" Kurogane protested, leaping to his feet and reaching for
his sword.
"Aww, come on, Kurogane-kun. We were just messing with you," Yuui said as she
helped Fai to his feet.
"Therein lies the problem," he hissed. He was about to draw his sword when he
suddenly felt Tomoyo's small hands on his own.
"Please, Nii-sama," she begged gently. "Not here. I like them."
Kurogane just rolled his eyes. "Are you done eating yet?"
"Yes. Why?"
"It's getting late. We need to get home."
"Okay," Fai started, hopping back over to Leval. "We'll take you back to the
spot where we found you."
Kurogane said nothing. He could at least admit that he didn't know his way back
through the forest. On the way back, the two horses walked side by side.
"When will we see you again?" Tomoyo asked uncertainly.
"The next time you come back here," Fai said cheerfully.
"But…how will we find you?"
"Don't worry. We'll find you. We'll be watching. All you need to do is come to
the forest. Celes will tell us when you come back."
Kurogane was about to say something, but Fai interrupted before he could speak,
without even looking at him.
"Come now, Kuro-wan wan. Are you still surprised by the things I say? Why don't
we just say that we'll know and leave it at that if it bothers you so much?"
"Crazy kid," Kurogane muttered to himself. Almost before the prince knew it,
they had arrived back at the path they'd left several hours ago.
"How did we get back here so fast?"
"Call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure we just might know Celes a bit better than
you do. We know the fastest ways through the forest," Yuui explained.
"Plus, Celes can mess with your mind, mess up your sense of time and things
like that."
"What?!"
"Well, it is a magic forest," Fai said with another mischievous grin. "But
don't worry. Celes won't hurt you."
"How do you know?" Kurogane asked.
"You wouldn't have been able to get as far as you did if the forest didn't like
you. Maybe you were supposed to come here today."
Kurogane rolled his eyes before turning Suwa back the way they'd come. Supposed
to come here? Ridiculous. The reason they'd come here today was because he had
decided they would. That was all there was to it.
"Goodbye, Fai-kun! Yuui-chan! Moko-chan! See you soon!" Tomoyo called back to
the twins. But, just before they vanished back into the forest on their snow
white horse, Fai called out to them.
"One more thing! You can't tell anyone about us."
"Why not?" Kurogane queried, clearly agitated.
"Because Watanuki, Doumeki, and Himawari say we're not allowed to talk to
strangers. If you tell anyone else, they might find out and we won't be able to
see you anymore."
Kurogane considered this for a moment, then asked, "Can we tell one other
person?"
"Who?"
"A friend of mine. A girl your age named Souma. Can we bring her next time?"
Fai traded glances with Yuui, the two of them seeming to deliberate without
words. Then he called back, "Okay, but just her. No one else. Besides, how
would your parents react if they found out you'd met two strange kids in the
forest?"
Before Kurogane could say anything, the twins had already disappeared. It
wasn't like a response was needed. Fai was right, after all.
As the two rode back through the forest, Tomoyo glanced over her shoulder at
her brother. "We are coming back, right?"
"Sure. Why not?" he answered with a shrug. It was something different to look
forward to, a secret adventure they could keep from the adults…something just
for them. He could escape the pressures of being the crown prince. Tomoyo could
get away from Chang Ang and Souma could escape the overbearing control of
Sonomi and her father. While it was true that that Fai kid made him angry as
all hell, at the same time there was something about him that the young prince
found oddly intriguing.
                                      XxX
"Stand aside," Kurogane ordered the two ninja standing guard outside of Souma's
quarters.
"We have orders not to, my Prince. My Lady Souma is under house arrest. You
will have to take it up with Lord Kakyo."
The prince just sighed, then drew Sohi almost faster than the eye could track
and placed the blade against the ninja's throat.
"Your Highness –" the ninja started nervously through dry lips.
"I don't have time for your games. This is important. Who will be emperor here
after my okaa-san? Me…or Kakyo?"
"I'd do what he says," Souma's voice sounded through the thin scrim of a door.
"You don't want to see Kurogane when he gets angry."
"A- all right," the ninja stuttered. "Just be quick about it."
Kurogane nodded briefly, sheathing his sword and sliding the door open.
"And you couldn't have done that to get me out this morning?" Souma asked
indignantly from her place on her futon.
"Nope," he answered glibly, seating himself in front of her. "I can get in
here, but if you try to walk out with me, we're finished. How do you feel about
swimming lessons?"
"Well, you could at least – what was that last bit?"
"I'm pretty sure I didn't stutter. Listen good this time because I'm not going
to repeat myself again. How do you feel about swimming lessons?"
"Sounds like fun. Why? You don't know someone who can swim, do you?"
"As a matter of fact, I do. Tomoyo and I met two people who can."
"But I thought you two went to Celes Forest today. Who would you meet in the
middle of a forest?"
"Two kids about your age. Fai and Yuui. They said they live there."
"Kurogane! Do you know how dangerous that is? They could have been faeries!
They could have taken you and Tomoyo back to Faerie with them!"
"Not so loud," Kurogane hushed her. "That doesn't sound like the fun-loving
Souma I know. If that was really what they wanted, then they would have done
it. Besides, I can take that Fai kid. They said they'd teach us how to swim the
next time we came back to the forest and that we can bring you, but we're not
supposed to tell anyone else."
"Why not?" Souma asked suspiciously.
"Because they have paranoid guardians, same as us."
Souma considered his words for a moment, and after a while, seemed to warm to
the idea. Who was more paranoid than Sonomi, after all?
"So…what are they like, these forest kids?"
"Well, they're twins. I think they have three guardians. They have a white
horse that they ride with no saddle or reins."
"That's odd."
"Tell me something I don't know," Kurogane bristled. "They're both crazy and
annoying as hell, especially Fai."
Souma looked confused for a moment. "Then…why do you want to go back?"
Kurogane pondered the question for a moment. Of course there was the part about
being free…but that could just as easily be attained anywhere outside of
Shirasagi. Why go back?
"Tomoyo likes them. Plus, I want the pleasure of shutting Fai up myself," he
sneered. No sooner had the words left the prince's mouth than he felt a strange
heat upon his chest. It wasn't an all-consuming blaze he felt against his skin,
more like the pleasant warmth of a fire crackling in a hearth…or the warmth of
an embrace. A tiny shiver traveled down the length of his spine. He reached up
to finger the source of the heat…his father's sun pendant. He could barely
remember his father, but he always wore the ruby charm as a reminder.
"Something wrong?"
"They're different," he said suddenly, realizing what it was the pendant's
spark had reminded him of. "They didn't care…that Tomoyo and I were royalty.
They treated us like regular kids…like they really wanted to be friends with
us." It was such a strange revelation…such a mysterious encounter…and he had
never even thought to question it. He had been too caught up in being annoyed
with Fai to even notice how well everything just…clicked.
Souma watched the change on her friend's face with a barely disguised amount of
curiosity. Kurogane was much more soft-hearted than he would ever admit. What
person, other than Tomoyo, could draw that side out of him so unexpectedly? She
would have to meet these twins.
"How exactly do you plan on getting out to see them again? I'll bet the empress
gave you a pretty nasty tongue lashing for kidnapping Tomoyo-chan again."
"You bet right," he said, quickly slipping back to his usual, gruff manner.
"But it doesn't matter. We're going back to Celes whether my kaa-san likes it
or not."
"Speaking of which, where is Tomoyo-chan?"
"Asleep. She was exhausted."
                                      XxX
"Is it okay for Fai and Yuui to see Kurogane and Tomoyo?" Larg wondered. The
house was dark. Everyone was asleep except for the two Mokona. The family had
enjoyed a hearty dinner while the twins had regaled their guardians with their
adventures in the forest…omitting the part about meeting Kurogane and Tomoyo,
of course.
"Kurogane and Tomoyo are good. Soel thinks it's safe."
"But…what if they're not really them?" Larg and Soel were well acquainted with
the reason why the three faeries told the twins to steer clear of strangers at
all costs. A stranger could just as easily be one of Yuuko's minions in
disguise, and if Yuui and Fai were captured…that would be the end of
everything. That possibility had suddenly become a thousand times more real now
that the faeries were allowing the twins to venture beyond the safety of their
wards on their own. Yuuko could not touch them within the confines of the
wards, but outside was another matter. However, the guardians also knew that
they could not keep the twins locked up their whole lives. They couldn't keep
the door closed forever just because there was a chance they might get hurt. So
they allowed the twins to think they were giving them more freedom, but they
would at least never be out of sight of the Mokona twins.
"If they weren't really them, something would have already happened.
Plus…didn't Larg feel it?" Soel asked uncertainly, scrunching up its little
face. Larg hesitated a moment before answering.
"Larg felt it. But is it okay? Larg doesn't think it was supposed to happen
like that. What about the king's plans?" it asked nervously.
"It can't be stopped. They were supposed to meet. Soel thinks the king will be
okay with it. Soel thinks it will make him happy."
"But he doesn't know yet."
"Neither do they," Soel insisted. The two fey creatures knew fate when they saw
it. They could see the fates of living things flow forth from them like the
strings on a harp. But would Clow Reed and his advisors recognize this strand
of fate for what it was?
"But what happens when they figure it out? Kurogane was supposed to marry Yuui.
He can't marry someone he doesn't love."
"Well, Soel and Larg will just have to do Soel and Larg's best and make sure
everything works out."
"Doumeki, Watanuki, and Himawari will be angry with Soel and Larg for not
telling them everything," Larg warned as the two bounded up the stairs to the
twins' room.
"They can't know. Not if Soel and Larg are going to help fate out. Besides,
Kuro-prince can help Soel and Larg protect the twins."
"That's true," Larg whispered, waddling into the silent bedroom behind Soel.
"But Larg still doesn't like keeping secrets."
"Soel knows," the white thing said as it hopped into bed beside the sleeping
Fai, "but it's for the best. It's the only way Fai and Yuui can be happy."
"Larg knows," the black thing said sadly, snuggling up next to Yuui. "Larg
knows." Of course it wanted the little girl it was protecting to be happy, but
it hated lying…and it wasn't entirely sure that this particular strand of fate
included her happiness. Maybe…the only happiness it could give her was the
assurance of happiness for her brother?
With its sad thoughts still swirling in its tiny head, Larg snuggled even
closer against Yuui, who wasn't sleeping quite so soundly as her brother. Her
breathing was uneven and her face was covered with a delicate sheen of sweat.
"I don't understand. I don't understand!" she mumbled despairingly in her
sleep.
                                      XxX
Tomoyo had long ago forgotten the meaning of sleep. She was just as aware when
she walked in dreams as she was when she walked the earth in daylight. Sleep
was not restful to her. Certainly it restored her body, but her mind could not
find peace anywhere. Even at such a tender age, now that her mind was open to
the paths that linked all people through dreams, she could never close it
again.
Tonight, she was living a dream she had not had for many years. The land was
devastated. Fires burned sporadically across the empty plain. She didn't know
how she knew, but she knew everyone was dead.
Suddenly, the princess saw something she had not seen before, not in this
dream. A lone tree had appeared on the ashy plain. The tree was dead, but it
was not on fire…and up in the tree's spindly branches, there was a girl. Tomoyo
walked closer, peering up into the tree. The girl was huddled up in the fetal
position, clinging as closely to the dead bark as she possibly could. Tomoyo
easily recognized the shock of blonde hair.
"Yuui-chan," she breathed. Though she hadn't exactly called her, the frightened
girl seemed to hear her name just the same and glanced down.
"T-Tomoyo-chan?"
Tomoyo's eyes widened. "You can see me?"
"Yeah," she said hesitantly. "Why wouldn't I be able to?"
"Because we're dreaming."
"Really?"
"Yes...and if you can see me and I can see you, it must mean…that we're having
the same dream! You must be a dreamseer, too!"
"What's a dreamseer?" Yuui asked as she climbed down from the tree, a little
less afraid now that she'd seen a familiar face.
"You and me can see things in dreams. We can see other people's dreams. We can
even see the future. I guess you wouldn't know that since you didn't have
anyone to train you."
"See other people's dreams? How?"
"I'll show you," the little princess said excitedly, taking her friend's hand.
Reaching out with her heart, she felt for her brother's heart. Images
immediately began flashing through her mind.
"Blue," Yuui said, seeing the same things as Tomoyo. "And…kittens?"
"Looks like it."
"White kittens playing with chopsticks in a puddle of blue paint," Yuui
giggled. "Can we see what Fai's dreaming about?"
"Sure. It's easy. Just reach out for his heart and you'll find him."
Yuui did as she was asked and the two girls immediately started seeing new
images.
"It's a little black dog," Tomoyo started.
"Running with a sword in its mouth," Yuui continued.
"But the sword's too big!"
"Oh!" Yuui cried out. "The poor little puppy! It fell over and cut itself!"
"I didn't know a puppy could bleed so much," Tomoyo said soberly.
An image of Fai suddenly appeared in the dream. He tossed the sword away and
hugged the little animal to his chest. The blood dripped down his white shirt
as the boy sobbed broken-heartedly.
"Fai!" Yuui shouted, trying to break away from Tomoyo. "Let me go! He's having
a nightmare! I have to wake him up!"
"You can't," Tomoyo said sadly. She had tried to wake Kurogane and Souma from
nightmares many times, but she couldn't. "There's a way to talk to people
through dreams, but I don't know how to do it yet. Maybe I can teach you when I
learn, but now, all we can do is watch."
The nightmare had only gotten worse. Fai's entire front was covered in blood.
He whispered words neither of them could hear into the puppy's floppy ear. A
large, blue crescent moon appeared over them and shone blue light down on them.
Instantly, the blood vanished and the puppy leapt up and started licking Fai's
face. Both girls smiled brightly.
"See? It turned out okay."
"Yeah. I guess you're right."
"But…how could you have not known all this time that you were a dreamseer?"
Tomoyo wondered out loud.
"I dunno. I remember being awake in my dreams sometimes, but I didn't know I
could see the future."
"Maybe it's because you didn't have a teacher?" Tomoyo suddenly got a very
solemn look on her face. "Yuui-chan, you probably shouldn't tell anyone about
this."
"Why not?"
"They'll make you train to develop the gift. They'll make you hate sleeping.
It's no fun if grownups know about it."
"Well…can I tell Fai?"
"Yeah. I think that would be okay."
"Hey?" Yuui started, suddenly remembering something from earlier. "If we're
having the same dream, what are we dreaming about?"
"Chang Ang-sama told me it's a dream of the future. I've had it a few times.
Sometimes I try and stop it but…if I don't finish the dream, I can't wake up."
"That's awful!" Yuui gasped. "But…how do we finish the dream?"
Tomoyo pointed off in the direction where the fire blazed hottest. "We go that
way."
The two dreamseers instinctively joined hands and began to walk toward the
blazing fire, all the while keeping quiet. As they drew closer, Tomoyo began to
see the familiar scene. A ruined castle could be seen in the distance on the
edge of a burning forest. Twin children stood in the middle of the ruin,
clutching each other and crying.
"My God," Tomoyo whispered breathlessly, suddenly realizing who the twins were.
"What is it?"
"It's…you. You and Fai-kun! You're the ones I saw in my dream!"
Tomoyo felt Yuui stiffen as she stared at the young children.
"Itisus. When we were a lot younger…before I had long hair. This is…our
future?" she whispered, terrified.
"But…" Tomoyo started, confused, "…it can't be. You're too old for this to be
your future. It doesn't make any sense."
"Maybe it's just…a symbol of us, or something like that," Yuui said slowly, not
even really sure of what she meant herself.
That was when the dragon appeared.
The black creature came swooping down from the dark sky, its eyes blazing red,
its mouth spitting fire. The twins screamed. A wordless shriek of terror left
Yuui's mouth. Tomoyo stood passively by.
"This is it," she whispered to the distraught Yuui, squeezing her hand to
comfort her. "This is where we wake up."
But they didn't. Something changed as the dark creature swept down upon the
helpless twins. A new figure appeared…a tall, dark figure wielding a long
sword. With a mighty cry of rage, the man threw himself in front of the
children, blocking the fires of hell with his sword.
"Who-" Tomoyo started, but suddenly got a good look at the stranger's face
through the smoke. Nii-sama? But…he was so much older.
"It's…Kurogane-kun?" Yuui whispered, coming to the same conclusion moments
after Tomoyo. "He's…protecting us."
"I've never seen this before."
Tomoyo was about to say something more when she suddenly found herself sitting
up on her futon. "Yuui-chan?!" she called into the darkness of her room.
No answer. What a surprise.
Tomoyo climbed out of her futon and glided toward her open window. Beneath the
full moon, the window offered her a view of the fields, stretching off into the
distance toward Celes Forest…where Yuui and Fai waited.
"The dream was different," she mumbled to herself. "Did we…change the
future…just by meeting today?"
                                      XxX
"Eriol-chan!" Chi's melodic voice echoed through the garden. "Where is Eri-chan
hiding?"
Sakura smiled warmly as she watched the blonde girl search for her little
nephew. Chi was about fourteen and she was Eriol's nurse. Her brother was
always insisting that Yukito spent more time with their son than with him, so
in order to pacify him, the priest had hired one of the serving girls to be the
boy's fulltime nursemaid. At four years old, Eriol was quite a handful. He was
always underfoot, getting into things and testing the nerves of the castle
staff. And after every new escapade, he would give the most innocent little
smile…like nothing was wrong…and Yukito, Sakura, and Syaoran loved every minute
of it.
"You know," Touya started, "if he's out of Chi's sight, I think we can expect
the apocalypse any minute now."
"Oh, Touya, don't be so gloomy," Yukito chided as he raised his cup of tea to
his lips. The former king, the priest, the king, and the queen were all taking
a moment out of their daily duties for a small tea party in the garden. Chi and
Eriol were supposed to be joining them, but by the time they had all arrived,
Eriol had already managed to slip away from Chi.
"Eri-chan's just playing," Sakura added, taking a bite out of a petit four
pastry.
"Playing? Heh, more like plotting my downfall."
Sakura was about to respond to this when she happened to glance up into the
tree behind her brother and see a small head of black hair poking out of it.
Touya noticed the looks on his sister and brother-in-law's faces, already
resigned to his fate.
"He's right behind me, isn't he?"
"You could say that."
Almost before the words had left Syaoran's mouth, a bowl of water came pouring
down all over Touya. No reaction at all. He just sat there, soaking wet and
completely straight-faced. A few moments later, the little ball of mischief
came flying out of the tree, landing right in between his parents. Yukito gave
him a pretend stern look.
"Eri-chan, what did I tell you about dumping water on Tou-san?"
Eriol just gave that 'see how cute and innocent I am' smile. "I don't
remember."
"Could it be…that you're not supposed to do it?!" Touya shouted, leaping from
his seat and seizing his son, tackling him to the ground and tickling him
without mercy.
"Tou-san!" Eriol shrieked wildly. "Lemme go! You're getting me all wet!"
"Whose fault is that?" the former ruler teased, continuing with his onslaught.
"Help me, Kaa-san!" Eriol shouted, finally managing to wriggle away from Touya.
"Tou-san's being mean!"
"Oh, you aren't getting away that easily," Touya sneered. He jumped up and
seized his surprised husband in a tight bear hug, thoroughly soaking him.
"Where're you going to go now, Eri? Kaa-san's all wet, too."
Eriol immediately dashed under the table where the tea things were set and came
up beside Sakura.
"You'll protect me from the Tou monster, won't you, Aunt Sakura?"
"Of course, Eri-chan," she said, affectionately tousling the boy's dark hair.
"I'll protect you."
Chi, of course, had heard all of the commotion and was already running over
with towels.
"I'm so sorry, Majesties!" she apologized profusely as she handed Touya and
Yukito towels. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't let him get away-"
"-then he would have found another way to escape ten minutes later," Touya
finished for her as he rubbed himself down. "It's all right, Chi-san. We all
know Eriol."
"Still, Chi should have been more careful," she said, more to herself than to
the others. Chi talked to herself a lot, and when she did, she would usually
start referring to herself in the third person.
"Really, Chi-chan, it's fine. No harm done," Yukito said brightly. "I think the
only things that suffered any real damage were a few of Chef Ueda's petit
fours."
"Chi will ask him to make more," she said determinedly. She was about to dash
off when Touya's hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"No need. Yuki could stand to lose a few pounds."
"Nii-san, that was an awful thing to say!" Sakura scolded her older brother as
she pulled Eriol onto her lap.
"Oh, you know he doesn't mean it," Yukito said. In an attempt to avoid a
confrontation between the royal siblings, he turned the conversation back to
Chi.
"I really must thank you again for being Eri-chan's nurse, Chi-chan. I know he
can be a bit of a handful, but you dedicate all of your time to him, just the
same. A beautiful young lady like you should be chasing after boys your own
age, not four-year-old ones who track mud into the castle."
Chi blushed deeply at that. She bowed her head and her next words were so soft
that the two couples barely caught them.
"I…there will be plenty of time for that when Chi has finished her obligations
to Prince Eriol."
"The lady doth protest too much," Yukito said teasingly. "Could it be that our
Chi-chan has found someone already?"
Chi remained silent.
"I think I know who it is," Sakura said suddenly, glancing over at the blushing
girl. "That young ninja who was in with the delegation from Nihon a few weeks
ago. What was his name?"
"Hideki-kun," Chi mumbled softly.
"Him?" Touya asked, raising an eyebrow. "I remember that one. Couldn't seem to
stop ogling the serving maids."
"But he wasn't like that with me!" Chi immediately jumped to the boy's defense.
"Hideki-kun was nice to me."
"Hmm," Sakura murmured to herself. She liked to see her servants happy. Perhaps
she would have to speak with Amaterasu about sending the boy with all of her
delegations from now on?
"Chi-san's in lo-ove! Chi-san's in lo-ove!" Eriol sang delightedly.
"What do you think, Eri-chan?" she whispered to her little nephew as Syaoran
turned the conversation in a more military direction. Some of the outcast fey,
Yuuko's minions, had been encroaching on their borders lately. "Should we play
matchmaker for Chi-chan and Hideki-kun?"
Eriol turned that same smile up toward her and the queen suddenly felt a chord
striking in her heart. It never failed. Whenever she held Eriol, or played with
him, or watched him sleep, or any number of things…she always wondered what her
own children had been like at his age…what they were like now, at ten. What
would it have been like to watch her baby son speak his first words, take his
first steps? What would it have been like to see her little girl learn to feed
herself? Did her little Fai love sweets just as much as she did? Had Yuui been
afraid of the dark? What would it have been like to watch Syaoran lie beside
his little daughter at night and…maybe sing to her, or tell her a story to make
her fear go away? Was Fai brave like his father? Had Yuui…had her first blood
yet? She had missed it. She had missed it all. Sometimes she tried to live it
with Eriol but, strangely enough…he seemed to realize that. Whenever thoughts
of Yuui and Fai entered her head around him, he would look at her with the same
smile as always, but his eyes said, I know. Aunt, I know, that in your heart, I
am a replacement for someone. No matter what, you will never see just me when
you look at me.
And of course, whenever those dark eyes spoke those words, guilt would pierce
her chest as sharp as a spear. He never said anything, but he was right. She
would never be able to see Eriol as just Eriol. She would always try to see her
own children in him.
But as soon as the guilt entered her heart, his eyes would say something else.
It's okay. I can be what you need me to be. No one can ever truly take their
place in your heart. Maybe I cannot have my own place in your heart, but at
least I can be there at all. It's okay.
Sakura sighed and hugged Eriol close, barely listening to her husband's talk of
forming more patrols to police the borders.
How was it that a child's eyes could bare her soul so completely…see to the
heart of her and bare her sorrow and shame before her own startled eyes?
***** Walk in Springtime *****
Chapter Notes
     So sorry for the delay in getting chapters out. Unfortunately, I've
     had a shit ton of computer issues these last few weeks, but my baby
     is back home now and seems to be in top working order. So today I
     will be giving you three chapters! Enjoy.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Yuui awoke to the early morning sun spilling into their room. She slipped
quietly out of bed so as not to wake Fai, Soel, and Larg and crept across the
room to the large window. She opened it wide and let the warm sunshine fill her
up. She was about to get dressed for the day when she happened to notice a
whisper carried on the wind…a message the green leaves on the trees seemed to
spell out just for her.
New smiles abound in the forest today. We know you've been waiting. They've
come at last.
Yuui smiled brightly, realizing what the trees were telling her. Tomoyo and
Kurogane had come back to the forest! She immediately ran back to the bed and
leapt on top of Fai. The boy awoke with a loud "Oomph!"
"Fai! Fai! Wake up! Wake up right now!"
"Mm," Fai groaned, trying to bat his sister away. "Ten more minutes."
"No! You have to get up now! They're back! Hurry up and get ready!"
Fai was sitting up in an instant with a devious grin spreading across his face.
"Oh? Kuro-rin's finally come back, has he?" He quickly leapt out of bed and
made a beeline for the door. "Get ready!" He called over his shoulder. "I'll go
ask Watanuki if we can go out."
Fai found Watanuki where he usually was early in the morning, "slaving over a
hot fire", as he put it.
"Watanuuuuuki?" Fai started. "Can Yuui and I go swimming today?"
"Only if Soel and Larg go with you. Doumeki left about an hour ago to go
hunting and Himawari and I were planning on going into Shirasagi today, so none
of us can go with you."
"No problem!" Fai said excitedly before running back upstairs to get dressed.
He and Yuui were ready inside of five minutes and were bounding down the
stairs.
"Hold everything!" Watanuki shouted before the two could make it to the door.
"You two aren't going anywhere until you have some breakfast," he said as he
set two plates of hotcakes down on the table.
"Do we have to?" Yuui whined as the pair trudged back to the table. The food
smelled so good, but they were anxious to be away.
"Of course you have to. What kind of parent would I be if I let you go off
without breakfast? Besides, it will give me enough time to make your lunches."
Fai and Yuui both shoveled the hotcakes into their mouths as fast as they could
without choking. Fortunately, Watanuki had learned to match their pace and two
lunches were waiting for them by the time they finished. They grabbed them and
were just heading out the door when Himawari entered the living room,
nullifying any chance they had of escaping in a timely fashion.
"Do you have your cloaks? You might get cold."
"Himawari," Fai moaned. "It's the middle of the summer!"
"Maybe so," she said as she brought them their cloaks. "But you'll want them
after you've finished swimming, won't you?"
"I guess. Can we go now?"
"Where will you go?"
"Probably up to Spirit Lake."
"And Soel and Larg will be with you, right?"
"Check!" the two bouncing balls of fluff shouted as they flew down the stairs.
"Well, if that's all, then-" Yuui started, backing up and opening the door.
"Not so fast. Make sure to be home by nightfall. No exceptions," she said,
employing her rarely used stern tone.
"Okay. Okay. We get it."
"What else?" she pressed.
The twins glanced at each other and rolled their eyes.
"If we see any strangers, don't talk to them," Fai started.
"Come straight home," Yuui finished. "We know. Can we go?"
"All right. You can go," Himawari finally consented. The twins raced out the
door with Soel and Larg on their trail. Himawari stared after them.
"You know," she started. "Sometimes it seems like it was only yesterday they
couldn't even eat without our help. Now they're so anxious to be off and away
by themselves."
"I know," Watanuki said as he joined her by the door. "They grow up so fast."
"And yet…when they're old and gray, we'll look no older than twenty," she
lamented. Watanuki said nothing to this. Himawari didn't seem to notice.
"We should hurry," he finally said, grabbing the lunches he'd already made for
the two of them. "If we want to get all the shopping done and be back by night.
I don't want to think about what'll happen if that moron is the only one around
to cook dinner. He couldn't cook to save his life."
                                      XxX
"So is there a spot where we need to meet them?" Souma asked. They had only
been in the forest for about ten minutes. Tomoyo and Kurogane were riding Suwa
and she was riding her own horse, Kendappa. They had had to wait a week before
she was released from house arrest so they could go back to Celes Forest at
last. They were all dressed in simple peasant clothing that Kurogane had
managed to secure through Sorata.
"No," Kurogane grunted in response. "They just said that the forest would tell
them when we came back."
Souma raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure they're not faeries?"
"They said not, but I suppose they could just as easily have been lying."
"Oh!" a voice suddenly whined from high overhead. "Kuro-pin doesn't trust us."
The next moment, a pair of twin blonde nutcases dropped from the trees right in
front of them. Kendappa reared slightly in panic but Suwa was already used to
the twins.
"Fai-kun! Yuui-chan!" Tomoyo cheered.
"Hello, Tomoyo-chan," Yuui greeted warmly. "What took you so long?"
"We had to wait for Souma-chan to be released from house arrest."
Souma suddenly found herself being scrutinized by twin sets of blue eyes. The
two moved calmly toward Kendappa, gazing unashamedly up at the chestnut horse
and its rider.
"So this is Souma-chan?" Fai questioned.
"Yes. I'm Souma," she said, nodding politely.
"I'm Fai."
"And I'm Yuui."
Then the two clasped hands and proudly thrust out their chests.
"And they call us Fai and Yuui!" they proclaimed melodramatically.
"And they call us…SOEL AND LARG!" Two black and white fuzz balls suddenly
bounced right into Souma's face. The poor noble's daughter was so shocked she
slipped sideways out of her saddle. Thankfully, Fai and Yuui were right there
to catch her.
"What are these things?!" Souma asked as she proceeded to claw them from her
face.
"Mokona-" Soel began.
"-is Mokona!" Larg finished.
"Riiiight," she said slowly, shrugging herself free of the twins and handing
the twin marshmallows back to them.
"Where's Leval?" Tomoyo asked.
"We don't have her. Watanuki and Himawari needed her today," Yuui explained.
"So, Souma-chan, would you mind if Yuui hitched a ride with you? Where we're
going is kind of a long way off."
"That's fine with me," Souma said as she climbed back on Kendappa.
"Where are we going?" Kurogane asked as Fai helped Yuui climb on behind Souma.
"To Spirit Lake," Fai answered mysteriously. "Deep in the heart of the forest."
"Spirit Lake? The source of the Yume River?" Tomoyo whispered in awe. She had
only ever heard stories of the magic lake. She'd never actually expected to see
it.
"That's the one," Fai said cheerfully.
"What about you? Don't you need a ride?" Souma asked.
"Nope," Fai started, easily leaping up into the branches of a nearby tree. "I'm
leading the way." Then, with cat-like grace, the boy leapt to the next tree…and
the next…and the next. "Get moving, slow pokes!" he called over his shoulder.
Souma glanced curiously at Kurogane, who just shrugged his shoulders and
spurred Suwa on after Fai. Kendappa easily fell into step behind them.
"Is it true that Spirit Lake is enchanted?" Souma asked Yuui. The girl remained
silent for a moment, pondering the question.
"I don't know. Maybe. Watanuki, Doumeki, and Himawari take us swimming there a
lot. It feels really nice there."
"They say that Spirit Lake is the gateway that leads to Faerie. You never saw
anything like that when you were there?"
"Who says that?"
"Everyone."
"Has 'everyone' ever been to Spirit Lake?"
"Well…no."
After that, the two girls fell silent for a while, listening to Kurogane argue
with Yuui's monkey of a twin brother.
"I think…" the blonde started after what felt like an hour of silence. "…that
maybe we have different ideas of what magic is."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Have you ever seen magic?"
Souma instantly thought of Tomoyo…of the things she saw, of her mere presence.
"Yeah," she said softly. "I think so."
"What's it like?"
Souma had to think about that for a minute. She had grown up listening to the
stories of the great faerie wars of old. She had heard tales of the great and
terrible powers the Fey possessed. But those were all just stories. The magic
she thought she saw in Tomoyo was different.
"Light," she finally answered. "It was like…the sun…and the moon…all at the
same time. Like…cold and warmth. Like-"
"Life," she and Yuui said at the same time. Souma glanced back over her
shoulder in surprise. Yuui was smiling brightly.
"Living here is kind of like that. You can feel it all around you. It isn't
always light, like you said, but you can feel it breathing. I suppose it is
stronger at Spirit Lake, but the whole forest is enchanted…just maybe not in
the way you've been told magic is supposed to be."
Oddly enough, Souma found herself feeling…jealous, jealous of the conviction
she heard in Yuui's voice. She had never felt anything so strongly in her
entire life. The only thing she had ever felt even a fraction of that passion
for…was her desire to train to become a ninja. Maybe she would have gotten
somewhere if she had the same determination.
"Hey, monkey freak!" Kurogane tried to get Fai's attention. "Why do we need to
go all the way to Spirit Lake? We have a perfectly good river right here."
"Because it's easier to learn in still water, Kuro-pippi."
"I told you to stop with those names! We don't have time to waste just getting
there."
"Well, then I suppose it's a good thing we're here."
"What the flying f-"
"Nii-sama," Tomoyo warned her older brother before things could get out of
hand, though she was just as surprised as him by the sight of the trees
suddenly thinning and a crystal blue lake appearing beyond them.
"But…how?"
"I guess Spirit Lake was feeling nice today," Fai said as he hopped down from
the last tree.
"Meaning?" Kurogane asked.
"We all really wanted to be here…well, most of us, anyway. So Celes brought us
here."
"But…how could it…without us even noticing it?" Souma asked.
"Magic forest!" Fai and Yuui sang together.
"Magic forest! Magic forest!" Soel and Larg echoed the twins.
"Come on!" Yuui shouted excitedly, jumping down from Kendappa and racing into
the clearing that contained the vast lake. Not too far offshore, there was an
island floating peacefully on the surface of the water. Fai followed quickly
after his sister, stripping down to his breeches as he went. The three nobles
hesitated a moment, then climbed down from their horses. Tomoyo ran after the
twins and Kurogane and Souma tied Suwa and Kendappa to the branches of nearby
trees before following.
"Fai, you can take Kurogane-kun. I'll handle Souma-chan and Tomoyo-chan," Yuui
said, taking her first delicate steps into the cold water.
"Sounds like a plan," Fai responded as he folded his clothes and laid them
beside Yuui's shoes and their knapsacks and bows and arrows. As little Tomoyo
came dashing into the water, Fai also removed his sapphire moon pendant and
tucked it safely into his shirt. He had had the beautiful trinket for as long
as he could remember. Sometimes he and Yuui liked to imagine that their real
parents had given it to him. Perhaps Yuui had once owned a matching one before
they had become lost in the forest? He never liked to take it off, but he had
to whenever he went swimming or bathing. Watanuki had warned him never to let
the pendant touch water. Himawari said it was because water would tarnish the
silver in the necklace, but he was starting to suspect that there might be
another reason for it.
"It's so cold!" Tomoyo shrieked with delight, though she was only in as far as
her knees. Yuui had already swum out deeper than she could touch. As the other
two approached the shore, Souma was already removing her shoes and any other
unnecessary articles of clothing. When she was down to her rough cloth shirt
and a pair of breeches, she stepped into the water beside Tomoyo. Kurogane
hesitated a moment longer before removing his shoes and shirt, un-girding his
sword, and setting all of them down beside the other piles of clothing. Then
he, too, took his first steps into the water, trying his best not to show any
reaction to the temperature. Instead of losing his temper when Fai splashed
him, he just growled. The water was a bit too cold for a screaming tirade.
"All right. Class is now in session," Yuui announced brightly as she swam back
toward them. "It's true that you three are a little older than we were when we
learned, but we'll start this off the same way Watanuki, Himawari, and Doumeki
started off with us. Tomoyo-chan?"
"Yep?"
"I'm going to swim you out into the deeper water, just so you can see what it
feels like."
"Is it safe?" Kurogane asked suspiciously.
"Don't worry, Mr. Black," Fai teased as Yuui took Tomoyo's hand and led her
deeper into the lake. "Yuui won't let anything happen to Tomoyo-chan."
"Mr. Black?" the prince muttered darkly as he watched Yuui swim out with
Tomoyo. What next?
Tomoyo had to admit that she was a little nervous when her feet left the
bottom, but she trusted Yuui and she knew that she wouldn't let anything bad
happen to her. She held her up above the water as she swam further and further
out into the lake.
"Are you doing all right, Tomoyo-chan?" Yuui asked, keeping eye contact with
the little princess and making sure not to go too fast.
"I'm fine, Yuui-chan," she answered, giving her sensei a trusting smile.
"That's good. How do you like it so far?"
Tomoyo glanced down into the lake. She couldn't even see the bottom anymore.
The water was much darker out here.
"It's a little scary," she admitted. "But it's still fun. It's like…floating in
the air."
Yuui giggled at that. "That's what Fai said when Watanuki brought us out the
first time."
"I can't wait to learn to swim!"
"It'll be fun. Then we can all swim out to Tsubasa Island together."
"What about Soel and Larg? Can they swim?"
"Like fish, oddly enough. Hey, Tomoyo-chan?"
"Yes?"
"When we first met…that night…I met you in a dream."
"I know," Tomoyo said seriously. "I was there, too. We're both dreamseers. You
can come and see me in a dream any time you want."
"Really?" Yuui asked, her eyes growing wide. "That's great! We can see each
other any time!"
"Mm-hm," Tomoyo said, grinning madly.
Meanwhile, back in the shallows, Fai saw Yuui start to tow Tomoyo back in, so
he turned to Kurogane.
"All right, Kuro-tan. It's your turn now."
Kurogane raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"It's your turn to go out now. I'll take you out the same way Yuui took Tomoyo-
chan."
"I don't need your help! I am not a baby!"
"But you admitted that you can't swim. This is how you learn, silly Kuro-puu,"
Fai said as he grabbed Kurogane's arm and proceeded to drag him out into the
lake. The prince just rolled his eyes and grumbled evilly as he allowed himself
to be manhandled into the deeper water.
"By the by, Soel, Larg, play nice with Souma-chan!" Fai called back to them.
"Check!" they shouted back, though they were already swimming in ever shrinking
circles around the poor girl.
Kurogane tried to pretend that the water closing over his body didn't bother
him, but it became increasingly more difficult the further they got from shore.
Fai held onto his shoulders and he held onto Fai's to keep himself afloat. When
his feet finally left the sandy bottom, he couldn't prevent his grip on Fai
from tightening just a little bit.
"Nervous?" Fai asked. The devious tone he normally used with the prince was
gone. He knew this was bound to be scary for poor Kuro-rin. But "poor Kuro-rin"
didn't seem to notice his sudden sincerity.
"No!" he shot back. "I just don't like being stuck out here with you."
"Aw, come now, Kuro-prince. Where would you be if I wasn't out here with you?
The bottom of the lake, maybe?"
"Grr."
"I like the necklace," Fai complimented, noting the ruby sun charm resting on
Kurogane's chest. For some reason, it seemed really familiar to him. It
reminded him…of his own pendant, actually.
Kurogane went red for a few seconds. He wanted to fire an angry comment back at
the boy, but he couldn't; not where the sun charm was concerned.
"It was my father's," he finally mumbled.
"Was?" Fai prompted, suddenly curious.
"Yeah," Kurogane continued, glancing away from him. "He was killed…about ten
years ago. A dark faerie murdered him."
"Oh," Fai gasped, unwittingly tightening his own grip on the prince. "I'm
sorry."
"Why are you sorry?" he asked, glancing sharply back up at Fai. "You didn't
kill him."
"I know. It's just that…I'm sorry…that you lost your father. I wish I could say
that I know what it feels like, since I don't know who my father is, but I have
two. Doumeki and Watanuki are like fathers to me."
"Yeah," Kurogane started, his thoughts drifting back to his sensei, Kusanagi.
"I have someone like that, too."
"I can see why you'd be afraid of faeries."
"I AM NOT AFRAID!" Kurogane suddenly lashed out at that comment. "I'm going to
find the faerie who killed my father, and then I'm going to kill her! You got
that?!"
"Kuro-pin, don't thrash around like that!" Fai tried to calm him. "I can't hold
onto you if you do that."
"Then don't make me angry!" Kurogane shot back, just barely managing to control
his body.
"You make it too easy, Kuro-chuu," Fai teased.
Kurogane was about to snap back at him when he realized just how much of
himself he had spilled to Fai in less than ten minutes. He could get angry with
people, sure, but he had only ever spoken so freely to four people, and two of
them were waiting for him back on the shore. How had Fai managed to get so much
out of him so fast?
"Are you positive you're not a faerie?" he glared suspiciously.
"Pretty darn," he said with that same damn annoying grin.
"Then why did I tell you so much? How do I know you didn't put a spell on me?"
"You can't know," Fai answered simply. "And I have no idea why you told me so
much. Perhaps it's because I asked you…or maybe you just trust me?"
"Trust you? Tch. That'll be the day."
"Kuro-chii doesn't trust me?"
"Trust? Heh. Not for an instant."
"Then how did I get you to relax so completely in the middle of a lake?"
Kurogane glanced around and realized just how far they were from shore…much
further than Yuui had taken Tomoyo. He hadn't even realized it! Damn it! The
bozu had done it again!
"I'm keeping my eye on you, kid," he said, throwing another suspicious glare at
the blond.
"Oh? Kuro-chuu wants to keep his eyes on me?" Fai teased.
"Shut up, you idiot!" Kurogane shouted, his face briefly going red again. "I
think you know what I meant!"
"Maybe I do. Maybe I don't. Tell me, Kuro-buu, how do you feel right now?"
"Angry!" he responded immediately.
"I didn't mean how do you feel about me. Pretend I'm not here keeping you from
drowning. Pretend you're out here by yourself. What do you feel?"
Kurogane treated Fai to a fresh batch of glaring before he finally closed his
eyes and actually considered the idiot's question. His body weighed almost
nothing in the water. He could hear the sound of it as it moved about him. He
could hear the calls of birds and insects. Very distantly, he could hear his
sister chatting merrily away with Yuui and Souma.
"It feels like…flying," he finally admitted. Fai gave him a very secretive
smile.
"Do you want to try floating on your own?"
"Is it safe?"
"You worry too much, Kuro-prince. I thought you wanted to be able to do this
without my help."
"Of course I do! Teach me how!" he demanded, embarrassed that the fool had
called him on his fear of the water.
"All right. I'm going to keep hold of one of your hands, but I want you to move
onto your back. But before you do that, you need to take a deep breath."
Kurogane did as he was told, breathing deeply and reluctantly releasing his
viselike grip on Fai's shoulders. When his lungs were full of air he found that
he floated up onto his back easily enough.
"Good," Fai coached, keeping hold of his right hand. "Hold that breath,
otherwise you'll start sinking."
Kurogane continued to hold his breath and, after awhile, he felt the pressure
of Fai's fingers slowly melt away. He was floating by himself! The young prince
gazed up at the blue sky in awe. Suspended in that paper-thin layer between
water and air, it truly felt like he was flying.
Unfortunately, in that moment of wonder, Kurogane forgot to keep the air in his
lungs. He started to sink. For a mere moment, the water closed over his head
and he started to panic. Fai was by his side in an instant, pulling him back up
to the surface. As Kurogane coughed up water, Fai started to scold him.
"Silly Kuro-chuu. You have to hold your breath. Maybe we should try that again
in the shallows."
Kurogane sulked all the way back to shore. Fai seeing him at his most
vulnerable like that made him feel more ashamed than angry. On that note, why
did he even care what Fai thought of him?
"You're just a child," he muttered, more to himself than to said child, but Fai
heard him just the same.
"So? You're just a teenager."
Well, damn, he had him there.
While Yuui took Souma out onto the lake, Fai helped Tomoyo and Kurogane
practice their floating. Once they were all together again, they started
working on kicking. Kurogane was a bit more inspired in this arena when Soel
happened to alight on his feet. The delighted creature had never been bounced
so high in its life. When Kurogane, Tomoyo, and Souma could at least keep
themselves afloat without help, Fai and Yuui decided that the lesson had lasted
long enough and the group took a break for lunch. Kurogane pulled three bento
boxes from Suwa's saddlebag and Fai and Yuui chowed down on Watanuki's
delicious food, occasionally sharing bits of their lunch with Soel and Larg.
"What is it with you and sugar?" Kurogane asked as he watched Fai shove another
cookie in his mouth.
"I 'an't 'elp it," Fai said, not even bothering to swallow. "Wata'uki's foo' is
so goo'!"
"That's disgusting," Kurogane grumbled. "At least have the decency to swallow
your food first."
"But, Kuro-wan wan," Fai mewled as he moved closer to him. "You did ask me a
question."
Just as Kurogane was opening his mouth wide to shout at Fai, the mischievous
blond took the opportunity to shove his last chocolate chip cookie into his
mouth.
For a moment, Kurogane was too shocked to speak, and in order for him to do so,
he did have to chew the cookie up.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! SHOVING WEIRD CRAP INTO PEOPLE'S MOUTHS LIKE THAT!
NEXT TIME THAT HAND COMES ANYWHERE NEAR ME, I'M CHOPPING IT OFF!" he screamed.
Before he could continue his screaming rant, Fai was already halfway to the
tree line and Kurogane was hot on his heels. Souma glanced nervously after
them.
"Shouldn't we stop them?" she asked uncertainly.
Tomoyo smiled warmly, the glint in her eyes speaking of a secret that she
already knew, but that no one else seemed to have figured out. She couldn't
help but notice that her brother hadn't actually spit out the "weird crap".
"I think they'll be fine. Nii-sama won't be able to catch Fai-kun unless he
lets him."
Yuui nodded in agreement, playfully cocking an ear to listen to Kurogane's
angry yelling and Fai's singsong teasing.
"He ate Fai's food," Soel whispered to Larg in a singsong voice.
"That means he likes him," Larg returned in the same teasing tone.
Yuui laughed softly at the Mokona before turning her attention back to her new
friends.
"I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."
                                      XxX
"Are you sure you want to do this, Souma?" Kurogane asked his friend.
The thirteen-year-old noble nodded resolutely. "I have to do it."
"Well, Yuui and Tomoyo will be happy for you, but Kakyo will probably disown
you. You know that, don't you?"
Again, Souma just nodded. "I know it. But I don't care. Hand me your dagger."
The sixteen-year-old prince said nothing more as he handed his dagger to her.
If this was what she wanted, then he would not stop her.
Souma found that her hands were shaking as she raised the dagger. This would be
her ultimate defiance of her father. Just barely managing to steady her hands,
she took a deep breath before hacking off her long black tresses. Kurogane
stood by as the knife clattered to the floor along with her hair. He could see
that she was nervous, but this was something that she needed to do for herself.
There was no going back now.
Souma glanced into her mirror to examine her new hairstyle. By no stretch of
the imagination was it a professional job. It was very uneven, with the front
quite a bit longer than the back, but she found that she actually liked the
style.
"You okay?" Kurogane asked gruffly as he retrieved his dagger.
"Yes," she whispered breathlessly. "Now for the hard part."
"I'll come with you if you want."
"Would you?" she asked. Admittedly, she was still scared. Kurogane just nodded.
"Let's go."
Souma and Kurogane crept quietly out of Souma's quarters. It was very early in
the morning and the palace was only just beginning to stir. Servants were
rising and preparing for the day's work. Priests were heading out to the
shrines for prayer - all of the usual morning sounds. But this was not a usual
morning.
The sun was just peeking over the horizon when the two friends snuck into the
ninja training grounds. A few of the older warriors were up and going about
their morning routines, but they paid the young ones no mind as they moved
toward the shrine that had been set up specifically for the use of the warriors
in the employ of the empress. Their goal lay within that shrine, going through
her morning prayers.
Among the many fine ninja who defended Shirasagi, very few of them were women.
The first and foremost among those who were was Arashi Kishu. Her mother had
been a miko and she had some spiritual power herself, but her primary vocation
was that of a ninja mistress. She was a warrior on par with the best of them
and only the best trained under her. Souma didn't actually consider herself the
best, but she felt that Arashi was the only one who could really understand her
position.
She had spoken to Yuui and Tomoyo about her dream whenever Kurogane was off
trying to catch Fai after his latest shenanigan.
"Why don't you?" Yuui had always asked her. "If you want to train to become a
ninja, then why don't you?"
"It's not that simple," she would reply sadly.
"Why not? If you're not hurting anyone, why can't you do what you want to do?"
"My father…he won't let me."
"Since when did that stop you?" Tomoyo would usually ask with a giggle.
"Why won't he let you?"
"I don't know. We don't really…talk."
Yuui would shake her head. "That's awful. There are a lot of things that
Watanuki, Himawari, and Doumeki tell us we can't do, but it's because they love
us and they don't want us to get hurt. But…if your own father won't even talk
to you…you should do what you feel is right for you."
Souma could hear Yuui's voice in her head even now as she stood hesitantly
before the shrine door.
Follow your heart's desire. If you never seek out what your heart needs, then
it will destroy you one day. At least, that's what Himawari tells Fai and I.
"I'll wait out here," Kurogane told her as she reached out her hands to slide
the door open. She nodded and stepped through, quietly closing the door behind
her.
Arashi was kneeling before the altar with her head bowed in prayer. Souma knelt
just beyond the inner sanctum, waiting for the mistress to acknowledge her. It
would be terribly rude to interrupt her at prayer. The girl had no idea how
long she knelt there, but she tried to remain as still as possible, even though
several itches popped up all over her body and her legs started to cramp from
kneeling so long. And just when she was beginning to think that Arashi would
never acknowledge her, she spoke.
"I've seen you," she said, raising her head, but never turning to look back at
her. "You're Kakyo-san and Hokuto-sama's daughter?"
"Hai, Kishu-sama. I am."
"Why have you come here at such an early hour?"
"I've come to beg a favor of you," Souma began in a clear, strong voice. She
bowed her head low in respect. "Ever since I was small, I have watched the
young ninja train, and I have always longed to be one of them. I humbly ask to
become one of your pupils."
"And what will you do…if I refuse to train you? What then, little noble?" she
asked, a hint of mocking in her voice. "Will you run crying to your father and
have him force me to train you?"
"No!" she insisted, promptly losing her temper at the mere mention of her
father. "I hardly even speak to my father! He would kill me if he knew I was
here!"
"Ah. So you are doing this to spite your father?"
Souma swallowed hard upon hearing the contempt in Arashi's voice. She was only
digging herself deeper by getting angry. So she continued calmly, trying to
rein in her emotions. "No. I'm doing this because…it is my heart's desire."
Souma could not see it, but Arashi raised an eyebrow in surprise at her words.
"And what makes you think you are worthy to study under me, young Souma-san?"
Souma hesitated a moment. At this point, this could go either way. The wrong
answer now could ruin everything. But…wasn't it wrong to think of something
like this in terms of right or wrong? Perhaps…all she needed to do was be
honest?
"I'm really not sure if I am worthy, Kishu-sama. I couldn't think of anyone
less worthy. All I have to offer you is my willingness to learn whatever you
can teach me."
Arashi smiled slightly as she listened to Souma talk. Perhaps there was
something to this girl after all. Her belief in her own unworthiness was the
mark of her worth.
"Tell me, Souma-san, why do you want to be a ninja? I understand that it's your
heart's desire, but why is it your heart's desire?"
Souma considered the question. Why did she want this so badly? Perhaps she was
seeking a method of releasing her anger that didn't involve hurting anyone?
Maybe she wanted to be able to fight with Kurogane on an equal playing field?
Did she want to feel important?
No…none of those things were it.
Souma suddenly found herself remembering a conversation she'd had with Kurogane
many years ago…about anger, and not destroying what you mean to protect. An
image of Tomoyo, smiling and laughing, suddenly popped into her head. Protect.
That was it. She wanted to protect that smile. It was…precious to her. Tomoyo,
Kurogane, Fai, Yuui…she wanted to be strong so that nothing would ever hurt
them.
"I want to be strong…like Kurogane-sama. I want the strength…to protect what's
important to me."
"And what is important to you, child?" Arashi asked, finally rising to her
feet, but still not turning to face Souma. "What do you love?
Again, Tomoyo entered her thoughts. She could hear the peal of her laughter,
ringing like the richest bells.
"My friends," she answered without hesitation.
"That is good. But I wonder if you are brave enough to take this responsibility
on your shoulders."
"I won't fail you, Kishu-sama. I'm not afraid," she insisted. But the next
moment, she found herself pinned to the floor with a blade pointed at her
throat. Arashi had moved faster than her eyes could track.
"What about now, Souma-san? Are you afraid?" she asked, staring down the
sword's length at Souma. The girl noted, with more than a little alarm, that
Arashi was not actually holding the blade. It was extended from the very flesh
of her palm. Clearly the woman had some fey blood in her.
"A- a little, Kishu-sama," she answered truthfully. She'd never heard anything
about this magic sword.
Arashi nodded her approval as she withdrew the sword into her palm. She then
reached out that same hand to help Souma to her feet. "I'll get you some proper
clothing. We begin tomorrow at high noon."
"T-thank you, Kishu-sensei," she stammered, bowing low in gratitude. Then she
slowly backed out of the shrine, not breaking eye contact with Arashi until she
had slid the door closed.
"Always knew you had it in you," Kurogane's gruff voice suddenly sounded in her
ear. She turned sharply to her friend, blushing a little.
"You heard all of that?"
"It's not exactly hard," he said sarcastically, tapping a finger against the
thin scrim. Souma was about to shoot a smart remark back at him when her worst
nightmare came striding toward the shrine.
"What is the meaning of this?!" her father snarled as he approached them. "They
are saying that Kakyo's daughter has cut off all of her hair. Well, I can see
the truth of that," he said, harshly seizing what remained of Souma's dark hair
and giving her head a good shake. "What, exactly, do you hope to accomplish
with this latest stunt of yours?"
"It's not a stunt!" she shouted at him, freeing herself from his grip with
difficulty. "I didn't have a use for my hair anymore! I've presented myself to
Kishu-sensei for training."
The tension in the air was like a living thing, ready to start wreaking havoc
upon some unsuspecting village at any moment.
"What sort of name is that to make for your poor mother?! For me?!" he raged at
her.
"It's a wonderful name to make for my mother! The ninja army is a respectable
part of this court. I don't care what kind of name I make for you!"
It happened before either Kurogane or Souma could react. Utilizing a surprising
amount of strength for a man of his slight stature, Kakyo slapped Souma hard
across the face, the ring on his finger slicing her cheek. The blow had such
force, it sent Souma crashing to the ground.
"YOU INSOLENT BRAT! I'LL TEACH YOU!"
Kurogane was standing before him in an instant, blocking his path to Souma.
"Kakyo, stop this!"
Kakyo just sneered at him. "I would remind you, Prince Kurogane, that you are
not emperor here yet."
As Kakyo moved to try and get past him, Kurogane started to draw his sword. It
would certainly have come to blows if Arashi hadn't suddenly appeared between
them.
"Lord Kakyo, I will thank you kindly not to strike my student."
"She's my daughter! I will discipline her as I see fit."
"It has been my experience that you only act like her father when it suits you,
and even then, you do a very poor job of it. To my mind, that's a very poor way
to repay Hokuto-sama's sacrifice."
The rage that boiled off of the blond man was tangible…so much that it seemed
to ignite the very air.
"Don't you dare talk to me about my wife!" he whispered dangerously, looking
ready to strangle the ninja mistress.
"Why not? You have no right to tell me whom I can and cannot speak of. You
pretend like Hokuto-sama never existed. The rest of us are not so willing to
forget such a bright spirit. I am proud to have her child as my student. If
your disciplinary methods hinder her from lessons, then I will be forced to
step in."
Everyone present could see that Kakyo wanted to turn this into a fight, but he
had little chance against two well-trained ninja who were clearly not going to
allow him to lay hands on Souma. So, for the moment, he backed down.
"You have won today, Arashi, but you have not heard the last of this," he said,
throwing Souma a venomous glare before turning on his heels and stalking away
from the training grounds.
"You all right?" Kurogane asked Souma as he helped her stand.
"I'm fine," she huffed, brushing herself off. She felt ashamed for allowing
herself to be pushed around in front of Arashi. However, the ninja mistress
said something that threw her for a loop.
"It was actually a very good first step."
"But…he knocked me down."
"Something he shouldn't have done. Kakyo is no father to you. I meant how you
stood up to him. It's good that you don't let him push you around," she said
before moving off to start her daily routine. Before the two friends could
exchange another word, a new presence came screaming onto the training grounds.
"What happened?!" Tomoyo shouted as she ran toward them, her long hair flying
wildly behind her. She launched herself at Souma, wrapping her arms around her
in a vice-like grip. "Souma-chan, you're bleeding! Tell me what happened!"
"It's nothing. I just had a fight with Kakyo."
"Over what?" Tomoyo started to cross-examine her as she removed a handkerchief
from her kimono and started to dab the blood off of her friend's cheek.
"I've…presented myself to Kishu-sensei for training as a ninja."
Upon hearing this, Tomoyo left off cleaning the wound and once again threw her
arms around Souma.
"Souma-chan, that's wonderful! I knew you could do it! I'm so proud of you! Is
that why you cut your hair? When will you start training? How will-"
"Tomoyo-chan?" Souma interrupted her, suddenly curious about something. "How
did you even know we'd be here?"
Tomoyo backed away from her, blushing lightly. "Well…I was in lessons with
Chang Ang-sama and I sort of…fell asleep. I dreamed…that you were in pain and
that you needed me. The only thing I saw was Kishu-sama and I knew that she
would be here at this time of day, so I came. Chang Ang-sama wasn't happy, but
I left anyway," she said with an impish grin.
"You know what we should do, since we seem to have some free time today?"
Kurogane suggested, smirking at his sister, proud that she had finally taken
the initiative to leave Chang Ang on her own.
"Go to Celes?" Tomoyo finished.
"I'd like that," Souma said, finally starting to smile again. "We haven't seen
them in a few weeks."
Well…that wasn't entirely true. Tomoyo had spoken to Yuui just last night. The
twins had just celebrated their thirteenth birthday and Tomoyo had pumped her
friend for details about the party that Watanuki, Himawari, and Doumeki had
thrown them. Watanuki had let them help make the cake this year, and Doumeki
had finally given them real arrows for their bows. Himawari had even let them
have a few sips of wine. All told, it sounded like a fun day.
"Let's go," she said, smiling warmly at the thought of seeing the happy-go-
lucky pair again.
                                      XxX
Yuui was the first to feel it this time. The ground suddenly seemed to suck at
her feet as she moved across the yard, carrying a pail of goat's milk she had
just harvested. The wind whistled in her ears in just such a way as to send a
chill down her spine. The next moment, Fai appeared in the cottage door.
"You felt it, too?" he asked.
"They need us," she whispered. Fai disappeared back inside and she quickly
followed after him. She heard him asking Doumeki if they could go out as she
set the pail down beside the fireplace where Himawari was busy mixing up some
chicken soup. Watanuki was feeling a little under the weather after all the
work he'd put into the twins' birthday and Doumeki had caught him trying to
make breakfast. He had literally flung the slighter man over his shoulder and
forcibly carried him back to his room. Now Doumeki was trying to take care of
Watanuki's usual chores around the house and Himawari was making him some soup.
"Depends on where you want to go."
"Just out," Fai answered. "Maybe take Leval out for some exercise. She hasn't
been out all week."
"I suppose," he said, exchanging a glance with Himawari. It was probably better
for the twins to be out of the house today. Anything that could affect a faerie
so was bound to be dangerous for a human if exposed for too long. They would
need some privacy to make certain that Watanuki's affliction wasn't due to some
kind of dark magic. "The usual rules apply, and you'll have to make your own
lunches. I think Soel and Larg are in with Watanuki right now. Only stick your
head in there. I don't want you getting too close and catching whatever he's
got."
As Yuui set about making their lunches, Fai moved down the small hallway toward
Watanuki's room. The usual rules meant that Soel and Larg had to go with them,
they could not speak to any strangers, and they could not leave the forest. Fai
knocked softly on the door as he pushed it open.
"Watanuki?" he called softly. "Are Soel and Larg in here?"
"Unfortunately," he answered in a weak voice that still somehow managed to
contain most of its usual bite. "I beg you, take them off my hands."
"I can do that," he said, hearing the small balls of fluff bound his way. "I
hope you feel better soon. I think Himawari's making you some soup."
"Really? That's nice," he replied, though Fai could still hear the shudder he
tried to suppress. They all knew that Himawari wasn't much of a cook, but she
tried her best anyway.
"Yuui and I are going out. I think Doumeki's going to try to make dinner
later."
Fai heard the sound of palm meeting face echoing from the darkened room.
"Fai! Fai!" Larg cheered as the two followed him back into the kitchen.
"Where are we going? Where are we going?" Soel asked.
Fai turned to them with a wink and placed a finger against his lips. Both
Mokona grinned mischievously and kept their mouths closed.
"Be back before dark," Himawari reminded the twins as they swept out the front
door, bows and quivers in hand, Mokona twins perched on their shoulders.
Himawari glanced worriedly after them.
"That was a close call. I was starting to wonder how we'd keep them out of the
way."
Doumeki nodded in response. "You know them. Always off on a new adventure. Keep
that soup over the fire," he said as he moved down the hall toward Watanuki's
room. "I'll be back soon to let you know what charm you should add."
"No way are you making dinner tonight!" Watanuki's weakened voice shouted at
him the second he entered the room. "You are not poisoning Himawari and the
twins!"
"Calm down, idiot. You're in no state to even be up right now. I think they're
more likely to be poisoned by that spell clinging to you."
Watanuki sighed. "I'm afraid this might be a little more than a runoff spell."
"Well, let's find out-" Doumeki started, reaching a hand out to him.
"Don't!" Watanuki immediately interrupted, throwing his own hand up to stop
him. "This…really might be dangerous."
Doumeki seized the nature sprite's gaze for a single, intense moment before
grabbing his outstretched wrist. Almost instantly, he felt a dark, sludge-like
energy begin to crawl up his arm.
"Moron!" the bedridden faerie hissed, not wanting to alert Himawari. "I warned
you not to touch me! It can't spread to you, too!"
"It's a good thing I did," he muttered, sounding slightly worried as he
attempted to prevent the spell from spreading to the rest of his body. "We
might have lost you. It's a spell designed to seek out and destroy a pillar."
"I noticed," Watanuki grunted. It felt like a giant weight was crushing his
chest. "So get it off yourself and leave me be. The wards can still stand with
just two pillars, but if we both die, Himawari can't hold them herself."
"I'm not going to do that," he replied calmly, having finally succeeded in
containing the dark magic. "No one's dying. You are not dying." It was
Seishiro's magic. He could feel the traces of the dark prince in the spell. It
was particularly apparent to him because they were both possessed of darkness.
"Besides, how would we explain your randomly dropping dead to the twins?"
"Tch, you'll think of something." It was getting harder to breathe. Every
breath he drew felt like swallowing a lump of cotton. "No charm we can come up
with can fix this."
Doumeki didn't respond to this. Instead he climbed up on the bed and straddled
Watanuki. Immediately, he felt the spell start to climb into his body through
the points of contact.
"What-" Watanuki started to ask, but was silenced by Doumeki placing his hands
on his shoulders and resting his forehead against his. At this point, Watanuki
didn't think he could have gathered enough air for the exclamation anyway.
Doumeki gazed deeply into the other's blue eyes as he gathered all of his will
for this last, desperate trick. If this didn't work…no! He would not think
about it. The assassin focused all of his power on the dark thing that was
eating away at Watanuki's soul, wrapping his mind around it and willing it to
enter him instead. The spell couldn't resist the enticing scent of both light
and darkness from the taller faerie. It withdrew from Watanuki and entered into
Doumeki. As the transfer happened, a clap of thunder sounded in Doumeki's head
and he couldn't quite manage to suppress a cry of pain. For a brief instant,
his amber eyes rolled back into his head and, with a last weak cry, he
collapsed on top of Watanuki.
The shocked faerie lay completely still, staring helplessly at the lifeless
bulk that rested on top of him.
"Hey! Wake up!" he started, wriggling an arm free to try and shake him awake.
No response.
"Don't do this, you imbecile!" Still nothing. "SHIZUKA!" he screamed, suddenly
feeling desperate. He couldn't really be-
"What's going on?!" Himawari shouted as she dashed into the room, ladle still
in hand.
"He won't wake up," Watanuki said, gesturing helplessly at the unconscious
weather sprite. "He took the curse onto himself!"
"Sweet Goddess," she murmured to herself. "He didn't-"
"Hey." Watanuki suddenly felt the vibrations of the other's voice against his
neck. "What's all the fuss for? I'm alive, okay?"
Watanuki glanced down at the head of dark hair that rested against his neck.
For a moment, relief shone in his eyes. But the next moment, his free hand flew
up to deliver a blow to said head.
"Fool!" he grumbled. "Why did you do that?! I told you not to!"
"My choice," his voice came, still muffled against Watanuki's neck. "Besides,
I'm the Darkness, remember? A spell like that won't kill me."
"Came pretty damn close, if you ask me."
"I didn't," Doumeki retorted. Eventually he managed to turn his head and glance
at Himawari. "Don't you have something going?"
Himawari had been standing back, contentedly watching what passed for a tender
moment between her two companions. But Doumeki's comment suddenly reminded her.
"The soup!" she cried out, frantically rushing back toward the kitchen.
"So…now that we've established that neither of us is going to die anytime
soon…WOULD YOU GET THE HELL OFF OF ME?!"
Watanuki felt Doumeki's lips twist into a slight smirk against his neck. "Such
language from the one who insists we keep our mouths clean around the twins."
"That's different"
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I can't seem to move."
"Tch, moron. In that case, let me help you."
With that, Watanuki sat up and rolled Doumeki off of him. Then, turning his
back to him, he lay back down on the bed.
"Thanks," he mumbled, burying his face in his pillow. "We need all three of us
to protect them."
"Don't sweat it," Doumeki returned as his eyes slid shut. "Without you around,
who would do the cooking?"
Neither of them moved for several hours.
                                      XxX
"Kuuuuuuro-waaaaaaaan!"
Kurogane grumbled upon hearing the high-pitched call echo through the forest.
For most people, the howl of a wolf or the growl of a bear was the sound of
death. For him, it was one of the mutant freak's many nicknames for him.
"Can't you say hello like a normal person, idiot?" he asked as the twins rode
toward them on Leval.
"Being normal is vastly overrated, dear Kuro-rinta," he replied as he leapt off
of the white mare.
"Dear?!" he bristled.
"Uh-oh! Kuro-pin's mad!" Soel teased.
"What's wrong?" Yuui asked, getting right down to business. Souma blinked.
"How did you know?"
"We can tell," Yuui answered as she guided Leval toward Kendappa. "Besides,
even if we couldn't hear the voice of the forest, you're kind of bleeding."
"Oh, yeah. That," Souma mumbled, placing a hand against the scarring cut on her
cheek.
"Souma-chan finally gathered up her courage and asked Kishu-sama to train her
in the ways of the ninja," Tomoyo announced proudly as Kurogane helped her down
from Suwa.
"Really?" Yuui asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she, too, climbed
down from Leval. "That's wonderful, Souma-chan! I always knew you'd do it
someday!" As Yuui was congratulating Souma and helping her down from Kendappa,
Leval wandered over to Suwa and the two horses began to nuzzle a fond greeting.
Kurogane just rolled his eyes as he climbed out of the saddle. He thought it
was disgraceful how his proud, powerful stallion could fall so completely for a
freaky pure white mare that had come out of almost nowhere. Everyone else, on
the other hand, thought it was adorable.
"Look!" Tomoyo said. "Suwa and Leval are kissing."
"T-they are not kissing, Tomoyo!" Kurogane blustered angrily. "That's
ridiculous!"
"Aw," Fai whined. "Kuro-chuu doesn't like a little horse love?"
"That is wrong on so many levels," he muttered, retrieving food from Suwa's
saddlebag.
"Well, Souma-chan, it's nice that you're finally going to be a ninja, but you
didn't say how you got that cut," Yuui noted, producing a blanket from her
knapsack and spreading it over a clear patch of ground. "Did you begin training
already?" Somehow, the newly anointed teenager doubted that was the case. Both
twins had gotten the distinct impression that all was not well in the royal
house of Nihon. There would be no adventures in Celes today. Right now, their
friends just needed asylum; a calm piece of ground where they could escape the
sufferings of nobility.
"Not exactly," Souma muttered, getting food from her own horse's saddlebag and
joining her friends on the blanket as the three horses wandered off to graze.
"Kakyo wasn't too happy about it."
"He did that to you!?" Yuui exclaimed, setting down her sandwich. "Your own
father? That's awful."
"It's all right," Larg said, suddenly hopping into Souma's lap. "Larg will make
it better." Then the little creature bounded up and placed a gentle kiss on the
cut. Souma felt a slight tingle and reached up to feel the wound. It was gone.
"Thank you, Larg," she said, patting the tiny thing on the head.
"Mokona helps! Mokona helps!" it declared proudly.
Kurogane glanced sideways at the talking manjuu. The things had demonstrated
healing abilities like that over the years, small things like scrapes and
twisted ankles. Fortunately, there'd been no need to test their abilities out
on bigger things like broken limbs or snakebites. He'd asked the twins about
them several times, but all they ever said was that the Mokona had always been
with them, that the strange creatures had been with their guardians even before
they had. Even if the twins weren't Fey, the Mokona certainly were.
Perhaps…their guardians were as well?
Kurogane was about to pitch his new theory at Fai when Tomoyo suddenly leaned
over and whispered something in Yuui's ear. A wide grin spread across her face
and she leaned over to whisper in Fai's ear. An identical grin wormed its way
onto the boy's face and Kurogane couldn't help but cringe. Those smiles usually
meant trouble. Fai stood up and cleared his throat.
"Lords and ladies, may I have your attention? As per the suggestion of the
lovely Tomoyo-chan, she, my sister, and I will perform a dance for Prince Kuro-
chuu and the divine Lady Souma-chan. Soel, the music, please."
Soel started to hop up and down excitedly. Then it opened its mouth wide and a
small wooden flute came flying out. Yet another odd thing that the Mokona could
do. Fai easily caught the flute and began to pipe a lively tune. Tomoyo and
Yuui rose to their feet and began to dance to Fai's melody. Kurogane sighed and
lay down on the quilt, propping himself on his elbows. Apparently Fai wasn't
going to let him talk. However, for once, that was fine with him. Today was
about cheering up Souma.
Fai played through several songs and Yuui and Tomoyo danced to each one. Always
something new: a quick-stepping jig to match a fast-paced tune, an easy waltz
to go with a smoother, flowing piece, their own variation of ballet to enhance
a new folk song Fai had learned. When Fai was in the middle of a lullaby, he
suddenly noticed that Souma was humming. Slowly, his playing came to a stop and
he listened to the tune. Yuui and Tomoyo also came to a slow halt and glanced
over at Fai.
"Why'd you stop?" Yuui asked her brother.
"Souma-chan's got something new. What song is that, Souma-chan?"
Souma suddenly realized that all the action had stopped and everyone was
looking at her. She'd been so mesmerized by the music and the dancing that
she'd hardly noticed when it stopped, or that she herself had even been humming
at all. She blushed lightly.
"It's an old lullaby Sonomi-san used to sing. She said she learned it from my
mother. I only remember a few of the words. I don't even know the name."
"I remember that song," Tomoyo said fondly. "Sing it again, Souma-chan.
Please?"
Two little princesses
Dancing in a road,
Spinning fast and freely
On their little toes.
Where the light will take them,
No one ever knows.
Two little princesses
Dancing in a road.
Two little princesses
Dancing in a road,
Spinning fast and freely
On their little toes.
Where the light will take them,
There's only one way to know.
Two little princesses
Dancing in a road.
After humming a few more bars, Souma broke off.
"It…sort of reminds me of you two," she said, nodding toward the two dancers,
who both blushed.
"Yuui? A princess?" Fai asked in a teasing voice. "Well, Watanuki calls her
'princess', but that's probably as close to a crown as she'll ever get."
Yuui stuck her tongue out at her brother. "I bet I could rule better than
you…Fai-bear," she teased right back, using Himawari's pet name for him. Rather
than being insulted, as Kurogane would have expected from such a jibe, he
grinned impishly at his twin and raised the flute to his lips once again,
attempting to work out the melody of Souma's lullaby. Once he had the notes
figured out, he began to play a beautiful rendition of the song and Tomoyo and
Yuui got right back to dancing. Yuui held Tomoyo close and spun her around,
just like the girls in the song.
Souma smiled as she watched her friends perform a piece of her childhood. She
couldn't help feeling that her mother would be proud of their rendition.
Sometimes she found it hard to believe that Yuui wasn't a princess. She
reminded her so much of Tomoyo.
                                      XxX
"It's incredible," Yuuko murmured to herself, staring idly at her after-dinner
wine as she swirled the red liquid around the crystal goblet she drank from.
"It's been thirteen years already and those wretched twins are still free.
Normally I could easily break such a ward as the king's lackeys have erected,
but it's just too close to Faerie. The closest I've been able to get is their
dreams. But the enchantment that keeps me out of Faerie doesn't hold as
strongly over you. I should think you would have made some progress by now, oh
lazy son of mine."
"Oh, I've tried, Mother dear," Seishiro answered, leaning casually against her
throne. "No one can say I haven't tried. They've just hidden themselves too
well. And when the prince and princess do venture beyond the boundaries of
their wards, they are too well protected. I would have to get them alone,
without the Modoki."
"I heard he found them once, but he let them go," another faerie, Koryu, said.
Seishiro rolled his eye and the pillar the young faerie was leaning against
vanished. The black-haired youth went crashing to the ground with an
undignified yelp.
"Mokona," Seishiro reminded him.
"I don't buy that, Seishiro. You could take on the Modoki if you wanted to.
They're like oversized creampuffs," he said, rubbing his sore backside as he
got to his feet.
"It's not a question of 'taking them on', as you so crudely put it. The Mokona
Modoki are a safeguard that they can use as a quick getaway. There is little
point in confronting them if they can vanish in the blink of an eye. I must
find some other way of taking them."
"Couldn't you just use magic?" another of Yuuko's minions, Kyle, asked
derisively.
"There is no spell I can cast from afar that could not be countered by the
Darkness," Seishiro explained glibly. "I've already told you what must be done.
I must get them completely alone…where there is no help to be had."
"And you haven't been able to get any information from Subaru?" the last of the
three faeries present in the great hall, Kokuyo, asked.
"Not a blessed thing. All he's told me is that the only ones in Faerie privy to
information about the three guardians and their secret are Clow Reed, Fuuma
Monou, Kimihiro Watanuki himself, and, most recently, Kotori Monou."
"He has no idea what those twins really are?" Kokuyo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"As far as I can tell, no."
"And you haven't…told him yourself?" Yuuko asked, her curiosity sparked.
"No. I thought we'd decided it was best to keep that knowledge between the five
of us. Would you like me to…let it slip?"
"Hmm…yes, I think that would be best. It will make things more interesting if
that information leaks into Faerie. It will shake things up in court. Will you
be seeing the young Shiro lord any time soon?"
"Yes. In fact, we had planned to meet tonight."
"Once you've let that little tidbit slip to your lover, I think it might be
about time that you disposed of him."
Seishiro's only reaction to his mother's suggestion was a slight raising of the
eyebrows. "Really, Mother? I've been seeing him for almost three hundred years.
He's been a veritable goldmine of information. Are you quite certain he
couldn't continue to be useful to us? He could prove useful in the takeover. I
know for a fact that he would be the first to welcome me back into Faerie with
open arms. The boy would be practically salivating to place the crown on my
head."
Yuuko looked thoughtful. "Our time is drawing near. More and more of the lesser
fey are flocking to our cause. Lord Subaru Shiro could just as easily be our
ruin as our champion. However, most in Faerie have said for years that he is a
fool to risk lying with you. Why not prove them right? No one would think much
of it if you were to lose control of your magic in the throes of passion and
'accidentally' slay the poor boy."
"True," Seishiro said quietly to himself.
It would be so easy.
"Or have you lost your stomach for killing, son of mine? Shall I send Maru and
Moro to give you some encouragement?" The twin crows perched atop her throne
twittered excitedly at the mention of their names.
"Mother," the dark prince chided, easily slipping back into his carefree
persona. "You know I don't like being watched when I'm working."
Yuuko smirked. "I'm well aware. Though I must admit that I wouldn't mind
watching."
Seishiro raised an eyebrow. Without wasting another word, he vanished.
The dark queen giggled lasciviously. "Off to his naive lover, no doubt. I
really would love to see them together just once before Subaru dies. He really
is quite beautiful."
"You're absolutely certain there's no chance that Seishiro could betray you?
That he might actually have feelings for the Shiro lord?" Kokuyo asked.
"No chance at all," Yuuko answered easily. "My son cares for nothing and no
one. Besides, even if he were to betray me, I have safeguards in place. He
would pay dearly for any betrayal. Now tell me, General, how fares the campaign
against Valeria?" she asked as she rose from her throne.
"I have raiding parties starting skirmishes with King Syaoran's border patrols.
Nothing too serious yet. They do not suspect anything," Kokuyo began his
report. "But my troops will be ready to launch a full scale invasion when you
give me the word. Valeria is ready to fall, my Queen."
"Excellent."
"If you don't mind my asking, Your Highness, why are you holding off on your
invasion of Valeria?" Kyle asked. "The combined forces of Nihon and Valeria
could not stop us and Clow Reed will not stop us. Why wait?"
For a moment, Yuuko looked distant…like she was staring over Kyle's shoulder
and away at something that was long since past. "I will launch the invasion…at
the moment I present Queen Sakura with the bodies of her precious babies. Then,
when she and King Syaoran are broken beyond repair…then will Valeria fall into
our hands, along with all of Faerie, and Nihon will follow soon after. My son
shall rule over everything.
"All I need…are those wretched twins."
                                      XxX
"Ah…ah…Sei…Seishiro! I…I'm-"
"Yes!" the dark faerie moaned in his lover's ear. "Together! Now!"
"Seishiro!" Subaru screamed in ecstasy. Seishiro couldn't manage to suppress
his own orgasm as the hot, sticky feeling of the younger faerie reaching the
height of his passion gushed over his right hand.
With a last small cry of pleasure, Subaru collapsed upon the stained sheets
beneath them. Seishiro easily extricated himself from the warm, tight embrace
of the faerie lord's body and lay down beside him, gazing longingly into his
dazed green eyes. Subaru reached out a hand to stroke his face. The glow of
their skin was fading along with the orgasm.
"I love you, Seishiro," he whispered, leaning forward and kissing him gently on
the lips. Seishiro reluctantly broke the kiss and sat up.
"I want more wine," he announced as he rose from the bed, tucking the blankets
back around the naked and debauched Subaru before moving over to the small
table where a decanter of wine and two goblets sat. One was still half full.
"Can I interest you, Subaru?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure."
Seishiro, grinning wickedly, refilled both goblets and took a small sip from
his own, but did not swallow. He set the two goblets down beside the bed and
quickly straddled Subaru. The slighter faerie's eyes widened as Seishiro leaned
down over him, but he did not resist when the prince began to possessively kiss
his mouth. When Subaru opened his mouth under his, Seishiro allowed the ruby
liquid contained there to dribble down into his mouth.
Subaru laughed against Seishiro's lips as he choked down the wine, giving his
lover a light punch on the shoulder. Seishiro grinned down at him, reaching
over to retrieve the two wine goblets before climbing back under the blankets
himself.
"You seem…distracted, Seishiro," Subaru noted as the taller faerie handed him
his goblet. "Is something bothering you?"
"You could say that," he answered, taking a sip of wine. "My mother wants me to
kill you, you know."
Subaru stiffened briefly, but then he shifted to look directly at Seishiro.
"Well, we've both known that was coming for awhile now. What exactly does she
mean for you to do?"
"She thought it would be best if I just 'lost control' during sex and killed
you with my touch. No one would be too suspicious of that."
"Kamui might be."
"Mm, yes. I guess she hadn't thought of that. Sometimes I wonder why your scary
brother lets me within fifty feet of you. The danger of that happening is very
real, court conspiracy or no court conspiracy."
"He lets you see me because I trust you not to hurt me and I've told him as
much. It probably also has something to do with the fact that you swore, your
hand to Goddess and Consort, that you had no desire to be king."
"True enough. Unfortunately, the perks of being with you don't make it any
easier to play double agent."
"That's all I am to you? A perk?"
For a moment, Seishiro thought he'd upset his delicate lover again, but then he
noticed the teasing smile on his face. He dipped his fingers in his goblet and
flicked some wine at Subaru, who laughingly flicked back.
"Of course, Subaru. You knew what this was," he said as he took the nearly
empty goblet from the younger faerie and set them both out of the way. Then he
quickly tackled Subaru and wrestled him back down on the bed, pinning both of
his arms above his head. "But I am forced to admit that you are a
very…delicious…perk." Each syllable was punctuated with a tiny love bite
against the tender skin of his neck.
"Would you?" Seishiro suddenly heard Subaru asking. He glanced back up at him
and saw that he was completely serious now. There was no need to ask what he
meant. He wasn't sure if he was more disgusted by the fact that Subaru was even
asking or the fact that he could hear resignation in Subaru's voice…resignation
to die if he chose to carry out his mother's command and slay him.
"Would you let me?" he shot back. He moved his free hand to wrap around
Subaru's slender throat. "It would be so easy…so easy to let my guard down and
allow the touch of my skin to steal your life from you at the very height of
your ecstasy. You would lie back and let me do that to you?"
Instead of tightening his grip on Subaru's throat, he released both his throat
and wrists and wrapped his arms around his lover, kissing him passionately. His
own impassioned words, the sudden nearness of death, the sight of Subaru's
perfect skin…all had served to arouse him all over again; and as Subaru moaned
into his mouth, he could feel that his young love was equally aroused.
"Mmph…please…Seishiro."
He couldn't even begin to figure out why, but Seishiro suddenly felt a strong
surge of disgust. What or whom it was directed at, he couldn't guess. Either
way, he pulled himself away from Subaru's embrace and moved as far away as the
bed would allow, attempting to will away his desire.
"Seishiro?" He suddenly felt Subaru's hand on his shoulder. "What have I done?"
Seishiro shook his head in irritation. "You've done nothing, Subaru."
"Well…if you don't want me right now…will you at least hold me?"
Seishiro sighed. Yes, he supposed he could at least do that after such a
vehement interlude. He turned back to Subaru and took him in his arms as the
two of them lay back down on the bed. Subaru snuggled eagerly into the embrace.
"Will you stay tonight?" he asked sleepily.
"If you want me to," Seishiro replied, absently massaging Subaru's back.
"Mm, yes," he mumbled softly against his bare chest. "Stay with me."
"Oh, I almost forgot. I'm also supposed to let slip to you the true nature of
Fai and Yuui."
Subaru glanced up at him, slightly confused. "You mean…your mother doesn't know
that you 'let that slip' to me about thirty-five years ago?"
"Of course not. If she'd known that, she probably would have told me to kill
you a lot sooner. You could potentially use that information against me."
"But…I am using it against you," he protested.
"True, but that's only because I asked you to. I want it used against me."
"Sometimes…I really don't understand you…Seishiro," the young faerie yawned as
he drifted off to sleep.
"That's all right, Subaru," he whispered, pulling his lover impossibly close
against his chest. "There are times when I really don't understand you."
Honestly, what sort of fool was he? Trusting the love of the dark prince?
"Youshouldn't trust me, my love," he mumbled into Subaru's hair; only brave
enough to speak the truth when he knew Subaru couldn't hear him.
You don't know who I am.
Chapter End Notes
     Don't believe I left a note last time this song was used, but it's
     from a short series called Tin Man. Excellent watch if you haven't
     seen it.
***** A Gift of Song *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
"Now, my fellow revelers, in honor of Kuro-tan's seventeenth birthday, we shall
have a dance this evening…accompanied by a special surprise provided by Yuui
and myself," Fai announced, producing a large basket filled with bottles from
behind his back. "A choice selection of wine liberated from Doumeki's private
store."
"Where did he get it?" Kurogane asked as he pulled a bottle from the basket to
examine it. "I don't think this is Nihon-made and you told me your guardians
don't go to Valeria."
Fai set the basket of wine down next to the roaring fire the group had going.
Then he knelt down in front of Kurogane, leaned in very close to him, and
whispered in his ear, "Who knows? Doumeki's out by himself a lot. Maybe he met
some faeries when he was out hunting? Perhaps this is faerie wine?"
Soel and Larg traded glances at their charge's words. True, they had helped the
twins steal the wine, but Fai didn't realize just how right he was.
"And you know what they say about faerie wine," Fai continued as he backed away
from Kurogane to include Yuui, Tomoyo, and Souma in the tale he was beginning.
"It's nothing like human wine. Oh, sure, you get drunk off of it just like any
other kind of alcohol, but they say that you start to see the truth when you
drink faerie wine."
Kurogane snorted. "What does that even mean?"
"Who can say, Kuro-prince? Care to be the fearless leader and take the first
sip?"
"Heh, faerie wine," Kurogane said derisively as he uncorked the bottle. The
intoxicating scent of red wine instantly filled his nose. "It's alcohol like
any other," he said, raising the bottle to his lips and taking a swig. The
liquid burned a little on the way down, but that was something he'd expected.
What he hadn'texpected was the subtle richness he tasted. It was a flavor he
had never encountered in any kind of drink before…and he had had several
drinks. It was like…magic, almost. It was like the feeling he got when he swam
in Spirit Lake. With just one sip it had warmed his whole body and had already
made his mind feel a little fuzzy. Of course, his pride wouldn't allow him to
admit anything like that to Fai.
"It's good," he said, setting the bottle down and reaching for a slice of
buttered bread to counter the effects of the wine. Fai said nothing. He just
smiled that odd, secretive smile of his…one that everyone except him and
Kurogane realized that he gave only to Kurogane…and began to pass out the wine.
One bottle for everyone…except Soel and Larg, who declined on the grounds that
someone had to keep their wits about them. Fai found this odd, since the two
balls of fuzz were usually so hyperactive anyway. He'd half expected them to go
all out since they were, after all, having a feast out here this evening. When
Tomoyo had 'let slip' the date of her brother's birthday, Yuui and Fai had
insisted on throwing him a party of their own. Kurogane hadn't exactly
consented, but the plans had gone forward anyway. Fai and Yuui had claimed that
they wanted to go on a camping trip with just themselves and the Mokona. It had
taken some convincing, but their guardians had apparently bought it and helped
them prepare food. Now, here they were, deep in Celes Forest in the middle of
the night, with a veritable feast set up on blankets that surrounded a blazing
fire, lighting up the clearing they had chosen for their merrymaking.
"You know, Souma-chan," Yuui started as she opened up her own bottle of wine.
"You never did tell us how you managed to slip away. Tell us the tale."
Souma blushed lightly. Before she could even get a word in, Tomoyo started to
gush. "It was absolutely brilliant! It was all Souma-chan's doing. She made a
powder that put everyone to sleep!"
Yuui's eyes widened. "Really? You can do that, Souma-chan?"
"Well, something like that. Arashi-sensei has been teaching me about herb lore
and potions. I mentioned to her that we wanted to get out on our own for
Kurogane's birthday and she told me it was the perfect opportunity to test my
skills. She taught me to make an untraceable powder; slow acting so the food
testers wouldn't give the game away too early. Just a light sleep so no one
would suspect that it was anything but the wine that put them to sleep. Once it
started working, we left."
Wide-eyed, Fai glanced over at Kurogane. "Kuro-pii, you're a ninja. Can you do
that, too?"
"Yeah. I can. Kusanagi taught me all of those recipes." He couldn't help but
smile a little bit self-satisfactorily at Fai's apparent amazement. He was
proud of his skills.
"A toast!" Fai shouted, raising up his own bottle. "To ninja!" All of the
others raised their own bottles and drank deeply from them, except for Tomoyo,
who took only a small sip.
"Now," Fai started, climbing unsteadily to his feet, already feeling the
effects of the enchanted wine. "The dance. Soel, if you please."
Soel opened its mouth wide, quickly providing two instruments. Fai's wooden
flute and Yuui's mandolin. Instead of his flute, Fai picked up the mandolin and
strummed a few chords. Yuui rose to her feet, already a little unsteady, just
like her brother. Her new blue silk skirt swirled around her as she moved. She
had recently had her first blood and Himawari had been so exited, she had
rushed into Shirasagi and bought the bolt of blue silk, then asked Yuui what
she would most like to be made out of it. Hence the skirt and the new scarf
tied into her long hair. Fai had gotten a new shirt out of the remaining
fabric, which he also happened to be wearing now.
"I'm going to sing you all a new song that Doumeki taught me, and of course, my
talented twin will be the dancer. Feel free to join in if you want," he added
as he began to play. Yuui began to dance to his melody as he played and sang.
Like a gift from the heavens,
It was easy to tell,
It was love from above
That could save me from hell.
She had fire in her soul.
It was easy to see
How the devil himself
Could be pulled out of me.
There were drums in the air
As she started to dance.
Every soul in the room
Keeping time with their hands,
And we sang
Ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay.
And the voices rang
Like the angels sing.
We're singing
Ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay,
And we danced on into the night.
Yuui was spinning like a whirlwind now. The fire reflected off of her silken
garb as she moved in time with the music. Before long, Souma was on her feet,
dancing right along with her. Tomoyo stood on the outskirts of their self-made
dance floor, clapping in time with the mandolin. Kurogane just lay back and
watched, wine in hand.
Like a piece to the puzzle
That falls into place,
You could tell how we felt
From the look on our faces.
We were spinning in circles
With the moon in our eyes,
No room left to move
In between you and I.
We forgot where we were
And we lost track of time.
And we sang to the wind
As we danced through the night,
And we sang
Ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay.
And the voices rang
Like the angels sing.
We're singing
Ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay,
And we danced on into the night.
The music and dancing were starting to blur together around Kurogane as he
continued to drink. As he watched Yuui dance, he couldn't help but think that
she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Being a crown prince and all,
there was never a shortage of beautiful girls throwing themselves at his feet.
None of them could ever hope to compare to Yuui. But, at the same time, it was
odd for him to think of her in that light, no matter how pretty she was. She
was his friend. He thought of her in the same way he did Tomoyo and Souma, as a
sister. However, by the same token, her beauty could not hope to hold his
attention when her brother sat so close at hand. Yuui and Souma were both very
talented dancers, but invariably, Kurogane found his gaze straying ever more
often toward Fai. Perhaps it was the firelight, or the moon, or the wine, but,
in spite of himself, the teenage prince was forced to admit that Fai was the
most beautiful creature he had ever seen, male or female.
"Kuro-min?"
Kurogane blinked and realized that Fai was sitting right in front of him. He
couldn't explain it, but with those beautiful sapphire eyes staring straight
into his, he suddenly had an almost irrepressible urge to kiss the boy.
Yep. There was definitely something in the wine.
"It's your turn."
"My turn to what?"
Fai held the mandolin out to him. "Tomoyo-chan tells us you're really good."
Kurogane glared at his little sister, who was smiling dazedly at him, having
had a sip or two more of the wine. It was true that, as the crown prince, he'd
been required to learn the 'less manly' arts of music, poetry, and painting,
but she didn't have to go blabbing about his shame to everyone she met, did
she?
"Maybe so," he growled at the much-too-beautiful-idiot before taking another
swig of wine and wobbling to his feet. Again, he felt that glorious, tingling
rush through his entire body. It warmed him, lifted him up, made him feel that
he could do anything, be anything that he wished. "But I've got a better idea.
Why don't I tell you a story instead?"
"Nyaaa?" Fai mewled, falling roughly onto one of the blankets and groping for
his wine. "Really? Kuro-chip would really tell us a story?"
"Yeah...but it's a really scary story," he said, never once breaking eye
contact with the intoxicated blond. Not that he would have wanted to. "Do you
think you can handle it?"
"Story! Story!" Fai sang and clapped his hands, taking another long swig from
his bottle. Kurogane didn't realize it, but the wine was having much the same
effect on the forest boy as it was on him. Drunk as he already was, Fai
couldn't seem to take his eyes off of the handsome prince's dark face. He loved
watching the way his ruby red eyes blazed with a kind of wild fire of their
own, the way his dark hair fell into those eyes in just the right way…the way
he couldn't quite manage to walk straight…tee-hee. He just couldn't look away.
He didn't want to.
"What story are you going to tell, Nii-sama?" Tomoyo asked, pulling Yuui up
from the place where she'd fallen and dragging her to sit closer to the fire,
where Souma was already sprawled across one of the blankets.
Kurogane turned away from the fire, trying to create a more dramatic
atmosphere…and with his audience as drunk as it already was, he was succeeding.
Then he turned on his heels and glared at his friends from across the fire.
"It's the story of the day my father was killed…by the dark queen, Yuuko. And
the day the prince and princess of Valeria…vanished into thin air."
"Oooooh," Fai whispered in awe. Yuui and Tomoyo clung tightly to each other.
Souma sat up, leaning closer to the fire, hardly noticing how hot it was.
Kurogane had never, never told this story before.
"It was a long time ago…nearly thirteen years. You wouldn't remember, Tomoyo.
Kaa-san didn't even know you were in her womb back then. We'd been invited to
Valeria for the naming ceremony of the newborn son and daughter of the king.
The whole country was celebrating. It was the biggest celebration I'd ever
seen. Even some of the faerie king's own entourage was there. But then…she
came. Yuuko," he hissed, his eyes burning with hatred.
Fai and Souma listened with rapt amazement. Yuui and Tomoyo held each other
ever tighter, their eyes wide. Soel and Larg trembled from their places on the
two girls' laps. They were the only ones who realized that the danger of Yuuko
was much closer than a simple ghost story. Kurogane took another swig of wine
before continuing.
"She was like nothing I'd ever seen. She appeared out of nowhere. The light
vanished and I felt like I'd been plunged into ice-cold water. She had eyes
like blood and she was dressed in cloth blacker than night. Her skin was white,
even whiter than yours," he said in a hushed voice, getting right into Fai's
face. "She had two crows with her, and a staff with a glowing green gem set
into it. She was evil. She was insane! She'd come for the twins."
His audience gasped as one. "What happened next?" Fai asked, afraid to raise
his voice above a whisper.
Kurogane glanced away from him, as if he were ashamed of something. "I'm not
sure what exactly happened, or even why it happened. They told me later that
Yuuko had put a curse on the babies and my father tried to make her take it
back. What I do remember is my father firing a bolt of magic at the dark faerie
and her firing it right back. But he didn't cry out when it hit him. He
just…fell. All I could hear…when I was running toward him…was the sound of her
laughter. I remember her face…as the life drained out of him. I'll never forget
that smile."
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kurogane felt a pair of arms latch around his waist.
He looked down and saw Fai hanging off of him with his face buried in his
stomach, soaking his shirt with tears.
"Agh! Quit that fake crying!" Kurogane shouted, the mood flying out the window.
"And get the hell off me, you imbecile!"
"I'm sorry, Kuro-chii! It's just so sad!" he sobbed. "To lose your father like
that…it's just awful!"
Kurogane rolled his eyes as he attempted to pry the blond's arms from around
his waist. "You're drunk."
Fai instantly released him and leapt to his feet, flinging his arms around
Kurogane's shoulders instead, easily sending him toppling to the ground.
"And you're not?" he asked playfully, pawing Kurogane's shirt as if he were a
playful little kitten. Then he leaned down very close to him and whispered in
his ear, "Take your shirt off. I wanna see that necklace again. You are wearing
it, aren't you, Kuro-chuu?"
"Of course I'm wearing it!" he said. His mind was much too hazy to care that
Fai was sitting on top of him. It was also much too hazy to argue against
removing his shirt, as it normally would have. So he sat up, shoved Fai off of
him, pulled off the rough cloth shirt Sorata had leant him, and tossed it away.
Unfortunately for him, it landed in the fire and was soon burnt to cinders,
meaning that the next morning he would probably have to explain to his mother
why he came riding home without a shirt.
"Ooh! Are we getting naked?" Fai asked excitedly, seemingly having already
forgotten his previous request. Instantly, he undid the few buttons on his own
shirt and removed it. He immediately crawled back over to Kurogane, who had
somehow come to be lying against the trunk of a tree, draining away the last of
his wine. Fai snuggled right up to him, nuzzling his cheek against the prince's
bare chest. He sighed contentedly.
"You're so soft and warm, Kuro-wan. Just like a big puppy!"
"What was that?" he slurred. He didn't know why, but he suddenly found his free
hand tangled in a wonderfully silky substance. He glanced down and found that
he was stroking Fai's hair, which wasn't as appalling to him as it would be
under normal circumstances. "You got any wine left?"
"Sorry, Kuro-puppy," he sang as he upended his own bottle and the last few
droplets of the precious ruby substance dribbled down onto his face. "All
gone."
Without thinking, Kurogane leaned down and licked the last of the alcohol off
of his face. Fai lazily tried to bat him away, giggling insanely all the while.
"Stoooooop it, Kuro-shita! That tickles!"
"Oi! Tomoyo! Are you gonna finish yours?"
Tomoyo shook her head. She was still relatively sober herself and she had to
admit that she enjoyed seeing the kinds of drunks her friends were. Fai wasn't
too terribly much different than usual. Souma was lying on her back and
reaching up toward the sky, as if she were trying to catch the stars in her
hands. Yuui had been swinging Soel and Larg back and forth in her arms, but she
had just recently collapsed against a tree and was singing to herself. Her
brother…interestingly enough, her brother usually held his alcohol much better,
but the young princess was starting to believe that it really was faerie wine
coursing through them now. She, personally, had seen enough of her own truth
and no longer needed the help of the alcohol. The question for her was, would
the other half of that truth recognize hers without the aid of the wine? Her
brother's clearly would not. His truth would remain hidden from him until he
was ready to accept it. But, right now, she could see that he desperately
needed to be close to that truth, so she corked the bottle of wine she'd been
drinking from and rolled it over to her brother before crawling over to Yuui to
try and free the Mokona from her grip.
"I just had the craziest thought," Souma said in an unusually high-pitched
voice. "Fai-kun? Yuui-chan? What if you two are the Lost Twins of Valeria?"
"I s'pose it's possible," Kurogane mumbled as he opened the new bottle and took
a nice long drink from it. "No one ever saw 'em after that day. Some people say
they're dead. Maybe they are out there somewhere…but I don't see how this twit
can be one of 'em," he teased as he gazed longingly down into Fai's half-lidded
eyes.
"That was mean," Fai slurred. "I should smack you!"
He tried, but all he managed to do was slide his body further up along
Kurogane's and get a goodly amount of wine splashed on his face. Kurogane
slowly glanced between Fai and the bottle.
"I really will hit you for that!" But he made no attempt to. Instead, he
greedily began to lap the wine off of Fai's face once more. Instead of fighting
him off, Fai leaned into him.
"Nyaa! Do I taste good, Kuro-yum?" he asked, freely offering his face up to be
licked.
"Mm, good," he groaned, licking at a few stray trails of wine that had managed
to dribble down Fai's neck. "So good." Dear Goddess, he knew it was the wine
talking, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't resist. Part of him didn't even
want to. He wanted more. He felt his heart would burst if he couldn't have him.
Wait! Him?
Yes, him. Who else?
I was talking about wine. Where did he come from?
From I. He comes from your deepest desire. He and I are the same, and I tell
you now, if he is not yours, then your own heart does not belong to you.
Without him, the place in you where your heart lives will be empty. By
extension, you will have nothing if he and I are not as one. There is no one
else. You know this. The other half that you will cleave to is here before your
very eyes. You are of one mind and body and soul. Gaze into his eyes and tell
me you are not one and the same! Or would you rather I withered and died within
your chest? If he is not yours…if you are not his…you will die.
Kurogane was no longer certain if it was the wine or his own heart that was
speaking to him. In his advanced state of inebriation, neither one seemed like
a particularly odd candidate. He was suddenly drawn out of his thoughts by the
gentle feeling of Fai's fingertips on his face.
"Why are you crying?" the boy asked in a completely serious voice. Kurogane
reached up to his own face and felt the salty wet tracks of tears on his
cheeks. He hadn't even realized he was crying.
"I…don't…know," he whispered, more tears already squeezing their way out of his
eyes against his will. Blindly seeking comfort, he allowed his hand to tangle
in Fai's beautiful hair once again.
"You know something, Kuro-pan?" Fai started as he laid his head down on
Kurogane's chest, listening to the steady, rhythmic beating of his heart. "I
think I like you. But that doesn't matter, does it? Because Kuro-chan hates me,
right?"
"No!" he insisted as vehemently as he was able to. "Kuro-chan doesn't hate
you." He shook his head in a vain attempt to clear it. "He means…I don't hate
you. I think…I like you, too…Fai."
Fai glanced back up at him, surprise evident in his fever-bright eyes. He drew
himself up even closer to Kurogane's face.
"Kiss me," he breathed, his voice thick with uncertainty. His lips were mere
inches away from Kurogane's. The darker boy leaned toward the lighter one above
him. Those sapphire eyes held him spellbound. There was nothing he could not
give Fai…nothing he could deny him.
Your wish is my command.
But, just as their trembling lips were about to intertwine in that kiss they
both ached for, Fai passed out cold, right there on top of Kurogane. The poor
boy was too lost in the enchantment to be angry over being deprived of his
desire. He wrapped his arms around Fai and hugged him even closer to his own
body.
"You have…wonderful eyes," he whispered to the other, placing a gentle kiss on
his ear before losing his own grip on consciousness.
"Well, that was a good start," Soel said as it bounded over to the sleeping
boys.
"Yeah," Larg agreed. "Too bad they won't remember it in the morning."
"Oh, well," Soel sighed, grabbing a blanket with its stubby paws and dragging
it over to Fai and Kurogane, covering them with some difficulty. "Soel and Larg
got something started. That's enough for now."
"Uh-huh," Larg said, smiling as it dragged a blanket over to Souma. Souma had
fallen asleep watching Yuui and Tomoyo snuggle together. Tomoyo had managed to
convince Yuui to release the Mokona on the condition that she would be her
prisoner instead. They had fallen asleep like that, snuggled up against a tree.
Souma had covered them with a blanket before passing out herself, hugging her
empty bottle to her chest.
"Does Larg think…maybe Soel and Larg should tell Clow?" Soel wondered aloud.
Larg debated the question as the two went about cleaning up the campsite.
"Larg thinks…that maybe Clow already knows."
"But wouldn't the king have told Watanuki, Doumeki, and Himawari?"
"Larg doesn't think so. The king knows the orders he gave them. He knows that
he can trust Soel and Larg to keep Fai and Yuui safe and happy. But if it will
make Soel feel better, Larg can talk to Kero sometime and see how things are
going."
"Soel would like that," the white twin said with a smile. Then the two stood on
either side of the campfire and gushed streams of water from their mouths to
extinguish its flames.
"Larg will take the first watch. Soel can sleep for awhile," Larg said before
hopping off to pace the perimeters of the little camp. Soel bounded back over
to Fai and Kurogane and snuggled up next to Kurogane. It giggled to itself as
it thought of the prince's reaction when he woke the next morning. It would
certainly make for quite a show.
No one had noticed it, but somewhere in the midst of the boys' drunken
whatever-it-was, their two pendants had become intertwined…exactly the way they
were meant to be. The crescent moon fit perfectly into the embrace of the sun's
rays: Sun and moon, gold and silver, ruby and sapphire, night and day, brought
together again after being apart for so many years. Had anyone been able to see
them, the joined talismans would have seemed to glow with a light of their own,
pressed firmly between the boys' two heartbeats.
"Always," Fai mumbled in his sleep. Kurogane instinctively pulled him closer.
                                      XxX
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Kurogane mumbled to himself as he traipsed
through the swamp behind Fai. "The things I won't do for my baby sister."
"Now, Kuro-puppykins, we did promise the girls," Fai reprimanded him.
"Dear Consort, the names get worse all the time." Kurogane would have loved to
draw his sword on Fai right about now. Unfortunately, he'd left it back with
Souma because she hadn't been granted one of her own yet and he felt much
better knowing that at least one of the girls had a sword. "Remind me again why
we left the girls behind."
"Because we decided to be the chivalrous men and make the dangerous journey
through the swamp so they wouldn't have to. Would you really want poor Tomoyo-
chan walking through all of this muck just to see a Pegasus?"
Kurogane just sighed rather than bite back at the fourteen-year-old. He
certainly wasn't exaggerating about the muck. The two of them were slogging
through swamp water up to their knees, it smelled rancid, and…sweet Goddess, he
didn't even want to know what he had just felt slither past his foot.
"How much further?"
"Not much. We should be able to see the island before too long."
"How do you know they even exist?"
"I've seen them," Fai answered without looking back. "Himawari brought Yuui and
I here a long time ago. A whole herd lives on the island. They're the most
beautiful creatures you'll ever see."
"One more question. Why doesn't the manjuu have to walk?" he asked, glancing
sharply up at the white marshmallow riding atop Fai's head.
"Because Mokona would sink," it answered, as if this fact were obvious.
"Can't you swim, lazy arse?"
"Mokona's not swimming in that!" it said, sticking its tongue out in utter
disgust.
Kurogane swore under his breath. Someday that blasted pork bun was going to
push him one step too far…and he wasn't going to be nice about it anymore. As
if half-swimming through a swamp wasn't already a step too far anyway. Fai and
Yuui had promised Tomoyo that she would get to see a Pegasus today, and of
course, the only herd of Pegasus in all the land happened to live on an island
in the middle of the only swamp in the land. It was just his luck. He was just
about to make another scathing remark about the swamp or the manjuu, (either
one would have been fine, really) when Fai gave a loud "Hyuuuuu!"
"Why do you feel the need to do that?" Kurogane asked irately. "If you don't
have the decency to learn how to whistle, then at least shut up and let the
rest of us have a little peace. Yuui can whistle. Why can't you?"
Fai stopped in his tracks and turned to give him the biggest, brightest set of
puppy eyes he'd ever seen. He'd even give Tomoyo a run for her money. "I was
just trying to talk to Birdie-san, Kuro-puu," he said, pointing up into a
nearby tree. Kurogane looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a small
blue bird flying down from the tree and coming to alight on Fai's outstretched
finger. The tiny creature gave a few short trills and Fai smiled, giving it a
kiss on the head before allowing it to fly back up to its previous perch.
"Birdie-san says we want to change our direction a few degrees to the south,"
he explained, making the direction change before continuing on.
"That is just downright unsettling," Kurogane growled. "I really don't
understand how you can do that."
"Neither do I, Kuro-tan. I just can. It's not like Birdie-san or anything else
in the forest actually speaks a type of language that I know. I just…understand
what they mean. That doesn't make any sense, does it?"
"No," he grouched. Why would the damn bird even answer to a fake whistle
anyway? It made no sense at all. But, then again, after all of the years he had
been coming here, Kurogane had come to learn that Celes really wasn't governed
by what made sense…neither was Fai, for that matter. They did what they wished,
sense be damned.
"Kuro-min, look!" Fai shouted, increasing his speed to little more than a
snail's pace. "There it is!"
Kurogane glanced past Fai and saw the trees beginning to thin and, just up
ahead he could see the land rising out of the swamp to form an island.
"Now, before we go looking for the herd, there are some things we need to do.
Like wash off."
"Not that I mind," Kurogane said as he took his first steps back onto dry land.
"But why is that so important?"
"The Pegasus can't stand uncleanliness."
"So of course they would live in the middle of a swamp," Kurogane griped.
"Of course," Fai said matter-of-factly. "That way, only sincere seekers manage
to find them and live to tell about it. Kuro-woof is so smart."
"Che. Is there anywhere to wash?"
"Yep. There's a fresh-water spring here somewhere," he responded, shaking some
of the muck from his bare feet.
"Mokona's not dirty at all," it said proudly. "Mokona doesn't need to wash."
"Shut up!"
"This way, Kuro-pup," Fai interrupted, easily dodging the rock that was aimed
at Soel as he moved away from the shore. Kurogane crossed his arms over his
chest and followed, grumbling to himself the whole way. Before long, he began
to hear the sound of running water.
"See, Big Puppy? I told you it wasn't very far," Fai said cheerfully,
indicating a small pool whose source seemed to be a pile of rocks located at
its far end. Not too far from where they'd stumbled upon it, the pool trickled
into a tiny stream that ran back to the swamp.
"Would you stop with all the dog shit?!" Kurogane hissed. "It's the most
ridiculous thing you've come up with yet."
"That means so much coming from you, Kuro-wan-wan," Fai giggled as he stepped
into the pool. Soel hopped off of his head. "But there's no more time for
games. We have to hurry. The herd won't be too far from the water."
"You want games? I'll show you games," he hissed, coming up quickly behind Fai
and shoving him face-first into the crystal clear water.
"Kuro-chuu!" Fai squealed with delight as he surfaced. "Now I'm all wet! You
know what that means!"
"Hey! Wait! Stop!" Kurogane shouted as Fai launched himself at him, dragging
him down into the cold water. He growled as the two of them wrestled, only half
as enraged as he normally would have been. Fai giggled all the harder when he
heard Kurogane's growls.
"I just love playing with my Big Puppy. He's so cuddly and cute."
"Why you-"
"Shh!" Fai suddenly shushed him. "Do you hear that?"
The two of them froze, listening. After a moment, Kurogane heard it…the
neighing of a horse, or in this case, hopefully, a Pegasus. Kurogane glanced up
at Fai, who happened to be sitting on top of him, and saw an excited smile
spread across his face. When he saw the excitement there, he suddenly found
himself blushing. Ever since his seventeenth birthday, he had found his gaze
lingering on Fai a little bit more often and a little bit longer than
absolutely necessary. It hadn't helped that he'd woken up that morning with
both of them shirtless and Fai held securely in his arms. It got even worse
when he realized that he couldn't even remember anything that had happened last
night after he told the story of Yuuko and his father. For a few brief moments,
he'd been terrified that he'd somehow…taken advantage of the younger boy.
However, before he had had a chance to freak out and awaken Fai to their state,
Soel had hopped up to him and assured him that nothing had happened last night.
It said that it and Larg "surely would have stepped in" if he had started to do
anything untoward to their little Fai. All it would reveal was that they were
all very amusing drunks.
Thankfully, Fai was much too excited to notice the heated blush on his friend's
face. He quickly stood and pulled Kurogane up out of the shallow water.
"Come on," he said in a hushed voice, leading Kurogane out of the pool and into
the forest. Soel bounded after them and easily landed back on Fai's head.
They'd only gone a few steps beyond the tree line when Fai suddenly turned and
placed a hand on Kurogane's chest. "Before we go, there's something I need to
know. Kuro-pon, are you…a virgin?"
For a moment, the question did not sink in. But then…
"WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?! I DON'T SEE WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT! HOW IS
THAT ANY OF YOUR GOD DAMN BUSINESS?!"
"Kuro-pii, hush! You'll scare them," Fai said, placing a finger against his
lips to silence him. It was then that he felt the exorbitant amount of heat
rising off of the older boy's face. "Aw, Kuro-pin's blushing. Perhaps he really
has been…sexually awakened," he whispered with a knowing look in his eyes.
"What was it like…Kuro-sexy?"
"Ooooh! Kuro-kiss is a lover boy!" Soel teased in his usual singsong manner.
Kurogane's face may as well have been a tomato for how red it was. "Don't talk
like that. Yes, if you must know, I'm still a…virgin," he whispered, half-
choking on the word. "But I really don't see why you need to know that."
"Pegasus stallions are very particular about who they let near their herds. A
stallion will only let virgins approach his herd. However, on the other hand, a
stallion will only let those who have been…sexually awakened near him
personally."
"How in the world can they tell a thing like that?" Kurogane asked irately, the
blush on his face only just beginning to alleviate.
"Believe me, Kuro-rin. They know."
"So…what happened when your guardian brought you?"
"She couldn't approach. She stayed with the stallion while Yuui and I played
with the herd. When we reach them, we'll have to wait for the stallion to
acknowledge us. If he gives us the go ahead, we can approach."
"And if he doesn't?"
"Well," Fai started without glancing back at him. "I guess we'll just have to
go back the way we came."
The three fell silent as Fai led Kurogane through the forest. Before long, the
young prince began to see flashes of white through the trees. When they finally
reached the clearing, it became more than just white. The herd was a veritable
blanket of color: Blacks, browns, whites, silvers, even a few shades of blue,
and they all had magnificent sets of wings.
"Look," Fai said, pointing off to the left. "The stallion."
The stallion was much more physically impressive than the rest of the herd. His
wings were amazing and his muscles rippled with power. His coat was a
beautiful, shining chestnut color and his eyes seemed to spark with fire. As
Kurogane was admiring him, the stallion suddenly glanced up to see who would
dare invade his territory. To Kurogane, it seemed that he was sizing them up,
just as he had been doing a minute ago. After awhile, the powerful creature
nodded its head and went back to its grazing. Fai swept down into a deep bow,
catching Soel as it fell.
"Thank you, Stallion-sama," he said before approaching the nearest mare in the
herd. This Pegasus had a coat of shimmering white. Unlike the stallion, this
Pegasus had a much more calm air about her.
"She's pregnant," Fai whispered as he reached out to stroke the mare's mane.
Kurogane was tempted to ask him how he knew, but he was starting to learn
better. Fai and Yuui just knew these things. The mare whinnied softly and
leaned into Fai's touch, nuzzling his hair with her nose. Kurogane rolled his
eyes and turned away. For some reason, he almost felt like he was intruding on
something private.
"It's all right with her," Fai said, pulling Kurogane's attention back on
track.
"All right?"
"Yeah. She'll give us a ride. She says she needs the exercise. Stallion-sama's
been keeping her close." The mare lowered her wings to allow Fai to climb onto
her back. Once he was securely in place and had Soel settled in his lap, he
held his hand out for Kurogane's.
"Whoa! Hold on a minute! We're actually going to…fly?" he asked, sounding more
than a little nervous.
"What did you think we were going to do? Lead her back through the swamp? Trust
me. This is much faster."
"Ano…"
"May I assume you've never flown before?"
"What do you think, idiot?"
"Meh. I'll take that as a 'yes'. Is the fearless Prince Kuro-tan really afraid
to fly? Come on. It's fun. I promise."
Kurogane stared hesitantly at Fai's hand. He was nervous; it was true. But Fai
had snared him with that comment about his courage and he hated the fact that
they both knew that. He growled low and took Fai's hand, swinging himself up
behind him.
"All comfy? Good. You might want to hold onto me."
Again, Kurogane's face turned beet red. "W-what?"
"Let's be sensible about this, Kuro-pin. What else would you hold onto? Do you
want to fall off?"
"Fine," Kurogane muttered, at least grateful that Fai hadn't turned around and
seen his shameful blush. He grudgingly wrapped his arms around Fai's middle. It
was almost certainly his imagination, but for a moment he thought he felt Fai's
breathing quicken. Fai twined his fingers in the mare's mane and leaned forward
to whisper something in her ear. Then, almost before Kurogane knew it, they
were soaring high above Celes. Kurogane couldn't quite manage to suppress a cry
of shock when he saw the tops of the tallest trees far below them.
"Kuro-pan," Fai began in a choked voice. "I know you're anxious, but you don't
have to crush my ribs to prove it."
"Oh. Sorry," he mumbled, loosening his grip on Fai, but only enough so as not
to suffocate him. Free to breathe again, Fai threw his head back and whooped
loud and long.
"WAAAA-HOOOOO!" Soel shrieked.
"My Goddess," Kurogane whispered. He was just getting used to the feeling of
the wind whipping past his face and the world flying by beneath his feet…when
it all suddenly stopped. The Pegasus landed so smoothly that the Nihon prince
was almost shell-shocked that the flight was already over.
"Fai-kun, she's beautiful," he heard his little sister's voice come from
somewhere below him.
"Fai! How dare you bring her out here in her condition? You could have picked
someone else, you know," Yuui said in mock anger.
"Aw, but she wanted to come. She was getting antsy cooped up with the rest of
the herd. Daddy-stallion didn't want her wandering too far."
"What condition?" Souma asked.
"Mare-san is pregnant," Yuui explained.
"Oh! How wonderful!" Tomoyo squealed.
"I told you this would be much faster, Kuro-chii," Fai said over his shoulder
as the three girls chattered on. "Tell me, do you plan on letting me go so we
can climb down, or would you rather just stay like this?" he asked, leaning
back against Kurogane's chest. "Really, Kuro-chan, anything's fine with me."
Fai's words finally broke through to Kurogane's dazed mind and he immediately
relinquished his hold on the blond. Soel hopped down, landing easily on
Tomoyo's head. Fai swung himself off of the Pegasus and offered his hand up to
Kurogane. Kurogane pointedly ignored it and hopped down himself.
"So, was it everything I promised, Kuro-pyon?"
"Mm, it was cool enough," he replied, trying to sound disinterested.
"Translation: It was the coolest thing you've ever done in your life!"
Rather than argue, Kurogane just growled.
"All right, who wants to go for a ride on Mare-san before she goes back home?"
Yuui asked excitedly. Tomoyo jumped and waved her hand in the air.
"I do! I do! Please, can I go ne-"
Tomoyo's joyful pleas were cut short by a shrill cry of pain and her enthusiasm
disappeared like a candle that had been snuffed out. She dropped to her knees,
moaning in pain.
"Tomoyo!" everyone shouted at once. Kurogane raced to her side and gently moved
her onto her back.
"Tomoyo-chan! What happened?" Yuui asked worriedly.
"I-it bit me," she moaned, pointing off into the bushes. Fai turned and caught
the tail of a black snake vanishing into the foliage. The moment his eyes
caught it, an involuntary shiver traveled down his spine. He had grown up in
this forest. It was his home. Nothing here had ever caused them real harm.
There was just something...unnatural about that snake. The light had seemed
almost to refract away from it. He would not have gone so far as to say the
thing wasn't alive, but he did know that Celes did not recognize it.
"A snake?" he muttered to himself, suddenly uncertain.
"Fai!" Yuui called to him, the worried tone of her voice summoning him out of
his musings. "I don't think that was an ordinary snake. Look!"
Fai knelt down beside the others and took a look at the bite wound in Tomoyo's
ankle. It was already starting to swell an angry red. What was terrifying about
it was that the veins in the immediate vicinity of the bite were turning an
insidious black color and the blackness was spreading rapidly.
"Sweet Goddess, what's happening to her?" Souma cried out.
"I don't know!" Yuui answered despairingly.
"There has to be something we can do!" Kurogane said angrily. "Maybe we could
get her back to your place?" he suggested to Fai. Shirasagi was much too far.
Fai was just starting to nod when Larg interrupted.
"There's no time," it said sadly as it placed its stubby paws on Tomoyo's
ankle. "It's a deadly poison. It's spreading too fast." As proof of its words,
the veins in her right leg were all visibly black with venom and the stuff was
still spreading. "If it reaches Tomoyo's heart, it…it's over."
"NO! Damn it, manjuu, you've got to do something!" Kurogane half-screamed,
seizing the black twin in his hands. "Can't you use your powers to help her?!"
"Soel and Larg can't suck out poison…without killing themselves," Soel
explained sadly. "And Soel and Larg exist only to protect Fai and Yuui."
"But we can't just sit here and watch her die!" Souma sobbed.
"Nii-sama," Tomoyo moaned in pain, barely clinging to consciousness.
"It…hurts…so much."
"No! Tomoyo! Are you listening to me?! Don't give in to it! You've got to fight
it!"
"Please…someone…make it stop." Her pained voice was barely above a whisper.
"Soel, isn't there anything we can do?" Fai pleaded desperately.
"Maybe…maybe Soel or Larg could-"
"Soel and Larg can't do that!" Larg insisted.
"But Tomoyo's dying!"
Yuui, who had been silent this whole time, could feel the snake venom racing
for Tomoyo's heart. Any moment now, she would be dead.
"No!" she cried, seizing one of Tomoyo's hands in hers. "No, you can't die!"
Tomoyo's eyes suddenly opened wide and she began screaming in pain. It was
almost over.
"Tomoyo!" Yuui screamed right along with her. "You can't go away!"
As she felt the poison enter Tomoyo's heart, Yuui suddenly realized that her
hands were glowing. Wasting no words, she reached for the wound, willing the
venom to leave. A flash of light filled the clearing and, for a brief moment,
everything was still. Then…time started moving again.
"T-Tomoyo?" Yuui whispered fearfully. But she needn't have feared. Tomoyo was
lying in her brother's arms, smiling and still breathing.
"Oh, Tomoyo-chan! Thank Goddess, you're all right!" Souma cried out, wrapping
her arms around both Kurogane and Tomoyo. Kurogane said nothing. He just held
his sister close. Yuui was content with simply holding her hand. Fai stood
behind his own sister with his hands on her shoulders.
For a long while, they all just huddled together like that, reveling in the
fact that disaster had narrowly been averted. But, after a time, Kurogane
looked up at Yuui and Fai.
"Thank you," he said seriously, "for saving her life."
"Us?" Fai whispered. "What did we do?"
"You didn't notice it?" Souma asked. "You were both glowing."
"Both of us? I saw my hands glowing, but I didn't-
"While I am grateful that you saved Tomoyo," Kurogane interrupted her, "it
doesn't change the fact that you lied to us."
"What are you talking about?" Fai asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"You said you weren't Fey. No human could have done anything like what I just
saw."
"I- I don't think we are, but-" Yuui stammered.
"Kuro-prince needs to remember that we never knew our parents," Fai continued,
his face strangely stoic.
"Fai…maybe…maybe we really are-"
"It's possible," he said, suddenly looking thoughtful. "We should probably talk
to Watanuki, Himawari, and Doumeki about this."
"I thought you said they'd punish you if they found out!" Kurogane said
indignantly.
"Don't worry, Kuro-tachi, we won't tell them about you. We'll say it was one of
us that was bitten," he responded. Kurogane said nothing, but the cold tone of
Fai's voice had left him stricken.
"Nii-sama, Fai-kun, please don't fight," Tomoyo begged, noting the tones of
their voices. "Everything's all right now."
"Kurogane, maybe we should take Tomoyo-chan home?" Souma suggested.
"Yes, that's a good idea," Fai said, still sounding infinitely cold. He didn't
know why, but it had hurt when Kurogane had been so quick to accuse them.
Almost losing Tomoyo wasn't helping either. "Mare-san will take you back to
Suwa and Kendappa."
"But…when will we see you again?" Tomoyo whispered, clinging to her brother as
he carried her toward the Pegasus.
Fai shook his head. "I don't know. Soon, maybe."
"Nii-sama," Tomoyo cried as Kurogane hoisted her onto the Pegasus. "You
can't…leave it…like this!"
Kurogane turned back to Fai as Souma climbed on behind Tomoyo. He knew she was
right. He didn't want to leave things unsettled like this. He didn't want Fai
to think that he hated him…much as his façade might suggest otherwise. Fai's
coolness…caused a strange pang in his chest. But, instead of apologizing, he
shook his head and climbed on the Pegasus behind Souma. Fai stepped forward,
his expression unreadable. He whispered into the mare's ear and she was
airborne within minutes, with all of the Nihon nobles hanging on for dear life.
Kurogane couldn't stand to look back as they flew away.
I'm sorry…Fai.
Chapter End Notes
     Song is "Into the Night" by Santana.
***** Lips that Shame the Red, Red Rose *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
"Fai, are you going to sit there all night?" Yuui whispered to her brother. Fai
was sitting at the top of the stairs, trying to catch a snatch of the
conversation happening in Doumeki's room. "You should come to bed. I think you
really need to sleep."
"I can't hear anything."
"Of course not. We're up here and they're down there."
"But Watanuki's usually so loud," he mumbled as Yuui wrapped a blanket around
his shoulders. "I thought for sure I'd be able to find out what's happening."
"Maybe…they're being quiet because they know we'll listen." Upon arriving at
home, they had told their guardians an altered version of the afternoon's
events. Apparently Yuui had been bitten by a deadly snake and they had both
started to glow. Working together, they had used this strange power to banish
the venom and heal the wound. Hardly a word had been spoken during dinner and
Himawari had ushered them off to bed immediately afterward. Now everyone else
was in conversation below and they were stuck on the outside.
"I bet we can get Soel and Larg to tell us about it later. Come on. We should
get some sleep," Yuui said as she pulled Fai to his feet and led him back to
their room. In truth, she was anxious to see Tomoyo, but she could also see
that Fai hadn't been himself since Kurogane and the others had gone. She was
worried about him.
Yuui got her brother as far as the bedroom, but when she had the door closed he
would go no further. He leaned back against the closed door and slid down until
he was sitting on the floor. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back,
reaching a trembling hand up to his chest.
"Yuui?" he whispered, his voice filled with pain. "Why does it hurt?"
"Why does what hurt?" she asked, kneeling down next to him.
"Right here," he said, digging his fingers into his chest. "Why does my heart
hurt?"
                                      XxX
"We can't tell them anything!" Watanuki shouted. "It's too dangerous!"
"I would say it's more dangerous not to do anything," Doumeki replied calmly.
"We can't have them running around using magic when they haven't been trained.
I know we said we'd try to avoid using magic but we can't just ignore this. We
must train them."
"But if the twins know we're Fey, things will only get more dangerous for
them!"
"We don't have to tell them we're Fey. They'd believe us if we said we had a
little bit of Fey blood. It's not uncommon for those of half-blood or less to
be banished from the kingdoms."
"But things have been so much better since Amaterasu took power. Ashura was a
friend of the Fey and he helped Amaterasu see past the previous emperor's ways.
Sakura and Syaoran have carried Touya's views into their own reign. Could we
really lie to them and say that things are still so bad?" Himawari asked
despairingly.
"We couldn't tell them that because we've already taught them about the
politics of the two kingdoms," Doumeki reasoned. "We'd just say that we were
too afraid to return."
Watanuki sneered. "You mean you'd actually admit that you, the great Darkness,
were afraid of something?"
"For them?" Doumeki asked, staring right into Watanuki's eyes. "Yes. There is
no question."
Watanuki sighed and turned his head away. He should have known it.
"Well, we've already broken the no magic rule," Himawari said, glancing at the
door. They had placed a silencing charm on the room to make sure that none of
their words could go beyond it. "Why not go one step further? Soel? Larg? What
do you think?"
The Mokona, who had been silent up to this point, glanced at each other
nervously before speaking.
"Soel and Larg think Fai and Yuui have to be able to protect themselves," Soel
said.
"The snake today wasn't an ordinary snake," Larg continued. "The snake was one
of Yuuko's minions."
All three faeries froze at that.
"You failed to mention that," Doumeki said, the barest hint of a growl in his
voice.
"How could they have found them?!" Himawari was near hysterical. "We have to do
something!"
"Yes," Doumeki said. "We have to train them to use their magic."
"Much as I'd hate to agree with you, I think you're right," Watanuki finally
agreed. In truth, he'd been expecting these powers to manifest at some point.
He'd just never been sure when it would happen.
"But…there's something I don't understand," Himawari suddenly mumbled. "We've
always known that they would have some kind of power since the king used his
own power to overcome Yuuko's curse and help create them but…such a powerful
healing spell? Even though they're untrained? Is their magic really just the
result of the spell used in their conception? Could it be something else as
well?"
"I don't know," Doumeki responded. Himawari did not see the questioning glare
he threw at Watanuki. The vizier knew. He knew he did. But he still wasn't
talking.
Would he ever tell them the secret behind Fai and Yuui?
                                      XxX
The first thing Yuui sees when she enters the dream realm is Tomoyo's shining
face. The younger girl is in her arms in an instant and the two are hugging as
if there's no tomorrow.
"I'm so glad you're alive, Tomoyo-chan," she whispers into her hair.
"I'm alive because you and Fai-kun saved me. Thank you," she cries. Her words
are muffled because her face is buried in Yuui's chest.
The two don't speak for a while after that. They just continue to hold each
other. They dream they are on Tsubasa Island, a site of many happy memories for
the group of friends. They are surrounded by the sparkling, life-giving waters
of Spirit Lake, with the Yume River flowing toward Nihon and the Hana River
flowing toward Valeria.
Yuui is the first to break the tranquil silence. She holds Tomoyo at arm's
length, smiling hesitantly.
"I don't know…what I would have done…without you."
"It's all right, Yuui-chan. I didn't disappear. I'm still here."
"I know, but I just…I-" she can't finish. She just pulls Tomoyo back into her
arms.
"Tomoyo," the thirteen-year-old whispers.
"Huh?"
"When you thought I was dying…you called me…Tomoyo."
Yuui blushes furiously. "I…I suppose I did."
"Do you think…maybe…you could call me that…from now on? Just Tomoyo?" she asks
nervously.
"I-if you want me to, Tomoyo-chan."
"It's Tomoyo. And…can I call you…Yuui?"
Yuui's smile widens. "Of course…Tomoyo."
"Yuui?" she starts, suddenly thinking of something. "How's Fai-kun?"
Yuui's smile disappears and she sobers up in the blink of an eye. "He…he's
hurting. I think Kurogane-kun's accusation really hurt him."
"Nii-sama was just worried," Tomoyo tries to apologize. "But I think he knows
what he's done. Fai-kun's coldness hurt him, too...more than he'll admit. He
hasn't said anything, but…he shut himself up in his chambers when we got home.
He didn't come down for dinner…I'm worried."
"I know. Fai wouldn't eat anything either…even though Himawari was so worried
about him. He told me…that his heart hurt. He cried himself to sleep."
Tomoyo gasps, covering her mouth with her hands. "Goddess and Consort, that's
so awful."
"Hai. Those two care about each other more than they'll admit. It's so hard to
watch. There's got to be some way to get them to apologize to each other."
The two girls sit down on the grass to try and come up with a plan. One
occasionally turns to the other; realizes why the idea won't work, and
ultimately ends up saying nothing. But, after what could be hours or minutes,
Yuui looks over at Tomoyo and asks, "Is it possible for us to just…connect
their dreams?"
Tomoyo looks thoughtful. "I don't know. We could try it. Perhaps they'd let
their guards down in a dream? If it works they'd only remember it as a dream,
but I think it would make both of them feel better."
"Let's try," Yuui says excitedly, jumping to her feet and pulling Tomoyo up
with her. "I'll find Fai and you can find Kurogane-kun."
Tomoyo nods once before vanishing to seek out her brother. It doesn't take her
long to find him. He's stuck in the middle of a rather strange dream. She would
almost classify it as a nightmare. He's sitting in a dark room, holding
something she can't identify in his hands. As she draws closer, she realizes
it's his old toy sword.
"Nii-sama?" she whispers gently. He doesn't look up. She kneels down beside him
and gazes up into his face. His eyes are empty. She knows that here in the
dream realm, she's seeing the hurt and confusion he would never show to the
waking world. When he finally does speak, his voice is filled with guilt and
unshed tears.
"Imouto?" he whispers, turning the sword over in his hands. "I…I hurt him,
didn't I?"
"Yes, you did hurt him." She sees no need to sidestep the issue just to spare
his feelings. After all, the purpose of this little intervention is to heal the
divide, not avoid it.
"But…I-I didn'tmeanto. I don'twantto hurt him…not ever."
"How does it make you feel? Knowing that you hurt him?" she asks, placing her
hands on top of his.
"Bad," he answers simply. "I couldn't eat. I thought the guilt in my stomach
was going to make me throw up. I…I can't stand it!"
"Then why don't you tell him so?"
"How can I?" he mutters. "He won't believe me."
"He will," she says comfortingly. "He wants to. He feels just as bad as you
do." She knows this because she can hear Yuui giving Fai a similar talk. The
connection is almost complete. "If you won't believe me, then just look up and
see who's here."
Kurogane finally glances up at her, looking confused. She inclines her head to
the side and he follows her eyes.
Fai and Kurogane's eyes meet at exactly the same time. It's like looking
through a window into another place. Fai had been huddled up next to a tree
with his sister beside him. Kurogane can clearly see the offending tracks of
tears that mar his face. When their eyes meet, the two of them rise to their
feet as one. The toy sword falls from Kurogane's hands as he moves forward, but
he doesn't notice. They reach out to touch each other…and are instantly met
with a wall of cold, smooth glass. Kurogane pounds his fist against the
unyielding wall and more tears slide out of Fai's eyes as he presses his face
up against it. Both Yuui and Tomoyo look away, saddened. This is almost
worse…somehow.
"Fai!" Kurogane shouts, hoping he'll be able to hear him through the glass.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! I was just upset! Please…don't cry
anymore! I just…want you to be happy!"
"You…you mean it?" he whispers. Kurogane can hear him perfectly. He opens his
mouth to speak, but Fai places a finger against the glass where his lips would
be. "Don't…don't say anything, Kuro-sama. It's my turn. I'm so sorry I was mean
to you. It's just…we'd almost lost Tomoyo-chan…and then you started yelling at
me. So I got scared and upset and hurt! I thought it was really over this time.
This time…I thought you were actually going to tell me you hate me! I
couldn'tstandthe thought of everything really being over for good!"
"Idon'thate you," he insists, cursing the glass for preventing him from wiping
the tears from Fai's cheek. "I've never hated you. You can just be a
bit…annoying sometimes. When I brought Tomoyo home…I seriously considered never
going back to the forest…to protect her. But…I don't think I couldbear…never
seeing you again."
"So…you'll come back?" Fai asks, his face brightening up.
"Yeah," Kurogane says, the usual air of sarcastic indifference returning to his
face, save for the small trace of a smile that remains in his eyes.
The two press their hands and foreheads right up against the glass, wanting to
be as close as possible. However, just then, the wall separating them seems to
just melt away, allowing the two friends to collapse into a gentle hug.
"I missed you, Kuro-sama," Fai says, sighing contentedly.
"What are you talking about, moron? It hasn't even been a whole day yet."
"I know, but I justhatednot knowing whether or not I'd see you again," he
whispers, a few more tears escaping against his will.
"Hey," Kurogane says, trying to be gentle. "Don't cry. I don't want you to cry
anymore," he soothes, finally fulfilling his desire and using his thumbs to
wipe away the tears on his friends face. "I'm never going to make you cry…never
again."
With that, the two vanish…like wisps of morning mist vanishing as the sun warms
them.
Tomoyo and Yuui smile at each other.
"Well," Tomoyo starts. "I think that went well."
                                      XxX
Fai awoke with a big smile on his face. He couldn't explain it, but he felt
wonderfully warm…as if someone had just given him a big hug. He knew he'd just
had a very good dream, but he couldn't quite remember all of the details. He
turned to talk to Yuui about it, but as he glanced toward her bed, he could see
that she was sleeping peacefully with a contented smile on her face. Oh, well.
He would just have to tell her in the morning.
Somehow, he knew that things with Kurogane were going to be all right.
                                      XxX
Not many people would have noticed the passage of a single black snake in the
middle of the night in the middle of a forest. Kokuyo, on the other hand, was
no ordinary person, so he was fully aware of the black snake as it slithered
into his neck of the woods.
"Kyle," he began with a condescending chuckle. "You redefine what it means to
be a fool."
One moment, a snake was slithering into the bush next to him; the next, a
fully-grown faerie was strolling out of it.
"So I bit the wrong princess. So what? Snakes see by sensing heat signatures.
One heat signature is much like another. At least the person I bit was female.
I was close."
"You know, it's probably better that you didn't succeed in assassinating
Princess Yuui. The queen would have killed you…slowly."
"It wasn't my intent to kill her. My intent was to awaken their power…and I
did. So as far as I'm concerned, my mission was a success. Young, untrained
ones are much easier to track. Especially young ones as powerful as they are. I
was getting tired of Seishiro's excuses."
"Just because he can find them doesn't mean he can bring them in. The Mokona
Modoki would never allow it. You just wanted to one-up Seishiro."
"The twins are not my problem anymore," he said derisively. "Nihon is."
Kokuyo stole a glance at him. "What do you mean?"
Kyle smirked self-importantly. "Her Majesty has appointed me to make the first
move against Nihon, to make it ready for her arrival."
"So how do you plan to do it? Invasion? Genocide? Magic?"
"Intrigue," he answered with a sneer. Kokuyo rolled his eyes.
"Ever the fucking ass-kisser."
"You have your sword. I have my games. I'm simply playing to my own strengths.
We must play the game with the pieces the Consort has granted us. Though, on
the subject of the game, did you hear that Reed has finally appointed a new
wind master?"
"I heard. Apparently Seishiro got the information from his little plaything in
the middle of a particularly intense blow job."
Kyle raised an eyebrow. "I hadn't heard that. Who was receiving?"
"Lord Shiro spilled nearly a quarter of his king's military secrets. Who do you
think was receiving?"
"There's no need for sarcasm, General. Did he happen to reveal the name of this
new wind master?"
"Yeah. Some prissy wind sprite named Hisui."
For times of war, the ruler of Faerie had four generals in order to command the
army: a master of wind, a master of water, a master of earth, and a master of
fire. The four masters had been mostly inactive since the time of the previous
king, Fei Wang Reed. The only war that had occurred during Clow Reed's reign
was the Last Great War to unite Faerie into a single nation. When he had first
taken the throne, the four masters had been Fuu Monou, Master of Wind, Umi
Watanuki, Master of Water, Zagato Sol, Master of Earth, and Hikaru Kunogi,
Master of Fire. Zagato had died in the attempt to place Clow on the throne and
his position was filled by his son, Ransho. Umi had, oddly enough, died giving
birth to her son, Kimihiro. Her position had been filled by her sister, Touki.
Fuu, Clow's own sister, had been slain by Yuuko when she began the Last War.
She had never been succeeded by anyone. Perhaps Clow couldn't bear to see his
sister's place filled by someone else? During the war, it had just been Ransho,
Touki, and Hikaru. But Hikaru was killed at the end of the war and her position
was filled by her brother, Ryuuki. For the past thousand years, it had been
just the three of them. However, according to Seishiro's military intelligence,
Clow was finally starting to see the threat that Yuuko and her armies posed. So
three generals were becoming four once more.
"I've heard she's not half bad to look at for a master," he added with a smirk.
"Honestly, Kokuyo, sometimes I wish you would think with your head instead of
your sword. Take that how you list," he sneered. Kokuyo countered with a smirk
of his own.
"What do you think I'm doing here?"
"Fishing, no doubt. Waiting for some innocent little thing to wander out of
Faerie. Or perhaps your tastes are a little more…earthy these days?" he
suggested.
Kokuyo snorted. "I've had mortals before. They don't exactly do it for me. They
can be tasty enough but most of them aren't strong enough for a good fuck. I
remember one died once and I wasn't quite finished with him. I've pretty much
sworn off mortal sex."
"If you had things your way, I imagine you would just have our armies rape our
enemies to death."
"I don't need help for that. That I could do all on my own…especially since
half the enemy is mortal. However, I'm not here to discuss tactics. It's my
night off and I'm looking for something a bit more innocent tonight. I've grown
tired of the queen's servants. There's nothing new in the Dark Court anymore. I
need something fresh."
"Well, if you're that desperate, I just left a perfectly good virgin alive
today. If you want her, you could go and fight Reed's lackeys for her."
"My tastes don't run quite that young. Besides, the queen would slay the first
one of us to even dream of taking the princess. I would have to kill her
afterward. Perhaps once all of this is over and she's grown some more…" he
trailed off.
"What about her brother? Also a virgin. Surely Her Majesty wouldn't kill you
for taking him? Nothing could come of that."
"Believe me, I would if he were a little bit older and I were in a fighting
mood. But I don't feel like fighting the Darkness just for a lay that may or
may not be any good. I'll just wait here. Someone's bound to pass by."
"Sometimes I think you've only gotten as far as you have by…what am I saying?
Of course you have. You know no other way."
"Exactly right. I'm where I am today because I'm the best damn lay in all the
queen's court. The queen herself isn't half bad either. Ass-kisser that you
are, I'm almost surprised you haven't tried it."
"If I thought it would get me anywhere, then I might."
Kokuyo gave Kyle a knowing leer. "She's never called for you, has she?"
Kyle said nothing. He just glared at the taller faerie.
"Know who's with her tonight?"
Again, nothing.
"Koryu."
"Koryu!" Kyle blustered. "That damned-" Fortunately, Kyle managed to gain
control of his anger before he could go off on a screaming tirade. "Excuse me,
General. I must be off to Nihon. I need to kill something. Enjoy your
fucking…or whatever it is you plan to do."
"I will, thanks," he said as Kyle vanished into thin air. He chuckled to
himself as he went back to his watching. Goddess, but he did love to bait Kyle.
The snob made it too easy. Perhaps he'd be a bit more easygoing if he could get
himself laid? But, by Kokuyo's count, he hadn't had any in almost five hundred
years. Kyle Rondart couldn't get anyone into bed unless he either bespelled
them or outright raped them. Unlike what Kyle had been implying earlier, rape
was certainly not Kokuyo's style. He preferred the power of knowing that he
could make anyone fall for him. Rape defeated the purpose of that ideal. He was
proud to say that he had never raped anyone. Everyone who had ever shared his
bed had done so willingly…enthusiastically, even.
Though, on the subject of sex, he was pretty sure he saw an excellent lay
heading in his direction right now. Her milky skin gave off a faint glow in the
moonlight; definitely Fey. She was clad in robes of shimmering white and green
and her blonde hair flowed down her back, held in place by a single green
ribbon. In the darkness, his black eyes could just barely make out the green
color of hers. She moved so lightly upon the ground that she almost seemed to
float. She was deceptively slender. Kokuyo could see the power that was in her.
In moments, he was standing beside her, holding her hand in his. He was
impressed when she didn't flee in fright or even start. In fact, she turned to
him and gave him a bright smile.
"Hello," she said warmly.
In response, he pressed his lips to her palm, enjoying the smooth feeling of
her skin. When he pulled away from her, he looked her in the eyes and asked,
"Aren't you afraid?"
"Should I be?" she asked, still wearing the same warm smile.
"I'm a servant of the Dark Court," he pointed out.
"Yes, I know," she said, inclining her head toward the livid red bat symbol on
his black tunic.
"Heh, don't they teach you anything in that court of yours? Haven't you heard
the stories of innocent maidens coming upon dark faeries in the night?" he
asked, pulling her body close to his, allowing her to feel how much he already
desired her.
"I wouldn't go so far as to call myself innocent," she replied. He was
surprised that she still seemed unafraid. Was she not even going to make him
work for it? This wouldn't be any fun if there were no challenge. Damn! And
here he was hoping this one would be difficult to seduce.
"I don't think you understand the gravity of your situation," he said silkily,
pressing his lips to the pulse point in her neck to prove his point. "Do you
know who I am?"
"I do," she said with a giggle. "Kokuyo Satani, master of the armies of
darkness, known for his insatiable lust."
Kokuyo took a step back from the sprite, appraising her. She really did not
seem to get it. He laughed.
"Impressive. You are either very brave or very foolish."
"Neither, really," she said absently as she moved away from him to examine the
bush that Kyle had smashed earlier. "Just knowledgeable."
Kokuyo raised an eyebrow. What the hell was that supposed to mean?
"Well, General Kokuyo," she started as she stood up. "This has been fun, but
I'm afraid I have other places to be. I believe I'll be by this way next week
if you'd care to talk again." With that, she vanished into the night, leaving
him completely unsatisfied and aching with need.
"Hey!" he shouted, even though he knew she couldn't hear him.
What just happened?
Kokuyo winced in pain. He couldn't wait for some other unsuspecting denizen of
the light to come along. He had to take care of this himself.
"Damn her!" he muttered to himself, leaning against a tree to take care of his
problem. He groaned with desire and embarrassment as he imagined her…naked and
writhing beneath him. He felt his face turning red with shame. He hadn't had to
do this in so long. There'd been no need. The supply of beings willing to be
his release was never short. But her…
Oh, he would return next week, he thought, hissing as the burning tension in
his groin was finally released…and they would do more than talk, much more.
Kokuyo smiled to himself. It had been so long since he had truly had a goal.
This one…she would be his greatest conquest.
He had never even bothered to catch her name.
                                      XxX
"Doumeki?" Fai called. He didn't actually expect his stoic guardian to answer,
but he had been living in this cottage long enough to know whom he would get
his answer from.
"If you're looking for the moron," Watanuki called from the kitchen, where he
was washing dishes. "He's outside."
"Thanks," Fai called back before heading out the door. True to Watanuki's word,
Doumeki was out front of the cottage, sitting beneath a tree and nursing a cup
of sake.
"Hey, Doumeki."
"Hey."
"Can…can I talk to you about something?"
"What? Still can't get that hover charm right?" he asked with a small chuckle.
The three guardians had explained their partial Fey heritage to the twins and
said that yes, they may indeed be part Fey as well and had begun to train them
in spells. But that was not what Fai wanted to talk to his oldest guardian
about right now.
"Actually…I-I wanted to know…about love."
Doumeki froze briefly, staring up at his charge over the rim of the cup.
However, he eventually gathered his wits and set the empty sake cup down.
"Sit," he said, nodding his head at the spot beside him. Once Fai had complied,
he began. "Why the sudden curiosity about love?" He knew why, of course, but he
figured it would be best to let Fai tell him.
"I…I've seen the way you look at Watanuki," he answered, not meeting his gaze.
Of the many things he'd expected from the boy, this was actually not one of
them. Of course, he hadn't expected him to come right out with the real reason,
but this…
"Have you? And what do you think of that?"
"I think…that you care for him…very much. That…that maybe you love him. Not the
way you love Himawari…or Yuui and I. It's different…somehow," Fai answered
nervously.
"That's true," he said, making no big deal out of the admission. "And how do
you think he feels?" The trace of nerves in his own voice was well hidden.
"I think…that Watanuki cares for you, too. But…he has trouble showing how he
feels."
"Maybe so. But tell me, if you figured all of this out on your own, why did you
come to me?"
"I…Doumeki…how do you know if you're in love?!" he finally blurted out, his
face turning red. Doumeki just sighed.
"Honestly, Fai, I couldn't tell you. Love is complicated…and simple at the same
time. It's different for different people. I can't tell you how you're going to
feel when you meet someone you know is precious to you. Only you can know if
you love someone. But…I suppose you could say that when you do find your
love…you won't need to ask that question anymore. On the day that you don't
have any doubts…that's when you'll know. You'll know because…you'll look only
at that person, and you won't even be able to see anyone else anymore. Does
that make any sense?"
"Sort of. Do you mean that…I'd never see Yuui, or Soel and Larg, or you,
Watanuki, and Himawari again?" he asked nervously.
"No. It's not like that. It's like you said. The way I care for that idiot is
different from the way I care about the rest of you. I can't see anyone else
the way I see him. It will be like that when you find the one you love."
"I suppose that makes sense," Fai said, still looking a little confused.
"You'll know," Doumeki assured him. They sat in silence for a few moments.
"Something else?" the elder finally asked.
"Yes," Fai muttered. Doumeki found himself thinking that the boy now
looked…almost terrified, rather than just confused. "Is it…is it all right for
two boys to love each other?!" He almost sounded like he would cry.
"Yes," Doumeki answered without hesitation. "There's nothing wrong with that.
Never let anyone tell you different. The Goddess doesn't care who you love, so
long as you love them truly. There's nothing wrong with me and there's nothing
wrong with you." It was the closest the storm faerie had come to sounding
vehement in a long time. He reached for his surrogate son and pulled him into a
tight hug.
In Doumeki's many centuries of existence, he had only ever hugged two people:
his mother, and Watanuki, once, a very long time ago when they were still very
small. But then Fai and Yuui came along. For them, he did many things that he'd
never imagined he was capable of…and never even gave it a second thought. He
patted Fai's back gently as the young boy soaked his tunic with tears.
"I…I'm just…so confused," he sniffled. Doumeki just continued to soothe him. He
wasn't going to say something ridiculous like boys his age shouldn't cry. Age
was sort of an irrelevant factor with him anyway. He knew that emotions like
what Fai was feeling could be confusing and painful at first…and no one but Fai
himself could sort through them. All he could do was support him as best he
could.
"You know," he started, finally letting go of Fai and slowly wiping the tears
from his face. "I think it's time you saw something."
"What something?" Fai asked, slowly getting a hold of his emotions as Doumeki
helped him to his feet.
"You'll see," was all he said as he led Fai back into the cottage. "Hey! Loud
mouth!" he called into the kitchen.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" the nature sprite shrieked as he burst in from the
kitchen. But then he saw the look on Fai's face. His eyes instantly softened
and he turned a concerned, questioning gaze to his friend. Instead of
answering, Doumeki turned his attention down the hallway that led to their
three rooms.
"Kunogi! Yuui!" he called. Not long after, the two came down the hall.
"I think it's time you took them to the Labyrinth," he said to Watanuki as he
gathered cloaks for the twins.
"You…think they're ready for that?"
"I do," he answered, placing a black cloak around Fai's shoulders and carrying
the next one to Yuui. "I think this one needs it." He nodded at Fai.
"All right," Watanuki said, not arguing for once as he went to fetch his own
cloak. "If you're sure."
"Does Watanuki need Soel and Larg?" Soel asked, throwing a concerned glance at
Fai.
"Not this time, little one," he explained softly. "Tonight it will be just me
and the twins."
Himawari remained silent as part of her little family prepared to go on this
journey. She just placed gentle kisses on both the twins' foreheads as they
walked out the door behind Watanuki. When she turned back into the house, she
saw Doumeki facing away from her.
"I'm a bringer of death," he muttered to himself. "What right do I have to tell
them about love?"
The animal spirit was positive she hadn't been meant to hear that question, but
she would answer his cry just the same. She went to him and placed a reassuring
hand on his shoulder.
"Anyone who's experienced love can talk about it. It isn't some right to be
given or taken away on a whim. Besides…love doesn't end with death."
It was the best thing she could have said.
                                      XxX
"Fai? What's wrong?" Yuui asked for the hundredth time. Her brother had pulled
his hood up over his face to keep her from seeing it, but before Doumeki had
given him the cloak, she could see that he had been crying. Watanuki was
walking a little ahead of them, not letting them out of his sphere of
awareness, but still giving them some space. He had insisted that she keep her
hood up as well. Yuui didn't understand any of this. Where were they going? Why
wouldn't Fai talk to her? Why was he upset?
"Why won't you tell me what's wrong?" she whispered, seizing his hand in hers.
He had never been so closed off before. Instead of answering, he squeezed her
fingers tightly. The pressure of his fingers reassured her that he wasn't
trying to shut her out. He just needed her to be by his side right now because
he was upset and confused. So the two just walked hand in hand behind Watanuki
through the dark forest.
"Watanuki?" Yuui finally got up the courage to ask. "Where are we going?"
"Patience," Watanuki said mysteriously. "We're almost there."
After awhile, the twins began to hear the sound of a waterfall. That was some
indication of their direction. The Yume River had several waterfalls. The first
and biggest of them was a spot called Faerie Falls. Almost before they knew it,
they were standing at the lip of the waterfall, staring down into darkness.
"There's a path down here that leads into a cave," Watanuki started to explain.
"We must be very careful. These ledges are precarious at best. You will step
where I step."
The two nodded and followed Watanuki out onto the downward sloping ledge, with
Fai behind Watanuki and Yuui behind Fai. The way was slow, and the path almost
non-existent. However, slowly but surely, they made their way down the cliff
face. The path eventually wound behind the waterfall, toward an opening in the
rock. At long last, they stepped off of the ledge and into a rather spacious
cave. Watanuki spoke a few words and streams of light shot from his body to
hang suspended from the cave's ceiling, lighting up the place. Now that they
could see, Fai and Yuui realized that it wasn't just a hollowed out space
behind the waterfall. The cave extended very far back, farther than their eyes
could see, deep into the earth. Watanuki immediately began to walk down the
long rock corridor.
"What is this place?" Yuui asked as the two followed behind him.
"Do you know why the humans call this place Faerie Falls?" Watanuki asked
without turning to look at them.
"No," Yuui whispered, somehow feeling that it would be irreverent to raise her
voice here.
"It's because these caves are sacred to the faeries. There is a veritable
labyrinth of caves beneath the forest. The only other way in or out is back at
Spirit Lake. Only those with faerie blood can use that entrance. As long as the
land has existed, even further back than human memory goes, those of the noble
houses of Faerie have come here to perform sacred rites. The place where I am
taking you is the Holiest of the Holy."
Not too long after Watanuki stopped talking a smaller corridor split off from
the main one, which continued to wind away into the earth. This new corridor
led down into a circular chamber.
"Oh, my…" Yuui breathed in awe as she allowed her hood to slip back. The walls
were covered with paintings: paintings of faeries dancing, drinking, eating,
and…doing other things, as far as she could tell. The very air they breathed
seemed steeped in magic.
"It's beautiful," Fai whispered reverently, speaking for the first time that
evening. A smile instantly lit up Yuui's face.
At the very center of the room, a circle was drawn into the rocky floor. A
single line of ancient text encircled it. It was very simple compared to the
other feats of artistry, but somehow, the twins could feel that all the magic
they felt was centered on that circle.
"What is it?" Yuui asked.
"A magic circle," Watanuki explained. "Rites of marriage and fertility are
consummated here. It is said that this is the place where the Goddess first
gave birth to the God, and where they later consummated their love when He
became Her consort. And again, this is the place where She brought His body
when He died, only to give birth to Him again in the spring. That is the dance
of the year," he said as the twins knelt just beyond the confines of the
circle. "Birth, innocence, consummation, death, and rebirth. So, yearly, Fey
nobility come to this place to perform fertility rites and consummate
marriages. It is said that marriages consummated here will be fruitful and
happy. It is the place of the First Promise."
"First Promise?" Yuui asked, glancing up at him.
"Yes," he said with a smile. "Sex is a sacred thing. The joining of two souls
who love truly is the Holiest of the Holy. It is the way to see the true faces
of the Great Mother and the Great Father. The First Promise is that the God and
the Goddess will never be too far from their children. They are as close as the
sweet whisper of one lover to another, close as the feeling of your love's lips
upon yours. The Lady and Her Consort are the truth…the truth through making
love…the truth that love does not die."
"What do they mean?" Fai asked, pointing to the words that encircled the sacred
space.
"'I am at the beginning as I am at the end'," Watanuki began to read. "'I am
the sacred circle, spinner of the web of space and time. I am the Cosmic "And":
life and death, order and chaos, eternal and finite. I am Earth and all things
of it'."
"Who does it mean?" he whispered. "The Goddess?"
"No," the nature spirit said softly. "It is who they are together, the Lord and
the Lady."
Yuui felt tears spring to her eyes as she listened. In a place like this, it
was easy to believe that the ancient powers of the world dwelt here. It was
such a beautiful story…and as she gazed upon the magic circle, she could have
sworn that she saw a face in the dust.
Tomoyo?
Yuui shook her head to clear it, and found herself staring over at her brother.
His eyes were bright with unshed tears. Whether they were tears of happiness or
tears of pain, she couldn't guess.
"Fai?" she whispered, but he didn't hear her. Fai was enthralled by the magic
circle. Slowly, he reached out a trembling hand to touch the black line in the
rock. As his fingers brushed the ancient circle, a vision suddenly attacked his
mind.
Kurogane…laying him down in the circle…his lips against his neck…he felt…
Fai snapped out of the vision with a sharp intake of breath. He pulled back
from the circle, breathing heavily.
"Fai!" Yuui shouted, moving to help him. "Are you all right?"
"What happened?" Watanuki asked, kneeling beside him. "Did you see something?"
"I…I'm not sure," he said shakily. His skin was suddenly feeling hot and his
blood was pounding through his body. His heart was pounding and his stomach was
full of butterflies. Parts of his body that he had never really noticed before
were suddenly screaming their presence. It wasn't fear he was feeling. He had
no idea what it was. He didn't yet understand it, but his breath had quickened
for a different reason.
"I think it's time we left," Watanuki said softly as he helped the twins to
their feet. Fai and Yuui quickly fell into step behind him, Yuui clutching her
brother's heated hand.
Kuro-chuu…I…I think…that I might…
                                      XxX
"What was it like…Kuro-sexy?"
Like…rain and sun. Like…cold and heat.
The moon shines down on his silken hair as the blond dances enticingly before
him. How he longs to reach out and touch him…to claim him for his very own.
"Tell me how you love me, my Kuro-tan," those soft lips pur.
"Like a sickness…and a cure...together." God, where is this poetry coming from?
"Would you doanythingto have me?" he asks teasingly, dancing ever closer,
swaying so close to him that he can feel their bodies brushing together.
"Anything," he whispers longingly. "Anything in the world."
"Would you beg me?" he whispers in his ear. "Would you get down on your knees
for me?"
"Yes," he says, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him closer.
"Would you give up your crown for me?"
"Goddess, yes."
"Will you kiss me?" he asks as he climbs up onto his lap and wraps his legs
around his waist, grinding their hips together.
Instead of answering, Kurogane seizes his lips in a searing kiss. He never
wants it to end, but the boy pulls away all too soon. The kiss has left him
utterly disheveled. The pale expanse of his chest as it rises up and down with
his sharp pants of desire, the press of his thighs against his hips, the way
his messy blond hair falls into his beautiful blue eyes, his parted lips…all of
it makes him want to take him right there! This desire will consume him. They
will both go up in flames.
"One last question," he starts, suddenly sounding angry. "Would you make love
to me…or would you fuck me?"
"I'd fuck yousenseless," he hisses possessively, imprisoning him in the circle
of his arms. "But then I'd make love to you for hours, days, years even, as
long as you want, as tender as you want…until I'd made it up to you," he says
gently, placing a kiss on his forehead. Still hesitant, the boy leans into him.
"What's it like…Kuro-koi?"
It's like…feeling truly alive…for the first time.
"Would you…love me?"
"I can'tlivewithout you," he whispers into his hair as he massages his back.
"Does that answer your question?"
Reassured, the blond presses his body up against Kurogane's bare chest and
places his lips to his ear.
"Fuck me, Kuro-sama."
Kurogane awoke from the dream with a small yelp. When he realized he was in his
own room and not off somewhere in Celes with Fai, he started to breathe easy
again.
"Not again," he groaned. It wasn't the first time he'd had that dream and it
wasn't likely to be the last either. It had started nearly two months ago and
every time he thought it had stopped, it would return with a vengeance. What he
needed now was a cold bath to calm himself down. But when he sat up and threw
his blankets off, he realized he had a bit of a problem.
"Fuck," he muttered. The damn thing was awake again. He climbed out of his
futon and half-waddled over to the door that led out to his balcony. He slid
the door open and collapsed on the hard surface, reaching behind him to close
it. No one could see him like this. He slowly crawled over to the railing,
thankful that his room did not overlook the city. It overlooked the fields and
it was much too early for anyone to be out working. The sky was only just
beginning to lighten and he half-hoped that the cool morning air would calm his
heated flesh, but the rest of him knew he would have no such luck. Still, he
tried to turn his thoughts away from the offending hard on. In the half-light,
he could just barely make out Celes on the horizon. They hadn't been in a few
weeks. Perhaps they should go sometime? The idiot was there. Mm...Fai…with his
stupid smile and his stupid nicknames and his stupid face and his silky blond
locks and his mesmerizing eyes and his smooth, soft skin…
His arousal twitched in anticipation at the mere thought.
"Oh, shut up!" he growled down at his erection, poking up through the folds of
his black yukata. Clearly this thing wasn't going to go away by itself. He
sighed angrily as he undid the obi that held the sleep garment closed, exposing
himself to the cold air. It did nothing to dampen it. He growled deep in his
chest as he took hold of himself. Unlike most men, who probably enjoyed this,
the prince hated being held so in thrall to the whims of his body. But at the
same time…it felt so…damn…good.
As he worked at himself, the dark-eyed prince found his thoughts straying once
more toward the idiot blond. He couldn't help but imagine that it was him
touching him right now. He couldn't help but imagine him naked, panting in time
with his own animalistic moans. He couldn't help but picture those rose red
lips on his manhood.
NO! he berated himself. You shouldnotbe thinking abouthimwhen you're doingthis!
You should be thinking aboutgirls! Anyone! Souma! Yuui! Oh, dear Consort, that
issowrong.Another louder, stronger part of him yelled, how can Inotthink about
him? He's so damn-
"Beautiful," he moaned, jerking himself harder as he freely allowed his
fantasies to wash over him. He had this argument with himself every time, but
the side that longed for the blue-eyed fool always won. Goddess, he would do
everything to Fai a million times over.
As his moans of pleasure grew louder, he placed his free hand over his mouth in
an attempt to muffle the sounds. The pressure between his legs was building
with every new fantasy. He was almost there.
Fai…Fai…Fai! The name pounded in his blood with the rhythm of his heart.
"Mmph…Fai!" he cried into his hand as the dam finally burst, unable to stop the
name from passing his lips. He could practically hear the stuff sizzling as it
hit the wooden surface.
When the flood finally subsided, Kurogane collapsed against the railing,
breathing hard and trembling. He was exhausted and would have gladly slept
right on the spot, but he couldn't quite manage to calm his raging thoughts. He
watched with morbid curiosity as his pearly white essence dribbled away from
him and over the side of the balcony.
The sun was rising now. Kurogane turned from the rising sphere, retreating back
into his quarters. Rather than dress for the day, he flung himself back onto
his futon and pulled the covers up over his head, curling into a ball like some
unhappy five-year-old, rather than the eighteen-year-old he would soon be.
Why was all of this so complicated? He had pretty much come to terms with the
fact that he just was not attracted to girls some time ago. Being attracted to
boys was fine with him, but…the idiot? There was no shortage of beauty in the
royal court. Why choose him?
Maybe because no one is more beautiful than him?
If that were so, then he would have taken him long ago…when he was first of
age. Kurogane did not consider himself a kind person. There was no need he had
that he did not sate in a timely fashion. Fai was the only exception to that
rule. He growled in frustration as he pounded a fist against his pillow. Why
was that? Was it because he actually cared what Fai thought of him? That he
cared about him? Yes. It was that simple. Goddess, but he wanted Fai. He wanted
Fai as he had never wanted anything else in his entire life. But…neither did he
merely want to take him. He wanted to be with him. He wanted to walk beside him
in the full light of day and not have to worry about him suddenly disappearing.
He wanted to tell Fai that he wasn't always annoying. He wanted to tell him how
happy he made him. He wanted to tell his mother how happy he made him. He
wanted to hold his hands and kiss his face. He wanted to tell him how precious
he was to him. He wanted to see him smiling…always. He wanted to protect him
from harm. He wanted to hold him close in the night and wake up beside him in
the morning. All of that disgusting, mushy, romantic sap that Tomoyo loved
reading about in those "classic" dramas…he wanted all of that, just because it
was Fai. He wanted to make love to him and hear that honeyed voice calling out
his name, knowing that he had given him that pleasure. He wanted…to love him.
Him, and only him.
He suspected that he had always known it, but it had taken him this long to
admit it. It was really very simple. What complicated it was the haunting fear
that Fai might not feel the same. Could he really destroy their friendship over
the fragile wish that they could be more?
And that, he realized, was what separated the boy he'd been when he woke up
this morning from who he was now. He would prefer his own hurt to Fai's pain.
He would rather live with a broken heart than bring unhappiness to Fai.
But…what would he do if Fai didn't…couldn't…love him in return?
                                      XxX
Hands run all over his body.
"Tell me what you want me to do to you," his heated voice whispers as those
hands slide his shirt from his shoulders.
"Nngh…touch me…K-Kuro-shita," he moans as those lips leave a fiery trail of
kisses from his lips down to his pelvis. Goddess, his hands are sohot. He can't
suppress his moans as those dexterous fingers slide into the waistband of his
pants. He collapses onto the bed as the last of his clothing is removed.
"What else?" he asks as he boastfully exposes himself. "What do you want?"
Fai cries out in desire as the older boy falls upon him, ravishing every inch
of skin.
"I…I w-want you…inside me!" The last word turns into a desperate cry as he
reaches down to stroke him.
"What would you do…to feel me?" he whispers, his breath hot against his ear.
"I'll do anything!" he cries out. "I n-need you, Kuro-koi. I'm yours! Take me!"
"But that's not whatyouwant, is it?" he asks, roughly seizing his hair and
staring into his eyes. It's so hard to concentrate with those smoldering eyes
holding him prisoner. Whatdoeshe want? He wants those hands to keep touching
him. He wants that voice to keep whispering to him. He wants those lips to keep
kissing him. He wants the other half of his soul to keeplovinghim.Thatis the
answer.
"I…" he starts nervously, clinging tightly to his dark-haired lover. "I want
you to make love to me. But I want you to enjoy this, too."
"It's not so hard to do both," he replies, a satisfied smile crawling onto his
face. "I'll enjoy this…if I can makeyouhappy, if I can makeyoufeel good."
Fai smiles as he nuzzles his head against the taller boy's sweaty chest.
"Do you want me, Kuro-sama?"
"Yes," he answers honestly.
"Then take me."
Fai awoke from his fevered sleep with a rather violent jerk. He was still
sitting in his bed, yes. The only difference was that instead of Kurogane on
top of him getting ready to become one with him, Soel was snoozing peacefully
beside his pillow and Yuui was still slumbering in the next bed over.
The blond started to fan himself. Consort, but the room was hot. Maybe he
should open the window? Unfortunately, when he peeled the blankets off of his
sticky, sweaty skin, he realized that being hot wasn't his only problem. The
bedding, his nightshirt, and his legs were all coated with a sticky white
substance.
Oh, Goddess in heaven! Did I really…
How embarrassing.
He couldn't let the others wake up and see him like this. But the only way to
get out of it was to sneak out early and take care of the laundry himself.
Well, it was better than being caught with his pants down, as it were. Fai
worked quickly, first transferring the sleeping Soel over to Yuui's bed,
letting it curl up with Larg. Then he gathered up all of his soiled bedding and
crept silently down the stairs. Thankfully, the sky was still dark. Watanuki
hadn't yet gotten up to make breakfast. So he gathered up the laundry baskets
that Himawari had prepared and slipped out of the house, still in nothing but
his nightshirt. He honestly didn't see the point of putting on fresh clothes
until he'd washed his own semen off of himself.
When he reached the calm stretch of river that Himawari had shown them for
bathing and laundry, he set the laundry on the riverbank, divested himself of
his sticky nightshirt, and dove into the river.
The cold water did wonders to clear his sleep-addled brains. Unfortunately, his
head was only cleared to make room for perfectly lucid thoughts of his rather
intense dream and his…eh…fit of passion. This certainly wasn't the first time
it had happened. He'd been having similar dreams most every night since
Watanuki had brought him and Yuui back from Faerie Falls. More often than not,
they did not result in his little…accidents. More often it would happen that
the dreams caused him to bring about the release himself, though, during those
instances, it was easier to clean up after himself. There was so much of it
this time. How many times had it happened?
"Nngh, Kuro-rin," he groaned as he floated on the still surface of the river.
Just thinking of the prince was reversing the effect the cold air and water
were having on him. He dunked himself under once more, both to clean off any
lingering stickiness and to rid himself of his thoughts. That done, he crawled
up on the riverbank, laying himself out on the grass to dry. Fortunately or
unfortunately, he couldn't quite decide which, his earlier thoughts would not
be suppressed. The cold air was doing nothing to curb his growing enthusiasm as
images of Kurogane's face started to flood his mind. He had come to terms with
the fact that he was in love with Kurogane. The erotic dreams, on the other
hand, he had not quite managed to wrap his mind around yet. Sometimes he was
convinced it must be a sin to feel so good.
Fai half-sighed as he shamelessly started to wank himself right there in the
open. He would be lying to himself if he said he didn't want to. After all, he
hadn't been able to enjoy it when he was asleep. Plus, no one would spot him
here.
"Mm…Nngh…Kuro," he moaned as he rubbed himself to a hard on. This was one of
the only times when he allowed himself to dream freely of the handsome prince
with the gorgeous red eyes. He let himself imagine that he could feel
Kurogane's hands on his body instead of his own…that it was Kurogane who was
making him feel so wonderful.
The fantasies intensified as his breathing sped up…eager hips grinding against
his, hands everywhere, a hot mouth covering his face with kisses.
"Kuro…gane!" he continued to moan in pleasure. He couldn't help himself. His
back arched as he involuntarily bucked up against his own hand. If only it was
really him…if only.
A strangled cry escaped his lips as he finally brought himself to ecstasy. As
he continued to fuck his hand, he spread his legs wide to prevent any of the
white fluid from getting on them as it poured out of him and onto the grass.
The moment it was finished he sat up, fighting his tired muscles, and scooted
away from the small white puddle. He felt almost…guilty for enjoying it every
time. It felt…cowardly, somehow. He drew his knees up against his chest,
shaking and breathing heavily.
"If it bothers you so much, why don't you tell him how you feel?"
Fai glanced up and saw his sister heading toward him through the trees. He drew
his knees even tighter against himself as his face turned a deep shade of red.
It wasn't that he was ashamed of being naked around his sister. He was just
ashamed of being found…like this…with the physical evidence of his activities
sitting right in front of him. She had caught him at it once before and had
never asked about it again. But she did keep dropping hints to him about other
things.
"I can't," he mumbled into his knees. "I'm too scared."
"Scared of what?" Yuui asked as she knelt beside him, placing a comforting hand
on his shoulder.
"That he won't want me," he whispered despairingly.
"That's really just impossible," she said as she gently started to rub his
back. "Have you seen the way he looks at you?"
"No. He has no reason to want me. I'm not good enough for him." He did not cry
anymore. He had cried all his tears weeks ago. Now he would just sit, with a
look of empty despair in his eyes.
"Good enough?" Yuui scoffed. "Love isn't about worth. I don't think Kurogane-
kun's worthy of you, but would you ever want anyone other than him?"
"No," Fai muttered. "But…Kuro-sama's a prince. I've never even seen a city. I
was raised running barefoot through the dirt."
"And there's nothing wrong with that," Yuui insisted, forcing her twin to look
her in the eyes. "Watanuki, Doumeki, and Himawari brought us up right. If our
background bothered Kurogane-kun at all, do you really think he and the others
would still come here…still be our friends?"
"Well…no," he finally admitted. "But that doesn't mean he can care for me the
way I care for him."
"I think it makes him more likely to return your feelings. But I'm obviously
not going to be able to convince you of that when you're like this, ne? No
matter. I'll drag the truth out of you someday," she said cheerfully as she
climbed to her feet and offered her hand to her brother. "Come on. I brought
you some clothes. I'll help you do the laundry. The others don't have to know
anything."
A small smile tugged at the corners of Fai's mouth as Yuui helped him up and
produced a fresh pair of pants and a tunic from the knap sack she'd been
carrying.
"How did you find me?" he finally asked her as he started to dress himself.
"Soel woke me up, hysterical, saying that you were nowhere to be found. When I
saw your stripped bed, I knew where you'd gone. Besides, I always know where to
find you, no matter where you go," she answered, tossing him an apple from the
sack. "But…you do realize that Watanuki, Himawari, and Doumeki would have
killed you if they ever found out you went outside without Soel? Lucky for you
they were still asleep when I left."
"I don't see what the big deal is," he muttered around a bite of fruit. "We'll
be fifteen in just a few months. Why do we still need babysitters? You didn't
bring them with you, did you?"
"Of course I did. Soel was worried about you. I could hear you long before I
could see you, though, so I asked them to wait for me to call them."
"Well," Fai sighed as he tossed aside the core of his breakfast and picked up
his stained nightshirt. "I guess we'd better get this over with."
                                      XxX
Seishiro smirked to himself as he watched the happy scene of the brother and
sister splashing about in the river as they went about their chores. The boy
was visibly less happy than he'd seen him in previous years, but with what he'd
just heard, he supposed it was to be expected.
He'd been alerted the moment the prince was separated from his Mokona guardian
and he had fairly flown to the spot. He knew that he wouldn't be able to
perform any magic so close to their wards without being detected, but he didn't
expect Fai to put up too much of a struggle. He had figured he would be easy
enough to kidnap through brute strength. However, all of his plans had gone
awry the moment he'd stumbled upon the boy.
Seishiro was not easy to surprise, which is why it was saying something to say
that he had not expected to see the young prince writhing on the grass,
pleasuring himself. The banished prince had chuckled to himself as he'd
watched. The boy was so helpless…so off guard he would have easily been able to
spirit him away to the Dark Court and have him bound in one of its deepest
dungeons before he'd even finished with himself. He would have never known what
hit him. However, Seishiro had also been more than a little distracted by the
sudden images of Subaru in the boy's place. He'd gotten more than a little hot
himself. By the time he sensed Yuui and the Mokona approaching, it had been too
late. He had missed his chance.
The dark prince had chuckled once again when he'd heard Fai's complaint about
the Mokona.
Child, you may never know just how close you came to finding out the terrible
truth of just how much you do still need a babysitter. One or both of you came
very close to dying today. Congratulations, twins of both worlds. You survive
to fight another day.
Even though he had missed his first opportunity in years, Seishiro certainly
did not consider today a total loss. He had uncovered some new information that
could be used to great benefit…or ruin, depending on who was looking at the
situation.
So the innocent little prince had someone he desired, did he? Someone he might
even love. All the better that it was the crown prince of Nihon himself. That
could be used against him. Perhaps used to break his mind…break his spirit. And
of course, the dark prince would not hesitate to use this new sexual awakening
to screw with the boy's head…
Maybe other parts of him as well, he thought with a smirk as he vanished.
Though, speaking of screwing, where had Subaru said he'd be today? After the
morning's little tousle, he could do with a bit of a tumble himself.
Chapter End Notes
     The ancient text from the sacred cave is actually from a book called
     "The Maltese Goddess". It seemed to fit, so I decided to use it.
***** I Wonder *****
Kurogane felt…awkward, for lack of a better word, which was something he did
not feel often. He was standing alone just outside the inner sanctum of the
Goddess' main shrine, dressed in a flowing white kimono with a wreath of white
roses set atop his head. He felt like a freaking woman! White didn't suit him
at all. It went against his every sensibility. White was much better suited
to…Fai.
The prince shifted uncomfortably in the small corridor. He'd been standing in
the same spot for nearly an hour! He was not allowed to enter the sanctuary
until the two candles guarding it had burned out and the one on his left was
still stubbornly clinging to life. Consort, why couldn't he just snuff the damn
thing out himself and get this over with?
Oh, well, he sighed to himself. I guess it's got to be done. Tradition and all
that nonsense.
In Nihon, upon reaching their eighteenth birthday, it was traditional for male
nobles to receive an education in "the art of love"; court speak for "virginity
is a shameful state of being and must be dealt with". And of course, the rite
was only for boys. Ladies would remain virgins until their wedding night…in
theory, anyway. Practice was a bit sketchier. Most nobles who went through the
ceremony were, more often than not, not really virgins anymore. But they
weren't talking and the court seemed to hold great store by the ceremony, so no
one ever said anything. He himself was, interestingly enough, still an actual
virgin. Only he knew why that was and he certainly wasn't telling anyone.
Preparations for the ritual had begun at dawn. He'd been allowed nothing to
drink except water and nothing to eat except fresh fruit. Tomoyo and Souma had
gone around most of the day giggling and gossiping between themselves. He'd had
half a mind to give them a good yelling at…maybe brandish his sword
threateningly at Souma. The only problem with that was that he was forbidden to
lay hands on any kind of weapon until after the rite was finished. Today was
meant to be a day of growth, fertility, and new life and it was considered bad
luck to think of death in any way. He was also meant to spend the day in
meditation, contemplating the important step in his life he was about to take.
Well…he had spent the day contemplating something, just not what the stuffy
elders at court would have preferred. His thoughts had constantly been on the
person whom he would rather be performing this ceremony with. That was a little
unfortunate for him because, considering what he would be doing come nightfall,
his thoughts were not always…eh, pure, as it were…and he was forbidden to touch
himself. Tradition claimed that any emission, intentional or accidental, on the
day of the ceremony before he lay with whatever shrine maiden they'd chosen for
him made him unclean and would curse his first performance. The stories claimed
that he would be clumsy, or that he would be unable to perform. Some even
claimed that he would be cursed with infertility and such a defect could cost
him the crown. He honestly didn't believe a word of it, but there were guards
stationed outside of his chambers with orders to check on him every five
minutes to make sure that he was "sticking to the plan". So he had suffered in
silence with thoughts of pale skin and blond hair drifting through his head.
Apart from the guards constantly checking on him, he had had only six visitors
throughout the course of the day. First, Kusanagi and Chitose had come to wake
him and help him dress. Once that was finished, Chitose had gone, saying that
Tomoyo would be by to visit him later. Kusanagi had had a few words with him,
seeing as how his own father was not around on this very important day in his
life. He'd said that he was proud that he was finally entering this stage in
his life and so on and so forth.
"Heh!" Kurogane snorted at the formal words that sounded so dry in his sensei's
mouth. "Aren't you even going to ask me if I really am a virgin?"
"Well, that's not really any of my business, now is it, Kurogane-sama. If you
are not, then I hope you truly cared for the one who came to your bed. If you
do not consider tonight your first, then it is my dearest wish that you love
the person you consider worthy of such a gift."
"What?" Kurogane asked sarcastically. "Royal seed?'
"No," Kusanagi replied very seriously. "Your love. That is the gift one should
give with one's virginity. People tend to lose sight of that. I never
understood why the court held so much stock by this ceremony. You lie with
someone you don't care about and it's as pointless as if you were alone. Lying
with a woman's not going to make you a man, Prince."
Kurogane glanced away from his surrogate father. "I know."
Then he was gone and a few hours later, true to Chitose's word, Tomoyo had come
to see him with Souma in tow. She had walked right up to him and placed the
crown of white roses atop his head. He glanced up at them, then back down at
his little sister.
"Is this your idea of a joke?"
"Nope," she answered with her usual smile. "I made it myself. I remembered that
Fai-kun likes roses. I thought you might want it."
Kurogane studied her smile for a moment. He had never told anyone his feelings
for Fai, and yet Tomoyo somehow always seemed to know what was in his head and
heart. However, he decided to let the comment slide and the two girls settled
in for a visit. They dined on a lunch of berries and rose hip, both girls
teasing him mercilessly about the whole business. Unfortunately, they were
chased away by his next visitor - Chang Ang.
"So," the high priest had begun once the girls were gone. "Tonight you become a
man."
"If you say so," he'd responded, remaining seated and not meeting the old man's
gaze.
"This is no joking matter, Your Highness. It is a very important ceremony. You
must show the people that you are worthy to be their emperor. Your subjects
must know you are a fertile heir who will continue to carry on the royal line
of Nihon."
Honestly, what does sex have to do with my ability to rule? he thought. What he
said was, "And how do you know the woman you've chosen for me is fertile?
Sometimes the fault can lie with the woman."
"Oh, trust me, my Prince. Your teacher has proven herself to be fertile on many
occasions. Tonight is a test for you and you alone."
When Kurogane had not responded, Chang Ang had finally left. His last visitor
had come not long before the rite was to begin - his mother.
He was standing out on his balcony when Amaterasu came up behind him. He showed
no reaction when she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I remember when your father went through this ceremony. We weren't even
engaged back then."
"Was he a virgin?" Kurogane asked, suddenly curious.
"No, actually," she answered with a sad smile. "Back then…he loved a girl named
Shashi. He always told me the two of them were going to run away together. I
was so happy for them."
Kurogane finally turned to look at his mother. He had never heard any of this
before. "So…what happened? Did he just…stop loving her?"
"No. I don't think he ever did."
"Then…why did he marry you?"
"It's…complicated," she finally replied. "I always promised myself I would tell
you when you were old enough, but I just kept putting it off. No time ever
seemed right. I suppose…now is as good a time as any."
"I'm listening."
"You see…back then, I was in love, too. With a girl named Saya Kishu."
"You mean…you were…" he mumbled, hardly able to grasp this new concept.
"Yes," she said laughingly. "I was, and remain to this day, a lover of women.
Saya was so beautiful. I loved her so very much. I thought we were going to be
together forever. But…it wasn't that simple. My father wanted Ashura for me. He
wanted an alliance between the royal house and Ashura's. Ashura was my best
friend. We didn't want to get married. We actually started making plans to run
away together. Just the four of us."
"What happened?" Part of him didn't want to know the ending. This story was
starting to sound all too familiar.
"Before we could escape…my father discovered Saya and I together. He flew into
a terrible rage and stabbed her on the spot."
Kurogane was shocked to see tears in the empress' eyes. He didn't think he had
ever seen her cry.
"It was…awful. He left us there…locked us in. I tried to call for help, but no
one would dare cross him. No one came. I sat against the door, crying out for
someone, anyone, to save her. But there was nothing I could do. She bled to
death in my arms."
The prince reached out and placed a comforting hand on his mother's shoulder.
"I…I'm sorry, Kaa-san." What must it be like to lose someone you love in such a
horrible way?
The empress quickly gathered her composure and continued her story. "Afterward,
when her mother demanded a proper burial for her child, my father refused. He
claimed the reason he'd killed Saya was that she had Fey blood in her. Nihon's
relations with Faerie have historically been shaky, but it was especially bad
during my father's reign. After Saya's murder, he began a campaign to
exterminate all those in Nihon with Fey blood. Many people were killed those
next few years. After Saya, her mother was the first to be killed. You know
Arashi Kishu? Souma's sensei? She was Saya's little sister. She was only a
child when all of this happened. She was only spared because my father was
hesitant about killing children."
"What happened to Shashi?" He was fairly certain he already knew.
"Shashi had some Fey blood in her as well. Ashura's parents didn't know about
their love. When Shashi discovered she was pregnant with his child, Ashura and
I made plans to get her and her family out of Nihon. After Saya's death, I had
sworn to myself I would never love again. As such, I never expected to produce
an heir. I promised Ashura and Shashi that any child of theirs would be the one
to follow me to the throne. But…during their escape, Shashi and her parents
were captured and killed. It broke your father's heart. When he came to me with
the news, I swore I wouldn't let it go on. I was already broken beyond repair.
I couldn't stand to see him in so much pain, too. Dissent was already growing
when my father made the decision to start killing children. When our engagement
was announced, Ashura and I started gathering dissenters to lead a coup against
my father. While your father and I didn't particularly like the idea of
marriage, it was a strong symbol to our followers. The true empress and her
'love' come to free them from oppression. So we pushed for a quick marriage. My
father was surprised but I suppose he was just so happy to finally be getting
his way that he never thought to question our motives. On the night of our
marriage, instead of having a wedding night like most couples, we led a
rebellion. The few who remained loyal to my father quickly joined with us
rather than be slain. I took my father's own sword…and I killed him with
it…just like he'd killed Saya. Your father and I took the throne and
Taishakuten's genocide was forgotten."
Kurogane stared at his mother in shock. He had known she had overthrown his
grandfather, Taishakuten, but the rest of that had been unknown to him.
"So…you never loved my father?"
Amaterasu shook her head. "He was my best friend. We were very fond of each
other. He was my greatest advisor. But love…no. Neither of us could ever
replace what the other had lost. What we could do was join forces to make sure
it never happened again. So I suppose some good did come out of it. If we had
never married, I would not have you or Tomoyo, and I know your father loved you
very much. You have become a very strong young man and you take very good care
of your little sister. I know your father would be very proud of you today. You
know what's meant to happen after I leave, yes?"
"Yeah," he said, turning away from her to take in the scenery one last time.
Amaterasu had to stand on tiptoe to give her son a kiss on the cheek.
"Good luck, Kurogane," she whispered to him before leaving. Kurogane had not
even looked up when the group of seven shrine maids came to collect him. They
led him through the corridors of the castle, a few tossing rose petals before
him as he walked, one playing a flute, another a small drum. Before he could be
taken to the shrine, he had to be taken to the cleansing pool to be bathed in
rose water, to increase his virility, as tradition stated. As the shrine maids
bathed him, his mind kept wandering back to his mother's story and how it
related to him and Fai. Both of his parents had loved someone they could not
have and had married simply out of convenience. Could he ever bear to lose Fai
like that? When the time came, would he be made to choose duty over love?
Once the ritual cleansing was complete, the shrine maids had led him to the
Shrine of the Goddess and left him to wait for the candles to burn out. When at
last he did see the last candle flicker out, part of him was relieved to be
able to move again; the other part was nervous as all hell. He had never done
this before. But worse than the nerves…was the feeling that he was somehow
betraying his love for Fai by taking part in this rite.
But he is not yours to betray, is he? his conscience suddenly chose to remind
him. You never told him how you felt.
Still, he argued back, that doesn't make it feel like any less of a betrayal.
Istilllove him.
Then why are you walking into the shrine? If you love him so much, then tell
him so. Leave this ridiculous ceremony behind and go sweep him off his feet and
straight into bed.
I would…if I thought there was any chance he might return my feelings. Besides,
I'm a prince. My obligations aren't just to myself.
Only once he was past the doors and they were closed behind him did Kurogane's
thoughts return to the present. A very few candles lit the sacred space. A
futon was set up in front of the altar. A woman was laid out on it, a white
veil covering her face. As she sat up, the blanket that covered her slid down
around her waist, revealing her large breasts and flat stomach.
"I am the Goddess given flesh," she said in a sultry voice. "Come to teach her
son the ways of love."
"I am the God in human form," he returned, as tradition dictated he must. "Show
me what it is to love another."
As he knelt in front of the futon, the shrine maid crawled toward him,
revealing that she was completely naked beneath the covers. Not a word was
spoken as she helped him undress. Once that was done, he carefully removed
Tomoyo's wreath himself and set it down on top of his kimono. The maid laid
herself back down on the futon, beckoning him to come to her. Slowly, he lay
down beside her, breathing hard. She removed her veil and leaned forward to
give him a reassuring kiss on the forehead. He could barely make out her face
in the half-light from the candles, but he could see that she had blonde hair.
That would make things easier.
"Don't be afraid," she whispered to him, though it was not part of the ritual.
Then she kissed him on the lips, reaching down between them and giving him a
few strokes to help him get started. He finally moved so that he was straddling
her hips. She took his hands in hers and showed him what to do with them,
showed him how to bring her to climax to make it easier for her. After awhile,
their movements became less awkward and more natural. But as Kurogane entered
her, he couldn't help but imagine that the maid was Fai. It was the only way he
was able to get through it. Instead of her fingers clutching his back as he
moved in her, they were his. Instead of her legs wrapping around his waist,
they became his. The slender neck he was kissing became the idiot's. The
rounded hips he held as he came were not hers, but his.
"You know," she started as he held her afterward. He felt it was the least he
could do. "You're actually not half bad. Just young. Though…your father was a
bit more…experienced when he came to me."
"My father?" he yelped, releasing her.
"Yep, sugar. I'm quite a bit older than I look," she replied. As she rose from
the futon, Kurogane realized who she was.
"Caldina?!" He didn't know the shrine matron all that well, but he had seen her
around. She seemed to have a great deal more personality than many of the other
shrine attendants.
"Good guess, Kurogane-sama," she said with a wink. "The ceremony's over now.
Can I interest you in some wine?"
"More than you can ever know," he said, rubbing his temples in confusion. It
wasn't exactly a pleasant thought to learn that you'd just slept with a woman
who had slept with your father.
"So, Highness, do you feel any different now you've lost your virginity?" she
asked as she approached him with two full goblets of wine.
"Not really," he mumbled, taking the goblet she offered.
"I didn't think you would," she said, sitting back down beside him. "After
lying with me, some boys claim they've crossed over into manhood. But I knew
you would be different."
"How did you know?" he asked, taking a sip of wine.
"I could see it in the way you walked toward me. Some boys are nervous that
they won't be able to perform their first time. Others are overconfident and
just looking to add another woman to their lists of conquests. You weren't any
of those things. I could see it in your eyes. You're in love with someone else,
aren't you?" she asked with a bright smile.
Kurogane nodded hesitantly, staring down into the red liquid in his goblet. He
could just barely make out his tired reflection.
"But you haven't lain with that person yet, have you."
"How would you know?" he growled.
"It shows in the way you carry yourself. I knew you were a virgin the moment I
saw you. But it also shows that you carry a deep love in your heart. I imagine
when you finally take to bed with your precious one it will be an experience
unlike any other," she teased. Kurogane blushed lightly.
"So…can you…will you…" he mumbled, nodding at her stomach. He couldn't bring
himself to say it.
"Get pregnant?" she laughed. "There's a distinct possibility. In fact, it's
probably better for you if you did get me with child. It will prove your
fertility."
"What happens then?"
"It will be killed like all the others," she answered. "My womb is no place for
royal seed."
Kurogane didn't understand how she could be so casual about the whole business.
How many children had she lost to this ritual?
"Have you…ever had any children of your own?"
"Once. A long time ago. Before I became a shrine priestess. I was in love with
a soldier named Lafarga. He was the one I gave my virginity to. My stomach
swelled with his son. We were to be married. But…he died fighting a war in the
south. When my parents learned that my son would be a bastard, they sold me off
to the shrines. They said the only place fit for me was as a glorified whore."
"Do you know what happened to your son?" Kurogane asked absently. Honestly,
he'd had his fill of tragic stories for the day.
"Yes. My parents raised him as their own. I'm told he has a good life. They at
least let him keep the name I gave him…Sorata."
Kurogane very nearly choked on his wine. Caldina was Sorata'smother?!
"All right there, Prince-sama?"
"I-I know Sorata. He's a friend of mine."
Caldina grinned. "I know. He's a good boy, isn't he."
"How old are you, Caldina?" Of course, for asking that question, he got a smack
to the face.
"You should know better than to ask a lady her age, Kurogane-sama."
Nursing his injured cheek, Kurogane thought back to what Caldina had been
saying earlier...about finally taking Fai to his bed.
Are you ready for that?
No. I don't think I am. I want to be able to please him. I don't think what I
learned tonight is good enough.
"Caldina?" he started, finally glancing over at her again. "You've been in this
profession pretty much your entire life?"
"Close to it," she replied absently.
"So you've probably slept with a lot of men."
"That's the theory."
"Do you know anything…about men…together?" he asked awkwardly. Understanding
dawned in her eyes.
"Ah, so you are a lover of men. This precious person of yours must be quite a
beautiful boy to have attracted you. And you want to know how you might
pleasure him."
Kurogane just nodded.
"Well, experienced as I am, I don't know much about the more…exotic forms of
love-making. But I believe there is one who can help you. A woman. She was
quite famous at court in your grandfather's day…but very expensive."
"That's not important."
"She's retired now. Last I heard, she was living somewhere in Piffle Province.
I should warn you, though; she will not come to you. You must go to her."
"Fine, fine," Kurogane responded as he got up off the futon and began to pace.
"It would probably be better for me to do this away from court anyway. But…do
you think you could find her for me? I'll come when you send word. Offer
whatever she asks. I can pay it."
Caldina grinned languidly up at him. "I can do that. I do love a good tryst."
"Can you leave by tomorrow?"
"Sure thing, honey."
"By the way, when the physicians interview you about our night…would you mind
leaving this out?"
"No problem."
                                      XxX
Kotori pulled her blue cloak even more tightly around her shoulders as she and
Fuuma walked through the darkened palace. Most of the noble families were
attending a ball celebrating the coming of the rain season, but the king had
asked her and her brother to come to his chambers tonight for some reason.
No matter how long she had lived there, Kotori had never learned to like the
sithen at night. You honestly never knew what you might meet up with. As
evidence of that, the noble couldn't quite manage to suppress a squeak when she
saw a flash of movement further down the corridor.
Fuuma quickly shushed her up. "It's all right, Sister. It's just little Kero."
"You know, I'd really appreciate it if you'd drop the little," the sun
guardian's squeaky voice sounded as he appeared in front of them.
"In that form? How can I help it?"
"Give it five minutes, pretty boy," the tiny creature growled. But the next
moment, he was snatched out of the air.
"Aww, Kero's so cute when he's angry," Kotori cooed as she cuddled the sun
guardian.
"I give up," he sighed. Then he turned his attention to Fuuma. "Are you sure
you weren't followed?"
"Positive. Now what's so important Uncle needs to sneak away from his own
party?"
"Follow me," was all the tiny guardian said as he disentangled himself from
Kotori's arms and flew away down the corridor. The two royal siblings followed
quickly after him. Just outside of the king's quarters, Kero landed on the
floor and, with a flash of light, blossomed into his true form…a magnificent
winged lion. None who meant to deceive the king could get past him.
"Enter," Clow Reed's voice called through the open door. Fuuma and Kotori both
passed Kero without incident. When they entered their uncle's chambers, they
found that they were mostly unlit as well. Only a few candles were scattered
about the space, giving off weak light. Clow himself was standing out on his
balcony, overlooking the realm of Faerie.
"Uncle," Fuuma began as he and Kotori bowed low. "Why have you summoned us?"
"Do you know…why Yuuko was banished?" he asked without turning to look at them.
"Of course," Fuuma responded, surprised that he was even asking. "She was
banished because she began the Last War."
"That's part of it, yes. I assume you remember that she killed your mother?"
"We could never forget, Uncle," Fuuma responded with a shudder. The events
leading up to the beginning of the Last War had been…horrific.
"Mother!" Fuuma called as he wandered through the corridors, the five-year-old
Kotori pulling him along by the hand. The proud big brother smiled at his baby
sister's antics. He'd been an only child for almost five hundred years and
suddenly this little bird showed up.
"Fuu!" Their father, Ferio Monou called from only a few steps behind them.
"We have to find Mama or I can't show her the flower I found," Kotori said
excitedly. Fuuma didn't show any signs to his baby sister, but he was starting
to get worried. They'd been looking for the princess for several hours with no
sign of her.
"Do you think…maybe she could have gone to see the queen?" he suggested to his
father.
"I hope not," Ferio said worriedly. The queen had been acting strangely as of
late. "But I suppose we could check."
The little family circled back around, heading toward the king and queen's
private quarters. Strangely enough, Kero and Yue were not standing guard
outside, as they usually would have been.
"Hello?" Ferio called out, knocking on the door. A few muffled sounds came from
behind it. "Your Majesty?"
The sound wasn't muffled this time. A man's voice could be heard screaming in
pain. That was too much for Ferio.
"I'm coming in!" he warned, using a powerful spell to blast the door in. Kotori
slipped through before Fuuma could stop her. He would spend the rest of his
life wishing to the Goddess that the child could unsee the things she'd seen in
that room.
"Mama!" Kotori cried joyfully as she burst into the room…but her voice fell
silent after that.
Princess Fuu Monou had been torn to shreds. The shattered pieces of her body
were scattered all over the room. It looked as if it had been painted in her
blood. The only piece that was still recognizable as their mother was the head,
which Yuuko held in her arms.
Kotori passed out on the spot. It saved her life. Fuuma's mind didn't register
it at the time, but Kero and Yue were in the room, too, bound and unconscious.
Seishiro was there as well. The prince was bound in the center of a magic
circle, lying in a pool of his own blood.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, YUUKO?!" his father screamed as he drew his sword.
"No more than I must," she answered as she lay Fuu's mangled head down upon her
son's chest. As the head became soaked with Seishiro's blood, it began to
change. It transformed into a sword black as night. When the transformation was
complete, the prince's eyes flashed open.
"I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!" Ferio screamed in a blind rage, lunging toward the
maddened queen. Unfortunately for him, the Monou lord should have been paying
attention to her son.
The prince sprang to his feet, leaping over the fallen Kotori. If she'd still
been standing, she would have been killed. Instead it was her father's chest
that Seishiro's hand plunged into, pulling out his beating heart.
Had it been anyone else, Lord Ferio Monou would have lived, but Seishiro was
well beyond his own control at this point and the touch of his skin killed the
faerie lord instantly. Then he turned his gaze on Fuuma.
The young faerie stood, rooted to the spot. He was suddenly faced with someone
he'd known his whole life, someone who had been his friend, confidante, and
cousin…someone who clearly did not know him anymore. Seishiro's eyes glowed red
as he surveyed his new prey. This was not the Seishiro that he knew.
"Seishiro!" he screamed, desperately trying to reach him. "It's me! Fuuma!
Don't you recognize me?!"
Fuuma surely would have died then and there had his uncle not arrived on the
scene. Almost before Fuuma was aware of it, Clow was standing in front of him,
blocking Seishiro with his own magic.
"TAKE KOTORI AND GET OUT OF HERE!" he commanded.
"But…Mother…Father…"
"I SAID GO!"
Fuuma shook his head. He had never questioned his uncle again after that night.
He glanced over at his sister and saw tears gathering in her eyes. The incident
had left deep scars on the poor girl. She was sane enough, but the rest of the
court rarely saw that side of her. Fuuma knew that many of the nobles whispered
behind their backs. Many of them wondered if it would not be kinder to just
kill her. Of course, between himself, Kamui, and Subaru, they could usually
keep such rumors from reaching her ears.
"I never understood why…was it just for Assassin's Hand?"
"You never understood why because no one ever knew the whole story except for
Yuuko, myself, and the four masters, and the masters took the secret to the
grave."
"You mean…there's more to it…than just the war?" Fuuma asked as he pulled his
sister into a comforting hug.
"Much more," Clow said, finally turning to face them. "May I assume you have
heard tell…of the Sakurazukamori?"
Fuuma's blood ran cold at the mere mentioning of the name. Who in Faerie hadn't
heard the stories of the ancient evil?
"I thought so," the king said, noting Fuuma's reaction. "What can you tell me
about it?"
"The Sakurazukamori served as the king's right hand before we lived among the
humans. It was the darkest of our ancient powers. One who would possess its
powers had to slay the previous holder in ritual combat. But…when we made
contact with the mortal world, our grandfather, the previous king, Fei-Wang
Reed, made a promise to lock the magic away. Setsuka Ichihara, Yuuko's own
mother, was the last to hold the magic of the Sakurazukamori. She was not
killed. She could not be if the magic was to be defeated. I've heard it said
she was sealed beneath the sithen. Some say that with nothing to destroy in her
prison, that the Sakurazukamori devoured her. When the sealing was finished,
Haruka Doumeki became the first Darkness. To my knowledge, the Sakurazukamori
has been sealed away for the past three thousand years."
"If only it were so," Reed sighed. Fuuma's breath caught in his throat.
"Uncle…what are you saying? How could such a thing have been released without
anyone knowing it?!"
"The Sakurazukamori was released…and it has walked the land for the past
fifteen hundred years."
"But…how?!"
"That was what you witnessed the night your parents were killed. Yuuko
sacrificed your mother's life in order to break the seal and unleash the
Sakurazukamori's power on her own child. Your father was the new
Sakurazukamori's first prey."
"Why?" he whispered. "Why would she do something so horrible? Why would she
free something that destroyed her own mother? And…her own son?"
"She did it…to prevent my father's last curse from coming to pass," he said
sadly.
"Curse? What curse?"
"You know that my father lost his mind near the end of his reign. Do you know
why that was?"
"I've heard stories," Fuuma began slowly. "Some say he couldn't bear taming
Faerie's magic to the hands of the humans any longer. I've heard some say it
was because he lost his wife. I'm really not sure what to think anymore."
"It was a combination of all of it, really," Reed began to explain. "My mother,
Xing Huo, was the one who convinced my father to make peace with the humans. He
loved her very much and would have done anything for her. She only wanted a
peaceful world to pass on to her children. She spent a lot of her time out
among the humans, teaching them the sacred arts: agriculture, language,
science, mathematics, art, religion, all gifts from the Goddess and the
Consort. Many of the images of the Goddess that exist in the mortal world today
bear my mother's face."
"She must have been a truly wonderful queen," Kotori said, her eyes slightly
misty.
"Yes," the king said sadly. "Yes, she was. Everyone loved her. Unfortunately,
all good things must come to an end in their time. As much as he loved my
mother, my father hated having to bend his nearly limitless magic to the mortal
world. They began to fight about it. Their arguments came to a head about two
thousand years ago. Seishiro was only a little baby and Fuu was soon to give
birth to you," he related to Fuuma. "My father felt that the people of Yamato,
the kingdom that would one day become Nihon, were not respectful enough of his
power. He insisted on wiping them out to teach the other kingdoms a lesson. But
my mother would not stand down. To this day, even I am not sure what happened.
The only certain thing is that at the end of the scuffle, my mother was dead
and my father was insane. He claimed that it was man's fault…that the humans
had forced him to kill her, that they had taken her from him. In order to
prevent him from destroying the world of men, Yuuko and I stood against him.
With the help of the four masters we brought his power down to nothing. We
destroyed him."
"Uncle…" Fuuma whispered, shocked.
"As he was dying, he placed a curse on me. He said that just as he had been
made to kill the one he loved most, so, too, would I be slain by the one I
loved most."
"Yuuko," Kotori said sadly.
"Yes. The only ones who knew were those of us who survived the battle: Yuuko,
Fuu, Umi, Hikaru, and myself. None of us ever spoke of it to another soul. I
kept telling Yuuko that it didn't matter, but she wouldn't listen. She kept
trying to come up with a way to escape the curse. She talked about killing
herself, but I made her swear an oath not to. Seishiro needed her. I needed
her. She was my wisest councilor, the best queen Faerie could have hoped for. I
loved her…so much…and for five hundred years, I watched her suffer…slip slowly
into insanity. I had forbidden any soul in Faerie to kill her. I placed a geis
on my own people. However, Yuuko persevered and she eventually thought she'd
found a way."
"The Sakurazukamori," Fuuma said quietly.
"Exactly. She couldn't unleash it upon herself because she'd sworn not to kill
herself. So she convinced Seishiro to do it for her. The Sakurazukamori does
not answer to the laws of Faerie. It is more ancient than even we are. With its
power, Seishiro would be able to break my geis and slay his mother."
"But…didn't she realize what she was doing to him?" Kotori asked.
"I don't think she did. All she could see was a way to finally die. I can only
guess at the horrors Seishiro witnessed…forced to stare into the heart of the
Sakurazukamori. Its symbol was carved into the flesh of his back that night. It
consumed him."
"But if Yuuko had that kind of power all along…why did the Dark Court lose the
war?" Fuuma asked.
"Because Seishiro couldn't be controlled. Those first few hundred years, he
could only be unleashed. There was little point in sending him out to fight if
he made no distinction between ally and enemy. Even now, I don't know what
finally woke him up. Sometimes it almost seems like he's back to his old self.
But…during the war…he was a monster."
"So…Yuuko did all of this…for love?" Fuuma whispered.
Clow just nodded, turning away from his niece and nephew.
"I don't understand," Fuuma started. "If Yuuko loved you so much, why did she
turn against you when the Sakurazukamori was unleashed?"
"It was the final blow in her decent into madness. When she realized what she
had done…to Seishiro, to herself, to me…she went mad. She claimed that she
finally understood what my father had been trying to accomplish. She said the
humans were to blame for everything…that they should be eliminated. She
declared a crusade against the world of men, calling all in Faerie who shared
her beliefs to join with her. And of course, as you may well recall, all of the
tribes of Faerie were still somewhat scattered back then. Many did follow
Yuuko's lead. She used the blade born of Seishiro's blood and Fuu's sacrifice,
Assassin's Hand, as her rallying point. Even though she could not reveal that
she had the Sakurazukamori in her possession, that blade was forged with
Seishiro's blood. As such, it was infused with his magic."
"The power to slay through touch."
"Yes."
"So Yuuko didn't start the war to form her own court, as we were told?"
"No. She always said she did it for us…for our family. She said she would lead
us out in triumph over the humans."
"And the official line to the court was that she was banished for killing
Mother, and for treason?"
"That's so. Neither of us could risk revealing that the Sakurazukamori was
free. When we defeated the Dark Ones and the courts were finally split in two
for good, Yuuko swore she would bide her time, that the Dark Court would lie in
wait until the time was ripe for mankind to fall and all of Faerie could break
free of its shackles. She said when that day came she would 'lead me out of the
darkness' and that I would be ruler of both worlds. She asked me…if I would
kill her then. I told her I wouldn't. I could…never raise a hand against
Yuuko…no matter what she's done."
"And the geis still exists?" Fuuma asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It does," Clow admitted. "I will not…cannot…remove it. Of those of us who have
even the tiniest bit of Fey blood in our veins, only Seishiro or I can kill
her."
"Then why hasn't Seishiro done it yet, if that's what she wants?" he asked.
"For a long time, I imagine it was because there was some part of Seishiro that
resented his mother for forcing him to take on the powers of the
Sakurazukamori. The Sakurazukamori drained all the light out of him. As far as
I can tell, he cares for nothing and no one. The only reason he remains loyal
to Yuuko is because she can keep the monster within him supplied with victims.
More recently, it is because her wish has changed. I believe she still wants to
die…but not before I am slain by her hand."
"Because of Nadeshiko?" Kotori asked.
"Yes."
"There's…one other thing I don't understand," Fuuma began. "The Sakurazukamori
does not answer to the laws of Faerie or its king. Is that right?"
"That's right."
"Why is it that Seishiro never just marched back into Faerie to take the crown
for himself? Wouldn't it be easy for him…if your magic can't keep him out?
What's stopping him?"
"A power just as old as the Sakurazukamori itself. You remember that when Yuuko
left, she kidnapped Yue and imprisoned him in the new dark realm she created?"
Both siblings nodded.
"The powers that created Kero and Yue are just as old as, if not older than,
the Sakurazukamori. They have protected Faerie ever since the days of the
Goddess. They, and they alone, can recognize the true ruler of Faerie. If Yuuko
had forced the Sakurazukamori on anyone else, that someone would have been able
to enter Faerie after being banished without a problem. But Seishiro was my
heir. Now that he is possessed of the Sakurazukamori, neither Yue nor Kero
recognize him as the heir. By extension, Faerie itself does not recognize him
and works to keep him out. They will only recognize the true heir. When the
time comes, my son can challenge the true heir if he wishes, but if they are
somehow both judged worthy, there is only one way to be recognized as the next
king."
"And that is?"
"Provide proof that one or the other can continue the royal blood line."
"One last question," Fuuma said, suddenly sounding angry. "Does Subaru Shiro
know what it is that he's sleeping with?"
Clow shuddered to hear his own son referred to as an 'it', but he really
couldn't begrudge Fuuma his point of view on the whole situation. "No," he
answered hesitantly. "No, I don't believe he does. You may tell him if you
wish. I'll leave the decision to you. You may one day be the one that Seishiro
must challenge, after all."
"You and I both know that isn't so. The one he will challenge is nowhere near
ready to face him. Will you send all of your heirs to the slaughter the same
way you did Seishiro?!"
"You're right," the king said, his shoulders shaking slightly. "I should
have…been able to prevent it."
"I've heard enough," Fuuma muttered angrily before turning on his heels and
stalking out of Clow's chamber. He was practically seeing red. The king had
kept those who would be his heirs alive all this time only to ultimately pit
them against Seishiro? There would be no coming back from such a challenge.
What was the man playing at? Could he just not bear to turn his own child away?
Kotori, on the other hand, remained behind for a brief moment. She went to her
uncle and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Uncle…no matter what happens…it wasn't your fault." Then she was gone.
"So," Kero started as he sauntered into the room. "You finally told them the
truth?"
"They had a right to know. I'm the reason their parents are dead. I should have
seen it coming. I should have been able to stop it," the king whispered as he
fell hopelessly to his knees.
"You couldn't have known Yuuko would go to such lengths…not until it was far
too late," the old guardian tried to comfort him.
"When Yuuko killed Fuu…I should have killed her," he said regretfully, allowing
a few tears to slip from his eyes. Even after all these centuries, the pain
still felt so fresh.
"Clow, Yue and I were there, too, and we couldn't stop her. No one could have."
"And they all paid the price: Fuu, Ferio, Seishiro, Yue, Kotori…all of them…and
now, Fai and Yuui will also pay for my mistakes."
Kero rested his large, golden forehead against the king's, gazing directly into
his eyes. "You are not to blame for loving Yuuko."
"Maybe not. But I am to blame for choosing to allow my love for her to take
first place in my heart. If the heir is not ready, as Fuuma believes, then the
world of men will fall. There is little I can do to prevent that."
"But…wasn't that the reason behind linking Valeria and Nihon together through
Prince Kurogane and Princess Yuui?" Kero asked gruffly.
"It was. I was relieved when Sakura gave birth first to a daughter. I meant for
them to become a symbol to their people…something to unite the human kingdoms
against Yuuko. But…something has happened, something I could have never
foreseen. It just goes to show how easily plans can go awry."
"What? What's happened?"
"Kurogane…and Fai…are falling in love."
                                      XxX
"So…why the sudden and unyielding need to travel to Piffle Province?" Kusanagi
asked Kurogane as he rode up beside him. It had taken little more than a week
for Caldina to send word to him. The woman she'd spoken of was charging an arm
and a leg for her services, but it wasn't this that bothered the prince. He
wanted to learn…but at the same time, making a trip for reasons such as his…was
a little embarrassing. He'd told his mother he just wanted to see a few of the
outer provinces. For her part, Amaterasu was just happy he was finally taking
an interest in internal politics, so she'd sent him off with quite a bit of
fanfare. One of his mother's new advisors, some prissy twit named Kyle Rondart,
had expressed suspicion about the trip, but Kurogane really didn't care what he
thought. His type never lasted long anyway. The few guards and servants he'd
brought with him had been fed the official line, but as always, Kusanagi knew
him much too well.
"Oh, you know, just finally taking an interest in affairs of state," he
replied, trying to sound casual.
"Kurogane-sama, you're a terrible liar, you know that?"
"It shows?"
"Prince, I've known you your whole life. I even helped bring you into being. I
like to think I know you a little better than the average servant. You have no
stomach for politics. I don't see why that would change so suddenly."
Know me, do you?
"Did you know that I…prefer men?" he asked hesitantly, glancing over at his
sensei. That was as close as he would come to revealing the true reason for
this excursion.
"I'd guessed at it," he replied with a chuckle. "Most young nobles are excited
to be going through the Awakening Ritual. Not so with you."
"And that doesn't bother you?"
"Not at all. I've known plenty of fine warriors who were lovers of men. It
means nothing. As far as I'm concerned, the Goddess and her Lord do not care
whom you love, so long as your love is pure. And isn't theirs the only judgment
that really matters?"
"I suppose," Kurogane said thoughtfully.
"You never did answer my question. Why are we going to Piffle?"
Kurogane was spared having to invent an answer by the approach of one of his
scouts, Spinel Sun. He had come to Kurogane's guard from one of Nihon's many
southern provinces and his skin was as black as night. He was a small, sinuous
man with eyes like a cat that always seemed to be on watch.
"Majesty, Piffle City is just over the next rise. Shall I ride ahead and alert
Lord Mihara of your coming?"
"No. Set up camp outside the city walls. I don't want anyone making a big fuss
about this visit. If all goes well, I should be finished with my business by
morning and we can be gone by noon tomorrow. Once camp is set up, tell the men
they are free to spend the evening in the city."
"Yes, Sire. As you wish," he said before riding off.
"That's awfully generous of you, Kurogane-sama. I've heard Piffle City is a
sight not to be missed."
"The soldiers may do what they like. So long as they keep my mother's good name
in mind, it doesn't concern me. I just want them out of the way tonight,"
Kurogane explained sternly.
"What exactly is your business here, Highness?"
"My business is my own, sensei," he replied through gritted teeth. Kusanagi
just turned away, trying to hide his smile. He could see the blush on his
student's face.
"As you wish."
                                      XxX
Her name was Ruby Moon, and she was a priest's daughter. Unusual for a
professional courtesan. She looked much younger than the forty years she
admitted to, with luscious red hair, fine bones, and pampered pale skin. She
wore a tunic of fine rose silk that seemed to shimmer as she walked, fastened
by a broach of pure gold. There were gold bangles on her bare white arms and a
small gold ring in her small nose. Her fingernails had been painted with
mother-of-pearl, and there was a jeweled diadem in her hair. She dressed like a
princess. She had done well at her trade.
Her dusky red eyes glittered with amusement and knowing. She looked around the
royal tent, at the diaphanous curtains sewn with gold and silver thread, at the
thick, woolen rugs in gold and blue.
Kurogane stood at the far end of the tent, trying to appear at his ease, though
his emotions were a churning, tangled mess. He was acutely aware of the
disparity in his experience and this woman's.
This courtesan has more the bearing of royalty thanIdo, he thought grudgingly.
"They say you were a courtesan for many years," he said to the woman.
Ruby's deep red eyes flashed. "The best there is. I am retired now, though."
"In some luxury, they tell me. Did Caldina tell you why I asked to see you?"
"She only said that my services were required. She was very generous, or I
would not have come."
The woman watched him, hands cupped in front of her, one knee bent. She seemed
hardly as intimidated as Kurogane would have liked.
Why would she be? The hunting tent of a boy prince is not the throne room in
Shirasagi.
"How many men have you lain with?"
"I never counted them. One man is much like another."
"Hundreds?"
"Certainly that many," she said with a playful, teasing smile.
"Caldina says that you once commanded a high price in Shirasagi…that you have a
reputation."
The woman only smiled. Such a small and secret smile that it almost aroused
even him.
"For myself, I have never known a man in that way." He waited for some sign of
surprise or shock, but Ruby's expression was unfathomable. "I would like to
know your secrets."
"I can tell them to you in an hour, Majesty. But…"
"But?"
"Their application requires more than simple learning. If you understand."
"Yes, I do understand. That is why I asked Caldina to be so generous. And I
will be more generous still. I wish you to show me."
Ruby tilted her head to one side. "Show you, Majesty?"
"You have not retired entirely from your activities?"
"Indeed, I haven't. I just perform my duties much less frequently."
"Could you be persuaded to return to your previous occupation for an hour?"
"Two hours, Majesty," Ruby corrected him gently, "and that would depend on the
amount of persuasion I was offered."
Kurogane held out a set of earrings, Valerian pearls and fearfully expensive.
"Is the man so displeasing to the eye?" Ruby asked.
"No. If I was any other man, I might ask for him to teach me himself. But
that's not possible."
Ruby took the earrings and cupped them in her palm. "I will perform for you,
Majesty. If that is what you wish. But…for some odd reason, I do not believe
you really would ask this man to teach you."
Kurogane stiffened at the probing tone in her voice. This was what he'd been
waiting for. "What makes you believe that?" he asked stiffly.
"You have someone…specific in mind, don't you?"
"And if I do?'
Ruby laughed. "I just thought you ought to know that you're much easier to read
than you might realize. You are not the typical court politician who comes to
me seeking a good fuck. I imagine you have plenty of willing…instructors at
your fingertips, and yet you come to me in secret. You've got a secret love
somewhere that you desire to please, and you want it to be the greatest
pleasure he's ever known…because you love him, right? What are you, Majesty, a
virgin?"
Kurogane just glared at the woman.
"No," she teased. "Of course you're not. Our little Caldina has seen to that.
Damn it! Why is it so easy for everyone to tell that I'm in love with Fai?!
"It's easy to tell," she began, easily reading the expression on his face,
"Because most people are not in love. It's rather strange to me to see someone
seeking love and not sex. There is a difference. I live in a world of people
who know only sex. I almost wonder what kind of world you see, Majesty. Now
that we are speaking plainly, I'm curious. Is it truly only this boy's pleasure
you seek…or your own?"
Is…is it so wrong to want both?
                                      XxX
The oil lamp flickered, throwing shadows on the silk roof of the tent. A slight
breeze rippled the curtains that divided the room, each of the finest silk, to
deter any insects.
Kurogane sat on a chair behind one of these diaphanous curtains, his presence
concealed by the shadows. The lighting inside had been so arranged that he
could see into the tent but remain an anonymous observer. A brush was gripped
tightly in his hand and a bit of parchment was poised on his lap. He was
determined to learn how to please Fai, as surely as he had learned
swordsmanship and horsemanship from Kusanagi.
He saw the tent flap part. Spinel Sun. A bonus for him, he had been told. A
gift from the prince.
He felt his stomach muscles tighten and it was suddenly hard to breathe. He
wondered at his own reaction. I should gain no pleasure from this, he thought.
This is just a matter of instruction. I'm doing this for Fai.
Ruby lay on a simple futon in a corner of the tent. She wore a short, fringed
tunic that revealed the long line of her thigh muscles, rippling with sweet-
scented oil. She had darkened her lips with a bluish powder to make them appear
fuller and heavier, and had accentuated the corners of her eyes with touches of
vivid vermillion. Her breasts were bare, covered with a transparent gauze veil.
Spinel stepped into the tent, dressed only in a short white tunic. Ruby rose
slowly from the futon. There was a short, murmured conversation. Kurogane
smiled, despite himself. He remembered that the scout was shrewd by nature and
was probably eager to confirm that he was not expected to pay for this.
Satisfied, he reached for her, but she slid away from him. An hourglass had
been set up on a nearby table. Ruby turned it over to set the sand filtering to
the bottom chamber. Spinel stood, eager, but uncertain about his own role.
Ruby took his hand, led him to the futon, and sat him down. Then she took his
head in her hands and kissed him on the lips. Spinel tried to grapple her onto
the futon, but she pulled away, whispering to him to be patient. Then she knelt
between his legs and told him to take off his clothes.
Kurogane felt his fingers tighten around the brush. His mouth was suddenly dry
and he felt a bead of sweat make its way down his spine between his shoulder
blades.
Spinel removed his tunic. He was small, but very well built, his muscles hard
and pronounced. Sweat was dribbling down his face and he looked as if he were
in pain. Kurogane leaned forward, his face touching the silk of the curtain,
straining for a better view in the smoky, lamp-lit gloom.
As if she knew what her pupil was thinking, Ruby moved to the side, the perfect
tutoress, and Kurogane could now see the reason for his guard's agitation. The
courtesan was holding the length of him in scarlet-painted nails, and Kurogane
puffed out his cheeks, repelled and fascinated, amazed that his small guard
could grow so large. Could it ever fit in such a small space without tearing
it?
And now what was she doing?
When he saw, the prince dropped the brush and parchment on the floor, where
they fell soundlessly on the thick rug. That a woman could do that with her
tongue and her mouth! He was not sure if he could ever do it himself. Spinel
was thrashing wildly about, as if he were being whipped. His expression was
that of a man under extreme torture. Yet he had Ruby by her hair now and he
held her there.
I can see why she couldn't make me understand such a thing by telling it. The
woman's hands and her tongue seem to be everywhere at once.
Spinel was groaning aloud, his voice eerily like the chanting the priests made
inside the shrines. Ruby suddenly stood up, turned toward the curtain, looked
directly into the shadows where Kurogane was watching, almost as if she could
see him there. She smiled.
The little bitch is enjoying this, he thought angrily. Like every great
performer, she craves an audience.
She knelt slowly beside the futon once more, where Spinel lay sprawled like a
sacrifice. She leaned over him and kissed him again. Then she stood up and
removed her tunic. She was naked beneath it.
Her body had been carefully oiled and it glinted in the candlelight,
accentuating the sinuous curve of her spine, the rounded swell of her hips. She
let his guard kiss her belly and small breasts. He took a hard, red nipple
between his lips, and she uttered a little cry like a wounded bird.
Kurogane swallowed hard. His hands were shaking. He felt as if he had despoiled
a shrine, was watching something both sacred and profane. It was not as he had
imagined at all, something that could be learned by instruction. He had seen
the mating of horses and cattle, had even had a taste of it himself, and had
imagined it was simply a matter of technique. Yet here he realized there was
something more; a theatre of submission and passion.
There was an urgent warmth in his belly, wetness between his legs. He put a
hand to his mouth, his teeth sunk into the flesh of his palm.
The guard had the courtesan pinned beneath him on the futon, and Ruby writhed
her hips in rhythm with him, her hoarse whispers and sharp cries punctuating
each thrust, scarlet fingernails raked the skin of his back and the clenched
muscles of his buttocks. The courtesan threw her head back, her mouth open. But
then she turned her head to the side and smiled into the shadows. Ruby, for all
her feigned submission, was still in control.
Perfect love, perfect theatre.
Kurogane felt a burning heat in his own loins, a deep ache in his stomach. He
felt physically sick with his own desire. He wasn't sure if he could watch much
more.
Ruby now sat astride her lover, riding him, letting his hands roam across her
oiled body. But she seemed to know the time, for suddenly and without warning
she lifted herself away and held him in her hands as the seed spilled out of
him, onto his belly. He lay gasping, his mouth open, his fists clenched.
She rose from the futon and went to the table to fetch some wine. She tapped
the great hourglass beside the wine flask. The sand had run only half through.
It seemed there was yet more of the performance to come.
Kurogane knew he did not want to see anymore, but he was determined to see this
through and learn all that he could. So he settled down into his chair, his
hand hovering over his own sex, to suffer through the rest of Ruby's
performance.
***** Whole Life Long *****
"Kuro-tan! Kuro-tan! Look at me! I'm all the way on top!"
"I SEE YOU, YOU MORON! GET YOUR SKINNY ASS DOWN HERE BEFORE YOU BREAK YOUR
NECK!"
"Aww, Kuro-rin's worried about me. I'm blushing. See! See how I'm blushing!"
"Higher! Higher, Fai-kun!" Tomoyo cheered.
"Really, Kurogane-kun, it's a simple spell. You don't have to worry about him."
Fai was currently floating just above the tallest tree on Tsubasa Island,
twirling several balls of multi-colored light around his head. The twins had
just turned fifteen and the friends had decided to spend the day on Tsubasa
Island to celebrate. Plus, it had been excellent practice for Fai and Yuui to
levitate all of their picnic items across the lake to the island. Now that
they'd finished lunch, Fai had decided it was the perfect time to show off his
new skills. So there he floated, who knew how high above the ground.
"IDIOT! IF YOU DON'T COME DOWN, I'M COMING UP!" Kurogane yelled furiously,
scrambling up onto the first branch.
"Now how will you reach me, dear Kuro-pyon? You can only go as high as the
tallest branch."
"I'll try," he muttered to himself as he climbed. "I'll never stop trying."
"Aww, isn't Nii-sama sweet? Going after Fai-kun like that?" Tomoyo cooed.
"Kuro-prince is sooooo strong!" Soel sang.
"He'll catch Fai for sure," Larg echoed.
Yuui suddenly got a very devious look on her face. "I think I know a way to
make it even sweeter."
Souma got a very nervous look on her face. "It…it won't hurt them, will it?
This idea of yours?"
"Nope," she said, twirling her fingers lazily through the air. "Not if
Kurogane-kun behaves according to plan. Besides, I'll make sure nothing goes
wrong." All of a sudden, her fingers began to twirl faster and a small spark
appeared between her hands. The spark exploded and the balls of light vanished
from around Fai. He seemed suspended there for a brief moment, a look of
surprise frozen on his face, before he fell.
For Kurogane, it was a moment lasted for an eternity. Once that eternity had
passed, time seemed to move in slow motion as he watched Fai's small, helpless
form plummet toward the ground. The cries of his friends were lost on him. His
senses were suddenly on hyper-alert, all of them focused on Fai. He could hear
the whooshing sound Fai made as he fell. He could clearly see the surprised
fear etched into every aspect of his perfect face. He could smell the wild
roses that Fai always smelt of (he had never realized it before) as he fell
toward him. He could almost feel his spine snap in sympathy as he visualized
the blond's tiny body broken mercilessly against the hard, unfeeling ground. He
could just picture the way his own heart would shatter as the last breath left
those pale lips…
Without wasting a second thought, Kurogane flung himself out of the tree. He
praised heaven as he felt Fai's body smash into his chest, knocking the wind
out of him. He wrapped his arms around him, opening his eyes against the wind
and catching a glimpse of the blond's shocked blue eyes. Good. He could level
with that being the last sight he ever saw. If someone had to die today, at
least it was him and not Fai.
However, instead of feeling the bone-shattering force of the earth at the end
of the fall, Kurogane landed on what felt like a giant cloud. Was he dead
already? Had it happened so fast he hadn't even had time to feel the pain?
"Kuro-rin? KURO-RIN?!" he suddenly heard Fai's panicked voice somewhere above
him. No! The idiot couldn't be dead, too, could he?
"Are...you all right?" he suddenly heard himself asking, still out of breath.
"Are you…hurt?"
"What about you, Kuro-min?"
The confused prince opened his eyes to find Fai sitting on top of him, shaking
him, his eyes bright with fear. It didn't take him long to come to the
conclusion that neither of them was dead. He said nothing, just enjoyed the
feeling of Fai sitting on top of him.
"Goddess damn you, Kuro-woof! You're a great big idiot! You know that?! Yuui
could have saved me on her own! You didn't need to do that!"
But I wanted to.
"That's my line. I just didn't want to listen to your prissy sister complain
about how lazy I am," he replied, realizing that Yuui must have cast some kind
of cushioning spell on the ground before they hit. Immediately, he felt like a
fool for forgetting she could do that. All he'd been able to think about in
that moment was Fai.
Hell's Bells, Kurogane-kun! If you don't kiss him now, I'm really going to-
Yuui's thoughts were cut off by the glare Fai was giving her. Before he had a
chance to accuse her of causing the fall, she turned to the others.
"Souma-chan, Tomoyo? I think I saw a wonderful new patch of blueberries when we
were here last week. Let's go look for them."
"Yay! Blueberries!" Tomoyo cheered, instantly catching onto the ruse and
following Yuui out of the clearing. Larg hopped onto her shoulder and Souma
followed hesitantly a few moments later.
"Hey! Wait!" Kurogane shouted after them.
"We'll come, too," Fai called. Inside, they were both screaming, Don't leave me
alone with him!
"Oh, no you don't!" Yuui shouted back, her voice still echoing, though she was
already out of sight. "Kurogane-kun, you have to stay behind and make sure my
poor brother didn't break anything in that terrible fall. We'll be back soon,
kids. Play nice."
Both boys stared at the spot where the girls had disappeared. After a moment,
Fai's eyes darted around the forest, looking for Soel, but the little creature
had somehow managed to disappear as well. They were completely alone!
"Did you?" Kurogane asked. "Break anything, I mean?"
"How could I have when I have my big, soft Kuro-puppy beneath me?" he teased,
leaning forward and hugging him. When he realized the implications of his
words, he blushed furiously. He was so preoccupied with his own flushed face,
he didn't feel the similar heat rising off of the body beneath him. Kurogane
himself was much too caught up in his own heated blush and the feeling of Fai's
arms around him to notice Fai's blush. After debating with himself for several
bated moments, he awkwardly clamped his own arms around Fai. Both boys turned
even redder, but neither of them realized it. Fai's heart was racing and his
breathing had sped up considerably. He couldn't help but nuzzle his face into
Kurogane's chest. It felt so warm and inviting in his arms. If only he could
stay there forever.
Kurogane swallowed nervously, actively attempting to keep his heart from
beating its way out of his chest. He wanted to keep holding Fai in his arms,
alive, but if he sat likethat much longer, it was going to become a problem. He
could feel the small bottle of rose oil that Ruby had given him practically
burning a hole in his pocket. He could hear her words echoing in his head as
clear as a bell.
"When you finallydoget your little sweet one into bed, you're going to need
this. Trust me."
He carried the small glass bottle with him now like a talisman. Every time he
thought of it he felt like a complete fool. He was being awfully presumptuous
wasn't he? Assuming he would need it? His thoughts were suddenly drawn back
into the present by Fai mumbling into his chest.
"Say what?" he asked.
"You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" Fai repeated, snuggling even closer. "When
you caught me?"
"Nah," he said, nervously kneading his fingers into Fai's back. "I'm harder to
get rid of than that. At least you made the day a little more interesting. But
why didn't you listen to me? I told you to come down!"
"I…I wanted to show Kuro-pin how strong I am," Fai whispered, clinging to
Kurogane as if he would never let go. "Kuro-prince is such a powerful ninja. I
wanted to prove to him that I'm strong, too."
"Well, you're a dummy," he whispered into Fai's hair.
"But…it's who I am, Kuro-pon," Fai murmured, glancing up at him.
"I know that. But you don't need to risk your neck to prove your own strength.
I don't hold your Fey blood against you. You know that, don't you?" he asked,
holding the blond at arm's length.
"I know…but, Kuro-puu, it's not just that. I…I…" he started to stutter,
hesitantly placing his hands on Kurogane's shoulders. He could hear his blood
pounding in his ears.
"Yes?" Kurogane asked. He could feel his hands start to shake as they held Fai.
Oh, God, he didn't notice, did he?!
"I…I…"
I love you. I love you so much, but I just don't deserve you! You're a prince,
Kuro-chan! I'm nothing but a half-blood peasant boy! You deserve so much better
than me! You deserve a wonderful girl with noble blood who can be a councilor
and friend to you. Someone who will love you and bear your children for you. I
wish to Goddess I could be with you forever. I want to know what it feels like
to kiss your lips, to hold you close and know you're mine. But I know I can
never cross that line. I love you with all my heart…and I can never have you!
"Fai?" he suddenly heard Kurogane's voice. Their faces were mere inches apart.
"No," he whispered through dry lips.
"N-no?"
Fai didn't look to see the devastation in his friend's eyes. Almost before
either was aware of it, Fai was off of Kurogane and running off into the
forest, tears streaming down his face. Kurogane was after him just as fast.
"Fai!" he screamed after him. But the blond was much too fast and quickly
disappeared into the foliage.
"FAI!"
He was...crying. Why?
"What happened?!" Soel demanded, appearing on the prince's shoulder out of
nowhere.
"Fai's gone!" he answered tersely.
"Gone?!" Soel panicked. "Where did he go?!"
"I don't know! Find the others! Help me look!"
As Soel flew off to find the others, Kurogane continued his desperate search.
"FAI!"
Fai could still hear Kurogane's voice from where he lay facedown on the shore
of the island.
"I can't," he sobbed into the sand. "I'm too scared to ask."
Just as he was about to surrender himself to a fresh wave of tears, the boy
heard a sound. The others hadn't found him already, had they?
Fai glanced toward the shore of the lake…and saw a sight that caused his heart
to leap into his throat.
                                      XxX
Doumeki's expression did not change as he surveyed the two horses tethered to
the tree. They were both truly magnificent animals, especially the black
stallion.
"You've raced the winds, haven't you?" he whispered to the stallion, running
his fingers through the powerful creature's mane as he cast a spell of
invisibility over the two. He supposed that Leval would be with them sometimes,
but the white Fey horse was with Himawari today.
"At last we meet," he said, glancing toward the island.
"You know," a cold voice suddenly came from right beside him. "You needn't have
bothered trying to hide them. I could see them perfectly well."
"I'm aware of it," the assassin said calmly as he turned to face the dark
prince. "You are not the one they're meant to be hidden from."
"Expecting more help?" Seishiro asked nonchalantly as he divested himself of
his cloak, revealing that he had Assassin's Hand sheathed securely against his
side. Then he smiled, more to himself than to Doumeki. "No. You couldn't have
any hope left."
"Do you really think we're going to make it easy for you?" Doumeki challenged,
casting aside his own cloak and drawing his bow, fitting it with an arrow
faster than the eye could track.
"I've come for what's mine, nothing more and nothing less," the banished prince
explained, drawing his sword in one fluid motion.
"There's nothing here that belongs to you. Just some innocent children at their
games."
"Oh, I think they're a bit more than children," Seishiro said with a secretive
smile. "And they're in my way."
Doumeki raised an eyebrow. "In your way?"
Seishiro tilted his head curiously to one side. "You don't know? My father made
you give up fifteen years of your life and you don't even know what it is
you're guarding? Fai and Yuui are-"
The dark prince was cut off by a sharp blow to the back of his head. He went
flying through the air, only to land smoothly several feet away. He addressed
his attacker without actually turning to face him.
"You know…don't you, Kimihiro Watanuki?"
"I don't see how it's any of your business," the nature sprite replied as he
massaged his sore wrist, his blue eyes filled with barely contained rage.
"Their existence is an affront to my mother, to my bloodline."
"But you don't care about that, do you? You will not take them away from us! We
intend to give the full eighteen years we promised."
"Fool. Do not stand between me and what I seek. I will win. I will always win."
"As long as they remain on Tsubasa Island, they are safe," Doumeki reminded
him. "You cannot cross Spirit Lake."
"That isn't so, Darkness. I know my own limitations and they do not prevent me
from reaching your precious baggage. While it is true I cannot enter Spirit
Lake, I am free to cross it; and while my own power is nullified here at the
gates of Faerie, I am formidable enough without it, and Assassin's Hand is
still viable no matter what my father's command is."
"We will never allow you to reach them," Doumeki warned.
"There is not a thing you can do to stop me."
Wasting no more words, Seishiro lashed out with his blade. Doumeki leapt high
into the air, firing an arrow as he moved. The projectile flew true, striking
the dark faerie in the heart. He did not so much as blink.
"After so many years, your chest must be empty," the archer remarked as he drew
another arrow.
"It is more full than you will ever know, Darkness," he said, turning and
catching Doumeki in the shoulder with the blade. The weather sprite could not
manage to suppress a cry of pain as he felt the dark sword's power course in
through the wound.
"With what?! Hate?! Anger?! Greed?!" Watanuki shouted, not bothering to
disguise his worry for Doumeki's wound as the taller faerie collapsed to his
knees. Assassin's Hand was a different type of magic altogether. A nick like
that wouldn't kill him, but if he was stabbed somewhere vital…he would die.
As Seishiro moved in on the downed assassin, Watanuki summoned up his own
magic. Tree roots shot up from the earth, imprisoning the prince in their
embrace. They did not hold him long, but Watanuki was only trying to buy enough
time for Doumeki to regain control. As the two battled, Doumeki was working to
counteract the sword's magic with his own unique brand of half light and half
dark. As he worked, he happened to glance toward the island…and see Fai
standing, defenseless, on the shore. Their eyes locked for a brief instant…and
the boy made a beeline for the lake.
"FAI! NO!" he shouted desperately. "DON'T COME OUT HERE!"
That moment of distraction was all it took. Several things happened at once.
When he heard Doumeki's cry, Seishiro glanced toward the defenseless prince and
smiled lasciviously to himself before delivering a vicious slash to Watanuki's
side. His cry alerted Doumeki to his own peril and he turned to see the dark
prince swooping toward him. The next moment, something heavy smashed into him
and he heard a scream of terrible pain…and the feeling of warm blood splashing
onto his face. Before he could gather his wits enough to figure out what was
going on, Seishiro was lifting him up by the collar of his tunic.
"Fine," he hissed amusedly in his face as he licked some of the blood off.
"Have your little bitch. I care not." Then the dark faerie threw him down on
top of something that was warm and barely breathing.
It was Watanuki. The right half of his face had been destroyed and a slash
wound in his left side was bleeding uncontrollably. His remaining eye focused
itself on Doumeki.
"F-Fai…y-you…have to-"
Then he was gone.
"KIMIHIRO!" He could hardly believe that the voice that cried out in such
anguish was his own. But his attention was divided by yet another scream.
"NO!"
Again, he looked to Tsubasa Island. Fai was standing, frozen to the spot, as
Seishiro swept across the lake toward him. Yuui was the one who had screamed.
She, the Mokona, and two other girls had just burst out of the forest a good
thirty feet from where Fai stood. They would never reach him in time!
Fai couldn't move. He had just seen Watanuki and Doumeki cut down like wheat
beneath a sickle. He'd left his bow back with their other things. What could he
do against this thing? It was above him in moments, sweeping down to cleave his
skull in two.
I never told him. I never told him how much I-
But just as the sword was about to complete the attack and end his short life,
something big and black was standing directly in front of him and the clash of
swords could be heard. The scene quickly came together in Fai's mind and he
realized that Kurogane had thrown himself between him and his attacker at the
last possible moment. The prince's arms shook with the effort of holding back
the assailant's blow.
"RUN!" Kurogane screamed at him as the faerie drew back for another attack.
"RUN!"
Fai shook his head. "What about you?" he whispered breathlessly.
"I'M FINE!" he shouted, warding off another blow. "IT'S YOU HE WANTS! RUN, DAMN
YOU!"
Fai was about to protest when he suddenly felt arms around him, dragging him
back into the woods. Yuui and Souma.
"NO! LET ME GO!" he screamed, fighting to escape them. "KUROGANE NEEDS HELP!"
"Fai-kun," Tomoyo's soothing voice was suddenly whispering in his ear. "You
have no weapon. He did that for you. Nii-sama is much more vulnerable when
you're there with him. Honor his decision to fight for you. Trust him."
The others watched anxiously as Kurogane grappled with the dark faerie. It soon
became apparent to all of them that his opponent was just toying with him.
Kurogane realized this and, instead of getting angry as he normally would have,
he felt fear fill his gut. There was nothing standing between Fai and this
creature…nothing at all.
"You want him?" he challenged, barely able to keep up the maneuverability to
block his opponent's fast moves. "Then you're taking him over my dead body!"
The dark faerie gave him a cruel smile. "If you insist." Then he brought the
sword up faster than the human eye could track and slapped Kurogane hard across
the face with the flat of the blade. The only thing he could hear as the world
spun before his eyes was Fai screaming. He hit the sand without a sound. The
god damn world just wouldn't stop spinning.
"KURO-SAMA!" Fai tried to run to him, but stopped in his tracks when he saw the
dark sword move again.
"F-Fai," he tried to whisper back, figuring it would be the last word he ever
spoke when he felt the enemy's blade, cold against his neck. This weapon defied
all logic. It felt like ice against his throat. He could almost swear he felt
its very essence seeping into his body. The blade itself seemed to swallow even
the sun's rays. It was like a slash of darkness in the afternoon light.
"However," he suddenly heard the silky, cold voice of his opponent, "my
intention was not for you to die, young prince. You have a lot of spirit. I
will grant you that…challenging that which is older than even the ground on
which you lay…and a great deal more powerful. You knew you could not defeat me,
and yet you threw yourself in the path of my blade just the same. Why? Was it
for him?" the faerie asked, kneeling down beside him. "Because you love him?"
he whispered.
"That's…none…of your…Consort damn…business!" he hissed.
"My, but we are a feisty human, aren't we? From one prince to another, I can't
say I blame you. Your little toy is quite a catch."
The faerie's lewd comment about Fai was not quite enough to drive the shock
from Kurogane's face. Prince? He could only be…Seishiro, prince of the Dark
Court…son of the one who killed his father!
"What do you want with Fai?" he asked, lucidity returning to him for a few
brief moments. He had already lost his father to the Dark Court. He wouldn't
let them take Fai away, too.
"Ah, that. Well, between you and me, I suppose I should want him dead."
Kurogane lashed out at him, even though his head was still reeling and his body
was freezing cold.
"You…will never…touch him!" he hissed, though his head was spinning worse than
ever. Seishiro laughed.
"Are you threatening me, little prince? That's cute. Though, again, I suppose I
can't blame you. I'd threaten anyone who dared to touch my things."
"He's…not mine," the downed prince muttered, the admission causing his chest to
hurt just as much as his head.
"Really?" Seishiro asked, raising a curious eyebrow. "Clearly you would like
him to be. A word of advice, little one…what you will not let go of, no one
will take from you. You should pay closer attention to your pretty angel. If
you let go of him, even for a moment, you will lose him…forever. I suppose I
can forgive you this one lapse. For today, I will let you go. But the next time
I see you, you'd better be holding onto him." The dark prince gave him an
amiable smile before leaping high into the air and bounding away across the
lake and into the forest.
What did he mean? Holding onto him?
"KURO-TAN!" he heard Fai's cry as the world returned to some semblance of real
time. The next thing he knew, Fai was kneeling over him, cradling his head in
his lap. "Kuro-sama! Are you all right? He didn't hurt you, did he? You are
hurt! You shouldn't have done it!"
" 'm cold," he mumbled as he tried to suppress a shiver. Fai immediately
wrapped his arms around him.
"Don't worry, Kuro-puppy. I'll keep you warm," he whispered into his dark hair.
"I'll never tease you or make you eat sweets again. Just, please…don't die."
Kurogane wasn't quite coherent enough to take the words to heart.
"There isn't a scratch on him," Souma declared, sounding somewhat confused. The
next thing Kurogane was aware of was a warm, furry something next to his head.
"Thank you, Prince Kurogane-sama," a tiny voice whispered in his ear. Soel?
As the group fussed over Kurogane, Doumeki suddenly appeared in their midst
with a bloody something slung over his shoulder.
"WATANUKI!" Yuui screamed, running toward her guardians. "Is he-"
"He's alive," Doumeki muttered tersely. "But not for much longer. We have to
hurry." He blinked once and all of their gear appeared on the beach. He blinked
again and they were no longer standing on Tsubasa Island, but back on the
opposite shore of the lake.
"Where are our horses?" Souma asked, sounding a bit panicky. Again, Doumeki
blinked and Suwa and Kendappa appeared. Fai was barely conscious of any of
this. He was desperately trying to keep Kurogane from slipping away.
"Kuro-rin, listen to me! You can't fall asleep. This is faerie magic…dark
magic! If you fall asleep now, you might not wake up!"
" 'm still here," he murmured sleepily. "Won't…let him…touch you…ever."
"Kuro-pin, I'm fine! Please! We need to worry about you right now."
"Doumeki, please!" Yuui begged her tallest guardian. "You've got to do
something! He's dying!"
"He's not," he said, not bothering to set Watanuki down as he knelt beside
Kurogane and Fai. "The blade didn't pierce him. No human could have any hope of
surviving that. It only touched his skin. He'll keep breathing, but the sword's
magic is casting his mind into a cold stillness. If it continues…he will be
lost."
"Can you…do anything?" Fai whispered, his eyes bright with unshed tears.
Doumeki just nodded and placed a hand on the prince's forehead. With one swift
push, he poured enough of his own light into the boy to keep him from fading.
Red eyes opened and gazed fiercely up at him.
"What does he want with Fai?" he asked weakly. Doumeki shook his head.
"I can only begin to guess. You should take him home now," he said to Tomoyo
and Souma. Between them and the twins, they managed to get Kurogane up onto
Suwa, who remained calm throughout.
"Wait!" Kurogane mumbled, trying to lift his head from where it rested against
Suwa's black mane. "I can't leave…not with that maniac running around! I can't
leave him," he said seriously, staring right at Doumeki.
"Trust me, Kurogane, our home is better protected against dark magic than you
can possibly conceive. There is no safer place for him and his sister. But you
need to get out of here…now."
"How do you know my name?"
"I have my ways."
"Even so," Kurogane said, trying to fight back his weakness. "I'll stay."
Again, Doumeki shook his head. "Listen to me. All of you. I will not tell any
of the other guardians about your meetings. I will not order you to do
anything. I will not forbid Fai and Yuui to see the three of you. I will not
forbid you to come near them. But you should know, as their friends, if you
care about them at all, that it would be best for them if you did not return to
this place."
"But-" Yuui started to protest.
"Yuui!" Tomoyo cried out, running to the other girl and hugging her.
"Doumeki, you can't-" Fai started.
"You're hiding something from us," Kurogane accused, his eyes narrowing as he
finally voiced aloud all of their thoughts.
"Perhaps," Doumeki responded coolly. "But trust me when I say that everything I
have done, everything I do, or will do in the future is for the safety of Fai
and Yuui. I thank you for saving Fai's life when I could not, but you must say
your goodbyes. Whether or not you meet again after today is entirely up to
you."
The five remained silent for a moment, none wanting to look at any of the
others. Their wonderful game was up. They'd been discovered. After today…would
they ever see each other again? Could they bear to be apart?
Yuui was the first to move. She hugged Tomoyo to her and placed a tiny, chaste
kiss on the top of her head. Then she went to Souma and hugged her, too. Tomoyo
went to hug Fai as Yuui moved to Kurogane, taking both of his hands in hers.
She locked eyes with him, trying her hardest to convey her message without
words.
No matter what happens after this moment, I expect you to come back for him.
Once Souma had given Fai a hug, she went and climbed on Suwa behind Kurogane in
order to help him stay on and Yuui helped Tomoyo climb onto Kendappa. Fai was
the last to move toward Kurogane. He took his hand in his, his eyes pleading
with Kurogane to understand him. He would never stop trying to see him. Even if
they could only meet at the border between Celes and Nihon for the rest of
their lives, he would never give up. He was not strong enough to give up
Kurogane. Kurogane, however, was having different thoughts.
I'm…a danger to you? I may not see you again. You have to know what you mean to
me.
Kurogane slowly raised their clasped hands to his face and gently pressed his
lips to the palm of Fai's hand. The blond's eyes widened and his pulse sped up,
but he did not pull away. In fact, he wished he could freeze time and keep the
world forever as it was in this moment.
'I will see you again,' Fai mouthed to him as Kurogane finally pulled himself
away from him. The next moment, the horses were galloping away through the
forest.
"Doumeki," Fai whispered, clenching his hands into fists. "I don't understand."
"There's no time right now," Doumeki replied, his composure hovering on the
edge of breaking as he gathered them all together. "We have to get back."
As the assassin used his magic to transport them all back to the cottage, a
single overwhelming thought pounded through his head and his heart.
I let this happen.
                                      XxX
Doumeki sat, exhausted, beside Watanuki's bed, watching the shorter faerie
sleep. He had worked tirelessly for hours, but he had finally managed to pull
him back from the grave.
When they had first arrived at home, Yuui and Fai had been constantly
underfoot.
"Is there anything we can do?" Yuui'd asked.
"Yes," he answered succinctly as he laid Watanuki out on his bed. "Go upstairs
with Soel and Larg and wait for Kunogi to get back."
The twins had been terrified of his almost anger, but they had eventually
complied, trooping up to their room with tears of worry in their eyes.
Doumeki had poured all of his art into restoring Watanuki's face and his side.
The problem was that the magic of Assassin's Hand was something even he could
not fully combat, so he could not use light magic. It had to be dark magic. It
would mark him forever.
Himawari had, thankfully, not arrived back from her shopping until the worst of
their comrade's injuries had been healed. Doumeki had given her a quick rundown
of the situation as he worked, omitting the parts involving Kurogane and the
others. Himawari listened, then disappeared upstairs to comfort the twins,
leaving the weather sprite to his work. He had not heard from them since.
The one thing Doumeki had been unable to repair was his eye. The eye had been
obliterated by the attack and not even his own magic could fix it. So the last
thing he had done was take half of his own amber left eye and place it into
Watanuki's head, splitting the eye between them. He sealed the spell with a
kiss to the reconstructed eyelid.
"Don't die, damn you," he muttered as he sat down beside the bed. If he died,
Watanuki would take something much more precious than just his eye into the
grave with him.
"How long have you known?" he suddenly heard Fai's voice. Instead of looking at
him, he moved to adjust Watanuki's pillows.
"How are Yuui and Kunogi?" he asked.
"They fell asleep on Yuui's bed awhile ago. Himawari kept talking about making
us some dinner, but we said we weren't hungry." He had tucked his sister and
surrogate mother in himself and tucked Soel in with them next to Larg before
coming down. He had sworn to himself that he would not rest until he found out
what exactly Doumeki knew and how he knew it.
"I've known for almost two years…ever since you threw that birthday party for
Kurogane. He was the one, wasn't he? The one in your heart…when you asked me
what it felt like to be in love?"
Fai nodded. "How?"
"It's a power of mine. I was gifted with the magic of the Dark a long time ago.
If I seek them, I can hear words spoken in the dark from miles away. The dark
of night does not fool my sight. I was keeping an eye on you that night and I
saw all of the friends you and Yuui had made."
"But…you've always told us to stay away from strangers. Why didn't you tell
Watanuki and Himawari?"
Doumeki sighed. "Your whole lives…you two have never known anything but these
four walls and this forest. The three of us…have known a much wider world.
Kunogi and Watanuki liked to imagine we were all enough for each other, but I
knew better. If they had meant you any harm when you first met, however long
ago that was, Soel and Larg would have sensed it immediately. I trust their
judgment when it comes to the two of you. I suppose I kept it to myself for the
same reasons they did. I didn't want to see you deprived of your only friends."
Even though I knew how dangerous it was.
"And…we're still allowed to see them?"
"That…is entirely up to you. You should know that if you continue to involve
him in your life, it will only put him in more danger."
"I don't care," Fai insisted. "Kuro-sama and I can take care of each other."
"Like you did today? Kurogane's sacrifice was noble, but Seishiro could have
killed you both if he'd really wanted to."
Fai hung his head at this. "Doumeki…today, why did that faerie come?"
Doumeki remained silent.
"He was after me, wasn't he?"
The assassin nodded. "You and your sister."
"Why?"
"It's better you don't know. It isn't safe."
"This is my life we're talking about here, Doumeki. Mine and Yuui's. I have a
right to know."
"You're right. You do. Just not yet. When you're eighteen, we'll tell you
everything, not a day before."
"Three years?"
"Yes."
"And I can still see Kuro-chan?"
"Yes, assuming he will consent to see you after what happened today."
Fai fell silent for a moment. Kuro-pan wouldn't turn his back on me…would he?
"Will…Watanuki be okay?" he asked, glancing nervously toward the unmoving
figure on the bed. He was well aware this had happened in defense of his life.
Was it possible to lose his friends and Watanuki?
"He should be."
"He'd want you to get some sleep, you know?"
"Hmm," Doumeki mumbled, turning his attention back to the comatose faerie. They
both knew he was not going to sleep a wink until Watanuki woke up. He didn't
even look up when Fai headed back up to his own room. He didn't have the heart
to tell him his heart's one true desire was already taken…by his own sister.
They were royalty. They had concerns much greater than themselves. When the
time came, those children might not be able to choose love.
"You know, I really do think he'd be able to see me if he worked at it," the
shadow in the corner said with a small laugh.
"He has no reason to think you're there," Doumeki said with a tired smile of
his own.
"You could say something."
"Hmm, yes, that will go over well. 'Fai, Yuui, I'd like you to meet my father.
He's been dropping by every so often over the past fifteen years to check on
you. Did I mention he's been dead for about a thousand years?'"
"Humph. I think I like talking to Kimihiro better. He actually enjoys talking
to me," the shadow replied as it finally took form as his father, Haruka
Doumeki.
Doumeki fell silent at the comment, glancing down at Watanuki's still form.
"What's it like?"
"If you're worried about him dying, don't. You pulled him back in time."
"Who said anything about that? I asked you what it felt like to die."
"I've been dead since the end of the Last War and you're only now getting
around to asking me that? Dying itself is painless. Everything just sort
of…stops. What matters is the manner of death. I suffered a fair bit before
actually dying. Kyle Rondart may be a stuck up upstart, but he's handy enough
with dark magic."
"I know."
"We Fey like to think we're immortal. Some even fancy themselves gods," Haruka
said softly, remembering their previous king. "But we are just as mortal as the
next human. It's just much harder to kill us. I'm…well, not living proof…more
like dead proof of that," he finished with a chuckle.
"There's something…I never understood," Doumeki said slowly, not looking up at
his father. "You were the first Darkness. How did you reconcile what you were?"
Like Watanuki, Haruka Doumeki had been a spirit of nature. He was born to bring
life to that which was barren…and yet he was the first chosen to receive the
mark of the blood spiller. Doumeki himself was much the same. As a spirit of
the weather, he was also, by birth, a life giver. And yet, upon his father's
death, he had been chosen as the new Darkness. He had never been able to
reconcile his own brand of magic with the powers that had been bestowed upon
him. Light and darkness existed within him in equal measure.
"I believe…that the powers of the Darkness need to bond with a life giver.
Death does not come from death. Death comes from life. Without life, there can
be no death; and without death, there can be no life. That is the difference
between the Darkness and the Sakurazukamori. The Sakurazukamori was death. A
death giver cannot truly appreciate his gift without the contrast of life
giving. Balance exists within the Darkness. You and I were born with the power
to grant life, which is why we can fully appreciate the power of what we hold.
It is a gift of great power coupled with a healthy respect for what that power
can do. Does that help at all?"
Doumeki said nothing as he continued to stare down at Watanuki.
"Shizuka," Haruka half-reprimanded him, "if you did not have your dark
magic…you would not have been able to save him. Aren't you even the least bit
grateful for it?"
"The question is," the assassin began softly. "Whether or not he will be
grateful to live with only half a face?"
                                      XxX
He wasn't certain how long he drifted in that static space between waking and
dreaming, but as he finally started to lean toward waking, he began to feel
different. His face felt different. It wasn't as if he could feel a physical
difference, it just felt…off somehow.
"You awake?"
He slowly blinked his eyes open and found the owner of the voice sitting beside
him…the weather sprite…his friend practically from the moment he was born,
though one wouldn't know it to see the way he treated him.
"Sh-Shizuka?" he whispered, his voice strangely hoarse. The next thing he felt
was a warm, tingling pressure against his forehead. Was he…? The next thing he
knew, a fist was colliding with the left side of his face.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"
"Shh. It's late. You'll wake the others."
At the mentioning of the others, Watanuki suddenly remembered why he'd been out
cold.
"Fai! Yuui! What happened?! Are they all right?!"
"They're both fine."
"You mean…you defeated Seishiro?"
"No. He just…left. He spared them," Doumeki said. It was essentially true,
after all. "He was just toying with us."
"How are they?" he asked, glancing toward the door.
"They're getting suspicious. I promised Fai we'd tell them everything when they
turn eighteen."
"It's not like we have a choice," he muttered, allowing a note of bitterness to
creep into his voice. May as well tell them we've lied to them for eighteen
years before selling them down the river into a life of political servitude.
"But seriously, what was that punch for? I was injured, you know? If you don't
have me around, how do you expect to feed yourselves?"
"It was because you were injured," Doumeki replied, a trace of annoyance
evident in his voice. "Why did you do it?"
"What?"
"Throw yourself between Seishiro and I? You almost got yourself killed."
"What? That matters to you?"
"Yes."
Watanuki was silenced by this. After awhile, he began to mumble, "You saved my
life. I didn't like owing it to you. We're even."
"That's really what you were thinking when you threw yourself on his sword?"
"I didn't think," he muttered, more to himself than to Doumeki.
The taller sprite massaged his temples in exasperation.
"What's going on?"
"What are you tal-"
"Who are Fai and Yuui?! Tell me the truth. Seishiro pulled Assassin's Hand on
us. You almost died. We're all in danger here. I need to know. What does Yuuko
really want with them?"
"Doumeki, we've talked about this."
"No, we haven't. Ten years ago, I promised you I'd wait. I can't wait anymore.
People's lives are in danger. The stakes are too high."
"You'll have to wait. I have orders from the king."
"What good are those orders? Clearly Seishiro knows something about them that I
don't. If it's meant for secrecy, you're keeping secrets from the wrong
people."
"He knows because Yuuko knows. I don't imagine the secret's spread beyond her
top generals. She stands to lose just as much if the secret is revealed too
soon."
"Who do you think I'll tell? If this is such a big secret, who do you think
could possibly pull the information from me?"
Watanuki looked thoughtful for a moment.
"They're my children, too," he added after a heart beat. This finally seemed to
convince the former vizier.
"All right. I'll tell you. But you mustn't tell Himawari anything."
                                      XxX
"He won't eat."
"He hasn't left his room in weeks."
"I don't understand it. The physicians say there's nothing wrong with him."
"But he's so cold…"
"He hasn't spoken a word."
"I don't think he sleeps anymore."
"Maybe he's possessed."
"What if he dies?"
He heard the voices outside his chamber. He could always hear them. Most of the
things they said were true. He'd been cold ever since that day in the forest.
Not even the spark of the sun pendant could warm him anymore. He couldn't
remember the last time he'd eaten anything. He didn't feel hunger anymore, or
thirst, or the need to sleep. All he felt was cold…and a great aching
hollowness in his chest. Every time he remembered the reason for his condition,
a bolt of pain would fill the empty space. He had shut himself up in his
quarters and he hadn't emerged once. He would sit on his balcony and stare off
into the distance toward Celes. The one thing that wasn't true was the bit
about speaking. He still spoke to Tomoyo, but only if she spoke to him first.
He slept very little, but when Tomoyo made him sleep, he dreamt only of that
day.
I can't be near him. The hopeless litany repeated itself in his head over and
over again. I can't be there, even if he needs me.
"Nii-sama?" he suddenly heard a voice behind him. He turned his hollow eyes
back into his room and found his little sister standing in the doorway with a
blanket in one arm and a steaming mug in the other. "It's night. You should
come inside before you catch cold."
Was it night? He hadn't noticed. He stood and moved stiffly toward Tomoyo. She
wrapped the blanket around him and tried to press the cup of tea into his cold
hands, but he wouldn't take it. A bowl of cold miso soup was sitting untouched
on a small table. He walked past it and flopped down on his futon. He and
Tomoyo both knew he would be back out on the balcony within the hour after he
awoke from his nightmares.
He's…crying. Why is he crying? I promised him I would never make him cry.
"Nii-sama, please," Tomoyo begged as she knelt beside him. "You must eat
something. Do you have any idea how awful you look?"
"Does it matter?" he mumbled into his pillow.
"Of course it matters. Do you want to look like a dead man walking when you see
Fai-kun again?"
"I can't see him. Doumeki said he might get hurt."
But Seishiro said that if you let go of him, you'll lose him forever. What did
he mean? I can't go to him. I can't not go to him. I can't…
"It's hurting him more not to see you. I've spoken to Yuui. Do you know what
you're doing to him?"
"Keeping him safe."
"Ridiculous. We've been friends for five years and nothing's ever happened.
You're much stronger together. Apart, you're nothing."
"But Doumeki said-" he started to repeat.
"Who cares what Doumeki said?!" she cried desperately. "You're killing the both
of you. I don't want to see you hurt yourself anymore. He's dying right now! So
are you! I feel your pain and his every night when I go to sleep. It's hurting
Yuui and Souma-chan, too. How do you think all of this makes me feel?"
"Don't you care that Yuui might be hurt if you keep seeing her?" he shot back
as best he could in his malnourished state.
"I care. But I also believe in Yuui. I believe in us…all of us, our friendship.
We can protect each other. You can'tlet this tear us apart."
"You didn't fight Seishiro," he said despairingly. "You didn't see the look in
his eye. If he'd wanted to…he could have killed me. Nothing could have stopped
him. If I don't stay away from Fai…he'll kill him."
"You honestly believe that? Fai-kun hasn't spoken a word since Yuui told him
you weren't coming back. He's not eating either. Are you just going to lie here
and let him die while you die yourself?"
"Maybe…it would be better if I died."
"How can you even saythat?! Fai-kun needs you! Ineed you. Your country needs
you."
"You know, I always thought…that you would make a better ruler."
"Who are you and what have you done with my brother? The Kurogane I know would
never admit defeat like this! He would fight for what he loves!"
"I am fighting. I'm fighting myself. The only thing keeping me here is that I
know that if I go to him, I'll be putting him in danger. So…I'll just stay here
until I rot."
Tomoyo shook her head. "I don't believe what I'm hearing. Yuui was right. The
sword's power is still affecting you. Kurogane, listen to me. You are under a
spell."
"No'm not," he mumbled. Wouldn't he know if he were under a spell?
"Fai-kun wants to help you. He's been coming to the border every day to wait
for you, as weak as he is. He thinks he might know a way to break the spell.
He's waiting there now. You have to go to him."
"Tell him not to waste his time." Fai would get over it fast enough when he
died. He still had Yuui. At least he wouldn't be alone.
"Nii-sama, I really hate to do this to you, but you're not leaving me much of a
choice."
Kurogane glanced up, confused by what she said. Then he felt a sharp jab to the
back of his neck and knew nothing more.
"Sorry, Kurogane, but this is for your own good," Souma said as she rolled him
out of the futon and toward the balcony. "I've got the ropes, Tomoyo-chan. Are
the horses ready?"
"Sorata-san's with them, ready and waiting. He knows how important this is."
                                      XxX
Yuui rubbed Fai's hand reassuringly. The two of them were sitting side by side
beneath the branches of a tree at the edge of Celes. Leval was grazing nearby.
Yuui could see the lights of Shirasagi burning in the distance.
"What if…he doesn't come?" Fai asked nervously. He was noticeably skinnier than
he already had been and his hair was lacking its usual luster. There were dark
circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. He had spoken for the first time in
weeks when they'd reached the border. Small, muttered worries, but they were
still words.
"He'll be here. Tomoyo promised they'd come." She and Tomoyo had been talking
over the last few weeks. All of their plans thus far had failed and now both of
their brothers were miserable. She had run the list of Kurogane's symptoms by
Doumeki and his diagnosis was that he was still suffering from the effects of
the dark sword. Its magic tended to affect one's will. Fai's own condition had
worsened when he'd heard the news. He'd taken to spending his days at the
border, waiting for his best friend to return. At first, only Soel had been
with him, but after a week, Yuui and Larg had started to come with him because
Watanuki and Himawari were worried sick about him. They'd even talked about
locking him in his room and forcing him to eat, but Doumeki had talked them out
of it. He knew the reason for Fai's sickness. He told them it would pass
eventually. But Yuui was no longer content to wait for eventually. She was
tired of waiting for Kurogane to come for her brother. She couldn't bear to
watch him suffer anymore. And since Fai couldn't go to Kurogane, they would
have to bring Kurogane to him. Tomoyo had promised that Kurogane would come
tonight.
"What if he doesn't want to see me?"
"Fai, you can't fathom how much he does want to see you. I'm not going to watch
the two of you beat yourselves up anymore."
"Kuro-prince and Fai will kiss and make up, and Soel and Larg will bring
everyone a big feast," Larg announced proudly.
"Kiss?" Fai whispered bitterly. If only it could be so.
Fai was drawn from his bitter musings by the pounding of hoof beats against the
earth. He looked up and the light of the full moon revealed two horses riding
toward them.
"It's them!" Yuui shouted excitedly. As the riders came closer, the true horror
that had been wrought that day at the lake was revealed. Kurogane rode heavily
in Suwa's saddle with Souma behind him to support him. His skin was pale and
his normally watchful eyes were empty and shadowed. His hands shook and he
could not seem to hold his head up. He was slowly wasting away to nothing.
Where was the proud prince of Nihon they'd known all these years?
"Tomoyo!" Yuui cried joyfully, racing toward Kendappa and pulling the princess
down from the saddle.
"Yuui!" Tomoyo returned the embrace just as enthusiastically.
"It's been so long. You're fourteen now, aren't you?"
"Uh-huh," Tomoyo said with a happy smile. Unfortunately, the two girls were
drawn out of their happy reunion by the sounds of Fai and Souma struggling to
get Kurogane down from Suwa.
"No!" he mumbled, trying to struggle against them but too weak to do so. "Why
did you bring me here?"
"Because we wanted to save your life," Fai whispered to him as he finally fell
from the saddle. He tried to stand on his own feet but couldn't quite manage
it. Fai supported his weight as he lowered him to the ground. Souma backed
away.
"Idiot? No! You shouldn't be here," he cried, his voice containing none of its
usual bite.
"You're cold, Kuro-sama," Fai whispered sadly as he held the once mighty ninja
prince close to his chest. "How did you become so cold?"
"It…hurts…to feel anything else," he moaned weakly, unable to keep his
traitorous hands from clutching desperately at the warm body that held him. He
needed this too much.
"I can make it go away…if you'll let me," he said gently.
"Shouldn't…be here," he tried to repeat. "You're… in danger."
"I'm in no more danger than you are."
In a failed attempt to summon up his usual anger, Kurogane seized Fai's head
and pulled his ear close to his mouth.
"I don't…want to lose you…he said I would…but I…I don't…want to see you get
hurt…either. I'm not…strong enough. How can I…hold onto you…if I have to let
you go?" he whispered deliriously.
"You won't lose me, Kuro-chan," the blonde murmured soothingly. "No matter what
happens, you'll always have me. I'm right here…and I'm not letting go."
With that, the young man placed his lips against the spot on Kurogane's neck
where he knew Seishiro's blade had touched. The skin was as cold as ice but Fai
did not flinch at the contact. Through his magic, he forged a connection
between them. He poured every ounce of love and devotion into that kiss…every
aspect of their shared existence, both good and bad…everything Kurogane had
ever made him feel. In that moment…he gave him everything.
Kurogane felt the heat of that one wish spread through him and begin to warm
him from the inside out. The glooming, despairing fog that had filled his heart
and mind for so many weeks seemed to lift all at once. The color began to
return to his ashen skin and his dull, listless eyes brightened and sharpened
all in an instant.
He's coming back.
Kurogane wanted to say so many things to Fai in that moment, but the first
thing that slipped out of his mouth was, "Why are you holding me?"
Souma blushed. Tomoyo could have slapped her brother. Yuui really did smack her
own face. Those two…
Fai hid the sting of the question well. He smiled brightly, cradling the prince
closer like a little baby. The scene suddenly looked more like a mother and her
naughty child than two best friends standing on the edge of becoming something
much more.
"You've been sick, Kuro-puppy. Fai-kitty used his magic to drive the sickness
away," he meowed playfully.
"Let go!" he snapped, pushing himself out of the shorter's embrace, his face
already flushed with embarrassment. Even as he hit the ground, he was already
mentally thrashing his ass.
Goddess! I'm such a damn fool! Why am I pushing him away…when all I want is to
hold him close and kiss those beautiful eyes and know , beyond doubt, that he's
mine and-
Okay, so maybe it was a bit too much to ask…but it was what he wanted.
Fai, meanwhile, had gotten to his feet, clenching his hands into fists. He
stared resolutely at the ground as his cheeks colored with shame and hurt. But
his smile stayed on.
I knew it! He doesn't want me at all. But…if he wants me to…I'll still smile
this pretty, empty-headed smile for him. If I can bring him even the tiniest
bit of happiness…then it's worth all my pain and suffering. I will always be
his friend . Nothing more…no matter how much it hurts.
"Back to your old self, I see, Kuro-wan-wan. Good. I missed you."
"Yay! Kuro-meanie and Fai kissed and made up and now there will be food for
everyone!" Soel announced. Fai felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest at the
mention of the word 'kiss' and Kurogane didn't quite grasp the significance of
it, having been only semi-conscious when his heart's desire had been so freely
given to him.
Soel opened its mouth wide and a full picnic dinner came flying out. Fai and
Kurogane both fell upon the offering like ravenous wolves. They were oblivious
to the fact, but the three girls were still watching them.
"Honestly, we give them every opportunity! How could they mess that up?" Yuui
hissed with a sigh of frustration.
"We'll just have to keep trying," Tomoyo said with a reassuring smile.
"Otherwise they'll never truly be happy."
Souma remained silent, gently brushing her fingers through Kendappa's mane as
she watched her friends plot. She couldn't help but notice the way their hands
had remained intertwined this whole time.
As the two boys sat together, plowing through the meal, Fai kept saying to
himself, over and over, It's all right. It's fine. I'll be okay so long as I
can still be by his side. I don't want to drive him away. I want to be with him
always…even if it is no closer than a handshake or a small hug.
Whenever he thought Fai wasn't looking, Kurogane would steal glances at his
face. Why? Why was it so hard to tell him how he felt? Perhaps he was afraid of
being dismissed…that he would give him another teasing smile, dismiss his
confession as just another joke, and dance out of his reach once again. Even
so, how could he hold onto Fai without endangering him? The curse might have
been gone, but the dilemma that suddenly filled his life remained. Which way
was right?
As the prince mulled things over, he began to notice something about Fai's
smile. On the surface it looked exactly the same, but beneath that…something
was gone, or something was added. He couldn't tell. What he could see was the
lack of sincerity or anything like true warmth. He felt that tonight, somehow,
he had already lost Fai. Somewhere between his arrival and this moment,
something in him had died, had fallen into darkness and gone someplace far
beyond his power to save him.
He hated that smile.
***** Melody *****
Chapter Notes
     I am so sorry I've gotten behind on this. The real world calls and
     all. I believe I owe you all about six chapters. Let's see how many I
     can get out today.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
She's being held, safe and warm in someone's arms. Strong, soft fingers are
intertwined in her long hair. She can feel warm skin beneath her own
fingertips. There's long, blonde hair in her eyes. She trembles as a tender
kiss is placed on her forehead. The trembling intensifies as those soft lips
hover inches from her own. It takes her a moment to realize they do not have
the barrier of clothing to separate them, and she also realizes she's
completely okay with that. There is nothing wrong with this.
New and wonderful feelings fill her body as the other's lips finally meet
hers…thoughts she has had only once or twice in her young life. A thrill of
delight shoots down her spine. The taste of apples and honey fills her mouth.
An insistent warmth fills the pit of her belly as their two bodies press
together. In this embrace…all is right with the world.
"Tomoyo," a familiar voice whispers in her ear.
"Yuui?" she whispers back. It's not Yuui herself…merely a dream avatar. The
next moment, both Fai and Yuui are standing before her, clothed in robes of
shimmering, royal blue. Their very skin seems to cast off a pale, ethereal
glow. The very next instant the vision melts away to reveal Souma kneeling
before her on a field of battle. The ninja girl takes her hand in both of hers
and places a kiss on the back of it. The very bend of her body screams that
she's in pain.
"Souma-chan?"
"You are my only princess," she says as she climbs to her feet.
"I don't understand."
"My only princess." Then, with a last sad smile, Souma melts away, too.
"SOUMA-CHAN!"
The scenery changes again - a dark, forbidding cavern. Fai and Kurogane are
standing on a bridge that spans a black, bottomless chasm. Actually, the bridge
is more like the edge of a knife than any bridge she's ever seen. One wrong
move and they will both fall to their deaths.
Her brother is holding Fai close, whispering something in his ear. Tomoyo is
standing on one side of the bridge. When she glances to her side, she finds
Yuui and Souma standing there as well. On the other side stands their mother,
and a man and woman she's never seen before. But she can tell just by looking
at them that they are faeries.
The man has dark hair and white robes. His smile is benign, but sad at the same
time. He seems to be surrounded by a fading light. The woman has black hair and
eyes the color of blood. She feels like she's seen those eyes somewhere before,
but she doesn't know where. She is surrounded by a much darker aura, but the
princess can sense a deep ache within her as well.
Fai shakes his head and takes a step back from Kurogane. A great tremor sweeps
the ground and the bridge shakes. It seems it will break at any moment, but
Kurogane remains calm. He reaches out for Fai and cups his face in his hands.
Tomoyo still can't hear their words. Fai looks terrified for a moment, but he
finally nods and moves back into the circle of Kurogane's arms. The prince
gives a rare smile and pulls the younger boy into a tender kiss.
A shriek of rage echoes from the other side of the bridge and the vision
dissolves before she has a chance to see whom it came from.
The new vision is much brighter. She is back in Celes, on the shores of Spirit
Lake. Yuui is…well, not standing before her. She's hovering just above the
surface of the water. A crown of light is settled about her brow and her
stomach is swollen with child. Her eyes have a strangely empty look to them.
"Yuui?" she asks nervously. Then the blonde begins to speak in a voice that's
not her own.
"I am at the beginning as I am at the end. I am the sacred circle, spinner of
the web of space and time. I am the Cosmic "And": life and death, order and
chaos, eternal and finite. I am Earth and all things of it."
It is a voice beyond all imagining, a power stronger than the foundations of
the world itself. In this moment, Tomoyo knows it isn't Yuui before her, but
the Goddess Herself…and instead of feeling humbled, the little princess is
terrified. She falls to her knees, staring directly into the eyes of the Great
Mother.
"Please," she begs. "Give Yuui back to me."
Yuui-who-isn't blinks her eyes…and Tomoyo immediately recognizes her precious
person behind them. She looks scared and confused. She reaches her hands out
toward her, seeking comfort.
"Tomoyo?" she whispers.
"Yuui!" she cries joyfully as she rushes out into the water. A tentative smile
appears on the other girl's face as she, too, starts to move toward her. But
then she stops. Her face looks as though someone has stabbed her through the
heart. Then she is gone, swallowed up by the water.
"YUUI!" she screams. She's about to dive under the water when arms suddenly
wrap around her waist.
"Let me go! I have to save Yuui!"
"You can't save her. No one can save her."
"But…I-I love her," Tomoyo admits. Dream or no dream, it's the first time she's
spoken the words aloud. "There has to be something I can do."
"There is nothing," the woman who holds her says calmly. "She must face her
destiny, the same as the rest of us. But you can be part of that destiny…if you
are brave enough to choose that road."
"What do you mean?" she asks, twisting around. The woman who grabbed her is
very beautiful. Long brown hair flows unbound past her waist and she has the
most beautiful chocolate brown eyes. She is clothed in a dress of flowing
emerald green. She is a faerie.
"Who are you?"
"I am the Lady Kotori Monou. I am like you."
"I know. What were you talking about before?"
"Yuui-chan has a destiny on her heavier than most. You cannot save her from her
fate, but youcanbe part of her destiny. But you must have the courage to take
that step. I don't doubt your heart but there are some who would, some who
would think that you are not worthy of Yuui-chan. Just as they would think that
your brother is not worthy of Fai-kun," she explains sadly.
"What are you talking about? There's no one better for Fai-kun," she insists.
"Beware, little princess. The right to Yuui-chan's heart is of interest to more
people than you might realize. The same goes for the ownership of Fai-kun's
love."
"How can you talk about a person's heart like that? Yuui and Fai-kun aren't
property."
Kotori sighs. "You should know better than anyone that that is how a court
works. Love is a commodity sold to the highest bidder."
Tomoyo turns from the faerie woman. She knows she speaks the truth, but she
hates to face it. "I know. I wish it didn't have to be that way."
Kotori gently takes her face in her hands. "It doesn't have to. You don't have
to play their game. Not if you hold true to each other. The five of you: you,
Kurogane-kun, Fai-kun, Yuui-chan, and Souma-chan. The love you have for each
other can change the future of this world…in fact, it will. All you have to
do…is take her hand."
"Wait. Wha-" Tomoyo stopped talking when she realized she was talking to the
curtains on her canopy and not Lady Kotori Monou.
What did she mean?
"Tomoyo-sama!" she suddenly heard Chitose's voice calling as she opened the
door to her chambers. "Still in bed, Hime? I'm surprised. You're usually up by
now. We must hurry and get you dressed. You don't want to miss the tournament,
do you?"
"No," Tomoyo said absently as she climbed out of her futon. It was Kurogane's
nineteenth birthday and a tournament was being held for all of the ninja
apprentices in his honor. Of course, her brother was the favorite to triumph.
The violet-eyed princess mulled over her dreams as Chitose brought her her
formal robes. She was of the age to start wearing a furisode, advertising that
she was "up for grabs". The Lords were already starting to clamor after her
mother to pair their sons up with her. In truth, the whole business sickened
her. The one who held her heart in her hands could never ask for her hand. She
was a pawn to be sold in marriage at the queen's convenience. But…could that
change?
Could she really alter her own fate? Could she choose to create a new
destiny…with Yuui?
                                      XxX
"Well, my friends, it's been a long day. All of our young ninja have fought
very hard and done great honor to their training, but now…we have come down to
the final match. First, we have a remarkable young woman who defeated many
older competitors to be here this evening. She began training late, but made up
for that with an unparalleled devotion to learning. The Lady Souma Kuzuki!"
Kusanagi announced to the cheering crowd as Souma entered the small arena. She
gave a few small waves to the crowd, but public appearances really weren't her
thing. Instead, she focused her attention on her opponent as he entered from
the opposite side.
"Now, people of Nihon, the challenger. A very skilled young ninja, a master
with a blade, my own student, your prince, who will someday be emperor
here…KUROGANE YOUOU!" Kusanagi grinned as he stepped off of the field.
Kurogane did not acknowledge his adoring public. He was much too intent on the
battle at hand. He had dominated the competition today, only to come up against
his best friend. That did not mean, however, that he was going to hold back.
Their two sensei watched them approach each other from the sidelines.
What do you think, Arashi-san?" Kusanagi asked his rival sensei.
"I think Souma-chan can defeat the prince if she keeps her wits about her. She
has been working very hard of late," Arashi stated impassively.
"Plus, no one who's been trained by my sweet little honey bunch could be beaten
so easily," a new voice put in from somewhere behind them. Arashi did not even
have to turn to see who it was.
"Go away, Sorata."
"Aww, but I wanted to get a good seat to watch the last match," he whined. "And
where better to sit than with the powerful, beautiful Arashi-sensei, whom I
love so very, very much?"
Kusanagi laughed at the man's antics. Arashi just sighed. The guard had been
lusting after her for years. His advances were mostly harmless, just really
annoying most of the time. While the ninja mistress did have a bit of a soft
spot for him, she would never tell him that.
"I just don't understand it, Arashi-san. How can you not fall for a face like
that?" a new voice inquired, referring to the pathetic puppy dog face Sorata
was wearing.
"Hello, Yuzuriha-chan," Arashi greeted, not acknowledging her question. "Come
to watch the match?"
"Of course, sensei. Where better to sit than with this little lover boy?" the
younger woman teased as she wrapped her arms around Kusanagi. The ninja master
grinned, blushing lightly. The two had been "officially" seeing each other for
a few months now. Yuzuriha had had a crush on the older man ever since the day
she had begun ninja training. Kusanagi had tried not to encourage those
feelings, but it hadn't taken him long to notice her in that way as well. The
age difference was at least ten years, but neither cared. The moment she had
finished her training under Arashi, things had started moving and they hadn't
looked back since.
"How many times must I tell you?" Arashi asked with a wry smile. "I'm not your
sensei anymore."
"Sweet, kind, wonderful Yuzuriha-chan!" Sorata implored. "You must tell me your
secrets. How do you get your one perfect mate to fall in love with you?"
"Hush!" Arashi hissed. "The match is beginning."
Kurogane and Souma bowed to each other.
"Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're a girl," he muttered to
her with a grin.
"Yeah? Don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're the prince," she
returned with a teasing smile. Then they separated, drawing their swords and
slowly circling each other.
"Go for it, Souma-chan!" Yuzuriha cheered.
"You can beat her, Kurogane-sama!" Sorata immediately countered. The two sensei
just watched the proceedings impassively. Souma made the first move, testing
the waters with her twin dao, Sumomo and Kotoko. Kurogane blocked the twin
swipes fairly easily. Souma stepped back as they continued their circle. She
made several fancy slashes with Sumomo, trying to draw Kurogane's attention
with it, but the prince knew better. It was a signature move of hers. He kept
his attention on Kotoko, waiting for the strike. Sure enough, it came. Souma
lashed out with Kotoko and he raised Sohi, blocking the swipe, quickly drawing
back and catching a secondary blow from Sumomo. Once she had disengaged, Souma
leapt high into the air and did several backward flips, landing easily on the
roof of the royal dais.
"Go, Souma-chan!" Tomoyo cheered, receiving a severe glare from many of the
other occupants for it…especially Kyle Rondart.
"The Lady Souma is most skilled," the stuck-up councilor noted. "Perhaps she
would make a good wife for the prince?" he suggested to the empress in what was
meant to be a casual voice.
The empress seemed to consider the idea for a moment, but then, somewhere deep
in her memory, a voice called out to her.
Remember the promise you made to your friends.
"She would…if the prince were not already promised to another," she said,
sounding for all the world as if she were struggling to get the words out.
Kyle raised an eyebrow. "Is he now? Why haven't you mentioned this to me
before? I thought we had no secrets," he said suggestively, placing a hand on
the empress' knee. He, of course, already knew whom she spoke of, but it would
be so much more delicious if he could get her to spill her most closely guarded
secret to him.
"An empress may keep her own council if she chooses. You are not entitled to
every thought in Her Majesty's head, Rondart," Lord Kakyo said, barely
containing his anger. Normally he made a point of not attending Souma's
matches, but Kyle had insisted, by order of the empress, of course, that all of
her councilors be present this evening. Tomoyo was on the arm of Master Nokoru,
son of Lord Imonoyama. There were already whispers of a marriage and the
councilors were gathering to observe the two, see if they made a nice match.
Tomoyo herself was miserable, of course, but no one else seemed to notice or
care. Nokoru was nice enough, but she didn't much like the idea of being
married to him. Of course, her mother didn't seem to notice this. Normally her
mother listened to her opinions, but ever since Kyle had shown up about a year
ago, she had spoken less and less. Kyle spoke for her. She had even named him
her official royal consort. Some of the lords were afraid he was making a bid
for the throne. All he needed was to get one child on the empress. In truth,
many of them were expecting to hear news of a pregnancy any day now. It was
plain to be heard that they were together every night, what with all of the
noise Kyle made. But the empress' voice seemed to fade a little more each day.
Tomoyo was not one to hate easily, but she could honestly say she hated the
control that Kyle exerted over her mother. Amaterasu had always been such a
strong woman, but now she was bending over backward for Kyle…in every possible
sense of the words. The princess couldn't stand how overtly sexual Kyle was
with her mother in public, as if he had actually won her. Everyone could see
that the empress was his toy, a prize to show off. Unfortunately, no one could
find any evidence of foul play. As far as anyone could see, the woman was
simply submitting to his will. No one could understand what charm the worm held
for her.
"Of course not, Lord Kuzuki. I would never be so presumptuous as to think so.
It's just that…I have no secrets from her. Amaterasu trusts me explicitly," he
sneered, deliberately sliding his hand from the empress' knee to her inner
thigh.
"And yet you presume to be worthy enough to speak her name?" Kakyo glared.
"It's…all right…Kakyo-san," the empress said, sounding half-asleep.
Kyle smirked. "Heh-heh, Lord Kuzuki, I am miles more worthy than you are. If
Tera makes me worthy, who are you to reject me?"
Everyone seated on the dais went cold at the sound of the nickname. Even Tomoyo
and Nokoru, who had never heard it applied before. They all knew it was the
former emperor's name for the empress. Had she fallen so far that she would
give its use to this wretched slime?
"Please, all of you," Tomoyo broke in calmly. "This day is for my brother. He
has fought hard. Has he not earned your respect these last nineteen years? Does
he not deserve your undivided attention?"
"As you wish, my princess," Kakyo said, trying to contain his anger. "If only
for the sake of the prince."
When the quarreling nobles turned their attention back to the match, they found
that it was still going full swing. Both combatants had made their way back to
the field and were going at each other with everything they had. Kurogane had
just dealt a powerful blow that Souma had just barely managed to catch between
her twin blades. Kurogane made a move as if to pull back and Souma slackened
her grip just a little. That little bit was all Kurogane needed. He thrust
forward again, putting all of his power into a slanted blow and knocking Kotoko
from Souma's grip. The young noble made a move to grab it but Kurogane blocked
her. They stayed locked together like that for several moments, trading furious
blows. The prince finally managed to knock Sumomo from her hand as well but the
girl managed to evade him with a series of nimble back flips. The match was not
over until he touched her skin with his blade.
Souma removed several small shuriken from her belt and threw them toward her
opponent. Kurogane blocked each one with Sohi.
"She's getting desperate," Kusanagi noted.
"Souma-chan still has a few more tricks," Arashi warned him.
Whatever you do, Kurogane-sama, don't let her get behind you.
Souma stood still as Kurogane rushed toward her, sword held high. But when he
came within spitting distance…she vanished. Then the prince felt a sharp jab in
his shoulder blade and his left arm fell, useless, at his side…just as he'd
expected. The second he felt the attack, he spun around, and placed the flat of
his blade against Souma's neck. A moment of silence followed, then…
"PRINCE KUROGANE YOUOU IS THE VICTOR!" Kusanagi shouted to the screaming crowd.
Applause and cheering echoed throughout the grounds. Souma and Kurogane both
smiled wryly as they bowed, first to each other and then to the audience and
the royal dais.
"Good match," Kurogane said, shaking her hand.
"It would have been better if I'd been faster," she muttered, though she was
still smiling.
"You couldn't have beaten me. That's your strongest unarmed move. I saw that
attack coming a mile away. I just let you think you had the upper hand."
"Fooled me good. On the subject of hands, I'm sorry about your arm."
"It's fine. It'll only be useless for another hour," he grumbled.
Tomoyo, meanwhile, was cheering her heart out from up on the dais.
"YAY NII-SAMA! YAY SOUMA-CHAN!"
"You want to go to them, don't you?" the princess suddenly heard a silky voice
from beside her. She turned to see Nokoru smiling sadly at her. "I can't bear
to see a beautiful young lady unhappy. I can tell that the last place in the
world you want to be right now is on my arm. Please, migoto otome, go to your
loved ones."
Tomoyo smiled at the young noble. He was truly a wonderful young man…she just
couldn't bring herself to love him the way she loved Yuui.
"Thank you, Nokoru-san," she whispered to him, giving him a light kiss on the
cheek before practically leaping off of the dais and running out onto the
field.
"Nii-sama! Souma-chan!" she cried as she ran up to them. "You were both
brilliant! I wish that you could have both won."
The three embraced tightly, though Tomoyo was still in her formal robes and
Kurogane and Souma were hot and sweaty from their battle.
"I can't wait to tell the others," Tomoyo squealed excitedly.
"Excellent work…my son."
A hush fell over the crowd as it parted to allow the empress through to the
field. When Amaterasu finally reached her children and Souma, Kurogane bowed
low before his mother.
"My empress, does it please you?" he asked formally. "I have proven my strength
to our people this day."
"I am…most pleased. Rise…Kurogane. I would…speak with you."
A slightly surprised look appeared on Kurogane's face as he climbed to his
feet. What was so important that it could not wait? Now was the time for the
post-tournament festivities to begin.
"As you wish, Kaa-san," he said, sheathing his sword and holding his good arm
out for the empress. She leaned on him and they slowly made their way off of
the field. "What is it you would like to speak to me about?"
Amaterasu leaned heavily into him as they walked. Sometimes she seemed almost
sickly. Away from Kyle, the affects tended to lessen, but she still seemed so
frail, as if she were a woman nearly twice her age.
"You are, doubtless…aware that you are…long since of the age…to marry."
Kurogane stiffened at these words. If there was one thing he did not want to
talk about, it was marriage.
"I'm aware of it."
"You will be…emperor here one day…my child. It is…high time you had a wife."
"This is Kyle's doing, isn't it?" he asked angrily.
"Kyle has nothing…to do with this."
"Well, then," Kurogane started, with a note of bitterness in his voice. "Who
are you considering buying for me?"
"No consideration…Kurogane. All the arrangements are made. You will wed…King
Syaoran's daughter…the princess of Valeria…in two years' time."
Kurogane snickered at this. "Old wives' tales, Kaa-san? Kyle must be getting to
you even more than you realize. Aren't the prince and princess of Valeria just
a myth?"
"Hardly. They are as real…as you or I."
Again, dread started to fill the young prince. "But…surely they must have died
a long time ago…if the stories are true."
"They are very true. They have been…hidden…kept safe…from Yuuko. No one…not
even Sakura-sama and Syaoran-sama…know where they were taken. The princess
will…remain in hiding…until the night of the wedding."
"Where is all of this coming from?" Kurogane asked, anger starting to fill his
voice again.
"This was…always the plan, my son. For…sixteen years. Your marriage to her…will
unite our two kingdoms."
"What if…I don't want to marry her?" he asked, pulling away from his mother and
leaving her to stand on her own. The empress' face turned hard at the
insinuation.
"I'm afraid…you do not have a choice in the matter. It is decided."
"Forgive me, Kaa-san, but marriage to a complete stranger never made anyone in
this empire very happy."
"Your father-"
"No!" he snapped. "I don't want to hear about your tragic love life! You knew
my father! You said he was your best friend. I've never met this girl! I won't
even see her until the night we marry! You expect me to spend my life with
someone I might not even like?"
"I do," his mother said calmly, her eyes seeming to clear for the first time in
many months. "I expect you to do your duty. You are prince of Nihon. Without a
wife, you cannot have an heir. You must have a bride."
Kurogane said nothing. He had always known this to be the case, but he had
always dreaded the day when it would finally happen. He'd been dreading the
announcement of his bride-to-be ever since the moment he had admitted to
himself that he was in love with Fai. He knew they could not be together, but
it hurt just the same.
Fai…he had to see Fai right now. He needed to be with him. No more of this
ridiculous court bullshit! He turned on his heels and ran.
"Kurogane!" his mother screamed after him. "Come back here!"
Kurogane was too angry and upset to be ashamed of his flight. The only thing in
his head was Fai. Almost before he realized it, he was in the stables, bolting
toward Suwa's stall. Souma and Tomoyo were already there. Suwa was saddled and
ready to go.
"Run, Kurogane. Go," Souma told him reassuringly.
"Go to him, Nii-sama," Tomoyo said, handing him the reigns.
Kurogane didn't take the time to question how they knew what he needed. He just
nodded, taking the reigns from his sister and leaping into Suwa's saddle, all
with one arm. Then the horse and rider bolted out of the stable together,
heading for the city gates. When he reached them, he was relieved to find they
were still open. The gates had been left open to allow spectators through to
the tournament. He'd been afraid his mother would order them closed to detain
him. He'd made it in time.
Suwa easily cleared the gate. When Shirasagi was long out of sight and he could
barely see the setting sun over the horizon, only then did Kurogane begin to
feel shame. He had never run away from anything in his life. But…this was
somehow different.
"Fai. Fai will understand," he muttered to himself as Suwa galloped into Celes.
Fai…I need you.
                                      XxX
A sharp cry alerted Yuui that her brother was in trouble. She raced out the
front door with Doumeki hot on her heels. They found Fai collapsed just around
the side of the cottage, his hands clutched to his chest. The basket of dry
laundry he'd been bringing in was spilled out next to him. Soel was hopping
about, fervently demanding to know what was wrong.
"Fai?!" Yuui asked urgently as she knelt next to her twin. "What's the matter?"
He reached out his arms, desperately grabbing onto her shoulders.
"He…he needs me, Yuui," he whispered in her ear. "I have to go to him."
Doumeki just nodded as they helped Fai to his feet. They knew whom he meant.
"Then go. But take your cloak, and Soel goes with you."
"Fine," he consented as the three moved inside. Himawari was waiting in the
kitchen. Watanuki was asleep already.
"What happened?"
"Nothing," Fai replied as he gathered his cloak from the hook beside the door.
Then he went to the pantry and started to gather some food.
"Where are you going?"
"Out," he replied tersely before stepping out the door. Himawari made to follow
him, but Doumeki stopped her.
"Let him go."
"Where's he going?"
"Where he said. Out."
"But…it's night. It's dangerous."
"He'll be fine, Kunogi. Soel's with him. He's a teenage boy. He needs his
space."
"Well…if you're sure-"
"He'll be okay," he repeated one final time before releasing her.
                                      XxX
Kuro-pii? Can you hear me?
Fai?
Meet me at Faerie Falls.
                                      XxX
Fai had been waiting at the base of the falls for only five minutes when
Kurogane came riding toward him. Upon reaching him, the prince half fell out of
the saddle trying to get to Fai. He had a wild, hunted air about him.
"Kuro-tan?" Fai whispered, worry evident in his voice. "What's wrong?"
"I-I just…I-something happened and I…I can't…oh, Consort!" he moaned.
"Hey. Hey. Calm down," Fai said soothingly as he enfolded his friend in a hug,
gently massaging his back. Without thinking, the prince buried his face in
Fai's shoulder, returning the hug easily. "Hold on tight," Fai warned him
before casting a levitation spell. The distraught ninja did as he was told as
the pair floated up through the night air. The next moment they were both
standing on solid ground. Kurogane looked around and found himself standing at
the mouth of a cave. The cave extended far back into the earth, but the front
was lit with balls of soft golden light. Fai had laid out a blanket with food
and drink on it. The smiling blond quickly got him to sit down on the soft blue
quilt.
"Wait a minute. Where's the manjuu?" he asked suspiciously.
"Fooling around back there somewhere," Fai responded, waving his hand toward
the long stone corridor. "Go on. Eat up, Big Puppy. You must be famished."
Kurogane was about to protest when his stomach spoke for him, growling loudly.
He hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. Fai handed him a flask of water as he
sat down beside him. He waited patiently for the ruby-eyed prince to eat and
drink his fill, only occasionally stealing a bite for himself. When Kurogane
had polished off the last of the food, Fai pulled out a small chocolate
cupcake.
"Happy birthday, Kuro-chuu."
"You know I don't like chocolate," he reminded him, even as he took the
confection from him. It was a birthday present, after all.
"But this is dark chocolate, Kuro-woof. I think you'll like it. Just try it,"
Fai encouraged. The prince eyed the cupcake warily before taking a small bite.
He was surprised not to be attacked by the intense sugary sensations that
usually accompanied Fai giving him any type of food. The chocolaty taste was
tempered by a lingering bitterness that he found he actually kind of liked.
"Well?"
"It's good," he admitted grudgingly.
"I knew you'd like it. Watanuki made cupcakes yesterday and Yuui asked him to
make a few with dark chocolate. I guess she knew we'd be needing them." Fai
waited for Kurogane to polish off the cupcake before continuing.
"Tell me what happened, Kuro-min."
Kurogane stilled at the request. In Fai's company, he had actually started to
forget why he had come in the first place. Now it all came rushing back with
painful clarity.
"I'm…betrothed…engaged to be married."
Fai felt his heart twist painfully with grief when he heard the news. Of
course, he had always known it would happen. Kurogane was a prince. He must
have a consort. No matter how much it would hurt him in the end, he knew he
would have to let Kurogane go. Even if he could return his feelings, even if
they could be together, Fai, as a man, could not give Kurogane what he needed.
He would always have to watch him from afar, loving him in secret.
"Say something," Kurogane mumbled, not looking at him. When Fai listened to his
voice, he suddenly realized he was not the only one who was unhappy.
"That's…good news, I guess. But…I can tell by your voice that it isn't.
You…don't want to be married?"
"No!" the young man snarled. "I don't even know this girl! I won't meet her
until the night we marry, two years from now."
"But…Kuro-prince, you do have a responsibility to your people," Fai whispered,
his voice breaking.
"I…I know. But I…I just can't!"
Fai's breath caught in his throat when he heard the protests. "Could it be…that
there is someone else Kuro-rin loves?" he suggested tentatively. He looked away
as Kurogane glanced up at him.
"There is," he said simply, taking Fai's hand in his. Fai's already mangled
heart gave another unbearably painful twist.
"She…she must be a truly wonderful girl…to have attracted the mighty Kuro-
puppy," he whispered, barely managing to hold back the flood of his sorrow.
Kurogane tried to catch a glimpse of his face, but he just turned further away.
Don't you understand? Can't you see? It's you , Fai! You, and only you.
Unfortunately, the other half of his heart, the one that chose fear, called a
little louder.
But you can never love me, can you? You're too beautiful…too wonderful. I'm not
worthy of you. How could you possibly love me? I was such a fool…to think I
could just come here and tell you how I felt and everything would be all right.
It doesn't work like that, does it? I'll just have…to let you go.
"The one I love…is the most wonderful, beautiful person in the world…and I can
never be with that person."
I'm trapped…with no way out.
Fai could feel his heart breaking as he listened to Kurogane speak of his
beloved. He had never heard such warm tenderness in the prince's voice. It was
the truest of true loves. He almost wanted to meet this girl, this bright,
shining creature who was worthy of Kurogane's love…but, at the same time, his
heart knew he could not bear it. Upon seeing their happiness, a part of him
would die. He could only ever be a shadow of what he might have been with
Kurogane.
Fai's eyes opened wide when he felt a hot tear trickle down his face. He
couldn't let Kurogane see! Quickly, he seized the prince in a tight hug.
"You should rest now, Kuro-myuu. You must be exhausted."
Kurogane just nodded. He was too tired and too heartsick to protest. He lay
down on his side, resting his head in Fai's lap and clumsily wrapping his right
arm around the blond's waist.
"Can I…can I stay with you tonight? I don't want to go back," he whispered,
seizing Fai's right hand in his, seeking comfort.
"Yes, Kuro-chii. You can stay here as long as you want," Fai replied, grabbing
at the edges of the quilt and pulling it over Kurogane's body.
"What am I supposed to do?" he mumbled against Fai's stomach, too sad to be
ashamed of his weakness.
"I suppose…you just have to make the best of the time you do have left," he
whispered, running the fingers of his free hand through Kurogane's dark hair
and returning the pressure of his fingers just as fiercely. Kurogane made no
sound or movement as he wept, but Fai could feel the wetness of his tears
soaking through his clothing. He said nothing. More than knowing that Kurogane
loved another, it hurt him to know that he was in pain and he could do nothing
for him. He could not stop the marriage. He could not make certain that his
only love could have his beloved. He could only hold him close and let him cry
when there was no one else to turn to, never letting his own pain show.
Kurogane clung just as tightly to him. He would do what Fai said. He would make
the best of their remaining time together. He would somehow fit a lifetime into
two short years. He could not tell him how he felt, but he could give Fai all
of the tenderness and devotion he'd neglected to give him over the course of
their friendship. And he would personally see to it that his Fai found someone
to love…a kind, beautiful girl who could be truly worthy of his love. No one
could ever be worthy of his beauty, but there had to be someone out there who
would be perfect for the love of his life. Fai would be happy…even if he could
not be. Kurogane smiled to himself, even as he let the tears flow freely down
his face. At least he could dream of a future where Fai was loved and happy.
As he waited for Kurogane to drift off to sleep, Fai leaned his head back
against the wall of the cave and began to sing in a sweet, clear voice.
I keep recalling
How life used to be.
Now and then,
I wonder
Have we changed?
With your hand in mine,
Oh, the moments shine.
Like the pictures
In a storybook,
We will turn the pages,
Sharing pieces of
The memory.
I care for you now
As I did then,
At our beginning,
Our beginning.
Fai sang until he could sing no more, until the pain in his chest forced the
music out of him. When his voice finally failed him, he glanced down and saw
that Kurogane was fast asleep. He had shifted slightly in his dreams, with his
head facing up toward Fai. The distraught blond could clearly see the dried
salty tracks that his tears had scarred his face with. Shaking his head
slightly, he wet his thumb and used it to wipe away the offending marks. As he
worked, his fingers accidentally brushed across Kurogane's lips.
What would it feel like? Just this once. Nobody has to know…not even him.
"Forgive me…Kurogane," he whispered breathlessly as he leaned down close to his
face…and stole a tender, heartbreaking kiss from those warm, full lips. He took
it a step further, trailing another kiss down onto his stubbly jaw…but then he
mentally slapped himself and pulled away, leaving behind a small trail of
saliva in his haste.
"Forgive me…my love! Please, forgive me!" he cried as he finally allowed the
tears to flow from his eyes.
He was never mine to lose. Why regret what could not be? Those warm words…words
of love…those are words he'll never say…not to me…never to me!
"Goddess, I'm a fool!" he sobbed quietly. Silent sobs wracked his body long
into the night. And somewhere far down the corridor, hidden from sight, Soel
watched the scene unfold with tears in its eyes.
                                      XxX
Yuuko was sprawled naked on her bed, nursing a cup of sake. Most queens
probably wouldn't have held official meetings in such a state of dishevelment,
but she was well aware that only one of the four present desired her. That
would be Kyle, and he had been getting plenty and enough from Nihon's empress.
She would never call for him anyway. One was her son. Another, her top general,
hadn't slept with anyone for almost two years now…a new record for him. The
longest Kokuyo had been rumored to be celibate prior to this sudden withdrawal
was about a month. The last…well, she didn't think that Yue was really capable
of desire. She only kept him imprisoned here because she knew it disgusted him
to be made to watch her excesses.
"Things are going well in Nihon, I take it?" she asked Kyle. "I hear
Amaterasu's made you her new royal consort. Tell me, is she pregnant yet?"
"Not yet, my queen," the spy simpered. "But I'm hopeful. I take her to my bed
every night. The moment she is with child I can make a bid for the crown and
strip the prince of his birthright."
"Don't you mean she takes you to her bed?" Kokuyo sneered. "It must have taken
quite a powerful charm to get her to spread her legs foryou."
"Did it ever occur to you that I might be able to seduce a human woman to my
bed without magic?"
"No, actually, it hadn't."
"You're just jealous," Kyle blustered. "Because I shall be ruler of Nihon."
Yuuko smirked to herself as she listened to the general tease her puppet.
Everyone knew, of course, that Kyle had used magic to seduce the queen. It
would certainly be nice if they could push the young Nihon prince aside, but it
wasn't absolutely crucial to the plan. He would die, either way. In fact, Yuuko
was beginning to have doubts about Kyle's fertility. But it would still be oh
so delicious for Amaterasu to die in shame…to wake her from the spell the
moment before she was killed only to realize that she had been conquered and
grown fat with the enemy's child, that she had been the instrument of her son's
death and her empire's fall. It would be so wonderful…the wife of that human
emperor who had dared to defy her…utterly destroyed.
"And you, Kokuyo?" she asked, twitching her hips a little to draw his
attention. When the tactic failed, she pouted to herself. He was keeping
something from her. He would be the one she bedded tonight.
"Syaoran grows nervous, Your Highness. We have burned several of the border
villages. Refugees are pouring into the capital. It will cause problems for
them when we finally make our move," he reported absently. It was true that he
was keeping something from his queen, but it wasn't exactly what she thought.
He was simply meeting up with the same wind sprite he'd been seeing for two
years later on and he wanted to be away from here as soon as possible. The
light faerie drove him crazy. It had been two years and he hadn't even asked
her her name. For a while he hadn't thought it was important. At first, all
he'd wanted was to bed her, but after the first few meetings, it had been more
about…actually enjoying being with her. He kept telling himself he would stop
seeing her, but it just kept happening. Before he knew it, two years had passed
away and he hadn't slept with anyone. It just seemed…less important, somehow.
"Tell me, Seishiro, what are your plans this evening? Do they involve Subaru? I
suppose I can forgive that you haven't killed him yet. He sounds like such an
excellent fuck toy."
"No, Mother, they don't involve Subaru. There will be sex though," he answered
languidly.
"Ooh, can I watch? You never let me watch you and Subaru. You always put up
those nasty barriers," she whined.
"I've told you a thousand times, Mother, if I didn't erect the barriers, Kamui
would never let me get anywhere near Subaru. He still doesn't trust me, you
know. But you can watch tonight if you finish up your own activities on time.
I'm going to give Prince Fai a little sixteenth birthday present."
"Oh?" Yuuko sat up, suddenly curious. "Why now?"
"I'm merely going to claim a pretty toy that someone carelessly left lying
around. I gave a little boy an ultimatum about a year ago and he didn't heed my
warning. Now he must pay the price by forfeiting his prize. To the victor go
the spoils, as they say."
"Well, I hope your labors prove fruitful. I can't believe I didn't think to do
it myself. But you're not to touch Yuui. Are we clear on that point?"
"Crystal, Mother."
"Good. You and Kyle may go."
The two dark faeries bowed and left the royal bedchamber, one growling to
himself, the other smirking.
"Now, Kokuyo," Yuuko whispered, spreading her legs apart none too subtly. "Come
to me."
"Now, my queen?"
"Yes, now," she said with a pout. "You used to like being called to my bed.
What's changed? Have you got a secret lover somewhere?"
Yuuko didn't fail to notice the faint blush on her stud's face.
"Of course not, Highness. I just have…other things on my mind right now. You
wouldn't enjoy me very much."
"Other lays on your mind, you mean," she sniffed. "You always had time for sex
before."
"I…I just-"
"No! No more excuses. Strip!" she ordered. It wasn't that she actually neededto
lie with him. She just wanted to watch him squirm. In moments, he was on top of
her, naked and kissing her neck. "Let's break that irritating fast of yours."
"How can it be that a queen of Faerie has fallen so far?" a cold voice suddenly
knifed through the heat building between them.
"Dribble virtue all you want, Yue. I'm still going to fuck him. You can close
your eyes but you can never close your ears," Yuuko responded without even
turning her attention away from her current lover. Yue was thoroughly chained
to the wall beside her expansive bed and had been so for the past fifteen
hundred years. He had made a lot of noise about it at first, but he had
eventually fallen silent. However, he still felt the need to lecture her on
occasion.
"Why do you keep me here?" he asked for the umpteenth time.
"I've told you before, my little moon brain. When the time comes, you will deem
my son worthy to sit on the throne."
"Never," the moon guardian hissed.
"You will do it. Mm…I will make you," she moaned as Kokuyo worked his way down
her body.
"You were worthy once, Yuuko," Yue said to himself, closing his eyes as the
queen's cries of pleasure filled the room once again.
What happened?
Chapter End Notes
     Lullaby this chapter is 'Our Beginning' from Care Bears II: The Next
     Generation.
***** Sleeping Beauty Fair *****
The twins' sixteenth birthday had been a wonderful event. Watanuki had made all
of their favorite dishes and their guardians had insisted that they not do any
chores. Doumeki had presented them with sleek new bows and Himawari made them
new sable cloaks. Soel and Larg even liberated some of Doumeki's wine store and
the party lasted well into the night. However, it was not merely a birthday
party. It was an attempt by all of them to cheer Fai up. He had been spiraling
ever deeper into depression ever since the night at Faerie Falls. The worst
thing about it was that his smile never faltered. He went about his days, did
his chores, played with Soel, talked with Yuui, lived his life…but beneath his
disarming smile, he was nothing more than a doll going through the motions of
living.
Doumeki and Fai wouldn't tell Yuui what happened that night, but she had
finally managed to drag the information out of Soel about a month ago. They
hadn't seen their friends since, but Yuui had half a mind to kill the Nihon
prince when next she saw him. The next time they were all together, she was
just going to seal the two of them in a cave and not let them out until they
had worked everything out. Damn it, but she was not going to watch her poor
brother suffer anymore! Not when the one he loved so clearly loved him in
return and he refused to see it.
Yuui went to bed that night thinking that she would ask Tomoyo to bring the
others for a small visit tomorrow.
If she had known…if she had only known what was about to happen, she never
would have waited. She would have taken Fai to Kurogane that very night.
As Fai drifted off to sleep in the bed next to hers, his thoughts were as black
as usual. As much as it hurt, he was hoping that maybe he would dream of
Kurogane again. In his dreams, they could be together…even if it was only an
illusion.
But it would not be Kurogane who visited him in his dreams this night.
"Oh, dear. It seems he didn't hold onto you. I warned him."
He's sitting on a large bed in a darkened room. It's cold…so cold.
"Where am I?" he whispers, curling into a ball. "I'm so cold."
"Don't worry, little prince," a chilling voice sounds out of the darkness.
"I'llmake you warm again."
"Who…who are you?" he asks weakly. He can't quite summon the energy to look up.
"I?" the voice asks, chuckling. "I am he to whom you will give all that you
are."
Fai curls even more tightly in on himself when he feels the owner of the voice
crawling onto the bed. He can hardly breathe for his terror. Then he feels a
cold hand running through his hair.
"Look at me," the voice commands.
"No," he whimpers.
"Why not?"
"I'm scared."
"Don't be. Look at me."
Fai finds he cannot resist the voice's command this time. He slowly looks
up…and finds himself staring into a single grey eye.
"It's you," he breathes in horror. "You're the one…from the lake! Seishiro!" He
has to run! He has to escape! Seishiro will kill him! But he can't make his
body move. No matter how hard he tries, his limbs will not obey his commands.
"Don't be scared," he whispers soothingly, taking Fai's face in his hands.
"Relax."
Instantly, his traitorous body harkens to the dark faerie's voice. His limbs go
slack and he ends up sprawled across the bed. Seishiro leans down over him and
places a tender kiss on his lips.
"Your skin is so soft, pretty one," he breathes in his ear.
"What do you want with me?" Fai cries, his mouth dry with terror.
"I want to take full advantage of your beauty, like your friend refused to do.
You are sixteen now. Ripe. The perfect age to be taken to someone's bed," he
replies, trailing heated kisses down the boy's neck. A shiver of disgust runs
through his unresponsive body.
"What are you talking about?"
"I warned the Nihon prince that if he didn't hold onto you, he would lose you.
He let go of you. He had the perfect opportunity to take you for his own and he
let you slip through his fingers. Finders keepers."
"Why would Kurogane want to hold ontome?" Fai asks bitterly. "He's in love with
someone else."
"Mm, poor little boy. You just don't want to see it." Fai's imprisoned between
his legs now. Seishiro suddenly plunges his hand into his pants and seizes his
length, easily ripping his shirt off with his free hand.
"Stop!" Fai shouts as the cold air hits his chest and the cold hand wraps
around him. His body still won't respond.
"All right," Seishiro says silkily as he stands up on the bed, towering over
Fai. "Perhaps you need a moment. I'll undress instead."
Seishiro makes good his word, stripping slowly and allowing Fai's terrified
eyes to take in every detail.
"Tell me, Fai-kun," he starts as he falls upon the boy once again, allowing his
aroused manhood to brush against his pale stomach. "Do you find me sexy?" Then
he takes one of Fai's limp hands and wraps it around his throbbing member,
holding it there, allowing his victim to feel the raw power of the thing. "Do
you want this? Do you want to feel me…inside you…fuckingyou?" He emphasizes the
word 'fucking' by forcing Fai's hand to rub up and down his erect length.
"NO!" he screams in terror, desperately trying to make his body move.
His screams are suddenly muffled as Seishiro thoroughly ravishes his mouth.
When he's finished with his face, he moves slowly down his neck toward his
chest, taking one erect nipple in his mouth and grazing it with his teeth.
NO! I don't want this! Why can't I move? Why is my body reacting to him?
"Please!" he begs. "Please! St-stop!"
"Why? You've dreamed of doing this with Kurogane-kunsomany times. Why not me?
It's true, Fai-kun. I've seen your dreams. I've watched you when you thought
you were alone. I've watched you touch yourself, crying out so desperately for
the one you wish was truly there making love to you. Why not let me be the one
to grant your wish? I'll open you up and make you blossom like the sweet little
flower you are." As he talks, Seishiro languidly trails kisses down his
stomach…right up until Fai's pants block his way. Then he uses his tongue,
stroking the boy's flaccid member through the cloth. Fai feels like he's going
to be sick, even as Seishiro's ministrations force him to grow hard.
"I d-don'twantthis!" Fai cries as tears start to flow down his face. "P-
please…don't do this!"
"Still not resigned to your fate, little Fai-kun? Were you hoping to save
yourself for Kurogane-kun? Most unfortunate. You should have worked harder to
get him to hold onto you. You're mine now." Then he slowly starts to pull Fai's
pants down, stopping just as he's about to lay the poor boy bare. He ravishes
the white skin of his pelvis with his teeth and tongue, leaving behind a ring
of dark purple bruises.
"Stop!" Fai screams. "Dear Goddess! Please stop!" He tries to fight. Sweet
Goddess, he tries, but he cannot move. His body feels like lead.
"Need more time, my pretty little doll? I suppose I can give you a few more
minutes, but I'm not going to wait much longer," he warns, settling Fai's pants
back around his hips. Then he crawls up behind his prone body and lifts his
head so that it rests in his lap…right against his unclothed erection.
"However, you and Iaregoing to have sex tonight whether you like it or not. I'd
much prefer it if you enjoyed it, but I can level with raping you. So you'd
better get used to the idea ofmebeing the one to take your virginity…not him."
Fai can't stop the tears as they flow, hot and fast, down his face. He can no
more stop the tears than he can move his own body. The only thing under his
control is his voice.
"Why?" he whimpers as Seishiro's hand trails down his stomach and back into his
pants, playing with him in his helplessness. "Why m-me?"
"Because you really are quite beautiful. A pretty thing like you should not go
unenjoyed. You are wasted on a mortal oaf like that prince," he replies,
leaning down and kissing his lips, invading his mouth with his tongue,
pillaging every unexplored crevice. When he's finished tongue-fucking him, he
nuzzles his lips right up against his ear. "You're almost as beautiful as
Subaru-kun. No one else will have you. I want this," he purs, giving Fai's
manhood a rough jerk. "You're quite well-endowed for someone so young.
Evenbiggerthan Subaru-kun. I'm almost tempted to let you top. To havethatin
me…" he says matter-of-factly as he destroys the boy's innocence.
Ragged sobs tear loose from Fai's throat as the dark prince continues to stroke
him. Why can't he stop his body's reactions? Does some part of him…want this?
"No!" he screams. "I don't want this!"
"I'm sorry, my darling, but I really can't wait anymore," Seishiro continues as
if Fai hasn't spoken at all. Then he lets Fai's head flop back down on the bed
as he moves back to the area he desires to claim. He swiftly pulls the rest of
his clothing off and tosses it away.
"St-stop," he whimpers. He can feel Seishiro positioning himself. "P-please
stop. Just g-go away."
"But you want this," Seishiro taunts him as he fondles his rear. "Deep down…you
know you do."
Fai screams as he's never screamed in his life when Seishiro tears him open
from behind. His entire existence becomes an unending stream of pain as the
dark faerie moves in him again and again, thrust after thrust.
"AAAAGH!" he screams in pain. "Please! Dear God! Make it stop! STOP!STOP!" No
matter how hard his tormentor slams into him, no matter how much pain he's in,
his body does not yield. It stands firm against the onslaught. Goddess, but he
wishes itwouldbreak. To faint, to sleep, to die…anything to take away the
pain…the hurt…the shame. In his suffering, he screams for help: to the parents
who left him, Watanuki, Himawari, Doumeki, Yuui, Soel, Larg, Tomoyo,
Souma…Kurogane…anyonewho still cares!
"K-Kuro-sama!" he cries out weakly as the tears stream down his face. "S-save
me, Kuro-sama!"
"Youstillwant your Kurogane-kun?" Seishiro taunts, never once lessening his
pace or force. "He's in the next room, you know. We can call him if you
want…but do you really want him to see you like this? Defiled? Deflowered?
Desecrated? Shamed? Sinner and whore that you are? You're clearly not fighting
me. Whatever will he think of you? Do you want him to see how ugly you've
become? Do youreallywant to show him the hideous sin you truly are?"
No sooner do the words leave his mouth than Kurogane is standing in front of
the bed. When he sees what's happening, he takes a step back, his face stricken
with revulsion. Fai weakly reaches a hand out to him.
"Kuro-tan! P-please! This isn't the real me!"
Kurogane shakes his head. "You're disgusting, Fai! You have no shame at all! I
can't stand the sight of you!" he accuses.
A look of pure horror spreads across the defiled blond's face. His hand drops
back to its place on the bed.
"P-please," he begs as fresh tears spatter the sheets beneath him. "Please h-
help me, K-kuro-r-rin. It h-hurts! I'm scared…I'm s-so s-scared!"
"I never want to see you again," Kurogane says calmly, his eyes narrowing in
disgust as he vanishes.
"You see?" Seishiro whispers in his ear. "He can see what you really are. He
doesn't want you. You're mine now."
"NOOO!" the defeated boy screams as his captor finally finishes in him with a
last triumphant cry. After that, his mind shuts down. It's all too much.
                                       X
"What's wrong, Kurogane-kun?" Yuui asks as she and Tomoyo stroll up behind him.
They had been walking in Celes, making plans for an outing, when they'd spotted
the prince standing before a large black door.
Kurogane turns to look at them…and doesn't seem to recognize either of them.
"It won't open."
"Why do you need to open it, Nii-sama?"
"Something's wrong," he mumbles. "Something called me here. I think…Fai's in
danger. The door won't open."
Suddenly growing nervous herself, Yuui moves toward the door. The instant she
places her hand against the black wood, she hears her brother screaming.
"Fai!" she shouts, pounding her fists against the door. "FAI!"
                                       X
Fai is summoned from his haze when he thinks he hears someone calling his name.
As awareness returns, he feels the stickiness of blood and semen on him. His
backside feels as if someone shoved a flaming brand up it. Everything comes
rushing back with painful clarity and he begins to cry again. Then he feels a
pair of arms wrap around him and lift him up. Another small scream escapes his
lips as Seishiro sets him down in his lap. White-hot pain shoots through his
body.
"That's yours, you know," Seishiro mocks, pointing to a spot on the bed. Fai
glances at the spot…and realizes that it's a puddle of his own seed. Even after
all of that, Seishiro had still made him…
"Oh, G-goddess!" he sobs, curling into a ball in Seishiro's arms. "Kuro-min was
r-right. I reallyamd-disgusting!"
"Mm, yes. Yes, you are," Seishiro whispers into his ear as he runs his fingers
through blond hair and presses kisses to the back of his neck. "But you'remine.
With a little more practice, you'll make the perfect pet to adorn my bed with.
Perhaps I could even talk Subaru-kun into a threesome sometime," he adds to
himself.
"K-Kuro-tan!" he sobs helplessly as his heart breaks anew. "Kuro-t-tan!"
"Still hoping for a knight in shining armor to come and rescue you? Who could
ever loveyou? You're nothing, after all. But Iwillkeep you warm if you want. It
can be cold here in the dark. All you have to do…is submit to me, and me
alone."
"Submit?" Fai whispers, staring down at the bruises on his hips.
"Yes. Give your will to me. Be mine…to control…and I will take your pain away
forever."
"I…" Fai starts, but he can't finish. He wants so badly to lose his pain,
but…can he live in a world without his beloved sister, his family, his
friends…without Kurogane? Does it matter now? Kurogane doesn't want to see him
anymore. Will the others turn from him, too, when they see what he's become?
Perhaps it would be better to give himself over to this creature of the
darkness…and fade away into nothingness?
"I'll let you think on it," he says as he stands from the bed, allowing the
boy's wasted body to flop uselessly onto the stained sheets. "The next time you
fall asleep, I will come for you, and I will take you away with me…because
youwillchoose to be my doll. I am your master now."
"M-master?" Fai whispers, uncomprehending.
"Yes," Seishiro explains as he dresses himself. "Your body, your soul, your
heart, your love…you gave everything to me when you let me come inside you.
There is nothing left of you for anyone else to have."
"I…I didn't…"
"Hush, my pretty little whore," the dark prince says, leaning over Fai's
stomach and kissing him lightly on his belly button as he possessively runs a
hand over his limp groin. "You should rest now. You'll need your strength when
you wake…when your life dissolves around you."
Then Seishiro quickly runs his hand through the puddle of Fai's rapidly cooling
semen and disappears…leaving Fai, alone and dying, on his bed.
                                       X
"So tell me, how's that new eye working out for you?"
Watanuki grimaces. As if he doesn't have to deal with this bastard enough when
he's awake.
"It works just fine," he answers civilly. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to tell you that your blue-eyed boy is dead."
Watanuki feels his blood run cold. It…it can't be! He has to be lying. He just
has to be!
"You lie!" he hisses, finally turning to face Seishiro.
"It really depends on how you interpret my words when I say that he's dead. He
still draws breath. This is true. Butheis gone. I took his soul away from him.
No light can reach him where he is. Nothing can bring him back from where I've
sent him. You will never see him smile again."
"What have you done? I swear, Seishiro, if you've hurt Fai-"
"I stole something very precious to him. The innocence in his heart has been
turned to bitter darkness."
"I don't understand."
"His innocence, you fool! I went inside him and I tore it out of him in the
most painful way possible. He's just a broken doll now."
"You can't!" Watanuki shouts. "He's a child!"
"I already have. Prince Fai Fluorite is mine now,"he taunts as he holds his
right hand out toward Watanuki. Fai's moon pendant is clutched there, tarnished
and battered…and the dark faerie's hand is coated with semen. The nature
sprite's breath catches in his throat as he watches Seishiro throw the pendant
down, shattering it into a million pieces against the stone floor.
Watanuki could still hear Seishiro's laughter echoing in his head as he shot up
in bed. To his horror, he found the moon pendant sitting in his lap. He was
already half way up the stairs when he heard a scream of anguish echo from the
twins' room.
"Fai! Fai! Look at me. Please!" he heard Yuui shouting.
"Doumeki! Watanuki! Himawari! HELP! HELP! HELP!" The Mokona cried out together.
The other two guardians were already by his side as he flung the door open. His
voice died in his throat when he saw the scene he'd walked in on. Fai was
curled up in a little ball, cowering on his bed, and Yuui was kneeling beside
him, trying to coax him into looking up.
"Please, Fai…tell me what happened. Let me help you."
"Don't look at me!" the terrified boy shrieked, withdrawing further and further
into himself. "I'm ugly now! I don't want you to see. Ugly, filthy, and
disgusting!" he sobbed pitifully. Yuui reached a hand out toward her brother,
but the second it touched his skin, he slapped it away. "Don't touch me. Please
don't touch me, Yuui! It hurts so much! I don't want you to be ugly, too!"
"Dear Goddess," Himawari whispered in horror.
"Fai-kun? Please…tell us what he did to you," Watanuki said softly, kneeling
beside Fai's bed with trembling hands.
"He sh-showed me what I r-really am!" he sobbed. "I'm a s-slut! I'm h-hideous!
I'm ugly inside! I'm t-trash! I'm a s-sin! I'm unclean! I'm not right! I sh-
should b-be dead!"
"Listen to me, Fai-kun!" Watanuki had to shout to be heard over his surrogate
son's cries of pain and anguish. "You're not like that at all! You're a good
person! Seishiro is the bad one!" He grabbed for Fai's wrists in an attempt to
calm him, but again, the moment he touched his skin, Fai tore himself away.
"NO!" he screamed in agony. "Stay away! I don't want it to hurt anymore! I
can't stand it!"
As he retreated from them once more, his nightshirt fell open, revealing angry
red welts where his nipples should have been.
"Fai!" Soel cried in worry upon spotting the wounds. The teenager tumbled out
of his bed in his quest to escape human contact. Another scream of pain was
torn from his lips when his bottom hit the floor. As he crawled away from them,
he left a trail of red and white. The sheets and his pants were covered in the
stuff…semen and blood.
"Oh, God," Yuui breathed, terrified at the sight.
"It's mine! It's mine!" the incensed blonde shrieked. "He made me do it! He was
right! God, I'm a whore! I'm so awful! I must have wanted it! How could I want
something like that?"
"Fai-kun, you have to listen! It wasn't your fault! He attacked you!"
Fai wasn't listening. He had dragged himself all the way to the window. "I
can't stand it! I can't stand it!" he cried over and over again, his whole body
shaking as he leaned his head forward and vomited all over himself.
"Fai-chan!" Himawari cried out.
"I'm s-so ugly! I'm so awful! I c-can't s-stand it! It h-hurts too m-much! I
can't stand it! I'm so d-disgusting! I WISH I WERE DEAD!" he shrieked as he
grabbed at his quiver of arrows, lying beside the window. Everyone moved at
once when he seized one of the arrows and raised it above his heart. Yuui dove
for him, grappling with him to get the arrow away.
"Let me go, Yuui! Please let me die! I don't want to be ugly anymore!"
"Fai! Please!" she cried as they struggled for the arrow. "You're not ugly!"
"I am! I am!" he insisted. "Can't you see it? Can't you see how horrible I am?
If you don't get away from me, you'll be dirty, too! You can't be filthy, Yuui!
You just can't be!"
Yuui finally managed to wrest the arrow from her desperate brother's hands and
toss it far away. The second it was gone, Doumeki shouted a spell and Fai's
body immediately went limp. When he realized he couldn't move, Fai started
screaming to high Heaven.
"NOO! IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN! HE'S GOING TO TAKE ME AGAIN! I DON'T WANT TO BE A
WHORE! I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE THIS! I HATE IT! I HATE IT SO MUCH! IT WON'T
STOP HURTING!"
The three faeries and the two Mokona could only watch as the screaming got
worse, could only listen in agony as the tormented boy screamed himself to
exhaustion. Yuui held her twin close as she rode out the storm with him. She
held onto him, despite all of the filth he was covered in: blood, vomit,
saliva, semen. She held onto him, even though she was half-certain the sound of
his screams in her ears would cause her to go deaf…and she half wantedto lose
her sight after seeing her poor twin hurt so badly. She held him in her arms,
even though the very scent of the blood and the vomit made her want to throw up
herself.
Fai screamed until he had screamed his throat raw. When he could no longer
scream his horror and anguish, he resorted to crying. Yuui wanted to cry
herself when she felt the weak, whimpering sobs shake Fai's small body, but she
remained steadfast, a rock for him in all of his pain.
"I…I b-betrayed him," he cried softly in her ear so that only she could hear.
"I c-can't stand it. I don't w-wanna be like this. I want t-to be c-clean
again."
"I don't think you're ugly, Fai," she whispered to him with tears in her own
voice as she held him even more tightly against her chest. "You're beautiful.
You're so beautiful that he was jealous enough to try and take it all away from
you." She knew who had done it. She had caught a glimpse of that familiar face
as they all passed from the dream realm.
"He did!" Fai hissed in pain as more tears slipped down his cheeks. "H-he t-
took everything away. He made me a s-sinner. He m-made me a slut. Y-you just c-
can't see. You can't s-see how t-truly foul I am."
"Then let me see," she said soothingly. "Let me see what he did to you and we
can make it go away," she continued, reaching for his pants.
"NO!" he sobbed. "It won't go away. I d-don't want you to s-see what I am. I
don't w-want you t-to see what he d-did to me. You'll think I'm disgusting!"
"No, I won't," she promised. "Please. If you're hurt, you have to let me help
you."
"LEAVE THEM ON!" he screamed, feeling as though his throat was being torn to
shreds as he did it. Yuui remained completely still after that, simply holding
her brother close to her as he sobbed helplessly. She could feel the warm blood
pooling in her lap as it dribbled through the cloth from his backside. It
wasn't that hard to guess what Seishiro had done to him…had taken away from
him. A tremor of rage and sorrow passed through her. She had been lying in the
bed right next to him…and she hadn't been able to save him. Why? Why had she
waited? Perhaps…if she had claimed Kurogane for her brother sooner…maybe he
would have been able to save him?
When Fai had finally exhausted all of his tears, Doumeki approached them and
knelt next to them. Before Fai could protest, he placed a hand against his
forehead and the boy passed out instantly.
"It's better that he's not awake while we do this," Doumeki explained as he
took Fai's limp body from her arms and carried him over to her bed. "He's
hysterical."
Once Doumeki had his surrogate son laid out comfortably, he carefully removed
first his shirt, then his pants. They had already seen the injuries to his neck
and chest. What the pants had concealed was much worse. A circle of ugly purple
bruises ringed its way around his pelvis. Some of the bite wounds were still
bleeding. Yuui turned away as Doumeki turned him over to see the damage done to
his backside. She had felt the blood. She didn't need…couldn't bear…to see such
an awful reminder of just how badly he'd been hurt. She covered her mouth to
prevent her cry of horror from being heard.
"Fai! Fai!" Soel sobbed.
"Who…who did this to him?" Himawari choked out, tears streaming silently down
her face.
"Seishiro," Doumeki answered shortly as he laid Fai back on his back. Like
Watanuki and Yuui, he hadn't needed to ask. The scent of darkness hung heavy in
the room…the room that was meant to be a sanctuary…and which had now become a
tomb. The semen staining Fai was not just his own.
"We failed," Himawari cried. "We swore to protect them and we failed."
"He's not dead, Kunogi."
"What that bastard did to him…he may as well be," Watanuki said bitterly.
"Did it…did it actually happen? Or was it just a dream…an illusion?" Himawari
wondered.
"Does it matter?" Doumeki asked, the same bitterness that laced Watanuki's
voice finding an edge in his own. "He will remember this every day until he
dies. He bears the scars on his body as if Seishiro had actually laid hands on
him. Whether it truly happened or not…this will scar him forever, both mentally
and physically. That dreamless sleep will protect him for now, but it won't
last."
Yuui heard none of this. She had eyes solely for her twin in that moment,
lying, helpless and broken, on her bed. It was unbearable…to think he would
always be in so much pain…to think she might never see him smile again…to think
this might destroy his chance at true love…to think he might have to bear the
scars that monster had forced on him for an eternity. No! That couldn't happen!
She wouldn't let it! These were the thoughts in her head as she placed her
hands on her brother's body. She felt warmth flow through her own body as her
wish overwhelmed her senses and called down her power.
The three guardians stopped arguing as the warm, soft glow of Yuui's magic
filled the room. When it dissipated, they rushed toward the twins. Yuui had
collapsed beside her bed, still clutching one of Fai's hands in hers. Every
single mark on his body had vanished. There were no marks on his neck, his
chest had returned to normal, and the grievous wounds on his hips were
completely healed. Doumeki was willing to bet that the extensive tearing to his
backside had been healed as well.
"It's a miracle," Himawari whispered.
"No," Watanuki said in just as reverent a tone. "It's her Hand."
"Her Hand? Is it even possible for her to have a Hand?"
"What are you talking about?" Yuui asked weakly, a little confused, but staring
contentedly at her twin's unmarred face. "Hand?"
"Your Hand of Power," Watanuki explained. "Each faerie has at least one. Some
even have two. It would appear that you have enough fey blood to receive a
Hand. It is your special gift. You possess a Hand of Healing."
"But I could heal already. Two years ago…when Fai and I healed my snakebite…"
"You had Fai-kun's help then. As such, the spell was indeed quite strong. But
you healed all of his wounds with a single touch and not a single scar.
Besides, this is dark magic. Those injuries couldn't be healed by just anyone.
It must be a Hand of Power."
"Yuui made everything better!" Larg cheered.
"Did I…take away the memory?" she asked hopefully.
"No," Doumeki answered stoically. "That's not quite how this Hand works.
Nothing can heal the scars on his heart."
Yuui turned from her guardians, holding onto Fai's hand for all she was worth.
What good was such power if she could not take his pain away?
"How long will he sleep like this?" Himawari asked.
"The spell will last no more than twelve hours. Beyond that, I can't say. But
we have to be ready. Fai is vulnerable. Seishiro will come for him again. We
have to cleanse this room completely. Seishiro can use the seed he left in
Fai's body to trace him here. I'll take Fai to Spirit Lake. The water will
cleanse him of the darkness. Kunogi, you wash out all of the bedding. Watanuki,
you're in charge of cleansing the room itself."
Under normal circumstances, Watanuki would have griped about being ordered
around by Doumeki, but the situation was critical. Fai's life hung in the
balance. The nature sprite immediately went about setting up a magic circle as
Himawari gathered up all of the dirty bedding. Doumeki wrapped a blanket around
Fai and whisked him away from Yuui, who sat motionless in the midst of all the
hustle and bustle. They hadn't seen what she had. They didn't realize just how
much danger he was really in.
Yuui had seen into Fai's heart when she had healed him. His memories of the
rape were now hers, as well. She felt his pain, his shame, and his despair as
acutely as if they were her own. She had seen the offer Seishiro had made…to
take his pain away…to take him away…for good.
Once all of the insanity had died down, she would put her own plan into action.
She couldn't let Fai sleep again. He was protected in a cocoon of dreamless
sleep for now, but that wouldn't last. Yuui knew the one thing that could truly
save Fai from the horrible fate that lay before him…the only person who could
truly take away his pain. No more games. She had to bring them together now!
Kurogane had to confess his love now and pull her brother back from the
darkness…or he would surely die.
                                      XxX
Sorata had to admit he had never seen anything quite like the magnificent white
horse and its rider as the two rode toward the gates of Shirasagi. The animal
was pure white and its rider was cloaked all in black. Size suggested that the
rider was young, but other than that, the cloak gave away no details as to
gender.
"What is your business in Shirasagi?" his fellow guard, Saiki, asked. The gates
of the city had not yet been opened for the day. The rider remained silent as
the two guards regarded…it.
"I'm sorry, traveler, but you cannot enter Shirasagi unless you identify
yourself and state your business," Sorata explained. The rider remained silent
and unmoving.
"Stranger, if you do not stand down, we will have to use force," Saiki warned,
reaching for the hilt of his sword. The rider still did not react, even as the
ninja drew his blade.
"How can the traveler stand down if there was no weapon drawn?" Tomoyo asked as
her head appeared over the top of the gate. "Stand down yourself, Saiki-san. Is
that any way to treat a guest? Shirasagi has a reputation to uphold."
"That's so, my princess. But our city also has a reputation for security,"
Saiki replied, not lowering his sword. "This stranger refuses to identify
himself."
"'This stranger' is here as my personal guest. Lower your weapon and open the
gates," Tomoyo said, her voice taking on a more commanding tone.
"As you wish, Princess," Sorata responded cheerfully, quickly following her
orders and allowing the black rider and the white horse to enter the city.
Tomoyo was waiting inside, mounted on Suwa. The two horses nuzzled a fond
greeting. Tomoyo placed a hand on the rider's shoulder.
"Just follow me," she said softly, leading Suwa back up the main street of
Shirasagi. The rider followed the princess through the city, silent as ever.
Once the two horses were safely in Suwa's stall, the young princess led the
rider into the castle, still cloaked. Tomoyo peaked around every corner as the
two snuck through the castle. A hand clad in a black riding glove suddenly
snaked out of the cloak and seized the princess's hand, stopping her in her
tracks. The moment the hand grabbed hers, Tomoyo heard a voice in her head.
Danger.
"And who is this, little Tomoyo-chan?" the nasally voice of Kyle Rondart
suddenly sounded in her ears. Tomoyo felt her blood run cold. The hand gripping
hers tightened in fear as they turned to face the owner of the voice.
"A medicine woman from Gohou Province. I feel guilty for not cooperating with
my honorable mother's plans to arrange a marriage for me to her glory. I've
summoned Kujaku-san to help me assess my quality. No doubt a report of my
fertility would help any plans to move faster."
"Do not make light of the rich worth of a princess' virginity, Tomoyo-chan,"
Kyle lectured as a lascivious leer crossed his face. "You must make certain to
guard your virtue, even against the skilled hands of this learned woman."
Tomoyo shivered at the way he said 'skilled'. It was rife with perversion. She
had never told anyone, but she suspected he somehow knew she was a lover of
women. It was something he might be able to use against her. Besides, after
hearing of last night's horrible events, Tomoyo really did not want to hear
about virtue just now.
"I would appreciate it, Rondart-san, if you would use my proper title. Your
familiarity has not been earned."
"If you insist, Hime. I hope you don't mind my saying so, but is it not rude
for a guest of the royal family to go about hooded and cloaked? Why not show
your face, wise one? I am certain you are quite fair beneath that dark hood."
Kyle was perfectly aware of who hid within the folds of the cloak. It would be
so easy to reach out now and claim this prize for his own…seduce her to his
hand and carry her straight into the presence of his queen. But at the same
time, he didn't believe she was foolish enough to come here without protection.
Still…it would be so much fun to toy with her mind. He allowed his magic to
slip into his voice…his Hand…his gift for hypnotism.
"Let me see your face," he said in a gentle, soothing voice, holding out an
inviting hand.
Tomoyo almost panicked when she felt her companion's grip slacken, followed by
the small displacement of air next to her as the other hand made a slow move to
cast aside the cloak. She tightened her grip on her companion's hand, willing
sense to travel through that touch.
Don't do it!
"Her face is not for the eyes of men," Tomoyo said sternly as she moved to
stand between the black-clad rider and the deceiver, never once relinquishing
her hold. She felt reassured when her companion's grip became firm once again.
"As you wish, my lady. Keep in mind my warning about your chastity." With that,
he turned and went back the way he had come.
                                      XxX
"You failed…Prince Kurogane Youou."
It's that single grey eye again. As he watches, the face it belongs to slowly
begins to materialize out of the darkness.
"What are you talking about?"
"You failed. I warned you to hold onto him. You did not heed my warning…and now
he has paid the price for your fear."
"I don't understand!"
As the rest of Seishiro's body melts out of the darkness, Kurogane realizes he
is holding something. When he sees what it is, his heart stops and his body
goes cold.
It's Fai, broken and bloody. His eyes are wide and empty and tears are
streaming down his face.
Oh, God…
"FAI!" he screams. He wants to run to him, take him in his arms and make all of
that pain go away, but he can't make his body move.
"You let him down," Seishiro taunts, releasing Fai's body and allowing it to
fall forward into Kurogane's trembling arms. "You can confess your love to him
all you want now. You can give him a thousand kisses. You can make love to him
until the end of time, but you'll never be able to make him forget my touch.
He'll never be able to see or hear you again. The boy is lost to this world.
You've lost him forever…because you were too afraid to take him for your own.
Fai is dead to you."
"NO!" Kurogane screams, cradling Fai close to his chest as he falls to his
knees. There's so much blood…blood everywhere…and…something…dear Goddess,
what's this monster done to him?
"I'm sorry, Fai!" he cries. He'd promised to protect him…promised he would
never have to cry again…and he'd failed. "Forgive me! Please…look at me! Say
something!"
"You didn't protect me," Fai's accusing voice suddenly sounds in his ear.
Kurogane glances toward his face and, instead of emptiness, sees pain and
sorrow in his blue eyes. No…wait…they aren't blue anymore. Fai's once beautiful
eyes are the same grey color as Seishiro's. "He stole it from me. I meant it
for you. I was so scared. It hurt so much. He wouldn't stop hurting me. I cried
and cried for help…but you never came. It won't stop hurting. You never came to
rescue me!"
Kurogane can't stand to hear the pain in his voice. "I'm sorry! I didn't know!"
Fai clings to him weakly. "I'm scared, Kuro-sama! I'm so frightened! It hurts
so much! You promised to protect me! YOU PROMISED! Why didn't you rescue me?"
"I'M SORRY!" he cries out despairingly. But Fai doesn't hear him. In that
moment, he vanishes.
"Ah, now you regret," Seishiro says, continuing to mock him.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?" Kurogane demands, leaping back to his feet.
"Simply claiming my prize. You gave him up that night in the cave. Your
precious Fai belongs tomenow."
"Give him back!" the prince screamed as he shot up from his futon. He glanced
around, breathing only slightly easier when he realized he'd been dreaming. Fai
wasn't hurt. He was all right. He had to be all right. Unfortunately, he was
forced to think otherwise when he saw who was standing in the doorway to his
balcony.
"Tell me, Kurogane-kun…do you enjoy torturing Fai? Do you like watching him
suffer?" Yuui asked. She was standing on the threshold, dressed all in black
and bathed in the glow from the rising sun, flanked by Tomoyo and Souma, each
holding a Mokona in her arms. To someone truly capable of being attracted to
her, Yuui would have resembled a goddess in human form…both beautiful and
terrible to behold in this moment.
"Of course not! What the hell are you talking about?" he asked, shooting to his
feet. The next moment, he was flat on his back again because Yuui had delivered
a crunching blow to his face. She was on him in seconds.
"Do you love him, or don't you?" she asked as she seized his shoulders, her
eyes wide with an insane desperation.
"What?"
"DO. YOU. LOVE. MY. BROTHER?" she shouted, shaking him with every syllable. He
gazed up at her for a moment, eyes wide with shock, but then he turned his head
listlessly to the side, glancing away from her. Anywhere would do, so long as
he did not have to look at that face that looked so much like Fai's begging to
know if he loved him or not.
"Does it matter? I can never be with him."
"Damn it, Kurogane-kun! I need to know. Don't think about what is, what was, or
what will be. Nothing else matters right now. Just tell me the truth. What do
you feel…when you look into his eyes?"
Defeated, the dark-haired prince finally looked up at his assailant, going
slack in her grip as the words left his lips.
"I love him."
"Then why didn't you tell him that night at Faerie Falls? You said there was
someone else you loved. Why didn't you tell him it was him?" she asked quietly.
"Because I was scared!" he admitted angrily. "I'm…not good enough for him. I
was afraid…he would say no…and that I would have destroyed what we did have,
all for nothing!"
Yuui shook her head sadly as she released him and backed away.
Would it have made a difference…if he had spoken that night? Yes, yes it would
have. But who's to blame for this? Everyone will suffer for it in their turn. I
hate to think what he will do when I tell him what's happened to Fai.
"You're both fools," she said with a bitter laugh. "My brother loves you,
Kurogane-kun."
Kurogane's breath caught in his throat and a flash of warmth snapped through
his body when he heard Yuui's words.
"What did you say?" he whispered.
"Fai loves you, Kurogane-kun. He loves you! He wants to be with you so badly,
but you broke his heart that night. He thinks you're in love with someone else.
Do you have any idea how much it pains him to see you when he believes he can
never tell you how much he loves you? You consign him to Hell every time you
look into his eyes and say nothing!"
"Why…didn't…he say anything?" Kurogane finally managed to get out. His throat
was clenched so tightly it threatened to choke him.
"The same reason you never did. He was afraid you would say no…that you did not
feel as he did. He doesn't think he's worthy of your love. He was afraid of
destroying your friendship."
"Then…why are you telling me this now?" he asked, a small, dazed smile
beginning to appear on his face.
"It wasn't my heart to lay bare, now was it? That…or it could be I just don't
think you're good enough for my brother. However, he only wants you."
Kurogane felt light-headed, almost sick with joy. Fai loved him? Fai loved him!
Fai loved him! It was almost too good to be true. But…could he live without
hearing those words from Fai himself? He should go to Celes…as soon as
possible…today! Nothing would stop him this time! Not fear, not duty, not his
mother, not Kyle, not some princess he'd never even met! He would take him in
his arms, kiss his lips, and tell him just how much he loved him.
However, at the very height of his euphoria, Kurogane remembered something odd.
"Yuui…why did you come here? Isn't it dangerous?"
The blonde hung her head. Every line and bend of her body radiated despair.
Dread began to fill the pit of his stomach.
"Yuui? What's happened? Is Fai all right? He's not hurt, is he?" he asked, a
slight tremor entering into his voice.
"Kurogane-kun…last night…Fai was raped."
Kurogane's happiness died in an instant. He glanced toward Tomoyo and Souma for
confirmation. Both nodded their heads sadly. Soel and Larg had tears in their
eyes. His breath stilled…his heart felt like it would shatter at any
moment…rage and guilt boiled, intertwined, within his chest. A single,
overwhelming cry streamed through his mind.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Almost faster than the eye could track, the incensed prince had the forest girl
by the shoulders.
"Where is he?" he demanded, his eyes alight with demonic fire.
"What?"
"Nii-sama, stop it!" Tomoyo tried to intervene.
"Let her go!" Souma also tried, but Kurogane was deaf to all but Yuui.
"SHOW ME THE BASTARD WHO DID THIS! I'LL TEAR HIS HEAD OFF! I'LL BREAK EVERY
BONE IN HIS BODY!" he screamed, leaping to his feet and dragging Yuui with him.
"Stop, Kurogane-kun! Stop!" Yuui shouted, desperately trying to be heard. "It
won't help him if you go off and get yourself killed! He needs you now!"
At the mention of Fai, Kurogane finally managed to reign in his temper. He
released Yuui and backed away from her, taking several slow, deep breaths.
"Who did this?" he asked calmly. "Who hurt Fai?"
"It was Seishiro," Yuui whispered, her throat tightening as she spoke.
Oh, God! That's what he was talking about!
The next thing Kurogane knew, he was lying on the floor with Yuui leaning over
him.
"What…just happened?" he mumbled.
"You just…collapsed," Yuui explained as she checked his pulse and temperature.
"It was only a moment. We thought you'd tripped or something, but…I think you
fainted, Kurogane-kun."
Fainted? Fainted! Fucking fainted! What the fuck kind of ninja faints? You call
yourself a prince? Where's your pride?
You have no pride! You have no honor! You're the one who let Fai get hurt like
that! If you had only listened to Seishiro's warning, none of this would have
happened! But no! You were scared !
And now he's…he's…That dream! It…it must have been…what really happened. All
that blood…it was spilled because of you! You should have known! You should
have been there for him! You should have protected him! You let him get hurt!
It's your fault! All your fault!
"It's my fault," he said aloud as he sat up.
"What are you talking about? Of course it's not your fault! You didn't know!
You couldn't have!" Yuui insisted vehemently, helping Tomoyo steady him.
"It is my fault! He gave me a chance to tell Fai I love him. He said…that if I
didn't, I would lose him…forever. If I'd said something that night…that son of
a bitch never would have touched him!"
"Strictly speaking, he didn't."
"What do you mean?"
"It was a mind rape. He never actually laid hands on him. He came to him in a
dream. But he still woke up bloody, scarred, and covered in his seed. I was
able to heal his physical wounds…but the scars on his heart won't be so easy to
heal. That memory lives in him as if it actually happened."
"It did happen," Kurogane muttered angrily. It happened because ofme!
Yuui's shoulders slumped as she gazed up at Kurogane again. Could Kurogane
really help Fai? Could she really take the prince to him, wracked with guilt as
he was? Would it only make the two of them feel worse? Was their love strong
enough?
"Tell me how you love him, Kurogane-kun," she finally whispered. "Tell me what
you feel when you look into my brother's eyes."
Kurogane sighed, glancing away from her as he thought about it. He had been
asked to do this once before…by Fai himself. The poetry he'd spouted in his
dream deserted him in this moment, but the words he chose were just as
heartfelt. They sprang from a place just as deep within him.
"When he cries…I want to change the world so it doesn't hurt him anymore. And
when I look into his eyes I feel…I feel like I'm the only person in his world,
and he's the only person in mine. He makes me feel…wanted…like I'm really worth
something. He makes me feel like I'm somebody special…that maybe I'm someone
really worth loving. He…he makes me happy." The prince felt a great weight ease
from his chest as the confession poured out of him. It was like those exact
words had been bottled up inside of him for eons and by finally saying them out
loud, he had set himself free.
Yuui felt a few tears fall from her eyes as she listened to Kurogane's
description of his love for her twin. They would be the truest of lovers. Made
for each other…if they were not doomed for it first.
"You might still be able to save his life."
"What are you talking about?" Kurogane asked, instantly going cold again.
"I connected with him when I healed his injuries. I saw what happened. Seishiro
told Fai…that he wasn't wanted…that we would all turn from him when we learned
he'd been raped."
"That's not true!" Tomoyo cried out.
"And he believed him?" Souma whispered, horrified.
"After that nightmare, I'm betting Fai would have believed anything Seishiro
told him. That mind rape was very thorough," Yuui said with a shudder of
disgust. "He told him…that next time he went to sleep, he would take him
away…for good."
"No!" Kurogane seethed. Hecan'ttake him away from me! I won't let him!
"If Seishiro succeeds…if he takes him…Fai will die by his hand. I saw the truth
in his eyes. He will spend what life he has left as that monster's pet. He will
die defiled and alone. He will die…weeping."
No! God , no!
"He means to do it, Kurogane-kun. He thinks he has nothing left. Seishiro made
him believe he's dirty…that the only reason he exists is to be a sex toy for
anyone who'll have him…to be used and cast aside! He feels like he betrayed
you. He doesn't want to live anymore! He's going to let Seishiro bear him away
to the Dark Court and have his way with him until he's dead! He means to fade
away into the darkness!" Yuui cried, notes of hysteria entering her voice as
the words spilled out of her.
"What can I do?" Kurogane asked, his voice an equal mixture of anger and
despair. Normally such a surrender would have disgusted him, but really, what
other choice did Fai have? Seishiro had defeated and defiled him utterly…and he
thought that Kurogane didn't care. More than anything else, that realization
hurt him. If he could not save him…if he lost him now…
…he would die.
"You can go to him. You can tell him how much you love him…how much you want
him in your life. You can tell him how much you need him. You can pull him back
from the grave!"
"I'll do it," he said, climbing resolutely to his feet. I can't lose him.
Ican't!
"Hooray!" Larg cheered with relief, leaping from Souma's arms and into
Kurogane's.
"Prince Kurogane is a hero!" Soel shouted, following its twin's example. For
once, the ninja did not bat them away. Already, he was physically and
emotionally exhausted. He could hardly begin to imagine how Fai was feeling.
"Yuui?" he asked sharply as Tomoyo helped her stand. "You said you…saw his
memories?"
"Yes," she replied, not liking where this was going.
"Is there any way you could…show them to me? I need to know what I'm dealing
with."
A pained look crossed Yuui's face as she took the prince's hands in hers. "You
must promise me something first."
"What?"
"Promise me you'll stay by Fai's side, no matter what happens. Promise me you
will love and honor him forever…that you will never desert him. Promise to
protect him."
"I swear it," he said without hesitation. "On my life, I swear it."
Yuui sighed, gripping his hands even tighter. "All right. I'll show you. But
you're not going to like it."
***** Someone to Sing to *****
"Why are we here?" Fai asked his sister in a calm, dead voice. He had awoken
from his enchanted sleep late in the afternoon. Watanuki had tried to get him
to eat, but he wouldn't. He just sat in Doumeki's bed, unmoving, staring at
nothing with eyes as empty as a night without stars. He was a grave looking to
be filled with the peace of death.
As the shadows lengthened, Yuui had told Doumeki she was going to take Fai to a
place where he could be healed. Though her meaning was clear to him, he'd also
expressed his doubts. Could the fickle love of a teenage boy, prince or no,
oath or no oath, really be counted upon to make Fai want to live again? Whether
or not it could, it was the only course left to them. Watanuki and Himawari had
protested removing Fai from their sight, but Doumeki had convinced them to
stand down. There were, he'd argued, some things that the bond between Fai and
Yuui could accomplish that their magic could not. Soel and Larg would accompany
them, as always, and only Yuui would be allowed to carry a bow. Doumeki had
even opened the door to let the two sets of siblings out into the gathering
shadows.
"Take him," he'd said, stoic as ever, his concern for Fai visible only in his
amber eyes. "All our prayers go with you."
Yuui had led her brother through the forest by the hand. He would not move
otherwise. The four had followed the Yume River a ways, to the point where Yuui
knew Faerie Falls would be visible over the next rise. That was when Fai had
stopped, gripping her hand with white knuckles and refusing to go a step
further.
"We're here to make you better, Fai," she answered. The place where it had all
gone wrong…here would it have to be made right again.
Fai released his twin's hand and went to sit on a fallen log beside the rushing
river. The roar of the falls could be heard in the distance. When Yuui turned
to face him, he slowly turned his face up to look her in the eyes.
"Do you know what would make me better, Yuui?" he asked, his voice so full of
despair it made her want to stop her own ears. "If you would take one of those
arrows from your quiver, fit it to your bow, and shoot it straight through my
heart. That would heal me."
"Stop it! Just stop it, Fai! I can't bear to hear you talk like this. Don't you
care about me at all?" she asked, kneeling in front of him.
"Do you care about me, Yuui?" he whispered, the utter despair making twin black
pools out of his beautiful blue eyes. "I can't do this. Not anymore. It's
better he's going to take me away."
"Don't say that! Please don't say that!" she begged, laying her head in his lap
and wrapping her arms around his waist. He started to run comforting fingers
through her long hair.
"It's better this way. I think…if I were ever to see Kurogane again, I wouldn't
be able to hold back. I'd tell him how much I love him…and that would kill me.
He would see how ugly I am. I couldn't stand seeing that look in his eyes. It's
better I'm going now…like this. Yuui, will you hold me…when I go to sleep…when
it ends? I don't wanna be alone."
"NO!" she shouted, looking up at him with eyes shining with tears she refused
to shed. "I'm not going to do that because it's not going to end! You're not
going to die! Everything's going to be okay now! I promise you!"
"No, Yuui. I am going to die. I want to. If I'm going to be a faerie prince's
concubine, I suppose I'll draw breath for many long years, but I'll be dead
inside. That's what matters. After today, I won't have to feel anything ever
again."
Yuui could tell he wanted to be happy about this, but she could still see his
heart breaking in the way the tears gathered at the corners of his eyes.
I won't have to feel this pain anymore…but I won't be able…to love him anymore,
either. I won't be able to love anything anymore…not anymore! It all ends
tonight.
"Do you know…what my fondest wish was?" he whispered. "That our places could
have been exchanged. That I could have been born a girl. I could have been with
Kurogane then. But…even if I were a girl…it still wouldn't matter because he's
truly in love with someone else," he said, his voice breaking. "Still, it would
be nice to tell him how I feel. Maybe then…I'd feel better about things."
With that, the flood he'd been holding back since waking began to trickle down
his face and hopeless, strangled sobs issued from his mouth. The Mokona could
only watch with sad eyes, clutching each other's stubby paws.
"Oh, Fai!" Yuui cried out, enfolding her suffering twin in a tight hug. Fai
buried his face in her shoulder and cried without reserve, clinging to her as
if she were the last thing in the world. Yuui just held him, gently rubbing his
back as he cried. "It's going to be all right, Otouto. I promise you. You won't
ever have to cry again."
It's going to be the happiest day of your life. I know it! If only Kurogane-kun
would show up…
As if her thoughts had summoned them, Kurogane, Souma, and Tomoyo came walking
toward them, leading Suwa and Kendappa. Fai did not look up until he heard Suwa
whinnying. When he saw Kurogane standing there, framed by the waning light of
the setting sun, staring at him, he panicked. He tried to struggle away, but
Yuui held him firmly in place. He couldn't stop the tears and he could no
longer summon up the energy to smile his carefree smile for his love. When Yuui
finally got him to sit still, she moved away and Kurogane took her place,
standing over Fai's trembling form.
"Why?" the distraught teenager sobbed, unable to bring himself to look Kurogane
in the eyes. "Why d-did you have t-to come here…now?"
"I came because I don't want you to disappear," he responded gently.
"B-but…I thought you n-never wanted to s-see me again."
In that moment, Kurogane did something that shocked everyone. He got down on
his knees in front of Fai and, just as Yuui had done before, laid his head in
his lap and wrapped his arms around his waist.
"I'm sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"
"I d-don't…understand," Fai sniffled.
"I'm so sorry I didn't protect you. Yuui told me what happened. I should have
been there for you when you needed me."
"You shouldn't have come!" Fai shouted as he roughly shoved the other boy away
from him. "You'll h-hate me now."
Instead of making him angry, as such a gesture normally would have, Kurogane
was the very picture of patience and understanding as he knelt before Fai once
more. He could see how fragile he was right now. Fai needed him to be gentle.
"Why would I hate you? Haven't I told you I don't?"
"That was b-before! I've been d-defiled! I'm n-not clean anymore!"
"Fai, you have to believe me," Kurogane said softly as he pulled his love into
a gentle hug. "It wasn't your fault. It was mine."
"How c-can it be your f-fault?" Fai sobbed, his treacherous hands clinging to
Kurogane rather than shoving him back again as they should have done. "H-he d-
did it to m-me because I'm…f-filthy! B-because I'm w-weak and easy!"
"No. It wasn't anything like that," Kurogane whispered, holding Fai tightly
against his chest. "He chose you because of me. He warned me that if I didn't
hold onto you, I would lose you forever. I was too scared the first time…and
now he's trying to take you away from me!"
"W-why?" Fai sniffled as he finally gathered the strength of will to extricate
himself from Kurogane's embrace. He stood and moved away from Kurogane, toward
the riverbank. "Why w-would you want t-to hold onto m-me?"
Kurogane went to stand before Fai. The blond's eyes were too full of tears to
notice just how badly the prince was shaking. He was too preoccupied with his
own thoughts to hear Kurogane's mumbling.
I can feel them…the words. They're just going to come pouring out of me any
moment now and shame me…just like my seed did when Seishiro made it spill out
of me. Nothing that comes out of me is any good. I'll say it. I'll tell him I
love him…and he'll turn from me in disgust…and I'll die…on the spot where he
broke my heart for the last time.
"Fai…I-I…just wanted…to tell…say you…something…I…you…I l-…I lo-…"
Sweet Goddess, it was happening again! The words…just wouldn't come. Why did
they always get stuck in his throat? Why was it so hard? All he had to do was
say…
"I…I lo-"
Enough!
Kurogane might have actually gotten the words out that last time…were it not
for the arrow that came flying out of the trees to strike Fai right in the
heart at that moment. There was no pain on his face…just a small look of
surprise and a tiny yelp as he fell into the river. Kurogane was diving in
after him almost before he realized what had happened. He knew only that Fai
had disappeared.
"KUROGANE! FAI!" He could hear the screams of the others as he swam, but they
did not register in his mind. All of his being was focused on saving the life
discarded so carelessly beneath the raging rapids.
"FAI!" he screamed as the current carried him to the unmoving blond. At the
sound of his voice, the head of blond hair moved just a little. The next
moment, his hand was closing around his slender wrist and pulling him close to
hold him firmly against his chest as he tried to swim for shore. But now that
he was working against it, the Yume's current was much too strong. It wouldn't
be fought. The falls were only minutes away. They would both be tossed over the
edge and dashed to pieces on the unfeeling rocks hundreds of feet below. It was
now or never!
As they were swept closer and closer to their doom, Kurogane turned to the
shivering blond in his arms, happy to see he was conscious. He had to hear
this.
"FAI!" He had to shout to be heard over the roaring water. "I LOVE YOU!"
Fai's eyes widened in shock. Had he heard that right? Kurogane…loved him? He
could no longer distinguish between the river water and the tears on his face.
It was all right if he died. He wanted to. But he couldn't let Kurogane die
because of him.
Please! Don't let him die!he begged, uncertain whom he was screaming to. It was
this wish that caused the moon pendant resting on his chest to react with his
heart and the water around him. The water around the two became still as ice
within moments. The Yume River continued to thunder past them on its way over
Faerie Falls, but the two of them were suspended in a patch of calm water on
the very edge of oblivion.
They could hear the cheers of their friends from the shore, but they were blind
and deaf to all but each other. Fai breathed a sigh of relief…and allowed their
life raft to carry them over the edge of the falls. Kurogane was about to shout
when he found himself sitting on the dry floor of a cave. It…it was the same
cave where…oh, God!
"Are you all right?" he asked worriedly as he crawled over to Fai, who was
leaning against the cave wall.
"Fine," Fai muttered dejectedly. Kurogane glanced to his chest, amazed to find
no injury there.
It must have been a blunted arrow. It hit him dead on. But who could have fired
it? Yuui was right there with us.
"Did…did you hear me…before?" he asked, suddenly getting nervous again.
"I heard you," Fai said bitterly. "Why would you say something like that?"
"What are you talking about? I said it because it's the truth! I do love you!"
Fai glanced up at him…and promptly slapped him hard across the face. Kurogane
fell backward, landing unceremoniously on his back.
"DON'T LIE TO ME!" the boy screamed desperately as more tears flowed down his
wet face. "Yuui knows how much I love you! She must have told you to say
it!'Tell him whatever he needs to hear to keep him alive!' Is that it?"
"CALM DOWN, YOU MORON!" Kurogane shouted just as loudly, seizing Fai's
shoulders and pinning him to the wall. But then it registered in his mind what
Fai had actually said. "Wait. Did you just say…that you love me?"
Fai's eyes widened in horror when he realized that, indeed, that was exactly
what he'd just confessed.
Dear Consort, it's over! It's all over! I…I can't take it back now! I'm
not…ready! I don't want it to be over yet!
He nodded his head, the tears streaming ever faster down his face. "I…I do. Can
you…ever f-forgive me? I know…you could n-never love someone as…as filthy as m-
me!" he wailed.
"Fai, please listen. It's not like that. I said it because I meant it. I've
wanted to say it for years. I love you! I love you, Fai of Celes Forest. I love
you so much."
"Liar," Fai breathed. "D-don't lie to me. Don't b-break my heart again…on the
exact same s-spot you broke it the f-first time."
"What are you talking about?" Kurogane asked, desperately trying to wipe the
tears from Fai's face.
"You t-told me…that you l-loved s-someone else!" he howled in anguish. "What h-
happened to your t-true love?"
Kurogane half-laughed in relief as he pulled Fai into another hug. "Damn it,
Fai! I never said it was another girl I was in love with. It was you!"
Fai felt his heart stop. "R-really?"
"Who else could I love? It was you then. It's you now, and it will always be
you."
Fai didn't know what to say, but he needn't have worried. What Kurogane did
next was action enough for both of them. He took Fai's face in his hands and
kissed him. For a moment, he remained slack in the ruby-eyed boy's embrace,
feeling the utter shock, the relief, the uncertainty, the fierce love, the
tender passion and burning desire, the moist feeling of Kurogane's lips against
his…just feeling. But then, his body suddenly seemed to kick in and he was
returning the kiss eagerly…hungrily. He wrapped his arms tightly around the
prince's neck, pulling the two of them even deeper into the kiss. He felt his
skin prickling as Kurogane tightened his hold on his back, pulling him even
closer. Fai eagerly opened his mouth under Kurogane's when he felt the ninja's
tongue lapping at his lips, asking for entrance. Kurogane plunged into the
warm, moist cavern, greedily exploring every inch of the virgin territory. Fai
moaned passionately against him, licking and dancing about his tongue with his
own. He never wanted this to end.
"I love you," the older boy moaned into his mouth.
"Really?" Fai whispered back as they finally separated for air. Tears were
still streaming down his face.
"Duh," Kurogane returned gruffly, still holding the blond close. "Can you think
of another reason why I'd kiss you like that?"
"Why are you only t-telling me this n-now?" he asked, his grip on the taller
boy weakening just slightly.
"Because I thought we were gonna die!" Kurogane said fiercely, hugging Fai even
tighter. "I wanted to tell you that night four months ago. I was trying to tell
you before! I just…I didn't want Seishiro to hurt you anymore."
Fai shuddered at the mention of the name. "Why d-didn't you tell m-me?" he
cried, resting his forehead against Kurogane's. The prince reached a hand up to
run his fingers through Fai's wet hair. Goddess, how many nights had he dreamed
of doing it?
"You could have told me," he reprimanded, gently rubbing Fai's back. "I was
just as scared as you were. But I…I didn't know…that my cowardice would have
such consequences. Can you ever forgive me?"
"I n-never blamed you, K-Kuro-min…not once. You c-couldn't have known…he was g-
going to…going to…do...that...to me," he said, enjoying the feeling of finally
being held by Kurogane, even though fresh tears were forcing their way out of
his eyes as he remembered the events of last night.
Was it really only last night? It feels like…I've been dirty for so long.
"B-but I…we h-haven't even been us for f-five minutes yet…and I've already
betrayed you. I…I let him come inside me!" he sobbed, clinging desperately to
the dark-haired ninja. "I l-let him…take everything! I'm a d-disgusting slut,
Kuro-p-pon! How c-could you l-love someone as ugly as I am?"
"You're not ugly, Fai. You're beautiful. You're the most beautiful person in
the world. You didn't do anything wrong," Kurogane soothed, cradling the
distraught boy against his chest and rocking him. "You didn't let that sick
bastard do anything. He forced his way inside you. He raped you. He's the Dark
Prince. You couldn't have fought him. He's been alive for thousands of years,
and you're still…so young. You didn't betray me. If anything, I betrayed you. I
broke my promises to you. I promised I'd always protect you; that I'd never
make you cry…that I'd never let him touch you. I broke them all. You've been
hurt…so much, by him…and you're crying."
"It's n-not your…fault! Nngh…G-goddess, I l-love you!" Fai sobbed into his
shoulder. "I love you…so m-much! I d-don't deserve you!"
"Don't talk like that," Kurogane hissed, briefly tightening his grip on his
love. "I don't want to hear those words from your mouth ever again. I don't
deserve you either. You're miles above what I'll ever be. Even if we could
measure this in worth, even if you weren't worthy, or some shit like that, I
don't want anyone else."
"But…I can n-never…be w-what you n-need. I c-can't…ever…give you…children."
"I don't needanything but you, Fai. You are what I need. I don't care about
children. All I want is your love," he insisted, holding him at arm's length
and staring directly into his shining blue eyes. "Why is that so hard for you
to grasp?"
"You r-really l-love me…that much?"
Kurogane leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to his lips. It wasn't a fit
of passion like their first. This one was gentle, loving.
"More," he whispered, taking Fai's face in his hands again and pressing his
forehead to his. They both closed their eyes, savoring the feeling of skin
against skin. "I'd like to prove it to you someday…when you feel ready."
"I…I don't know if I c-can," he whimpered, moving his hands to grasp Kurogane's
arms.
"Don't be afraid," Kurogane whispered against his lips. "I'll never make you do
anything you don't want to. It doesn't have to be painful. I want to show you
what it can really be like. I want to be that close to you…but only if you're
really ready. I want to be your first…your real first. I'd never hurt you."
"I-it's not…that, Kuro-shita. I'd s-sleep with you right n-now. I'd…love…to m-
make love with you," he cried, placing a hesitant hand on Kurogane's inner
thigh. Kurogane placed his own hand over Fai's, continuing to stroke his cheek
with the other one. As he continued to give Fai the contact he needed, he gave
the blond a confused look.
"Then…what's wrong? If you want to…why can't we?"
"Because…" he started to whimper as he glanced down at their intertwined hands.
"I'm…dirty now. You…you'll think I'm gross. You won't want me…now that
I'm…soiled."
Kurogane grinned with relief. If that was all, then…
"That's just stupid."
"It's not stupid!" Fai cried, trying to pull his hand away from Kurogane's.
"You won't! I know you won't!"
Kurogane seized Fai's hand in his and used his other hand to grab his free
hand. Slowly, he brought Fai's second hand up to his face and placed it against
his cheek. Then he brought the first hand to his lips and gently kissed the
palm. As he gloried in the look of wonder on Fai's face at the new sensations,
he reached a hand forward and used his thumb to wipe away the last of Fai's
tears.
"I could never turn from you. No matter how ugly or how beautiful you are…and
you're beauty itself to me. I'll never be able to see this hideousness you see
in yourself. If you'll let me…I want to make you feel beautiful again. I'll
show you what I see when I look at you. I'll make you forget all about him. So,
please…don't cry anymore."
"Oh, Kuro-sama!" Fai cried out, half in joy, as he flung his arms around
Kurogane and covered his face with kisses. "Yes. Yes! I want this. I want you!
I want us! I'll be happy if I can know you…just this once…Let me have this one
night."
Kurogane cradled Fai's head against his chest. Why wouldn't he believe that he
was stuck with him? Well…he would just have to prove his devotion.
"I'm here…and I'm never going to run away."
Fai nodded…and instantly crouched down in front of him, nuzzling his groin with
his head and fiddling with his belt.
"What are you doing?" Kurogane demanded, grabbing Fai's shoulders and pulling
him back up. It felt good, but…he could tell something was wrong with the way
he was doing it.
"I…I thought we were going to…" he trailed off, his face coloring with shame as
he glanced away.
"We are. But I want to know what that was about."
"I just…thought that the whore should start things off," Fai whispered. "Don't
you want me to please you?"
Kurogane sighed. Seishiro had him thoroughly brainwashed. "You will please
me…the moment you stop thinking like that. Please…don't call yourself a slut or
a whore or anything like that ever again. I don't want you for sex, Fai. I want
you because I love you…just the way you are."
"I…I love you, too…Kuro-tachi," he whispered back, hands and voice both
trembling.
"Then trust me," the prince said, placing a chaste kiss on his lover's
forehead. "I'm going to make you forget everything he did to you. I'll make you
feel the best you've ever felt. We're going to have sex, and it's going to be
wonderful because we love each other. Let me make love to you. You don't have
to do anything. Tonight is all about you."
Fai hesitantly nodded his agreement as Kurogane enfolded him in another tender
embrace. The kisses did not stop this time. The prince trailed hot kisses down
his neck as he slowly lowered him to sit against the cave wall once again. He
drew a tremulous breath as his lover slowly slid his hands under his wet tunic,
running gentle fingers up and down his stomach. He pressed a tender kiss to his
lips before lifting the tunic up and over Fai's head.
"Relax," he whispered in his ear, before placing another kiss on the point
where his neck met his jaw. Fai stiffened briefly at the word, but he was able
to convince himself to do just that as Kurogane trailed moist kisses all over
his neck and face.
It's all right. You're okay. He's not him . He's not going to hurt you. He
loves you.
Fai loosely draped his arms around Kurogane's back as the warrior slowly kissed
a trail down his chest, taking one pert nipple in his mouth as he moved. Fai
gasped and started to pant heavily as he swirled his tongue around the
sensitive nub. Already he was swimming in a sea of wonderful new sensations,
all centered on what Kurogane was doing to his body. As he moved to lavish
attention on the other nipple, Fai's fingers involuntarily started to dig into
his back. As the warm, wet trail continued down his stomach, his legs curled up
and he spread them to make room for Kurogane. When the prince finally reached
the waistline of his pants, he stopped. He nuzzled his face against Fai's
clothed manhood, rubbing back and forth, up and down, slowly starting to excite
it, reveling in the moans he was able to draw from Fai's mouth with his
movements. As he listened to the pants getting sharper, the moans getting
louder, Kurogane began to feel himself growing hard. A small smirk played at
the corners of his mouth as he slowly, gently laid Fai bare. He had to fight to
control his blush as he tossed Fai's pants aside. The blond was just as big as,
if not bigger, than he was. He almost felt…inadequate. But that thought was
soon shunted aside by Fai's breathy moans of, "Please…keep going, Kuro-shita.
I'm fine."
Kurogane first removed his shirt, then undid his belt, but left his pants on.
Then he returned his heated attention to Fai's growing erection. He used one
hand to rub up and down the hardening length of him while using the other to
gently tease his balls, just as he had seen Ruby do. As his hands worked at
that, his mouth returned to kissing Fai's chest. He loved the mewling sound his
sweet lover made whenever he licked his nipples.
Fai leaned his head back against the cave wall. His blue eyes were rolled
almost completely back into his head as he drowned in the myriad of
feelings…both emotional and physical. He had never felt anything like it.
Touching himself did not even compare. He began to notice a persistent warmth
growing in his belly as Kurogane's mouth moved down once again. The same warmth
was flowing, building between his legs.
"Oh! Mm! Nngh! K-Kuro-chuu!" he moaned desperately, trying very hard not to dig
his fingernails into the prince's tanned flesh. It felt so good when he touched
him like this. Just when he thought he could endure no more of this blissful
agony, when he thought it couldn't possibly feel any better, he felt something
hot and moist slide over his straining member and a thousand new sensations
coursed through his body, starting at Kurogane's mouth and spreading outward.
"Ha-oh…Nngh! Ah! Ah! Kuro…tachi…feels…so…good!" he panted, a loud moan escaping
his lips when he felt the leaking head of his manhood hit the back of
Kurogane's throat. By the Goddess, he was good at this!
More…more…MORE!
Kurogane roughly grabbed his hips as he sucked him, preventing him from
involuntarily thrusting up into him. He loved the feeling of Fai's hot, tense
flesh in his mouth, but deep throating was hard enough for a first timer like
him. He used his teeth sparingly, pricking him only occasionally to intensify
the feeling. The feeling of Fai's fingers tangling in his hair, unwittingly
holding his head in place, just turned him on even more.
"O-oh! God…Mm! Yes! Kuro…shita! I…ah…I'm coming!" he shouted as his body curled
in on itself. The heavy, warm pleasure that had been building between his legs
burst outward like a blazing star, washing over him in waves. Fai screamed in
ecstasy and Kurogane moaned, gripping his lover's hips tighter as his salty,
hot essence shot down his throat and into his stomach, boiling with his own
arousal. At the moment of orgasm, the scent of wild roses filled the air,
overpowering the scent of sweat and seed. It was that same divine scent that
always seemed to accompany Fai wherever he went.
Kurogane continued to suck him off long after the flow of seed had stopped and
the hot, hard shaft had grown tender and soft in his mouth. Now that there was
little danger of him choking, he allowed Fai to buck all he wanted as the last
waves of the orgasm had their nasty way with him. When he finally let go of the
velvety length of flesh he made sure to lap up all of the sticky, pearly white
cum that had managed to escape his mouth, leaving Fai just as clean as before.
Then he moved back up to his lover's face and kissed him deeply…passionately,
leaving a trace of salt on his lips when they separated. Fai wrapped his arms
around Kurogane's neck and buried his face in his warm, muscled chest.
"Sweet Goddess, Kuro-rin! That was wonderful. I've never…felt so good…in my
entire life."
Kurogane gave him something between a smile and a smirk as he kissed his eyes.
"That's only the beginning, koibito," he whispered teasingly in his ear.
"The beginning?" Fai asked, his eyes wide with wonder. "It can…feel even
better?"
The ninja nodded as he reached to remove his own soaking wet pants, ready to
show Fai what he could do. But Fai's hand on his own stopped him. He glanced
up, suddenly worried again.
"What is it? Are you all right?"
"Yes, Kuro-rinta. It's just…there's something I want you to see." Having said
so, Fai stood up, weaving just a little. As Kurogane helped steady him, Fai
conjured streams of dim light in his hands and sent them to illuminate the
ceiling. The sun was almost gone outside.
"Follow me," he said, beginning to walk away down the long corridor when he
suddenly felt arms around his waist. The next thing he knew, he was being
cradled against Kurogane's broad chest like a blushing bride and his lover was
carrying him further into the cave.
"Just point the way."
Kurogane had swept him off his feet in more ways than one.
                                      XxX
"I don't think they're going to be coming out anytime soon," Yuui said smugly,
grinning from ear to ear. She was very attuned to what her twin was feeling and
right now…he was enjoying himself immensely. Tomoyo's grin was identical to
hers.
"You mean…it really worked? They're finally…together?"
Yuui nodded, her smile bordering on lascivious. Their years of hard work had
finally paid off. Kurogane and Fai were where they belonged now.
"It's so wonderful," Souma said with a languid smile as she cuddled with the
Mokona twins. The three girls, the Mokona, and the horses were lounging on the
lip of the waterfall, gazing up at the stars. Unfortunately, the cave was too
far down the cliff face for them to get a good look inside, but they could
still catch glimpses of the flickering light within, dancing on the swiftly
moving surface of the water.
The look in Tomoyo's eyes could only be described as 'enchanted'. "Ah. Is there
any more romantic place to confess your undying devotion to your one true love?
Surely the prince and his sweet koibito will live happily ever after."
"Soel bets that Fai and Kurogane are…making sweet lo-ove!" Soel sang.
"Making sweet love beneath the full moon's glow," Larg continued. "Making sweet
love like there's no tomorrow!"
"Making sweet love down there on the soft, green grass! Kuro-prince is making
love to Fai's sweet a-"
"And that's enough of that!" Souma hastily interrupted, placing a hand over
Soel's mouth to prevent the last word from escaping.
"Why is it enough, Souma-chan? It's very true," Yuui teased as Souma's blush
deepened. "Excellent rhyme, my Mokona brethren. Points for creativity."
"Soel and Larg are the best bards the world has ever seen," Larg stated
proudly. "They will write ballads commemorating Fai and Kurogane's burning
passion and tender romance for years to come. They will sing of how the evil
faerie prince tried to steal the innocent Fai away and how Kuro-prince the
mighty ninja was sooo brave and saved the life of his beloved, then made
tender, burning looove to him, claiming his pure heart forever! Together, the
ninja prince and his mystic fey lover will triumph over all evil!"
"Oh, what a beautiful story!" Tomoyo sighed dreamily. "And to think, we're
living it right now. It will be the most beautiful ballad ever composed. I look
forward to the day when the court musicians will sing of the eternal love of
Prince Kurogane Youou of Nihon and Fai Half-Fey of Celes Forest. It will be the
greatest story ever told!"
"Our Tomoyo certainly has big plans," Yuui said. It seemed that nothing could
wipe the smile from her face.
"Of course. The story of our brothers is…is an epic romance in the making! The
songs they sing about their wedding will be even more glorious. It will be a
magnificent affair with guests from all the lands…a lavish monument to their
love and how they overcame every obstacle thrown at them in order to be
together. Oh, and the wedding night…"
"On the night of their wedding, Fai and Kurogane," Larg immediately started up.
"Will consummate their love, though diff'rent as night and day."
"They'll gaze into each other's eyes, and know they can only go forward," Soel
smirked. "And Fai, lovely Fai, will submit himself to Kuro-rin's huge sword!"
Everyone except Souma burst into raucous laughter at that. She blushed
furiously and hid her face in her hands. "Tomoyo-chan, it's dark," she mumbled.
"Maybe we should be heading back."
"Mm, I suppose you're right. We shouldn't disturb them, though. They both need
this. We can just leave Suwa here for Nii-sama."
"The empress will be angry."
"That's never stopped him before. Besides…I don't know if my mother's capable
of getting angry anymore," Tomoyo said sadly. Yuui glanced over at her and took
her hand reassuringly. Tomoyo had explained her fears about Kyle Rondart and
her mother to her and after her experience with the slimy councilor this
morning, she was starting to believe that he more than likely had some fey
blood. Maybe…he was even a pureblood faerie?
"True," Souma said, her tone going just as serious as the others'. "But
still…we should probably…leave them to it." Having finally admitted what her
two friends were doing below, her blush had started to lighten by degrees.
"That's the spirit, Souma-chan!" Yuui cheered as she helped Tomoyo to her feet.
Soel and Larg bounded over to her as Souma stood up. As the two climbed onto
Kendappa, Yuui lit a ball of magic light in her hands. "This should last you
until you reach the border of the forest. Have a good night."
"We will," Tomoyo said with a grin, glancing down at Soel. "If you make sure
that our brothers do the same."
"Soel will do Soel's best to make sure that Kuro-puppy fucks his Fai-kitty
senseless," Soel said with a devious smile. Tomoyo, Yuui, and Larg all had a
good laugh and Souma blushed again. As Souma and Tomoyo rode away, Yuui
whispered to Suwa to wait for Kurogane before she and Larg started to make
their way back to the cottage. Soel, on the other hand, hopped down the cliff
face and into the cave, bounding excitedly down the ancient stone corridor.
                                      XxX
"What is this place?" Kurogane asked as he carried Fai into the circular
chamber.
"Watanuki told us these caves are sacred to the faeries. He said faerie nobles
come here to perform fertility rites and…consummate marriages."
Kurogane glanced down at Fai at the mention of the word 'marriage'. Fai was
staring down at his chest and his face was turning a bright shade of red.
"It's said that…unions consummated here will be fruitful and happy."
When Fai still wouldn't look at him, Kurogane leaned down and pressed his
forehead against Fai's, forcing him to look up into his intense red eyes. Then
he kissed him…long and gentle. When he finally released Fai's lips, he pressed
several light kisses to the blond's forehead.
"As far as I'm concerned, this is our wedding night," he whispered into Fai's
ear, sending a shiver of delight down his spine. "I don't need anyone's
permission but yours to marry you. If it's consummation you want…I'll give it
to you," he hissed, sliding his tongue into Fai's ear and flicking the soft
skin over and over again. Fai let out a delicious moan, melting against
Kurogane as his warm tongue moved in circles in and over his ear.
"Do you want to marry me, Fai?" he asked teasingly, blowing against the now wet
skin and driving his lover wild.
"Mm…yes! Yes…I do…want to marry y-you…Kuro-koi! I want…to be your bride! I want
to spend…the rest of my life…with you! Just you…and me…Nngh…please! More…Kuro-
shita!"
"All right then. I'll hold you to that," he said as he carried Fai across the
threshold and into the magic circle. Kurogane only felt a slight pressure
against his shoulders, but Fai could feel the tingling intensity of power as
the young couple passed into the ancient circle. There was no going back now.
Kurogane gently laid Fai down within the confines of the circle. Fai was amazed
at how soft the stone here seemed to be. For a long moment, Kurogane just stood
over him, staring, enraptured, at the angel below him. Creamy white skin,
deceptively lithe limbs, a pale, flat stomach and chest, pert little nipples,
nimble hands and feet, huge manhood resting on a bed of curly blond pubic hair,
amazing hips and strong, shapely thighs, a slender neck and smooth jaw line,
dimpled cheeks and full, kissable lips, a cute little nose and those achingly
beautiful sapphire eyes that gazed up at him with such adoration and trust, his
semi-wet golden hair fanning out around his pretty face as he smiled that I'm-
so-in-love-with-you-I-just-can't-hold-it-in smile: perfect, it was all perfect.
This moment couldn't be more wonderful if it tried. Not to mention, of course,
the firm, tight ass that was waiting for him. Hey, he was a man like any other.
He was far from perfect. His groin wanted this just as much as his heart did.
God, but he could stare at Fai forever and never want for anything more. He was
so…fucking…beautiful.
And he's all mine.
When Kurogane could finally divert his attention enough to remove his own
pants, he was instantly distracted again by Fai's gasp of shock.
"What's wrong?"
"M-my God, Kuro-anaru! You're…huge," he whispered nervously, placing a self-
conscious hand over his own sex. "Are you sure it will fit? It won't get
stuck?"
Kurogane raised an eyebrow at this new nickname. It wasn't inaccurate or
anything; he was just kind of surprised to hear it from Fai's lips. "I don't
see why you're being so self-conscious. I seriously think you might be bigger.
And yes, I know it will fit."
"How do you know?" Fai asked, glancing ashamedly away. "Maybe…I'm too small to
handle you?"
"You're not," Kurogane replied reassuringly as he leaned over Fai and kissed
him. "I know you're not."
"How can you be so sure?" Fai queried, feeling tears boiling up again. He
didn't want to spoil this perfect moment by being…inadequate.
"I'm sure because you and I were made to be together," he answered, slowly
trailing his hands down Fai's stomach, then further…allowing one hand to play
with his slowly hardening member and the other to reach back and gently fondle
his rear. "I know that now. I was made to be inside you and you were made to be
inside me. We were born to be one like this."
We are two halves of the same soul. There is no way in Hell we won't just…blend
together.
Fai smiled again, all signs of tears passing. "My, but you're poetic tonight,
Kuro-bard."
"Not really. That's just…how it is," he said, gently massaging Fai's nipples
and drawing several small mewls from him. "You might as well say that it's
poetic to breathe."
"But…it is," Fai groaned, curling into his touch, placing his hands on
Kurogane's to make him apply more pressure.
"If you say so," Kurogane responded, leaning down and kissing Fai's neck.
Considering how rough Fai was making him be with his nipples, he was almost
tempted to leave a few marks on his neck, but he knew that wouldn't be a good
idea right now. He was fairly certain Fai needed more time. He wouldn't react
well to being bitten. Fai was too lost in the new sensations to realize how
fragile he still was. No matter how much his lover was urging him on, Kurogane
knew he still had to be gentle. No love bites tonight.
What started at Fai's neck spread to the rest of his body. Kurogane slowly
kissed every inch of him. His face and neck, chest and stomach, shoulders,
arms, hands and fingers, sex and ass, back and scalp, legs, feet, and toes,
every inch of skin from head to toe. He paid special attention to his hips,
where he remembered seeing those hideous bruises that Seishiro had left. By the
time he had finished, Fai was almost completely hard again. He himself was
fully aroused. As he reached for the bottle of oil in his discarded pocket, he
suddenly felt Fai's limber hands wrap around his erection. He hissed in
pleasure as Fai started to pump him.
"Hey…Nngh! Wait…ah! Wait…a second," he panted, setting the bottle down and
placing his own hands on Fai's to still his movements.
"But, Kuro-tachi…I want…to make you feel good…too," he protested.
"I told you," he half-moaned as he lifted Fai's hands away. "It's all about you
tonight. We have plenty of time to make me feel good. Just relax."
Fai nodded, lying back again as Kurogane uncorked the small glass bottle. When
the stylized rose stopper was removed, the scent of roses wafted from it,
immediately calming both of them. Kurogane dipped two fingers into the bottle,
then set it aside, reaching for Fai's entrance. But the moment his first finger
invaded the virgin opening, a small hell broke loose for Fai.
When he felt the probing finger entering him, he instantly remembered the fiery
pain of Seishiro's entrance…the feeling that his entire backside was being torn
open…the relentless thrusting…the pain that just would not stop!
"AAGH! NOO!" he shrieked, shoving Kurogane off of him. "Please! Dear God! Make
it stop! STOP! STOP!"
Kurogane stared up at Fai from where he'd fallen, horrified at what he'd done.
Fai was on his knees now, clutching his head in his hands, screaming to high
heaven. Almost instantly, Kurogane was up again, seizing Fai and pulling him
into a tight embrace. Fai tried to struggle away, he screamed, he beat his
fists against Kurogane's chest…but Kurogane would not relinquish his hold.
"Fai! Fai, calm down! It's me! I'm not him! I'm not going to hurt you, Fai! I
love you!"
When Kurogane's voice finally got through to him, Fai's movements ceased.
"K…Kurogane?" he whispered.
"It's me, Fai. I love you. I love you. I love you so much," he whispered
soothingly in his ear. "I'd never hurt you."
Fai rested his head against Kurogane's chest, clinging desperately to him,
seeking comfort from the beating of his heart. Kurogane just whispered soothing
endearments to him and rubbed his back as a few small sobs shook his body.
"I'm…so s-sorry…Kuro-r-rin," he cried weakly. "I'm so w-weak!"
"It's not your fault," Kurogane whispered back, pressing several kisses to the
top of his head. "It can't be a good feeling…to be so scared…to be in so much
pain…when you're at your most vulnerable like this. I understand. We don't have
to do this now…if you're not ready…"
"No!" Fai protested, tightening his hold on Kurogane and gazing directly into
his concerned ruby eyes. "I…I am ready! I want to be with you, Kuro-sama! I…I
need you. I need this. I need us!"
"I know you do. I need us, too. But I'm not going to walk away from you if you
don't lie with me. It's okay if you're not ready. Just tell me. We don't have
to do anything but sleep tonight if that's what you want. I'll hold you…and
I'll keep your nightmares away while you sleep."
"No. It's all right. I do want to have sex with you. I know you won't hurt me.
I love you, too. I love you. You can't know how long I've dreamed of this," he
murmured.
"Oh, I think I've got an idea," Kurogane said, giving Fai a smile as he wiped
the stray tears from his face. "I want to have sex with you, too, but it's not
going to be worth a damn if you're not mentally ready to have sex yet.
Especially so soon after…what he did to you. I won't force you. I won't blame
you or turn away from you if you aren't ready. I'll wait for you as long as you
need me to," he said, kissing his forehead.
"I don't need you to wait for me. I'm ready now. I'm ready to be yours. I…I
think…I need to do this now…or I'll never be able to do it. The fear will just
keep growing…until there's nothing else. I…I want you to make love to
me…tonight…now."
"Are you sure?" Kurogane asked, staring directly into his eyes.
Fai nodded. "This is what I want. We just…we have to go slow…in case I freak
out again. But you can't stop. I need you to keep going."
"All right…if it's what you want. But I'll hold onto you this time. I won't let
you go," he said softly, kissing Fai on the lips once more before reaching for
the bottle and re-wetting his fingers with oil. They stayed on their knees this
time. Fai kept his arms around Kurogane's neck and Kurogane had his left arm
around his shoulders. The other hand, dripping with rose oil, reached for his
opening once more. Fai managed to keep himself calm this time when the first
finger entered him. As Kurogane slowly worked the digit in up to the knuckle,
he tightened his grip on the taller boy's neck. Kurogane slowly allowed him to
become used to the sensation, moving his finger around, gently exploring Fai's
insides. This first foray did not reveal to him the location of that one
perfect spot in his sweet koibito that would cause him to melt with
pleasure…but he was hopeful.
"We're going for two now," he warned as he withdrew the first finger. Then he
slowly started to work his first and second finger into the tight hole. Fai
whimpered and clutched him tighter. "Are you all right?" he asked worriedly,
only halfway in at that point. Fai nodded weakly as he laid his head down on
Kurogane's shoulder.
"Keep going," he whimpered. Kurogane nodded, pressing several kisses to the
side of his face before continuing to work his way into Fai. When he had his
two fingers firmly inserted he slowly started to scissor them. A few new sounds
escaped Fai, some of pleasure, some of pain.
"I'm going to try three," he whispered as he withdrew yet again. "Let me know
if it's too much."
Again, Fai just nodded, trying to keep his whimpering in check. Kurogane leaned
down, capturing Fai's lips in a tender kiss as he moved in him once again. Fai
gasped into his mouth as his fingers fought for every centimeter they gained,
stretching him wider and wider. A tiny scream escaped him about halfway
through.
"Fai!" Kurogane cried out worriedly.
"Keep…going!" he ordered, his fingernails digging into Kurogane's skin just a
little. The prince stared at his trembling form for a moment before placing
another kiss on his forehead and moving the rest of the way into his body. His
fingers found his prostate this time. The pained cry on its way out of Fai's
mouth turned into a cry of surprise halfway through. Kurogane grinned and
pumped his fingers gently against the spot. Fai's body curled against his with
every movement.
"Mm…Kuro-pan!" he started to moan as he moved himself against Kurogane's hand.
"Oh! Ah! Ah! What…what is that…Kuro…anaru?"
"That?" he teased, pumping a bit harder. "That's the spot I'm going to make
love to until we cover this cave in your seed…until I make you forget all about
Seishiro…until I give you the greatest pleasure you've ever known."
"Nngh! It feels…so…good!" he moaned, bucking against Kurogane's nimble fingers.
He half collapsed against him as he pulled his fingers out of him. Then
Kurogane kissed his lips as he laid him back down on the ground. As Fai lay
there, panting for more, he grabbed the bottle and quickly coated his member
with the sweet-smelling oil. Then he moved back over to Fai and started to lift
his legs up. Through his haze of desire, he suddenly looked confused.
"Kuro-mii? Wouldn't it…be easier for me to-"
"No," Kurogane interrupted harshly. "I'm not going to make you use that
position."
Fai sighed in relief as he allowed his legs to be folded up against his body.
He shivered with elation when he felt Kurogane planting little kisses around
his opening. But when he suddenly felt his warm, wet tongue dart into it, he
couldn't help but throw his head back at the sensation.
"Ah! Nngh! Please…now!" he moaned. Kurogane's face slowly came back into his
line of sight as his hands slid down his inner thighs, coming up to hook his
knees on his elbows. Fai trembled, half in anticipation and half in fear, when
he felt Kurogane position the swollen, wet tip of his manhood against his
fragile entrance.
"I love you, Fai. I love you more than anything," he whispered as he leaned
down close to him and pressed one last, loving kiss to his lips. They lingered
like that for a moment, each savoring the sweetness of the other's kiss.
"I love you, too, Kuro-chuu. I trust you."
"Tell me if it hurts, and I'll stop. I'm not going to hurt you. I refuse to."
Then…he was sliding into him…penetrating him…slowly, inexorably. Small whimpers
forced their way out of his mouth as the wet shaft moved into his lithe body.
Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes.
"Are you okay?" the warrior asked, stopping when he was about three quarters of
the way in. Fai just nodded, squeezing his eyes and mouth shut in pain. He was
afraid that if he opened his mouth now, he would betray himself to Kurogane and
the prince would stop. Kurogane could see that Fai wasn't being entirely honest
with him, but he let it go. If Fai really couldn't take it, then he would tell
him. When he was fully sheathed in the tight heat of Fai's body, all the way up
to his balls, he leaned forward again and Fai rose up to meet him, their lips
joining in a passionate kiss.
Kurogane rested against him for a moment, allowing him to get used to the
feeling of him buried deep inside his body. He turned his attention, instead,
to Fai's neglected arousal, pumping it with a slow, deep rhythm. Fai's loud
moans of pleasure reassured him. Fai thanked the heavens that Kurogane hadn't
noticed the few tears that had managed to escape his eyes. What he was doing to
him in the front felt wonderful, but what he was doing in back…not so
much…nothing like what he'd done with his fingers…Maybe he really was just too
small to satisfy Kurogane? This feeling reminded him too much…of Seishiro. That
horrid feeling of being impaled on a molten iron brand…
"Ready?" Kurogane asked.
"Yes," Fai whimpered. It was going to hurt even more. He knew it was. But he
couldn't bear to disappoint Kurogane after he had made him feel so wonderful
already. He had to return the favor…even at the expense of his own pain.
Fai had been wrong. Kurogane had seen the pain on his face…and already felt
guilty for it, because this felt so good to him. The hot, tight embrace of
Fai's body on his hard member…Sweet Goddess…nothing, absolutely nothing, could
compare. But…this divine pleasure wasn't worth a single tear from his lover's
blue eyes. He had promised to make him feel beautiful…to feel good again. This
had to be about Fai's pleasure, not his. He had to make him feel this. Slowly,
he drew himself out, until only the tip of him remained embedded in Fai.
"I love you, Fai," he declared before thrusting himself back into the opening,
hard and without mercy, impaling Fai on his swollen manhood.
Fai could not stop the screams that came…but the shrieks of pain instantly
morphed into cries of ultimate pleasure. Kurogane had struck Fai's prostate
dead on with his first thrust.
"Kuro-Anaru!" he cried out as the waves of pleasure swept over his body,
washing away all coherent thought. This first wave of ecstasy deadened any more
pain that might have come as Kurogane continued to thrust into him, hard and
fast, striking his prostate every time and causing even wilder waves of
pleasure to build upon the first one until he was completely lost in the
unbridled sensations of ultimate bliss. "Oh! Oh, Goddess! Fuck me, Kuro-seme!
Fuck me!" he cried in wanton rapture, thrusting his own body up against
Kurogane's.
"Nngh! Ah! Fai! Fai!" he screamed out with him. He could hear the slippery,
fleshy sounds that their bodies made as Fai's hot, tight hole sucked on his
rock-hard member with every thrust and it just pushed him closer and closer to
that inevitable release. So tight…so warm…he thought deliriously. He was beyond
being capable of coherent speech anymore; just loud moans and ecstatic cries of
pleasure as he listened to Fai scream his name. There was nothing in the world
anymore except the heat, the tightness, the fast, intense rhythm between the
two of them, the orgasm between his legs threatening to burst, and his name on
Fai's lips. He never wanted it to stop. He wanted this perfect union to last
forever!
Don't stop…don't stop…just a little bit more…a little bit longer!
"Ah! Fai…God…so…tight…so…good!" he panted, barely able to get the words out
through his loud moans. The look on Fai's face was pure heaven. Perhaps he had
died and was now gazing on the face of paradise? That look and his enraptured
cries drove him even closer to the edge. Fai was utterly addicting and he
wanted to see more of that divine abandon on his face. Still supporting his
ramming body with one hand, he used the other to assault Fai's throbbing
manhood. Cries of delight echoed from Fai's soft lips as the bliss mounted to
new heights. What neither of them seemed to notice in the throes of their
passion for each other was that Fai's skin had started to glow.
Fai himself was half dead from euphoria. His secret longings, his wildest
dreams, had never come anywhere close to the reality of being with Kurogane.
Bliss radiated through his entire body…and he hadn't even reached climax yet!
To think that this absolute rapture could reach even greater heights…Consort,
he was close now…so close!
"Ah! Aagh! H-harder…Kuro…fuck! I…I'm…I'm almost…there!"
The two lovers reached ecstasy almost simultaneously, bodies curling against
each other. Kurogane came first, screaming Fai's name as his orgasm burst out
of him, spilling his hot, sticky essence deep inside his lover. As he gazed
down between them and saw his cum oozing out of Fai's opening around his still
hard shaft, the thing twitched in excitement and caused him to shoot off a
second round. He thrust into his lover's willing body again and again, filling
Fai up until he was completely filled with his essence.
Fai came only seconds after him, screaming in elation as the orgasm shot him
full of pleasure, bringing him to the very height of his bliss and very nearly
killing him with how devastatingly wonderful it felt. Once again, at the moment
of his orgasm, the scent of wild roses filled the air, instantly overpowering
the tame rose oil. He threw his head back in utter rapture as semen gushed out
of him for the second time. He could not stop screaming until he'd spurted his
seed all over Kurogane's chest and stomach. A few drops of the sticky cum even
landed on his face.
Fai collapsed weakly against the soft stone floor, but he was soon leaning up
again to meet Kurogane as the exhausted ninja leaned down toward him to give
him a kiss. Fai giggled slightly into the kiss when he heard and felt his
cooling semen squishing in between their bodies.
"Fuck," he heard Kurogane mutter when they finally separated. "Wow."
"That was…unbelievable," Fai exalted, keeping his eyes closed for a moment,
savoring the aftershocks of their shared orgasm.
"Do you feel beautiful again?"
"After that? Yes. I…I feel like the most…beautiful thing in the world…that you
could make me feel so good…"
"That's good. I'd be worried if you didn't, because you're glowing," Kurogane
said, sounding more than a little confused.
"I…well…thank you, Kuro-pyon," he replied, suddenly feeling flustered, even
though they were both naked and Kurogane was still fully sheathed in his body.
"No, Fai. I mean, you're really glowing. Open your eyes."
Confused, Fai did as he was asked and realized that Kurogane was right. His
pale skin was glowing like he had swallowed the moon, casting off a warm,
ethereal light. Confused as he was, Fai couldn't even see everything. He
couldn't see what Kurogane was seeing. His soft skin was glowing like a star,
it was true, but it wasn't just that. The silken strands of hair on his head
were no longer just blond. They glowed, too. They were like threads spun of
gold, like rays of sunshine. And his eyes, he almost couldn't stand to look
directly into them. If they had been sapphire-like before, now they just were
sapphires, twinkling in his beautiful, glowing face…twin gemstones sparkling
brighter and more beautiful by far than anything he had ever beheld in his
life.
"My…Goddess," Kurogane whispered in rapture as he reached out a trembling hand
to touch Fai's white cheek. "You're so…beautiful."
The white glow of his face was tinted red by a deep blush. The divine glow was
already starting to fade away.
"Maybe…you have more fey blood than you thought," Kurogane suggested as Fai
wrapped his legs around his waist and he wrapped his arms around Fai's back,
pulling him up into a warm embrace. All the while, they remained connected
intimately. As the glow slowly faded away, the young couple shared several
tender kisses. When at last the magic glow had dissipated, Kurogane pulled back
to look at Fai again…and realized he was more beautiful than ever. He couldn't
quite figure out why. Perhaps it was because his pain was gone…because he knew
what he wanted now…or maybe it was that his innocence had passed away and he
had been reborn into something much better. Whatever the reason, Fai was no
longer a pretty little boy. He was a beautiful young man now…the most beautiful
Kurogane had ever seen…and he had seen many.
Fai was having similar thoughts about Kurogane. He had always thought him to be
the most handsome person he knew, though he did not have too many standards of
comparison. His only point of comparison was his guardian, Doumeki, and Doumeki
was quite handsome. But in this moment, his guardian had no hope of matching
Kurogane, strong, tender, and handsome as he held him in his arms and kissed
him, taking away his pain and fear inch by inch. Now that Kurogane's doubts
about them were gone, a new light seemed to shine in his ruby eyes that spread
out to enhance all of him and make him far more handsome than any mortal man
had a right to be. A strong, handsome, determined man had grown to take the
place of the uncertain teenager he'd been only this morning. Fai would never
again call anything handsome unless it was him. He was Fai's whole world, and
Fai was his whole world. In this moment, they knew and understood each other
perfectly.
As they separated from one last passionate kiss, Fai leaned his forehead
against Kurogane's and whispered nervously against his lips, "Can we stay like
this…all night? I don't want to be separated from you yet. I like being this
close to you…feeling you so deep inside me. Will you…stay inside me? Would you
sleep inside me…Kuro-koibito?"
Kurogane smirked as he ran his fingers through Fai's silky hair. He liked the
feeling of his soft member resting in Fai, too…like a sword resting in its
sheath, waiting, silently, to protect what was his. It was so wonderfully warm
and tight, even when they weren't having sex…so nice…so comforting. He, too,
had been dreading the moment when they would have to separate, but now it
appeared that he would not have to. Fai wanted to remain connected just as much
as he did.
"Sure thing," he said, giving Fai a kiss on the forehead before the two of them
began to shift. When they finally had everything figured out, they were lying
on their sides within the magic circle, flush against each other. Fai had his
back resting against Kurogane's chest and the prince had his arms wrapped
tightly around him. Kurogane, of course, was still buried firmly in Fai's warm
body.
"I told you we were a perfect fit," Kurogane whispered in his ear as he trailed
the fingers of his right hand up and down Fai's stomach. The blond spasmed
against his touch, giggling quietly. "You just can't live without my big, fat
manhood jammed up inside you," he teased, briefly tracing his wandering fingers
over Fai's own manhood.
"I suppose that's a fair call," Fai teased right back, bouncing himself lightly
against said manhood. "Because you can't live without mynice, tight ass to
shove that big, fat manhood into."
Listen to me, Fai thought with a grin. A virgin not two hours ago and I already
sound like a streetwalker from Shirasagi.
"Kuro-prince," he started, suddenly becoming serious again. "Thank you. You…you
made me better. You made me feel good again. I don't…think I'm dirty anymore."
"I know you're not," Kurogane said gently, pressing a tender kiss right between
Fai's shoulder blades. "You never were. Who would know better than me?"
Fai gave a small laugh at that, reaching for Kurogane's hands and holding them
in his own, pulling the ninja's arms even tighter around himself.
"I still can't believe you did all that…for me…just because you wanted to make
me feel good…"
"I'll do it every night if you want me to. If you ever feel bad, I'm not
keeping my promise."
"I feel good…just being with you," he whispered as sleep started to overtake
him. "It's enough to know you'll be by my side."
"I will," Kurogane returned, tightening his grip on his little love as he felt
sleep start to take his own mind. "I'll never leave you."
"I think…I think I'm ready to face him now," Fai whispered just before dropping
off to sleep.
As the young couple slept, the magic circle and the inscription around it began
to glow with a warm, white light. For a brief instant, the paintings on the
walls seemed to move and breathe. Then a voice beyond imagining entered the
cavern and the minds of the two sleeping lovers.
"My children…your Mother has heard your prayer and She answers you. In my eyes,
you are joined, for this life and beyond. You have become a complete soul once
more. Nothing will part you or come between you so long as you hold true to
each other."
***** Someone Who'll Find Me *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
He's sitting in front of a large mirror, staring at his reflection. In the
mirror, he can see the reflection of a room. Most of it is in darkness, but the
one thing that stands out is a large bed. The sheets are mussed and
stained…with blood and semen.
Oh, dear God! This is the place where-
However, when he turns to look behind him, there's nothing there. The room
seems to only exist in the mirror. But then he feels a very real pair of arms
wrap around his waist and a face appears in the mirror next to his. A face he
knows.
"Hello, my sweet," Seishiro says, resting his chin on his shoulder. He's naked.
"Are you ready to come away with me? My bed is waiting for you. It is where you
will spend the rest of your life."
For the longest time, he does not speak. Terror clogs his throat.
He's going to hurt me again! I can't stop him!
"Are you looking forward to tonight's festivities?" Seishiro asks as he slides
his hands beneath his shirt, reaching for his nipples. "We shall have to have a
bed warming party. Last night was nothing."
Fai starts to whimper. It's happening again. He can't make his body move.
But…he can't just give up! He can't betray Kurogane again !
"N-no."
"Mm, no what?" the dark faerie asks, placing a lazy kiss on his neck.
"I'm not…going anywhere…w-with you!" he whimpers defiantly. For a moment, he
thinks he feels his hand twitch, but the next moment, there's nothing.
"That's cute…that you think you can just say no. You don't seem to understand
your situation," Seishiro teases as he pulls Fai's shirt off. "Your ability to
choose is fading."
"No! It's not!" Fai says angrily. "IchooseKurogane!"
Seishiro chuckles as he runs his hands all over Fai's chest and stomach. "Look
in the mirror again, my lovely slut."
Fai does…and feels his breath catch in his throat. He's lying on Seishiro's
bed, stripped naked. The reflection is faint, but it is there. Then he glances
at his own reflection…and gasps in terror. His body is fading away, very
slowly. As he slowly fades to transparency, the image on the bed is growing
more solid.
"No!" he whispers, his mouth going dry. "No! This isn't what I want!"
"But you'reminenow, Fai-kun. Don't you understand?" the Dark Prince asks,
sounding as if he's explaining something to a child. "It doesn't matter what
happened today. You consented to be my concubine last night when you let me
fuck you. It doesn't matter how much you love him, or he you. You areboundto
this fate." Having said so, Seishiro slides his hands down into Fai's pants and
the blond's traitorous body immediately begins reacting to him, bucking and
throbbing as if he actually wants this. But the real Fai feels half dead with
horror.
"I didn't let you do anything!" he shouts. "You...you were the one who..." His
voice trails off. He can't say it. He just can't.
"You could have fought me. If you'dreallywanted to, you could have stood
against me. You have just as much magic as I do. But you didn't fight.
Somewhere deep down inside, you wanted me. Can you honestly give yourself to
Kurogane knowing what a whore you are? If you go back to him now, you'll betray
him until the day you die. You'll sin with me in your heart everyday." As he
speaks, Seishiro easily pulls the rest of Fai's clothing off.
"IT'S NOT TRUE!" Fai shrieks, staring in horror at the image on Seishiro's bed
that wears his face as it grows ever more solid. It's starting to move now…as
if someone is pleasuring it.
"Mm! Nngh! Ah! Master!" the doppelganger cries out. "Take me, Master! I'm
yours!"
"NO!" Fai continues to scream as his body fades away and Seishiro continues to
tease what's left of him. "This isn't the real me! It's a lie! I don't want
this!I love Kurogane!"
"Itisthe real you, Fai-kun. You must accept it," Seishiro explains as he places
his marks on Fai's fading hips once again. As they appear on his body, they
also appear on the doppelganger's body. "That easy slut lying on my bed is what
you really are. This dream here in front of the mirror is a fading wish…a wish
for the man you could have been if Kurogane had loved you. You are nothing more
than the foolish dreams of that wasted husk lying on the bed. Your night with
Kurogane was nothing more than a dream.Thisis your reality."
"No! No! No!" Fai sobs. "It's not true! Kuro-sama made love to me. He promised
that he would always love me…always protect me! He loves me!He loves me!HE
LOVES ME!" he cried out desperately.
"Then where is he now?" Seishiro asks. "Nowhere to be found. He never loved
you. You were so traumatized last night, you deluded yourself into thinking
he'd finally come for you. He never came. Don't you remember? You spent the
whole day lying in Shizuka's bed, sobbing like a little child."
The wonderful, warm memories of his night with Kurogane slowly slip away…only
to be replaced by the bleak images Seishiro describes.
"No!" Fai sobs weakly as Seishiro picks him up and sets him on what would be
his knees. His face is still visible, but the rest of him is little more than a
barely coherent outline. "I'mnota slut! I'mnotyour whore! I'm beautiful! Kuro-
tan…said so."
"Stop dreaming, my pet," Seishiro orders as he seizes Fai's fading head. "It's
very unattractive.Be a good little slut now and don't argue with me. I'll
expect you to initiate things more in the future. You'd better hurry. You don't
have much time left as yourself. The second you fade away completely and join
with that toy there…you'll be my whore forever. I want to come in your mouth
the instant you lose all your hope."
"NOO!" Fai screams as Seishiro plunges himself into his mouth. The second he
tastes his flesh…he's gone. His body melts completely away and he finds himself
lying on Seishiro's bed…the place where he'd been raped. He isthe doll. He
can't even speak anymore. All he can do is jerk his hips helplessly in the air,
forever thrusting his eternally hard manhood up and down…up and down.
"Fuck me, Master!" he cries out in the doll's voice, a harsh, disgusting parody
of his own voice. "Come break your little doll."
"You know, I may just have to take you up on that offer," Seishiro says as he
crawls onto the bed and plants a kiss on Fai's lips. Fai can do nothing to stop
his body from responding eagerly and kissing back. "Lovely, lovely slut. Pretty
whore, just for me."
I'm sorry, Kuro-koi. Maybe he was right? Maybe you and I were just a dream?
Either way…I'm so sorry…sorry I betrayed you. I'm not strong enough to fight
him. Maybe…I really am just his whore?
But just as Seishiro is about to mount him, to settle his unrelenting weight
down on Fai's pumping body and sentence him to an eternity of suffering…his
head goes flying off.
"LET HIM GO, YOU BASTARD!" a familiar voice shouts. "YOU WILL NOTTOUCHHIM
AGAIN!"
Seishiro's head flies straight into the mirror. A small crack appears in the
glass and the head comes to rest facing the bed where Fai can still see it from
his helpless position.
"I was wondering when you'd show up," the severed head comments casually. "I
was beginning to think I might actually get him."
Suddenly, Fai finds himself looking up into Kurogane's concerned face. Kurogane
kneels beside the bed, dropping his bloodstained katana and pressing a kiss to
his lips. The doll reacts to him, but only because it's programmed to respond
to any potentially sexual act.
"Are you all right, Fai? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"Fai is only for Master! Fai doesn't want anyone else!"Fai cries out helplessly
in the doll's voice.
Kurogane backs away, a look of shock and hurt on his face. Fai wants to scream
out, 'NO! It's not me, Kuro-chan! It's him ! This isn't me! I love you! Please!
Save me! Rescue me!' But he can't. He's helpless in the grip of Seishiro's
power.
Kurogane looks like he's about to say something, when he suddenly seems to
notice the mechanical way Fai's hips are jerking up and down…uncontrollably. He
turns his attention back to Seishiro.
"What have you done to him?" he demands, raising Sohi once more.
"Nothing," Seishiro says as his body walks toward his head and calmly picks it
up, placing it back on his neck. "He's simply giving in to what we both knew he
wanted all along."
"THAT'S A LIE!" Kurogane screams angrily. "You're hurting him! I won't let you
hurt him anymore!"
"Bold words," Seishiro replies, languidly examining his nails. "Any particular
reason why?"
"Because I love him," Kurogane declares without hesitation. Fai would have
cried in relief had he been able to do so.
"Really? You didn't seem so sure when I gave you my first warning."
"You're a sick, twisted fuck! Did you know that?! I would have proposed to him
on the spot if I'd known you were going torapehim!"
"My, aren't you cute. I'm almost tempted to add you to my little love nest. I
could lay the two of you side by side for eternity and fuck both of you every
night…but you would never be able to reach for each other. You would never be
able to hold each other close in the night or kiss or make love or whisper of
your devotion to each other ever again. You would only be able to watchmeenjoy
what should be yours. So close…and yet further apart than ever. I can think of
no torture more exquisite. Because after awhile, you would begin to wonder if
the other hated you for trapping him in this cage and you would never be able
to ask. Love and devotion would slowly transform into mistrust and anger until,
after centuries of imprisonment, there would be nothing left but hatred. Then,
one fine evening I'll come home and realize that the two of you no longer
please me, so I'll release you from the spell and watch you kill each other.
Would you like to do that, little prince?"
"I'll tell you what I want to do," Kurogane hisses. "I want to hack you to
pieces if you don't take this curse off of Fai!"
"You honestly think you can hack a faerie to pieces? Go ahead and try it. I
won't even fight you. I'll just stand here and laugh."
Kurogane lowers Sohi. Seishiro is right. He knows that…but he can't just stand
here and do nothing .
"Take me instead."
"Come again, my pet?"
"You know damn well what I said! Take me in Fai's place. He goes free…and you
can have me as your sex slave…or whatever it is you're going to do." He will
never be able to avenge his father and Tomoyo will be forced to step into the
role of heir, it's true…but Fai is more important than these things.
Kuro-min, no! You don't know what you're doing! Don't do this for me! Save
yourself!
"He'll hate you forever if you do this, you know?" Seishiro taunts.
"I know. But I'm not going to live in a world where he doesn't exist. You never
gave him a choice. Idohave a choice…and I choose his freedom. I won't let you
break him."
"Thischoiceyou're making…itwillbreak him."
"Maybe so," Kurogane admits grudgingly as he throws his sword to the ground.
"But there will be others to put him back together again, and I can cope with
torture."
KUROGANE, NO!
"You will be my slave forever," Seishiro warns him. "I have many like you. Can
you really stand being adolllikethatfor all eternity?" he asks, nodding in
Fai's direction.
"For him…I could endure anything."
"Even if it causes you so much pain in the end?"
"I'll be satisfied…knowing he's safe. He's suffered so much. I won't let it go
on. If he's suffering…I'dgladlytake his place!"
"So be it," Seishiro says with an amiable smile.
Fai suddenly finds himself sitting before the mirror again. He can see the
reflection of Seishiro's bed, but it's no longer his doppelganger on it.
Kurogane is lying, naked, on the bed, thrusting his perpetually hard member
into the air as he had been forced to do. Fai spins around but there's nothing
there. The world of Seishiro's dark bedroom has fled into the mirror once more.
"No! No! KUROGANE! NO!"
"It isdone, Fai-kun," Seishiro whispers in his ear, pressing a wet kiss to it.
"I hope you enjoy your life. It was bought with your lover's freedom."
"NOO!" Fai screams in anguish, pounding his fists against the glass. "Let him
go! It should be me! Kurogane!"
"It's too late, Fai-kun. Kurogane-kun belongs to me now. You are free," he
says, grabbing Fai's head and forcing a rough kiss on him before vanishing. He
reappears beside the bed in the mirror, leering down at his handsome new doll.
"You're not as beautiful as Fai-kun, of course, but I can see the power in
you…the savagery. You will be an absoluteanimalin bed," the Dark Prince leers
as he crawls onto the bed, positioning himself to take the prince.
"KUROGANE!" Fai screams as tears flow down his face. "I love you! Please wake
up! We need each other! I don't want to live withoutyou!I can't do it!
YOUHAVETO WAKE UP!"
"He can't hear you," Seishiro taunts as he plunges deep inside Kurogane,
fucking him without mercy. "He's my doll now. And he feels…so…good," he grunts.
"NOO! I WON'T LET YOU DO THIS!" Fai screams as his body starts to glow with
power. His magic bursts outward and the mirror shatters. The next instant, they
are all in Seishiro's room. Fai is standing defiantly before the bed and
Seishiro is standing just to the side of it, wearing that same amiable grin.
Kurogane is sprawled across the bed, eyes closed and breathing ragged. When Fai
sees the state he's in, he immediately rushes to his side. He crawls onto the
bed and pulls the defiled prince into his arms, cradling his head against his
chest.
"Kuro-sama! Kuro-koi! Please! Wake up! It's me! Fai! Youhaveto wake up!
Youhaveto be all right!"
"I thought that might be the case," Seishiro notes, almost as if he's a
physician examining a patient. "Your true power won't manifest ifyouare in
danger. It must be someone you love."
"You monster!" Fai screams heartbrokenly as he holds the lifeless Kurogane to
his chest. "You hurt him! How could you dothis? Don't you care at all?"
"No, actually. I do not," Seishiro replies, the amiability vanishing to be
replaced by a cool, calculating countenance. "I am not capable of being moved
by yours or anyone's pain. To fuck your lover to death…or to crush a flower
beneath my boot…I do not see the difference. To rape you…or to make love to
Subaru-kun…I can feel no difference between them. In either scenario, the
results are the same."
"How can thatbe?" Fai whispers in shock as he runs his fingers through
Kurogane's hair in an attempt to calm himself.
"It is what I am. You may think I derive some twisted pleasure from seeing the
two of you suffer. This is not so. I simply…do not care. These are merely
events in the long chain of events that make up the thing we call time."
"But…if you don't care…why are you even alive? Youmustcare about something!"
"No. I suppose I just don't care enough to end my own life, either. Which is
interesting, considering that killing is my only talent…well, that…and fucking
foolish little boys," he says with a leer. Fai just glares at him as he hugs
Kurogane tighter. "I couldn't evenbeginto count the number of foolish boys I've
taken to my bed, had my way with, then left bleeding their life's blood onto
the sheets. You should be proud, Fai-kun. You and Kurogane-kun are,
respectively, the second and third boy I have slept with and not killed. Don't
worry. I don't mean to kill you yet. I just thought you might find it
interesting."
"You didn't sleep with us! Youforcedus!" Fai accuses as his tears of pain and
anger splash onto Kurogane's face. "You forcedKurogane!"
"As far as I'm concerned, that wasn't a complete fuck. I didn't finish in him.
It was just a few really good thrusts. He's notdirtylike you are."
"It doesn't matter…what you did. You still went inside him without his
permission! You still hurt him! And I'mnotdirty! Kuro-sama thinks I'm
beautiful…and good…and clean…and that's enough for me!"
"Tells you you're pure even as he takes your virginity? That's too funny. But
you're not listening to me. That's an excellent step in the right direction."
"What?"
"You should know you might have to kill me one day. It would help you immensely
if you weren't scared of me."
"I'm not afraid of you!" Fai hisses. "Ihateyou!"
"Good," Seishiro says, moving closer to the bed and leaning down close to the
boys. "You should let your rage flow when you see my face. You or your sister
must end my life."
"What are you talking about?" Fai demands, doing his best to shield the
unconscious Kurogane from Seishiro.
"I'm talking about your future," Seishiro says harshly as he seizes Fai's chin
and stares directly into his eyes. "You want to protect this child, don't you?"
he asks, nodding down at Kurogane.
"Yes! Of course I want to protect him!"
He's my everything.
"Well then, if you want there to be a future in which he exists…you will have
to kill me. Your magic has the potential to be much stronger than even mine.
Can you do it? Or would you rather I just killed him now?" Seishiro asks,
reaching for Kurogane's throat.
"STAY AWAY FROM HIM!" Fai screams, power boiling off of him like a star and
throwing Seishiro back several feet.
"Ah," the Dark Prince exalts as he wipes the trickle of blood from the corner
of his mouth. "Thereis a king. At least we know you're truly in love. That is
of use to me."
"You're only just now figuring that out?"
"Yes. Only your soul mate can make you glow."
"Excuse me?"
"The fey are creatures of spirit and ether. Our very existence is subject to
the whim of wild magic. Faeries can only be made to glow the way you did by
their soul mates. For example, I fucked your brains out…but I couldn't make you
glow. The moonlit glow ofyourskin is only for Kurogane-kun. No one else will
ever be able to make you glow."
"F-Fai?" he suddenly hears Kurogane whisper hoarsely. Fai glances down at
Kurogane and sees his red eyes flutter open. "Was it…raining a minute ago?"
"Oh, Kuro-sama!" Fai cries out in relief as he renews his embrace. "You're all
right! I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Ah, the lovers reunite. Enjoy this door I've opened for you while you are
able. In two years' time, the gates of Hell will be broken and thrown open."
"You…what are you talking about?"
Seishiro doesn't say anything. Fai simply realizes that Seishiro is now wearing
a bow and a quiver of arrows.
"The arrow…that wasyou?"
"I confess. Watching the two of you became rather boring. I had to
dosomethingto push you in the right direction. Do you two honestly think you
would be where you are right now if Ihadn'traped you?"
Kurogane is still only half conscious and Fai is just too shocked to say
anything.
"Heed my warning this time, Fai-kun," Seishiro says as he slowly disappears.
"Slay me…or I shall slay thee instead."
Fai stares at the spot where the dark faerie had been for long moments after
he's gone. It's all just too much to take in. Seishiro had raped him…just to
force Kurogane to confess to him? And then he had spun right around and raped
Kurogane to force him to awaken his magic? He would almost say that his
depravity knows no bounds…but can you be depraved if you simply do not care one
way or the other? He will survive being raped. Kurogane has helped him through
that. But now…Kurogane is…
"I know what you're thinking," Kurogane says, trying to sound gruff but not
quite pulling it off in his weakened state. "Don't. I made a choice."
"You shouldn't have!"Fai hisses. "He would have been satisfied with me, but
then you had to go and…and…and now he'sviolatedyou, too! Goddess, Kuro-tan, I'm
so sorry I've dragged you into this. I don't even know whatthisis!"
"Neither do I. But whatever it is, I'll stand with you against it," he says
fiercely, reaching a hand up to cup Fai's cheek in his palm. Fai turns from
him.
"Why did you sacrifice yourself like that? It wouldn't have done anything. I
couldn't have lived without you," he says bitterly.
"I didn't mean for you to, Fai. Ipromisedto keep you safe. Ihadto get you out.
I couldn't fight him. The only thing Icoulddo was make that trade. But you, you
have powers I don't. I knew you'd find a way to rescue me. I trusted you…and
you came through. Youdidsave me," he explains seriously.
"But I didn't save you intime! He…he…you…hehurtyou!"
"I know. I was there," Kurogane says, wincing slightly. "I knew what I was
getting myself into. Compared to what was done to you, this was nothing. You're
not to blame for this. It was my choice. It's a pain…that we can share."
"You're such a fool," Fai sniffles in response.
"Trust me, Fai, I'll live. But if you feel so badly about it, you could always
make it up to me," he suggests, raising an eyebrow.
"I…I think I could do that," Fai said with a smile as his eyes fluttered open.
They were back in the cave. He was still lying in Kurogane's arms, and Kurogane
was still entrenched firmly in his behind.
"I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner," Kurogane said, nuzzling his nose against
the back of Fai's neck. "I fought so hard to break into that cage he had you
trapped in, but I couldn't break through. I could hear you screaming…and I
couldn't do anything. I'm not even sure how I did get in. Maybe…it was just
because he wanted me to enter?"
"But you still came, Kuro-koibito. You came," Fai whispered. "And that is worth
everything. But…you…are you…going to be all right?"
"You don't have to worry about me. It was just another battle, like any other.
I was just on the losing side this time. Besides, what do we have to worry
about? It was just a nightmare, after all." It had hurt. Of course it had hurt.
Seishiro had been ruthless. But, even if it was just an illusion, he would
forever be ashamed of the things that he'd done, spell or no spell. Such base,
vile submission! However…it had been done for Fai. That knowledge would always
be able to keep him sane whenever he thought of his surrender. He had not
submitted to Seishiro's lust and depravity because he was weak. He had done it
because Fai hadn't needed him to be a hero in that moment. He had needed him to
be martyr…whether he realized it or not.
"I don't know anymore," Fai said softly. "How long have we been asleep?"
"I couldn't guess. I feel pretty well rested, though. I could get us some
food."
"No. It's all right. I can do that."
"Hey!" Kurogane protested, trapping Fai in his arms to prevent him from moving.
"Remember when I said tonight was all about you? I'm stillwaiting on you hand
and foot here."
"The night's practically over, Kuro-large," Fai teased. "Besides, you…you've
been hurt, too. It's my turn to take care of you. It will be much faster if you
let me take care of breakfast."
"If you insist," Kurogane finally relented, grabbing hold of Fai's hips and
slowly starting to pull himself out of the blond. He made small whimpers and
mewling sounds as Kurogane removed himself from the warm cavern where he'd been
resting for who knew how many hours. A small spark of panic shot through him
when he saw blood on his manhood. His eyes trailed to Fai's backside and he saw
a few splatters of blood here and there, but the panic began to alleviate when
he saw that it was already dry…and there really was only a little. It was to be
expected, he supposed.
"How do you feel?" he asked Fai as he moved to his knees.
"A little sore," he answered with a smile. "But I didn't expect much different.
At least…he didn't leave any marks this time," he said, distractedly running
his hands over his hips. Kurogane was thinking very much the same thing (he
wasn't sure if he could handle having his ass marked by that…thing) when Fai
climbed to his feet…and promptly collapsed with a small cry.
"Fai!" he shouted, already in motion. He caught him just before his head hit
the ground. "Are you okay?"
"Ouch," Fai said, still smiling, though an element of pain was present this
time. He reached behind him and started to rub his aching rear. "Nngh. Kuro-
gasm is very good at what he does."
"I was pretty hard on you last night," Kurogane replied with a blush. If this
idiot started using those new sex names around their sisters…
"In more ways than one," Fai teased.
"I shouldn't be so rough with you," he mumbled, blushing all the harder.
"It's okay, Kuro-mine. It was my first time," Fai said, snuggling up close to
Kurogane. "I'm so happy that Kuro-sexy was my first. No one can ever take that
away from me. What about you?"
"You…were my second," he admitted as he cradled Fai close to him, suddenly
feeling guilty. "When I turned eighteen, I had to ritualistically lose me
virginity. Noblemen in Nihon aren't permitted to pass their eighteenth birthday
and still be unschooled in the art of love. A woman named Caldina taught me.
Can you forgive me?"
"There's nothing to forgive. I didn't think I could possibly be your first…with
how skilled you were. If it makes you feel better, I'll forgive you, but think
about it this way…if you'd had no experience, then our first time wouldn't have
been nearly as enjoyable."
"I…guess you're right, but…I…I got her pregnant."
Fai's eyes widened at this. "Kuro-tou is…a daddy?"
Kurogane shook his head. "I never even saw the kid. The physicians…killed it in
the womb…before she even started to show. That's just…the way it is."
"Did you…want your child, Kuro-papa?" Fai asked, suddenly feeling very sad.
"I didn't know. This all happened those few months when I was still under
Seishiro's spell. Tomoyo told me…afterward. Being a father's not first on my
list…but I don't think I would have minded. Caldina lost more than I did,
anyway."
He almost concealed it…almost, but Fai knew him too well. A fresh wave of guilt
rose up in his chest when he heard the longing in his prince's voice…saw it on
his face. It was one pain he could never take away…one happiness they could not
share. No matter how much he wished for it…no matter how much he prayed or
cried…he could never give Kurogane a child. He would never be able to hold
Kurogane's son in his arms. He would never be able to bear him a beautiful
daughter born of their bodies. He could never be the consort that Kurogane
needed.
"Hey," Kurogane's voice suddenly sounded in his ear. He had seen the look on
Fai's face. "You shouldn't let it bother you. We can't let something like this
come between us when we've only just found each other. Come on, cheer up, you
idiot. Let me get us some breakfast."
"Hey! That's still my job," Fai insisted, already starting to smile again.
"But you can't even walk. What do you expect to do?"
"This," Fai said, raising his hands and chanting something in the faerie
tongue. The next moment, things began to appear just outside the circle where
they lay: a blanket, two mugs filled with steaming liquid, a loaf of bread,
sliced and buttered, a plate loaded with bacon, two apples, two muffins, and a
flask that Kurogane was rather curious about.
"How do you like your eggs?" Fai asked, grinning from ear to ear.
"Ano…scrambled?"
"Really? I like mine sunny side up."
The last things to appear were two plates: one with scrambled eggs and one with
eggs sunny side up.
"See? I've got skills."
"So…did you just make all this appear…from nowhere?" Kurogane asked as he laid
Fai back down and moved to set up the meal.
"Oh, no," Fai waved him off. "I'm not that good yet. All of these things came
from my house. It just took a little more magic to have them ready by the time
I summoned them here."
When Kurogane had everything laid out, he went and lifted Fai back into his
arms to carry him to the food. He tried to help him sit, but the moment his
bottom touched the cave floor he hissed in discomfort. Instead, Kurogane sat
down himself and settled Fai into his lap, pulling the giant blue quilt around
both of them.
"Thank you, Kuro-anaru," Fai said, half-teasing. "I'm so sore…and you're just
sooo soft."
"Don't move too much…or I won't be," the prince teased right back, grinning
lasciviously as he ruffled Fai's sleep-rumpled hair.
"I can't honestly say that I would object to that," Fai said as he reached for
an apple. Kurogane reached for two slices of bread and his plate of eggs. He
used the bread to scoop up the eggs and make a sandwich. He honestly did not
understand these fork-things that the twins used.
For a while, they ate in silence, simply enjoying the good food and the
knowledge that they were finally together. No words were needed. Once all the
food was gone, Kurogane reached for one of the mugs, which were, amazingly
enough, still hot.
"Oh, careful," Fai warned, noticing which one he'd picked up. "That's mine."
Kurogane raised an eyebrow as he passed the mug to Fai and picked up the other.
"Hot chocolate," Fai explained, raising the mug to his lips. "Yours is tea."
"What's in the flask?" he asked as they nursed their morning beverages.
"A gift to take home with you. It's some of Doumeki's special wine. I know how
much you love it."
Kurogane smirked, the mere idea of the wine already warming him up more than
the tea ever could.
Once they had finished with everything, Fai spoke another spell and sent all of
the things back to where they'd come, except the blanket and the wine.
"You know," Fai started as he snuggled up against Kurogane's chest once again.
"I could do with a nice bath right about now. Look at me. I'm still covered in
my own seed."
Kurogane lifted his face up and planted a kiss on his lips. "Not that I object
to you that way, but if my koibito wants a bath…consider it done."
"Yay!" Fai cheered as Kurogane rose to his feet. "Kuro-koi is so nice to me!"
The prince just grunted in response as he went to pick up his discarded pants
and the bottle of oil. While Kurogane focused on carrying him, Fai kept the
quilt firmly wrapped around them as they headed out into the main corridor.
When they reached the mouth of the cave, they found Soel snoozing in Kurogane's
discarded shirt.
"Mokona?" Fai asked, confused. At the sound of his voice, the little white
thing was awake instantly.
"Hello, Fai. Hello, Prince Kuro-horny," it teased.
"Manjuu!" Kurogane shouted furiously. "Did you see the whole thing?"
"Yep. Soel can't leave poor, innocent little Fai unchaperoned, now can Soel?
Someone might do something…untoward to him."
"Cream puff," Kurogane began in a controlled voice. "I am going to brutally
murder something round, white, and fuzzy in two minutes. If you don't want it
to be you, I suggest you run as fast as you can."
"Uh-oh! Kuro-hard's mad! Save Mokona, Fai-virgin!"
"Soel! I thought you were watching. I'm not-"
"Oh! Don't tell Mokona! Mokona has failed in Mokona's sacred vow to protect
Fai's virtue! Fai's not a virgin anymore! Kuro-seme stole his maidenhead! He
took his chastity away! Kuro-large spoke words of sweet lo-ove to the innocent
Fai and stole him away in the night. He laid him down in the dark forest and
made sweet lo-ove to him. Then, as his purity bled out of him, sweet Fai
declared his passionate love for the libertine prince! So scandalous!" Soel
sang excitedly. "Mokona can't believe how insatiable Kuro-fuck's libido is."
"All right! That's it!" Kurogane shouted, ready to smash the white manjuu into
the ground.
"Kuro-hard, don't drop me!" Fai cried out, easily drawing Kurogane's attention
back to him.
"Dear Consort," he muttered. "If I have to deal with that thing playing
peeping-tom every time I try to fuck you-"
"What about our bath, Kuro-lust?" Fai asked, jutting out his trembling lower
lip and batting his eyelashes in a come-hither way that Kurogane found oh-so-
irresistible.
"Fine," he submitted. "But if that pork bun takes even one look at us, I swear-
"
"Soel understands. Don't you, Soel?"
"You can count on Mokona!"
"All right then. Now that that's settled…" Fai leaned his head back and he and
Kurogane were instantly standing on the riverbank just beyond Faerie Falls,
where the water was much calmer. The sky was only just beginning to lighten and
a few stars were still visible. They quickly divested themselves of the quilt
and Kurogane carried Fai into the cool water.
"Mm, that feels nice," Fai moaned as the water washed over him. As he moved to
try and stand on his own, his body slid against Kurogane's in a very
provocative way. The ninja hissed. Even in the cold water, that touch had
caused him to grow half-hard already. It came the rest of the way when he
happened to glance over at Fai and see him pouring water from his cupped hands
down his back, singing quietly to himself.
"Don't do that!"
"Do what?" Fai asked innocently, running the water down his sides, over his
backside, down his thighs…
"That! Have the balls to touch me like that, then look so God damn sexy!"
"Oh, I have balls, Kuro-anaru. You want to see?" Fai spun around before
Kurogane could protest, revealing that he was just as hard as him. Then he
moved seductively toward the panting prince and wrapped his arms around his
neck. He kissed him hungrily as he ground their erections together.
"If you wanted to have sex again, you could have just asked," he said, sounding
for all the world like a bull in heat.
"You want to have sex, Kuro-horny? Right here? Right now?" Fai asked, feigning
innocence. "But I'm so…wet…"
"That's the idea," he whispered, seizing Fai in a kiss that would have made his
knees go weak had they been standing on dry land.
After a glorious morning fuck on the riverbank, Fai crawled up onto Kurogane's
chest and lay down on top of him.
"Well," he giggled. "We're going to need another bath now, aren't we? We're
even more messy than last night."
                                      XxX
"I think I might just sleep today," Fai said as he languidly ran his fingers
through Suwa's mane. The light of the sun was just beginning to fill the forest
and Kurogane was taking Fai home. The fey boy had said he might be able to
transport himself there, but Kurogane didn't want to run the risk of something
going wrong. Besides, neither of them really wanted to say goodbye yet.
"Didn't you get enough sleep last night?" Kurogane asked, sounding a tech
worried. After the fact, part of him regretted his pre-dawn activities with
Fai. The blond had been sore enough before, but now he just plain could not
walk. They'd had to fold up the quilt as a cushion for Fai so he could sit
comfortably in Suwa's saddle. He didn't want Fai to get…sick or injured or
something…just because he couldn't keep his cock in his pants.
"Oh, I got plenty of sleep, Kuro-sexy. But I won't be able to do chores today.
I can't even walk. It's not my fault Kuro-lover is so wild in bed."
Kurogane blushed as he tightened his hold on Fai's waist. Normally he would
have been guiding Suwa, but after Fai had spoken a few words to him, the
stallion had just started to walk calmly toward their destination. The reins
hung loosely on the horse's neck and Kurogane had his arms wrapped around Fai's
waist.
"When will you come back?" Fai asked, suddenly sounding depressed. Now that
they were together, they weren't very well going to suffer being apart, now
were they?
"The second I can get away," Kurogane promised, leaning forward and kissing
Fai's right ear. The blond shivered in pleasure, reaching his hands back and
tangling them in Kurogane's dark hair. "I love you," he whispered as he kissed
a trail along the side of his face, along his cheek, right up to his lips. Fai
grinned against him as he finally kissed his lips. He would never be able to
hear the words enough.
"Say it again," he moaned in between kisses.
"I love you. I love you so much. You're worth more to me than any empire, any
possible wealth this world could show me. Goddess, I love you!" Normally he was
not so affectionate…but he had come so close to losing him…no kiss could
possibly be passionate enough, no words strong enough to express the depth of
his feelings. He would never be able to say the words enough.
"Do you love me, Fai?"
"I love you," he whispered against his lover's mouth. "I need you. You're
everything to me. I love you so much, Kuro-koi. I'll say it as much as you
want. I'll never stop." He had held these warm, wonderful words back for so
long, he did not think he could stop them now, even if he wanted to. He was so
happy now…so very much in love. He could hardly contain it. He could barely
keep from singing his joy to the world. How could he ever hope to tell Kurogane
how happy he made him? How could he possibly express to him just how much he
loved him?
"I love you," they whispered together before joining their lips in their
purest, most passionate kiss yet.
"Not that I object to two young lovers reveling in their passion for one
another, but you might want to pay attention to where you're going."
The two looked up from each other to find Suwa stopped in front of Doumeki, who
was just as expressionless as ever.
"Oh. Good morning, Doumeki," Fai greeted with a dazed smile.
"Don't worry, Doumeki. Soel was watching," the white ball of fuzz said, popping
out of Suwa's saddlebag. Kurogane growled, loathing how the manjuu left it
ambiguous as to whether it had been watching the path or watching them make
love to each other's faces. He was amazed that the thing had managed to stay
quiet the whole way back.
"Brought him home a bit late, didn't you?" Doumeki queried, raising an eyebrow.
He had managed to convince Himawari and Watanuki to get some sleep last night,
assuring them that he could sense the twins' every move and that they were
perfectly safe in the care of the Mokona. When Yuui had come home, he had
explained to her about Seishiro and the blunt arrow, having sensed that as
well. And of course, whether or not he wanted to give his foster son some
privacy, he had been able to sense everything that had passed between the two
lovers last night…even their marriage in the eyes of the Lord and Lady, though
they themselves were not aware of it. He had even been able to sense Seishiro's
use of his Hand of Illusion on them…and their triumph over him. Doumeki no
longer knew what to make of Seishiro. In the light of day he served his mother,
but in the dark of night he made love to Subaru Shiro. One moment he was
raising his sword to slit Fai's throat, the next he was handing him the keys to
his own death. With one hand, he brutally stole Fai's innocence, and with the
other, he handed him his one true love…the soul mate that could make the light
of his heart show on the surface. The Dark Prince made absolutely no sense.
"I'd say Kuro-rin brought me back early," Fai teased, still smiling.
"You might…need to help him walk," Kurogane said, blushing as he climbed down
from Suwa. His blush deepened when Doumeki gave him a look that clearly said,
'I'm fine with this relationship. Hell, I'll even encourage it…but do you
really think it's a good idea to insinuate to me what you were doing with my
son all night?'
"Kurogane and Fai were…MAKING BABIES!" Soel screeched excitedly as it leapt
onto Doumeki's shoulder. Both boys blushed as the Mokona continued its ballad.
"In the sacred cave of lovers, Kuro-need laid down his Fai. Then, in the
searing throes of love, gave him the ultimate high. To love, to honor, protect,
and hold dear, this was the vow they made. Hours seemed to pass like minutes as
precious little Fai got laid!"
"Doumeki! Mokona!" Fai whined, his face just as red as Kurogane's. "Don't pick
on Kuro-chan!"
"So we're back to the ridiculous ones, are we?" Kurogane half-growled as he
lifted Fai off of Suwa and into his arms.
"Oh? Would you rather I used the other nicknames, Kuro-ana-"
Rather than let Fai finish the horrid nickname, Kurogane silenced him with a
kiss…a very deep kiss.
"Mm…mmhm…Kuro…mmmhhm," Fai moaned as their tongues and lips began that slow,
rapturous dance. He trembled with delight as Kurogane cradled him against his
chest, kissing him like he would never kiss him again.
Unfortunately, their kiss was soon interrupted by Doumeki clearing his throat.
"Far be it from me to interrupt you two in the blissful throes of your young
love, but the others will be waking up soon, and I'm fairly certain the prince
has already been missed."
"He's right," Kurogane sighed, thinking of the mountains of court intrigue he
had to return to. He would much rather stay here with Fai…but he had his
responsibilities. "I'll come back soon. I promise," he said before giving Fai a
tender goodbye kiss. They rested, safe and content in each other's embrace for
a few fleeting moments. When they finally broke the kiss, their foreheads
remained resting against each other for a second.
"I miss you already. Don't take too long. I'll be waiting for you. I love
you…Kuro-chuu," Fai whispered against his lips.
"Aishiteru," Kurogane whispered back breathlessly, placing one last lightning-
fast kiss on his forehead before passing him off to Doumeki. As Doumeki helped
the blond to stand on his own, he glanced directly into Kurogane's eyes.
"Thank you…for saving his life…again. We owe you a great deal."
"You don't owe me anything," Kurogane said stoically as he remounted his horse.
His voice grew warm again as he gazed down at Fai, who smiled adoringly back up
at him. "You've already given me the greatest treasure this world has to
offer."
Before another word could be spoken, Kurogane gave Suwa a good dig with his
heels and spurred the stallion away through the forest. His heart gave a small
twist as he glanced back at Fai, already shrinking in the distance. If he had
ridden away slowly, he didn't know what would have kept him from crawling right
back.
Fai could already feel his heart getting heavy as he, Doumeki, and Soel turned
from Kurogane's shrinking figure and headed back toward the cottage.
"Are you all right?"
Fai nodded as his guardian helped him limp along. "I'm all right."
"You really love him…don't you?"
A dreamy expression stole over the boy's face as he remembered his night with
his prince. "So much. He means the world to me. He's…my life."
"He made you glow, didn't he…when he made love to you?" he asked.
"Y-yes," Fai answered, blushing. "Sei…Seishiro said…it means that he's…my soul
mate." As the words left his mouth, his expression became that of a person
irrevocably in love.
"That's so. That boy is your heart's one true happiness."
"Doumeki…are you…fey enough to glow?"
"I don't know. My skin has never glowed for anyone," he answered partially-
truthfully.
"But…you've never made love to Watanuki…have you?"
"Why ask questions you already know the answer to?"
"Why did you come out to meet us?"
"I was up all night and I wanted to come out and see you safely home. I didn't
think it was necessary for him to venture past the wards that protect our
home."
"That's too bad. He said he wanted to see the place where I live."
"Maybe someday he will."
"Doumeki…what would happen…if I wanted to leave here…to be with him?" Fai asked
nervously.
The assassin felt a small pang in his chest at the hypothetical question. He
knew the twins would have to leave them someday. That day was approaching much
faster than any of them would have liked…and Fai would not get to leave for the
reasons he wanted to. He would be made to walk away from his own soul mate. It
would rip him in two. Doumeki didn't want to watch that happen.
"When the time comes…that choice will be yours and yours alone to make. But I
wonder…Fai…could you ever bear…to give him up?"
Fai looked stricken by the mere thought. "I…no. I would give him up…if I had no
other choice; if he…didn't want me anymore, or if it would be a mortal danger
to him if he stayed with me. I would let go of him if it was really what was
best for him…but I…wouldn't survive. He's…my whole world. If I lost him…" He
couldn't finish. The thought was just too horrible.
Doumeki didn't press him. He simply supported him, helped him limp along back
to the little glen in the forest.
"Don't worry," Soel said cheerfully. "Fai and Kurogane will be together
forever. Mokona knows it!"
I can't tell him. I can't tell him they can never really be together. It would
break his heart…and we almost lost him yesterday. I'll just let them…have these
two years that remain. Two years will have to be enough to fill an entire
lifetime.
But…can those joined in marriage by the Goddess…truly be put asunder by human
hands?
                                      XxX
"I can't believe it's finally happened," Tomoyo sighs dreamily. "They've been
pining for each other for so long."
"I know. It's so wonderful," Yuui sighs right along with her. Tonight, the pair
of dreamseers dream they are in Tomoyo's room. A large canopy of white silk is
suspended above Tomoyo's futon and Yuui is sitting on it. Tomoyo is lying with
her head in Yuui's lap and Yuui is running her long fingers through Tomoyo's
dark hair. "But…what are we going to do now that we don't need to play
matchmaker for them anymore?"
"Isn't it obvious? We will join Soel-chan and Larg-chan in composing beautiful
ballads to their love. We didn't work so hard for so many years only to have
their romance forgotten. Their union must be remembered throughout the ages,"
Tomoyo declares passionately.
"And what about…us?" Yuui asks nervously. Tomoyo glances up at her with a
question in her violet eyes. "The girls who helped their brothers reach the
status of epic lovers?"
"Whataboutus?" Tomoyo whispers, mouth suddenly going dry. Is Yuui asking what
shethinksshe's asking?
"All of this soul mate business gets a girl to thinking about what's really
important to her…about what she couldn't bear to lose." A pause. "Souma-chan
loves you very much, you know."
"I know," Tomoyo sighs in defeat, her head sinking back the few inches she
hadn't even realized it had risen. This isn't the moment. Yuui isn't asking her
what she'd hoped. "I don't think she even knows it herself. But…she doesn't
love me the way I love her."
"And how is that?" Yuui asks, her voice teetering on the edge of nervousness.
"Like a best friend and a big sister. I don't see her the way she sees me."
"Is there…someone youdosee the way she sees you?" Tomoyo doesn't notice it, but
a quavering note of hope has entered her voice.
"There is…someone," Tomoyo whispers longingly as she reaches a hand up to trail
it along the side of Yuui's soft, pale face. "Someone…with the most beautiful
blue eyes the world has ever seen."
The hope spreads from Yuui's voice onto her face. Her eyes shine with it.
"Well…that someone must be truly blessed…to have the love of Tomoyo-hime."
"Not nearly as blessed as the one who holds your heart in their hands," Tomoyo
whispers right back.
Yuui trembles apprehensively as she gazes down upon the angelic face of the
princess. She's beginning to understand what their brothers suffered through.
Fear. The crushing fear that you're being foolish…and that the only answer can
be 'no.' How can she make the words come out of her mouth? How can she dispel
this terror?
In a flash of inspiration, Yuui remembers Himawari's advice from so long ago.
Singing can stop all fear…all loneliness. And there is one song she remembers
Himawari singing to her and Fai a long time ago.
Somebody wants you.
Somebody needs you.
Someone is searching
For your heart alone.
Someone is dreaming,
Waiting, and watching.
Someone is coming
To take you home.
Time it will fly,
Like the sun through the sky,
And what once was 'hello'
Turns to 'goodbye'.
Tomorrow is here now.
Sings in your ear now.
Child of my heart,
Your life is your own.
Never you fear now.
Your path it is clear now.
Someone who loves you,
Someone who loves you
Is taking you home.
"That's beautiful," Tomoyo whispers, spellbound by Yuui's enchanting voice, as
always. "Your voice is so lovely, Yuui. No faerie's could be prettier."
Yuui longingly traces a hand down Tomoyo's cheek. "My voice…is nowhere near as
lovely as you are, Tomoyo."
The longing in Tomoyo's eyes matches her own as she reaches her hand up to
trace her fingers along her ear. Yuui shivers at the sensation. The hope
returns to Tomoyo's heart as the older girl slowly leans down toward her.
Maybe…tonight is the night!
Yuui stops inches from her face. The young princess can feel her warm breath
tickling her lips. "Is this…okay? Is this what you want?" Yuui asks nervously.
Tomoyo smiles. "Yes, Yuui. Yes. Please…kiss me."
Yuui smiles, closing the distance between them and pressing her lips to the
princess'. Tomoyo lies still for a moment, reveling in the feeling of Yuui's
lips on hers. Dear Goddess, how long has she dreamed of this moment? With a
small moan of joy, Tomoyo throws her arms around Yuui's neck. Yuui smiles
softly into the kiss as she sits up, pulling Tomoyo with her. She gently wraps
her arms around the younger girl's waist, pulling her into her lap. Tomoyo
almost giggles when she feels Yuui's tongue running shyly over her lips,
blushingly asking for permission to deepen the kiss. She gives in, eagerly
opening her mouth under Yuui's and allowing their tongues to dance together for
the first time. As the kiss grows more and more intense, both girls begin to
feel warm desire building between their legs.
"Mmph!" Tomoyo moans in surprise and pleasure. Yuui suddenly realizes there's
an intense heat beneath her right hand. The realization strikes her as the
princess reaches for the first button of her blouse. She's allowed herself to
become so lost in the kiss that her hand has wandered into the younger girl's
yukata. The soft warmth under her hand…is Tomoyo's small breast. Tomoyo moans
against her mouth, using her free hand to hold Yuui's in place. The other comes
to rest against Yuui's warm stomach. Both girls moan with desire…need. But Yuui
finally manages to wrench herself away from the writhing princess. They have to
talk about this first.
"I…I love you," Yuui confesses breathlessly, brushing her mussed blonde hair
out of her face. "I always have, but…I was afraid to say anything…in front of
Souma-chan."
Tomoyo smiles serenely as her love blusters out her confession. She has a lot
more experience in the art of dream gazing. She's always known this day would
come…and she's half wasted away longing for it.
"Me, too," she whispers conspiratorially. "I love you, too. I've always known
it. I knew it from the moment I first laid eyes on you. You can't know how long
I've been waiting for you."
"I've got an idea," Yuui grins, her eyes shining with tears of happiness. "I
think…I always knew it, too. It just…took me longer to realize it. I was just
so hung up on getting Fai and Kurogane-kun together…I ignored…anything…I wanted
for myself."
"We both did. Do you wantme, Yuui?" Tomoyo asks, taking both of Yuui's hands in
hers and pressing kisses to them.
"I do. I want…to love you…if you'll have me."
Tomoyo leans against her, snuggling right up against her chest, tucking her
head beneath her chin. Yuui takes the hint and wraps her arms around her,
pillowing her chin in Tomoyo's soft hair.
"I'll have you…if you'll have me," Tomoyo whispers contentedly. "I've seen this
moment in my dreams. Do you want to know what happens next?"
Yuui's face flushes and her grip on her lover tightens. Again, she starts to
feel that warm, pleasurable feeling between her legs. "If you…want to show me…"
Tomoyo slowly extricates herself from Yuui's grasp and reaches for the obi that
holds her yukata together. Once the strip of fabric is gone, the princess eases
the fine purple silk from her shoulders and leans forward, gently kissing Yuui
on the lips. Yuui trembles when she feels Tomoyo's bare breasts against her own
chest.
"It is a rare thing," the priestess whispers against her lips as her yukata
slides further and further down her body, revealing more and more skin. "For
two dreamseers to come together like this. We will share power…know each other
perfectly…better than anyone else. You've wanted this just as long as I have. I
welcome you into my bed and my body freely. I'm ready to be yours. Just…say
you'll be mine, too."
"I'm yours," Yuui whispers back as she unbuttons her blouse the rest of the
way. "I'mallyours."
"Then…let us be together as one."
                                      XxX
Fuuma glanced uncomfortably around the cavern he found himself in. He had been
summoned to the labyrinth by Kamui for a meeting. The fact that Kamui had
called a council in the sacred caves meant that they would be meeting with dark
faeries. Much as the denizens of Faerie hated the thought of servants of the
Dark Court defiling the labyrinth with their presence, it was the only neutral
meeting ground where both parties could stand. The Lord and Lady did not turn
anyone away…good or evil.
The Monou lord was even more unnerved by the company he found himself in. The
only people present at this meeting were himself, Kamui, Subaru…and Seishiro.
The Shiro brothers were both standing upright, but Seishiro was leaning
casually against the cave wall with his arms draped loosely around Subaru's
waist.
"Why did you summon me?" he asked, staring directly at Kamui. The guard just
glared at him.
"You've been keeping secrets from the court, haven't you, Fuuma?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The court has a right to know the secret you carry."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Kamui. But I can keep as many secrets
as I like from the court. His Majesty is the one we mustn't lie to."
"I can see you aren't going to come clean willingly. So I will simply force you
into this conversation," Kamui said, getting right up in Fuuma's face. "We
know…about Prince Fai and Princess Yuui. We know the secret that was buried so
long ago."
"How could you?" Fuuma demanded angrily. The revelation came upon him like
lightning as his gaze shifted to Seishiro, who possessively wrapped his arms
around Subaru and pulled him closer. Fuuma had not seen his cousin for many
years, but he knew when he was up to his usual tricks. "You told them! Why? I
should think you of all people would want that information concealed."
"I told them because I want to help," he said, wearing the same amiable smile
that he always wore…even when talking about killing children.
"You're honestly going to stand there and tell me you don't want my uncle's
throne?"
"I'm honestly going to stand here and tell you just that. My father'scrown, the
rule of Faerie, all of the things that should be mine by right of birth…I do
not want any of them. I have been passing information to Subaru for years."
"What do you want, then?"
"All I want is Subaru," Seishiro replied, nuzzling his nose up against the
younger faerie's neck. Subaru blushed as his lover continued. "I want him to be
my bride. I want to walk side by side with him in the light of day and not have
people look down on us."
"Does Subaru want this?"
Subaru nodded. He may as well have been a tomato for how red he was.
"And Kamui…consents?" Fuuma asked, sounding more than a little surprised.
"Yes," the violet-eyed faerie growled.
"Seishiro must have done something truly noble to win Kamui's trust. What makes
the two of you so certain he's playing double agent for you? How do you know
you're not the ones being played here?" He had never told them what Seishiro
was…what he was capable of.
"Seishiro…glows for me," Subaru said softly. Fuuma's eyes widened. One should
not go making a claim like that lightly. It was a very important thing in
Faerie. The fey held just as much stock by the glow of one's skin as the humans
did by virginity. Living as long as they did, virginity wasn't worth very much
to the fey. But the glow of skin, to find the one who could make you glow…that
was everything. If Seishiro truly glowed for Subaru…that changed everything.
"And…you glow for him?" Fuuma asked tentatively.
"Yes," Subaru replied as Seishiro pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"His skin glows the most beautiful green color I've ever seen."
"You are…actually capable of glowing?"
"Would you like a demonstration, cousin?" Seishiro asked, trailing a hand down
Subaru's bare stomach. The two of them happened to be clad only in pants at the
moment.
"You're no cousin of mine," Fuuma replied coolly. "You killed my father."
"I'd really hoped we were past all that. But tell me, you can see into my
heart, can't you? I love Subaru. He is my heart's true desire. Do I speak the
truth, Fuuma?"
It was true. Fuuma could see into the hearts of most beings. He had a
very…unique Hand of Power. He could see what a person's deepest desire was. To
him, a person's innermost thoughts were written plain across their face. But
Seishiro…was different. His face was strangely blank in the face of Fuuma's
magic. He had never understood why…but now that he knew the truth, he supposed
this was because of the Sakurazukamori. He was also fairly certain Seishiro
knew he couldn't see his true heart…and that made him uneasy, but he nodded
anyway, if only to give poor Subaru some peace of mind.
"So…you've sworn you don't want power and told me you know the one secret that
could have secured it for you. Why exactly are you including me in your little
circle?"
"Seishiro fears that Yue and Kero will deem him worthy to sit on the throne."
"You?"
"I want to prevent that from happening," Seishiro said calmly in the face of
his cousin's disdain.
"How do you mean to do that?"
"My father's chosen heir will not be able to kill me. I know that now. The only
other way is to present proof of fertility. There must be a child. One of the
heirs must have a child…and it won't be me. It's been at least a thousand years
since I've done anything that could possibly give me an heir."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because you are the one who will give Princess Yuui Fluorite a child."
For a moment, it did not sink in. But then…
"What? How could you possibly ask such an abomination of me? The princess is a
child! Yuui is-"
"Fuuma!" Kamui shouted over him, trying to calm him. "We understand how you
feel, but it can't be helped. You are one of the ones who needs an heir."
"But this isn't just about me, is it? It's about Yuui."
"That's so," Seishiro said languidly. "But for the sake of your sanity, we'll
pretend it is about you. You must get a child on Yuui."
"Isn't there…someone else who could do it? Surely the princess has a lover-"
"She does, but I sincerely doubt Princess Tomoyo Youou of Nihon can give her a
child…no matter how many times they lie together," Seishiro said with a
lascivious smirk.
Fuuma stiffened upon hearing this. First Prince Kurogane and Prince Fai, now
Princess Tomoyo and Princess Yuui? The intrigue surrounding these siblings was
going to end up destroying all the kingdoms one day.
"There's also the fact that Prince Fai will most likely never take a woman to
his bed and Prince Kurogane cannot give him a child, either," Kamui noted.
"Why can't one of you do it?"
"Because I cannot have an heir," Seishiro responded matter-of-factly. "It must
be you because no one could discredit a child born of you and Yuui. You both
come from noble stock. An heir of the Shiro line might be discounted by the
court. No one would dare challenge your child…especially if Yuui is the
mother."
"I think that statement works better the other way around. Would Faerie truly
accept her? Yuui has mortal blood."
"She will be recognized. I know it," Seishiro said confidently. "There is no
other way, Fuuma. Would you rather we asked you to get a child on Kotori?"
"Leave her out of this!" Fuuma snarled. "You've caused her enough pain!"
"Fuuma," Subaru started beseechingly. "One of the twins must have a child. As
things stand, neither of them ever will."
"Whatever happened to the engagement?"
"You are a fool if you truly believe those children will not fight their
hardest against that contract," Kamui said.
"Please, Fuuma. We cannot ask Prince Fai to get his own sister pregnant. There
is no one else who can do this."
"But…Yuui is my-"
"We know," Subaru interrupted gently. "If there were any other way, we would
never ask this of you…but there isn't. It has to be done. If we are to bring
Yuuko down and secure Faerie's future…sacrifices must be made."
"You're asking me to rape a sixteen-year-old girl. She will never consent to
lie with me. She wouldn't believe me, even if I did explain the situation to
her."
"You're a faerie, aren't you? Seduce her," Kamui said matter-of-factly.
"Princess Tomoyo is her lover, is she not? I sincerely doubt she would be
interested."
"Enchant her, then. Our forefathers were not above using their magic for such
ends."
Fuuma stared beseechingly at Kamui for a small moment.
You are also asking me to betray…my own heart's desire…Kamui.
"If this is what you wish of me, Kamui," he began, quickly gathering his
composure. "Then I will do this thing you ask of me. I will commit this sinful
act in your name."
Kamui turned away from him, sighing bitterly. "I don't want to have to do this
anymore than you do, Fuuma. What we're going to do is evil. I have no illusions
about it…but it must be done."
"Easy for you to say. You don't have to dirty your hands with this. You won't
have to look into her eyes while you rape her and force a child she doesn't
want on her. Will there be anything else, wise and noble lords?" he asked
mockingly.
"Don't tell my father anything, of course," Seishiro said, pulling Subaru into
his arms, as if mocking the fact that Fuuma could not do the same.
Chapter End Notes
     Lullaby for this chapter is "Taking You Home" from Wolf Quest.
***** Each Little Bird *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
"Why did we have to wait until dark?" Kurogane asked anxiously when Yuui
finally appeared at the border with Larg sitting on her shoulder.
"Why do you ask questions you already know the answers to?" Yuui returned as
Kurogane reached down a hand to help her onto Suwa's saddle. "You know
perfectly well why we had to wait until dark."
"Sorry," Kurogane apologized gruffly. "I'm just worried about Fai…and don't you
dare tell him I said that!"
"I don't need to, Kurogane-kun. My brother knows his Kuro-puppy is worried
about him." Kurogane growled, sounding very much like an enraged pup. Yuui
smiled as she continued. "Besides, there's nothing to be worried about anymore.
The worst is over."
Fai had been sick the past few weeks. At first, it had just seemed like a
cold…but then it had gotten worse. He'd had violent coughing fits and he'd
stopped eating. He'd taken to bed and spent most of his days sleeping, too weak
to rise. Instead of the healthy white glow his skin usually had, it had faded
to the sickly pallor of illness, half the time sweating with fever, the other
half shivering with chills. Watanuki had finally diagnosed the sickness as
pneumonia. The three guardians had fussed over him endlessly. Fai had never
been sick before. For a time, the illness had been so severe they had feared he
would die. He had lain on his bed, still as death. The little family had almost
missed the days when he'd been able to cough himself to exhaustion. And of
course, Kurogane had heard about everything through Tomoyo. He'd flown off the
handle, demanding to be allowed to see Fai. He'd even threatened to just come
there himself, before Yuui reminded him that he had no idea where they lived
and that it wouldn't help Fai if he came hunting for them and got himself
killed. Besides, even she hadn't been allowed to see him during those few weeks
when the situation had been at its worst.
Thankfully, Watanuki had finally been able to come up with the right
combination of herbs and charms, and Fai had started to get better. The
coughing lessened and his skin returned to a healthful color. He was awake most
of the day now and he was asking Yuui when he could see his Kuro-koi again.
"You might want to hold on," Yuui warned. Kurogane did so…and the two
teenagers, the Mokona, and the horse were suddenly in the middle of the forest.
"That is all kinds of weird," Kurogane muttered, glancing around, though he
could barely see anything.
"It's actually pretty easy," Yuui responded, quietly urging Suwa into a walk.
"Why can't you just take us straight there?"
"Because Watanuki, Himawari, and Doumeki set up some very powerful wards around
our land. Only they can teleport directly to the cottage. I can teleport away
just fine, but when coming back, I can only teleport so far as the wards."
"How long will it take to get there?"
"No more than ten minutes. Be patient, Kurogane-kun. I'll get you to him."
Kurogane grumbled his thanks and the two rode in silence for a while. After a
few minutes, Kurogane got up the nerve to ask, "How…how is he? He's really
feeling better?"
"Much better. He still feels tired and I still have to do all his chores, but
he's eating again. All he does is ask about you. 'When's Kuro-tan coming to see
me? When are you bringing him? When's Kuro-puppy coming to see me?' On and on,"
Yuui said, trying to sound annoyed, but failing to hide her happiness. "How's
Tomoyo?"
Kurogane rolled his eyes. "Can't wait to see you again. Hey…you two haven't…you
know…have you?"
Yuui laughed. "No. Not in the waking world, anyway. We are dreamseers, after
all."
"You…you mean…" Kurogane blustered, his face turning red.
"Every night. But we are still virgins. Tomoyo doesn't want to wait, but my
terms are that we wait until she's sixteen."
"Good," Kurogane huffed. "If you touch my sister a second sooner-"
"You've really got no right to talk. You who screws my brother senseless every
chance you get…my poor innocent little brother! Have you no shame, you
lecherous-"
"Hey! I'm getting a little tired of your words about my character. I think I
recall him being there, too…a willing and active participant even."
"You led him astray!" Yuui sighed melodramatically.
"Oh, stop whining! You don't even know if you're the older twin!"
"Hush, Kurogane-kun. We're almost there. Don't want to wake the others," Yuui
cautioned. Kurogane glanced ahead through the forest but still saw nothing.
They passed through an archway of trees and into a glen. He thought he could
see a dark, foliage-covered something, but he couldn't quite make it out. Then
some clouds parted, the moon shone down into the glen, he blinked, and the
something suddenly took shape as a small, two-story cottage.
"Home, sweet home," Yuui whispered as she dismounted. Kurogane was right behind
her. Yuui placed a hand in Suwa's mane and he immediately began to follow her
around the side of the house. Kurogane followed them and found himself standing
outside a very small stable built onto the side of the cottage. He stuck his
head inside and found Yuui leading Suwa into a stall next to Leval. The two
horses seemed very happy to see each other again. The stable was also occupied
by a goat and a few chickens.
"Okay," Yuui said, turning to face him. "Ready to go see Fai?"
Kurogane nodded. Yuui grinned and led the way back around the house. When they
stopped, she pointed up to the second floor, toward an open window.
"We have to climb up there?" Kurogane asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course. You don't even want to know how many enchantments are on the front
door. I'll go first and make sure the coast is clear. Once we're in, we'll
leave you two alone. All you have to do is lock the door behind us. And don't
worry, he's not contagious anymore, so you can kiss him all you want…wherever
you want," Yuui teased. Kurogane thanked the God it was too dark for the girl
to see his heated blush.
Yuui grabbed hold of a few of the vines growing up the side of the house and
began to hoist herself up. Kurogane followed close behind. Once the girl
reached the window and climbed inside, Kurogane hung just below, out of sight.
He waited for several breathless moments for some sort of sign. He could hear
some indistinct mumbling coming from the room but that was about it. Suddenly,
Yuui's head appeared above him, waving him forward.
"Come on, Kurogane-kun. All clear."
Kurogane easily pulled his body over the windowsill and landed nimbly on his
feet.
"Perfect landing, Kuro-rin. I've missed you and your ninjaness so much. Both in
and out of bed," a weak voice teased.
Kurogane glanced around the room, taking everything in. The small room was lit
with several balls of soft, silvery light. It was sparsely furnished and two
beds were set up against the wall, both canopies. Soel was bouncing up and down
on a bed that had probably been made prior to its antics. On the bed closest to
the window lay the one he'd missed so much.
"Fai," he whispered, his heart lightening instantly. But just as he was about
to go to him, a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"Uh-uh uh-uh," Yuui chided him. "You have to lock the door first," she reminded
him as she dragged him away from Fai. "And take this off," she said, quickly
ungirding Sohi for him.
"But Yuuiii! I want my Kuro-lover noooow!" Fai whined softly.
"Sheesh! At least keep it in your pants until we leave the room," Yuui scolded.
As she stepped out the door, carrying the Mokona in her arms, she turned back
to Kurogane one last time. "Be good, Kurogane-kun. Don't do anything I wouldn't
do."
Kurogane gave her a look that plainly said, 'Are you serious?' before closing
the door and locking it. The next moment, he was on the bed, on top of Fai,
covering his face with kisses.
"Mm…Kuro-koi," Fai moaned against him, returning kiss for kiss. "How long has
it been?"
"Too damn long!" he muttered gruffly, never once ceasing to kiss him.
"I've missed you so, Kuro-puppy."
"Don't do that again. I was so…worried about you!" Kurogane admitted, pulling
his lover into a fierce embrace, savoring the feeling of their two hearts
beating in harmony…dispelling the horrible nightmare that one of them had
almost stopped…forever.
Fai sighed, contentedly resting his head against Kurogane's chest as the prince
cradled him in the warm circle of his arms. "It feels like it's been a hundred
years since you held me. I missed you so much. Did you miss me, too?"
"I was going crazy," he replied as he laid the two of them down. "All I could
think about was you. I kept dreaming about you. I could hear you…crying out in
pain…but I couldn't come to you. No one would let me. But I kept trying."
"I dreamed…that I was lost in a desert. I wandered for days and days without
food or water. I walked until I couldn't walk anymore…then I crawled…because I
knew I had to see you again. But they kept telling me I couldn't…that I
wouldn't. And…when I couldn't crawl anymore…I dreamed that…that I died." He
didn't fail to notice the way Kurogane's arms tightened around him at this.
"But then…I heard your voice…calling out to me. It brought me back…back from
beyond the grave. You reached out your hand…and you led me back home…to where
you are. That was when…my fever broke. And…every night after that…I dreamed
that you finally came to me here…but you found me dead. Everyone else had given
up hope…but not you. You breathed the life back into me with your kiss. And
now…you're finally here…here with me…holding me. Goddess, I missed you!"
"Yes. I'm here," Kurogane whispered, tracing his fingers down Fai's bare back.
The boy was clad only in a pair of loose sleep pants at the moment. "And you're
not going anywhere," he reprimanded, pressing several light butterfly kisses to
Fai's white neck.
"Kuro-mii?" Fai started, burying his fingers in his lover's soft, black hair as
he peppered his face with kisses. "If I died…would you kiss me back to life?"
"Always," he said seriously, pulling himself away from Fai and moving to his
knees, gazing tenderly down at the blond's beautiful face. "I couldn't live
without you. I wouldn't want to. Besides…any excuse to kiss you," he smirked,
leaning over the smiling blond once again and pressing his lips against his. As
their tongues and lips began to dance together once more, Fai moaned softly
against him, fisting the black material of his tunic in his desperate hands.
"Mmph…Mm…please—Kuro-tan…let's…tonight…I want you…so bad," he moaned, plunging
a hand into Kurogane's pants, reaching for him.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Mm…agh! Wait a second!" Kurogane protested, seizing Fai's
wrist, though his hand was already hard at work. "Nngh! We can't…oh! Mm!
Nngh…be doing this…mmph! Oh, Goddess…tonight! Mm…yes! Right there…that feels…so
good. Mm…ah…ah! Stop it!" he hissed, finally pulling Fai's hand out of his
pants.
"B-but…Kuro-chuu…I…I missed you. Why can't we?" Fai asked, pouting in that
sickeningly cute way of his. Kurogane took his face in his hands, crouching
over his body, careful not to let his growing arousal touch his lover. If he
did…he wouldn't be able to stop himself. He pulled Fai's face close to his and
gently kissed his lips, refusing to let the embrace become too passionate.
"I missed you, too, idiot. But you're still recovering. You're not in any
condition to be having sex."
"Oh…but Kuro-anaru! I'm so hot…so ready for you. Why won't you let me have my
Kuro-tachi?" he hissed in his lover's ear before bucking his hips up against
him and causing him to collapse on top of him. Kurogane groaned when he felt
their throbbing lengths crash together. He was driven even more wild by the
things Fai was whispering in his ear. Goddess forgive me, but I need this too
much.
"I'd very much like it if you'd fuck me tonight, Kuro-koi," he whispered, his
hot breath tickling the prince's ear as he slid his hands under his tunic.
"I won't fuck you, baka koibito. Not tonight. I will make love to you, though,"
he whispered, placing slow, gentle kisses along his jaw line. He felt his heart
skip a few beats when he felt Fai's face shift into a smile beneath his lips.
"That's fine with me, Kuro-tachi. I just want to be with you," the blond
whispered as Kurogane finally allowed him to slip his tunic off. The ninja
suddenly felt slightly self-conscious when his lover started giggling.
"What?"
"Kuro-myuu…you brought the sun with you."
"Eh?"
"Look," he teased, reaching for the sun charm around Kurogane's neck. The ruby
pendant glittered faintly in the dim light.
"Good thing, too. Since you always seem to have the moon with you," he
responded, reaching for the moon charm resting on Fai's pale chest. The faint
glimmer of the sapphire pendant rose to join the ruby one. They twinkled
merrily together, looking for all the world as if they belonged there.
"Where did you get this?" Kurogane asked. He had seen the charm around Fai's
neck for years, but he had never seen it side by side with his own. The charms
themselves were different, had different stones, were set in different
metals…and yet, they were so very similar.
"I've always had this, Kuro-chuu…for as long as I can remember. It was on me
when Doumeki, Watanuki, and Himawari found Yuui and I as babies. Sometimes we
think that maybe…our birth parents gave it to me. Maybe Yuui used to have a
matching one and…just lost it or something."
Feeling the cool weight of the moon charm in his palm, Kurogane felt a bolt of
familiarity flash through him. A memory was there. It was at the back of his
mind…the tip of his tongue. If he only stretched his hand a little further, he
could reach out and touch it. But the next moment, it was gone, and he was
staring at an ordinary necklace again. However, rather than drop the thing and
get back to what he'd been doing, he used the charm to initiate things. He
allowed the pendant to rest flush against his palm and pressed several tender
kisses to the cool sapphire. Fai's hands trembled violently, causing him to
drop the sun charm. His eyes half-rolled back into his head in pleasure.
"Mm…feels…so good…Kuro-puppy. More."
Kurogane quickly laid his slender lover back down and slowly started to strip
him of his pants. For every inch of fabric he removed, he placed a gentle kiss
on Fai's heated arousal. When Fai was finally naked beneath him, he moved back
up to his face, kissing the fine contours and soft hollows that he knew so
well. He couldn't quite hear what, but Fai mumbled something as he seized the
sun pendant. The moment he pressed his lips to the slowly heating rubies,
Kurogane felt his entire body tingle with pleasure.
"Sweet Consort!" he moaned in rapture, half-collapsing on top of Fai. It
felt…so…amazing! Fai grinned wickedly as he swirled his tongue all over the
surface of the charm, finally taking the whole thing in his mouth and sucking
on it, all the while making delicious moaning sounds. Sweat broke out all over
the prince's body. He dug his fingers into the bedding and buried his face in
the pillow beneath Fai's head, screaming as he drowned in the sensations. Oh,
Goddess, if he didn't stop soon he was going to…
With one last wicked grin, Fai released him from his cage of torment and bliss,
allowing the pendant to slide out of his mouth. As the golden, saliva-slicked
charm slid from between his lips, the mewling sounds he made almost caused the
prince to come. God, he was so close already.
"Do you like the curtains, Kuro-chan?" Fai asked as he sat up. He had picked
the most non-sexual topic he could think of while pinned beneath his lover. He
didn't want Kurogane to come yet.
"What?!" Kurogane hissed, on the verge of anger.
"Watanuki made them," Fai explained as he crawled around the bed, pulling all
of the white gossamer curtains closed and snuffing out all of the glowing balls
of light. "They're enchanted. They're supposed to protect our dreams."
Kurogane had to resist the urge to throw the boy down on the bed and fuck his
brains out. What kind of question was that? If he didn't take Fai soon, there
was going to be trouble. He wanted to be gentle with his recovering lover, it
was true, but Fai just really knew which levers to pull with him. He always
had.
"Now," Fai continued, crawling back over to Kurogane and snaking his hands
eagerly into his lover's black pants. "Where were we?"
Kurogane grinned wolfishly as he helped Fai remove the last of his clothing.
When at last there was nothing between them but their skin, they attacked each
other voraciously. Soft sheets, sweat, rose oil, hot skin, hotter desire, soft,
damp hair, delicious moans, heavy panting, love bites, bruised lips, tender
kisses, hot breath, warm, moist tongues, wandering hands, dancing fingers,
slick thighs, thrusting hips: all of it combined to bring the ultimate
pleasure.
"So beautiful," Kurogane moaned as Fai climbed on top of him.
"So…strong," Fai panted back to him as he began to lower himself down onto
Kurogane's fully erect member.
"So…mine," they breathed in harmony as they moved together.
"All mine," the prince whispered, thrusting his hips up to meet Fai's rhythm.
With one hand, he jerked his lover's manhood, and with the other, he held his
cheek, gazing directly into his eyes as they began to glow, along with the rest
of his body.
"Always," Fai returned, thrusting himself down on Kurogane even harder. For a
few timeless moments, there was only the sound of their breathing and their
flesh as they moved together on the bed. Then Fai gripped Kurogane's muscled
arms, supporting himself as he leaned down over his lover. Kurogane eagerly
moved up to meet him, though he was nearly blinded by the glow of his angelic
face.
"I…love you…nngh…so much…ah…Kuro-sama," he moaned before crushing his lips
against the ninja's. Neither of them realized it, but both of their pendants
had started to glow…and, as they kissed, the charms joined together as one,
glowing even more brightly.
"Nngh…I…love…you…mmph…Fai…oh!" Kurogane panted in between kisses as he moved
his hands to Fai's hips, forcing their joining to become even more heated and
passionate.
Fai sealed Kurogane's mouth with a kiss when the ninja finally came, screaming
his name into his mouth as he spilled himself into Fai's most secret place.
When the hot flood between his legs finally ceased, Fai suddenly shot up,
wrenching the charms apart once more. The light from his body, along with the
scent of wild roses, filled the room as he reached climax. He threw his head
back, crying his lover's name to the heavens as the orgasm seized him.
Kurogane held him in his hands as the seed erupted out of him, gushing all over
his stomach and gathering there in a warm pool. Fai hurriedly lifted himself
off of the prince and promptly collapsed on top of him, kissing his face with
wild abandon as his essence cooled between their sweat-slicked bodies. Kurogane
wrapped his arms tightly around his lover, holding him fast to his chest as he
returned each kiss.
"You are so…fucking…beautiful. I could watch you glow forever."
"Well, then," Fai started as he finally let his head rest on Kurogane's chest.
"You'll just have to make me glow forever, Kuro-lust."
"Your wish is my command," Kurogane said softly, kissing his lover's forehead
and eyes even as the glow of moonlight faded from his skin.
"You know something, Kuro-koi?" Fai said as he propped himself up on Kurogane's
chest, forcing the ninja prince to move his arms to his waist. "I feel amazing
right now."
"Well, I'd feel pretty stupid if you didn't. I feel pretty damn good, too."
"That's not what I mean," Fai half-whined as he traced nimble fingers along the
beautifully defined muscles of his lover's chest. "Kuro-large performed
beautifully, as usual…of course. He took me to Heaven and back. But…what I mean
is that…I don't feel sick anymore. I think…I think I'm healed."
Kurogane gazed curiously up at the blond. "What do you mean? You think…us
having sex…cured you?"
"I don't know," Fai replied, allowing his fingers to wander up to Kurogane's
face. "That could have been it…or it could have been something else," he
muttered as his gaze slid down to the faintly glowing charm on his love's
chest. He knew his own pendant was magic…but what about Kurogane's? Perhaps
they had somehow…reacted to each other? Maybe that was what healed him? Could
it really have been just his own magic reacting to Kurogane…when it had taken
even his guardians weeks to devise a charm to save him from death?
"Let's not worry about it now," Kurogane said as he pulled Fai's large blue
quilt over their cooling bodies and pulled Fai himself back into his embrace,
finally laying them both down. "You're feeling better now, right? That's all
that matters right now."
"I missed you so much," Fai said, snuggling right up against Kurogane. "I
thought about you every day…even when I was unconscious. There were times when
I was lucid…when I knew I was dying…and I always thought, 'Let me live. Please!
Let me live. Let me see Kuro-pii one more time'."
"One more time would never be enough. I don't want to talk about you dying
anymore. I'm just glad you're okay," he whispered into Fai's hair before
pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. "I don't even want to think about you
dying. I missed you, too…too damn much. I might be gone when you wake up. Right
now…I just want to hold you."
"Kuro-pon…will you sing to me?"
Kurogane quickly backed out of the kiss he'd been about to give Fai and stared
at him, mouth agape.
"What?!"
"I like it when someone sings me to sleep. Tomoyo-chan keeps telling us you
have such a wonderful voice, but I've never heard you sing…not ever."
"I don't like singing," he muttered, going slightly red. "Besides…it's nothing
like yours. Can't you sing yourself to sleep?"
"It doesn't work like that, Kuro-koi," Fai giggled as he placed a kiss on his
lover's forehead. "Am I not worth a song?"
Kurogane groaned, closing his eyes in exasperation. Of course the idiot was
worth a song...but…he just…
"Come on. Pleeaase!" Fai begged, deploying his deadly puppy dog face. "Sing me
a love song, Kuro-lover."
Oh, for the love of Goddess, fine! There was at least one song he knew. A song
he remembered Kusanagi singing to Yuzuriha. He wasn't certain of all the words,
but it was worth a shot if it was what Fai wanted.
You're in my arms
And all the world is calm,
The music playing on for only two.
So close together,
And when I'm with you
So close to feeling alive.
A life goes by.
Romantic dreams must die.
So I bid mine good bye and never knew,
So close was waiting, waiting here with you
And now, forever, I know
All that I wanted, to hold you
So close.
So close to reaching that famous happy end.
Almost believing this was not pretend.
Now you're beside me
And look how far we've come.
So far we are so close.
Fai sighed as he listened, cuddled in the warm safety of Kurogane's arms. The
prince really did have a wonderfully rich voice. Why he didn't like using it
was beyond Fai. And the song itself was so beautiful. He could stay here
forever…were it not for the fact that Kurogane would be torn away from him in
one year and ten months by some prissy little bitch neither of them had ever
even met. Fai clung to his love even more tightly at the horrid thought.
Kurogane was also thinking about it as he sang…how much he loved Fai…and just
how badly he would crush them both when he was forced to walk away from him.
What would he do…on the night of his wedding? There had to be a way out! There
just had to be! The prince held Fai impossibly close as he sang the last verse,
all of his love, sadness, desire, and anger fueling the words as he sang to his
beloved.
Oh, how could I face the faceless days
If I should lose you now?
We're so close
To reaching that famous happy end.
Almost believing this was not pretend.
Let's go on dreaming, though we know we are
So close
So close…and still
So far.
As the last words left his mouth, Kurogane lifted Fai's face up and tenderly
kissed his lips. Fai could feel tears forming at the corners of his eyes; so
the moment the kiss ended, he buried his face in Kurogane's chest, preventing
him from seeing them.
"I love you…Kuro-koibito."
"I love you, too…my love," he whispered back, pressing a kiss to the top of his
head.
"Please…don't leave me."
"I will never."
"Good…goodnight, Kuro-sama," he mumbled, kissing his chest as he closed his
eyes.
"Sleep well."
Several hours later, when the sky was just beginning to lighten, Yuui unlocked
the door and crept in, removing the silencing charm she'd placed on the room as
she did, the Mokona bounding in right behind her. A warm smile worked its way
onto her face when she pulled back the curtains of Fai's bed to find Kurogane,
lying awake, holding a sleeping Fai in his arms.
"How long have you been awake?" she asked as she sat down beside them on the
bed.
"I didn't sleep," he replied as he stroked Fai's hair. "I'll sleep when I get
back to Nihon."
"Kuro-prince has lots of stamina," Soel teased.
"Shh!" Kurogane shushed angrily. "He's sleeping."
'Sorry,' Soel mouthed.
"Sorry, Kurogane-kun, but it is about time for you to get going. I think
Doumeki's awake now. The others won't be far behind."
"I know," he said, his expression unreadable as he breathed in the scent of
Fai's hair one last time before getting up and tucking the quilt securely
around his sleeping lover. Yuui politely turned away as Kurogane dressed
himself. When he was ready, he moved back over to the bed and leaned down over
Fai, dropping a last, loving kiss on his forehead.
"I love you," he breathed in his ear.
I'm counting the minutes until we're together again.
"Mm…Kuro-rin," the boy mumbled in his sleep. Kurogane smiled longingly down at
him one more time before following Yuui and Larg over to the window. Once they
were out, Soel went about its work. The Mokona was very grateful that the two
little bunny rabbits hadn't made a mess of the quilt. The mess was only under
the quilt. It made disposing of the evidence so much easier. Once all was in
order, Soel pulled the curtains closed again and snuggled up with Fai, ready to
announce to Watanuki and Himawari that Fai had been innocently sleeping in his
bed all night. But it wasn't either of them who entered the room first.
Doumeki walked in not long after the others had gone. He knew before opening
the door that his adopted son's lover was already gone, but his musky, earthy
scent still lingered in the room…along with another scent; a scent that would
hopefully be gone by the time the others made their morning rounds. It was
faint, but the twins' room still smelled of sex.
                                      XxX
"Chi-san? Chi-san?" Eriol called as he wandered through the corridors,
searching for his nurse. It wasn't as if the nine-year-old still felt the need
for a nurse. He was actually quite self-sufficient for his age. But Chi was
still his friend…and right now he wanted to show her the teddy bear he'd just
finished making. Unfortunately, he hadn't seen much of his friend this past
week. A new delegation had arrived from Nihon and that ninja boy she loved so
much was among them. His father was always saying that Hideki wasn't right for
Chi…that he was a clumsy and inept ninja and he wouldn't be a good husband for
her, but Eriol didn't think any of that was important. He just liked watching
the way the two of them smiled whenever they were together…like the world was
made up of just the two of them. It reminded him of his own parents…of his aunt
and uncle. And now, with thoughts of Chi and Hideki's blossoming relationship
in his mind, he realized that the best place to look for his friends would be
the temporary quarters of the ninja guards.
The boy found the quarters mostly empty. A few of the ninja were on break and
they paid little mind to a boy wandering around clutching a snow white stuffed
animal in his hands. Unfortunately, neither Chi nor Hideki were to be found in
the common area.
"Excuse me, Ninja-san? Is Motosuwa-san here?" he asked one of the guards.
The ninja chuckled as he pointed down one of the corridors. "Third door on the
right. Don't know if he'll answer you though."
"Why? Is he sleeping?"
The other ninja snickered. Eriol, confused, just shrugged and headed off in the
indicated direction. He could definitely hear sounds coming from behind the
closed door. So he wasn't asleep.
"Oh…nngh…Hideki-kun!" Chi's voice!
The boy couldn't quite understand Hideki's reply. All he heard were a few moans
and unintelligible shouts. Oh, dear! Maybe poor Hideki had injured himself in
training…or maybe thieves had tried to sneak into the palace and he'd been hurt
in a battle bravely trying to defend his Chi?
"Chi-san? Motosuwa-san?" he called, knocking on the door. There was no
response. His small voice didn't carry well enough over the moaning. It sounded
suspiciously like something Mama and Papa did sometimes, but that couldn't be
it. There wasn't a red ribbon tied to the doorknob. Perhaps Chi was just too
distracted by her Hideki's injuries to notice the door? Maybe he should go in
and see what he could do to help?
"Chi-san?" he called softly as he opened the door, only to be met with a very
loud squeal. The two lovers were sprawled out on Hideki's bed. Hideki was clad
only in his pants…which were already pulled halfway down. Chi was beneath him.
Her dress had been unbuttoned in front and hiked up around her waist. The next
moment, Hideki was on the floor, blustering and trying to pull his pants up,
and Chi was pulling up a blanket to try and cover her bare breasts.
"Eri-kun, Chi is so sorry!" the nineteen year old squeaked as she turned a
furious shade of red.
"No. I'm sorry, Chi-san," Eriol apologized, blushing lightly as he turned away.
"But…why don't you have a red ribbon tied to the door?"
"Huh?" Hideki mumbled, confused. He'd managed to get his pants up, but he still
pulled a pillow into his lap to keep from traumatizing the poor boy any
further.
"I walked in on Tou-san and Kaa-san like this once. Kaa-san said that he would
tie a red ribbon to the doorknob whenever they were doing it, so I would know
if it was okay to come in or not."
"Well," Hideki mumbled, running his fingers through his messy black hair.
"Maybe we should start doing that, too?"
"What did you need Chi for, Eri-kun?" Chi asked, tucking her long hair behind
her ears with one hand, holding the blanket in place with the other.
"I just wanted to show you the bear I made," he said shyly, holding the bear up
without turning to see her reaction.
"Oh!" she gasped in delight. "He's a very handsome bear. Such pure white fur.
Did you make him for someone?"
"Kind of," Eriol said, blushing even more deeply. He had had someone in mind
when he made the bear, but he wasn't sure if he could ever actually give it to
her.
"Now, now," Yukito's voice suddenly sounded in the corridor. "What are you
doing to our Chi-chan, Motosuwa-kun?"
"Oh, Fluorite-sama! It's wonderful! Look!" Chi cried joyfully as she held up
her left hand. A simple copper band was wrapped securely around her ring
finger.
"Chi-chan!" the high priest exclaimed, nodding his head in approval. "Does this
mean that-"
"In the spring, Chi will be Hideki Motosuwa-san!"
"I see. So…do you mean to have your first child present at the wedding?"
Both teenagers blushed furiously at this.
"We'll leave you two bunnies to it, then," Yukito teased, gently scooting his
son out of the doorway and closing it. Then he turned mock-stern eyes on Eriol.
"They didn't have a red ribbon," he explained softly.
"It's all right, Eri-chan. They need to have some idea of what it's like to
have children beforehand. I see you finished your bear," Yukito said proudly as
he led his son out of the temporary quarters.
"Uh-huh!" Eriol said, just as proud of the achievement. "I just finished this
morning all by myself."
"Does he have a name yet?"
Eriol began to blush again. "Well…no. I was thinking…of maybe…giving him to
someone."
"Oh?" Yukito began to tease. "Is my Eri-chan feeling his first love?" Eriol's
blush only deepened. "Don't tell me. Let me guess. Is it…Chi-chan?"
"No!" Eriol insisted, wrinkling his nose. "Chi-san is like my big sister!"
"Could it be…hmm…ah! I think I know!" he crowed triumphantly. "Priest Mizuki's
daughter, Kaho-chan, maybe?"
At this point, Eriol might as well have been a tomato for how red he was. He
nodded.
"Excellent choice. She's a very nice girl."
"She is," Eriol agreed. Kaho was his best friend.
"I know she'll love it, a beautiful piece of craftsmanship like this made with
love. Shall we give it to her now?"
Eriol hesitated a moment. He was nervous…but his mother's warm words had
convinced him.
"Okay," he consented, taking his mother's hand again and following him to
Kaho's quarters. He could just picture the way her face would light up when she
saw the gift.
                                      XxX
"Well? Have you figured out what's wrong with her?" Doumeki asked, leaning
against the small stable. Leval had been acting skittish and very picky about
her food of late. Himawari was, at present, giving her a full examination to
find out what the problem was. As she emerged from the stable, the animal
sprite's face looked slightly pale.
"Yes…but I don't see how it's possible."
"So?"
"Leval is going to have a foal in the spring."
"That's good news," he noted stoically.
"I…well, yes. The twins will be very exited. But I just don't see how it could
have happened."
Doumeki knew who the sire was. Fey horses were very particular about whom they
chose for mates and the prince's horse was truly a magnificent animal. However,
he couldn't let Himawari and Watanuki know that just yet.
"Could it be that some other horse got to her while you were running errands in
Shirasagi?"
Himawari looked uncertain. "I guess it's possible. I've never seen a stallion
in Shirasagi that Leval would deign to submit to, but it clearly happened while
I wasn't looking, so…Yes. That must be what happened. I'll go tell Fai-chan and
Yuui-chan."
Doumeki wandered into the stable after Himawari went breezing into the cottage.
Leval was standing contentedly in her stall, munching on some oats.
"The two of you will certainly make a beautiful foal," he commented as he ran
his fingers through her mane. "Though…you'd think if those children wanted to
keep their secret, they'd work a little harder to keep things like this from
happening."
                                      XxX
"You've come to see me every time I've asked."
Kokuyo grinned to himself as he pulled the light faerie into his arms. The two
of them were lying together on the banks of the Hana River. It was late in the
afternoon.
"Even though you are of the light…and I am a servant of darkness."
"I don't care about that. I just like being with you…Kokuyo," she said, laying
her head down on his chest. The dark faerie had started to think it odd after
about a year of this. She knew his name, but he did not know hers. He had never
asked and she had never offered it. Now he almost felt embarrassed to ask her.
"Me, too," he said softly, thinking about all of the things he should be doing.
Inspecting troops, torturing prisoners, taking inventory of supplies, striking
fear into the hearts of the people of Valeria. "I like it better here with
you."
It had started slow. When this had begun, she had neither refused nor embraced
his advances. Whenever he had tried to hold her, she would act like they were
merely discussing the weather. The general was eventually forced to take the
hint and he would simply sit by her side or walk with her, just talking. After
a time, he found he had grown to enjoy it…the sound of her voice, the look in
her eyes whenever she talked about things that seemed unimportant, the way she
smiled whenever he spoke. Slowly, he started to realize he no longer viewed her
as an object to be desired. He was content just being with her. When he was not
with her, all he could do was think about her. He would sometimes find himself
trying to imagine some of the things she might say when next they met.
Certainly it would be wonderful if she consented to lie with him…but he found
he didn't need that anymore. He would be content just to lie by her side
forever, tracing kisses over her beautiful face.
The caresses had also come very slowly. When he had stopped trying to jump her,
they had started by simply holding hands. Then she would let him hold her. The
kisses had come last. Kokuyo was perfectly aware she had him whipped, but he
really did not care. As far as he was concerned, he was her slave. Nothing else
mattered to him anymore. Not the light, not the dark, not his queen, not his
clan, not his position, not the impending war…nothing. Goddess forgive him, but
he loved her. And she seemed to feel very much the same way.
"I would rather be here with you…than anywhere else in Heaven, Hell, or on
Earth," she said as she ran her fingers through his dark hair.
"Really?" he asked, pressing a tender kiss to the pulse point in her neck. She
shivered with pleasure.
"Yes," she moaned.
"Does that mean…that you'll let me have you?" he whispered, suddenly feeling
nervous as his trembling fingers undid the first button on her tunic.
"Yes."
In no more time than it took to draw a single breath, Kokuyo had slipped the
clothing from both of them. As he laid her down beside the Hana River, she gave
herself to him utterly, and they were united as one soul, their skin glowing in
a beautiful harmony of light.
Afterward, the two lovers lay, nude, on the riverbank, still intertwined in one
another.
"I've never asked you your name," Kokuyo muttered as he ran his fingers idly
through her unbound golden hair, loving the feeling of his body resting in hers
as they slowly cooled.
"It's Hisui."
"Just like the Master of the Wind," he commented casually.
"Uh-huh," she began slowly. "Because that's me."
Kokuyo felt his heart freeze in his chest. "You're…Hisui…Master of Wind? That
makes you one of the Four Generals." He had just bedded the enemy. For two
years…he had been spilling his secrets to the enemy.
"Is that a problem? Are you upset with me?" Hisui asked, suddenly looking
terror-stricken. Kokuyo felt his heart clench at the sight. No matter what she
had done, he could not bear to see that look in her eyes.
"So…all this time…were you doing this…just to get information from me? Am I
nothing more to you than an informant?" He could live with being betrayed…but
he didn't think he could handle it if she didn't care for him at all.
"No!" she insisted vehemently as she pulled away from him. "I never told anyone
I was seeing you. No one knows about us."
"Us?" he whispered as he sat up, reaching for her. She nodded.
"Us," she said, leaning forward to kiss him. Kokuyo felt that their lips had
only just touched when all of his senses suddenly went on hyper alert. His body
stiffened briefly and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.
"I've made up my mind. From this day forward, I will be free of the Dark Court.
I defect to you, Hisui. I will lay my fortunes at your feet."
Hisui smiled and kissed her lover again. "Faerie will gladly welcome you back."
"Go to Spirit Lake and wait for me there," Kokuyo said as he handed the wind
sprite her clothing. "There is one last thing I need to do."
Both generals were dressed in the blink of an eye. Kokuyo moved to steal one
last kiss from his lover.
"Don't take too long, my love," she whispered before disappearing into the
forest.
"I'm sorry, Hisui. I've only just found you…and this is already goodbye."
"Very eloquently put, my handsome traitor. I'm curious. Did you know I was here
the whole time?" Yuuko asked as she emerged from the trees.
"If I had, I wouldn't have put Hisui on display for you like that. I only
sensed you when you wanted me to." He wasn't happy about it, but he knew it
would please her.
"Trying to be a hero, are we? Tell me, after I've killed you, what's to stop me
from killing her, too?"
"You will not touch her," he replied confidently. "You cannot approach Spirit
Lake, my queen."
"Are you so certain of that? Clow's enchantment is growing weaker all the time.
I can enter the forest now. I come closer every day. I could kill her and force
you to return with me, but you're no good to me without your loyalty. I have no
desire to imprison you beneath the ground forever. But I cannot allow you to
carry all of that lovely military intelligence into their hands either. You
understand?"
"Perfectly," he said calmly. He had no hope of defeating her. He knew that. But
she wasn't going to harm Hisui. She just wasn't!
"I'd enjoy killing you immensely. I would love to feel the life drain out of
that powerful body of yours," she said, moving toward him in a way that
suggested she meant to seduce, rather than slay him. "However…I find myself in
a position where you are of more use to me alive. So…" She stood on tiptoe,
wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him.
Kokuyo did not react to her touch. He may as well have been made of stone. But,
suddenly, his eyes widened and he felt his body stiffen and grow cold. He began
to shiver uncontrollably as his vision darkened until all he could see was
Yuuko.
"Do you feel it?" she whispered against his lips, catching him in her arms as
his body began to fall. "Do you feel the venom I spread over my lips coursing
through your veins, stilling your blood forever, sending your mind deep into a
cold, dark sleep? There are things so much worse than death, Kokuyo. Your clan
will choose a new leader. Hisui will forget about you with time. You, on the
other hand, will have an eternity to remember…an eternity to watch her through
cold, dead eyes, never able to reach for her again."
Kokuyo tried to respond, but he couldn't make his mouth work nor draw breath to
make a sound. His body was steadily going slack and he could feel his blood
growing cold. The faerie lord barely had time to feel horror at his fate as his
eyes slid shut for what might be the last time. He truly did not mind this
living death. What he did mind…was the thought of never being able to hold
Hisui close again.
"KOKUYO!" he suddenly heard her screaming.
No! No! Hisui, run! She'll kill you! Ru-
Yuuko smiled as she pulled away from the sleeping corpse on the riverbank,
chuckling as the Wind Master flung herself down beside him. The former Satani
lord's face was white as snow and the rise and fall of his chest was barely
detectable. He looked for all the world like a corpse three days dead.
"What have you done to him?!" the distraught sprite demanded, taking her
comatose love in her arms. She was barely aware of whom she was speaking to.
"Your lover knew the consequences of his actions. This is what happens to
people who betray me."
"Bring him back!" she demanded tearfully. Yuuko leered down at her, seizing her
chin in her hand and forcing her to look up at her.
"Kokuyo tried to save your life. Arousing my anger is, I think, a very poor way
to repay his sacrifice."
The telling of Hisui's life would have been very different from that moment on;
in fact it might have ended there, were it not for the storm of fire, water,
and earth that came swirling toward them at that very moment.
"LET HER GO, YOU MONSTER!" Ryuuki screamed as he hurled ball after ball of
blazing fire at the dark queen. He was backed by Ransho, summoning up the very
earth. Touki came last of all, rousing the Hana River into a furious frenzy.
Yuuko blocked all of their attacks easily, all with a languid leer on her face
and while still holding Hisui's chin firmly in her hand. Ransho managed to get
a hit in, but Yuuko responded in kind by firing dark magic at Ryuuki. The
instant the sludge-like substance touched him, it began to devour him. The
combatants slowly came to a standstill.
"Get thee gone, foul darkness!" Ransho hissed, ready to summon up another
attack. "You are not permitted to be here!"
"But it appears you cannot keep me out any longer, can you? Tsk, tsk, tsk. I
almost want to know if you could actually do anything to stop me from killing
this little bitch."
"Harm one hair on her head and I'll make you pay for it!" Ryuuki shouted,
struggling to free himself from Yuuko's enchanted slime.
"Oh, all right. Have her back," Yuuko said with a sigh. For a moment, she
gripped the wind sprite's chin even tighter, drawing blood with her nails.
"Enjoy the stud you've won off of me. I daresay you'll have trouble getting him
to be quite so virile now." Then Yuuko threw the younger faerie to the ground
and vanished. Ransho and Touki rushed forward and Ryuuki struggled to crawl to
them.
"Are you all right, Hisui?" Ransho asked, trying to have a look at her chin.
"I'm fine," she insisted, trying to shrug him off. "How did you find us?"
"His Majesty told us that Yuuko was in the forest and Ryuuki remembered that
you had gone out. He was worried, so we came looking," Touki explained.
"Is that…Kokuyo Satani?" Ryuuki asked in horror. "What's he doing here? Oh,
Consort, he didn't…touch you, did he?"
"It is. And yes, he did touch me. I let him touch me. He's here because of me.
We have to help him!"
"Are you insane?" Touki asked in her normal stoic tone. "He is Yuuko's top
general. Why should we bring him into Faerie?"
"He's not hers anymore. He was coming back to our side. Yuuko's done something
horrible to him. We have to find a way to save him!"
"Why?" Ryuuki demanded angrily. "It's no less than he deserves. Do you know how
many innocent people he's killed?"
"Because I love him."
Ryuuki felt like he'd been slapped. But before he had time to feel anything
more, Ransho broke in.
"I believe you, Hisui. We'll do our best to save him. Surely the king will be
able to do something," the earth sprite said soothingly as he lifted the
unconscious Kokuyo from Hisui's arms and helped her to stand. Without being
asked, Touki lifted Ryuuki into her arms and followed after the other two.
Spirit Lake would be able to cleanse him of this dark magic.
As Ransho led her back toward the lake, Hisui couldn't take her eyes off of her
fallen love. He'd known Yuuko was there! He'd sent her away on purpose! If she
had ignored her misgivings and not returned, Goddess only knew what might have
happened. He looked so close to the edge now…so weak and helpless.
"He's fading," she whispered weakly.
There must be a way to save him! There must be!
                                      XxX
Most people knew not to disturb Koryu whenever squeals and moans were echoing
from his room. As such, he was surprised when he heard his door opening.
"Ignore them," Ruri moaned.
"Stay with us," Hari panted.
Koryu just groaned. Ruri and Hari were his servants…a perfectly matched pair.
There was nothing they would not do for him. He hated being forced away from
them. If this wasn't important, there would be hell to pay!
"What?!" he shouted, leaping out of bed…stark naked. He was shocked to find the
queen herself standing before his bed.
"Good evening," the queen said, casually examining her fingernails.
"Your Majesty!" the young faerie blustered, bowing low. Ruri and Hari squealed
and ducked under the blanket. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"How would you like to be lord of the Satani Clan?"
For a moment, Koryu just stood there, staring at her. Him? Lord of the Oni?
"But…what about Kokuyo?" Because Kokuyo had no legitimate heir of his own yet,
Koryu, as his younger cousin, was first in line for the title, but…what had
happened?
"He won't be coming back."
"What? Why?!"
Yuuko raised an eyebrow, giving him a look that clearly said, 'Do you really
want to be asking me that?' Koryu just swallowed hard and fell silent. A Satani
had been Master of the Oni for time out of mind. The Oni were comprised of the
most fearsome, nightmarish creatures in all of Faerie. It was the Dark Court's
command of the Oni that caused the Court of Light to tremble in fear. However,
if a formal transfer of power did not happen soon, they would no longer have
control of them. The Oni needed a master or they would run amok. Any master
would do. Not for one moment did Yuuko think that Koryu was actually strong
enough to control the Oni, but that was all the better for her. He would serve
his purpose. He could act as a figurehead and still allow her to keep control
of the fearsome Oni.
"As my queen wishes," the young Satani finally capitulated. He vaguely
suspected that he was signing himself up to be a banquet, but there was little
choice in the matter. It was either submit to her will…or end up like Kokuyo.
"Good. The ceremony will take place on the night of the full moon. After which,
I can see you letting me borrow your two little kittens."
Koryu said nothing as Yuuko swept out of his chamber. Once she was gone, he
climbed back into bed with his 'two little kittens'.
"Are you really going to give us to her, Koryu?" Hari asked nervously.
"I've heard she's really violent when she takes women to her bed," Ruri added.
"The queen has her pick of her servants. If she wants to bed you, there's not a
lot I can say," he said, cuddling the two smaller faeries close to his chest.
Then he gave each of them a kiss and reached his hands down to the lower
regions of their bodies. "Now then…where were we?"
Yuuko had a good chuckle as she listened outside of the newly appointed faerie
lord's quarters. At this rate, she might need someone tonight.
"You sent for me, Mother?" Seishiro asked quietly as he appeared beside her.
"Yes," she said, instantly all business as the two began to walk away down the
corridor. "I need you to secure all of our positions in Valeria and at the
Nihon border. Kokuyo has betrayed us."
"Really?" her son asked casually. "Most unfortunate business, that. May I
assume Koryu will be the new head of his clan?"
"Yes."
"Can he handle it?"
"Most probably not. But it's also likely that after so many centuries, the Oni
will not accept anyone other than a Satani as their master. But that's for me
to worry about. I'll need you to get to work now."
"As you wish, Mother dearest."
"By the way, whatever became of your work with Fai? Your first session made for
a very interesting show, but I never heard anything after that."
"Unfortunately, I didn't manage to make him mine. The little ninja prince
pulled him from my grasp. It would appear the boy is his heart's one true
mate."
Yuuko stopped in her tracks. For a moment, she got a very strange look on her
face.
"If that is the case…I will greatly enjoy slitting his royal throat and
stopping that glow forever."
                                      XxX
"What do you mean you can't help him?!" Hisui's distraught voice echoed through
the corridors of the palace.
"What I mean is just what I said, Hisui. I'm sorry," Clow said sadly as he drew
a blanket over Kokuyo's slumbering form. "There is nothing I can do for Kokuyo.
Yuuko has woven her web well. This spell is beyond my skill to heal."
Rather than allow anger to take over, Hisui felt herself overcome with sadness
and guilt. Helplessness and loneliness washed over her as she collapsed beside
his bed. She buried her face in the blanket as she seized his cold hand in
hers.
"I'm so sorry!" she cried out, though she knew he could not hear her. "This is
all my fault!"
"This evil was not of your making. Don't despair," Clow tried to comfort her,
placing a hand on her shoulder. Hisui shrugged him off.
"It is my fault. He wouldn't have defected if it weren't for me! Yuuko would
have left him alone!"
"Hisui, Kokuyo was always going to come back to us. He was never evil, just
lost," the king said knowingly. "This was always going to happen."
"But…surely there must be some way of saving him," Ransho suggested. He
couldn't stand seeing his youngest general in such a state. Touki was standing
passively by, watching the proceedings with a critical eye. Ryuuki had not
entered the room.
"I will, of course, keep searching for a way, but for the moment, all we can do
is make sure he's comfortable."
"But…what if he…slips away from us?" Hisui asked weakly. "What if he dies?!"
"If he dies, then he dies," Touki replied dispassionately. "There is nothing we
can do about it." Hisui could not hold back her tears at this. Ransho shot
Touki a look.
"He will not die, Hisui," Clow reassured her. "So long as you are here for him
to come back to, he will keep fighting."
Hisui did not respond to this. She remained draped over the bed, clutching
desperately at Kokuyo's limp hand while tears streamed silently down her face.
Clow sighed.
"I think it would be best if we left them alone now," the king said softly,
signaling to the other two masters. Hisui did not move from her spot. She
remained kneeling beside the bed, gazing down at her love's pale face, hunched
over in the pose of one who wishes to bring death upon herself.
You can't leave me! Not now! Not now!
Chapter End Notes
     Lullaby this chapter is "So Close" from Enchanted.
***** If My Heart Keeps Singing *****
"To Tomoyo!" Yuui shouted as she raised her cup in the air, practically
smashing it against Souma's before downing it. It was her third glass. Souma
was on her fourth.
"Honestly, Yuui, that's the third toast you've made tonight," Tomoyo scolded
her lover lightly, sipping daintily at her own cup of wine, which was still her
first.
"And I'll make a hundred more! Because my Tomoyo is finally sixteen!" she
yelled, pulling her lover into a very sloppy hug. Tomoyo blushed lightly when
the older girl pressed a kiss to her cheek.
After celebrating Kurogane's seventeenth birthday with a midnight party, they
had taken to celebrating each other's birthdays in a similar fashion every
year. Kurogane and Fai had gotten smashed and disappeared into the forest some
time ago. Souma and Yuui were well on their way, as well. Tomoyo enjoyed the
fey wine well enough, but she also figured that someone had to keep a cool
head. Unfortunately, that was becoming increasingly difficult with Yuui's free
hand groping her. She gasped in surprised delight when she felt that hand slip
into her peasant's blouse.
"Tomoyo-chan…your hair looks…sooooo pretty!" Souma sang drunkenly…right before
passing out cold beside the small campfire they had going.
"Oh, dear," Tomoyo murmured softly, extricating herself from her lover and
crawling over to Souma. She appeared to be fine, just passed out. The teenage
princess smiled softly as she pulled one of the blankets over and covered
Souma's body with it.
"Here…lemme try something," Yuui said as she crawled up beside her, placing a
hand on Souma's forehead. She closed her eyes and her hand glowed briefly. Then
she sat back on her heels, rubbing her hands together. "That should help with
the hangover."
"Thank you."
"I need some more wine," Yuui announced with a small meow.
"Yuui!" Tomoyo protested, quickly grabbing hold of her sleeve. "You can't get
drunk tonight! Who's going to give me my birthday present?"
The seventeen-year-old grinned slyly as she turned to face her lover. Tomoyo
felt herself blushing again when she pulled her into her arms. This embrace was
much more tender…more intimate than the last one.
"That's right," Yuui whispered against her lips. "I did promise you, didn't I?
On the night of your sixteenth birthday…"
Tomoyo began to tremble as Yuui pressed her lips to hers. She suddenly found
herself feeling very shy. Interesting…in the dream realm, she was usually the
aggressor. But now she found herself feeling unbearably self-conscious. Maybe
she just felt like she had the upper hand in the dream realm? The land of the
living was Yuui's territory.
"You're so beautiful, Tomoyo," Yuui whispered to her as she trailed kisses down
her neck.
"Mm…Yuui," she moaned, tangling her fingers in the taller girl's silken, blonde
hair. The trembling intensified as Yuui began to untie her blouse. The moment
her tanned stomach was exposed to the cold night air, Yuui placed a kiss on her
belly button, swirling her tongue around inside the small dip. The princess
continued to moan, holding Yuui's head to her flesh as she worked her magic
with her tongue and lips.
Slowly, the blonde worked her way back up her lover's body, lavishing her soft
breasts with kisses as she bared them to the night. The moment the younger girl
felt her hot mouth on those deliciously sensitive areas, her nipples stood at
attention and she clutched Yuui's head even tighter. She threw her head back as
Yuui sucked the hardening flesh in just the right way. Her small body was
already aching with need. Yuui's hands were everywhere! On her stomach, on her
back, at her shoulders, in her hair, on her face, down her skirt, roaming over
her firm backside…Yuui silenced her gasp of pleasure with a kiss as her skilled
hand wandered to the warm, moist cleft between her legs.
"Oh! Nngh! Mmph! Yes…Yuui!" she moaned in bliss as she gently rubbed the inner
walls of her body with nimble fingers. Her own blouse slid from her shoulders
and gathered at her elbows as she desperately fisted Yuui's blouse in her
hands.
"So…soft…mm…" Yuui moaned against her as she reached for the spot that would
melt her sweet koibito with pleasure.
Tomoyo felt bliss shoot through her body as Yuui worked at the spot. Her legs
suddenly gave out beneath her. The sensation growing in her body was just too
much…too wonderful.
Yuui swept her up in her arms as she fell, hugging her close to her chest and
giving her a long, slow kiss. As Yuui carried her into the forest, Tomoyo began
to fumble with the buttons of her blouse, never once breaking the kiss. When
Yuui laid her down not too far from the clearing, she was surprised to find
herself lying on a soft blanket instead of the hard ground.
"When did you-" she started to ask, still dazed from her almost-climax.
"Magic," Yuui said with a wink. She smiled seductively down at her lover as she
unbuttoned her blouse the rest of the way, making quite a show of removing the
garment before her half-lidded, violet eyes. Then she grabbed Tomoyo's wrists,
pinning them to the blanket as she ravished her face with her mouth.
"Nngh…Yuui…at last!" she cried out as she bucked her hips against Yuui's. "I've
waited…so long. Mm…touch me!"
"Oh, I'll do more than touch you," Yuui murmured, her breath hot against
Tomoyo's ear. The alcohol was making her a great deal bolder than she normally
was. Tomoyo shivered with desire as her hand slid into her skirt once again.
She could feel herself blushing again as Yuui started to work at her pleasure
nub. Yuui noticed this, and slowed her excited fingers just a little,
continuing to tease her lover between her legs as she teased her with her
words. "Why are you acting like a blushing virgin all of a sudden? I know your
body almost as well as my own."
"I am a virgin," she said with a small grin. "You don't yet have my virginity
out here in this world."
"Which is interesting because, as I recall, you were the one who took my
virginity the first time. Let me return the favor. Let's make it official…make
this world recognize us," Yuui said as she moved slowly down Tomoyo's body,
pulling the last of her clothing off as she went. When the princess was finally
naked beneath her, Yuui nestled her head against her sex, wetting her cheek
slightly on the sticky heat coming from her body. "You're the most beautiful
princess the world has ever seen," she exalted.
"You've never seen another princess, Yuui. And I'm nowhere near as beautiful as
you are," she replied, smiling in bliss as she stroked her blonde hair. Yuui
smiled against her body as she gripped her hips.
"I'm not a princess, migoto Tomoyo."
"You're a princess to me. You're my princess. You're my sky, Yuui."
"Mm," Yuui moaned through the haze of wine as she rubbed her face against her,
exciting her even more. "Let's make love."
"Nngh…yes," the little princess moaned as her lover moved back up her body and
began to kiss her breasts again as she plunged her fingers into her soft flesh,
working at her pleasure spot with a passionate fire in her movements. Crying
out Yuui's name, Tomoyo came all at once, covering her slender hand with the
hot, wet fruit of her loins. Tomoyo's cries of bliss and the feeling of her
legs clamping tightly around her hand as she came lit a blazing fire deep
within the blonde girl. She suddenly felt unbearably hot and her inner thighs
felt deliciously moist…the beginning of her own orgasm was building in the very
core of her. So desperate was she to have the full feeling of this rapture
overpower her, that her movements suddenly became much more animalistic as she
removed the last of her own clothing.
"Oh…Goddess! Yes…Yuui!" Tomoyo cried out as the older girl plunged her fingers
into her once again.
"Tomoyo?" Yuui whispered, on the very edge of her control. "I'm going to try
something different. Tell me if it hurts too much."
The black-haired princess suddenly felt something…more inside of her. Something
bigger, harder, and infinitely more powerful than just Yuui's fingers. She dug
her own fingers into Yuui's shoulders as the thing moved slowly into her body.
"What…what is it?" she hissed in pain as her body stretched to accommodate the
invader. When Yuui heard the pain in her voice, the movement stopped instantly.
"I'm using magic," she whispered soothingly as she wrapped her free arm around
the younger girl's trembling shoulders. "It's just my fingers. They only feel
like…that. If you want me to stop, I will."
"No. Keep going," Tomoyo groaned as she rested her head against Yuui's
shoulder. "It only hurts a little. I kind of…like it."
Yuui nodded and continued, her lover's first climax easing the passage of her
magic. When Tomoyo cried out again and she began to feel something warm trickle
onto her hand, her instincts told her it wasn't cum this time.
"I'm sorry! Do you want me to stop?" she asked, though she could feel her
climax screaming to be released. The tears gathering in Tomoyo's violet eyes
were a bit of a deterrent.
"It…it hurts…Yuui," she whispered in pain.
"I-I'll stop," she assured her, beginning to withdraw her power.
"Don't!" Tomoyo suddenly insisted. "It's supposed to hurt. Let's just finish it
now."
"If that's what you want…" Yuui started hesitantly. Slowly, ever so slowly, she
allowed her magic to grow the rest of the way into Tomoyo's body. The two of
them breathed together, slowly becoming accustomed to the alien sensation. When
the younger girl's breathing had ceased to be shaky, Yuui slowly began to move
her body. "Are you all right?"
"Yes. I'm fine."
Yuui couldn't quite manage to keep her movements slow as the raw fire between
her legs mounted her reason and rode her just as surely as she was riding her
lover. However, thankfully, just when poor Tomoyo thought she could endure no
more of the burning pain, Yuui's magic hit that special spot deep inside her
that brought waves of ecstasy the likes of which she had never experienced,
waking or dreaming.
"Ah! Nngh! Yuui…please…harder!" she cried out, bucking her hips up in time with
Yuui's.
"Ha! Ha! Mm! Yes…Tomo…yo! Ah!" Yuui panted as the rhythm between them
stimulated her own sex. She was so close now…so close to the edge…so close to
spilling out of her own skin and joining with Tomoyo to become the single
entity they were always meant to be. She cried Tomoyo's name as her climax
finally attacked her, beginning between her legs and breaking outward all over
her body like several glorious waves. The moonlit glow of her skin burst
outward like a star going supernova and the scent of apples and honey filled
the night air as she rode out her ecstasy.
The Nihon princess' second orgasm seized her when she felt Yuui's warm
sweetness dribble onto her inner thighs. Her cries rose to join with Yuui's as
her body tightened around her girlfriend's fingers, secreting even more of the
sticky fluid. Her climax swept through her, drowning her in waves of rapture.
Still shaking and barely able to move from the force of the shared orgasm, Yuui
gently extricated herself from Tomoyo's body and rolled onto her back, pulling
Tomoyo over to lie on her stomach. Their tangled legs were slick and sticky
with each other's warm essence. As they lay, naked and spent, in each other's
arms, they shared several tender kisses.
"You're so beautiful, Yuui," Tomoyo whispered against her lips. "Dreaming
doesn't even compare. Your skin…it looks like you've swallowed the moon…and I
feel like the moon is making love to me…like the Goddess herself is in you. I
love you, Yuui."
"And I love you, Tomoyo…my princess…my light," she whispered back. She could
feel sleep inexorably spreading to all of her tired, tipsy limbs as she pressed
another kiss to the corner of Tomoyo's mouth.
"You're everything to me," the disheveled princess breathed as she clung to her
lover…as if she expected her to disappear if she let go. "I don't know what I'd
do if I lost you."
Yuui glanced curiously down at the top of Tomoyo's head before dropping a
reassuring kiss there. She began to rub the younger girl's back in an attempt
to comfort her. Where was all of this coming from? Fai and Kurogane were the
ones facing the threat of an impending marriage, not them…right?
"You're not going to lose me, Tomoyo. You'll always have my arms to hold
you…and my lips to kiss you…and me to love you. Please…get some sleep. Dream
these fears away. Dream about…us."
"I'll try. Goodnight. I love you."
"I love you, too, my Tomoyo, my migoto koibito," Yuui whispered as she pulled
the quilt over their bodies. The last things she felt before drifting off were
Tomoyo's lips on hers, kissing her goodnight.
"I love you," Tomoyo whispered once she was certain Yuui was asleep. "My Yuui.
My Yuui…Hime."
She knew. She had known for many years now…because she had dreamed of their
wedding almost every night since knowing her. She would see her brother and
Yuui standing before Chang Ang and Yukito Fluorite, Kurogane dressed in his
black silk kimono and Yuui clad in a gown of beautiful white silk with a veil
covering her face. Neither had ever looked nicer. She would watch as the
Valerian priest joined their hands and the Nihon priest bound them together
with a string of red. The two would give vows of eternal fidelity and love to
each other and Chang Ang would declare them man and wife, future emperor and
empress of Nihon, bound together for life by the red string of fate. Then
Yukito would lead them away amongst a crowd of wedding guests…to consummate
their marriage. Everyone else was blind. Only Tomoyo was ever able to see the
tears of heartbreak streaming down their faces. When she was young, she did not
understand the reason for their tears, but as the years passed, she had begun
to understand…and she had begun to cry herself. As her own tears flowed, she
began to see new people in this desolate vision of the future. She could see
Fai, standing in between King Syaoran and Queen Sakura. He was dressed quite
handsomely and a small crown of silver was set upon his golden hair. He looked
for all the world like a prisoner being led to his own execution. Tears of
misery slid uncontrollably from his eyes, invisible to all but her. She could
almost feel her friend's heart breaking. She would see him reach out for her
brother and he would reach back for him, but the distance between them could
never be closed because the red string bound him to one whom he did not love. A
similar scene would happen between her and Yuui. They would reach for each
other, but the chains of red string that bound her to Kurogane kept them apart.
All of these wedding guests, all of this royalty, all of these priests…they
were all fools! They did not see! Why did they not see? Was there no hope at
all?
She lived every day as if she did not know because she just had to believe
there was hope left. There had to be some way to change this future…some way to
unbind this awful red string that had been tied…and retie the freed ends to her
and Fai's broken, mangled strings.
"I'll find a way, my hime," Tomoyo whispered against Yuui's large, soft breasts
as she snuggled even deeper into her embrace. "I'll find a way."
She would. She had to! Something terrible was going to happen on the night of
the wedding. Time was running out…for all of them.
As the five friends slept, cradled safely in the arms of Celes, they were also
kept safe under the watchful eyes of the Mokona twins.
"Maybe it's a good thing Yuui and Kurogane can't get Tomoyo and Fai pregnant?"
Larg joked. The black Mokona was nestled in the branches of a tree overlooking
Yuui and Tomoyo's campsite. It would occasionally hop the short distance to
check on Souma. "These little bunnies would have made over a hundred babies by
now with the way they get sweet in the grass."
"Maybe…but it might be a problem. Everyone will try to keep them apart. Soel
doesn't think the kingdoms will want heirs who can't continue the royal lines,"
Soel replied soberly from its own tree, where it kept watch over Fai and
Kurogane. The two lovers were sound asleep, drunk on wine and each other,
having indulged excessively in both. Kurogane's cloak was draped loosely over
their bodies. Beneath it, they were just as naked as their sisters.
Both Mokona were confused by Tomoyo's dreams. She and Yuui were inextricably
bound together, as were Kurogane and Fai. This was Hitsuzen…the path that fate
had decreed. They both knew this as surely as they knew their own names…and yet
the poor Nihon princess still dreamt of this abominable wedding night…of tears
and broken strings of fate. Why was it so? Why were they still hurtling toward
this future? It had to be stopped…or it would be too late for the twins.
What were they doing wrong?
                                      XxX
"Oi! Tomoyo! Wake up! I'm not carrying you to your room."
Tomoyo stirred when she felt her brother shaking her. She yawned, stretched,
and finally opened her eyes. She was in the stables back home, still sitting in
Suwa's saddle. She vaguely recalled saying goodbye to Yuui, but she had fallen
asleep after that.
"Where's…Souma-chan?" she asked sleepily as Kurogane pulled her down from the
stallion.
"She's already inside. Do you know how long I've been trying to wake you up?
Don't think you're getting out of walking to your room just because you had a
wild night." The prince wanted to be angry at the thought, but found he
couldn't be. He didn't mind so much…if Yuui loved his baby sister the way he
loved her brother. If someone had to take her virginity, at least it was
someone she loved, not some stuck up border lord looking to gain favor with
their mother by bedding the royal princess. To find something like what they
had…was rare for people in their position.
"Like your night was any less wild. Tell me, was Fai-kun good last night. I
could hear you two breaking each other's backs a long time before Yuui even
laid hands on me," she commented with a lazy smile. Kurogane blushed to hear
such words from his little sister's mouth. He would have to have a talk with
Yuui.
"You shouldn't say things like that…not when we're at home. Someone might hear.
Go on. Get some more sleep, you little snake. We don't want people asking about
what we've been up to if you fall asleep at breakfast."
"If you insist," the sixteen-year-old said, smiling cheerfully as she left her
brother to unsaddle Suwa. She was still sleepy, but there was a definite spring
in her step as she moved up to her quarters. She would have arrived there even
before the sun rose were it not for the hand that suddenly seized her arm and
dragged her into a room. She was about to scream when a hand covered her mouth.
"What have we here? A little lost princess?" Kyle Rondart's voice whispered in
her ear. "Perhaps we can…oh, my."
The empress' adviser suddenly caught a whiff of Tomoyo's hair. It smelled very
strongly of…
"Oh, dear. What have you been up to, little Tomoyo? You're not a virgin
anymore, are you," he hissed. "What man will want you now?"
Tomoyo tried to mumble a denial, but Kyle's hand still blocked her mouth. She
struggled against him, but he had an uncanny amount of strength for a man his
size.
"Now, now. Don't try to lie to me, my little one. The scent of sex clings to
you like a second skin. What dirty stable boy convinced you to spread your legs
for him? Or…maybe it was some ambitious serving wench? Tell me, my pretty
thing, who has ruined you?" He released her mouth, but he still held her body
tightly in his arms.
"How dare you?! How dare you treat me like this?! How dare you speak to me this
way?! I am a princess of Nihon!" she hissed, attempting to crane her head
around to look him in the eye and failing.
"A princess? Try filthy harlot of the alleys of Shirasagi. No doubt you're
carrying a bastard child at this very moment. Whose brat will make your belly
grow fat?"
"Let go of me!" she shouted. Couldn't anyone else hear this?
"I did have some good news for you. I was looking for you all night. Well…now I
know where you were. Off whoring yourself."
"Stop it!"
"Your mother has chosen a husband for you. But I'm not sure if we could
convince him to take you as you are now…a ruined girl. How would you like to be
married to Lord Mong Ryong of Koryo Province?"
Tomoyo's struggles ceased. Mong Ryong was nice from what she remembered, but he
was ten years her senior…and he was not Yuui. Plus, Koryo was on the northern
borders of the empire…up where it snowed most of the year and the sun did not
shine…up where Nihon bordered the lands of the Dark Faeries. It was impossibly
far away.
"I…I would never see home again," she whispered in shock.
"That's the idea, princess of whores," he said cruelly as he roughly began to
drag her away from the door. Tomoyo realized they were in a small set of guest
chambers. Kyle was dragging her toward a mirror. "I've got an idea. Why don't
we just not tell him? We'll sell you off either way…damaged goods or not."
"Help!" she screamed, struggling her hardest. "Someone help me!"
"Scream all you want, my darling. No one can hear you," he hissed, flicking his
tongue over her ear as he positioned her in front of the full-length mirror.
Using one hand to keep her imprisoned, he used the other to tear open the
peasant blouse she still wore.
"No!" she screamed. "Let me go!"
"Why are you making such a big fuss? I bet you were enjoying it when you had
some dirty little peasant inside you. Wouldn't you prefer me?" Tomoyo didn't
even see how he managed to do it, but the next moment, her skirt and
undergarments were on the floor, bunched around her ankles.
"NII-SAMA!"
"He can't hear you. Don't worry, Tomoyo-chan. I'm not going to hurt you. I only
want to have a look." Using his elbows to pin her arms to her sides, he began
to fondle her breasts, forcing her to watch everything he did in the mirror.
She stopped screaming. She stopped fighting. Her throat filled with horror at
the realization that no one was coming. As Kyle reached down to feel her
exposed sex, he began to boast again.
"Your mother hasn't given me a child yet. Perhaps she's past her time. I'd
almost rather have a child from your young, strong body. You could bear me a
child."
Tomoyo was in shock. As he dragged her over to the futon and threw her down on
it, all she could do was cry. There was nothing she could do to stop this from
happening. She cried harder as her attacker crawled on top of her naked body.
"Don't worry," he said suddenly, standing up. "I won't take you today. I only
wanted a look…and to scare you a bit. But, rest assured, I will claim my share
of you before we ship you off to the north."
Tomoyo just lay there, unable to comprehend what was happening anymore. She
watched Kyle readjust his clothing with a dazed expression on her face. Before
leaving, he turned back to her one last time.
"By the way, Tomoyo-chan, if you ever tell anyone about this…I'll kill your
brother. Don't think for a moment that I won't."
"No!" she cried out weakly. "Don't hurt…my brother. I'll do…whatever you want."
Kyle smirked. "Considering what you just let me do to you…really poor choice of
words. I'll hold you to them." Then he was gone.
Tomoyo hung her head over the side of the futon and emptied the contents of her
stomach onto the floor before burrowing under the blankets and curling into a
ball. She lay there for hours, sobbing. Tell someone? Heh…as if she could.
There was nothing anyone could do. Kyle was practically in control of the
palace now. The only thing that stood in his way…was Kurogane…and he meant to
kill him. Kyle…Mong Ryong…why hadn't she seen any of this coming? Maybe she
had…and she had simply been too caught up in the problems with the twins to
notice? The only one who could help her now…was her.
                                      XxX
Himawari hummed to herself as she moved through the streets of Shirasagi. She
felt like nothing could dampen her spirits right now. Leval had finally given
birth to her foal; a beautiful filly with a shimmering silver coat. The twins
had named her Tomoeda. Fai had been depression free for more than a year now
and Watanuki wasn't shouting at Doumeki so much these days. It was almost like
back in the old days.
However, no matter how happy life was in Celes, the three guardians could not
completely ignore the events taking shape outside of its boundaries. Yuuko's
minions were clearly moving against Valeria. King Syaoran was expecting help
from Nihon when the marriage contract between Prince Kurogane and Yuui was
finalized, but Amaterasu had remained silent thus far. In fact, the empress had
been silent on most subjects of late. They had heard that King Reed's spies
feared Yuuko had a mole in Amaterasu's court. The guardians ventured into Nihon
less and less these days.
Less than a year remained. Himawari was not looking forward to returning to
court life. She was especially not looking forward to giving up the only
children she had ever known.
"They're not your children, Himawari," she reprimanded herself. Her happy mood
had suddenly gone flying out the window…and considering who was approaching her
from behind, it was unlikely to ever return again.
"Well, if it isn't Himawari Kunogi," Kyle Rondart's voice sounded in her ear as
he unobtrusively wrapped his arms around her waist. The animal sprite
stiffened. "What could you possibly be doing in my fair city?"
"You're the mole," she whispered. Part of her wanted to scream for help, but
she couldn't involve these innocent people. They couldn't do anything.
"I am much more than a mole, Himawari. I am personal adviser to the empress…and
her royal consort. When she is pregnant with my child, I will be emperor."
Himawari's eyes widened in horror. Kyle…emperor of Nihon? They weren't just
chaining their only daughter in a loveless marriage…they were selling her right
into the hands of the enemy.
"Tell me, Himawari, because I'm curious…where are you hiding those rotten
twins? You've been able to keep them from us for seventeen years already and
some of us are getting a little impatient. You know my queen will claim them in
the end. Why fight it? Either we find them before the wedding, or your Yuui
marries the prince and she walks willingly into our hands anyway. Tell me where
you're keeping them."
"I would sooner die," she said resolutely. "I am no less their mother than
Queen Sakura is. The only way you're taking them is over my dead body."
"I like your spirit…but I have something much more delicious in mind. How does
this sound? Himawari shall never know peace again," he began, his voice taking
on a darker, more lurid tone. Himawari felt a chill sweep through her body as
the dark magic was called down on her head. "She will never again find rest and
she will lose what she treasures. All who love her will each suffer in their
turn and turn the suffering upon Himawari. You are unclean and you are cursed.
Your mother's blood stains your hands and your heart, and you will never be
clean again."
Then he was gone, his wicked laughter echoing in her ears as the citizens of
Shirasagi continued to mill about her, going about their own lives…never
knowing that hers had just been shattered.
Kyle's words summoned up painful memories…images of blood and gore…a mother,
her mother…the one who had disowned her at birth and left her to die…begging
her for mercy…
"Spare me…my child!"
…blood…the scent of death…screams of pain and horror…her mother's cold, empty
eyes…staring up at her in death…the only recognizable part of her face.
Suddenly, the image changed. Her mother's mangled corpse was holding Fai and
Yuui in its arms. They were both dead. More began to appear. Watanuki, Doumeki,
Soel, Larg, the king, her father, her grandmother and grandfather, her uncle,
Subaru, Kamui, Fuuma, Kotori…Had she…killed them all?
Fai and Yuui's lifeless eyes gazed up at her…still beautiful, even in death.
Their blood-soaked mouths did not move, but she could hear their accusing
voices in her head, just the same.
"You killed us. We are dead…because of you!"
"NOOO!" Himawari screamed as she collapsed, passing out cold in the middle of
the street.
                                      XxX
"No! No! I would never hurt them! They're mybabies!"
"What difference does that make?" he taunts her. "You killed your own mother.
You tore her throat out. Family clearly means nothing to you."
"It's not true. It's not true!" Himawari cried out as her eyes flew open. She
found herself lying in her own bed.
"What happened?"
The animal spirit glanced toward the door and found Doumeki leaning against it.
"Doumeki?" she whispered as she sat up. "Where's Watanuki?"
"Trying to keep the twins from breaking down the door. They panicked when I
carried you through the front door unconscious. The scent of darkness is on
you. What happened to you?"
Himawari swallowed hard as the memories came rushing back. "I…I'm cursed."
"…"
"Kyle…he's the mole in Amaterasu's court. He's poisoned her mind. If…if we give
Yuui to the prince, we'll be killing her. I can't do that, Doumeki. I can't do
it!"
Doumeki sighed heavily. "That's not for us to decide. They're not ours, Kunogi.
When the time comes…we'll just have to speak to the king and queen."
"We raised them! We watched them grow! We kissed them when they cried! We
helped them stand when they fell! We should have a say!"
"Don't do this to yourself, Kunogi," Doumeki warned her as he sat down beside
her. "It was not Syaoran and Sakura's wish to be absent from their lives. We
made this arrangement because there was never any other choice." It hurt him to
say it just as much as it hurt her to hear it. The only difference was he was
better at concealing it.
"I chose them the moment I saw them. I would have begged for this arrangement
even if there had been another option! I don't want to walk out of their
lives!"
Doumeki had nothing to say to this. He simply reached out a hand and tried to
place it on her shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" she shouted, flinching away from him. "Kyle, he…he put a
curse on me. No one who is close to me…will ever find happiness. If you get too
close…you might get hurt."
"Whatever he's done…it won't affect me. I'm half dark, remember?" Then he
pulled her into a hug, because he could see that she needed it.
Himawari sobbed broken-heartedly as she collapsed against her companion. There
was nothing left.
"Oh, Shizuka! I can't stand it! I'll never be able to hold my babies close
again! I'm…too dangerous! If they get close…something terrible will happen! I
couldn't bear that! I don't want to hurt my babies! I'm a kin slayer! I can
never escape it!"
Doumeki just held her closer. He knew what she spoke of. He was aware of her
sad history…everyone was, but no one liked to talk about it. Alcyone Hououji,
her mother, had seduced her father, Eagle Kunogi, to her bed, for whatever
reason…and walked away with an unwanted child…Himawari. No sooner had she given
birth than the lesser noble had left the newborn alone in the mountains north
of Nihon to die of exposure. But her father had come and rescued her. He had
wanted her…even if her horrid mother had not. That was the day that Alcyone had
defected to the Dark Court. Himawari had been raised by her father and
grandparents. However, when her grandmother, Hikaru, was slain in battle by her
own traitor mother, Alcyone, Himawari had gone mad and torn the woman to
shreds. The true scope of her power had been revealed that day…and she had not
dared to use even a fraction of it since then. She hated her power…as she hated
herself for killing the mother who left her to die as a helpless infant.
"You did what you had to that day. Alcyone was a danger to us all."
A bitter laugh escaped the animal spirit through her tears. Alcyone had been
dangerous, it was true…but she had never made a conscious decision to kill her.
She had known only that the grandmother who loved her so was dead and her
mother had done it. The next thing she remembered was coming to, standing over
her mother's broken body.
"She was still my…my mother."
"No one has ever thought any less of you for it."
"Was I…bad luck, even then? Did I bring death on them?"
"No. Alcyone brought it on herself. Kyle did this…not you. It won't help the
twins to see you blame yourself like this."
Neither of them spoke after that. Doumeki simply held the distraught sprite as
she cried. If he was to be her only contact from now on…then he would try his
best to overcome his aversion to such things. Himawari was losing everything.
She had to have something to hold onto.
                                      XxX
"Fuuma!"
The faerie lord stiffened when he heard the sun guardian's small voice calling
to him. If Kero was looking for him…that did not bode well. However, he did not
stop to wait for him.
"Hey, Monou! Wait up!"
Fuuma kept moving, even after Kero had caught up with him.
"What is it you want of me, Kero?" he asked formally. "I am very busy at the
moment."
Kero raised an eyebrow as he hovered along beside Fuuma.
"The king wants to see you in his chambers at once. He says he has something
very important to discuss with you."
Fuuma's heart started to pound in his chest. He couldn't go to his uncle's
chambers now. He wouldn't be able to get past Kero without the small guardian
sensing the deception in his heart. He had to find a way out.
"Tell my uncle I'm very sorry, but I'll have to come later. I have a very
important previous engagement. Can he wait a few hours?"
"What sort of engagement?" Kero asked suspiciously.
"I have a meeting with…Kamui. Uncle has tasked us with setting up defenses for
Valeria."
"All right," the small winged lion said uncertainly. "I've never known Clow to
pair you up with Kamui on anything, but I suppose it's better that you're
getting along now. We'll expect you after dark."
Giving a curt nod, Fuuma hurried away down the corridor. When he was well out
of Kero's sight, he bolted to his own chambers, slamming the door behind him
and crouching on the ground. His breath came in short, sharp bursts, not from
his sudden sprint, but from the horror churning in his gut. He couldn't put off
the deed any longer. He had to do it…today…right now! He'd been keeping tabs on
Yuui and he knew the girl was no virgin, but still…
He knew his uncle would never approve of this plot, but neither could he, in
good conscience, abandon her to the whims of fate when there was something he
could do about it. At least…that was what he told himself in the still watches
of the night when thoughts of the terrible crime he had to commit would keep
him awake for hours on end, sweating with self-hatred, guilt, and despair.
"Forgive me, Yuui," he whispered, as if she were already beneath him.
"You're going to do it…aren't you," he suddenly heard a voice from behind him.
"Please, Kamui…not now."
"There will never be another chance," the captain said as he knelt in front of
the distraught faerie lord. Fuuma's eyes widened when he felt Kamui wrap his
arms around his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Fuuma. I'm sorry it has to be this way.
If there were any other way, then I'd-"
"There isn't," Fuuma said sadly as he pulled away from Kamui. He was surprised
to see regret in his violet eyes. "Besides," he continued, tracing a hand along
one pale cheek. "What have I to lose?"
Certainly notyou, Kamui…much as you and I might wish otherwise.The reason Fuuma
was able to rise from his bed every morning, in spite of everything, was
because he could see what Kamui's true desire was. That was what kept him
going…the hope that someday…they could be…
"Here," Kamui started, reaching into his tunic and pulling out a bottle of
green liquid. "Subaru mixed it."
"What is it?" he asked, taking the small phial in his hands.
"An experiment. It's sort of like a mating spell…but it's never been tried on
faeries or humans before."
Fuuma laughed bitterly. "So we're cattle now, are we?"
"No! It's not like that!" Kamui insisted. "Its core simply alters the
instincts. Have her drink half, and then drink the rest yourself. If I'm
right…you won't have to remember any of it."
The Monou lord's gaze shifted between Kamui and the potion several times.
"Why are you doing this for me?"
"Because…I don't want this to hurt you…anymore than it has to."
He looked so hurt…so wracked with guilt in that moment, that Fuuma almost felt
a little better about the whole ordeal. He was seized by an intense desire to
comfort him, to take him in his arms and kiss all of his worries away. But if
he did that…he didn't think he would be able to stop. So, instead, he climbed
to his feet, pulling Kamui with him.
"It will be okay," he whispered in his ear before turning and striding out of
his quarters. He didn't look back…he didn't dare. If he had, he would have seen
the way Kamui's shoulders shook with silent, invisible cries of despair…but he
did not. Neither did Kamui see the trails of saltwater streaking down his face.
                                      XxX
"Why won't they tell us what happened?" Yuui asked Larg. The little black
Mokona was perched on her shoulder and they were out gathering nuts. Fai and
Soel had split off from them a while ago to gather berries.
"Maybe nothing did happen," Larg reprimanded her, though it knew otherwise.
"Maybe Himawari just fainted when she was shopping."
"Then why is she acting so strangely?" Himawari had been scared of her own
shadow these last few months. Once she had showered her foster children with
affection. Now she could barely be coaxed into making eye contact with them.
Watanuki tried to make up for it by being extra affectionate, but their
surrogate mother's sudden coldness was still very painful. This very morning,
Yuui had tried to hug her goodbye before heading out and she had ghosted away
from her under the pretense of checking something on the hearth. "I miss her."
"Yuui-" Larg started to say when it was suddenly interrupted by the sharp scent
of magic in the air. The tiny guardian stiffened when it recognized the scent
of cinnamon. It had not seen Fuuma since that day fourteen years ago when he'd
tried to take Yuui away from them. The Monou lord had promised to leave them in
peace, but Larg still wasn't comfortable with the idea of Fuuma being anywhere
near Yuui. "Larg…Larg thinks we should go home now."
"But the basket's not even half full yet," Yuui protested.
"I agree with Yuui-chan. One should not skip out on one's chores. Besides, I
just got here."
Yuui looked up in surprise at the sound of the smooth, rich voice heading in
her direction. One glance at the newcomer and the young woman knew he was a
faerie. He moved with a grace that no man had a right to possess. His perfect
skin seemed almost to glow and his dark eyes reminded her of two chips of
polished obsidian. He was very handsome, it was true, but there was also
something about him that sounded alarms in her head.
"Who…who are you?" she asked nervously. Why was she suddenly feeling so sleepy?
He laughed. "I am Fuuma Monou of Faerie, lord of the Monou Clan…and you are
Yuui-chan of Celes Forest."
"How do you know my name?"
"We are not strangers, you and I. We met about fourteen years ago. You probably
wouldn't remember."
It took a lot of effort for Yuui to shake her head. It felt so heavy. Goddess,
all she wanted right now was to sleep. Larg glared at Fuuma. It could feel the
faerie lord working his magic on Yuui. The girl clearly wasn't aware that she
was being enchanted. "What is Fuuma doing here?" it demanded suspiciously.
"I just came for a little friendly conversation, but if you're so uncomfortable
with me being here, you can go and fetch a chaperone."
"Do you really think Larg is that stupid? Come on, Yuui. We're going home,"
Larg said, sounding almost angry as it opened its mouth wide to create a portal
back to the cottage. It knew it couldn't trust Yuui to move on her own right
now.
"I don't think so," Fuuma said softly, seizing the tiny creature in his hands.
One moment, Larg was staring into Fuuma's eyes, the next it found itself alone
in the middle of the forest…miles away.
"YUUI!"
Moments later, Fai and Soel came barreling through the forest.
"What happened?!" Fai demanded.
"Hurry! Have to get help! Fuuma's got Yuui!"
"What?" Fai asked, horror-struck. "What are you talking about?"
"Larg let Larg's guard down! Larg didn't think Fuuma would actually hurt Yuui!
Larg has failed! Larg is so sorry!" the poor thing wailed.
"Who's Fuuma? What's he done to her?"
"No time! No time! Soel will get the others! Help Larg look for Yuui!" Soel
commanded before vanishing. Barely waiting for Larg to latch onto him, Fai
dashed headlong into the trees. If anything happened to his twin, he would
never forgive himself.
"YUUI!"
                                      XxX
The moment he had sent Larg away, Fuuma had seized Yuui's hand and led her away
down the Yume River. Some part of her was still resisting. She would stumble
occasionally or a word of protest would slip out of her mouth, but she held
onto his hand; she followed him. She was slowly but surely falling under his
spell.
Within moments, they were standing over Faerie Falls, then inside the mouth of
the cave…the entrance to the sacred labyrinth. Fuuma felt almost sacrilegious.
After all, they would not be consummating a union here today. They were just
creating an heir: a fucking business transaction.
"Come," he said softly, leading her down the corridor. There was no protesting
now. Yuui was gone.
When they finally reached the sacred center, Fuuma pulled Kamui's potion out of
his tunic. He then uncorked it and pulled the girl close to him. "Drink," he
whispered in her ear as he pressed the phial into her hands. Unquestioningly,
she brought it to her lips and took a swallow. Then he took the bottle of
potion back. She stood perfectly still as he unbuttoned her blouse for her and
slid it from her shoulders. He refused to even glance below her neck. Taking
her hands, he helped her lie down within the confines of the sacred circle.
Then he moved back, removing his own cloak and tunic. He moved as far away from
her as the cave wall would allow. He turned from her, staring at the paintings
on the rock surface.
"Goddess! God!" he cried out as he pounded a fist into the wall.
"Please…forgive me for this grievous sin." Then he downed the last of the
potion and threw the phial away, taking some satisfaction from hearing it
shatter against the wall. The green liquid had a musky, earthy taste to it.
"Yuui-chan…dear girl…I would never wish such a fate on you. I have no right to
expect anything but your hatred, but please…forgive me…for all our sakes. This
is the only way. Forgive me…please!" Then he turned to face her.
As soon as he turned around and she saw him, something began to happen to her.
The tired haze vanished as if it had never been. New feelings replaced it. Her
body began to flush and her breathing sped up. Her lips swelled and she
involuntarily parted them. Her breasts became tender. There was an
unexplainable feeling deep in the core of her being, followed by a moistness
between her legs. All coherent thought disappeared and it was replaced by a
single overwhelming imperative.
Mate…or die.
As if in a trance, she pushed herself into a sitting position. Her instincts
told her that he was experiencing the same need and that she was the object of
his desire. Her posture indicated that she was ready for him, inviting him to
join with her.
He approached her slowly, each step an eternity to her highly aroused state.
There was a look in his eyes that both frightened and excited her. She needed
him to touch her, to kiss her, to enter her. Every second he was not with her
increased this primal need tenfold. Her mind told her that she would die if he
did not take her soon.
When he finally reached her, the control he'd been displaying was pushed aside
by raw animalistic need. He practically leapt onto her and knocked her back
onto the cave floor. As he roughly began to kiss her mouth, she put up no
defense, letting him have his way with her. Slowly, he moved away from her
lips, trailing his mouth down the side of her face, onto her neck. She clutched
at him, moaning, kneading his back. His hands were clamped firmly around her
waist. He soon returned to her lips and the kisses increased in intensity.
Their hands roamed each other's bodies. She reached down and began to pull at
his pants, the need to have him inside her urging her on. He slid a hand down
from her waist and onto her leg. She slightly parted them as she felt him
pushing his hand between them. He then traveled up the inside of her thighs. As
he made contact, she gasped into his mouth, his pants momentarily forgotten.
With his free hand, he went to work hiking up her skirt.
As he continued to pleasure her, testing her readiness, she resumed trying to
remove his pants. The clothing was an unwanted barrier in their quest to unite.
The moment she finally succeeded in pulling them down, he brought her to climax
and she nearly screamed.
He removed his hand and repositioned himself above her as he kicked his pants
all the way off. She felt his engorged manhood brush against her. This elicited
an excited sound from him that broke off their latest kiss. Taking the brief
window of separation, she helped him pull off her skirt, which had gathered
around her waist. As they resumed their fervent kissing, she felt him position
himself for the entry her body was screaming out for.
He thrust himself into her, causing her to cry out once more. Although she was
not a virgin, her activities with Tomoyo were somewhat limited and the
sensation was almost unbearable. But it did not deter her from completing her
biological imperative. She pressed her lips to his once again and they began to
move in unison.
As their bodies rocked faster and faster, she felt herself tighten around him.
She was edging forward toward the inevitable release. This release was what she
desired most. The first one had only been a small taste. This one would mean
that the mating had been completed and that the threat of death would be over.
Finally, she was pushed over the edge and she cried out again, a wordless sound
of satisfaction. As she felt her energy fading, his own release came and she
was filled with his essence.
Exhausted from the carnal effort, they collapsed into each other's arms and
immediately fell into a deep sleep.
                                      XxX
Watanuki felt utterly devastated as he walked down the long stone corridor. Fai
was by his side. The silence between them was deafening. Larg was perched on
Fai's shoulder, tears streaming silently down its face. It had led them to the
spot where they had been, only to find Yuui's basket. Watanuki had been able to
use it to trace her, but he wished to God it had led them
somewhere…anywhere…but Faerie Falls. It meant only one thing.
Sure enough, the tracing spell led them to the cave of lovers…and Watanuki was
greeted by signs of his worst nightmare coming true. The scent of sex hanging
heavily in the air, numerous articles of clothing scattered about the floor…and
two naked bodies lying intertwined with each other.
"Oh, God," Fai moaned in despair as he sank to his knees. "Yuui!" Images
immediately assaulted his mind…memories of the awful nightmare he carried in
his own heart…memories of pain…agony…anguish in mind, heart, and body…scars.
After getting over his initial horror, Watanuki strode purposefully into the
chamber, meaning to kill the man who'd dared to touch his daughter. He gave
Fuuma's sleeping form a swift kick in the back, instantly snapping him awake.
He glanced around for a moment, remembered where he was, and stared up at
Watanuki with a kind of pleading expression in his eyes.
"You…monster!" Watanuki hissed in his face as he dragged the dazed faerie away
from Yuui, who remained asleep. He punched Fuuma square in the nose, smiling in
satisfaction when he felt it break under his fist. Fuuma did not even try to
resist. "How could you do such a thing?!"
"I had no choice," he said sadly as he got to his feet.
Watanuki grabbed hold of Fuuma's arm and dragged him out into the corridor. Fai
removed his cloak and went to cover Yuui with it before following after them.
They had gone much further into the labyrinth and the young man could hear the
sounds of fighting. Though, he realized when he came upon them, beating was a
more accurate term. Watanuki was bashing Fuuma's body against the cave wall.
When he was finally sated by the sound of several bones snapping, he threw him
to the floor. Then he pulled his dagger from his belt and plunged it into his
stomach, twisting it several times for good measure. Fuuma cried out as the
blood gushed out of the wound, but he still did not fight back. He knew he
deserved every blow and worse.
"YOU! RAPED! MY! DAUGHTER!" he screamed, plunging the dagger into a different
vital area with every word.
"I'M SORRY!" Fuuma managed to scream through his pain.
"YOU'RE SORRY?! FUCKING SORRY?! IF YOU'RE SO GOD DAMN SORRY, WHY DID YOU DO
IT?!"
"I'm sorry!" he repeated weakly as he coughed up blood. "I wish to Heaven I
could take it back."
"You're not sorry yet, but you will be!" Watanuki hissed.
Larg covered its face with its ears. Fai felt like he was going to be sick. He
couldn't bear to watch it.
"Watanuki! Watanuki, please stop! Stop this!" he shouted, rushing forward and
stopping his foster father before he could take his weapon to the downed
faerie's eyes.
"Fai…did you see what this creature did to your poor, innocent sister? He
deserves nothing less than to be castrated and suffocated with his own
manhood!"
"I…I know. But…what about Yuui? What if she wakes up all alone? She needs us
right now."
At the mention of Yuui's name, the anger left Watanuki's face. Yuui! They had
to find her. If his own feelings of anguish were any indication, he couldn't
even imagine the pain she was in.
                                      XxX
Yuui awoke alone and in pain. There was a horrible pain between her legs, and
when she sat up and saw the state she was in, she immediately knew why.
"Oh, God! Oh, Goddess!" she repeated over and over, her mind whirling.
She was completely naked on the floor of a cave, and hers and…someone else's
clothes were scattered all around her. The pain she felt in her lower body
could only be caused by one thing. She couldn't remember anything, but she had
no doubt that she had had sex with…someone.
"Dear God," she moaned, pulling her knees up against her chest as she tried
desperately to recall her lost time. She had been gathering nuts in the woods
with Larg…then…
"Fuuma!" she cried out. It must have been him. She couldn't remember anything
after his face appeared.
"I…I was…" She couldn't bring herself to say it. That would make everything
much too real. She wrapped herself in the cloak she'd found covering her body
as she climbed to her feet. Still shaking from the revelation, she made her way
out into the corridor and walked toward the entrance. She needed air. Goddess,
but she needed air.
When she finally reached the waterfall, she could see that it was already
night. She knelt at the precipice, relishing the feeling of mist on her skin
and the deafening sound of the falls as she wretched her lunch over the side.
"No! No! No! No! No!" she mumbled over and over again as she huddled up against
the cave wall, pulling the cloak even tighter around her. She took comfort from
the fact that it smelled of her brother.
The next moment, she found herself holding something soft. She glanced down and
found an orange toy cat resting in her arms. It had been her favorite toy as a
child and she still kept it in her room. Kyo, she called him. She snuggled the
stuffed toy close to her chest, paying no thought to the fact that her magic
had called the toy to her for no other reason than that she needed it right
now. She just held it close.
Then she began to cry.
                                      XxX
They heard the crying before they even saw her. She was curled into a ball at
the very edge of the cave, her back to them. They could see she was shaking
terribly. Her sobs were the most heart wrenching either of them had ever known.
My twin! My sister !
My baby! My little girl!
Watanuki raced over and dropped to his knees beside her. He reached out and
touched her cheek.
"Yuui?" Fai called to her softly.
She looked up at them. Her face was streaked with tears and her eyes were red
and puffy.
"We're here now," Watanuki told her in a calming voice. She reached out for
him, nearly losing the cloak as she let him pull her to her knees. She threw
her arms around him and he encircled her with his own. She cried even harder.
"Shh. We're here now. Everything's going to be all right."
"What happened?" she barely managed through the tears. "Oh, Goddess, what
happened?!"
"Shh," he told her again, trying to calm her down. He stroked her hair and
back, gently rocking her. "You're safe now, baby girl."
"I can't remember…anything!" she told them. "I c-can't…"
"Shh. Don't talk," he urged her. "Just let it all out."
Sobs continued to wrack her body as Watanuki held her and Fai and Larg kept
watch.
Why couldn't she remember? It didn't make any sense. How could something like
this just happen without her knowledge? What else had she done during her
missing time?
Fuuma approached them as silently as he was able in his debilitated condition,
but Fai noticed him anyway, and growled low in his throat.
"Get out of here!" he hissed in a voice he did not recognize as his own.
"Yuui-chan," he called out to her. Watanuki tried to stop her from looking at
him, but he failed. Though he was already partially healed from Watanuki's
attack already, she still gasped in horror at his appearance. "Yuui-chan,
I'm…sorry."
"I told you to leave! What right do you have to even speak to her?!" Fai said
in a low, angry voice. But Fuuma did not heed him. Instead, he knelt beside
Watanuki and Yuui.
"Stay away from her! Don't you ever touch her!" Fai shouted. Watanuki wanted to
react the same way, but he knew he couldn't…not while he still held Yuui in his
arms. So he simply pressed her body even more firmly into his embrace.
"I'm not asking you to forgive me, Yuui-chan. I don't want you to. I just want
you to know that what I did, I did to protect you."
"SHUT UP!" Fai screamed, unable to listen anymore. "ENOUGH OF YOUR LIES!" Fresh
sobs tore from Yuui's body at the sound of her brother screaming.
"Please," she begged. "Please just go away."
Fuuma smiled sadly when he saw the stuffed cat she was still holding.
"Heh, I remember when I gave you that," he said softly.
"Don't you ever even look at her again," Watanuki warned, pulling the girl even
further away from him. "Rest assured, your uncle will hear about this. You
won't escape."
Fuuma's smile suddenly seemed happy. That was fine with him. He didn't want to
escape. He was a sinner and he knew it. He would never be able to escape from
it. He deserved whatever punishment anyone doled out for him.
"I'm sorry," he whispered one last time before disappearing.
Forgive me.
Yuui was not crying as hard anymore, having taken Watanuki's advice to heart
and letting out all of her pent up emotions. Sniffling, she tried to ask the
unspoken question plaguing her mind. "What if…what if I'm-"
"If you are, we'll think of something," he promised her. "You're not alone.
We're going to take care of you."
There was a strong possibility she was pregnant. It would be pointless to think
otherwise. Watanuki had no knowledge of how many times she and Fuuma had had
intercourse…and it only took one time to create a child. The product of rape or
not, Watanuki knew their sweet, innocent Yuui would never stand to have her
baby killed.
If she was pregnant, he would do everything in his power to protect his
daughter and her unborn child, no matter whom the father was. He knew all of
the others would, too. Their little mismatched family would stick together
through thick and thin.
"Maybe I'm not. Maybe…we'll be lucky," she spoke up hopefully, though she knew
that hope was useless. The knowledge rode heavily in her womb…she knew it in
her heart…she carried a child inside of her…his child. It was only just
beginning to grow, just beginning to be, but she knew beyond doubt…there was a
whole other person…growing inside her body.
"Shh," Watanuki whispered to her again. He didn't want to upset her any
further. He hadn't seen the revelation in her eyes. Fai, however, had seen it.
Young as he was, he understood the truth just as surely as she did. He moved
forward and took one of her hands in his, rubbing it reassuringly.
"I'm just…so scared…Tou," she said, looking up into her adopted father's
mismatched eyes.
"Me, too," he told her honestly. "Me, too."
                                      XxX
Several people cried out in shock when Fuuma came sweeping by them. It wasn't
the fact that he was stark naked. That was actually pretty normal in Faerie. It
was the fact that blood streamed off of him with every step he took, leaving a
trail of red behind him as he moved. A few tried to stop him and insist that he
see a healer, but he just pushed past them. His injuries had mostly healed on
their own anyway. It was simply the blood that had been left behind. He had a
destination in mind and he would not be stopped.
As he'd expected, Kamui was with Subaru in his chambers. Subaru was the first
to spot him.
"My Goddess! Fuuma, what happened to you?"
Kamui turned, barely managing to suppress a cry of shock at his appearance.
"A-are you all right?" he finally asked. "Shouldn't you see a healer?"
"It's done," Fuuma said simply.
"Who did this?" Kamui asked, concern evident in his eyes.
"I just raped a seventeen-year-old girl. Who do you think did this? I deserve
it!"
Kamui was too stricken by the anguish on his friend's face to say anything.
However, even if he had had something to say, he wouldn't have been able to
because Fuuma chose that moment to grab his shoulders and slam him up against
the wall.
"Fuuma!" Subaru shouted.
"What are you doing?!"
"ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?" Fuuma shouted, his voice laced with a pleading that Kamui
could not comprehend. "I did what you asked of me! I placed a child in her
womb! I committed the ultimate sin!"
I did this for you…because you wanted me to…and it has destroyed her…and me! Do
you not see?!
Then he did something that no one could have foreseen. He crushed his lips
against the younger faerie's, kissing him with all of the passion, love, anger,
hatred, sadness, pain, and despair that was in him. Kamui was shocked, to say
the least, but he did not fight the kiss. He simply hung there in the moment,
feeling it and every emotion that it contained. Subaru just stared in shock.
When Fuuma finally released him from the kiss, he wrapped his arms around the
dazed captain and held him close.
"Now do you understand?" he whispered in his ear. As he pulled away, Kamui
realized that his eyes were glowing faintly. But no sooner had the revelation
struck him, than Fuuma released him. His legs gave way beneath him and he fell
to his knees, breathing hard. He could not bring himself to look up as Fuuma
walked away.
"Brother! Are you all right?" his little brother asked worriedly. Kamui could
do nothing but stare at the floor.
Forgive me, Fuuma. I did not see.
                                      XxX
Yuui had spent most of the last week sleeping. No one questioned it. They
allowed her whatever she asked for…and plenty of things she didn't ask for.
They waited on her hand and foot. Fai knew that the best thing for her would be
to see Tomoyo, but Yuui refused to speak to her in dreams. She was ashamed to
see her. Fai figured that the young princess would be getting worried, so he
finally cracked and sent a message to her himself.
Yuui needs you. Come tonight.
This was why he found himself waiting at the border with Soel on his shoulder,
watching as Suwa and Kendappa rode toward him through the darkness, bearing his
friends and his lover. The moment they were close enough, Kurogane leapt from
Suwa's back and Fai was in his arms, being kissed. The kiss was brief, but
tender.
"What's going on?" Kurogane whispered. "Tomoyo's been hysterical all week."
Fai bowed his head, taking a step back from his lover as the two girls
approached.
"Where's Yuui? What's happened to her?" Tomoyo asked worriedly. Fai took a deep
breath as he took Tomoyo's hands in his.
"Tomoyo-chan…about a week ago…Yuui was raped."
For a moment it did not sink in…but then…
"What?! How could this happen?! Who did this? Who hurt Yuui?! It wasn't him…was
it?" she demanded, clinging tightly to her friend as tears of worry streamed
down her face.
"No. It was some faerie named Fuuma. I think…I think the others might know him
somehow. They won't tell me."
Souma wrung her hands worriedly as Tomoyo cried. Kurogane remained silent,
contemplative. What was this curse that seemed to befall them all? What force
simply could not stand to see them happy?
"Why? W-why won't she s-speak to me…Fai-kun?" she asked. The blond just held
her close as she cried.
"Because she feels like she's betrayed you," Fai answered simply. "I know what
it feels like. Someone else has touched you and taken from you that which you
would guard with your life for the person you love to have. It's a disgusting
feeling. And for her…she knows it happened…but she can't remember anything. He
put some kind of spell on her so she wouldn't fight. We may never know the
extent of what he did to her. She doesn't want to see you because she feels
dirty…and unworthy of you."
The tears stopped suddenly and Tomoyo looked up at Fai with confusion in her
eyes. Didn't her love…have more faith in her than that? Why was she shutting
her out…driving her away when she clearly needed her the most? The confusion
quickly metamorphosed into resolve.
"Take me to her."
                                      XxX
It was one of those rare times when Yuui was awake, sobbing quietly within the
privacy of her canopy, that she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Please, Fai," she whimpered as she lifted her face from the pillow. "Not now."
"My name wasn't Fai the last time I checked, but you can call me that if you
really want to."
Yuui jerked her head around and found herself looking at Tomoyo, who was
smiling gently down at her.
"Oh!" Yuui cried out as she buried her face in her pillow again. "Why did you
have to come here?! I didn't want you to come!"
Rather than be hurt by the declaration that her own lover didn't want to see
her, Tomoyo began to rub her back soothingly as she lay down beside her.
"Why don't you trust me, Yuui?" she whispered in her ear. "Didn't we promise to
always be there for each other? Why won't you let me keep my promise? I want to
be by your side when you need me."
"It's not…that I d-don't trust you. I just…don't w-want you to see me l-like
this!" she cried.
"Like what? The only thing I see is the girl I fell in love with…and she is all
I ever want to see, because she is more fair than the sun shining upon the face
of the crystal water. She is the beauty of the green earth and the white moon
among the stars. She is my love…and nothing can ever change that." Then Tomoyo
pulled Yuui into her arms and kissed her tenderly on the lips. As she rested
her forehead against hers, she whispered against her lips, "Please don't shut
me out. Let me help you."
Yuui stared into Tomoyo's eyes for a moment…before bursting into a fresh wave
of tears. "Oh, Tomoyo!" she sobbed as she buried her face in the princess'
chest. Tomoyo just held her close, whispering soothing words of love and
comfort as she cradled her.
Souma moved to close the curtains around Yuui's bed to give them some privacy
before moving back to where she'd been leaning against the wall beside the
window, talking with Soel and Larg. Fai and Kurogane were sitting on his bed,
occasionally glancing over to the spot where their sisters lay as they talked
quietly.
"She's pregnant…isn't she," Kurogane finally said. He'd picked up on it in the
way his lover spoke his twin's name.
"Yes…I think so," Fai said softly, glancing toward the curtained-off bed again.
"It's too early to tell for certain, of course. It won't become evident for a
few months yet, but…I think we all know it; it's just that…no one wants to say
anything. Saying it…will make it true. Sometimes I wonder…who has it worse."
"What do you mean?"
"When it…happened to me…I was aware of it the whole time. I have to bear every
memory like a scar on my heart. But…is it worse to know that it happened to
you…and not be able to remember anything? To only be able to imagine the worst
possible things that could have been done to you…and never knowing? She's so
kind…so caring…I know she wants to love this baby…wants to be excited about
having it, but…when she does have it…everyday, this child is going to be a
reminder of what happened to her. I don't know if she can handle that. She's
suffering so much. I don't want her to suffer anymore because of this."
"It'll be all right," the prince said softly as he wrapped his arms around his
lover's waist and pulled him into his lap. Fai melted gladly against his chest.
"She'll have her friends and family to help her. She'll have Tomoyo. Imouto
will not desert her."
"Yes. Yes, of course. I'm sure everything will be all right," he said, smiling
as Kurogane began to kiss the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine.
For the first time that week, he felt better.
The scene on the closed bed was very similar. Tomoyo was still holding Yuui,
who had left off crying and was simply enjoying the feeling of being close to
Tomoyo again.
"You're…going to have a baby, aren't you," Tomoyo said. She did not know how
she knew. Perhaps some part of Yuui had wanted her to know, and she had somehow
heard her silent cries. Maybe the child itself was calling out to her, seeking
the one its mother's heart truly loved…wanting to know what it was like to be
loved by that heart.
"Yes," Yuui finally whispered, snuggling closer against Tomoyo.
"What…do you want the baby to be?" she asked as she ran her fingers through her
blonde hair.
Yuui honestly hadn't thought about it. It suddenly seemed like such an odd
question…something normal and trivial in the vast sea of pain she'd been
swimming in this past week. What did she want?
"I…I think…that I would want a little girl."
"Have you thought of any names yet?"
A small bark of a laugh escaped Yuui's mouth. "I…I haven't really thought about
it, Tomoyo. I have…nine months to think about it. She won't even start to move
for a few more months."
"Can…can I be her mother, too?" Tomoyo asked shyly. Yuui giggled.
"Who else would be the other parent? You're twice the mother I'll ever be.
Besides," she said, suddenly going pensive. "I don't think her father wants
her."
"All right, then," Tomoyo continued, trying to change topics…anything to keep
Yuui's mind off of Fuuma. "The baby will have two mothers, two uncles, an aunt,
two furry cousins, and more grandparents than she can count. Such a large
family. It's so wonderful, Yuui. You're going to have a baby, just like Leval.
Fai showed us Tomoeda. She's so pretty. I know your baby will be beautiful,
too, just like you."
"I…I suppose it is a good thing," Yuui said softly, smiling for the first time
in what felt like eons. Tomoyo always knew how to cheer her up. She leaned
forward and pecked her lover on the lips. "I love you so much, Tomoyo."
"I love you, too, Yuui…you and your baby," she said, pressing her hand against
the blonde's flat stomach.
"Will you still love me…when I start vomiting every morning…when I'm fat,
bloated, and moody?"
"I'll love you even more then," Tomoyo said with a grin as she moved down
Yuui's body. "I love you more every day." Yuui giggled as her lover started to
kiss her belly.
"Tomoyo! That tickles!"
"Hello, baby-chan," Tomoyo cooed, laying her head down on Yuui's belly. "I know
you can't hear me yet…you're probably not really you yet…but I can't wait to
meet you. I'm your other mother. I can't wait to see my Yuui's lovely
daughter."
The scene would have undoubtedly continued in this peaceful, unassuming
manner…had Yuui not suddenly felt a sharp bolt of pain shoot through her head.
Yuui screamed, clutching her head in pain. Tomoyo instantly shot up.
"Yuui! What's wrong?!"
Yuui didn't answer. She couldn't. She just continued to scream and cry,
clutching at Tomoyo desperately as the wave of pain rode her body. She could
feel fire dancing along her skin and she could almost swear she was breathing
smoke.
"Nii-sama! Fai-kun! Souma-chan! Something's wrong with Yuui!"
Souma was the only one to respond, but that was just so she could open the
curtain and show her friends what was happening on the other bed.
Fai was having the exact same fit as his sister. He was screaming and writhing
in agony. Kurogane had him pinned to the bed to prevent him from clawing at his
own skin.
"It burns! IT BURNS!" he screamed.
"PLEASE! SOMEONE SAVE THEM!" Yuui's screams rose to join his.
"What's happening to them?!" Souma asked Soel and Larg. Before either could
answer, Doumeki burst into the room.
"What's going on?" Kurogane demanded.
Doumeki ignored him and knelt beside Yuui's bed, taking the sobbing girl's
shoulders in his hands. The screaming had stopped, but the tears still flowed,
fast and hot.
"What do you feel?" he asked her.
"I…I can hear the trees," she cried. "They're scared, Doumeki…and hurt!"
"What?" Tomoyo whispered.
"Something's happened to the forest," Doumeki explained tersely as he got to
his feet. "The same thing happened to Watanuki. He's already gone ahead to find
out what's happening. I have to go. Kunogi's waiting for me." As he moved back
to the door, he picked up the three swords that had been placed by it, tossing
Sumomo and Kotoko to Souma and Sohi to Kurogane. Both caught their blades
easily. "Stay here. Nothing should be able to get this far, but if something
should happen…guard them with your lives. Make sure nothing happens to them."
Rather than question him further, Kurogane just nodded and laid Sohi down on
the bed as he pulled his still-sobbing lover back into his arms. After getting
a nod from Souma, Doumeki swept out the door, securing it behind him.
As the royal Nihon siblings comforted their distraught lovers, Souma moved over
to the window to close and lock it.
"I wonder what's happening out there?" she mumbled to herself as she stared out
into the night, searching for signs of something amiss.
                                      XxX
It was burning. Everything was burning.
Burn the forest! Burn it to the ground!
"LET IT BURN! LET CELES BURN! BURN IT!"
The entire northern border of the forest was in flames…and Watanuki felt every
flare as if the fire burned in his very skin. The Oni were swarming everywhere,
setting fire to everything in their path.
"We have to stop them."
"Can you even walk?" Doumeki asked. He was still supporting the nature sprite
after his last swoon.
"There's no time to worry about this!" Watanuki insisted as he pulled away from
Doumeki. "They're going to destroy the forest!"
"Hmm…now who could have guessed it?"
The three guardians turned at the sound of the snickering voice and found
themselves facing Koryu.
"Long time, no see," he said casually.
"So…she really did make you lord of the Oni," Watanuki spat derisively. "What,
exactly, do you have against this forest? You grew up sheltered by its
branches. Would you slay the mother that held you?!"
"Faerie is not part of me anymore," he snarled. Doumeki was the only one to
catch the twinge of regret in his voice.
"What are you talking about?!" Himawari demanded shrilly. "Faerie is part of
all of us! We were born from Faerie!"
"So? Mankind was born from the earth, and yet year after year, he seems to feel
less and less of a connection with the earth that bore him. If humanity can so
easily sever itself from its mother, why shouldn't we fey be able to do the
same? If living bound to Faerie means living bound to the fragility of the
world of men, I'll take freedom. That is why I follow Yuuko. That is why I'm
burning this forest."
"No," Watanuki hissed in pain. "You will not have Celes."
"Aww. Is the poor little nature sprite feeling his precious trees burn?" the
dark faerie taunted.
Moron…Himawari…stand back.
Himawari was about to step forward and ask him what he meant to do, but Doumeki
grabbed her hand and pulled her back. Watanuki would do what he had to…they all
would. Celes could not fall.
Watanuki closed his eyes as he drew his power around him like a cloak,
gathering his own will…and that of the forest itself.
"What are you doing, little Watanuki? Do you honestly think you can challenge
the Oni?"
All-embracing Mother of the earth, eternal Father of the sky, ancient forest
with awesome power…lend me your strength! Aid me now!
Watanuki could feel it…the tiny seedling at the very core of his magic…the
center of his being. It pulsed with power, ready to explode its force onto the
world.
Then…it happened.
The nature sprite shrieked in pain as his power burst out of him in the form of
a living, breathing tree. Branches and vines sprang fully-grown from his very
skin, tearing him to shreds. The tree destroyed every Oni it could seize,
grabbing hold of their fleeing bodies and tearing them to pieces. Koryu, and
those who could, fled in terror.
"RETREAT! RETREAT! FALL BACK!"
"WATANUKI!" Himawari screamed, attempting to rush forward again…and again she
was stopped by Doumeki, who was also calling down his own magic, the storm
clouds that were his birthright. When the last of the screams faded away, the
rain began to fall on Celes. Doumeki restrained Himawari until every last fire
had been quenched by the pouring rain.
"Stay here," Doumeki ordered her when he finally released her. "Believe me when
I say that you don't want to see this."
"But…what about Watanuki?"
"He'll be fine. But you really don't want to see him in his current state.
You've never seen him like this before. I have."
The unspoken explanation was visible in the assassin's eyes. Watanuki would
live, but the process through which that would happen was long and difficult.
He would need luck…something Himawari could not provide. The unspoken agreement
between them was that Himawari did not approach anyone without Doumeki near her
to cancel out the effects of her curse. Normally, this arrangement worked, but
things would still happen on occasion. Mostly harmless things like a spilled
glass or a dropped plate, but sometimes the incidents were a bit more
serious…an arrow turning up in the wrong place, or a horse rearing and throwing
its rider. Yuui's skirt had even caught fire once. Doumeki was not taking any
chances tonight.
"I understand," Himawari said softly. "Go to him."
Doumeki moved quickly toward the giant, sprawling tree that had overtaken the
burnt portion of the forest. Watanuki had added a good twenty acres to the
forest this time around. This attack was why Celes' borders had been able to
spread so much during the Last War. When the weather sprite circled around the
tree, he found Watanuki, or rather, what was left of him, lying beneath its
branches, practically floating in a pool of his own blood and fluids.
Watanuki's chest had been torn open, exposing his pulsing vital organs to the
night air. Doumeki could clearly see his heart still beating, though one of his
lungs had collapsed. Most of his rib cage had been shattered. His limbs were
little more than shredded ribbons of flesh, muscle, and bone. A great section
of scalp had been torn away and his cracked skull was clearly visible against
the blackness of his remaining hair. Really, the only thing that remained even
semi-intact was his face.
Doumeki walked calmly toward the broken faerie and knelt beside him. His eyes
fluttered open as the weather spirit lifted his head into his lap, careful to
hold it together and not to separate it from his spine.
"Ow," he muttered as best he could.
"How are you feeling?" Doumeki asked. He was more than a little worried. It had
been a very long time since Watanuki had called on so much of his power at
once. Could his body handle the strain of regeneration?
"…don't have…much of a body…to feel…pain…with," he struggled to speak through
his smashed vocal cords. Doumeki could see that his skeleton was already
starting to repair itself. A good sign. Watanuki began to groan as more and
more of his body regenerated. He could really feel the agony now.
"Well, you'd better get comfortable. It looks like we're going to be here all
night waiting for this to heal up."
"The rain…feels nice," Watanuki whispered as he closed his eyes tightly against
the pain.
***** Sweet Serenade *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Fai's first instinct when he heard footsteps approaching the cottage was to
draw his bow. It wasn't anyone in his family. Doumeki was just around the
corner, skinning a deer he'd killed. Watanuki was making breakfast and Yuui was
helping Himawari with the mending. They hadn't been making Yuui do too many of
the heavy chores recently. She'd been going around with a tired, secretive
smile on her face. A timidity that hadn't been present before the attack had
taken up residence in her personality, but despite that, there were times she
seemed to fairly glow.
The guardians had tried to dismiss it when their daughter had failed to bleed
after the attack. It was a fluke, Himawari had tried to reassure her, a trick
of her diet. These things happened sometimes. But no one could turn a blind eye
when she failed to bleed a second time. This, coupled with the fact that the
young woman was suddenly unable to eat breakfast because of her violent illness
most mornings, confirmed what they had known all along, but had been too
horrified, scared, and guilt-ridden to admit to themselves. Yuui was pregnant.
The men, of course, had been treating her like glass. After the horrible things
that had been done to him and the awful thing that had happened to his sister,
Fai's desire to protect himself and his own was very strong. It was early,
therefore it could not be Kurogane and the others. It could only be…danger.
"Who's there?" Fai called out. He couldn't yet see anyone through the morning
mist, but he could definitely hear footsteps. Unfortunately, his bow and quiver
were sitting in the cottage. The stranger did not answer.
"I'm warning you! If you don't identify yourself now, I'll shoot you!" he
shouted with more conviction than he felt. He could feel his body beginning to
shake with fear.
"Forgive me if I must contradict you, young one," a voice finally called
through the mist as a figure began to take shape at the edge of the glen, "but
you do not carry a weapon."
"Physical weapons are not the only kind there are." Damn it! Why couldn't he
stop shaking?
"True enough," the figure replied as it drew closer.
"It's okay, Fai," Soel consoled him. "It's not him."
"How do you know?" Fai whispered.
"Do you smell that?"
Fai concentrated for a moment, trying to pick out a different scent other than
the usual ones of magic and the forest itself, finally coming up with…
"Peaches?"
"Uh-huh. Each faerie has a distinct scent. Seishiro doesn't smell like
peaches."
"What does he smell like?"
"Soel doesn't…remember," the small creature lied. It didn't want to say it…but
it could detect a faint hint of Seishiro's scent among the peaches. The scent
had been clinging to Fai, filling the air on the night he'd awoken covered in
the dark prince's essence.
The scent of blood.
"You don't need to fear me, Fai-kun," the stranger said softly. Fai could
finally make him out. He did indeed have that aura that all of the fey were
possessed of. He was taller than Fai by an inch or two and his hair was black.
He was clothed in green and his eyes sparkled that same hue in the early
morning light. He smiled gently as he extended his hand, but Fai couldn't help
but flinch at the small movement. The stranger's eyes widened in concern at
this. "Why do you recoil?"
Rather than explain that both he and his sister had been brutally raped by
faeries and would probably bear the scars forever, he simply went with, "How do
you know my name?"
"Your family is…well known in Faerie. I am Lord Subaru Shiro, master of the
Shiro Clan."
Fai took a few steps back, his eyes narrowing as he did. "Great," he muttered.
"More fey nobility. What do you want now? Once wasn't enough?!" His voice was
starting to rise. Soel could see that it wouldn't take much to send the boy
into hysterics.
Subaru shook his head regretfully. "That isn't what I meant when I said you
were well known. I meant no disrespect. None of us wanted to hurt Yuui-chan.
Fuuma-san did what he had to."
That was the breaking point. Fai's eyes flashed with anger. "You were in on it?
How dare you come here?! How dare you speak his name?! You presume to be worthy
enough to speak her name?! My sister is inside right now, suffering, with your
friend's child gnawing away at her insides! Get out! Get out right now!" When
he raised his fists to give the faerie a good punch, Subaru easily caught his
blows.
"Fai-kun, I'm sorry for what happened to your sister! But it couldn't be
helped."
"Bull shit!" Fai muttered weakly, the feeling of his hands incapacitated
instantly summoning up memories too painful for the light of day and too
harrowing for the peace of night. "Leave us alone!" he cried, his voice getting
weaker as he sank to his knees.
"Fai-kun!" Subaru cried out worriedly as he, too, moved to his knees, moving
his hands to Fai's shoulders. "What's wrong?!"
No! No! It's happening again!
When he did not have Kurogane with him to keep the memories at bay…they
consumed him. Without his lover's touch, he could not keep the awful scars
suppressed and they rose to the surface of his conscience.
"Please. Please. Kuro-sama!" he moaned weakly. "Make it go away!"
"Let him go, Subaru!" Doumeki ordered, suddenly appearing from around the
corner of the cottage. Subaru glanced toward the assassin. Considering the
purpose of his visit, he knew this probably didn't look good.
"Doumeki-san. I…I didn't…I wasn't-"
"Let. Him. Go," Doumeki repeated forcefully as he moved swiftly toward them.
Subaru immediately backed off, allowing Doumeki to take his place. The assassin
enfolded his son in a hug, pressing his head firmly against his chest. The boy
was shaking so badly.
"Breathe," he whispered to him. "Just breathe."
"I…I c-can't…I-I need-"
"I know. I understand," he whispered soothingly. "But he's not here right now.
You have to keep it together…for his sake."
Fai clutched desperately at his guardian's tunic, trying to focus on his
breathing. In…out…inhale…exhale…He pretended that it was Kurogane's arms
wrapped so tightly around him. He could almost hear him whispering in his
ear…running fingers through his hair…I love you. I'll hold you. I'll keep you
safe. No more nightmares.
"I…I think I'm okay," he finally choked out.
"Are you sure?" Doumeki asked as he loosened his grip on his son. Fai nodded,
closing his eyes as Doumeki helped him to his feet. Subaru didn't dare ask what
had happened. He felt like he had intruded on something private…had witnessed
something not for his eyes.
"What's going on out here?" Watanuki asked as he swept out of the cottage. Rage
lit his mismatched eyes when they fell on Subaru kneeling in their front yard
and Doumeki still supporting a shaking Fai. "What are you doing here?" he asked
calmly, trying to keep his anger in check.
"I need to see Yuui-chan."
"No," all three of them said without hesitation.
"I'm sorry, but she needs to know what happened. You need to know what
happened."
"Take him inside," Watanuki said to Doumeki. The weather sprite obeyed without
question, leading Fai and Soel back inside the cottage. Then Watanuki turned
his attention back to Subaru. "It seems fairly clear to me what happened. Fuuma
got it into his head to pull an heir out of Yuui! If that's what you came for,
you can tell Fuuma he's not touching this baby! This child belongs to Yuui!"
"You know we didn't do this to create an heir for Fuuma. This was all for
Yuui!"
"We?! What we?! Who all was involved in this plot?!" Watanuki asked
dangerously. Apparently, their decision not to inform King Reed of the attack
had been a wise one. Fearing that there were games afoot in the court, they had
decided that the fewer people knew about Yuui's condition, the better. They
hadn't even reported the attack on Fai. It had been…terrible…absolutely
terrible when it had happened to Fai, but the difference was that they could
have at least expected an attack like that from an enemy. To have it come from
someone who was supposed to be their friend and ally…was somehow worse. There
was clearly some sort of plot forming in the court, as evidenced by the fact
that Clow hadn't even seen fit to inform him he had entrusted the Shiro
brothers with Fai and Yuui's secret. If word spread that the twins were
vulnerable, that they were that fragile, their enemies would only increase.
Watanuki knew that the less involved Faerie was in their lives, the better off
they would be. But he also knew it was impossible for Fai and Yuui to ever be
completely removed from Faerie. It was part of them…just as it was part of
Doumeki, Himawari, and himself.
"Just myself and Kamui. Fuuma had nothing to do with it. He only did it because
we asked him to. He didn't want to, but you knowhow much he loves my brother."
There had been another involved. In fact, Seishiro had been the one to suggest
it…had said it would give his competition a leg up on him. However, Subaru knew
it was unwise to reveal his lover's involvement in the shaping of events. It
wasn't yet time. "Please. Let me speak to her. Let me apologize…and explain."
Watanuki sighed in defeat. "You can speak to her, but nothing else, and
certainly not in private."
"I understand. Thank you for this chance, Kimihiro."
Watanuki turned and Subaru followed him into the cottage. They found Doumeki
setting the table for breakfast and Yuui on her hands and knees, vomiting into
a bucket beside the hearth while Fai held back her long hair and patted her
back soothingly. Himawari was standing sadly off to the side, observing the
tender moment between the siblings. She would have loved to be by her foster
daughter's side now, holding back her hair and telling her how brave she was to
have this baby, but if she touched her, she risked something awful happening.
She might even lose the baby.
Soel and Larg were sitting quietly beside the bucket as Yuui wretched, loudly
and violently. When she was finally finished, she leaned back and Fai held her
in his arms, comforting her.
"You're okay, Imouto. You're all right."
"Thanks, Fai," she mumbled weakly, leaning her head against his shoulder.
"Oh, dear," Subaru whispered.
"No sudden movements," Watanuki warned him, giving him a small push forward.
Yuui and Fai glanced up at him as he stumbled toward them.
"H-hello…Yuui-chan," he greeted nervously. The moment the scent of peaches
attacked her nose, Yuui scrambled right back to the bucket and started to vomit
again. When she finished this time, she couldn't quite summon up the energy to
get back to her brother's arms and she collapsed on the floor. Fai quickly
moved to her and pulled her back into his arms.
"Would you mind toning it down a little?" Doumeki asked as he brought Yuui a
cup of water.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" he blustered, flushing as he wove some glamour around himself.
As Yuui gratefully sipped the water, Subaru's aura dimmed and became something
less fantastical. The twins couldn't quite figure out why, but he seemed
altogether more human. More importantly, however, the strong scent of peaches
had faded away.
"Who are you?" Yuui asked, her body still trembling from her last bout of
sickness. Subaru bowed low before the twins.
"Greetings, Yuui-chan. I am Lord Subaru Shiro, master of the Shiro Clan."
Subaru didn't fail to notice the way she flinched or the way she clung tighter
to her brother when she heard that he was a faerie lord.
"What do you want?" she asked, a note of bitterness in her usually cheerful
voice. It hurt Subaru to hear it.
"I came here to apologize for what happened," he said softly as he knelt slowly
before her. "None of us wanted to do this to you, but it had to be done. I
don't expect you to believe me now, but you will understand someday. I believe
that if you come to Faerie with me, Fuuma-san will-"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Watanuki and Himawari burst out at the same moment.
"Do you honestly think we'd trust you with her after what's happened?!"
Watanuki spat out. "She's staying right here!"
"Fuuma sent you to take Yuui-chan away from us, didn't he?!" Himawari accused.
"You can't have her!"
"I swear on my honor, that isn't my intention!" Subaru insisted. He remained
where he was, kneeling before Fai and Yuui. "Kamui and I just thought it would
be best for both of them if Fuuma-san had a chance to talk to Yuui-chan. He
feels so awful about what he's done. The guilt is tearing him apart. We just
want her to understand."
"My sister's not going anywhere with you!" Fai hissed dangerously, hugging his
pregnant twin even tighter against his chest.
"Please!" Subaru begged. "She'll come back! I give you my word!"
"You tricked me into allowing you into our home so you could propose this vile
kidnapping plot to Yuui-chan's face! You think your word means anything to us?!
I want you out of this house now!" Watanuki shouted.
"PLEASE!" a distraught female voice suddenly rose above all the others.
Everyone turned to the object of their argument, amazed that she could summon
up the energy for such a scream. "Please," she repeated in a calmer voice.
"Don't yell at Subaru-san." Yuui couldn't explain why, but she felt a kinship
with Subaru. After everything that had happened to her, it was downright stupid
of her, she knew, but she felt like she could trust him.
"His word isn't something to take lightly," Doumeki reminded them. Unlike
humans, the fey did not give their word lightly. To be seen as a breaker of
one's word in the eyes of the fey was the ultimate disgrace.
"Doumeki, this is Yuui-chan we're talking about here!" Watanuki rounded on the
weather sprite angrily. "You weren't there! You didn't see it!"
"Neither did you. You showed up after it happened," Doumeki reminded him.
"Perhaps they really didn't mean to hurt her. Maybe Fuuma was trying to make it
easier for her by blocking it from her memory?"
"Why are you defending them?!"
"I'm not saying I condone what they did to her. I imagine if I had been in your
place, I would have reacted the same way. But we need to know everything. We
can't afford to make enemies out of people who could still be our allies."
"I'll go with you," Yuui said softly to Subaru, breaking into her guardians'
argument. "I'll speak to him…just this once."
"Yuui-chan! You don't have to do this. You might never come back!" Himawari
warned her, her hand darting out to touch her shoulder but stopping just short
of it. A look of hurt flashed across Yuui's face.
"Yuui's not going anywhere without me," Fai told Subaru as he helped Yuui to
her feet.
"That's fine, but you've really nothing to worry about," Subaru said to the
three guardians. "I will have them back before sunset and no harm will come to
them. You have my word."
The guardians all raised an eyebrow. That was a very dangerous oath to make.
After all, not all hurt that could possibly befall them was within the sphere
of his control…and yet he made the vow anyway.
"We'll trust your word, Subaru, but that doesn't mean we'll stop protecting
them. I'm going with you," Doumeki informed him as he went to fetch their
cloaks.
"Doumeki…don't you trust us?" Yuui asked.
Doumeki turned to meet her pleading gaze. Of the three guardians, he was likely
the one that trusted them the most, but this…
"There are things about Faerie that you don't understand," he said simply,
handing Fai his and Yuui's cloaks. "You might need my help."
Himawari and Watanuki both looked devastated as they watched the twins put on
their cloaks and the Mokona hop up into the hoods.
"I don't want you two going anywhere on empty stomachs. Especially you, Yuui-
chan," Watanuki said, bringing them each an apple. "Do you think you can keep
something down?"
"I'll hold onto it," Yuui said, tucking the fruit into her cloak. "Maybe I'll
be able to later."
"Please," Watanuki said as he pulled both children into his arms. "Come back to
us."
Himawari moved to hug Doumeki. "Keep them safe," she whispered to him. As the
twins moved toward Subaru, Watanuki approached him. He seized one of his ears
and pulled him very close.
"You'd better take care of them!" he hissed in his ear. Doumeki said nothing
for a few moments, but then he grabbed Watanuki's chin, forcing him to look up
at him. The nature sprite felt his breath catch in his throat as the assassin's
amber eyes gazed steadily into his.
"Don't worry," he finally said, releasing Watanuki as he went to join the small
group. The moment they were out the front door, Himawari vanished into her own
room, knowing it wasn't safe for her to even be near Watanuki with Doumeki not
around. Watanuki himself remained in place, staring at the closed door, feeling
for all the world as if a part of his heart had been ripped out.
                                      XxX
The journey through the forest was made in silence. Doumeki and Subaru walked
in front with the twins in back, holding hands as they walked. Yuui rested her
free hand protectively against her abdomen. It wasn't visible to someone who
wasn't looking, and even then, it was hard to spot, but there was already a
slight swell blossoming out of her flat stomach. It wasn't much, but Tomoyo
gushed and cooed over it whenever they were together, insisting on kissing
every inch of her pale belly. Only Tomoyo could make her feel truly happy about
the baby. Other times…it was harder. It was harder on the days when she
couldn't keep breakfast down. It was harder on the days when she felt
Watanuki's inadvertent resentment of her baby as he gazed at her. It was harder
when Tomoyo wasn't with her. It was hardest on the days when she remembered
that a part of Fuuma lived inside of her. It was hard…and she knew it would
only get harder.
Sensing her distress, Larg cuddled up against her cheek. She nuzzled back with
a sigh, feeling just a little better.
"Are you all right?" Fai whispered to her, squeezing her hand just a little
tighter.
"I'm fine."
Before too long, the group reached the shores of Spirit Lake. Kamui was waiting
there with a small rowboat. The scent of thistles was in the air about him.
"Your group has grown a little," the dark-haired captain commented. Then he
knelt before Fai and Yuui. First, he took Fai's hand and pressed his forehead
against it. Next, he took Yuui's hand and kissed it. "Greetings, Fai and Yuui.
I am Kamui Shiro, captain of my brother's guard."
The twins were no longer surprised to be meeting faeries who knew their names.
They both nodded as he stood aside and allowed them through to the boat. Once
the entire group was on board, the boat slowly began to move away from the
shore on its own. The morning mist was only just beginning to drift apart.
Tsubasa Island was just barely visible in the distance. When they'd gotten
about halfway to the island, Doumeki took Fai's hand and Subaru took Yuui's.
"What's going on?" Yuui asked, her free hand instinctively reaching for her
growing child.
"The journey into Faerie can be a little…jarring…for someone who has never made
it before," Subaru explained. When Fai heard this, his eyes found Doumeki's.
"You've…been to Faerie before?" he realized.
Doumeki nodded, keeping Fai's gaze. However, before he could ask anything more,
the boat, suddenly and quickly, sank beneath the surface of the lake. It
happened so fast that both twins began to gasp in shock. However, before the
water had a chance to flow into their mouths, the boat resurfaced. Fai
coughed…and was very surprised to find that the action did not produce any
water. Yuui shook her head, but her long hair yielded no droplets of water.
They were all completely dry.
"Is this Faerie?" Fai asked, looking around as the boat sailed itself to the
opposite shore of the lake.
"It is," Subaru said softly. "We're still sailing on Spirit Lake, but we've
crossed the bridge. Spirit Lake is the mirror…the gateway between worlds. No
one really knows how the realms came to be connected, but the fact remains that
they are."
Neither of the twins could see much of anything. As far as they could tell, the
lake was resting in an endless field of lush, green grass. Yuui thought she
could see a village in the distance, but that was about it.
"So…where, exactly, are we going?" Fai asked as Doumeki helped him out of the
boat and onto the shore.
"You can't see it because you've lived your life as a human," Kamui started to
explain. When he climbed out of the boat he reached his hand back to help Yuui
out, but she shied away from his touch. Subaru and Kamui exchanged looks and
the young lord reached out his own hand. Yuui did not shy away from him. "Just
give it a few minutes."
"Do faeries pass between the realms often?" Yuui asked.
"Quite often," Subaru answered.
"We're at Spirit Lake all the time. How come we've never seen any?" Fai asked.
"Well, you don't tend to see what you're not looking for, now do you," Kamui
explained casually.
"Can humans do it?" Fai continued.
"No. Pureblood humans cannot pass between the realms without the help of a
faerie."
"Could we do it?"
"Yes. You have enough fey blood in you for that."
Fai looked thoughtful for a moment. "Say…Kamui-san…you're a faerie."
"Glad you noticed," he said sarcastically.
"If we're…part-fey…you wouldn't happen to know who our parents are, would you?"
All three faeries froze for a hairsbreadth of a moment. Doumeki quickly threw
Kamui an icy glare from behind Fai.
You've taken so much away already. If you say one God damn word-
"No," Kamui finally answered. "It happens all the time. Some woman takes to bed
with something not human and walks away with a child. In this case, two
children. It could be anyone."
"I see," Fai said softly. He knew when he was being lied to. Goddess knew he
had lied to Kurogane everyday before his sixteenth birthday. He had learned to
recognize the signs. He had realized not long ago that their guardians were
lying to them as well. If not their human parent, Himawari, Doumeki, Watanuki,
and now Subaru and Kamui, all knew who their fey parent was. However, he didn't
believe that possessing that knowledge would make things hurt any less. He
thought he could see quite plainly what had happened. Their mother had had a
one-night stand and ended up with a pair of unwanted babies. Either their human
mother had been afraid of having half-fey children or their fey mother had been
ashamed of having half-human children. Whichever scenario it was, that mother
had left them alone in Celes Forest to die. Some bitter part of his heart
wanted to see the shock on that mother's face if she ever found out they were
still alive.
Sorry to have inconvenienced you…M other!
"Don't think like that." Fai suddenly heard his guardian's voice in his ear.
Then he was being pulled into Doumeki's strong embrace right along with Yuui.
When he heard her crying softly, he realized she had been thinking similar
thoughts.
"What other way is there to think? We were unwanted," he whispered against
their guardian's chest, trying desperately to hold back his own sorrow at his
revelation. "That's plain to see."
"That's not true," Soel squeaked.
"Fai and Yuui are wanted," Larg chimed in. "Soel and Larg love Fai and Yuui!"
"Don't ever think you're unwanted," Doumeki whispered fiercely to them.
"Watanuki wants you. Kunogi wants you. I want you. Fai, Kurogane wants you. And
Yuui, Tomoyo wants you. Your child wants you. It doesn't matter who your
parents were. There are people who want and need you now. There are people who
love you…who will always love you…no matter where you came from."
"You know…don't you?" Fai whispered back. His tone was just as fierce as his
protector's, but it contained a note of harshness where Doumeki's held only
devotion.
Doumeki could see that Fai was trying to be tough, but he knew him too well to
think it was anything but a front. He'd never had any trouble reading what
these children were thinking. He could see how lost they were right now.
"Yes," he answered honestly, "but you and I had a deal. I'll tell you
everything…but not a moment before your eighteenth birthday."
"I really do hate to break this up, but we should be on our way," Kamui
interjected.
"Way to where?" Yuui asked softly. However, the answer became quite clear when
the twins pulled away from Doumeki. A grand palace had appeared several hundred
feet from the lake's shore…a palace far more grand than even the one in
Shirasagi.
"When…did that get there?" Fai asked nervously.
"It was always there. It's like I said, your eyes just needed time to adjust."
"You should keep your hoods low when we enter," Doumeki warned them as he
pulled his own hood further down.
"Why?" Yuui asked.
"Quite a few of the courtiers will know you have mortal blood just by the scent
of you," Subaru explained. "We don't need to provoke them any further. We must
be as inconspicuous as possible." When the small group was ready to move
forward, the faerie lord held out his hand for Yuui. She took it hesitantly.
She didn't say anything, but she'd been unnerved by his use of the word
provoke.
Kamui led the small group toward the main gates of the palace. Subaru came
after him, leading Yuui, and Doumeki came behind them, leading Fai.
"Why aren't there any guards?" Yuui asked as they passed through the gate,
remembering her experience with gates in Nihon.
"Heh, only a fool would attempt to enter King Clow Reed's sithen uninvited,"
Kamui replied, smirking lightly.
As their guides led them through the palace, both twins stared resolutely at
the floor. Fai because he had no desire to see the realm that had produced
Seishiro and Fuuma. He had heard tales of Faerie from his guardians, his
friends, and his lover. He would not be taken in by whatever beauty it had to
offer. Yuui because she was trying her hardest not to get sick again. With
every new fey courtier that passed, a new scent attacked her defenseless
nostrils. Her morning sickness hadn't yet subsided and she didn't know how long
she could last. It would be utterly mortifying if she had to get down on her
knees and heave up the last of her dinner in front of all these faeries.
If the siblingshad been looking, they would have seen all the curious stares
they were receiving. However, none of the castle's inhabitants stopped the
small party to question them about the mortal taint that suddenly walked among
them because Kamui looked like he was on the warpath.
After what felt like hours of misery for Yuui, she heard Subaru whisper to her,
"We're here."
It was something both terrifying and relieving. She would be out from under the
scrutiny of all these strangers…but she would have to face Fuuma again. Could
she even…handle it?
"Don't be afraid," she suddenly heard Fai whispering to her, his hand slipping
into hers as the door to Fuuma's chamber was thrown open. "I'm here with you."
"Larg and Soel are here, too," Larg added, nuzzling up against her cheek again.
Yuui swallowed hard, grateful to be surrounded by family in this moment as she
followed Subaru into the room.
"Fuuma!" Kamui called. "Fuuma! Are you here?"
When Fuuma entered his sitting room from his bedroom, he was actually looking a
little bit happy to hear Kamui's voice. His scent filled the room and his eyes
shone dimly. But then he saw who was with him.
For a moment, they both froze. Then Yuui promptly collapsed to her knees and
began to vomit all over the plush blue carpet. The scent of cinnamon was just
too overwhelming after the trek through the palace.
Fai and Subaru were immediately on the floor next to her. Fai held her hair
back and Subaru placed a hand on her shoulder. That hand immediately began to
glow. The vomiting stopped soon after Yuui felt the warm glow of his magic.
After awhile, the churning in her stomach stopped, as well.
"Feel better?" Subaru asked. Yuui nodded as he and her brother helped her stand
and walked her over to one of the couches. Fuuma continued to stare the whole
time, even as Doumeki began to clean up Yuui's mess.
"Why…are you here?" he finally managed to choke out. He hadn't had a moment of
real peace since that night in the labyrinth almost two months ago. He hadn't
even been able to sleep very well because he could only ever see Yuui's
accusing eyes in his nightmares. However, there was nothing accusing about her
as he looked at her now. All he could see was a tired, miserable girl.
And he'd done that to her.
Yuui couldn't bring herself to look up at him. She just sat on the couch with
Larg in her lap, her hands folded around it, seeking comfort from its warm
weight. Fai's hand was on one shoulder and Subaru's was on the other.
"There is…something I have to tell you," she finally whispered. She could feel
tears gathering behind her eyes.
He waited silently. He knew what she was about to say, but he didn't want to
face it.
"I am going to have a child. Your child."
The faerie lord remained completely frozen, as if he were made of stone. Some
part of her wanted him to hold her, like an ordinary man holds his woman at
such news, but he was not an ordinary man, and this was not an ordinary
situation. The only time he had ever touched her was as a prelude to taking
her.
Show me some sign that this news is a joy to you. Please! Tell me I wasn't
used! She wanted to weep from frustration, but she would not be the first to do
so before the interview was over.
"A gift from the Goddess," he finally murmured.
"Yes," she returned weakly. "Do…do you not wish to hold me?"
He hesitated. For a moment, she thought he might be about to soften. But then
he said, "Your condition is delicate," and turned away from her.
"Wait a minute!" Fai shouted as he got to his feet. "Is that really all you're
going to say to her?! I think you owe her something better!"
"Fai-kun, calm down," Subaru tried to cajole him as he, too, stood.
"No! I want him to treat my sister with a little more respect! He thinks he can
take what he wants from her without any consequences! It's easy for him to walk
away from her like nothing ever happened, but she'll have to deal with the
consequences of his actions for the rest of her life! Don't think I'm just
going to let him walk away!"
As Fai continued to argue with Subaru and Kamui, Fuuma slowly turned to face
Yuui once again. She wasn't looking at him. She was staring at her hands,
twisting nervously in her lap. Larg was nuzzling up against her belly, trying
to calm her. God, but it tore him up to see her like this. She shouldn't have
to deal with something like this, but here she was, two months pregnant and in
his sitting room on the verge of an emotional breakdown.
That's your fault.
As the others continued to argue, Fuuma moved toward Yuui, kneeling before her.
When Larg noticed this, its first instinct was to lash out at the Monou lord,
but then it saw his red eyes. Yuui gasped lightly when he laid his head in her
lap next to Larg and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"I'm so sorry, Yuui-chan," he said softly as tears began to spill down his
face. At the sound of his voice, everyone else fell silent. "I never wanted
this. I only did what I had to. I don't remember anything either."
"What do you mean?" Yuui asked, tears gathering at the corners of her own eyes.
"I drank the same potion you did. I don't remember anything that happened. But
you have to understand…every moment that you weren't with child was a danger to
yourself and everyone you love."
"I don't understand."
"For now, it is probably best that you don't," Subaru said, retaking his place
by her side. "All you need to know is that you had to have a child. You can
never do that with your own lover, so we had to take matters into our own
hands."
"How do you know about Tomoyo?"
"We're fey, Yuui. It isn't difficult for us to get information when we need
it," Kamui replied.
"You…you could have asked me."
"Would you…could you…have believed us?"
"The end justifies the means? Is that what you're saying?" Fai asked bitterly.
"Yes. That's how it is," Subaru said softly. "We're forbidden to tell you
anything now, but you will learn the truth on your eighteenth birthday. You
will understand why it had to be done. We will never bring harm to you or yours
again. From this point on, your guardians will not be the only ones protecting
you. We will be watching over you as well."
"What exactly is her baby to you?" Fai questioned.
"Everything," Kamui responded sharply. "This child is everything. If you wish
it, we three will swear the formal oaths of knights. The three of you are
everything and we will protect you."
"I don't understand why this is so important."
"Fuuma-san is the heir to King Reed's throne," Subaru explained. "He musthave
an heir of his own."
"But…why me?" Yuui asked as the tears finally started to spill down her cheeks.
"That is the part that we cannot yet explain, Yuui-chan. I'm sorry."
"If…if you want…I don't even have to be part of the baby's life," Fuuma
whispered against her. "If you wish it, I will walk out of your life forever
after this moment. I won't ever try to take your baby from you. I don't need to
be its father."
"As far as I'm concerned, this baby belongs to Tomoyo."
Fuuma nodded, allowing more tears to slip down his face. He did want to be part
of his child's life, but he would respect her wishes.
"But she will know who her father is. She will know who gave her life. I won't
shut you out."
The faerie lord glanced up at Yuui, surprise etched into his tear-stained face.
A gentle smile was tugging at the corners of her mouth. Confronting him like
this, she had begun to see that he had suffered just as much as she had. Then
she gave him the words he'd been longing to hear ever since he had been given
his dreadful task nearly two years ago.
"I forgive you, Fuuma-san."
He stared at her for a moment, shocked. Had she really just…
"Thank you!" he sobbed as he collapsed back into her lap, his tears of relief
and vindication soaking her blue skirt. "You're an angel, Yuui-chan! Thank
you!"
"I think I understand you now, Fuuma-san. I know you made a lot of mistakes,
but now I see that it wasn't all your fault. I think…you deserve to be in your
child's life."
To both Fai and Yuui's surprise, Kamui and Subaru were suddenly kneeling before
her on either side of Fuuma.
"Thank you, Yuui-chan," Subaru said, taking her left hand and kissing it.
"You are truly worthy of the Goddess' love," Kamui said, copying his younger
brother's actions with her right hand. "From this day forward, we three will be
your knights. We will guard you, your child, and your brother."
"Thank you," Yuui said softly. "I still don't understand what's going on…but I
trust you."
"Are you sure, Yuui?" Fai asked, still glaring suspiciously at the three
faeries kneeling before his sister.
Fuuma looked up at her, suddenly curious as to her response. Seeing his
expression, Yuui ran gentle fingers through his hair and pressed a gentle kiss
to the crown of his head. He seemed so much like a lost child.
"I'm sure. I think…we're all caught up in something bigger than ourselves. It's
no one's fault."
"All right. If that's what you want. Doesn't mean I'll take my eyes off of
them, though," Fai warned, eying each of the three knights warily.
"You won't be the only one," Doumeki said softly. "These three have yet to
redeem themselves in my eyes…and I imagine they will have trouble redeeming
themselves in the eyes of the king."
"But…Uncle doesn't know."
"He does now."
At that very moment, the door to Fuuma's chambers opened wide, revealing King
Clow Reed and Lady Kotori Monou.
"Oh, Goddess!" Fuuma cried out, turning away from his family and burying his
face in Yuui's lap again. He had just faced her. How could they expect him to
face them, too?
"Brother?" Kotori whispered gently. "Why won't you look at us?"
The Monou lord mumbled something, but it was lost in Yuui's skirt. Kamui and
Subaru quickly moved to kneel before their king. Doumeki, too, bowed low.
"Please, Your Highness," Subaru pleaded. "Have mercy on Fuuma-san. None of this
is his fault."
"I know. I heard everything outside. Remember?" he said solemnly as he moved
past the two brothers. As he approached Fuuma and the twins, Yuui lowered her
head and Fai bowed, keeping his hands on Yuui's shoulders. Fuuma finally pulled
himself away from Yuui and knelt before his uncle.
"Why do you lower your eyes?" Clow asked, gazing sadly down at Yuui as he
lifted her chin up to look into her eyes.
"You are…Clow Reed…King of Faerie," she said softly. It wasn't exactly a hard
conclusion to draw.
"Be that as it may, young one, there is no need for the two of you to lower
your heads before me."
Fai straightened, joining Yuui in looking surprisedly up at the king. Both
could hardly believe how tired he seemed.
"I'm sorry to have brought this on you, my girl. I wanted to keep you both out
of this, but I-"
"It's not your fault, sir!" Yuui insisted, jumping to her feet. She wasn't sure
why, but she couldn't stand the thought of this man being unhappy. She had
known him all of five minutes and she already felt close to him.
"Please don't, child. You have no idea of the mess you've been pulled into. It
is my fault. I am king here. Everything is my fault."
All are punished.
"Please, don't be sad," she begged. "I'm happy. Really, I am. Tomoyo and I can
have a family this way."
Clow gave her a small smile. "You want a family with her? You really want to be
with your princess that badly?"
"More than that, even," she said with a fond smile.
"And you, Fai-kun? How badly do you want to be with your prince? Would you want
a family with him?" the king asked him.
Fai's initial thought was to ask how he knew about him and Kurogane, but he was
beginning to learn not to ask how faeries knew things. Instead, he said, "I'd
give anything to have a family with Kurogane…if it were possible. I…I love him.
I'd love to give him the family he deserves, but…even though I can't, I'd
gladly stay with him forever."
Because I'm too selfish…too weak…and I can't give him up! Even if it means the
end of his line, I want to be with him always. I want to be near him until the
last breath leaves my body…and even beyond that.
Fai's breath caught in his throat when the faerie king caught his gaze.
Something in him knew the king had somehow heard his despair…his need…his love.
"I think, Fai-kun, that you are the only family that boy needs. You shouldn't
fear."
The mark of the God and the Goddess is in your eyes, child. Nothing, not even
death, can truly part you from him.
The twins couldn't even begin to explain why, but they both suddenly felt like
they were going to burst into tears of relief. Somehow, this ancient being had
made them feel that everything was really going to be all right.
"Kotori-chan, would you please remain here? Shizuka-kun, I wish to speak with
you in private."
Doumeki just nodded and followed the king out of the room.
"Doumeki knows the king?" Yuui whispered to Fai, wide-eyed.
"Oh, yes," Kotori said with a smile. "Doumeki-san is a very great friend of our
family." Holding out her arms, the noble came forward and swept Yuui into a big
hug. "Welcome to the family, Yuui-chan. I believe that's my niece you're
carrying."
"You're-"
"Uh-huh. Lady Kotori Monou, Fuuma's little sister, but you can call me Kotori-
chan."
Yuui took a step back from Kotori, taking a moment to size her up as she'd been
too distracted to do since she'd entered the room. By the mere feel of her
presence, the young woman had suspected something about the noble, but when she
looked into her eyes, her suspicions were confirmed.
"You're like me," she said softly.
"Yes," Kotori replied, still smiling. "We're the same."
"How do you know that baby is a niece, Kotori-chan?" Subaru teased as he moved
back toward the small group. "Maybe it's a nephew?"
"Who do you think you're talking to?" Kamui shot back.
"Kotori knows everything. She's so smart," Soel cheered.
"Oh, Soel-chan, you're making me blush. I don't know everything," Kotori tried
to wave the white creature off as she sat down on the couch, pulling Yuui down
with her. Then she turned her attention to her brother, who was still kneeling
on the floor at Yuui's feet.
"Brother, please, come up and sit with us."
"I'm not worthy enough to sit beside Yuui-sama," he murmured, placing a hand on
her knee and reminding everyone very distinctly of a dog.
"Fuuma-san, please don't be like this," Yuui said, taking the faerie lord's
submissive hand in hers. "I accept your vow of service, but I'm not your
master. I don't want you treating me like some kind of noblewoman, because I'm
not. I'm just an orphaned forest brat. I didn't forgive you so you could grovel
at my feet. Please…come sit with us."
"As Yuui-sama wishes," he said, kissing her hand and moving up onto the couch.
"Fuuma, this isn't what she wants. She just wants you to be her friend."
Fuuma sighed. "I don't understand how you can even stand to look at me."
Kotori shook her head as she took her brother's face in her hands and turned
him to face her. The look in her eyes told him what he needed to know.
"You…knew?"
She nodded.
"And do you know why I didn't step in?"
Fuuma just shook his head.
"Because I can also see a day after this one. I can see your baby smiling and
laughing, learning to walk and speak. It has your ears, Yuui-chan's beautiful
hair, and Mother's eyes. It will be a beautiful baby…and I want to meet that
child, Fuuma."
Fuuma relaxed a little and Yuui, upon hearing her words, got that serene,
secretive smile on her face again as she placed a hand against the small swell
in her belly.
"What were your mother's eyes like?" she asked. She wanted a complete picture
of her future child.
"Mother had the most beautiful green eyes you've ever seen. They looked like
little flower buds ready to burst into bloom whenever she smiled. They were so
lovely…until they turned red…" she trailed off.
"What?"
"Blood is red. It's sweet and salty, life and death. It flows…drips, ripples,
and pours…hair turns red…"
"Kotori-chan?" Yuui whispered nervously.
"You should feel honored that she lasted that long, Yuui-chan," Kamui said
softly. "Normally she's only that lucid around His Highness, Fuuma, Subaru,
Kero, and myself."
"What are you talking about?" Yuui asked, never taking her eyes away from
Kotori's suddenly glassy expression.
"Kotori-chan suffered some…traumatic experiences…when she was very young. She
hasn't been truly the same since," the captain said sadly. "There's no telling
when the shifts will happen."
"Big brother," Kotori began softly. "I think my hair is going to turn red."
Fuuma's face hardened briefly and he pulled his little sister into a tight hug.
Her face remained mostly expressionless.
"Don't talk like that, Little sister. That's not going to happen again."
"Oh, dear," Subaru whispered as he sat down on the couch opposite them. Kamui
reluctantly joined him, both of them staring sympathetically at the pair of
siblings. Fai stared at the babbling faerie noble in morbid fascination as he
moved around from the back of the couch to sit down beside Yuui. In his eyes,
faeries had always seemed to be the epitome of power and control. To see one
like this…
The young man was pulled out of his thoughts when he noticed Kotori staring at
him. She had shifted in her brother's arms and her glassy, unfocused eyes
seemed to somehow be focusing on him. She was humming a soft lullaby, and
before long, words were slipping out of her mouth.
-Hear this song
And remember,
Soon you'll be
Home with me,
Once upon
A December.
"Your hair's going to turn red," she finally said to him. Soel and Larg both
gasped and the Shiro brothers' eyes opened wide. Fai and Yuui both suddenly
felt extremely cold, though neither of them understood what she was talking
about. But then Kotori scrunched up her face, as if trying desperately to
remember something buried deep in her mind.
"No…red's not visible…in the dark…not when hair turned red mixes with black
hair. Eyes of the sky will turn red, too…just like the green ones did…but that
doesn't matter when they join with demon eyes…eyes that will kiss life back
into the sky with rivers of blood flowing from the edge of his sword. The land
will turn red that his love should remain free."
Then Kotori wriggled out of her brother's embrace and leaned across Yuui as if
she wasn't even there. Fai remained frozen stiff as her delicate fingers closed
around the moon pendant resting on his chest.
"The moon is the hidden prince, reflecting the sun's light, holding him in his
arms and revealing his true warmth. Only the moon truly knows the sun and only
the sun can see the true face of the moon. Without the moon, the sun would be
unable to hold his great head high. He would be unable to rise from his bed
each morning to face his celestial court if he did not have the moon at his
back. The moon belongs to the sun, just as the sun belongs to the moon. Only in
each other's arms will they know true happiness…and just as the moon will awake
to new life in the arms of the sun, only in the arms of the moon will the sun
at last be redeemed. The sun king will soon lead the people in a great
battle…and the moon king's time draws near. He will no longer be the hidden
prince. He will be the catalyst that rouses the sun prince to become a king and
together they will bring either light or darkness to the world."
As the last words left her lips, Kotori's eyes fluttered closed and she
collapsed in Yuui's lap, sound asleep and leaving a shocked silence behind her.
Still shell-shocked, Fai slowly turned his gaze down to his charm.
The sun? The sun prince? The sun king ? She couldn't have been talking
about…Kuro-tan…could she? But…the hidden prince…the moon king? It couldn't
possibly be… me …could it? The sun and the moon…could it mean that…we'll really
be together? But…she's crazy …isn't she? But she's also like Yuui.
"I don't understand," he whispered despairingly as he fingered the pendant. For
a moment the cool depths of the sapphire charm seemed to glow, but the glimmer
was gone so fast he was almost certai he'd imagined it.
                                      XxX
"How far along is she?" Clow asked. The moment he and Doumeki had stepped out
of Fuuma's quarters, he had erected a barrier around them so that no one who
happened to pass by would be able to see or hear them.
"About two months now."
"How long have you known?"
"For certain? About a week."
"Why didn't you tell me about this?"
"My apologies, my king, but you did not see fit to tell us you had informed the
Shiro brothers of the secret carried within Fai and Yuui's blood."
"I didn't."
Doumeki stiffened briefly. "Then…if you didn't tell them…who did?"
"It couldn't have been Fuuma. He was just as affected by this plot as Yuui
was."
"Seishiro," Doumeki said sharply, everything suddenly coming together in his
head. "It has to be."
"What do you mean?"
Doumeki sighed. He had to tell Clow the truth, even though they'd all promised
not to. "Your Majesty…Seishiro raped Fai."
The king's eyes widened in horror. "What?"
"Nearly two years ago he used his Hand of Illusion on him…and raped him in his
mind. The experience…almost killed him."
"Why did you not tell me about this?"
"We were afraid for his safety. We feared that if we told anyone, it would
compromise the twins. The fewer people who knew, the better. It would seem that
our fears were well grounded. Seishiro probably already had his attack on Yuui
planned when he came to Fai that night. It must have been him who told Subaru
and Kamui about Fai and Yuui. He must have tricked them into believing he
didn't want the throne and that the best way to prevent it would be to get a
child on Yuui," he speculated.
"But that is the best way. I don't see what he stands to gain from this."
Maybe Clow couldn't see, but Doumeki certainly could. He had watched his poor
children suffer the effects of Seishiro's mind games. It was true that they
both had people who could help them through their nightmares, but their hellish
experiences were never going to truly leave either of them. Seishiro had
gained…he had gained infinitely more than anyone had been able to foresee.
"He gained the complete and utter annihilation of their innocence. He knew what
he was doing. Will Fai really be able to stand against him when the time
comes?"
"So Kimihiro told you?"
"Yes. In all honesty, I can hardly believe I didn't see it sooner. Yuuko must
have had another reason than vengeance for lusting so blindly after them for
eighteen years. And instead of attacking them directly, she had her knight
undermine their defenses from within. They're so vulnerable right now…if he or
Yuuko makes another attack…I fear for their survival. He could break them with
a word."
"So…you think…that all these years…my son was just using Subaru?" Clow asked
stiffly.
"I think it's the only explanation. It would probably be wise to warn Subaru
against seeing him from now on. Fai and Yuui are too important to risk on Lord
Shiro's naivety." Neither did Doumeki mean that the twins were important
politically. He meant that they were important to the hearts and sanity of
three faeries and two humans.
But…my sonlovesSubaru. Iknowhe does…and Subaru loves him! Some part of Clow
Reed just couldn't bear to give up the hope that his child still existed
somewhere within the Sakurazukamori. The happy boy whom Yuuko had carried in
her womb…and nursed…and whom they had both loved…the boy who had so loved his
parents…the boy who had loved his mother enough to risk sacrificing himself for
her wish…the one who made young Subaru's green eyes sparkle so brightly…he
couldn't really be gone forever…could he?
Doumeki, however, was not willing to hinge the lives of the people he loved on
such a pale, fragile hope.
"There is also the matter of Yuui's engagement to Prince Kurogane," he said
softly, breaking into Reed's thoughts. "Surely by now you are aware that
Amaterasu is under the control of the Dark Court. Selling the princess to them
now would be careless, dangerous, and heartless. Watanuki and Kunogi both agree
with me and…we were hoping you might speak with Sakura and Syaoran. As much as
we love them…it's not our place to speak for them. We…don't want to see them
get hurt."
Clow stared at the weather sprite for a long, silent moment. To someone who did
not know the stoic assassin, he would have seemed as emotionless as ever, but
to someone who had known him from the moment of his birth, he was displaying a
boundless sea of love, worry, and heartache. His time with the twins had opened
him up in more ways than even he, himself probably realized. Perhaps…those
babies had even helped him start to reconcile his role with his
nature…something that not even his own mother had been able to do. Listening to
him now, Clow realized that Fai and Yuui were just as much his children as
Seishiro was his child.
Dear God, Merciful Goddess! What have I done?! They have such a wonderful
life…and I'm going to drag them all back into this war. This beautiful little
family is going to be destroyed. Powers in Heaven! What have I done?!
"Yes. O-of course," he finally managed to get out. "I will do my best to
intercede on your daughter's behalf."
Doumeki's eyes widened infinitesimally at hearing Yuui referred to as his
daughter, but he let the comment pass.
"Thank you, Your Highness. We would be most grateful."
"How fare Himawari and Kimihiro?" They had at least informed him of Seishiro's
attack on Watanuki and the curse Kyle had placed upon Himawari. The king felt
guilty for all the suffering he'd made his loyal subjects endure, but at the
same time, he was always awed by the self-sacrifice he saw in each one of them.
Watanuki, Himawari, and Doumeki gave almost no mind to their own pain.
Everything was for Fai and Yuui.
"Watanuki is fine. He's become a bit more sensitive to dark magic, and he's
recovered well from Koryu's attack. But Kunogi…she is struggling. It's very
hard for her…not to be able to hold them as she once did." Himawari was
suffering day by day. Without the touch of her sweet babies, she was slowly
wasting away to nothing. What would become of her…on the night of their
eighteenth birthday?
"I see," Clow said sadly. He knew this would be hardest on Himawari. She was
their mother in everything but blood. It was killing her not to be able to hold
them close…and it would destroy her when she had to give them back to Sakura.
It would kill something in each of them.
And I've brought this on you. I asked you to do the impossible.
"If you will accept my sincerest apologies, my king, it is about time I was
taking the twins home. It will be night in the mortal world soon. Subaru has
been very kind to Yuui. I would not make an oath breaker out of him," Doumeki
said with a polite nod of his head.
"Of course, Shizuka, by all means," he said softly as he released the barrier.
"Thank you, Majesty," Doumeki said before moving back into Fuuma's quarters
with the king following silently behind him. "I imagine we'll meet again before
too long."
Reed smiled sadly to himself as he watched Doumeki gather the twins and the
Mokona from among the other pairs of siblings. He did not have the heart to
tell him that…
…No. You and I will never meet again in this lifetime.
"Goodbye…Shizuka."
Chapter End Notes
     This little bit of lullaby is, of course, 'Once Upon a December' from
     Anastasia.
***** Bring Back a Love Song *****
Kyle stood before the full-length mirror in Amaterasu's chambers, steeling his
nerves. He couldn't believe what he was about to do…but it had to be done. The
empress had no child of his body. He would have loved to have a child off of
Tomoyo, but the court would ask far too many questions if she were to suddenly
become pregnant. Besides, if his suspicions were correct, then he might not
even be able to-
Don't you dare think like that, Kyle! It can't possibly be your fault. You just
need to try something different, that's all.
Having managed to partially quell his fears, Kyle raised his hands and chanted
a few words. Then the mirror began to glow. However, when the glow ceased, the
glassy surface reflected neither the empress' bedchamber nor the one he was
seeking. It was simply black.
"Koryu?" he called out. "Koryu, why is this mirror blanked?"
"Hmm, let's think about this for a moment," the Oni lord's sarcastic voice
dribbled from the opaque mirror. "Why, oh why, could I possibly have my mirror
blanked?"
"No need for sarcasm, Koryu. I just needed to speak with you."
"Oh, fine," the young noble grumbled. The next moment, his bedchamber was
reflected in the mirror's surface. He was sitting up in bed and, as far as Kyle
could tell, he was naked. He could just barely make out the head of blond hair
lying in the bed next to him. Upon closer inspection, Kyle slowly started to
notice something about the bed's other occupant.
"Koryu…is that…a human?"
Koryu glanced down at his dazed bedmate. The young man was only half-awake and
he was mumbling incoherently. He knew Kyle couldn't see it from where he was,
but he was holding his hand beneath the blanket.
"Why, yes, I believe it is."
"Since when do you sleep with humans?"
"Don't see how that's any of your business," Koryu growled softly. In truth, it
was a habit he'd taken up soon after becoming lord of the Oni. Being master of
the clan was putting a severe strain on his energy. He had become a much more
subdued faerie and he was beginning to develop a healthy respect for his older
cousin. He could hardly fathom how Kokuyo had managed to master the Oni and
still be as virile as he was. He had his nights when he was still up for a
little rough fucking, but those nights came less and less often. Nowadays, he
preferred gentler partners. He would venture into the bars of Shirasagi and
Cephiro and seduce human men and women. Noble or beggar, soldier or whore, he
didn't care. He took them all to his bed…whomever happened to catch his
interest. This particular conquest had actually been a bit of a challenge. It
had taken a great deal of magic to seduce him away from his post. He was one of
the ninja who guarded the gates of Shirasagi. He was fairly certain his name
was Saiki…or something like that. He'd had to knock out the other guard because
he really just had not been interested in a threesome tonight. Then he'd taken
his new toy out for a few drinks before bringing him back home. He'd been an
absolutely brilliant lay. He was most definitely a beacon among mortals. Hell,
he was almost as good as some of the lesser fey. Koryu was almost tempted to
erase his memory and take him on as a new pet…almost. He knew himself too well
to think that his desire for him would last more than a few months.
"All right. All right. Message received."
"What was it you wanted to speak to me about? I'm a little busy right now," he
lied. They'd been done for awhile when Kyle's summons had come. He was simply
enjoying the warmth of the man he'd shared his bed with…another odd habit he'd
only recently begun to indulge in.
"Would you be up for a little bit more excess this evening?"
"Depends on the excess in question."
Kyle stood aside to reveal Amaterasu lying naked on her large futon, staring
listlessly at the face in the mirror. Koryu took one look at the broken
empress…then turned skeptical eyes toward the older faerie.
"So?"
"I need your help."
                                      XxX
"Hold still just a few more minutes, Yuui," Tomoyo scolded her, seizing her
hair.
"But it hurts, koibito!" the blonde whimpered through clenched teeth, clutching
her knees in pain.
"Don't worry. I've almost got it through. Just a few more seconds," the
princess soothed her distraught lover as she fought for the last few inches
with all her strength.
"Please…please, Tomoyo, hurry! I can't take much more…I can't…stand it!"
"Oh…stop…complaining!" Tomoyo cried out, giving a small cry of triumph as she
finally managed to pull the hair ribbon taut around Yuui's blonde tresses. Yuui
slumped forward as Tomoyo stood back to admire her work. She'd been battling
with Yuui's silken blonde hair for quite awhile now. First, she had had Yuui
bathe. The blonde had teasingly suggested that they do it together, but Tomoyo
had insisted that they at least wait until after the ball. Once her hair was
dry, the princess had started brushing it out and pulling it high atop her
head. Ultimately, her long hair ended up tied atop her head with a green
ribbon, cascading down her back in loose curls. Yuui was currently rubbing her
sore scalp.
"Don't mess with it too much. I'll never forgive you if you ruin it. It took us
so long to get it just right," Tomoyo scolded.
"But it's so tight. Why do I have to wear it like this?" she whined, massaging
her stretched hairline.
"Because this is how Valerian nobles wear long hair. If you don't embrace the
fashions, how will we ever pass you off as a young Valerian lord?"
"Don't worry," Larg tried to console from its place in front of Tomoyo's
mirror. "Yuui is still pretty. Yuui and Tomoyo are both pretty."
A masked ball was being held in Shirasagi tonight, March thirty-first, in honor
of Kurogane's marriage the following evening. Nobles from all around both
kingdoms were going to be in attendance. The party would last well into the
evening and the next day the wedding guests would all make the journey to the
Valerian capital, Cephiro, for the long-anticipated event.
Fai, of course, had been spiraling ever further into depression as the days
ticked down to Kurogane's wedding. So, in an effort to cheer him up, the royal
siblings had invited him and Yuui to the ball. Tomoyo had also come up with
something she considered to be a brilliant joke. She would attend the
festivities on Yuui's arm, just as she had always dreamed of doing…only Yuui
would be dressed as a man. Tomoyo had helped her into the many layers of one of
Kurogane's old kimono: an exquisite piece of craftsmanship made of dark green
silk and stitched with a pattern of golden oak leaves. The pattern was honestly
better suited for autumn, but Tomoyo simply could not stand how handsome Yuui
looked in it and had insisted she wear it. They had had to bind her voluptuous
bosom very tightly, but the folds of the kimono easily concealed her four-month
baby bump. Her delicate, feminine face would be concealed by a mask of green
feathers made to look like a butterfly. Even wincing in pain and dressed as a
man, in Tomoyo's eyes, her love was still breathtaking. She herself was dressed
in a furisode made of purple silk and patterned with tiny golden swallows and
her face would be hidden by a purple-feathered mask that bore a strong
resemblance to a cat. She and Yuui went so well together, she could hardly
stand it.
They were going to tell anyone who asked that Fai and Yuui were the children of
some noble along the southern coast of Valeria. After all, there were simply
too many nobles to remember each and every one by name. To that end, Tomoyo had
secured a very impressive ring set with a green Valerian pearl to match Yuui's
outfit. It was hard to get one's hands on Valerian pearls, so this would help
them sell the joke. In regards to pearls, Fai's outfit would be even more
impressive. She had picked it out herself and she could hardly wait to see it.
"Koibito, you should at least be grateful that you get to play the man tonight.
Do you have any idea how much more complicated a woman's kimono is?"
"Oh, I have an idea," Yuui said playfully. "Remember the part where I watched
you put the outfit on?"
"Why yes, yes I do," she returned just as playfully, kneeling beside her lover.
Yuui just shook her head in utter amazement.
"You are so beautiful," she whispered in rapture, taking both of Tomoyo's hands
in hers.
"No more beautiful than you are, my love," she said softly, leaning in closer
to steal a kiss from her.
However, just as their lips were about to press together, the sound of a door
sliding open interrupted them.
"Now, now, Tomoyo-chan, you wouldn't want to smear your makeup, would you?"
Souma asked as she swept into the room, a note of teasing present in her voice
that couldn't usually be found whenever she stumbled upon her friends like
this.
"Is Fai-kun ready, Souma-chan?"
Souma nodded, her eyes sparkling with glee. The excitement of the evening was
getting to even her, though she had to dress in a kimono and do all of those
things she so detested. She was clothed in a bright yellow furisode that was
patterned to look like the rays of the sun were shining upon it. The sunrays
were stitched with golden thread, just like the patterns on hers and Yuui's
kimono. In her hands, she held a golden tiger mask.
"May I present…Lady Fai of Valeria."
Kurogane was actually the first to enter the room upon her announcement. A
meticulously carved red dragon mask was held in one hand. With his other hand,
he led Fai. The prince was dressed in a kimono of fiery red silk that had been
made especially for the occasion. A pattern stitched with black silk thread
made it look like the garment was made of flashing scales rather than fabric.
The intensity of the kimono further enhanced the fire that always lived within
his crimson eyes, making them appear even more fiery and impassioned than
usual. It was either this…or the fact that he had whom he considered to be the
most beautiful creature in any land on his arm…that made him seem far more
fierce than normal.
Tomoyo had known that she wouldn't be disappointed. Fai was…beautiful. He was
dressed in one of her furisode. The soon-to-be-eighteen-year-old was a vision
in the shimmering garment, crafted of fine blue silk with a gentle pattern of
white feathers floating lazily across its folds. Fai had used magic to make his
hair grow and his now long tresses were pulled back and held in place with a
set of exquisite jade combs. His face had been powdered and his lips had been
painted red. Souma had outlined his eyes with black kohl and the blue powder on
his eyelids, along with the rich color of his costume, only served to enhance
his already dazzling eyes, making them even more vivid than even the bluest
depths of the ocean. A necklace made of Valerian pearls rested delicately
around his slender neck and a set of matching pearl bracelets adorned his
wrists. Pearl earrings hung from his earlobes, as well. They had also tucked
pieces of scrap silk into the white hiyoku, the robe-like lining beneath the
furisode. Held in place by the blue and white obi, the fabric gave him the
faintest appearance of a bosom. Tomoyo could barely see it tucked away in his
obi, but she knew it was his blue and white mask, made to look like a phoenix.
Soel sat proudly atop his head, grinning like a maniac. Fai looked so much like
Yuui. They truly were identical now. Yuui would have the court maids sighing
and Fai would have all the men, young and old, chasing after him by the end of
the evening. It was a veritable recipe for disaster.
"Fai's soooooo pretty," Soel sang excitedly. "Mokona bets that Kuro-prince
wants to take those pretty clothes right back off and have him right up against
the wall!"
Kurogane snarled as he lunged for Soel, but he was held back by his formal wear
and Soel was much too fast anyway. In no more time than it took to blink, Soel
was sitting beside Larg and the two were smirking lasciviously at him.
"You know something, Mokona? I think you're right," Fai teased, taking
Kurogane's hand in his and turning the warrior prince to face him. He could
almost feel his heart speed up as he leaned in close to him. "I know I'd like
to do that."
Kurogane could feel himself blushing when he saw the look in Fai's eyes.
Seriously? Does he always have to…in front ofeveryone…why can't he just-
Oh, who are you kidding? You want him to kiss you and you know it.
But of course, he didn't. He leaned in just close enough to kiss him, but then
he teasingly backed off.
"I'd take any excuse to get out of this outfit. Do you know how many pieces it
has? There are a million different linings hidden under this thing."
"But you do have to admit that it's funny, brother mine," Yuui retorted with a
smirk.
"You can talk. You get to wear a man's kimono. I'll be tripping over these
sleeves all night. Even if I manage to make it without doing that, I'll
probably just melt right out of it."
Fai gave a small yelp when he suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap possessively
around his middle and yank him back into a very warm embrace. It wasn't that he
didn't know who it was. He just hadn't been expecting it.
"If you tease me anymore," a heated voice began to whisper in his ear, "we'll
find more than one way of doing that tonight."
Fai shivered with anticipation as Kurogane's lust-tipped voice sent shudders of
desire down his spine.
"I'll look forward to it, Kuro-horny."
As he knew it would, the nickname caused Kurogane to release him instantly. Fai
turned, smiling teasingly at the blush spreading over his lover's face.
"I win," he said lightly, taking out his mask and putting it on.
Oh, we'll see aboutthat, Kurogane thought, sneering wickedly as he put on his
own mask and followed Fai out of the room.
The three girls exchanged glances before shrugging and putting on their own
masks. As they headed out of Tomoyo's chambers, the Mokona simply continued to
sing their almost lewd ballads.
                                      XxX
Fai swallowed hard as Kurogane led him into the great hall. For all his earlier
bravado, he had never attended a royal function before. What if he just messed
everything up? He didn't think he could bear it if he spoiled their…last
night…together.
"Don't speak if you can help it," Kurogane whispered to him as the eyes of all
the guests turned to look at them. He hadn't planned to anyway. He wouldn't
have known what to say when he started to hear the whispers flying throughout
the hall.
"Who is she?"
"I've never seen her before."
"She's so beautiful."
"Who's the pretty girl on the prince's arm?"
"Maybe she's Valerian-"
"Perhaps a little snack after the evening's festivities…before the wedding."
The out-of-place forest boy was suddenly eternally grateful for the mask that
hid the violent blush on his face. It wasn't like that last whisper was
entirely false, but it was just the way the elderly noble had said it that made
him blush and shiver with disgust. He latched onto Kurogane's arm even tighter.
Thankfully, the prince was not deaf to the flying gossip.
"Don't worry," he soothed, placing a hand on the pale hand that held his arm.
"You're mine…and no one else's. If anyone else tries to make that otherwise
tonight, they'll have me to deal with."
Normally, Fai would have teased his boyfriend over such a possessive statement,
but tonight, he clung desperately to it. He wasn't going to deny it. He was
terrified. This was not his world.
As Kurogane continued to lead him through the crowd, Fai used his free hand to
take out the fan Souma had given him and gratefully started to fan his exposed
neck. On this warm spring night, the many layers of the furisode were
unbearably hot and the blushing caused by some of the comments he was hearing
and his overall feeling of dread weren't helping in the slightest.
"K-kuro-tan…I'm scared," he finally admitted.
Kurogane stopped walking and turned to face him, a teasing smirk lighting his
eyes.
"You control more magic than these old fakes could ever dream of…you could have
them eating out of your hands…and you're scared of them?"
"Don't tease, Kuro-sama," he whined softly, turning his gaze away from him. But
then he felt his warm hand on his cheek, turning his face back toward him.
"So you're allowed to tease me, but I'm not allowed to tease you?"
"I was being serious."
"So was I," he said, the teasing fire in his eyes instantly becoming gentle.
"You have nothing to be afraid of. No one's going to try to take you from me."
No one except your enigmatic fiancé, dear Kuro-rin…dearest love…soon to be a
love lost.
Kurogane chuckled softly as he raised Fai's hand to his lips. Fai's own lips
turned upward slightly when he felt the warm pressure of his love's kiss
against his hand.
"Dance with me?"
Fai nodded, feeling a little better as Kurogane led him to the lines of dancing
couples. He took several deep breaths as they started to dance.
"Don't think about them," Kurogane whispered to him as he drew him closer, much
closer than they should have been when they were on public display like this.
"There's no one else here. There's only you and me."
Fai just nodded again, snuggling gratefully against Kurogane's chest as they
waltzed in time to the slow, lilting music.
"You're a wonderful dancer, Kuro-rhythm," he said after awhile. "You never did
dance with us in the forest."
The dark-haired prince's growl clashed slightly with the music. "Just something
else I couldn't get out of learning."
Fai giggled and a small smile worked its way onto Kurogane's face to hear it.
As they continued to move together, the world seemed to fall away and it really
was just the two of them. Suddenly, Fai gasped.
"Kuro-sama, this song! Isn't this the song you sang to me?" he asked,
recognizing the soft tune. Kurogane just nodded, quietly singing the words as
he spun Fai around. The blond sighed longingly. They danced on, blind and deaf
to all but each other, completely oblivious to the fact that they'd begun to
draw an audience.
The two partners blended seamlessly together as they danced. They seemed to be
two halves of the same whole: blue and red, fire and ice, yin and yang, the
dragon and his phoenix. One could hardly not notice them. For all the attention
they drew, they may as well have been the Lord and Lady themselves walking
among the party guests. The love in their hearts was so pure and so powerful it
drew almost every eye to them. They were the very image of love. They were so
undeniably together, so clearly of one body, mind, and soul, that the
partygoers simply became incapable of questioning the fact that the prince was
with someone else the night before his wedding. The thing that glowed between
them was much too beautiful for the likes of that. Even their sisters stopped
their dance to watch them.
"They are just too cute for their own good," Yuui sighed dreamily.
"It's even sweeter, really," Tomoyo said, placing her hand on the spot where
she knew Yuui's baby to be. "Considering what's going to happen tonight."
"Something's going to happen tonight? What have you seen? You have to tell me!
Tell me right now!" Yuui demanded.
It would appear that I've seen a lot that you haven't seen, koibito.
"All right, I'll tell you. So long as you promise not to spoil the surprise."
Unfortunately for the shining couple, it was not just this adoring kind of
attention they were attracting. They were also drawing what both would have
considered to be unwanted attention.
"Well, well, well," Kyle hissed from his place on the royal dais beside
Amaterasu. "What have we here?"
"What is it?" Koryu asked. He was attending the ball as Kyle's personal guest.
"Do you see the maiden the prince is dancing with?"
"It's kind of hard to miss them with everyone staring at them like that," he
snapped.
"She is one of the Fluorite twins. I'm sure of it," he whispered to him.
"You…you think?" Koryu queried, taking a second look at the happy pair. "Would
their guardians really allow them to come here? Especially considering what
tomorrow is?"
"More than likely they are unaware," he theorized.
"Then what are we waiting for? The other one must be here somewhere. Let's take
them now!"
"No, you fool. There are far too many witnesses. Syaoran and Sakura themselves
are here. Besides, why expend precious energy needlessly when Yuui is going to
walk so willingly into our arms tomorrow night? There is no need to make a
move. More than likely, it would be detrimental to our health to attempt to
touch them now."
"So shoot me. It was just a suggestion. I thought you liked scoring points with
the queen."
That is true.
Kurogane and Fai, meanwhile, were blissfully unaware of all the plotting that
was happening around them. They were lost in each other…lost until the very
moment the music ceased. Fai sighed, burying his face in Kurogane's chest.
"I love you, Kuro-koi." He knew he'd said the words a million times, but he
would say them a million more. He would say them until he could no longer draw
breath to speak.
"I love you, too, baka," he whispered back, nuzzling Fai's soft hair. He wanted
to kiss him so badly right now, but he knew that would be a foolish and
dangerous move in their present company, so he settled for softly resting his
lips against the crown of Fai's head…not exactly a kiss, but close enough for
now. "We just have to get through dinner…then it's just you and me…all
night…until sunrise."
A wry grin softened Kurogane's features when he felt Fai's lips twist into a
smile against his chest.
"I'd like that."
Their tender moment was suddenly and harshly interrupted by the applause of the
assembled revelers. Fai's head jerked up, a faint blush becoming visible
beneath his makeup as he glanced around at their audience.
"Everyone's staring at us."
"Wow, I honestly couldn't have called that," his partner returned
sarcastically. But his manner turned serious again when he heard a small cry
issue forth from Fai's lips. He turned and found Kyle standing right beside
them, with Fai's right arm gripped tightly in his hand.
"May I cut in, Your Highness?" the leech asked, his ever-present lascivious
smile on his face.
He's dangerous , Kurogane! Fai and Kurogane must get as far away from him as
possible!
Separate Fai and Kyle at all costs. Get Fai away from him!
Kurogane didn't know where the little Mokona were hiding, but he knew it was
them. He didn't need to be told twice that Kyle was dangerous. Only the fact
that his hands were still on Fai kept him from tearing him limb from limb.
"No, you may not," he said, struggling to remain civil under all the scrutiny.
"Kindly take your hand off of her."
Kyle did not. In fact, he only tightened his grip on Fai's arm. Kyle couldn't
see it from where he stood, but Kurogane could see the utter terror building in
Fai's eyes.
Please, Kuro-rin. I don't like this. Make him stop touching me! What if…what if
he-
"Do it now!" he growled, the full force of his glare hidden beneath his dragon
mask.
"Just out of curiosity, Majesty…what will you do if I don't?" he asked, keeping
his tone light. But Kurogane still sensed the underlying threat in his words.
"I will kill you," he said simply, his need to protect Fai kicking in. This
bastard had no right to be scaring Fai so badly. If he laid one more finger on
him…it was his funeral.
"If you insist, my prince," Kyle said, finally relinquishing his hold on Fai's
arm. Fai immediately snuggled back up to him, slipping both arms around his
waist. Kurogane wrapped a protective arm around his shoulders and turned his
fiercest glare on the worm.
"You've no business scaring her like that."
"'Twas all in good fun, Highness. I can't say that I blame you. This one is
quite beautiful. If you don't mind my asking, young miss, who are you?"
"Her name is Lady Yuui," Kurogane answered for him. "She's from the south of
Valeria."
"Ah. Lady Yuui, indeed?" Kyle murmured, a spark of something that Kurogane
couldn't identify lighting his dark eyes. "A beautiful name for a beautiful
girl. My compliments. Enjoy your evening, my dear lady." Then he was gone,
right back to Amaterasu's side.
Kurogane growled low in his throat as he hugged Fai protectively against his
chest, thankful that the other guests had already gotten back to the party and
they hadn't created a scene.
"Th-thank you, Kuro-sama," Fai mumbled weakly, clinging to Kurogane as if he
would collapse if he let go. "I…I don't like him. He's too much like…him."
"He won't touch you again," Kurogane promised fiercely. "If he does, it's his
head."
Fai giggled, desperately trying to shake off the terror and disgust in his
system. "Kuro-prince is my hero. I know he won't let anything bad happen to me
ever. He'll keep all the villains and nightmares away."
I was so scared , Kuro-chuu. Thank you…for protecting me.
"You're damn right I will," he said, pressing a quick kiss to the blond's ear
before leading him away from the dancing couples. However, that was the very
moment the real commotion started. A loud clatter and a small cry of disgust
echoed from the direction of the small buffet table.
"What was that?" the prince queried with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, no," Fai said, shaking his head. "Yuui's found the appetizers."
Yuui, having survived her first trimester and the intense bouts of morning
sickness brought on by carrying a baby that was more than three quarters fey in
her mortal body, had moved on to the point where she was eating everything in
sight…all at once. The baby was putting massive demands on her body. The other
night, Fai had awoken to find her bed empty and had gone down to the kitchen to
find her shoveling carrots, bacon, and chocolate cupcakes into her mouth all at
the same time.
Currently, the pregnant cross dresser was shoveling roll after roll of the
kingdom's most expensive sushi into her mouth, indiscriminate of what kind they
were. Tomoyo was standing beside her, having a good giggle while the courtiers
stared at the spectacle.
"It's going to be here all night, you know?" Tomoyo chuckled.
"I can't help it, Tomoyo. I'm hungry. I need it. She needs it," she said, a
small glob of sticky rice falling from the corner of her open mouth.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," she scolded her, giving her a gentle pat on
the shoulder as she continued to indulge.
"Do you…maybe want to slow down a little bit?" Kurogane asked as he and Fai
came up behind them. "I thought the idea was to not draw attention." Having
said this, the prince wrapped a hand around her wrist and attempted to pull her
back. At this, she turned to him and growled, smiling sweetly all the while.
The growl so shocked him that he almost let go of her…almost. He didn't think
Yuui had ever growled before.
"Kurogane-kun?" she began in a sickeningly sweet voice to match her arsenic
smile. "You do know that I can tear your head off with my mind, right?"
Kurogane blinked several times. Yuui had never threatened him before either…not
seriously, anyway. It was that surprise that allowed her to escape his grasp
and go right back to scarfing down the sushi. However, the prince's next words
stopped her cold.
"You think you'll be any good to that kid dead? Because that's what you'll be
if you attack me. Either that or you draw too much attention to yourself and
get arrested for not being who you say you are."
Yuui's lower lip began to tremble and her eyes shone brightly with tears. Then
she flung her arms around her friend and gave a small, muffled cry as she
buried her face in his chest.
"Ano…Fai…a little help?" he requested as he tried to pry Yuui's arms from
around his body.
"Sorry, Kuro-koi. This is much too amusing," the blond said with a giggle.
You'll pay for this later. I'll make sure of it.
"I'm so sorry, Kurogane-sama!" she cried. "I can't help it. I need to eat. My
belly feels like it's on fire. I can hear my baby crying out that she's going
to die if I don't eat. I promise I'll be quiet. Just please let me eat. We need
it."
"All right. All right. I get it," Kurogane capitulated. "Just don't be so messy
about it."
A bright smile instantly lit Yuui's tearful face and the desperate grip became
a cheerful hug.
"Thank you, Kurogane-sama. Your niece loves you very much," she said before
happily starting back on the sushi.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say she was excited about something," Souma said
with a grin as she joined the small group. "But do you really think you should
let her eat nigiri?"
Tomoyo and Kurogane both turned horrified eyes back to Yuui just as she shoved
a piece of tuna nigiri into her mouth. The moment she began to chew, her eyes
began to water and she threw her head back, a very odd cry escaping her lips.
Tomoyo rushed back to her, grabbing her by the shoulders to keep her calm.
"That was intense," she said, shaking her head to try and clear it. For a
moment, it had felt like someone had fired an arrow through the roof of her
mouth and into her head.
"I'm sorry Yuui. I should have warned you. Nigiri rolls have little dollops of
wasabi in them."
"You don't have any more of that, do you?" Whatever wasabi was, it certainly
packed quite a punch.
Tomoyo just shook her head, mirth gleaming in her violet eyes. "Oh, Yuui, Yuui,
Yuui."
All of the friends were having a good laugh over it when Yuui suddenly got a
very strange look on her face and her hand shot to her stomach.
"Are you all right?" Tomoyo asked, all mirth disappearing, only to be replaced
with concern.
"She…she moved," she whispered, an exulted smile working its way onto her face.
"My baby…my little girl…she just moved."
The smile immediately returned to Tomoyo's face. She seemed to glow in the same
way Yuui did. "Can…can I feel?"
Yuui nodded eagerly, taking Tomoyo's hand in hers. "I don't know if you'll be
able to feel her through all these layers, but you can try."
The young women smiled softly at each other as Yuui placed Tomoyo's hand
against her womb. For that small, frozen moment, they could gaze only at each
other, wrapped up in their own little world. Then Tomoyo's eyes widened when
she suddenly felt the faintest, tiniest little nudge against the palm of her
hand. Her eyes shot straight to Yuui's stomach.
"I…I felt it," she breathed tremulously, placing her other hand on Yuui's
stomach. She wanted to embrace her, to kiss her and tell her how happy she was,
but she knew that would be a foolish move with so many curious eyes around, so
she settled for gazing adoringly into her blue eyes. "She's strong."
"Yes," Yuui whispered back. "Our baby is strong."
"She will be beautiful."
Souma shook her head as she smiled at her two friends. They were being so
painfully sweet and romantic with each other. She almost wanted to feel sick
over it but, at the same time, she found she could not. They were so happy…and
this was such a beautiful moment…she could not help but wish them every
happiness, much as it pained her.
She had realized only recently that she loved Tomoyo…as more than a best friend
or a sister. The thoughts and feelings that had raced through her being over
the years had suddenly become clear. However, she also knew she could never say
anything. As much as it pained her to keep these feelings buried in her chest,
seeing the princess be happy with someone who was also her best friend every
day of her life, she knew she would only hurt Tomoyo more by telling her how
she felt. She knew Tomoyo. She would feel guilty she could not return her
feelings. It would taint the happiness she shared with her true beloved. She
couldn't bear to cause Tomoyo pain…no matter how much it pained her.
Both Kurogane and Fai gazed at their friend with similar looks of pity as she
watched their sisters. Even if Souma had never said anything, they had guessed
at it…all four of them had, though the two young men felt that they could
better sympathize with her than their siblings ever could. Tomoyo and Yuui had
not had to go through the many years of fear and heartbreak that they had
suffered…wishing desperately for the one they loved but at the same time,
terrified of rejection. Being dreamseers, Tomoyo and Yuui had known, almost
from the start, that they would be together…that they belonged together. But
Souma…she was suffering in much the same way they had, and unlike them…there
would be no end to her pain…unless she could find someone else whom she could
love just as deeply, just as purely.
Kurogane, of course, appreciated the fact that his little sister was so loved
by someone so capable of protecting her, but he also knew that Yuui was just as
capable, and loved her just as much, if not more, and Tomoyo loved her in
return…with a passion to rival his own for Fai. He knew that Souma would never
try anything…she loved Tomoyo too much for that…but he would still do anything
to protect their happiness, just as he would do anything to protect Fai. It was
such a strange rift that had grown up between the five of them. How could
anyone have possibly foreseen it?
The prince was drawn out of his thoughts by the feeling of Fai's hand on his
shoulder. He glanced over at his lover in time to see him slide his hand down
into his, twining their fingers together. He could see his eyes clearly through
the phoenix mask and they couldn't really be assigned to a specific emotion.
They simply said, Let it be. There is nothing we can do. For now…we have each
other. Let's enjoy the few precious hours we have left.
Kurogane just nodded, leaning his head lightly against Fai's as they held
hands. As they languished in each other's presence, a very loud gong suddenly
sounded in the hall. Then a page announced that dinner was served. First, Kyle
and Amaterasu rose from the royal dais and moved toward the dining hall. Once
they were in, the other guests began to follow. Fai glanced nervously back at
Yuui as Kurogane led him toward the dining hall. She was already salivating
buckets at the mere mention of food.
Amaterasu and Kyle sat at the head of a very long table. The seating
arrangements were such that Kurogane, Tomoyo, and their guests were on the
empress' right hand, and the three guests of honor, King Syaoran, Queen Sakura,
and Koryu, were on her left. As such, it ended up as Kurogane across from
Syaoran, Fai across from Sakura, and Tomoyo across from Koryu, whom the
princess could not help but notice could not seem to keep his eyes off of the
twins. Yuui found him to be quite suspicious. Fai might have agreed with
her…had he been able to stop staring at Queen Sakura. She, of course, was
oblivious, as she was caught up in a conversation with Kakyo, who sat on the
other side of Koryu, and whom Souma was seated next to, looking miserable.
Kurogane was also oblivious to all of this at first because he couldn't stop
glaring at Kyle, who, in turn, was giving him a very lascivious sneer as his
eyes occasionally darted over to Fai.
Well, this was certainly going to be a very interesting meal.
"Prince Kurogane," Syaoran finally started, attempting to engage his future
son-in-law in conversation. "It is a pleasure to see you again."
"Yes," Kurogane returned, the very faint edge of a growl in his voice as he
finally managed to tear his eyes away from Kyle. "It is an honor to know that
you and Queen Sakura have journeyed so far to be here tonight. You have my
thanks." He hated saying it. He'd almost rather have tossed his goblet of rice
wine in the king's silver wolf-masked face. He had no intention of following
through on someone else's promise to marry his daughter. But the polite façade
had been ground into him from the moment of his birth. He had no other choice
but to nod and make small talk…no matter how little patience he had with all of
it.
"Are you looking forward to marrying my daughter?" the king asked, his eyes
shining with a father's pride.
"Yes, Your Highness," the prince replied, fighting his hardest not to grind his
teeth together in anger as he lied through them. "Nothing would give me greater
pleasure than to unite our two great kingdoms into one." Unconsciously, his
hand tightened its grip on Fai's, which he still held under the table. Fai
himself was barely aware of the increased pressure. The jade-eyed queen across
from him held his attention captive. It was nothing to do with her beauty,
though she was certainly beautiful, dressed in a pale blue kimono patterned
with pale pink sakura blossoms and wearing a dove mask…it was simply that
something about her…stirred something deep inside the young man. An odd scent
filled his nose…something long forgotten…something from the past. A memory
hovered just on the edge of his consciousness…warmth…warm skin…gentle
arms…holding his tiny body close…a soft voice singing of love and protection…
I love you more than my own life.
…the scent…of a mother…
You are…my miracle.
"Excuse me."
Fai was instantly snapped out of his thoughts by the queen's voice. She had
noticed the "young woman" staring at her and her curiosity had been piqued.
"I don't believe I've seen you before, young miss. Who are you?"
For a moment, Fai was struck dumb. His first instinct was to tell her the
truth, but that immediately clashed with the fact that he was supposed to be
incognito. Kurogane, however, saved him from having to answer.
"This is Lady Yuui. She and her little brother are of the Sengoku family."
"Did you say…Yuui?" Sakura whispered breathlessly.
"Yes."
For a moment, the queen couldn't quite catch her breath. She hadn't heard or
spoken her daughter's name aloud in nearly eighteen years. The names of their
vanished babies had become something of a taboo in Valeria.
"Sengoku? That's a border family, right?" she asked, still looking at Fai, who
just nodded. The royal siblings had prepped them well on their fake history.
The Sengoku family lived in the south of Valeria, along the few miles of border
the country shared with Nihon. Apparently they didn't get out much. Hence,
Sakura could forgive the small infraction. She hadn't seen the Sengokus for
many years. She hadn't even known they had children yet. Though, judging from
the girl before her, she'd say they'd had children for awhile now.
"How old are you, Yuui-chan?"
"Seventeen," Kurogane answered for him. "My apologies, Sakura-sama, but Yuui is
suffering from a slight cold this evening and she's lost her voice."
"Really?" Sakura asked, immediately feeling concern for the girl. "Should you
be here? The journey from your home must have been long. Perhaps you should be
resting?"
Fai shook his head violently, almost dislodging his phoenix mask. He briefly
raised his and Kurogane's clasped hands from beneath the table.
"It was her wish to attend tonight. Yuui and I have been good friends for some
time now and she is my guest this evening," Kurogane explained.
As the prince talked, Sakura couldn't help but notice the way 'Yuui's' eyes
gazed adoringly at him from behind her mask. Her eyes…blue…so blue…her own
Yuui's eyes had been blue…surely her daughter must be as beautiful as this
young woman. Those eyes sparkled with love and life. As she watched the way
they interacted, a dreadful revelation was suddenly born in her heart.
Oh, no. They…those children…they're in love. Maybe…maybe my own child is in
love, too? Can we really…tear apart love like this…for the sake of an alliance?
Sakura tried very hard to concentrate on her wonton soup as her world started
to fall apart. But her conversation had sparked her husband's interest.
"Your parents aren't here, are they, Yuui-chan?"
Fai shook his head.
"It's just her and her brother," Kurogane answered.
"And he is?"
"That would be me," Yuui answered, pitching her voice slightly lower as she
raised her hand. She was barely able to draw her attention away from her own
bowl of soup as she spoke to the king.
"And your name is?"
"Fai Sengoku."
"F-Fai?" the king whispered, shocked. He had been suspicious when Kurogane had
proclaimed the blonde beauty as Yuui, but now…it couldn't really be…his son,
could it? Could the fey have hidden them with some noble family all this time?
"How old are you, young master?"
"Sixteen," she answered, finally looking up at him. They had decided it would
be safer if people didn't know they were twins. Tomoyo had invented a complete
history for them. Apparently they shared the same father, but had different
mothers. Fai was the daughter of their father's wife, but she was the son of
his true love, the woman he hadn't been able to marry. Their mothers were
caught up in a bitter feud for their children's succession to their father's
position, but despite all of this, they loved each other dearly. The story went
on from there, according to Tomoyo, but Kurogane had stepped in at that point,
insisting that they didn't need anymore than that.
"Oh," Syaoran said, finally able to breathe easy again. They weren't twins
then. However, it was still quite an amazing coincidence. What had the Sengoku
lord been thinking? As he watched the boy eat, he couldn't help but wish that
it somehow was his son. He had to admit he was quite handsome…even if he did
have a bit of a feminine cast to his features. Neither had he failed to notice
the stares of many of the young women…either in longing at this Fai, or in
jealousy at the princess, the one lucky enough to be on his arm. But he could
also see that, when the young man wasn't focused on his meal, he had eyes only
for the young princess he escorted, who would occasionally slip him glances of
utter adoration. He hadn't been watching them for very long, but Syaoran could
already see that these two young people had something special. Maybe they could
be wed someday? Perhaps…he could even put in a word for the boy's family with
Amaterasu?
As the meal progressed, Fai never once loosened his grip on Kurogane's hand.
Kyle had yet to stop raking his body with those lust-filled eyes. It made him
feel like he was locked in a dark room with the man…naked in the
dark…trapped…claw-like hands reaching for him…tearing the clothing from him…NO!
Stop! Please stop! No more!
Only the returned pressure of Kurogane's hand in his kept him sane and anchored
as those eyes raped him again and again. He could barely manage to handle the
chopsticks Tomoyo had taught him how to use. After awhile, he gave up on eating
and just stared forlornly at his food. Never in his life had he been so
grateful to be wearing a mask as he was right now. By the time Kyle stood up to
make an announcement, Fai could barely manage to keep his body from shaking.
"Dear friends! Honored guests!" Kyle called to the room at large, flashing them
a smile that could have charmed a king out of his kingdom for nothing more than
a kiss…not that Kyle would have settled for that.
"As you all well know, we are here tonight to celebrate the marriage of our own
Prince Kurogane, whom, tomorrow at the stroke of midnight, shall be married to
Syaoran's daughter, who shall finally be returned to him after eighteen long
years."
A great roar of applause followed Kyle's words. The only people who seemed
unhappy were the ones being talked about. Kurogane and Syaoran stood and
exchanged friendly nods, but Kurogane just looked angry at the smugness only he
seemed to be able to see in Kyle's face. His and Fai's clasped hands were now
fully exposed and he knew that the only thing he could do that would be
morefoolish would be to kiss him outright, but he no longer cared. Fai needed
this right now.
Syaoran just looked uncomfortable. He couldn't figure out why, but mention of
his daughter in Kyle's mouth somehow made him feel sick. Sakura was no longer
certain about the wedding at all. Fai just looked devastated…as if he might cry
at any moment.
"However, friends, we have not just this one joy to celebrate this night…but
four. Our dear Tomoyo-Hime is to be betrothed to Lord Mong Ryong of Koryo
Province. They shall be married on the eve of the princess' seventeenth
birthday."
Applause broke out again as Tomoyo and Mong Ryong stood from their places. Mong
Ryong was seated beside Souma and as he moved toward Tomoyo, the princess
turned to look at Yuui, waiting for her lover to look shocked or hurt or
betrayed, but none of these came. Yuui looked…resigned.
She knew.
Tomoyo briefly glanced at the older man as he came to her. A pained, resigned
smile graced his face. Apparently neither of them was enjoying this. She
lowered her head demurely as she offered him her hand to kiss. He took it and
lightly brushed his lips against her knuckles. Then they separated and went
back to their seats. Traditionally, they would have sat together, but neither
particularly cared to. Both had lovers to think about, after all. Kurogane
tried to catch Tomoyo's eye as she sat down, but she wouldn't look at him. Why
hadn't she told him about this?
"As if that weren't enough to be celebrating, Her Highness and I have wonderful
news," Kyle continued, taking the nearly catatonic empress' hand. She didn't
even look up. "Her Majesty and I have conceived a child in her womb and we
shall be wed at the time of its birth."
This time around, the crowd was much less enthusiastic. The lords were all
trapped in a stunned silence, their eyes darting back and forth between Kyle
and Kurogane. Was this the power play they'd been dreading? Was the prince…in
danger of loosing his crown? Kurogane himself just stood still, holding Fai's
hand, his face unreadable. He did not care what obstacles Kyle threw in his
path. He would not be shunted aside by him. Neither would anything or anyone
take Fai away from him. He had made his decision.
As the guests all stood from the table, Kyle led Amaterasu out into the crowd
to gather congratulations. When they passed by Fai and Kurogane, Kyle laid a
hand on Fai's shoulder. When he felt those cold fingers digging into him, it
took everything he had to keep himself from screaming.
"My Lady," he whispered in his ear. "Enjoy your evening."
As the couple moved away from them, Fai really felt like he might pass out.
After Kyle's suggestive glances and his touches, he felt truly violated. He
clasped Kurogane's hand in both of his, leaning close to him.
"Kuro-tan…I…I don't want to be here anymore. Please…can we go back up to your
chambers?"
"Yes. I'll take you back up right now," he said softly, nuzzling his ear very
briefly before helping Fai up from the table. "We'll talk later," he said to
Tomoyo as they passed her and Yuui. The princess nodded.
Fai felt even worse as Kurogane led him out of the dining hall because it was
impossible to block out the whispers he was hearing.
"Well, she's in for a long night."
"Right in the middle of the evening, no less. How unseemly."
"Sleeping with a man about to be married? Her parents must be ashamed…"
"…don't care how much of a slut she is, I'd take that in a minute."
God, please! Please make it stop!
"Just ignore them," Kurogane whispered in his ear. "They don't matter. They're
just a bunch of useless idiots with nothing better to do than make other people
miserable."
They were almost free…almost. But just as they'd reached the door, Fai felt the
cold, claw-like hand grip his arm again. He couldn't help it this time…tears
began to fall from his eyes.
"My Prince, Lady Yuui, where are you going? The night is young yet."
Fai did not turn to look at the wicked consort. He could not bear to. It was
taking all of his control not to collapse into a weeping mess at his feet.
"Kyle," Kurogane began warningly as he turned to face him. "I don't care what
kind of power you think you have. If you touch her again…I will kill you."
Kyle just sneered through his lizard mask, drawing closer to his prisoner. Then
he leaned forward and kissed his ear. A tiny whimper escaped Fai's lips as more
tears spilled down his face.
"You should learn to be more respectful of me, Prince. I shall be emperor
regent when your baby brother is born." As he spoke, he trailed searingly light
kisses down Fai's neck. Fai couldn't stop the small sob that Kyle's touch
forced out of him. "I am well within my rights to ask you for the use of your
friend tonight."
This time, the sob of terror was too much for Kurogane to bear. Without letting
go of Fai's hand, he lunged, grabbing Kyle by the collar with his free hand.
"You're dead," he hissed in his smug face. "The next time I see you, you're
dead. Do you hear me?!"
"Oh," Kyle crooned, still leering smugly as he finally released Fai's arm. "So
unwise."
Kurogane tossed him aside, never once looking back as he led Fai from the
room…though he did feel his stomach twist slightly when he heard the doors
close behind them. He knew those words heralded ill for all of them…but he
couldn't bring himself to care in this moment. Right now…Fai needed all of his
attention.
"Oh," the younger man gasped lightly as his legs suddenly gave way beneath him.
Almost the exact moment he was aware of falling, he was in Kurogane's arms. The
prince easily lifted him into his arms, carrying him as he moved. Fai was
sobbing openly as he clung desperately to Kurogane's neck. "O-oh! Kuro-r-rin!
I'm so s-sorry. I've…spoiled everything!"
"It's not your fault," the ninja told him soothingly. "It's his. I promise…I'll
kill him for you. I'll bring you his head. I don't care who the bastard thinks
he is. It's high time he was toppled."
"B-but…it's our…l-last night…and I've…ruined it!" he sobbed.
"Don't say that!" Kurogane said harshly as he carried Fai into a small side
alcove and stood him gently against the wall. "Don't even think it. You didn't
do anything wrong. Kyle's just a sick pervert. Please…don't think about him. I
just want us to enjoy the night. I only want to think about you right now…and I
want to be the only thing on your mind." As he spoke, Kurogane first lifted the
dragon mask from his own face. Then he undid Fai's and lifted it away. The
makeup was running down his face as he cried, mixing in a colorful swirl of
white, black, red, and blue. Ignoring the muck on his face, Kurogane leaned
forward and kissed him lightly on the forehead. Fai sighed lightly as his ninja
kissed his face, leaning into the gentle caresses. As they kissed, Fai tried to
apologize again.
"I'm sorry…Kuro-pon…sorry I couldn't…handle myself better. But…when he put his
hands on me…and when he looked at me…it was just like…two years ago." The blond
shuddered in disgust. "I couldn't…stand it."
"Shh. It's all right. You don't have to say anything," Kurogane soothed,
pressing his lips to Fai's for an achingly tender kiss. "I understand. That's
not something you're going to get over in a hurry. You'll have to banish it by
inches."
"Help me, Kuro-koi," Fai suddenly whispered, clutching Kurogane's shoulders
tightly in his hands. The prince looked confused for a moment, but his meaning
soon became clear from the look in Fai's eyes as he gazed up at him.
"Please…help me to forget him. Make me forget!"
I want our last night together to be…magical.
Kurogane nodded briefly and leaned forward again, kissing him with all of the
passion and desire he had denied himself all evening. Fai moaned softly against
the pair of lips covering his own. Whenever Kurogane touched him like this…he
was in heaven. The blond moaned again as Kurogane began to slide a hand into
the folds of his kimono, deftly negotiating the many layers to finally brush
his fingertips against his bare skin. Fai groaned, gripping tightly at the
warrior's hips as he caressed his skin. Both of his hands were inside Fai's
kimono when their passionate embrace was interrupted by a small gasp.
Both of them looked up to see a young serving girl staring at them, mouth
agape. Kurogane quickly extricated himself from Fai and went to her. Fai could
hear them exchanging a few whispered words as he straightened himself up. When
they had finished talking, the girl nodded and quickly disappeared, clearly
happy to get away.
"What did you tell her?'
"I told her to have food and wine sent up to my quarters. You need to eat. You
barely touched your food," Kurogane reprimanded.
"Kuro-pin is so sweet, always thinking of me," Fai giggled. Kurogane just
rolled his eyes.
"I also told her to have someone draw hot water for a bath. Then I offered her
a small fortune to make sure she doesn't tell anyone about this."
Fai giggled again as he and Kurogane walked out of the alcove holding hands.
Thoughts of Kyle, Seishiro, and their impending separation had been pushed to
the back of his mind for the moment. He was so eager to be one with Kurogane
once again.
***** I Know You *****
Chapter Notes
     Wow, bad me. I can't believe I've left this hanging for so long.
     Other projects and the waking world and all, that sort of thing. I'm
     gonna try my best to get this all hammered out in the next few weeks
     here so I don't let it fall off again. So very sorry if I've left any
     first time readers hanging.
They were mostly silent as they walked back up to Kurogane's chamber. Unlike
the silence that had been between them on the way down, which had been stifling
and terror-filled, this was a silence of warmth and peace, of just enjoying
being together. Neither needed to say anything.
"First things first," Fai announced as they walked into the expansive set of
rooms. "Let's get rid of all this hair." While Fai had figured out how to use
magic to make his hair grow, he didn't yet know how to make it work the other
way.
As Kurogane went to get a dagger, Fai first removed the pearl jewelry, then the
jade combs that held his hair back. As the shower of blond hair curtained
around his face, he found himself glad that it would soon be gone.
"I don't see how she does it."
"Who does what?" Kurogane asked as he came up behind him, gathering the blond
mane in his hand.
"Yuui. I don't see how she can handle dealing with this much hair all the time.
Whenever you're ready, Kuro-min."
Fai sighed in relief when he heard the blade swish through the hair, then felt
the weight of it lift from him.
"It probably doesn't look the same as it used to," Kurogane warned before going
to his balcony to dispose of the blond tresses.
"Don't worry. I can style it a little better with magic," Fai replied, tossing
his newly shortened hair about his neck, reveling in the feeling of being free
of the long hair. Just as he was turning to say something to Kurogane, he felt
the prince's arms close around him and he felt his lips on his, pressing down
firmly. He grinned into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Kurogane's neck as
the prince lifted him off of the carpeted floor. Getting the hint, Fai quickly
wrapped his legs around Kurogane's waist, pressing their bodies even closer
together and making them both hungry for even more intimate contact. However,
Kurogane managed to pull himself away before things progressed too far to stop.
"So…what do you want to do first?" Kurogane asked with a teasing smirk.
Fai's first thought was to be angry and insist that Kurogane keep kissing him,
then proceed directly to what comes after kissing, but then he remembered the
ninja's earlier words.
"I think we should take a bath first. I've never bathed in hot water before."
"All right. This'll be interesting," the prince said, walking toward the
bathroom with Fai still latched onto him like a monkey.
The bathroom was lavishly paneled in a dark, fresh-smelling wood and the room
was already filled with light clouds of steam. Servants had been here before
them and filled the small pool-sized bath with hot water. Fai breathed in the
heavy steam with a look of bliss on his face. This room was deliciously warm
and the water had been scented with lavender and jasmine. It would be heaven to
be intimate in this small sanctuary.
Fai mewled in protest when Kurogane leaned him against the wall and released
him, signaling for him to let go, too.
"Now how do you think we're going to do anything more interesting if we've
still got clothes on?"
Nodding reluctantly, Fai slid off of Kurogane, drawing a low growl from his
throat as he rubbed against him. When he was standing on his own, Kurogane
leaned forward and kissed him as he started to untie his obi. Fai moaned
lightly against him, trying to do the same, but still unfamiliar with the
complicated clothing. When the obi was finally undone, he felt the cloth that
had been giving him a chest slip softly to the floor, tickling his skin as it
whispered past. Kurogane easily pealed the many layers of the furisode off of
Fai's body, slowly exposing his pale skin to the warm air. Before long, Fai
stood naked before his lover, smiling softly as he watched him stare at him,
mouth hanging slightly open. No matter how many times he saw it, Kurogane knew
that he would never be able to get enough of this sight…the sight of Fai
standing before him, bare, open…ready for him.
When Kurogane had finally gathered enough of his wits, he began to undress
himself before Fai's pleading, hungry eyes. The desperation in his lover's
gaze, the way his body trembled, the harsh sound of his panting - all of it
only enticed Kurogane to go slower, giving Fai the most agonizing strip tease
he'd ever had. He watched in anxious anticipation as the ninja exposed every
inch of the tan flesh that he knew so well, making his need and desire all the
stronger - all the harder.
When at last Kurogane stood naked before him in all of his glory, the lovers'
control failed and they jumped each other, each attacking the other's face with
the ferocity of wolves deprived of food for weeks. Fingers roved skin and hair,
lips kissed and sucked, sweat and saliva slipped between bodies, limbs tangled
together, lips locked tightly, desperately together, and tongues lovingly
caressed each other as bodies rubbed together in the most intimate of ways.
Fai threw his head back, leaning against the wall for support as Kurogane's
hands wandered lower on his body.
Sweet Goddess! If he keeps this up much longer I'm going to-
"Wait," he whispered, placing a hand on Kurogane's chest. "Not yet."
"What do you want to do then?" Kurogane whispered breathlessly.
Utilizing inhuman speed, Fai spun the warrior around. Before Kurogane realized
it, he was in Fai's former position and Fai was on his knees in front of him,
stroking his aroused manhood.
"How…did you do that?"
Fai shrugged. "I guess it's just the faerie in me. Iwant to do it tonight. I
want to be the one to make you writhe."
Kurogane grinned. "If that's what you want-" Anything else he might have said
was cut off by a loud groan when he felt Fai's lips on him, kissing up and down
his hard length. As his lips slowly tortured him, his hands began to tease his
balls. Then he did something completely unexpected. He took the right testicle
completely into his mouth, sucking on it thoroughly before moving on to the
next one. Kurogane threw his head back against the wall, crying out in pleasure
and agony at the intensity of the sensation. He threw an arm over his face,
partially to muffle his shouts, and partially to hide it. It was, after all,
still second nature to keep expressions of such vulnerability at least
partially hidden. He was amazed that he didn't come on the spot.
When Fai had finished with that, he moved his lips back to the shaft, where his
hands had been busily pumping while his mouth had pleasured his lover's most
sensitive parts. Now he let his tongue dart out, licking at Kurogane's tip,
relishing the sounds his ministrations caused him to make. Kurogane couldn't
hold back his cries of pleasure as Fai's rosebud lips began to slide over his
member, taking all of him in, inch by inch.
During the many times they had become one, embracing in love like this, they
had discovered that Fai had quite a talent for oral sex, and he'd been able to
develop that skill into an exquisite art over the past two years. Kurogane bent
forward slightly, toes curling and fingers scrabbling desperately against the
wall as Fai bobbed his head up and down upon his straining manhood, using his
tongue and teeth to great effect. He very nearly screamed when he felt himself
brush against the back of Fai's throat and the muscles began to tighten around
him, squeezing him. His hips twitched, involuntarily bucking into Fai's mouth,
but this didn't seem to bother him. He simply went at it harder, quickening his
pace and sucking on him even harder, and he moaned just as eagerly, loving the
feeling of Kurogane's taut, hard flesh pounding into his mouth. He knew that
his love was almost there. He knew the exact moment it would happen because
even though he had indisputably more talent in this arena than Kurogane did,
unlike Kurogane, he did not much care for the taste of seed, so he did not
usually swallow. More often than not Kurogane would come on his face, in his
hair, or on his chest. That was something he did like - the powerful feeling of
Kurogane gushing his release onto his skin, the feeling of knowing that he was
the one who had caused it - knowing that it was all for him.
"Nngh…Fai…now!" Kurogane warned him, giving one last cry, his hips jerking
forward as Fai pulled away from him. The blond held his prince in his hands,
pressing the tip of his swollen member against his forehead as his sticky, hot
orgasm spurted onto his face and into his hair, crying out ecstatically at the
feeling.
When Fai had finally finished with him, Kurogane slid weakly to the floor,
tremors of warm pleasure still running through his body. Fai was nestled
comfortably between his legs, his still hard length in plain sight. Kurogane
pointed stupidly at it, still lost in a haze of bliss.
"You…didn't come yet," he mumbled.
"No," Fai sang teasingly, running a finger down his own manhood and trembling
with pleasure from the feeling. His skin was already starting to glow faintly
and Kurogane's cum was gathering in his hair and running down his face in
little yellow-white rivulets. "Want to do something about it?"
Kurogane nodded as he wrapped his arms around Fai…then he twisted to the side,
sending them both tumbling into the steaming hot bathwater. It didn't take long
for them both to break the surface, spluttering slightly. Kurogane was pleased
to see that the water had washed away what remained of the makeup on Fai's
face. All of his cum was also gone. Before Fai'd had a chance to recover his
bearings, Kurogane was on him, kissing him and pumping his member. The glow of
his skin was lighting up the surface of the water.
"Oh! Ah…ah…ha! Mm…K-Kuro…seme! Oh!" Fai cried out, trapped in a complete
sensory overload. The prince lifted him so that his manhood was above the
water. Kurogane was seriously considering finishing him off with his mouth, but
he didn't get the chance to. With a small scream, Fai's body curled against his
and Kurogane hissed in delight as he felt his sticky fluids splatter against
his stomach. Once again, Fai's amazing scent filled his nostrils…the scent of
his seed mixed with wild roses…overpowering the scent of the bathwater as his
skin reached the apex of its bright glow. Fai wrapped his legs around
Kurogane's waist again as the orgasm rode his body. The ninja was so
overwhelmed by the sudden move and the furious pounding of Fai's body against
his that he tumbled back into the water again, pulling Fai with him. This time,
when they emerged, Kurogane was snickering and Fai was still trembling with the
aftershocks of his ecstasy. In order to prevent himself from falling down
again, he latched tightly onto Kurogane. The prince easily understood the hint
and wrapped his arms around Fai's still trembling form. They lingered like that
for several long moments as the glow faded from Fai's skin.
"Oh, dear God, Kuro-horny, I love it when you do that to me," he whispered, but
then he started giggling.
"What? What's so funny?"
Fai didn't say anything. He just pointed to a patch on the surface of the water
that was still glowing. It was his semen, drifting lazily in the water as it
slowly dissipated. Kurogane just rolled his eyes as he picked Fai back up and
carried him to the side of the bath, setting him on the edge before climbing
out and walking over to a small cabinet on one of the walls.
"What are you doing?" Fai asked, his eyes following him as he moved.
"You've never bathed like this before. You're getting the ultimate treatment
tonight," he answered, walking back toward him with several bottles in his arms
and kneeling behind him. The first was a blue bottle filled with a sharp-
smelling liquid. Kurogane poured some into his hands and rubbed it all over
Fai's body. The forest boy watched in amazement as white suds appeared all over
his body.
"Kuro-tan, what is this?"
"Soap."
"Really?" Fai asked, amazed. "I thought soap was a bar."
"This is different. I like using the bar soap, like you said, but our mother
used to insist that we keep this around. Tomoyo says it's supposed to be
'better for your skin'. It's…what I always think you should be using."
Fai smiled briefly at the sentiment, reveling in the feeling of being washed.
Then Kurogane gave him a gentle nudge and he slid back into the nice warm water
to rinse the soap off. When he emerged, he found that Kurogane was waiting for
him. He'd climbed down into the water and he had a new bottle in his hand. This
bottle was green and the liquid it contained smelled strongly of peppermint.
"Now what?"
"Come here," Kurogane instructed. Fai went to him and Kurogane poured some of
the thick liquid into his hair before setting the bottle aside and scrubbing it
into his hair. "Keep your eyes closed."
"Why?" Fai asked, doing as he was asked, regardless.
"Because this stuff can sting if it gets in your eyes. It's kind of like soap
for your hair," he explained. Fai nodded, amazed that such a thing could exist,
but still enjoying the feeling of Kurogane's fingers gently massaging his scalp
as he worked the soap through his hair.
"Okay, you can rinse now."
Fai quickly complied, eager to try more of this new style of bathing. Liquid
soap and warm water - it was all right up there with sex. He could honestly go
for using this as foreplay more often.
When the blond finally broke the surface, he found that Kurogane was already
back out of the water, getting another bottle ready.
"What about you, Kuro-sexy? Aren't you going to wash?" he asked as he climbed
out of the water and sat on the edge again.
"Don't worry about me. I had to bathe this morning. There's still one more
thing we need to do. I think you'll like this. This stuff is kept warm." As
Kurogane spoke, he uncorked the last bottle, this time red in color, and the
arousing scent of jasmine joined with the fading scent from the bathwater. Fai
shivered with pleasure when he felt Kurogane's hands on him again. They had
been slicked with the thick, warm liquid and they were wonderfully gentle as
they massaged his back.
"What is it?" he asked, almost moaning at the sensations.
"Massage oil," the prince whispered teasingly in his ear. "I get to massage
every…inch…of your body…with this."
The twenty-one-year-old was as good as his word. He rubbed the warm, sweet-
smelling oil into every inch of Fai's skin, working away all of the painful
knots and kinks in his body. His hands were everywhere, working their own brand
of healing magic. They worked over Fai's back, his shoulders, his arms and
hands. Then he had him lift up his legs and he worked the oil into his legs and
feet before moving back up, working at his hips and stomach. He even worked at
his member a little, starting the process of arousal all over again. When he
had teased Fai enough to ensure that there would be more later, but not quite
enough to make him hard again, he moved up to massage his chest, eliciting
small moans when he worked his way past his nipples. Then he gently worked out
the kinks in his neck and temples. Fai was laid flat on the hardwood floor by
now, moaning softly. The crowning glory of Kurogane's massage happened when he
straddled Fai's lightly writhing body and leaned down close to him, kissing him
as he began to massage his ears.
Fai shivered in bliss at that simplest of touches. Who knew that his ears could
be so sensitive - could cause him to feel so much with just a few simple
strokes?
"How do you feel?" Kurogane asked as he pulled away from Fai, who sighed at the
loss of contact. However, he did have to admit that he felt absolutely
wonderful. His skin was tingling pleasantly and his body felt like it had
melted, and in his stomach, there was a faint warmth, the very beginnings of
desire - of arousal. Everything was perfect.
"I don't know when I've felt better, Kuro-mine. I feel like I'm floating on a
bed of clouds. You really know what you're doing."
"It helps to be able to do that when your muscles are cramping up after hours
of training," he said, standing up to get them some towels. Fai didn't even
move when one was dropped right on his head, he felt so content where he was.
But then Kurogane was beside him again, speaking directly into his ear. "Come
on. Let's get some food in you."
"But that would involve getting up, Kuro-koibito," he whined softly as he
pulled the towel off of his face to look up at Kurogane's slightly annoyed
expression. However, his stomach made the decision for him when it chose that
moment to growl rather loudly. Kurogane rolled his eyes and easily lifted him
back into his arms, carrying him back into his bedchamber.
Servants had clearly been in while they were in the bath. A table was set with
a small feast and two goblets full of sweet plum wine. Kurogane carried him to
this low table and laid his towel out on the floor before setting him down on
it, still naked. As Fai surveyed the beautifully set table, he realized
something.
My Goddess! They must have heard us…The poor boy instantly blushed bright red.
The room was lit softly with several sweet-scented candles and the door to the
balcony had been left open to allow the warm spring night air into the room.
Kurogane's large futon had been made ready for sleep, but Fai sincerely doubted
they would be doing very much of that tonight. Kurogane laid his own towel down
on the floor and sat down across from Fai, taking his goblet of wine and having
a small sip from it.
"Don't be shy, idiot. Eat what you want," Kurogane said, waving his hand to
indicate the spread of delicacies. "Don't worry. There's nothing raw here. I
told the girl to have them cook the sushi. She looked at me like I'd gone mad,
but she said they'd do it."
"Aww," Fai cooed. "Kuro-sweetie is wonderful. He remembered that I don't like
raw fish."
"Just shut up and eat," he said, taking another sip of wine.
Fai picked up the set of chopsticks that had been laid out for him, fumbling
with them for a moment before finally getting a good grip on them. Then he
reached for a plate of sushi rolls, hesitantly sampling one…and finding, to his
delight, that the fish had in fact been cooked. That had been all he really
needed. He quickly devoured the whole plate before moving on to a bowl of
dumplings. Now that he was out from under the scrutiny of Kyle and the royals
and he'd been at least partly sexually satisfied, he was really starting to
feel his hunger. He was ravenous - ungodly ravenous. Once the dumplings were
gone, he reached for a bowl of fried rice. After downing all of that, he
finally reached for his goblet and took a sip, only to almost spit it back out
at the shock of finding out that it was hot. He hadn't known wine came at such
a temperature.
"Spiced wine," Kurogane said in response to the surprise on his face, smirking
slightly as he took another sip. Fai just shrugged, took another sip himself,
set the goblet back down, and snagged a plate of steamed scallops. This was
followed in quick succession by a small bowl of miso soup. As he sipped the hot
broth, Kurogane managed to grab his attention by pushing another plate toward
him.
"You should probably eat these before they melt."
"What are they?" Fai asked as he swallowed the last bite of tofu.
"It's called mochi. Normally they're filled with bean paste, but the cooks have
been filling them with this new dessert from Valeria. I think they call it 'ice
cream'…or something like that."
Fai eagerly tucked into the new and unfamiliar confection…and was not at all
disappointed. The pastry shell was light and chewy. It was so different from
anything he'd ever eaten before that he really couldn't think of anything to
compare it to. And the filling was a sugar lover's dream come true. It had a
smooth, creamy consistency and it had a deliciously sharp, sweet taste.
"Strawberry?' he queried. Kurogane nodded. Fai immediately set to work on the
rest of the dessert. Each little ball of mochi contained a different flavor, a
different surprise: chocolate, vanilla, mint, and another very sharp, fruity
taste that Kurogane told him was an exotic fruit called mango.
By the time Fai had polished off most everything on the table and set aside his
chopsticks and empty goblet, Kurogane looked up at him with a small grin.
"Finished?" he asked, sounding for all the world like he was trying not to
laugh.
"Uh-huh," Fai mewled contentedly. "I'm full. Couldn't eat another bite."
"Well, I hope you're not too full," Kurogane said, raising an eyebrow as he
surveyed the empty dishes. He hadn't known that Fai was capable of putting away
so much in one sitting.
"Oh," Fai began, instantly slipping into a very seductive purr. "You don't need
to worry about that, Kuro-sama. There are still a few things I'm hungry for."
Kurogane grinned at his lover as he downed the last of the plum wine before
standing up from the table. While Fai had had only two goblets of wine and
eaten enough food for three people, Kurogane had had only a bowl of rice for
himself and three full goblets of the wine. He knew he would need it in him for
what he planned to do this night.
Fai eyed the futon with interest as Kurogane came to stand beside him. "This
will be very interesting, won't it, Kuro-pii? We've never made love on a futon
before."
"Well, we'll just have to change that, now won't we?" Kurogane growled as he
picked Fai up and carried him over to his futon. Fai could only laugh at the
ninja's possessiveness and eagerness as he was deposited on the soft futon.
Kurogane was straddling his body in moments, kissing him hungrily. Fai kissed
back eagerly, already feeling the small warmth that had been lingering in his
belly flare up into full-blown desire. Kurogane slid a hand between his legs
and squeezed. He was hard in moments, ready to christen the futon with their
combined seed. Breathing in harsh, excited bursts, Kurogane leaned down close
to Fai and kissed him deeply on his lips. Then, as he lovingly stroked Fai's
raging hard on, he whispered in his ear.
"Fai…I want you inside me."
For a moment, his request did not sink in, but when the kissing stopped and his
words had a moment to register in Fai's mind, he opened his eyes and stared
curiously up at Kurogane. "W-what?"
"You heard me," he whispered back. "Let's switch things up tonight. You've
proven time and again that you trust me enough to let me take you…even after
everything that's happened. Well, I've…got something to prove to you, too. I
want you to take me. I want you to know that I trust you, too. You're the only
one I'd trust…with everything I am…the same way you entrust everything to me
whenever we sleep together."
"Oh, Kuro-koi," Fai began as he sat up. "You don't have to prove anything to
me. I know that you love me…and trust me." In truth, he was deeply touched by
the sentiment. It wasn't like he was going to say no, but neither did he want
Kurogane to feel that he needed to prove himself. He had proven himself when he
had first reached out his hand to pull him back from the darkness.
"Please, Fai," Kurogane said, leaning forward and gently nuzzling his cheek. "I
want this. I want us to share this. And I…I think doing this will help you get
over…two years ago."
"But…I am over two years ago."
"No, you're not. Not really. To an extent, you probably never will be. But if
there's even the tiniest thing I can do, I'll do it. You know I'm yours, but I
want you to have this power over me, as well. I want it to be yours. I want to
be all yours."
Fai nodded. He knew Kurogane was right. Tonight's events were evidence of that.
"If…if that's what you want…"
"Take me, Fai," he breathed in his ear. "Claim me for your own." As he spoke,
Fai suddenly felt something smooth and cold pressed into his hands. He looked
down and found Kurogane's bottle of rose oil resting there. He glanced back up
at Kurogane, who looked completely serious. But as he leaned forward to kiss
him again, the grim expression shifted into a smirk. He spoke against his lips
as they kissed. "Come on, idiot. Don't tell me you've never wondered what it
feels like to fuck me. You did say you wanted to make me writhe tonight."
Fai smiled as he lightly pushed him back. Then, utilizing his super speed once
again, he seized his lover and flipped him so he was lying on the futon,
staring up at him in surprise as he straddled his body. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Kuro-
puppy. If you wanted me to give it to you…all you needed to do was ask."
Kurogane smirked eagerly, promising a taste of the unknown in the erratic rise
and fall of his chest, in the way he gazed hungrily up at his lover. "I do want
you to give it to me…give it to me hard. Don't hold back."
"A-all right," Fai said, suddenly feeling nervous. It wasn't like he had ever
done this before. What if…he couldn't do it right? What if he messed up? What
if he…hurt Kurogane?
"Hey," Kurogane said softly, noticing the fear in his lover's eyes. "Don't
worry. There's nothing to it."
"It will hurt, you know? Even if I do it right…just a little."
"I know. I've had a little experience. Remember?"
Fai nodded. He did remember - as much as he wished he didn't have to. He
remembered Kurogane bleeding. He didn't want to do that to him.
"Don't worry about me, Fai. You know it's not all pain. Show me that. I want to
feel it, too. I want to feel you. This is what I was talking about when I said
that I trust you. I trust you with all of myself. So you have to trust
yourself. Even if something bad does happen, it's not like I'm going to leave
you. We can always try again."
But that's just the thing, Kuro-rin. We can't try again. You are going to leave
me…even if you're not the one making the decision to.
Fai finally nodded his consent, taking deep, calming breaths as he opened the
bottle and slathered a generous amount of the oil on his fingers. Then he
placed his first finger at Kurogane's entrance as he leaned down over him. If
this was to be their last time…then he would give Kurogane everything he had
ever desired.
"Ready?" he whispered nervously.
"Yes," the prince answered easily. He had never been more sure.
Fai closed the distance between them, kissing him on the lips as he made his
first entrance. He remained pressed against Kurogane, staying joined to his
lips as he slowly moved in. He waited for signs of pain or discomfort, but they
did not come. In truth, Kurogane was enjoying the feeling. It was a bit
strange…but he found that it was strange in a good way. Hell, he actually liked
being penetrated.
"Is it…all right?" Fai asked, finally separating from Kurogane for air.
Kurogane nodded. "Keep going. Put another finger in."
Fai did as he was asked, slowly inserting a second finger, scissoring them and
beginning to stretch his lover wider. This second foray resulted in him
locating Kurogane's sweet spot. The prince drew in a sharp breath at the
lightning myriad of sensations that small touch brought on.
"I'm sorry!" Fai apologized. Thinking that Kurogane was in pain, he quickly
withdrew.
"It's okay," Kurogane said, reaching forward just as quickly and grabbing his
hand. "That didn't hurt. I liked it. It felt good. Please…keep going. Try…try
three this time."
"Are you sure you're all right?"
"Yeah. It's fine," the ninja said, lying back again. Fai smiled hesitantly,
dribbling more oil onto his fingers before continuing.
This time there was a bit more discomfort for Kurogane. He really felt Fai's
three fingers stretching him open as they moved slowly into him. But he
absolutely refused to show pain. He knew what any pain from him would cost Fai.
Anyway, it didn't really matter, because what pain there was was almost
immediately cancelled out when Fai's fingers brushed against his prostate
again. He tried to make sure that the sound he made this time was a bit more
distinct, but it was undeniably difficult to control the sounds that came from
his mouth as Fai rubbed at the sensitive organ again and again.
"Mm…Fai…Nngh…please…more!" he moaned with desire. He was becoming more and more
aroused by the second. He had never felt anything like this in all his life.
Fai pumped a little bit harder and the sensations intensified nearly a
hundredfold. This time he couldn't stop himself from crying out. The blond
could already see that his lover was getting hard again.
"That…feels…so…oh…good!" he panted. By the time Fai pulled out, the prince
already looked thoroughly ravished. Fai grabbed the bottle again and coated his
fully aroused manhood with the sweet-smelling stuff. He took extra care in this
process because he didn't want to hurt Kurogane even a little bit - and some
small part of him was probably stalling for time. But Kurogane was anxious; he
was ready to finally have Fai inside him - to finally take him.
"Come on…please…" Begging. He was fucking begging. He wanted this too much. He
needed it.
Fai smiled shyly when he saw the expression on Kurogane's face. Kurogane was
actually begging him for something. He wanted to be able to gloat about this
fact, but he really couldn't bring himself to. He was actually terrified of the
fact that Kurogane was placing such utter faith in him. He barely trusted
himself to do this. He was afraid of this power. But…if Kurogane thought it
would help…if he really, truly wanted it…then he would give it to him. He tried
hard to keep his breathing even as he copied Kurogane's movements from their
previous embraces. He lifted his legs up, helping the ninja hook them over his
elbows. Then he positioned himself at Kurogane's entrance once more. Before
making the final plunge, he leaned down, pressing the prince's legs firmly
against his torso.
"Ready?" he asked again.
Kurogane just nodded this time. Fai had never seen him looking more open - more
vulnerable than he did in this moment. It instilled in him a strong desire to
protect him. It reminded him that Kurogane was just as breakable as he was -
just as vulnerable. He could never hurt him and, unto his dying breath, he
would fight his hardest to see that nothing else in the world ever did either.
Sealing this promise to himself with a loving kiss, he slowly began to push in.
Kurogane groaned lightly as Fai penetrated him, slowly sliding in through the
tight ring of muscle. It was kind of…funny. It was such an alien sensation. He
knew there was supposed to be some pain, but…he couldn't feel anything like
that. Heloved this feeling. Being filled up like this - he had never felt so
close to Fai as he did in this moment. The feeling of Fai's heated flesh
rubbing against the tight skin of his backside- Goddess, he didn't know why he
hadn't already come. He had to try very hard to keep himself relaxed. Too much
and they would both come too soon.
"That…feels nice," he finally managed to get out. Fai barely heard him, for he
was lost in his own sea of new feelings. The feeling of Kurogane's body
clenched so tightly around the most sensitive part of his own anatomy - he had
not known such a feeling was even possible. A small sound issued forth from his
lips, sounding almost like a sob. Being inside Kurogane's tight heat felt so
sinfully wonderful, he could almost sob for joy from it. However, he did still
have Kurogane himself to think of.
When he was fully buried in Kurogane's body, he glanced at his face, eyes
silently asking if he was all right. Kurogane smiled, panting lightly. In
response, he clenched the walls of his body as tightly as he could around Fai's
swollen member. The young man half-collapsed against his lover, his mouth
falling open in a silent cry of pleasure.
"Do it…again," the prince moaned, closing his eyes, unable to bear the
rapturous look on Fai's face any longer.
Kurogane wanted him. He had no choice but to obey. Slowly, he pulled back out
of Kurogane, then pushed back in a little bit faster, stimulating the ninja's
prostate this time. He actually whimpered a little at the sensation, it felt so
good - so ungodly wonderful.
Encouraged by the sounds he was drawing from Kurogane's lips, Fai decided to
take a little more control.
"Do you want me, Kuro-koi?"
"Yes," he moaned.
"Do you need me inside you?"
"Yes!" he cried out.
Somehow managing to combine teasing and gentleness in his smile, he leaned down
over Kurogane, gazing intently at his fully erect cock, huge and stained red
with desire. Then he bent down and pressed a wet, hot kiss to the tip of the
hard shaft, allowing his tongue to dart out and lap up the pearly drops of pre-
cum.
Kurogane's eyes flew wide open when he felt the moist heat pressing against
him. He looked down and saw Fai's glowing head bobbing lightly at his manhood,
while still fully sheathed inside his body. Fai's movements were causing his
own length to rub against Kurogane's prostate. He clutched desperately at the
sheets beneath their bodies, trying his hardest not to come. He wasn't ready
for it to be over yet.
How?! His mind screamed. How can hepossiblybethatflexible?!
"Fai…please…please!" he cried out. His love was pleasuring him almost to the
point of torture. "Stop. Just…just fuck me!" He didn't understand how Fai could
ever stand it. If it felt this wonderful and tortuous to have someone make love
to you…
Finally unwinding his body from its impossible position, Fai leaned forward and
kissed Kurogane lightly on the lips.
"As you wish, my prince…my love."
Then - it began in earnest. Fai pulled out and pushed back in, slowly beginning
to make love to Kurogane. As he grew surer of himself, he increased his speed,
changing his angle so he could strike Kurogane's pleasure point dead on instead
of just rubbing against it. The prince moaned desperately as the bliss
radiating through his body intensified.
Fai's moans and gasps were just as loud. He had never dreamed anything could
feel this good - the feeling of Kurogane's body practically sucking on his hard
manhood as he plunged into him over and over again. He didn't understand what
kept him from screaming; it felt so wonderful. His body was on fire, burning
with the nearness of his release.
Is this…really the end?
Fai suddenly felt tears pouring down his face as he pounded into Kurogane's all
too willing body. Whether it was from heartbreak or pure bliss, he no longer
knew. Was it true that they would never again make love like this? That they
could never hold each other close in the night after this moment, kissing,
talking, whispering of their love? Would either of them even survive the
passage of this last moment, knowing the emptiness that lay beyond it? Would
his last moment…be this one?
No! NO! I don't want it to end! I'm not ready to die!
"I love you!" he sobbed, seizing Kurogane's hips and forcing himself even
further in, harder and faster.
"Only you," the prince cried out passionately.
"Don't leave me!"
"No!"
"Don't you dare leave me!" he cried as he thrust furiously into Kurogane's body
with inhuman speed and force.
"Never!" the prince cried out in both agony and bliss. It was happening. The
end was coming. The words were coming too fast - much too fast.
I want you. I need you! I love you!
They both cried out, throwing their heads back as one as the orgasm seized
their helpless bodies - Fai spilling himself into the most secret depths of
Kurogane and Kurogane splattering Fai's stomach with his own salty essence.
As the room became inundated with the scent of wild roses and sex, Fai's skin
glowed with the intensity of a star, burning brightly in the darkness. As the
last waves of absolute bliss swept through his body, Kurogane reached up a
trembling hand to touch Fai's soft cheek. In this moment, to see him shining so
brightly above him, he couldn't help but think that Fai was the North Star of
his night sky. His mind was made up. He would not lose his guiding light.
"Beautiful," he whispered for the thousandth time in his life, and he would
whisper it many times more; he had no doubt. This was not the end.
As Fai placed his own hand over the hand that palmed his cheek, Kurogane
realized that his face was wet.
"What's wrong?" he asked quietly.
Fai closed his eyes, smiling sadly as he started to pull out of Kurogane. The
ninja grunted slightly at the sensation. When they were separated into two
beings once again, Fai lay down beside him, pulling him close and pressing
loving kisses to his face. "I love you. I love you," he whispered over and over
again, running his fingers through his hair, kissing him desperately. As his
movements became more and more frantic, Kurogane managed to grab hold of him,
pulling him against his chest.
"Fai…tell me what's wrong," he said, a bit more firm this time, but still
gentle.
"I love you, Kuro-koi. I don't…I don't think I can do this," he cried, clinging
to his lover for all he was worth. "I need you. I don't want this to be over
yet! I'm not ready to give you up! I don't…think I ever will be. I-"
"Shh. Shh," Kurogane hushed him gently, enfolding his distraught lover in a
tender embrace, gently cradling him against his body. He pressed several kisses
to Fai's soft hair as he held him, letting him cry, despite the pain he was
feeling in his lower half. Fai had - unwittingly, of course - done quite a
number on him. He could feel it, but he really didn't mind all that much. Not
because he was a masochist or anything, but because it was Fai.
They lay together like that for what could have been hours or minutes, still
exhausted from their shared climax and the sudden outburst of emotion. Fai was
lying in Kurogane's arms, savoring his gentle kisses, fearing the coming dawn
as he had never feared anything in his life, and Kurogane held him, allowing
him to purge himself of any bad feelings. He wanted them all gone, because he
knew that he would soon stop all of Fai's tears forever.
You don't know how happy I'm about to make you, Fai. I need to make this
perfect.
"Thank you, Kuro-rin," Fai whispered against his sweaty chest, finally feeling
like he had enough control of himself to speak.
"For what?" he asked, glancing down at Fai so that he could see his face.
"For everything. For the last eight years. For loving me…saving me. For every
kiss you've ever given me…every time you've ever made love to me. For this
wonderful night. You could just as easily have been at that grand ball
downstairs."
"Heh. I like this party better," he said with a smirk, leaning down to kiss
Fai's lips. Then, he figured, what the heck? It was probably after midnight by
now.
"Happy birthday, Fai."
Fai looked up at him, smiling, but there was a note of sadness to that smile.
His eyes told the real story as he reached up to run his fingers through
Kurogane's hair once more.
"Ah, yes. My eighteenth birthday…the end of our love."
Upon hearing this, Kurogane instantly squeezed the younger man tighter, almost
enraged that he thought he would shunt him aside so easily. "Don't say that.
Don't ever. It doesn't matter who they try to make me marry. I love you."
Slowly, he tried to sit up, but it didn't quite work. His rear rebelled,
refusing to be sat upon without screaming in protest. This time he couldn't
keep the pain from showing on his face.
"Kuro-myuu?" Fai whispered, instantly worried. He reached a hand around to
Kurogane's backside…and was horrified when it came away bloody. "Oh, Goddess!
What have I done? What have I done?!"
"Don't worry. It's nothing," Kurogane grunted. Rather than trying to sit up
again, this time he moved to his knees, so that he was kneeling beside Fai.
"Don't you dare say it's nothing! It's not nothing! I hurt you, Kuro-sama! I
hurt you!" he exclaimed, frantically shooting up so that he, too, was on his
knees before Kurogane, reaching out his hands to support him.
"Don't be stupid," Kurogane said, the pain on his face fading away even as
blood dribbled from him and onto the sheets below him. "If you think I can't
take a little pain, then you don't know me very well."
"You don't understand. I hurt you!"
"Of course you did. This was your first time. You're part fey. It stands to
reason you wouldn't know your own strength in this arena. I can't say I was
expecting any less."
"So you wanted me to hurt you?" Fai asked angrily.
"No. Nothing like that," he said, reaching out a hand to stroke Fai's face, and
finding himself amazed when the blond allowed it. "I'm just saying I was
prepared for it. You know how it can get…in the middle of things. You just need
more practice."
A faint trace of anger - not at Kurogane this time, but at himself - remained
on his face as he spoke his next words. "More practice? I don't think we can
risk more practice, Kuro-kink. What if I do something worse next time? Like
break your spine?"
"If you did that, though I sincerely doubt you could, would it really be that
hard for Yuui to heal it up? Besides, you know me. Where's the fun in life
without a little danger?" Fai stopped him as he leaned forward to kiss him.
"Don't make light of this, Kuro-chan. This is serious. You don't seem to
understand what could happen to you if I get better at this."
"If you get better at this, then so will your control. I know you, Fai. You
won't hurt me…not really. It is serious, but it's not a bad thing like you're
making it out to be."
"Why do you have to be so stubborn? Can't you listen to me just this once?" Fai
whispered, raising his own hand from Kurogane's shoulder to mirror his lover's
gesture. "I really…don't think I should be on top anymore."
"Did you enjoy it?" Kurogane asked, quickly getting to the heart of things.
Fai hesitated for a long moment. He considered lying, but he knew Kurogane
would see right through him, as always. Finally, he hung his head in shame,
unable to look at his lover as he confessed his sin. "Yes."
"Then why not?"
"Because I shouldn't enjoy it. I don't want to enjoy it…not when it hurts you
this much."
"Hell, Fai, I'm not giving that up without a fight. A little blood is a fair
price to pay for a climax like that. And after awhile, once we've experimented,
tested the waters some more, there won't be any blood, because you'll know how
much my body can take."
"But what if…what if-"
Kurogane shook his head as he leaned forward again, silencing his lover with a
kiss. Fai didn't resist this time. His hands fell at his sides as he leaned
into the kiss, accepting the comfort that Kurogane so freely offered.
"Let's not worry about it now," Kurogane whispered against his lips. "We'll
have plenty of chances in the future."
When he heard those words, Fai immediately began to feel tears gathering in his
eyes again. "Oh, Kuro-mii, please don't say that."
"Say what?"
"Don't talk like we have years ahead of us. We don't. We have a few hours. This
is it. This is…all that's left."
But it's not.
"All right, that's it," Kurogane started, rolling his eyes. "I wanted to wait
for the right moment, but you just make me feel guilty every time you start
crying. This will have to do. Stand up. We need to do this right."
Fai looked extremely confused, but he did what Kurogane asked, standing up on
the futon. The prince leaned slightly to the side, rummaging around beside the
futon briefly before turning back to Fai, holding something in his closed fist.
He had planned out every last detail of their night (with the exception of the
argument over the seme issue. He hadn't really counted on that being such a
problem.) and everything had been leading up to this one moment. Still kneeling
before him, Kurogane reached out and took Fai's left hand in his free one. The
blond suddenly found himself feeling very lightheaded.
"Fai…I love you. That's the only way I know how to say this. It's…the only
truth in my life anymore…and I'm not giving it up. I don't care what promises
other people have made. No one ever asked me what I wanted. Well…I want this."
As he spoke, Kurogane opened his fist. Nestled in the palm of his hand was a
ring, a thick silver band set with an eye-catching sapphire.
"Fai of Celes…will you marry me?"
For a moment, Fai could have sworn that his heart stopped beating. For that
single moment, it seemed that all of creation ceased to be as Kurogane stared
up at him with his all-consuming red eyes. Fai acutely felt his hand in
Kurogane's. He could hear the sounds of Kurogane's breath - even his heartbeat.
He had the distinct feeling that life as he knew it had just ended. The life
where he believed he would spend his days in Celes, living with Yuui, Soel,
Larg, Himawari, Doumeki, and Watanuki, living out his life as a simple peasant
- the life where he believed he and Kurogane could not possibly have a future
together. Here and now, a new reality was being born - a reality where it did
not matter that he didn't have a drop of noble blood in him, where it did not
matter that he could hardly stand what little he had experienced of the
sufferings of royalty, and where it especially did not matter that he could
never produce an heir for Kurogane, though he would have paid almost any price
to be able to give him that.
When he finally managed to recover his breath, he realized that Kurogane was
frozen in place, gazing up at him with such fear and vulnerability it almost
broke his heart to know that he was the cause. He could break him with a word.
He must have been standing here lost in thought much longer than he'd thought.
How could Kurogane even think there was anything but one answer?
"Fai?"
"It…it can happen?" he finally managed to whisper. Kurogane smiled in relief.
"We'll make it happen. It will happen. All you have to do is say 'yes'," he
said softly, holding out the ring.
Fai nodded weakly as tears of joy began to trickle from his eyes. Kurogane's
grin grew wider as he slid the ring onto his finger. When he felt the cool
silver against his skin, Fai dropped to his knees, wrapping his arms tightly
around Kurogane and kissing his face hungrily.
"Yes! Yes, I'll marry you! Yes! It's all I've ever wanted!"
In the throes of their joy, the young lovers easily forgot about Kurogane's
injuries as they fell back upon the futon together. When a very small cry
escaped his lips, Fai stopped briefly.
"I'm sorry. Are you all right?"
"Keep kissing me like that and I will be," the prince teased lightly, quickly
returning kiss for kiss and caress for caress.
They lay together, kissing, talking, and touching long into the night, both
languishing in their newly-fashioned reality - the one where they would lay
down together every night and wake in each other's arms every morning, where
they would be together until the end of their days, and beyond that, even.
If they had known what the coming day would bring, they never would have left
the safety of each other's arms when the sun rose.
                                      XxX
"Do you think he's asked him yet?" Yuui asked.
"I'm pretty sure he has. I think it's late enough," Tomoyo replied, running her
fingers through Yuui's long hair. They had left the masque a long time ago and
they were both unwinding in Tomoyo's chamber.
Not too long after Kurogane and Fai's episode with Kyle, the baby had decided
to blow off some energy, becoming active and beginning to shift around in
Yuui's womb, causing her a great deal of discomfort. Tomoyo and Souma had taken
her away from the crowd under the pretence that Souma was feeling unwell. That
was a bit less suspicious than just the two of them leaving together. Souma had
gone to her own chambers, telling them she was tired and that she wanted out of
her evening wear. So Tomoyo had taken Yuui back to her chambers and they had
started to strip each other of their kimono. Yuui had instantly started to feel
better when her swelling stomach was freed from the suffocating confines of the
kimono. From there, they had continued to strip naked, though they hadn't been
intimate this evening. Yuui just wasn't feeling up to it after her child's
episode. She was actually surprised that the baby was moving around so much in
only the fourth month. From what she knew, that wasn't supposed to be happening
for another month at least. However, she had decided not to worry about it for
now, and to just enjoy her night alone with Tomoyo. The two lovers were naked
on Tomoyo's futon. Tomoyo was sitting up and Yuui was lying down with her head
in her lap. They were both cooing and sighing with excitement over Kurogane's
plans to propose to Fai. Unfortunately, Tomoyo knew that some serious topics
were about to come up.
"So…you knew?"
Yuui glanced up at her, her expression slowly turning serious.
"Yes. I saw it…not too long ago. But when you didn't come to me, I figured you
would say something when you were ready."
"I'm sorry I never said anything. I just…didn't want you to worry," Tomoyo
apologized softly as she allowed her hands to wander from Yuui's face down to
her prominent stomach. The bump was much more visible now that she was
unclothed.
"But you're not going to marry Mong Ryong, are you." It was said as a statement
of fact, rather than a question.
"You know…I don't think I am," she said calmly, shifting her body so that she
could lay Yuui's head down on the pillows. Then she moved down her body and
rested her head against Yuui's stomach, pressing several kisses to the
stretching skin. "What kind of mother would I be if I left the two of you now?"
Yuui sighed contentedly as Tomoyo continued to kiss the pale, naked swell of
her belly. But even as she reveled in the fact that she was among her future
family, she couldn't help but worry about the safety of the world she was
bringing the last of that family into.
"Who is Koryu?"
"I don't know," Tomoyo said, pulling herself away from her lover as the
conversation turned serious again. "Before tonight, I'd only seen him once. It
was late one night and I didn't even know his name back then. I was wandering
the halls after a nightmare…and I stumbled across him. I don't think he saw me,
but I stood watching him for a long while. I'd never seen him before and
something about him intrigued me. He seemed…tired…and lost…and then tonight he
seemed like a completely different man from the one I saw. He's definitely the
same one, though. It looks like he's friends with Kyle. That…kind of surprised
me, actually. I know I didn't speak to him that first night, but he really
didn't seem like someone who would associate with Kyle," she recounted.
"I think…we should be careful of him. He kept staring at Fai and I," she
recalled nervously, allowing one of her hands to drift up and clasp Tomoyo's
over her stomach. "If he's associated with Kyle, he might be trouble."
Kyle certainly is, she thought, remembering the evening's events with anger and
disgust. If Kurogane didn't kill that man, she certainly would. He had no
business even looking at her brother.
"Other than those two, did you enjoy the masque?"
Yuui grinned wryly as she glanced down at her bump. The little thing was moving
again. She could feel it. "Well, baby-chan down there certainly did. Got a
little taste of wasabi and everything. But yes, I did have a wonderful time
tonight. It was so much fun dressing up like a man and fooling all of those
stuffy nobles."
Tomoyo giggled. "Yes. You were just as handsome as Fai-kun. I think you had
half the girls in attendance wishing they were me."
"Only half?" Yuui asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Exactly, because I'm certain that quite a few also wished that you were a
girl. If only they knew. I'm willing to bet that you were causing problems for
some of the men there, as well. You even caught King Syaoran's attention."
Yuui suddenly looked thoughtful at the mention of the Valerian king. "Maybe
so," she said quietly. "But I don't think he was thinking of me like that. His
attention was more…"
"Parental?" Tomoyo suggested when Yuui failed to finish the sentence.
"Exactly," Yuui didn't think she could put it into the right words, but King
Syaoran's attention had felt a lot like…Watanuki's or Doumeki's. When he'd
asked about her, she'd been sorely tempted to tell him her real life's story.
She felt like she could trust him - like he might actually be interested in
hearing what she had to say, which was amazing, considering the attitude of
most of the people she'd met.
Yuui was drawn out of her musings, and the inevitable direction they would have
led her in, when she heard Tomoyo gasp excitedly.
"She's kicking again," the younger woman whispered rapturously.
"I know," Yuui grunted lightly.
"Yuui?" Tomoyo started, looking up at her lover while still keeping her ear
pressed against her stomach.
"Yes?"
"Have you thought anymore about what you want to name the baby?"
Yuui smiled softly. She had indeed thought about it. She had poured through
names in her head for weeks on end and now, she finally had the perfect name.
"I have."
"Really?" Tomoyo whispered, her eyes shining. "Tell me! Tell me what it is!"
Yuui slowly sat up. Tomoyo quickly joined her, though she still kept one hand
pressed against her womb. Yuui leaned right up against her, pressing her lips
to her ear as if imparting some ancient piece of wisdom.
"That's perfect!" Tomoyo cried out when the child's name was whispered into her
ear. "That name will work even if the baby's a boy."
"That's true. But…do you think we could keep her name just between us, Tomoyo?
I don't want anyone else to know until she's born."
"All right. But can I still call her by her name when it's just us?"
"Sure. Why not?" Yuui said, her smile growing all the wider. As they sat
together in silence for awhile longer, Yuui contemplated the one article of
clothing that remained on her body: the green pearl ring that Tomoyo had given
her to wear. In truth, she had seen the ring before tonight - in a dream. It
signified to her that the time had come, but she was still nervous. "Tomoyo?"
"Yes?"
"Can I…ask you something?"
"Go ahead," Tomoyo prompted her, leaning forward in interest.
"Well, it's interesting that Kurogane-kun's asking Fai to marry him tonight…and
that they announced your engagement tonight…because I know you're not going to
marry Mong Ryong."
"How do you know?"
"I know because…in my dreams, I saw you marrying someone else."
"Oh?"
"I knew that tonight was the time when you gave me this ring. I've seen it
before now."
"Have you?" Tomoyo asked, smiling softly. She knew exactly where this was
going.
"Would…would you mind standing up?" Yuui asked shyly. Tomoyo nodded, grabbing
hold of Yuui's hands and helping her to her knees as she stood. Then Yuui
removed the ring from her finger and took Tomoyo's left hand in hers.
"Tomoyo…you know that I love you, right? And that you're the only other parent
my baby could ever have?"
Tomoyo nodded. "I love you, too, Yuui."
"I may be a lowly peasant girl. I'm painfully aware of my unworthiness of you,
but I firmly believe that I can give you what no other suitor could…all the
love in my heart. Tomoyo-Hime of Nihon…will you marry me?"
Tomoyo remained silent for a moment, gazing lovingly down at the blonde she'd
fallen in love with.
"You ask me this…even though you know I'm engaged?" she asked, smiling
tearfully.
"Maybe you are, but we both know you're not going through with that marriage. I
saw our wedding, Tomoyo. Everyone will be there. Our little girl will be
there…and she's the most beautiful baby you'll ever see. Though I'm not sure
Kurogane-kun will enjoy holding her very much. She's a very active little
thing," Yuui giggled, smiling at the memory that had yet to occur. Tomoyo had a
small giggle of her own.
"So…if you know it's going to happen, why are you even asking me?"
"Because it can't happen unless I ask you. So what do you say?"
Her first thought would have been to say that Yuui had just given her a
miracle. She hadn't dreamt of Yuui and her brother's wedding for a few months
now. Perhaps this dream meant that they really had managed to change the
future? Perhaps this was the choice that Lady Kotori had spoken of? If that
were true, then she certainly would not hesitate to take Yuui's hand in
marriage. Maybe…the nightmare was coming to an end? Maybe they could all four
have the lives they desired?
"Well, if you've seen it happen, then you already know what my answer is," she
said, nodding as tears of happiness began to trickle down her face.
"I want to hear you say it," Yuui whispered, her own eyes growing misty as she
slid the pearl ring onto Tomoyo's finger.
"Yes, Yuui of Celes. I will marry you. I will become your bride and bind my
fate to yours. I will be a mother to your baby and the three of us will build a
life together."
Yuui's smile only grew, joyful tears sliding silently down her cheeks as Tomoyo
took her hands in hers. Then Tomoyo knelt before her and wrapped her arms
around her. Their nude bodies blended perfectly together, Tomoyo's flat stomach
curving gracefully around the gentle swell of Yuui's belly, as they shared a
tender kiss.
They slept peacefully in each other's arms that night. It was the last time
that peace would find them for a long while.
                                      XxX
At first, he thinks he's looking in a mirror. The red eyes, the tan complexion,
the short, dark hair, the serious expression - all of them match his. But then
he realizes that the figure standing before him is older than he is, by
anywhere from five to ten years. The other man is also slightly taller and
dressed in a set of clothes so outlandish, he can't hope to identify them.
Almost the moment he realizes he's looking at a different man, he's drawing
Sohi. But the very same moment his blade is against the stranger's throat, he
feels the cold sharpness of a blade against his own neck.
"Heh, not bad, kid," the other man says in his voice, though it has a slightly
different timbre to it: deeper, rougher, more jarring. People have always told
him his own voice is rough, but this man's voice sounds almost to be coming
from the throat of a wolf.
"Who are you?" he asks. "Why do you look like me?"
"Another alternate," the stranger says quietly. He has no idea what he means,
but he somehow gets the feeling he knows this man. As the other man lowers his
sword, he lowers his own. "I look like you because Iamyou, in a way."
"That's impossible.I'mme."
"So am I. Just…different. I know it doesn't make any sense. It doesn't have to.
I think you and I were supposed to meet."
"So what? Are we…dreaming?"
"Probably," the other man answers indifferently. "Don't know why it would start
happening to me now, though."
"I know what you mean. The only people I've ever known who dream like this are
Yuui and my sister."
"Your sister?" the other man queries, raising an eyebrow. "Who's your sister?"
"Her name's Tomoyo."
The other him's eyes widen. " Tomoyo is your sister? Who are you, kid?"
He squares his shoulders as he meets the older him's gaze. "I'm no kid. I am
Kurogane Youou, prince of Nihon."
The stranger chuckles. " Prince of Nihon? Heh, that's a good one."
"What about that is funny?" he asks, feeling slightly enraged.
"Nothing. Just odd. I'm from Nihon, too, but I'm no prince. In that life,
Tomoyo-Hime is mymaster, not my sister. And you? Is Kurogane your real name?"
"Yes. Why wouldn't it be?"
"No reason. It just isn't mine. My true name is Youou. Kurogane is a family
name worn by the current lord of the province. I'm pretty sure it's okay for me
to tell you that. It's a little ridiculous to think you could give power over
your own destiny that you already had to yourself…or however that shit works."
"Excuse me?"
"'Excuse me'," Kurogane-who-isn't imitates, rolling his eyes. "You
reallyareroyalty. Can you evenhandlethat blade, kid?"
"Care to find out?" he challenges.
His other shakes his head, sheathing his sword. "No. You're me, after all. I
trust ya."
"Not sure I can say the same about you," he replies, also sheathing his sword,
but keeping a wary eye on the other swordsman, just the same.
"Good plan, kid. I know more about you than you do about me."
"So…if Tomoyo isn't your sister, whoisyour family?"
"Actually, I'm pretty sure I'm distantly related to Tomoyo-Hime. It's
complicated. But if you're talking about immediate family, my parents were
Makoto and Nozomi, lord and priestess of Suwa Province."
"Were?"
"Yeah. They were killed…a long time ago." When he says this, Kurogane begins to
notice something odd about Youou. It's like hewantsto be angry about
this,wantsto be saddened, but can't. Certainly, he's sad, but it isn't over his
parents' deaths. There's something…else on his mind. Now that he takes another
moment to look at him, he notices that he's bleeding. His strange clothing is
badly shredded and he looks like he hasn't slept or bathed in weeks.
"What happened to you?"
For a moment, Youou tries to appear casual, but that façade soon falls away,
leaving exhaustion and heartache in his gaze. "Got beat up by a kid trying to
protect an idiot."
Kurogane immediately notices a shade of affection in the other's voice when he
speaks of the 'idiot'. Suddenly curious as to the depth of that affection and
the similarities between this person and himself, he asks, "Who is this idiot
of yours?"
"A mage," he answers, the sadness in him already doubling at the mere
mentioning of this person. "Guy named Fai D. Fluorite."
"Fai?" Kurogane whispers, his mouth falling open. "YouknowFai?"
"You've got one in your world, too?" Youou returns, smiling bitterly. "Looks
like we're stuck together no matter where we go."
"Fai's my…well…we're getting married," he says, blushing lightly.
Youou turns to him once more, raising an eyebrow. "Married? You're actually
marrying the idiot?"
"Yeah. Something wrong with that?" he asks defensively.
"No, I'm just…jealous, actually," he admits, his face coloring.
"Why? Can't you be with your Fai?"
"No," Youou says softly. "He's…untouchable. He's notforme."
"Do you love him?" he asks bluntly.
Youou studies his face for a moment before answering with a simple, "Yes."
"Did you tell him that?"
"No."
Kurogane narrows his eyes, glaring at his other self. "Coward," he accuses.
Youou glares right back. "Who's a coward, boy?"
"I used to be just like you. I thought I couldn't have him. I was afraid to
tell him how I felt. Because of that, I almost lost him…forever."
"You almost lost him because you didn't tell him you love him?"
"It's…a very long story."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Maybe it would be easier if I just showed you," he says, hesitantly
approaching the other man and placing a hand on his forehead. He gives him the
memories of his days with Fai, of his growing love, then of his battle with
Seishiro, and the ultimatum imposed upon him. Then he shows him the results of
that ultimatum…the horrible nightmare that Yuui had shown him.
"It almost killed him," he says sadly. "EvenI'mamazed he let me in after…that."
Youou's eyes are filled with rage. His body trembles silently with it.
"He was…just a boy," he says angrily. "Tell me you killed that bastard!"
"Believe me, if I could, I would have," he replies, sounding just as angry.
"He's one of the fey. The moment I find a way to kill him, I will.
But…eventhatdidn't keep me from my Fai. What's keeping you from yours?"
Youou sighs bitterly, closing his eyes. "Nothing but the mage himself."
"What do you mean?"
Youou reaches out his own hand, placing it against his forehead, and images
begin to flash through his mind. He sees images of Fai - only this Fai is
older, and dressed very strangely…and this Fai is unhappy. He knows Fai's face,
knows the many expressions it's capable of creating, knows every line and soft
hollow. He knows how that beautiful face expresses happiness, anger, desire,
sadness, pain, need, love. He knows Fai's face as intimately as he knows his
own…and it cannot conceal anything from him. He knows the way that face can
form itself into a smiling lie…the smile that screams, 'I'm more miserable than
you can fathom, but that doesn't matter so long as you're happy'. It was the
smile that Fai had worn that year between his fifteenth and sixteenth
birthdays…and it's the smile that this Fai wears nonstop. He fools the other
people in Youou's memories, but he does not fool Youou himself, nor does he
fool Kurogane. As the images dance by in quick succession, he feels Youou
slowly become attached…almost against his will. He feels his heart begin to
heave, swell, beat, and tremble with a love neither looked for nor expected…but
undeniably there , just the same. He also feels the heart that is not his heart
twist with agony at how little that precious person cares for his own life.
That precious life has become the very center of Youou's own existence. How
dare he throw it away so carelessly?!
Then he sees Fai, lying broken and bleeding. He almost cries out before he
remembers that this is not his Fai…but…at the same time…it is still Fai …and he
is suffering.
"What happened to him?"
"We were betrayed. He was dying. Heaskedme to let him die. Fuckingaskedme! I…I
couldn't do it. For once in my life, I wanted to be greedy. I've…had to let go
of so much in my life…had a lot taken from me. After my family was gone, I
never complained about it. Not one God damn time! This one time…just this
once…I could hold onto something that I didn't want to let go of. I'd never
saved anyone before. I had the chance to save him…so I took it. I couldn't bear
to watch him slip through my fingers like everyone else did…even if he'll hate
me for it. Iknowhe'll hate me for it…but I can handle that. Icouldn'thandle it
if he wasn't around to hate me."
Then Youou shows him a vision of blood dribbling into Fai's mouth…he sees him
screaming and writhing in agony…changing…into something inhuman. When he's free
of the vision, he's shocked to see pain on Youou's face…clenching in the
muscles that create his expressions…glistening in his crimson eyes. It had
broken him…to put Fai through so much agony…to know that it will only lead to
more heartbreak for him. But he ha done it, just the same…to keep Fai alive…to
be able to hold onto this one tiny, precious thing.
It's this shared desire to protect Fai that finally causes the two men to
understand each other perfectly. They hold each other's gaze, seeing that the
thing that holds their universes together is one and the same - an undying love
for a man named Fai.
Youou is the first to break their long, soul-cleansing silence.
"Take care of your idiot, kid. Enjoy your time with him while it lasts. You
never know when it might be taken away from you."
"Iwilltake care of him. And you shouldn't worry about your Fai. If he's
anything like my Fai, then hecan'thate you…not for long, anyway. He loves you
just as much as you love him…even if he can't always show it." If there are
other Kuroganes - other Youous - he knows they all have at least one certain
thing that can be counted on in the reeling uncertainty of life…
Fai's love… that is certain.
The sun shining on his face woke Kurogane that morning. He started awake to
find Fai sleeping peacefully in his arms. When he saw the ring on his finger
and heard the gentle murmur of his sleep talking, he smiled and pulled the
blond's warm body closer, relieved to see that he was unhurt.
Meanwhile, in a world that could have been eons away or as close as the
upturning of a stone, Youou was awakened from his fitful sleep by the sound of
a newborn vampire stirring. As he stood from where he'd been leaning against
the rough concrete wall, he tried to steel himself against what he knew was
about to happen. He knew he would never get the chance to thank the boy from
his dream for it, but being able to see Fai, safe, happy, and so loved, had
given him peace - even if it was only for the length of a dream.
"Good morning…Kurogane."
***** In Slumber Repose *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
"Fai, if you don't stop playing with that ring, so help me, I'm going to take
it away from you," Yuui said sternly.
"Oh~, don't be like that, Yuui. I can't help it. I'm sure Tomoyo-chan's doing
the exact same thing this very moment."
"And I'm sure that Kurogane-kun's doing the exact same thing as I am this very
moment," she teased right back.
"How did you even know I was playing with the ring when you can't see me?" This
was indeed so. Yuui was sitting in the front of Leval's saddle with Fai behind
her as they rode toward home through Celes.
"I didn't. But it was a pretty good guess on my part. Besides, you kind of gave
the game away when you started protesting."
"Fai's ring is soooooo pretty," Soel sang excitedly.
"I still can't believe it," Fai whispered, gazing down admiringly at the ring
on his finger. "I can hardly believe that we're really going to be
together…forever. I'm almost…still waiting for the other shoe to drop."
"Don't think like that, Fai. You two love each other more than your own lives
and nothing's going to stop you from being together forever," Yuui lectured.
Fai nodded, beginning to nervously twist the ring. "I just…I love him so much,
I…I can't-"
"What did I say about playing with the ring, Otouto? Nothing bad is going to
happen. Everything will go according to plan tonight."
The plan was that Kurogane, Tomoyo, and Souma would come to the glen tonight to
finally be introduced to Himawari and Watanuki, and Kurogane would be able to
formally ask their guardians for Fai's hand in marriage while Yuui informed
them of her own engagement plans. They would figure out a way to deal with
Amaterasu and Kyle later.
"Today's also the day that we find out the truth," Fai said slowly. It was the
day Doumeki had promised to tell them about their parentage - about why Fuuma
had done what he did to Yuui, and about why Seishiro was after them. Would
it…change anything?
"Today's the day," Fai said softly as Kurogane held him close. "The day I find
out who I really am."
The couples were in the stables, saying a last goodbye. Yuui was already
sitting in Leval's saddle and Tomoyo was holding her hands, kissing them and
whispering to her. Fai knew that Yuui had similar fears about this day.
"You know I don't care about that, don't you?" Kurogane asked before kissing
his forehead.
"I-I know…but I'm still…scared. Will you still love me…if I turn out to be some
crazy mass murderer's son?"
"I don't care if Yuuko herself is your mother. I don't care what's in your
blood, Fai. Your past doesn't mean anything to me. All that matters is that
you're here with me now and I love you."
Fai smiled. "I love you, too, my Kuro-puppy," he said as Kurogane leaned
forward to give him one more kiss on the lips. When the kiss was finished, they
remained pressed together, foreheads resting against each other.
"You're never going to give up with those ridiculous names, are you?" Kurogane
whispered against his lips.
"Never," Fai said with a giggle, playfully pressing his nose against
Kurogane's.
"Oh, well. I can dream."
"Fai-kun?" Tomoyo's voice suddenly broke in on their tender embrace. "Be
careful today, okay?"
"Why?" Fai asked as he and the prince separated. "Is something wrong?"
"No, just…I've got an odd feeling. Don't let Yuui out of your sight…and try and
stay close to your guardians until we come to get you."
"Are you sure nothing's wrong?"
"Please, Fai-kun. Just stay alert today. It will make me feel better."
"Don't worry," Larg consoled cheerfully from its place atop Leval's head. "Soel
and Larg are on duty. Nothing will happen to Fai and Yuui."
"Of course not," Fai giggled as Kurogane walked him over to Leval and helped
him climb on behind Yuui. "Not with ourbig,strongbody guards around to scare
the bad guys away."
"Don't worry, koibito," Yuui assured her lover. "We'll keep each other safe.
Nothing's going to happen to us between now and tonight."
Before they headed out of the stable, Kurogane took Fai's hand in his one last
time.
"Do what she says," he ordered sternly.
"I will, Kuro-koi. You don't have to fear," he said, smiling gently as he
pulled his cloak over his face with his free hand. Kurogane raised his hand and
pressed a loving kiss to his knuckles.
"I'll love you…no matter what happens."
"What do you suppose Tomoyo-chan was worried about?" he pondered as he rubbed
the hand that Kurogane had kissed against his cheek.
"I don't know. I haven't seen anything. Maybe she was just worried about our
reactions to whatever it is we're about to find out?"
"What if it's…something bad?" Fai postulated, a disquiet look settling onto his
face. "What if it's something that could hurt them?"
"I don't know what it is they're about to tell us," Yuui said calmly, sliding
her hand back to let Fai slip his hand into hers. "But we'll get through it
together."
We have to get through it…for everyone's sake.
                                      XxX
For some reason, Kurogane couldn't seem to sit still. He'd been painfully on
edge ever since the twins had ridden out early that morning. Perhaps it was
because of Tomoyo's small worry, but it had gotten him feeling very anxious.
Part of him wanted to forget the plan and ride to Celes now. He had been
wandering the corridors aimlessly for hours now, even though his backside was
still bothering him. Yuui had healed the tearing upon Fai's request, but he was
still a little sore.
Something inside kept telling him that he needed to be with Fai right now -
that he shouldn't have let him go. But what could he have said? He had no
grounds for his worries.
That fact, however, was about to change - along with everything else in his
life.
"There you are," a sultry voice suddenly whispered in his ear as he was seized
from behind and shoved against the wall.
"What the hell?!" he shouted, trying to get a look at his attacker.
"I've been following that scent for hours, only to find that it's not coming
from the person I've been looking for. You're such a little cheater."
It was Koryu, Kyle's little buddy from last night. But…there was
something…different about him today.
"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded, glaring at his captor, unable to
free himself. Koryu didn't look it, but he was ungodly strong.
"Where is the prince?" the man asked, burying his nose in Kurogane's hair. "His
scent cleaves to you like flesh to bone. You were lying with him. The scent is
plain upon you."
"What are you talking about?!" he growled, struggling to get free. "I'm the
prince!" The only person he had lain with was…Fai.
"You mean to tell me you didn't know?" he whispered in his ear. "All this time
you've been sleeping with him and you didn't know who he really was? It's
incredible. We've all been waiting so long for this day to come. Generations
have lived and died for the sole purpose of preparing its way. We are standing
on the brink at this very moment."
"What are you talking about?" Kurogane repeated, growing still in Koryu's hold.
A suspicion was growing in the pit of his stomach, slowly hardening into a
certainty.
"I'm talking about the end of your world, human."
At that moment, everything clicked in his mind. A sort of ethereal air
descended upon his attacker and the scent of juniper berries attacked his nose.
"You're…fey," he whispered, shocked.
"Mm, yes," the faerie said with a lazy smile, pressing his lips to the pulse
point in Kurogane's neck, causing the prince to shudder with disgust. "So what
does that make Kyle?"
As he whispered these last words in Kurogane's ear, his body twisted into smoke
and faded away, leaving only the scent of juniper berries hanging faintly in
the air. Kurogane stood, shocked, for no more than a second before springing
into action. He would need weapons - lots of them. Kyle had to be dealt with
now.
Even though he couldn't be seen by human eyes, Koryu still lingered in the
corridor.
All right, Kyle, I've done what you wanted. I wash my hands of this Nihon
business. I'm going home.
                                      XxX
"Kyle!" Kurogane shouted as he burst into the throne room. Kyle was seated
beside his mother on the royal dais. His first clue that something was amiss
should have been that the room was empty save for the three of them, but he was
still seething over Kyle's treachery and, more importantly, his treatment of
Fai. He was going to make good on his promise to destroy him.
"Ah, my prince, I was wondering when you would make an appearance."
"Silence!" Kurogane hissed. Almost faster than the human eye could track, he
was before the couple, Sohi drawn and pressed to Kyle's throat. "You're fey!"
he accused. "You've been working all these years to take this empire through
guile. I will not let it go on! You will not live another minute!" Without
wasting another word, he plunged the blade into Kyle's throat.
A small grunt was the only indication of pain the faerie gave. As blood
trickled from his throat, leaking out around the blade, he gave Kurogane a
casual sneer.
"I guess this proves it, doesn't it?
"Bastard!" Kurogane shouted angrily as he pulled the sword out, bringing a gush
of blood in its wake. "I'll chop you to pieces!"
Kyle just laughed as he stood. Amaterasu had not even blinked. The hole in his
throat had already closed over. Kurogane was about to make another attack when
his next words stopped him dead in his tracks.
"You love him…don't you."
"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied quickly. If Kyle knew
about Fai, he would be in great danger.
"I'm talking about this, of course," the dark faerie began, producing a mirror
from thin air and holding it up to Kurogane's face. An image slowly began to
appear on the reflective surface - an image of Fai, his head thrown back as his
body arched upward, his face the very picture of rapture.
"Oh…oh…Kuro-sama…yes! Kurogane!" he cried out in ecstasy.
"Stop this!" Kurogane hissed threateningly.
Kyle only sneered. The next image to appear was of Fai's left hand resting on
his pale stomach, his engagement ring clearly visible. As Kyle laughed
wickedly, the mirror vanished.
"My, my, but you have been a naughty boy, little prince. Taking hapless,
innocent boys…getting engaged when you're promised to another…just how are you
any better than Prince Seishiro?"
The mere mention of the Dark Prince in the same sentence as Fai sent Kurogane
over the edge.
"STOP IT!" he screamed in rage, swinging Sohi for another attack. This time, it
didn't even hit. Kyle vanished and reappeared behind him, quickly seizing his
arms, preventing further movement.
"We really can't have this…Kuro-rin," he hissed in his ear.
Kurogane froze for the barest of moments. Then he started to struggle to free
himself, but as with Koryu, he could not hope to match Kyle's superhuman
strength.
"Let go of me!"
"No, my prince. I have something much better in mind. Kurogane and Fai will
never see their wedding night," he intoned slowly. The tone of his voice
brought Kurogane's struggles to a halt. "No matter how strong their love is,
they can never marry. If ever their hands are joined in matrimony, Fai will
die. The moment Kurogane takes his hand in marriage, his heart will cease to
beat and his spirit will pass from his body. Only if Fai can produce a child of
his own body that Kurogane is father to can they marry without the threat of
death…and of course, this is impossible. This is my curse."
The moment he had finished speaking, he released Kurogane. The prince stumbled
a few steps away from him before collapsing to his knees.
"No…no…Fai…" he whispered over and over as Kyle laughed at his despair. There
was no doubting the truth of those words. He couldn't marry Fai without killing
him.
"Of course, we're assuming that Fai lives past tonight's sunset…and that's a
big assumption."
Raising his head, the ninja slowly turned to look at the dark faerie. "What are
you saying?"
"You still haven't figured it out? You really are thick. Perhaps you just
didn't want to see it? Twins sequestered in Celes Forest for eighteen
years…Seishiro seeking to destroy them…who, oh who, could that be?" he asked
mockingly.
That was the moment when everything came together for Kurogane. Twins cursed
and pursued by the queen of the Dark Court…hidden…kept safe…a pair of twins
encountered by chance on a forgotten path…Fai and Yuui's supposed orphaning…the
Mokona…three guardians…their power…How had he not seen it before?! This was the
secret that Doumeki and the others would reveal to them. Yuui…one of his best
friends…a girl he'd grown up with…was really Princess Yuui Fluorite of
Valeria…the girl he was to marry…and Fai…his Fai…his idiot…his beautiful,
wonderful idiot…was really Prince Fai Fluorite of Valeria…and they were
eighteen today. Yuuko's curse of sleeping death would activate tonight!
The instant he realized what was about to happen, he was on his feet, racing
out of the chamber. There was nothing he could do for his mother, not anymore.
Perhaps Kusanagi could do something? He had warned him of Kyle's treachery. But
even if he could not save his mother…maybe he could still save Fai? He had to
believe that.
"He'll be dead long before you can get to him!" Kyle shouted after him.
"There's nothing you can do!"
Kurogane closed his ears to Kyle's taunts. He couldn't think on them now. His
one and only focus had to be getting to Fai.
Tomoyo! What about Tomoyo and Souma?!
No! Fai first! Warn them later…once the twins are safe. Get to Fai now !
Within moments, Suwa was racing out of the city gates toward Celes, Kurogane
pressing him harder than he'd ever pressed him in his life.
                                      XxX
Himawari was crying softly in a corner as Watanuki paced. Doumeki sat, calmly
watching the two of them.
"You're sure nothing bad happened last night?" Watanuki demanded.
"Positive. They'll be home soon," he replied. On the contrary, many good things
had happened last night- too many good things, especially since today was the
day they would be destroying all of their illusions.
"Did…did they have a good time?" Himawari asked haltingly.
"Yes." As far as Watanuki and Himawari knew, the two sets of twins had just
gone on their last camping trip last night. Now they would be coming back to
one last birthday party at home. Watanuki had put all of his arts into making
them the perfect cake and Himawari had made them each a new set of clothes -
the clothes that they would meet their real parents in. She'd made Yuui a dress
of shimmering blue silk with flowing wing designs around the hem and the bust.
The short sleeves would hang off the shoulders and the dress had no waist so
that Yuui could continue to wear it even as her stomach continued to swell. It
was more of a fey style than a Valerian one, but Himawari had to admit she
would like seeing her daughter in the style of her own people. Fai's set of
clothing was also more fey-styled and it was made from the same fabric as
Yuui's dress: a pair of pants and a tunic and undershirt with flowery wing
designs similar to the ones on Yuui's dress. They'd even gotten them something
they'd never had before: shoes - a pair of boots for Fai and slippers for Yuui.
The twins would be even more dazzling than they already were. The silk would
bring out the blue of their eyes to shine like stars. Himawari smiled slightly
through her pain. If this was a normal day, a normal wedding, she might almost
be happy for Yuui. The prince wouldn't stand a chance against her beauty. But
it wasn't a normal wedding. Yuui was being sold into the hands of the people
who would kill her. If things went badly today, they could both die, and even
if things went well, the three of them would have to walk out of their lives
forever. After today, there was nothing left.
Watanuki could see that Himawari was crying and he wanted to comfort her, but
he knew she wouldn't let him. She would shrink from him, keeping her curse and
her agony to herself. He himself just continued to pace, attempting to hold
back his own emotion in an uncharacteristic display of control. Doumeki, as
usual, kept his own feelings to himself. But all of their action came to a halt
when they heard Leval approaching.
"They're here," Himawari whispered, quickly wiping away her tears and trying to
rein in her emotions. By the time the twins came tumbling through the door with
their camping supplies, talking and laughing with the Mokona on their
shoulders, the three guardians were all gathered around the table.
"Happy birthday!" Himawari greeted, giving them a cheerful smile, wishing she
could take them in her arms as she used to.
"Did you have fun?" Watanuki asked, moving forward to hug them enough for both
the guardians.
"We had a wonderful time," Yuui replied, her eyes sparkling. She could hardly
wait to tell them their news. "In fact, I think this just might be the happiest
day of our lives."
"Well, that's good to hear," Himawari said, trying her hardest not to cry.
"Maybe birthday presents will make it even better. There's new clothing in your
room when you want to go and see it."
"Everything's so wonderful," Yuui sang, spinning around with Larg in her arms.
Fai watched with a contented smile on his face while Soel bounced up and down
on his head. "Just wait 'til you meet them."
The happy atmosphere in the room was instantly transformed. Himawari and
Watanuki both froze.
"Them?" Himawari whispered.
"Yuui-chan, you…you've met some stranger?" Watanuki asked, dread building in
the pit of his stomach.
"Oh, she's not a stranger. She's the love of my life," Yuui exclaimed as she
danced back to Watanuki, giving him a big hug.
Watanuki glanced over Yuui's head toward Himawari, horror etched into his face.
"She's…in love."
"Oh, no!" Himawari cried out, placing a hand over her face.
Yuui looked around when she realized that her news was not getting the reaction
she'd wanted. "What-"
"Wait," Fai said, placing a hand on her shoulder to silence her. Suddenly
fearing the direction things were heading in, he hid the hand where his
engagement ring rested behind his back. "What's wrong with her being in love?
We are eighteen, after all." He made no mention of himself being in love.
"It's nothing like that, Fai-kun," Watanuki said, placing a hand on his
shoulder.
"You're already betrothed, Yuui-chan," Himawari explained.
"Betrothed?" she repeated, uncomprehending.
"Since the day you were born," Doumeki said, finally joining the conversation.
"To Prince Kurogane Youou of Nihon," Himawari added.
Yuui's eyes went wide and her mouth fell open in shock. Fai remained frozen.
How…could it be?
"But…that's…impossible. How could I…marry a prince?" Specifically that prince?
A small suspicion was beginning to take shape in her stomach as she tried to
reason with her guardians. "I'd have to be-"
"A princess?" Watanuki suggested evenly.
"You are, Yuui-chan," Himawari finished softly.
"Princess Yuui Fluorite of Valeria…and Prince Fai Fluorite of Valeria. Daughter
and son of Queen Sakura Fluorite and King Syaoran Fluorite," Watanuki
explained.
This is what they were going to tell us.
"But…why…?"
"Why did you bring us here?" Fai articulated more fully. He seemed to be in
better possession of his senses than Yuui was at the moment.
"We brought you here to live…eighteen years ago. We've protected you all this
time…kept you hidden…because your lives were in danger from Yuuko," Doumeki
explained, straightforward as always.
"So…all these years…you've just been doing your job? Did we…ever mean anything
to you?" Fai asked bitterly.
"Of course!" Himawari shouted, fighting not to run to the twins and embrace
them. "How can you even think that?! You mean the world to us!"
"Then why are you selling us out like this?" Yuui asked. Himawari had never
seen her look more hurt.
"Please, Yuui-chan. You have to know that we would never choose this life for
you. But it's not up to us. We're not your real family. Tonight we have to take
you back to your parents."
"But…Himawari, you are our family! You, Doumeki, Watanuki, Soel, and Larg. We
love you!"
Himawari moved as close as she possibly could to Yuui, tracing her hand through
the air along the line of her cheek without actually touching her. "We love
you, too, Yuui-chan. You have no idea how much I don't want to do this to you,
but I'm not your real mother."
Yuui took a step back, also pulling herself away from Fai in the process. "If
you love us so much, then why won't you hug us like you used to?! Were you just
trying to distance yourself from us? Why did you even get saddled with us in
the first place?!" Tears were streaming down her face now.
"Because we were asked to do it…by Clow Reed, King of Faerie," Watanuki put in.
"I am the king's vizier."
Fai's eyes widened. "You lied to us!" he accused. "You're not part fey. You're
full-blooded fey!"
"We were trying to protect you!" Watanuki tried to defend.
"You could have trusted us with the truth!" Fai shot back. "Did you not think
we could handle it? Heh. Keeping the pawns safe…playing the game of
thrones...just how are you different from Seishiro?!" It was the most hurtful
insult he could think of.
And it did hurt. Coming from Fai, it felt like being accused of the rape
themselves. In some ways, this betrayal was worse.
"I'm sorry, Fai," Doumeki finally said as he moved toward the group. "But we
don't have to explain ourselves to you. We do only what is best for you and
Yuui…and now it's time for you to return." He was hurting just as much as the
others. The only difference was that he concealed it better. The only thing
that mattered right now was keeping Fai and Yuui safe. They could all deal with
their own feelings later.
"But…we can't go!" Yuui protested. "They're coming here tonight…to meet you."
"I'm sorry, Yuui-chan…but you can't ever see this young woman again," Watanuki
said sadly.
Yuui could feel her heart freezing over in pain and shock. How had she not seen
any of this? She slowly turned her eyes on everyone in the room. First on
Himawari, standing before her, on Watanuki, standing by Fai, on Doumeki,
standing by the table, on the Mokona, who had somehow come to be sitting on the
table, and finally, she turned to look at her brother. He was not looking at
her. He was looking at Doumeki with what could only be described as rage in his
eyes. Without wasting another word, Yuui fled from the confrontation, up the
stairs and into their room.
"You knew," Fai hissed quietly, glaring first at Doumeki, then at Soel and
Larg. "You knew…this whole time…and you still let us…I can't believe this!" He
had never felt so betrayed. They had known from the very start. They had let
him fall in love with Kurogane, knowing full well they could not be together.
Yuui was the one who had been thrown between them from the very beginning and
none of them had even known it. Could things get any worse?!
"I've had enough of this," was all he could get out before following after his
sister. He heard Himawari finally burst into tears behind him, but he did not
look back. He was seeing red right now.
Kurogane had fought for them to be together. Well, now it was his turn. Nothing
was going to stop him from being with Kurogane. Nothing!Nothing and no one was
going to stand in their way. If nothing else, the fact that he had royal blood
just made him an even better match for the prince. He would be married to
Kurogane if it was the last thing he did. They would have their wedding night.
The first thing Fai did upon entering their room was to lock the door behind
him. Yuui was curled up on her bed, crying, holding a new dress in her hands.
When she heard him enter, she threw the shimmering garment aside and ran to
him, throwing her arms around him and sobbing into his chest.
"Oh, Fai! I'm so sorry! I can't believe I didn't see any of this!"
"It's not your fault," he said soothingly as he rubbed her back. "It's not even
their fault. They were just doing what they had to."
"And those…people we met last night. They're our parents, Fai! Our real
parents!"
"I know," he said quietly. It was a fact he hadn't quite managed to wrap his
mind around yet.
"I don't want to marry Kurogane-kun!" she cried. "He's…like my brother! It
would be like marrying you!"
"You won't have to, Yuui. You and Tomoyo-chan will have your wedding night.
I'll make sure of it. I have a plan."
Yuui slowly lifted her head up from his chest, gazing at him with a small
flicker of hope in the despair that had consumed her eyes.
"I have no right to ask this of you. You've done so much for me already. You
still believed in me when I'd given up on myself. But if you want to stop this
from happening, then we have to do what we can."
"I'll do whatever you ask. Just tell me what your plan is."
Slowly, Fai extricated himself from his twin's embrace, gazing down at his
engagement ring for reassurance.
"If they want a wedding…we'll give them a wedding."
                                      XxX
"What do you suppose is going on out there?" Tomoyo wondered aloud.
"I don't know. No one would tell me," Souma responded. She had already told
Tomoyo all that she knew. Kusanagi had come into her room and told her to be
ready for a fight. She had armed herself to the teeth while Kusanagi had told
her that they were going to arrest Kyle. Then he'd told her that it was her job
to guard Tomoyo. When he left, Souma had immediately made for Tomoyo's
chambers. Now she, Chitose, and Tomoyo were all gathered in her chamber,
awaiting news of Kyle. Tomoyo herself was pacing the room, her thoughts
constantly straying to Yuui. Perhaps this was the source of her fear? As she
pondered the situation over and over again, she nervously twisted the ring on
her pinky in an attempt to reassure herself.
"Oh, dear. It's worse than I feared."
When Tomoyo heard his voice in her ear, she couldn't help it. She screamed.
Souma was alerted by her cries, but it was not at the princess' side that the
foul beast appeared. He appeared standing beside her futon without a sound, as
if he had always been there.
"Kyle!" Souma snarled, quickly drawing her blades.
"How did you get in here?" Chitose demanded, her voice trembling with fear.
"It would appear that they haven't found me yet," he said to himself as he
began to move toward them. Souma quickly moved to stand in front of Tomoyo.
"Stay where you are!" she commanded, brandishing Sumomo and Kotoko.
"I got in here because I had a need to be in here," he explained, never ceasing
his slow advance on them.
"Th-that's blood," Tomoyo whispered through dry lips, pointing to the still-wet
blood covering the leech's front.
"Indeed, it is. Spilled by your brother, no less. Why do you recoil, little
Tomoyo? I came here for you, after all."
Tomoyo's eyes widened in fear. If he wanted her now, there was nothing anyone
could do to stop him.
"I don't know how you got away from Kurogane and Kusanagi-san, but you won't
get by me. You are under arrest, Kyle Rondart. If you harm one hair on her
head, I'll make you rue the day you set foot in this castle."
"Souma-chan," Tomoyo whispered, her voice trembling in terror. "Please stand
down." There was nothing Souma could do against Kyle. She understood that now
as she gazed at him. He was fey. How could she not have seen it? If she stood
in his way, Souma would be killed.
"Never, my princess. He will not touch you."
Kyle just shook his head…then vanished. Souma had only a moment to blink in
shock before she heard Tomoyo's screams of terror. She spun around to see Kyle
holding the princess in his arms with Kotoko pressed against her slender
throat. Souma glanced down in shock, realizing that she only held Sumomo.
"Let her go!"
"Ah, ah, ah, ah! One step closer and I slit her pretty neck." As if to back up
his threat, he pressed down, causing a tiny trickle of red to dribble down her
neck. Tomoyo cried out in pain as the skin split and Souma froze in place.
"Chitose, get help," Souma said quietly. The woman nodded, quickly moving for
the door. But before she could get five feet, she screamed in pain and sank to
her knees, blood gushing from where Kotoko was buried in her shoulder.
"No! Chitose-san!" Tomoyo screamed. But the next moment, she and Kyle were both
gone.
"NO!" Souma cried out as she fell to her knees. "TOMOYO-CHAN!"
Kyle and his prisoner reappeared in a place many miles away. It was getting
dark, but Tomoyo could still recognize the room as Yuui and Fai's bedroom.
"Yuui?" she whispered, still dazed.
"She's not here. In fact, I believe we've only just missed them. But you know
all about that, don't you, my lovely yumemi?" he whispered in her ear as he ran
his fingers through her hair.
Tomoyo cried out in disgust. "Let go of me!" she shouted, trying to struggle
out of his grasp, but he was impossibly strong.
"Don't make a fuss. I brought you here to keep you out of the way. No matter
how big a fuss you make, no one can hear you out here. You can make all the
fuss you want when I take your clothes off. In fact, I want you to scream when
I take you, but for now, I want you to listen. Do you know what a Hand of Power
is?"
Tomoyo just nodded.
"Do you know what mine is?"
She shook her head.
"I have an aptitude for hypnosis. I can turn a person's mind into a lump of
clay. I can turn bodies into my weapons…or my toys. I can make you want me. I
can make you writhe for me…make you cry out my name in desire. If I so chose, I
could make you pick up a sword and slay Yuui."
"No!" Tomoyo cried out weakly as she sank to her knees, tears pouring down her
face. "Please, no!"
"Then you will do what I say," he said, kneeling before her and gently taking
her chin in his hand, forcing her to look up at him as he leaned down to kiss
her. She did not resist, but she did not participate, either.
"It's happening," she whispered in despair as she allowed him to pull the
clothing from her body. "It's happening right now, isn't it?"
"Yes. Such an unfortunate thing. Especially since she asked you to marry her,
didn't she? I don't suppose you'll be needing it anymore," he said viciously as
he reached for her ring.
"NO!" she screamed suddenly, pulling back from him, holding her left hand
against her body, cradling the engagement ring desperately against her heart.
"No! She's not dead! She's not!"
Kyle sneered as he stood. "And yet you will lie with another as if she were
already dead and buried? You really are a little whore."
Tomoyo said nothing. If Yuui was already gone, then she had no reason left to
fight, but if she yet lived…Kyle could do something awful if she did not bend
to him. So she closed her eyes and forced the world around her to disappear as
he carried her to Yuui's bed. She withdrew deep inside herself, remembering her
happy times with Yuui as his hands caressed her body. As his lips and tongue
defiled her, she whispered prayer after prayer for Yuui's safety. She held the
ring close to her heart the entire time.
True to Kyle's word, no one heard her screaming. One cannot hear a heart as it
screams in silence.
                                      XxX
Clow Reed smiled to himself as he stood on the shores of Spirit Lake, taking in
the sight of the forest at dusk. No matter what time of day or night, Celes was
always beautiful. He would miss seeing it.
Thankfully, he could no longer feel the presence of the twins or their
guardians. They had left the forest entirely. For some reason, he was relieved.
He didn't want anyone around to witness what was about to happen.
"They're gone," he said with a satisfied smile. "They've gone back to Valeria."
"I'm well aware of this," Yuuko's cold voice sounded from the tree line just
before she stepped into his view. "But I didn't come here for them."
"Hello, Yuuko," he greeted, still smiling softly as she moved toward him.
"I'm amazed that you chose to come here by yourself," she said when she was
finally standing before him.
"I've seen this moment in my dreams," he explained, spreading his arms to
indicate the two of them and the area surrounding them. "This is how it
happens."
"You know what's to happen here today…and still you came to me? Why?"
"Because I still love you, Yuuko."
"Liar," she breathed in his face.
"My love is no lie," he said as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "I've
tried to tell you what happened time and again, but you wouldn't listen.
Perhaps the only way to show my sincerity is to let the vision I saw play out
to its conclusion? You are the only one my skin glows for, dear Yuuko."
Yuuko shook his hands from her body and turned her face away from him. "You
lie."
"What could I possibly gain by lying to you now? My magic is growing weaker by
the minute. The fact that you can stand here before me now is evidence of that.
I came to you today to free both of our souls from the burdens they bear."
"I'm still going to kill them, you know?" she said as she turned back to him
with a sneer on her face. "I will destroy the world of men for the dream that
we once shared."
Clow laughed as a sad smile took up residence on his face. "The only dream that
you and I have shared for a long time is that we both wish we were dead. Maybe
for different reasons, but we both wish it."
Yuuko bowed her head slightly. "Even now…will you still not set me free?"
Clow shook his head. "I will not kill you, Yuuko. I cannot. There is only one
path for you now. Strange, isn't it, how the paths one takes to avoid one's
destiny can lead one straight to it?"
"You will really make me do this?"
"I will not make you do anything. What comes next is up to you. But please, at
least do this for me…kiss me one last time."
Yuuko sneered, but it was a request that she was all too willing to grant. She
moved forward, pressing her body up against her husband's. She didn't realize
it, but her kiss revealed more to the king than she would have liked. Clow felt
the depth of the pain she'd suffered all this time…though half the time she
remained shrouded in the depths of her insanity to spare herself the torture of
dealing with it. Only rarely did her true self emerge anymore - like this
fleeting last moment they were sharing. He felt how much she still loved him,
and how much she'd missed him - how much she would miss him. He felt her body
ache with the desire to be one with him once more. His own body ached for it,
too, but he knew that the time for such things was long past. He could feel the
raging fires of her psychosis reaching up, ready to drag her back down the
moment they separated. He would have given anything in his power to stop that
from happening, but he also knew that she herself would not allow that.
Instead, he simply allowed himself to feel her in his arms this one last time.
He gloried in the press of her soft lips against his, felt her skin beneath his
fingers, felt the warm weight of her in his arms. He would be content with this
as his last moment. It was enough to know that, even from the depths of her
suffering, she still cared for him, no matter how much pain they had caused
each other. He barely even felt the pain when he felt the sword pierce his
heart.
Slowly breaking the kiss, Clow smiled briefly at Yuuko before glancing down to
see Assassin's Hand sheathed in his chest. Yuuko's hand was closed around the
hilt. As he glanced back up at her, he could see her lips twisted into a sneer,
but there was heartbreak in her eyes. She leaned in very close to him once
more, bringing her lips to within inches of his.
"You brought this on yourself, you know?" she whispered against his lips, her
voice breaking. "You brought me to this."
"I know. I'm sorry," he whispered back, running his fingers through her long,
dark hair as blood began to seep from his mouth. "I know you were only ever
faithful…until I stepped out of line. You should know that I never wanted to
hurt you. I never meant to betray you."
"No more," she whispered, tears gathering in her eyes. "Please…no more."
"Thank you, Yuuko…for setting me free," he said, gently taking her face in his
hands and giving her one last brief kiss, leaving blood on her lips. "Maybe
now…you can be free, too."
Yuuko bowed her head, her bangs hiding her eyes from sight. She could not bear
to look at him. "I will never…be free of this." Then she violently pulled their
son's sword from his chest, causing a great fountain of blood to gush up in its
wake. He was still smiling as he fell backward. King Clow Reed was dead before
he even hit the water.
His body floated upon the crystalline blue surface of the water, his lips
caught in his last loving smile as his sightless eyes stared up at the sky. The
first few stars were beginning to appear overhead, but he would never see the
stars again, nor feel the evening wind on his face.
Yuuko slowly fell to her knees, clutching the sword that was stained with her
love's blood to her chest. The world would never see his like again.
"You made me do it. You made me do it, my love!"
As she watched his blood stain the pure water red, the Dark Queen sobbed
heartbrokenly.
                                      XxX
Queen Sakura was nervously pacing Eriol's chamber, and had been doing so for
about an hour now. Preparations for the wedding had been going full swing ever
since she and Syaoran had returned from Nihon early that morning. The palace
had been decorated and the banquet prepared. The people of the city had been
celebrating all day. But Sakura wasn't even nervous about the wedding anymore.
In fact, she felt downright bad about it. What she was afraid of was finally
seeing her babies after eighteen years. She desperately wanted to see their
beautiful faces…but at the same time she was terrified.
"Don't worry, Aunt," her twelve-year-old nephew tried to console her yet again.
"What if…they don't like me?" she asked nervously, feeling very much like a
lost child instead of the forty-year-old woman that she really was.
"That's impossible," Eriol said, smiling softly as he stood from his bed.
"They'll love you, Aunt Sakura. What's not to love?"
Sakura smiled sadly as she pulled the boy into her arms. If only things were
that simple. She knew that her babies couldn't love her the same way they
probably loved their guardians. It just wasn't possible. She had sacrificed
that kind of love to protect them. But was it so selfish to hope that they
could care for her just a little bit? She and Syaoran had never been able to
have any more children and she knew she was long past her childbearing years,
even though she didn't look it. That was something amazing. Sakura still looked
no older than twenty. It was almost as if her body had stopped aging
altogether. However, even though she still looked to be in the prime of her
youth, she felt old. She felt the years weighing heavily upon her whenever she
saw Syaoran's body slowly aging before her. She almost felt like he was leaving
her behind somehow.
The queen was drawn out of her somewhat morbid thoughts when she felt her
nephew's body stiffen in her arms. She glanced down at him and saw that his
face had gone blank.
"Eri-chan?" she called to him, shaking him lightly. He did not respond. "Eri-
chan?!"
"Hello, Sakura-chan," a voice that was and was not Eriol's issued forth from
the boy's lips. Sakura tightened her grip on his shoulders, fearing magic.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Eriol Fluorite."
Sakura shook her head. "Maybe so…but not just Eriol-chan."
Eriol-that-wasn't sighed bitterly. "Clever, Sakura-chan."
"Will you… let my nephew come back?"
"Of course," he said, smiling sadly. "I'm not that kind of ghost. I'll only
stay for as long as I must, which isn't very long."
"A ghost?"
"Yes. I suppose that's what I am. I know myself to be dead, after all. I am the
ghost of Faerie's former king."
"Clow Reed?" she whispered in shock.
"Yes."
"But…but who could possibly be powerful enough to kill you?"
"It was Yuuko who did that…but I let her. I wanted her to."
"I…I never got the chance…to thank you…Clow-sama," the queen said sadly.
"You're the one who gave me my Fai and Yuui, aren't you?"
The boy nodded. I gave you much more than that, dear Sakura-chan. You just
don't know it yet.
"I'm sorry. You must have missed them terribly all these years. I, too, know
what it is to never be near one's children. If I had never lifted Yuuko's
curse, then you wouldn't have had to miss them. I'm sorry to have brought this
on you."
"No, Clow-sama! It's not like that at all!" Sakura protested. "I've missed my
babies dreadfully, it's true…but I'm glad to have had them at all. I'm glad to
know that they're alive and breathing, and not just some dream. They're my
babies."
"I understand."
"Clow-sama…why is it that you've come here?"
Again, the boy sighed. He didn't know how to tell her what he had come to tell
her, but he had to. There was no one else who could tell her the whole story.
"I came here because there is something that I must tell you before I leave
this world. Something about you…and your children. Sakura-chan…do you know the
story of your birth?"
"I do. My father, King Fujitaka Fluorite, died before I was born. He was killed
in a scuffle with some dark faeries. My mother, Queen Nadeshiko Fluorite, died
giving birth to me. After her death, Yukito's father, Lord Seichiro Aoki,
became Lord Protector of the kingdom until Touya turned eighteen."
"Yes, that's right…except for one part."
"What do you mean?"
"Sakura-chan, Fujitaka-sama…was not your father."
Sakura took a step back from the possessed boy, staring at him in shock. "What
are you talking about?"
"I'm sorry to have to tell you like this, but you need to know…and I know of no
other way. Sakura-chan…I am your father."
Sakura's eyes widened. She could have almost sworn that her heart had stopped
beating. "That…that's not possible. I was born seven months after my father's
death. Are you accusing my mother of lying with another man?! She would never
have betrayed my father like that!"
"It's not like that," he replied, remaining calm in the face of the queen's
anguish. "You were born in seven months' time because fey children develop
within six to seven months instead of nine like human children. Your mother was
a dear friend of mine, much beloved of Faerie. As you well know, I've been
separated from my own wife for…a long time. On the night Nadeshiko received
news of Fujitaka-sama's death…I lay with her."
"Stop," she whispered. "Please, stop."
"No," he said softly. "You have to hear this. I don't want you to judge your
mother wrongly. She was torn up with grief. It was only one night and…we both
needed it. I even took on Fujitaka-sama's appearance for her. We remained
friends afterward, but when she came to me with the news that she would have a
child, I panicked. It is…rare…for the mother of a half-fey child to survive the
birth. A fey child is just…too strong for a human body. I told her that she
didn't have to go through with it, but she said…that it was her honor to bear a
child for her friend. She said…that it would help her to be with Fujitaka-sama
faster. I spent those seven months hating myself…but it was her wish. She
always told me that her children would be in good hands when she left."
"But…if what you're saying is true…then I…I…" Sakura felt like she was going to
be sick.
"It wasn't your fault, Sakura-chan! It was Nadeshiko's choice to see you into
the world. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I was weak. The only human to
know the truth was Seichiro-san's wife, the high priestess, Karen, the only
other person present at your birth. Nadeshiko and I asked her to keep the
secret. We had decided that you would be better off the less you knew about
your fey heritage. I used my magic to hide the injuries Nadeshiko's body had
taken giving birth to you, so that no one else would know. After that, I walked
out of your life forever."
"But I…I can't be fey. I don't have magic or anything like that," Sakura
protested, clinging desperately to this last fraying thread.
"That's not so. Your power simply manifested in a different way than most.
Don't tell me you never questioned the fact that there's literally no sickness
in Valeria? Nihon goes through its bouts with plague and other such things, but
Valeria has nothing. All of its citizens are healthy and happy. That's because
of you, Sakura-chan. Because you never had a chance to manifest your gifts in a
recognizable fashion, the power within you simply sought to express itself in a
different way. Like your own daughter, you possess a Hand of Healing."
"So…they have power, too?" Sakura asked. As confused and upset as she was
feeling right now, she couldn't help but feel proud.
"Yes. They have been given a chance to grow. They are very strong in magic.
And…it is also my fault that their lives have been in danger all this time," he
admitted sadly.
"What?"
"I'm not certain how, but Yuuko somehow found out about you…and how you were
conceived. Her banishment from Faerie effectively ended our marriage, but we
both continued to see ourselves as husband and wife. She took my mistake very
hard. She hated you from the moment of your birth. She hates you still…because
of what you represent for her. It is the reason why she cursed your womb with
infertility. It was this curse that I lifted from you for but that one night.
She also feared that you would take our son's place as heir to my crown. That
fear faded when you became a queen in your own right, but it flared to life
again when the twins were conceived. You are not only Queen of Valeria. You are
a princess of Faerie as well. It is the same with Fai-kun and Yuui-chan. They
are prince and princess of Valeria as well as Faerie. When they were born, they
became my heirs. Now that I am dead, one of them will rule over all of Faerie.
This is why she has pursued them all this time. I'm sorry…for bringing this on
all of you…for putting them in so much danger."
"No," Sakura whispered, finally raising her head. "Were it not for you, we…the
three of us…would not have life at all." She had come to grips with what the
former king was telling her. After all, he was dead. What could he possibly
have to gain from lying to her? "Thank you for telling me. I know what I have
to do now."
Eriol-who-wasn't's lips curled into a relieved smile as she stepped back toward
him and embraced him. He was almost free. There was but one small vindication
that remained for him.
"Thank you, Sakura-chan. I'm sorry that I could never be a part of your life."
"It's not your fault. You've more than made up for it with the gift you already
gave me. Fai and Yuui exist because of you. That's enough."
A few tears suddenly dribbled from the boy's eyes. "Well, I imagine Eriol-kun's
getting tired of my being here. It is time for me to let go. Please…give Fai-
kun and Yuui-chan all my best."
"I will."
"And know that I love you, daughter. I have always loved you."
"I know…Tou-san," she whispered, hugging him to her breast as his spirit passed
from the boy's body.
When Eriol was free again, he glanced up at his aunt. He seemed to be a little
confused…but at the same time, he seemed to realize what had just happened.
"Come on, Eri-chan. We need to go find your uncle."
                                      XxX
"Hisui? Hisui?"
Hisui remained silent. She knew that Ryuuki would enter whether or not she said
anything. The next time she heard his voice it was right beside her.
"I brought you some soup, Hisui."
"Thank you," she said, not looking up at him. "You can set it on the table."
She heard Ryuuki sigh as he did what she asked. She hadn't eaten and she had
slept very little for a little more than a year. After the first three months,
most of the court had stopped trying to get her to eat. After being brought
under the protection of Faerie, Kokuyo had been moved to her quarters. She sat
by him day and night, keeping her lonely vigil without food and almost no rest.
People had come to see her at first but she hardly ever spoke. She only stared
down at Kokuyo's unchanging face. Sometimes she slept, but mostly she just
stared, holding his ice-cold fingers in hers. Sometimes people thought they
could hear her singing to him. It was almost as if Hisui was frozen in time,
waiting for the moment when her beloved would return to her.
"Your father's been asking about you."
Six months back, that statement might have drawn tears from the wind master's
eyes - might have summoned up guilt in her chest. But now she felt nothing. A
part of her wanted to feel badly for leaving her father to grieve like this as
if she were already dead. She was all he had, after all. But she could only
feel empty. It was the only way to not feel the crushing pain of Kokuyo's
absence…an absence that she knew to be her own fault.
"He never knew his mother, you know," she said softly, as if Ryuuki had not
spoken at all. Gently, she ran her fingers through his dark hair, remembering
the things the former general had told her of his family. "He thinks it was
probably a woman in his father's harem, but he has no way of knowing."
Ryuuki sighed once more as he moved over to the bed where Kokuyo lay, placing a
hand on Hisui's shoulder. She did not react.
"I'm sorry…Hisui. I…I can see how much you still love him." It was the first
time he had offered condolences over Kokuyo's condition. He had cared very
deeply for Hisui himself and he had hoped that perhaps someday…they could…be
something more than just friends. Her relationship with Kokuyo had come as
quite a blow to him, especially when she had told them that he made her
glow…and that he glowed for her. There was no putting that asunder. Besides, if
he truly loved her, then he knew that he had to have the strength to let her be
with the one she loved.
I'm sorry…that you have to suffer so much. I swear on the bones of my sister, I
will find a way to bring him back to you.
Hisui did not look up when she heard the fire master leave. Instead, she leaned
forward and placed a kiss on Kokuyo's cold lips.
I'm sorry, Ryuuki-san. I know everyone else is worried…but I can't bring myself
to leave his side.
As she continued to gaze down on her love's frozen, ashen face, Hisui began to
sing. It was one thing that made her feel better…made her feel like Kokuyo
could still hear her. She sang him a love song…a song that her father had given
to her mother long ago…before her death in the Last War.
Deep in my soul
The love's so strong
It takes control.
Now we both know
The secret's bared
The feelings show.
Driven far apart,
I'll make a wish
On a shooting star.
There will come a day,
Somewhere far away.
In your arms I'll stay,
My only love.
Even though you're gone,
Love will still live on.
The feeling is so strong,
My only love.
My only love.
There will come a day,
Somewhere far away.
In your arms I'll stay,
My only love.
You reached the deepest part
Of the secret in my heart.
I've known it from the start,
My only love.
My only love.
                                      XxX
Kurogane's first hint that something was wrong should have been that he wasn't
stopped by a barrier, but he was too worried to notice something as trivial as
that. He wasn't completely certain of the way, but Fai had told him that all he
needed to do was want to be somewhere and Celes would make it so. All he needed
was to believe. Well, he didn't want to find Fai. He needed to find Fai. That's
why he wasn't surprised when Suwa came barreling into the glen where the
cottage was located. It was easier to recognize as a cottage in the light of
day, but there was still something…different about it - something he didn't
like.
"Fai!" he shouted as he leapt off of Suwa. The first thing he did was run
around to the small stable. Leval and Tomoeda were both gone, as were all of
their other animals.
No! No, no, no! NO!
"Please, Fai. You've got to be here," he mumbled as he ran around to the front
door. It was almost night now. He couldn't be too late! He just couldn't be!
"Fai!" he shouted as he threw the door open. The house was dark.
"No! FAI!" he screamed.
"You're too late, little prince."
Kurogane froze upon hearing the cold, feminine voice. He knew it. He still
heard it in his nightmares.
"Yuuko!" he shouted, spinning around and drawing his sword. There was no sign
of her.
"Ah. I see you remember me. Excellent."
"Where are you? Show yourself!"
"Show myself? I am all around you, little boy. I could be here," her voice
whispered in his ear. He turned and slashed through empty air.
"Or here," the voice whispered in his other ear.
"I could be anywhere. Even right behind you."
He turned…and found himself face to face with her pale face and cold, red eyes.
But when he attacked, the blade passed harmlessly through her body like she
wasn't there.
"Where's Fai?!" he demanded. "What have you done with him?!"
"What haven't I done with Fai-kun?" another voice whispered in his ear.
"YOU!" Kurogane screamed, also recognizing this new voice. Sohi did strike this
time when he spun to attack, but not in a way he'd expected. Seishiro caught
the blade in his hand, not even flinching when blood began to spill from the
wound. "Where…is…Fai?!" he demanded furiously.
"You know," Seishiro began as he casually dropped Sohi and began to lick the
flow of blood coming from his palm. "Your Fai-chan truly is a wondrous piece of
ass. I'll enjoy fucking him into the ground on a more regular basis when you're
not around to stop me. He won't fight for himself, after all. And honestly, all
I'd have to do is threaten to kill you and he'd just lie back and take it like
the little slut he is."
"ENOUGH!" Kurogane snarled in rage, launching himself at the Dark Prince once
more. Seishiro vanished and Kurogane crashed into the chair he'd been standing
in front of. The next moment, he found himself sitting in the chair, tied down
and bound hand and foot. Candles flickered to life in the small main room and
both Yuuko and Seishiro appeared before him. Shouting in fury, he attempted to
struggle free of his bonds, but they wouldn't give. Yuuko laughed and came to
him, lifting his chin up in her hand.
"Oh, you're so cute when you're angry. I could just eat you up."
Kurogane twisted his neck away, sickened to have her hands on him. When he
found that getting free was a lost cause, he settled for glaring at his
captors.
"Where's Fai?!" he repeated.
"Always this ridiculous obsession with Fai. He's becoming quite annoying.
Perhaps a night with me would change his tune?" the Dark Queen suggested in a
sultry voice. Kurogane shuddered in disgust.
"Maybe. He might be a bit harder to finagle into bed than his precious lover,
but trust me, it's well worth the effort," Seishiro replied, staring at
Kurogane as if he could strip him with his eyes alone - which he probably
could. Such unmitigated lust…it made the prince want to vomit.
"Where is he?!" he asked again, pretending that they hadn't just been talking
about gang-raping both him and Fai.
"Oh, fine," Yuuko pouted. "I imagine little Fai's all the way to Valeria by
now…and you know what's going to happen there, otherwise you wouldn't be here."
"No! Stop this!"
"Why should I stop? I've waited forty years for this. There are things about
your sweet fiancé you don't yet know - things that even he doesn't know about
himself, and that you'll never know because you'll never see the Fluorite twins
again."
"NO!" he shouted, struggling against his bonds again, but the more he
struggled, the tighter they became. "DON'T HURT HIM!"
"Too late, little Kurogane. Far too late. The man you love will die tonight.
There is nothing you can do to save him."
"Care to fucking bet on that?!" Kurogane snarled.
"Why, yes. Yes, I would. Because in mere moments, their fate will be sealed…and
where are you? You're tied up in the middle of a forest and no one knows where
you are. You're in no position to help anyone and I can prove it. Kyle!"
At the sound of the queen's command, the snake made his way down the stairs.
Kurogane's eyes widened in shock when he saw that he was dragging Tomoyo with
him, bound hand and foot. Before he had a chance to call out to her, he was
stricken into silence by the look in her eyes. Her cheeks were wet from crying
but her eyes were empty - devoid of everything. It was the look he had seen on
Fai's face the day after his sixteenth birthday. No! Kyle couldn't have…could
he…?
"Tomoyo!" he called out to her. The moment she heard his voice, expression
returned to her face. Her eyes filled with tears once again and she began to
cry.
"Nii-sama! Nii-sama! I'm so sorry! I couldn't help them! I couldn't help Yuui!"
Kurogane snarled at Kyle when he roughly threw his baby sister down in the
chair next to his. "Why did you bring us here?" he demanded. He now realized
that he'd been set up to make the discovery. God, how could he have been so
foolish?
"Because you're the only ones who could have stopped it, and now that you're
our prisoners, you're of no use to anyone," Yuuko said with a sneer. "So…while
I go to Valeria, you all are going to stay right here and watch events unfold
from your own personal corner of Hell, unable to do anything." With that, Yuuko
snapped her fingers and a large mirror appeared in front of the two bound
royals. They could see Fai and Yuui reflected within its depths - only Yuui now
appeared to have short hair. She was sprawled out on a magnificent four-poster
bed, looking utterly drained. Fai was leaning against one of the posts with his
arms crossed over his chest, and he looked nothing if not enraged.
"Well, I'll be off now. See you later, little Kurogane…but then again…maybe
not." Then she was gone.
"Damn it! COME BACK HERE, YOU EVIL PIG!" It wasn't anger he was feeling right
now. It was helplessness - utter uselessness, and something else he had only
experienced once before. There was a tightening in his throat, like something
was trying to squeeze the air out of him, and an itching, burning sensation in
his eyes. He had failed.
No! No! NO! FAI! I have to help him! I have to save him! FAI!
Kurogane screamed in rage and despair, trying to stop the tears he could feel
coming as something began to happen in the mirror.
                                      XxX
The twins had not spoken once since emerging from their room. They were both
dressed in the new clothes that Himawari had made for them, but Yuui had cut
off her long hair. Were it not for the fact that her baby bump was beginning to
show beneath her dress, the two would have been indistinguishable. Himawari
made a little bit of a fuss over Yuui's lost hair, but the three guardians had
quickly realized that they were receiving the silent treatment and stopped
trying. Fai, still looking angry, had led a despondent-looking Yuui out of the
cottage for the last time. Himawari had let Leval and Tomoeda out of the stable
and sent the other animals back to Faerie. Fai had helped Yuui onto Leval and
the breaking family had made its way out of Celes.
They had not set foot in Valeria for eighteen years. The twins, of course,
didn't even remember the last time they had been in Valeria. The journey to the
capital city of Cephiro had been fairly easy and the guardians had easily
managed to slip them into the city without detection. As the first stars began
to appear in the sky, they had slipped the twins into the palace unnoticed.
They had figured that it would be best for them to have some time alone before
they met their parents - before the wedding.
So now the three guardians were sitting outside the set of rooms that had been
prepared for the twins while the twins themselves and the Mokona rested inside.
Even if they wanted to give the children some privacy, they were not willing to
have them separated from the Mokona. It was still too dangerous.
"I can't stand this," Himawari cried softly, tears running down her face.
"Yuui-chan can't marry the prince! It's too dangerous!"
"Maybe we should tell Syaoran and Sakura about this young woman she spoke of?"
Watanuki suggested. Doumeki nodded his agreement.
Indeed, they would have done. But there was no longer any time for it to make a
difference.
                                      XxX
The scene before the Dark Queen appeared exactly as it had in the mirror. The
girl had removed her cloak and was lying on the four-poster bed, facedown in
the pillows. The boy was still cloaked and leaning against one of the posts.
The manjuu things were sitting on a dresser. There was a distinct wall of
tension separating the pairs of twins. It wouldn't be too hard to eliminate the
cream puffs from the picture.
Knowing full well that she was invisible to the twins, Yuuko smiled. This was
it - the moment of her vengeance. She lit her staff with an entrancing green
light as her magic filled the room, sealing the Mokona in a tiny shield. They
were no longer a threat. This was going to be all too easy. The girl first.
"Come to me."
                                      XxX
The scent of pomegranate fills my nose. I can feel magic filling the air around
me and I can hear Soel and Larg crying out, but none of that matters.
A voice is calling to me.
"Come to me."
The command is too strong. I cannot resist it. I do not even want to. I look up
and see a glowing orb of light hovering before me.
"Come to me," the voice commands. I must obey. I rise, moving toward the glow.
I can hear my twin calling out to me but I do not heed the cry. It is not
important. I must obey.
"Come to me." The light begins to move away. I follow. I have no choice. I
must.
A panel beside the fireplace vanishes. A secret passageway.
"No! Stop! Please stop! Come back!"
My twin is still calling me. I can still hear my other half's voice as the
panel closes behind me. I can hear fists pounding against the sealed door. None
of it matters. The only thing that matters is obeying the voice.
"Come to me. Come to your death."
I must obey. The light guides me through a dark corridor. Then we begin to
climb some stairs, spiraling upward.
"STOP!"
I feel arms around my waist. My twin. How did my twin get here?
"Please! Don't go! It's not safe!"
It does not matter. Nothing will stop me from obeying. I continue moving up the
stairs, dragging my twin with me.
"Stop! What's wrong with you?! Stop!"
I keep moving. The worry and fear in my twin's voice does not matter. My twin
will not stop me. I must obey.
"Come to me. The life you knew is over. It all ends tonight. You belong to me."
"Please! Please stop!" My twin is crying now. It is not important. We come to
the top of the stairs and a door opens before us. There is a spinning wheel
inside.
"Please! Wake up! You've got to wake up!"
My twin is still trying to hold me back. I keep moving forward.
"Touch the spindle."
A command. I must obey. I must. I have no choice. I do not want a choice. I
reach my hand forward.
"Goddess! Wake up! Please! Come back!"
Then…another voice. A warm voice…desperately trying to get through to me.
"Please! Don't listen to her! You can't go away! Ineedyou!"
Something is wrong. I should stop. I need to stop. I must stop! My hand
hesitates.
"Touch the spindle! Touch it, I say!"
No. I shouldn't stop. I can't stop! The voice is too strong. I am not here
anymore. There is only the voice…and it must be obeyed. I must obey. I must
obey! If I do not obey…I will die.
I'm sorry.
I reach my hand forward again. I feel a tiny prick at the tip of my finger as I
finally obey and touch the spindle.
Then everything stops.
                                      XxX
The moment they heard one of the twins cry out, the three guardians were at the
door, trying to get it open. It took them all of five minutes to break through
the spell. They found the Mokona trapped under a shield and a panel missing
from the wall.
"Yuuko took Yuui!" Larg shouted.
"But Fai broke through and went after them!" Soel added.
"SAVE THEM!" they screamed.
Instantly, the three were through the secret passageway and barreling down the
corridor. As they rushed up the stairs, they started yelling.
"FAI-KUN!" Watanuki shouted.
"YUUI-CHAN!" Himawari screamed.
"DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!" Doumeki bellowed. Just as they reached the top of the
stairs, a scream echoed from behind the door.
No. No! NO!
When Doumeki threw the door open, they were greeted by Yuuko, standing there
sneering.
"You poor fools…thinking you could defeat me. ME! The mistress of all darkness!
Well, here's your precious princess!" She swept aside, revealing Yuui,
collapsed on the floor. Fai was cradling her head in his lap, sobbing. Yuuko's
wicked laughter echoed in the room long after she had vanished.
"Oh, Yuui!" Himawari cried out, rushing forward. "Yuui!" She dropped to her
knees, cringing in pain when she remembered that she could not touch her sweet
little daughter.
"I'll never forgive myself," Watanuki cried out as he fell to his knees beside
Fai.
"We're all to blame," Doumeki said quietly, standing protectively over all of
them.
"No! No, it's not your fault!" Fai cried out. There was something odd about his
voice. "It's my fault. Oh, Fai! Fai!"
"Wait," Watanuki whispered. He reached forward, pulling aside Fai's cloak…to
reveal the swell of Yuui's pregnant belly.
"Yuui?" Himawari whispered in shock.
"I'm sorry! He said everything would be all right! I believed him! It's all my
fault! I didn't mean for this to happen! I didn't know! I-I didn't know! Fai,
please forgive me!" she sobbed, cradling her brother's lifeless body closer
against her chest.
"Dear God," Watanuki whispered.
Chapter End Notes
     Song for this chapter is 'My Only Love' from Sailor Moon.
***** Seldom All They Seem *****
Fai was laid out comfortably on the four-poster bed in the room that had been
set aside for him and Yuui. A silver and blue coverlet made of fine linen and
stitched with a pattern of fleur-de-lis covered his body. Watanuki had arranged
his hands so that they lay clasped upon his chest, as if holding something
precious against his heart. He was now dressed in the clothes that had been
made for him. When making the switch, the guardians had learned they'd actually
fallen for the trick of Fai tying a pillow to his stomach to appear pregnant
and stuffing Yuui's gown with fabric to give him the appearance of breasts.
The young man looked to be peacefully asleep. He might have been were he not as
pale as death and cold as ice. His body had stiffened with the sleep of death
and the healthful color had utterly left his bright face. The only thing that
testified his life was the weak rise and fall of his chest. The beat of blood
in his neck was undetectable and the flutter of his heart was so faint it was
almost more sporting to say that he no longer lived. The only immediate sign of
life on the body of this prince of ice was a single red rose that Watanuki had
entwined in his golden hair. It was an enchanted rose that Watanuki had grown
straight up from the palm of his hand. The delicate bloom was tied to Fai's
life. As long as he lived, so would it.
Yuui lay beside her still, cold brother, weeping softly as she ran her fingers
through his hair, whispering apology after apology. Soel was cuddled up against
Fai's head, crying, longing for him to wake, smile and laugh, and tell them all
that it was just a big joke, but it knew he would not- could not. Larg was
curled up against Yuui's womb, also crying weakly, seeking comfort from the
unborn child. Himawari sat at the vanity, crying softly as she watched over her
suffering babies from afar. Doumeki was standing beside the closed curtains
that led out to a balcony and Watanuki was leaning against one of the bedposts,
his mismatched eyes bright with unshed tears. They had destroyed the spinning
wheel and sealed off the secret passage. They had briefly talked about setting
up wards, but none of them had had the heart for it. What more could Yuuko do
to them?
"Yuui…what happened?" Watanuki finally managed to ask.
The young woman sat up very slowly, her eyes red and puffy from crying and her
voice thick with emotion as she began her tale.
"Fai…told me that if they wanted a wedding, we would give them a wedding. I
cut…my hair off…and dressed in his clothes, using his cloak to hide my baby. He
even let me wear his moon charm. Then we…tied a pillow to his stomach
and…everything else that you saw…before he put my dress on. He said that I
would pretend to be him for a few days and he would marry Kurogane-kun in my
place. Once the switch was discovered, it would have been too late for anyone
to do anything about it. But this…" She gestured weakly at her twin's lifeless
form. "It was an accident. I didn't mean for it to happen. I didn't know! I'm
sorry! Goddess, I'm sorry!"
"Of course you didn't know!" Himawari insisted vehemently across the space
between them. "How could you have known when we didn't tell you? This is our
fault, Yuui-chan."
"No. You're wrong!" Yuui cried, shaking her head. "It's me. She was after me,
wasn't she? I did this to him! Why did I listen to him? Fai! Fai, please!
Please come back! Wake up! Wake up!"
Watanuki quickly went to the distraught young woman and pulled her away from
her brother's body. He held her close, stroking her now-short hair as she
sobbed into his chest. As he held her, he pondered her story.
"But…why would Fai-kun do such a thing? Marry a young man he's never met? Was
it…just so Yuui-chan could have the one she wants?"
"I can explain that," Doumeki cut in, wanting to spare Yuui the agony of having
to recount the last eight years. "That's part of the reason, yes, but Fai did
this because he's in love with Prince Kurogane."
"What are you talking about?" Himawari asked.
"They've never even met!" Watanuki insisted.
"That isn't so," Doumeki said softly. "They met eight years ago…when the twins
were ten and the prince was thirteen. They have remained close friends all this
time…and fallen deeply in love with each other. The young woman that Yuui loves
is Princess Tomoyo."
Himawari was speechless. Watanuki was caught somewhere between shock and rage.
"We have more to thank those two for than you'll ever know. It was Kurogane's
love that saved Fai's life the night he was raped. He was the one who stood
between Fai and Seishiro. It was Tomoyo who gave Yuui hope for the future when
she learned she was pregnant. She is going to be the other parent to Yuui's
child."
"You knew?" Watanuki demanded quietly, tightening his grip on Yuui. "You knew
this whole time…and you never told us?"
"Not the whole time…and it was their secret to tell, not mine. I only knew
because of the nights when I kept an eye on them with my magic."
"Doumeki-kun, how could you put them at risk like that?" Himawari asked, rising
from her chair and moving toward him. "You knew how dangerous it was!"
"They needed more, Kunogi. You must have known that…deep down," he said,
capturing her eyes with his intense gaze. "Besides, I trusted Soel and Larg to
keep them safe."
"You two!" Watanuki rounded on the Mokona, who both bounded to the edge of the
bed. "You knew from the start! You knew they weren't supposed to be seen by
other people. What do you have to say for yourselves?"
"Fai belongs with Kurogane," Soel explained seriously.
"And Yuui belongs with Tomoyo," Larg continued.
Watanuki sighed as he glanced back down at the sobbing girl he held - his child
by everything but blood. Of course he wanted her happiness, but…
"It's not that simple," he said sadly.
"It is! It is!" Larg insisted.
"It's their destiny! Soel and Larg know it!" Soel chimed.
"They're soul mates," Doumeki added.
"You mean-" Himawari began slowly.
"Kurogane is the one person in this world who can make Fai's skin glow. It is
the same with Yuui and Tomoyo."
"Oh, Consort!" Himawari cried out, turning to face her children. "We can't come
between that! We just can't!"
"Do you know what this means?" Doumeki asked Watanuki. The nature sprite's eyes
widened in realization as he raised his head to look at his companion.
"The prince…he-"
"Kurogane can break the spell."
"What?" Yuui asked, raising her head from Watanuki's chest. She had only heard
snatches of the conversation thus far, but that grabbed her full attention.
"How?"
"You see, Yuui," Doumeki began. "When you were born, Yuuko put a curse on you
and Fai. That is the reason why we fostered the two of you in Celes. The curse
said that before the sun set on your eighteenth birthday, you would prick your
finger on a spindle and fall down dead. Fai was to die of grief soon after."
Yuui nodded in disbelief, still clinging to Watanuki as silent tears continued
to stream down her face.
"The three of us were present at your naming and I still hadn't given my gift
to the two of you. So I used my power to cheat the curse. I changed it so that
the two of you would only fall asleep if the time came. In order to prevent the
curse from claiming you, it was agreed that we would raise you as our own until
it was safe to bring you home. When Yuuko saw the two of you, she must have
thought that Fai was you and enchanted him to act out her curse."
We truly were fools…to think that we could outsmart Yuuko.
Yuui's tears only flowed faster as the depth of her guilt was revealed to her.
"If…If I only hadn't-"
"No, Yuui-chan," Watanuki whispered soothingly. "This isn't your fault. You
couldn't have known."
"Yuui, you also need to understand what might happen to you," Doumeki
continued, stone-faced as ever. "Just because Fai was the one struck down
doesn't mean things have changed. There's still a good chance you might fall
asleep, too…if you succumb."
"Succumb to what?" Himawari whispered.
"Despair, guilt, grief, exhaustion. Any number of things could call the curse
down on her now that Fai's been taken. The next time she closes her eyes, she
may well not wake from her sleep."
Yuui was only half-listening to Doumeki. She heard Himawari's cries of despair
and she could feel Watanuki's arms tighten around her, but their fears for her
safety meant nothing to her.
"Before…what did you mean…when you said that Kurogane-kun could break this
curse?" she asked calmly. Doumeki answered without missing a beat.
"That was also part of my gift. The spell can only be broken by true love's
kiss."
Yuui blinked, a flicker of hope shining in her eyes. "Then…Kurogane-kun can
break the spell!"
"Yes."
"Then why are we standing here? We have to go find him! He and Tomoyo must be
in Celes by now. We'll go and get them! We can bring Fai back!"
Just as Doumeki was about to agree to her plan, a light appeared before them,
growing until it became the kneeling figures of Kamui, Subaru, and Fuuma, and
the standing figure of Kero in his true form. The great creature slowly bowed
its head before Yuui, who shrank silently against Watanuki.
"Hail, Princess Yuui. Greetings from Faerie," he greeted in a voice like
thunder.
"Who are you?" she asked shakily.
The creature smiled wearily to see her fear and he suddenly seemed much more
gentle to the young princess. "I am Keroberos, guardian of Faerie and advocate
of the sun. It is given to me to choose the next ruler of our land. But you can
call me Kero."
"What are you doing here?" Watanuki asked, never once loosening his hold on
Yuui.
"The king is dead," Kero said sadly, shaking his great head. "The prince must
be crowned at once."
Himawari gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Doumeki closed his eyes,
bowing his head. Watanuki's eyes widened in horror.
"How?" he whispered. "How did this happen?"
"It was Yuuko. She slew him with Assassin's Hand," Fuuma explained sadly. "His
blood still stains Spirit Lake."
"Yuuko could…come as far as that?"
"Yes. I can still keep her out of Faerie, but that will not last long. You all
know as well as we do that Yue and I are the advocates of Faerie's will, but it
can only be directed by a king or queen. We must have the next ruler," Kero
said.
"Clow-sama…is dead?"
All of the faeries in the room fell silent upon hearing Yuui's whispered
question. A look of shock and sadness had masked her features. She had only met
the faerie king once, but she had forged a connection with him in that one
meeting. She suddenly felt as if a large chunk of her heart had been torn away.
First Fai. Now Clow. Who would leave her next?
Watanuki sighed sadly at the look on his daughter's face. They had all lost
someone very important today and the day was not yet over. Yuui had already
lost more than she realized. The last piece of her shrouded history was about
to fall into place.
"You've come too late," the former vizier reported sadly. "The boy whom you
would have named king is gone from us." With that, the princess and the
guardians reluctantly parted ranks to reveal Fai, lying on the sheets as if
dead.
"No," Kamui decried in shock.
"Lady and Consort!" Subaru cried out.
Fuuma's eyes lingered on Fai's still form very briefly before he turned his
gaze to Yuui. Then he bowed low before her. "Forgive us, my princess. We have
failed you."
Yuui shook her head as she extricated herself from her guardian's arms. "Don't
say that. This isn't your fault, Fuuma-san. It's mine."
Before any of them could argue with her, Kero spoke up.
"There's nothing for it, then. Princess Yuui must be the next queen. We must
take her to Faerie right now."
Yuui froze in shock. Her? A queen? No! It wasn't possible! She had only just
found out she was a princess. She hadn't asked for any of this. No one even
seemed to care what she wanted.
"That's…why would you want me to be queen? I'm only part fey! How can I rule
Faerie?"
"Do you know who your fey blood comes from, Princess?" Kero asked. "Clow Reed
was your mother's father. He was your grandfather. You and Prince Fai are his
heirs."
The only ones present who were shocked by this news were Himawari and Yuui
herself. She had met her own grandfather and she hadn't known it?
"This…this is too much," she whispered, sinking soundlessly to her knees, a
look of utter shock plastered onto her face.
"Oh, Yuui-chan!" Himawari cried out, rushing to her child, stopping just as she
was about to kneel beside her and take her in her arms. Watanuki did it
instead.
Yuui was too shocked to be hurt by Himawari's actions or to notice Watanuki
beside her. In only a few short hours, her entire life had been turned upside
down. Her brother had been taken from her, she had discovered a family she
never even knew existed and that was already starting to disappear, and she had
gone from believing herself to be nothing more than a simple peasant girl to
suddenly being integral to the futures of three kingdoms. Among all of these
new identities and pieces of identities, was Yuui, just plain Yuui, twin sister
of Fai and the girl that Tomoyo loved, still in there somewhere?
Wait, she suddenly realized. If Clow-sama was my grandfather…and Fuuma-san was
his nephew…that makes him my…
The confused girl briefly glanced at Fuuma again before turning away, feeling
like she was going to be sick. Her child had been fathered by her own cousin!
Everyone except her had known the true extent of Fuuma's sin.
"No," she finally whispered, shaking her head. She could sort through all of
this new information later. None of it was important right now. The only thing
that mattered was rescuing Fai. "I can't go to Faerie yet. We have to save
Fai."
"Yes," Watanuki agreed, immediately latching onto this new thread - anything to
delay them naming Yuui queen when she so clearly wasn't ready.
"How can you?" Kamui asked.
"Fai's true love waits for him in Celes," Doumeki explained. "We were just
going to get him when the four of you showed up."
"Oh. Then don't let us hold you up," Kero said, his fearsome face breaking into
something like a smile. "Save him."
"All right," Doumeki began, immediately taking charge. "Larg, Kunogi, Yuui, and
I will return to Celes and bring Kurogane and Tomoyo back here. Watanuki, you,
Soel, and these four will stay here and guard Fai. We'll discuss this further
when Fai is safely back to us."
Rather than argue, Watanuki just nodded, helping Yuui rise to her feet. Larg
hopped over to them and up onto Yuui's shoulder and Soel took up its post
beside Fai's head once more. As Watanuki went to sit on the bed beside his
comatose son, Himawari and Doumeki moved to stand beside their daughter. Kero
took up a position at the balcony and the three knights all took up posts
around the bed, keeping watch over the slumbering prince. For the first time in
several hours, Yuui felt a little better, knowing that her twin was well cared
for and that he would soon be back with them, and that she would soon be
reunited with Tomoyo.
Then the four were gone.
                                      XxX
Kurogane felt like he was trapped at the bottom of a deep, dark well. The water
was pushing him further down into darkness, filling his lungs and drowning him.
He was too far gone to have any prayer of finding his way back to the surface.
His north star was gone.
After Seishiro and Kyle had left, he and Tomoyo had been made to watch events
unfold in the mirror. He had been fooled at first, but when he saw the person
he'd thought to be Yuui rise from the bed and move forward in a trance, heard
the voice calling out to 'her', he'd realized the truth. He knew Fai. He would
know him no matter what sort of tricks the twins tried to play. No one knew him
better.
"It's Fai," he'd breathed in shock and agony. They'd tried to trick their
guardians so that Fai could marry him in Yuui's place. Whatever end lay before
them, it would be his fault.
"Oh, God," Tomoyo had whispered. "How can it be?"
They'd both watched in baited silence as Fai succumbed to the curse, as Yuui
tried so hard to stop him. When the spinning wheel appeared before them, the
prince could almost hear his own heart screaming in agony. For the barest of
moments, the barrier that separated his soul from Fai's dissolved and his
spirit cried out, willing the man he'd fallen in love with to hear him.
"Please! Don't listen to her! You can't go away! Ineedyou!"
For an instant, it seemed to work. Fai hesitated, but then the barrier
crystallized in between them once again and Fai was gone - Kurogane with him.
As he watched his love fall, Kurogane knew what it was to have his heart ripped
out of his chest and smashed against the cold, unfeeling ground. He did not
scream or cry He could not. He had simply…lost the will to sustain his
existence. There was no rage - only pain and despair. Was Fai dead? Alive? He
did not know. The mirror had vanished after that moment. Either way, the prince
sensed that Fai was somehow gone from him.
Damn you, you idiot! I love you! You can't leave me now! Not now!
"Fai…please come back," he cried so softly that he could hardly hear it. He did
not hear his sister's quiet sobs.
Kurogane may have lain there in pain and darkness for years or seconds. He did
not know. Each second, knowing he had failed Fai - as he'd failed him two years
ago - was an eternity to him, an eternity to suffer in fresh torment. He was
not drawn out of his hell until he heard Tomoyo calling out Yuui's name - and
then heard her call back! He raised his head just in time to see the blonde
rush forward and seize his sister in her arms.
"You're all right! You're all right!" Tomoyo sobbed in relief. "I'm so sorry,
Yuui! I'm sorry I couldn't protect Fai-kun! I should have known!"
"It's not your fault, Tomoyo. It's mine. I'm not having this discussion with
anyone again. What happened to the two of you?"
"Yuuko, Kyle, and Seishiro beat us here. They set a trap…to keep us from
getting to you."
"What did Yuuko mean?" Kurogane asked dully. He only vaguely registered Doumeki
and Himawari's presence. "What did she mean when she said that we were the only
ones who could have stopped it?"
"You still can stop it, Kurogane-kun," Yuui said urgently as she began to untie
Tomoyo. The two faerie guardians moved forward to untie the prince. "You can
still save him."
"How?" Kurogane demanded, instantly snapping out of his funk. He didn't care
what he had to do. If he could get Fai back, then he would do anything.
"Fai is trapped in an enchanted sleep," Doumeki began to explain as Kurogane
shook the ropes from his body and went to retrieve Sohi. "The counter spell I
put in place eighteen years ago can only be completed by you. Only true love's
kiss will break the spell."
"What if it doesn't work?" Kurogane asked, suddenly uncertain. Was his love
really all that was needed to break such a dark curse?
"It has to work," Yuui said harshly. "And if it doesn't, we'll find another
way."
Kurogane closed his eyes for a moment, centering himself. He was terrified that
the counter spell wouldn't work, and that Fai was truly lost to him forever,
but he also knew he couldn't give Fai up without a fight. He would not give Fai
up! He couldn't just let him slip away like this! Yuui was right. Even if his
kiss did not work, they would find a way to break the curse. His love was
certainly strong enough for that.
"Let's go," he said, quickly sheathing Sohi. Yuui and Tomoyo both smiled.
"Thank you, Kurogane-sama," Himawari said, smiling gratefully.
"Prince Kurogane is a hero!" Larg cheered.
                                      XxX
How do you tell a mother that you failed to protect her child?
When you swore to lay down your own life for his, gave up eighteen years of
your life like it was nothing, gave your solemn promise that no harm would come
to the child - how could you face the mother and father? How could you tell
them that harm had come and touched their greatest treasure with its clawing,
uncaring fingers?
How do you tell a mother that her son has died?
These were the thoughts in Watanuki's head as he paced back and forth before
the door that led to Fai's room. He had decided it would be best for Sakura and
Syaoran to know what had happened, but he didn't want to be any further from
Fai's side than absolutely necessary. So he had sent Fuuma to bring them. Soel,
Kero, Kamui, and Subaru were all still inside, watching over Fai, and he was
waiting to tell the king and queen the horrible news. Fuuma wasn't going to
tell them anything. It would be his job to tell them of Fai's fate before he
allowed them through to see him.
The nature sprite was abruptly drawn out of his morbid thoughts by the sound of
footsteps approaching him. He looked up to see Fuuma moving swiftly toward him,
followed by Syaoran and Sakura.
"Watanuki-san!" Sakura cried out as she rushed to him. "What's going on? What's
happened? Is…is Yuui-"
Watanuki shook his head. "Yuui-chan is…fine." Actually, he wasn't certain if he
could back that up. She was physically all right, but he couldn't speak for the
fragility of her current mental state.
"Thank Goddess," Sakura whispered in relief. It almost broke Watanuki to know
that he was about to destroy that relief.
"Can we see them?" Syaoran asked anxiously.
The former vizier sighed. "You misunderstand me, Your Majesties. Yuui-chan is
fine…but…but Fai-kun, he…"
Watanuki trailed off at the sight of the relief melting off of Sakura's face.
He couldn't make himself continue as the smile was replaced with a look of
shocked horror.
"No," she whispered.
"We…we tried our very best…but it wasn't enough." Again he felt his anguish
welling up in his chest, threatening to spill over. "We were too late."
As tears began to well up in her green eyes, Sakura's gaze flitted to the door
that Watanuki guarded. "Fai," she whispered weakly as she pushed past him,
throwing the door open.
"Sakura! Wait!" Syaoran called after her. Watanuki did not bother to stop her.
Sakura stopped briefly when she saw her son, laid out like a corpse on the bed.
Kamui, Subaru, and the others all watched her with sad eyes.
"My baby!" she cried out as she rushed forward. The tears that had been
threatening to fall finally burst free as she threw herself across his body,
sobbing heartbrokenly into his still chest. "My child!" She had waited so long
for this day. She had nearly wasted away wishing for it…but now…to find her
precious son like this…
Watanuki desperately wanted to look away, but he forced himself to keep
watching as the queen broke. He knew he deserved this agony for failing to keep
his promise.
Syaoran moved swiftly toward his wife and son. Tears fell silently down his
face as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Sakura just held her boy
tighter.
"Why?" she cried. "Why? I didn't even…get to talk to him! My son! My baby!"
When Syaoran had gotten better control of himself, he finally turned to face
Watanuki and Fuuma. "Where is our daughter? Where is Yuui?"
"She's gone to get the one who can break the spell."
Syaoran's eyes widened in surprise, as if he were almost afraid to hope. "There
is…someone who can? Fai's in love?"
"Yes," he said with a soft smile.
Very much in love, apparently.
"Wh-who?" Sakura whispered, finally looking up from her child.
"Prince Kurogane."
Both parents could hardly contain their shock.
"But…when could they have met?" Syaoran asked.
"I don't know. You'll have to ask Yuui-chan when they get here. I only just
found all of this out myself."
"Kurogane-kun can't be in love with Fai. We…saw him with a young lady just last
night," Sakura protested.
While Watanuki didn't relish the thought of the twins being able to sneak into
Shirasagi without his knowledge, he was fairly certain he knew what they'd
seen. "Look at your son, Queen Sakura. You might find that you recognize him."
Sakura did as he said…and found that she did know this boy. He was the young
lady from last night. The hair was cut short, but it was still the same blond
hair, the same delicate frame and fine skin. She imagined that if his eyes were
open, she would see pools of dazzling blue. They had met their own children
last night and they hadn't even known it.
"Oh…oh, God," she whispered as she leaned down over him and pressed a gentle
kiss to his cold forehead. How could she not have known her own child? "I'm so
sorry, my darling Fai. I didn't know! Why didn't I know? I should have known!
My child! My baby!"
"Sakura?" Syaoran called gently as he came up beside the bed again. "How could
we have known? We were all wearing masks last night."
Sakura shook her head, carefully brushing Fai's fair hair out of his eyes as
she sat back up. "I should have known, Syaoran. They're part of me."
"You shouldn't worry, Highness," Watanuki tried to console. "You'll have plenty
of chances to speak with him. He'll be back with us soon. Yuui-chan and the
others should be back here before too long."
Sakura was about to reply when Yukito suddenly appeared at the door.
"Pardon me, Majesties, but an ambassador from Nihon has just arrived." That was
when Yukito saw just what he had walked in on. "Oh…oh, my. What's happened?"
"Later, Yukito," Syaoran replied, moving to his high priest. "Is it really just
one ambassador? Shouldn't the wedding party be here by now?"
"It's just the one. Amaterasu-sama's own consort, actually. He insists on
speaking with you."
"Send him up here," Sakura said without looking away from her sleeping child.
I will not leave his side.
Yukito nodded once before turning and leaving, muttering worriedly to himself.
"We'll sort this out," the queen muttered as she reached a hand forward to
stroke Fai's pale cheek. She had realized that Yuui must also be in love. She
was the young man that Princess Tomoyo had been with. She could not, in good
conscience, allow a marriage between Kurogane and her daughter to happen, not
when it would cost four young people their happiness. They would have
everything worked out by the dawning of the new day. When she felt Syaoran's
hand on her shoulder once again, she placed her free hand over it. The other
hand was still occupied with memorizing every detail of her son's perfect face.
"He's so beautiful," she whispered, running her fingers through his silken
hair. She could have wept for joy at the utter beauty and perfection of her
child, but she managed to hold it in this time. She needed to be in control of
herself when Kyle came to them.
"Your Majesties," Watanuki started stiffly. "I wouldn't be surprised if Kyle
Rondart does not wait for Yukito-san to escort him here."
"Why? What's wrong?" Syaoran asked, noting the cold tone of the faerie's voice.
All of the faeries had stiffened when Yukito had announced that Amaterasu's
consort had come. They were all well aware of what was happening in Nihon. Kyle
Rondart was nothing less than a harbinger of doom.
Indeed, no sooner had the question left Syaoran's lips than Kyle appeared in
the doorway, smirking self-importantly. Syaoran began to walk forward to greet
him.
"We are, of course, pleased to welcome you, Rondart-san, but I confess myself
confused. Shouldn't the wedding party be here with you?"
Kyle just sneered.
"Stay back, Your Highness!" Fuuma warned, quickly moving to stand between the
king and the dark faerie. "He would kill you if you gave him the chance."
"What's going on here?" Syaoran demanded.
"I regret to inform you, King Syaoran, that the wedding of Prince Kurogane and
Princess Yuui is cancelled."
Both rulers stared at the ambassador in confusion.
"We changed our minds," Kyle clarified, looking smugger by the minute.
"You have no right to speak for Empress Amaterasu, Kyle Rondart!" Kamui said
angrily, taking up a defensive stance in front of the royal family. Subaru
quickly joined him. Kero moved to stand beside the bed and Soel hopped to the
foot of it.
"I think you'll find that I do. She will soon grow fat with my child. When the
baby is born, I shall be emperor. I have no need for the prince or Valeria."
"Majesties, Kyle is a dark faerie," Watanuki explained as he glared at said
faerie. "He has been infiltrating Nihon for years, poisoning the empress'
mind."
"Now, now. You have no proof of that," Kyle chastised.
"Proof? Here's my proof!" Watanuki snarled, flinging a spell at Kyle.
Instantly, his glamour bled off of him, revealing him as he truly was. He took
on that ethereal air that all fey were possessed of. Though his physical
stature did not change, he seemed altogether bigger. Power flashed in his dark
eyes and the scent of decay filled the room. The dark faerie reeked of rotting
flesh. He might have been angry at his unmasking were it not for the fact that
using such a spell had destroyed Watanuki's own glamour, the shield he had kept
around himself for the past eighteen years. He, too, seemed to grow in
presence, to an extent that he demanded attention merely by existing. His own
power rippled in the air about him and the scent of wild flowers erupted from
him, battling with the scent of death. However, the breaking of the shield also
threw into sharp relief the fact that dark magic had been used to save his
life. A human would not have been able to discern why, but something looked off
about the right side of his face. It just…didn't mesh, somehow. Seeing that
things were quickly heating up, the other three faeries dropped their own
glamour shields, allowing their own essences to fill the air, attempting to
conquer the presence of death.
"All right," Kyle said with a wicked laugh. "You've found me out. This changes
nothing. I only wish that Shizuka Doumeki could be here to watch you die…just
as he was there to watch when his father died."
"Be silent!" Watanuki hissed angrily.
"Only one will die tonight," Subaru said calmly. "And it won't be any of us."
"You think so, child of rape?" Kyle taunted with a sneer. "You, too, will die
tonight, but I won't be the one to kill you. That is for someone else."
"Don't you dare speak to Subaru that way!" Kamui snarled.
"I'll speak to that accident any way I choose."
"Do you honestly think you can defeat all of us?" Fuuma asked calmly, trying to
keep the tension from exploding and setting Kamui off.
"Maybe I can't…but they certainly can," he crowed triumphantly, pointing behind
all of them. All eyes turned in the direction he indicated, and they beheld
their worst nightmare standing in the room with them.
Yuuko and Seishiro were both standing beside the bed on the opposite side of
where Sakura sat and where Syaoran and Kero kept guard. Yuuko smiled languidly
at the terror she was receiving. Save for the three dark ones and the
unconscious one, every single heart in the room screamed out, NO!
"Oh, dear," Yuuko drawled as she gazed down at Fai's sleeping form. "It seems
I've made a mistake. Ah well, no matter."
"Get away from him!" Watanuki shouted, not daring to move forward for fear of
causing something to happen that could not unhappen. All of the others remained
stark still, fearing the same thing. Yuuko did not even acknowledge the
outburst. She stared coldly at Sakura.
"Pick that up," she ordered her son, pointing at Fai.
"NO!"
                                      XxX
When Kurogane heard Queen Sakura screaming, he knew they were too late. He
found the queen crumpled against the far wall of the room, having been thrown
by the Dark Queen's power after trying to protect her son. The king was
crouched protectively over her. The manjuu was lying, unconscious, at the foot
of the bed. Those who remained standing in the room were poised for battle, but
no one dared to move for fear of bringing harm to Fai.
Fai himself lay helpless in Seishiro's arms. When Kurogane saw Seishiro
holdingFai -he snapped.
"PUT HIM DOWN NOW!" he shouted, drawing Sohi as his vision went red with rage.
Seishiro only smiled amiably.
"If I don't…what are you going to do about it? You have nothing but a plain,
metal sword. Just what do you propose to do?"
"I will kill you!" he hissed, his eyes narrowing in anger.
"You just can't stand that I knew him first, can you? You may not think it
consciously, but deep down you hate the fact that your dearest love was soiled
by another man before you could have him yourself. You resent him for it. Some
part of you knows that it's his fault."
That wasn't true! He knew it wasn't true! But…if it wasn't true…then why were
his hands shaking?
"Stop it!" he ordered.
"Why fight it, Kurogane-kun? Why not just let me have him? You know that the
man you love is nothing more than a little whore."
"Call him a whore again and you'll regret it!"
"Why shouldn't I call him what he is? Did you know that when I took his
virginity, he didn't lift a finger against me? He wanted it."
"THAT'S A LIE!" the incensed prince shouted.
"He didn't fight because you put a spell on him!" Yuui accused, standing
protectively in front of Tomoyo as Himawari and Doumeki moved in to guard Kyle.
"I don't have a spell on him now. Shall we see what he does?" With that,
Seishiro lifted Fai's face up to his and kissed him, plunged his tongue into
his mouth, plundering every inch of it.
"Stop it!"
Seishiro only smiled as he pulled out of Fai, a trail of saliva briefly
connecting his lips to Fai's. "You see, little prince. He's still not fighting
me. Fai-kun can't say anything…not anymore."
"I SAID STOP IT!" Kurogane screamed, springing forward. But just as he made to
lop off Seishiro's head, the Dark Prince vanished, reappearing a few feet to
the prince's left.
"Seishiro?" a very quiet voice was suddenly heard whispering. "What are you
doing?"
Subaru was afraid to see his lover like this. Seishiro had promised that he
would officially defect to them if the worst should happen. Well…it was
happening now. What was he playing at?
"Ah, yes," the dark prince said, the smile never once slackening as he looked
toward his lover. "My beloved Subaru Shiro."
Subaru gulped nervously. There was something…not right about this. Something
was different.
"Would you mind holding this for me, Kaa-san?" Seishiro asked. Yuuko nodded,
holding out the hand that wasn't holding her staff. Seishiro passed him to her.
Then he moved slowly toward Subaru. He smiled at his trembling lover as he
pulled him into his arms. "It seems the time has come to settle our bet."
"Bet? What bet?"
Seishiro said nothing. He simply leaned forward and claimed Subaru's lips with
his own. The moment their lips touched, they both vanished.
"Subaru!" Kamui cried out, moving forward.
"Don't move!" Doumeki ordered, immediately sensing the dark magic in the room.
"Subaru is trapped in an illusion."
Subaru blinked - and found himself standing in a dark room. The only thing
visible was a giant bed, and on it was Fai, sobbing heartbrokenly. The boy was
naked and he was bleeding, his body broken. The horrified faerie lord could
also see traces of semen on his body.
He…he's been raped!
"Fai-kun!" he shouted, beginning to move toward him. But just as he started, he
felt a pair of arms wrap around his body. "Let me go! I have to help him!"
"It's only a vision from the past," Seishiro's voice whispered in his ear.
"There's nothing you can do about it now."
Subaru twisted in his lover's grasp, turning to face him. "Seishiro? I don't
understand. Who…hurt Fai?"
"Don't you know?" Seishiro asked, still smiling coldly. "It was me."
Subaru felt his insides go cold as he shook his head in denial. "No. No, it
can't be. You swore to me you'd given up that life."
"My dear Subaru, don't you know that it's quite impossible for me to 'give up'
that life? Do you know what I am?"
Subaru shook his head, attempting to struggle free. He easily admitted to
himself that he was scared. Something wasn't right here, but he could never
hope to free himself - not from Seishiro's grasp. The Dark Prince leaned down
close to him, pressing his lips right up against his ear.
"I am the Sakurazukamori."
"No!" Subaru shouted. "No! You can't be! It's impossible. That power was sealed
away three thousand years ago!"
"Don't quote our history to me, Subaru. I can be the Sakurazukamori and I am.
It was my awakening that truly began the Last War."
"But…if you are…really…how can you love me?"
Seishiro just continued to smile that same icy smile. "I really can't."
The young faerie lord felt as if he'd been stabbed through the heart with a
spear of ice. He went limp in Seishiro's arms as the Dark Prince continued to
talk.
"It has been three hundred years since you and I met again."
"Again?" he repeated weakly.
"Yes. You and I met for the first time nearly a thousand years ago…when you
were still a small child."
"Why don't I…remember?"
"It's simple. It's because I erased your memory. Do you want to see it, Subaru?
Do you want to know about the bet we made? What is the real reason for you
becoming master of your clan instead of your brother?"
He was running…running very fast through Celes. Why was he running? Because he
was afraid. Why? Was he being chased? No. He was lost. He couldn't find his
mother or his brother.
Finally, he collapsed beside the banks of the Hana River, crying as if his
heart were broken. He was tired and hungry and he had no idea where he was.
"Mama! Brother!" he cried out helplessly. "Where are you? Please! Come find
me!"
"Are you lost?"
Subaru sat up when he heard the voice, glancing around, seeking its source. It
wasn't his family. Who was it?
"Are you lost?" This time, when the question was posed, a figure stepped out of
the trees. He was clothed all in black and he was smiling amiably. The five-
year-old nodded in response to the question, attempting to wipe the tears from
his eyes. He shouldn't be crying in front of this man.
"I can't find my mother or my brother. I'm scared!"
"Would you like to go home?" the man asked as he lifted the trembling boy into
his arms. Again, Subaru just nodded, clinging tightly to the man.
"All right then. First let's dry those tears." With that, the stranger carried
him toward the river. Kneeling down beside the flowing water, he dipped his
hand into it, bringing his cupped palm up filled with water. With an
encouraging nod, he pressed his hand to the boy's lips and Subaru drank,
already feeling better as the cool water slid down his throat. Then the man wet
his fingers and washed the salty tracks from Subaru's face.
"Are you hungry, little one?"
"Yes, sir."
With a wave of the stranger's hand, an apple appeared in the boy's small hands.
He smiled and gratefully began to munch on the juicy fruit. When he'd finished
the offering, he licked his fingers to catch any sticky juice still lingering
on them. He smiled again, hugging the man in gratitude.
"Feel better?" he asked as he set Subaru on his feet once again.
"Yes. Thank you, sir." He liked this man. He had a nice smile. The stranger
continued to smile as he knelt beside him, coming down to his level.
"Your mother and brother are close now. They're very worried about you."
"Really?" the boy asked excitedly.
"Yes. What's your name, little one?"
"It's Subaru Shiro."
"Mine is Seishiro Reed. Do you like me, Subaru?"
The boy nodded. "Yes, Seishiro."
"Then I'll make a bet with you. If you and I should ever meet again, let us
live together until a new sovereign comes to rule over Faerie. Would you like
that?"
Subaru nodded.
"My heart is the direct inverse of yours. You are kind, pure, and honest…and
I'm sure that is how you will continue to grow up. Your heart will remain pure.
So, if we should ever meet again, I will try my hardest to learn to love you.
For however long we'll have…and after that time, if I can consider you
special…you will have won, and I will not kill you."
Subaru's eyes widened. K-kill him?
"But if I decide that I cannot consider you special to me…then…I will kill you.
So today…I will let you go. But so that I may recognize you when we meet again,
I will carve a symbol into you…a symbol to show that you are the prey of the
Sakurazukamori."
"S-Seishiro…I don't understand," the boy whispered as Seishiro took his hands
in his. The next sound to fill the air was the pained scream of a child. Vines
erupted straight out of Seishiro's back and seized Subaru's arms, digging into
his flesh. He sobbed in pain as the Sakurazukamori marked him for all eternity.
When the carving was finished, the child fainted. The experience had been too
much. Seishiro caught him before he hit the ground and cradled him close to his
chest.
"You intrigue me, Subaru Shiro," he crooned to the boy, rocking him as blood
dribbled down his small body.
"SUBARU? WHERE ARE YOU?" a voice suddenly sounded not far away. Seishiro
smirked.
"They should have kept a better eye on you, little one. You belong to me now.
But…until next we meet…keep this with you," he said softly as he pressed his
lips to the child's forehead. Then he laid him down beside the river and
vanished.
No sooner had Seishiro vanished from sight than Kamui came bursting through the
trees. His eyes widened in horror when he saw his little brother lying on the
riverbank, helpless and bleeding.
"MOTHER! I FOUND HIM!" he screamed as he raced forward. He knelt beside his
baby brother and gently lifted his tiny body into his arms. "Subaru? Little
brother? Please! Please wake up! Please be all right!"
Tohru Shiro gasped in shock when she entered the clearing moments behind her
eldest son. "My baby!" she cried out as she, too, raced forward, collapsing to
her knees before her sons.
"M-Mother?" Kamui whispered as he examined his brother's arms. "What are
these?"
The bleeding had stopped. He was healed already, but scars still remained on
the skin. Tohru slowly began to clean the blood from her child, trying to make
out the marks on his forearms. When she could at last see them, her eyes
widened in horror. No! It couldn't be! Not here! Not on her child! It was
impossible!
The scars on Subaru's arms looked exactly like the clinging branches of a
sakura tree. The mark of-
"Sakurazukamori."
"What? Mother, are you sure? That…thatcan'tbe…can it?"
"Kamui," Tohru murmured softly as she lifted her youngest into her own arms.
"No one can ever know about this. No one! Do you understand me?"
Kamui nodded, standing and helping his mother to her feet. He still didn't
fully comprehend what was happening, but he would do anything to protect Subaru
- as he had failed to do today.
"Oh, God," Subaru whispered. "This…this can't be happening."
"Oh, but it can. I will prove it to you." As he spoke, Seishiro grabbed
Subaru's arms and the cloth of his tunic began to melt away. "Dear Subaru, did
you know that you've worn a very tight shield of glamour ever since you were
five years old? It's true. You and I have never truly seen each other naked.
Your mother wove it around my marks while you were still passed out that day.
And the former Shiro Master was apparently very good at what she did if you
never even felt it. But I knew…when I saw you walking in Celes seven hundred
years later…even through such a tightly woven spell…I knew you. I knew you were
mine. That is why your mother gave her title to you instead of Kamui. They both
hoped he'd be able to protect you from me…even though they hadn't the faintest
inkling of my true identity. Though I was amazed to find out who you truly were
upon beginning a relationship with you. I had no knowledge of your heritage
when I found you that day. Your position just made it easier to carry on with
you without arousing my mother's suspicions. Don't misunderstand me, Subaru,
all of the information you passed to me was exceedingly helpful, but the
reasons for our affair were purely selfish on my part. I wanted to see who
would win…if you could change me."
"But I…I must have," Subaru attempted to argue, even as the scars from the
memory became visible on his arms. "If…if you're really the Sakurazukamori…and
you really have no heart, then…how can you love me? If you don't care for
me…why does your skin glow when you make love to me?"
"Ah, yes. That. Well, I have a theory about that. I was not always possessed of
the Sakurazukamori. I imagine that, were I still in possession of my proper
self, you and I would indeed be soul mates. I think that I could have loved
you…but I cannot feel anything. For the longest time now, I haven't been able
to distinguish between people and things."
Subaru didn't speak. He couldn't. His face was wet with sorrow and the words
would not come. They could not get past the lump in his throat, the pain in his
chest as his heart shattered. All this time…he had been used…lied to.
"For instance," Seishiro continued, pressing a brief kiss to the scarring on
Subaru's right arm - before snapping it cleanly in half. The Dark Prince
continued as his betrayed lover cried out in pain. "To break your arm like
this…or to break a glass cup? Where is the difference?" With that, he tossed
the younger faerie to the ground. Subaru could only lay where he'd been thrown,
crying silently as his arm healed.
"If you and I ever did meet again, I would consider you special and continue to
say that I loved you, and if I did fall in love with you, I would take the
appropriate actions. I would look only at you…protect only you. If you did
become special to me, even just slightly…if I could come to think of you as
more than just an object…then I would not kill you. But it appears to have been
all for naught because…seeing you suffer like this…I feel nothing," he said
softly, giving Subaru a swift kick in the stomach. The young faerie heard and
felt his ribs shatter under the impact. Seishiro continued to kick him around,
breaking a new bone with every harsh blow…and breaking Subaru's fragile heart a
little more each time. "To me, this is no different from kicking a pebble
across the road. It appears I have won this bet…so I will kill you now."
Subaru suddenly felt a great swell of dark magic in the air around him. He
turned his head as best as he was able and found that an ancient sakura tree
had sprouted up behind them. He could feel rage and pain welling up from the
very core of the creature. That was the only way to describe this apparition.
It was no ordinary tree; it was a sentient thing…a thing that lusted blindly
after other living things…lusted for blood. Subaru did not even cry out when
the branches of the tree reached out for him and seized his body, pulling him
into the tree itself…trapping him…claiming him.
"This is what I really am, Subaru. Do you feel it? The power that lives inside
of me? The sakura claimed me so thoroughly…that my true self was somehow lost
along the way. You have never known Prince Seishiro Reed. I am only the
Sakurazukamori."
As Seishiro moved toward him, the cloth of his own tunic melted away and Subaru
could see scars similar to the ones on his arms on Seishiro's. Only the marks
did not merely cover his forearms; they extended up his upper arms, and when he
turned his back to the younger faerie, a complete sakura tree was revealed,
carved into the flesh of the Dark Prince's back. As he turned to face him once
more and the glamour continued to melt off of his body, the branches of the
sakura extended slightly around his chest and neck.
"Why don't you fight back?" Seishiro queried, looking slightly perplexed. "If
you were to seriously resist, I'm sure you could break free of my spell."
"Sei…shi…ro…" Subaru whispered brokenly.
"Why do you…look so sad? Are you really so hurt that I've betrayed you? Things
like this happen everyday. You shouldn't take it personally. I don't hate you,
Subaru. But then…I don't love you either. You're just an object…and despite
prolonged contact with your pure heart…in the end…I haven't changed at all. All
of the people the Sakurazukamori has killed…they are waiting for you to join
them." Seishiro reached a hand forward and traced it in the air right beside
Subaru's cheek. "There is nothing standing between the two of us anymore. No
glamour, no shields, no protection, no control…no nothing. When my skin touches
yours…you will die. Goodbye…Subaru Shiro."
Subaru made no move to resist as Seishiro leaned forward to kiss him his last
goodnight. He did not care anymore. Caring was far too painful. He was ready to
die. Death would bring an end to this terrible pain.
Seishiro…please! Please! Even if you…don't care for me at all…take away my
pain. Make this horrible truth end. Set me free!
"I…love…you."
"NOO!!" Yuui's voice suddenly screamed. "Don't kill Subaru-san!"
As the princess' voice split the air, the illusion began to shatter all around
them. As the sakura vanished and Subaru fell, he heard Seishiro's voice
somewhere above him.
"It seems you have broken my illusion. To have broken the spell of the
Sakurazukamori…you must have paid dearly…Kamui."
No more than a moment had passed in real time. The moment Doumeki had spoken of
Seishiro's Hand of Illusion, Yuui had screamed, immediately remembering Fai
beneath him, bleeding and screaming. The next moment, Subaru and Seishiro were
before them once more. Seishiro was standing casually beside his mother and
Subaru was lying on his back, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Kamui was
crumpled on the floor beside his brother, blood spilling from the numerous
slash wounds on his body. Weakly, he reached a trembling hand out to his
brother.
"Su…ba…ru…" he whispered.
"KAMUI!" Fuuma cried out, instantly snapping into motion.
"No! Don't move!" Watanuki ordered frantically, but Fuuma was already kneeling
by his side, gathering his shredded body into his arms. Kamui cried out, still
trying to reach for his brother.
"No…Su…ba…ru…"
"Kamui, be still," Fuuma pleaded with him. "You've done enough. You'll only
hurt yourself more."
"Fool. You should have left him to me," Seishiro berated.
"He's…my…brother…"
"How could you do this?" Fuuma demanded.
"You knew this would happen," Seishiro shot back.
Fuuma swallowed painfully. He had known…of course he had known. Like Clow, he
had hoped…but it now seemed that he had hoped in vain. Fai was gone, Yuui and
Kurogane were breaking, and the Shiro brothers had been destroyed.
Kamui, I'm sorry. This is my doing.
"You know, Kaa-san, I can't help but feel that we're forgetting something," the
Dark Prince commented casually as he took Fai back.
"I believe you're right. Yue!" The Dark Queen called out in a voice like
thunder. "Guardian of Faerie, advocate of the moon, heed my cry! Come here to
me!"
At the sound of her voice, the chains that had bound the Goddess' advocate for
so many lifetimes of men broke. In moments, the moon guardian was standing
among them, blinking his eyes, painfully unused to the light.
"Yue!" Kero cried out in shock.
"Kero?" the white-haired guardian murmured, his voice slightly hoarse from
disuse.
However, there wasn't any time for a reunion. No sooner had the two guardians
exchanged shock, than Seishiro turned his eyes on Yuui, whom, though she was
afraid for Subaru, had not left her guardian's position in front of Tomoyo.
"Princess Yuui Fluorite," Seishiro began formally. "As the son of the former
king, Clow Reed, I, Prince Seishiro Reed, contest the choice of the God's
advocate. I challenge your right to be queen."
"Well, Yue? Tell us. Who is worthy to be the next master of Faerie?" Yuuko
asked, sneering wickedly.
"I told you," Yue started bitterly. "I will never choose the prince."
"Judge them!" Yuuko ordered harshly. "The choice is not yours. It is only given
to you to know who is worthy."
Yue just shook his head, calling on the power of the Goddess that was in him.
He was fairly certain he already knew the outcome. Seishiro's black heart stood
no chance against Yuui's pure light.
But then, the moon guardian saw something he had not expected.
No!
"It…it can't be!" he whispered in shock, taking a step back.
"What is it, Yue?" Kero asked.
The mark of worth - of the God and Goddess' favor to rule over Faerie - was not
a light, as some might imagine. It was not the light of divinity. Many bore the
marks of a true ruler, but the sign of one who had the strength and the heart
to rule Faerie…that was a mark only Yue had the eyes to see. It was something
that could only be seen in the eyes - the window to the holder's soul. It was a
knowing, a willingness to give everything, a readiness. It was there, even if
the bearers themselves were unaware of it, and Yue saw this truth in both of
their eyes.
"They…are both worthy candidates…to ascend to the throne of Faerie."
"I knew it," Seishiro said smugly.
"That…that can't be," Kero said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Seishiro does
not exist anymore. The Sakurazukamori cannot possibly be worthy to rule
Faerie!"
"It doesn't matter!" Fuuma insisted. "Yuui-sama is four months gone with child.
There is no way Seishiro could get a child on a woman in time!"
"There is, what do they say, more than one way to skin a cat?" Seishiro
wondered aloud, casting his eyes on Yuui's swollen belly. Noticing the gaze,
rage and fear rose in Yuui's eyes.
"Seishiro, I'm warning you, if you dare to harm my child, I'll-"
"You'll what? What do you think you can do against me?" Seishiro asked with a
sneer. "You can't even save your own brother. You couldn't save him two years
ago and you can't save him now. At sunrise…it begins."
Then Seishiro vanished into thin air, taking Fai with him.
For a moment, it did not sink in. But then…
"FAI! NOO!" Kurogane screamed. In a blind rage, he rushed at Yuuko, ready to
slice her to pieces. But as Sohi swept down to cleave the Dark Queen in two,
the sword met with an impenetrable barrier. The blade shattered on impact.
Casting the broken hilt aside, Kurogane lunged forward again, reaching for
Yuuko's neck with grasping, desperate fingers. But Yuuko attacked swiftly and
calmly, bashing the maddened prince over the head with her staff. He fell to
the floor, senseless, slicing his arms open on the broken shards of his sword.
Again! Again! I lost him again !
"What could you possibly hope to gain by attacking me, Kurogane? Your weak
flesh cannot stand against me. The symbol of the warrior in you broke in the
face of my power. You are nothing, little prince."
"You took my father away from me! You took my mother away from me! You took Fai
away from me! Give him back to me! I WON'T LET YOU HAVE HIM!"
"If you want your sweet koibito back, then you must come and take him from me.
Until then, your dear Fai will remain my prisoner…and a prisoner of his own
mind. I challenge you to come and face me. But first…you will have to rescue
your precious sister."
Just as Yuuko finished speaking, she vanished, and Kurogane heard Tomoyo scream
and Yuui cry out in rage. He lifted his head weakly and saw Kyle holding his
sister and Yuui holding a blazing ball of energy in her hands, ready to
incinerate Kyle.
"LET HER GO, YOU MONSTER!"
"Ah, ah, ah, ah! Make one move and I wring her precious neck," Kyle warned as
he dragged Tomoyo away from Yuui and toward Kurogane. None of the other faeries
dared to move. When Kyle reached the fallen prince, Kurogane felt a tingling
something shoot through his body and he was instantly lifted up into the air,
face to face with Kyle.
"Clearly such a weak boy is unfit to rule the great empire of Nihon," Kyle
hissed in his face, spitting on him. "Prince Kurogane Youou, as Empress
Amaterasu's royal consort and as future emperor, I hereby declare you unfit to
inherit the throne and strip you of your titles in perpetuity. From this day
forward, I shall take the title of Emperor of Nihon in full. My first act as
emperor is to dissolve the alliance between Nihon and Valeria. King Syaoran,
Queen Sakura…when the sun rises in the morning…we are at war. And you," he
continued venomously, turning his attention back to Kurogane. "For allying
yourself with Nihon's enemies, you are banished forthwith from the Nihon
Empire…under pain of death. But I believe I'll be taking our princess back with
me. It's not too late for her."
"NO!" Yuui shouted.
"Poor Tera's so frail. I don't believe she'll survive the birth of our son.
When she passes on, I shall be in need of a consort. Tomoyo-hime will suit me
perfectly. She is strong in magic and her body is young and strong. Being with
a faerie as powerful as I am will only make her stronger and more beautiful.
She will service me well…and bear me many sons."
With a last mighty cry of rage, Kurogane lunged for Kyle, but Nihon's new
emperor reacted much too quickly for him. He felt his left arm break and
something sharp puncture his lung as his body crashed through the wall. The
last thing he heard as he plummeted from the tower to the ground below was
Tomoyo screaming for help.
"YUUI! NII-SAMA!"
I failed. I failed them both, he thought weakly as his body fell - down, down,
down, slicing cleanly through the air toward the crushing ground. He was almost
ready to welcome the painful shattering of his body. But then he heard a voice,
screaming his name.
"KUROGANE!"
Then he felt a pair of arms wrap around him - just before they both smashed
into the ground.
But his life did not end. It was not over.
For a long moment, all was panic and chaos. They had crashed right into the
middle of the happy pre-wedding partygoers, smashing a tent. Guests scattered
around them, screaming in terror and confusion. He was lying on top of his
rescuer. It was she who had saved him from the crushing devastation of his fall
from the tower.
"Why…did you save me?" he asked Yuui as blood dribbled from his mouth.
"Because you're my friend, Kurogane-kun," she whispered, her body already
beginning to recover from being smashed into the ground. "And you're the only
one who can save him. I won't let you two give up now."
Then Yuui wrapped her arms around him again and the two of them were back in
the tower. Subaru was catatonic and Kamui was out of commission, with Fuuma
devoted completely to him. Yue had collapsed from the strain of the judgment
and Kero was tending to his fallen friend. Larg was attempting to rouse the
unconscious Soel and the three guardians had gathered at the demolished wall,
awaiting Yuui's return with baited breath. Himawari was sobbing openly, a few
tears leaked from Watanuki's eyes, and Doumeki actually looked pained. Sakura
cried out at the sight of her daughter and the prince, but Yuui was already
fairly well healed. She climbed shakily to her knees and reached for the wooden
spike that had pierced Kurogane's lung, pulling it free of his chest with a
sickening slurping sound. Then she immediately placed her hands on the wound as
it gushed blood. Kurogane cried out weakly as the princess' hands began to
glow, healing his injuries, closing his wounds as if they had never been. She
healed his body easily…but the pain in his heart was not so easily diminished.
When he regained full control of his body, he reached up and grasped her wrists
in his hands.
"They…they're gone. We failed them."
Yuui nodded sadly, but then a hard, determined expression took up residence on
her face. "We're going to get them back, Kurogane-kun. They're not leaving us.
Not now!" she insisted, pulling the prince into her arms. He did not return the
hug. He just stared emptily at the bed where his love had once lain.
When Yuui realized that Kurogane would need more help than she could give him
right now, she released him, almost wincing at the pain she felt inside of him.
Everything lay in ruins and both she and Tomoyo had failed to see it coming.
"Yuui-sama?" She was suddenly drawn from her own inner turmoil by the sound of
Fuuma's voice. "They say that…you possess a Hand of Healing."
"That's true," she said softly.
"Would…could you…heal him?" he whispered, nodding down at the broken fey
captain in his arms. His body had been shredded by dark magic. It was not
something that was easy to heal…unless you had a talent for it. Yuui nodded as
she moved toward them. She had seen what was between them and she would be
damned if she let yet another pair of lovers be separated today. She placed her
hands over Kamui's heart and they began to glow once more, working her magic.
Slowly, but surely, his body began to knit itself back together under the warm
glow of her power. When Kamui was whole again, his eyes fluttered open and he
gazed up at Yuui.
"P-princess?" he whispered, still a little dazed.
"It's all right, Kamui-san. Subaru-san is…okay," she said, glancing toward the
stricken faerie lord. Kamui instantly disliked the hesitation in her voice and
was out of Fuuma's arms and by Subaru's side.
Subaru gave no indication that he noticed his brother, but when Kamui was with
him, he began to speak.
"Brother? Is…what he said…true?" the younger faerie whispered.
Kamui gazed sadly down at the scars on his brother's arms…the telling marks
that had been hidden for so many centuries. The sakura branches were the symbol
of his failure to protect Subaru.
How could I have not known? How could I have not known that Seishiro was the
Sakurazukamori? The one who would claim Subaru and drag him down in death!
"Yes," Kamui said heavily. He had no idea exactly what Seishiro had said, but
there was no reason to think that it was anything but the truth of what
happened a thousand years ago. That alone was enough to break his poor brother.
Tears began to leak from his eyes as he pulled Subaru into his arms. "Subaru,
I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Subaru did not react. He just lay in his brother's arms, tears flowing silently
down his face.
"Kamui…I…loved…him."
"I'm sorry!"
"Yuui…chan?"
The newly anointed princess was drawn away from the horrifying scene by the
sound of the queen's hesitant voice. Slowly, her gaze slid to the figures of
the king and the queen…her mother and father. She remained silent as Sakura
rose and moved toward her.
Sakura hadn't been injured by the throw, just dazed. She hadn't quite managed
to accept that her son was gone. She was clinging desperately to the slender,
fragile thread of her sanity. The young woman standing before her was that
thread - the daughter of her heart, soul, and body - Yuui.
"You are…my mother," she said softly, her gaze moving down to her feet. She
couldn't bear to see the fragile hope in this woman's eyes. She knew she wasn't
ready to satisfy Sakura's prayers yet. She had lived her whole life believing
herself to be an orphan. Himawari was mother to her. Queen Sakura Fluorite was
a stranger to her. She was not her mother. She wasn't ready for her to be her
mother.
Warning bells sounded in Sakura's head when she saw her daughter's eyes shift
away from her, but she kept moving forward anyway. She needed to touch her, to
hold her in her arms, to know that she was real and not some cruel dream that
had haunted her for eighteen years. The queen breathed a sigh of relief as she
took Yuui in her arms.
My child. My baby. You are my daughter…my Yuui.
She wanted to comfort Sakura…she really did, but Yuui could not make herself
return the embrace. She felt no connection to this woman. She had been
irrevocably severed from her at the moment of her birth. It is a strange, sad
thing to look into the eyes of your mother and not feel that she is your
mother.
Sakura felt another arrow shot through her heart when Yuui did not react to her
in any way. When Yuui only stood stiffly in her embrace, she clung tighter,
praying, needing for her child to feel something. The tears were coming again.
She could feel them. She had tried so hard to steel herself for this moment.
She had told herself over and over again that there would be no joyful family
reunion. But it seemed that all of her conditioning, all her years of telling
herself not to expect anything from her children, had been in vain. This moment
was still unbearably painful.
When Sakura finally released the stoic girl, her blue eyes spoke the words that
she could not.
I'm sorry. Not yet. I'm not ready to be your daughter. It's all too much. I
know too much. I've lost too much today.
Sakura nodded her understanding as hot tears spilled down her face. First
Fai…kidnapped. Now Yuui…a complete stranger to her.
That was when she noticed the swell of her child's belly. She had known her
baby girl all of ten minutes and she was already expecting a child of her own?
How was that possible if Princess Tomoyo was her lover? Slowly, she reached out
a hand and pressed it to Yuui's swelling stomach.
"H-how…when did you-"
"It's a long story."
"Then…why did you jump from the tower?" Sakura asked worriedly. "One of the
others could have helped him."
"Honestly, Your Highness, I would say that Yuui-chan was in more danger from
that fall than the baby," Watanuki began to explain. "That child is at least
three-quarters fey. It could survive a mere fall. At this point, I'd be more
worried about Yuui-chan."
Syaoran instantly picked up on the worry in the faerie's voice. It was not just
the concern of a father for his daughter.
It was the concern that life would fade…change, inexorably and unalterably,
into death.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"There is much to tell, Highnesses, and I'm sorry, but the princess must come
to Faerie. It is vital to the survival of our people," Kero said solemnly.
"No! Please!" Sakura protested, reaching for Yuui's hand. "I don't…want to be
separated from her again."
Yuui allowed the contact, neither rejecting nor accepting it. She almost hated
herself for it, but she found herself thinking that she could use the fact that
Faerie had need of her for her own ends.
It's only fair. If they want to use me, they should let me use them.
"I'll go to Faerie with you," she finally relented. "But Queen Sakura and
Kurogane-kun will come, too…and I'm not agreeing to anything until Tomoyo is
safe."
"Of course, Yuui-sama," Fuuma responded, glancing toward the catatonic prince,
who still hadn't moved from the spot where he sat. "I think Faerie would be the
only safe place for you and the prince right now. The queen may come and have
her questions answered."
"I'll remain here. If Nihon really means to attack, Touya and I must ready our
defenses. Can we count on any help from Faerie? We are up against the full
force of Nihon and the Dark Court, after all," Syaoran said, turning his eyes
to Clow's former vizier. He knew that Clow was dead, but this was a force that
Valeria simply wasn't strong enough to handle on its own.
"Insofar as we are able, we will aid you, Majesty, but you must understand that
Faerie is in chaos right now, and will remain so until a new sovereign sits on
the throne. When we return, we will gather the clan masters and come up with a
battle plan."
"Valeria will never be completely alone. My uncle made plans for this day.
Looking back on it…I think he knew he was going to be killed," Fuuma said
sadly.
How much…did he really know?
As the others continued to make plans concerning their futures, Yuui moved
swiftly and silently back toward her future brother-in-law. The emptiness of
his gaze struck her every time she looked at him. She could hardly fathom his
pain. At least she knew that Tomoyo was alive and would be kept somewhat
healthy for the time being. Kurogane had had to endure the horror of seeing Fai
pale and lifeless, laid out like a corpse waiting to be buried. The sight had
caused something inside of him to snap.
She did not think she had ever truly seen Kurogane in shock…at least, not
without the help of a spell. He had reacted badly to the news of Fai's rape,
but nothing like this. He looked as if he'd been charmed into some kind of
trance. He sat upright, staring at the far wall as if it weren't even there.
His hands rested in his lap, clenching and unclenching, almost trembling.
Occasionally, his lips would move, silently forming four syllables.
Fai…Tomoyo…
With the patience of the Goddess Herself in her, Yuui knelt before him and took
his shaking wrists in her hands, looking him directly in the eyes.
"Kurogane-kun…look at me. Come back," she commanded, softly but still firmly.
The prince blinked rapidly as his eyes focused on her…almost as if he didn't
understand where she had come from or why she had suddenly appeared in his line
of sight. "You need to get up and come with me."
"Where are we going?" he asked, his voice taking on an almost child-like
quality. Had he really not heard any of the conversation?
"Some place safe," she explained comfortingly. "A place where we can regroup,
maybe get you a new sword, and find a way to save Fai and Tomoyo."
"Fai?" he repeated, something like hope briefly sparkling in his eyes.
"Yes, Fai," she said, noticing the name seemed to give him some small measure
of comfort, a firm link with reality. "We're going to get him back."
"Fai," he repeated once more, allowing Yuui to help him stand. As she led him
toward the group, he continued to repeat the name like a charm.
Fai…Fai…Fai…
While Yuui was relieved to at least see Kurogane moving and responding, a small
part of her was terrified to see him taking Fai's loss so hard. How far would
he fall before he could stand again? Madness was a very deep hole to slowly
sink into. What would it take to snap him back to reality? She could clearly
see that he was nothing without her brother. Without Fai, there was no
Kurogane. However…
…without Kurogane, there was no Fai, either.
                                      XxX
The Dark Court lay far to the north, up past warmth and sunlight, where the
ground was always frozen. It was hidden deep within the Shirahime Mountains,
far beyond the northern borders of Nihon.
When Yuuko and Seishiro had first been banished from Faerie, many had expected
them and those who followed them to die. It was hard to be severed from the
wild magic that was at the core of Faerie. Many believed that it would bring
death to be permanently separated from it. But no such thing happened to the
dark throng. So great was the rage in Yuuko's heart, that she formed a new dark
core from her own magic. The new court grew up around her - a new Faerie…a dark
Faerie.
Now the darkness at the court's heart was stirring. It knew that something was
happening. As the Dark Prince brought the prince of light among them, the
children of the night began to rejoice. The promised day was at hand. The
darkness swelled with hunger and forbidden, passionate desire as it opened its
arms to receive Fai into its heart for all eternity. The dark heart of Yuuko's
realm lusted after Fai's purity blindly and without mercy. Its desire was so
vile, so lurid, it would have made the most dirty, amoral harlot feel unclean.
The darkness would gorge itself on Fai's milky skin, his lithe limbs, and his
beautiful, white soul. It would relish every beautiful scream it could tear
from his slender throat. It would hold him down and take everything away from
him, make that fragile light suffer. It would plunge deep inside him and claim
him for its very own. Yes…the darkness smiled to itself. It would rape the
defenseless boy a thousand times more painfully and thoroughly than Seishiro
ever could. It would ravish his body and violate his mind…destroy his soul and
remake it in its own image. That would be the most exquisite part of the rape
of Prince Fai Fluorite. The darkness would only defile him at first. The rape
would slowly transform into seduction. As time went by, Fai would beg for
darkness to take him, to lie with him, to enter him and fill him until he could
endure no more, to make disgusting, forbidden love to him. It would make Fai
long for its cold touch, make him sigh and gasp in desire as it pulled him
further and further away from the light. His own pure light would slowly fade
away into nothingness. It would remake him into a child of the night and he
would become one of its many lovers. To defile the prince of light and make him
lust for it…that would be the darkness' ultimate victory…to snare Fai's beauty
and twist it into something evil.
The prince of light would perish. He would die in the lustful embrace of the
dark power. The kingdoms of men would fall…and the world would come to
darkness. This was how it was always going to happen.
"Why here, Mother?" Seishiro asked Yuuko as he laid Fai down. Yuuko had
prepared a coffin made out of glass, crystal, and obsidian for the young prince
in the very darkest depths of her realm…the place where its dark core resided.
"Because there is no better place to imprison this little wretch than in a
vortex of dark energy. When his precious prince finally does come for him, he
will be able to see him perfectly, locked in this cage of glass and buried in
this dark heart…but he will never be able to reach him…not without destroying
himself in the process. There is nothing anyone can do anymore. The prince is
mine…and his sister will soon lie beside him in her very own glass cage."
Inside the coffin, Fai was laid out on bedding made of black silk…and if
Yuuko's words proved to be true, then he would conceivably lie there for all
eternity. Yuuko had also decided that a change of clothes was in order and had
transformed the beautiful blue clothes that Himawari had made into burial
clothes the color of night. Smiling wickedly to herself, Yuuko leaned down over
him and arranged his hands over the right side of his chest in the fashion of
the Valerian people when they prepared their dead for burial. Then she waved a
hand and a bouquet of dead roses appeared in his clasped hands. An excellent
touch.
"Good night, sweet prince," she whispered in his ear before pressing a cold
kiss to his cheek. "May you have a thousand harrowing nightmares." Then the
Dark Queen waved her hand once more and a lid was called into existence,
sealing the coffin completely. Fai was perfectly visible, but there was no way
to penetrate the casket. The only thing that could enter and leave at will was
the darkness that held him captive. Darkness was the only one who would lie
with Fai from this day forward. No one would ever be able to disturb his
eternal slumber.
As Yuuko was turning around to leave, closing the door on this part of her
past, she suddenly heard Seishiro calling to her.
"Mother? Are you certain you want to leave that with him?"
Yuuko glanced in the direction he pointed and noticed that Fai's moon pendant
was still resting on his chest. The charm and its twin had been made by Clow.
She knew that much. If Clow had still been alive, it might have been a problem,
but he wasn't. What could Clow possibly do from beyond the grave?
"Leave it be. Clow can't do anything anymore. It's nothing more than a dried up
piece of junk." Then she was gone.
Seishiro glanced down at Fai one more time before leaving, smiling lasciviously
as he did so.
"Goodnight, Fai-kun. I'll look forward to being with you again…when you dream
of me tonight."
Then he, too, was gone…and Fai was alone…alone in the darkness.
He was naked in the dark. He could feel…hands on his body.
No! Not again!
"Come to me."
"No. No…please, no. Leave me alone. I don't want this."
"Have you ever been raped, Fai?"
Tears spilled down his face as he nodded. "Please…I don't want…to go through
that again."
The hands traveled lower. "I'm going to take you."
"NOOO!"
Kuro-koi…I'm scared. Please come find me. I need you!
***** I Walked With You *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
The wedding is beautiful. It's the most lavish affair any of the kingdoms have
seen in many years. Both of their families come together in peace to wish the
young couple a happy future. Kurogane will be emperor and Fai will be his
consort and high priest. Yuui's daughter will follow them to the throne. There
are no complications. After so much darkness, the future is finally bright.
The wedding night is even more wonderful. They bathe together and servants
bring them the choicest delicacies to feast upon. Then they make the sweetest,
most passionate love they've ever made. All of Fai's dreams have finally come
true. At long last, he belongs only to Kurogane…and no one can ever separate
them again.
"It's just you and me now," his dark-haired husband whispers in his ear as he
gently caresses his cheek. "Together forever."
"I love you, Kuro-rin," he whispers back to him, stealing one last kiss before
drifting off to sleep. He can't be more content. They have a lifetime before
them to revel in their joy and passion for one another. They have an eternity
to love each other.
However, with that last kiss, the dream is already at an end…and a new and
terrible nightmare is only just beginning.
First, there's the sound of someone screaming. Something terrible must have
happened to that poor soul , Fai thinks, trying to turn away from the keening,
shrieking, shrilling cry, too dreadful for the real world - the noise of a
nightmare.
The wild, terrified scream comes from a great distance, but its distress is so
insistent and disturbing that Fai cannot push it aside, and seeks to awaken
from his heavy sleep and escape the cries. They grow more and more frightening
until he realizes that his eyes are open and that the tormented soul he pities
is not dreamed or even distant. The screams are his own; the unearthly sound is
coming from his twisted mouth.
He is covered in blood. His arms are coated with the thick, warm blood that
runs from Kurogane's throat and courses like a river down the futon and onto
the floor. His blood coats Fai's cheeks and stings his eyes and salts his lips.
His blood soaks through the blankets and burns Fai's chest, streaming down his
legs, coating his toes. He is drowning in his lover's blood. He is screaming
loud enough to summon the dead, and yet no one seems to hear. No guards burst
through the door. No servants rush in. It seems that he is the last person
alive in the world.
He hears no footsteps and has no warning before strong arms seize him, prying
him loose from his beloved. They carry him off the futon trailing blood,
screaming into the blackness of the night. He does not see who it is who lifts
him, stops his mouth, and trusses him hand and foot like a sacrifice.
"He is not for you," Seishiro's voice whispers spitefully in his ear. "He was
never for you. You were his doom. All of Nihon will pay for your mistakes."
But Fai knows nothing of the murder the Dark Prince will wreak. He knows only
that he wants to die. Nothing but death can stop his horror. Nothing but death
can give him peace from the vision of Kurogane slashed, bleeding, dead in his
startled sleep. As he's dragged away from the city, further and further away
from Kurogane, he screams in silence.
Oh, God! Oh, Goddess! Oh, Kurogane ! Why do I still live?
                                      XxX
"Friends, fellow lords, we have summoned all of you here tonight because Faerie
is facing an unparalleled crisis," Fuuma announced, calling the room to
attention. The two guardians, the four generals, and the ten faerie lords all
possessed a very strong connection to the ruler. They had all felt Clow Reed's
death deep within themselves. Formal summons had been sent to all of the lords
not present in the capital at the time, but they had all started to make for
the sithen the moment they felt the king's death.
"Why do you begin the council when we are not all present?" Lady Sai, master of
the Jounouchi clan, asked. She was the youngest of them, only three hundred
years old, quite young by fey standards, but she was wise and powerful; so upon
her mother's death, she had been named as clan master.
"In the presence of humans, no less," Lady Karura, master of the Garuda clan,
added snidely, indicating Sakura and Yuui, who stood just behind Fuuma, flanked
by the three guardians and Larg.
"Lord Subaru is…indisposed at the moment. His brother will sit in on the Shiro
clan's behalf," Fuuma explained, nodding toward Kamui, who sat on his right
hand. The generals and lords all sat around a table with Fuuma at the head, as
he was the one who had called tonight's council.
"The princess and her mother have just as much right to be here as any of us,"
Kamui said in response to Karura's comment.
"King Reed failed to name a successor before he died. What are we to do? Name
Lord Fuuma king?" Lord Tenou asked. He had been named as clan master of what
remained of the Asura clan after his twin brother, Ashura, had been killed by
Seishiro.
"That isn't so," Fuuma said softly. "My uncle did name his heir."
"Who?" Lord Rasetsu asked urgently. His title was more show now than anything.
He was a lord without a clan. When his older brother, Yasha, had been killed by
Seishiro, he had briefly been lord of the Yama clan. But then Seishiro had
turned his insane rage on the surviving members of the clan. Rasetsu was the
only survivor.
Fuuma sighed heavily. He didn't want to even think about the world of pain and
turmoil he was about to drag Yuui into. She had already been through enough,
but he had no choice. Faerie needed a sovereign, or all would fall into
darkness. Besides, he was certain that Yuui was well aware of the fact that
this was the only way to save Tomoyo and her brother. She would go through with
it - even if she didn't want to.
"Princess Yuui Fluorite Reed, I name thee King Clow Reed's chosen successor. As
heir to our throne, come and take your place at this table."
Yuui moved forward to sit beside Fuuma, even through the outcry of voices.
"The princess is a child!" Eagle protested. He was Himawari's father and master
of the Kunogi clan.
"How can she possibly be eligible? Seishiro was the king's only child," Tenou
said wonderingly.
"I will not have a mortal brat as my master!" Karura declared, fury and disgust
lighting her eyes.
Yuui remained silent throughout, unmovable, unreadable. She was only barely
managing to keep her own fears silent in her head. The only thing that mattered
right now was keeping the people she loved safe. She would do what they asked
of her and they would help her rescue Tomoyo. The two of them would rouse
Kurogane from his trance, and together, they would rescue Fai.
"SILENCE!" Kamui's voice suddenly rose above all of the tumult. He slammed his
fist down on the table and turned furious eyes on Karura, whose protests were
the loudest and most ugly. "The king chose her. Keroberos has blessed her, and
if Yue has made her worthy, then who are you, Karura, to reject her?"
"I can reject her on the grounds that she is human. A mortal cannot control
Faerie. Its power will destroy her body and eat away her mind and soul. She
cannot handle it. She's not strong enough."
"She has fey blood," Fuuma countered.
"From where?" Tarta, master of the Chizeta clan, asked.
"Forty years ago, when King Fujitaka Fluorite died, my uncle lay with his
widowed queen, Nadeshiko. She walked away with a child. The current queen,
Sakura, was that child. Her children, Prince Fai and Princess Yuui, were Clow's
chosen heirs to the throne. Prince Fai was his first choice, but in the event
that he could not fulfill the role, Princess Yuui was to be next in line."
"Then what's become of Prince Fai?" Ransho asked. In addition to being the
master of earth and the lead general, he was also master of the Sol clan.
Tears began to pour silently down Sakura's face again. Himawari also began to
cry softly. Watanuki, Fuuma, and Kamui all looked defeated. Doumeki now looked
stern rather than stoic, and Yuui looked nothing if not on the edge of her
control.
"Events that Yuuko set in motion eighteen years ago have reached the crisis
point that the king predicted," Doumeki began. "Her curse has risen and taken
him from us. The princess seeks this council's aid to rescue him."
Yuui shuddered. It was strange to have Doumeki call her 'the princess'. For the
last few hours, her three guardians hadn't felt remotely like the family she
had known all her life. They treated her like they were her servants instead of
the guardians who had loved and nurtured her for eighteen years. They didn't
even look like the people she had known anymore. Ever since entering Faerie,
all three of them had been made to strip themselves of the glamour that she'd
unknowingly become familiar with. They seemed colder, more distant from her own
state of being - other. They were all three of them strangers to her now. Soel
and Larg were part of the conspiracy. She couldn't contact Souma. Fai and
Tomoyo were gone and Kurogane was well beyond her reach.
I am alone.
"Her claim is hardly a legitimate one," Touki commented.
"That doesn't matter," Ryuuki said softly, though his eyes still burned with
their usual fire. He wasn't sure why, but there was something about Yuui that
he liked. She would certainly have his loyalty. "If the king chose her and Yue
saw worth in her, then there is nothing to question. It could be that she has
enough fey blood to stamp out her mortality."
"There must be someone else," Karura continued to protest. "Fuuma, why didn't
you stand to be judged? You have every right-"
"I will not challenge Yuui-hime's claim. My uncle chose them and I will not
contest his wisdom. I refuse to be king. Besides…she has enough opposition as
it is."
"What do you mean?" Tarta asked.
"Seishiro challenged her…and he was found to be worthy."
"That cannot be!" Rasetsu insisted angrily. "He is a murderer! I will never
serve him!"
"You've nothing to fear," Fuuma attempted to calm the sudden tension. "As
things stand, Yuui-sama will be the one to wear the crown."
"But…Yuui-hime is still very young. She has no hope of matching Seishiro in
strength. What can she do against him? What does she have that he doesn't?"
Tenou asked.
This time, Fuuma remained silent. He turned to look at Yuui. This was her news
to reveal. She nodded and pulled aside her cloak, revealing the swell of her
growing child. As the council began to titter again, she placed both hands
protectively over her womb. She had lost so much already. They would not take
her baby away from her. She would die first.
I love you. I don't even know who you are and I love you more than my own life.
You are all I have right now, but you can't help me. I have to protect you , my
sweet, innocent child.
"Who fathered this child?" Sai asked, sounding slightly suspicious.
"Yes. Who is the father?" Karura latched on. "We cannot have bad blood on the
throne."
Again, Fuuma looked to Yuui. He would tell them, or not, as she chose. While no
one present could possibly challenge the baby's lineage, the child would always
carry the stigma of being the product of a sin. Now that Yuui knew the extent
of his crimes against her and the reason for them, she was free to use him and
that knowledge as she saw fit. Though he saw it differently, he saw her worth
as surely as Yue did. She would always be his queen.
Yuui nodded, giving him the okay to proceed.
"I am," he said softly, waiting calmly for the storm to fall on his bare head.
"Sin!" Karura instantly cried out.
"Fuuma! How could you?" Tenou asked in shock.
"You should never have touched her!" Tarta hissed, glancing toward Yuui in
pity.
"Quiet! All of you!" Kamui snarled, immediately leaping to Fuuma's defense.
"Fuuma did it because I asked him to. There was no one else who could have. We
did what we had to. This council could have easily torn anyone else down. There
is nothing any of you can say against Fuuma."
"All was for the best," Yuui whispered. She was no longer certain if she was
trying to convince the council or herself.
"So, Lord Monou, does being the father of Princess Yuui's child make you her
consort…her husband?" Karura asked derisively, eyeing the two with disgust.
"No. It does not. Except to say that the child was conceived with my seed, I do
not claim the princess' baby as mine. She has another parent in mind to help
raise the next heir and she will choose her own consort."
"Tomoyo-hime of Nihon will be my consort," Yuui said quietly. She had seen
their marriage. Surely that meant that Tomoyo would consent to bear this burden
by her side…the challenge and joy of raising their daughter, and now the heavy
burden of ruling Faerie.
"Ah. So that's why you want our help rescuing the Nihon princess," Karura
began, addressing Yuui for the first time. "Tell me, little princess, do you
actually want to lead Faerie?"
Yuui debated her answer a moment before actually speaking. She knew it would
not help her cause to outright say no, but could she get away with lying to
these people?
"This morning, I woke up still thinking I was just an orphaned forest brat. I
wasn't even used to being a princess before Kero-san told me that I had to be a
queen, too. Honestly, Lady Karura, I don't know what I think right now. I'm
pregnant, I'm exhausted, and I'm sad. All I want right now is to get Tomoyo and
Fai back. If I have to become your queen in order for you to help me do that,
then I will."
"We have no use for a girl who has no commitment to us, Princess," Karura
warned. "You would do well to leave Faerie far behind you."
"No," a new voice suddenly rose above the others. It was Kakei, master of the
Dorragu clan. He had remained silent up to this point, observing the
proceedings. He was the eldest of the fey, older even than Clow had been. His
memory stretched further back than even Fei Wang's reign. Now he rose from his
seat and came around the table to kneel beside Yuui. He took her hand in his,
gazing directly into her eyes. "She will remain here…and she will be
queen…because there is no one else who can."
Yuui stared back at him, meeting his gaze unblinkingly. Something in her felt
that it would somehow be blasphemous to look away, even though she knew nothing
about him. He would be loyal to her. This she could see…but in return, she
could also see that this lord would need her respect and her trust. They would
all need that, but this one she had granted those things before he'd even asked
for them.
One so young…should not be so tired.
Yuui's eyes remained fixed on the brunette faerie as he turned to look at
Fuuma.
"She killed him…didn't she?"
The Monou lord nodded sadly. "She finally made her move and none of us even saw
it coming."
"What's happening?"
"The Dark Court has complete control of Nihon. Kyle Rondart poisoned
Amaterasu's mind and took control from her. He banished Prince Kurogane and
declared war on Valeria. King Syaoran has requested our aid against them. While
war can only be declared by a sovereign, in the absence of one, the ten lords
may declare war if the vote is unanimous. So…what say you? Shall Faerie battle
the Dark Court one last time? Shall we make an end this time?" Fuuma asked the
council at large.
"War," Kamui stated immediately, fire burning deep within his violet eyes. He
would have revenge for his little brother's heart, and he would not allow
Seishiro to kill Subaru.
"War," Karura agreed not even a heartbeat after him.
"War!" Rasetsu snarled. "Revenge for Yasha and the Yama clan!"
"Yes, war," Tenou agreed softly.
Sai nodded solemnly. "War."
"War," Tarta agreed.
"War," Ransho consented. "The four generals stand ready to defend our
princess."
"Once more…then never again," Eagle said quietly. "The true last war. We will
fight."
"We must fight," Kakei said last of all. "If we do not, all will fall into
darkness."
"The decision is unanimous," Fuuma announced. "When the sun rises, we are at
war…and our first goal is to rescue Tomoyo-hime from Kyle. A small team will
infiltrate the castle in Shirasagi. If we are discovered, we will mount an
attack."
"Against human soldiers?" Sai asked.
"Kyle would not be so foolish as to leave Shirasagi unprotected. Koryu will
have the Oni waiting. Ransho? Touki? Ryuuki? Can your battalions be ready by
tomorrow night?"
"Yes, sir," Ransho answered for all of them. "I…cannot speak for the Wind
Battalion, but we will be ready."
"Do I have any volunteers for the mission to rescue Princess Tomoyo?"
"I will go," Sai said, raising her hand slightly.
"As will I," Karura volunteered. "I want to see what we're dealing with."
"I will help, too," Rasetsu added. Then he turned to look at Yuui. "If King
Reed chose you, that is good enough for me. You have my loyalty, my princess."
"Mine as well," Sai said. Yuui suddenly found herself thinking that Sai
reminded her a lot of Doumeki.
"Very well. This meeting is adjourned. We have tonight and tomorrow. Then it
begins."
One by one, the masters and generals filed out of the council room. On her way
out, Karura stopped beside Yuui.
"Nothing personal, Princess. I just don't believe you can handle this." Then
she was gone.
Breathing heavily, Yuui finally allowed herself to slump forward a little.
Watanuki reached out to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Sakura and
Himawari were about to, but managed to stop themselves, realizing that their
daughter either didn't want or didn't need their touch.
"You did well, Yuui-sama," Fuuma said. "Lesser women would have fallen before
the council, but you held your head up. You can rule them."
"I'm not so sure." Her reply would have been inaudible to a human ear, but the
room was full of faeries, save for her mother. "Can…can I rest now?"
"You're not going to sleep, are you?" Doumeki asked sternly.
"No. I…I just want to be alone right now."
"Of course. Uncle's quarters are yours to do with as you please."
"I'm going with you, you know," she said softly as she stood. "To rescue
Tomoyo."
"NO!" Himawari, Sakura, and Watanuki all burst out at once.
"You're much too young!" Sakura protested.
"You don't know how to fight!" Watanuki reminded her.
"Think of the baby, Yuui-chan!" Himawari implored.
"I'll fight for Tomoyo. I'll go into battle this once. You all can do whatever
you want with me once she's safe. I won't endanger my child anymore than
necessary…but this is necessary."
Without Tomoyo…I am nothing.
"You know we would rather you stay behind where it's safe," Fuuma said as he
and Kamui rose from their seats. "But I will not challenge your will. It will
be as you say, my princess."
Just as the group was making to leave, Soel burst into the room.
"Yuui! Yuui! Kurogane's gone!"
"Gone?" she shouted, instantly snapping to life. Kurogane had been left outside
the chamber due to the fragility of his current mental state. Soel had been
left to keep an eye on him. "What do you mean gone?"
"Mokona was talking to Kero for just a minute. When Mokona looked back,
Kurogane was gone! Mokona's sorry!"
Yuui sighed angrily. She knew she was being impossible right now but, honestly,
what else could they possibly have been expecting? They had all dropped a
thousand bombs on her defenseless head in the span of only a few hours.
"Come on! Hurry up! We've got to find him! He's unarmed and unprotected and…not
right! If he gets hurt-"
"Princess!" Fuuma interrupted her tirade, seizing her wrist before she could
run off into a palace that she was unfamiliar with. "Calm down. I think I know
where the prince might go."
                                      XxX
It had only briefly registered in his mind that Yuui had told him to stay and
wait for her. He only responded fully when she mentioned his fiancé or his baby
sister. It was almost as if when his sword was broken, his strength and worth
were broken with it. How could he help Fai and Tomoyo? How could he help
anyone? What was he without his sword…without his Fai? He had let them be taken
from him. He had let Kyle steal his mother and his birthright from him.
I let this happen! It was me…my fault!
He wasn't really sure what caused him to start walking, but he did. He moved
through the hallways of the sithen almost as if he were in a trance. Had he
been able to see himself in this moment, he would have reminded himself eerily
of his love being led to his doom. The only difference was that Fai's eyes had
held purpose - to obey the will that held his mind captive. His own eyes were
empty and lost. The rhythm of his guilt pounded in his heart and head as he
drifted, seeking some release from the aching hollowness that had consumed him.
It was like all the strings that had connected him to his life had been cut all
at once. He was reaching, grasping desperately in the dark for some thread to
hold onto, no matter how frayed it might be. He needed something to be his way
out of the blackness. Without Fai, he was faltering…failing. He could not do it
alone.
He found himself remembering Youou and the indescribable pain in his eyes. He
understood it now - knew it intimately…and…Youou had chosen to bring that pain
upon himself…to save Fai's life. But he knew what it was to truly lose Fai, and
that was…unbearable.
How did you survive it? How could you bear to have him turn from you?
Because…he's worth it. He's worth any pain you could possibly suffer.
"Youou?" he whispered, his head snapping up. He could have sworn he'd heard the
older man's voice.
"Who are you?"
For the first time, Kurogane actually looked around and found that he'd ended
up in a bedroom. A fey woman was seated beside a bed and another figure was
lying in the bed. Asleep? He didn't want to think about sleep right now.
"Kurogane," he said softly…questioningly, even. He saw no reason to add
'prince' to the introduction. What right did he have to call himself a prince?
He was nothing but a failure.
"Oh," she said sadly. "It's you."
"Who…are you?" he asked. He didn't latch onto the fact that she seemed to know
him. The only thing he could really see was the figure sleeping in the bed -
and the empty sadness in the woman's gaze.
"Hisui."
"And…who's that?" He nodded toward the comatose form.
"That is Kokuyo…former master of the Oni…my love…"
"What happened?" he asked, noting the pale color of the other faerie's face.
Instantly, he was back in the tower…staring at Fai's helpless, lifeless body.
"He betrayed Yuuko for me…she took him from me. He's been like this for a
year."
"A year?" he repeated.
"He may…never wake up again," she whispered, tracing a trembling hand along the
sleeping faerie's cheek.
"Never?" Kurogane whispered through dry lips. He once again had that feeling of
crawling blindly, helplessly in the dark, grasping for something that was
hopelessly out of his reach.
He's getting further and further away from me all the time. My God,
I'mlosinghim! No! No! FAI!
"Kurogane-kun!" he suddenly felt a pair of slender arms wrap around him. Yuui.
"Why did you wander off? I told you to wait for me," she scolded as she moved
around to look him in the eye. But he wasn't looking at her. He was looking at
Kokuyo.
"He's not moving," he whispered, his face white. "That damned idiot's not
moving at all. He's not breathing. Fai." Once again, he began to repeat the
name over and over, like a protective charm that would keep him from slipping
into the insanity that was pooling around his feet, ready to swallow him up and
drown him.
"No. No, Kurogane-kun. Fai's all right." At least…all right as he could be,
considering the circumstances. "Do you want to know how I know?"
Kurogane finally turned to look at her. She had kept it secret from him because
she wasn't sure what it would do to his mental state, but now she could see
that he needed it. Before disappearing with him, Seishiro had torn Watanuki's
enchanted rose from Fai's hair and tossed it on the ground. She had rescued it,
and now she removed it from her own hair and held it out to the stricken
prince.
"Watanuki put a spell on this rose. Its life is tied to Fai's life. As long as
it continues to bloom healthy, Fai is alive. Will you keep it safe?"
Kurogane nodded weakly as he took the blossom in his hands, holding it close.
Briefly, he held it against his nose, breathing in its scent. Roses were no
longer just roses to him. They did not have their own scent. It was the scent
of Fai. Roses smelled like Fai.
"Fai?" he whispered, nuzzling the delicate bloom against his cheek, feeling the
softness of it. Yuui smiled sadly as she took the rose from him and tucked it
behind his ear, twining it into his hair.
"Fai," she agreed, taking his hand. "Come on now. You need to get some sleep.
Sorry to have bothered you," she apologized to Hisui. But the wind master did
not acknowledge it. She continued to stare at Kurogane as he was led from the
room, and he stared right back.
"I'm sorry for what you've lost, child," she said softly.
The others were waiting for them outside of the room. No one said anything as
Fuuma began to lead them all toward the king's quarters. They had all heard
everything. When they reached their destination, Fuuma addressed the guardians.
"You are all free to retire to your own quarters if you wish."
"We will remain with the princess," Watanuki said softly. Yuui flinched,
tightening her hold on her new ward's hand. She hated when they called her
'princess'. She wasn't royalty. It wasn't who she was. She didn't know how to
be a princess, and now she had to be a queen!
Fuuma nodded as he opened the doors. "As will we. Her Majesty must not be
without her knights."
Kero and Yue were within. Yue was laid out on one of the many couches and Kero
was holding one of his massive paws over his heart, attempting to banish the
thousands of years of dark influence from it. It was a process that would take
several days.
"What has the council decided?" Kero asked, glancing up. He and Yue had
discovered that they couldn't sense it in its entirety. They both felt a
connection to Yuui, but it was weak, hazy, only just beginning to form. It
wasn't yet anything like what they had shared with Clow. They had also both
noticed a faint connection to Seishiro, but neither dared to touch it. Such a
connection was more likely to harm them than their enemies were they to attempt
to use it.
"Faerie will go to war against the Dark Court one last time. We will make an
end of it…as we could not do before," Fuuma said solemnly.
"What of the princess?" Yue asked.
"The only person who has a say as to whether or not she rules is the child
growing in her belly. If the child is born before Seishiro can somehow produce
a legitimate blood heir out of thin air, none can challenge her. The crown will
be hers."
"Then we must do everything in our power to keep the child safe," Yue said,
weakly raising his head. "Seishiro will come after it. He will murder it in the
womb. He will not stop. He will do anything to prevent the princess' ascension
to the throne."
"Stop it!" Yuui commanded harshly, her free hand clutching protectively at her
swollen belly, as if the little girl could hear their words and she had to
prevent it. "Nothing…and I mean nothing…is going to hurt my baby! She will be
born! She'll be the most beautiful creature the world's ever seen! The first
one to harm my daughter will know my rage!"
"No one is saying that it will be otherwise, Yuui-hime," Fuuma soothed,
attempting to placate her. "But you must know what Seishiro can and will do."
"Oh, I've got an idea," she replied bitterly. "Are my brother-in-law and I
allowed privacy tonight, or do any of you have something else you feel like
shattering my illusions with?" Goddess, she hated how insufferable she sounded,
but she was sad, angry, afraid, and lost.
Doumeki raised an eyebrow at her claiming Kurogane as her brother-in-law. It
seemed that, to her, she and Tomoyo, Fai and Kurogane were already joined
together as one. There was actually more that she needed to know, but it was
clear that she wasn't in any state to hear it. It could wait until Tomoyo was
safe.
Fuuma led Yuui and Kurogane to Clow's bedchamber and Himawari led Sakura to
another bedchamber. No one had the heart to tell her that it had once been
Yuuko's. The others would sleep in the main chamber, each one taking a shift to
guard Yuui and Kurogane. There was no telling whether or not Kero and Yue would
be able to keep Yuuko out.
"Sleep well, Yuui-sama. Someone will bring breakfast to you and the prince in
the morning."
Yuui grimaced. "Why do you have to address me so highly, Fuuma-san?"
"You are my queen, Yuui-sama."
"I'm nobody's queen yet. You're the father of my daughter. I don't want there
to be a wall between us. Could you please…at least call me Yuui-chan again?"
Fuuma looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he gave her a small, sad smile. "If
that is what you wish…"
"It is," she whispered, a hint of desperation in her eyes.
"All right. Goodnight…Yuui-chan." He bowed; then he was gone.
"Come on, Kurogane-kun," Yuui said gently, leading the dazed prince toward the
magnificent four-poster bed in the middle of the room. "You need to rest."
"Are you…going to sleep, too?" he asked.
"No," she said softly as she climbed up onto the bed. "I can't. I'm just making
sure you're all right." She patted the spot beside her.
"Yuui?" he mumbled as he climbed onto the bed and lay down beside her. She met
his gaze with surprise. He had only called her by name once before…on the day
that she had carried the news of Fai's rape to him. He now looked at her with
the hurt, lost eyes of a child.
"If…if I go to sleep…will I see him? Will I be with Fai again?"
Yuui smiled sadly as she reached a hand down to run her fingers through his
hair, like a mother comforting her young son after a nightmare. God, but it
hurt to see him like this. He was usually so strong. It seemed that Fai had
taken that strength with him wherever he had gone. He was Kurogane's strength,
passion, and will. He was…his essence.
"Yes," she finally answered. "Close your eyes. If you go to sleep, you will
meet Fai in your dreams." And you will have peace from your torment.
A brief smile flickered across the young man's face - a smile that Yuui knew he
saved for Fai. As he closed his eyes, his hand reached up to give the rose
tucked behind his ear a few reassuring strokes. He made sure to lie down on his
left side so that the fragrant bloom wouldn't be crushed.
When she was sure he was out, Yuui took his hand in hers, holding it tightly to
keep herself from falling apart. For now, she was content to watch Kurogane
sleep.
He's running…running fast…faster than he's ever run in his life. He can feel
the ground flying by beneath his feet…the wind rushing through his
hair…buffeting his body. Not fast enough! He has to move faster! If he doesn't
make it, he will never forgive himself.
It can't be too late! Sweet Goddess! It can't be!
Then he sees him. He sees him standing on the edge of the cliff, gazing out
into the distance.
"Fai!" he calls out in fear. At the sound of his name, the blond turns to him
and smiles. He holds out his arms, waiting for him to come to him.
"Kuro-sama!" he cries out, tears of joy streaming down his face. "I'm so happy
to see you! I missed you so much!"
Even through his panic, Fai's eyes lighten his spirit. He can't let him go. He
just can't !
Almost there! Almost there!
"FAI!" he screams. "Get away from there!"
For a moment, Fai looks confused…but that confusion quickly turns into surprise
when he feels air beneath his feet instead of grass.
The moment in which Kurogane watches Fai's beautiful face twist into an
expression of shocked terror seems to last for an eternity…but…the next
moment…he's gone.
NO! NO! NO!
At the last possible moment, he flings himself toward the edge, reaching. A
jolt of relief passes through his body when he feels his hand close around
Fai's. He looks down into his lover's relieved eyes.
"Damn it! Don't scare me like that!"
"You caught me," he whispers back, the adoring smile returning to his face.
Kurogane is about to respond when he discovers that he can't move his body. He
can't move to help Fai up.
"Can you climb up?" he asks, a trace of nerves entering his voice.
"What's wrong?"
It's then that Kurogane notices that his fingers are slipping, loosening their
hold on Fai. He just can't control them…can't make them grasp Fai's hand. Fai
seems to realize this and instantly tightens his hold on the prince's hand. The
panic in the gesture shoots straight to Kurogane's heart.
"Don't let go!" he cries out, tears of fear filling his eyes.
"I'm never…gonna…let…go!" the ninja grunts, trying desperately to make his
fingers obey him. Fai's hand is slipping!
"Kuro-koi?" Fai whispers fearfully. "I…I love you."
The last thing Kurogane sees is Fai bravely trying to manage his terror as he
speaks these last words of love. Then his hand slips through his fingers. He
can hear him screaming his name as he plummets down, down, down into abyss
below.
"FAAI!" he screams, trying to fling himself after his beloved…but a pair of
cold, hard hands stops him, binding him to a life without Fai.
"I had him…He was right in my hands!" he cries out despairingly.
"You let him slip through your fingers," Yuuko's cold voice whispers in his
ear. "You let him down…and now he's gone. You will never be able to hold him in
your arms again."
"AAAGGH!!"
Kurogane woke instantly from his nightmarish sleep, reaching for a sword that
was no longer there to be drawn.
"Kurogane-kun! Calm down!"
The confused boy turned toward the source of the voice and found himself
looking at-
"Fai?" he whispered hopefully.
"No," the twin responded sadly, reaching to place a hand on his shoulder.
"Yuui."
That's right. She looks like him now.
Kurogane began to sink back onto the bed, the life draining out of him once
again. Yuui caught him as he fell, gently resting his head on her lap.
"It was only a nightmare, Kurogane-kun. We'll get him back," she soothed. As
she reached a hand down to try and run her fingers through his hair, he grabbed
her wrist.
"I want to see him again. I need to see him again," he mumbled, clinging
desperately to Yuui's hand. "I only wanted to see Fai again. I didn't want to
see that. Whydid I have to see that? Oh, God…Fai!"
"I'm sorry," Yuui whispered brokenly, finally allowing tears to fall from her
eyes and onto his cheeks. "I'm so sorry!" She repeated her desperate apology
over and over again, holding his face in between her hands in an effort to keep
both of them calm.
It should have been me !
When they had both managed to rein themselves in, Kurogane allowed her to
stroke his hair, accepting the comfort she offered - the comfort that had been
denied him for so long…a mother's warm embrace.
"You mustn't give up, Kurogane-kun. You can't let yourself die like this. Fai
still needs you. You have to save him."
"I let him go," Kurogane finally whispered his guilt aloud, taking Yuui's free
hand in both of his, clinging to her like she was the last solid thing in the
world. "It's myfault. It's my…fault. I should have tried harder…been
faster…anything!"
Yuui sighed sadly as more tears slid silently down her face, clinging to
Kurogane just as tightly. They both blamed themselves for what had happened and
there would be no convincing either of them of anything different. She wasn't
sure, but she thought he might be crying…except his body didn't move and he
made no sound. Maybe it was just her own tears she was seeing on his face?
As they cried together…or not…neither was certain…Yuui began to sing softly. It
was a song that Doumeki had sung to them during one of those rare times when
they'd been able to convince him to sing. She'd asked him why he knew such a
song, but he had never answered her.
Come out moon.
Come out wishing star.
Come out, come out
Wherever you are.
I'm out here in the dark
All alone and wide awake.
Come and find me.
I'm empty and I'm cold
And my heart's about to break.
Come and find me.
I need you to come here and find me
'Cuz without you I'm totally lost.
I've hung a wish
On every star.
It hasn't done
Much good so far.
I can only dream of you
Wherever you are.
I'll hear you laugh.
I'll see you smile.
I'll be with you
Just for a while.
But when the morning comes
And the sun begins to rise
I'll lose you.
Because it's just a dream,
When I open up my eyes
I will lose you.
I used to believe in forever,
But forever's too good to be true.
I've hung a wish
On every star.
It hasn't done
Much good so far.
I don't know what else to do,
Except to try to dream of you
And wonder if you're dreaming too
Wherever you are.
Wherever you are.
Neither of them slept anymore that night.
                                      XxX
"Do you really think that Faerie will mount a direct attack on Shirasagi?"
Koryu asked Kyle. Nihon's new emperor was lounging on his throne, sipping a
glass of plum wine. His authority was absolute. Dissenters were being arrested
even as they spoke.
"Of course they will. They have little to gain by it…but I have the bait right
here," he said smugly, conjuring up a viewing mirror. The glassy surface
reflected Amaterasu, Tomoyo, Souma, and Chitose all sealed within the princess'
chamber. Amaterasu was lying on the futon, staring blankly up at the ceiling,
her will destroyed. Chitose was leaning against a wall, a crude bandage wrapped
around her injured shoulder. Tomoyo was sitting beside the doors that would
have led out to her balcony, her knees drawn up against her chest and her face
hidden from sight. Souma, trying to make some use of herself, was standing
guard at the door that led out of the room. There was no escape. They were
sealed in.
"What will you do with them?"
"Princess Yuui will come for Souma and her Tomoyo. When she does, I will spring
my trap and we will possess both twins. Those with her will be killed…and I
will personally slay the child she carries. The despair will no doubt call the
queen's curse down on her and the throne will be clear for Seishiro. Once Yuui
is gone, I will make Tomoyo my wife."
"But…didn't you already claim her?" the Oni master asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not quite," the usurper said with a devious sneer. "I simply gave that supple
body a tasteof what is to come. My mouth has tasted every inch of her tender
flesh and my hands have thoroughly known her body…but I didn't actually take
her. They say that anticipation of a thing is almost better than the thing
itself."
"You want Yuui to watch it, don't you," he said. An odd feeling was boiling in
his blood. He wasn't sure what it was, but it might have been disgust.
"Every minute," he replied, sneering lasciviously.
"And what of Amaterasu?"
"She will not survive. The child will be born in about four months' time. She
might have had a chance were she still in possession of her own mind and
strength of will, but I saw to that. My son will dispatch her easily enough and
Tomoyo will bear me many fine children."
Koryu raised an eyebrow at Kyle's speaking of 'his' son. He knew they'd had a
deal, but at the same time...
"One fine child, you mean. How likely is Tomoyo to survive bearing a half-
blood? No mortal woman has managed it yet."
"True enough. But no fey man has ever actually cared enough to see to the
safety of the mother of his bastard child. I'm sure we could find a way."
"And the others?"
"The servant woman will die very soon, I have no doubt. The ninja girl will try
and stop me from touching Tomoyo. I will kill her. Tomorrow night, by the time
the moon reaches its zenith, all who could have stopped us will be dead."
"What of the prince?"
Kyle just sneered. "He is a prince no longer. He is only a loose end. It will
be child's play to do away with him."
"Then why didn't you?"
"Because it hardly would have been worth the effort. If I am to kill the boy
who has been giving us so much trouble, I want there to be at least a little
fight in him when I do it. I want him to be fighting his hardest for his
precious prince. I want him to be full of hope. That way it will be all the
more satisfying when I drive my sword into his chest."
"It seems…that there will hardly be a need for war," Koryu said, more to
himself than to Kyle.
                                      XxX
Himawari had forgotten how beautiful Spirit Lake was from this side. It was
night now and her quarters had a beautiful view of the bridge between worlds.
The full moon was shining down on the crystalline surface of the water,
reflecting silvery light. Unfortunately, the beauty of the night was lost on
Himawari. For her, the still promise of the night air was a lie. The people she
loved were on the other side right now, risking their lives, and she couldn't
help. Her curse would only make things worse; so all she could do was wait.
Kurogane had been moved to her chambers so she could keep an eye on him, but
she was keeping her distance from the dazed prince. He didn't need any more
misfortune. He was supposed to be sleeping in her bedchamber, but she highly
doubted that he really was. She didn't blame him. Yuui had told her about his
nightmare. If she couldn't get him to eat or sleep, she was at least supposed
to make sure he didn't go wandering and get himself hurt. She had set a kind of
magic alarm that would alert her if he tried to leave her quarters.
"Is he sleeping?" she suddenly heard her father's voice. She couldn't say that
she hadn't been expecting him.
"I don't think he is," she said sadly, not turning to look at him. "He's…too
tired to sleep…too afraid." It was such an awful thing - to know that there was
someone who loved Fai so deeply, and to see how what had happened could destroy
him so completely. She wanted very badly to know the man that her son loved.
Would she ever have the chance to?
Why am I still calling him my son…when his real mother is only a few rooms away
waiting for our daughter to return? And there I go again. Our daughter? Sakura-
sama's daughter, not mine… never mine. But…what gives you the right, Sakura-
sama ? I'm the one who cradled them as babies! I'm the one who sheltered them
from harm! I'm the one…who's losing everything! They're my babies!
No, they're not, Himawari. Why do you keep doing this to yourself?
"Clow…told me what happened to you," Eagle said sadly. "Why didn't you tell
me?"
Suddenly, Himawari felt his hand on her shoulder. On instinct, she flinched
away from him.
"Don't touch me!"
"Himawari-"
"Father…I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I don't want to kill both
my parents."
"It doesn't matter that she gave birth to you. Alcyone was no mother to you.
You shouldn't feel bad for what happened to her. She brought it on herself." He
had secretly rejoiced in Alcyone's death. He had hated her. He hated her
still…and it had nothing to do with their failed marriage. He had used her just
as much as she'd used him.
Alcyone had only wanted the status he could bring her. He'd married her for
several reasons - all of them selfish. When Umi had died giving birth to
Kimihiro and Ascot had abandoned him, unfairly blaming him for the death of his
beloved wife, Eagle had raised the boy as his own in memory of a woman who had
been like an aunt to him. After the joy of having Kimihiro in his life, he'd
wanted a child of his own. So, near the end of the war, when a romantic
relationship with his childhood friend, Geo, had ended badly and Alcyone had
come into his life, he'd married her, to warm his bed and to bear his children.
While he had never really liked Alcyone, it was never her machinations that
he'd hated her for. In fact, they'd hardly ever taken notice of each other
before Himawari's birth. No. He hated Alcyone because she'd left Himawari to
die. Seconds after her birth, that creature had taken his sweet, innocent
daughter and hidden her within the coldest depths of the Shirahime Mountains,
hoping that she'd never be found…that her own child would die of exposure. Even
fey children only hours old could die like that.
Fuuma had told him the story. The young Monou lord had been walking with 'Lady
Alcyone' when her birth pangs had suddenly come upon her. Fuuma had insisted on
fetching help, but Alcyone wouldn't hear of it. She'd already been plotting the
dark deed. She'd had Fuuma take her to one of the gardens and there, with his
help, she'd delivered a beautiful baby girl.
However, even before her body had healed she'd snatched the newborn from Fuuma
and vanished with her. Fuuma had rushed to find him and he'd demanded to be
taken to the spot of her disappearance, immediately realizing her betrayal.
Thankfully, because she was his daughter, he'd been able to trace the little
girl. He'd found her alone on a snowy mountaintop in the middle of a blizzard.
He'd almost missed her tiny body, buried in the snow. When he'd pulled the baby
from the snow, he'd been terrified that he was too late. Her skin was turning
blue and she was so cold, she could barely manage to cry out. Crying tears of
relief as he wrapped his infant daughter in his cloak, he'd quickly produced a
bottle of warm milk for her to keep her from dying of starvation. When he'd
felt her tiny fingers clutching desperately at his tunic, his hatred for
Alcyone was born. A mortal child would have died…she almost did. What sort of
woman was capable of taking the baby she'd just given birth to - still half-
blind, reaching desperately for the mother that was meant to love and care for
it - tear it from her breast, and throw it out into the cold? He could never
forgive Alcyone for such a crime. He had named the baby Himawari in defiance of
the way her own mother had tried to kill her- Sunflower.
"Do you think…that maybe…since my own mother didn't love me…that I'm
not…capable of being one myself?" she asked, breaking into his thoughts. He
would have hugged her if she would let him.
"Don't think like that. Alcyone didn't love anyone. It wasn't you. You're
loved, Himawari…and you're perfectly capable of giving that love back. Fai and
Yuui know that you love them. Things are just difficult right now."
"I let them down," she whispered as fresh tears slid down her face. "I couldn't
protect Fai from Seishiro. I couldn't help Yuui when Fuuma…took her. I haven't
been able to help support her through this pregnancy. A-and this baby…the child
that she already loves so much…she doesn't even know…I don't want her to be
hurt! She'd hate me for it, but I'd choose her over her baby any day! As if
that weren't enough, now they're forcing her to be queen. And…and Fai…dear God,
Fai! My little Fai! Father, I-I'll lose both of them!" she sobbed, sinking
hopelessly to her knees, gripping the stone balcony railing in deathly white
hands.
"Himawari," he started, coming as close as he could without actually touching
her. "If it's any consolation, I can sympathize. I've never seen my daughter in
more pain and I can't hold her close in her time of need because she won't let
me. I'm not afraid for myself. I only want you to be happy. You're my world,
little sunflower."
"But you've still got things worth living for, Father. What about Geo?" She
knew that the two had started seeing each other again shortly before she'd
attended the naming ceremony that fateful day eighteen years ago.
"That's true. He and I do have…something."
"Something?" she whispered. "I remember the way your eyes would shine whenever
he walked past. Your skin probably glows for him."
Eagle smiled sadly at his daughter's back. "That was what made it all the more
painful when we parted ways the first time…that even though our skin glowed
when we made love, he could still look me in the eye and tell me he didn't want
to be with me. But, after the fact, there was some joy in that parting. If we
hadn't, then I wouldn't have you."
"And look where I ended up. A failure of a guardian with delusions of being a
mother. Perhaps your life would have been better if you hadn't found me on the
mountain that day?"
"Don't say that!" he insisted vehemently. "Don't ever! You gave me a life. You
and Kimihiro." He tried to place a hand on her shoulder again, but this time
she slapped him away.
"It's no use!" she sobbed heartbrokenly. "No use! No use at all."
Eagle desperately wanted to take her in his arms, cradle her and sing to her as
he'd done when she was small, tell her that he would make the monsters go
away…but she wouldn't let him. She remained there, broken, crumpled on the
stone floor, sobbing. And all of that time that Eagle stood there, silently
watching over his shattered child, Kurogane stood just inside the room,
cradling Fai's rose protectively against his heart, watching the two of them
with empty eyes and a tear-stained face.
                                      XxX
"Lord Sol, for eighteen hundred years, I have fought at your side, followed
your every order, and never once questioned your wisdom. So, please, permit me
this one question."
"Yes, Touki?"
"What…exactly…is this thing doing on the field with us?" the water sprite
demanded calmly, turning her eyes on an anxious Soel, who was settled atop
Ryuuki's head.
"The Mokona are their only means of escape if things don't go according to
plan. You may not know this, but the Mokona twins have served as the three
guardians' safeguard against Yuuko's minions for the past eighteen years."
"How's that?" Ryuuki asked, turning his eyes up to where he knew the white
Mokona was perched.
"The Mokona can create portals. If the rescue operation goes badly, those
inside Shirasagi can use Larg to transport themselves here to where Soel is."
"Why didn't they take both Mokona then? They could have split up and covered
more ground," Touki observed.
"They don't mean to split up. The princess claims she will be able to find
Princess Tomoyo."
"And if she doesn't? Or worse…if she finds her-"
"Then they will abandon the mission and Fuuma will give the order to attack the
city," Ransho said sadly, glancing out over the darkened plain. Their army lay
waiting along the borders of Celes. The lights of Shirasagi were visible in the
distance and the full moon shone down on a seemingly empty plain, but Ransho
knew better. Their opponents were not fools. The Oni were waiting for them.
"What is their plan of attack?" the water general asked, stoic as ever.
"They know that Kyle's expecting them and he undoubtedly knows that they know.
Princess Tomoyo is the bait. There's nothing for it but to meet the enemy head
on. The city has not been warded…all the more proof that he means for them to
come to him. First, the eight of them will teleport to different spots along
the city's outer wall, then eight different points in the city, then different
points in the castle itself, all at different times in order to confuse the
enemy. Princess Yuui will teleport herself to Prince Kurogane's chambers and
summon the others to her one by one. Once inside, they will go from there."
"And if Princess Yuui is taken?"
"Then Lady and Consort help us all."
Chapter End Notes
     Lullaby for this chapter is 'Wherever You Are' from Winnie-the-Pooh.
***** Will My Song Go Winging? *****
Yuui took a moment to breathe in the crisp night air as her body materialized
atop Shirasagi's outer wall. Larg was settled on her shoulder. First her, then
Fuuma, Doumeki, Kamui, Rasetsu, Watanuki, Sai, and Karura, all at random, each
one given five seconds. Once the forty seconds had passed and she felt each one
of them enter, she began her second teleport. Just as she was vanishing, she
heard an arrow whiz through the air. It passed right through the spot where her
body had been.
Instead of moving in a straight line toward the castle, she chose a random
direction and made the jump. The idea was to be as sporadic as possible. They
knew their enemies would be able to sense their movements, but they couldn't
counter effectively against all of them moving at once. Another forty seconds
and she jumped again. This jump brought her into the castle stables. Another
forty seconds and making certain that all were accounted for, and she made the
jump to Kurogane's bedchamber. The others would make more random jumps until
she called for them.
Fuuma-san, she called out in her thoughts once she'd made certain the coast was
clear. Come to me.
The next moment, the fey lord was by her side.
"No problems yet, my princess."
Doumeki…come to me.
The assassin appeared from thin air, just as Fuuma had. His silence indicated
that all was well.
Kamui-san…come to my side.
Her second knight appeared among the others.
"All is well, Princess."
Rasetsu-san…come to my side.
"Majesty," the dark-haired lord responded, nodding curtly as he appeared beside
Kamui.
Watanuki…come to me.
The nature sprite was also silent as he teleported into the room. She was
fairly certain he had picked up on the fact that she was uncomfortable with him
addressing her as anything but Yuui-chan.
Sai-san…come to me.
The brunette earth spirit also appeared silently.
Karura-san…come to my side.
The white-haired weather spirit did not appear.
"Why isn't she coming?" Yuui asked. "I can feel her, but she won't answer me."
"I was afraid this might happen when she volunteered for the mission," Fuuma
started. "She cannot hear you. Not completely, anyway. Our mental link to you
is still new and fragile, but it should at least be enough for simple thoughts
like that. Lady Karura will not recognize you, therefore she blocks herself
from hearing your thoughts."
"Is there any way to contact her? I think she's in danger."
"If you will permit me…" Fuuma trailed off. She nodded.
Lady Karura…come here to us. Your princess has need of you.
As Karura appeared among them, she was pulling an arrow out of her shoulder.
"She is not my princess!" she hissed defiantly.
"Are you all right?" Yuui asked, though she noted that the blood flow had
already stopped.
Karura did not dignify her with an answer. She just glared.
"They already know we're here," she said to Fuuma. "We must move quickly."
"Where do we go from here, Yuui-hime?" Kamui asked.
"I assume everyone can sense the two wards that exist within the palace?"
"Yes. Is the throne room protected by one of them, perchance?" Rasetsu asked.
"No. I know the palace well. The wards protect Tomoyo's bedchamber and the
central dungeon, where traitors to the crown are kept."
"Clearly Kyle meant for us to come here," Watanuki said angrily. "It's not too
late for you to get out, Yuui-chan. We can continue without you."
"No," she said calmly. "I will see this through to the end. I know this place
better than any of you." As she spoke, she glanced sadly around the room. Her
two brothers had been here only two nights ago, enjoying their last night of
peace for who knew how long, thinking they would soon be celebrating their
marriage. How had everything gone so wrong?
"The guards will probably be here any moment. What's the plan?" Kamui asked.
"We will rescue Tomoyo first. If we can, we will free the prisoners in the
dungeon as well."
"Everyone will travel in formation around the princess," Fuuma ordered as they
moved out into the corridor. "No one breaks the line and not one assailant
touches her."
Yuui hated this - having other people form a living shield around her. But she
could not convince any of them to change this. So they continued forward.
"Can Yuui help Tomoyo?" Larg asked uncertainly.
"She's not letting me in," Yuui whispered sadly. Ever since becoming one in the
dreamscape, they had shared a very deep telepathic link, much deeper than
anything she would ever share with any of her 'subjects'. She knew something
had happened to Tomoyo yesterday, but the younger princess was blocking her,
preventing her from seeing her mind. She knew Tomoyo hadn't slept last night
because she'd spent the better part of the night trying to connect with her and
she wouldn't budge.
Yuui's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Karura's excited hiss of, "Here
they come."
At first, all Yuui could see were a few shadows moving swiftly down the dim
corridor, but the next moment, everything went to hell.
A giant black thing that had no definite shape but a definite set of teeth shot
out of the wall and latched onto Doumeki. Watanuki turned to help and Kamui
snapped, "Don't break the circ-" His exclamation was cut off by another Oni
going for his throat. Almost instantly, the corridor became a writhing,
seething mass of demonic Oni. One almost took Yuui's head off, but Sai managed
to stop it.
"YUUI-CHAN!" Fuuma shouted. "You've got to get out of here! Get to Tomoyo-hime
and get yourselves out!"
"What about you?" she screamed. She couldn't just leave them all here.
"GO!" Doumeki ordered.
"LARG! GET HER OUT!" Watanuki shouted.
The next moment, there was a flash of light and Yuui felt a strange, floating
sensation - almost as if she'd been detached from her body. Then she was
slamming down to earth again.
"What a trip," she mumbled dazedly to herself as she struggled to her feet. She
had never experienced Larg's transportation abilities before. They were
different from teleporting herself. She wouldn't have been able to get herself
inside Kyle's wards on her own, but the Mokona were a law unto themselves. Kyle
couldn't ward against their magic.
"Y-Yuui…chan?"
Yuui glanced around and found herself face to face with-
"Souma-chan!" Instantly, she jumped forward and seized her shocked friend in a
desperate hug.
"H-how did you get in? The whole room's sealed."
"Mokona got Yuui inside," the little black thing said proudly.
"Are you all right?" Yuui asked, still clinging to Souma.
"I'm fine, but what's happening outside? Tomoyo-chan won't speak to us. She
just keeps saying that Fai-kun's gone. He…he's not-"
"No!" Yuui insisted vehemently. "He'll be okay. I can't explain now. We have to
get everyone out first."
"Can you heal Chitose-san?"
"Where's Tomoyo?"
"O-over there," Souma said sadly, pointing toward the balcony. Tomoyo was
curled up into a ball beside the door, not looking at them. Yuui knew that
Tomoyo had been aware of her presence the moment she entered the city and this
rejection hurt. The only thing she wanted to do right now was rush to Tomoyo
and hold her in her arms, but she knew that she had to see the plan through to
the end if she meant for everyone to live.
"I'll take care of things here, but I need you to take Larg to the central
dungeon and get the prisoners out. Larg can get you in and out of the wards and
you can transport everyone safely out of Shirasagi."
"What about you?" Souma asked as Larg was passed into her arms.
"We'll be able to hold our own until you get back, but you must come back. Larg
is our only hope of escape."
Souma nodded her agreement as Larg opened its mouth wide and a magic circle
appeared beneath her feet.
"I'll come back for you," she said seriously. Yuui watched in awe as her body
was sucked into Larg's mouth. Then the tiny creature passed through the magic
circle and it vanished as if it had never been. Taking only a moment to get
over her amazement, Yuui then rushed over to the ailing Chitose.
The woman had gone silent. She was pale and still. Fearful, Yuui listened for
the sound of her breath as she unraveled the crude bandage from around the
wound. Thankfully, she was still alive. Yuui hummed a soothing melody as she
placed her glowing hands on the dying woman's body. Chitose's eyes flew open as
the wound closed under the warm glow of Yuui's power.
"Who are you?" she whispered as she gazed up at Yuui.
"A friend. I'm here to help."
"Are you…fey?"
"A little," she replied before standing and walking toward Tomoyo.
"You won't hurt her…will you?" Chitose asked worriedly.
Yuui shook her head. "I won't hurt her. I love her more than my own life. If
only she would see that…" she said softly as she knelt before Tomoyo and
wrapped her arms around her.
"Why did you come here?" Tomoyo whispered, her voice thick with tears.
"I came here for you," she responded fiercely, pressing a kiss to the top of
her head.
"You shouldn't have come. It's a trap! I'm the bait, Yuui! Don't you see? He
knew you would come for me! He'll kill you, Yuui! He'll kill you!"
"I know that, Tomoyo. I know all of that," she soothed, running her fingers
through the younger girl's hair. "I came for you anyway. I'll always come for
you. Nothing could have stopped me."
Tomoyo finally looked up at her as she pressed a hand against her swollen
stomach.
"Not even K-"
"Shh," Yuui shushed her, smiling slightly. "We're not alone right now." Then
she leaned forward and pressed a loving kiss to her fiancé's lips. Tomoyo
wrapped her arms around her and kissed her back, fearing that it would be the
last time. Yuui held on, even when she felt the wards tremble around them.
"I knew you would come…Princess."
Yuui held tightly to Tomoyo as they stood up together, protecting each other
and the child cocooned between them. Yuui did not even deign to turn and face
Kyle.
"And you honestly thought you would catch me by surprise?"
"Well, not by surprise. You know, Yuui-chan, you look exactly like your brother
from behind. It's almost frightening."
That caught her attention. Yuui turned, enraged, but enough in possession of
her senses to keep Tomoyo right behind her. Upon turning, she discovered that
Kyle was not alone. The man from the other night was there as well - Koryu.
"Where is he?" she demanded. "What have you done with Fai?"
"He is in a place where you can never reach him. Even if your pathetic exiled
prince's kiss could save him, he cannot reach him. The only way to see your
brother again is to enter the sleep of death yourself…and only nightmares await
you there."
Kyle's taunting lit a fire in Yuui's heart, awakening power in her the likes of
which she had never known. Her blood boiled with it. Her very being sang with
it. But it was nothing like the magic she typically used. She was a healer…but
this…this was death she held in her hands. This raw power that burned inside of
her, seeking a release, any release…was the power to destroy. Something in her
knew that if she let this power fly, she would no longer be its master. She
would only be the conduit. But at this very moment, she could not bring herself
to care. She knew only that she wanted Kyle dead. She screamed in rage.
"DAMN YOU!" she shrieked as she flew forward, raising her hands to strike. Kyle
didn't even look worried. In fact, he looked exhilarated.
"Yes, little princess," he whispered in anticipation. "Show me your power. Show
me what you've got."
"YUUI!" Tomoyo screamed. Her lover's terrified voice broke through to the
maddened princess. She stopped inches from Kyle, his wicked smile suddenly
registering in her mind. She looked down at herself and saw her body glowing
with dark fire.
What…what am I doing?
"Yuui, please don't!" Tomoyo sobbed. "I don't want to see you like this."
Somehow she knew that if she let Yuui choose this path, she could never come
back to her again.
The young woman stared at her hands as the dark fire slowly burned out. How…how
could she have…?
"Tomoyo, I…I…"
"Couldn't do it, eh?" Kyle asked mockingly, seizing her wrists. "Pathetic."
"Let go of me!"
"You could easily make me release you if you summoned up even a fraction of the
power you just displayed…but you won't do it. You're too scared."
"Let her go!" Tomoyo shouted. She rushed forward, the fact that she was
terrified of Kyle cancelled out by the fact that his hands were on Yuui.
"NO! Tomoyo, no! Stay back!" Just as Yuui turned her horrified eyes to her
beloved, her slender body went flying through the air and crashed against the
wall.
"TOMOYO!"
The dark-haired princess raised her head and weakly tried to reach a hand out
to Yuui, but they both fell.
"Y-Yuui…"
"Tomoyo-hime!" Chitose cried out, beginning to move from Amaterasu's side.
"Move and she dies," Kyle warned casually. Chitose froze.
Instantly, Yuui felt the black fire return to her heart. Kyle hurt Tomoyo. That
was unforgivable!
"Yes," Kyle hissed as the demonic fire took hold of her again. "Do you hate me,
little Yuui? Do you feel the rage flowing through your veins? I hurt her. I
deserve it. You know what to do. Make me pay!"
Yuui snarled, struggling her hardest against Kyle. She knew she was being
pushed, but she didn't care anymore. She'd lost too much. She wasn't going to
lose anything more.
Except yourself.
At the moment she would have unleashed the full fury of her power upon Kyle,
she felt something clench deep within her body.
The…baby…? My…baby…
The child was moving again, kicking, really. Once again, the fire drained out
of her and she fell to her knees as Kyle released her wrists. With tears in her
eyes, she placed her hands on her stomach, feeling the tiny kicks through the
skin. It was painful, but it was a reminder that she couldn't just lose
control. There were people depending on her.
"No," she whispered, clutching her stomach. "No! I won't hurt them."
"Damn," Kyle muttered, his triumphant expression falling. "I was so close. Oh
well, I suppose we'll just have to move to plan B. Koryu, if you would be so
kind…"
Koryu glanced down at the princess with what could be classified as pity in his
eyes before snapping his fingers. The next instant, the room was filled with
swirling, shifting shadows. When the shadows finally solidified into the
nightmarish forms of the Oni, they revealed seven bound prisoners among them.
"No," Yuui whispered in horror. Her faerie guard lay on the ground, all of them
bound hand and foot. However, the thing that boggled was that not a one of them
was injured. They all just lay on the floor, staring helplessly at her.
"We failed you, Princess," Sai said sadly.
"Please forgive us," Fuuma added.
"What are you all doing?" Yuui asked in despair. "You're not hurt. Rope can't
hold you. Why won't you fight?"
Doumeki turned away from her and Watanuki looked like he might cry.
"Yuui-chan…we're so sorry."
"I think you'll find that this rope will hold them. I created this spell using
a strand of your hair that I pulled off of Tomoyo-chan…a rather ingenious use
of magic, if I do say so myself."
"What have you done to them?" Yuui demanded.
"You see, this rope is very fragile. It wouldn't take much for them to break
it…but therein lies their peril. This rope is magically linked to you. For
every strand of rope that breaks…a piece of you will break with it. And I know
that no one here wants to find out just how much abuse your body can take
before your mortality kicks in."
"Karura-san, if you make one move against the princess-" Fuuma started to warn.
"Don't worry. I'm not that stupid," the weather sprite retorted. "The wretch is
carrying your child, after all."
"You must choose, little princess. Your loyal servants, the people who have
loved and protected you…or the woman you love, the one person who makes your
skin glow and your life complete. Who will it be?"
No. NO! Dear Goddess! How did this happen?
She had survived a fall from a tower. Maybe she wasn't as mortal as they
claimed? Perhaps she could-
"Don't even think about it, Yuui," Doumeki snarled, causing Yuui to withdraw
the hand she'd been stretching out toward them. "You're not dying for us."
"Y-Yuui, please…don't…" Tomoyo struggled to speak as she rose slowly to her
knees. "I don't…want…"
What can I do?
You can use what you have. I am your weapon, my daughter. Use me.
Wait! What's happening to me?
No one quite knew what was happening at first. Yuui fell to her knees and
screamed, a sound that was at once terrifying and rapturous. Her body trembled
violently for a few moments; then she climbed shakily to her feet.
"Yuui?" Doumeki whispered.
She was different. It wasn't the aura of the fey that surrounded her. This was
something entirely different. Her eyes were empty and power fairly cracked in
the air around her. She was Yuui no longer.
"Please…don't harm her," Watanuki begged fearfully. Most in the room were
already aware that they were in the presence of the Goddess Herself. She was
using Yuui to act…as Her tool. It was not uncommon for the Lady and her Consort
to speak through the sovereign of Faerie, but would Yuui's mortal body be able
to bear the weight of the Lady's true voice? The girl who was known as Yuui
could easily be lost in all that power. Would the Goddess leave her intact once
Her will had been worked?
She slowly raised Her hands, gazing toward Heaven. Her mouth opened slightly in
a whisper and the ropes binding the seven faeries instantly fell away,
unbroken. They moved to their knees in awe and fear, watching as Yuui-who-
wasn't turned and began to walk slowly toward Tomoyo.
Nihon's princess knelt, trembling in fear, not of the Goddess, but for the
lover she could no longer see in the eyes that she knew so well. She had seen
this once before - in her dreams.
"Who…who are you?" she asked, tears streaming freely down her face.
"I am Yuui." When She spoke, Her words seemed to fill Tomoyo up, thrumming
inside of her until it seemed that she would be swallowed up by the music of
Her voice.
"But…not Yuui alone," she whispered, trying to contradict without openly
contradicting.
A small smile flitted about the mouth, but the eyes remained empty as She knelt
before her. "No. Not alone."
"Please…give Yuui back to me."
The stranger in her lover's body placed Her hands on her shoulders, leaned
down, and kissed her lips. Tomoyo felt heat fill her body at the contact and
all of her wounds instantly melted away.
"Will you still bear the burden of loving one who could be lost to you so
easily? Will you still take her hand?"
"She will always be Yuui!" Tomoyo sobbed, struggling in the Goddess' embrace.
"Please bring her back! Please! I must have my Yuui back! I must!"
"Why do you turn away?" the deity asked sadly.
"Because I can't bear to see Yuui's eyes so empty like that. It's like I've
lost her! I can't stand it!"
Again, a small smile alighted on the mouth, only this one was sad…and no matter
how the face changed, the eyes remained empty.
"Do not fear. You will have her back…but we will meet again before you come to
me, Tomoyo-hime. There is yet a decision for you to make."
Then She blinked…and Yuui lived within her eyes once again. She fell forward
and Tomoyo quickly caught her in her arms.
"Yuui-chan!" Watanuki shouted.
"Princess!" Kamui cried out. The two guardians and the two knights made to move
forward, but Kyle holding out his arm stopped them dead.
"Take one more step and I kill them both."
"Yuui! My Yuui! Are you all right? Tell me you're not hurt!" Tomoyo sobbed,
holding her love close and crying into her hair.
"I…She was so…so bright, koibito…" Yuui whispered against Tomoyo's chest,
holding tightly to her. Yuui had barely managed to hold onto herself in the
maelstrom of power. She felt that if she let go of Tomoyo, she would lose
herself and spiral away into the cold darkness of oblivion. "Please…just…hold
onto me."
Had they been alone, their tender moment would have lasted much longer and Yuui
would have had time to recover herself. However, they were not and the next
thing they both heard was the sound of Kyle applauding.
"Charming performance, my darling princesses. But this is only magic to
distract me. I don't know how you escaped my spell, but it matters not. I still
hold one bit of leverage over you."
Kyle held out his hand and gave it a sharp twist. At that same moment, Yuui
doubled over in pain. It felt as if someone had rammed a dagger through her
stomach and was twisting her insides. Then she felt a horrible pain screaming
out in her mind…a pain that was not her own…and she could almost swear that she
could hear a baby crying.
"Oh! Oh, God, Yuui! Yuui, look! Look! It's- no! Oh, dear Goddess! No! The baby!
She's-"
As horrified realization dawned on Yuui, she glanced down to where Tomoyo was
pointing and saw that the skirt she was wearing and the floor beneath her were
all stained with blood. A great black river of blood was flowing from between
her legs.
"Oh, God," Fuuma whispered. His child…their child…
"Please, no," Watanuki prayed.
The baby…her baby…her sweet little daughter, who had not even tasted life yet…
My baby!
"NOOOO!!"
She screamed…and screamed and screamed and screamed. She couldn't stop
screaming.
I lost her! I lost her! My baby! My sweet daughter! She's gone! I didn't…even
get to see her face.
Power began to boil off of her body like a solar fire. She had barely enough
presence of mind to shove Tomoyo away from her before her magic exploded.
The room filled with the brilliance of the sun. The Oni scattered in the face
of the wild magic and Koryu fell to his knees in awe. Kyle's face lit with a
kind of demonic joy.
"You fool!" Doumeki shouted at the dark faerie. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"
"AAAAGHH!!"
"YUUI!" Tomoyo screamed, desperately trying to get through to her. But Yuui's
pain would not be contained.
"Damn it, Kyle! You've got to release this barrier or we'll all be killed!"
Kamui shouted.
"Never!" Kyle cried out in glee. "I will not die. What better way for the
princess to perish than knowing that she killed all of you?"
"STOP THIS!" Watanuki screamed. He couldn't bear to see his daughter suffering
so.
Fuuma hadn't yet reacted to Yuui's outburst. He could only stand and stare at
the clotted blood that flowed onto the floor from Yuui's body. That was…their
daughter…the little life that they had created together…bleeding onto the floor
like so much waste…never to see the sunlight or draw her first breath.
Sai, Karura, Rasetsu, and Chitose all looked on in shock. This was the scene
that Souma and Larg teleported into.
"What's happening?" the confused kunoichi shouted.
"YUUI!" Larg screamed.
Tomoyo slowly rose from the floor where Yuui had shoved her, gazing upon the
conflagration that was her love in awe and terror. Slowly, she began to move
toward Yuui.
"TOMOYO-HIME! STAY BACK!" Watanuki shouted at her, but the princess was deaf to
all but Yuui's shrieks of heartbreak. Certainly she was stricken by the loss of
the child, but Yuui was her primary concern right now.
You're not leaving me, Yuui. I won't let you destroy yourself like this.
She could feel her skin getting hot as she approached the maddened blonde. When
she actually reached forward and took hold of her wrists, she could feel her
hands searing. As she gazed into her eyes, she felt like she was gazing into
the heart of a star…if a star could feel pain, loss, and despair. But no matter
how much harm it was causing her, no matter how much pain she herself was
feeling, now that she had gotten a hold of Yuui, she would not relinquish that
hold.
"Yuui…please…come back to me," she pleaded softly. "Come all the way about."
In all of her anguish, Yuui finally seemed to hear her lover. She looked Tomoyo
in the eyes and she felt herself through all of her pain. The power her body
was spinning off subsided and she collapsed into Tomoyo's arms once more.
"She's gone, Tomoyo. Gone! Why? I never…got to hold her. Our little girl," she
sobbed openly against Tomoyo's breast.
"I'm sorry, Yuui. I'm so sorry," she whispered, sobbing quietly as she held the
distraught blonde close. But the next thing she knew, arms were pulling Yuui
away from her and another pair of arms was wrapping around her own waist.
"Wait! No! Yuui!" she shouted in panic.
"Now, Larg!" she heard someone shout. Then there was a brilliant flash of light
and Tomoyo suddenly had the feeling of being utterly weightless. Then, just as
suddenly, she was slamming back to earth. They were in Celes, surrounded by the
armies of Faerie.
"Yuui! Yuui! Where's Yuui?" she cried out as the arms released her.
"She's here. She's…fine." The arms pointed her in the right direction and she
found Doumeki kneeling with Yuui cradled protectively in his arms. She was
crying weakly and clinging desperately to him.
"She's gone, Doumeki! She's gone! M-my baby! My little girl! My little girl!"
Doumeki remained silent as he laid Yuui down on the ground, pressing first his
hands, then his head to her womb. If there was even the slightest chance…they
had to be one hundred percent sure.
Please, let her be there. She's got to be there. Yuui needs her. If she's not
there…there is no hope left. Live! You've got to live!
But…I don't feel anything.
"What good is my power?" Yuui sobbed as Tomoyo knelt beside her and pulled her
head into her lap. "It can't even save one small life."
Give me back my baby! Give her back!
However, just when Doumeki was ready to give up hope, he felt something reach
out to him - a thought - a tiny, faint whisper…something entirely foreign to
him. It was…an emotion. Pain…and fear…fear of not existing…of no longer being
held safe in Mama's embrace. At first, he did not understand. Why was he
feeling these things? They were not his emotions. But then it clicked. Of
course he was receiving these impressions in the form of emotion. A child not
yet born could not think in words.
"Yuui! Yuui, she's still alive," he reported urgently. "She's still in there."
Yuui's eyes opened wide. Her tear-stained face shone brightly beneath the full
moon's light.
"W-what?"
"She's calling out…crying for you. She's in pain. She's frightened. She needs
you. Kyle didn't kill her. She's not dead yet. You have to heal her."
"You're sure?" Fuuma asked.
"Not…dead?" Yuui whispered as she placed her hands on her stomach.
"You have to do it now, or she won't make it. Now, Yuui!"
Yuui drew in a sharp breath as her hands began to glow. She felt her magic
working in her body, repairing, healing, saving.
Please…don't go. I love you. I need you. Let me hold you in my arms. Let me see
your face.
She finally released the breath she'd been holding when she felt her womb
settle. Her child was safe. The threat of death was over - for now. The tears
flowing down her face as Tomoyo leaned down to kiss her were tears of relief.
She clung very tightly to her princess as they kissed, never wanting to let go.
In this moment, she was surrounded by the family they were building together
and she feared that if she let go, something might happen - something like what
had almost happened - and she would lose them forever.
When the two princesses finally separated, Yuui let her head fall back into
Tomoyo's lap and reached up a hand to stroke her cheek. Tomoyo's face was just
as tear-streaked as her own.
"It's all right now, Yuui," Tomoyo whispered gently as she reached down to wipe
the tears from her face, wincing lightly as her burned skin came into contact
with the salt water on Yuui's face.
"Oh!" Yuui gasped, realizing the problem and seizing Tomoyo's wrists to examine
the damage. "Oh, God! I've hurt you!"
"It's not your fault," Tomoyo soothed, smiling weakly. "You…thought she was
gone. You couldn't have been expected to control it. Besides, healing is no
problem for you."
Yuui shook her head as her hands began to glow again, healing the burns. The
circumstances did not matter. Nothing could ever change the fact that she had
brought harm to Tomoyo. It was inexcusable - unforgivable.
"Yuui…chan?" Fuuma whispered hesitantly as he approached the couple. "Are
you…all right?"
"Yes…Fuuma-san," she replied just as softly as Tomoyo helped her to sit up.
"We're fine. We're okay."
"Thank the Consort," Kamui said softly as he moved to stand beside Fuuma,
placing a hand on his shoulder. The action was involuntary, something to
reassure both Fuuma and himself that everything was all right. When they both
actually noticed the contact, they turned to look at each other. Fuuma stared
curiously at the younger faerie and Kamui felt himself blushing faintly, but he
did not take his hand back. Why did he suddenly feel so self-conscious?
Admittedly, he had had certain thoughts about the older noble, but nothing that
had ever made him feel quite like this. Almost before he had realized it, Fuuma
had reached up his own hand and placed it upon his. Neither knew why, but they
both felt that they were taking a step forward tonight…that they were taking
steps that could not be untaken…doing things that could not be undone.
"How?" Yuui asked softly in the relieved silence around them. "How did…she
live? Why didn't she die…when Kyle attacked her?" She didn't understand how
such a little thing could bleed so much and still be alive.
"My only guess is that he underestimated her," Watanuki responded. "That spell
would have killed a mortal child. Perhaps he thought she didn't have enough fey
blood to save her? Even by fey standards, a child still in the womb is
vulnerable to such an attack."
"You challenged the Dark Court, Princess," Karura said, a little less
scornfully than usual. "You should have known that there might be
consequences."
"Never again," Yuui vowed as she and Tomoyo stood. "I won't put her in such
danger again. I won't face him again until she's born."
"A wise decision, Highness," Sai put in. "It would be unwise to risk your heir
anymore than necessary."
Yuui briefly wondered if that was all any of them cared about, but her bitter
thoughts were interrupted by Souma flinging her arms around both her and
Tomoyo. As the three young women embraced, they all remembered the last time
the three of them had been together not two days ago. Everything was so very
different now.
"Y-Yuui-chan," Souma finally whispered against her. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I…I let Kyle take her."
"There wasn't anything you could have done," Yuui said softly. "Not against
him."
"It's all right," Tomoyo whispered, snuggling between her lover and her friend.
"It will be all right now."
No. No, it's not. It might never be all right again.
"We'll talk more when we're all safe," Yuui said as she pulled back, though she
still leaned against the two other girls, seeking support. "We can't stay
here."
"Yuui-chan?" Fuuma broke in softly. "I'm sorry, but it would appear we're not
all accounted for."
"What?" Yuui demanded. "What happened? Who are we missing?"
"Chang Ang-sama, Arashi-chan, and Sorata-kun," Kusanagi reported as he
approached them. He had somehow become the unspoken leader of the dissenters of
Shirasagi. "They weren't imprisoned with us. When we fought against the
invaders, Arashi-chan and Sorata-kun fought against Seishiro. They were taken.
We've no idea what's become of them or Chang Ang-sama. I'm sorry, my princess,"
the ninja master said as he knelt before Tomoyo. "But…what has become of our
prince? Where is Kurogane-sama?" he asked. His eyes were filled with worry for
the boy he'd guarded since infancy.
"He's safe," Yuui answered for the uncertain Tomoyo. "You'll…be able to see him
when we return to Faerie."
"The prince is…on the other side?" Kusanagi asked, amazed.
"It's the safest place right now," Fuuma explained. "For the time being, we
will all withdraw."
Kusanagi looked thoughtful for a moment before rising, taking Tomoyo's and
Yuui's hands in his.
"Forgive me, Majesties, but I cannot. My place is in Nihon. I must gather
followers for the true emperor. My princess," he said, raising Tomoyo's hand to
his lips and kissing it. Then he raised Yuui's hand and kissed it as well
before addressing her. "I know you and I have never met, Princess Yuui
Fluorite, but Souma-chan has told me of you. So young, yet so willing to
sacrifice for the ones you care about. You saved our lives, Princess, and we
are forever in your debt. I'm certain you will make a worthy queen, so you must
understand that my duty is to my own ruler. We will rouse the land, raise the
people against this evil. You may tell Kurogane-sama that many remain who are
loyal to him. We will serve no one but the true sovereign and we will win him
back his crown." Then the ninja master took their two hands and joined them,
looking up and gazing piercingly into Yuui's eyes. "Please…take care of our
Tomoyo-sama. She is dear to us all."
Yuui stared back just as unflinchingly, clasping Tomoyo's hand all the tighter.
"I will. I swear it. She is dear to me, too. No harm will come to Tomoyo while
there is still breath in my body."
Smiling gratefully, Kusanagi bowed low before them before going back to the
group of liberated rebels to address them.
"My fellow ninja, we were all imprisoned for the same reason - we will have no
one but Kurogane-sama as our lord. Now is the time to put that loyalty to the
test. A choice lies before you. War has come to Nihon, and you must choose whom
you will stand with. I will lead those who are willing and together we will
build an army of soldiers who remain faithful. However, if anyone does not wish
to join this dangerous quest, there will be a place of safe haven in Faerie. No
one will be thought any less of for choosing safety. This will be dangerous.
But, for those who will join me, now is the time!"
"That's my man!" Yuzuriha shouted as she ran toward her lover and embraced him.
Loud cheers rose up around the couple as the fledgling army surged around them.
Not a one of them stepped back from Kusanagi.
"Rasetsu-san?" Yuui called hesitantly to the Yama lord, who came instantly to
her side.
"Yes, my princess?"
"Would you…could you…stay with Kusanagi-san and the others? Could you protect
them?" Keeping Kusanagi and the others safe was the least she could do for
Kurogane and Tomoyo.
Rasetsu bowed low before her and took her hand in his, kissing it gently. "As
you wish, my lady," he said softly before going to join the Nihon rebellion. As
he moved to join them, someone else stepped away from the crowd. Lord Kakyo
Kuzuki - Souma's father.
"You're…going to Faerie?" the man asked his daughter, an odd tone to his voice
that Souma couldn't place because she had never heard it from him before.
"Yes. So if you're going to try to tell me not to, you may as well save your
breath, Otou-san. My friends need me. Our nation needs me. Nothing you can say
will stop me," she replied, the bitterness that always entered her voice when
she spoke to her father returning in force. She couldn't be civil to him even
in this charged atmosphere.
"Indeed," he said, a touch of the usual spite entering his voice. "Heaven knows
if I could have stopped you doing anything, I would have had some measure of
success before now, but…just…be careful." Kakyo stood awkwardly for a moment
before moving forward to give his daughter an awkward hug. Souma just stood
there, a little too surprised to even think of returning it. When he finally
backed off, she stared at him curiously. He had never shown her affection, not
once…that she could remember, anyway.
"Be careful," he repeated before returning to the fledgling rebellion. Souma
could only stand and stare in silence.
"Princess?" Ransho began as he approached the three girls. "If it pleases you,
Touki and the Water Guard will remain here to protect the borders of the
forest. Ryuuki will accompany you back to Faerie and I will lead the Earth and
Fire Guards to honor our alliance with Valeria. That is undoubtedly where Yuuko
will turn her gaze."
Yuui looked completely lost for a moment. She had no idea if this was a good
plan or not. She had no gift for grand strategies and wars. She had not been
trained to lead, but she suddenly found herself with no choice. She glanced
first to Fuuma, then to her two fathers, all of whom nodded. She turned to
Souma and Tomoyo last of all for their thoughts. After all, they were her
friends and they had more experience in this arena than she did. Souma nodded
and Tomoyo smiled encouragingly.
"A-all right. Do as you will. I leave it to you."
"Princess," he said, also giving her an encouraging look as he repeated
Rasetsu's action. Were these people always going to be kissing her hand?
"My lady," A red-haired faerie started as he approached her and performed the
whole ritual again. She had seen him during the council, but they'd not been
introduced.
"Ryuuki-san?" she guessed.
"Yes. It is time we were getting back. The empress is in need of a healer and a
bed, and I think that you and Princess Tomoyo could do with some rest."
"The empress?" Yuui asked, turning to look at Tomoyo, who smiled weakly.
"Yes. Fuuma-san brought her and Chitose-san with us when we made the jump.
Perhaps there is someone in Faerie who can help her. Yuui…is…is Kurogane really
all right?"
For a moment, Yuui was silent. Then she pulled Tomoyo back into her arms.
"You'll just have…to see for yourself. He's safe, but…Tomoyo…I really don't
know what we can do for him."
                                      XxX
When Arashi awoke, she found herself lying on a bed in a room she had never
seen before. It was dark and cold, and she couldn't see much beyond the bed
where she lay. Upon closer inspection, she found that she'd been stripped of
her weapons and armor and she could feel that she was very much naked beneath
the blanket that covered her body. Her head spun slightly as she sat up,
pressing the blanket against her chest. She had to fight the urge to throw up
from the dizziness. The last thing she remembered was fighting against Seishiro
with Sorata at her side. Kusanagi had warned them not to take him on, but it
had happened just the same. She remembered Sorata falling…a scream of rage…an
intense pain in her head…then nothing.
"Ah, you're awake. Excellent," a voice called out from the darkness of the
room.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "Show yourself!"
"You know me, Arashi-chan. I am your future."
"What are you talking about? Where am I? Why have you brought me here? Where's
Sorata?"
"Oh, your Sorata-kun's safe…for now." As the voice spoke, its owner finally
stepped into her view. The faerie prince with the single grey eye - Seishiro.
The ninja mistress immediately felt her anger flare up.
"Where is he? What have you done with him?"
"He is unharmed…and he will remain so if you cooperate with me," he said as he
sat down on the bed.
"What do you want with me?" she asked quietly, staring distrustfully at her
enemy.
"Nihon has fallen. Kyle Rondart sits upon your throne now and he is my mother's
vassal. That makes you subject to my whim," he explained, reaching forward to
stroke her cheek. She quickly slapped him away, briefly exposing herself.
"I will never bow to you!" she hissed.
Seishiro just shook his head, smiling condescendingly. "Arashi-chan, you are a
beautiful young woman naked on a bed with no way out and a prince who has need
of your body. What do you think is going to happen here tonight? There's not a
thing you can do against me." Again, he leaned forward to touch her, and again,
she slapped him away.
"Whatever you've done with Sorata, set him free right now!"
"No fear. Truly amazing. I've just told you I'm going to rape you and you've
shown not one sign of fear. You are an amazing specimen, Arashi-chan."
"I don't care what you do to me. Nothing you do can defeat me. I don't mean to
sit passively by, but whatever you want with me, he's not a part of it. I
demand that you release him."
Seishiro laughed. "Not only an exemplary specimen, but also amusing. I really
have chosen the perfect vessel. What is Sorata-kun to you, Arashi-chan? He is
not your family, nor your lover. He has given you countless declarations of his
love for you and you remain cold and indifferent. If he is worth so little to
you, why do you demand his freedom?"
Arashi remained silent for a long moment, her thoughts hovering over ground she
had avoided for many years. The question was there, in her mind and heart,
waiting to be answered…but she was afraid to answer it. Love - if it was even
that which lurked in her soul - was pain to her. It had only ever brought her
sorrow…as it would this night if she chose to embrace it. For now, she just
wanted him safe.
"Because he's not part of this. He's innocent. If he means as little to me as
you claim, what need is there to keep him prisoner?"
"Because you and I both know that you're lying to yourself. You will know it
before the night is out, but it will no longer matter. You belong to me now."
"I belong to no one."
"Indeed? We shall see."
There was no sudden flood of light. The horrible vision simply became clear
before her eyes - like an apparition out of the morning mist. Sorata was lying
on the bed beside them, bound hand and foot and gagged. He was struggling
against his bonds and trying to scream, his eyes filled with horror and
fear…not for himself, but for her.
"Still planning on fighting?"
"Let him go now!"
"Now why would I do that? He is my hold over you. Do you see what I mean now?
If you resist in any way…then Sorata-kun's life is forfeit."
As Seishiro spoke, the gag in the ninja's mouth loosened and disappeared and he
struggled more violently against his bonds.
"Arashi, don't worry about me! I don't care what he does to me! You can't give
in to him! You can't!"
"I'd stop that if I were you, Sorata-kun," Seishiro warned, reaching a hand
over to stroke Arashi's hair. She did not pull away. "If you move so much as
one eye lash, I'll kill your precious Arashi-chan. She's a rare specimen, but I
can always find myself another vessel."
Sorata immediately fell still, his eyes burning with pain and helpless rage.
Arashi turned her hard gaze down to her hands, clutching the blanket. She
couldn't risk Sorata's safety…and he clearly wouldn't risk hers. They were
trapped.
"Why me?" she asked, staring neither at Sorata nor their captor, only blankly
ahead into the darkness. Sorata wasn't certain, but he thought the hands that
held the blanket against her chest were shaking just slightly.
"Because you have fey blood in you. Fey blood mingled with human blood…and, as
I said before, you are indeed a rare find. Such a strong woman. If I am to be
king of Faerie, I must have an heir. Your body will be the cradle that nurtures
and brings forth my royal seed. I will take you, Arashi-chan. I will place my
child in your womb," he explained as he placed a hand against her stomach. She
could feel the coldness of his skin even through the blanket. She felt like she
might be sick but she did not pull away for fear of bringing harm to Sorata.
"Why would you want your heir to have human blood?" Arashi tried to reason. "I
thought you dark fey wanted to stamp out the stain of mortality."
"It will be stamped out eventually, but for now, the Dark Court needs an ally
in the half-fey. Nihon and Valeria are littered with the products of human/fey
trysts. These mongrels have traditionally been able to find a home in Valeria,
but before too long, that nation will no longer exist. Nihon's relations with
its half-fey population have also traditionally been shaky. Amaterasu-chan
changed that, but now that Kyle is in charge, things are going to change. The
people don't know that he's fey. He will drive the half-fey out of Nihon and
the Dark Court will offer them asylum in exchange for their loyalty. We need
shields to throw against Faerie. Our enemies take issue with attacking
defenseless humans."
"That's so disgusting," Arashi said, carefully keeping her voice toneless. If
she allowed her feelings to get away from her right now, it would not go well
for Sorata.
"Disgusting? But my dear Arashi-chan, you will be the foundation of this
brilliant plan. When they see that the mother of my child is part human, they
will flock to us in droves. It all begins with you…right in here," he whispered
in her ear, pressing a hand between her legs as he pulled her body up against
his. When his fingers touched a certain spot, an intense bolt of pleasure shot
through her body and she almost began to cry. No one had ever touched her
there. She had never touched herself there. She was still a virgin. Her family
had been killed and she had grown up with almost no women in her life. She had
thrown herself so vigorously into her ninja training that she barely understood
the parts of her body that made her a woman. She had never undertaken those
first delicate explorations that most young women do. She had almost panicked
upon bleeding for the first time. She didn't understand why the things Seishiro
was doing to her body felt so good. She didn't know that she couldn't help the
way her body reacted to just the right stimulation, and, in its own way,
unwanted pleasure is worse than any pain could ever be. For him to make her
feel this way…did it mean that…she wanted it?
No. No! Goddess, no!
"Does that feel good, Arashi-chan? You like it, don't you?" he whispered to her
as he continued to pleasure her through the blanket. Another hand slipped
beneath the blanket to fondle her breast.
It did feel good. Why did it feel good? It shouldn't feel good! He was raping
her!
"Nngh! Please!" she cried out, on the verge of tears. "No! Stop!" She grabbed
at the hands on her body, desperately pushing them away from her. She was no
longer certain that she could handle it - for him to violate her like this. She
clutched the blanket tighter against her body than ever.
"You monster!" Sorata growled, struggling to remain still. "How can you use her
like this?"
"I thought we talked about this, Sorata-kun. How do you prefer her? Defiled…or
dead? Either way works for me."
Sorata closed his eyes for a moment. He felt that he might cry for how helpless
and enraged he felt.
"Arashi, please," he begged, finally opening his eyes and looking up at his
comrade, the woman he loved. "I'm not important. I don't want you to have to go
through this for my sake. Don't protect me just because I'm your fellow ninja.
I don't want something this horrible to be in your memory because of me. Just
get yourself out. Let me go. Please!"
Arashi gazed down at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. Then she reached
out to place a trembling hand on his cheek. "You are," she said softly.
"What?"
"You are important…Sorata…so important…the most…important…" She broke off when
she felt a tear trickle down her cheek. She couldn't cry in front of him…not
now. She had to be strong for him.
"What…are you saying…Arashi?" He felt something stir deep in his chest -
something he knew he shouldn't be feeling right now. Could she really…?
"I'm trying to say…that I love you," she said, smiling, though her eyes were
full of pain. "I think…I always did. I just couldn't admit it to myself. I love
you. I love you so much."
Sorata said nothing. He simply turned his head to the side and kissed the palm
of her hand. For a very brief moment, it was just the two of them.
"My Arashi," he whispered.
"This is all very touching, but are you quite finished yet? I have a womb to
seed here," Seishiro chided, slipping an arm around Arashi's waist. Again, the
kunoichi had the feeling that she might be sick, but she held fast this time,
allowing the Dark Prince to touch her body. Sorata was about to explode at
Seishiro, but Arashi leaned down and sealed his lips with her own. They shared
their first tender, heartbreaking kiss even as she was wrapped in the arms of
another man.
"Arashi, listen to me," he whispered against her lips as she began to pull
away. "Don't do this."
"But I must," she said, smiling sadly as she laid herself back down on the bed.
"I can't let you die…not now. It's all right. I love you…but you must let me
go."
He was about to ask her what she meant, but she turned away before he had the
chance. She looked away from both of them as Seishiro slowly pulled the blanket
off of her, laying her bare.
"That's a good girl, Arashi-chan. Don't be afraid. I'll make you feel good," he
whispered to her, kissing her breasts as he started to pleasure her again. This
time there were no barriers between them. The tears started when he brought her
to her first ever climax. She felt like she could have ripped her heart out and
smashed it into the ground as the wave of pleasure swept through her body. She
was such a disgusting woman. She knew this was kinder, but she still couldn't
stand how dirty she felt as he worked his fingers inside of her, making her
ready for him. She made not a sound as she sobbed in heartbreak. She refused to
look up at him when he finally entered her. It hurt. Goddess, it hurt, but her
tears knew nothing of pain. She cried because she hated herself. She had just
told Sorata that she loved him, and…with him right beside her in the bed…she
was giving her virginity to someone else. Could she really even call it rape if
she was letting him do it? How would she be able to rise from her futon in the
mornings? How would she be able to face herself ever again? Why…why did he have
to see her ravished? Why did he have to see her like this?
I'm so awful. I can't stand it!
Then, with a last animalistic groan, Seishiro finished in her and, for all she
knew, she was pregnant with his child.
"Thank you, Arashi-chan," he said as he cleaned up and dressed himself. "Our
business is complete. The two of you will be kept here for the time being."
Then, just like that, he was gone.
The second their tormentor was gone, Sorata found himself unbound and he
quickly wrapped his arms around Arashi's trembling form.
"Oh, Arashi! I'm so sorry! I couldn't stop it! I'm sorry I didn't protect you!"
"It's not– your fault," she whispered brokenly. "There wasn't any other way.
Sorata…that was…my first time."
"Oh, God…God, I'm sorry," he said over and over again, though he knew that
nothing he could say could ever make up for what she'd had to suffer through
tonight.
They lay like that for the longest time, Sorata just holding Arashi, stroking
her hair and allowing her to cry silently into his chest. When at last her
tears seemed to still, he lifted her face up so that he could look her in the
eyes.
"What did you mean before…when you said that I had to let you go?"
Again, Arashi turned away from him, more tears threatening to fall.
"Why in the world would you want me now…now that I've been…dishonored like
this? I let him take me. I may have saved you, but I've given the enemy a
weapon. There's no worse traitor in any land."
Pulling her closer, Sorata made Arashi look back at him. He had a very serious
expression on his face.
"Here this now, Arashi Kishu. I don't care how others might perceive what was
done here tonight. He was the one who hurt you. It's not your fault. You're
still you. You're still Arashi…the woman I love…have always loved. Nothing else
matters…except that you have me here to hold you. I'll always be here…so long
as you're still Arashi," he said softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"Oh, Sorata!" she hissed as she clung desperately to him, her voice having the
sound of some wild beast in pain. She held fast to him, like he was the last
real thing in the world, like the darkness that was eating away at the edges of
her life would come and take him from her, too.
***** One Day You'll Awaken *****
Tomoyo was silent as she followed Yuui through the corridors of the faerie
sithen. The journey through the lake had been jarring, to say the least, and
she hadn't even been able to see the sithen until she'd entered it. After the
things that Yuui had said, she was anxious and afraid to see her brother.
Fuuma and Kamui were in the lead of their small entourage, followed by Yuui and
herself. Souma and Ryuuki came after them. Soel and Larg were perched on
Souma's shoulders. They were followed by Doumeki and Watanuki. Watanuki was
leading Chitose and Doumeki was carrying Amaterasu. Fuuma had sent Sai ahead to
bring Subaru, Himawari, and Kurogane to the former king's chambers. There were,
apparently, things they needed to discuss away from prying ears.
When they arrived, Kotori was already waiting for them in the main room. She
quickly came forward and hugged Fuuma and Kamui.
"I've brought them, Brother, just as you asked. I'm so glad no one was hurt."
"Thank you," Fuuma said softly before moving past her and leading Kamui toward
the bedroom where the others waited. Watanuki, Chitose, and Doumeki with
Amaterasu followed after them.
"If it pleases you, Princess Yuui, I will stand guard outside the door," Ryuuki
said, bowing low and taking her hand.
"Yes, sure…whatever you think best," she said absently. Ryuuki then kissed her
hand, giving her a friendly smile before leaving. Once he had gone, Kotori
gathered the three girls into her arms. When they separated, she gave Tomoyo a
good, long look.
"You're…Kotori-san?" the young woman asked, her eyes wide. She had seen Kotori
before.
"Yes," Kotori said with a smile. "We are the same, the three of us."
"Did I…do what you said?" she asked hesitantly, remembering the request she'd
made in the dream two years ago.
Kotori shook her head. "No. That moment hasn't yet come. But I have faith that
you will make the right decision…and…Tomoyo-chan…I'm sorry," she said sadly,
reaching a hand forward to cup Tomoyo's cheek in her palm. Then she turned and
followed the others to the bedchamber. The princess stood in shocked silence
for a moment, staring after her.
"What?" she whispered.
"No, Tomoyo. Don't be afraid," Yuui insisted vehemently as she seized one of
Tomoyo's hands in hers. "It's not too late. We can make him better. We can
still make this right." Then, with a look of determination set firmly on her
face, Yuui turned and led Tomoyo and Souma into Clow's bedchamber.
Tomoyo had no idea what to expect upon entering the room, but it certainly
wasn't what she saw. Her eyes zeroed in on her brother and, for a moment, she
froze. He was crouched on a windowsill, his knees drawn up against his chest.
In his hands, he cradled a single rose, gazing upon the fragile bloom as if it
were some sort of angel. She stood, shaking her head in disbelief. She had
never seen him so broken - never. His posture was weak and desperate. His eyes
were tired and lost, and an air of defeat hung about him. As far as she knew,
her brother had never wished for death, not once in his life, but now it seemed
that wish was what defined him. He was a dead man walking, a ghost among the
living - a lost soul barely clinging to life.
"Nii-sama!" she cried out, rushing toward him and flinging her arms around him,
being careful not to crush the rose he held. "Oh, Kurogane! What's happened to
you?"
It took the fallen prince a moment to register his sister's presence. He
remained focused on the rose. But, after a time, he began to feel her arms
around him and he started to hear her voice.
"I…mouto?" he whispered, slightly confused.
"Yes! Yes, Nii-sama, it's me! Tomoyo! You know me, don't you?"
"Tomoyo," he said, his voice getting a little louder as he wrapped his arms
around her. "Tomoyo. You're…all right."
My baby sister is safe. She's here, but…Fai…Fai's not…he's still…
"Fai," he whispered, the tiny spark of happiness and relief in his eyes dying
as he began to repeat his lover's name, seeking refuge in the repetition - his
charm against insanity.
"He's hanging on by a thread," Yuui explained sadly. "I think he does that to
keep himself from losing control and slipping away…"
…into the darkness…into the madness of his guilt and grief…his nightmares.
Yuui didn't need to say it aloud. Tomoyo heard it.
"Oh, God," Souma whispered in shock as she gazed upon her friend, helpless as a
small child.
"I've been trying not to let him look directly at me. Whenever he sees me…he
thinks that I'm Fai. If it goes on…I'm afraid of what it might do to him."
"Has he eaten anything?" Tomoyo asked, gently stroking his face. He paid her no
mind. He kept staring at the rose, chanting Fai's name endlessly as everyone
else looked on sadly.
"Nothing. I've tried, but he won't eat or rest. He slept for about an hour last
night, but his nightmares kept waking him up. He hasn't slept any since last
night."
"What a nightmare," the younger princess whispered, staring sadly into the face
of the brother who could not see her. She had known something was going to
happen, but she could never have foreseen this. She had been so caught up in
Fai and Yuui's futures that she'd failed to see her own brother's fate.
"Don't worry, koibito," Yuui's voice suddenly sounded in her ear. "We'll get
him back. We have to. We'll get through to him."
"Fuuma," Sai said as she entered the room. "I've brought him."
A few moments later, Subaru trudged into the room, looking just as bad as
Kurogane. His steps were heavy as he moved and his shoulders were hunched in
defeat. He wouldn't meet anyone's gaze, but they could all see that his eyes
were utterly empty.
"Are you all right, Subaru?" Kamui asked, beginning to move from his place
beside Fuuma. Subaru did not answer. Neither did he acknowledge him in any way.
He just stood there, staring blankly at nothing. Kamui didn't want to admit it,
but he knew Subaru would still be sitting in his chambers had Sai not told him
that someone needed his help. Like Yuui, he possessed a Hand of Healing and,
being a healer, he could not resist the cry of someone in pain.
Kamui briefly stared at the floor, attempting to keep his emotions from
spiraling out of control. He couldn't let the others see his pain. Besides -
what was his pain compared with Subaru's, or Yuui's, or Kurogane's?
Finally managing to gain control of himself, Kamui pointed toward the bed,
where Doumeki had deposited Amaterasu.
"Her mind is in thrall to the darkness. It is beyond Yuui-sama's skill to heal.
She needs help."
Again, Subaru made no acknowledgment. He simply drifted toward the bed, his
hands beginning to glow. When he reached her side, he placed his hands on
either side of Amaterasu's head, seeking the demon that inhabited the empress'
mind.
"Even with all of Subaru-kun's skill, this may take several months to heal,"
Fuuma explained to Tomoyo. "She's been under Rondart's influence for years. It
will take all of his art…and time…time exposed to the healing power of Faerie
itself…and…there is also the fact that she's with child to consider."
"His child," Souma hissed in disgust.
"There is something you should know about that. You, in specific, Yuui,"
Doumeki said, staring levelly at his daughter.
"What does Amaterasu-sama being pregnant have to do with me?" Yuui asked,
taking a look around the room for the first time. It was actually quite
crowded. There was, of course, herself, Tomoyo, Kurogane, Souma, Doumeki,
Watanuki, Himawari, Soel, Larg, Fuuma, Kamui, Kotori, Sai, Subaru, Sakura,
Amaterasu, and Chitose there, but Kero, Yue, Kakei, and a man that Yuui had
never seen before were all present as well.
"How much do you know about human-fey…relations?" Fuuma asked.
"Not much. Why?"
"A human body is not strong enough to bear a fey child. Whether it wants to or
not, the child of a human woman and a fey man cannot help but kill its mother."
"Then…why is Queen Sakura still alive?"
"She is part fey herself. She was able to handle the strain of giving birth to
you and Fai-kun. There is also the fact that you are more human than she
herself is. Under normal circumstances, only a first generation half blood will
kill its mother. As the generations pass, the blood is diluted and becomes less
powerful. That is the reason that we fear for your safety."
"What are you saying?"
"Yuui-chan," Watanuki began softly. "Your baby is about three-quarters fey. You
yourself are only one-quarter fey. While that one-quarter does manifest very
strongly in you and you…certainly have the Goddess' favor…we're worried that
your body won't be able to handle the strain. You will be the first woman with
mortal blood to bear an almost fully fey child. Your only chance for survival
is the fey blood you possess. We just…don't know…"
The silence left by Watanuki's unfinished fear was quickly filled by Sakura's
sharp cry of despair. Yuui was in danger? First Fai…then Yuui? She wanted
nothing more than to sweep her daughter into her arms - to comfort the both of
them - but Yuui wasn't showing any signs of needing comfort. At Watanuki's
admission, her eyes had gone directly to Fuuma.
"If you knew this…if it bothered you so much…why did you get me with child in
the first place?" she demanded quietly.
"Because I liked your odds of surviving much better in the mortal world," he
answered sadly.
"What does that mean?"
"We've never had situations like these before. No mortal woman has ever given
birth to a fey child inside Faerie before. No one knows how it will affect you
or the baby. It could be a miracle in disguise…or it could be your destruction.
The fact of the matter is that we have no way of knowing," the Monou lord
explained, his fury at being so powerless beginning to bleed through in his
words.
"Why does she have to stay in Faerie?" Souma asked. "If the chances of her
survival are greater on the other side, then isn't that where she should be?"
"We don't know if her chances of survival are any less here. That's why we're
afraid. But we do know that the mortal world is dangerous because Yuuko can get
to her there. Princess," Fuuma said, returning to formalities to prove to her
how serious he was. "You will be my queen one day and I will be yours alone to
command, that much is true. But as the situation stands right now, I am forced
to give you one direct order as your knight and elder. You will not leave
Faerie until the child is born."
Yuui was a little angry at Fuuma assuming so much control over her, but it
wasn't like she was going to argue with him. The near loss of the small life
cradled in her womb had scared all of them. Right now, she could only do what
was best for the baby.
"You don't have to do this, you know," Himawari whispered hesitantly, reaching
a hand out toward her little girl. "You don't have to have the baby…or take
this crown. You don't."
Yuui looked shocked for a moment - that Himawari would even suggest not having
the baby - but the fire drained out of her when she saw the defeated way her
adopted mother stood. It wasn't Himawari's fault. She simply felt for Yuui what
Yuui herself felt for her unborn child. She was just afraid for her safety.
Yuui slowly looked around at the others: her family, her friends. Tomoyo, whose
eyes looked sick with worry. Himawari, who looked like she might cry. Watanuki,
who looked lost. Doumeki, who actually looked…defeated. Sakura, who was crying
softly. Kamui and Fuuma, who looked both stern and worried at the same time.
Kotori, the only one among them who looked reassuring. Subaru and Amaterasu,
who looked very nearly dead. Souma, who was cuddling Soel and Larg. All three
looked extremely worried. Kurogane, who was breaking. Everyone. The only one
missing - was Fai…her brother…her twin…her other half…the one who had been with
her from the beginning. He was the one who should be here now. She should be
the one who - not him. She wanted her life back. She wanted to wake in the
morning and know that he was near, that he would always be there to share her
life with. She wanted to see him and Kurogane together again, happy. She wanted
to raise her daughter in peace with Tomoyo by her side, surrounded by the
people they loved. She wanted more of those sweet days in Celes with Tomoyo,
her two brothers, Souma, and the Mokona. This was the only way she could have
them.
It should have been me , Fai…not you. It was supposed to be me. But I'll get
you back. I'll make things right again.
"No. I'm afraid I do. This is the only way…the only way to get Fai back, and to
make a safe world for the people I love," she said softly as Tomoyo came to
stand beside her, taking her hand in hers.
"But…Yuui-chan…what is that world going to be worth if you die making it?"
Sakura asked tearfully.
"I won't die," Yuui replied, gripping Tomoyo's hand tightly. "I can't…not while
my family needs me."
"F-Fuuma-sama?" Tomoyo began hesitantly. "What about…my mother?"
Everyone fell silent at this. They all knew that there could only be one answer
to the question. Even Tomoyo knew it…but she had to ask just the same.
"Tomoyo-hime," Fuuma began, the tone in his voice soft and pitying. "Your
mother is a human woman…and her mind has been overthrown. Even if she makes a
full recovery before the child is born…I'm afraid there's no way that we know
of in which she can feasibly be saved. But we will keep trying, Princess. We
will do our best," he promised.
Tomoyo swallowed hard, holding onto Yuui's hand for dear life as she nodded.
Everything- everything was falling to pieces around her. Her family was
breaking, fading into the darkness that had crept in around them over the years
- and she could do nothing. Would…would she lose Yuui, too? Yuui and the baby?
No! I cannot let that happen! I will not !
"Why not simply kill the child?" the mystery man suggested, making himself
known for the first time. "Does anyone here really want the spawn of Kyle
Rondart to be born? It is nothing but a hurt to us." All of this was said with
a casual smile.
Yuui shuddered inwardly as she surveyed the stranger. He was tall and slender
with dark hair. His eyes were an amazingly rich violet color and, while talking
of killing children, he wore a friendly, unassuming smile. All in all, he
reminded the older princess too much of Seishiro. Already, she didn't trust
him. After nearly losing her own child, something in her revolted at the mere
thought of killing children - even her enemy's child.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I am called Kujaku, my princess."
"Just Kujaku?"
"Yes, just that. Any family name I might have had is of no consequence to the
current situation. I was summoned here because Fuuma believes that I might be
of use to you in the coming months."
"Really? How so?"
"Because, dear princess, when the time comes…I can help you reach the Dark
Court, where your precious brother is being held."
Yuui was about to respond to this bit of news, but it wasn't her who spoke
next.
"You…can take us…to Fai?"
Everyone in the room turned to look at Kurogane. For a moment, none of them
quite believed he'd actually spoken. He was sitting up and making eye contact
with Kujaku. He was still shaking slightly and he still looked haunted - hunted
- but those who knew him could see that this was a huge step forward for him.
He was reaching…trying to climb out of his pit of black despair and madness. He
was trying to come back…trying so hard…to come back to them…back to Fai…
"I can at that, little prince," Kujaku replied, grinning amiably. "I have the
darkness in me."
Kurogane shook his head as he got to his feet. "No…don't…not a…prince…" He
stood for a moment, clutching the rose desperately in both hands.
"Kurogane?" Tomoyo whispered.
The sound of his name triggered something in Kurogane - and he snapped. He
collapsed to his knees, pressing the rose against his heart. The howl of
anguish that tore from his throat was so primal and so horrible that it raised
the hair on even Kakei's neck.
"FAI!" he screamed, no longer certain if he was trying to banish the memory or
hold onto it. It was the only thing keeping him afloat in his dark ocean of
insanity. The waters beneath him were infinitely deep. If he let go of his raft
now, then he would be lost forever, unable to ever break the surface again -
slowly drowning in madness.
But…it would be so easy to let go…to relinquish his hold on sanity and life.
There were others swimming in that vast ocean beneath his feet. Now that his
crucial moment had come, they swam to the surface, laying hands on him and
whispering in his ears.
Yes…come be with us, Kurogane. Come down and lie with us in the darkness for
eternity. If you let go…then you will lose your pain. You are not Kurogane
anymore. How can you be? You failed Fai. The real Kurogane wouldn't have failed
him. He loved him. He would have found a way. If you let go of Fai…then you can
forget how you failed him. Come.
He was forgetting. It was slipping away from him. A name and a face that should
mean the world to him…but he just couldn't remember. He reached with desperate
fingers…trying his hardest to grasp the sliver of sanity, but it was drifting
away. He would never be able to reclaim it.
"NOO!" he screamed, thrashing about in an attempt to keep himself from sinking.
"Come back!" He couldn't fight it anymore. The water closed over his head.
Breathe it in, they whispered to him, caressing him with cold hands. Let go.
You are one of us now.
He wanted to scream for help, but he knew that if he did, his last grip on
sanity would be gone. Besides…what could possibly save him now?
"Kurogane!"
"Kurogane-kun!"
"Kurogane-san!"
"Nii-sama!"
The cries came from all around. Yuui, Tomoyo, and Souma had all gathered around
the young man's writhing form, kneeling. Tomoyo gathered him in her arms as
best she could and the others placed their hands on him. They knew that this
was it for him. If he didn't come back now, then he never would.
"Kurogane-kun, please don't leave us," Yuui begged. "We need you."
No one knew what to do. They knew nothing of his internal struggle against the
demons in his head. Only Kotori stepped forward, a look of empathy on her face
as she knelt among the distraught young women. She reached a hand forward and
placed it on the struggling prince's forehead.
"I know what it's like," Kurogane suddenly heard the bright, strong voice in
his head, driving away the cold and darkness. "To lose your grip and sink
slowly into the ocean."
Please, he cried out in his mind. Someone help me!
"I was so young when it happened to me. There was no one who could help me. I
had no choice but to accept the drowning ocean in my head. It was the only way
to stay alive…and I found that I could see further in the water than out of
it…and I saw this. It is the price you pay for being able to see the
farthest…but this sight isn't for you. You don't have to drown. I can help
you."
At that moment, the boy felt a hand clasp his. He gazed up through the water
and saw the face that was dearer to him than even life.
"Kuro-koi," he called softly. "Come back to me."
Tears of relief filled his eyes as he grasped his sanity once again. He had it.
He was holding it now. They weren't going to take it from him.
"Fai," he whispered, the water beginning to flood in. But, just as his last
breath was exhaled on that precious name, he was pulled free of the ocean and
he awoke, breathing hard and blinking as he stared up into Kotori's face.
"I knew you could do it," she said with a playful smile.
"Nii-sama!" Tomoyo cried out, crushing him against her chest. "You're all
right!"
Kurogane remained silent as Tomoyo fussed over him. When he finally managed to
sit up, he felt a different hand on his shoulder. He looked to his left and saw
Yuui - not Fai - Yuui.
"Kurogane-kun…are you here?"
Kurogane stared a few moments longer - then nodded. All the time he had
wasted…he could just stab himself.
"We need to get him back."
"Yes," she replied, smiling in relief. "Yes, we do."
"Now that you've decided to join the meeting, Kurogane-kun, you should also
know that we won't be able to undertake this journey for awhile yet. I imagine
we won't be going anywhere at least until the princess' baby is born. I've no
doubt she'll want to join in on this little quest," Kujaku continued as if the
whole episode had never happened.
"That's fine," Kurogane said calmly, glancing down at his hands, curling and
uncurling them into fists. "I need to train. I need to get stronger if I'm
going to have any prayer of rescuing him. They took me down like I was nothing.
I can't let that happen again. I'll also need a new sword. Sohi was a good
weapon, but I'll need something better." When he'd finished speaking, Kurogane
reached up and tucked Fai's rose behind his ear, twining it into his hair. Then
he stood and helped the other three to their feet.
"We can help you there, Kurogane-sama," Kamui promised. "We can make for you a
blade that will stand against any dark faerie, and I believe that Ryuuki-san
could teach you some attacks that may be useful."
"Then I'll do that, too."
"Yuui," Doumeki started up again. "There is…one other thing you should all
know."
"What?" Yuui asked. She really didn't like the tone of her guardian's voice.
"Spells aren't permanent. They all break down eventually without care. The
longevity of the spell depends on the caster. A curse of death is one of the
few things that is permanent. Yuuko is much more powerful than I will ever be.
Fai is out of my reach now and I cannot repair my gift as I've been doing all
the time the two of you were with us. You've nothing to fear if you remain near
me, but…if we don't get to him soon, my protection will wear off…and Yuuko's
original curse will set in. Fai will die."
Kurogane, Yuui, Tomoyo, Souma, and Sakura all stared at the assassin in horror
for a long moment. Yuui's first thought was to demand why none of them had told
her sooner, for surely everyone else had known. How could they not? But she
also realized that Doumeki had been right to wait. Would she really have
listened? Deal with things one crisis at a time - that was how it was.
"How much time?" Kurogane asked solemnly, voicing the question that was in
everyone's head.
"Three months…maybe a little longer. The child should be born before the time
runs out. The rose will keep us informed. It's our only link to him, Kurogane.
You must guard it with your life."
Kurogane nodded. "Nothing less."
"Yuui-chan," Fuuma broke in once again. "I need to ask…once the child is
born…and you set off on this journey-"
"My daughter stays with me," Yuui answered succinctly, not even waiting for
Fuuma to finish the question.
"But it will be dangerous."
"Ican protect her."
"Like you did tonight?"
"I didn't see you rushing to help. I'm the one who saved her."
"No. That was Doumeki-san. You would have left her to die."
"I thought she was dead, Fuuma-san!" Yuui cried out. "What would you have
done?"
"You can't make mistakes like that with a baby. You're little more than a child
yourself, Yuui-chan. Don't I get a say in this? She's my daughter, too."
"I think you gave up your claim to this child when you raped me!"
That hit home. Fuuma took a step back, as if she'd delivered a physical blow.
In an instant, he was back in the labyrinth, standing over Yuui's body, on the
verge of tears.
"I…I…no…"
"Oh, God," Yuui whispered, immediately seeing the hurt and shock in his eyes.
"I…I'm so sorry, Fuuma-san. I didn't think…I was just…so angry. I don't want
anyone to take her from me and I don't want to be apart from her. I went too
far. I'm sorry."
"I…never meant to hurt you," he whispered back, gazing sadly back at her. "Look
what I've done to you…brought on you. I'm not worthy to be the father of your
child."
"No. I couldn't have asked for a better one from all the men this world could
show me. It wasn't your fault. You did what you had to…to protect me…to protect
everyone."
Just like I have to do now.
"I know it's going to be dangerous, but my baby stays with me. I can protect
her. And if I can't…my own daughter…what right have I to be anyone's queen? I
know she's yours, too…but you did give me the final say."
"I did, didn't I," he said, a small, sad smile taking up residence on his face.
"Yuui-chan…do you…have you…picked out a name for her yet?" With the word of
both Yuui and Kotori, no one really doubted that the unborn child would be a
little girl.
Yuui smiled, taking Fuuma's hand in one of hers and taking Tomoyo's in the
other. Then she joined all three of them together. They were a very strange
family. The world had never seen their like before, but they were a family
nonetheless. Through thick and thin, they were bound together by love…love and
the child growing inside of Yuui.
"I have, but I don't want anyone else to know until she's born. I want to keep
it safe."
"I understand."
"Oh, Goddess," Kurogane suddenly whispered sharply. He had forgotten.
Everything falling to pieces around him had made him forget. But all of this
talk of his niece-to-be was forcing him to remember. "Bleeding Goddess!"
"Kurogane-kun!" Yuui shouted as she, Tomoyo, and Souma all moved back to his
side. "What's wrong? Are you all right?"
The fallen prince's hands shot out and seized Yuui's shoulders, clutching them
desperately. "Yuui…I can't…I can't marry him. I can't…ever…marry Fai. Not now.
I'll losehim!"
Yuui shook her head. "What are you talking about? Of course you can marry him.
You have to marry him! Fai needs you, Kurogane-kun! You need him, too. You made
a promise to him! You can't abandon him now!"
Kurogane gazed into her eyes for a long moment, trying to convey to her just
how trapped he was. "I'm not abandoning him. I'll stay with him. I just can't
marry him."
"Why not? I don't understand."
"That bastard Kyle put a curse on me. If I marry him…then he dies. I can't lose
him, Yuui. I can't."
Yuui found herself shaking, gripping Kurogane just as tightly as he was
gripping her. One step ahead…their enemies were always one step ahead of them.
At every turn, they had them beat.
"It's not fair," she whispered over and over again. "It's just not fair!"
"Is there any way out?" Watanuki asked Kurogane.
"Yeah…but it's impossible. He said…that if Fai could give birth to a child of
his body that I'm father to…we could get married…but there's nothing we can
do…nothing."
"Aside from that, the only way to break a curse is to kill the faerie who cast
it. You two would be free to marry if we could kill Kyle," Doumeki said. He
didn't say it, but the implication hung heavy in the air that this was also the
way to free Himawari from her curse.
"Wait," Kurogane suddenly started. "If that's the way to break a curse, why
can't we kill Yuuko and save Fai?"
"Because there is a geis on our people…a spell that binds us," Fuuma explained,
stepping in to field the next set of questions. He had explained the true
reason for Yuuko's decent into madness to the others before tonight's mission.
"We are bound by Faerie itself not to kill Yuuko."
"What? Why?"
"As you know, Yuuko was once Clow Reed's wife. Long before your country was
even called Nihon, she was cursed to kill the one she loved the most, my uncle.
In desperation, she sought to destroy herself, but my uncle could not bear to
lose her. He made her swear not to kill herself…and to the fey, there is
nothing worse than to be seen as a breaker of one's oath. Knowing that even
that would not stop her, Clow placed the geis on all who possessed even the
tiniest drop of fey blood. No faerie may take Yuuko's life. Only one who is
purely human can do this…and what human is strong enough to?"
"There has to be a way," Kurogane insisted.
"Well, perhaps if you managed to get Assassin's Hand away from Seishiro. Again,
a feat that is impossible a thousand times over," Kujaku put in.
"Assassin's Hand?"
"Yes. You've done battle with it, Kurogane," Doumeki said, fixing the banished
prince with a very pointed stare. "Assassin's Hand is the dark blade wielded by
Seishiro, forged with his blood. It is nigh infinitely powerful. This sword has
the ability to kill the immortal fey. If you could get that, then you could
conceivably kill Yuuko, but even that may not work."
"Why not?"
"Certainly it would be a good thing to have Yuuko vanquished, but it may not
help Fai…because Yuuko is a queen."
"What's that to do with anything?" Kurogane asked impatiently.
"It is the reason why my uncle's geis holds even after his death, and why the
former king's curse on Yuuko transcended his death all those years ago. A
sovereign's will is one with Faerie. A spell cast by a sovereign will outlast
their death if they so will it," Fuuma said. "Yuuko is queen of the Dark Court
and the Dark Court is a Faerie of itself. Yuuko's rage became a core all its
own. We have no way of knowing whether or not the same rules apply to the Dark
Court. Yuuko's curse might be ended with her death and it might not be."
"Right now it would probably be best to focus on getting to Fai," Watanuki
said.
"Yeah," Kurogane agreed. He had no chance against Seishiro and he knew it.
Painful as it was, he knew that it would be best to wait and get proper
training so that he would be ready to face his enemies when the time came.
"I have done all that I can for now," Subaru's soft voice suddenly broke into
the conversation. "It will take several weeks."
All eyes in the room turned toward the bed where the poisoned empress was
lying. Subaru was just standing up from the bed and Chitose was tending to her.
As Tomoyo and Kurogane both moved toward their mother, they saw that, for the
first time in what felt like years, she was actually resting, her eyes closed
in sleep and not staring blankly at nothing.
"I think there's been enough talking for one night," Yuui said firmly. "It's
late. We all need rest."
"Yes, of course," Fuuma agreed, catching on. "Rooms will be made ready for all
of you."
No one could have possibly foreseen it, least of all Yuui herself, but she
found herself thinking about keeping Kurogane and Souma close by. No sooner had
the thought entered her head than a loud grinding sound echoed through the
chamber and everyone was instantly on the defensive. Kurogane and Souma took up
stances around Yuui and Tomoyo and everyone else fell into place around them.
"What's happening?" Soel shouted.
Almost as soon as they had begun, the noises stopped.
"Yuui-hime," Yue said softly. "Look."
Everyone looked where the Moon Guardian indicated, and found four doors along
the western wall that had definitely not been there before. Yuui took a step
forward, but Doumeki quickly threw an arm out to stop her, moving toward the
doors himself.
"It might be a trap," Watanuki said softly, stepping up behind her and placing
a hand on her shoulder.
Doumeki opened the first door and cautiously moved inside. When he emerged a
few moments later, his face gave away nothing. He repeated the process with the
next three doors and when he had checked all of them, he came back to the
group.
"Rooms. Four fully furnished bedchambers. That's what they are."
All of the faeries, except Doumeki, Kujaku, and Subaru, turned to stare at Yuui
in amazement.
"Could it…be…?" Fuuma whispered.
"Yuui-sama…what were you thinking about before those appeared?" Kero asked her.
The blonde tilted her head curiously to the side, slightly confused. "I…I was
thinking that I wanted to keep them close...Kurogane-kun and Souma-chan…and
Fuuma-san was talking about rooms, so…"
"By the Goddess," Kamui swore softly.
"It knows the princess. It must," Sai said, amazed.
"But…how can it be?" Watanuki wondered aloud. "She's not queen yet."
"Wait. Slow down. What are you talking about?" Yuui asked them, thoroughly
confused.
"Yuui-hime," Kakei addressed her, moving forward to be heard. "The sithen
recognizes its master. The sithen is in tune with a sovereign's very thoughts.
When the sithen recognizes a new master, it acts accordingly. You must be
careful of your thoughts. If it is within the sithen's power, it will grant to
you what you desire."
For a moment, all Yuui could do was stare at him in shock.
"A – are you saying that this…this place is inside my head? It knows what I'm
thinking?"
"Yes. The sithen is alive. It recognizes you as a potential new master. Your
mental bonds to Faerie are just beginning to form. Someday, the thoughts of all
of your subjects…nay, even the thoughts of all things that live…will be yours
if you wish it. But we will not be able to see your mind unless you will it.
The sithen is different. It can always hear the words you do not say. It can
see your mind."
"I…I think I need to sit down." No sooner were the words out of her mouth, than
a chair appeared beside her. Yuui immediately jumped away from it, moving
closer to Tomoyo, clinging to her. Tomoyo wrapped her arms around her,
comfortingly patting her back.
"No. No," she mumbled into Tomoyo's chest. "I don't want this. I don't want
some strange magic castle living in my head!" Her shoulders started to shake.
"Yuui-chan," Watanuki whispered sadly. "Is there anything we can do?"
Yuui just continued to shake, on the verge of breaking down, clinging all the
tighter to her love. "Just go away," she rasped.
All of them thought of a hundred things they could have said, but they could
all clearly see that Yuui would hear none of them, so they began to disperse.
Doumeki began to distribute the rooms. He led Kurogane to the first one, and as
he entered, Soel hopped up on his shoulder.
"Mokona will sleep with Kurogane tonight."
"Yeah, sure. Fine," Kurogane muttered, not really feeling up to arguing.
Company, however cutesy and annoying, would be welcome tonight, even if he
didn't really plan on sleeping.
Souma was shown to the second room. Larg joined her. Doumeki picked Amaterasu
up again and carried her into the third room. Sakura was given the last room.
"Will you be needing anything from me, Princess?" Chitose asked Tomoyo.
"No. You can get some rest, Chitose-san," Tomoyo replied as she led her
trembling fiancé over to the bed. "Yuui needs me tonight."
Chitose nodded once before disappearing into the third room. Kujaku, Kakei, and
Sai had long since slipped out.
"You should all get some rest," Doumeki said to Kamui and Fuuma. "Watanuki,
Kunogi, and I will take the watch tonight."
"We'll join you later. There's just…something I need to do tonight," Fuuma said
before turning to Kamui. "If you don't mind…I need to speak with you."
"It's all right," Kamui said after an expectant pause. "I need to speak with
you, too. I just need to take Subaru back to his room first."
"Don't worry about Subaru," Kotori said, smiling gently as she came and gave
him a hug. "I'll take care of him. It's the least I can do. You've both been
such good friends."
Then Kotori pulled Kamui even closer against her and whispered in his ear,
"Please…take care of my brother. He needs you now." Then she gave him a kiss on
the cheek before backing away. He stared at her in slight confusion as she
moved over to her brother.
She also pulled Fuuma into a tight hug, pressing her mouth against his ear to
whisper to him.
"You've always put me above your own needs. No one could have had a better big
brother. I love you…but it's time to drown."
Fuuma pulled back, staring down at his little sister in confusion. Usually he
could tell, but right now he just wasn't sure if she was lucid or not, and if
she was…where was all of this coming from?
Without another word, Kotori danced away from him and took Subaru's hand in
hers, cheerfully leading him out of the room. Fuuma and Kamui exchanged looks
of confusion before following, heading in the direction of Fuuma's chambers.
Yue and Kero followed soon after, heading for the sitting room. Himawari,
Watanuki, and Doumeki lingered a moment, all watching Tomoyo attempt to comfort
their daughter with their own expressions of worry. But then they were gone,
and the two princesses were alone.
                                      XxX
Kurogane did nothing to prepare for sleep. He didn't even lie down on the bed.
He just plucked Soel off his shoulder and set the small white creature down on
the pillows before moving over to the windowsill, sitting down, and staring out
into the night. After a long while of just watching him, Soel hopped off of the
bed and over to him, hopping up and into his lap. Kurogane did not respond.
"Isn't Kurogane going to sleep?" Soel asked, glancing worriedly up at the
banished prince.
"No," he said softly.
"But…Kurogane must be tired. Shouldn't Kurogane get some rest?"
"Heh, he should," he mumbled, imitating the Mokona's odd speech pattern in
order to avoid feeling like he was actually talking about himself. "But he
doesn't really want to."
"Why not? Fai would want Kurogane to take care of himself. He would feel bad if
he didn't."
"Kurogane knows that," he said, roughly patting the manjuu's head as he stared
out at the fey landscape.
"Then why?"
Kurogane remained silent for a long time while Soel waited patiently for him to
respond. When he finally did, it was with reluctance.
"Because…he's afraid."
Soel questioned him further, but he didn't respond. He couldn't even hear the
tiny voice. He was lost in the memory of his nightmare. If he slept, then he
would see Fai - hurt or killed. He knew he would. He was being punished for his
failure. Part of him wanted to be made to suffer, but the other part couldn't
bear it. He knew that he would have to sleep sometime. He could only push
himself so far before he dropped, but he would push himself for as long as he
possibly could. He wanted to see Fai, but he didn't want to see the light leave
his eyes night after night. He just couldn't take it. He knew that he would
lose Fai a hundred times over before this was ended and he wanted to escape it
for as long as possible.
When Kurogane finally came back to himself, the little fluff ball was snoozing
fitfully in his lap. He sighed as he turned his eyes outward once more to watch
the moon's passage across the night sky.
                                      XxX
Souma was quite different from Kurogane. She immediately collapsed on the bed
that had been provided for her, cuddling Larg in her arms. She felt like the
only thing she could do was sleep. She hadn't for the past two nights. The
night of the masque, she hadn't slept for being unable to get the thought of
Tomoyo and Yuui alone in the princess' chamber out of her head - and out of her
body. Last night she'd stayed awake making sure that nothing came within an
inch of Tomoyo…and trying to get her to sleep herself. Now…now she would give
almost anything to go back to the night of the masque - the night before
everything fell apart and Fai was still with them. Fai and Yuui…royalty? The
lost prince and princess of legend? Fai…the victim of the Dark Queen's curse?
And Yuui…next in line to rule over the realm of Faerie? When had things become
so hopelessly tangled? Fai and Yuui were meant to be their sanctuary…and now
they, too, were caught up in the intrigue. The madness had touched even them.
And then there was her father…the man who, for her, was at the center of the
madness. A man who had been indifferent to who she really was her entire life.
The only times he had ever paid attention to her were to beat her back into
line whenever she tried to break free of him. When she had fallen under
Arashi's tutelage, he had essentially disowned her. Even before that, she could
not recall a time when he had ever hugged her or held her. Her earliest
memories were of Sonomi…and her father's face, not his embrace, as it should
have been, but his face…either sad or angry. She could faintly recall the first
time he'd hit her. It was over a small thing - a broken cup, perhaps. It was
all so very distant. He'd looked…almost shocked. He'd stared at his hand…like
he couldn't quite believe it was his. After that, there had only been anger. It
was that small moment of regret that she clung to in her heart, that made her
keep going back for more…that made her believe he could still be a father to
her. But nothing ever changed. Why now…as the world was crumbling around
them…did he choose to hold her close and express a wish for her safety?
All of it…it was just too much.
"I don't understand!" she cried weakly as a few teardrops escaped her eyes.
Larg said nothing, just snuggled closer as the young kunoichi cried herself to
sleep.
                                      XxX
"Well, here we are, Subaru. Your room," Kotori said with a grin, stopping in
front of the doors that led into the Shiro lord's quarters. As expected, he
made no real reaction. Kotori turned to face him, her smile dimming slightly,
but her eyes remaining warm and gentle. She pulled him into a hug as she'd done
with her brother and his.
"You're so kind, you and your brother, both. You've been like brothers to me,
and you've stood by Fuuma all these years. My cousin's only trying to do what
he thinks is best. He can't help the way he sees things. It was always going to
happen this way. It will destroy Kamui…what's to happen. Please, Subaru, you
mustn't let him face Seishiro. He would be killed. Seishiro would have no
choice. That's for you and you alone." Kotori was perfectly aware that he
wasn't hearing any of what she was telling him, but she also knew that he would
still remember the warning. He would recall when the time came. She giggled
when she found that she had to stand on tiptoe in order to kiss his forehead.
"Goodbye, Subaru. Please, don't give up on him. Don't ever let go of him.
You're meant to go on…all of you."
                                      XxX
"Why wouldn't you let me see into your mind?"
Tomoyo remained silent for a long moment, staring down into her lover's eyes.
Once she had gotten Yuui to calm down, the light had darkened for them and they
had both changed into simple nightgowns. Tomoyo was sitting against the
headboard of the bed, nearly lost among all the pillows, and Yuui was laying
with her head in her lap. They were both playing idly with the other's hair,
though Tomoyo had a significantly less amount than usual to toy with. She was
leaning slightly forward so that her own hair cascaded around her shoulders and
fell around Yuui's face like a curtain. They had even pulled the curtains
closed around the bed to give themselves more privacy. Upon hearing the
question, though, Tomoyo's eyes went dark.
"Because I…didn't want you to see."
"You've never kept anything from me before," Yuui said sadly, glancing away.
"All this time we've lived in each other's dreams…these two years we've been
able to know each other's thoughts…you've never wanted to keep anything from me
before now. And it wasn't to keep me from coming after you. You knew I would do
that no matter what anyone did or said."
"There was one thing. I didn't tell you that I knew who you were. Almost…from
the very beginning…I knew who you and Fai really were…where you really came
from…"
"I don't blame you for that," Yuui said. "That wasn't your secret to tell.
But…now…it's the same as when…I hid myself from you…after Fuuma-san…took me…"
Tomoyo smiled sadly. "How did you know?"
"I saw your mind…when I healed you. That's what happens when I use that power.
I see the things that have caused you pain…mentally as well as physically. I
saw…what he did to you." He hadn't taken her, but for all that he had done to
her, he may as well have. The memory of his hands on her body would live in her
heart like a scar. As tears formed in her eyes, Yuui drew her down for a deep,
cleansing kiss.
"It wasn't your fault," Yuui whispered against her when they finally separated,
reaching up to wipe the tears away. "I understand. It's no one's fault but
his." He had tormented Fai's fragile psyche. He had violated Tomoyo- her
Tomoyo. If Kurogane didn't kill Kyle Rondart first, then she certainly would.
Even if he did, she would most likely try and kill him a second time.
"Please…don't tell Kurogane," Tomoyo pleaded softly. "He's got so much to worry
about right now. He doesn't need this, too. Someday…but not right now."
Yuui shook her head. "I won't tell him. You should be the one to. But he's
probably already guessed at it. There's just…so much happening all at once…"
"Yuui?" Tomoyo began in a stoic voice, pointedly looking away from her lover.
"Why did you put on a nightgown if you're not going to sleep?"
And here we are, Yuui thought with a sad smile. She had known that this
conversation was coming. She just hadn't known when Tomoyo would ask her.
"I suppose I just wanted to make you feel a little better about our situation.
Kero-san told me that I don't actually need to sleep…no faerie needs to sleep,
but many of them indulge in it just the same because they find it
enjoyable…like eating chocolate or making love. I'm just used to doing it
because I've lived my life as a human. My body still thinks that I need to. I'm
starting to get used to it…so you won't have to worry about me just dropping
from exhaustion. Though…I'm almost amazed that…what happened tonight…didn't
bring the curse upon me. Those few moments…when I thought I'd lost her…that…I…I
was so ready to let go…to just give up on everything and sleep. If Doumeki
hadn't thought to check…I probably wouldn't be here right now."
"Don't say that!" Tomoyo cried out, pulling Yuui up, pressing her desperately
close against her body. "Please don't say that."
"But…Tomoyo…I've been thinking about…just going to sleep…and getting it over
with."
Upon hearing this, every muscle in Tomoyo's body went limp and Yuui fell
lightly back into her lap, smiling weakly up at her shocked face.
"Why would you say something like that?"
"Think about it, koibito. We could do it tonight…right now. If we did it…then
no one could come and take me away like they did Fai. We could go to sleep…and
when you wake up in the morning, you could kiss me awake…and it would be over
and done with."
Tomoyo shook her head in disbelief. "You don't know that. You don't know that
it's safe to just…let it happen. Something could happen…and I'd lose you
forever. And…what if Nii-sama's right…and it doesn't work?"
"Then you find another way."
"But they said that even killing Yuuko might not work. What if…what if it
doesn't work because…because…"
"Because what, Tomoyo?" Yuui asked calmly.
"Because I'm not the one? What if it's not me…who's your true love?"
Yuui smiled softly, shaking her head and reaching a hand up to stroke Tomoyo's
cheek. "That's just ridiculous. When we make love, my skin shines like the
moon…and I love you with all my heart…and you love me…and I want to be with you
forever. I have to be with you forever. What proof do you still need?"
"I…I know all of this, Yuui…but I'm still…so afraid. Please…promise me you
won't fall asleep."
"I can't promise you that, Tomoyo. I can't know if something might happen to
make me sleep."
"But…what about our daughter? What happens to her if you fall asleep?"
Yuui looked away from Tomoyo at this, her eyes becoming sad and distant. "I…I
don't know. Maybe…it would be best to wait…at least until she's born."
"Yes," Tomoyo encouraged, desperately grasping at this last slender thread. "At
least until then. Please…just hold on, Yuui. We'll find a way. I know we will."
With that, Tomoyo fell to kissing Yuui's face with a desperation so wild it
left them both gasping. Neither had planned for it to happen, but almost before
they were aware of it, they were both naked and Tomoyo was straddling Yuui,
kissing the pregnant swell of her belly. In the moments before Tomoyo knew it
would be too late to stop herself, she glanced up at Yuui's straining face,
silently asking for permission. She nodded, breathing heavily.
"Yes…but…please…be gentle. The baby…"
"I know," she whispered back, lovingly kissing her way down the rest of Yuui's
body, nestling her face against the hottest part of her. Yuui inhaled sharply
at the feeling the simple contact inspired. Moaning softly and sighing Tomoyo's
name, she tangled her fingers in her dark hair, urging her on. The younger
princess kissed every inch of her sex that she could get at, working even
deeper with her tongue. When she felt Yuui begin to tremble beneath her, she
moved her mouth to the hidden bundle of nerves that would help her bring Yuui
pleasure and wrapped her lips around the fleshy nub.
Yuui cried out, resisting the urge to press Tomoyo more firmly against her. She
spread her legs even wider, allowing her dark lover more room to work. After a
time, she wrapped her legs around Tomoyo's torso, tangling them together as
one. Tomoyo sucked on her like an infant suckles at the breast. It was a more
apt comparison than anyone would ever know. Yuui's pleasure was the very breath
of life to the Nihon princess. She could feel fire growing in her own loins as
Yuui's legs slowly tightened around her. The older princess' gasps and moans
grew steadily in volume as the warmth in her nether regions grew hotter and
tighter, threatening to erupt with every passing second. She had to fight very
hard to keep herself from bucking up against Tomoyo, both for her sake and for
the baby's. She knew that with the accelerated development of her child, she
was probably entering the stages of her pregnancy where it wasn't smart to be
doing this, but she couldn't help it. It wasn't like she was using any of her
usual tricks. Perhaps…just one more time. They both needed this night.
Tomoyo could feel herself growing tenser and wetter as Yuui's skin began to
glow. This was the part that she loved best. Watching her lover glow like a
star and smelling her delicious scent as it filled the air…the sweetness of
golden honey and the tartness of freshly picked apples. Any moment now, her
cries of bliss would peak and she would become the light of the moon as she
reached the absolute height of her ecstasy…and the best part of this was that,
deep down, Tomoyo knew that she was the only one who could do this for Yuui.
The faerie princess glowed only for her. She knew in her heart what this meant,
but she couldn't help being afraid - after seeing Fai so cold. She didn't want
to see Yuui like that, and the thought of it even maybe happening to her made
her want to feel more alive. She dug her fingers into the blonde's hips,
working all the harder to bring her to completion. All of a sudden, she felt
the taller girl's legs tighten around her almost to the point of crushing.
"Ah!" Yuui cried out, her head falling back as her climax came upon her in
sweet waves, her fingers clutching desperately at Tomoyo. The smaller girl
smiled inwardly when she felt the flesh in her mouth tighten, undulating in a
sensual dance beneath her tongue.
As Yuui came down from her high, breathing heavily, the tremors from the orgasm
coming further and further apart, Tomoyo crawled up beside her once again,
leaning in close to kiss her. For a while after, they just lay side by side,
gazing into each other's eyes. However, it wasn't long before Yuui recovered
her energy and began to move herself.
Tomoyo slept very little that night.
***** The Gleam In Your Eyes *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
When they reached Fuuma's quarters, Kamui and Fuuma both remained silent for a
long while. Fuuma stood facing away from Kamui in the darkness of his sitting
room. The only light came from the moon. They both knew why they were there and
that there was much to be said…but they were both terrified to be the first one
to speak and end the centuries of silence, stolen glances, and half-formed
thoughts.
"What did you want to speak with me about?" Kamui finally whispered.
Fuuma let out a soft but harsh laugh at this, still looking away from Kamui.
"What did you want to speak with me about, Kamui?" he whispered back. Human
ears would have barely been able to detect their conversation, but they could
hear each other perfectly. To one, there was only the sound of the other's
voice…as if a roll of thunder were sounding in the heavens.
"You spoke first," Kamui reminded him.
"I suppose I did," Fuuma continued to whisper, finally turning to face Kamui.
"You know…don't you?"
"I do…and of course you know. You can see what's in my heart, after all."
"I can," he whispered, beginning to move closer to the younger faerie.
"How long have you known…what I didn't even know myself?" he asked, glancing
down at the floor.
Fuuma reached forward, hesitantly placing a hand on Kamui's cheek. "I have
always known it. I cannot help but see a person's truest desire. Even when you
were a baby…the moment you could recognize my face, we were bonded. I was what
you wanted…even if it wasn't in a romantic sense all those years ago. For the
longest time, you were content. You had my absolute devotion as a friend and
mentor as you grew…but I knew that you would one day need more from me…and that
was just as well, for I had fallen in love with you. I just didn't know how
long I would have to wait before you realized it yourself. Your heart had what
it wanted for such a long time…that I don't think you realized that there might
come a day when you would be without it. I don't think you realized that
possibility until I entered your room that day covered in blood. That was when
you began to realize what you really wanted me to be to you…and what you wanted
to be to me."
Kamui leaned into Fuuma's gentle caress, his mind slowly beginning to drift.
"Then…why now?" he whispered.
"Because tonight…you finally know your own heart. The desire rings clear to me.
It's not a latent wish or confused wandering. You know what you want. So…I can
finally say it. Kamui Shiro…I love you."
Kamui smiled, his eyes glistening slightly as he leaned even further into the
touch. Slowly, he drew his own hand up and placed it over Fuuma's. "Say it
again," he whispered.
"I love you. I love you. Please…let me hear you say it."
"Heh, you already have, haven't you?"
"I have. I've heard the whisper of your heart, but I want to hear the words
from your mouth. I want to hear you claim them as your own."
"Fuuma Monou…I love you."
"Finally," the older faerie whispered in relief before drawing the younger into
his arms and kissing him. It wasn't a violent, passionate affair, as their
first one had been. This one was gentle…soothing…loving. It was the kiss that
they had both been holding back for many lifetimes of men.
When they finally separated, they just stood together, holding each other
close. Kamui leaned his head against Fuuma's chest as Fuuma ran his fingers
through his dark hair.
"I'm sorry…Kamui," he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head.
"Sorry?" Kamui queried, backing away a little. "What are you sorry for?"
"I can't start this with a lie. What happened to Subaru was my fault."
Kamui shook his head. "What…what are you talking about?"
"I knew…that Seishiro was the Sakurazukamori. I've known for almost four years
now. I could have stopped it. But…even I had hope when he said that Subaru made
him glow…and that he glowed for him. My foolish hope led to Subaru's downfall.
I should have stepped in. I-"
Kamui smiled sadly, pressing a finger to Fuuma's lips to silence him. "I don't
blame you for that. You couldn't have known that he was after Subaru. If anyone
is to blame in this, it's me…for letting him out of my sight all those years
ago…and letting that monster sink his teeth into him in the first place."
"No," Fuuma whispered, pulling Kamui back into his arms. "Don't blame yourself.
We'll get through to him somehow."
"I just feel like…like we're running out of time," Kamui whispered against him,
clinging to him slightly. "That…if we don't do this now…there might not be
another chance."
"I know," Fuuma replied softly. In truth, he had been feeling the same way.
They were on the brink of war. It felt like they were somehow standing on the
edge…like…nothing was going to be the same after tonight.
"Come to my bed," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the younger faerie's ear.
Kamui chuckled softly, almost bitterly. Even now, in a moment that was supposed
to be all joy and wonder, he could not quite let go of his weary cynicism.
"Why? Because we don't know whether or not we'll be alive tomorrow night?"
"No," Fuuma replied, briefly kissing his lips. "Because I love you and you love
me and I want to be with you. Who cares if we came to it on the eve of war?"
All it took was a nod. Just one nod from the violet-eyed faerie and Fuuma had
led him into his bedchamber. Neither of them really remembered stripping each
other naked, but before they knew it, they were in just such a state on Fuuma's
bed, lying in each other's arms and kissing fervently.
"Take me," Kamui whispered breathlessly against Fuuma's lips. "Take me!"
"Wait," Fuuma returned, pressing a restraining hand against his chest.
Disentangling himself from Kamui, he rummaged through a drawer in a table by
the bed, drawing out a small bottle of amber liquid. When it was opened, the
scent of musk filled the room.
"Oil?" Kamui questioned with a wry grin. "You were…planning this?"
Fuuma shook his head as he coated his index finger with the oil. "Not
planning…just waiting. I know it can be painful."
Kamui knew it, too. It wasn't as if either of them was a virgin…he just
couldn't bring himself to care whether or not it would hurt. He could handle
pain. What he wasn't certain of was whether or not Fuuma could handle hurting
him. Fuuma had been extremely fragile ever since getting Yuui with child. He
was a kind person by nature and Kamui hadn't realized what he was doing to him
until it was too late. Now he couldn't even bear the mere thought of hurting
someone he cared about. So, if he had any care at all for Fuuma's heart, he
would have to tread carefully tonight. Even in this heated moment…even though
there was a fierce and desperate need in both of them…he would have to make
sure that they were both careful. Even the smallest cry of pain from him would
cost Fuuma dearly. The elder noble would spend the next fifty years hating
himself.
However, even knowing that, he couldn't wait through much more than a cursory
preparation, a few probing thrusts of Fuuma's slicked finger. The feeling that
they were running out of time was getting stronger with each passing second.
"Please," he moaned in between kisses. "Now! I want you inside me now!" To
accentuate his plea, he grabbed hold of Fuuma's already prevalent erection and
began to stroke it generously, urging him on. He gave a strangled cry, nearly
collapsing on top of Kamui. Then he laughed softly, attempting to master
himself.
"Someone's eager," he teased, shaking his head again as he sat back up and
quickly coated himself with the oil.
"Heh," Kamui snickered as he began to lift up his legs for Fuuma. "I should
think you'd be a little more eager…with how long you've waited for me."
Fuuma smiled adoringly down at the younger faerie as he positioned himself.
"One must learn patience, Kamui…or it could not be endured. Besides…I don't
want to hurt you."
"You won't. I can take it. Now…take me!" he hissed, thrusting his body upward
and impaling himself on Fuuma. His face scrunched up briefly as they collapsed
back on the bed, tangled up in each other.
"Are you all right?" Fuuma demanded, trying to see Kamui's face. The Shiro gave
him a smile.
"Fine. Just…just move," he whispered against him.
Fuuma nodded, burying his face in Kamui's hair. The scent of thistles filled
his nose as he slowly began to move. Kamui moaned softly as the familiar
sensations of pleasure began to fill his body. Before long, his skin began to
glow with an ethereal lavender light, bathing the chamber in a rhapsody of
color as his glow blended with the honey golden glow of Fuuma's skin. The
intertwined beauty and danger of their magic and their love crashed together
like bolts of lightning as they made love. To them, it seemed that the heavens
were crashing down around them as they moved together, joining with the earth
as they melted into each other. It was a miracle for both of them. Though they
had both slept with countless others, no one else had ever been able to bring
forth the sacred light.
A revelation…an experience out of time and space…Eternity in a single
moment…the Beginning and the End. This was the truth of the light of the soul.
Then, in a moment that lasted forever and yet took no time at all, their dance
of light peaked and passionate cries brought ecstasy. Hot seed spilled upon and
within.
When he was completely spent, Fuuma released Kamui and collapsed beside him,
breathing hard. Breathing just as hard, Kamui reached his arms forward and
pulled Fuuma to him, holding him close as their conjoined glow slowly faded.
The room was very strongly inundated with the scents of thistles, cinnamon, and
sex.
"Fuuma," Kamui whispered joyfully, his eyes bright with happy tears. "I...I had
no idea-"
"Neither did I," he whispered back, his eyes glistening just as heavily with
tears of joy as he closed the short distance between them and sealed Kamui's
lips with a tender kiss
"I love you," Kamui whispered against him, already nodding off. He wanted to
sleep so that he could have the pleasure of waking up in Fuuma's arms.
"And I love you," Fuuma returned just as softly, beginning to doze himself. He
was exhausted. He had tried to be gentle, but he had still called out so much
of his power just by being with Kamui. They were joined…now and forever.
There would be no going back.
Whatever happens…it's no one's fault.
                                      XxX
Fai sits, alone, curled up in a miserable little ball, crying his poor heart
out. He can only weep. He knows exactly where he is…and what's about to happen.
He is on the giant bed…in the dark room. Seishiro will come for him soon.
I'm…so cold. Why am…I cold? Cold…so…cold…
"Fai-kun~," Seishiro's hypnotic voice sings as his body melts into being out of
the darkness. Fai doesn't look up. He only cries harder. He flinches when he
feels Seishiro's hands on him. The dark prince cradles his face in his hands
and presses a gentle kiss to his lips. Before Fai can slap him away, he pulls
him up against his chest, very nearly crushing him. "Why are you crying, my
pretty little Fai-kun?" he asks, kissing the boy's fair hair and rubbing his
back soothingly while keeping him imprisoned in his steel embrace. Fai sobs all
the harder. He doesn'twantto speak to his tormentor, but he can't help it. No
matter how hard he struggles, it seems that a part of him will forever remain
enslaved to the dark prince.
"B-because you're…going to…r-r...hurt me…again."
"No, I am not. I could never hurt you, my sweet little cherry blossom," he
whispers in Fai's ear, tilting his head back to kiss his smooth, white throat.
"Please stop. Please stop," Fai sobs weakly, shaking his head back and forth in
an attempt to discourage the attention. "You hurt me before. You'll do it
again."
"Listen to me, dear one. I only did what I had to," he says with a
condescending smile…as if Fai were an ignorant child who didn't know what was
best for himself. "Besides, there was no rape that night. You could have
fought…but you didn't.You gave me the most precious gift you have to offer -
your virginity."
"No! I didn't!" Fai shouts, struggling, even though he knows it's useless. "I
gave that to Kurogane!"
"Did you? What happened between us two years ago…was it an illusion or reality?
You can never truly know. Face it, Fai-kun. Face the truth.Iknew you first…and
no matter how hard you try, you can never…ever…forget your first time. You will
never be able to truly let go of the memory of the one who kissed you
first…held you first…touched your body first…lovedyou first!" As he speaks,
Seishiro slips a hand down between their bodies and begins to stroke Fai.
"STOP IT!" Fai screams, struggling helplessly against the vise-like arm that
holds him against Seishiro's chest. "You don't love me!Kuroganeloves me!"
Seishiro only laughs, taking things a step further and sliding his hand
directly into Fai's pants, rubbing against the bare flesh. "What are you
talking about? Of course I love you. We're family, you and I."
"You'relying!" Without his permission, a moan escapes Fai's throat. That isn't
him…is it? No! It can't be! He'd never! Seishiro must be controlling him again.
More tears slide down his face as another moan slips from his mouth.
"Oh, you like that, do you?" Seishiro whispers against him, sucking roughly on
his ear as he pinches the tip between his thumb and pinky while drumming the
other fingers harshly against the underside of Fai's length. Fai cries out at
the sensation, mentally slitting his own throat for the action. "And why would
I lie to you about something like that? Don't you know where your fey blood
comes from? Clow Reed himself. Your mother was his daughter…my half-sister. I
am your uncle, Fai-kun. We are bound by blood."
"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" Fai shrieks, still trying to escape, even though his
body is also reacting to Seishiro. Hecan'tbelieve it. If it's true…then it
means he's been raped…by his own uncle! And what's worse, he doesn't think
he'll be able to survive knowing for certain he has the same blood as
this…creature!
"But it's true," Seishiro says softly, licking Fai's neck as he continues to
stroke him. Nothing Fai does seems to deter him. "No one knows you better than
your dear uncle does. I have seen everything that's in your heart…the good and
the bad. I know every disgusting, sinful, beautiful, divine thing about you.
You're not the person your Kurogane-kun thinks you are. I know the things
evenhedoesn't know. Even seeing what you truly are, I still love you, Fai-kun.
No one can love you like I can. No one cansatisfyyou like I can. That prince is
only a human, Fai-kun. You're royalty yourself…fey royalty at that. Kurogane-
kun is notworthyof you. You can't know how powerful you are. You deserve a
consort who is your equal."
Fai cries out, moaning loudly as Seishiro moves against him. But just as he's
about to lean forward and kiss the Dark Prince back, he re-masters himself.
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" he screams, renewing his struggle.
"How do youknowI'm in your head? You can still move of your own accord, can't
you?" he asks, kissing Fai very harshly on the lips. He continues his
ministrations, but he keeps Fai from coming, causing the sensations in his body
to intensify beyond what any mortal could handle of pleasure. They both know it
will soon drive him insane. "Youdowant me, Fai-kun. You just won't admit it.'
"IT'S NOT TRUE!" he screams, but in the very next breath he's moaning, gasping
Seishiro's name, begging for more. "Oh…Mm…Nngh…Seishiro…touch me!" Even as he
cries out in passion, tears of self-hatred and disgust flow down his face. He
pounds his fists against Seishiro's chest, still trying to escape, even as his
traitorous body begs for the Dark Prince's touch.
"Do you want to come, Fai-kun?" Seishiro asks.
"Not with you!" the confused boy sobs, though his arms are reaching to wrap
around Seishiro. His uncle smirks sadistically as he gives him another kiss.
This time Fai presses eagerly up against him, kissing him back as he pounds
into his hand, desperately trying to come. Suddenly his only desire in the
world is to come by Seishiro's hand. Hehasto belong to Seishiro.And even as the
thoughts are born, his pain flows down his face. His love for Kurogane exists
hand in hand with his newfound love for Seishiro - hisuncle! Every atom of his
body tingles with lust, love, and hatred. It's tearing him apart. In the next
instant, he's reaching up, as if meaning to try and put out Seishiro's
remaining eye. He begins the struggle again. "LET ME GO!"
"Do you want to come?' he asks again, continuing to stimulate his helpless
nephew, driving him closer and closer to the breaking point.
"Never!" But even as he screams in protest, it turns into a scream of desire
and he swings his legs up, wrapping them around Seishiro's waist and pounding
furiously into his hand. Heneedsto come! He willdieif Seishiro doesn't bring
him to climax now! "Oh, God…oh, God!"
Traitor! Vile betrayer! You don't deserve Kurogane! You're not faithful to him!
You're betraying him with your Goddess damn uncle ! Your God damn rapist !
You're sick , Fai! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE!
"Do you want to come?" Seishiro asks again.
"NO! I hate you!" Fai screams, even as he pounds into Seishiro's hand and his
fingers reach up to tangle in his silky black hair. This time, he is the
aggressor in their heated kissing, plunging his tongue into Seishiro's mouth.
The next moment, he bites down on the dark faerie's tongue, drawing blood. He
wants tohurthim! He wants to be hurtbyhim! Heneedshim! Hehateshim!
Heloveshim!He wants tokillhim! He wants him to killhim! He can'tstandit! He
doesn't knowwhathe wants. He feels sogood!He feels soawful! He feels sosick! He
issick! He's insane.
"AAAGH!!" he screams in both bliss and agony.
"Yourbodydoesn't say no, my sweet. Which one is the liar? Tell me how much you
love me, nephew of mine. Tell me what you want me to do to you."
"I…I love you, Seishiro.Iloveyou!" He can feel his heart shattering as the
false declarations spew from his mouth. He almost swears he's tasting vomit in
his mouth as he smashes his lips against Seishiro's. He digs his fingernails
into his scalp…anything to cause pain, to draw blood…but the injuries heal
almost instantly.
"You see? This is what you really are," the Dark Prince says, smiling in
triumph as he kisses every inch of Fai's sweating face. He's no longer
imprisoning Fai against his body. They're holding each other. "You're kissing
me of your own free will. Youwantme to touch your body. I'm not using even one
ounce of my Hand of Illusion on you. The only magic here is the magic of you
finally realizing who it is you truly want. You only protest because you want
to believe you're still in love with Kurogane-kun, but it's not true. You
loveme, Fai-kun. You always have."
"NOO!!" Fai screams in anguish. "IT'S A LIE!" He wants to deny this, but deep
down, he knows he cannot. He's kissing Seishiro because hewantsto.He's
consciously accepting Seishiro. Everything…absolutelyeverythinghe's done
tonight has been done of his own free will. Every kiss…every touch…every moan
and cry of desire…HewantsSeishiro. He wants to be with him. He loves both
KuroganeandSeishiro.
Maybe…maybe…he even loves… only Seishiro?
"Fai-kun, my beloved, my only nephew…if you open your eyes, you will see that
the love between us is real."
Fai does as his uncle asks…and is almost blinded by the combined glow of their
skin…his own white light and Seishiro's pale red light. Pain and joy grip his
heart in equal measure. Tears flow, thick and fast, down his face.
"There is nothing to equal the magic of two soul mates finding each other…no
light more beautiful."
"But…but…Kuro…koi…"
"I know you glow for him, Fai-kun. I understand. I realize you probably still
have feelings for him and that's fine with me. I won't hold it against you. But
he's only a human. What you feel will pass in time. It must…for someday, your
Kurogane-kun will die and leave you alone…but you and I will live on. Though,
for now…if you want…we couldallbe together," he suggests, giving Fai a gentle
kiss, one hand tenderly stroking his hair while the other mercilessly continues
its assault on the disoriented boy's sex, holding him on the edge. Fai clings
to him weakly with both his arms and legs, never ceasing the thrusting motions
as he sobs into Seishiro's tunic. Neither his body nor his sanity will take
much more of this.
"I…I don't…think he would like that. Oh, dear Goddess! I don'tcareabout
Kurogane! Please, Seishiro! I'm going todie!" he shrieks, seizing the older
faerie in a violent kiss. He really is going to die once this is over…if not
from this destructive orgasm when Seishiro finally releases him, then from the
outrightliehe's just dared to give voice to. He's almost gone now. At the exact
same moment he can believe it's both a lie and a truth.
"I'll only ask you one more time. Do you want me to let you come?" he asks once
more, giving the poor boy's abused cock a particularly violent squeeze. Fai
screams at the sensation, cleaving to his tormentor and savior like flesh to
bone.
"Yes! Yes! Please!" he begs. "I'll do anything! I don'tcare!Make me come!"
Seishiro sneers. "You really shouldn't have said that."
With that, he throws Fai down on the bed, kissing him harshly as he exposes him
to the cold air. A normal human would have been killed by the force with which
Seishiro threw him down and is now holding him. Still he does not release him.
Fai screams into the kiss. He can no longer tell if it's pleasure or pain. They
are the same…at this gateway between life and death. Seishiro bites savagely
into his lip, drawing blood. Fai writhes against him, needing, begging for
more. He needs for Seishiro to give it to him. At the same time, he desperately
wants more pain. He needs to be punished for his sins against Kurogane.
"JUST LET MEDIE!" he shrieks. With a last cruel smile, his uncle lets go.
It's the most violent experience he's ever suffered through. He feels as if his
body is trying to eject his very soul along with the release. It is death and
rebirth in the same moment. It's the most painful and the most wonderful thing
he's ever felt. It's far worse than all of the pain Seishiro has caused him
before this moment. In the very same instant, it is Heaven and Hell. The abused
prince weeps for the utter beauty and the sheer horror of it. How can it
possibly feel so wretchedly wonderful to be so utterly destroyed?
When his body is all used up, Fai just lies on the bed, still trembling
violently and clinging to Seishiro as he cries.
I'll never be free of that feeling, will I? It's always going to be there.
Even after…all of that…he is still cold. So…very…cold…
                                      XxX
Subaru honestly doesn't notice much of a difference. Waking and sleeping have
become very much the same to him. He'd been surrounded by darkness a moment
ago…and he is surrounded by darkness now. He doesn't notice anything different
until he hears his name.
"Subaru-kun~," Seishiro whispers in his ear as his arms snake around his body.
Subaru inhales sharply at the sensation and leans back into the embrace, but he
does not speak.
"Won't you speak to me?" Seishiro finally asks after what feels like hours of
petting to Subaru. "I've really missed you."
Subaru still says nothing. He only groans softly.
"Guess where I've just come from. Well, I suppose I shouldn't ask you to guess,
since you aren't speaking to me, but it might interest you to know the
condition of your precious prince."
"Fai?" the Shiro lord whispers numbly.
"Yes. I've just seen him very thoroughly mind-raped. The Darkness holds him in
its thrall and it will make him its own. It took my form…and then it took him,
because it knows that, deep down,Iam what that boy fears the most. I must say,
the performance was masterful. It used my Hand of Illusion to its maximum
depth, penetrating even into the sacred territory of his soul, implanting false
desires and convictions. EvenImight not have risked such a penetration. Such a
profound alteration of his reality could easily destroy him."
"Why?" Subaru finally whispers, his voice on the verge of breaking.
"Ah, the boy finally speaks," Seishiro says with a smile, kissing his former
lover on the cheek.
"Why…did you hurt…Fai?" he asks again, tears beginning to slide down his face.
"You…told me that…you wanted to help him."
"I also told you I loved you, Subaru. I'm quite capable of lying. Your dear Fai
was in the way, plain and simple. He had to be removed. That child is broken
beyond repair."
"But…why only him? What about…Yuui…and the baby?" He's crying openly now,
albeit silently.
"Oh, don't worry. They will be dealt with before too long. In fact, I've chosen
a woman. By the time Yuui and her child are out of the way, my seed will be
ready to take their place."
"Oh, God," Subaru cries, burying his face in his hands as Seishiro holds him.
"Oh, God!"
Seishiro snickers as he presses a kiss to Subaru's ear. "The God? The Goddess?
Do you really think They'll save you all now? I was deemed a worthy candidate
to inherit my father's crown. If I'm so horrible…so evil…what makes me worthy?
Where is Their so called justice?"
Subaru shakes his head. He no longer knows up from down, future from past,
friend from enemy, darkness from light. He doesn't know if he's dreaming…or
awake…or trapped in an illusion. He wraps his arms around himself, twining his
fingers together with Seishiro's as the Dark Prince continues to kiss him
"No…no…Sei…shiro. Why?"
"Because you're a fool, dear Subaru. You sold yourself to me," he whispers to
him as he runs his hands up and down his arms. The sakura scars turn red and
begin to burn.
"Ah…ah! Seishiro! Please…don't!" he hisses in pain. It's an agony such as he's
never known…a wound that will not heal…and it extends deep into his chest.
"You are the prey of the Sakurazukamori, my love…and you will never be free."
                                      XxX
Tsubasa Island really was a beautiful sight in the early morning. The sun was
just beginning to trickle through the trees and the surface of Spirit Lake
sparkled as the warm rays struck the water. A warm spring breeze whispered
through the forest. Celes knew nothing of the ominous events taking shape
outside of its borders. Here, the morning was peaceful. It made Kotori happy to
know that this was the place where her uncle had drawn his last breath. He had
loved the forest so much. She would be content to end her days here as well.
Kotori was strolling along the edge of the forest within sight of the shore.
She had come when it was only just beginning to lighten to pick flowers. Now
she was walking along, counting out the blossoms in her bouquet to herself.
Roses…forget-me-nots…rosemary…pansies…fennel…columbines…rue…daisies…and
violets. They will not wither. Death is only a rebirth in disguise.
"Love lives forever," she said to herself, inhaling the sweet scent of her
message. As she counted out the flowers over and over again, she began to sing
to a melody that only she could hear.
Lightning crashes, a new mother cries.
Her placenta falls to the floor.
The angel opens her eyes.
The confusion sets in
Before the doctor can even close the door.
Lightning crashes, an old mother dies.
Her intentions fall to the floor.
The angel closes her eyes.
The confusion that was hers
Belongs now, to the baby down the hall.
I'm sorry, Yuui-chan, Fuuma, Kamui, Subaru…I know you all still need me…but the
beautiful morning I saw so long ago has finally arrived. I'm ready now. Yuui-
chan…I wish I could be there to help you deliver my sweet little niece…but I
can at least guarantee you she will be born healthy and whole.
Oh now feel it comin' back again,
Like a roll of thunder chasing the wind.
Forces pullin' from the center of the earth again.
I can feel it.
Lightning crashes, a new mother cries.
This moment she's been waiting for.
The angel opens her eyes,
Pale blue-colored eyes.
Presents the circle,
Puts the glory out to hide, hide.
Oh now feel it comin' back again,
Like a roll of thunder chasing the wind.
Forces pullin' from the center of the earth again.
I can feel it. I can feel it.
Oh, why? Oh, why? Oh, why?
I can feel it comin' back again,
Like a roll of thunder chasing the wind.
Forces pullin' from the center of the earth again.
I can feel it.
I can feel it comin' back again,
Like a roll of thunder chasing the wind.
Forces pullin' from the center of the earth again.
I can feel it.
I can feel it comin' back again,
Like a roll of thunder chasing the wind.
Forces pullin' from the center of the earth again.
I can feel it. I can feel it.
I can feel it.
As the last notes drifted away from her on the wind, Kotori Monou heaved a
sigh. Yes, she would miss this…but if it was a choice between her and her
family…her brother, the Shiro brothers…Yuui, Fai, and the baby…then she would
prefer that she be the one to break, not any of them.
There was no sound, no burst of light or color, no shift in the air nor scent
upon the wind, but Kotori knew that the new arrival was there, just the same.
Slowly, she turned to face the intruder, a warm, welcoming smile on her face.
"You're late," she said softly. "I was beginning to wonder what was keeping
you."
                                      XxX
It's not your fault.
Fuuma's eyes shot open as he bolted up in bed, glancing around frantically. He
could have sworn he'd heard Kotori's voice just now. Something was somehow…off.
When he couldn't quite figure out what, he decided that the reason must be that
Kamui wasn't with him. His arms were empty and the violet-eyed faerie's side of
the bed was cold. He must have risen before him and gone to take up his turn on
watch.
The Monou lord sat on the bed for a long while, enjoying the warm sunlight
shining into his room with a dazed smile on his face. He felt a vivid sense of
completion - a most wonderful freedom. He could finally hold Kamui close and
call him his own. It was almost the most perfect morning he could have asked
for…though he would definitely have to scold Kamui for leaving him to wake on
his own.
Good morning, dear cousin. My, but you've got quite the post-coital expression.
You finally got darling Kamui into bed. Brilliant, Cousin, absolutely
brilliant.
Fuuma froze at the sound of the voice in his head. "What do you want,
Seishiro?" he asked aloud.
Do I have to want something for me to speak with my little cousin? We speak so
rarely, you and I. I only want to speak with you.
"What if I don't want to?" he retorted sharply. He hadn't moved an inch.
I suppose you'll just have to ask Kamui what happens then. No point in denying
it was he that you slept with. He's rife with your scent.
Fuuma felt himself stabbed through the chest. His heart stopped and he very
nearly choked on his own breath. "What have you done?"
Come to Tsubasa Island right now, alone. If you don't, then your precious
Kamui's life is forfeit and he will never see another night.
Taking several deep breaths in order to re-master himself, Fuuma tried to
continue the exchange without doing something foolish. "How do I know you even
have Kamui? Do you have any proof? Why should I believe you? Every word out of
your mouth is a lie."
You cannot know. Any evidence I could possibly give you could have easily been
fabricated by me. Think of it in this light. What choice have you got? Can you
really afford to run the risk that Imightbe lying? Would you wager
Kamui'slifeon it? I'll kill him. YouknowI will. If you aren't here in five
minutes, then… He let the threat hang, unfinished.
With a dreadful cry that combined both rage and terror, Fuuma was up on his
feet. He was dashing out of the sithen in all of five seconds. It was a trap.
He knew it was a trap, but that didn't matter. It was as Seishiro said. He
couldn't risk Kamui's precious life - not for anything.
                                      XxX
Take care of Kamui…and remember what I told you.
Subaru blinked several times, trying to make sense of the intrusion on his
conscience. It wasn't only Kotori's voice he'd heard in his head. There was
someone else there. Slowly, he struggled up from his bed, fighting to collect
his shattered self enough to move forward.
"Sei…shiro…?" he whispered in confusion, his voice having the tone of one deep
in a trance.
The scars on his arms gave a resounding throb of pain. Seishiro was calling
him. He had to answer - no matter what he might lose because of it. He could
not help himself. Seishiro…was master of his very existence.
He had to go to Seishiro.
                                      XxX
It's not your fault. Please…take care of yourself…and my brother. Remember…the
future has yet to be decided.
Kamui stopped, glancing around the empty corridor. He could almost swear he'd
heard Kotori's voice in his head. He shook his head briefly and continued back
toward Fuuma's quarters. He had arisen with the sun, snuggled up contentedly in
Fuuma's embrace, just as he'd wished for. As he'd gazed upon Fuuma's face,
finally peaceful in his contented sleep, he'd suddenly felt a very strong
desire to do things for him, just to do them, really…in order to make him
happy. So he'd extricated himself from Fuuma's arms, gotten dressed, and headed
down to the kitchens to make them breakfast. It wasn't as if he couldn't just
summon up food from somewhere or call some servants for it. It was just that he
really wanted to cook for Fuuma himself. So here he was, walking back up to
Fuuma's chambers with a tray of fruit, toast, and sausage, and still blushing
faintly. The cooks had teased him mercilessly, telling him he'd been going
around with a damn fool smile on his face all morning and wanting to know who
his lucky bedfellow was. Even now, he couldn't help it. He knew he was smiling.
He couldn't wait to see Fuuma again…to be by his side. They were going to be
together from now on.
My, my, but someone's happy this morning. Tell me, Kamui, was my little cousin
good?
Kamui stopped dead in his tracks. "What do you want, Seishiro?"
Just a chat. I'm afraid things have gone terribly wrong between us of late and
I was hoping we might sort it all out.
"What's to sort out?" he asked angrily, the tray shaking in his hands. "You
betrayed my brother and broke his heart! You took his soul away from him, you
monster!"
Kamui, behavior like that will get you nowhere. If you won't talk with me, you
just might lose something even more precious.
"What are you talking about?" Kamui asked quietly, suddenly fearful.
Remember that sex you were planning to have? Ever again? It might be a little
difficult if my dear cousin is dead.
"What have you done with him?" the violet-eyed Shiro demanded furiously. There
was no doubt in his mind that the former prince was capable of orchestrating
something like this.
Oh, he's safe…for the moment, but if you don't come to Tsubasa Island alone in
the next five minutes, I can't make any promises.
"Seishiro, if you harm him, I swear I'll-"
There will be no need for threats if you get yourself here in time. I only want
to talk.
There was no time to summon help. He couldn't take the chance that Seishiro
might actually carry out his threat. Fuuma was far too important for that. He
couldn't for the life of him fathom why Seishiro would need to go to such
lengths to draw him out, but there was no time to figure things out.
Before the breakfast tray had even hit the ground, Kamui was bursting out of
the gates, fire burning in his eyes. Nothing and no one would take Fuuma away
from him…not now!
                                      XxX
Remember, dear imouto, I will always be with you.
Yuui blinked. "Kotori?"
She'd been lying in bed, holding Tomoyo, who was sleeping peacefully. Tomoyo
had been asleep for a few hours and Yuui had lain awake, holding her and
stoking her hair. But…just now…she could have sworn she'd heard Kotori's voice.
For a moment, her hold on Tomoyo tightened and the change caused the younger
princess to awaken.
"Yuui?" she mumbled in confusion. "What is it?"
Yuui shook her head and gave Tomoyo a very tender good morning kiss, about to
reassure her that nothing was wrong. But then she felt it.
Something was happening.
"Something's wrong," she said, snapping into motion. "Hurry and get dressed.
Wake Souma-chan. I'll get Kurogane-kun. We have to get to the other side right
now!"
I only hope we're not too late.
                                      XxX
When Fuuma burst through the trees, at first, all he could see was Seishiro.
"I am here, alone, as you asked. Now free Kamui."
"I would, you see, but the trouble is that Kamui's not here yet."
Yet? Had he somehow tricked them both into coming here? Why? What could he
possibly want with them?
"Fuuma!" Kamui shouted as he raced into the clearing.
"No! Kamui! Go back! It's a trap!" he tried to warn him.
"Too late," Seishiro said softly, smiling benignly at them. "It's an
interesting thing. Kyle came screaming into our presence last night. He seemed
to think that he'd killed Yuui's child and, by extension, undone Yuui. But my
mother and I took this news with a grain of salt. It turns out we were right
to. It wasn't that hard to discover that the infant was unharmed. As such, I
can no longer afford to let the lot of you do as you please. I've lain with a
woman and she's undoubtedly carrying my child. But how, oh how, can I get to
the princess when she's still surrounded by her faithful knights? You see my
dilemma. Therefore, if you would be so kind as to not resist while I thin you
out-"
"You honestly think we'd let you kill us?" Kamui demanded furiously. Seishiro
only laughed at this.
"Oh, heavens, Kamui. I don't want to kill you. Why would I do that? The two of
you are far too amusing. No, I have something much more delicious in mind. Look
above you."
The two nobles hesitated a moment, then did as they were told. What they saw
horrified them.
Kotori was suspended above them, seemingly by nothing, but they both knew
better. She appeared to be unconscious.
"What is this?" Fuuma demanded. "What have you done?"
Seishiro said nothing. He simply raised his arms and sakura branches burst
forth from them, seizing Kamui and Fuuma, just as they had done with Subaru.
They both cried out as the branches dug into the flesh of their arms.
"The two of you belong to the Sakurazukamori now, but that's not quite enough.
This will be different from Subaru." Slowly, Seishiro retracted the sakura
branches and Fuuma and Kamui both fell to their knees, bleeding profusely from
the injuries. Still smiling, Seishiro drew Assassin's Hand and sent it drifting
toward them.
"Rise," he commanded, raising a hand. Fuuma and Kamui's bodies jerked upward in
unison. Against their wills, their hands reached out to grasp the hilt of
Assassin's Hand.
"What…are you…doing?" Kamui grunted in pain.
"I need to possess at least one of you fully. We will perform a blood sacrifice
here today. Kotori will be my sacrifice."
"What are you talking about?" Fuuma demanded, his voice thick with pain.
Seishiro tilted his head upward and their bodies slowly began to rise into the
air, until they were facing Kotori. The point of Assassin's Hand came to rest
against her heart. One good thrust was all it would take.
"Oh, Goddess," Fuuma breathed in horror.
"You see, Cousin, the Sakurazukamori is a thing of death. Now that you and
Kamui have been marked by it, all you need to do is make one kill. The blood
will splash on you and your mind will be taken over by the Sakurazukamori, just
as mine was fifteen hundred years ago. The question is…which one of you will it
be?"
At that very moment, Kotori opened her eyes, smiling softly at the two of them.
Horror filled both of their hearts at the expression.
"Hello, Brother, Kamui."
"No. No, no, no, no, no," Kamui repeated over and over again. This couldn't be
happening! It just couldn't!
Just then, Subaru came running onto the scene, followed by Yuui, Tomoyo,
Kurogane, Souma, the Mokona, Doumeki, Watanuki, and Himawari.
"Kotori?" Subaru whispered. "Seishiro?"
"Dear God," Watanuki whispered in horror.
"What's happening?" Yuui shouted.
"No!" Fuuma cried out, noticing her. "Yuui-chan…stay back!"
"Kill her," Seishiro commanded calmly. Kamui and Fuuma suddenly felt themselves
moving. Barely managing to stop themselves, they fought desperately to keep
their bodies from carrying out Seishiro's order.
"Oh, my God," Yuui whispered, finally realizing what was happening.
"Hold on, Fuuma!" Himawari cried out. They would find a way to save them. They
just had to!
"Brother," Kotori said softly as she reached past the sword to place her hands
on theirs. "It's all right. You can let go now."
"Never!" Fuuma shouted, shaking his head furiously. "Don't you understand? If
we let go, you'll be killed!"
But Kotori did understand. She was perfectly lucid - in this moment before her
last. "But I want you to kill me, Fuuma. It is my time. I want you to be the
one to set me free."
"No! No!" he cried out, tears beginning to escape his eyes against his will.
"Please! Don't make me do this!"
Kotori shook her head, smiling. "You must. This is your fate. Ever since I was
small, I have known…that you would be the one to take my life from me."
Horror blossomed anew on Fuuma's face as he listened to the secrets that had
been locked inside of his baby sister all this time. She had lived every
day…knowing when she would breathe her last?
"You knew? You knew…all this time…and you never said anything? Why did you
come? Why didn't you fight?" he sobbed.
"It is not given to me to try and change the future…only to see it. Events have
poured into my head ever since I lost my mind all those years ago. I have seen
it all…and I only wish to be free of it. All this time…so many memories…all
these years, it's been killing me."
"No! No! Kotori, no!"
"Don't cry," she said softly, trying to console him. "This is my destiny. The
destiny that I chose."
"Why me?" he sobbed brokenly. "Why did you choose me?"
"I didn't, Brother. This was always going to happen. Someday you will look
back…and you will know that you did the best thing you could have done for me.
I love you very much…and I'll miss you."
"No! Please…don't!"
"Goodbye," she whispered, calling a spell to her hand. She sent the blast
outward, pushing Kamui away from them. That moment of distraction was all it
took. Fuuma lost his hold on himself and he plunged the blade into his sister's
beating heart.
As Kamui fell to earth, he looked back up and saw the blood splash onto Fuuma's
horrified face.
"FUUMA! KOTORI!"
Still smiling, albeit in pain, Kotori pulled herself up along the blade toward
her distraught brother. As tears of anguish poured down his face, she pulled
him into her arms, gently kissing his cheek.
"Thank you. I'm sorry."
"AAAGHH!!" Fuuma screamed in agony as his sister's body fell away from him. The
transformation was already beginning.
Kamui was there to catch Kotori as she fell. His vision was stained red with
her blood. There was no hope. Her chest was still and her warm eyes were glazed
over in death. Almost immediately, her body began to break down, fading away
into nothing. All that remained in Kamui's arms was Assassin's Hand.
"KOTORI!" he shrieked in anguish.
"Fuuma-san!" Yuui's cry drew Kamui away from the fresh loss. He looked up and
saw his lover drifting slowly back to earth, hanging limply as if held in the
grip of some invisible giant. He was deposited mere inches from Kamui and the
distraught Shiro was immediately on the move, kneeling beside Fuuma and
cradling his lifeless form in his arms.
"Fuuma! Fuuma, please! Don't do this to me! Wake up! You've got to wake up!
Fuuma!"
And he did. His brown eyes shot open and he seized Kamui by the throat. The
fresh scars on his arms were glowing an angry red color. He seized Assassin's
Hand from where Kamui had dropped it and plunged the blade into the younger
faerie's right leg, then his left leg. Kamui could only manage a weak scream,
unable to draw air for more than that.
"Fuuma-san, stop! What are you doing?" Yuui screamed. She tried to move forward
to help, but Doumeki held her back. Fuuma continued with his grizzly task,
stabbing Kamui's arms and finally plunging the blade into his right shoulder,
pinning him to the ground.
"Fuuma," Seishiro said warningly, as if chastising a child for stealing cookies
before dinner. It took the Monou lord visible effort to rein himself in. When
he was in control, he straddled Kamui's body and knelt down over him and kissed
him, beginning to lick some of the blood from his face.
"You and I were just like this, weren't we?" he asked sadistically.
"F-Fuuma…why?" he whispered weakly.
The incensed faerie offered no explanation. He only leaned down closer and
whispered in his former lover's ear, "Kamui…hear me well. I will be the one to
kill you."
The next moment, he was in motion again. Before anyone could react, he had a
hold of Yuui.
"Fuuma-san?" she whispered, terrified at the utterly nonchalant look in his
eyes. He held her close, pressing a kiss to her ear as he whispered to her,
just as he had done with Kamui.
"I have become the nightmare you once thought me to be." As he spoke, he ran a
hand down her body, coming to rest against her womb and pressing his fingers
roughly against the swollen skin, as if he meant to plunge directly in and rip
the child out. Yuui couldn't even summon up the voice to scream for her terror.
"No…no…please…"
Fuuma just sneered and flung her back at Doumeki. Tomoyo and the others began
to move toward them, but they were stopped in their tracks when Seishiro moved
toward them, smiling, as always.
"Darkness, I'll let you keep her for now. But Yuui-chan, know that the day will
come when I cut that child out of you and smash its broken body against the
earth."
"What…did you do…to Fuuma?" Himawari asked shakily.
"Fuuma is mine now, just like Subaru…and Kamui can be mine if he wishes. All he
need do is kill. We all belong to the sakura." As he gave his explanation,
Seishiro turned his attention from everyone else and focused it on Subaru. "And
don't worry, Subaru. I will come for you before too long." Then he pulled
Subaru to him and pressed a kiss to his lips before disappearing into the
morning air, followed by Fuuma and Assassin's Hand. Once they were gone, Subaru
rushed to Kamui. The sight of his brother broken seemed to have finally snapped
the young lord out of his trance. Tomoyo, Souma, Kurogane, and the Mokona all
gathered around Yuui and Doumeki. Doumeki passed Yuui to Tomoyo before he and
Watanuki began to move toward the Shiro brothers. Himawari remained a safe
distance from them all.
"How…c-could he?" Yuui cried weakly as she clung to Tomoyo. They were all still
in shock.
"What can we do?" Watanuki asked quietly as he and Doumeki watched over the
shattered brothers.
"We have no choice…but to treat him as a servant of the Dark Court," Doumeki
said dispassionately. "The moment he raised a hand against the princess, he
became the enemy. We are sworn to protect Yuui and Fai…forsaking all else for
that charge."
"I…I know, but…Fuuma? Could you really kill Fuuma?"
"If I have to…then yes. I am the Darkness for a reason. The twins come first."
"And…Kamui and Subaru…could that…really happen to them, too?"
Doumeki shook his head. "I don't know."
Subaru seemed to realize that he was being spoken about and glanced up at the
assassin and the former vizier. His normally gentle green eyes were alight with
rage as he cradled his brother's broken body to him.
"Fuuma! Fuuma!" Kamui cried over and over again, tears streaming openly down
his face.
"I'll kill him," Subaru swore. If it was the last thing he did, he would get
revenge for his brother, Fuuma, Kotori…himself! He would kill Seishiro. "I'LL
KILL HIM!"
Before anyone could react to this bold vow, Sai suddenly came running into the
clearing where everyone was gathered, ignorant of the tragedy they had all
experienced.
"Yuui-hime! You must come at once! It's begun! Valeria is under attack!"
Chapter End Notes
     Song here is 'Lightning Crashes' by Live.
***** Yet I Know It's True *****
Yuui couldn't remember when she'd felt so numb.
When Tomoyo had almost died and hers and Fai's magic had manifested for the
first time, she'd been afraid and overwhelmed. When Fai had been raped, she'd
felt powerless, angry, guilt-ridden, horrified - all manner of awful emotions.
When her two brothers had finally come together, along with Tomoyo and herself,
she'd felt joy beyond measure.
When she'd awoken from a trance to find herself raped and pregnant, she'd been
frightened and sickened. When Tomoyo had said yes, she thought that she had
found a moment to top that of their first love, but that had immediately been
countered by the shock of learning her true identity, and that she was to be
married to one of her best friends - the man her brother loved.
When Fai had walked away from her in a trance…and she had lost him…it was like
the night of their sixteenth birthday, only a hundred times worse. Suddenly
becoming the heir apparent to a throne - utter shock, terror. She still hadn't
quite wrapped her mind around it. When Tomoyo was taken from her, she'd felt
indescribable rage, and it had torn at something in her to watch Kurogane
break.
Nearly losing her child - that would have been the end of everything were it
not for Doumeki's miracle. She would have died herself last night. But now,
after the horror of witnessing Kotori's murder, Fuuma's transformation, and his
brutalizing of Kamui - she couldn't feel anything anymore. If she allowed
herself to feel it all now, she would surely lose her mind.
After Sai's arrival, Subaru had used his Hand to heal Kamui's injuries and the
young faerie had led the dazed group back to Faerie. Not a word was spoken. No
one even knew what to say.
"Ryuuki received word about fifteen minutes ago," Sai explained as she led them
through the sithen. "The Oni appeared out of the morning mist. The Fire and
Earth Guards are trying to hold them off. Valeria's army remains within the
walls of Cephiro at Ransho's request. Syaoran doesn't want to lose men in a
fight he knows he cannot win."
Sai led them first through the throne room, the place where the council had met
two nights before, then to a door at the back of the chamber. The door led into
a decent-sized circular chamber, at the center of which was a large pool. It
may have been water, but it was difficult to tell with all of the images
flashing across its surface. Ryuuki, Sakura, Yue, Kero, Kakei, and Kujaku were
all present.
"Princess Yuui!" Ryuuki gasped in shock when he saw the bedraggled group.
"What…what happened to all of you? Where is Fuuma?"
Yuui hung her head, shaking it sadly. Tomoyo wrapped her arms around her and
Kurogane and Souma exchanged helpless looks. Soel and Larg, perched on Yuui's
shoulders, looked absolutely miserable. Himawari began to cry softly and
Watanuki turned away from the fire general. A small cry escaped Kamui and he
slumped against his brother, who had been helping him to walk.
"Fuuma…Fuuma…Kotori…" he sobbed quietly.
Sai stared at the group she had led into Faerie. She had also been wondering
what had happened, but no one would tell her.
"Yuui…chan? Are you all right?" Sakura asked hesitantly.
"What happened out there?" Kujaku asked.
Doumeki was the one to finally step forward, speaking in his usually stoic
tone. "Kotori Monou is dead. She was killed by her brother…and Lord Fuuma Monou
has joined the ranks of our enemies."
"No!" Kero exclaimed.
"How can this be?!" Ryuuki demanded.
Doumeki moved toward Kero and pressed his hand to the lion's forehead, sharing
with him his memories of the event.
"Dear God," the guardian whispered in horror when the events were all in his
head. Curious, those who could opened their minds to Kero and allowed him to
tell them the story.
"We must warn Ransho at once. If he should come up against Fuuma in battle-
" Ryuuki began, moving toward the large pool.
"Princess," Kakei addressed Yuui as he moved toward the group. "For this, we
need your help."
"W-what can I do?" Yuui asked hesitantly, separating from Tomoyo. Kakei took
her hand and began to lead her toward the pool. Tomoyo and the others followed.
"The Reflecting Pool will show you anything…anything you wish to see," the
elder faerie began to explain, waving a hand over the surface of the pool. "But
only you can control it. The waters will only respond to a sovereign or one who
would be a sovereign. You must focus on what you want to see and guide the
pool's magic. Like the sithen, the pool will give you exactly what you wish for
if it is within its power. You must focus absolutely on what you wish to be
reflected or it will not work. Right now, we must see what is happening in
Cephiro."
Yuui stood before the pool for a moment, uncertain of herself. "H-how?"
"You speak to the water as you would anyone else. You call to its heart…its
mind…with your own and tell it what you want to see. Pretend you're speaking to
Princess Tomoyo or Himawari. Just focus…and ask."
The blonde turned her attention back to the pool, closing her eyes and taking
several deep breaths.
Water? she asked hesitantly with her thoughts. Immediately, she felt a cool,
reassuring voice responding to her.
I am here, Princess.
I want to see-
Before Yuui could even form the thought, a bolt of lightning flashed behind her
eyes and a horrific vision appeared in her head. At first, it was only a dark
vortex…but as she plunged deeper, she began to see Fai, imprisoned in a glass
coffin. Even this, she might have been able to bear, but her mind plunged
deeper still - and she began to hear her twin screaming. She could see dark
hands on him, tearing into him - destroying his mind.
Find me! Find me! Where are you?! Kurogane…Yuui… anyone ! I'm frightened,
Kurogane, I'm frightened! I'm so cold! Come find me! Save me! It's killing me!
Please…I beg you! Yuui… Kurogane !
A dark voice whispered in Fai's ear and he began to scream again. He screamed
as if he were being slowly torn apart. Yuui collapsed to her knees, screaming
herself in an attempt to block out the vision.
"It can't be! NO!" she screamed, burying her face in her hands.
"Yuui!" Tomoyo's voice suddenly sounded in her ear and she felt the younger
girl's arms wrap around her. In the other ear, she heard Kakei's voice.
"You asked it to show you your brother…didn't you."
"I…I didn't mean to," she cried, shaking her head back and forth to free
herself of the horrible nightmare. "It was…so awful…"
"It is all right, Princess. It is what you wish for most right now…to be able
to see him. Whether you meant to make that request or not, the water heard what
you wanted. You must gain control of your desires and focus. If you cannot
concentrate long enough, then the image will not be reflected in the water. You
need to be strong now."
Taking a moment to collect herself, Yuui finally nodded, allowing Kakei and
Tomoyo to help her to her feet. She took a moment to gather her thoughts this
time, summoning up a very distinct image of Ransho Sol in her mind before
attempting to contact the pool again.
I'd like to see Ransho Sol. Please…it's important.
As you command, my princess.
As the pool worked her will, Yuui felt the soothing coolness of the water magic
flowing through her body. It was like a gentle balm on her frazzled nerves and
she wished that it could have lasted longer, but all too soon, the sounds of
battle filled the air and Yuui slowly opened her eyes. The image on the surface
of the water was solid this time. The walls of the city of Cephiro - a place
she had been to barely two days ago - had become a blood bath. Members of the
Fire and Earth Guards were battling against swarms of Oni. However, as quickly
as blood was spilt, wounds healed. These beings could fight for years and never
tire. It was magic that would win the day for either side.
"Oh, no," Yue whispered suddenly. The pool had found Ransho. The earth sprite
was already locked in heated combat with the fallen lord, a look of shocked
horror on his face. Above the glaring sounds of the surrounding battle, they
could hear his anguished voice demanding an answer.
"Fuuma! Why are you doing this?! Why have you betrayed the princess?!"
"Oh, God. Oh, God," Kamui cried in despair, turning away from the scene. Subaru
held him as he sobbed in silence, attempting to console him, though he knew
there was little he could do.
"Princess, you must warn him."
"Me?"
"Right now, his mind is only open to Touki, Ryuuki, and yourself. You must
learn to communicate with your generals. Tell him what you've seen."
Again, Yuui concentrated her will, focusing it on Ransho, willing him to hear
her. Tomoyo being the exception, she had never spoken to someone over such a
great distance. It helped that she could see him.
Ransho-san! Ransho-san, hear me! Please hear me!
Yuui-hime?!She quickly felt his distressed response. What's happening?! Why has
Fuuma become our enemy?!
It was Seishiro. He used the power of the Sakurazukamori to bind Fuuma-san to
his will. The…the man we knew is gone…taken by the darkness. As Yuui spoke to
the earth master, she gave him her memories of that morning, reliving the sad
fate of the Monou and Shiro siblings. I…I don't know if we can ever get him
back.
Through their connection, Yuui could feel the general's desire to comfort her,
though he was still locked in fevered battle. We'll find a way, Princess.
Theremustbe a way. Fuuma is dear to all of us.
Ransho-san…please…don't get yourself hurt out there.
I will try my best, Princess…and we will not harm Fuuma. But please, I sense
that you are very near the edge, young one. I do not wish for you to see
anymore of this. You are not ready. Cephiro is defended for the moment and
Ryuuki will keep you informed should anything change. And…could you also have
someone waiting at Spirit Lake to grant safe passage?
Who for?
King Syaoran has requested asylum in Faerie for some of the royal family.
Rikuo, my lieutenant, will be bringing them from Cephiro to Spirit Lake.
All right.
During all of this, Ransho had not once let up his pace in his battle against
Fuuma. Yuui shook her head and turned away. "No more," she said softly. The
image on the water faded away to be replaced by bits and pieces of a million
different images. "We…we need to have someone waiting on the other side.
They're sending refugees over from Valeria."
"Who?" Sakura queried anxiously.
"I don't know. Ransho-san just said that King Syaoran wanted asylum for some
members of the royal family."
"I see," the queen replied solemnly. It hurt to hear her baby call her own
father by his title. How would she react…if Yuui called her Queen Sakura to her
face?
"Who is bringing them?" Kakei asked.
"Rikuo…I think he said."
"All right. I will send my nephew, Kazahaya, to meet them."
"Now that Ransho is informed, shouldn't we be taking care of Fuuma?" Subaru
asked coldly, still rubbing his brother's back in an effort to comfort him.
"What do you mean?" Yuui asked, suddenly fearful.
"Fuuma is no longer fit to lead the Monou Clan. As he is now, he would lead his
kinsmen into darkness, as did the others who followed Yuuko. We must summon the
clan masters once more and bestow his title upon the next in line."
                                      XxX
For forty-seven years, Yukito Aoki had stood by Touya Fluorite's side. They had
been born mere weeks apart from each other and they had grown up together,
playing their little childhood games in the castle under the watchful eyes of
their loving parents. They had remained fast friends even when they went their
separate ways to undergo training for their paths in life; Touya learning how
best to rule a country and Yukito learning the secrets of the priesthood.
Yukito had been there for the young prince as he grieved for his father's
death, and then again when his mother died giving him a baby sister. They had
only grown closer as they banded together to help raise and protect Sakura.
Yukito had been there to keep him in check when young Syaoran had entered the
picture. They had been like a little family all their own - and Touya had been
there for him when his own mother died, leaving him to become the high priest
at seventeen - so young for the job, just as his own mother had been. Touya had
been with him even as he suffered through the pangs of his first and only love,
all while trying to be the best priest he could be, and still grieving for the
loss of his beloved mother.
He had been the one to place the crown on Touya's head on his eighteenth
birthday, declaring him at last, king of all Valeria. He had seen his first
glimpse of Heaven that night when his childhood friend had finally confessed to
him his true feelings and they had gone breathlessly into each other's arms,
making love with the passion of the Lord and Lady themselves. He had remained
by his side, to the public eye, his greatest councilor and friend, as he became
a great leader - and all the while, their love flourished in secret. Every
night, he lay in Touya's arms, wondering when his king would be made to marry
and produce heirs - wondering which night would finally be their last.
He had watched Touya seethe as Sakura and Syaoran fell in love, and had finally
convinced him to grant them his blessing when the young lord had asked for the
princess' hand in marriage, asking him to let Sakura and Syaoran have what they
themselves never could. He had married them himself, with Touya grumbling all
the while.
He had faced the council of lords with Touya when the king finally admitted to
them that he was no longer fit to rule them because he was very much his
father's son and he could not betray that which truly came first in his heart -
his love for Yukito. He loved Valeria very much, but what sort of king was he
if he could not be true to himself? They had stood side by side and placed the
crowns on Sakura and Syaoran's heads, placing the rule of their beloved country
in their capable hands, and soon after, they had married, secure in their love
and the knowledge that they would always be together.
They suffered with Sakura as she failed, year after year, to conceive, and they
had rejoiced with their family when the twins were finally born to her. They
had grieved with the parents when Fai and Yuui were taken silently out of their
lives, and found some measure of joy again when Eriol had come to them. They
had only grown stronger in their love as they raised Eriol together, trying to
ignore the small whisper of guilt that they could have what Sakura and Syaoran
could not. It was nothing short of a miracle that had brought them together.
Yukito had thought to always be by Touya's side and never to leave him until he
drew his last breath. He had never expected to be faced with the prospect of
leaving him, not knowing if he would ever see him again.
"Why are you doing this to me?" he whispered desperately against the former
king's chest as Touya held him close - and for all they knew, it would be the
last time.
"Because you've got to get them out of here," he whispered back, kissing the
top of his head. "Eriol needs you."
"What about me, Touya?" the high priest asked, being greedy for once in his
life. "I need you. Without you…there's no reason left."
"I have to stay here. It's my duty to protect Valeria, even if that bozu is the
king."
"But…what if you…what if you…" He couldn't say it. It was just too awful.
"We've had a good run, you and I. We've had more than we should have had any
right to hope for," he said gently as he ran his fingers through Yukito's
graying hair. Yukito leaned into his touch, drinking in even the smallest
impression like water. He needed it like water. He would need this in order to
go on living after this moment. "I've loved every moment with you."
"Then why does it have to end now?" he asked, clutching at his husband for dear
life. "Rikuo-san could take them to Faerie. Please, I beg you…don't send me
from your side, Touya! Now, more than ever, is the moment when I must be with
you! We have lived together, koibito…why should we die alone?!"
Touya gave him a stern glare before pulling him into a very deep kiss. All of
the fire of his passion for Yukito that still burned within him was in this
tender display of devotion. They held onto each other, trying to say all that
they could not say with words in the few moments that remained to them.
"Yuki, I swear to you I won't die before I see you again, but if you really
want me to come back to you…then you have to believe in me. Promise me you
won't die either."
"Touya-"
"Please, Yuki," he begged fiercely, clutching his husband even tighter against
his body. "You must live. I need to hear that from you."
Yukito leaned up to kiss Touya one last time. "I will not die, Touya…unless it
be by your side. I will never allow you to die…not alone."
With that, Syaoran entered their chamber, looking very sad.
"Are the two of you ready? It's time now."
Yukito nodded sadly as he pulled himself away from Touya and began to follow
the king out of the room. Touya followed slowly behind. Outside, Ransho's
lieutenant, Rikuo, Chi, her daughter Freya, Eriol, and Kaho Mizuki waited for
them. Freya was only four months old. She had been born about eight months
after Chi and Hideki's wedding. The couple didn't yet live together, though.
They still served their respective sovereigns. After the news of Nihon's fall,
Chi was hoping to come with Eriol and Yukito to Faerie and try to find her
husband…and also to bring her daughter to safety. Eriol and Priest Mizuki had
also begged that Kaho be allowed to come with them on the escape from Cephiro.
Eriol and Kaho were best friends…and already showed clear signs of being
smitten with each other.
"I'm sorry to break this up, but we need to leave now. Some of the soldiers are
setting up wards around the city to prevent the enemy from entering. Nothing
will be able to get in…but no one will be able to leave either," Rikuo
explained.
"I understand," Yukito said solemnly. "What must we do?"
"Stand in a circle," the dark-haired faerie told them. The small group
complied. Then Rikuo took Yukito and Chi's hands. "We must all be holding
hands. I cannot stress this enough. If any one of you lets go, then you might
be lost."
Yukito shuddered as he took his son's hand. He didn't dare ask what they would
be lost to. Chi took Kaho's hand and Kaho and Eriol joined hands last of all.
"What about Freya?" Chi asked nervously. "Will she be all right?" The infant
was held securely against her body by a sling and she held tightly to her
mother, whimpering softly.
"She should be fine so long as she holds onto you…and I don't see why she would
let go when the teleportation begins. If anything, she'd hold on tighter. Is
everyone ready?"
"Yes," Chi and Yukito responded. Eriol and Kaho nodded their heads.
"All right. Hold on tight." With that, Rikuo closed his eyes and tilted his
head back, channeling the spell through their joined hands. A slight wind swept
through the corridor and a magic circle appeared around their human one. While
all of this was happening, Yukito did not once break eye contact with Touya.
"I love you!" he called out to him as the circle grew brighter and the wind
pitched louder.
Yukito could see his lips forming the words, but he couldn't hear anything…and
the next moment, they were gone. For a split second, he could hear the roar of
a hurricane and he was surrounded by darkness. Then they were standing on the
shore of a lake.
"Everyone all right?" Rikuo asked. The only one who made an answer in the
negative was Freya, who made her complaints known by wailing very loudly. Chi
immediately began to comfort the little one. The next thing Yukito heard was a
voice calling out to them.
"Rikuo!" the voice cried out. Yukito glanced a ways down the shoreline and saw
two figures running toward them. One was Sakura. The other was a deceptively
young-looking man. The distance between them was closed in mere moments and the
man was flinging his arms around their guide. Rikuo smirked as he kissed the
top of the other man's head.
"Heh, you're not usually so affectionate, Kazahaya. I could get used to this."
The faerie called Kazahaya backed up, looking more than a little flustered and
angry.
"Well…we're not usually at war, are we? How…how am I supposed to know…whether
or not I'm going to see you again?" he asked, his voice breaking slightly.
Rikuo's smirk shifted into something softer as he ran his fingers through
Kazahaya's dark blond hair. "It's only been one day. Is that really all the
faith you have in me?" This time, he kissed Kazahaya on the lips. Yukito was
very distinctly reminded of himself and Touya.
"Yukito?" Sakura whispered. Yukito turned to look at his queen. For a moment,
he thought to be formal, but then he got a good look at her eyes. She had died
a thousand deaths since he had last seen her in the tower two days ago.
"Oh, Sakura," he said softly as he pulled her into his arms. "I'm so sorry.
Syaoran told us what happened."
"H-how are…Syaoran and Nii-san? Are they all right?"
"Yes. Yes, they're fine. The city's been sealed off. They'll be all right."
They have to be all right.
                                      XxX
"Barely two days since last we met and already we are three members short,"
Kakei noted sadly as he gazed upon the assembled council. The seven remaining
clan masters were present, as was Ryuuki, but Ransho had been replaced by
Rikuo, who had Kazahaya at his side, standing in for Hisui. Rasetsu hadn't had
anyone to represent in centuries and there was currently no one who could speak
for the Monou clan. Yuui sat at the head of the council this time, with her own
entourage spread out behind her. Tomoyo stood directly behind her right
shoulder with the Mokona perched on her own shoulders. Kurogane and Souma stood
behind them. Kurogane shifted uneasily. He was unused to acting as a guard at
meetings such as this, but he was aware that this was not his world, so he
willingly took up the role of the one cast down. His shame and anguish were so
great that Kyle's banishment was almost a blessing for him. Souma, on the other
hand, was used to such a position and took it quite easily. The four friends
were flanked by the three guardians and Kujaku. Kamui stood behind Subaru,
barely conscious of the proceedings.
"Of course Ransho is in the field at this very moment, but where are Fuuma and
Rasetsu? Have we already lost them to the princess' foolishness?" Karura asked
snidely. Yuui shuddered at the insinuation. After all…the reason that Seishiro
had given for doing what he did…was to divide her protectors. Maybe…what
happened to Fuuma and Kotori really was her fault? She was responsible for
these people now - meant to lead them.
"Karura," Subaru began warningly. "You do Yuui great injustice. Thus far, she
has only ever acted as befits a queen. She could not have been expected to stop
the events that have transpired since this council last met. Yuui and her
companions have planted the seeds of rebellion in Nihon by freeing Kyle's
prisoners. We need every shred of help that we can garner in this fight. It was
her wish that Rasetsu remain with the Nihon rebels as a guardian and advisor."
"And what of Fuuma?" Tenou asked. No one present failed to notice the way Kamui
stiffened at the sound of the Monou lord's name.
"Fuuma…has betrayed us," Subaru said sadly after a long moment of silence. "He
was taken by the darkness."
"That cannot be!" Tarta insisted vehemently. "Fuuma would never betray us! He
was King Reed's most loyal servant!"
"Nevertheless, it happened," Kakei said, collected as always.
"How?!" Karura demanded fiercely, her accusing gaze already on Yuui.
Subaru sighed. It was time to reveal the truth…the truth that would both
condemn and redeem Prince Seishiro Reed in the eyes of the court. "Do not look
to the princess when you seek to blame for what has happened to Fuuma. This
was…Prince Seishiro's doing. Seishiro is…the Sakurazukamori."
The reactions were mixed. Kurogane, Souma, and Tomoyo had only a vague idea of
what this meant. Subaru, Kamui, Yuui, Watanuki, Doumeki, Himawari, Kujaku,
Ryuuki, Sai, and Karura had already known, most of them having been informed
last night before the raid on Shirasagi. Rikuo had heard it from Ransho and he
had told Kazahaya about it. The remaining four, however, had not known. Kakei
remained calm and Eagle and Tenou just looked shocked. Tarta was the first to
really react.
"That…that's impossible," she denied, shaking her head. "It was sealed away
three thousand years ago. We would…we would know if such a force had been set
free."
"You did know," Subaru continued calmly. "You just knew it as a different
event. When Yuuko was exiled…for the murder of Princess Fuu Reed Monou and Lord
Ferio Monou…what she had really been doing was breaking the seal that bound the
ancient evil. The Sakurazukamori was released…and it took Seishiro as its host.
It devoured him. Prince Seishiro died fifteen hundred years ago." It was pain
to him to say it, but it needed saying. It helped him fuel his rage, helped him
to distance himself. It helped to think that…maybe he really hadn't been
betrayed. He had never really known Seishiro Reed. He had wasted three hundred
years of his life with a lie. The man who would have loved him had been dead a
long time before he was even born. The thing he had lived for was nothing more
than an illusion, and now there was only revenge for the pain that illusion had
brought upon his family. He would bring an end to it - even though he knew what
that would mean for him.
"But…if she really had such power, then why did she use it only once?" Tenou
asked disbelievingly.
"Because that power couldn't be controlled," Watanuki stepped in to explain.
"You were there…weren't you, Tenou Asura? On the day your brother was killed?
You saw it. That creature made absolutely no distinction between ally and
enemy. He was as likely to destroy the Oni as our own soldiers."
"No more," Tenou muttered, shuddering. He had no desire to remember that day -
the day he had seen Ashura torn apart. He had been so young then.
"If you do not believe me…" Subaru began ominously "…then perhaps these will
convince you."
With that, Subaru roughly pulled up the sleeves of his tunic, revealing the
ugly scars that tattooed his arms, still glowing with a dull red light. The
sakura branches - the symbol of the beast - the horror that had not been seen
in the world for a thousand generations of men.
"The mark of the Sakurazukamori," Tarta whispered in horror.
"Yes," he replied, laying his arms out on the table. "I am his prey. I…belong
to him. I only just learned of this myself. My mother hid the marks from the
world with glamour…and my brother continued after her death. I lived my
life…never seeing my true body. I was marked when I was five."
"Then why did Lady Tohru never report the attack?" Karura asked. She had not
been informed about all of this.
Subaru laughed bitterly, the sadness of his making instantly crawling back into
his heart like a deadly snake. "Because I was the one who was marked. Who would
have believed poor, mad Lady Tohru Shiro? Even if she had been believed…who
would have cared that her little rape baggage had been marked for death? If
anything, such news would have been rejoiced. It was for this reason that
leadership of the Shiro clan passed to me instead of to my brother, the
legitimate vessel of the Shiro bloodline - the son of Tohru Shiro's true
husband, Kazuhiko. Our mother believed that Kamui could protect me…and he
agreed. Why, I'll never know, but he gave up everything that was his birthright
for my sake.
And now he's paying for it. I threw my family's love in their faces just to
dally with my killer. Why did I ever let him seduce me?! Kamui warned me it was
dangerous. Would things have been different if I had never let him in? Would we
still have Kotori and Fuuma? Would Fai…still be whole? I'll never know. All I
can do is make things right again.
"However, these marks have nothing to do with the current situation. I only
told you because you asked me. Fuuma did not betray us of his own volition. He
was taken by the Sakurazukamori. He was marked…and after that, all that was
needed was a sacrifice. Seishiro forced him to slay Kotori."
"What?!" Eagle suddenly broke in.
"K-Kotori is…dead?" Tarta whispered through dry lips.
"How can it be?" Tenou asked.
"Her spilled blood was the catalyst," Subaru continued, not allowing himself to
feel their reactions. "The Sakurazukamori overwhelmed him…swallowed his
mind…and now he serves only Seishiro."
"Could the same thing happen to you?" Karura asked suspiciously.
"I do not know. I have never killed anyone. But if it should happen, then the
princess is well-protected."
"Then the question is…can Fuuma ever be brought back…and if not…do any of us
have the strength to slay him?" Eagle asked solemnly.
"Oh, God," Kamui whispered in horror as his body trembled. His eyes were wide
and staring, gazing off into the distance at something far beyond his current
moment. "No. No! Fuuma! No!"
"Kamui-san?" Yuui whispered worriedly. The sound of her fear seemed to ground
the violet-eyed faerie…even if only for a brief moment.
"There will be no need of violence," Subaru insisted, if only for the sake of
his brother's sanity. "As I said, Princess Yuui is well-guarded. We have called
this council today because the Monou clan is in need of a temporary master. In
light of Kotori's death, no suitable direct descendant of the line yet exists
and we are forced to look elsewhere in the Monou house."
"As you all know, Lord Ferio had only the two children, Fuuma and Kotori,"
Kakei began to explain, taking the reins from Subaru. "And his only sibling,
the Lady Emeraude, married into the Sol clan by her union with Lord Zagato.
Before their deaths, they had only one son. Lord Ransho is a direct descendant
of the Monou line, but unsuitable to be its master as he is already master of
the Sol clan."
"This we know, Kakei. So who is next in line to inherit?" Karura asked,
sounding more than a little exasperated.
"Next in line would have been Emeraude and Ferio's younger cousin, the Lady
Presea, but again, as you all well know, Presea was killed during the Last War.
So, one would assume that the line of succession would carry on to her child,
Hisui. However, Hisui is in no fit state to be leading anyone. Rather than risk
spreading out further in the clan, we are left with but one choice. Presea's
husband…Hisui's father."
Karura shook her head fiercely. "Don't say it. Don't say what you're going to
say, Lord Dorragu."
"Clef Guru," Kakei said softly, heedless of Karura's warning. At the sound of
his voice, the doors to the chamber opened. Yue and Kero were standing guard
outside, and between them stood a very short faerie. His head only reached to
about most of their waists. His hair was white and his eyes shone blue. Yuui
found herself thinking that, compared with most other faeries she had met, he
was dressed rather simply in a pair of white pants and a blue tunic.
"You summoned him here without consulting any of us?" Karura hissed vehemently.
"Approach the council, Clef," Kakei continued, still ignoring Karura. Once Clef
had entered the chamber, the doors closed behind him.
"He is no lord," Karura continued to argue.
"It is true," Tenou put in softly. "Guru has no noble blood. Does his status as
Presea's widower still give him a legitimate claim?"
"Clef is noble by marriage. Presea's death does not change this. He is eligible
to lead the Monou clan until such time as Fuuma can be saved. What say you,
Clef? Will you take up the position of master of the Monou clan in Fuuma's
absence?"
"I will," he replied, looking only to Kakei and not acknowledging his
attackers.
"And will you swear loyalty to Princess Yuui…the woman who would be queen?"
At this, Clef turned to look at Yuui herself. Yuui met his gaze full on, having
no pretensions of trying to be strong. She was not strong right now. She was
lost. When he looked into her eyes, she did not see the discerning, calculating
look she had grown used to over the past few days. She saw…her very own eyes
looking back at her - the eyes of someone who was tired and heartsick, eyes
that could pierce with their intensity, but that did not. Then, very briefly,
those eyes smiled for her.
"I will. Yuui, my princess, I am at your disposal."
"All right, then. That's settled," Kakei said with a smile. "Rikuo, do you have
anything to report from the battlefield?"
"Koryu has brought the Oni against us in force. We have had no casualties thus
far and to minimize human casualties, we have sealed off the city. There has
been no sign of a human attack from Nihon, and for this, Ransho is grateful,
but he fears that the time will come. As you all know, this battle could go on
for hundreds of years if we do not gain some sort of advantage over the dark
throng. It is for this reason that Ransho has asked me to request that this
council grant Hisui Guru's lieutenant, Kazahaya Dorragu, the rank of acting
wind master. Hisui is beyond reach and we can no longer afford to spare the
Wind Guard…not if we mean to keep even a fraction of the Water Guard as a
barrier around Celes. We need numbers now."
"Well, nephew of mine, you heard your lover. With your general incapacitated,
will you accept this position?"
Kazahaya instantly went bright red. He looked as though he might give his uncle
a thorough tongue-lashing for talking about his relationship with Rikuo so
publicly, but that very thought seemed to remind him of where he was and whom
he was with, so he reined his anger and embarrassment in quickly.
"I accept. Until such a time as Hisui can resume her duties, I will serve as
master of wind."
"Excellent. If there's nothing further, then-"
"Wait just one minute!" Karura started angrily.
"If this is about Lord Clef, then there is nothing further to discuss, Karura.
He is the next in line for the position. This is not a group decision. There is
nothing for you to say. If nothing further occurs between now and then, we will
reconvene when Princess Yuui goes into labor."
Yuui swallowed hard as the faerie lords slowly began to disperse. Prior to this
moment, thoughts of actually giving birth had been distant and out of focus.
Now that Kakei had talked about her going into labor, and her belly was getting
bigger all the time, it suddenly jumped to the very front of her mind. She had
heard stories. What was it like…to actually give life to another person? Would
it hurt? Would she scream? Faint? Die? During all of the dangers she had lived
through, the thought of her own death had never seemed real to her, but after
what Fuuma and the others had told her…
If…I die…what will happen to my precious child? What would happen to her if…I
never wake up…never get to hold her in my arms and give her her name?
"Yuui? Are you all right?" She suddenly heard Tomoyo's voice whispering in her
ear. Slowly awakening from her morbid thoughts, she turned to find Tomoyo
kneeling beside her, gazing worriedly into her eyes. Without thinking, she
leaned forward and gave her fiancé a brief kiss on the lips.
"I'm fine," she replied, smiling weakly.
"Pathetic," another voice suddenly butted into the moment. There could be no
mistaking the ice in it. Yuui glanced up and found Karura still in her seat,
glaring at her.
"Karura-san…why do you hate me?" she asked with the honest confusion of one who
had lived a life free of court politics.
For a very brief moment, the glare on the fey woman's face flickered to a look
of surprise at being accused of such an emotion, but just as quickly, the
genuine surprise turned back into ice.
"Because you cannot help," she replied bitterly before standing and quickly
fleeing the council chamber. Yuui sighed as she stood, placing a hand on her
stomach and taking Tomoyo's hand in the other.
"You mustn't think badly of her, Your Highness," Clef said softly as he
approached Yuui. "Lady Karura has been fueled by rage for so long, it has
become a part of her. She is incapable of seeing the world around her through
anything but a very strict black and white filter…whether things can help her
or not."
"Help her what?" Kurogane asked suspiciously, fist aching to curl around a
familiar hilt that was no longer there to be drawn.
"Lady Karura will do anything she feels is necessary to destroy the Dark Court.
If she feels that something cannot help her do this, then it is not worth her
time. In this respect, Princess, she does not believe you would serve her best
interests as queen."
"So? What makes her anger anymore justified than the rest of ours? We've all
lost something to the Dark Court," Kurogane insisted angrily. So much had been
lost- too much.
"A long time ago…Lady Karura lost her little sister to them. The young mistress
had a very…unique Hand of Power. She could heal with her song. However, her
magic could only reach the ears of people who would truly hear her words. She
sang of love and hope, of friendship and loyalty…things the Oni know nothing
about. She was valuable to us, but by that same token, just as dangerous to our
enemies. Yuuko slew her…cut her down in cold blood…that bright, shining child.
Her death destroyed Lady Karura…made of her an empty husk to be filled with
nothing but hatred. Karyoubinga was…Lady Karura's whole world. So tell me,
young prince, would you expect Lady Karura to think less of you for becoming
sad and angry if you lost your whole world…if you lost your Fai?"
Kurogane wanted to lash out at this, but found that he could not. The mention
of Fai struck a chord too deep within him to react with anger. He shook his
head, screwing his eyes shut as he turned away from Clef. "Don't call me
prince."
Clef raised an eyebrow. "All right, Kurogane. If that is your wish, then I
shall abide by it."
"Clef-san…I hope I'm not being rude, but…so many of the others seemed to
disapprove of you. Why?" Yuui asked.
"Not at all, Princess. I will tell you anything you wish to know, insofar as I
am able. Besides, it is no great secret among our people. I imagine that most
of the faeries you have met up to this point are of the ruling class - the
nobility."
"I think so," Yuui said, glancing back at her three guardians. She didn't know
a lot about their histories, so she couldn't say for certain, but all of the
others…most definitely.
"Well, I am…lowborn. I am what you would call one of the lesser fey. I stand
before you now because I fell in love with a beautiful young woman named Presea
Monou and we married against her father's wishes. She even took my name," he
recounted, his eyes growing slightly misty. "A name that had absolutely no
meaning in the court. And she gave me a child…my lovely Hisui."
Yuui remembered the name. Hisui was the one Kurogane had stumbled upon the
other night - Hisui and her comatose lover - Kurogane's own future if they
failed to save Fai.
"And you're still…part of the court?" Tomoyo asked.
"Oh, yes. Lord Ferio was never opposed to Presea and I being together. I was
given a place in his household after her death. Hisui and I lived on the Monou
estate together until she was given the honor of rising to the position of
master of wind. Actually, Princess Yuui, my daughter is the only reason I
consented to Kakei's request to serve as your vassal. There are others better
suited to the task than I am. I am no leader. Why Kakei chose me, I'll never
know. But, Princess…I know what has happened to your twin. By now, I would say
that everyone knows. Hisui's lover suffers the same affliction."
"I know," Yuui said sadly. "I…I've seen them."
"Well, there is no cure that we can find for Kokuyo. There is no way out for
him. Certainly you and your friends will rescue Prince Fai. I was hoping, my
princess…that you might find some way of helping them as well."
"I'll do my best, Clef-san," she promised, not out of any obligation she felt
as a ruler, but because she couldn't bear to see anyone else suffer the way
Kurogane was suffering without Fai - the way Kamui was suffering. It was all
too much. She would do anything in her power to make it stop.
"You have my deepest thanks, my princess," Clef said, smiling in relief as he
bowed low before her. "Now, with your permission, I will retire."
Yuui's first thought was to ask why he needed her permission, but before she
could say anything and reveal her ignorance, she thought better of it. After
all, she didn't know a thing about the ways of royalty. "O-of course. Go
ahead."
Once Clef had gone and Yuui took a look around the chamber, she found that most
of the other lords had already gone. Subaru had gone to take Kamui to his
bedchamber and even Kujaku had managed to slip out without her noticing. Other
than her own group, the only ones remaining were Kakei, Ryuuki, Kazahaya, and
Rikuo, talking quietly amongst themselves. However, almost the instant she
noticed them, Kakei glanced in her direction, smiled, and left. Then Ryuuki led
the two younger faeries over to them. Ryuuki bowed quickly before turning his
attention to Kurogane.
"Kurogane, Kakei tells me that you need help forging a new sword…and that you
wish training in fire magic."
"Yes," Kurogane replied uncertainly. He had never said anything about magic. He
didn't even know if he could learn it, but if Kakei thought that it would help,
he would take whatever he could get.
"Do you still have the pieces of the one that was broken in battle with Yuuko?"
"Yes," Yuui answered for him. "I saved them. I still have them."
"Good. They'll be of use. Just come to me when you're ready, Kurogane. With
your permission, Princess…" Ryuuki bowed at the neck, waiting.
"Yes. Fine."
With that, the fire spirit quickly left the chamber. Before Yuui could even
blink, Rikuo was speaking to her.
"Forgive me, Princess. May I speak?"
Yuui nodded. Did they really need her permission for everything?
"I understand that you're new to all of this, and that you probably have a lot
on your mind right now…but it was Ransho's express wish that I meet you. I
don't know why. I am Rikuo Himura, son of Ran and Gingetsu Himura of the Shiro
clan, lieutenant to Lord Ransho Sol, master of earth. My abilities are at your
disposal, Princess Yuui."
Yuui sighed, giving the earth spirit a weak smile. "Those are all fine titles.
I suppose I have to introduce myself as well. I am Yuui…just plain Yuui, until
recently, only a simple forest brat, sister of Fai, ward of Kimihiro Watanuki,
Shizuka Doumeki, and Himawari Kunogi. But it would seem that I am also Princess
Yuui Fluorite Reed, daughter of King Syaoran and Queen Sakura Fluorite,
granddaughter of King Clow Reed, and heir to the throne of Faerie. Quite a
mouthful, isn't it? What more identity could an orphan girl want?" she said,
laughing, bordering on hysterical. As her friends and guardians stared
worriedly at her, she turned her attention to Kazahaya. "And you? Who are you?"
"I-if it pleases Your Majesty…I am Kazahaya Dorragu, son of Chiharu and Takashi
Dorragu of the Dorragu clan, now acting master of wind. I am at your service,
Princess."
"Is there anything that you require of us, Majesty?" Rikuo asked.
"There is one thing that the two of you can do for me."
"Name it and it is done."
"Before you muster the Wind Guard, before you return to the field…take a night
for yourselves. Be together…enjoy one another for those who cannot."
Kazahaya and Rikuo both looked surprised for a moment, glancing between Yuui
and each other. Then Rikuo's lips quirked into a tiny smile and he took
Kazahaya's hand in his. The wind sprite gave him an uncertain smile of his own.
"I think we can do that, my princess," Rikuo said softly, still keeping eye
contact with Kazahaya. Yuui gave the couple a warm smile.
"Go then. You've the whole day and night ahead of you."
Grinning faintly, the pair quickly bobbed their heads and disappeared from the
council chamber.
"That was really nice," Tomoyo whispered to Yuui, leaning lightly into her.
"How are you feeling?"
Yuui was about to answer in the positive when she suddenly felt a very sharp
jab from inside her womb. Her free hand darted to her stomach and she hunched
forward, groaning lightly in discomfort.
"Yuui!" The cries came from everywhere all at once.
"What's wrong?" Himawari asked, restraining herself from reaching forward to
steady her child.
"Are you hurt?" Watanuki queried, moving around to stand in front of Yuui and
Tomoyo.
"Is it the baby?" Souma asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"What do you need?" Tomoyo asked softly as Larg hopped from her shoulder and
onto Yuui's, snuggling up against her cheek. Yuui reached over and patted Larg.
"I was going to say that I'm fine, but I think she's telling me it's time for a
break. It's all right. It's a good sign. It just means she's growing and
getting stronger," she told them all reassuringly.
Tomoyo smiled warmly, if not with a little worry, as she placed her hand on
Yuui's stomach. The little girl was very energetic today. With all that Yuui
had been through today, she really didn't need the baby draining away all of
her energy. She needed rest. "Maybe so," she began as she started to lead Yuui
out of the room, followed by everyone else. "But her mother needs to get
stronger, too, or she won't. We'll go to your chamber."
"All right, all right," Yuui submitted easily as Kurogane moved in front of
them to open the doors. Yue and Kero were waiting outside.
"Are you all right, Princess Yuui?" the moon guardian asked.
"I'm fine, just tired. My little one's acting up," she said with an exhausted
smile.
"If I may, Princess, I think I know something that might help," Kero said,
taking a small step forward. Yuui nodded her consent and the winged lion closed
the distance between them, laying his great head against her stomach. Then he
began to purr. Yuui felt the gentle vibrations throughout her body, greatly
soothed by the gentle humming. Apparently her daughter also found the
vibrations soothing, because the kicking and shifting soon slowed, nearly
coming to a stop. Without thinking, Yuui began to stroke the fur on top of the
sun guardian's head.
"That is nice. Thank you, Kero-san."
"You're welcome, my princess," he said, slowly lifting his head. "It was
something I used to do a long time ago…when Yuuko was pregnant with Seishiro."
Everyone fell silent at this. Even for those who had witnessed it, it was
difficult to imagine Yuuko pregnant…or Seishiro as a baby. Though, speaking of
babies…
"It's probably none of my business, but…what was Subaru-san talking about
earlier?" Yuui asked tentatively. "When he spoke of…rape baggage? I meant to
ask him, but he disappeared with Kamui-san."
Her fey companions all exchanged looks at this. The issue was no great secret
among the court, but at the same time…it was not something that was openly
discussed. When no one said anything, Yuui hung her head in shame.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. If he wants me to know, then he'll tell
me."
"No, Princess. You should know," Subaru said softly, appearing from almost
nowhere. "In fact, I'll tell you myself. If you ask information of your
subjects, then they must give it to you, regardless of the consequences. It's
true…what you heard in the council chamber. My conception and birth were the
direct results of a rape."
"Oh...Subaru-san..." Yuui started, but Subaru continued before she could say
more.
"About a thousand years ago, my mother, Lady Tohru Shiro, was raped by Lord
Akuma Satani…then master of the Oni…Kokuyo's father. He killed Kamui's father,
Kazuhiko…walked right over his dead body to take my mother…made Kamui watch the
whole thing…and left me inside of her when he'd had his way. No one's ever
really known the details of what happened that night. Mother carried the secret
to her grave and Kamui has never given anything more than the barest of facts.
It was he who killed Akuma to avenge his father's death and our mother's honor.
Even I do not know what happened on the night of my conception, though I am
inarguably Akuma's son. Rumors flew during the pregnancy. People wondered why
my mother kept me alive…treated me as a legitimate son and a beloved child…and
eventually…why the birthright of the Shiro family was passed to me and not to
my brother. Well…they have the answer to that now, but back then, and even now,
I'm certain…there are whispers. Where do my loyalties lie? Can I be
trusted…when I have such a dark heritage…when I could call on the dark power
that sings in my veins at any given moment?" he speculated bitterly.
Briefly, Subaru found himself grateful to Seishiro for erasing his memories of
being marked by the Sakurazukamori. People had always been suspicious of his
Satani blood To combine this with the mark of the Sakurazukamori - he didn't
know how he would have survived with such a curse of hatred laid upon his young
soul. But then again, maybe it would have been better if he hadn't survived?
Maybe Seishiro never would have been able to use his trusting nature to get
close enough to the twins to hurt them. He now realized that all of the horrors
that Yuui and Fuuma had suffered through were because of him. Seishiro had used
him to get to Fuuma, and by extension, to Yuui. It was for his naivety that
Fuuma had become a rapist and Yuui had been scarred for life. Seishiro
certainly couldn't be blamed. The Sakurazukamori was what it was. Killing was
its only talent, pleasure, and purpose. It had no other intentions or interests
but to destroy. Yuuko had been smart enough to keep that power on a leash once
she'd realized just what she was dealing with. It was his foolishness that had
set that destructive force loose on the world. So much pain - Yuui, Fai, Fuuma,
Kamui, Kurogane…so many…all because of him.
Is this the reason you begat me, Father…to continue the Satani legacy of
destruction and chaos? What else am I for…if not to destroy…even without
meaning to? Before I was even conscious of myself, I was an act of violence.
Everyone…everyone I love gets hurt.
"It wasn't your fault," Yuui whispered gently. Subaru blanched for a moment,
afraid that she'd actually heard his thoughts. Maybe she had. He couldn't know
unless he asked her, and part of him didn't really want to know whether or not
she was becoming that attuned to him. Clow Reed had been. He had been that
attuned to all of them. She would be someday, but at the current moment, he had
no desire to test their mental link, and if he asked her aloud, then everyone
else would know what he had been thinking.
"I wouldn't believe that of you, Subaru-san," she continued, leading him to
believe she'd only been referring to the things he'd said. "I trust you. I
trust you to the end of the world. I don't know why. I trusted you before I
even really knew you."
"Yes, I remember," he said sadly as the group finally began to move in the
direction of Yuui's quarters. He would never forget that it was Yuui's uncanny
faith in him that had bought him passage into her family's tight-knit circle.
"But I would attribute that to the fact that we are both healers. Power calls
to power. You and I cannot help but find kindred spirits in one another, my
princess."
Yuui sighed, rolling her eyes. "Subaru-san, please…if you're going to call me
anything, just call me Yuui-chan. I don't like all of these princess titles.
It's not who I am. Just address me the way you did before I knew I was a
princess. That goes for the rest of you, too. The only ones here who aren't
older than me are Souma and Tomoyo. You all shouldn't be showing me this much
deference."
For a moment, no one knew what to say. The next sound to be heard above their
footsteps was Tomoyo's laughter.
"Oh, Yuui. You really just don't understand this whole royalty business, do
you?"
"No," Yuui said proudly, albeit still a little weakly. Everyone seemed to
visibly relax as the two lovers fell into conversation, either cheered…or
depressed…by the happiness they could still attain.
When the group arrived back at the former king's bedchamber, they found that it
was already occupied - very occupied. The only person Yuui recognized was
Sakura. The five other occupants were completely new.
"I'm sorry, Yuui-chan. I know I should have asked. I was going to let them rest
in my own room, but I just thought…that maybe you should meet a little more of
your family," Sakura said nervously, not meeting her daughter's gaze.
"No, it's all right…Sakura-sama," Yuui said softly, saddened by the fact that
her mother seemed almost…afraid of her.
Sakura shook her head, her gaze boring ever more intently into the floor.
"No…please…don't…" she mumbled.
"Yuui-chan?" a new voice suddenly interrupted. Yuui glanced toward the owner of
the voice - the oldest one in the group. A lanky man with graying blond hair.
"You're…really her?"
"Yes."
"I'm sorry, dear," he murmured, a faint smile adorning his face. "It's just…you
were barely five months old when I last held you in my arms. Seeing the
beautiful young woman you've become…I'm happy, but it also really makes me feel
the years."
"Yuui-chan, this is your Uncle Yukito."
"He's…your brother?"
Sakura shook her head again, finally looking up at her child, and looking a
little less sad. "No. Touya is my brother. Yukito is his husband."
"They…allow that in Valeria?" Yuui asked, turning her attention back to Yukito.
"It's…not commonly done among the ranks of the nobility. Such unions do not
produce children. But it helps if you have a little sister to pass the
bloodline to. Touya and I were lucky, though. We have Eri-kun," Yukito said
fondly, ruffling the hair of the boy standing beside him. The dark-haired boy
smiled wryly at Yuui.
"I guess…I am your cousin."
"I…I guess," the blonde said softly, staring oddly at the boy and his father.
"I'm…Yuui."
"Yes. I know who you are. I'm Eriol Fluorite…and this is my best friend, Kaho
Mizuki," he continued smoothly, introducing the next member of the group, a
young girl with auburn hair and a friendly, open smile. Kaho gave her a neat
little curtsy and a tiny 'Hello, Princess Yuui'.
"Eriol's family was killed in a raid. He was the only survivor. The rest of the
village burned to ashes. Touya and I adopted him as our own," Yukito explained
in response to his niece's confusion. Yuui nodded vaguely.
"And…you are…?" she began to ask the last members of the group, a young woman
about Kurogane's age, and a baby. The woman was sitting on her bed, nursing the
infant. She bowed her head as best she could from her position.
"Forgive Chi for not showing you the proper deference and appearing in this
unseemly fashion, Your Majesty, but Freya is hungry. She hasn't eaten all day
and Chi was worried. Chi is Chi Motosuwa. Hideki Motosuwa is Chi's husband and
Freya's father."
"Oh, so you're the one," Souma broke in, a warm smile lighting her face. Hideki
was a good friend of hers. She'd received an invitation to their wedding, but
she hadn't been able to attend. And afterwards, Motosuwa had talked all of the
other warriors' ears off with stories of his beautiful wife and their new baby
girl. She also remembered hearing somewhere that Chi spoke a little bit oddly
when stressed.
"You know Hideki?!" Chi burst out. "Please, do you know where he is?! Is he…all
right?"
"Don't worry, Chi-san," Tomoyo said comfortingly. "Your husband is fine. He and
many of the other imprisoned ninja were liberated from the dungeons of
Shirasagi just last night. They are forming a band of rebels loyal to Kurogane
and they are under the protection of Princess Yuui's vassal, Lord Rasetsu Yama.
For the moment, he is safe."
"Is there…any way for Chi to speak with him?"
"We'll…work on something," Yuui murmured distractedly. She hadn't quite been
able to pull her eyes away from the baby ever since she'd been named as Freya.
"Thank you, Princess."
"Yuui-chan…are you all right?" Watanuki asked, a little worried by the
extremely distracted manner she'd been speaking in.
"Chi-san," Eriol started with a soft smile. "I think Yuui-san's taken an
interest in Freya-chan."
"How old is she?" Yuui asked wonderingly, placing a hand back on her stomach to
feel the tiny movements of her own child.
"Just four months, Princess," Chi replied as Freya finished nursing, yawning
and snuggling closer against her mother's warm body. "Would you…like to hold
her?"
"Is that…all right?" Yuui asked nervously, finally turning her attention away
from the infant.
"Of course," Chi said with a smile. As Yuui moved slowly forward, she held her
daughter out to her, being careful to support her head. Yuui did the same,
copying Chi's movements and posture exactly as she took Freya's tiny body in
her arms, bringing her close to lie snuggly against her own breast.
"See?" the young servant said as she secured her dress, smiling all the while.
"You can do it. Women know how to. A mother is in all of us. For you…soon, Chi
thinks. When is she coming?" she asked, indicating Yuui's swelling belly.
"We're not really sure. Two, maybe three months," the blonde princess said
softly as she cradled the baby girl in her arms. For having a father from
Nihon, Freya was still very much a Valerian child. Her soft, pale skin was only
a half shade darker than her mother's milky white skin and her baby blue eyes
were beginning to shift to the same amber color Chi had. The pale fuzz of
blonde hair was also already present on her small head. Freya was a very calm
child, from what Yuui could tell. She didn't fuss at being separated from her
mother. She just stared curiously up at Yuui as she rocked her. Yuui smiled
warmly, suddenly finding herself thinking of what it would be like to hold her
own daughter close like this.
"She'll be beautiful, just like Freya-chan," Tomoyo's voice whispered in her
ear as the voice's owner slipped her arms around her waist and kissed her
cheek. The future parents' smiles only grew warmer when Freya cooed and grabbed
a handful of Yuui's blouse, but Yuui's smile vanished almost instantly when her
eyes happened to glance over to her windowsill.
"How long has that been there?" she asked solemnly as she passed Freya back to
her mother and began to move toward the window. It was a bouquet, laid out on
the cushions of the windowsill, but it wasn't the bouquet itself that worried
Yuui. It was the ribbon it was tied with.
"I'm not sure," Sakura replied uncertainly. "It was here when we arrived. We
thought the flowers might be a gift of some sort. Is there a problem?"
"Kotori-chan," Yuui whispered as she lifted the bouquet into her hands. The
flowers were tied together with one of the ribbons she'd seen in Kotori's hair
that very morning. They were…from her.
"Kotori-chan. Fuuma-san," she whispered over and over again as she sank to her
knees, burying her face in the colorful blossoms. All too suddenly, everything
was crashing down on her head. She was going to have a baby. She was going to
be a queen. Fai was dying. The members of her own family were all strangers to
her and the people she recognized as her family were pulling away from her. A
group of very powerful, very insane faeries was after her head.
Kotori was dead. Fuuma had run her through. She didn't even know Fuuma anymore.
He would kill their child. The flowers still smelled as if Kotori had picked
them only moments before.
Because of me…it was all because of me!
No one but Tomoyo quite knew what to do as Yuui trembled on the floor. The
younger princess got to her knees beside her love and wrapped her arms around
her. Yuui leaned gratefully against her. As their audience slowly drifted away,
each becoming aware that they weren't needed for this, they remained in the
same position. They didn't speak. No words were needed. There was nothing that
Tomoyo could say that Yuui would hear.
***** One Day He Will Come *****
"How long do you think we've been here?" Sorata wondered out loud.
There was really no way of telling how long they had been imprisoned in
Seishiro's chamber. There were no windows and the room was kept mostly dark and
very sparsely furnished. In fact, the only real furnishings to be seen were a
chair and vanity with a very large, ornate mirror, and the magnificent bed they
were currently lying on. A black robe had appeared for Arashi after Seishiro
had left them and food had appeared on the vanity when Sorata began to feel
hungry. He'd tried to get Arashi to eat something as well, but she kept on
insisting she wasn't hungry and to go ahead without her. He felt guilty eating
when she refused to, but he knew it was best to keep his strength up. He found
himself hoping more food would appear if Arashi ever decided she was hungry.
Other than him eating, the pair hadn't really done anything else except lie in
bed. After Arashi had cried all of the tears that were in her, she had fallen
silent, and Sorata just held her. For the most part, they didn't speak. He just
held her and she held on. He'd once suggested they vacate the bed, figuring
Arashi wouldn't want to be near the bed she'd been raped in, but she'd been
practical to a degree, citing the fact that there really wasn't anywhere else
they could lay comfortably. So here they were.
"I don't know," Arashi mumbled against his chest. He'd slept a little since
being here, but he didn't think she had. No eating or sleeping - the only thing
she did was cling to him. He was at least cheered that he'd gotten her to
speak.
"Are you sure you won't eat anything? Aren't you hungry at all? I know you
haven't slept," he said worriedly.
"I'm not hungry…or tired. No doubt Seishiro wants to keep me in good health…"
Sorata narrowed his eyes. "If that's the only reason you're not taking care of
yourself…just to spite him…then I might have to force you. To punish yourself
because of him…that's just foolish."
"No, Sorata, it's not that," she said softly, finally looking up at him. "I
really just don't want any food. I don't feel hungry. Besides, is it really
safe to be eating the enemy's food?" she pondered, briefly sounding like her
old self.
"Well, like you said, Seishiro probably wants you healthy. There's no sense in
poisoning us. Besides, it's worth the risk. We need to keep up our strength
incase we get the opportunity to escape from here."
Arashi sighed bitterly. "You're very brave, my love, but I don't think we're
getting out of here until I give Seishiro an heir."
For a long while, Sorata didn't speak. An idea had been forming in his head for
some time now. He hoped it might make Arashi feel better, but he really didn't
know how to put it across to her. After a rather arduous internal debate, he
finally settled with, "What if…it wasn't his heir?"
Again, she glanced up at him, confused this time. "What do you mean?"
"Well…it can't have been that long since he…took you. Maybe if…I was with you,
too…and if you do have a baby…nobody really needs to know for sure who the
father is," he suggested nervously.
"You mean…if you and I have sex," she said, staring thoughtfully off to the
side.
"Of course, we really don't have to if you don't want to. It's completely up to
you. It was just…an idea…and not even a very good one, at that."
Arashi smiled weakly as she snuggled even closer against Sorata. "No, it's all
right. I know you wouldn't have suggested it unless you really thought it would
help. But…would it be enough?"
"I don't understand."
"You know I have some fey blood in me, yes?"
"I did know that, yeah. Even if I didn't, it would be a hard thing to miss
after Seishiro's monologue."
"Do you know what happens to mortal women who attempt to bear fey children?"
"I've…heard stories," he muttered uncertainly.
"They die," she responded softly. "My great grandmother died giving birth to my
grandfather…and my grandmother never really recovered from my mother's birth.
Kaa-san was fine with Saya and I, but our father was human. In either case, any
child I bear would have fey blood still…but I wonder if enough of me is fey to
survive bearing Seishiro a child. I think it would be very telling as to who
the father is if I were to die in childbirth."
"But you won't die," Sorata said fiercely as he hugged her even more tightly
against his body. "You're strong…the strongest person I've ever known. Even if
it is his…you can do it."
Sorata's faith in her was reassuring, but the real question for Arashi was
would she even want to? If she lay with Sorata and it ended up being for
nothing…if she was already pregnant by Seishiro anyway…would she want to
survive such a heinous betrayal of everything she believed in? Her prince? Her
country? Her family's crusade for the equality of the half fey? Seishiro would
use that very thing to destroy her kind. This was even a betrayal of Sorata.
No. She didn't want that. She didn't want any of it. There had to be, at
least…the hope…the hope that she was carrying Sorata's child - a baby made from
their love - and not Seishiro's child - a pawn created for his hatred and lust
for power. If it was already too late, and the future could not be changed,
then she would simply curl up and die. There had to be hope left. They had to
make that hope for themselves.
Mind made up, Arashi Kishu extricated herself from Sorata Arisugawa and rolled
away from him, slowly rising to her knees.
"Arashi?"
As she slid the silken robe from her shoulders, Arashi met Sorata's uncertain
gaze, smiling warmly, reassuring him that she loved him and that this was what
she wanted.
"Take me, Sorata."
"Arashi…are you sure?" he asked, his whole body suddenly trembling. She nodded,
leaning forward and starting to help him out of his own clothing.
"Yes. I want this. I-" Anything else she might have said was silenced when
Sorata put his lips on hers. The moment he felt that simple contact, all of his
hesitancy vanished and he took the reins from her shaking hands. Arashi's own
fear disappeared when she felt Sorata's hands on her body. Seishiro's hands had
been icy and methodical. Sorata's were warm and loving.
As Sorata made love to her, Arashi's skin began to glow softly in the darkness.
                                      XxX
He is cold. Why is he still so cold?
He is standing with his back flush against Seishiro's front. His uncle's arms
are wrapped securely around him and a large, soft blanket is draped around both
of their bodies, but they're both naked as the day they were born. They're
standing on the balcony of the tower room where he died, looking out as the
full moon casts its light over Valeria.
They'd made love only moments before and Fai can still feel the sweat on his
skin and the cum dribbling down his inner thighs. The glow of his skin is only
just beginning to fade and his body is still trembling slightly with the
aftershocks of his orgasm. He can feel the stickiness of his own semen where
his back is pressed against Seishiro's stomach and he can hear it squish softly
each time either of them shifts. Seishiro's currently occupied with kissing his
ear and neck. His uncle's promised to make love to him until he feels warm
again. By this point, they could have been having sex for years. He doesn't
know. He's lost count of the many times he's climaxed and Seishiro has probably
come inside of him enough to fill the ocean. The sex has been glorious…but each
time he comes, the feeling is a little bit weaker…and he's still freezing.
Perhaps the cool temperatures of their bodies are understandable, given that
they're standing exposed to the cold night air, drenched in post-coital sweat -
but this is a different kind of cold. He feels the cold in the very core of his
being. He's cold in a way that makes him understand he will never know warmth
again.
"I'm…cold," he says haltingly. "Uncle…why am…I cold?"
Seishiro doesn't answer him. He takes Fai by the hand and leads him to the very
edge of the balcony. He sits down on the stone railing and helps Fai to
straddle his hips. The ground seems impossibly far away when he catches a
glimpse of it over the Dark Prince's shoulder. Seishiro quickly draws his
attention back to him by claiming his lips with his own. Then he pulls Fai's
pliant body down on his own and fucks him senseless in all of five minutes.
Crying out his uncle's name as he comes, Fai quickly feels his strength drain
away and he goes limp in Seishiro's arms, resting his head gratefully on his
sweaty chest.
"How do you feel now, little nephew?"
"I'm still cold."
Not even bothering to disengage himself, he stands and walks back over to the
blanket they'd discarded, his little lover's body bouncing softly against his
as they move. He sits down on the blanket and they have sex again. This time,
when they finish, Seishiro lifts Fai off of him and lays him down on the
blanket. With one hand, he pets Fai's damp hair, and with the other, he strokes
his limp member. Fai doesn't get hard, though. Seishiro doesn't want him to get
hard.
"Are you still cold, darling?" he asks, still petting him like a small kitten.
"Freezing."
"Do you love me?"
"I love you very much, Seishiro-koi."
"Are you my bride…my prince?"
"I am."
"Do you like it when we make love?"
"Yes, Uncle."
"Kurogane-kun's much happier now that you're dead. Did you know that?"
"I know that," the boy whispers, feeling something twist inside of him. He
doesn't know why. There had been a lot of screaming and crying at first, but he
can't remember why anymore. Kurogane's name causes something inside of him to
hurt, so he chooses not to remember. He prefers the endless stream of orgasm -
the simple, forbidden, passionate love he shares with his uncle. He prefers
listening to the Darkness whisper beautiful, sinful, passionate, disgusting
secrets in his ear - words he can't grasp the meaning of, but that sound so
delicious when they slide into his ears. He even prefers the freezing cold he
has to endure. Anything is better than feeling the pain that name causes.
"Fai-kun…did you know that the fey can change their bodies into whatever shape
they want? Did you know that men can change their bodies enough to bear
children?"
"I didn't know that."
"Would you like to havemychild, Fai-kun?" Seishiro asks, smiling as he
continues to pet him.
"I would like that a lot, Uncle," he murmurs as he places a hand on his pale,
flat stomach, imagining it swollen with Seishiro's child. His own son and
cousin in the exact same person. It's disgusting - the most vile sin he can
think of - but that doesn't matter because that child will be placed inside of
him by Seishiro. That makes it all right.
"So be it," Seishiro says softly, leaning over him and kissing him. Then he
brushes Fai's hand away from his stomach and rests his own on the unmarred
skin. The very next moment, his hand sinks right into Fai's stomach. The boy
moans softly as his lover's fingers move about inside him - changing him. It
feels like they're having sex again, only the feeling doesn't diminish this
time. It keeps getting stronger…it grows and grows until Fai can't stand it
anymore. Darkness rushes into him…through his very skin…as if the flimsy shield
isn't even there. He is open…inviting…and nothing can keep the Darkness at bay
any longer. It races through him, painting every conceivable inch of his soul
black…blacker than night…the color of Darkness…
Feel it…feel me…feel this release and know that your heart is black. You are
mine, Prince of Light…all mine.
His very body seems to boil with sensation as he's transformed from the inside.
He knows he is being erased, but he can do nothing to stop it. He isn't even
sure if he wants to. The new feelings are stripping away the cold, leaving him
on fire. Instead of a block of ice, he has become a raging conflagration,
burning a thousand times hotter than a thousand suns. He is fire itself. He is
burning. Everything he is, the tiniest shred of his existence is burning with
dark fire. His life prior to this moment goes up in flames and he can feel Hell
at the very core of his being. This is what he is…what he has always been -
this fire…this rage…this darkness…this destruction.
"Don't break yet," his dark lover whispers to him. "It's almost over. You're
almost there. Don't break. You're so close. You can't go back now."
At the very moment Fai knows he can endure no more, it happens. He screams as
he's brought to orgasm - not a name. His seducer has no name. It's a scream of
ultimate pleasure, satisfaction, terror, pain, and horror. For a moment, he
can't see his uncle. It's almost as if he's melted into him, truly become one
with him. He watches his flat stomach grow as a small bump blossoms out of it,
cementing the metamorphosis. He has been permanently altered, changed into
something dark. What he has become, exactly, he does not know…and he cannot
bear to know. The only thing he knows is the Fai that Kurogane had loved is
dead. Nothing his poor lover can do can ever bring him back to life. Fai is
dead - and a new and dreadful power has been conceived from his ashes.
"It is done," Seishiro whispers in his ear as he collapses back upon the floor.
"The transformation is complete. You have been claimed by Darkness and the seed
is inside of you - proof that you belong to no one else. Night is in your eyes
and spirit. You are of the dark…and you can never return to the light. They
would not know you as you are now. You cannevergo back…never. Your heart has
turned black and you will live in the darkness from this moment onward. You are
mine, Fai Fluorite, Prince of Light no longer. You willalwaysbe mine." Then the
Dark Prince presses a lingering kiss to his lips and leaves, leaving Fai alone
on the balcony.
He tries to cry, but the tears simply evaporate out of his eyes. He's too hot.
The release has come, but the feeling is not gone. He still burns with the
fires of Hell…and it will never stop. He will always be burning. He will
forever feel his flesh consumed by flames. Anything he touches will be reduced
to ashes. It will never stop, and it will not be contained. His body has become
a gateway for Hell to flood into the world. His fire will spread until it
consumes the whole of creation.
As he staggers to his feet and looks out at the once peaceful night, he can see
that the world has transformed, just as he has. The moon and stars have faded
away and the land is barren. The night is painted pitch black.
"You bring destruction. You will reduce this world to ashes and bring all to
darkness." The voice of his new lover whispers in his ear.
"NO!" he shrieks in agony. "IT'S NOT TRUE!"
"But itistrue, my love. It is your destiny. This is what you are for…what you
were born to become. The world will burn with you…Kurogane will burn. They will
all burn."
Fai throws his head back and screams. He's fallen into the trap…walked right
into it. It's Darkness. It has been Darkness from the very start. His battle
had been lost before he'd even been aware he was fighting it. He knows the
truth now and he can never un know it. As he screams, fire bursts forth from
his hands and spreads across the land, burning everything it grasps…and as the
world burns, Fai laughs hysterically.
It is the closest he can come to crying.
                                      XxX
"Hey, Suwa," Kurogane said softly, reaching forward to run his fingers through
the stallion's mane. Suwa pushed his head against his hand and whickered
impatiently, as if chiding him for taking so long.
It had been nearly a week since the incident with Fuuma and he had spent most
of that time holed up in his chamber, doing short mental and physical exercises
in order to snap himself out of the funk he'd fallen into - to prepare himself
to train with Ryuuki. The rest of the time he spent meditating, only eating
when Tomoyo came and forced scraps of bread down his throat. He hadn't slept at
all. He forced himself to keep going, despite his exhaustion.
He had known that Suwa had been brought to the royal stables by Doumeki after
Fai had been taken. He was currently in a stall right next to Leval and
Tomoeda. Kurogane felt a little guilty for leaving him alone for so long. After
all, next to Souma, Suwa was his oldest friend. However, Suwa was also a part
of his old life. He had changed so much in the past week alone, he was almost a
completely different man. He felt that he shouldn't see too much of Suwa until
he was worthy to be his master again.
"That horse has really been missing you, you know," Ryuuki said as he entered
the stable.
"How would you know?" Kurogane asked, a little of his old impatience creeping
into his tone. "Do you talk to animals like…the twins do?"
"Not exactly," the fire master replied, coming to stand beside him. "My
affinity is fire. I imagine the prince and princess received that gift from
Himawari when they were born. Body language isn't so hard to read, though."
"Fai and Yuui…what are…their affinities?" he asked, still not looking at the
fire sprite.
"I wouldn't know," he said, reaching into the stall to give Suwa a few good
strokes. "I doubt that they themselves know that yet. An affinity is not
something you are born with. Fey children discover them as they grow. It's
just…something you come to know within yourself." As he spoke, Ryuuki raised a
hand and lit a small flame directly on his palm. "We can all perform the same
kinds of magic, but there is only one that really feels right in your hands.
Sometimes it's elemental magic, other times not."
"What about this Hand of Power thing I keep hearing about? I know Yuui can
heal, but…Fai doesn't have anything like that."
"That only means it hasn't manifested yet. As far as magic goes, Hands are our
greatest power. They often manifest in moments of extremely heightened emotion.
You can't really choose what your Hand manifests as. It conforms to the thing
you desire most strongly in the moment of its birth. Being as that the princess
possesses a Hand of Healing, my guess would be that she had a strong desire to
heal someone at the moment that power was born within her."
That's true enough, Kurogane thought, watching the flames dance about on
Ryuuki's palm as bitter memories swept through him. But Fai's experienced more
'heightened emotion' in only eighteen years than a lot of people will
experience in an entire lifetime. If this power hasn't manifested yet…what does
it mean? That there's worse still to come?
"Your Hand doesn't always match your affinity. In fact, more often than not, it
has nothing to do with it. I, for instance, have a Hand of Soothing."
"Soothing? What does that mean?" Kurogane asked, raising an eyebrow.
"If necessary, I can calm anyone with my touch. I know most people wouldn't
associate such a thing with fire, but I've always found it soothing. Of course,
I could be biased against it."
"What was it you were saying last week? That you could teach me how to use
fire?"
For a long moment, Ryuuki did not speak. But when he did, it was with great
solemnity. "I can, Prince Kurogane, but there are a few things you must
understand."
"Don't call me that," Kurogane ordered sharply.
"What?"
"Prince," he muttered, clearly disgusted with the word. "I'm not that person
anymore."
Ryuuki very nearly took a step back from the young man, so staggered was he by
his vehement insistence. He certainly had the fire and the will within him to
learn to wield fire and rescue Prince Fai. The question was…did he have the
mental stability - the control - to do it?
"All right, but what you need to understand about the control of any kind of
magic is its basis. The fey…are magic. Magic is the energy that gives form to
our physical bodies. The first faeries were wild magic that chose to take
physical form. As such, it is not at all difficult for us to use magic. It is
what we are. However, it is a different matter altogether for humans. You are
creatures of flesh and blood. It is possible for you to learn to manipulate
magic, but it is much harder. The act of channeling magic through your body
also drains your own life energy. The more powerful the magic you use, the more
you risk death. Are you ready for that?"
Was he? Yes. There had never been any doubt in his mind. He was prepared to
give up his life to save Fai's. For if he did not, then his life was over
anyway. The rose tucked behind his ear was a symbol of what he was fighting
for.
"I'm ready."
"You have the pieces of your old sword then? Princess Yuui called me to her and
told me I would find you here."
"Yes," Kurogane responded, swiftly dropping to his knees beside a bundle that
had been resting at his feet and beginning to unfold it. Yuui had given it to
him that morning. When he had emerged from his room and their eyes had met,
without words they had both known that it was time. She'd given him the bundle
and told him she would send Ryuuki to him.
Sohi was laid out as close to its original form as Yuui had been able to get it
when she'd gathered it up. The hilt was intact, but the blade had broken into
several shards. The bundle had remained unopened since that day. Many of the
shards were stained red-black with his dried blood from where he had fallen on
them. Ryuuki knelt down in front of him and picked up one of the still clean
shards, taking Kurogane's right hand in his and placing the shard against his
bare palm.
"Why?" Kurogane asked, already perfectly clear on what was meant to happen.
"I imagine you were very skilled with Sohi, but it was only a sword. This new
weapon must be an extension of your self - a part of you. It will have your
blood at its heart. Everything that you are, it will be, as well. This is how
my people make swords," he explained solemnly. Kurogane nodded his
understanding, giving the fire spirit the okay to proceed. Without warning,
Ryuuki swiftly sliced the shard across his palm, splitting the skin and
allowing the warm blood to trickle free. Kurogane's only sign of pain was a
small grunt.
"Take the hilt in your hand," Ryuuki ordered. Knowing which hand was meant,
Kurogane picked up the hilt with his bleeding hand, gripping it firmly, though
it stung. As he watched, his blood slowly dribbled out onto the wrappings.
"Hold it out in front of you," Ryuuki continued, slowly moving back to his feet
and helping Kurogane to follow him. As he complied, Ryuuki placed a hand on top
of his. Slowly, a glow began to form around the hilt.
"I should warn you right now, this will wear you out. It will take a lot of
your energy."
"Just do it," Kurogane said without hesitation. He was already beginning to
feel his energy draining away anyway.
Ryuuki spoke several ancient words and the shards of the sword slowly drifted
into the air. As they aligned with the hilt, the pieces began to shimmer,
gradually being washed clean of the blood and shame that stained them. When the
shards finally glowed with purity and power, a sinuous red thread extended from
the hilt and connected every piece. The cracks that separated the shards glowed
and fused into a single entity once again. Kurogane felt energy flowing not
just from his own body, but from everywhere at once. The earth, the air, the
waters of Spirit Lake, the fire within Ryuuki…energy from all of the living
beings around them…flowing into the new sword. This blade was powerful; he
could feel it already. Power thrummed throughout his entire body as the hilt
transformed in his hand.
Finally, Ryuuki placed his hand upon the glowing blade and sealed the spell
with one last chanted word. The glowing ceased and Kurogane's body began to
settle.
"And thus the will of ice becomes the will of fire," Ryuuki intoned. "Kurogane
Youou, you hold Ginryuu in your hands. The Silver Dragon - the guiding light
for all Nihon…and the savior of Prince Fai Fluorite Reed. It is through the
dragon's maw that the will of fire will be carried out. This sword belongs in
your hands and your hands alone. As a symbol of that contract, one last sign
shall be given."
With that, Ryuuki ran his hand over the length of the blade and a black saya
formed itself around the sword. At the very top of the saya, a ruby rose was
inlaid into the black-lacquered wood. Kurogane smiled almost imperceptibly. It
was certainly a potent reminder of everything that the sword was - as if he
could ever forget. Reverently, he ran his fingers over the inlaid blossom, then
he tied the saya to his belt. With both hands free, he could finally examine
the hilt. It was a dragon's head with silver scales flowing down the length of
it. A final touch was the dragon's ruby eyes. The twin gems looked almost
alive.
"Draw your sword, Kurogane Youou," Ryuuki said softly. Kurogane complied
easily, compelled by himself, Ryuuki, and Ginryuu itself. The blade sang as it
was drawn, reminding the young man just how much he'd missed a sword's clear
song - the song of battle…the song of blood. He gave the sword several practice
swings to get a feel for it, all the while hearing its song. Ginryuu handled
amazingly. It swung with the full weight of a katana, but it felt so light. It
was the most amazing piece of craftsmanship he'd ever seen. Ginryuu truly was a
part of him.
"If it's all the same to you, I think I'd like to work with Ginryuu a little on
my own before I start working with you," he said to Ryuuki as he sheathed the
blade, his gaze lingering on the rose for a moment afterward.
"There is really no need, but I understand your feelings. Take as long as you
need."
With that, Kurogane turned and headed out of the stable. Ryuuki watched the
spot he eventually vanished into long after he was gone.
Only you think yourself unworthy, Prince Kurogane. You will have to recognize
who you are if you are to have any prayer of rescuing your beloved. Ginryuu is
a sword for a king.
                                      XxX
"Oh, hello, Kunogi-san."
Himawari glanced up when she heard Sakura's nervous voice. The queen had just
come from Yuui's bedchamber into the sitting room, where Himawari was sitting
on one of the couches, stitching together a quilt.
"Were you looking for the princess, Sakura-sama? Their Highnesses are down in
the gardens with Shiro and Doumeki. I can take you to them if you wish."
"No, I…" Sakura slowly trailed off. For a moment that seemed to last for hours,
they stared awkwardly at each other. They both knew they needed to talk, but
neither really knew what to say or where to begin. Sakura was the first to make
a move, unfreezing and moving forward to take a seat on the couch beside the
animal sprite.
"My daughter…do you…always call her princess?"
Himawari shook her head. "I called her Yuui-chan. We all did…until a week ago
when we told them who they really were. We've been…trying to create some
distance. We know they belong to you…but it only hurts her," she said sadly.
"No, Kunogi-san," Sakura protested, reaching forward to try and place a hand on
her knee. Himawari flinched away from her. "Just because I gave birth to Fai
and Yuui…it does not mean they belong to you any less. You are the woman my
children recognize as mother."
Again, the animal spirit shook her head. What could she say against this? It
was true, after all. "We did not…encourage…using those terms. They called us by
our names…but it slipped sometimes…when things were hard."
"Kunogi-san…I must ask you…last week…I heard Yuui say that Monou-san…raped her.
I have to know…what happened. Why is my daughter pregnant?"
Himawari sighed heavily. There were many things about her children's lives that
Sakura would want to know - and things she would never want to know, but would
have to know, just the same. "It wasn't his fault. Fuuma and the Shiro brothers
were deceived by a lie. Seishiro has been hunting the twins almost from the
start," she said softly. The memory of when he first came hunting was still
fresh for her. She didn't fail to notice the way Sakura stiffened at the
mention of Seishiro. "But Subaru didn't know this. He was having an affair with
Seishiro. Seishiro tricked him into believing that he didn't want his father's
crown. Seishiro was the one who masterminded the whole plot. In order to be
considered over him as heir, Yuui-chan needed an heir herself. Among those who
knew the secret, Fuuma was the most suitable to get her with child. So he came
and stole her away from us in broad daylight. We were unprepared. We never
expected such a thing of him. He cast some sort of spell on the both of them.
Neither Yuui-chan nor Fuuma remembers the actual deed, but I would say the fact
that she's four months gone is fairly compelling evidence that it happened."
"My God," Sakura whispered. "We let you take them to keep them away from all of
this."
"With all due respect, Sakura-sama, the twins are still alive. It is more than
Clow and Kotori can say," Himawari replied with a twinge of anger in her tone.
"They should not have had to suffer so much, but we have done the very best
that anyone could do."
"I wasn't blaming you, Kunogi-san," Sakura insisted. "It's just…hard to know
that my daughter cried out in pain and I wasn't there to help her."
"She is not unhappy," Himawari said softly. "They have talked, and are mostly
reconciled…but Yuui wants this baby, and loves her very much. This quilt is for
the baby…actually," she finished, running a gentle hand over the soft blue
fabric that would one day be a baby blanket.
"She loves her…even though it is dangerous?"
"Yes. I should think you of all people would understand that. Would you have
stopped trying to have Fai and Yuui if you could have foreseen everything that
would come of it?"
"No. You're right. There is nothing to match that feeling."
It was in that moment that Lady Himawari Kunogi and Queen Sakura Fluorite
understood each other and their daughter perfectly. They weren't two women
competing for a child's love. They were two mothers who loved a daughter, and
that daughter was a woman herself who loved her own child.
"Has she…picked out a name yet?" Sakura asked shyly.
"Yes, but I think the only one who knows is Tomoyo-hime."
"How did they all meet?"
"I don't know that. I only just found out myself that they're engaged. Only
Shizuka knew they were seeing each other. He didn't tell Kimihiro or myself
because he knew we would never have allowed it. I suppose it's a miracle that
he chose the way he did. If you want to know about that, you might have to ask
the girls themselves…or Kurogane-sama."
"He barely speaks. Kurogane-kun was never much of a talker to begin with, but
this…it's heartbreaking."
"But at the same time, it makes you happy there's someone who's so devoted to
Fai?" Himawari suggested with a sad smile.
"Exactly," the queen responded, her expression mirroring Himawari's. Again, she
reached forward to try and touch her hand, and again, Himawari flinched away.
"Why do you do that?" She had also noticed it when Himawari seemed to want to
touch Yuui and didn't.
"It's nothing to do with you, Sakura-sama," Himawari rushed to reassure her. "I
have been…cursed. I'm unlucky. If you touch me, then you will be hurt. I
haven't been able to hug Fai and Yuui for a year now."
"You've suffered through this…for them?" she asked, reaching forward again, but
stopping herself in time.
Himawari nodded, smiling with unshed tears in her eyes. "It doesn't matter,
though. No price is too great for them. They are…my babies. I've…never had any
children of my own."
"Can you?" Sakura asked, suddenly wondering if Himawari was like her.
"I guess so. I don't know. I've never tried. There has never been anyone I've
wanted to have children with."
"What about Watanuki-san? He seems to care for you a great deal."
Himawari laughed. "That's probably because he's my brother."
Sakura's eyes widened slightly. "Really? I…I didn't know that."
"Well…not really really. We're not related by blood. Kimihiro's mother died
giving birth to him…and his father refused to acknowledge him. My father, Lord
Eagle Kunogi, took him in and raised him as his own son. When I was born,
well…he thought of me as his little sister. I think he has a bit of a sister
complex where I'm concerned."
"I know what that's like," Sakura said, giggling a little herself. "Please,
tell me…what were they like growing up…our babies?"
Himawari smiled to hear the twins referred to as 'their' babies. She suddenly
felt very sorry for Sakura. She had missed so much. The twins' very first
smiles and laughs belonged to her…but everything else belonged to Himawari. The
two of them had a lot of catching up to do. So many words were needed in order
to give voice to the lives of the two babies they both loved so very much.
"The very first night we brought them to the cottage in the glen, they woke up
crying because they missed you…so I sang to them…
                                      XxX
Guard…feint…strike…left…right…back…guard…strike…cut…spin…guard…strike…again…again…never…stop…moving…strike!
Kurogane had been awake for a grand total of three hundred and thirty-six
hours. He'd actually collapsed from exhaustion on the evening of the day he'd
received Ginryuu. He'd dreamt of Fai - as he knew he would. He'd dreamed that
he was running through Celes. He ran until he reached Faerie Falls, and there
Fai lay, at the peak of the waterfall - dead. His throat had been cut. A
continuous stream of blood had been flowing from the red tear in his slender,
white neck - flowing into the river and staining it red. His blue eyes were
wide open, staring up at the sky in death. All the while, he could hear
Seishiro's voice.
"You should have let him die."
He'd actually woken up screaming. He'd bolted awake to find himself in his bed,
surrounded by Yuui, Tomoyo, Souma, Soel, and Larg. He'd been soaked with sweat
and his fingernails had carved bloody crescents into his palms from where he'd
been clenching his fists so tightly. Yuui had sadly reported that he'd only
been asleep for an hour. When Subaru had offered to make him a sleeping potion,
he'd refused - rather violently. Fearing they would start trying to slip him
some in the foods they managed to get down his throat, he'd taken Ginryuu and
left. With Ryuuki's help, he'd crossed through the gateway and back to Tsubasa
Island to continue his training uninterrupted. He knew he was worrying them,
but he couldn't help it. They didn't have to see what he saw whenever he closed
his eyes.
He practiced kata with his new sword until he couldn't make his body move.
Then, in those moments when he couldn't get himself to move, he would meditate,
concentrating every ounce of will power into keeping himself from falling
asleep, desperate to keep the nightmares at bay. When he could finally get
himself to move again, it was right back to training. Occasionally, he would
run down to the shore for a few sips of water or push his training further into
the island interior, looking for the berry patches. He took only what he needed
in order to keep his body alive, nothing more. The edge of hunger and thirst
made concentration more of an exercise. He had worked tirelessly with Ginryuu,
until there was absolutely no distinction in his mind between the blade and his
arm. Ginryuu was his pain, his rage, and his will to get back what he had lost.
At the end of one particularly intense set, he dropped to one knee to catch a
few quick breaths. He had long ago ceased to feel the sting of sweat in his
eyes and the aching tiredness of his body. There was only the need to endure
more - to make his body stronger. Even now, he knew he was still little more
than a fly when compared with Seishiro.
However, when he finally decided that it was time to stand and continue
training, he couldn't get his body to move. He tried to stand, but his limbs
simply would not obey the command.
All right, fine. Be that way. I guess it's time to meditate again.
He tried to bring Ginryuu forward to bury the tip in the ground and rest his
hands on the hilt as he usually did, but this time, his body wouldn't even take
that order. He just knelt where he was, Ginryuu gripped loosely in his right
hand, too exhausted to move. So he began to focus his mind instead, fixing his
eyes on Spirit Lake, which he could glimpse through the trees. The image was a
little bit blurry, though…like it was shifting in and out of focus before his
eyes. He blinked, bringing the lake back into focus. Had it always been like
that? For a brief instant, he thought he could see Fai's smile flickering on
the surface of the water, but it was gone the very next moment.
"Where are you, you idiot?" he whispered through dry lips. "Where have you gone
to that I can't find you?"
Then he knew nothing more.
Soel watched from its hiding place in one of the nearby trees as Kurogane
collapsed from sheer exhaustion. When the tiny creature was certain he would
not be getting up this time, it quickly bounded to his side. Projecting an
image of the fallen prince through its mental link to Larg, Soel soon heard
Yuui's voice.
"We're on our way."
Within the span of a few brief minutes, a boat was surfacing on Spirit Lake.
The occupants quickly poured out, letting Larg guide them to where Soel and
Kurogane were. Larg, Yuui, Tomoyo, Souma, Doumeki, and Subaru found the prince
collapsed in a clearing. He probably hadn't noticed it in his advanced state of
sleep deprivation, but flowers had blossomed from the trees all around the
clearing, growing from heights taller than the tallest faerie and blooming in
showers all the way to the ground. They were tiny blossoms growing in clumps…a
violent crimson color that was a little too much like blood for anyone's taste.
They almost seemed to create a curtain around the clearing.
They all gathered sadly around Kurogane as Subaru knelt beside him to assess
the damage he'd done to himself. His skin was slick with sweat and his normally
tan complexion was splotched red in several places, and where it wasn't red, it
was a sickly pale color. Already, he was visibly losing weight and there were
huge, dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. As Subaru took stock of
his racing pulse and heartbeat, he noted that the prince's body shook with
chills. When he laid a hand on his forehead, the young man coughed weakly and
he found that his skin was burning up to the touch.
"He's running a very high fever," Subaru reported tensely. "We need to get him
to a bed. Why he hasn't dropped dead from exhaustion yet is beyond me."
"Can you help him?" Yuui asked, tightening her grip on Tomoyo's hand. She'd
been able to carry Kurogane back to his room by herself the first time he'd
collapsed, but now that she was little more than a month shy of going into
labor, the others wouldn't let her lift anything heavier than a bowl of soup.
"Yes. I can get this fever down, but the rest is up to him," Subaru explained
as he lifted the unusually light prince into his arms. "He's trying to do the
impossible. This condition was brought on more by his fragile mental state than
anything else. He must be made to understand that he is still a human. At the
rate he's going, he will destroy his body before his will breaks."
"That's enough, Subaru-san," Yuui commanded softly, glancing worriedly at her
fiancé. Tomoyo couldn't stop watching the way her brother's body flopped
helplessly in Subaru's arms - like a rag doll. The expression on his ravaged,
hollowed face was so vulnerable…so full of pain…she could hardly bear it.
Nii-sama…what can we do to help you? Why won't you hear us when we tell you
that you're killing yourself?
"What are they?" Souma asked nervously, gazing at the wild sprays of flowers.
"Their name is amaranth," Yuui responded. She did not fear them as Souma did
because she could hear them crying - crying for Kurogane. "But most people call
them love-lies-bleeding."
                                      XxX
He is standing again…only he's somehow come to be standing on the shores of
Spirit Lake. His first thought is to continue training, but he soon finds that
Ginryuu isn't on him. The next thing he notices is that the sky has
disappeared. It isn't just nighttime or a storm rolling in. The sky is
just…gone. No sun, no clouds, no stars or moon…nothing. Then, quite suddenly,
his nose is filled with the coppery tang of blood. He glances down and
finds…not water splashing over his feet, as he'd expected…but blood…boiling
hot, freshly spilled blood…an endless sea of it. A bolt of red lightning
flashes from the non-existent sky, bathing the entire scene in an eerie crimson
light.
The very next moment, Fai is before him, standing upon the surface of the lake.
He's right there! Right in front of him! He tries to reach for him, but no
matter how far he stretches his arms, his love seems always to be just out of
his reach.
"You can never touch him again." Seishiro's voice - a distant memory.
"SHUT UP!" he shrieks in agony, still desperately trying to grasp Fai. Fai
isn't even looking at him. He's staring right through him like he isn't even
there, his eyes devastatingly empty.
Kurogane finally collapses to his knees in the surf, hot, silent tears flowing
freely down his face as he gazes up at his unmoved lover.
"Where are you?" he asks again. "I need you, damn it! Where thefuckdid you
go?!Where are you?!"
Suddenly seeming to see him, Fai kneels before him, the tide of blood lapping
softly against his legs. He closes the final distance between them by wrapping
his arms around the distraught prince. A smile of joy and relief lights his
face as he returns the embrace, pressing a kiss to Fai's cheek.
"You want to know where I am?" Fai whispers in his ear. Kurogane nods, though
the tone of the other's voice suggests that even though hedoeswant to know -
the truth will break him. Fai pulls back briefly in order to kiss him. He
savors the kiss in the few fleeting moments that Fai allows him. If he keeps
but one thing from his old life, he knows it must be this. He has to hold onto
this feeling. The very next moment, Fai's lips are pressed to his ear once
again.
"Hell."
The only way to describe what he feels in this moment is that he's been
snapped. Every string that connects him to his life, every sinew that holds his
body together - all cut in a single moment with that one word. He falls,
slipping silently backward through the air, Fai's face filling his vision as he
hits the sand. His blue eyes are filled with tears. He's lost…so very lost…
"I think I'm in Hell, Kurogane."
Again, he tries to reach for him and fails. He's lying spread-eagle on the sand
with blood lapping at his feet and he can't make himself move. It is a living
Hell to him to see the pain and confusion on Fai's face and be unable to free
him from it. Slowly, Fai bends over him, now kneeling between his legs as he
sadly strokes his face. His pale skin is unbearably hot.
"You…youcan'tbe," he whispers. "I have…to get you back. Iwillget you back."
"It's too late," the blond whispers as he presses his lips to Kurogane's.
Goddess, but his body is sohot.
This time, when Fai pulls away from him, Kurogane can see that he is changing.
His eyes are on fire and he can see the glint of fangs in his mouth. The places
where their skin touches feel like they're melting into each other.
"What…what's happening to you?"
Fai's face twists into a leer as he bends close once more. Kurogane is pinned
beneath him now.
"Burn with me," he hisses, digging his fingers into Kurogane's chest. The ninja
instantly feels daggers of fire shred through his heart. To him, the body above
him seems to be outlined in a corona of fire.
"I don't understand. What do you want?" he asks, his voice thick with defeat.
"Do you want me to die with you? I will."
"Burn with me!" This comes as a scream as Fai wraps his hands around Kurogane's
throat. He does not resist. Even if he could have, he doesn't want to. The
world around him is slowly fading into darkness. It's beginning - his own
eternal sleep. Fai is ablaze now.
I'm scared! I'm so scared, Kuro-sama!
"Fai?" he whispers with his last breath.
Then he feels himself consumed.
                                      XxX
"How long do you think he'll sleep this time?" Souma asked aloud, not really
expecting a particular answer. After carrying Kurogane to his room, Subaru had
taken a precious long time in taking care of him, using his magic to make sure
the exhausted prince remained asleep. He'd worked until he'd gotten the fever
to break. The coughing had lessened considerably and the red patches on his
skin had faded away, but he was still pale, still losing weight, and his body
trembled weakly with each breath he took. Each moment he continued existing was
clearly a mental and physical struggle for him.
Doumeki had brought lunch for all of them, though for Kurogane, he had only
brought a light miso broth, because Subaru wasn't certain if his stomach could
handle anything more solid than that after two weeks of eating little more than
three blueberries a day. Doumeki and Subaru had only just left and the three
girls hadn't touched their food yet, all of them still worrying over the
fraying warrior. He had managed to pull himself back from the void of complete
insanity, but everyday it seemed he was slipping backward a few more inches,
finding some new way to torture himself.
"I don't know. Who could say? At least he's not having nightmares yet. That's
what's always woken him up before. I think it's been about…three hours now,"
Yuui guessed. "It's still more than he's gotten in the past three weeks."
"Yuui…you really ought to eat your lunch," Tomoyo said seriously as she glanced
up from her brother's ashen face. "I know how much you like tuna. You really
need that right now."
"Yes, I suppose you're right," Yuui said sadly as she turned her attention to
the tray that her guardian had brought her: a freshly baked cut of red tuna and
a portion of parmesan spinach…all of the things that she needed to be eating
right now…but that she really just didn't feel like eating. The sight and scent
of the juicy fish that she normally loved so much almost made her want to
vomit, but she cut into the offering anyway, because she knew she needed it and
it would make Tomoyo feel better. What she really wanted right now was a giant
bowl of fried rice and a batch of chocolate chip muffins. Maybe she would look
into it later.
"You two eat, too," she reminded them before forcing herself to chew and
swallow a small bite of tuna. The two Nihon girls nodded in acceptance and also
slowly began to eat their own meals. Souma shared food with Soel and Tomoyo
shared with Larg. Yuui would freely admit that she was starting to miss the
times when Larg would eat off of her plate because her tiny black guardian
refused to these days. They all insisted that she needed all of the food she
could keep down.
"Hmn…Nngh!" Kurogane muttered weakly in his sleep, briefly tossing his head
from side to side.
"Oh, no," Tomoyo cried despairingly, her lunch quickly forgotten. "He's not
waking up already, is he?"
"I'm not sure," Yuui murmured, setting aside her own food and pressing a hand
to Kurogane's forehead. His skin was starting to feel warm again. The blonde
immediately went for one of the cold rags that Subaru had left behind in order
to apply it to his forehead.
"Is the fever coming back?" Souma asked.
"I think so," she replied as she pressed the damp rag to his sweating face -
and yanked it back in shock almost immediately. He wasn't just warm now.
"What is it?" Tomoyo asked, reaching to check her brother's temperature. Yuui's
hand shot out to grab her wrist.
"Don't. His skin…it…it's really burning. It feels like he's on fire."
"Then we have to do something," Tomoyo insisted.
"No…no…Fai!" the prince cried out, his tossing and turning becoming all the
more violent.
"He's having another nightmare," Yuui said sadly.
"But…Yuui-chan…I think this one might really be hurting him," Souma put in
anxiously. As they watched, Kurogane's hands slowly snaked up his body and
wrapped themselves around his throat…squeezing…strangling…choking the life out
of him.
"Nii-sama!" Tomoyo cried out.
Yuui quickly moved in, attempting to pry Kurogane's fingers from his neck and
failing because she couldn't keep her hands on his skin without feeling her own
burn.
"Kurogane, listen to me!" she cried out, trying to reach him any way she could.
"You're having a nightmare. You need to wake up now! What you're seeing isn't
real!"
"No!" he cried out, his eyes flying open. "I…I can…hear…him…"
"Kurogane, please!" Tomoyo sobbed. "It's not real!"
Kurogane's head turned suddenly and he stared directly at Yuui. She was no
longer certain if he was awake or still trapped in the nightmare - or if it was
even him that was looking at her. His eyes seemed to have been lit from within
by a raging fire.
"Burn with me!" he hissed in a voice that wasn't truly his.
"Merciful Goddess," she whispered in horror.
The next moment, the prince blinked and the fire began to flicker out. His
fingers loosened around his neck and a bit more of his own expression began to
return to his face.
"N…Nngh…NO!" he finally shouted, bolting upright in bed as he tore his fingers
away from his throat. His instinctual reaction would have once been to reach
for his sword. Now, the first thing he did was reach for the rose tucked behind
his ear, bringing it to his face and inhaling its comforting scent. For a
moment, he just sat there, shaking and breathing hard, his nose buried in the
red bloom's soft petals.
"Bad?" Tomoyo finally asked.
Kurogane just nodded, staying silent for a moment more and cradling his rose as
if it would shatter at any moment.
"He said…that he's in Hell," he muttered. No one needed to ask whom he meant.
"He…wanted me to burn with him."
Yuui wanted to tell him that it was only an illusion, that her brother would
never want something like that for him in a million years, but she had also
felt his skin burn and seen his eyes catch fire. She had heard the words from
his mouth.
"Could it be that…something's happening to Fai-kun?" Tomoyo pondered.
"What do you mean?" Kurogane asked, turning worried eyes to his sister.
"You said those words in your sleep…only a moment ago. Burn with me," Yuui
explained. "Your skin felt like it was burning and your eyes were on fire. The
bedding you're lying on is singed."
Kurogane shook his head, uncomprehending.
Oh, God…does this mean it's…really happening? That he's…really suffering like
this?
"Mokona thinks…that Kurogane is seeing Fai's nightmares," Soel said sadly,
hopping into Kurogane's lap.
"How do you mean?" Souma asked.
"Fai's trying to reach out…the only way Fai can - through dreams."
"Oh, God," Kurogane moaned into his hands.
"I don't think Mokona means that he's trying to hurt you, Kurogane," Yuui tried
to explain. "I think he's trying to show you what he's seeing…what he's
feeling…"
"What if…something really happens to him…and I can't save him?" he wondered
aloud, finally giving voice to his greatest fear.
No one had an answer.
"Kurogane," Yuui began in a very low voice. "I don't think you should be doing
this to yourself anymore."
Kurogane's face instantly hardened at the insinuation. "I can handle myself.
It's not up to you."
"Sorry, but you're clearly not capable of deciding whether or not you can take
care of yourself, because you're not."
"It's my business."
"Dammit, Kurogane! Look at yourself! You've hardly slept, you're losing weight,
you look like you've been through Hell, and to top it all off, you're still
running a fever after that last nightmare. I know you don't want to believe it,
but you are made of flesh and blood. Do you really think doing this to yourself
is going to make Fai happy?!"
Kurogane glanced away from his would-be sister-in-law, unable to meet the
accusation in her stare. "If I can get him back, then it will all be worth it."
"Well, if you think throwing your life away senselessly is going to help Fai,
you're wrong! It's like we don't know you anymore. Doing this won't make
anything better, Kurogane! It stops here. I can't let you do this to yourself
anymore. Fai would never forgive me."
"Let me? Are you challenging me, Yuui?"
"Challenging? No. Flat-out telling you," she said threateningly as she laid a
hand over his forehead. "I could put you to sleep right now. It would be easy."
Kurogane froze upon hearing the threat of sleep. Anything - make him bear any
burden, any punishment, endure any torture. He would cope with it - anything in
the Goddamn world -anything but sleep. That, he could not bear. Nothing was
more painful.
"Don't make me sleep again," he whispered pleadingly- dangerously.
"You really aren't leaving me much of a choice."
The moment he felt the warm buzz of her magic, Kurogane snapped, reacting the
only way he knew how - with violence. He seized Yuui's arm and gave it a swift
twist. The sound of the bones breaking echoed eerily in the small bedchamber.
Yuui screamed in pain as she stumbled back from the bed, falling backward onto
the floor.
"Kurogane! No! Stop!" Souma shouted. Soel and Larg cried out Yuui's name as
Tomoyo rushed to her side.
"Oh, oh, oh, oh," she moaned over and over again as Tomoyo took her in her
arms. The cry was less of pain, and more of shock that this man she had grown
up with would actually hurt her. She had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but
she hadn't really known what to expect, either. Kurogane was truly not himself.
"Princess!" Subaru's shouts suddenly sounded from the other side of the door.
Yuui instantly threw a spell at the door, sealing it shut. It hadn't really
been Kurogane's fault, but her guardians would not be as forgiving of him for
breaking her arm and threatening her baby's safety. Subaru began to pound on
the sealed door. "Yuui-sama! What's going on in there?!"
"It's fine, Subaru-san! I've got it under control," she said firmly. "Don't
touch the door."
The pounding ceased, but Yuui knew that her knight was still waiting outside.
"Why?!" Souma demanded. "Why would you do that?! It's Yuui-chan!"
"I won't sleep," he responded, the firmness in his voice belying the look of
shock that adorned his face. He could hardly believe it himself - what he had
done. He had reacted without thinking, just as Kusanagi warned him against all
those years ago. What if it had been Tomoyo or Souma, whose arms would not heal
so easily from such an attack? Fai would never forgive him for this - breaking
his own sister's arm, when she was so close to giving birth. He kept his eyes
locked with hers, forcing himself to look at the pain written on her face. He
wanted to apologize, but even more, he wanted where he stood on this matter to
be clear between them. It was just as well that they didn't know him anymore,
because he was not the same person, and he had no hope of ever being that man
again unless he could become stronger and rescue Fai.
"Are you all right, Yuui? How is she?" Tomoyo asked as she cradled her fiancé
close. Yuui was holding her injured arm gingerly against her chest. It was
already healing and would be completely fine soon, but it would still be sore
for a few hours. Her daughter was a slightly larger concern. She seemed all
right. She'd just been a little shaken, and Yuui could already tell that she
would know it for several hours. The little girl seemed to almost be rolling
around inside of her, kicking and punching at her innards.
"She's fine," Yuui eventually responded. "Just a little jostled.
Kurogane…sleeping or not sleeping is up to you. You and I both know you can't
stay awake forever and you're eventually going to pass out again. That isn't
going to help your sickness at all."
"I don't care. I won't sleep…I can't," he replied fiercely, needing for her to
understand his situation. He knew she was right, but he would fight off
exhaustion for as long as his body was able to.
"All right, but if you insist on this suicidal course, then I'm going to have
to insist that you eat and drink regularly. It's not good for you to be loosing
all of this weight. It will only hurt you in the end. If you don't comply, then
I'll send Ryuuki-san back to Ransho-san and I won't let you train with him."
"Fine," the young man grumbled. He couldn't allow the opportunity to train with
Ryuuki to slip through his fingers. He needed what the fire spirit could teach
him - desperately.
"I know you miss him. I miss him, too. We all need him back," Yuui said softly.
She would have continued had she not noticed that Kurogane wasn't looking at
her at all. In fact he was staring right over her head - at something behind
her. A look of shock, fear, flickering hope, and so many other emotions was
plastered onto his face.
"Fai?" he whispered in disbelief, seeming almost afraid to hope.
"What? Kurogane, no. I thought we'd cleared this up already. I'm-"
"Yuui," Tomoyo interrupted at length. "I think you'd better look." Her voice
was just as thunderstruck as Kurogane's.
Yuui slowly turned in her lover's embrace - and found herself staring at her
twin brother.
"O…touto?"
"H-how can it be?" Souma mumbled.
It was true. He was really there, standing right there in front of all of them.
Not an illusion or imagined - a real person made of flesh and blood.
"Is it…really you?" Kurogane asked, needing to believe what his eyes were
telling him, but terrified to accept it at the same time. Fai smiled, giggling
as he held out his arms for Kurogane.
"Ne, Kuro-sama," he teased, using the same loving tone of voice he had always
used with them. "I'm here."
"But it…it can't be," Yuui muttered to herself as Kurogane bolted up from the
bed, dashing to his lover as fast as humanly possible. He swept him into his
arms, holding him as close as he possibly could, and pressed a kiss to his
lips. Fai responded eagerly, wrapping his arms around Kurogane and kissing him
back.
"I love you, Kuro-koi," he whispered against his lips.
That was when he realized that something was horribly wrong.
Fai…didn't smell like Fai. The subtle hint of roses was gone. Other than that,
the tiniest details were perfect, but he just…felt wrong in Kurogane's arms.
"You're not him," Kurogane whispered as he backed away. "Why aren't…you him? I
don't understand."
Fai reached out his arms once more, his expression pleading - and breaking
Kurogane's heart. "But it is me. Can't you see me, Kuro-tan? Don't you love
me?"
Kurogane was at a loss. Of course he loved him. He could never say anything
different to this fake that bore his love's face, but it still wasn't him.
"What's happening?" the confused young man asked, reaching out a trembling hand
to touch the image's undeniably solid face. He leaned into the touch, making
the exact same face and the exact same gentle sigh that Fai would have made.
Kurogane shuddered with pain and longing.
"Oh, God," Yuui whispered in horror, finally realizing what it was. "Sweet
Goddess, no. It…it's the sithen. It's the Goddamn castle! It's not real. It's
just showing me what it thinks I want most!"
"Dammit! Dammit! Goddess dammit!" Kurogane hissed, drawing the false image to
him one more time and pressing his lips to the warm ones that felt exactly like
Fai's before sinking to his knees. He pounded his fists against the floor in a
helpless rage.
WHY?!
"Kuro-sama!" the image cried out in alarm as it sank down beside him and
enfolded him in a loving embrace. "What's wrong? Are you all right?"
Part of Kurogane wanted to shove the lie away in disgust, but the other half -
the half that cried out in pain at the ghost of Fai's touch - couldn't bear it.
So he allowed the image to hold him and rock him - as he'd once done for Fai.
"No!" Yuui sobbed. "NO! This isn't what I want! Don't show me lies! Make it go
away!"
"I'm real," the image whispered desperately in Kurogane's ear as it ran its
fingers through his hair. "I'm just as real as he is. I could be real for
you…if you'd let me…if you'd love me. Together…we could have everything that
you and he lost. You don't have to feel this pain anymore."
At that moment, Kurogane wanted nothing more than to plunge Ginryuu directly
into his own beating heart - because he almost considered it. He was so
close…so close to taking this thing to his bed and making love to it,
pretending that it was the boy he loved. What would it be like…to take refuge
in this illusion…to forget this pain…and live inside a nightmare? Once again,
he pressed his lips to the image's. They tasted like the lie they were.
"I love you," he mouthed against the image's lips. He could almost feel his
already fragile psyche splintering into a million tiny fragments. This was
really too much.
"Stop!" Yuui shouted. "No more! I don't want this! Please! Please make it go
away. Please."
Kurogane savored the image's false warmth for a moment longer. God, but he
hated himself for how much he needed this. Then, all in an instant, he found
himself lovingly holding empty air. Quickly, he curled in on himself, wrapping
his arms tightly around his middle to hold himself together.
"Not this. Not this," he murmured over and over again.
Subaru didn't ask for permission this time. He easily broke Yuui's sealing
spell and burst into the room. He found Kurogane on his knees and Souma,
Tomoyo, Soel, and Larg all staring at him in shock. Tomoyo was on her knees as
well, holding a trembling Yuui in her arms.
"What happened?"
"This is too much," Yuui said shakily as Tomoyo helped her to her feet. "We
can't stay here anymore…not after that. It's killing him."
No one argued.
***** So Familiar a Gleam *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
"Yuui-sama!"
Yuui turned upon hearing her name called. She found Kakei and another faerie
she'd never seen before approaching her. The first thing she noticed about this
new faerie was that he was wearing a blindfold.
"Yes, Kakei-san?"
"Is it true that you're leaving us?"
"Yes," she murmured.
"It's been decided," Subaru continued. "The princess and her entourage will
depart for the Monou estate tonight. Lord Clef has been kind enough to open his
home to her."
"Why…if one may ask?" the Dorragu lord queried, keeping his focus on Yuui and
Tomoyo, who stood right beside her.
"One might. This…atmosphere doesn't agree with me," she said wearily. "I just
can't deal with it right now. None of us can. Not with the birth so close." She
had a feeling that Kakei already knew what had happened, though it had only
been a few hours, but she really didn't want to speak of what had happened -
ever again. Most everyone was ready to leave. Now, she, Tomoyo, and Subaru were
just on their way to fetch Kamui. Subaru was uncertain of how his brother would
react to going to Fuuma's home, but he wanted to try, all the same. "Forgive
me, Kakei-san, but I don't think I know your companion."
"Oh. My apologies, Your Highness. I've been rude. This is my husband, Saiga
Dorragu."
"Princess," the dark-haired faerie greeted in a deep voice, bowing his head
slightly.
"Your husband? That is…permissible in Faerie?"
"Very much so, Yuui-sama. Why wouldn't it be?"
"Well…how can you continue your line? I thought nobility was all about such
things."
Kakei tilted his head curiously to one side. "You mean you…don't know?"
Yuui sighed. "Clearly. What is it, exactly, that I don't know?"
"Yuui-sama, the fey are not limited by such things as gender. We exist as we do
because we choose to, and we can change our physical form whenever it suits us.
This includes being able to change gender if we need to. I myself gave birth to
Saiga's daughter several centuries ago. If you chose to, you could easily
become a man and plant your seed in Tomoyo-hime's womb…once you've given birth
to your own daughter, of course. Gender is a very relative thing to us."
As Kakei spoke, the revelation slowly pieced itself together in Yuui's mind.
"But…if…that's the case…what's the problem with Fai and Kurogane? Couldn't he
just become a woman in order to bear Kurogane a child? They can still marry.
Why didn't you tell me this before? Why in the world would I know something
like this?!" she asked, becoming more agitated by the minute.
"You misunderstand, Princess. Do you really think that Kyle would have ever
uttered the curse if it was that simple to overcome? Prince Fai could do this,
but it would not break the curse. The problem lies in Kyle's exact wording of
his spell. He knows what he's doing. He specifically said that the two princes
could wed if, and only if, Fai-sama could produce a child of his own body that
Kurogane is father to. This means that he cannot alter his body in any way. The
body that gives birth to their child must be the body that he was born with. "
Yuui's shoulders slumped in defeat once more.
Every time…every time we find a way…
"Though, on a happier note, Majesty, I was just looking for you to discuss this
very thing. I may have found a solution."
"What do you mean? How?" Yuui asked, instantly on alert again.
"If you would please follow me, I will lead you all to my quarters," Kakei
said. Without waiting for a response, he swept away down the corridor with
Saiga at his side. Yuui didn't hesitate. She was hot on his heels, followed
quickly by Tomoyo and Subaru.
"What are you talking about, Kakei-san? Whatever it is…why haven't you spoken
of it before?"
"Because I wasn't sure if she would help."
"What?"
"You'll see for yourself when we get there, but there are a few things that you
need to understand first. What would you say if I told you that there are other
worlds?"
"I'd ask you how you meant 'other worlds'," she responded after several moments
of harried contemplation.
"I mean realities that exist outside of this one. As in…completely different
worlds with cultures and languages and people that we could never hope to
understand. Like…there could be different versions of you and your family
living in these alternate worlds that you know nothing about. They would all be
different Yuuis, but they would still be you. Does that make any sense?"
"A little," the confused princess murmured. It was a difficult thing to grasp.
"I want you to keep that in mind when I show you what I'm about to show you,
because it will shock you," he said firmly when they finally arrived at his
chambers. The set up was very similar to what Yuui had experienced of other fey
sitting rooms, but Kakei didn't stop there. He continued to lead them on into
the bedchamber that he shared with Saiga. A rather large mirror was set up
along one wall.
"What are you doing, Kakei?" Subaru asked suspiciously as Kakei placed his hand
on the glass. The room reflected within began to fade away and the surface
turned black.
"I'm calling on someone who can help."
"Who?"
"Perhaps…someone from another world?" Tomoyo suggested tentatively.
"Can you hear me? Are you there…Witch of Dimensions?"
"I can hear you, Kakei. What is it that you need?" A terrifyingly familiar
voice asked as an image began to take shape out of the blackness in the mirror.
"My princess has need of your wisdom."
"Kakei! What have you done?!" Subaru shouted as he moved to stand in front of
the two princesses. The image had finally solidified. Staring into the room was
the solemn face of-
"Yuuko!" Yuui gasped in horror, taking a step back and instinctively placing
her hands on her stomach.
"No, Princess. It isn't her. This isn't the one who hurt your brother. This is
a different Yuuko."
"Different?" she whispered uncomprehendingly.
"Remember, Yuui? What he was saying before…about other worlds," Tomoyo reminded
her, keeping her hands firmly on her shoulders. Yuui nodded weakly, keeping her
hands where they were. Just because they all said it was safe did not change
the fact that it was still the face of her enemy…the woman who wanted her and
her child dead.
"You would be Princess Yuui?" the face in the mirror asked, to which Yuui
nodded. "Clow Reed is dead, then?" Again, the assembly nodded in answer. For a
moment, the woman's eyes looked painfully sad, but the very next moment, she
was back to business, turning to Kakei for answers. "What is your situation?"
"The former queen killed the king and accidentally forced her curse on Prince
Fai. Yuui is due to give birth soon. She will be our next queen. But there is a
problem."
Yuuko sighed, smiling wryly. "Isn't there always?"
"Kyle Rondart put a curse on the prince and his fiancée, Prince Kurogane."
"Fiancée?" Yuuko asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes."
A slightly happier smile twisted the corners of her mouth. "Good for them. So
what's the problem?"
"They can't marry unless Fai can create a child of his own body that the prince
is father to. If he cannot, then he will die when they exchange their wedding
vows."
"And you want to stop that from happening?" Yuuko asked, addressing Yuui once
more.
"I do."
"Then what is your wish, child?"
"My wish…my wish is that Fai could have a baby…and break the spell." Not only
so that they could marry, but so that her brother could experience the joy that
she felt whenever she felt her baby girl kick - whenever she imagined her
smile.
"Princess Yuui, are you aware that when I grant a wish, I require payment that
is equal to the value of the wish?"
"You mean…you can actually do it?"
"I can…but what are you willing to give up in exchange for this miracle?"
"I don't care. Name your price. I'll pay it. I want my brothers to be happy
again."
"I'll pay, too, Yuuko-san," Tomoyo added. Why shouldn't she pay? Her wish was
the same, after all.
"That won't be necessary. I require only one price for this. Yuui…your payment
is any future children you might have borne."
"No," Subaru insisted firmly, moving in front of the mirror once again. "Yuui-
hime, you can't do this. You can't risk your fertility like this. We'll find
another way."
"I seem to recall that we had a talk about calling me princess," Yuui said
dangerously. "Get out of my way, Subaru-san. I'm going to do this. Fai gave up
so much for me. Why shouldn't I pay for my brother's happiness?"
"You don't understand!"
"Yuui," Yuuko's calm, commanding voice rose above the growing tumult. "It seems
that you understand very little about the power that you are taking onto your
shoulders. Subaru's concerns are legitimate ones. You were recognized as a
legitimate candidate for the crown because you have the ability to bear
children. If you gave that away…if you became infertile…then you would no
longer be eligible for the throne. But it isn't necessarily your fertility that
I require as payment."
"What do you mean?"
"Your womb would remain fertile planting ground. That is the definition of
fertility. A child would still be able to grow if planted there. What you would
give up is your essence…your eggs…the piece of yourself that you would give to
a child when one is created. That is your sacrifice. The baby you carry will be
your first…and your last. Will you still pay the price?"
"Yuui…sama?" Subaru broke in before she could answer. "What if this child
dies?"
Before Yuui could lash out at him in anger, Kakei cut in. "It's a perfectly
legitimate concern, Yuui-sama. These are dangerous times. If you do give up the
possibility of future children and harm comes to this one…and you lose her…then
you could not produce another heir. Where would we be then?"
"Then Fai would be king. He would give you your heir."
"And if we fail to save Fai-sama?" Subaru inquired.
"Don't say things like that!" Yuui hissed vehemently.
"We're only trying to advise you, Princess," Kakei explained. "Very little has
gone our way thus far. The danger of the worst happening is very real. If this
goes badly…then the world falls to the Dark Court. Lives hang on your choice.
The risk is there."
"It's a risk I'm willing to take," Yuui said calmly. "Because nothing bad is
going to happen to my baby or my baby brother. We'll make sure of it. I'll pay
the price, Yuuko-san. What do I have to do?"
"Kakei?"
The ancient faerie nodded and moved toward Yuui, holding up his hands in front
of her swollen stomach.
"With your permission, my princess…"
Yuui nodded. When he'd been given the go ahead, Kakei began to whisper the
words of the ancient language of Faerie and a small spark of light began to
glow between his hands, slowly growing bigger. When it was large enough, a
small tendril of it snaked out and slipped inside Yuui's body. The blonde
inhaled sharply when she felt the warmth of it curl inside her, wrapping around
something. Then the tendril withdrew and she literally felt that something
pulled out of her. For a moment, she thought she could feel the absence of
whatever it was, but she didn't dwell on the loss for very long. The sacrifice
would be worth it.
Once the glowing swirl of magic between his hands had settled, Kakei carefully
carried it over to the mirror. Then he pressed it to the glass and the tiny
thing passed right through like the mirror wasn't even there. The next moment,
the ball of magic was hovering just above Yuuko's hand and she was holding up a
tiny purple phial in the other.
"This potion will work only once, so use it well. It was made with the blood of
a fertility goddess that she gave to me in payment."
Kakei caught the small phial as it passed through the mirror and handed it to
Yuui. The potion felt warm in her hands.
"What do I need to do?"
"Have your brother drink that. It's tasteless, so you could easily mix it with
something. Once it's been ingested, all that will need to happen is for
Kurogane's seed to be planted inside of Fai's body…and I don't imagine that
will be too difficult. The potion will allow his seed to mix with Fai's own
essence and a child of the two princes will be created. The potion will also
allow the child to grow safely in Fai's body until it is ready to be born. The
manner in which you deal with the birth, however, is up to you. This is all I
can give you. If you wanted more, then you would have to pay more."
"I understand," Yuui said softly as she pressed the phial gently against her
heart. "Thank you for this, Yuuko-san. It truly is a miracle. Thank you."
"Use it well, Princess," she reminded her one last time. "I wish you success."
Then she was gone.
"How is it that you came to know a woman who not only bears the face of our
enemy, but also happens to live outside this world?" Subaru asked Kakei once
the mirror had returned to reflecting the Dorragu lord's bedchamber.
"I am older than any living thing in this world, Subaru. I have seen things
that even you would never believe. I have been acquainted with the Witch of
Dimensions for quite some time now."
As Kakei and Subaru "argued", Yuui felt Tomoyo slip her arms around her waist
and rest her chin on her shoulder. She leaned back against her, grateful for
the support.
"What are you going to tell Kurogane?"
"Nothing," she replied, turning her head to plant a kiss on Tomoyo's cheek.
"Not yet, anyway. He's had so many highs and lows these last few weeks. I'm not
sure if he could handle it. Once Fai's safe…I'll tell him then."
Fai doesn't have to know. It would kill him.
                                      XxX
The Monou estate was smaller than the sithen, but it was by no means any less
opulent. Clef had told Yuui that the place was usually much brighter, but black
had been the only decoration she'd seen since arriving. The house was still in
mourning for Kotori.
Yuui was currently wandering the corridors in the early pre-dawn light. She
knew that she would have to be getting back to the room that she shared with
Tomoyo soon. Tomoyo didn't like to wake alone these days. She preferred to keep
Yuui in her sight as often as she could. She'd woken alone on their first
morning in the new location and Yuui had returned from her nightly wanderings
to find her sitting up in bed, crying softly…almost like she was trying to hold
it in. They had spent the rest of the day cuddling in bed.
"Don't leave me again," she'd whispered desperately to her before falling
asleep that night. "Please don't leave. Just…just be here when I wake up. When
I found you gone…I was afraid I'd never see you again. I keep seeing things…so
many things…I don't want to lose you."
"They're nightmares, my love. Only nightmares," she'd consoled with a kiss,
though they both knew that they were empty words. Sometimes it felt like years
since Yuui had walked in dreams beside her beloved. Tomoyo still shared her
dreams with her through their bond, but her sleep had become so plagued with
her own anxieties that she was beginning to have trouble distinguishing between
what was vision and what was not. There were a few things that Yuui was certain
of, but she kept these things from Tomoyo. There was no need to spoil what
little sleep she got with things that were certain. There were other things,
however, that she prayed to the Lord and Lady were not certain.
Some nights, she stayed in to watch Tomoyo sleep. Most nights, she waited until
she was sleeping, pressed a kiss to her forehead, then slipped out to wander.
Sometimes she would visit Kurogane, who, rather than run himself ragged, now
meditated in his room in the evenings to fill the time traditionally used for
sleeping. His days were spent training with Ryuuki.
She had not visited with anyone tonight. It had simply been a night of
wandering from place to place. The baby was restless and she did not fail to
let Yuui know it. There was kicking and rolling and all manner of
unpleasantness, and now it was really beginning to hurt. Tiny bruises were even
beginning to pepper her swollen stomach. It wouldn't be very long now, and if
her daughter hadn't already been letting her know, then the mounting tension
among her guardians certainly would have done.
Just when she was about to head for her quarters, thinking that she might check
the rose garden on the way back to see if Kurogane was up practicing his kata
yet (where else would he insist that they train, after all?), she thought she
heard voices. Following the faint tremor in the air, she turned left. When she
saw which door had been left ajar to circulate the early morning breeze, she
didn't even need to hear the voice properly to know whom the first speaker was.
It was Sakura's room.
"It's not toodifficult. It just takes a little more concentration. Clef-san has
been teaching me how to use a little more of my power. You know, I can't
believe it never occurred to us. We always wondered why my skin glowed when we-
"
"Who was there to ask?!" another voice interrupted, clearly flustered. "Touya-
sama would have killed me if I'd dared to breathe a word of what went on in our
bedroom. I suppose I just always assumed…that it was something that happened
naturally with royalty. I couldn't think of any other explanation." Yuui had
heard the second voice only a handful of times, but she already recognized it.
Syaoran - her father.
"And I know neither of us would have asked Nii-san if his skin glowed when he
was with Yukito."
"It's not going to tire you out too much, is it? Using the mirror to talk like
this? I know you haven't been sleeping well lately."
"I could say the same about you, Syaoran. These are trying times for all of us.
Our poor girl can't sleep at all and Kurogane-kun refuses to sleep for the
nightmares. He only gets an hour or two of sleep when he collapses from sheer
exhaustion. He's pushing himself to such extremes. It's…it's difficult to
watch. Sometimes…I think about all of those lost years…when they loved each
other in secret…and I can't help but wonder what might have happened if we had
only known. If we only hadn't-"
"No, Sakura. We can't know. There's no sense in dwelling on what's past."
"H-how is Nii-san?" the queen asked hesitantly.
"Still railing at the walls that we can't be of more help against the Oni
hordes. They still haven't sent human soldiers against us, so there's nothing
we can do until they decide to."
"You could come here."
"You know I can't. At least one of us must be here in Cephiro to boost the
country's morale and I won't take you away from our daughter. You need Yuui
right now. It's enough for me to know that you're finally getting to know each
other…before we lost the chance entirely."
Yuui heard Sakura sigh. "Yes. Of course. Himawari-chan and I have become great
friends. She has so many wonderful stories of our babies when they were growing
up. I really just can't be truly jealous of her anymore…because she loves them
so much. At least…Fai and Yuui had people to hold them…when they needed them…"
Then Yuui heard the faint sound of sniffling.
"Oh, Sakura! Sakura, don't cry. Please don't cry. I can't stand to see you cry
and not be able to be there to hold you."
"You're r-right. I'm just…being silly, Syaoran. They're all grown up…and Yuui
will have her very own daughter soon. We'll be grandparents."
"You'll let me know as soon as you can when she goes into labor, won't you?"
"The moment I know, myself, I'll find a way to tell you."
"Is it true that it's…dangerous?"
"O…of course it's dangerous. Any number of things can go wrong when a baby is
born."
"You know that isn't what I meant, Sakura. Is it dangerous for Yuui to have
Fuuma-san's child?"
There was a long moment of hesitant silence before Sakura answered, "Yes. It's
very dangerous. She is watched at all hours of the day to make certain that
nothing happens. There's never been a case like hers before. Nobody knows what
will happen. I…I'm afraid for her. I'm afraid that I'll have found her…only to
lose her again."
"We won't lose her…and we'll get Fai back. If I had to choose a man for any
child of mine, it would be Kurogane-kun. He will never give Fai up…not ever. He
will save him or die trying. We won't lose either of them," the king insisted
vehemently.
"Maybe not…but sometimes I fear that they're both lost to us anyway."
"What do you mean?"
"Yuui doesn't even see me, Syaoran. She looks at me like I'm absolutely
nothing! I know it's not…not her fault. She doesn't mean to do it. It's no
one's fault…what's happened to us…but that doesn't make it hurt any less."
"Sakura-"
"I…I see her walking alone sometimes at night…and I see the weight of her
sadness. I want to fly to her as fast as I can. I want to care for her…to hold
her in my arms. I'd gladly take all of my baby's pain onto myself…but I can't…I
can never…I will never…be her mother. We're nothing to her, Syaoran…nothing at
all!"
Yuui couldn't stand to hear anymore. She held her breath and pulled her magic
around her, and the next thing she knew, she was back in her room with Tomoyo,
who was still slumbering peacefully. Tears were streaming silently down her
face.
I didn't know. I didn't know !
But that wasn't any excuse, was it? She had not known because she had not
wished to know. She had refused to know. What a horrid, selfish girl she was.
Of course her parents would feel this way. How would she feel if her daughter
was taken from her…if she gave her up…and she was raised as the child of
another? How would she feel if the child that she'd carried in her womb for so
many months looked to a stranger and called her her mother? She didn't know if
she could bear it. She suddenly found that she understood her own mother a
little bit better. She had suffered what no woman should have to suffer…the
loss of a child…two children, even. Not once, but twice…her heart had been
broken…twice, large pieces of her self had been ripped away a long time before
she was ready. She had been one of the causes of that unbearable ache. She had
been the cause of those tears.
For everyone's sake, Yuui knew she had to make things right between them. The
land was already turning red with the rivers of sorrow that had begun to flow
for the sake of keeping her and her brother safe. What right had she to cause
even one drop more?
                                      XxX
When Yukito heard a knock on his door, he fully expected it to be Sakura. He
was a little surprised to open the door to find Yuui and Tomoyo standing there.
Tomoyo was supporting the heavily pregnant young woman.
"Hello, Majesties," he greeted, bowing slightly at the neck. "To what do I owe
the pleasure of this visit?"
Before Yuui could say anything, Tomoyo jumped in with, "Could she please sit
down first? She shouldn't be standing for too long."
"Of course, Tomoyo-hime. Come inside."
Standing aside to allow the girls access to the sitting room, Yukito heard Chi
squeak with surprise when she saw who was at the door. She had been offered
separate quarters for herself and Freya, but she had insisted on staying close
to Yukito and the children, so they had been given a larger set of rooms.
Before the girls' arrival, they had been watching Eriol and Kaho play with
Freya. Now Chi was scrambling to get chairs ready for the two.
"Would Your Highnesses like any refreshment?"
"It's fine," Yuui insisted before Tomoyo could say anything. "We've eaten
already."
"So…why have you come, Hime?" Yukito asked once everyone was seated again.
Eriol and Kaho were sitting beside him on one of the couches and Chi sat across
from them on the other one with Freya in her arms. Tomoyo and Yuui had been
seated in chairs at the ends of the two couches.
"There is…something that I need to ask you, Yukito-san."
"What is it?"
"Who is older? Me or Fai?"
"You…you mean-" he started, slightly surprised.
"I mean who was born first?"
"They didn't…tell you?"
"They couldn't. In order to keep the secret, Himawari, Doumeki, and Watanuki
always told us that they found us abandoned in the forest. If that had been
true, how would they have known something like that?" she responded solemnly.
"Why ask me, Yuui-chan? Why not your mother? That is a question for her."
"I…cannot…ask Sakura-san."
It hurt even Chi to hear the young princess refer to her own mother in such a
way. It was painful for everyone involved to observe the wall that existed
between the daughter and her mother.
"You were born first, Yuui-chan. You are the eldest child. On April first, you
were born as the sun was setting. Your brother was born about ten minutes
later, when the full moon's pale light filled the sky. I've never seen a pair
of babies quite so eager to be born as the two of you were," he reminisced,
smiling fondly.
"You mean you were…actually present on the night we were born?"
"Well, yes. As high priest, I am also the chief physician. I helped bring you
into being. After your birth, I was the first to hold you. I cut the birth cord
and cleaned you. Then I wrapped you in a blanket and gave you to your mother."
He could still remember how Sakura had wept and held the tiny infant to her
breast before passing her to Syaoran in order to give birth to Fai.
"My little girl…my sweet little girl…my Yuui."
"The two of you were her miracle."
"Would she have still thought so…if she had known of the disaster we would
bring…if she could have foreseen that we would only bring her pain?" Yuui asked
sadly.
"Never would Sakura have once thought anything like that. She wanted you then
and she wants you now. I know that things have been…difficult between the two
of you, but all you really need to do is talk to her. She loves you so much,
Yuui-chan. She gave you and Fai-kun up in order to protect the two of you, even
though it caused her great pain. All she wants now…is to be a part of your
life…no matter how small a part."
"I wish it could be that simple, Yukito-san. I really do."
"It can be, Yuui-sama," Chi interrupted suddenly, very surprised with her own
boldness. As every eye in the room shifted to her, she stood from the couch and
carried Freya over to Yuui, slowly passing the five-month-old into the
princess' arms. "It's so easy."
Yuui's arms easily formed themselves around Freya, cradling her close. The
little girl cooed sweetly as she snuggled herself against Yuui's breast. As she
gazed down at Freya's tiny body, Yuui began to remember the dreams she'd had of
her own daughter - and through Yukito's descriptions, she almost imagined that
she could see herself in her own mother's arms…so very long ago.
Gently, the princess began to rock Freya, the rhythm of the swaying bringing to
mind an old lullaby that Watanuki had sung for her and Fai when they'd been
growing up. She'd always thought it interesting that her guardian would sing
such a song, and now that she knew a little more about his true history, the
words all suddenly seemed to fall into place.
It's hard to remember
Summer or winter
When she hasn't been there for me.
A friend and companion,
I can always depend on
My mother…that's who I mean.
I've taken for granted
Seeds that she planted.
She's always behind every seed.
A teacher, a seeker,
A both arms outreacher.
My mother…that's who I mean.
Wish I could slow down
The hands of time,
Keep things the way they are.
If she said so,
I would give her the world.
If I could…I would.
My love and my laughter
From here ever after
Is all that she says that she needs.
A friend and companion,
I can always depend on
My mother…that's who I mean.
My mother…that's who I mean.
That's who I mean.
Yuui's singing slowly faded away when she noticed that Freya had fallen asleep
in her arms. She smiled faintly upon seeing that the little girl was clutching
a handful of her dress in one tiny fist. After exchanging a reassuring smile
with Tomoyo, she bent closer and pressed a gentle kiss to the baby's forehead.
Thank you, little one. I think I understand.
                                      XxX
For the first time in about a week, Yuui was having an 'in' night. Tomoyo had
fallen asleep only a little while ago and Yuui was still contentedly watching
her sleep. She wasn't sure how late it was when she finally pulled herself
away, but she was certain it wouldn't matter. This needed to be done.
Quietly, she drifted into the sitting room of their quarters, where a decent-
sized mirror was set up. Focusing her mind on the reflective surface, just as
Kakei had taught her to do with the Reflecting Pool, she sought out the mind of
one person.
Syaoran-san? Syaoran-san, can you hear me?
She waited a few breathless moments before her own reflected image began to
flicker. When the image finally became solid again, it was the sleepy visage of
King Syaoran. However, when he saw who it was that was calling on him, he
immediately straightened up, snapping awake.
"Yuui…chan? What do you need? Is something the matter?"
"Where are you?" she asked, noticing how little of his surroundings she could
see. It meant that he was using a much smaller mirror.
"A war camp just outside the city."
"You're outside the barrier? What's been going on? No one will tell me. Does
Sakura-san know?"
"She knows…and they wouldn't tell you. They asked me not to if you should ask.
They don't want you to strain yourself with worry when your time is so near. I
agree with them, but at the same time, none of them have ever held the position
that I have and that you were born to. I believe you need to know. Kyle has
sent the forces of Nihon against us."
Yuui's face darkened considerably. It was finally beginning - the war between
men. The fey could fight for years without true consequence, but now would come
the portion of the war where innocent men would die in battle because they had
no other option but to fight each other. Nihon's army did not know the true
story behind Kyle's coup. As far as they knew, Amaterasu and Kurogane were
still in Shirasagi. The Nihon soldiers had no choice but to obey the man who
acted as their emperor, and if he sent them to fight their long time allies, so
be it. If the Valerian soldiers refused to fight the Nihon soldiers, then the
Nihon soldiers would be made to fight against the Fire, Earth, and Wind Guards.
The Oni were aware that their enemies would not kill innocent humans, and if
the Guard battalions refused to fight, then the war was already lost. It was
either face the men of Nihon in combat…or allow the world to fall into the
hands of the Dark Court. It was a choice that each of them dreaded, but at the
same time, they had all known from the start what the answer had to be.
"How long has this been going on?"
"Only a few days. In order to minimize the need to repeatedly reopen the
barrier around the city, we have set up a camp outside the walls in order to
carry out a campaign against Nihon. For the moment, we can only defend. Their
numbers are just too great."
"And what are the conditions within the city?"
"Touya-sama could give you a more accurate report, but our enemies have clearly
been planning this siege for a very long time. Even before your mother and I
were born, the Dark Court was carrying out raids against many of our villages.
That's how Touya-sama's father, King Fujitaka, was killed. They've been
systematically closing in on us and we never even saw it coming. For a long
while, it was only border villages that they attacked. More recently, it's been
larger cities. Refugees from their attacks have been pouring into the capital.
It was already putting a strain on the city. Now things are just getting worse.
Beset by the Oni as they are, the fey can only do so much to help us."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Nothing. The best thing you can do is to keep yourself safe until you and your
child are safely through your pregnancy. You must keep yourself alive…for the
sake of both your peoples…and for my sake, and your mother's…your guardians and
your fiancé…for the sake of your entire family. Without you and your brother…it
will have all been for nothing."
"Is that what Fai and I are to you?" she asked abruptly. "Game pieces?"
"That isn't what I meant, Yuui-chan. If we lose you now…it will mean that your
mother and I gave you up…that we have suffered all these years without you…and
that the two of you suffered the knowledge that you might have been
abandoned…all for nothing."
"I didn't mean to accuse you," she said softly, turning away from her father.
"It's just…difficult. I'm beginning to understand why Kurogane, Tomoyo, and
Souma started to escape to Celes to be with us. You cannot know…who really
cares for you…as you are."
"Your mother cares for you, you know? She misses you. She wishes that you would
let her in. I do, too."
"I know. I'm sorry for that," Yuui said as she lifted her head once more.
"That's why I contacted you, actually. I just…I want…O-Otou-san…forgive me,"
she finally whispered, begging.
"For what?" he asked, confused.
"For ever thinking that you abandoned us…for thinking that there was ever a
moment in your lives when you didn't want us…for bringing you nothing but
pain…"
"You're so wrong, Yuui-chan," Syaoran broke in on her. "I won't lie to you.
It's been hard…but it would have been even more painful if you had never
existed at all. You had no reason at all to think anything but that you were
unwanted. Your mother and I can hardly blame you for such a thought. There's
nothing to forgive."
"Please. Please forgive me. I need you to forgive me." She was desperate now.
"Why?"
"Because I'm ashamed of it," she finally cried. "You gave up so much for us…and
we hated you before we even knew you."
"None of it was your fault, but if it will make you feel better…then I forgive
you, my sweet daughter…my Yuui."
"Thank you," she said softly as a few silent tears dribbled down her face.
"I'm very proud of you, Yuui. You've grown into such a lovely young woman. You
will make a truly worthy queen. If it could not be your mother and I, then I
could not have asked for anyone better to raise you than they that did. I'm
sure you will raise your own child the same way," he said, his fond smile
seeming almost tearful. "I wish I could have held you in my arms one last
time…when you were still a baby."
"It…it's not too late," Yuui suggested tentatively.
"All right," Syaoran returned, smiling gratefully. "The next time I see
you…I'll hold you close…for all of those years when I could not…you and your
mother…and Fai."
                                      XxX
"Just how long do you plan to keep them in there?" Seishiro heard Fuuma asking
as he emerged from his quarters, easily sealing them behind him. He had just
lain with Arashi again and he was more than certain that Sorata was having his
turn with her now. They had to be fools to think they could keep their little
scheme hidden from him. Of course…it didn't really matter. Arashi was already
pregnant…nearly a month and a half, in fact. She had been impregnated that
first night. He was only waiting for her to realize it.
"I'll send them back to their friends when Arashi-chan figures out that she's
with child."
Fuuma chuckled. "As if you didn't already make things complicated enough for
them."
"Was there something you wanted, Cousin?" Seishiro asked, his friendly smile
bordering on what amounted to dangerous for him. He had known going into this
that it would be this way, but it was still somewhat difficult for him to be
working so closely with someone else.
"Nothing in particular. Care to walk with me?"
"Certainly," he responded, easily falling into step with his long lost relation
as the two of them headed away from Seishiro's quarters with no particular
destination in mind. "What brings you away from the battles, Fuuma? I fully
expected your bloodlust to last much longer than this…another three hundred
years, at least."
"It's an interesting thing, dear cousin. I was expecting a similar thing when I
became yours. It is the nature of what we are, after all…but that thirst does
not consume my every waking thought as it once did yours. It is merely an
occasional tickling fancy. I imagine this is because the will of the
Sakurazukamori is worked through you and has mastery of itself after all this
time…unlike the day it was unleashed. With you, that power had to learn its
limitations. The Sakurazukamori has reacquainted itself with the world now…and
the part it has to play. It has made of me a very efficient tool, without all
of the messy trial and error that had to be done when consuming your will."
"I cannot help but wonder why you should speak to one who's will…who's very
being…has been consumed. Why should you continue to address me as your cousin,
or I address you as mine, for that matter…when we are essentially the same
being. The Seishiro that was is dead. That soul was dead the moment I bonded
myself to this body. The trouble is that the vestiges of such a strong will
cling to this vessel even now. It is the same with you. Pieces of that mind are
still saturated with the essence of the Fuuma that was…pieces of will that
still believe that Fuuma exists within you somewhere. Believe me, Cousin, these
vestiges will fade with time."
"You and I both know that isn't true…Seishiro."
The one who had once been called Seishiro froze mid stride, slowly turning to
look at the one who had once been called Fuuma. The certainty with which he had
spoken that name…the ambiguity as to which part of his explanation he was
accusing of being a lie…the serene smile on his face…even for him, it was all
quite unnerving.
"What's not true…Fuuma?"
"As I said before, it's a very curious thing, Cousin. You are aware that my
Hand of Power is the ability to know people's hearts…to look inside of them and
know their deepest selves…to see that which cannot be seen?"
"Of course."
"Then you also remember that after your transformation into the Sakurazukamori,
I could never quite manage to see into your heart. The truth of your self was
hidden from my sight."
"Yes. So?" Seishiro queried, slightly disliking the direction this was going.
"Now that I have become a part of you…that is not so anymore. The Hand of
Seeing still exists…and I can see into the heart of you. I see what your true
desire is."
"Do you now?" he asked softly. To someone who didn't know him, his voice would
have almost sounded bitter. Someone who did know him…well, that someone would
know better than to think such a thing of Seishiro. "And what, exactly, is left
to be seen?"
"What you truly wish…and just who is the one doing the wishing. I can also see
what dear Subaru's true wish is."
"Have a care, baby cousin. It is dangerous ground that you tread. In fact, it
may not even be ground upon which you stand," he warned.
"But don't you want to know?" Fuuma teased, managing to be completely cute and
just as deadly all in the same breath. "I promise you it will surprise you."
"Fuuma," Seishiro began, indulging his counterpart's penchant for their
physical identities as he started to walk away from him. "If Subaru has any
other wish than to kill me and avenge the wrongs I've done to him and those
that he loves…then I have no desire to know about it."
"Just as well," the new disciple said aloud, the same benign smile still
adorning his face.
Only you have the power to give Subaru what he truly wants.
                                      XxX
"You do realize that this is dangerous, don't you?" Ryuuki asked as he lit a
small ball of fire in his hands.
"I know. I can handle it. Don't hold back," Kurogane responded stolidly,
standing his ground before his sensei and igniting his own flame between his
palms.
Ryuuki sighed. Sometimes one really did have to wonder if Prince Kurogane Youou
even knew the difference between danger and safety. One certainly couldn't tell
judging from the ordeal he'd put himself through these past weeks. He pushed
himself to his dying breath and still found a way to draw one more from his
beleaguered body - one right after the other. He had worked with Ginryuu until
the blade was not just an extension of his arm, but his will, as well. His was
truly a will of fire. It was for this reason that Ryuuki knew that Kurogane
could bear the weight of fire in his veins. It was there inside of him. All it
needed was direction. That was Ryuuki's purpose - to be that direction. He had
run Kurogane through several meditation and breathing exercises, mentally and
physically preparing him to manifest those flames. As the days had passed, he
had slowly become able to light that fire and hold it in his own hands, but
Ryuuki had not allowed him to attempt any more than that. Today was the first
day he would be allowing Kurogane to try and move fire, rather than simply
create it. Yet, in spite of all this, they both knew that Ryuuki could not
truly heed Kurogane's desire for him to not hold back. Really, he had no choice
but to do so. Kurogane's mortal body was still like paper when compared with
the steel of Ryuuki's own existence. And yet…Ryuuki wondered…
Unfortunately, there was only one sure way to test his theory…and that involved
Kurogane being ignorant of his intentions.
Many people were currently concealed around them, somewhere in the rose garden.
Their concealment was futile, but both teacher and pupil pretended not to be
aware of them, just the same. It was well known what was meant to happen today
and they could hardly blame the spectators for their concern for Kurogane's
safety. Allowing them to watch was also, in Kurogane's mind, the only way to
dispel their fears about his abilities. They would see him conquer this day.
Ryuuki would shoot a stream of fire at him and he would absorb that attack into
his own flame, directing the attack back at Ryuuki. The challenge in this
exercise, Ryuuki had told him, would be to control the fire…to keep it from
growing too big and outright consuming him. It was as he'd said before. He
would either master these powers - or he would die trying.
As he surveyed Kurogane's determined expression, Ryuuki suddenly began to feel
Yuui's consciousness seeping into his mind. It wasn't because he was attempting
to keep her out of his head. In fact, he was completely open to her. It was
happening slowly like this because Yuui was hesitant - because she felt that
she had no right to intrude on him.
Do not fear, my princess, he reassured her, actively embracing her presence in
his thoughts. I will not harm the prince. No matter what you might think you
are seeing, Kurogane will be protected. Briefly, he felt her surprise at such a
direct acknowledgment of her intrusion. Then, just as quickly, she retreated
from him.
"What are you waiting for? Attack me," Kurogane challenged, calm on the
outside, but clearly on fire beneath the surface.
"If you insist…" Ryuuki replied, beginning to draw power into his fireball,
weaving new threads of energy into its structure and allowing it to grow. When
he felt it had reached a sufficient size, he fired a tendril of it toward
Kurogane, connecting the two flames.
At first, everything seemed to be going well. Kurogane absorbed the energy that
Ryuuki sent at him, slowly allowing his flame to grow bigger. It was all going
smoothly…until Ryuuki decided that smooth wasn't good enough.
The only warning Kurogane had before it happened was a brief glance at the fire
sprite's face. He'd stolen a quick glance at him to see if he was doing well,
and seen the spark of malicious intent mere seconds too late. The very next
instant, Ryuuki was pouring energy into the connection, more than Kurogane
could possibly hope to contain. For a few moments, he did manage to keep the
volatile element from consuming him, but then he found himself gazing into its
depths…and he saw Fai's molten eyes staring back at him…felt that unbearably
hot skin melting into his once again.
Burn with me.
"Burn with me," he hissed, suddenly caught in the grip of the nightmare again.
The only difference was that this time, he really was consumed. The fire became
too much to handle and it escaped his control, blazing outward and enveloping
his body in flames.
Shouts erupted from all corners of the garden and figures began to appear out
of the greenery.
"Oh, my God," Sakura breathed in shock.
"What have you done?!" Souma shouted as she moved forward to try and help her
friend.
"KUROGANE!" the Mokona shouted together, bounding to join Souma.
"Nii-sama!" Tomoyo cried out, unable to rush forward with the others as Yuui
was holding her back. She could easily throw off her heavily pregnant fiancé,
but she would never risk such a drastic move. Yuui held Tomoyo back because,
while she was terrified for Kurogane herself, she trusted what Ryuuki had told
her.
Thankfully, Kurogane did not make a fool of himself by acting on his first
impulse to cry out in pain, because upon closer inspection, he found that there
was no pain. He was clearly on fire…and yet he did not feel himself burning. In
fact, the warmth of the fire dancing along his skin was almost…comforting.
"What is this?" he asked as he watched the flames ripple across his body,
leaving it completely unharmed.
"It's as I suspected," Ryuuki began to explain as the full complement of
spectators began to drift toward them. "It's a Heart of Fire."
"What do you mean?"
"This amulet you're wearing," Ryuuki responded, lifting said amulet from
Kurogane's chest. It was glowing brightly. "The ruby at its center isn't just a
gemstone. It's a Heart of Fire…raw fire magic given a manageable form. It's
very powerful magic. Only a few of the elder fey have ever managed to create
Hearts. Not only will it help you harness and control the power of fire when
you've mastered it, but it will also protect you. So long as you wear this
pendant, fire cannot harm you."
"Is that why you attacked him like that?" Yuui asked as Tomoyo led her closer.
"Yes. I knew that the gem had some measure of power, but I couldn't be sure
just how much unless I tested it. If he had been aware of the experiment, he
wouldn't have been able to give a true reaction. Hearts will interact with the
wielder's own heart. It was responding to the fact that he was in mortal danger
from fire."
"But…my father gave this to me. It was his. Where would he have gotten a magic
jewel from?" Kurogane pondered, his confusion lessening only slightly.
"From whoever gave it to him, I imagine. It must have been from a very powerful
faerie. A faerie with the ability to make a Heart would not just give one away
unless he had a very clear purpose in mind. Whoever it was that gave this charm
to your father knew that it would be needed."
"Kurogane-kun…does that mean the charm you gave to Fai when he was a baby…is
also magic?" Sakura asked the prince, marveling at the play of fire on his
skin.
Suddenly losing his focus, the flames that blazed around Kurogane's body
snuffed out of existence. Memory was assaulting him, clawing at the gates of
his conscious mind, begging to be released. He'd had this feeling before - that
there was something he ought to know, but didn't. It had been about Fai's
pendant then, too.
"What are you talking about?" It was there, right there,lingering just out of
his reach.
"Maybe you wouldn't remember…you were only three years old, after all. When you
and your parents came to the twins' naming ceremony…the day it happened…you
gave Fai a necklace…a silver pendant in the shape of a crescent moon that was
set with sapphires. It was meant for Yuui. Amaterasu-san said that Ashura-san
had given it to her as a wedding present…and that you were going to be giving
it to Yuui…as a promise. Goddess, I remember that one moment so much better
than I should. When you tried to give the charm to Yuui, Fai grabbed it
instead. You tried to take it back, but when he started crying, you gave it
back to him…and when I saw my son again, after all that time, he still had that
pendant."
"I remember," he said softly. He did…quite suddenly…and he wondered how he
could have ever forgotten. Fai's most treasured possession…came from him.
The memories of that day were so fragmented. He'd forgotten a great deal of it
because there had been no other choice. Had he remembered, he would have
remembered witnessing his father's death and his mother's grief. A child does
not need to remember such things. He remembered his father's sad face, and the
weight of the sun charm as he'd placed it around his neck. He remembered
Yuuko's red eyes and the sound of her vindictive laughter. He remembered crying
alone afterward…and never crying again after that night…not for many years. But
suddenly, among all of the shattered fragments, he found another memory - a
memory of what had come before all of that…a precious memory, tucked away and
kept hidden, kept safe from the pain of that day. Small babies…lying in a
cradle together, smiling, laughing, and cooing…so new to the world. Pudgy
fingers grabbing a silver chain and sucking on a priceless sapphire like a chew
toy. He found himself smiling inwardly at the memory. Fai would, he really
would. That tiny, helpless, pink thing…was it really Fai…his Fai? Yes, it was.
He would know those blue eyes anywhere. To hold the memory so deep inside
him…had he known, even then…had Fai somehow known, even as a little baby…how
much they would need each other…what they would be to each other? Had Fai
staked his claim on his heart even then?
We've always been together. A part of me has always been with him…and is still
with him.
As he examined the memory, holding it close to himself after so many years, he
absently reached a hand up to brush his fingers against the rose tucked behind
his ear in order to be certain that it hadn't been harmed by the fire.
Thankfully, it was still intact.
"It is magic," he announced, finally waking to the others around him once more.
"I think it's a Heart of Water. I saw it stop a river once," he said,
remembering the day he and Fai had finally come together. He hadn't thought
much of it at the time, but looking back, a feat like that should have been
more than a little advanced for Fai.
"That's probably what it is, then. You say he still has it?" Ryuuki asked
Sakura, who nodded in response. "Good. It should be of help."
"But…where would Ashura-san have gotten such things?" Sakura pondered.
"You know…don't you?" Kurogane asked as he slowly turned to look at Watanuki
and the other guardians, who had been mostly silent up to this point. Doumeki
remained stoic; Himawari and Subaru both shook their heads. Watanuki was the
one to step forward, nodding.
"Yes. I was aware that Clow had created Hearts of Fire and Water, but I didn't
know what had become of them until I saw them set into those pendants that day
at the naming ceremony. His Highness must have known they would be needed, so
he gave them to Ashura."
"My father knew Clow?"
"Yes, quite well, actually. I'm not one hundred percent certain on the details
of their friendship, though. The only ones who would know are dead…unless
Amaterasu knows something." Watanuki fell silent after that. There was no need
to bring up Amaterasu's current condition.
"Well, we'll just have to ask Kaa-san when she wakes up," Tomoyo said
cheerfully. "Nii-sama, I think you've trained enough for now. You and Yuui need
to sit down. We should all have some lunch."
"You eat," Kurogane said solemnly as he wrapped a determined fist around the
sun pendant - the Heart of Fire. "Now that I know this stuff can't kill me no
matter what, I want at least two more hours of training."
"Kurogane-"
"I'll come in later. I promise. But we've hardly done anything today. I need to
get stronger. There isn't much time left," he said, gazing pointedly at Yuui's
swelling stomach. Yuui placed a hand over her growing child, meeting Kurogane's
gaze at it shifted up to her face. Perhaps it was because of what his niece's
birth meant for his own personal interests, but whatever the reason, they were
both very much aware that her time was coming fast - much faster than anyone
would like.
"All right," Tomoyo said, nodding her understanding. Without saying anything
else, she turned and started to lead Yuui out of the garden. One by one, all of
the others who had gathered there followed the two princesses, finally leaving
Ryuuki and Kurogane truly alone.
"Okay," Kurogane began, taking an extra moment to center himself once more.
"Hit me again."
                                      XxX
Why is it him? Why does he have to come here now ? He's cried and cried for
him…and he's only come now…at the moment when he's at his lowest. If anyone…
anyone …had seen him, anyone at all, he would have been able to handle it. He
could have handled anyone else…anyone but him .
"Why now?" he asks quietly, anguished. "Why did you come?"
"Because you called for me. I was trying to find you," he responds angrily.
"Well, you're too late…fartoo late. If you'd come sooner, it wouldn't have
happened," he cries, tears slipping silently down his face. "God, I didn't want
you to see me like this!"
"Well, Iamseeing you like this. God, Fai, it's like I don't even know you,"
Kurogane says, gesturing angrily at the very obvious bump in his stomach - the
evidence that he had shared Seishiro's bed, and would bear a child for him, and
not for Kurogane - the man he would have given his life to be able to have a
baby with. "Isthiswhat gets you hot? Having an affair with the man whorapedyou?
He's your Goddamnuncle, Fai! It's disgusting!"
"I know."
"I loved you…and you betrayed me…withhim." The hurt he's feeling is so plain to
be seen, it breaks Fai's heart. He moves toward him - tries to take him in his
arms.
"No! It's notlikethat. I didn'tmeanto. It just…happened. I don't know why. I
never wanted this. I could never betray you. I loveyou, Kurogane."
Kurogane just brushes him aside, pushing him to the ground. "Don't bother lying
to me, Fai. I can't even hear you. That thing inside you is screaming louder
than any words you could ever say."
"Kuro-koi…please…hold me, kiss me…make love to me like you used to. Take me in
your arms and tell me that it's going to be all right. Please…forgive me!"
"No."
"Please!" he sobs, desperately searching for the engagement ring Kurogane had
given him…the symbol of their love…the promise that they would always be
together…but it's nowhere to be found. It had disappeared when Seishiro had
come inside of him and made his skin glow.
"We're finished, Fai. It's over. There's nothing left to fight for anymore.
Just go back to him.He'sthe one you really want."
"Don't…don't say that!" the boy sobs brokenly. "Don't look at me like
I'mnothingto you! You're the only reason I'malive, Kurogane!"
"Then you're dead…because youarenothing to me."
"Don't look at me like that," Fai repeats dangerously as he struggles to his
feet. He suddenly feels an indescribable rage replace the pain in his chest.
HowdareKurogane turn away from him…after pulling him back from the grave…after
showing him what it meant to love another person?
"How else should I look at you? I can't stand the sight of you."
"I SAID DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT!" Fai shrieks as he seizes his lover,
tackling him to the ground and forcing himself upon him with more violence than
he'd ever known his being could hold. His bloodlust is so great he doesn't
evenhearthe young man's screams of pain…or…perhaps hedoeshear…and he just
doesn't care. Finally he can release the true fey strength in his blood.
"Fai…stop…please!"
He cannot hear you, Kurogane, a dark voice whispers. He will never hear your
voice again.
When it's all over and Fai is sated, he looks down…and finds himself staring
into his fiancé's blank, unseeing eyes.
"Ku…Kurogane? Kuro-sama?" he whispers fearfully, reaching down a hand to touch
his still warm cheek. The prince is dead. Somewhere in the middle of it all,
Fai had broken his spine and he had died in agony. As this realization slowly
dawns on Fai, he feels what little sanity he still possesses slip even further
away from him. He cradles the cooling body tenderly against his chest…as if to
press his own heartbeat into the corpse. "Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. Kurogane,
I'm sorry. I didn'tmeanto. It was an accident. I was just so angry.
Please…Kurogane…wake up. You've got to wake up! You can'tdie! Youcan't! I still
need you! Kuro-sama…Kuro-koi…don't leave me here by myself!KUROGANE!"
But no matter how much he screams or cries, no matter how tightly he clutches
the body to his chest…he cannot bring Kurogane back to life. He is gone.
"You did it," Seishiro whispers in his ear. "Youactuallykilled him."
"IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Fai shrieks, lunging at Seishiro with a look that could have
frozen Hell itself. When Seishiro dodges him, Fai steps back, taking a moment
to gently rest Kurogane's body on the earth. Tenderly, he closes his eyelids
and presses a kiss to his cold lips. Then he stands once more and faces his
enemy. "You've taken…everythingaway from me. I have nothing left to lose."
"Oh, poor, poor Fai-kun. You're so wrong. What will you do? Will you kill
me…and find out just what more you can still lose?"
"Yes," Fai hisses, drawing in his power. It won't be enough to simply tear
Seishiro limb from limb and grind what remains into dust. He has to make him
really suffer. He has to tear him to shreds from the inside. "Bleed," he
commands, imagining just what it is that he wants - and it happens.
Seishiro's veins burst open from within. Blood pours from every conceivable
orifice. It seeps from his skin, rushing out of him in great torrents.
"Die!" he hisses, focusing every atom of his being on killing his uncle. Blood
gushes ever faster from his body. It sprays into the air. Fai feels it splash
onto his skin, covering him. It keeps coming until there's nothing left to
drain, and Seishiro smiles that same friendly smile the entire time.
Suddenly, Fai realizes just what it is he's done. He falls to his knees, gazing
at his hands lying loosely in his lap. They're covered in blood. There's blood
everywhere. Seishiro's…Kurogane's…his own…he really doesn't know anymore.
"This is your power," Seishiro whispers to him, though he is clearly dead. "You
wished for a power that could kill me…and now you have it. Your hands are
steeped in blood…and that is your gift: the Hand of Blood. Blood is yours to
command."
Trembling in shock, Fai slowly wraps his arms around his middle, rocking
himself back and forth. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God," he mumbles to
himself over and over again. The scent of blood is clogging his nose and he can
feel the hot liquid drying on his skin. The coppery taste of it fills his
mouth. Everything is red - so red .
"AAAAAGHH!"
                                      XxX
Sometimes it felt like it had been years. Other times it felt like everything
had happened only yesterday. Whatever kind of day it happened to be, Chitose
was truly starting to wonder if Empress Amaterasu was ever going to wake up.
Subaru had been keeping the empress in a magically induced coma for the past
two months while her mind recovered from Kyle's dark influence. He'd been using
his power to maintain the baby growing inside of her, now about four months
along. Chitose realized that years of poisonous influence would take time to
cleanse, but Subaru had stopped using his magic to keep her asleep within the
last few days. He'd said that from this point on, it was up to her. She would
either wake up…or not…on her own.
Chitose was working on a quilt for the new baby at Amaterasu's bedside when she
suddenly felt a hand on her knee. She glanced up in shock to find Amaterasu
staring at her, sleepy-eyed and dazed, but undeniably awake.
"Your Majesty!" she cried out, dropping her work and instantly falling to her
knees beside the bed, taking the empress' hand in hers.
"Chitose-san?" she murmured confusedly. "What- what's been happening?"
"It's…extremely complicated, Highness. Perhaps it would be best if one of-"
"Wait!" Amaterasu interrupted, seizing Chitose's hand and struggling to sit up.
"Where is Kurogane? He was going to kill him! Where is my son?!"
"Kurogane-sama is…safe. Majesty, perhaps it would be better if you rested-"
"No. There isn't time. Take me to them. I need to see my children."
Chapter End Notes
     The Lullaby is 'My Mother' from The Chipmunk Adventure.
***** I Know What You'll Do *****
"HAMA RYUU-OU-JIN!"
As Kurogane screamed the words of power, slashing Ginryuu through the air, fire
magic was channeled through the blade and knifed through the air, taking the
shape of a fierce dragon.
"Where did those words come from?" Ryuuki asked as he examined his pupil's
handiwork. He had never heard such an incantation before. The attack had
managed to completely obliterate a row of targets that he'd set up for him.
"I don't know. They just…seemed right, I guess."
"Oddly fitting. Magic wave, attack of the dragon king," the fire sprite said,
nodding approvingly. "You're getting much better."
"It's still not good enough, though," Kurogane murmured to himself.
"KUROGANE!"
The ninja prince turned upon hearing his sister's urgent voice. Tomoyo was
walking into the rose garden with Soel and Larg perched on her shoulders,
leading a very pregnant Yuui, who waddled along beside her as fast as she was
able. Yuui really did look like she could burst at any time. The baby would be
born any day now.
"Tomoyo, what is she doing out here?" Kurogane asked, nodding toward Yuui and
sheathing Ginryuu as he ran to his sisters. "I thought you said she needed to
stay off her feet until it was time."
There was a moment of silence after that. For that split second, they were all
expecting Fai to jump in with a comment about what a softie Kurogane was, but
there was only silence. Tomoyo was the one to finally break that painful
silence.
"She wanted to be here. Kurogane…Kaa-san is awake."
"What?!"
Instead of responding, Tomoyo and Yuui stepped aside to reveal who was entering
the garden behind them. Chitose and Amaterasu, with Amaterasu leaning against
Chitose as they walked. She looked very weak and tired, but she was awake…and
clearly herself again.
Standing in shocked silence for a moment, Kurogane suddenly rushed forward.
Chitose stood back as the young man swept his mother into his arms, trying to
be careful of the bump in her stomach as he held her close. Even with the added
weight of the child, she seemed to weigh almost nothing. When had she gotten to
be so much smaller than him?
"I'm so sorry, Kurogane," she cried in his ear, speaking her child's name with
her own lips for the first time in so long. "That creature was going to kill
you. He whispered it to me every night when he took me. I knew what was
happening…I could see it…but I couldn't say anything. I couldn't stop it. I'm
sorry. It's my fault. I let him get close to me. He might have killed you!"
"Shh," Kurogane shushed his mother, almost as if he were calming a child. "The
only one to blame is him…and the rest of us should have seen it sooner."
"I'm glad…that you and your sister are safe," she said when he finally released
her, though he continued to support her. "The things he said…every morning, I
was terrified that someone would come to me with the news that you'd been
killed in your sleep and Tomoyo had been raped."
"We're fine," Kurogane reassured her. "And we're going to make that bastard pay
for the things he's done. We're going to make all of them pay."
"You've…got a new sword," she said softly as she noticed the silver hilt at his
waist.
"Yes. It's a magic sword. I'll be able to fight our enemies with Ginryuu."
"Tomoyo and Yuui-san have been telling me everything that's been happening with
themselves and you and Fai-san. I'm sorry you've had to hide it for so long."
"You're not angry?" he asked as he led her to a bench to sit down. "You've no
problem with the fact that I mean to have no heir unless it comes from him?"
"I'm afraid there's no time for anger. Right now we need to focus on staying
alive."
"Yuui's called a council," Tomoyo explained as she led Yuui over to sit by
their mother. Chitose came behind them. "The others should be here soon. Kaa-
san needs to know what's been happening."
Just as Tomoyo said, it didn't take long for the other members of their group
to gather in the garden. Those that were already there were joined by Watanuki,
Himawari, Doumeki, Sakura, Subaru, Clef, Yue, Kero, Souma, Kujaku, Yukito, Chi,
and, amazingly enough, Kamui. The captain had spent most of his time over the
last month sitting in Fuuma's old quarters. He hadn't spoken to anyone in all
that time and had neither slept nor eaten, but he emerged now, looking a little
more alive than anyone had seen him in the months since the loss of Fai, Clow,
Fuuma, and Kotori. Once Amaterasu had been informed of the happenings during
the time of her enslavement and coma, and Yuui had revealed that she had been
in contact with Syaoran and knew of events in Valeria, talk began on how best
to proceed.
"I would say that the most immediate problem is that parasite growing in
Amaterasu-chan's womb," Kujaku noted callously while still smiling. "It's an
enemy right in our midst and I think it ought to be gotten rid of."
"No," Amaterasu, Yuui, Tomoyo, Sakura, Himawari, and Chi all chorused,
vehemently and immediately.
"Kaa-san, it's his baby. It's a threat to everything. You really should get rid
of it," Kurogane insisted, trying to control his anger at his mother's
stubbornness. He had almost lost her, and he still might lose her.
"Your Highness, you don't seem to understand that this child will kill you,"
Watanuki tried to explain. "Being mortal, you are simply not strong enough to
bear this child. Its existence will drain away your life and your body will be
broken when it is born. The only thing we can conceivably do for you would be
to…terminate this pregnancy."
"Even though it is entering the final term?" Amaterasu asked softly as she
placed a hand on her swollen belly.
"Even so. It would be best for you."
The queen shook her head. "It is never best for a mother to choose to kill her
baby."
"But…wouldn't it be difficult…to kill a fey baby?" Souma asked tentatively.
"Not so difficult," Watanuki began sadly. "For all fey have a reputation of
being impossible to kill, it is very easy for us to choose suicide. All one
need do is truly wish to end one's life…and one would simply fade away. It
would be the same, if not easier, for a child. The practice of exposure has
been used before, but it is not the exposure itself that kills the child. A fey
child could survive most anything if it really wanted to. What kills the child
is the feeling that it is unloved…unwanted. Fey children mature much faster
than human children and they are able to perceive such things earlier. Left out
in the cold…helpless, unfed, unattended…what else would a baby think exists but
cold and darkness and pain? The child would simply decide not to live
anymore…that life isn't something worth living…and fade back into nothingness."
"That…that's so awful," Yuui whispered, struggling to choke back tears. So
close to giving birth herself, it was the most horrible thing she could imagine
- a child choosing to die. Dying because you were unwanted…was there a worse
fate? All of the mothers seemed to agree with this sentiment, fighting to hold
back extreme reactions of horror, grief, and despair.
"Enough of this talk," Amaterasu commanded decisively, knowing that the young
woman beside her didn't need this sort of emotional shock when she was clearly
very near her time. "It's my decision. Maybe it will kill me, and perhaps it is
Kyle's child, but it is also my child. I will not kill my child…even if it is a
choice between the two of us. That is the way of this world, after all. The
older generations must die to make way for the new. Hundreds of women before me
have died giving birth to children. I have given what I can to this life. What
makes me any different from them? Why murder this child for something that
isn't its fault? This baby had no control over who fathered it."
"But why should you have to die for something you never wanted?" Kurogane asked
angrily. "Nihon still needs you, Kaa-san."
I still need you! I'm not ready !
"That's enough, Kurogane. My mind is made up. There are more important matters
at hand. How is the situation in Valeria?" Amaterasu asked Watanuki.
"It isn't good. The Oni are ravaging the country and refugees are still coming
to the capital. We are doing what we can, but there have been food shortages in
the city. Nihon is under the control of the Dark Court and Valeria is in
flames. There is nowhere else for the survivors to go. There has been talk of
bringing the refugees to Faerie, but transporting so many would be
difficult…next to impossible without risking many lives. The Dark Court will
never allow us to remove the populace safely. The only help to be had for
Valeria is to find some way of ending the Oni's siege of Cephiro."
"Can it be done?"
"From where we're standing, no. The two sides are equally matched. Oni against
the Guard battalions, with neither side able to gain an advantage over the
other, and while Nihon has superior numbers, they have no healers. Darkness is
no home for healing magic. The Valerians have the benefit of our healers on
their side. Fewer of them die in battle. The combatants are equal to the
letter. There are only two possibilities right now. Either we find some kind of
advantage over the Oni…or Kusanagi-san gathers enough people to form a decent
resistance in order to aid Valeria. We've been in contact with him, but he says
their numbers are nowhere near enough to be of any help. He is still trying,
though."
"And what of Prince Fai?" Amaterasu asked, finally touching on the most
sensitive subject. For a long moment, no one answered. Yuui was the one to
finally come forward.
"Once my daughter is born, a group of us will strike out for the Shirahime
Mountains. We will enter the Dark Court and rescue him. We will bring him back
alive."
"Your pangs could begin at any moment, young princess. I would be thinking
about who is to go on this quest for your brother. You will need strength, but
certainly not much in the way of numbers."
"I know it," Yuui said softly, pressing a hand to her stomach. Everything would
be decided by when her child decided to be born, and she knew it would be soon.
The little girl was constantly restless. There had been many days recently
where she'd had to stay on her back all day because moving just hurt too much.
The bruises were constant now and her ribs ached constantly from all of the
movement. Whenever she could get herself to stand and move about, her back
ached liked she'd just carried a heavy load a hundred miles without rest. She
knew it would be better for the baby if she slept, but she also knew that if
she did, she wouldn't wake up, which could potentially be even worse for the
baby. All she could do was eat properly and abstain from too much physical
exertion.
"And you, Kamui-san? What do you intend to do about this Fuuma-san?" Amaterasu
asked the silent faerie. Kamui locked eyes with her, holding her gaze for a
moment before answering.
"I will get him back. I'll free him from the Sakurazukamori's spell."
Even knowing what that means…
"Oh!" Yuui suddenly cried out very sharply, bending over and clutching her
stomach.
"Yuui! What's wrong?!" Tomoyo asked, quickly kneeling in front of the older
princess.
"I…I think that was my first real contraction," she said weakly. She had
experienced several small ones over the past few weeks, but something felt
different about this one. Something told her that this was the real thing. The
baby kicked her hard, as if to say, 'I'm coming now, Kaa-san. I hope you're
ready for me'.
"Are you sure, Yuui-chan?" Sakura asked worriedly, quickly taking up a place
beside Tomoyo.
"I'm…pretty sure. I think today's going to be the day."
"Well, if it's only just beginning, I say it's time we moved back into the
sithen," Subaru said, trying to keep calm for Yuui.
"But…is it safe to move her?" Himawari questioned.
"We'll have several hours before we need to worry," Amaterasu reassured her.
"And from what you've told me, it won't take long to get back there."
"That's true. Besides, as you know, we need to get Yuui-hime back to the sithen
in order to get her back to the other side. She must give birth in the sacred
labyrinth."
"Wait a minute. What's this about the labyrinth? No one ever told me about
that," Yuui said, glancing around at her guardians. All of the guardians
glanced at each other. Had they really forgotten to mention that?
"Forgive us, my princess. We seem to expect you to know more than you should.
It is tradition for members of the royal bloodline to give birth in the
labyrinth. Children born there will be granted protection. Royalty are not
permitted spells to dull the pain of birth either."
"What?" Sakura asked incredulously. "I thought you said this could be
dangerous. Giving birth is painful enough as it is. Can you really afford to go
by tradition in this case?"
"That is the way it has always been done and the way we must do it now,"
Watanuki explained. "Otherwise there are none in Faerie who would accept her as
their queen. Birth is the threshold where queens prove their worth. If one
cannot handle the trials of giving birth, then one is not strong enough to
rule. This is Yuui-chan's test."
"But-" Sakura started to interrupt.
"No…Okaa-san," Yuui stepped in. "I can handle a little pain. If I have to do
this, then I have to do this."
For a moment, Sakura was stunned into silence by the sound of the word 'Mother'
from her daughter's lips, but she was soon arguing again, not wanting that
daughter to have to suffer as much as she knew she would.
"You don't know what you're saying, Yuui. You don't know how painful it is,
even with charms and herbs. You'll have nothing if you listen to them. You'll
beg for death before it's over."
"Then I'll beg," Yuui responded calmly. "But I won't die…I can't. You don't
know how much pain Fai's suffered in our eighteen years. I don't see why I
shouldn't take a little bit of that burden."
"Words truly worthy of our queen," Kujaku said, but Yuui couldn't quite manage
to look at him or acknowledge the praise. His expression and the timbre of his
voice still reminded her too much of Seishiro.
"Well, if we've got somewhere to be, why are we all standing around here?"
Kurogane asked gruffly as he went to Yuui and lifted her from the bench fairly
easily. Yuui smiled weakly and Tomoyo and Souma both giggled as he carried her
over to Kero and deposited her on his back. "Let's get a move on."
The winged lion briefly raised an eyebrow, but didn't protest. He would have
made the offer anyway, since Yuui really didn't need to be moving around. Yuui
was about to thank the two of them when another contraction suddenly seized her
and she decided to remain quiet for a bit. She rested her head in the sun
guardian's mane and dug her fingers into the warm fur, trying hard not to cry
out.
"We must make ready to leave," Clef finally announced. "Everyone must be ready
to go within the hour."
                                      XxX
"Taking a break?" Koryu heard Fuuma asking as the older faerie came to stand
beside him. He was sitting on a bluff overlooking the fields that surrounded
Cephiro. The once fertile land had been painted red by the tides of battle. The
Oni didn't really need him to lead them in battle. Left to their own devices,
the demons would constantly be seeking out a new enemy to devour. The only
thing they needed a master for was to tell them whom to attack and when to
stop. Some days when Koryu found himself tired of the battle, he would find a
less crowded place to watch the action from.
"Something like that. I just don't feel like fighting right now. I'm bored with
it." He was actually thinking of heading over to Shirasagi to find a human to
lie with. Battle was, he had discovered, an amazing way to maintain his
strength for control over the Oni, but he did still feel a need for the old
methods on occasion.
"Do you know what happened to your cousin?" Fuuma asked out of the blue.
"I never asked," Koryu replied pointedly, not looking up at Fuuma. While he
knew that the former lord was supposed to be on their side, he still found it
difficult to talk to him sometimes.
"As well you shouldn't have. It may well have earned you death; but have you
honestly never once wondered what, exactly, became of Lord Kokuyo Satani?"
"I've wondered…if for no other reason than to stop myself from making the same
mistake someday."
"He fell in love," Fuuma said bluntly.
"Excuse me?" Koryu asked, finally turning to glance up at Fuuma.
"You heard me."
"But…that's…impossible. He was Kokuyo, for crying out loud! He would never fall
in love with anyone."
"You're certain? Did he ever talk to you about a wind spirit he was seeing?"
"Sort of," Koryu started, thinking back. "He told me he was trying to get this
blonde wind faerie into bed…but that was a while before he disappeared."
"Don't you remember hearing the rumors that he'd stopped sleeping around?"
"Oh, I remember those," the Oni lord responded automatically. "I just didn't
think for one minute that they could possibly be true. Even if he'd lessened
the number for a while, there had to be somebody out there that Kokuyo was
sleeping with."
"The rumors were true. Once he became fixated on that one woman, sex stopped
mattering to him. Hisui is her name."
"The wind master that never saw battle? You've got to be kidding me!" he burst
out, suddenly on his feet. "Kokuyo would never have gone that far for a servant
of Clow!"
"He did. What makes that so impossible to believe?"
"He kept his hold on the Oni right to the very end. There's no way love could
give you that kind of power. It takes blood…battle…sex. Falling for a servant
of the light…that would have made him weak. Kokuyo wasn't weak."
"And it never occurred to you that maybe love might be a stronger force than
all of those things?"
"Even if that is what happened…what happened to Kokuyo? Did Yuuko execute him
for the betrayal?"
"No. He's still alive. The queen put him to sleep…and he lies sleeping in
faerie under Hisui's care. That's why she's never seen battle. She won't leave
his side. They glow for each other."
"Pfft, glowing. Who cares?" Koryu said dismissively. "The old ways are dying."
"And are you really happy about that?"
"I…"
"Your father discovered the same power as Kokuyo, you know."
"How would you know a thing like that? My mother was the only one who knew my
father's name and she wouldn't even tell me who he was. Why would you even know
who my father was?"
"If you'll remember, I have a Hand of Seeing. The truth of it is written in
your blood, plain to be read upon your skin to my eyes."
Koryu's eyes widened briefly. He at least knew that was true. So…could it be…?
"You know who my father was?"
"I do…and while he was the first to discover that love is the strongest fuel
that one can have to exert control over the Oni…he also paid a heavy price to
experience that love."
"Who?!" Koryu demanded fiercely. "Tell me who my father was!"
"Are you certain you want to know? What I tell you won't be anything but the
truth," Fuuma warned him.
"I'm sure. I need to know. Tell me."
"Koryu Satani…you are not only Kokuyo Satani's cousin. You are his brother, as
well…fully. No half-siblings are the two of you. You both share the same
parents and the same blood. Lord Akuma Satani was your father."
"Akuma?" Koryu murmured, swallowing hard. "But…but my mother was his sister…"
"That is also true. When Akuma could not have the one he loved, it drove him to
madness and he coupled with his twin sister, Lady Sonsei Satani, and together
they conceived a child. Not just one child, either. It didn't stop there. You
are the final result of the sins of Akuma and Sonsei Satani."
It didn't occur to Koryu to accuse Fuuma of lying. He had no reason to lie to
him, and Koryu didn't think he had the will, either. What was he but Seishiro's
plaything, after all?
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked, keeping fairly calm, considering what
he'd just learned.
"Because you asked me."
"But you knew I would ask the moment you brought it up," he countered. Contrary
to popular belief, he was not a fool. "So why?"
"Because it's something you ought to know when you think on what it is that you
really want."
"And what do I really want?" he asked snidely. He had heard about this portion
of Fuuma's power…that he knew what it was that every heart truly desired.
"Love."
"Love, Fuuma? Really? I'm not some abandoned child crying for his parents."
"That isn't what I meant. I don't mean that you want to be loved. I mean that
you want to love…but you aren't free to openly acknowledge or love the one that
you want to."
Koryu wanted to respond with a sharp come back, but honestly, there was nothing
he could say. If Fuuma was talking about what he thought he was talking about,
then he was right.
"You gave Kyle your word that you would keep the secret, but now that it's
actually happening, is it a secret that you can keep? You ought to think on
that…and what fate befell your parents…the next time you speak with Kyle."
"But…why should one small matter…something as insignificant as this…complicate
things so much?"
Instead of answering, Fuuma glanced behind him, back toward the battle, and his
face instantly brightened. "Well, it looks like it's time. Remember what I've
said, Koryu."
"Time for what?!" Koryu shouted after him as he leapt back into the thick of
battle, soon disappearing from sight.
Just what does he expect me to do? Why should people believe me over Kyle?
                                      XxX
"Sakura, you really don't need to pace like that," Yukito said gently.
Upon arriving back at the sithen, they had set up something of a waiting room
in Clow's old bedchamber. Both Yukito and Kakei had examined Yuui and agreed
that, even though she was experiencing contractions, she wasn't quite dilated
enough to have entered active labor yet. She was close, though. They had
decided that when she was open enough, they would make the move to the
labyrinth to continue with the birth. For the moment, the two physicians had
her on the bed on all fours, to help the baby shift into position, they said.
Other than them, the room contained mostly women. Tomoyo was sitting on the bed
next to Yuui, soothingly rubbing her shoulders and wiping away any perspiration
that happened to gather. Soel and Larg were dancing for the two princesses,
being careful not to bounce the bed too hard. Himawari was sitting about as far
away from Yuui as she was able. She'd almost opted not to be present, but Yuui
had insisted. Sakura had been sitting beside her before she'd started to pace.
The only other male present was Subaru, incase his healing powers happened to
be needed. Everyone else was waiting out in the sitting room. They had been
trying to keep the atmosphere calm for Yuui's benefit, and it had been working
until Sakura had begun to pace.
"You know perfectly well that it won't make the baby come any faster," Yukito
continued to chide her.
"I know. It isn't that. I have absolute faith that you'll deliver Yuui's
daughter in perfect health. I mean, look at Yuui," she said, smiling softly at
her daughter. "It…it's Syaoran."
"The king? What about him?"
"He wanted to be told when Yuui went into labor…and I can't contact him. It
must mean that he's out fighting. They would have told me if something had
happened. I…I feel that he needs me now…and I cannot help."
YUUI-SAMA! YUUI-SAMA, CAN YOU HEAR ME?!
Yuui cried out in pain, a contraction seizing her body at the very same moment
that the desperate cry exploded in her head. The others immediately gathered
around her, demanding to know what was wrong, but she held up a hand to
indicate that she was fine and that she needed a moment.
I…I hear you, Ransho-san, but I'm…kind of going into labor. What is it?
Oh…I'm sorry, but I thought I should tell you…Syaoran is engaged in combat with
Fuuma.
"What?!" she shouted aloud.
I'm so sorry, my princess. I couldn't stop it. My cousin will not be deterred
from this battle. He's just toying with the king now. I'm trying to intervene,
but-
He'll kill him. He'll kill him. My Goddess, he'll kill him!
Yuui-sama, calm down! You can't let this affect your labor.
But he's going to kill him! He'll do it…because Syaoran is my father.
"Please…someone…someone activate the mirror," she grunted, pointing toward the
large mirror set up on the wall opposite the bed.
"Why?" Subaru asked as he moved to the mirror and placed a hand on it.
"I want to see the battle."
"Absolutely not," Yukito tried to step in. "Not this close to labor."
"Do it, Subaru-san!" Yuui ordered. "Fuuma-san is fighting Syaoran-sama."
The reactions around her were all of horror, but Sakura's was the most violent.
"Oh, God!" she cried out in shock, her face growing frantic as she darted to
Subaru. "Please! You've got to do it! I've got to see him!"
Subaru kept his own reactions in check as he summoned up an image of the
battlefield on the glass surface.
"Show me my father!" Yuui commanded firmly. The image instantly focused in on a
single desperate fight. Syaoran and Fuuma were locked together in heated
combat, with Syaoran trying his hardest to throw Fuuma off. Ransho was on the
fringes of the duel, constantly trying to step in, but Fuuma kept throwing him
aside, always going for Syaoran.
"Why can't the earth general do something?" Yukito asked. "He can take that
sword to the chest and still survive it, right?"
"That's just it. He can't. Not that sword. Fuuma wields Assassin's Hand in this
fight," Kakei explained sadly. "That blade is feared by all in Faerie. It has
magic such that no one could survive a fatal wound from it. A human wouldn't
even survive a scratch."
"Oh, God! Oh, God!" Sakura screamed upon hearing this. She pounded her fist
against the glass. "Get out of there, Syaoran! You've got to get out of there!
He'll kill you! He'll kill you!"
Indeed, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the former lord truly meant to
kill the Valerian king. If Assassin's Hand pierced his skin even slightly, it
would be all over for Syaoran. Himawari moved closer to Sakura in an effort to
calm her, but it did little to soothe the distraught queen. Still trying to
keep the room calm, Kakei and Yukito both agreed that it was time for another
examination and Yuui nodded her approval. She was barefoot and dressed in
nothing but a white silk slip; so all that was needed in order to examine the
dilation of her birth canal was to raise the skirt of the slip. Once they had
checked everything out, Yukito and Kakei easily reached a consensus.
"Already a little wider than three centimeters," Yukito reported.
"We should probably start making the move to the labyrinth," Kakei suggested.
"No. Not yet," Yuui insisted. Her eyes hadn't left her two mothers once since
the mirror had been activated. Slowly, she crawled to the edge of the bed.
"Tomoyo, could you please help me up?"
Tomoyo complied, slowly helping her lover to get to her feet. Then Yuui began
to make her way to the mirror, where the others were watching the battle with
bated breath.
"Yuui-hime…what are you doing? We shouldn't be delaying for too long," Subaru
pointed out.
"I know…just a little bit longer," she murmured as she took Sakura's hand in
hers, just as worried as she was. Sakura took note of the contact, but she was
too focused on Syaoran to really acknowledge it.
"Please, please, please," the queen prayed over and over again. She winced with
every single blow Fuuma threw at her husband.
Then, quite suddenly, Fuuma's gaze turned and he seemed to be staring right at
them…as if he knew they were watching. Then, just as quickly, he turned his
attention back to Syaoran. Moving faster than any human eye could track, he
slipped beneath the king's attack and plunged Assassin's Hand directly into his
stomach.
Syaoran cried out in pain and shock as he fell to his knees. Fuuma smirked down
at him for a moment as he buried the blade in his adversary's stomach all the
way up to the hilt. Then he whipped it right back out, spraying blood
everywhere. Syaoran grunted in pain, struggling for breath as he gazed
defiantly up at his foe.
It took everyone that long to realize just what it was that had happened, it
happened so fast.
"NO!" Sakura screamed in anguish, throwing her hands forward as if she meant to
ram right through the glass. Without thinking, both Himawari and Yuui reached
forward to grab her wrists, hoping to keep her from falling, but the moment
Sakura's hands found the mirror, the thrum of power instantly resounded within
everyone present. There was a brief flash of light and the two mothers and
their daughter vanished as if they had never been.
"W-what just happened?" Subaru asked softly, still not quite comprehending.
"Were they taken?"
"No," Kakei whispered, a fairly transcendent look passing over his face. "They
were taken to the battlefield. I believe Sakura's just developed another Hand."
"But…but Yuui was in labor. If that's where they've gone, then we have to get
them out of there!" Tomoyo insisted vehemently.
                                      XxX
It took no more than the blink of an eye - and instead of the calm atmosphere
of the bedchamber, Yuui found herself right in the middle of the battle.
"What…where…?" she mumbled in confusion.
"This shouldn't be able to happen," Himawari said nervously.
"Oh, my. What have we here?" Fuuma's voice suddenly sounded in their ears.
"Syaoran!" Sakura cried out, quickly racing to her fallen husband and gathering
him in her arms. Yuui waddled after her mother and Himawari quickly moved to
stand between them and Fuuma.
"Sa…kura?" he whispered, weakly reaching a hand up to touch her cheek.
"Hold on, Tou-san. I can fix this. Really, I can," Yuui tried to reassure them,
but as she placed her hands on the bleeding wound, another contraction seized
her body and she curled up in pain. Syaoran tried to speak, but coughed up a
small gush of blood instead.
"Don't…don't speak, Syaoran. You need to save your strength," Sakura murmured
soothingly as tears spilled down her face. He smiled reassuringly, though that
smile was soaked with blood.
"Too…late…"
"Don't say that!"
"…I'll wait…Sakura…I…I love-"
With his lips still forming the last word, King Syaoran Fluorite breathed his
last and died in his wife's arms. Sakura gave one keening cry of grief and
buried her face in Syaoran's still chest, sobbing
You…you can't go! Don't leave me here! What will I do without you?! SYAORAN!
"Oh, God," Yuui whispered in horror as she stared at her dead father.
I could have saved him! I could have healed him…but I wasn't fast enough. This
is my fault. Oh, God, it's all my fault!
"Now how is it that you find yourselves here?" Fuuma asked Himawari as he
glanced over her shoulder at the grieving family.
"I don't know," Himawari admitted, keeping herself firmly between Yuui and
harm. "It shouldn't be possible to reach this world unless you travel through
Spirit Lake."
"That baby's just about to pop, isn't it? Why don't we welcome her properly?"
her former friend suggested snidely as he started to push past her. Himawari
pushed right back.
"You will not touch Yuui," she said firmly, threateningly. Her eyes promised
danger, and the old Fuuma would have heeded that threat.
"But that's also my little one she's carrying," he reminded her. "Why shouldn't
I want to see my daughter born?"
"Stay away!" she shouted, shoving him back yet again.
HIMAWARI-CHAN?! HIMAWARI-CHAN, WHERE ARE YOU?!
Good. Watanuki and the others were on their way.
Hurry. Hurry, Kimihiro-nii-san, she called softly to him in her thoughts…and it
was this that told Watanuki that something was wrong. She never called him
Kimihiro or big brother. Something was dreadfullywrong.
"You're trying my patience, Himawari," Fuuma warned, making another bid at
getting around her.
"Stay back!" she shouted, throwing her arms wide and summoning up a small
barrier behind her, sealing Yuui, Sakura, and the dead king inside.
"Himawari!" Yuui cried out in fear.
"I must admit you've got a lot of heart. Let's see just how strong it really
is." With that, Fuuma plunged his hand directly into her chest, wrapping his
fingers tightly around her heart. Himawari threw her head back, crying out in
pain, but she did not release the shield.
"HIMAWARI!" Yuui shouted, struggling toward the barrier her adoptive mother had
created and pounding her fists against it.
"Impressive…but what if I do this?" he asked, digging his fingers into the
beating organ. Himawari screamed as she felt her heart crushed. A small stream
of blood rushed up her throat and trickled from her mouth, but still the
barrier remained intact. Yuui continued to scream, pounding against the magic
field as if she could break through it.
Yuui-chan, calm down, she soothed, reaching out for the girl's mind. Panicking
isn't going to help the baby. You'll be devastated if you lose your child. I
won't have that.
But he's hurting you!
I can take it. Whatever he does to me, I'll survive it. The wound is healing
already.
What about Assassin's Hand?
It's on the ground three feet behind him. If he goes for it, I can transport
myself inside the barrier. Calm down.
"Fuuma-san, stop! Please stop!" Yuui cried desperately. "This isn't you! Don't
hurt Himawari! Don't you-Ah!" Her protests were suddenly cut off by another
contraction.
"Yuui!" Sakura cried out, moving toward her daughter while still clutching her
husband's body to her chest.
Sakura-sama, do you hear me?
I…I hear you.
Kimihiro and the others will be here soon. When I release this barrier, I want
you to be ready to run. They will take you to safety.
But…what about Syaoran?
I'm sorry, but he's gone. There's nothing we can do. Ransho has contacted
Touya-sama. He will come for him. If my plan works, there will not be any
enemies left to despoil him.
What are you going to do?
Himawari did not respond. Instead, she drew the attention of someone else.
Ryuuki, can you hear me?
Where are you, Himawari? Is the princess all right?
She's fine. I'm protecting her and Sakura-sama from Fuuma.
We'll be there soon. We couldn't get away any sooner. We had to lock Tomoyo-
hime in the bedchamber when she tried to come with us. We're all
coming…Watanuki, Doumeki, Subaru, Kamui, Kakei, Kero, even Kurogane and Souma.
We won't be able to get back to Faerie, though.
Why not?
Seishiro was there. We barely escaped. We may not even be able to get Yuui-hime
into the labyrinth.
You'll find a way. You must . But for now, you can't come to us. You need to
gather the other masters and tell them to retreat.
Why?
The spell should only target our enemies, but I can't truly guarantee anyone's
safety. I want you all to be as far away from here as possible. Ransho has
already told Touya-sama to have his generals order a full retreat.
What are you going to do?
You'll see.
Himawari, you can't be thinking of using the Wolf's Paw! You can't do it! It
nearly killed you last time!
OBEY MY ORDERS, RYUUKI! You've got to retreat!
Throughout all of this, Fuuma's hand had remained inside her chest cavity. He
would allow her crushed heart to heal; then he would crush it anew. It was
excruciating, but she endured it. She would alwaysendure it. Though it didn't
help that she could feel Yuui attempting to break through her barrier with her
magic. They were both fighting to keep the other from getting hurt. Neither
will would break. The only difference was that Yuui's concentration would now
and again be broken by a contraction.
"Stop! Please stop it!" she begged.
"Dear Yuui-chan, if you want me to stop, all you need do is come out here. I
want to see our little girl."
You're not going anywhere, Yuui-chan. You won't get through that shield.
Himawari, I'm begging you! Just come inside the barrier!
Only if I must. While I'm still out here, I serve as a distraction. If I were
to come inside, then he would concentrate all his efforts on breaking the
shield…and he would eventually. I can't hold it against him. Don't worry. The
others are coming. They'll be here soon.
Himawari's will alone could have endured forever. Unfortunately, a body does
not always match a will. Just when the animal sprite was on the verge of
passing out, she heard Watanuki's voice calling out to her, renewing her
strength.
"HIMAWARI!" Watanuki screamed as he and the other guardians burst through the
haze of battle that surrounded them. Gratefully, the beleaguered faerie allowed
her shield to drop, making way for their rescuers to converge on Yuui and
Sakura.
Kakei, Kero, Kurogane, and Souma went straight for Yuui, preventing her from
stepping in between Fuuma and Himawari. Kakei immediately went to examine her,
struggling to hold her back while he worked. Her hands were covered in blood,
but once he had ascertained that it was Syaoran's and not hers, he reassured
her friends that she was unhurt.
Doumeki and Subaru went for Sakura, separating her from Syaoran's body as
gently as they could. Sakura clung to Subaru, sobbing in grief.
Watanuki and Kamui stood on either side of Fuuma. Watanuki was ready to attack
but Kamui's sword was unsteady in his hands.
Keep it together, Kamui. You promised us that you would. You have a duty to
your princess, Watanuki reminded him.
"Fuuma…why are you doing this? She's your friend," Kamui said weakly. Slowly,
Fuuma turned his head to look at him.
"I'm doing this because it's what she wants."
Kimihiro-nii-san, all of our forces are retreating. You've got to get these two
to safety.
I know…but what are you going to do?
What I must. Everything is for her…her and Fai…our babies.
Imouto…?
Himawari shook her head as she slowly raised her hands to grip Fuuma's arm.
There was no time for long goodbyes.
Yuui-chan…this is goodbye.
"What are you talking about?!" Yuui cried aloud, fighting against her captors
to get to her mother.
It's all right. You'll be fine. I won't be able to hurt you where I'm going.
"NO! Yuui shrieked, breaking free of the arms that restrained her and running
to Himawari, wrapping her arms around her from behind. "You don't have to do
this!"
This is the only way. I love you…my Yuui. You and your brother were a miracle
for me, too. You will always be my babies. Take care of yourself.
"No! No! I love you, too! Don't go away! Don't leave me like Fai did!"
"I love you."
Yuui suddenly felt arms wrap around her and pull her away from Himawari. Then
they were running, and Himawari was already shrinking in her vision.
"No! Wait! KAA-SAN!" she shrieked.
"Go, child," Himawari whispered.
"You know what will happen, don't you?" Fuuma asked her.
"I know…but she'll be okay. Tomoyo-chan will wake her with a kiss."
"They fled, you know? When your own soldiers retreated, the Oni scattered."
"They won't escape…not from this."
"Why choose this path?"
"The Sakurazukamori will not understand…but Fuuma would have. There are more
than just the three of us. Yuui has many protectors now. I'm where I need to
be. My talents are of more use to her here."
"She'll hate you for this."
"For a while, yes…but she'll remember me."
"Will you kill this body?"
"Maybe you were the one to hold me when I drew my first breath…and you will be
here when I breathe my last…but for them, I will not hesitate."
"Heh, all right. I'll let you try. Who knows? You might even succeed."
Mother Wolf, there is one who would harm a child. With the power that the
Goddess gave you, let us vanquish those that would dare to harm our cub. Howl
with me. Lend me your strength!
With that, Himawari shrieked, unleashing the howl of the wolf that was in her.
As her power was channeled forth through her voice, the very air exploded with
white light.
Watching from the borders of Celes, Yuui screamed in grief and anguish when the
world turned white. She knew that her mother was gone.
"NOO! KAA-SAN!" she shrieked, throwing her pain-filled face skyward, railing at
the heavens. Even Doumeki had trouble keeping a hold of her struggling form.
Damn you, Kunogi.
"Himawari…" Watanuki said softly, mournfully.
"What did…she do?" Kurogane asked. He had never seen such power.
"It is called the Hand of the Wolf…though we mostly call it Wolf's Paw. Such a
gift has only been seen twice before in our history…and only mothers have
possessed it," Kakei began to explain. "She used it once before…but at such an
awesome height of power…the spell takes the wielder's life."
"She killed the Oni…all who could not escape in time…and few did. The Wolf's
Paw targets those who would harm loved ones," Subaru continued. "For the
moment, she has bought Valeria respite. She may have even killed Fuuma."
"She didn't," Kamui said firmly. "He's still out there. I know it." No one was
certain whether or not to take the unstable captain at his word.
"Kaa-san, I'm sorry! I didn't mean any of it! I don't blame you at all for not
telling us the truth! I love you, Kaa-san! Are you listening?!" Yuui sobbed
helplessly, her struggles growing weaker at the pain of the contractions.
"We need to get her somewhere safe," Doumeki said softly, drawing all of them
back into the present.
                                      XxX
Even though they had only been away for two months, Celes was already starting
to overtake their cottage once again. The foliage was creeping in from the
outside and everything was covered with a fine layer of dust. It had been the
only option, though. Seishiro was waiting for them at Spirit Lake and they'd
discovered that the Water Guard was battling what remained of the Oni in the
area for control of the entrance to the labyrinth.
Doumeki had carried Yuui up to the twins' old room and Sakura and Kakei had
followed. Kakei had examined the princess once again and determined her to be
at four centimeters dilation. Labor still seemed to be progressing normally, if
not a tiny bit fast. They had to find some way of getting her to the labyrinth
soon.
Sakura was currently sitting on Yuui's bed with her back resting against the
headboard and Yuui's head in her lap. She ran her fingers through her
daughter's short hair as they cried silently together.
I'm sorry, Tomoyo. I tried…really, I did, but this is just too much. I'll be
waiting for you…my love.
                                      XxX
"How exactly did they get there in the first place?" Doumeki heard Kurogane
asking as he and Kakei came down the stairs. "Isn't the lake supposed to be the
only pathway?"
"As I was trying to explain before," Kakei began. "I believe, in her moment of
desperation, Sakura developed a Hand of Power…the ability to travel through
mirrors. I've never seen such a thing, but Hands dealing with alternate methods
of teleportation are not unheard of. Perhaps if we could get the queen a
mirror, she could get us into the labyrinth. Once inside, we would be
protected."
"Where's Watanuki?" Doumeki asked. Subaru pointed off down the hallway that led
to their three bedrooms. Doumeki nodded and disappeared down the hallway,
unsurprised to find Watanuki in Himawari's room, curled up on the bed. Doumeki
quickly went and sat beside him, pulling him to face him. His face was streaked
with tears.
"I failed her. I failed her so many times…my little sister…and now I'll never
be able to make up for it!"
Doumeki silently pulled the younger faerie into his arms, gently rubbing his
back as he held him. "If you believe that," he whispered in his ear, "then you
truly are an idiot."
Watanuki smiled ruefully as he gave Doumeki's side a half-hearted punch. For a
moment, he pulled back from the weather spirit and gazed uncertainly at him.
Doumeki stared back. Hesitantly, he leaned forward. So much had been lost
already. What did he risk losing…if he was rejected? Anything? Everything?
Nothing? Was it his imagination…or was Doumeki leaning toward him, too?
Just as their lips brushed tenderly together in a searching kiss, a harrowing
scream sounded from overhead. The two guardians were on their feet and up the
stairs before the others had even reacted, but they were hot on their heels.
Sakura was clutching Yuui to her chest, screaming and sobbing.
"Sh-she fell asleep! She won't wake up! She's gone!"
Indeed, Yuui had fallen still and silent. Her body was cold and the healthful
color had left her skin. The sleep of death had conquered and claimed both
twins.
"Goddess protect us," Subaru whispered in horror.
***** The Nightingale Her Troubadour *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Locked in.
She was completely closed in - trapped with no way out - no way to help Yuui.
Tomoyo had fought tooth and nail to go with the others when they'd left so
suddenly to go and rescue Yuui, Himawari, and Sakura, but they had all insisted
it was too dangerous and they had sealed her inside of the bedchamber, leaving
her to wait anxiously for news. Yue had been posted outside the door, but he
wouldn't tell her what was happening and Subaru had silenced the mirror before
leaving. She had no way of knowing what was happening. Yue only said he would
tell her when Yuui was safe. But she didn't need him to tell her anything. She
heard Yuui herself.
I'm sorry, Tomoyo. I tried…really, I did, but this is just too much. I'll be
waiting for you…my love.
When Tomoyo heard Yuui's voice in her head, she instantly knew what was
happening. She could almost swear she was feeling it happen. Yuui was letting
go - slipping into the darkness from which there might not be any return.
NO! No, Yuui! You can't do this! Don't give in! You can't leave me like this!
What if you can never come back?! What if you die ?!
I believe in you.
For a moment, Tomoyo felt Yuui's love, but then there was only emptiness -
silence, darkness, and emptiness. Tomoyo knelt on the floor before the empty
mirror, feeling the enormity of her loss crush her. She didn't know when she
had ever felt so alone. It was just like before - with Fai. Kurogane hadn't
been able to get to him. They'd kept him away just long enough, and they'd
taken Fai away. Would they take Yuui away, too - Yuui and the baby? They
couldn't!
"No! I won't let you go!" she shouted hysterically as she raced to the bed,
throwing herself down on it. She was sealed in; that much was true. She did not
have the power to undo the magic that had been used to imprison her, but there
was one power she did still have left to her - the ability to walk in dreams.
If Yuui was falling asleep, maybe she could still catch her in dreams.
"Princess Tomoyo? What are you doing in there?" Yue asked from the other side
of the door. Tomoyo ignored him, willing herself to fall asleep. It didn't take
much effort from her to set even one foot on the road that led to dreams.
Moments too late, Tomoyo heard the moon guardian burst into the chamber,
shouting at her to stop, but she couldn't stop. She was already asleep,
dreaming her way to Yuui.
She's moving, walking…steadily drifting away from her…fading into the black.
"Yuui! Yuui, stop! Come back!" she shouts, running after her. Yuui doesn't even
look back. With every passing second, her form grows dimmer and dimmer in
Tomoyo's eyes. She can barely see her…and no matter how fast she runs or how
far she reaches, she cannot grasp her lover in her arms.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here? A little lost princess?" a cold voice
suddenly whispers in her ear as a pair of viselike arms wrap themselves around
her waist, stopping her short. Yuui continues to fade away.
"No! Let me go! YUUI!" she screams as tears pour down her face.
"She can't hear you," the voice explains. "She is forgetting. The love that
filled her heart is leaving her…leaving her open to Darkness. As it did with
Fai, it will flow into her…take her and make her its own."
"NO!" she cries out, still fighting her hardest. She can't evenseeYuui anymore!
She can't let something horrible likethathappen to her. She justcan't!
"It's too late. Forget about your beloved princess. If you ever see her again,
you won't be able to recognize her. Once she has been known by Darkness, she
will be forever changed. She won't be the girl you love anymore. It's best to
remember her as she was."
"No! Never! I can't just give up on her like that!"
"Believe me, Princess, if you had followed her down that path, you would have
been just as lost as she is…but if you insist on remaining trapped in the
Darkness, then you can stay here with me…my dear Princess Tomoyo." As the owner
of the cold voice speaks, he presses a tender kiss to her ear - and, suddenly,
she knows him.
"It'syou," she whispers in dread.
"Yes, me," he replies softly, sliding a hand up her body and fondling one of
her breasts with it. "And since you're so keen on being a prisoner…perhaps I
can show you just how I deflowered Fai two years ago."
As he starts to reach into her yukata, Tomoyo remembers how Yuui had broken
down and sobbed when she'd told her what had happened to Fai that night. She
remembers the wish for death she'd seen in the boy's eyes the very next day.
The guardians hadn't been able to protect Fai against Seishiro. Yuui had
failed, too. Kurogane hadn't even been able to keep Fai safe from Seishiro.
What chance did she have against him?
"NO!" she screams once more as she tears herself away from him. He releases her
quite easily and she falls to the ground, quickly rolling onto her back to
stare up into the cold face of the Dark Prince. "W-why are you here?"
"I thought you might try something like this, so I came to stop you. You can't
very well break my mother's spell if you're trapped in a dream yourself. Until
the time is right, you'll stay here with me…and I think I know just the perfect
setting for your prison." Having said so, Seishiro waves a hand and the scenery
instantly changes. The darkness fades away to be replaced by the twins' old
room in the cottage in Celes. Yuui is laid out on her bed with Sakura crying
over her and everyone else bustling around them like mad, trying not to think
they might have just lost the one they were trying to protect.
Tomoyo tries to go to Yuui, but finds herself stopped by a barrier. Briefly,
she pounds her fists against it, but she already knows it won't give no matter
what she does. She sinks to her knees, gazing across the space that separates
her from her comatose lover in despair.
"Oh, Yuui…Yuui…" she cries softly.
I could have saved you. If I'd only waited, I could have come to you and broken
the spell…but now we're both trapped. I was such a fool! Who's going to rescue
you now, Yuui…my sweet Yuui…?
"You failed her, Tomoyo-chan," Seishiro says gently as he places his hands on
her shoulders. Tomoyo does nothing to shake him off. She nods her agreement,
then buries her face in her hands and cries.
                                      XxX
She is lying naked on the ground. Gentle hands support her body, but she barely
feels their tender care through the pain gripping her entire being. Her innards
are on fire with agony and it feels like the opening between her legs is being
torn open by a bolt of lightning. She screams to high heaven in order to
relieve some of the pain, but it seems no amount of screaming or pushing will
bring true release from it.
"Come on, Yuui. You can do it. You're almost there. It's almost over. She's
coming…I can see her now. You're so close, Yuui," Tomoyo's soothing voice
coaches her as she appears by her side, rubbing her heaving stomach and holding
her hand tightly to relieve some of the burden.
"Oh, Tomoyo," Yuui cries weakly as tears of pain slide down her face. She grips
her lover's hand for all that she's worth. "I…I can't do it. It hurts so much.
I'm going to die!"
"Don't say things like that. You'll make it. You'llbothmake it. You'll hold our
daughter in your arms…and you'll name her…and you'll see her smile for the
first time and sing her to sleep at night," Tomoyo reassures her. "Just a
little bit more."
Renewed by Tomoyo's words, Yuui forces her wasted body to give one last mighty
push. With a scream of agony that feels like it might split her in two, her
daughter is born in a violent torrent of blood. As she collapses back on the
stone floor, she hears the sweet cries of a newborn.
"You did it. She's perfect, Yuui, absolutely perfect," Tomoyo praises as she
kneels beside her once again, this time holding a tiny bundle in her arms. Yuui
hears her daughter crying out for her and she can see her tiny fists waving in
the air.
"Let me hold her," she mumbles weakly, reaching out her arms for her baby.
However, just as Tomoyo's moving to pass the little girl into her arms, her
happy, smiling face twists into a mask of pain and shock. A gasp of pain leaves
her lips, followed by a small fountain of blood. Yuui glances down and finds
the tip of a blade protruding from her chest.
"TOMOYO!"
The blade retracts as Tomoyo falls, lifeless. Yuui catches her wailing daughter
as she falls from Tomoyo's grip, clutching her to her chest in terror as Fuuma
appears behind Tomoyo, holding Assassin's Hand - stained with Tomoyo's blood.
"Fuuma-san!Why?!WHY?!" she screams, clutching her child to her all the tighter.
She can't escape. Even if shecouldrun…there's nowhere to run to he cannot find
her.
"Because this is our fate, dear princess," he replies, smiling softly as he
drops the sword and reaches forward, grabbing the baby girl's small head and
crushing it in his large hand.
"NOO!" Yuui shrieks, her baby's death scream filling every corner of her mind
as her breast is bathed in warm blood. Fuuma kneels beside her, catching her
body in his arms as it goes limp.
"Why? Why?" she sobs over and over again as she hugs her dead child to her
chest. "Why did you take them away from me? I love them. I can'tlivewithout
them!"
Fuuma's expression becomes rueful as he holds the mother of his child close,
pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. "You misunderstand, Yuui-chan. I've taken
nothing away from you. It was you yourself that did that."
"What?" she whispers, her eyes blinking open in shock.
"You carved your own sorrows into your path the moment you were born. This is
the destiny that was laid out for you and your brother. You are fated to visit
ruin and tragedy upon the world. You and the child that you shared a womb with
are the wrath of Hell sent into the world disguised in fair flesh. The two of
you will be the portal through which Darkness will enter this world. When the
two of you become one flesh, the world of men will fall into darkness and
perish and a new age will begin…an age that sees the setting of the sun and the
coming of the endless night."
"One…flesh…" the princess whispers in horror and disgust. "You're…wrong…"
"I'm not. You don't have to accept what I tell you will happen in the
future…and itwillhappen. The two of you will lie together and find ecstasy in
each other's arms in the act of creation. But youmustaccept what you are. The
twin prince and princess of Valeria bring disaster in their wake. All those who
come into contact with you…whom you choose to love…will suffer for it. Himawari
was cursed with misfortune, but the two of you…it is in your very blood. You
cannot escape it…unlucky children of an unhappy bloodline. All who descend from
Clow Reed's seed are fated to bring sorrow to those they love the most."
"I don't believe you!" Yuui screams.
"You say that, but you know…in your heart…that what I say is the truth." As he
speaks, Fuuma presses his bloodstained hand to her bare breast - against the
place where her steady heartbeat could be felt, the proof of her life.
The proof that has been snuffed out in so many lives…because of you…
The moment the guilty thought enters her mind, Yuui finds herself floating
underwater, still held by Fuuma and still clutching her dead child. It isn't
just water, though. Whatever liquid they're suspended in, it is red…thick,
warm, and red…
No…No! It can't be!
"Open your mouth," Fuuma orders calmly. Yuui shakes her head. If she obeys him,
if she gives in, if she acknowledges it…then she will absolutely lose it.
"I said open your mouth," he repeats a bit more firmly as he takes hold of her
jaw and attempts to force her lips open. Briefly, she struggles against him,
but it's no use. He forces her mouth open, the substance rushes into her, and
the metallic taste of copper fills her mouth.
"What is it, Yuui-chan? Tell me what it is," he hisses in her ear.
"BLOOD!" she shrieks. "It's blood! Dear God, it'sblood!"
"Yes, blood. This is the blood that has been spilled foryoursake. This lake of
blood exists because of you."
"Lake?" she whispers, dazed, uncomprehending in her shock.
"This is Spirit Lake, Yuui-chan. It has turned red with blood. See?" he
murmurs, nodding his head to something floating in front of them. Against her
better judgment, Yuui follows his gaze and finds herself staring at Clow Reed's
lifeless corpse. His arms drift haphazardly in front of him…as if reaching out
for something. His unseeing eyes stare listlessly at nothing.
"Grandfather?"
"Yuui," the half-imagined whisper drifts from the dead lips to her ears.
"He allowed himself to be killed so that you might live. Not just him, either.
Look."
She does. Her eyes shift away from the horrifying sight to find that the water
is filled with corpses. Kotori…Himawari…Syaoran…Tomoyo…Fai…Kurogane…Souma
…Subaru…Kamui…Sakura…Watanuki…Doumeki…all of them…so many…nameless and faceless
corpses.
"Why…are you all dead?" she calls softly to them, needing and dreading an
answer.
"They died foryou, Yuui-chan. They did so willingly…because they love you."
"But I don't…want them to die," she cries.
"Armies have fought and died for the sake of your precious life. They die for
you without ever knowing who you are…whatyou really are."
"I never…asked anyone to fight for me. I don't want peopledyingfor me!"
"That cannot be helped. Because of who you are, as long as there are people who
love you, they will die for you. They will all of them be led to the slaughter
with a smile on their faces to save your life. You see, Yuui-chan, people do
not kill because they hate. They kill because they love. All this violence…all
in the name of love."
"Stop it."
"Himawari abhorred violence. She hated bloodshed…yet she slaughtered thousands
of Oni in an instant, snuffed out countless lives, perhaps even a few innocents
without meaning to. This she did because of her love for you…her precious
daughter."
"Stop it!" Yuui screams desperately. She wants to block it all out, to silence
the truth coming from the lips of the man who fathered her daughter, to banish
the sight of everyone she loved dead in a sea of blood, and the bitter taste of
it from her mouth, but it's hopeless. She can never escape from the truth of
the nightmare because she knows it in her heart. All around her, the voices of
the dead scream silently in her ears.
"Can you hear them, dear Yuui-chan? Can you hear their cries? They do not
grieve for themselves. Even in death, they only want you to know how much
theyloveyou. Well, words whispered through dead lips lose their effect,
perhaps?"
"I hear them. I can hear them all!" she sobs openly. Hatred would be better,
but she only hears words of love - love that led them all to their deaths. "WHY
DID YOUDIE?!"
"Kaa-san?" a tiny voice whispers. Yuui looks down to find the half-crushed face
of her little girl blinking up at her with the green eyes that Kotori had
foretold. "I love you, Kaa-san."
Far too shocked to scream, Yuui simply releases the tiny body, allowing it to
spiral away to join the roiling sea of the dead.
"That is why they died, Yuui-chan. This is the world that will soon be born.
When you and your twin finally consummate the demon union you were born to
carry out and you mate…together as one…no child will be born as a result of
your coupling. When you open to your brother and he plants his seed inside of
you…the world before your eyes now is the world you will create."
All of the fight has left Yuui. She's completely drained. She doesn't resist
when the man who raped her turns her body about in his embrace - and begins to
touch her. There is no reason left to fight.
"How does that make youfeel, Yuui-chan…knowing you'll one day open your legs
for your own brother? Something likethis, maybe?" he suggests, stimulating just
the right spot and sending a jolt of undesired pleasure through her body.
"No," she murmurs numbly.
"Youaregoing to mate with Fai, Yuui-chan. It is going to happen. I promise you.
You shared a womb and you were born together; now you will share flesh as
lovers," the former lord says as he takes her for the second time in their
lives. "It almost makes the things Seishiro and Fai have done seem tame,
doesn't it? The passionate intercourse we shared will be all but forgotten
whenhetakes you. I promise you that no one else will be able to satisfy you
once you've known the forbidden taste of your twin's lips…the touch of his
skin. I'll just have to give you something to remember me by."
"F…Fuuma…Fuu…ma!"
                                      XxX
It really was too much. It was almost as if those two difficult months had
never passed. It was as if they had never left the tower room where Fai slept.
Yuui was laid out on her bed and Sakura was kneeling beside her, holding one of
her cold hands in hers and stroking her hair with the other.
"How could I let this happen?" she mumbled to herself over and over again as
tears streamed silently down her face. First her son had been taken, then she
had lost her husband, and now her daughter, as well. Would she lose all of
them? She hadn't even allowed herself to truly feel the loss of Syaoran yet. If
she acknowledged that she would never sleep by his side again, that he would
never hold her close and press his lips to hers again, she would die right
there. Now knowing who she was, and knowing she had fey blood, she also knew
that she had nearly an eternity to spend without him. For the rest of her life
she would need him, think of him, turn to say something to him, and she would
never be able to reach him again.
"None of us are any less to blame, Sakura-sama," Kakei said sadly. "There
wasn't anything any of us could have done."
"It'll be all right, though," Watanuki insisted as he and Subaru hurriedly went
about the task of conjuring a mirror. "All we need to do is bring Princess
Tomoyo here."
The three guardians had decided on the very first day that there would be no
mirrors in their home. It would have left the twins far too vulnerable to being
contacted by someone who would have done them harm. Unfortunately, that didn't
matter anymore. If Kakei's theory was correct and Sakura could travel between
the two worlds through mirrors, then they needed a mirror now. Sakura would be
able to bring Tomoyo through to Yuui and they would never have to worry about
facing Seishiro. Then she would be able to transport them into the labyrinth
safely, as well.
"It's ready," Subaru announced grimly as he and Watanuki stepped back from the
newly created mirror: a work of art set into a finely detailed, freestanding,
silver frame. Much as he wanted to believe that Tomoyo would be able to
help…almost nothing had worked out in their favor thus far.
Doumeki was the one to finally step forward to activate the newborn mirror. He
pressed his hand to the cool glass, praying with all his might for the face of
Tomoyo.
"Princess?" he murmured softly as the surface faded to black. "Princess, can
you hear me?"
The darkness faded away fairly quickly, but the face they'd all been so
fervently praying for was not the one that came into view. Instead of long,
black hair, slightly tanned skin, and violet eyes, they saw white hair,
moonlight pale skin, and ice blue eyes. Yue.
"What is happening?" the moon guardian asked reservedly. "I felt…the
princess…Yuui-sama…"
"She has been taken from us," Kero reported sadly as he came to stand beside
Doumeki. "But there's still time. We only need to bring Princess Tomoyo to
her."
Yue shook his head. "No…I'm afraid there isn't any time left. You're too late."
"What are you talking about?!" Kurogane demanded, shooting up from where he'd
been sitting on Fai's bed. "Where's my sister?!"
"I'm sorry, Kurogane-sama. I wasn't fast enough," Yue explained as he stood to
the side to allow someone else forward - someone carrying something.
It was Lady Sai, a look of sorrow bleeding through her usually stoic
countenance as she revealed what she held in her arms. Tomoyo - just as pale
and unmoving as Yuui. The Mokona were perched on the clan master's shoulders,
crying helplessly over the fallen princess.
"Tomoyo?" her brother whispered, uncomprehending.
"I'm sorry. We failed her. We should have left someone with her."
"What happened?" Souma breathed in horror as she stared at her princess'
lifeless face.
"She must have felt it…when Princess Yuui went. She tried to follow her into
the dream. We cannot wake her. We've been trying. Nothing will rouse her from
this sleep. She is imprisoned inside a dream. The enemy knows that the princess
is a dreamseer. I suspect that Yuuko is somehow behind this," Yue explained.
"No matter what we do…it seems she is always one step ahead of us," Subaru said
mournfully, voicing aloud the thing everyone was thinking.
"Yue…who knows of this?" Kakei finally asked.
"Those of us who were gathered here. Amaterasu-sama did not…react well. Yukito-
san and Chitose-san took her back to the sitting room to try and calm her.
Saiga-san and Kujaku are with them, as well. As you know, the other lords were
informed that Her Highness' labor had begun and they are on their way here.
Doubtless they will already have felt that something has happened to Yuui-hime.
But…Kakei-san…is everyone safe?"
Kakei shook his head. "Eagle-kun will have felt it already, but we still have
the unhappy task of informing him that his only child is dead."
"Himawari-san?" Yue asked, his eyes widening.
"Yes. She gave her life to end the siege."
Yue and Sai both bowed their heads in sorrow and the two Mokona cried all the
harder.
"Himawari!"
"Himawari!"
"She was much too young," Yue said softly. At the very moment he spoke, the
sound of a door opening could be heard from his side of the mirror and Yukito,
Kujaku, and Saiga soon came into their view.
"Oh, hello…Kakei-san," Yukito half-stammered upon seeing him in the mirror.
"They told me what happened…to Yuui-chan. She's not…still in labor, is she?"
"No. The labor appears to have halted completely. We can only guess that it
will resume when she wakes. How is Amaterasu-sama?"
"Sleeping. Saiga-san had to cast a spell on her. Chitose-chan and Chi-chan are
with her now. Is…Sakura there?"
All who stood before the mirror moved aside to allow Yukito to see past them to
Sakura and Yuui. Upon seeing the state his queen and princess were in, the high
priest looked stricken.
"I'm sorry, Sakura," he murmured after a long moment of heavy silence.
"Syaoran…will be missed."
"All right," Kakei finally spoke up, taking a deep breath. "There's nothing for
it but to move forward. In the absence of the princess and her consort, I will
take charge. If she can do it, Sakura-sama will bring Tomoyo-sama through to
this world. Until we can discover a way of waking Tomoyo-sama, I think it would
be best that we keep the princesses together. We cannot let them be separated."
"With all due respect, Kakei-san, would it not be safer to keep them in Faerie,
where the enemy cannot get to them?" Yue asked.
"There is less and less guarantee of that with each passing moment. I say that
we keep Yuui-hime as close to the labyrinth as we can for the time when she
awakens. We'll need you to come, as well. It will be safer here because you and
Kero-chan are going to form a barrier around this place."
"Could I come through, as well?" Sai broke in suddenly. "I don't know why, but
I feel responsible for this. I feel I ought to protect her as best I can."
"As you wish. We'll need all the help we can get. Though, Saiga, if you
wouldn't mind staying behind to tell the others of everything that has
happened-"
"Say no more. I'll keep things under control here. Do what you have to."
"Larg…have you got the baby blanket that…Himawari made?" Watanuki asked.
"Uh-huh. Himawari finished it last night. She told Mokona to keep it safe for
Yuui."
"Kakei-san?" Yukito cut in hesitantly. "I don't wish to sound like I'm
complaining, but what about me? I…want to see my husband as soon as I can."
"I understand, but the kingdom of Valeria is unstable at best. I think it would
be best for you and your companions to remain under the protection of Faerie
until Cephiro can be considered secure again. Right now, our top priority must
be Yuui-hime and Tomoyo-hime."
"Of course. I understand."
"If it's all the same to you, I'll come, too," Kujaku said casually. "My
princess has need of me, after all."
"If you insist," Kakei responded, his voice sounding almost tight as he turned
to address Sakura. "More importantly, do you think you can do this, Sakura-
sama?"
Sakura trembled visibly as she climbed to her feet, reluctantly releasing
Yuui's cold hand. "I don't know what kind of power I have…but I'll do whatever
I must to save Yuui. I'll try."
"All right then. Come here," Kakei said, holding out his hand to her. Slowly,
she came to him, took his hand, and allowed him to lead her to the mirror.
"Do you remember how you felt earlier when you did it?" he asked her as she
placed her hand on the smooth glass. She nodded, closing her eyes and focusing
her will on the mirror.
I have to get there. I will get there! Nothing will stop me!
For a moment, Sakura heard a great rushing noise in her ears. When she opened
her eyes again, she found herself standing in front of the mirror in the
bedchamber she'd left not two hours ago.
"It worked," she breathed. "It actually worked." The very next moment, she felt
a pair of arms wrap around her and lift her up into the air.
"You're brilliant, Sakura. Absolutely brilliant!" Yukito cried out.
"So how does it work?" Kujaku asked as the high priest set his queen back on
her feet.
"I…I think you just need to be touching me. That's what happened earlier…when
we traveled."
"All right. Let's give it a try."
Once again, Sakura turned to face the mirror, this time seeing Kakei and the
others on the other side instead of Yue and company. As she placed her hand
onto the glass once more, the others gathered around her. Yue placed his hand
on her right shoulder and Kujaku placed his on her left. Hefting Tomoyo in her
arms, Sai grabbed a hold of Sakura's left elbow and the Mokona twins scampered
forward to settle in the crook of her left arm. Again, she focused her power,
and again, she heard the rushing sound. Then she was collapsing on the wooden
floorboards of her children's bedroom with the others gathering worriedly
around her.
"It…worked?" she asked faintly, feeling someone gather her up in their arms.
"It worked," Watanuki said softly to her. "Are you all right, Sakura-sama?"
"Yes. I think I just…made myself tired. I'll be fine."
"In the future, you should probably transport fewer people, Your Highness,"
Kakei gently chastised her. "I didn't expect you to attempt to bring all of
them at once, but before I could say anything, you were already here."
"What about Tomoyo-sama?" Sai asked as Watanuki helped Sakura to her feet.
"Lay her with the princess. I said that we would keep them together and we
will."
Sai nodded and carried the younger princess to Yuui's bed. As she moved,
Doumeki moved back to the bed as well and lifted Yuui into his arms. Then
Subaru moved in and pulled the blankets down for them. Doumeki and Sai laid the
sleeping girls back on the bed and Subaru tucked them in, preparing them for a
long sleep - as the three guardians had done for Fai. Watanuki came last of
all, holding his hands palms-up over the bed. From one hand, an apple blossom
sprouted, pure white with pink tints at the very edges of the petals. From the
other, a pale pink sakura blossomed. With the greatest care, the nature spirit
tucked the apple blossom behind Yuui's ear and the sakura behind Tomoyo's ear.
Just as the rose tucked behind Kurogane's ear was a symbol of Fai's life, these
blooms signified the lives of the two princesses.
"They look so beautiful…together like that," Sakura whispered as tears began to
gather in her eyes once more. The two young women did indeed look ethereal in
their beauty in this moment, but it was made all the sadder by the fact that
they were so close, and yet still could not touch each other.
As the others looked on, Kurogane slowly approached the bed where his sisters
lay. He hadn't spoken a word since Tomoyo's awful fate had been revealed. Now
he knelt beside her and reached out a hand, catching a strand of her dark hair
and gently allowing it to slip through his fingers.
"Tomoyo…" he whispered as his carefully stoic exterior slowly began to crack.
I failed her. I've failed her…so many times. I lost her. I lost them both…just
like I lost…
Drawing his sword in an inhumanly quick flash, the fallen prince released a cry
of impotent rage and anguish, burying the blade violently in the floor.
"Kurogane! Kurogane, stop. Stop it right now!" Souma sobbed. "This won't make
anything better!"
Falling silent at the sound of Souma's panic, Kurogane knelt over the
protruding hilt and gripped it in his hands once again. Slowly, he withdrew the
blade and sheathed it, then pounded a fist angrily against the floor before
sweeping out of the room.
"Kurogane-kun, wait! Where are you going?!" Sakura cried after him, unable to
pursue him in her weakened state.
"Let him go," Kamui said softly as Doumeki moved forward to repair the hole in
the floor and Subaru drew the curtains closed around the bed. "He needs to be
alone. He can handle himself."
Souma wasn't certain how true that was. Only she, Tomoyo, and Yuui knew just
how far Kurogane had fallen, and now only she knew how far he could still fall.
However, even though she knew all of this, she also knew she couldn't help him.
He wouldn't listen to her. There was no one he would listen to anymore. For the
past two months, he had only listened to Yuui and Tomoyo, and not very well, at
that. Without the two princesses, who would reclaim Kurogane's slowly fading
sanity?
Kurogane's heart was disappearing. Souma had seen it with each passing moment.
Every step that Fai took toward death was a step that Kurogane took toward
Darkness.
                                      XxX
Several hours later, night found Sakura in the bedroom, alone except for the
sleeping princesses and the Mokona twins, who had both promised to remain with
the girls until they could find some way of waking them. Save for her, everyone
else in the room was asleep. Sai was just outside, standing guard.
The queen had taken several hours of rest on Fai's bed, recovering from the
very powerful feat of magic. Yue and Kero had gone to erect wards around the
glen, promising to keep an eye out for Kurogane, but he still had not returned,
as far as she knew. Souma and Subaru had gone out to search for him.
Sakura was currently sitting in front of the mirror, gathering up the nerve to
contact her brother. She didn't think she could stand during this. She knew
that he would ask her about Yukito…and then offer his condolences about her own
husband…and she didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to hear anyone tell her
how sorry they were that Syaoran was…dead.
Sweet Goddess, just…just get it over with, Sakura.
"Nii-san?" she murmured, focusing her thoughts on the mirror. "Touya?"
Slowly, waveringly, like her thoughts, the mirror went dark, then began to
ripple into focus once more. When the image was at last solid, she found
herself looking at the tired face of her older brother.
"Where are you?" he asked.
"Somewhere safe."
"How're Yuki and Eriol?"
"Still in Faerie. They're fine."
"What about Yuui?"
Sakura swallowed heavily, briefly turning to glance back at the bed where her
daughter lay. "It's happened. Just like Fai. She…she's so cold, Nii-san. She
won't wake. But…it isn't just her. Tomoyo-chan's gone, too."
Touya's eyes widened. "How? What happened?"
"She tried to save Yuui herself…by following her. They think that Yuuko…may
have trapped her in a nightmare somehow."
The former king bowed his head for a long moment, looking contemplative. "They
can get her back, right?"
Sakura shook her head. "I don't know." Beginning to feel herself overcome, she
placed her hands over her mouth, trembling slightly. "Where…where…?" she tried
to ask.
"The old dungeons," he responded with a look of pity. "It's the only place big
enough…to keep all of the dead. I had the mirror set up…because I thought you
might want to see."
"How…how is…the city?" she asked, struggling to get the words out.
"We have respite for the moment," he said softly. "There should be time for
proper funerals."
"Is…is he…is my…the king…"
Touya said nothing. He only moved to the side to allow his sister to see into
the room behind him.
It was a fairly large jail cell. Back in the old days, it would have been able
to hold at least ten prisoners. Valeria had had little use for its dungeons and
prisons in recent years…so now the dungeons of Cephiro had become an impromptu
morgue.
He was laid out on a cot that had been draped with white silk. His body had
been cleaned of blood and dressed in simple robes of green linen. His hands
were folded over the right side of his chest in the pose of the dead, ready to
offer himself to the Lord and Lady. At the very least, his face was free of
pain and strife. He was at peace. He might have almost been asleep - like their
babies. If only…if only it could be so easy…to just pass through the mirror and
awaken him with a kiss…
But he won't be there when they wake. We'll never be all together as a
family…like we used to dream. You won't ever know your son…or your
granddaughter. Why? Why now , Syaoran?! I need you so much! Why did you have to
leave me now ?! You were supposed to be here!
"Syaoran! Syaoran!" she cried helplessly, over and over again, her body wracked
with sobs of anguish. She wanted so badly to go to him, but she knew that if
she went to his side now, she would never leave it. She would die with him, and
she knew she was still needed here.
Throughout all of this, Touya looked on in silence. There was nothing he could
say.
                                      XxX
"Souma and Subaru just returned," Doumeki reported as he walked back into
Himawari's room. Watanuki was sitting on the end of the bed with his chin in
his hands.
"Did they find him?"
"No. I don't think they really expected to. Celes is unpredictable. If Kurogane
truly doesn't want to be found, then he won't be. He'll come back when he's
ready. He has no ill intent. The forest will protect him until then. I think
the two of them just wanted to feel like they were accomplishing something."
"We're all feeling pretty useless right now," the nature sprite bemoaned as
Doumeki sat down beside him. "Couldn't even keep Tomoyo safe inside our own
kingdom."
"We can't blame ourselves for this," Doumeki said, keeping his voice low as he
placed a hand on Watanuki's knee. "Dreams…Tomoyo has that kind of power. She
was desperate. She would have done it no matter what. Any of us would have done
the same."
"I guess," Watanuki said sadly, turning his gaze down to the smooth wooden
floor beneath his feet. Outwardly, he made no reaction to Doumeki's hand on his
knee. Inwardly, his already confused, despairing thoughts only became more
jumbled. For several long moments, the two of them sat in silence, neither one
quite ready to break the silence that had been between them for the past
eighteen hundred years. Watanuki was the one to finally speak.
"Doumeki…why did you kiss me?"
Watanuki winced briefly when he felt the weather spirit's grip on his knee
tighten slightly. His own hands gripped the blanket beneath him, turning white
as he waited in anxious silence.
"Look at me."
"Why?"
"Because I want to see your face."
Another agonizing silence followed the request, but Watanuki eventually
complied, slowly turning to look into the assassin's eyes. As usual, his
expression was stoic, but there was something…more in his eyes tonight.
Loss…acceptance…longing…need… love? Whatever this new thing was, it was roiling
so fiercely in his eyes that the confused nature spirit could hardly pin it
down.
"I didn't kiss you any less than you kissed me. We kissed…and you know the
answer to that question."
"Then…why?" he asked again, feeling his chest tighten unbearably.
Doumeki reached out and placed his free hand on Watanuki's cheek, gently
stroking the soft skin. "Do I need a reason? I knew you were different from
everyone else from the very first moment I saw you."
"But how can you be so sure?" Watanuki asked, his voice breaking. His eyes were
starting to itch again.
"I'm not wrong," the taller faerie replied with absolute conviction. "I knew it
was you before I even knew what it was. If I learned anything from my father,
it was to trust your instincts. I know you'll be the one."
Watanuki shook his head. "You're not answering the question. Why me?"
"Because it's cute how flustered you get over the tiniest things. Because that
flowery scent of yours reminds me of spring rain. Because it hurts to see you
crying. Because you were the first person who had the spine to hit me. Because
your eyes are like the sky just before the dawn breaks. I have thousands. Do
you need to hear more?"
"I only have one blue eye now," Watanuki reminded him.
"That isn't the point," he countered.
Again, Watanuki looked down, staring directly at the hand on his knee. "You
haven't said it yet," he whispered in a tone so soft no mortal ear could have
heard it. "I want to hear you say it."
Gently, Doumeki slid his hand from Watanuki's cheek down to grasp his chin,
slowly drawing his face up to look him in the eyes. He could hear the sound of
the smaller faerie's breath trembling in the utter silence they were cocooned
in.
"Kimihiro Watanuki…I love you. I've always loved you. I want you with me
forever."
Watanuki laughed bitterly as several tears escaped his mismatched eyes. "You
make it sound so easy. Can we really just…out with it…and expect everything to
turn out all right?"
"Even if it doesn't turn out all right…at least, at the end of everything,
we'll be able to say that we have this," he consoled, reaching up to wipe the
tears from Watanuki's face. For the first time since knowing him, Watanuki
suddenly heard uncertainty in Doumeki's voice. "You…haven't said it either."
As he gazed into Doumeki's eyes, the enormity of the situation suddenly
descended upon Watanuki. In this moment, for all his stoicism, the hardened
assassin was his to make or break. Shizuka Doumeki had finally spoken the words
that had been suspended between them for so long. What would his answer be?
"Shizuka," he whispered, using the other's name for the first time since he had
pulled him back from the grave. He raised his own hand and laid it on top of
the hand that gripped his knee. "My heart belongs to you. I…I love you…but
don't expect me to say it every minute of everyday," he couldn't quite resist
adding as a few more tears trickled down his face. He'd been terrified of
admitting these feelings to himself for so long…it almost felt like he was
giving in to Doumeki…and something about that would always irk him.
Doumeki just shook his head as he drew Watanuki closer, an almost-smile
lighting his shadowed features. "Wouldn't have it any other way." As he
whispered the words, he closed the infinitesimal distance between them,
pressing his lips to Watanuki's once more. At first, the kiss was soft and
chaste, a gentle sharing of tenderness, but a few more moments of the intimate
contact made it firmer…more demanding…passionate…
As Doumeki laid Watanuki down on the bed, he kissed the tears away from his
face, slowly starting to remove his tunic.
"Wait," Watanuki murmured, pressing a hand against Doumeki's chest to slow him
down. "Can…can we really be doing this right now?"
"You don't want to?"
"No, I…I want to. I want to be with you. It's just…right now? What if we're
needed?"
"I've spoken to Kamui. He and Fuuma only had one night together before it
happened. I guess…what I'm trying to say is that we can't know what's going to
happen tomorrow. If the sun sets tomorrow night and…one of us isn't here
anymore-"
"Don't say that!" Watanuki hissed, shoving Doumeki back. "Don't. Just don't.
We've lost too much already. If I lose you-"
"You know it could happen," Doumeki shot back, grabbing the shorter faerie's
shoulders and pinning him to the bed. "No one is invincible. Our time is
limited. We're just bricks in the wall that separates Yuui and her daughter
from Yuuko and Seishiro. If the worst should happen-"
"No," the nature spirit whispered as more tears squeezed their way out of his
eyes. "Please…don't…"
"If it does…I don't want either of us to have any regrets. I don't want to
regret not showing you what you are to me…if one of us doesn't make it through
to the morning."
For a long while, Watanuki lay beneath the weather spirit, trembling and crying
softly. There were so many things he had wanted to say to Himawari. What would
it feel like if Doumeki left him, too? What would he do if he were forced to
wake every morning for the rest of his life knowing he had never shared this
moment with Doumeki? He couldn't bear it. When he finally felt he was ready, he
swallowed hard and looked up into Doumeki's eyes once more. "I don't want that,
either. I'm ready now. Take me."
Doumeki was only too happy to obey. First, he went about kissing every single
tear away from Watanuki's face, leaving him fresh and clean. Then he slowly
stripped him of his clothing, leaving him completely open. Once he had removed
his own clothing, he took a long moment to just take in the sight of Watanuki
beneath him - ready for him. Goddess and Consort, how long had he dreamed of
this moment?
"What?" Watanuki finally sniped, unable to bear the archer's silent stare any
longer. A light blush spread across his face as he slid his eyes away from
Doumeki, who chuckled when he saw the display.
"Even at a time like this," he began, reaching down to stroke the most
sensitive part of his lover's anatomy, "you can't relax?"
Watanuki shuddered in pleasure at the sensation, tossing his head lightly from
side to side as he moaned, bucking up slightly against Doumeki's skilled hand.
They had barely begun and he was already embarrassed by the strange new sounds
that Doumeki could cause to trickle from his lips.
"How does it feel?" the taller faerie asked, loosely pumping the hardening
shaft and running his thumb in circles around the very tip of it, already
swollen red.
"Feels…good…" he moaned, already half-gone with pleasure. If Doumeki could do
this to him with a few simple touches, the climax would be nothing short of
earth shattering.
The pair wasted no words as they went about uniting. They blended so seamlessly
together, one would have thought they were meant to be one, that they had
always been one. As they glowed in each other's arms, one green and one silver,
their complementing scents filled the air, inundating the cottage with the
scents of newborn flowers and a mix of rain and lightning.
For someone who carried the power of the lightning in his hands, Doumeki was as
gentle and loving as a light spring shower. In his arms, Watanuki knew no pain,
and afterward, when he slept there, the two of them knew the first real peace
they had experienced since the loss of their son.
"No more regrets," Doumeki whispered in his sleeping lover's ear as he ran his
fingers through his dark hair. He knew he wouldn't sleep tonight. He had waited
so long; he didn't want to miss a moment of this. He would hold his Kimihiro
close to him for as long as he was able. Gently, he pressed a kiss to the
younger sprite's forehead.
"I love you…Kimihiro."
                                      XxX
Battle. She's surrounded by battle. Perhaps…she never left it? Maybe the
fight's still happening? Maybe none of it happened? Maybe…her father is still
alive…and Himawari hadn't…sacrificed her own life? Maybe…?
"Kaa-san?" she mumbles weakly as she looks around. Blood and magic fill the
air; and through this haze, she begins to realize that it isn't the same
battle. The land is different. The Oni are still the enemy, but their opponents
are different. Fey…only fey…not a human in sight.
Just when Yuui feels ready to collapse and bury her head in the sand, she hears
a voice. Not just any voice, but a beautiful, enchanting voice filled with
light, warmth, and healing.
Leaves from the vine,
Falling so slow,
Like fragile, tiny shells
Drifting in the foam.
Little soldier boy
Come marching home.
Brave soldier boy
Comes marching home.
Turning about to find the source of the voice, the princess lays eyes on a
young faerie with the same shockingly white hair as Karura…and she's enclosed
in a barrier with none other than Karura herself. Could it be…her sister?
Karyoubinga?
Yuui swallows hard, clutching her own arms in horror as a dreadful revelation
is born in her heart. If this is truly Lady Karyoubinga Garuda…then she already
knows what moment she is witnessing.
Her fears are confirmed when she sees Yuuko approaching the shield, accompanied
by a male faerie she's never seen before. Karura is aware of them almost
instantly, channeling more of her strength into maintaining the barrier.
Karyoubinga notices as well, but she continues to sing her song, knowing it is
needed.
Yuuko smiles her typical, not-quite-sane smile as she reveals the weapon she
wields - none other than Assassin's Hand. Karura draws her own sword, wincing
as Yuuko easily shatters her wards with the dark blade. Rather than engage the
Garuda master, Yuuko stands back and lets her wingman do it. The new faerie
springs into action, wielding his own dark sword. He moves about Karura,
lashing out at her in bursts of inhuman speed and power. Yuuko just stands
back, smirking languidly. She knows she can take her time.
"Karyou!" Karura shouts to her sister from the heat of her battle. "Get away!
Get out of here!"
Yuuko's eyes flash almost simultaneously with Karura's command. Before
Karyoubinga has even a moment to contemplate obeying her sister or not, Yuuko
is upon her, thrusting her son's sword into the young woman's heart.
"KARYOU!" Karura screams as her sister coughs up a small stream of blood and
slips awkwardly off the end of the blade.
Yuuko backs away as Karura runs from her attacker to Karyoubinga's fallen form.
Her assailant does not pursue her. He simply falls back to Yuuko's side. The
Dark Queen watches with a sad smile as the distraught noble gathers her sister
in her arms.
"That one is much too young. Tell him to yield," she orders Karura before
disappearing back into the battle with her captain.
Karura barely hears the command. All of her will is focused on keeping herself
together as her baby sister dies in her arms.
"B-big…sister?"
"Karyou…Karyou…please don't die, Karyou," the mighty storm mistress cries
desperately.
"I…I'm…sorry," Karyoubinga murmurs weakly as blood continues to stream from her
mouth. Then a final shudder runs through her body and she dies.
For a moment, Karura can only stare at the lifeless corpse she holds. Then, as
she pulls her sister's body closer against her chest, the fragile young faerie
fades away into nothing. Yuui can see her sanity fading as the clan master
gazes uncomprehendingly at her empty hands. It's the same look she's seen in
Kurogane's eyes so often since that horrible moment in the tower.
"AAAAAAAAGGHHH!" Karura shrieks as she throws her face to the heavens, raking
her fingers across her chest and biting deep into the flesh, drawing blood. As
her unearthly screams fill the air, her rampant power summons storm clouds to
the field of battle, calling down rain and lightning. The vision slowly fades
into the storm as the other combatants turn toward Karura's display of
boundless grief.
"Poor Karura-san," Yuui murmurs as the darkness envelopes her. She can
certainly forgive the clan master for thinking she isn't strong enough to help
avenge this terrible wrong. But…is that truly what happened? She's never seen
the past in her dreams. Is it her seer's gift…or the nightmares that have
plagued her since Fai was taken away?
When the darkness twines itself into a new vision, Yuui finds herself in a
completely different place…a darkened corridor…perhaps the sithen? It certainly
isn't anywhere in the mortal world. The occupants of this vision are all fey,
though she only knows one of them by name. A younger Kamui Shiro stands beside
an unfamiliar man, both with swords drawn, menacing another faerie who stands
at a door that leads out of the corridor. Upon closer inspection, Yuui realizes
it's the faerie she saw at Karyoubinga's death - the dark one who fought
against Karura to keep her distracted.
"You shouldn't be here," the faerie with Kamui says softly, neither advancing
nor retreating.
"Youknowit isn't a question of whether or not I should be here, Kazuhiko," the
dark faerie spits. "What youshouldbe saying is that Ican'tbe here. How, oh how,
am I here…when all of those who chose to serve the Dark Court were banished
from Faerie? Well, I'm here because Tohruwantsme to be here. That's how I could
enter this place."
"Akuma, don't hurt them!" a female voice calls from beyond the door. "I'll give
you what you came here for. Just leave them be!"
"Giveme? Heh, you're in there begging for it right now. If anyone's giving
anything tonight, it's me," the one called Akuma replies, sneering.
"You're clearly out of your mind. Do you really want Tohru to see you this way?
You should leave," the one called Kazuhiko tells Akuma.
"She never loved you, you know," the dark faerie whispers, leaning casually
against the door. "Why she married you is beyond me.I'mthe one she's always
loved."
"I know that," Kazuhiko replies calmly. "It was not a marriage of love for
either of us."
"Father, what are you saying?!" Kamui asks in a shocked voice, turning his
attention to his father.
"Youknew?! If you knew…then why did you take her away from me?!" Akuma hisses
dangerously as he draws his own sword, moving menacingly toward his rival.
"Because I had already lost the one I loved…and Tohru told me that it had to be
so."
"Had to be so? Well…you'll pay for your little 'had to be so'…pay with your
life!"
"Akuma! Stop! Don't do this!" Tohru's voice calls desperately. Yuui feels magic
attempt an assault on the sealed door.
"Don't come out here, Mother!" Kamui insists, battling against his mother's
power to keep the seal on the door. "We'll take care of this madman."
"Kamui, don't interfere," Kazuhiko orders, calm as ever. Kamui looks ready to
argue, but seems to decide against it. He trusts his father's abilities.
The duel doesn't last very long. Kazuhiko doesn't even seem to fight very hard.
Almost before Yuui realizes what she's witnessed, Kazuhiko is on his knees with
Akuma's sword in his chest
"Father!" Kamui shouts, rushing forward. Without even glancing at him, Akuma
throws a blast of dark magic at the young Shiro. The black energy easily seizes
him and pins him to the wall. No matter how he struggles, he cannot break free
of Akuma's power.
"Don't worry about your wife, Kazuhiko. She won't be lonely after you're
gone.I'llkeep her company tonight."
Kazuhiko makes no response. He only smiles sadly. Yuui doesn't know that she's
ever seen despair and relief combined so seamlessly in one expression. However,
the very next moment, that ambiguous expression is gone, as Akuma has withdrawn
his blade from Kazuhiko's chest and beheaded him.
Kamui can't quite believe his father is dead until the headless corpse and its
accompanying head vanish into the night air. His shouts of rage and anguish
fill the corridor as he struggles all the harder against the spell that binds
him.
"It's no use, boy. There's no one that can help you now," Akuma taunts, drawing
a cord from the mass of dark energy that holds Kamui prisoner and pulling the
younger faerie right up against his own body.
"Akuma! Akuma, why?! He was no threat to you at all!" Tohru's voice continues
to call from beyond the sealed door, now riddled with sorrow.
Instead of answering, Akuma places his free hand on the door and begins to undo
the spells that seal it. When the door finally swings open, Akuma is facing a
fey woman that Yuui's never seen, but whom she can only assume is Lady Tohru
Shiro - Subaru and Kamui's mother.
"It was never about whether or not he was a threat to me. Iknewyou never loved
Kazuhiko Fay-Ryuu," he explains as he forces his way into the room, dragging
Kamui behind him. "It was about him touching what was mine."
"And youwonderwhy she chose my father over you?!" Kamui snarls.
"Be silent, little fool," Akuma hisses, quieting Kamui by calling up another
strand of darkness. The new rope snakes its way up Kamui's neck and forces its
way into his mouth. "This doesn't involve you."
"Are you going to kill my son, as well?" Tohru asks calmly. "He is the ultimate
proof that Kazuhiko touched me."
"No, Tohru. I wouldn't do that to you. He doesn't need to die," Akuma says,
turning and resealing the door. Then he uses the dark energy imprisoning Kamui
to bind him to the wall once more…and, once more, he struggles.
"What do you want?" Tohru asks.
"I want him to watch," the dark faerie replies as he moves toward Tohru, gently
taking her into his arms. "I wantsomeoneto know the truth." Then he presses a
kiss to Tohru's unresisting lips. This makes Kamui struggle all the harder.
"I wouldn't struggle if I were you," Akuma warns, turning his attention away
from Tohru. "The more you fight, the more that dark energy will crawl inside of
you."
Almost instantly, Kamui's eyes go wide and an odd, strangled sound escapes his
throat.
"Don't hurt him," Tohru orders softly.
"You don't fight. Did this 'have to be so', as well?"
"Nothinghasto be so, my Akuma. It's that things must be this way so that
something even worse won't happen."
"Worse? How could it have been worse?! Everything I've done, I've done for you.
Why would it have been worse if you had chosen a life with me?"
"I wish youhadn'tdone it. I love you no matter what you look like…but Akuma…do
you truly like yourself this way?" she asks as Akuma pulls her into his arms
once again.
"It doesn't matter," he whispers in her ear. "Like you, I know a few things
about what must be so. Just let me have this one night."
"Yes…I'm ready," she murmurs breathlessly as Akuma carries her over to her bed.
As the dark faerie slowly undresses her, Tohru keeps complete eye contact with
her son.
I'm sorry…I wish you didn't have to see this…but this is also the truth that I
want you to remember after we're gone.
With that, Tohru Shiro and Akuma Satani begin to make love. Even this, Kamui
might have been able to endure, but the worst shock is still to come. As the
two clan masters draw closer and closer to their release, their skin begins to
glow in harmony, twining together perfectly - just the way they were meant to.
This is the moment that finally breaks Kamui. He turns away just before the
glow reaches its height, unable to bear watching his mother climax with the man
who's just killed his father.
So…this is it. The events that led to Subaru-san's birth…the secret pain that
Kamui-san has carried with him all these years…they were all the results of a
love that couldn't be acknowledged. They all claim it was rape. Subaru-san has
always been told that it was rape. Kamui-san can't let himself believe that it
was anything else…after what he witnessed in that room…but…was it really rape?
Did Tohru-sama really love Akuma? Is it possible that…the glow of skin can be
wrong?
                                      XxX
"Why are you crying?"
Tomoyo looks up to find herself staring at…herself…if not a few years younger.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Princess Tomoyo," her mirror image responds.
"But…you're notme, either…right?"
"Not exactly, no," she says with a smile.
"Another me…like Kakei-san said?"
"Yes. I'm you from a different world."
"Then…you're a dreamseer, too?"
The other Tomoyo smiles sadly as she sits down beside her. "For the moment…and
the dream has brought us together for some reason. You didn't answer my first
question."
Tomoyo bows her head in shame at this. "I failed my love."
"Show me," the other her says gently, taking her hands in hers. Tomoyo nods,
allowing her own memories to flow into her younger twin. She gives her
everything. Their days in the forest…their brothers…the moments of their first
love…Yuui's baby…their engagement…and finally…losing her to the darkness.
"So this Yuui-san is…Queen Sakura's daughter?"
"Yes."
"I had a Sakura-chan that I loved…but she died when we were both very young."
"I'm sorry," Tomoyo consoles. She doesn't even want to imagine how she would
feel if Yuui were to truly die.
"It's all right. Everyone dies. I'll be with her again someday. But…you…this
Seishiro, the one keeping you here…Is he a dreamseer? Can he see you now?"
Tomoyo shakes her head. "I don't know. He's done…many horrible things in
dreams."
"But apart from this nightmare…have you ever actually seen Seishiro in your
dreams?"
"No, I-" Tomoyo stops quite suddenly. She's thought of that before. She has
seen many of the other fey in her dreams of the future. Seishiro, on the other
hand…the one who's hurt them the most…the one who's caused the most
suffering…she's never once beheld him in her dreams untilhecame toher. She has
never been able to see what he'll do until he's actually doing it. Could it be
that…shecan'tsee him in her dreams? "But…if Ican'tsee him, then…is it a dream
he has me trapped in?" she wonders aloud.
"He called it a Hand of Illusion, didn't he? Perhaps it is just that…an
illusion. I don't think we would be able to meet like this if he could keep you
imprisoned in a dream. You're dreamingnow."
"But I can wake up from a dream. I don't know how to wake up from an illusion.
I don't think I can leave until he decides to let me go."
"He will. From what I understand, he has to remain inside the illusion himself
in order to keep you imprisoned. He can't possibly stay there forever."
Tomoyo nodded. "Yes. You're right. Thank you…Tomoyo-chan."
The other princess giggles. "You're welcome, Tomoyo-chan. One thing, though.
Could I ask something of you?"
"Anything."
"Could you please make sure your brother finds happiness in your world?
Kurogane has fought so hard across so many different lives. He deserves to be
happy with his soul mate in at least one of them. He's as dear as a brother to
me in my own world, and I can guarantee that he can be with the one he
loves…but I cannot guarantee they will have a happy ending. Once…just once…I
want for Kurogane and Fai-san to find happiness."
"I'll do my best."
"Oh, and if you ever happen to see them, tell them I'm thinking of them."
Chapter End Notes
     Lullaby for this chapter is "Little Soldier Boy" from Avatar: the
     Last Airbender.
***** Visions *****
When one considered the fact that right up until his night with Kamui prior to
his transformation, Fuuma had been one of the most eligible bachelors in all of
Faerie, it truly was unfortunate that the only witness to his approach to
Spirit Lake was a semi-conscious Seishiro.
Himawari's attack had completely destroyed all of his clothing…had almost taken
him along, as well. As he approached the shore of the lake, naked as the day he
was born, the only thing he carried was Assassin's Hand, still stained with
Syaoran's blood.
Remaining silent, he laid the dark sword down beside Seishiro as he sat beside
him. The Dark Prince was sitting cross-legged in the surf, hands resting on his
knees and eye half-closed, as if he were in a trance. Fuuma knew his orders. He
was to deliver Assassin's Hand to Seishiro, then report to Yuuko in his stead.
Of course, he didn't think anyone would mind if he took a small moment to rest
before continuing back to the Dark Court. While it hadn't managed to destroy
him, Himawari's dying spell had severely taxed his strength. Surely a night of
rest won't go amiss, he thought as he lay down to sleep, secure in his
knowledge that the powerful of Faerie would be too caught up in the recent
tragedies to worry about them for one night. Either way, Seishiro wouldn't be
here for much longer. He didn't need to keep Tomoyo prisoner in his illusion
for long…
…just long enough.
                                      XxX
Anger…hurt…confusion…denial…pain. He's never felt a pain like this one in all
his life. Anger and jealousy roil fiercely in his stomach, making him feel like
he might be sick. Where his heart should be, there is only pain…as if someone
had shoved a flaming blade right through it.
Betrayal.
"Why now?" the source of his agony asks. "Why did you come now?"
"Because you called for me. I was trying to find you," he answers, barely able
to contain his own rage.
"Well, you're too late…fartoo late. If you'd come sooner, it wouldn't have
happened," Fai cries. "God, I didn't want you to see me like this!"
"Well, Iamseeing you like this. God, Fai, it's like I don't even know you," he
says angrily, gesturing wildly at the bump that protrudes from his fiancée's
stomach. He had wanted so much for a miracle…but that miracle is not his. It
seems that…they were not meant to be after all. "Isthiswhat gets you hot?
Having an affair with the man whorapedyou? He's your Goddamnuncle, Fai! It's
disgusting!"
"I know."
I know? I know? I fucking know? That's all he can say?! Doesn't Fai understand
how much he's hurt him? So much pain…so much rage and jealousy…he honestly
feels like he could die right now. "I loved you…and you betrayed me…with him ."
"No! It's notlikethat. I didn'tmeanto. It just…happened. I don't know why. I
never wanted this. I could never betray you. I loveyou, Kurogane," Fai insists
as he moves toward him, trying to embrace him.
Kurogane can't take it anymore. He shoves Fai away, resisting the urge to help
him as he falls to the ground. "Don't bother lying to me, Fai. I can't even
hear you. That thing inside you is screaming louder than any words you could
ever say."
"Kuro-koi…please…hold me, kiss me…make love to me like you used to. Take me in
your arms and tell me that it's going to be all right. Please…forgive me!"
"No." How can heeverforgive him? What could possibly make him forget this hurt?
"Please!" Fai begs desperately. Kurogane just shakes his head. He reallywantsto
take Fai back, but something in him won't let him. Agony? Hate? Anger?
Jealousy? He doesn't know…and he never will. All he really wants right now is
toendit. He doesn't want to live past this hurt. He wants for the two of them
to die together.
"We're finished, Fai. It's over. There's nothing left to fight for anymore.
Just go back to him.He'sthe one you really want," he says, bringing all of his
anger and jealousy to bear on Fai…to prevent himself from breaking down and
crying until he's empty.
"Don't…don't say that!" his former lover sobs brokenly. "Don't look at me like
I'mnothingto you! You're the only reason I'malive, Kurogane!"
"Then you're dead," Kurogane says plainly as he draws Ginryuu, "because
youarenothing to me." His entire world becomes Fai's scream of agony as he
plunges the blade into his stomach, spraying blood everywhere…Fai's blood…
It was his own cry of denial that woke Kurogane from the nightmare. He shot
bolt upright in Fai's bed, fingers raking desperately at his face and arms in a
vain effort to cleanse himself of Fai's blood.
He vaguely heard people calling his name and he felt arms around him, but he
couldn't reconcile them in his mind. His only thought was that he absolutely
had to get the blood off. He couldn't be stained with Fai's blood. He just
couldn't be!
It wasn't until he was bodily pinned to the bed and he could no longer scrape
at his skin that he realized it wasn't Fai's blood he was covered in; it was
his own. He had torn deep gashes in his own flesh in order to rid himself of
the memory of Fai's hot blood splashing onto his skin. It had taken Sai,
Watanuki, Doumeki, and Subaru all working together to hold him down and keep
him from hurting himself any further.
"Oh, Kurogane…what have you done to yourself?" Souma cried softly as she
surveyed the bloody furrows her friend had dug into his own skin.
"Are you here, Kurogane?" Doumeki asked calmly once Kurogane had stopped
struggling. The young man nodded, barely feeling the pain of his self-inflicted
wounds.
"Yes."
"We're going to let go of you now. Will you promise me you won't hurt yourself
anymore?"
This acknowledgment was a little slower in coming, but Kurogane finally nodded.
"Yes."
Slowly, the four faeries holding him down withdrew. Subaru hovered near, ready
to start healing his wounds, but Kurogane held up a hand to stop him, groaning
in pain as he sat up.
"We need to take care of those," Subaru said sternly. "If we don't, you're
liable to bleed to death. Never mind infection."
Kurogane shook his head, reaching behind his ear.
"He only needs a minute," Souma clarified, knowing what he was doing.
Kurogane plucked the rose from its place, drawing it to his face to make
absolutely certain it was safe. When the delicate bloom presented itself to
him, healthy and whole, he breathed a sigh of relief and kissed one of the
petals, holding it close to his face to breathe in the scent.
"Can I continue?" Subaru asked uncertainly. Kurogane just nodded. Subaru
quickly went about sealing up the deep tears in the young man's skin, which
were shockingly numerous for how little time had lapsed between his horrified
cry and this moment. As he worked, Watanuki moved in to clean up the
bloodstains.
"What happened?" Souma finally asked.
"I…I killed him," Kurogane whispered, staring helplessly at the rose. "I killed
him with my own two hands."
"But you wouldn't do that," Souma tried to console him, sitting down beside him
as Watanuki and Subaru finished their work. "You would never do that."
"Really?"
"When did he come back?" Sakura asked Sai as the others tried to give Souma and
Kurogane some space.
"A few hours ago. He said he wanted to see his sisters, so I let him in. You
were sleeping in front of the mirror. He fell asleep on Fai-sama's bed. I know
he doesn't like sleeping…but I just couldn't wake him. He looked half-dead,"
Sai explained sadly.
"It's all right. Any of us would've done the same. He'll never admit that he
needs to sleep," Sakura murmured, the worry of a mother in her voice.
"Hello?" another voice suddenly echoed in the dimly lit room. Everyone
stiffened upon recognizing the speaker. "Hello? Would someone mind unblanking
this mirror? I have a message for the false queen and her rabble."
Sakura moved to stand near Souma and Kurogane and Souma made certain that
Kurogane remained seated as the faeries all moved to stand in front of Fai's
bed to conceal them.
"Don't pretend you don't know that you can't speak to Yuui," Watanuki said
angrily as he unblanked the mirror, allowing Kyle Rondart's image to appear on
the glass.
"Oh, dear. Has the little princess finally gone to sleep? Sweet dreams, darling
Yuui-chan," he sneered.
"Be quiet!" Kurogane snarled.
"Why, Watanuki," Kyle began, completely ignoring Kurogane's outburst, "is there
any particular reason why you're dressed in nothing but a sheet?"
Too angry to be embarrassed, Watanuki just glared. "I don't see how it's any of
your business."
"It isn't, but the answer is Doumeki standing there in absolutely nothing,"
Kyle said, appreciatively eyeing Doumeki's well-displayed figure. Watanuki
growled low in his throat, an unusual sound to hear from the nature spirit…but
Doumeki did not even flinch, not even when Kyle continued with, "I shall have
to have a taste of that when Faerie belongs to us."
That was too much for Watanuki. "If you touch him, I'll-"
"What do you want, Kyle?" Kakei quickly interrupted.
"As I said, to deliver a message to the renegade queen and her consort."
"Stop playing games!" Kurogane shouted, attempting to jump up from the bed.
Souma managed to keep a hold of him, though, and the line of faeries remained
in place, still concealing them from view.
"Oh? Are you back there, Kurogane-kun? Excellent. It will make the message that
much easier to deliver. You see, as emperor of Nihon, I was going to-"
"You are not emperor of Nihon!" the young man shouted, finally succeeding in
throwing Souma off of him. Sakura caught her before she could fall off the bed.
"Why don't you come around to the front so we can talk better? It's rather hard
to see you behind your little gaggle of protectors," Kyle chided mockingly.
Kurogane wasted no time in coming around to the front, seething in anger. "What
do you want?!"
"As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, I was going to tell Yuui-
chan and Tomoyo-chan to hand you over. Now I'll just ask you to turn yourself
in. The sentence of banishment has become one of execution."
"What happens if I don't turn myself in?"
"Then your high priest, Chang Ang, will die…and for each day that you do not
submit, more of Nihon's people will die."
Kurogane stiffened in shock upon hearing the ultimatum. Prince or no, he still
had an obligation to his people.
"Think of it this way," Kyle continued when Kurogane remained silent. "If you
come to me by the stroke of midnight tonight…alone…I will tell you where you
can find your precious Fai-kun. That's a fair trade, isn't it? Just remember
that you only have until midnight."
"You can't go, Kurogane," Souma insisted the moment Kyle's visage had
disappeared from the mirror. "It's a trap. You'll never make it out alive!"
"Of course it's a trap," he muttered, staring angrily at the mirror. "He means
to kill me. He thinks he can get me into his web by tempting me with a way to
find Fai, but he's just going to kill me." His logic appeared infallible. He
seemed to be perfectly in control of himself and to see right through Kyle's
trap. The only problem was that the trap was working. Kurogane was perfectly
aware he was being lead around like a horse on a lead rope, but he didn't care.
If he could find out where Fai was, it would be worth the risk. Now that he had
Ginryuu and the power of fire on his side, he might be able to get the
information he wanted and still manage to escape alive. Besides, much as he
disliked Chang Ang, he couldn't let him or anyone else die for his mistakes.
"Kurogane-kun, I know that look," Sakura suddenly stepped into the
conversation, utilizing an imperious tone that was very unnatural on her
tongue. "Don't think for one minute that we're going to let you go off and get
yourself killed. We'll find another way."
"I don't mean to die. I'll get that pompous old windbag out…and I'll save Fai.
Don't tell me you don't want that."
"This isn't the way. We have enough magic in our hands to be able to find Fai
when the time is right."
"It's still not as good as an exact location."
"You really think he'll tell you?" Doumeki asked calmly. "Why would he give you
the information if you're already caught in his trap?"
"He'll give it to me. I'll make him."
"You can't possibly think this is going to make anything better," Watanuki
reprimanded him. "Nothing short of destroying Kyle will stop him from killing
your people."
"Well…maybe I can do that, too," the fallen prince responded, a shade of his
former confidence showing through.
"He will kill you," Sakura said sternly, her face a mask of pain and anger.
"Too many have died already. Himawari-san and Syaoran both gave their lives. I
won't see you die, too. If you die…then Fai dies, as well. Think on that before
you go making reckless plans."
That silenced Kurogane fast as lightning. Sakura had seen this happen
before…the moments when the fraying threads that held the prince together
seemed to snap all at once…when his face became a mask of pain, confusion,
despair, and anger. She felt such guilt at being the cause of it, but she knew
she had to contain him until they could come up with a plan. Souma came to lead
Kurogane back to Fai's bed as the talking began in earnest.
"The sun is only just rising," Subaru noted as he glanced out the window. "We
only have until midnight tonight. What can we do?"
"Could one of us go…disguised as Kurogane-san?" Watanuki suggested.
"Oh, yes, because Kyle wouldn't see right through that," Kamui said snidely,
rolling his eyes.
"Have you got something better?" Doumeki shot back.
"We have to do something," Sakura insisted, closing the curtains of Fai's bed
around Souma and Kurogane. "We can't just let him walk to his death!"
"Why not?" Kujaku asked, speaking for the first time since arriving and
shocking everyone.
"How can you say that?" Sakura asked softly, not quite certain what to make of
the faerie.
"I can say it because that kid'll go no matter what you do. The only way to
stop him would be to kill him…or do the exact same thing that Yuuko did. It's
not a question of whether or not he's going. The only question is how are you
going to protect him when he does go?"
"M-Mokona can help," a shy voice suddenly came from behind the curtains of
Yuui's bed. The next moment, Soel hopped onto the floor. "Mokona can't be held
by normal magic. Mokona can get through wards."
"It's very brave of you to offer, Soel," Sai said as she went to pick up the
white Mokona. "But I don't think we can count on it working a second time. We
were lucky the first time. These past months…Kyle will have been preparing to
defend such a hole in his fortress."
"Maybe not," Kakei said thoughtfully. "Clow knew what he was doing when he
created the Mokona. He will not have made their own brand of magic so easy to
poke holes through. With only Kurogane-san and Soel-chan…we just might be able
to pull this off."
"You want the two of them to walk into this death trap…alone?" Sakura demanded
fiercely.
"It's what Kyle wanted. It's the only way to get Kurogane-san inside the city
with any prayer of escape."
"I still don't like it. I think Himawari-san would have agreed with me," the
queen continued to argue, glancing pleadingly at Doumeki and Watanuki.
As the debate continued, Soel hopped out of Sai's arms and over to Fai's bed,
slipping through the enchanted curtains. Kurogane was sitting up, leaning
heavily against the headboard. Souma was sitting in front of him with one hand
resting on his knee. Kurogane just stared straight ahead. He could hear the
conversation, but the argument meant very little to him. Kujaku was right. He
was going…no matter what they decided. The risk was worth it. He didn't fear
his own death…but the thought that it would be the cause of Fai's death sent a
small thrill of trepidation through his entire being.
Soel hopped into Kurogane's lap and nuzzled gently up against his stomach.
"Kurogane is sad," the tiny creature lamented. "Mokona knows that Kurogane
misses Fai…but why does Kurogane hurt so much?"
Kurogane visibly winced as washes of memory flooded through him. It had been a
little easier to bear back in Faerie because he had no memories tied to the
place…but here…there were so many memories in this room alone…memories both
tender and burning with passion…and some of pain and anger. After all, it was
in this very bed that Fai had suffered his most grievous pain…but also here
that Kurogane had held him close and made love to him so many times…where they
had whispered of their love and dreamed of their life together…
"I love you…Kuro-koibito."
But now there was only silence.
"Because I can't protect him," Kurogane finally answered, patting the tiny
guardian's head. "I promised him I would. I swore nothing would hurt him while
I was around…but I didn't keep that promise. I couldn't do anything to protect
him when he needed me the most…and now he's suffering…burning alone in the
darkness. That's what hurts…feeling his nightmares. I have to make them stop. I
have to get him back…no matter what."
Soel hopped up onto Kurogane's shoulder and nuzzled itself solemnly against his
cheek. "All right. Mokona will help."
"Good," Kurogane said softly before standing from the bed, pushing the curtains
aside, and announcing, "I'm going."
"What?! You can't go now!" Sakura objected. "You should at least have some food
and rest first."
"Oh, yes…because we've all seen what wonders sleephas worked for me," Kurogane
growled softly, looking the Valerian queen directly in the eye. "I'll eat if
you really want me to, but once that's done, I'm going. I'll take the fight to
Kyle this time."
                                      XxX
The sun was hanging low in the sky when Kurogane and Soel materialized within
sight of the gates of Shirasagi. The others had convinced him it would be wise
to wait and at least make it appear that they were deliberating.
Kurogane knew it was foolish, but part of him still wished it would be Saiki
and Sorata guarding the gates as they had a few short months ago. He wanted to
walk through those gates after a day in the forest with Fai and know he was
coming home. He wanted the city to be the same - the streets filled with the
cheerful, fast-paced hubbub of people going about their lives. However, he knew
that it couldn't be so. This place wasn't home anymore.
A figure cloaked in pure black waited at the gate. Before it could be spotted,
Soel quickly burrowed into the hood of Kurogane's cloak, keeping out of sight.
It's an Oni, Kakei's voice said calmly in his head. For some reason, Kyle is
wasting glamour giving it a human form.
While only Soel could actually be with him undetected, that didn't mean the
others needed to abandon him entirely. Being fey, they could speak to him in
thoughts and see the situation through his eyes, and while he couldn't speak
directly to them, they could easily read his own thoughts and respond to them.
"What is your business here?" the concealed demon asked in a voice that one
would almost expect to hear from a snake.
"I was summoned here…by Kyle," Kurogane responded through gritted teeth.
"If you wish an audience with His Majesty, then you will show the proper
respect for Nihon's sovereign. Use his proper title," the guard admonished.
If this bastard thinks for one minute that I'm going to-
Do as he says, Kurogane-san. Kyle is watching you right now, Kakei warned him.
He wants to see you debase yourself. He could just as easily have the Oni take
your head off right here. The protective charms we laid over you have already
lost their effectiveness this close to the city.
No way in Hell! I won't bow to him!
I'm not asking you to bow. Just use the words emperor and Kyle together in a
sentence. Is it that difficult?
Kurogane growled low in his throat as he stared at the dark faerie. Just
because he wasn't prince here anymore didn't mean that Kyle was emperor.
It's for Fai. It's for Fai. It's for Fai, he reminded himself over and over
again as he rephrased his earlier statement.
"I was summoned here by the emperor…Kyle."
"That's better. If you'll follow me, I will take you into His Majesty's
presence," the guard said, bowing wispily as it backed off to open the gate.
Even the air tasted different when Kurogane entered the city. The sad misery of
what his eyes, ears, and nose reported could almost go without saying. He had
been able to steel himself slightly against that…but this foul taste in the air
he had not been prepared for. What was it?
It is darkness. Doumeki was the one to respond this time. Dark magic…after a
time, the essence of the stuff will come to pollute a place. I'm certain it
will get stronger as you get closer to its source. It went without saying what
that source was.
In truth, Kurogane almost didn't recognize his own city. What he remembered as
open and light was now twisted and smothered. People who had been reasonably
well clothed and nourished were now dressed in threadbare rags and looked to be
practically starving. No one greeted their neighbors or friends. They seemed to
avoid eye contact at all cost. The eyes he did manage to catch were filled with
misery and mistrust. The fallen prince also noted with alarm that several shops
had been burned down. Some of the charred sites had notices posted on the
wreckage proclaiming that fey blood would not be tolerated. As they moved away
from the market and through the residential areas, he saw that several homes
had been vandalized…graffitied with the kanji for faerie. It was a crumbling
city on the verge of chaos.
Lady and Consort, what have they done? What have these monsters done to my
people?!
Nothing that cannot beundone, Subaru reminded him gently. Kylewantsyou to see
this. Hewantsyou to feel the rage. He means for you to completely lose control
when you confront him, but you must not. You must remember that all wounds can
heal if given time. Remember whom you are fighting for.
Kurogane nodded resolutely, steeling his nerves as he was led inside the
palace. He couldn't forget about Fai. The only way to stop all of this was to
defeat the Dark Court and rescue Fai.
If the city was swimming in dark magic, then the palace was very nearly
drowning in it. For the first few moments, the young man struggled to breathe,
coughing several times as he fought to keep pace with his guide. Other Oni in
the guise of men had fallen into step around them as they moved onward, closing
in around him.
Any weapons you might hold could not possibly hurt them, Kamui said in response
to Kurogane thinking that it was odd that no one had yet tried to strip him of
Ginryuu. What is a human child to them?
Then…if Kyle's not scared of me…why the huge escort?
No one had an answer for him as he was brought into the throne room. The air
was very nearly unbreathable here at the heart of the darkness. It wasn't
visible, but it was a tangible thing, nonetheless. Kyle was at the center,
lounging on the throne with a victorious sneer twisting his face.
"So…you came back after all."
"Couldn't stay away," Kurogane replied, his teeth still gritted.
"You do understand that this is the day you die, don't you?"
"I might surprise you." He had not broken eye contact with Kyle once since
entering the room.
"What do you think of my empire, Kurogane-kun?" Kyle asked as he rose from the
throne.
"Even if it were an empire…it's not yours," Kurogane spat rather calmly. "I
came, just like you asked. Now free Chang Ang and tell me where Fai is. I
didn't come here to chat."
Kyle shook his head as he snapped, summoning in two more poorly disguised Oni,
dragging something in between them. "I had so hoped we were past this whole
messy business. Here's the old man if you really want him that badly."
The old priest had been through hell. Kurogane could see that as the old man
was tossed at his feet. His once fine robes had been worn to rags in his time
of imprisonment. Where he had been skinny and slightly weathered before, he was
now sallow and skeletal. Several wounds crisscrossed the paper dry skin. He
looked as if the slightest breeze would shatter him into dust. Kurogane knew,
in that moment, that it didn't matter that he had come to bargain for the man's
freedom. As far as humans went, the high priest was well and truly ancient. No
matter what any of them did, Chang Ang was going to die soon. That didn't mean,
however, that Kurogane was going to let him go on Kyle's terms.
"Ku…Kuro-gane…sama?" the old priest whispered in a thin, gravelly voice as
Kurogane gently turned him onto his back. He reached a hand up to touch the
young man's face, not quite believing what his eyes and ears told him. "I'm –
sorry. I don't think…I can stand."
"That's all right. I'll just carry you. I'll get you out of here."
"Foolish boy," Chang Ang coughed. "Don't tell me that you…came back here…to
save this dying old man."
"Damn you, you old bastard," the prince murmured with the tiniest of fond
smiles, feeling like his old self for the briefest of moments. "If you're
dying, then you're doing it my way, not his."
"Stupid child," the high priest mumbled back with the same barely there smile.
"To throw your life away for a dead man."
Kurogane just shook his head. He was doing that already…or, at least, he may as
well have been.
"He's right, you know," Kyle said, still smirking that same infuriating smirk.
"What did you do to him?" Kurogane asked, still managing to remain calm.
"Just tried to persuade him to contact Tomoyo-chan so that we might gain a
channel into Faerie. The enchantments that keep us out are very weak right now,
after all…no sovereign and all, but that's going to change very soon."
"Yeah, it is…when Yuui's kid is born. She's going to be the ruler of Faerie."
"But only if the baby is born. For the moment, that child is staying where it
is and everyone knows it. If that princess doesn't wake up, then Seishiro will
be king…and Yuui-chan will never wake up, not without your baby sister." Then,
almost as if he'd just thought of something, Kyle's smirk changed from
triumphant to just plain evil. "Oh, and of course Fai-kun will never
wake…because you're going to die, right here and now, and he'll slip into death
in a few short weeks. Well, at least you'll finally be together again."
Kurogane, control yourself, Doumeki ordered, trying to break in on Kurogane's
thoughts.
Kurogane wasn't even conscious of his reaction. The next thing he knew, he was
in front of Kyle with Ginryuu buried hilt deep in his chest, his vision red
with rage and blood.
If the dark faerie showed any signs of pain, Kurogane didn't see them. After a
few moments, he started laughing.
"I'm pretty sure we've played this game before."
"WHERE IS HE?!" Kurogane screamed in rage as he whipped the sword out of Kyle's
chest and went in for another attack. "TELL ME WHERE HE IS!"
Kyle easily evaded him, laughing all the while. "But my dear Kurogane-kun, you
know perfectly well that he's a prisoner in the Dark Court."
"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!"
"Oh, all right, if you insist. I'll tell you what you want to know."
The very next moment, Kurogane found himself held immobile. For a moment he
struggled against his captors, but the barely extant rational part of his mind
knew he couldn't fight the Oni. Kyle approached him once more, leaning in very
close, right next to his ear.
"The Dark Court is very far from here…in the northern most regions of this
world. Its roots go deep into the earth. It is there, deep beneath the ground,
at the darkest heart of Queen Yuuko's power, that your sweet prince is lying.
There, in a coffin of nightmares, the Darkness feeds on his light, day by day
devouring his soul; and do you know what the best part of all this is? You
can't enter that place without being utterly consumed by that Darkness. You can
certainly try to rescue your Fai-kun, but the truth of the matter is that he
belongs to the Darkness, now and forever."
Kurogane's response was completely unintelligible. He simply screamed with
primal rage, fighting his hardest against his captors, and still without
success.
"Poor little human child, gone mad with his flaming emotions."
Of the words in Kyle's taunt, only one registered in Kurogane's
brain…flaming…fire.
You have weapons. Use them!
Soel had just enough time to shield itself before Kurogane's skin caught fire.
Flames burst outward, piercing the darkness of the throne room. Kyle had just
enough time to shield himself before the fire washed over him, but the Oni
surrounding Kurogane were not so lucky. Their demon shrieks filled his ears as
they were bathed in flames. Just because it wouldn't kill them didn't mean that
it wouldn't hurt.
"Oh, my," Kyle exulted, his eyes alight with wicked plans. "You have grown.
Just for this marvelous display of power, I think I'll give you a little gift.
I'll let you try to escape. There's only one catch," he added as he moved
toward Kurogane once again, reaching into the hood of his cloak and plucking
Soel from within. "You can't use this. You didn't really think I was that
stupid, did you? If you want to leave here, then you must defeat my body
guards."
"KUROGANE!" Soel shouted in a panic as it watched the fallen prince's face. The
fire from his body was slowly coming to heel, but if nothing else, the fire in
his eyes had grown. There was no question for him of whether or not he would
survive. He just would. There was no other way events could happen. Soel,
though, was terrified for the survival of his sanity. Something wasn't right
here.
"I know my little shield won't hold you forever," Kyle said softly to the tiny
guardian. "You'll find a way through it eventually, but it doesn't need to hold
you for long…just long enough."
"KUROGANE, STOP!" Soel tried again, even though it knew he wouldn't hear.
Kurogane-san, don't do it. Something isn't right about this, Kakei attempted to
cajole him. All of the faeries knew something was wrong, but none of them would
attempt to control his actions by force. That would be taking things a step too
far.
Kurogane, however, was deaf to all pleas. Ginryuu was drawn and there was
already blood on his hands. If the only way to get out was through this swarm
of Oni, then Ginryuu would taste their blood.
He lost himself in that dance. He had trained so long and hard with Ginryuu
that the movements were as natural as breathing. He didn't flag or give an
inch, not even when he was drenched in blood. It was
strangely…exhilarating…feeling that he had so much power. Enemies fell before
his blade and fire in droves. He couldn't be stopped. Nothing would prevent him
from escaping and rescuing Fai.
Not until it was too late- far too late - did Kurogane realize his mistake.
His enemies actually fell before his onslaught. They were Oni…weren't they?
They should have stumbled and then shaken it off, healing easily and resuming
the attack. They didn't. The throne room was littered with bodies. Only a few
others remained standing besides Kyle, and these were the ones who behaved like
normal Oni. The rest…
Oh, God…what have I done?
"Those were human soldiers, Kurogane-kun…your own men…and you killed them,"
Kyle informed him, a triumphant look lighting up his features.
Lady and Consort, we were wrong! They weren't just Oni in bad human disguises!
They were spelled to read as Oni, Subaru suddenly connected the dots, trying
desperately to explain away Kurogane's mistake.
You didn't know. You didn't know , Kurogane-sama! It wasn't your fault. Just
get out of there now!
None of the faeries' words registered in his head. He was frozen where he
stood…staring at his blade in silent horror. Even through the layers of gore on
the sword, he could still see his blood-soaked reflection. It was just like
before…when he killed…Fai!
I…I didn't…how could I…I was only… I did this… me! I betrayed them…
"KUROGANE!" Soel continued to shout, trying desperately to get through to the
young man who seemed to have lost all touch with the world around him.
"Scream all you want," Kyle taunted as the tiny guardian finally burst free of
his shield. "He can't hear you. He won't ever be able to hear you again. He
belongs to us."
Soel tried its hardest to shut out Kyle's jibes as it flew toward Kurogane. His
mental state could be addressed later. The most important thing was getting him
and Chang Ang out of this dreadful place. Thankfully, Chang Ang had been
steadily dragging himself across the floor from the very moment Kurogane had
started to break down. He was reaching him now, just as Soel was activating a
wind portal to take them to safety.
One whoosh and a totality of darkness later, Kurogane found himself sitting in
the grass just outside of the cottage in Celes Forest. The sky was growing dark
overhead and Chang Ang was lying beside him, but these things hardly seemed to
register with him… neither did the voices filling the air…calling his name.
"Kurogane-kun!" Queen Sakura's voice cried out as a pair of arms, presumably
hers, wrapped themselves around him. "It wasn't your fault. It wasn't your
fault."
Kurogane pulled away from the queen, seeming neither to see nor hear her. She
was also covered in blood from where she'd embraced him. He slowly got to his
feet, not really seeing anything around him. No one knew what to make of the
empty expression in his eyes. Before any of them could say anything more, he
turned and began to walk away into the forest.
"Kurogane, stop! Please, stop!" Souma cried as she hurried after him. Of
course, he paid her no mind.
"Go with her, Subaru," Kakei ordered gently. "With his magic, it will take more
than just Souma to prevent him from harming himself if the notion should enter
his head. Besides, he might need healing. The rest of us will get the priest to
a bed."
Subaru nodded, swiftly catching up to Souma and Kurogane. The young ninja was
still pleading with her friend, but he looked like he would never hear anything
again. He just stared blankly ahead as he moved through the foliage, dragging
his bloodied sword behind him, the hilt held in an iron grip.
"Kurogane, why won't you listen? It wasn't your fault. You didn't know! You
couldn't have."
"It was just like Kusanagi said," he mumbled numbly. "I lost control. I cut
what I didn't mean to cut."
He fell silent after that. None of them kept track of just how far they walked.
It wasn't like it mattered with Celes. They could end up anywhere. Kurogane
didn't stop until he heard the sound of his feet splashing into the Yume River.
For a moment, he just stood still, but then he began to inch into the deeper
waters. Souma and Subaru were making to follow him when he came to a stop yet
again, the river swirling about him at about waist height.
"K-Kurogane?" Souma tried to call out to him once again. The fallen prince
slowly raised his enchanted blade, holding it just beneath the water's surface
and watching the layers of blood smoothly wash away from it.
"I…I killed them," he murmured, staring at his reflection in shock. "They're
dead. They…won't ever wake up again."
For a moment that could have been eons or mere seconds, Kurogane gazed at the
blood that washed from his skin and clothing and flowed away with the river. It
seemed like such a long time that the water was clouded with blood.
Then Kurogane threw his head back and gave a cry of such anguish and utter
loneliness that it raised the hairs on the backs of both Subaru's and Souma's
necks. Then, quite suddenly, he just dropped into the water…just floated on the
surface, slowly drifting with the current.
As hands grabbed a hold of him and carried him to the riverbank, Kurogane
remembered the first time he'd ever seen Spirit Lake.
Even if it was small, a tiny part of him wished that Fai had not taught him how
to swim all those years ago.
                                      XxX
Fire…burning…everything…always burning. Fire burns in his skin…deeper…at the
very core of him. By rights, he should have turned to ashes a long time ago,
but he never does. He only continues to burn…and the burning grows worse moment
by moment…but something is different now. Something inside tells him that the
burning has reached its peak. That something…is clawing, shrieking…fighting
with all its might to break free of his body. He knows…and it knows…that it
will tear him to shreds when it breaks free of him.
Fai gazes down in fear when he realizes what's happening to him. The center of
the burning is his swollen stomach. It is the seed that Seishiro - Darkness -
placed inside of him. The child of their union is ready to be born…and its
birth will be the ruin of all. The prince of light throws his head back and
screams in agony, clutching at the dead earth on which he lies, as his body
tears open, literally splitting in two.
"Hush, Tou-san. You mustn't cry anymore. I'm here now," a deadly, silken voice
whispers in his ear as a pair of ice cold arms wrap around his broken form.
"W-what?" he murmurs, slowly opening his eyes. Not daring to look at the state
of his pain-wracked body, he looks instead to the face of the person who now
holds him. His eyes bulge in shock when he finds himself gazing into his own
face.
"Who…who are you?"
"That hurts, Tou-san. I'm your firstborn son…your child."
"But…you'reme," he mumbles in confusion. They look alike down to the very last
detail. The only difference is that this Fai is as cold as death and he wears a
leering expression that Fai himself would have died before using.
"I'm that, too," his mirror image says with a cruel smile.
"I don't understand."
"You've come too far into the darkness. You're dying. I'm the you that was born
to take your place when your light finally goes out. I'm your son, the child of
your union with your uncle, son and cousin both to you…but I am
alsoyou…thetrueyou. I have the strength to survive here in the dark. In fact, I
will thrive. When your Kurogane finally comes for you…ifhe comes…it will bemehe
finds in your place."
"That…no…you can't…" Fai mumbles uncomprehendingly. Goddess, he's in so
muchpain. In this very moment, he wouldgladlydie just to be free of it.
"Well, we can't have that, now can we?" his doppelganger mutters acidly, as if
he'd read his thoughts. "You haven'tearnedyour death, Tou-san. I'll see those
baby blue eyes shed many more tears and tear hundreds of delicious screams from
your pretty white throat before I let you sleep beneath the earth. So, for now,
I'll keep you here with me." As he speaks, the other Fai holds a hand over him
and the glow of dark magic flows from his hand and into Fai. The blond watches
in repulsed fascination as the gaping wound that had been his stomach slowly
knits itself back together. Of course, as the body mends, the pain quickly
subsides, as well.
"There, now. Isn't that better?" the other Fai asks in a singsong voice, almost
as if speaking to a small child. Fai is about to nod when his other - hischild
-bends over him and kisses him on the lips - very passionately. Fai feels an
unwelcome twinge of desire in his loins in the brief moment before he manages
to shove the other young man away.
"What are you doing?!" he demands furiously.
"Kissing you…and everything that comes after that…Tou-san," his other says,
leering as he eyes him like a piece of meat. The moment those eyes begin to
caress his body, Fai could almost swear he feels hands on him, stroking him
just the way he likes - though there are several feet in between the two of
them.
"Stop it!" the confused prince shouts, backing even further away. Tears form in
his eyes as arousal begins between his legs.
"As much as I'dloveto say that tormenting you is purely for my own amusement, I
can't stop wanting you anymore than you can stop wanting me. You feel it even
now, don't you…the need to be one…the desperate desire for me to throw you to
the ground and ravish you senseless."
Fai's retreat comes to a sudden halt. How…how does he know ?
"I know because you and I are the same person. As long as we both exist, we
will be driven to unite…to become one. Until one or the other dies, we will
both feel an uncontrollable urge to mate with each other in an attempt to
become a single person again. Of course…having sex won't do any good…not this
deep in the darkness. Here…we are absolutes of darkness and light and we cannot
recombine. You'll go right onneedingme until the moment of your death…until I
decide toreleaseyou," he explains, finally catching up to Fai and taking him in
his arms once more. He doesn't run this time. When his double kisses him, he
kisses back. He wraps his arms around his other, runs desperate fingers through
his hair, tears the tunic from his body. The need to be
touched…kissed…held…taken…is just too strong. It isn't until he feels his
other's hands inside his pants…roughlysqueezingthat need…that he finds the will
to pull himself away, though his body screams out for release.
"No. No!" he cries, shaking his head as he clutches at himself…as if he could
somehow contain this soul-crushing lust. "I don't want this. I don'twantto!
It's too much."
Once again, the other Fai follows his retreat, reaching forward and cupping his
cheek in his palm, lovingly caressing the tear-stained skin.
"The difference between you and me, Fai, is that you're trying to fight the
fact that you want me. I'm not ashamed of it. I don't carehowdirty I have to
get to satisfy this hunger. I don't care if the Lady Herself watches us fuck. I
want to get so sinful that no one canstandit. If youtrulydon't want this…then
fight back. You have the power. You have the Hand of Blood now. Use it. Kill
me, Tou-san."
Fai freezes as the memory of hot blood splashing onto his skin rushes through
him. It was so easy to do. Carrying the memory of it, however, is not easy.
"But I…I don'twantthat power," he cries helplessly. Dear Goddess in heaven, why
is he so weak?!
"That's what I thought. You won't fight. You won't ever resist. You're a doll
for the taking. I can do what I like with you…so get on your knees."
                                      XxX
"Yuui," a silky voice calls out to her, practically singing her name. It is a
voice both dulcet and dangerous…and somehow familiar to her. It is like a voice
she knows had been taken…and twisted into something irredeemably dark…but at
the same time, it is still so…beautiful.
As the scintillating voice continues to sing her name…calling for her…she
slowly becomes conscious of herself. She's lying on a bed in a dark room, laid
comfortably between layers of silken sheets. Had she been sleeping? Perhaps she
can sleep again…in this warm bed…cradled in the arms of this sinfully lovely
voice…
As thoughts of sleep float through her head, she feels the very subtle shifting
of blankets that indicate someone is crawling into the bed with her. So lulled
into complacency by the hypnotic voice is she that she does not care. All she
wants to hear are the honey-tipped tones of her own name from the lips of
whomever it is that possesses this voice.
"Yuui," the owner of the voice whispers in her ear as arms suddenly wrap around
her and pull her close to another warm body. There is nothing but skin between
them…warm, soft skin. Yuui smiles languidly as the voice's owner kisses her.
"Oh, Yuui…I love you so." The golden words slip inside her ears as she is
pulled even closer. Her hazy mind doesn't even question it when she feels her
breasts press against the flat, muscular chest of a man. She moans softly as
the voice's owner…the young man…slips a hand in between their bodies…his
tantalizing fingers teasing her flesh just inches above the prize.
"Mm…touch me," she pleads, moaning a little louder and pressing herself against
the hand that is a mere breath away from plunging straight between her legs.
"Your wish is my command, my sweet princess," the luscious voice penetrates her
ears once again…caressing her in ways no voice should be able to. Then she
feels it…the plunge…the fingers pushing into her body and a dexterous thumb
rubbing at the hot, moist nub between her legs. The already intense feelings of
pleasure are so strong they cause her to cry out, wanting more.
"Oh, my," her partner starts, laughing softly and mockingly - a hint of the
danger she remembers from earlier. "You're soaking wet, Yuui. You little slut.
I'll have to hurry. We can't have you coming too soon, after all."
Yuui giggles coquettishly as the invading fingers rub at her insides,
heightening her pleasure and doing their best to block out the sense that
something is wrong. Blond hair and pale skin briefly flash in her vision,
somewhere above her. She's somehow come to be pinned beneath the young man.
When the fingers are withdrawn, she feels the tip of something bigger, harder,
and infinitely more dangerous press against her entrance.
"Please…please…take me!" she moans in desperation. She needs to come. She needs
him to be inside her. Something is wrong! Something is horribly wrong…but she
can't make herself care enough to stop what she's doing.
"Your wish, my darling," her lover's honeyed voice sings to her. He presses
several heated kisses to her face as he plunges deep inside of her. The feeling
is too much. Yuui screams as she climaxes all at once. Golden laughter fills
her ears as her body writhes with the force of the orgasm. "You poor baby. You
camemuchtoo fast. I haven't even had my own play yet. You really are such a
little slut."
"I'm sorry," she cries softly, clinging weakly to him as the last tremors
slowly fade away. He's made her feel so good. All she wants now is to please
this honey-voiced young man.
"It's all right, koibito. I can still finish. I promise you, this won't hurt a
bit. You'll like it," he whispers soothingly to her as he sits up on his knees
and pulls her with him, settling her comfortably in his lap. As she wraps her
arms and legs around him, he lowers his head to her breast, his warm breath
ghosting along her tender flesh. For a brief moment, she can't help but think
that he looks exactly like someone she knows…but the dark…the heat…the sweat…it
is impossible.
Coherent thought vanishes when he starts to move, bouncing her body up and down
on his hips. At the exact same moment, he takes one of her nipples in his mouth
and begins to suck, sending an arrow of sensation through her chest. It feels
so wonderful that she could almost come again right here and now.
Quite suddenly, however, the fragments of pleasure in her breast turn to pain.
Instead of the sensations of being pleasured, she feels something…being drained
out of her…but she still can't break free. The rest of her body still feels so
good . He looks into her face, straight into her eyes…and she still can't quite
recognize his face. A wicked leer spreads across her lover's face and she
noticea that a trail of white liquid is dribbling from the corner of his mouth.
White…liquid? Milk…was it milk? Her milk? He'd been…breastfeeding? What?
"You were wrong, Yuui." His voice is still unbearably beautiful, even though
his face has twisted into something sinister. "Wedidunite. Wedidmake love.
OnlyIcan satisfy you…my sweet…beautiful…onee-san."
It's that one word that causes the illusion to shatter and serves to jolt Yuui
out of her stupor. They are both naked. He is buried deep inside her, about to
climax…and she is staring into the face of…
"Fai?!" she sobs, tears of horror spilling down her face. "What…what are you
doing?"
"Making you mine…and mine alone…for eternity," he promises as he presses a
claiming kiss to her lips. She is far too shocked to push him away.
"How…how could you-" her mumblings of confusion and hurt are suddenly silenced
when her twin brother seizes her hips and forces himself as deep inside her as
he can go, preventing her escape.
"Oh…Oh, Yuui," he moans softly…mockingly. "I'm coming."
"NO! NEVER!" she shrieks, digging her fingers into his chest and tearing
herself away from him only a moment before it's too late. As she collapses on
the bed, his seed spills on the sheets between them. It is pain beyond
pain…tearing away from her twin. She almost feels as if she herself had been
torn in two.
"Poor, poor Yuui," her brother croons as he kneels over her battered body. "Why
did you stop it? You know it will happen eventually. Itmusthappen."
"Who…are you?" she mumbles weakly.
"I'm your baby broher," he whispers into her ear as he kisses the sensitive
flesh.
"You're not. No…he would never…do this." Goddess, she is so weak right now. Her
entire body aches from the force of the separation. If he chooses to take her
right now, she doesn't know if she'll be able to stop him.
Had they experienced this pain when they were conceived together?
"Well…you'rehalfright. I'm Fai…but alsonothim. I'm thetrueFai. My power will be
fully realized." As he speaks, Yuui sees a faint flicker of fire in his blue
eyes and suddenly knows, beyond doubt, that this is the demon that Kurogane has
witnessed in his nightmares - the demon that is slowly taking over her brother.
"My brother…myrealbrother…where is he? What did you do to him?" she begs
desperately. It's been so long…to suddenly be so close…
"Doto him? What I was going to do to you. I made him mine," the image says with
a satisfied smirk.
"Where is he?" she repeats, not wanting to acknowledge that they've failed to
save Fai once again.
"If I were you, I'd get used to the idea of having me around, but I can show
you if youreallythink it will make you feel better." With that, the imposter
Fai slowly lifts her up into his arms, making certain she has a good view of
the darkness beyond their bed. Then he waves a hand and an image begins to
appear.
For a moment, it's just a vision of Fai…the fake…the copy. She knows it from
the satisfied smirk he wears on his face - a twisted expression that doesn't
suit her brother's beautiful features in the slightest. Her real brother is the
one to appear next…as an indistinct figure crouched directly in front of the
false one. Their positions, her brother's movements, and the fake's hands in
his hair leave no doubt in her mind as to what Fai was doing to him.
"That's right. You're nothing," the copy moans as it thrusts harder. "Now take
it like the weak little nothing you are!"
"Fai, stop! What are you doing?!" Yuui cries out, struggling to get to her
brother. Unfortunately, she is still in intense pain and can't escape her
captor's grasp.
"What he was meant to do. He gives other people pleasure. That's the only
reason for his existence…and he's good at it," the fake answers with a knowing
smirk.
"That's a lie!" Yuui sobs.
"But ithappened, dear Yuui. You cannot change what happened. I took him.
Hegavehimself to me. He would rather be used like this than use the power
inside of him to fight back."
"What…what are you talking about?"
"Prince Fai…hasgreat power," the fake whispers to her. "He has come into his
own Hand here in the darkness. He could be truly beautiful. He could be such a
magnificent killer…but he will not use his powers."
"He would never…hurt…"
"Never say never, my princess. Everyone is capable of the darkest deeds.
Everyone has something that would push them over the final edge…one line, that
if crossed, makes going back impossible. Fai can never go back. Kurogane can
never go back. You yourself will find your one thing here in the dark."
"Why is he…so hard to see?" she asks weakly, having no response for the fake's
words and beginning to worry over the fading coherency of her little brother's
form.
"He is forgetting. The love that filled him is leaving him. He is going into
the darkness from which there is no return. He is fading. He won't last much
longer…and you will follow him into that darkness. Here…you will know your true
self."
Yuui makes no response. No sooner does the false Fai stop speaking than it
pulls her body flush against its own and she realizes… Her stomach is flat!
Inarguably, inescapably, horrifically flat. No baby. No baby! No baby!
"Where is my baby?" she finally asks, her voice a breathless whisper on the
verge of bursting into tears once more.
"Does it really matter? So long as you are here with me, that child will never
be born. Your daughter is gone from you."
Yuui shakes her head in denial as tears spill down her face. "That…that's not
true. I'll get out of here. I'll save my broher…and I'll get my daughter back!"
Her brother's doppelganger laughs as it lays her back down on the bed. "You
just keep dreaming, Onee-sama. You are truly beautiful when you struggle. You
will make a much more interesting conquest than Fai did. The resistant fire in
your heart only makes me stronger…makes me want you more. You'll be mine yet,
Princess Yuui."
Then, pressing a bruising kiss to her lips, her brother vanishes into the
darkness from whence he'd come…his dangerously beautiful voice still lingering
in her ears and his passionate touch still clinging to her skin.
                                      XxX
"Arashi, please! Talk to me. Give me some kind of sign you're still alive in
there," Sorata begged softly.
Arashi's only response was silence. She had been in a meditative trance for
what felt like several days. They had no way of knowing just how long they had
been Seishiro's prisoners for and Arashi hadn't been able to keep much food
down recently because she'd been getting sick fairly often. He knew what she
feared, but there was no way to confirm that fear unless they could discover
how long they had been held captive. To that end, Arashi had entered the
trance. She didn't know if the power was still in her blood, but she had heard
that the fey possessed the ability to speak directly to the minds of other
beings. Even if she couldn't speak to another mind, she had at least hoped she
might be able to touch one, to find the information she sought somewhere.
Sorata didn't know when he'd started to speak to his comatose lover. It was
maddening to be trapped here, unable to know how she was faring on her journey,
whether or not she was okay.
"Please…come back to me," he murmured beseechingly, placing his hands on hers.
He had lost count of the number of times he had chanted this plea. "Arashi…I
don't care if the baby's his. You might not even be pregnant. I just want you
back. Don't leave me here alone."
Sorata might have sat there in the dark, holding Arashi's hands and pleading
softly with her unresponsive form until he went mad had she not jolted awake
quite suddenly, collapsing into his arms and hyperventilating.
"Arashi! Arashi, are you all right?! What happened? What did you see?"
"Sorata, Sorata," she murmured over and over again as her breath slowly
returned to her. All the while, she clung to him with trembling hands. When she
was finally ready to talk, it was only in short, whispered bursts.
"I'm…not really sure…whose minds I touched. It was…all I could do to…stay
connected. Terrible things are happening."
"Did…did you find what you were looking for?" Sorata finally managed to ask.
"Two months," she whispered despairingly. "We've been trapped in this cage…for
a little more than two months. I haven't bled for two months!" she hissed in
anguish.
"Oh…Oh, Arashi," he whispered soothingly as he pulled her body even tighter
against his own, fully aware of what this meant.
"What we were afraid of…it's finally happened. I…I'm with child."
***** Sweet Things *****
They sit…staring…just staring. Ever since the princess saw through the prince's
little deception, it's all they've done. Seishiro now and then tries to
distract her with tempting visions of what's happening in the world beyond, but
Tomoyo will not allow herself to look away from him. There is nothing to be
gained by it. Trapped as she is, she cannot change what is happening. The best
thing she can do right now is try to figure Seishiro out.
"Why can't I see you?" she finally asks.
Seishiro's amiable grin grows a little wider. "See me? What do you mean you
can't see me? I'm right here, aren't I?"
"Of course you're not. This is an illusion, not a dream. I've never been able
to see you in my dreams. You've been the bane of my brothers' existence; you've
done countless horrible things…and I've never once seen your involvement in the
future in my visions. I know my gift has limits, but it isn'tthatlimited. You
are such a defining factor. Why are you hidden from my sight?"
"Perhaps…it is because Ihaveno future," the Dark Prince suggests neutrally.
"Everyone has a future. Until the moment the last breath is exhaled, the future
can still be changed. It wouldn't explain why I haven't been able to see you
all these years."
"You misunderstand, Princess. Can you see the future of the Light and the Dark
in your dreams? You know that I am the Sakurazukamori. I am an absolute…the
embodiment of all that is dark and chaotic. I am invisible to you because I am
not a player in this game. I am a force."
"And yet you still choose to take form as Prince Seishiro Reed. By your need to
exist within a conscious being…the very fact of your nature…some part of you
must still have a destiny."
"We will see."
"They know." Tomoyo suddenly hears a voice from behind her. It's different now,
but she still knows the voice. The man who had taken Yuui and given her her
child - Fuuma.
She does not turn to look at him, but waits for him to pass into her line of
vision. He moves forward and kneels beside the cross-legged prince.
"Do they?" Seishiro asks, smiling to himself. "I was beginning to wonder when
she'd acknowledge it."
"What do you want to do?"
"Release them. Give them back to their rabble in the forest. Letthemdecide what
to do."
"And-"
"A little bit longer yet," Seishiro cuts him off, glancing past him and toward
Tomoyo. "We haven't quite reached the point that I need."
Fuuma simply nods, rises, and strides away, not even sparing Tomoyo a passing
glance as he passes from the illusion.
"Aren't you going to ask me what that was about?" Seishiro teases.
Tomoyo shakes her head. "I could…but I know you a little better, I think. If
you mean to tell me, then you will." Besides, she has a sinking feeling that
she knows whom he's talking about anyway.
Seishiro responds with a nod. "Very good. You're learning, little hime. I
think…perhaps…that your time will come soon."
                                      XxX
Sleep was not a common activity in the little cottage in the glen. Of the
occupants still possessing the capacity to choose waking or sleeping, only
Souma slept on a semi-regular basis. As such, none of the bedrooms were used
very often, so it wasn't difficult to make Watanuki's old bedroom ready for the
dying high priest. When Subaru and Souma had returned with a once again
catatonic Kurogane, Subaru had done his very best for the old man, but Chang
Ang had asked for respite.
"Please," he'd begged softly. "I'll last a bit longer for you, but I'm ready to
go now. It's been so long…and I want to rest."
True to his word, he had lived through the night, but now, as the morning sun
shone into the little cottage, they all knew it wouldn't be much longer. Sakura
had just gone to Faerie to bring Amaterasu back in order to administer Final
Release to her priest. Everyone else, save Sai, who had hung back to guard Yuui
and Tomoyo, was gathered in the bedroom. The old priest seemed, almost, to be
nothing more than a coherent outline beneath the blankets. Whatever Kyle had
done to him, it had slowly begun to devour his very essence, leaving only the
bare frame of a human being. Already, he had one foot in the realm of death.
"Chang Ang?" Amaterasu murmured softly as Sakura led her into the small room.
"Your Majesty?" he responded, raising his head slightly before quickly
collapsing back against the pillows. "Is it you, my empress?"
"I am here."
"Where…where is…Tomoyo-hime? Is she safe?"
The older ruler closed her eyes and swallowed painfully. She'd been allowed to
see her daughter before Sakura had led her down - her Tomoyo - lying cold as
death…
"She will be," she finally responded. She had to have faith that her daughter
would be saved.
Chang Ang nodded as he closed his eyes. Her meaning was clear and he didn't
need to know more. He wouldn't be able to apologize for the grief he'd caused
her.
"Chang Ang…High Priest of the Lady and Her Consort…you have asked for the rite
of Final Release. This will I grant, but there are things I must know first,"
Amaterasu said formally as she took the ailing man's hand in hers.
"Anything that I can give…Highness," he answered weakly, belying the quiet
strength with which he gripped the offered hands.
"I have seen…through Queen Sakura's eyes…the sights that my son beheld when he
returned to Shirasagi yesterday. That…that was not the home that we love. That
place…was the nightmare from my childhood. Tell me…what has that monster done
to our city?" she asked, her voice trembling just slightly.
"It's…as you say. Kyle has brought back…the world of your father…the tyrant,
Taishakuten. He tells the people…that the fey are the enemy. He turns them
against those with fey blood in their veins…and those unfortunate ones are
either driven from the city or killed."
"Just like before," Amaterasu whispered as her face went white in dread. As if
the long years had never passed, she could suddenly feel her dying lover in her
arms once again.
Saya…
"Yes. He keeps his own duplicity concealed. They believe him…to be human…and
they believe…that you are still in the castle. He's told them…you are simply
weak…from carrying a child. He's…also told them…that the prince and his
sister…were spirited away by faeries."
"So that's how he turned them so easily," Souma said softly, half to herself.
"I don't…know what the snake stands to gain…by turning the people against
Faerie. Neither do I know…how far his tyranny has spread. It could be contained
within Shirasagi…or…it could be…spreading unchecked throughout the empire."
"You can rest easy, old friend. This evil will not be allowed to stand. We'll
take back what's ours…and our people will remember that you were brave…and did
not bend before his tyranny," Amaterasu reassured him.
"Thank you…Amaterasu. Where…where is…Kurogane-sama?"
"He's here," she answered, allowing her gaze to move toward her son, who was
standing beside the open door, only half-seeing everything that was happening
in the room. When he gave no sign that he'd heard Chang Ang's request, Souma
and Subaru moved in to flank him and gently led him over to the bed. Chang Ang
shook his head at the empty expression that adorned the prince's face.
"Foolish boy…it wasn't your fault. Kyle tricked you."
"Nothing any of you can say…can change what I've done," Kurogane replied, his
first coherent sentence since Souma and Subaru had brought him back from the
river. "All those soldiers ever did…was pledge their loyalty to my mother."
Kyle knew me well enough to know that I would get caught in the trap. I'm no
better than the rest of them. That nightmare could come true. I really
could…kill Fai. I'm a monster…
"And that's why…Kyle did it. He knew…you would react this way."
"It doesn't matter why it was done. I still killed my own men," the fallen
prince responded calmly.
"I haven't the time…to sit here and explain everything to you. You wouldn't
listen to me…anyway," the priest grumbled, giving several hacking coughs before
continuing. "You'll listen someday…someday…you'll find your redemption…in the
arms of the moon."
"What?" Kurogane asked, suddenly seeming to come into alignment with the world
around him and really seeing the dying man before him for the first time. Chang
Ang didn't give him an answer, though.
"Amaterasu…it's time now. If you're going…to let me go…then do it."
The queen nodded as she sat down on the bed beside him, drawing his hand up
close and pressing it against her heart.
"Chang Ang…you have walked this earth for one hundred years of men. Eighty-four
of those years were dedicated to the faithful service of the Crown in the name
of the Lord and Lady. My mother exhaled her last breath in giving me my
first…and my father was dead to me before I could even know him. You were the
closest thing I had to a parent. You taught me so much…and I'll never be able
to thank you properly for it. All I can give you is this promise. You are
forthwith released from my service…and have my full blessing to go forth and
find happiness in your next birth. Go now…and make of dying what you will."
With that, she raised his hand to her lips and pressed a tender kiss to the
ancient, gnarled skin. The old man sighed in contentment.
"I will die free…That is…all I wanted. Tera…I'll carry your love…to Saya-chan
and Ashura-sama."
Briefly, Amaterasu's eyes shone with tears. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Tell…Tomoyo…that I'm sorry," he whispered to Kurogane as his eyelids flickered
closed.
Kurogane nodded, though he didn't specifically acknowledge that he would tell
her. "She'll know."
Chang Ang looked like he might say something else, but he just continued to
draw slow breaths for several more minutes. Then his chest rose…fell…and did
not rise again.
Taking a moment to check for the beat of blood in his neck and heart, Amaterasu
finally laid the old man's hand down on his chest. Bowing her head, she said
only, "Rest well, dear friend." When she looked up once again, all signs of
tears were gone from her face. "We'll need to prepare a funeral pyre for him.
He was born in Koryo Province and it was his wish that his ashes be scattered
about the Lady's sanctuary in Koryo City."
"It will be done, Amaterasu-sama," Kakei said solemnly. "We will need to pass
through Koryo Province in order to reach the Dark Court anyway."
Be aware, the combined voices of Yue and Kero suddenly sounded in everyone's
head. The Sakurazukamori approaches.
"Seishiro?" Subaru whispered, half in fear and half in rage.
No, this one was once Lord Fuuma Monou.
"He's alive?" Kamui asked, the relief in his voice plain to be heard as he made
for the door. The others slowly followed suit, wondering what the Dark Court
could possibly want with them now.
I will remain with the princesses, Sai informed them. The Sakurazukamori will
not have them.
It wasn't that Yue and Kero had simply formed a barrier around the glen…it was
that they were the barrier. They had shifted their forms into wild magic…pure
energy…the source that the fey had originally taken form from. It was dangerous
for anyone to attempt this feat for any lengthy period of time. There was
always the danger that one would forget oneself and simply remain in a state of
pure magic for eternity. The only ones who had a prayer of retaining their
identities in this state for a period of time longer than a few hours were Yue,
Kero…and the Sakurazukamori. By that same token, only the Sakurazukamori had a
chance of breaking through such a powerful barrier - if it was of the mind to
try it.
Fuuma stood at the edge of the glen, just beyond the invisible shield that Kero
and Yue had made of themselves. Two cloaked figures were on their knees at his
sides.
"Fuuma?" Kamui murmured as Yuui's protectors came to stand before him. "What
are you doing here?"
"Don't I even get a hello kiss? You thought I was dead, didn't you?" he teased
with a smirk, holding an inviting hand out to his former lover.
Kamui turned away, closing his eyes against the sight.
"Fuuma…Sakurazukamori…whoever you are…no more. Don't do this to me."
Fuuma shook his head. "Since this one doesn't seem to be in his right mind just
now…is there anyone else willing to do business with me?"
"I'll deal with you," Subaru said as he stepped forward, angry on his brother's
behalf. "What is it you want here?"
"I came to deliver some gifts," he said, smiling as he reached down to flip the
hoods off of his two captives, revealing the haggard faces of –
"Arashi-sensei!" Souma shouted, making to move forward before she was stopped
by Doumeki. The weather sprite halted Kurogane's advance in a similar fashion
when the prince recognized Sorata.
"You want them back, don't you?"
"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Subaru asked, trying to keep a cool head.
"Simple. This barrier of yours keeps out evil intent, correct? I'll just shove
them at it. If it's not a trick, they'll pass through unharmed; but if harm is
meant…then the harm will be turned back upon them."
Before anyone could say anything more, Fuuma lifted both Sorata and Arashi up
by their hair and threw their helpless bodies at the shield. When they easily
passed through, Watanuki and Sakura were right there to catch them.
"Be careful with her!" Sorata ordered as Sakura helped him to stand.
"Are you hurt?" Watanuki asked the woman in his arms, wondering at the ninja's
command.
"No," the kunoichi said softly, not really looking at him as she spoke.
"What is this?" Subaru asked, turning his attention back to Fuuma. The former
lord had come closer to the barrier and laid his hands on it, unable to pass
through…though he almost seemed to be contemplating trying it. After a moment,
he backed off and smiled up at Subaru.
"Oh, I've either just brought you a little bundle of joy…or your own
destruction."
"What are you talking about?" Watanuki asked as he helped Arashi to stand on
her own.
"That woman there is with child," Fuuma replied, nodding at Arashi. The usually
proud kunoichi hung her head in despair, unable to meet the gazes of the others
as they turned to look at her. "If we have done our jobs correctly, it is
Seishiro's child."
Though Fuuma's words were greeted with a moment of absolute silence, the shock
that traveled through the group was no less tangible. Subaru was the one to
finally ask, "Why in the world would you hand us the one obstacle to Princess
Yuui's ascension?"
"Because that one was sleeping with her as well," Fuuma explained, indicating
Sorata, "in the hope that his seed might take root instead. For all you know,
this child you so fear is his…and not the child of your enemy. That is why we
give them back to you. What safer place for our greatest weapon than in the
caring hands of our enemies? None of you would harm this child on the off
chance it is Sorata's."
"Wouldn't we?" Kujaku suddenly stepped in. His expression was very much akin to
Fuuma's amiable, smiling one. "Why shouldn't we eliminate such a glaring threat
to our princess? It is our duty, after all. If we've made a mistake, these two
can most certainly have other children." His logic was so cool…calculated…but
it somehow lost its effectiveness when applied to the murder of a potentially
innocent child.
"Ah…Kujaku…the child even the Dark Court did not want. I'd learned from this
mind that King Reed had taken you on as a lapdog, but I'm almost surprised to
see you accepting it. You used to be so fierce," the possessed lord reminisced,
not even addressing Kujaku's barely veiled threat.
Kujaku only smiled as the focus of the assemblage shifted to him.
"Well…ferocity never got me anywhere. This new guise opens so many doors that
would have otherwise been closed. I'll play this hand through to the end,
thanks."
"Hmm…I'll leave you to it, then. Just because you see the practical way out
doesn't mean your compatriots will. You're outmatched…child of sin." Fuuma left
yet another wave of shocked silence behind him when he disappeared. Arashi was
the one to finally break it when she fell to her knees before Amaterasu.
"My empress, I'm so sorry!" she cried helplessly. "I would have died rather
than betray you and Kurogane-sama, but…he was going to kill Sorata! I
couldn't…let him…"
Rather than remain in her dignified position, the Nihon empress slowly lowered
herself to her knees before the distraught ninja mistress. Being careful of her
own little one, she gently wrapped her arms around Arashi's trembling form -
woman to woman…mother to mother.
"You would have been my sister, Arashi Kishu," Amaterasu whispered in her ear,
only for her. "You know that I've felt the pain of losing someone I loved so
dearly. I would never wish that pain on anyone, let alone my Saya's little
sister. It will be the last thing that person does if someone should ever try
to blame you for this."
"Majesty?" Sorata began softly as he knelt beside the two of them. "May I?"
Amaterasu nodded, relinquishing Arashi to Sorata's care.
"So what do we do?" Kamui was the one to ask, finally managing to regain his
composure.
"The solution is simple, really. If there's even the slightest chance this
child is Seishiro's, we should remove it from the picture. It's a
threat…nothing more," Kujaku said coldly.
"This baby didn't choose its father," Amaterasu responded firmly. "You can't
kill it for something that isn't its fault."
"Isn't there some sort of spell you can use to determine if the baby has fey
blood or not?" Souma asked in exasperation.
"Such spells exist," Kakei started, "but they will be of little use in Arashi's
situation. She has fey blood herself. No matter who fathered the child, it will
have some measure of fey blood. So early in a pregnancy, any such spell could
only tell us whether or not a child has fey blood. Just how much of that blood
is fey and how much is human could only be determined much later…about four
months in at best."
"If the child is Seishiro's…why couldn't we just keep it with us?" Sakura
queried. "If having an heir is what makes him king, why do we need to surrender
it to him?"
"I don't think you understand how this works, Sakura-sama," Kakei continued.
"When it comes to selecting a new sovereign, the only voice in the matter is
Faerie itself. If this child is somehow born before Yuui-hime's is, then
Seishiro just is king. No ifs, ands, or buts…no choice. He is king…and if he so
chooses, then the lives of the princess, her consort, and her daughter are all
forfeit."
This grabbed the attention of both rulers. Neither of them thought it right to
kill the child Arashi carried…but could they make such a stand at the expense
of their own daughters? Even so…what if the child wasn't Seishiro's at all…and
they murdered it? At the present moment, nearly everyone there was of the same
mind.
If we do this…just how are we different from them?
Amaterasu was the one to finally break the tense, questioning silence. "The
final decision…will rest with Arashi-chan. I will not ask her to destroy her
baby."
"Why her?" Souma finally asked aloud as she watched Sorata care for her fallen
sensei. "Out of all the people…in this goddamn world…why did he choose her?"
"It's because she's part fey," Sorata answered her, cradling Arashi close.
"What do you mean? What's that to do with anything?" Watanuki asked him.
"He said…that when he got her with his child…she would become a symbol to the
half fey of Nihon…that Kyle would drive them from their homes and the Dark
Court would welcome them with open arms. When they see that the mother of his
child is just like them…he believes they will flock to his service."
"That's it," Subaru breathed in shock. "That's why Kyle's turning the people of
Nihon against the half fey…to trick them into seeking asylum from Seishiro."
"But…what would the Dark Court want with an army of half fey? More than half of
them probably won't even have come into a Hand yet," Kamui mused.
"A shield, perhaps?" Kujaku suggested callously. "Unlike Faerie, the Dark Court
has no rules. They know that servants of the light won't attack defenseless
mortals."
"That's it," Kakei said softly. "That's exactly it. It can't be anything else."
"All of those people…so much depends on it," Subaru mused despairingly. "Can we
really…risk…allowing the child to be born?"
"Would it kill you to stop talking about her like she's not here?" Sorata asked
heatedly, glaring at the debating group.
"Sorata-san…can you tell us what the…odds are, exactly?" Amaterasu asked him.
"That monster…took her…so many times," the ninja warrior muttered angrily.
"But…every time he did…I was with her…right after…just so there might be some
chance…some prayer…that any child she had might not be his. The odds are
exactly fifty fifty…that the baby's mine…or his. I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but
is there a place where I can take her to rest? She hasn't been sleeping well
and she doesn't eat nearly enough to support both of them."
"Of course," Amaterasu said softly. "Watanuki-san?"
The nature sprite swiftly bobbed his head and indicated that Sorata should
follow him into the house. The ninja nodded, lifted Arashi into his arms and
carried her in behind Watanuki. Amaterasu followed after them.
"Souma-chan?" the young Kunoichi vaguely head Queen Sakura's voice calling out
to her. "Are you all right?"
She wasn't…and she certainly didn't imagine she looked like she was. It had
broken something in her to see Arashi in such a state; she'd felt it snapping
upon seeing her sensei handled like she was little more than a broken doll.
She'd been worried for Arashi's safety ever since hearing news of her
disappearance…but she also felt guilty because there had been times when other
matters had pushed fear for Arashi to the back of her mind. She was relieved
and destroyed in a single moment.
"I…no…I…" she could barely manage to mumble. Was it not bad enough that she had
to love Tomoyo without any prayer of respite? Unrequited love seemed so normal
now…so different from the hell she was currently living. As if the world had
sought to remind her that her unspoken love for her childhood friend was not
the worst pain she could experience, she had lost that love and all of her best
friends in nearly one fell swoop. Fai, Yuui, and Tomoyo were all gone and
Kurogane was no better than gone, and he was slipping further every minute. So
many had died, and many more still suffered. The world was already crumbling
around her, and now her own sensei was being used to destroy the only love
she'd ever known in her life. It had been too much when Yuui went. Now…
"No," she finally answered, her voice ringing strong and clear for that single
moment before she fled into the forest.
"Souma-chan!" Sakura cried out after the girl, ready to give chase…until she
found herself held back by Kurogane and Subaru. "Let me go! She'll get hurt!"
Sakura insisted.
"You can't…help her now," Subaru tried to explain. "You aren't what she needs."
"Kurogane-kun? She's your friend! Why won't you go after her?" Sakura asked,
trying to reason with the half-mad prince. He only shook his head, sharing a
look with Subaru. Whatever place his soul had become trapped in, he understood
that he could not reach Souma from that place. She deserved better than he
could give her right now. She deserved to have her sacrifice rewarded. Of those
who remained, only Subaru could give her what she needed. Not a parent…and not
a friend.
Subaru understood the meaning in Kurogane's eyes…even if the prince himself
didn't fully grasp it. He had come to know it within himself. He had gotten to
know the girl much better over the past two months and come to see that she was
much like himself…an injured soul who couldn't be with the one she loved.
Subaru was the only one she might listen to right now.
                                      XxX
It was well after nightfall by the time Subaru managed to locate Souma. The
kunoichi was curled up at the base of a sturdy tree along the bank of the Yume
River. The salty tracks of tears on her face were long dried. He sat beside
her, and for a long while, they said nothing.
"Why couldn't we find Kurogane?" she finally asked when she was certain her
voice would not fail her. "How did you find me so easily?"
"Because you wanted to be found," he replied simply, placing a hand on her
shoulder. "He did not. This forest knows the both of you and accepts you. If
you'd truly wanted to remain hidden, Celes would have made it so."
"Subaru-san," she started after a moment, "what's it like…making love?"
Subaru was thrown by the abruptness of the question. ""You mean…you've
never…you're still-"
Souma nodded. "I've never really wanted to. There isn't…anyone…but sometimes
I…wonder. I've seen it cause pain and suffering…the things that have happened
to Fai-kun and Yuui-chan…and now Arashi-sensei, too…but I've…also seen it bring
joy and healing," she recounted softly, remembering seeing Kurogane after the
first time he'd lain with Fai. He'd seemed…in bliss…vindicated…transcendent,
even; and yet…that self same act had caused both Yuui and Fai to cry out in
pain and anguish. It was sacred…sinful…so powerful, this thing.
"What is it?"
Subaru deliberated a long while before saying anything. "I don't…know how I
could explain something like that. I've only ever been with Seishiro, and he
was…"
"Your soul mate?" Souma finished for him. "I don't need a soul mate,
but…sometimes I really wish I could experience…just once…"
"I'm not her, you know?" Subaru finally cut in. It was the only way he could
think to say it. They both knew what the other one wanted, but neither of them
could say it. It wasn't wrong…but it wasn't quite right, either. The others
would pretend not to know about it…pretend they didn't see it. Some of them
might not even notice. Whatever happened, it didn't truly matter to them. They
were just two lonely hearts who needed someone…someone to share the pain with.
"I'm about as far from him as you could get," she responded with a grateful
smile, her eyes shining with unshed tears once again.
"Are you sure you want this?" he asked as he lay down beside her, reaching
forward a tentative hand to trace her lips with. "I'll be gentle, but if you're
still a virgin…then it isgoing to hurt some."
"I dowant this. Please…just once," she murmured, kissing his delicate
fingertips. "You don't ever have to look at me again. The others don't have to
know. I just…want to know…just once-"
Subaru easily silenced her with a kiss. While it was true that he'd never been
with a woman, he'd certainly been alive long enough to learn how their bodies
worked. He would have to make her ready for him before he took her.
Souma was a quiet lover, and Subaru knew that only Seishiro could make him cry
out. He also knew they were both grateful that neither of them would glow.
Alone in the silent darkness, they didn't have to hear or see. They could just
feel - feel and pretend.
                                      XxX
In all of the years she's lived, Yuui can never remember feeling quite this
cold. This isn't just a winter cold. It is a cold of death - of stone and ice
and graves.
The princess finds herself in a dark, stone room. Glancing around, she finds no
doors. The only way in or out is through a barred window, and the cell's only
other occupant is clinging to the bars, too short to look through the window
otherwise. It is a little boy, dressed in nothing but a threadbare shift. His
hair grows in tangled waves down his back, and it's probably a beautiful shade
of blond underneath the layers of grime. How she even knows he is a boy, she
can't possibly say. The child is skinny beyond malnourished and, like his hair,
the rest of him is covered in grime. What has happened to this poor little
child?
"Hello?"
Upon hearing her voice, the boy yelps and releases his hold on the bars,
crashing to the floor. He quickly scrambles back against the wall, pressing
himself as far back against the stone as his wasted body will go, trembling in
fear. He stares at her with blue eyes as wide and unblinking as some nocturnal
creature.
"Who…who are you?" he asks, his voice hoarse with disuse. "Are you…the angel?"
"No, I…I'm Yuui," she says, her voice breaking slightly at the state the child
is in. "What angel am I meant to be?"
"The Angel of Death," he answers, his voice carrying the resignation of one who
has lived for a hundred years.
"Who are you?" the princess asks, tears filling her eyes at the thought that
such a young child believes an angel of death has come for him.
"I'm Fai."
"What?" she whispers in shock. "You…youcan'tbe Fai. You're not…" She can't say
more.
"Well…you can't be Yuui," he responds with a touch of petulance. "Yuui's
below."
"But IamYuui…and you're Fai…and Yuui, too," she says softly as realization
washes over her. She doesn't know how…but she and this child are the same. They
share the same soul. Different existences…yet he is her and she is him. "Why
would I be the Angel of Death?"
"Because I…I think I'm about to die."
"Why would you say something like that?" Yuui asks him, a single tear escaping
her eye.
"The other one…he said that if…if I wanted Yuui to live…then I'd have to die.
So I told him that was okay. IwantYuui to live. I want him to be free."
Yuui has to fight hard to keep herself from crying in front of him. She has no
idea what's going on in the world around her, but right now…she's connected
with this child. She feels for this little boy…who is also somehow herself.
Moving very slowly, so as not to frighten him, she walks toward him and kneels
before him, holding out her arms so that he can come to her. For a moment, he
only stares at her, uncertain. However, he eventually allows himself to fall
into the circle of her embrace. She does her very best to pass some of her own
warmth to him; he is so cold - cold like he's never really known warmth.
Briefly, she hears the sound of tears. He's frightened. Of course he's
frightened.
"It's all right, little one. Everything's going to be all right," she murmurs
soothingly, hugging him tight as she rocks him and strokes his grimy hair.
However, the very next moment, she hears the sound of the cell walls
shattering, and the child is torn from her arms - hurled away to the unfeeling
ground far below.
"FAII!" she screams, feeling her own body broken along with his. As the vision
shatters around her, she hears horrified screams of anguish and denial, echoing
from far away.
My brother…he's in pain…so much pain…terrible pain. There has to be something I
can do!
                                      XxX
No one really said anything when Souma and Subaru returned the next morning,
though the scent that clung to them was as plain as day to most of the
cottage's inhabitants. Among the fey, there was no shame in the act itself. It
was simply a need that demanded fulfillment from time to time. The only thing
wrong with the situation was the lack of true feeling between the two
participants. Would it become awkward between them? Would they remain friends?
Would they…continue to seek solace in one another? Could they
somehow…settle…for each other? There was no way to know.
The only one who even deigned to comment on their return was Kakei.
"Well, at least someone decided it was all right to be found."
His very own words were the things that caused his movements to halt and his
eyes to widen in revelation.
"Found…found…of course…of course! Why didn't I see it before? Goddess forgive
me for not thinking of it sooner. Sakura-sama!" he called, heading for the
stairs.
"What's going on?" Subaru called, quickly following after him. Anyone else who
was downstairs at the time also followed, wondering the same thing as Subaru.
Sakura, Amaterasu, and Sai were up in the twins' room with the two princesses,
and Kurogane was sitting on Fai's bed as usual, brooding.
"Sakura-sama, I need for you to make a trip into Faerie. It's vitally
important," the ancient spirit said urgently.
"I'll do whatever you ask," the queen started, slightly confused, "but why is
this so important?"
"There might be a way to get Tomoyo-hime back."
"How?" Amaterasu and Kurogane asked together. The others began to titter softly
among themselves. It didn't need saying. If they could get Tomoyo back…then
they could get Yuui back.
"Of course. I'll go at once," Sakura responded, moving over to the mirror in
order to make the crossing.
"How can you get her back?" Souma continued to insist along with Kurogane and
Amaterasu.
"It isn't me; it's my husband, Saiga…his Hand of Power. He has the Hand of
Seeking. If he seeks for something that's lost, he will usually find it."
"But how can a man who wears a blindfold all the time find anything?" Kurogane
asked irritably.
"It's why he wears the blindfold. Regular vision interferes with his power. He
works better when he can't actually see."
"If he can find Tomoyo-chan…why couldn't he have just found Fai-kun and Yuui-
chan from the start?" Souma queried.
"Theirs is a much more deeply laid enchantment. It would take more power than
even he has to break through it. Tomoyo-hime's enchantment isn't as deeply
laid, though. At least…I don't thinkit is," he continued to explain as he
searched for his husband's mind with his own.
"You don't think?" Kurogane clarified.
"If the Dark Court was planning to take the princess, they would have done it
much sooner. Her dream-seeing abilities were known to them. They could have
taken her any time she entered dreams…but they didn't. It would have been the
perfect way to lure Yuui-hime into the sleep of death, but they didn't take her
until after Yuui-hime had succumbed. Therefore, it could have only been a last
minute defense to prevent Tomoyo-hime from rescuing her. If I'm right about
that, then Saiga ought to be able to seek her mind…wherever it may be."
"Then…do what you have to," Amaterasu finally said, her gaze drifting toward
the curtained bed where her daughter lay. "I want her back."
Saiga? Do you hear me?
I hear you, cupcake. Tell me you've got something for me to work with. The
other lords are getting really restless over here.
No news, but there is something that you can do. Go to Yuui's chambers. Sakura
should be there by now. She'll bring you through to this side. I believe…if you
use your power…you might be able to find Tomoyo.
You…really think it's all right to try something like that? I've never tried to
search dreams. Should we risk getting their hopes up for nothing?
The humans are flagging, my love. We all are. From where I'm standing, this is
the only option. Either we find the Nihon princess…or all is lost.
And when you say something like that, I know we're in trouble. I'll give it a
try.
Thank you.
It wasn't long at all before the mirror was shimmering and Sakura was
materializing in the room with Saiga, Yukito, and Chi in tow.
"I know you told us to remain in Faerie, Kakei-sama," Yukito began before
anyone else could say anything. "But I thought…in the hope that Tomoyo-hime can
be found…and Yuui-chan woken up…we thought we might be of some help when her
labor continues. We left the children with Chitose-san and we can go right back
once things have settled here…only please let us remain for this."
Kakei just nodded. At this point, he would take any help that anyone was
willing to give. Something had to happen and it had to happen soon.
"What do you want me to do?" Saiga asked as Kakei led him over to the bed where
the princesses lay.
"Just meditate," Kakei explained as he set his husband down on the bed cross-
legged. "Like you would any other time you use your power. Reach out. Let the
hidden speak to you. I'm almost certain you can find Tomoyo-hime's mind and
bring it back to us. She wants to come back. All she needs is a route. You can
give her that route." With that, the ancient faerie pressed a brief, loving
kiss to his husband's lips and withdrew, leaving him alone to work.
Please let this work was the single desperate prayer in everyone's heart as
Saiga's magic began to fill the room.
                                      XxX
"What can I do? What can I do? What can I do?!" she asks herself over and over
again.
More and more often Yuui finds herself awake in her nightmares. She knows just
where she is and what is happening to her. Perhaps it's because she had known
what was happening to her upon entering? Whatever the reason, it now makes her
wonder what Fai is experiencing. They'd known nothing of their curse when he'd
been taken. What is he feeling now? Is he losing his mind? Does he think…that
he's dead? Dead and in hell…as he'd told Kurogane? Sometimes she can feel
him…trapped…afraid…suffocating. She can hear him screaming…and feel him
burning. She knows she is only experiencing a fraction of what Kurogane and her
brother have suffered over the last months, and now she's trapped in a place
where she can't even offer comfort.
Why has Tomoyo not come for her yet? Is something preventing her? Is she in
danger? Did the kiss…not work? No! That can't be it! Something is holding
Tomoyo back. She knows it!
But…what can it be? What could keep Tomoyo from coming to her?
"You know she'll come to you when she can…just as Kurogane-kun will go to Fai-
kun when he can," a voice suddenly whispers in her ear. "No matter how long she
has to struggle, she'll come. All you need to do is wait for her."
"You're dead," Yuui whispers achingly as she turns to face Lady Kotori Monou.
"What are you doing here?"
"Even the dying dream," she responds serenely. "This is the dream at the moment
of my death."
"But…you died two months ago."
"You should know that time means very little in dreams," she says with a smile.
"Oh, Kotori-san!" Yuui finally allows herself to sob as she falls into the
faerie's embrace. "Was it my fault? Clow-sama? Fai? Syaoran-san? Himawari? What
happened to Fuuma-san and Kamui-san? Did you die…because of me?"
"I've always known how I was going to die," Kotori explains soothingly as she
strokes her hair "It was what I wanted…my decision…no one else's…and
maybe…because it wasme…Kamui and my brother will not have to die. But what
happened to us certainly wasn't your fault. Either Fuuma or Kamui would have
become the inheritor of the Sakurazukamori's will no matter what anyone said or
did. Yuuko was always going to kill Clow. By trying to dodge her fate, she
brought it on them. Your father knew the risks of going into battle. Every
soldier does. It was the same with Himawari. She knew what the risks were when
she took on the task of being your guardian. She wasn't trying to be a hero.
She knew that you would be sad…but she did what she thought was right. Nothing
was ever your fault, dear Yuui-chan. You only have the misfortune to be an
inheritor of the blood of Clow Reed. That line is a heavy thing. He paid a high
price to lay his father's tortured soul to rest."
"And Fai…my brother?"
"The two of you made your choice back then. You didn't know what was going to
come of it. How could you have? There's no point in assigning blame in any of
this."
"What do you mean we couldn't have known? Ofcoursewe could have! I could have
seen it in my dreams!" the distraught princess protests vehemently.
"It isn't a perfect art, Yuui-chan. We dreamseers see what we will, and nothing
else. You should be grateful you can't see every avenue of possibility, as I
could. That is the route that leads to madness."
"But what good is this power if I can't even use it to save the people I
love?!"
"You don't think your Tomoyo asks herself that question every morning? You
don't thinkIdid when I was much younger? Youhavethis power. No amount of
doubting it is going to make it otherwise."
"But…what can I do to help?"
"You can dream with me for a moment."
Yuui's about to ask Kotori what she means, but when she looks up to ask her,
the meaning becomes clear. Rather than the dark void of her mind, the two of
them are standing in a bedchamber. Several windows reveal the light of early
morning, the warm light revealing a scene of utmost tenderness.
A much younger Sakura is lying on a large bed. A pale, silken sheet covers her
body from the waist down, but above that she is naked, her swollen breasts
bared to the two infants cradled against her stomach. The twin children suckle
greedily, their mother's body giving them the love and sustenance they need.
Fai…and Yuui…brother and sister…prince and princess…
"Kaa-san…Otouto…" she whispers, no longer certain if her tears are from joy or
sadness.
The young queen gazes adoringly down at her babies as they nurse, looking as if
she might burst into tears of joy at any moment. It is plain to be seen that
every moment is a miracle for her…when one baby kicks out a pudgy leg…when one
of them grips the skin of her breast a little tighter in a tiny fist, telling
her just how much the child needs her. For one wild moment, Yuui thinks she can
almost remember. She wants to remember…being so close to the mother who bore
her…so close to her brother once more…
You'll be in my heart.
Yes, you'll be in my heart.
From this day on,
Now and forever more.
You'll be in my heart
No matter what they say.
You'll be here in my heart
Always.
"That song…came from her," Yuui murmurs, almost in disbelief, as she listens to
Sakura sing. Himawari had sung that same song to her and Fai ever since they
were very small. Sakura must have given it to her to sing to them…so that some
part of her might still remain with them.
Oh…Kaa-san…
"You can become a woman to make her proud," Kotori answers her initial question
as the dream fades. "You can live a life that will give meaning to the
sacrifices Sakura, Himawari, Syaoran, and Clow have made. Become the queen you
were born to be. Love Tomoyo with all your heart. Raise your daughter in love.
Just…be happy. That was all any of us ever wanted for the two of you. You've
already paid so much for our mistakes. Just live. That's how you can help," she
says, softly beginning to sing as she allows Yuui to cry into her chest.
Lightning crashes, a new mother cries.
Her placenta falls to the floor.
The angel opens her eyes.
The confusion sets in
Before the doctor can even close the door.
Lightning crashes, an old mother dies.
Her intentions fall to the floor.
The angel closes her eyes.
The confusion that was hers
Belongs now to the baby down the hall.
Oh, now feel it, comin' back again,
Like a roll of thunder chasing the wind,
Forces pullin' from the center of the earth again.
I can feel it.
                                      XxX
Tomoyo-hime…please forgive me…
Tomoyo blinks, breaking her staring contest with Seishiro. For a moment, she
could have sworn that she'd heard Chang Ang's voice.
"Something wrong, Princess?" the Dark Prince asks, another smile lighting his
face. She doesn't even dignify him with an answer. A more interesting question
would be is somethingnotwrong.
Princess?! Princess Tomoyo?! Where are you? Can you hear me?
This one truly gets the princess to start. This voice is loud and unmistakable
in her head. It's Saiga…Kakei's husband…the one who wears the blindfold.
I…Saiga-san? Is that you?
Tomoyo?
With that, the young woman feels a strong hand grip her own. Turning away from
Seishiro and gazing behind her, she sees him - the blindfolded faerie. He looks
haggard and drained, but it's still him .
"How…how did you-"
"That's just my power, Hime," he responds as he drops to his knees beside her,
his breathing ragged.
"Heh, took you long enough," Seishiro notes languidly, drawing their attention
to him. He gives Saiga a knowing leer. "Your little prince is broken, isn't
he?"
"What? What are you talking about?" Tomoyo demands, suddenly fearful. "What is
he talking about?!" she asks Saiga.
The only acknowledgment Saiga makes of her outburst is to grip her hand a
little tighter. "Let her go," he orders calmly.
"Mm…all right."
Were Saiga's eyes visible, he might be blinking in confusion. "That…that's it?
You're just…giving her to me?"
"Of course," he responds, slowly getting to his feet and coming toward them.
"There's no reason to keep her here any longer. It's been long enough."
"Then why even keep me here at all? Wasn't it to keep me from Yuui?" Tomoyo
asks as she and Saiga also climb to their feet.
"That was an extremely nice perk, but no. It wasn't the reason. I've enjoyed
our talks, Tomoyo-chan. I'll be seeing you again before too long." Saying so,
he takes her chin in his hand and presses a brief but intense kiss to her lips.
Before she can pull away, he then presses his mouth against her ear. "But until
then, giveSubarumy love."
When Seishiro releases her and the illusion shatters around them, Tomoyo
suddenly feels as if she can breathe again, not even having realized she'd
stopped.She opened her eyes and the first thing she felt was a warm hand
holding hers. She glanced down to the foot of the bed and saw Saiga sitting
there, clutching her hand tightly in his. Even outside of the illusion, he
looked exhausted, but he still managed to crack a small smirk for her.
"Finally found you."
Tomoyo only had enough time to see Kakei throw himself at his husband before
she was swimming in embraces of her own.
"Oh, Tomoyo-chan!" Souma cried as she pressed a kiss to her cheek. "We were so
worried about you!"
"It's all right, Souma-chan. I'm fine," she said softly as she patted Souma's
back, still somewhat bewildered. It took her a moment longer to identify the
second person who held her, as he didn't speak. Her brother's embrace
was…tentative at best. Somehow, he'd managed to get even worse in the time
she'd been gone. "Nii-sama? Nii-sama, what's wrong? What happened?"
Kurogane didn't respond. For several long minutes, he just held her. Then he
whispered to her, "I'm sorry," before releasing her and backing away. There was
much unsaid with him - much that needed saying. She could feel it. Whatever it
was, it was poisoning him. She knew they would have to talk.
The next embrace came from her mother. As Tomoyo hugged back, Amaterasu began
to explain things to her. "You've been gone about a week. Things…things have
only been getting worse. Saiga-san was gone an entire day looking for you.
Syaoran-Ou and Himawari-san both died that day…and Chang Ang died yesterday."
"So it was him that I heard," she murmured, quietly accepting the old priest's
passing. When her mother finally released her, Tomoyo felt something soft push
against her hand. She glanced down to see Larg nudging her.
"Tomoyo will wake Yuui up now?" the tiny creature asked her, its face
infinitely sad.
Taking a deep breath, Tomoyo finally turned to her right, seeing what she'd
known she would see ever since waking. Yuui lay beside her, pale as ice and
still as death. Even though she knew she was meant to fix it, tears still
pricked in her eyes to see her love like this. Slowly, she got to her knees
beside Yuui and took one cold hand in hers, pressing a tender kiss to the skin.
"You've been waiting. You've been in pain," she whispered sadly, only for Yuui.
"I'm sorry I couldn't come to you sooner."
Though terror that her kiss would not be enough still swirled in her heart, the
fear that something else would come and take Yuui away from her again was even
stronger, and it compelled her forward through her fear. She bent forward over
Yuui and pressed a loving kiss to her frozen lips.
For a long moment, the room was dead silent, and Tomoyo could practically hear
the hammer of her heartbeat pounding in her ears. But then…the hand she held
gripped hers in return, and just as Tomoyo had done, Yuui drew a deep breath
upon waking, exhaling it as the color returned to her face. Her blue eyes
fluttered open and slowly adjusted to take in the sight of Tomoyo above her.
"Tomoyo? Is that you?" she called softly.
Tomoyo couldn't manage to stop the few tears that escaped as she threw her arms
around Yuui and buried her face in her chest. "You came back! You came back!"
she cried over and over again.
Yuui hugged her back weakly. "This…this is real," she murmured, still not quite
getting her head around it. However, Tomoyo released her just in time to see
her eyes widen in anguish as memory rushed through her. "What have I done?" she
whispered in shock, self-loathing coloring her words as tears pricked at her
eyes. Syaoran…and Himawari…were both dead…because of her.
"No," Tomoyo whispered back, taking her in her arms and helping her to sit up.
"Don't blame yourself. It wasn't anyone's fault."
"But I…Syaoran…Tou-san…I could have been faster…healed him-"
"No, Yuui-hime," Kakei interrupted from his place at the end of the bed with
Saiga. "There wasn't anything you could have done. An ordinary blade to the
stomach would have killed him. He was run through with Assassin's Hand. A human
couldn't even survive a tiny nick from that blade. There is no one who can heal
an injury done to a mortal with Assassin's Hand."
Yuui heard his words, but she knew she would never truly be able to accept
them. As far as she was concerned, her hands were stained with Himawari and
Syaoran's blood - and she would never be free of it.
Unfortunately, the reunion was cut short when a cry of pain split the air. Yuui
went limp in Tomoyo's arms as a contraction seized her body, wracking her with
pain. No one really needed to hear it when Kakei announced, "The baby's
coming."
The elder faerie quickly snapped into action. "Sakura-sama, I need you to take
Yuui-sama and Tomoyo-hime to the Labyrinth. Subaru-kun and Yukito-kun will go
with you. When you arrive there, Subaru will create another mirror in order to
allow you a way back through."
"Couldn't Soel and Larg take care of teleporting in this world? We're not
traveling dimensions," Souma noted as Tomoyo and Saiga helped Yuui to her feet.
"No one can teleport into or out of the Sacred Labyrinth. Its presence cannot
be felt in the mind when one is outside of it. In order to reach a place, one
must be able to sense it. If you can't feel where you're going, you could wind
up trapped in limbo…as energy. Clow gave the Mokona special abilities, but even
they are bound by this law. It seems that only Sakura-sama is not. She needs
only a mirror. The battle outside of the entrance to the Labyrinth is still
going on and I'd been hoping that Sakura-sama's new Hand would also apply to
it. However, if it does work, she'll need another mirror in order to get back."
"I'm ready," Sakura announced, already in position before the mirror. "But
I…I've never been to the Labyrinth. I don't know what it looks like."
Watanuki quickly stepped forward and placed his hand on the mirror, summoning
up an image of the Labyrinth, specifically the Sacred Circle. No one noticed
it, but Kurogane started slightly at the sight of the place where he'd first
lain with Fai.
"I'll go with you now, as well. Once Subaru-kun's got the mirror ready, you'll
need to take a messenger through to Faerie. You'll be able to come back to
Yuui-sama once it's done," he assured her before she could protest having to
leave Yuui, "but you're the only one who can do this. The other lords need to
know."
Sakura nodded her understanding, holding out her arms for her passengers to
grab hold of. Yuui took her right hand and Tomoyo placed her hand on her
forearm just above Yuui's. Subaru placed a hand on her right shoulder and
Yukito her left. Kakei placed his hand on her upper left arm, channeling some
of his own power into her to make certain she would have enough energy to make
the trip with so many passengers. Once everyone was ready, the queen focused
her power on the place reflected in the mirror, willing herself across the
distance. Then she placed her left hand on the glass, and passed right through.
This time, she only swooned slightly upon arriving at the destination. Yukito
supported her as Kakei picked Yuui up and carried her into the magic circle.
Subaru quickly went about the task of conjuring up another mirror. Tomoyo stood
at the edge of the circle, ready to help if she was needed.
Kakei laid Yuui down in the circle, unceremoniously parting her legs and
lifting her slip for her when another contraction seized her body. No one
protested the treatment. They all knew that every moment counted now. Quickly
examining her progress, Kakei's eyes opened wide in surprise.
"It's no wonder you're hurting, Yuui-sama. I suppose your body's trying to make
up for lost time. You're at eight centimeters."
Yukito's head snapped up at that. "What?! There's no way she could have
progressed so far that fast!" Looking down at Sakura, she nodded to him.
"I'm fine. Go to her. She needs you."
Yukito quickly moved into the circle to have a look at Yuui. Of course, he
found that Kakei spoke nothing but the truth.
"Don't underestimate a fey child," was his response.
"But…what will it do to her?" Yukito asked nervously.
"We don't know that," Kakei responded quietly. "It…may be too much for her
body."
"Why can't you use spells again?"
"This is how Yuui-sama proves her worth to her people. If she cannot bear this
child, then she is unfit to be queen."
"But…what if she can't take it?" Yukito asked, his gaze shifting nervously from
Tomoyo to Sakura.
"Whether the princess dies in childbirth…or this child is somehow not born, the
result is the same. If she fails to produce an heir, and Seishiro succeeds…he
will kill her, and it will be well within his rights. There is no other moment
but this one."
"Don't say that," Tomoyo finally broke in, coming into the circle and kneeling
beside Yuui's head. "She's not going to die. Neither of them will," she
insisted, gently lifting up Yuui's head and cradling it in her lap, stroking
her hair and being careful not to jostle her too much. "How are you feeling,
Yuui?"
"It…it hurts, Tomoyo," she moaned weakly. "It feels like I'm tearing open."
"You'll be all right," Tomoyo reassured her. "You're strong. You can do this."
Yuui was no longer quite as certain. At first, the pain had been a tolerable,
gradual thing, but now, after the sudden spring to full dilation, her body
already felt ravaged. Already feeling her daughter begin her decent through the
birth canal, Yuui remembered Sakura's promise that she would beg for death
before it was over…remembered stories she'd heard of the women who'd died
giving birth to their children. Did she really have the strength for this?
Would she last long enough to see her little girl's sweet face?
Sakura was about to step in herself, but it was that moment that Subaru chose
to inform her that the mirror was ready.
"Please, don't-" she started to protest.
"Don't argue, Sakura-sama," Kakei shot right back. "We need you to do this. No
one else can."
Finally nodding, Sakura quickly stepped into the circle, knelt beside Tomoyo
and Yuui, and gave her daughter a reassuring kiss on the forehead. "I'm coming
right back. I promise." Then she was gone.
The process didn't get any easier. In human births, the baby typically took
several hours to negotiate the passage out of the womb, blocked as it was by
bone, muscle, and the like, but her baby wasn't working around those obstacles.
She wasn't fragile like a human baby. She was breaking right through them…and
Yuui could feel every painful snap. Had she been anyone else, Kakei and Subaru
could have done something to slow the process, but there was nothing they could
do to ease her pain. They had to let it happen.
As her labor continued, Yuui vaguely heard other voices somewhere above
her…voices that hadn't been there before: Watanuki…Doumeki…Chi…Souma…Kamui…Sai…
Kujaku…was that Kurogane? So many…and they all passed in and out of her limited
awareness. She heard Sakura return. The only things that remained constant in
the sea of pain were Tomoyo at her head and Kakei at her feet.
Fai…she found herself thinking at one point. Fai should be here…and
Himawari…and Syaoran…and Fuuma…and Kotori. They should all be here.
As the pain-filled minutes wore on, things just seemed to get more and more
surreal. Yuui was no longer certain if she was hearing what people were
saying…or what they were thinking.
These damn fools…we've got to do something…she's dying…it's killing her…there's
nothing we can do…maybe if he can just save the baby…if he says anything like
that again, I swear I'll kill him…you're strong, Yuui, so very strong. You can
do this…if she dies, he'll never forgive me…
Please, don't take her away from me.
Yuui looked up at Tomoyo. She knew she hadn't said that aloud. Was Tomoyo
afraid?
"The baby's crowning, Tomoyo-hime. Come and see," Kakei's voice came to her
from somewhere below.
"Hold her, Sakura-sama," Tomoyo requested, not wanting to leave Yuui
unsupported. Yuui was vaguely aware of the shift, but she was a bit more
preoccupied with the pain between her legs. It wouldn't stop…never
stopped…never let up even a little bit. It only got worse.
"I see her, Yuui!" she heard Tomoyo cry out in exultation. "She's almost here.
You can do this. Just a little bit more."
In coaxing her wasted body to push just a little bit more, Yuui was struck by
another wave of pain. She sobbed in agony, tears running down her face as her
body trembled with pain. "No more! No more!" she cried pitifully. "I can't take
it! I just want to die! Let me die!"
"No, Yuui! No!" Tomoyo insisted vehemently, squeezing her hand tightly in hers.
"Don't give up now! You're so close. You've almost got a daughter."
"You mustn't die now, Yuui-chan," Sakura's voice came down to her from
overhead. "You promised me you wouldn't. You have to live."
Yuui tried to look up at Sakura, but when she finally managed to turn her gaze,
it wasn't Sakura she was looking at. It was Kotori.
"Did…did I die already?"
Kotori shook her head, smiling encouragingly. She didn't see her lips move, but
she thought she could hear her song in her head.
Lightning crashes, a new mother cries.
This moment she's been waiting for.
The angel opens her eyes,
Pale blue-colored eyes.
Presents the circle,
Puts the glory out to hide, hide.
Oh, now feel it comin' back again,
Like a roll of thunder chasing the wind.
Forces pullin' from the center of the earth again.
I can feel it. I can feel it.
Quite suddenly, she did feel it. Her senses were brought crashing back to
painful clarity as her body gave one last push. She screamed out her agony one
last time, her body giving one final tear and a fountain of scarlet blood,
bringing her daughter in its wake.
Yuui collapsed against Sakura, barely breathing as her child's shrill cries
filled her ears. She couldn't quite make her body move, but that was all right.
At last, at last…her daughter…after months of heartache, she was finally here.
But…would she be able to see her?
"Subaru, you've got to do something! Do it now! She's dying! She's bleeding to
death!" she heard Tomoyo crying.
Don't…don't cry, Tomoyo.
"Don't die, baby," she heard Sakura crying, as well. "You can't die now."
"Where…where is…my daughter? My baby?" she asked them weakly. They'd taken her
away and she wanted her back. "Let me hold her. Let me hold her just once."
"Don't talk like that," Subaru told her tensely. A moment later, she felt the
flare of his power rush through her body, its warmth bringing healing in its
wake. For a moment, she just lay still, savoring the fact of the air in her
lungs and the absence of the pain from the last few hours. However, it didn't
take long for her to start asking again. With her child gone from her, she felt
the absence keenly, and her breasts burned, aching to give suck to her baby.
"Where is she?" she kept asking when no one answered. "I want to see her. I
want my baby."
"Be patient, you," Tomoyo scolded her as she approached with a neatly wrapped
bundle in her arms. "You were close to gone a moment ago. Give the rest of us
some time to recover. We had to clean her first."
"Is that her?" Yuui asked impatiently, trying to see inside the small nest of
blankets.
Tomoyo smiled weakly, holding out the bundle to her. "Yuui…meet your new
daughter."
Yuui could hardly breathe as she took the tiny bundle in her arms. Looking
inside, she saw a tiny, scrunched up face with tiny sapphire eyes squinting
delicately up at her. She'd calmed down upon being diapered and wrapped in a
blanket. Now she was making small burbling noises, smacking her tiny pink lips
and revealing her toothless gums. Really, she just couldn't be more precious if
she tried. Once again, Yuui felt tears pricking at her eyes; only this time,
they were tears of joy.
"My little girl. My little girl," she cried softly. "My little Kohaku."
"Her name is Kohaku?" Kakei asked softly. Tomoyo nodded, shooing him away.
"Send word to Faerie," Kakei said to the image of Saiga in the mirror that led
back the cottage. "Yuui-hime is all right. Kohaku-hime is born." Once that was
done, Kakei turned back to the new mother and her child, dropping to one knee
and bowing his head. "An heir is born. Hail Yuui, Queen of all Faerie."
Slowly, everyone else followed suit, dropping to one knee and bowing their
heads. Murmurs of 'Hail Yuui' echoed throughout the chamber. Yuui, Tomoyo, and
Sakura heard none of it. They were all too captivated by the way Kohaku opened
and closed her little mouth.
"Maybe you ought to feed her," Sakura suggested with a smile, still supporting
Yuui from behind.
"Yes. Yes," Yuui responded, slowly snapping herself out of her enchantment.
Somewhere in the middle of it all, her slip had been removed, so her breasts
were already bared. She held Kohaku near one nipple, hesitating. "So…I just…"
"Yes, just let her suckle. She knows what to do."
Yuui drew Kohaku's head up to her right nipple, offering it to her. The little
girl immediately latched on, taking the nipple in her mouth and sucking
hungrily. Leaning down a little, she pressed a kiss to the baby's head, tickled
by the small wisps of hair already growing there. Everything about her was just
so very soft. Yuui knew she would never be able to have enough of looking.
"Tomoyo," Yuui whispered, glancing up at her fiancé. "She's really here. Our
Kohaku…our daughter."
Tomoyo smiled as she watched Yuui with Kohaku. She realized that she was no
longer the only girl in Yuui's life, but she was perfectly content with that.
Kohaku was her daughter as well. They were all a family, and here…now…it felt
as if at least part of their suffering had been vindicated. Kohaku was alive
and well and Yuui had been rescued from Yuuko's curse.
However, Fai still wasn't free, and Tomoyo couldn't help but wonder how long
the enemy would leave them to this moment of respite. Out of all of them,
Kohaku was now the one who posed the greatest threat to their plans. Newborn or
no, they would come for her. They would come at her hard and fast, and snuff
out her barely begun life if they ever got the chance.
***** But If I Know You *****
For all her reputation of mood swings and insanity, it was not often that Queen
Yuuko Reed was truly enraged. Certainly, Clow made her angry, but she only
allowed that anger to fester because it kept her from feeling the pain he
caused her. While he was alive, she'd hated him because he wouldn't let her
save him. Now that it was over and done with, that anger was the only thing
that kept her from feeling the pain of missing him. She couldn't let go of her
life because she couldn't let go of that smoldering hate long enough to realize
that she could. Sometimes she knew she'd killed her husband…other times she
knew only that he was dead…not how it had happened. Other times still…more and
more often recently…she would wake thinking she still slept beside him…and that
their baby son would soon rouse her with cries to be fed.
They were sweet moments, but the moments of true awakening were becoming all
the harder to bear. She was becoming more and more aware that the day would
come when she just would not wake from the delusion…and she would be
alone…trapped forever within her own head. She had created the perfect weapon
to free herself with…but that weapon had no compassion, no care at all to free
her from the cage of her madness…and whenever she remembered what she'd done to
her baby boy to forge that weapon, she would crash for days. She knew what he
was - of course she did - but she could hardly bear to remember that it was
she, herself, who had done it to him anymore. Reality had always been difficult
for her to grasp, but now…now the only way for her to even lightly grip her
tenuous hold was to focus on putting her child on the throne…a child that
didn't exist anymore…who had died centuries ago…a child who was now
jeopardizing her plans. And so…she was enraged.
"How could you do it?" she demanded of him once again, the sound of her palm
slapping hard across his face echoing in the airy darkness of her throne room.
"How could you let that little bitch go free? A princess is born! Now the
little Fluorite slut will be queen!"
"I grew tired of her. It was time for Tomoyo to go," he responded without the
slightest sign of pain.
"Do you realize what you've done?"
Seishiro only laughed. "Honestly, Mother, what did you think was going to
happen here?"
"How dare you-" Before the enraged queen could even finish, she felt a pair of
impossibly strong arms wrap around her and pin her own arms snugly against her
torso. At the same time, she felt her body pressed against a thickly muscled
chest. She didn't need to look to know that it was Fuuma who held her.
"Just what do you think I want?"
"I couldn't guess," she responded calmly, only partially aware that she was
surrounded on all sides by the Sakurazukamori.
"I am meant to be the agent of chaos…I ought not want anything for anyone, but
there is still so much hate left in this body over what was done to its
original inhabitant, it seems to guide my actions. If there is anything left of
your child, it is that hate."
"What will you do to me?" she asked, calm as ever. "Will you kill me?" Her
son's hatred stung, of course, but it was a comfort to know that at least one
person saw fit to punish her for her sins. All Clow ever did was forgive her.
"Heh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" he murmured, reaching forward and taking
a lock of her hair in his hand, feeling the softness of the dark strands as he
let them slip through his fingers. "That's what you want…but you should know by
now that I'm not that kind. My Subaru will suffer greatly long before he
dies…so will it be with you. You think you've suffered, Queen Yuuko Reed? You
have suffered nothing. You will feel everything that he has felt and more," he
said, giving her a lascivious smile. Then, taking her chin in his hand and
forcing her head back against Fuuma's neck, he pressed a rather violent kiss to
her lips.
"You would defile your queen?" she asked the both of them when Seishiro finally
released her, her lips already bruising from the force of his kiss.
"What's there left to defile?" Fuuma whispered in her ear as he slid an arm up
to her neck, threatening to cut off the flow of air. "There's no one who can
help you anyway. Everyone's off fighting your war."
"Play your little games, Mother, but let's not delude ourselves anymore. Don't
imagine, for even one minute, that you're in control. I'm doing things my way
now, and if that includes you…so be it," he whispered dangerously as he pressed
another bruising kiss to her neck.
Yuuko laughed bitterly as her son bit down on her white skin. "Seishiro…my
child…whatever you are…you make the mistake of thinking you can hurt me. You
can only hurt people if they are afraid of pain."
Seishiro returned her laugh, licking away the pinpricks of blood he'd drawn.
"Oh, but I can hurt you, Mother. You will feel pain by my hand. Look at me."
"No," the queen responded softly, though she felt a sudden spark of fear in her
chest.
"Look into my eye, Mother. It's been so long since you've looked at me."
She didn't say anything at all this time. She only looked away, off to the
side, down, anywhere would do so long as she did not have to look into that
eye!
"Look at me," he ordered harshly, forcing her face back up. She couldn't help
it. Her gaze went directly to his.
There was nothing there…nothing…nothing at all…not even the hate he spoke of.
The single grey eye that remained in his dark, cold, beautiful face was empty
of everything. He didn't care; he couldn't.
"Do you see it, Yuuko?" Fuuma whispered in her ear.
It was like she was seeing him for the first time since the sacrifice. The
change was forever burned into her mind - and he could never be her little boy
again.
"Your son is dead," he said firmly. "Your son is dead…and you killed him."
She didn't collapse when they released her. A lesser woman would have fallen,
but she remained upright. It was only for a moment after they'd gone - barely
the length of a heartbeat - but for that moment, her face looked infinitely
sad. She knew what he was - of course she did - she'd just never allowed
herself to see it.
My baby…my baby…
                                      XxX
My baby…my baby…my sweet little baby girl…
For the past twenty-four hours, Yuui had barely been able to keep her eyes off
her newborn daughter. She had counted all of the tiny fingers and toes on her
little hands and feet. She had stroked the peach fuzzy softness of her golden
hair. When Kohaku was awake, she gazed deeply into her baby blue eyes,
wondering when they would blossom into the emerald green Kotori had promised.
The others had tried to convince her to rest, but she didn't dare. She didn't
want Kohaku out of her sight for even a minute. So many others had disappeared
already. She wanted Kohaku where she could see her. Her argument to her
companions was that she had slept for so long already that one or two days
surely wouldn't make a difference.
Sometimes sadness intruded on her little cocoon of bliss. Kohaku was, after
all, wrapped in the blanket Himawari had made for her, a deep blue quilt with
tiny stars and moons sewn onto it. However, no sooner had the guilt and sadness
over her foster mother's death entered her head than thoughts of her little
girl wormed their way back in…her joy of her…and her fear for her safety. The
tiny girl was just as fragile as she was precious…and Seishiro was still out
there with Assassin's Hand and his Hand of True Death. Sometimes she could
almost swear she heard his voice, at which she would clutch Kohaku just a
little bit more tightly against her breast.
There is more than one way to kill a child, my dear Yuui-chan. Come, give her
to me and I'll show you just how easy it is.
No! No! She wouldn't let that happen! She wouldn't let Seishiro take Kohaku
from her as he'd taken Fai. She would die before the foul creature laid hands
on her baby!
Don't worry, my little one. I'll protect you. I won't ever let him touch you.
Nothing will harm you so long as I'm still breathing.
"Yuui," the princess suddenly heard her lover's voice beside her. "You really
ought to get some rest. There are still things to do."
"But…Kohaku…" Yuui tried to protest.
"Kohaku will be fine. She's sleeping now. She's full, warm, and safe. We need
to work to keep it that way. If it will make you feel better, I can hold her
while you sleep."
"But I-"
"Yuui, you haven't been crowned yet. Kohaku won't be truly safe until your
position is secure, and even then…well…Kakei-san told me the coronation process
can be very trying, and it will happen in the morning. I want you to have some
rest before then. Nothing will happen…and even if something does,we will all
protect her with our lives. By the Goddess, I swear it," she said gently,
reaching forward and taking one of Kohaku's tiny hands in hers. In her sleep,
the baby's small fingers curled tightly around Tomoyo's much larger one. Yuui
smiled tenderly at this, finally relenting to her fiancé's wish.
"All right," she said, her heart breaking a little bit as she allowed Tomoyo to
take Kohaku from her. "You-you'll wake me if…if she needs me?"
"Of course," Tomoyo reassured her, coaxing the exhausted mother to rest her
head on her lap. "We won't even leave your side. We'll stay right here, and
we'll still be here when you wake."
Yuui was still reluctant, especially when Kohaku shifted and whined softly in
her sleep, but eventually settled when the newborn settled down in Tomoyo's
arms herself. Before laying her head down on Tomoyo's lap, she pressed a tender
kiss to their daughter's forehead. "I love you, my Kohaku…and I love you, my
koibito," she said softly once she was able to look up into Tomoyo's eyes
again. Tomoyo smiled down at her.
"I love you both…so much," Tomoyo returned, her eyes shining brightly as she
watched Yuui drift off into a much needed sleep - a sleep of soft dreams and
warm embraces, not poison and darkness.
They hadn't yet moved Yuui and Kohaku from the sacred circle, all of them
wanting them to have some rest after their ordeal. Yuui had borne more than any
mother had a right to expect to survive, and while Kohaku was not a human
child, birth was still a traumatic experience. They both needed all the support
they could give them. So, milling about the space, keeping in contact with the
outside world, and preparing the way for Yuui's coronation, they would all
steal occasional glances at the young woman they all cared about, and the tiny,
helpless girl so many of them could barely make sense of.
After Yuui had drifted off, the first of the companions to actually approach
Tomoyo was Kamui. While he was enraptured by the small life, he came with not a
small amount of trepidation.
"She…she's…can I-" he tried to ask.
"You want to see her?" Tomoyo asked, holding the sleeping baby a little closer
to the sprite. Kamui shrank back a little.
"Only to see. I don't think I ought to touch her," he said softly, glancing
down at the scars that marred his arms, just barely visible at his wrists, the
rest concealed by the long sleeves of his tunic. "It's just…Kohaku-hime is
Fuuma's daughter. I know that…he would want to be here. I want to be here for
him."
Tomoyo nodded. She thought she understood. Kamui felt he needed to bear witness
for his absent lover at the birth of his daughter - no matter how strange the
entire situation was.
For what felt like a long while, Kamui knelt beside the princess, staring at
the tiny girl in her arms. He found himself thinking that almost nothing in the
world had ever been more precious. There was, after all, a part of this infant
that had come from Fuuma. Also, as the captain gazed on the perfection of the
tiny creature, he found himself remembering Subaru when he was this small, this
helpless. Hesitantly, he reached out a hand, mirroring the gesture he'd seen
the cursed Himawari use with the twins…tracing his fingers along the line of
her face…just above her skin.
"Are you sure you don't want to hold her?" Tomoyo asked soothingly, seeing the
different aches converge in the elder Shiro's eyes. "After all, Kohaku
is…well…because you're with Fuuma-san…you're a parent to her, too…in some way."
Kamui withdrew his hand as if bitten by a snake, shaking his head ruefully. "If
that's so…then I had better do the responsible thing…and keep harm as far away
from her as possible. There's still the possibility Seishiro could use Subaru
and I to harm Yuui-sama and Kohaku-hime. Besides…we've all seen what happens to
children I'm supposed to protect."
"That's not fair, Nii-san," Subaru suddenly interrupted, having been listening
in on their conversation. "What happened to me wasn't your fault."
"Let's not do this," Tomoyo interrupted softly before Kamui could say anything
more. "What's done is done. Assigning blame won't change any of it. Let's
just…rest for a little while…and be grateful Yuui's all right…and Kohaku is
finally here with us."
"Yes…of course. You're right," Subaru finally agreed, gazing down at the
sleeping baby girl. It was amazing how transfixed they all still were by her
mere presence. "She really is beautiful," he murmured, placing a hand on his
brother's shoulder. "I'm sure Fuuma will be very proud."
"Yes," Kamui agreed as he stood. Then he bowed his head down to Tomoyo. "Thank
you, Tomoyo-hime," he said softly before he and his brother disappeared to take
care of other planning tasks. Neither Shiro felt quite worthy enough to be in
the presence of the little angel.
"How are they?" Sakura asked quietly, approaching the small family in the void
left by the two brothers.
"Sleeping," the princess responded with a smile. "They were both exhausted.
Yuui just didn't want to admit it. Did you get Yukito-san and Chi-san back to
Faerie safely?"
"Yes," the queen replied, settling herself on the ground next to Tomoyo.
"Freya-chan was missing her mother. Kakei-san says they might be able to return
to Valeria soon."
"That's…good news," Tomoyo said slowly, intently watching Sakura's pensive
countenance.
"Yes. I'll probably accompany them. Ransho-san is…keeping Syaoran's body
preserved with magic. I imagine they'll…want to hold a funeral before too
long…"
"Of course," Tomoyo said with a sympathetic nod. Giving a few gentle hums,
Sakura reached over to stroke Kohaku's downy blonde hair.
"I really wish he could've seen Kohaku-chan. She's so wonderful…and I'm sure
you and Yuui will raise her properly."
"But he can see her, Sakura-sama. Part of him is still with you…and with Yuui.
He'll be with his granddaughter, too."
"Yes…yes, you're right," Sakura said shakily, brushing away tears that hadn't
quite managed to fall. She then reached over to brush a few strands of hair
from Yuui's face and press a gentle kiss to her forehead. "See she gets plenty
of rest?" she requested.
"Absolutely," the princess reassured her, shifting Kohaku into one arm so she
could rest a hand on Yuui's shoulder. Sakura smiled in relief, standing up and
going back to pretending to being busy, trying her hardest not to think about
the test her child would soon undergo.
"I'm waiting," Tomoyo announced to the seemingly deserted entrance to the
circular chamber. Most everyone had been in and out of the sacred area to see
how Yuui and Kohaku were doing a time or two by now. There were still two faces
she knew were lingering just out of her sight beyond the entrance.
Souma finally gave in and peeked her head into the chamber. For the longest
time, she just stood, staring uncertainly at the three of them. Tomoyo sighed.
"Now the other one."
He took longer than Souma to materialize, but Kurogane did eventually appear
beside Souma, not quite looking at any of them.
"How is she? Yuui?" Souma managed to ask. Tomoyo gave her an encouraging smile,
giving her full permission to enter the chamber, which she did. Kurogane took
several long moments to follow her lead.
"She's all right. They're both just fine. "
"Kohaku?" Souma asked with a shy smile as she knelt beside Tomoyo.
"Yes," she replied, her smile dimming slightly when she noticed Kurogane
wouldn't enter the magic circle. He came as far as the barrier, then sat down
cross-legged just beyond it. Sometimes, he would look at them, but mostly he
would stare at the line separating them.
"Kurogane?" she began softly. "What happened while we were asleep? Where did my
big brother go? Where is he?"
"He's dead," the fallen prince replied simply, shattering a piece of his baby
sister's heart with his stoicism. "He's dead unless he can rescue Fai…and even
then…"…how can we go back…to the way things were before? How can I look him in
the eye…how can I make love to him…knowing what I've done…that I could just as
easily do it to him…that – that I can't marry him…like I promised?
It'llkillhim!
When Kurogane wouldn't even look at her after that declaration, Tomoyo turned
to Souma for answers. "What happened? Has it really only been a week? He wasn't
this bad before."
"Kyle lured him back to Shirasagi, promising him information. He knows how to
get inside the Dark Court now, but…he was tricked into killing his own men in
order to escape."
"Oh," the princess murmured in shocked understanding. Her brother was nothing
if not loyal. To be forced to do that to someone who had made an oath to
him…would destroy him. She needn't have witnessed his slow spiral into self-
destruction. The path it had ravaged through him was written into every aspect
of his being. She wanted to go to him and comfort him, but not only had she
promised not to leave Yuui's side, she also knew she could no longer give the
comfort he needed. Only the sunshine of Fai's smile and the warmth of his
embrace could hope to give him true comfort and redemption anymore.
"Kurogane…would you like to hold your niece?" she asked softly, hoping to coax
him into the circle. Kurogane just shook his head, staring resolutely at the
dark lines in the stone floor. Kohaku represented many things for him. She was
the hope of their continued existence and the start of their quest for Fai. She
was the symbol of the one joy he could never share with Fai…and the one the
world required of him in order to be with his prince. However, chief among all
these things, Kohaku was innocent. She was new and untainted, untouched by the
darkness and pain in the world. She was everything that was good - everything
he was not. Once, a long time ago, he had made a vow to protect his innocent
baby sister. He had made the same vow with Fai, but he knew he couldn't keep
them anymore. He had become far too steeped in the darkness he'd allowed to
grow within himself to ever again touch anything so pure and beautiful. He
could not, in good conscience, take another innocent under his protection when
he was the very thing they needed protecting from. He would not allow Yuui and
Tomoyo's precious child to be touched by the darkness inside him.
Besides that, none of them seemed to realize just how much of his control he
needed in order to hold himself together in this room. This holy place, where
he and Fai had first made love - to be here without him, knowing his fate, was
pain to Kurogane - a nearly unendurable ache. He honestly wasn't certain how
long he could remain here without completely falling apart.
"Nii-sama…please?" Tomoyo murmured, not quite looking at him. "I need you now."
"I can't," he hissed in abject despair, tightening his hold on himself in order
to keep it together. Unfortunately, the sharpness of his voice woke Kohaku from
her slumber and she began to whimper, crying for her mother. Kurogane looked
stricken at what he'd caused to happen.
Yuui awoke almost the instant Kohaku began to cry, shooting up from Tomoyo's
lap and looking around urgently for her daughter. Tomoyo reached out her hand
to place it on Yuui's shoulder once more, trying to calm her. Once Yuui felt
the touch, she turned to see Kohaku in Tomoyo's arms and visibly relaxed.
"What's wrong, baby?" she asked as she gently took her from Tomoyo.
"Nothing. Her Uncle Kurogane just startled her a little," the younger princess
responded with a smile. Before Yuui could say anything more, Kakei came
sweeping into the chamber, flanked by Doumeki and Watanuki.
"Majesty, all is in readiness," Kakei announced. "You must come now."
                                      XxX
"I am at the beginning as I am at the end."
The voices echoed softly in the cavern all around her. Though it had only been
a few minutes, it felt like she'd been walking for hours - deep into the bowels
of the earth.
"I am the sacred circle,"
Everything had happened so fast. They had all returned to Faerie and she,
Tomoyo, and Kohaku had all been ritualistically bathed and purified, then led
to the viewing pool behind the throne room. Once there, a doorway that had
never been there before was revealed to them. A winding, sloping corridor that
led deep beneath the sithen was the route from that doorway. Kakei had
explained that this path was only revealed during the coronation ceremony.
"spinner of the web of space and time."
Kakei was leading the way down through the corridor, with Yuui, Tomoyo, and
Kohaku directly behind him, and everyone else following behind. Everyone but
the new royal family was dressed in a vibrant shade of blue. Yuui, Tomoyo, and
Kohaku wore nothing at all. Yuui's still short hair just brushed her shoulders
and Tomoyo's dark hair hung unbound to her waist. Kohaku was cradled securely
against her mother's bare chest, dozing peacefully.
"I am the Cosmic "And":"
They were so deep beneath the ground, it seemed like it should have been dark,
but an ethereal blue light lit the air from deep within. As they moved ever
downward, the procession chanted the words inscribed around the magic circle in
the Sacred Labyrinth. Those who didn't know the words slowly picked them up.
"life and death, order and chaos, eternal and finite."
The two princesses were followed by their two mothers, each holding a branch of
apple blossoms in their hands. The flower had already been declared as sacred
to Yuui throughout the kingdom. Kurogane and Souma came behind them with Soel
and Larg. Kurogane, of course, had Fai's rose tucked behind his ear, and Souma
had a white rose tucked behind hers to represent all who should have been
present at the ceremony, but were not. Doumeki and Watanuki came next, with
Watanuki carrying two cloaks and Himawari's quilt and Doumeki carrying Yuui's
bow and arrows and a small, sheathed dagger. Kamui and Subaru followed behind
the two guardians, Kamui carrying a large goblet full of wine and Subaru
carrying a fresh loaf of bread. The other faerie lords who could be present
came last of all, and all together, they chanted the sacred words, their voices
thrumming as one in the deep sanctuary of the earth.
"I am Earth and all things of it."
Upon coming to the end of the cavernous corridor, Yuui found they had entered
into an even larger space. A natural pool filled this chamber, and at its
farthest end, an opening could be seen in the earthen wall, leading yet
somewhere else. Yue and Kero already stood on either side of this opening, the
moon advocate waist-deep in the water and Kero nearly fully submerged, only his
head held above the water. Once Kakei reached the very edge of the pool, he
knelt at its shore and the chanting ceased, everyone but Yuui and Tomoyo
falling to their knees.
"My Lady of the Earth and my Lord of the Sky, we bring before you a princess
who would be a queen and they who would be her family and council," Kakei
intoned authoritatively. "Your advocates have judged her worthy and she has
defeated those adversaries who were deemed worthy. She brings you proof in the
form of her essence given flesh. We give the princess, Yuui, the princess,
Tomoyo, and the princess, Kohaku back to their true parents. It is given only
to my Lady and Lord to make a sovereign out of a princess."
When he'd finished speaking, Kakei got to his feet and moved to the side,
indicating that Yuui and Tomoyo should enter the water.
"Go to Them, Your Majesties. They are waiting."
"What's in there?" Yuui dared to ask in barely a whisper. Kakei had explained
most of the ceremony to her, but this was one part she wasn't sure of. What
exactly was meant to happen in communing with the God and the Goddess?
"I don't know," the ancient faerie said reassuringly. "No one knows that.
What's inside is only for the royal family. It's not for our eyes."
When Yuui glanced toward Tomoyo, her dark-haired lover gave her a reassuring
smile and took her free hand in hers. That was all the blonde princess needed.
She clutched Kohaku tightly against her breast in one arm and she and Tomoyo
walked into the water together.
Yuui was surprised to discover that the pool was warm. It wasn't overly hot,
either, just a pleasant temperature a few degrees warmer than body heat.
Though, of course, the closer they came to Kero and Yue, the deeper the water
got. Even though she'd been reassured that this whole ceremony would be
perfectly safe, she couldn't help feeling a little paranoid and holding Kohaku
just a little bit tighter when the water reached above her belly button.
Thankfully, the pool didn't get any higher than that by the time they'd reached
the two advocates. "My Lady," the two said in unison. Yue bowed for her and
Kero inclined his head as best he could. "You may enter into Their presence."
Nodding to steel her courage, Yuui led the way through the narrow opening into
a small spherical chamber a great deal like the one in the Sacred Labyrinth. A
rough set of stone stairs led up from the pool and onto a raised platform that
neither of them could quite see. The chamber was lit from within by the same
blue light. Neither of them really noticed it, but the opening had sealed
itself after they'd come through. They were alone now, just the three
princesses - and their deities.
Neither of them said anything. They just came to a silent consensus to walk up
the stairs, and found that this place was indeed very much like the Sacred
Labyrinth. The walls were adorned with images of faeries and a magic circle was
drawn into the stone floor with a line of text inscribed around it. Yuui
couldn't make it out, but she was fairly certain it was the same chant that
appeared in the Sacred Labyrinth. There were only two real differences here. A
pedestal stood against the far wall of the small chamber, looking like it could
be an altar, but bare of any kind of offering. The other difference was the
Sacred Labyrinth was usually lit with a warm, golden light. This chamber's
lighting was colder, feeling almost like it was asleep - waiting for just the
right moment.
The two princesses exchanged another silent glance. They both knew the tales of
the Labyrinth. If they were to become rulers here, to be recognized as a mated
pair, they would need to consummate their union before the God and Goddess.
Moving together, they skirted the magic circle and carried Kohaku to the
pedestal. If they were meant to unite here beneath the earth, then this
pedestal could really only serve one purpose.
Kohaku woke up when her mother laid her down. For a few moments, she wriggled
around on the flat surface and Yuui feared she would fall, but the fear seemed
silly the very next instant. They were with the Lord and Lady. No harm could
come to her baby here. Though…she still felt a few misgivings…considering who
the last baby to lay on this pedestal must have been. Before returning to the
task at hand, she leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her daughter's
forehead. Kohaku burbled sweetly for her in return. The queen-to-be smiled
warmly before turning away.
Yuui and Tomoyo entered the circle together, both feeling how much more
powerful it was the moment they crossed its boundaries. Uncertain for only a
moment, Yuui turned to face Tomoyo and took her other hand in hers, holding
both hands up to her lips to kiss them. Then she held them against her bare
breast…over her heart.
"Tomoyo…is this what you want? To be with me…forever?"
The dark-haired princess smiled wryly, an odd expression for her face. "You're
really asking me that now? Here? There's no going back from this place, Yuui."
"But…this is really…forever. At least, something like it. If you choose to stay
here with me…and I become queen…you'll live the lifespan of a faerie woman
here, maybe thousands of years. Are you sure you want to be tied to me like
that? I'm not exactly a safe bet," the blonde said, smiling sadly.
"Yuui…my Yuui," Tomoyo began, slowly lowering the two of them to their knees.
"I already knew that. Do you think I would be here now if I didn't understand
everything truly being with you meant? I've always wanted to be tied to you
like that. From now on…I am your consort…your queen. Your home is my home."
Yuui could feel tears forming in her eyes as she pulled Tomoyo into her arms.
She didn't need to say anything else. She simply pressed her lips to Tomoyo's
in order to begin it. As they lay down in the circle and knew each other once
again, the very air seemed to shimmer with the strength of their combined
power. Here, in this most sacred of places, even Tomoyo's mortal skin glowed a
pale lavender color, harmonizing with Yuui's moonlight as they reached the
height of their passion. Then, as they fell from the heights, they each exhaled
the other's name, sealing their bond with a gentle kiss.
Unfortunately, their moment was brought to a crashing halt by Kohaku's cries.
Yuui snapped up to see a cloaked figure approaching the pedestal where her
daughter lay.
"No! Wait!" she shouted, moving to rescue her daughter and finding herself
blocked by a magic shield. "Kohaku!"
"It's all right," a voice that was at once familiar and not murmured in her ear
as the stranger picked up her child. Kohaku wailed loudly for her mother.
"No! No! My baby! Give her back!" she cried, pounding her fists against the
invisible field.
"Yuui-" Tomoyo started to interrupt, but she wasn't really sure what to say.
"It's all right, Yuui. I promise."
Only when the figure removed its hood and Yuui felt a pair of arms wrap around
her shoulders did the situation even begin to seem less confusing. The person
under the cloak was-
"Fai?" she whispered uncertainly. Her brother nuzzled Kohaku and gave the
confused princess a smile, shaking his head. Then he indicated she ought to
look to her left. Only slightly comforted, Yuui did so, and found that she was
in the embrace of her brother-in-law.
It didn't take long for Kohaku to calm down upon seeing a face so very like her
mother's. The stranger with Fai's face smiled, giving the baby a kiss on her
plump cheek.
"What…what's going on?"
"Well, we're correct in thinking these are the two people you would have chosen
to be Kohaku's godparents, yes?" the man holding her asked.
"We are who you need us to be," Fai-who-wasn't explained.
"You…looked different before," Tomoyo murmured, addressing Fai, whom she and
Yuui both now knew to be the Goddess. "When you took Yuui…your eyes looked so
lifeless."
"This isn't the real Fai's body. It's only a form created through magic. Only
Yuui can be seen in her eyes. When I was present instead of her, there was
nothing to be seen. Because this isn't really Fai I'm speaking through, I can
control this form as I wish."
"Why did you come?" Yuui dared to ask, not quite certain how she was feeling
about all of this.
"We come to acknowledge," the Kurogane-who-wasn't answered.
"To acknowledge the birth of your child, and her birthright as a princess of
three lands," the Goddess continued.
"To recognize your marriage to Tomoyo before us and, as a bonded pair, her
status as your royal consort."
"And of course, we come to acknowledge that you, Princess Yuui Fluorite Reed,
are now Queen Yuui Fluorite Reed, sovereign of all Faerie."
"Why me?" Yuui finally asked, gazing up at the Goddess in exhaustion. "Why did
you choose me?"
"We didn't, Yuui. We no more chose you for this role than you chose it for
yourself. This is simply what you were born to," the Goddess explained.
"Heh…isn't this the part where you talk to me about destiny?"
"Why should we?" Kurogane-who-wasn't asked her. "This decision was yours. No
one forced you to come here. You could just as easily walk away if you wanted
to."
"Except that you don't want to…do you," the Lady finished as She carried Kohaku
inside the circle.
Yuui shook her head, sighing softly. "Not anymore. I thought I wanted to,
but…well…I've come this far already…and if it hadn't been for this role I was
born to…I suppose I wouldn't have my little girl."
"No. Perhaps you would have had someone else someday…but you would have never
had Kohaku. She is the product of this strand of fate."
"I wouldn't trade her for anything," Yuui said, smiling warmly at her baby…but
then she remembered something more and turned her gaze to the mirror image of
her twin. "F-Fuuma…san…told me…that Fai and I…that we'll…share flesh…m-mate."
With an odd look on his/Her face, the disguised deity knelt on Yuui's other
side, swept her from the God's arms and, holding Kohaku in between their two
bodies, pressed his/Her lips passionately against hers.
It was a moment that well and truly took her breath away. The princess felt
raging desire in her nether regions…but at the same time felt that her skull
was splitting open with pain. Though she remained silent, she could hear
herself screaming in ecstasy and agony. One hand wanted to reach down and
somehow relieve the aching need between her legs, but the other just as
desperately wished for a dagger to plunge into her head in order to stop the
pain forever. Just when Yuui thought she might either die from the pain of her
headache or come harder than she'd ever come in her life, the Lady released her
from the heated embrace. Kohaku gave a few small cries of discomfort as Tomoyo
rushed to Yuui's side, pulling her from between the two deities. The Goddess
held her gaze, telling her without words that she'd experienced only a fraction
of what it was to be with a god.
"Does that satisfy the future you've been told about? That qualifies as sharing
flesh."
"But not as mating," Yuui murmured, clinging tightly to Tomoyo in order to keep
from losing herself…as she almost had the night she'd nearly lost Kohaku. "He
said…that we're demons…and that when we…do that…the world will fall into
ruin…that we'll destroy everyone we love. How could something like that be a
queen…or a mother?"
"How indeed? From here, only you can decide what the future will be. What,
exactly, makes his version of the future any better than yours or Tomoyo's?
You've both seen days beyond this war."
"But our sight isn't absolute. There are things we should have seen coming…and
things that can never happen…not now…"
"Then why should you live your life as if you have no choice but to walk the
path he set down for you? How do you know it was really Fuuma?"
"I…I…"
"You were in Yuuko's power at that time. For all you know, it was a plot by her
to exert her control over you. It would certainly be a bad thing for the forces
of Darkness if you and your brother were to join forces…so she masks it as some
sort of demonic consummation to prevent it from happening. Even if it was Fuuma
who spoke to you, you can't forget that he serves your enemies now."
"But…he said we're…not right…evil…unlucky..."
"While there is some truth to the fact that Clow Reed's bloodline is an unhappy
one, only you can decide how that applies to you. Do you think you're unlucky?"
the Lady asked her, resting a comforting hand on her knee.
Yuui smiled ruefully. "Well…anyone who's ever loved me or Fai does seem to be
paying for it."
"Yuui-" Tomoyo started, not wanting to hear such things from her love.
"No, Tomoyo. No. I don't want to hear it. You have suffered. Kyle's tried to
rape you more than once…you could have lost your life so many times before
today. Himawari…Clow…Kotori…Syaoran…they're all dead. Kurogane's losing his
mind. You're suffering. You're all suffering…because of us."
"You're giving yourself too much credit, Yuui Fluorite Reed," Tomoyo said
primly. "That's just what they want you to think. You'd do the same for any of
us. We're only doing what anyone would do," she insisted. "If something bad
happens, then so be it. Let's do what we can now…while we can still do it."
Regarding her consort for a long moment, Yuui finally swallowed hard and
nodded. There were people who needed her now. Her experiences in the dark had
no relevance. Certainly, she would have to face the demons her enemies had left
implanted in her psyche, but she couldn't let them defeat her here at the
threshold. They still had too far to go to fail now. Tomoyo had vowed to always
be by her side and Kohaku was with them now. She would get her brothers back
and their little family was surrounded by their friends. They would come out of
this yet!
"What do we need to do?" she asked, looking up at the Goddess once more. The
two deities rose silently to Their feet, holding Kohaku between Them.
"Rise," the God commanded firmly. As the two young women complied, their
surroundings began to change. Instead of a cave deep beneath the earth, they
found themselves standing on the surface of Spirit Lake. For a moment, they
both registered slight shock, but it soon passed. The sun was rising and there
was a gentle breeze rippling the surface of the water. It was a good day to be
at the bridge between worlds.
"Princess Yuui Fluorite Reed, princess of Valeria and of Faerie," the Goddess
began, raising a hand. "You have been tested against foes of the body, mind,
spirit, and heart, and have proved yourself strong and faithful through all
adversity."
"Therefore, we grant you the wearing of this crown in the hope you will use its
power to do right by they who depend on you," the God continued, raising His
own arm. In the power-charged space between Their two hands a crown of flowers
began to appear…a crown woven of apple blossoms and blue roses. Once the crown
had fully formed, it drifted forward and settled itself securely on Yuui's
head. Instead of feeling a weight, as she'd half-expected, she felt a strange
airiness - as if she could just float away at any given moment. It took a great
deal of her focus to remain anchored in the moment.
"We name thee Queen Yuui Fluorite Reed, sovereign of all Faerie," the Goddess
pronounced, taking the young queen's hand in Hers. Then the God took Tomoyo's
hand and They placed them together. "And now, because you have declared your
love and consummated it in our sight, we acknowledge Princess Tomoyo of Nihon
as your wife and queen consort…and as proof of your love for her and your right
to rule, you have brought us this child, whom we acknowledge as Princess Kohaku
Fluorite Reed, a princess of Faerie, Valeria, and of Nihon."
"I bestow upon you the gift of strength," the God said to the little girl,
pressing His lips to her forehead.
"I bestow upon you the gift of beauty," the Goddess continued, gently kissing
her eyes.
"I bestow upon you the gift of wisdom," the Lord said, dropping a kiss on her
nose.
"I bestow upon you the gift of love," the Lady finished, pressing a brief kiss
to Kohaku's rosebud lips. At the end of the blessing, the baby girl cooed
loudly, waving her tiny hands in the air. All four of them smiled softly as the
two deities handed her back to her mothers. Drawing even closer together, the
two queens held her snugly between them.
"Now, Queen Yuui, go forth into the day with your family. Love them, guard
them, and rule well."
"I will," the new queen said firmly, but no sooner had she spoken than Spirit
Lake vanished from around them, the Lord and Lady with it, leaving the two
queens standing in the pool just below the sacred circle once more.
For a few moments, they were all silent, but then the two rulers looked into
each other's eyes, smiled joyfully, and shared a tender kiss.
"Ready to go back?" Yuui asked Tomoyo.
Tomoyo nodded, leaning down to kiss Kohaku's forehead before allowing Yuui to
take her in both arms. The passage back to the other side had opened once more.
"We…we're married now," Yuui said softly, beginning to lead the way out of the
chamber.
Tomoyo shook her head as she fell into step beside Yuui. "Were we ever really
not?"
Yuui giggled quietly. "I suppose you're right."
Once they were out, the passage through the cave wall sealed itself shut once
again, perhaps not to open for yet another innumerable stretch of time. Kero
and Yue were still waiting for them, bowing as best they could in the water.
"Hail, Queen Yuui," they said together as they rose.
"The realm of Faerie is yours to command now," Yue said.
"We will follow where you lead," Kero finished.
Yuui nodded in response. Tomoyo continued to walk beside her and the two
guardians fell into step behind her as she led the way back to the shore where
everyone else waited. Kakei met her gaze expectantly as the group emerged from
the water. She gave him a small nod as well and he moved to his knees before
her. Once again, everyone else followed suit.
"Hail, Queen Yuui," he declared his allegiance in a clear, strong voice. All of
the others quickly echoed him. Once they had all risen to their feet, Doumeki
and Watanuki came forward. Watanuki went first to Tomoyo and wrapped a deep
purple cloak around her. He then placed a blue cloak around Yuui's shoulders
and held out Himawari's quilt for her to wrap Kohaku in. Once they were all
decently clothed, Doumeki came to them and helped Yuui get her bow and arrows
around her shoulder. Then he took the dagger he still held and presented it to
Tomoyo.
"Majesties," Kakei continued. "With these weapons, you will defend each other,
your daughter, your families, and your people. And now," he addressed the group
at large, "you lords who would swear your loyalty and your lives to Queen Yuui,
come forward and share the bond of food and drink with her."
With that, the remaining seven lords came forward and gathered around the newly
anointed royal family. Subaru approached Yuui and broke off a piece from the
loaf, handing it to her. Going around the group, he broke pieces of bread for
Tomoyo, Kakei, Clef, Tenou, Karura, Tarta, Eagle, and Sai. Then he broke two
more for the absent Rasetsu and Ransho and kept the last piece for himself.
Kakei took the goblet of wine from Kamui and held it up.
"Sharing a meal ties the bonds between the ruler and the ruled. If we can eat
together without fear, then we can trust one another always to be faithful to
each other, to Faerie, and to its sovereign. Lords of Faerie, as your word is
your bond, the sharing of this meal constitutes a bond to Queen Yuui. Do you
all swear to honor this bond, to govern your clans in the queen's name, and to
honor, council, and defend her as she has need of you?"
As one, the clan masters raised their hunks of bread and said with one voice,
"We swear it."
"Then seal your oaths," the eldest lord commanded before biting into his piece
of bread, quickly consuming it. As he took a sip from the goblet, the others
all ate their own pieces of bread. Then the goblet was passed around the
circle. Each master raised the goblet to Yuui and drank. Finally, the nearly
empty chalice came to Tomoyo, who drank and passed it on to her wife. Yuui
raised the goblet to the group and drank the last swallow of wine from it.
Lowering the empty vessel, she slowly looked around the circle, meeting each
clan master's gaze.
"I don't know what I can say to all of you now," she began softly, the
formalities having ended with the sealing of the oath. "Only that…I'll do what
I can."
Acknowledging this pledge with nods, the circle broke, each master going to
join their own entourage. No one could leave the cavern until Yuui decided to
lead the way back to the surface…and she still had some things to say.
"Could you take her?" Yuui asked Tomoyo before she could begin to move back
toward Kurogane, Souma, and their mothers. The younger queen nodded, smiling as
she took the softly wriggling baby girl in her arms. She understood what Yuui
wanted.
Once Tomoyo had gone back to their family, Yuui headed toward the lord she knew
to be Eagle Kunogi - Himawari's father. He had come to the ceremony with a
dark-haired faerie she'd never seen before and they were currently standing off
on their own little area of shore, talking softly. Yuui easily recognized the
emotion in the way the other faerie held the Kunogi lord's hand. When they
noticed her approaching, they both lowered their heads in deference.
"My Queen," they said together.
"We haven't been…formally introduced," she said, not really sure how to begin.
"And yet I feel as if I know you, Highness," he said, giving her a reassuring
smile. "Himawari spoke very fondly of you and your brother."
Yuui let out a sharp burst of bitter laughter at this, hoping to keep the tears
she already felt at bay. Why should Himawari have been fond of them? They had
destroyed her life, after all. "Yes, I…I'm very sorry…for your loss. We kept
her from you for eighteen years and…and now-"
"You never kept my daughter from me, Majesty. She remained with you because she
wanted to…and she gave her life for you because she chose to…because she loved
you. Her death was not your fault."
"But I – I didn't-"
"You don't need to apologize," he interrupted, easily seeing the anguish in her
eyes. "I can see how much you love her…and how much you'll miss her. I'm just
glad to know that Himawari was loved."
Yuui nodded, smiling as a few tears slid down her face. "Yes, she was dear to
us…and she always will be."
"She would be proud of you, My Queen."
"Thank you…Lord Kunogi," she said, managing a weak smile as she wiped the salt
water from her cheeks, composing her face before going in search of the other
issue weighing on her conscience.
Karura hadn't brought anyone to the ceremony. She stood alone at the very edge
of the pool, staring off across the water, purposely not looking at anyone.
Yuui wasn't sure if it was just wishful thinking, but something seemed
different about the white-haired Garuda master.
"I heard what happened that day," she said, not turning to acknowledge Yuui's
approach. "You've bled for Faerie. Maybe you aren't so weak…Highness."
Feeling like she'd collapse in relief, Yuui managed to maintain her composure
when Karura finally turned to face her, lowering her head slightly.
"Glad as I am to have your approval, Karura-san, it isn't what I came for. I
wanted to tell you…that I saw what happened to your little sister…when I was
trapped…and I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I understand."
Karura regarded the young queen with wide eyes. She'd heard Yuui was a
dreamseer, but she hadn't known she could see the past. However, she finally
sighed and let her curiosity go. "Yes, I believe you do now. I will serve you,
Queen Yuui. You can help me see Karyou's death avenged."
Upon hearing the storm sprite's vow renewed, Yuui's gaze shifted sadly from
side to side. "I…I can't help but wonder, Karura-san…if this is what
Karyoubinga-san would want for her sister."
Rather than going blank, as Yuui had half-expected her face to do, it shifted
into a tiny look of sadness. "I know it isn't…but I'm weak, and I cannot let it
go."
I have nothing else. If I don't seek her killer…I will remember the moment the
light left her eyes…and I'll be of no further use to you.
Yuui blinked in confusion for a moment. Had Karura really just…opened her mind
to her?
Then…what happens when Yuuko's dead?
Again, Karura sighed, placing a hand on Yuui's shoulder and holding her gaze
intently.
"Take care of them, Yuui-sama. You never know how precious they are…until you
lose them."
Hearing the sadness and utter loneliness in the clan master's voice, Yuui
suddenly felt fearful, quickly turning to try and catch sight of Tomoyo and not
breathing again until she found her, smiling adoringly as she rocked Kohaku.
"E-excuse me?" she pleaded, exchanging a brief glance with Karura. The storm
spirit only nodded, releasing her.
Yuui hurried over to Tomoyo, embracing her from behind and leaning her head
forward to drop a kiss on her cheek. "It's all right," she said, glancing down
at their nearly asleep little girl. "We can go now."
She gave no cue. When she, Tomoyo, and the rest of their family began to make
their exit, everyone else fell into step behind them, following Yuui's lead
back to the surface.
                                      XxX
"Imouto…"
Sakura spins around, seeing nothing but darkness. Who called to her?
"Imouto…"
"Wh-who's there?" she calls into the blackness. "Touya?" No…itcan'tbe him. This
foreboding…thiscoldshe feels…can't be her brother.
"My dear, sweet baby sister…look at me."
This time, when the queen turns about, her eyes fall on the dark faerie with
the single grey eye.
"Seishiro," she whispers in dread. The Dark Prince laughs softly at seeing her
barely concealed fear.
"It's been so many years since I first laid eyes on you, Imouto. You've turned
out beautifully."
"Stop it," she hisses at him, giving a very rare glare. "You arenotmy
brother…not in any way imaginable."
"No, Sakura-chan…ineveryway imaginable. After all, if you think about it…I was
your brotherfirst. I was alive long before your precious Touya. Why won't you
embrace me, Imouto? Our father would have wanted us to be friends. He loathed
violence."
Sakura shakes her head vehemently. "I am not your sister."
"I could have killed you, you know. When you were a baby? I held you in my arms
soon after you were born and I could have crushed you," he says to her, drawing
slowly closer.
"You're a liar. He…wouldn't have let you touch me. Even then…if you could have
done it, youwouldhave!"
"If that's so, why do you look uncertain? I won't have an uncertain little girl
calling me a liar. I'veneverlied," he insists dangerously, continuing to
advance on her. Her meek attempt at retreat isn't making anything better.
"How can you evensaythat? You've lied about everything! You've broken poor
Subaru-san's heart with everything you've done. You made a bid for Faerie's
throne when you swore you didn't want it. There's nothing in you but lies!"
"That isn't true. I haven't lied; I just…haven't said all," he explains with an
odd little smile. "If I had lied, I never would have been seen as worthy by the
moon's advocate. A faerie who breaks his word is less than the lowliest
insect."
"But…areyou a faerie?" the queen dares to ask. "They've told me about you…that
you're…the Sakurazukamori."
Seishiro says nothing. He simply lunges the final distance toward her and
seizes her wrist. Before Sakura even has a chance to struggle, the scene
changes before her eyes. Instead of being trapped in a dark void with Seishiro,
she finds herself in a tower room in her own castle in Cephiro. The décor is
slightly different, but she still knows her own home.
It is night beyond the room. An exhausted-looking brunette woman is sleeping in
a rocking chair next to a cradle. Sakura hears a few very soft baby cries from
the cradle, but her apprehension about actually looking into it is overshadowed
by the figure laid out on the four-poster bed at the other end of the room.
The exquisite blue coverlet that would have normally covered the bed has been
thrown off to the side and the sheets that remain are all violently stained
with blood. The ravaged figure on those sheets is also covered in her fair
share of blood, but she's still been laid out with a great deal of ceremony,
her arms crossed in the pose of the dead.
Sakura knows whom it is she is approaching as she moves stiffly across the room
- of course she knows. She's dressed in a simple brown slip and her auburn,
waist-length hair is fanned out to frame her drained body. Her face is
exhausted and hollowed, but it still contains an odd element of peace - of
finally being at rest. The queen doesn't recognize her face, not really, but
she likes to imagine she can see some of her own features in it. Even though
she's never really seen her before, the queen knows this is her mother she's
seeing - the mother she'd murdered with her own birth…Nadeshiko.
Hesitantly, Sakura reaches a hand forward to touch a strand of the woman's
still-luscious hair.
Kaa-san…my kaa-san…
Suddenly hearing a whisper of movement behind her, Sakura turns. No human would
have been able to hear the sound Prince Seishiro makes as he appears in the
room and approaches the cradle. It certainly doesn't disturb the woman sleeping
in the rocking chair: the former high priestess, Karen – Yukito's mother and
the woman who had carried the secret of her birth to the grave. Sakura
certainly doesn't blame her for sleeping. It must have been exhausting seeing
her born and knowing she could do nothing to save her mother.
Seishiro smiles as he reaches into the cradle and lifts a baby girl from the
downy bedding. Even though Sakura knows this child is none other than herself
as a baby, she can still hardly get her mind around the sight of Seishiro
rocking her and cooing to her.
"You know…I could kill you right now," he says to the half-awake little girl,
placing a hand over her tiny, fluttering heart. "I could smother you quite
easily…but I'm not going to. I always wanted a baby sister."
Just then, little Sakura begins to cry softly, in turn causing Karen to stir in
her sleep. Moving quickly, Seishiro places a kiss on his little sister's
forehead and lays her back in her cradle before vanishing into the night. The
moment he's gone, Karen jolts awake, moving in to comfort the crying child.
"It's a lie," Sakura says stolidly as the illusion dissolves around her and she
finds herself facing her unwanted sibling once again. "You have the power of
illusion. They told me. You could make anything you want seem true."
"That's true," he says, amiable as ever, "but why should I? Why should I lie to
you?"
Sakura shakes her head. "To give me despair? To gain my trust? I don't know."
The Dark Prince gives an almost genuine-sounding laugh at this. "I should hope
we're long past me trying to gain your trust, dear little sister."
"I told you to stop calling me that!"
"Whether or not I call you my sister doesn't make it any less true. We all
share the same royal blood: our father, you, me…your children…and your
grandchild. It makes us family…but it damns us, as well."
"What do you mean?"
For a moment, Seishiro's face looks almost sad. "You will see. You and I won't
escape it. The others may yet."
"I don't understand what you're talking about." Sakura just finds herself
growing more confused by the minute.
"You don't need to know, little queen. There's nothing you can do to change it.
Just let me ask you one thing. You have the power to cross that which cannot be
crossed, save through Spirit Lake. You are a gateway into Faerie. What would
happen if you should fall intoourhands?"
"Oh, God."
                                      XxX
"Kurogane? How could you do such a thing?"
He knows he's guilty; the whole world knows he's guilty. Why does he have to
know it, too?
Fai's staring at him, his blue eyes wide with disbelief and sorrow. Just
staring…no help to offer, no comfort…no redemption. Only staring…accusing,
almost.
"I don't know," he mumbles. "I – I didn'tknow. I didn'tmeanto."
"But you still did it, Kurogane. You still slaughtered innocent men."
"They weren't innocent!" he tries to defend himself. "They were serving the
enemy!"
"They didn't know that. They were under a spell."
"They're traitors!"
"You say that…but I know you feel their deaths. You'll carry them with you
until you yourself die. If it helps you sleep at night, you can keep telling
yourself you killed traitors, but you know it isn't true."
"Iknowthat. Nothing helps me sleep anymore, Fai. Only you can do that," he
admits desperately, reaching out and taking Fai's hands in his. "I just…don't
want you to leave me because of this. Ineedyou."
"Maybe…I shouldn't help you sleep. Maybe we should just die together," Fai
says, not looking at him. "We're both…wrong, Kurogane."
Kurogane shakes his head. "That doesn't mean we can't exist. We can just…go
away, somewhere far away where we can't hurt anyone anymore. I don't care about
anyone else anymore. I just want to be with you. Everything else is too fucked
up now."
"Kurogane, Kurogane…" Fai chides him softly. "The only place you and I can be
together anymore is death."
"Don't call me that," Kurogane mutters angrily, crushing Fai against his chest
in an effort to silence his awful words. The blond struggles briefly, but when
the fallen prince finally presses his face directly against his chest to stop
his airflow, his struggles cease. He leans gratefully into the embrace and
Kurogane holds him there until he feels his body go slack. Then he lowers them
both to the floor, gently cradling the body in his arms. After a bit, tears
begin to fall onto Fai's cold face.
It's all wrong. There's nowhere they can run to anymore. It is this…or nothing.
"Then I guess it's nothing," Fai's voice suddenly speaks up. Kurogane opens his
eyes and looks down to find his lover awake and breathing once again.
"I…I…Fai-"
"Oh, stop. This isn't going to get us anywhere. I'm not the Fai you knew. You
and I together…we killed him."
"What…are you talking about?" the confused young man asks, slowly extricating
himself from the resurrected corpse.
"I'm the true Fai. Over the past few months, I've grown to take his place. You
destroyed what was left of him," he explains with a devious smile.
"But I – you…heaskedme to."
"You didn't believe in him enough, so you destroyed him. Heh, I like you,
Kurogane. You're not likehim.Youaren't afraid to kill to get what you want.
We'll make quite a powerful couple, you and I. Together we could bring Faerie
itself to its knees."
"And…what makes you think we're a couple?" Kurogane asks, finally managing to
gather some of his wits to strike back.
"You saw to that yourself when you destroyed my weaker half.I'mthe Fai you
really want. Strong, impenetrable, and unbreakable: you'd never have to worry
about me."
"But you're not him," the ninja says firmly as he draws his sword.
"Except I am. Whatever you choose to see in this scenario, I will always be a
part of Prince Fai Fluorite. You can't destroy me and you canneverescape me."
"I can damn well try!" he counters, raising Ginryuu for a killing strike.
"Damn it!" he shouted as he shot awake. The transitions between waking and
dreaming were no longer so confusing for Kurogane. He knew what he'd
experienced. Once again, he had watched Fai die - he had killed him. Fai was
dying; wherever he was, he was dying, and Kurogane lost a little bit more of
himself every time he felt it. It was too much. He couldn't stand it anymore.
"Another bad dream?" Yuui asked as she carried a softly sniffling Kohaku into
his room. Tomoyo followed silently behind them.
"Yeah. I woke her, didn't I?" he asked, feeling slightly guilty.
"Yes, but it doesn't really matter. She has such an erratic sleep schedule
anyway," she explained as she sat down on his bed.
"I can't handle it anymore, Yuui."
"What do you mean?"
"I can't stand it. I can't stand having to feel him die a little more night
after night. He's suffering. We have everything we need. We need to save him.
We need to go…right now."
Yuui regarded him for what felt like a long moment to him, gently rocking her
infant all the while in an attempt to calm her. The young queen had adopted a
policy of never leaving the two-day-old baby unattended. So far, she had
remained in Yuui's arms or in her sight with Tomoyo, but everyone knew that
Kohaku was never, under any circumstances, to be left alone.
Finally, she nodded. "You're right. I said we'd go once she was born. I suppose
I'm just…still trying to take it all in."
On a rational level, he didn't blame her. All in one day, she found herself
responsible for not just the life of a helpless child and a wife, his very own
sister, but also the lives of hundreds of subjects she'd never even met.
However, Fai was suffering now and needed his help now. He'd been hearing him
scream for the past two months and he simply couldn't bear it anymore. The
irrational side that wanted to dash off without any preparation was winning.
"Could you…at least wait until tomorrow?" Sakura's voice was suddenly heard
asking. The three young nobles looked up to see their two mothers standing in
the doorway, accompanied by Souma. "I've spoken with Touya. Syaoran's funeral
is tomorrow. Once that's done…then you can go and rescue my son."
"Of course," Yuui responded, rising from the bed with the now quiet Kohaku.
After all, it was her fault her father was dead. The least she could do was see
him laid to rest. "We need to wake anyone who isn't already awake. I want us
ready to leave by morning."
Before anyone could respond to her order, a new voice broke into the
conversation.
"Everyone's awake already, Your Ma…Yuui…sama," Watanuki started to announce
upon entering the chamber, awkwardly amending his level of address when he saw
the glare the young mother was giving him. "But someone else wishes to speak
with you. I told her to wait until morning, but she was insistent."
"Who?"
"Master Hisui Guru, My Queen," the wind spirit supplied, suddenly seeming to
appear behind the nature spirit.
"Hisui-san?" Yuui said softly, keeping her surprise well hidden. "While it's
good to see you on your feet…what is it you've come to me for?"
Hisui moved briskly into the room, coming to kneel before Yuui without
hesitation. "Majesty, I understand you've probably already chosen your
companions for this mission you're about to embark on, but I…I wish to be
considered for this task. I want to help."
Yuui considered the wind general for several long moments before asking, "Why
the change of mind?"
"Because this might be the only chance of discovering a way to save Kokuyo. If
you could be rescued…and Prince Fai can be rescued…then there must be a way to
save him."
What do you think? Yuui turned her thoughts directly to Tomoyo without actually
looking at her.
I think we can use all the help we can get. Our enemies are strong. If she
wants to help, then let her.
But can we trust her mental state? She's nearly been in a coma with Kokuyo-san
this past year. This is…very sudden.
But isn't it a good sign that she's finally woken herself up? She's just like
Kurogane.
I'm not even sure I trust his mental state for this. If he does something
stupid and gets himself killed, they both die.
He wouldn't risk Fai like that and you know it.
No, in his right mind, he wouldn't, but you and I both know he isn't in his
right mind. I'm worried…but it would kill him not to be involved in this.
Is Hisui-san so different? Besides, didn't you promise her father you would do
everything in your power to help them?
Yuui nodded slowly, then reached out her free hand to help Hisui to her feet.
She wasn't going to issue commands to people on their knees before her like
some kind of deity. She wanted to do her best to treat with everyone on an
equal level.
"I'll allow you to accompany us on this quest so long as you promise to keep
your head on straight."
For a moment, Hisui raised an eyebrow in confusion, but finally shrugged,
bowing her head to Yuui in deference.
"You have my word, Your Highness."
***** Awaken to Love's First Kiss *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Yuui had never been inside a crypt before. Growing up away from civilization as
she had, she really had no concept of a graveyard, a crypt, or anything of the
like. Her first real experience of a civilization had been Faerie, and the fey
had no graveyards. Upon dying, a faerie's body simply faded away, returning to
the magic energies from whence it had come. Only humans buried the dead…and
more and more often, the young queen found herself uncertain of which one she
really was.
The Valerian royal crypt lay beneath the shrine of the Goddess. As in Nihon, it
was a structure just separate from the palace grounds. The stone building,
constructed in the old Valerian style, wasn't particularly large, containing
only the central courtyard where an image of the Lady was kept, and a few other
rooms for the education of priests and priestesses. The true scope of the
complex was hidden beneath the earth.
No one was really certain how far beneath the ground the crypt extended. The
first queen of Valeria was interred in the layer just beneath the Goddess'
statue and the levels only went down from there, down through the earth and
down through the years. With each new ruler that came to power, a new layer was
dug into the crypt. The previous rulers, King Fujitaka and Queen Nadeshiko, lay
enshrined in the layer just above their heads. The layer the small crowd
occupied now was still empty…waiting for its new occupant.
Syaoran really might have been asleep. Through Ransho's power, he hadn't
decayed in the slightest over the past week. His body was laid out in a white
marble sarcophagus big enough to contain two people. Yuui had only recently
learned that the second place was for Sakura, whenever there should be need of
it…and considering her lineage, who knew if there ever would be? The tomb had
originally been built when Touya ascended to the throne, but had been inherited
by Syaoran and Sakura when they took over.
Yuui shuddered, holding Kohaku even closer against her chest, even though the
baby girl was already secured in a sling. It helped her to go through the
history she'd learned in her head; it helped her not to break down as she
stared at her father's dead face. She could still hardly get her mind around
it…after growing up essentially father-less, she had known her true father all
of two months, and already she was watching him being entombed beneath the
earth. The thing she had yearned for her entire life had been here in Valeria
all along and she hadn't known it until it was nearly too late. This brave,
strong, wise, loving man had been her father…
…and he died for me. He'll never meet Fai or Kohaku. We'll never be able to
ease the suffering he endured in our name. What can…I possibly do to repay such
sacrifices?
The new queen shrugged off her thoughts, knowing they were taking her to a
place she didn't want to go. Instead, she focused on Watanuki and Sakura, who
were both using their magic to lift the heavy marble lid of the sarcophagus
into place over Syaoran's body. As the carved white slab settled into place
with a soft grating sound, Yuui couldn't help but notice the silent tears
streaming down the older queen's pale face.
Oh, Goddess, what have I done? What have I done ?
Again, Yuui attempted to shrug off her hysterical thoughts, glancing away from
her mother…anywhere would do so long as she didn't have to see that stricken
face. She looked around at the small group. Yukito, Touya, and Eriol stood
nearest to the tomb. Amaterasu, Kurogane, and Souma were present, as well, not
only as visiting royalty, but now as members of Yuui's family. Tomoyo stood
beside her, clasping her hand tightly in her own, with the two Mokona perched
on her shoulders. Also present were Ransho, Doumeki, Kamui, and Subaru, the
latter three all somehow members of their odd little extended family. Ransho
was present as a representative of the faeries who had fought alongside Syaoran
and been his close allies. Every single mourner carried a white rose.
Once the sarcophagus had been sealed, Yukito stepped forward and said a few
words in a language she didn't understand. Old Gallian, she'd been told, the
original language of the Valerians. At the end of his prayer, the high priest
began to speak normally again. There would be no grand speeches here. All of
that had already happened above ground, in the service for the citizens of
Cephiro. Here, anything they said was just words between them and a loved one
they had lost.
"Syaoran…you were always such a determined boy…but you never had any
pretensions to power. Things just fell as they did because…you were so very in
love with Sakura. You were the best king we could have asked for when Touya
stepped down. You will be missed." As the graying priest finished, he gently
dropped his rose on top of the sarcophagus and bowed his head in respect before
standing back and allowing Touya forward.
"You were a brat, Bozu…but my little sister loved you and that's…well, that's
not nothing. You did good," the former king said, shaking his head sadly as he
dropped his rose next to Yukito's. "Goodbye."
Eriol didn't say much when it was his turn. He stood contemplating the stone
tomb for several long moments before speaking. "Goodbye, Uncle. I know you were
sad, but…maybe you can rest now." Then the boy laid his rose down with the
others and rejoined his parents.
Amaterasu was next to approach, beginning without any real preamble. "I know it
was all just a happy accident for you, Syaoran-san, but…perhaps that's what was
needed. You were strong…worthy. You made a difference here. Farewell." Another
rose fell to join the others and the empress stepped back to allow Souma
forward.
The young kunoichi said nothing when she laid her rose with the others. She
wasn't really certain why she was being permitted down here…except maybe to act
as support for her friends. Perhaps the best they could do now was to stick
together as a family?
Kurogane was the last of the Nihon group. Rather than stand and speak, though,
he knelt beside the tomb in silence for a long while before speaking.
"I hated you. For the longest time, I hated you. I hated you because I thought
your daughter was taking me away from the one I really wanted to be
with…but…now I know…that he exists because of you. You gave me…the only thing
really worth having. If I could…I'd ask your permission for his hand."
Yuui knew it hurt everyone who knew the prince to hear him talk this way. It
was like he hardly cared to maintain the hard shell he so carefully kept around
his heart. It was a sign of his respect, though - that he would feel the need
to ask permission for something. It was a mark of the true depth of what he
felt for Fai.
The moment Kurogane had laid his rose on the sarcophagus, he reached for the
rose tucked behind his ear, cradling the red bloom against his heart as he
rejoined Souma and his mother. Yuui could almost see the harried progression of
thought on his face. The white rose was ice…silence, loss, and death. The red
rose was heat…passion, love, and life.
Kamui and Subaru approached together, both silently laying their roses on the
stone lid. Neither had known the king well, but they were both tied to Yuui
now, Kamui through Kohaku and Subaru through kindred magic and lordship under
her rule. They both knew what an honor it was to be asked to this last rite.
Doumeki was also silent as he moved to stand beside the tomb. Rather than drop
his rose with the others, he broke the blossom from the stem and crushed it in
his hand, slowly scattering the petals over the lid.
"You were strong…to give them up as you did and to suffer their absence. Your
children are both loving, strong, and wise…and they came from you. You left
something here, King of Valeria."
Watanuki stepped forward after Doumeki had moved back. He held his rose close
for several moments before laying it down, but when he did, he kept his hand on
the lid.
"I felt guilty, Syaoran-sama. You know that? So many times…I felt guilty for
feeling like I was really a father to them when you were here all this time,
missing them and wishing for them."
But you were, Yuui wanted to cry. Youwerea father to me…and to Fai. You
areallour fathers!
"I know you never would have said that we stole your babies from you…but we
did. I know we did. We all knew it. Well…now we give them back," the nature
sprite finished softly, turning his gaze back to Yuui. The young queen wanted
to break down and cry when she saw the pain on his face because she knew it was
a reaction to the hurt in her own eyes. Why did there have to be such a rift
between the members of her own family? Did she have no say in who her family
was?
Ransho came next, kneeling beside the tomb as Kurogane had done and wearing a
sad smile as he spoke. "You humans…do not face death as we do. You live each
moment knowing you will inevitably die, but we…we choose the moment of our
death. We don't live expecting to die. I think…that one human who would face
death…is worth a thousand fey. You were such a man, Syaoran-Ou. Rest well…until
you wake to a new birth." Upon finishing, Ransho raised his rose to his
forehead in a last salute before laying it next to the growing pile of flowers.
Yuui was next to step forward; she and Tomoyo came together, the younger
sovereign moving forward to offer her rose first.
"What can I say, Syaoran-sama? You gave me my Yuui…my wife. What can I do but
promise I'll protect her for you? I will; I swear it…my life for hers."
"And mine for hers," Yuui interrupted, not wanting to hear that line of vows
from her wife of one day. "For what kind of daughter to you would I be if I
just let her make that sacrifice for me. I want to make for her the family you
and my mother could never have. Both my mothers, you, and my other fathers."
She couldn't see it, but Yuui was certain she felt her mother's and her
guardians' surprise - maybe even heard her mother gasp.
"You and my mother never had the chance to know us growing up…and our guardians
could never truly get close to us for fear everything we had together was a
lie…unfair to us and to you. I think I understand that now. No one could ever
be truly happy. I'm sorry we could never hold each other close as a family…like
we promised…but things will be different this time. I'll make it so. Your
granddaughter is a child of both worlds…and she'll know it. There won't be any
secrets anymore. From now on, we'll all be together as one family. You're no
less my father than Kimihiro Watanuki and Shizuka Doumeki are…and Himawari
Kunogi is no less my mother than Sakura Fluorite is," she declared, slowly
turning to face her remaining parents. Doumeki was mostly his usual stoic self,
save for the tiny upward twist of the corner of his mouth. Watanuki's face was
wet with silent tears, and Sakura was openly crying.
Being careful of Kohaku, Sakura moved forward and pulled Yuui into her arms,
stroking her hair and kissing her face. "Oh, Yuui, Yuui. My baby!"
Yuui met Sakura's eyes with a tired smile when they finally separated, nodding.
Yes, she was ready. She was ready for Sakura to be her mother.
"I wasn't ready before," she said to the dead king, though she still faced her
mother. As the tears she'd been holding back began to fall, she turned to face
the tomb one last time. "I wasn't ready to be your daughter when I found out
the truth, but I'm ready now…and you aren't here to see it." As she dropped her
rose with the others, Yuui let a few painful sobs escape her mouth, easing a
small portion of the ache in her chest, but then she swallowed hard, keeping
the rest of the hurt back. Her own grief was for later, when she was alone with
Tomoyo and Kohaku was really asleep. Her brief outburst had stirred the little
girl to tears of panic and she was crying for comfort now.
"Goodbye," she whispered to her father as she held her daughter closer, rocking
her and starting to hum gently. With that done, she allowed Tomoyo to lead her
back to their former place, leaving Sakura alone before the sarcophagus.
The queen stood for several moments, her shoulders shaking with barely
repressed sobs. Finally, though, she shook her head and wiped her face, all
signs of her breakdown vanishing as she deliberately tucked her rose behind her
ear.
"Let…let's return to the surface. There's much to do. I'll…speak to him later."
No one questioned it. Normally, the crypt would have been sealed at the end of
the rite, but no one dared question Sakura's right to say her last goodbye to
her husband in private.
                                      XxX
"So…what, exactly, is the plan?" Kujaku asked once all the players were present
in the castle throne room. Supplies had been made ready for the group, all
contained within the two small Mokona. Now all that remained was for a plan of
attack to be laid out and final goodbyes to be said. At the center of this
gathering were those who would attempt the quest, having all changed into
darker, less noticeable traveling clothes: Kurogane and Souma, Yuui, Tomoyo,
and little Kohaku, as well as Soel and Larg, Watanuki and Doumeki, Subaru and
Kamui, Kujaku, their guide through the dark realm, and Hisui and Sai. Also
gathered in the throne room were what remained of the Valerian royal family,
along with Chi and Freya, Amaterasu and Chitose, Kero and Yue, Kakei, the three
fey generals, Ransho, Touki, and Ryuuki, along with Hisui's stand-in, Kazahaya,
as well as Sorata and Arashi, who would accompany the group part of the way on
their quest.
"I started to figure it out when we made our assault against Shirasagi," Yuui
began to explain, gesturing to a large map of the two nations that was laid out
on a table for all of them to see. "The area we were teleporting through then
was small, but we jumped fast enough to keep the enemy confused. What I think
might work this time is for us to teleport to several places all across the
map. Instead of having to worry about how fast we teleport, we'll focus on how
far we teleport. The enemy knows where we are now, but if we keep on the move
for at least a week, I figure they won't be able to see where we're coming
from. The element of surprise is really the only weapon we have against them
and we should use it. Thoughts?" she requested, throwing the plan to the group
at large for consideration.
"This…just might work," Kakei said slowly as he surveyed the map. "Have you
planned on any of the jumps you'll make?"
Yuui shook her head. "I'm only really familiar with Celes and parts of
Shirasagi and I know I can only teleport to places I'm familiar with. I thought
it might also be wise to let different members of the group choose our
location…in case my mental defenses are compromised. I know they're still
imperfect."
"Yes, that is a good plan," Kamui conceded. "Do you at least know where we'll
be going first?"
"I do. We'll meet up with the Nihon resistance fighters. I've been keeping in
contact with Rasetsu-san and Kusanagi-san and they tell me that the resistance
is massing in the south of Nihon…in Piffle City. Kyle's influence hasn't spread
that far. That's as far as Sorata-san and Arashi-san will travel with us. They
wish to rejoin their companions," Yuui explained.
"Even after I begged her to stay here," Sorata said somewhat angrily, glaring
sideways at Arashi.
"I am a kunoichi. My place is in battle, fighting for my lord," the pregnant
warrior responded coldly, not acknowledging her lover's anger or worry. Sorata
just shook his head, still grumbling to himself. He could never win with
Arashi…but it wasn't as if he hadn't already known that anyway.
"Ryuuki-san? If you would, I'd also like you to lead the Fire Guard to Piffle
City. Now that the siege around Cephiro has broken, I don't doubt that the Dark
Court will turn its gaze to the Nihon resistance fighters, and they're less
than helpless against the Oni. The only reason they've lasted as long as they
have is because our enemies have placed their focus on Valeria. We can't let
them stand alone anymore. Will you help them, Ryuuki-san?"
"As Your Majesty commands," the red-haired general acquiesced, nodding his
agreement.
"Also, on the subject of Valeria, Ransho-san…would it be possible to erect a
barrier around the entire country?"
"Yes, Highness, it would be. However, in order for it to be a viable barrier,
rather than just an alarm bell for intruders, the task would take many faeries
devoting their energies purely to that task."
"Could we devote the Earth Guard to the task then?"
"If that is your wish, My Queen, I will see it done."
"Thank you."
"And what is your wish for the Wind Guard, Majesty?" Kazahaya asked nervously,
though feeling that now would be a good time to address the subject.
Yuui smiled sadly at the question. "Much as I would love to have an army behind
me when we enter the Dark Court, as I understand it, we can no more directly
attack them than they us. For now, I'd like the Wind Guard to back the Water
Guard in their defense of Celes. I know the Oni are still thick there near the
entrance to the Labyrinth."
"It shall be done, Majesty."
"Thank you, as well, Kazahaya-san. Kakei-sama?"
"Highness?"
"You will reign over Faerie in my absence. As I find you a worthy substitute,
Faerie must acknowledge my decision, correct?"
"That is true, Yuui-sama," Kakei said encouragingly.
"Is this clear?" Yuui very specifically asked Kero and Yue, the only ones
really at liberty to say whether or not the choice was adequate.
"Understood," the two advocates acknowledged together.
"It's a well-laid plan," Amaterasu interjected, a hand resting subconsciously
on her swelling belly. "But this is only for the very near future…rescuing
Prince Fai. Do you have any plans after that…for driving the dark faeries from
Nihon?"
"All I'm concerned with right now is rescuing my brother," Yuui admitted rather
stolidly. "I don't have anything more long term than that."
"I see," the fallen empress said solemnly. Yuui couldn't help but wonder just
how much better Amaterasu would like the plan if she knew that more than half
of it had come from her son. Yuui had come up with the idea of teleporting from
place to place in order to throw the enemy off the scent, but most of the
tactical plans had been advised to her by Kurogane when she'd consulted with
him and Souma last night. He, however, had warned her to present the ideas as
her own so that she might be able to start building herself more of a power
base. Kurogane himself had said nothing thus far, only stared intently at the
map as Yuui outlined the plans. Only he, Souma, Tomoyo, and Yuui herself were
privy to what was planned for the final stages of the mission.
"And just what do you plan on doing once we've reached the Dark Court?" Kujaku
asked shrewdly.
"As I said before, I won't run the risk of anyone's mental defenses being
compromised. That part I'll keep to myself until the day we attack is closer."
"But Yuui-" Watanuki started to interrupt, but fell silent when he saw the
half-pleading look in his surrogate daughter's eyes. It was her decision, her
brother. If she was to be queen, truly, then she had to handle this now.
"Are there any more questions?" Yuui asked after Watanuki had fallen silent.
Subaru thought to ask if there was any plan for what to do if they should have
trouble with the Sakurazukamori, but the question seemed foolish even as it was
forming in his mind. What was there to do in that situation but meet that
obstacle as it came to them? Otherwise, the only question came from Chi.
"Pardon my boldness, Majesty, but…you will find Hideki, like you said? You'll
tell him Chi loves him?" the young woman asked nervously, cradling her own
daughter against her chest.
Yuui nodded, giving Chi a comforting smile. "I'll tell him, Chi-san. I promise
I will." She made no mention of whether or not she'd actually find him, only
the charge of carrying a wife's love to her husband.
"If that's everything, then we leave for Piffle City in ten minutes," the young
queen declared, standing from the table in silent acknowledgment of the fact
that their meeting was adjourned. The fey withdrew into their own little knot.
It was really only the humans who had goodbyes to say, after all.
"I'd ask you to promise me not to do anything stupid, but I'm not entirely
certain you're capable of making such a promise right now," Amaterasu said
candidly to her son, standing on tiptoe to give him a hug. The young man gave
his mother a bitter smile. Even after everything that had happened, she was
still able to see to the heart of him.
"I won't die…I can't, not yet. You don't have to worry about that."
The Nihon empress gave her children a rare smile. "Well, at least I got that
out of you. We'll work through the rest as we come to it."
Tomoyo shared a look with their mother when they had their own goodbye
embraces. Somehow, she knew she was referring to the situation between Kurogane
and Fai. As per Yuui's wishes, no one who had been in the room that day had
revealed anything about the potion given to her by the other Yuuko. She didn't
want their enemies somehow finding out about it and they were also both afraid
the fragile hope would destroy Kurogane. It would take careful planning in
order to be able to implement this plan while avoiding breaking either of their
fragile brothers.
Yuui, meanwhile, was letting Sakura say goodbye to her granddaughter. The elder
queen was rocking the baby girl and cooing softly to her.
"Are you sure you won't leave Kohaku-chan with us?" Yukito asked for the
umpteenth time. "This will be very dangerous."
"I'm sure. She's…so little. Kohaku needs me right now," the younger queen said
quietly as she watched her mother with her daughter. "I'll protect her; and if
I can't…I don't deserve to be her mother, much less a queen. Nothing will
happen to her."
"Don't let anything happen to yourself either," Sakura admonished.
"I won't."
Sakura's expression suddenly turned very grave. "Do I have your word on that,
Yuui Fluorite Reed, as a queen and a faerie?"
Yuui met her gaze unwaveringly. "You have my word as a queen…as a mother, and
as a sister."
Sakura nodded in acceptance as she passed Kohaku back to her. "You'll bring him
back?"
"I won't come back without him."
Finally allowing her queenly demeanor to slip, Sakura pulled her daughter and
granddaughter into her arms.
"I'm so proud of you. I love you both…so much," she whispered to her.
"I love you, too…Kaa-san," Yuui whispered back, smiling warmly at her mother as
they separated. "I promise we'll all come back."
Sakura answered her daughter's smile with a smile of her own, her eyes growing
moist once again.
Tearing her gaze away from Sakura, Yuui briefly glanced around at the other
groups before finally announcing, "It's time."
Taking no more than a few moments, the groups recombined into those who were
staying, and those who were going. Those going gathered into a circle, with
Subaru and Kamui, as the only ones who had both seen Piffle City and could
teleport, performing the group transfer.
The spell didn't take all that long either. Having experienced it once before,
Sakura understood how a group teleport worked. They all joined hands, with a
very firm warning not to break the circle, and the Shiro brothers began to send
magic through their joined hands. Then a small gale of wind passed through the
throne room, light flared briefly around the circle, and they were gone. Sakura
hadn't broken eye contact with Yuui once.
"Don't worry," Yukito said to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be
all right."
"Yes," the queen responded with a smile. "I'm sure it'll be all right."
"Are you going to join us for lunch today?" Eriol asked.
"I don't think so, Eri-kun. I'll see you at dinner. I…I'm going to see Syaoran
now," she said, her gaze turning to Yukito at the end. The high priest nodded
his understanding.
"Nii-sama, would you be able to see Ransho-san about those defenses Yuui
wanted? I believe you know the most about our own forces at the moment."
"Sure. I'll see to it. You go talk to the runt," her older brother said, his
face looking wryly sympathetic. Sakura then gathered her brother's family in
her arms for another hug.
"Thank you all so much. I appreciated…having you with me today. I'll see you
tonight," she said softly before releasing the three and heading out of the
room. Touya and Yukito looked at each other oddly after she'd gone, but they
eventually managed to shrug it off in order to go about their business.
Sakura, meanwhile, walked very slowly through the halls of her castle, her
home, taking in as many details as she possibly could on her way down to the
shrine. Had the rugs always been this rich shade of blue? Had the stones always
exuded this faintly musky scent? She had lived in this place her whole life.
How much of it had she never really taken the time to notice before?
As she walked, she sang - an old Valerian prayer for mothers that she now
addressed to her deceased husband.
I pray you will be my eyes
And watch her where she goes,
And help her to be wise.
Help me to let go.
Every mother's prayer,
Every child knows.
Lead her to a place,
Guide her with your grace,
To a place where she'll be safe.
The air felt distinctly warmer as she walked into the light of the afternoon
sun. Her people milled about her, rebuilding their lives after the horrors of
the siege. A few even called out to her and she acknowledged them with a nod
and a sad smile. They were good people - strong people.
The shrine was quickly coming up to meet her. She didn't know when she'd ever
felt this torn between two extremes. Her heart was heavy with longing and
regret…but she was light on her feet. Something in her almost felt giddy. Had
the sun always felt this warm and comforting on her shoulders?
I pray she finds your light
And holds it in her heart.
As darkness falls each night,
Remind her where you are.
Every mother's prayer,
Every child knows.
Need to find a place,
Guide her to a place.
Give her faith so she'll be safe.
The queen hardly felt the time or the distance as she descended, level after
level, into the crypt. There was little to look at now, but she still found
herself looking at the entrances to each level…even at the bare earth and stone
structures that kept the crypt from collapsing in on itself. Her eyes simply
couldn't have enough of looking, her ears enough of hearing, her nose enough of
smelling. All the tiny things were suddenly everything, filling her sight to a
degree beyond imagining.
Lead her to a place,
Guide her with your grace
To a place where she'll be safe.
Sakura felt only a tiny twinge of uncertainty when she came at last to the
lowest level of the crypt. The scent of roses still hung faintly in the air,
not yet killed by the dank scent of long hidden earth. The scent gave her
courage and she moved forward, bringing her magic to bear on the marble lid of
the sarcophagus. She moved it all on her own this time. It was a simple matter
of desperately needing to see her husband's face once more.
"Our granddaughter is beautiful, Syaoran…so beautiful. I can't believe you
didn't stay to see her. Well…I'll tell you all about her. I'll lie with you
tonight, Syaoran. I won't sleep alone ever again," she told him as she climbed
into the open casket, taking up her place beside him. As she lay down, she
couldn't help but wonder if, maybe, the two of them would be the last to be
buried in the crypt. With her son on track to marry Kurogane, he would probably
be buried in Nihon with him when he passed. Yuui, if she even left remains
behind when her time came, would almost certainly be interred in Faerie. Would
use of the crypt end with her and her husband…with its ancient corridors
eventually being forgotten by later generations? No…these were not thoughts for
a moment like this. Such morbid thoughts would not be her last.
If there were any other way, she would never do what she was about to do. If
she could someday look forward to a natural death, she would wait it out
patiently, living somewhat contentedly with her family. However, there was no
such event in her future. This life without Syaoran by her side could
potentially last until time simply collapsed in on itself. Even then, she might
have been able to bear it for the sake of her children, but Seishiro had
cinched the decision for her. She couldn't allow herself to be used as a tool
against her babies. She wouldn't let her power fall into their hands. In order
to protect everyone she loved, she would put herself beyond the reach of their
enemies - go to a place far beyond their power to recall her…into death itself.
Watanuki had said it was as simple as not wanting to be alive anymore. That was
the hard part. Part of her did still want to live…the part that wanted to meet
Fai, to see Kohaku grow up, to watch Yuui become a great queen. However, in
order for these events not to be jeopardized, she knew she had to remove
herself from the picture. She had to make the part that wanted to be with
Syaoran again stronger.
"I don't want to fade away when I die," she murmured, not really sure whom she
was talking to. "I want to leave a body behind…to rest with Syaoran forever. I
want to sleep by his side always."
After making this last desperate plea, Sakura removed her emerald wedding ring
and placed it on the lip of the open sarcophagus. It would serve as a last
message. Then she leaned over and gave Syaoran one last kiss, remembering the
feel of him in her arms. She knew him so well…and he her. What was she without
him?
"I'm ready now. Syaoran…Syaoran, wait…"
                                      XxX
Yukito knew why he felt a sense of foreboding as he descended through the
layers of the crypt; he just didn't want to acknowledge his fear. Sakura had
been so strange after Yuui and the others had left…and no one had seen her
since then. She hadn't come to dinner, either. That was when they'd started to
worry. Touya was currently searching the castle.
"Sakura?" he called out gently when he finally reached the lowest level, hoping
desperately to find her beside the tomb, having simply lost track of the time -
not yet ready to leave her husband to his rest. Instead, a fearful chill swept
through his being upon finding the sarcophagus open and the small, earthen
chamber seemingly deserted. Cold sweat broke out all over his body as he slowly
moved toward the gaping casket.
Sakura…please…tell me you didn't…you couldn't have…please. Oh, please !
He couldn't rightly say he was surprised when he finally beheld the two of them
lying together in the tomb, but his heart did skip several beats, and no sooner
had he had the chance to comprehend what he was seeing than a ring left on the
lip of the open casket began to glow and an image of Sakura's face appeared
before him.
"Please…whoever finds this ring…could you give it to my children. It is my last
gift to them. I'm only sorry I can't do better."
Then she was gone - gone forever.
With trembling hands, the high priest picked up the emerald ring, holding it
close to his heart. Sakura had worn this ring everyday for twenty-three years,
and now…
Falling to his knees, Yukito let several strangled sobs escape his throat.
Sakura and Syaoran - they had lost them both!
Oh, Goddess…oh, Goddess! How'll I ever tell Touya? His baby sister…
"H-how could you do it, Sakura?" he cried, pounding a fist against the earth.
He wasn't certain how long he knelt there on the ground, purging the pain of
this sudden loss and trying to incorporate it into his reality, but when he
finally managed to pull himself to his feet and look down at the sleeping
couple once again, he almost thought he could see the queen smiling.
At least, wherever they were…they were together…and happy. Perhaps he could
still be grateful for that.
                                      XxX
The jump from Valeria had taken the travelers straight to the outer walls of
Piffle City. It had taken the fey in their group several hours to make
absolutely certain there were no traps laying in wait for them, so it was night
by the time they actually entered the city. Their entrance was greeted by a
group of seven: Lord Rasetsu, Kusanagi Shiyu and the newly made Yuzuriha Shiyu,
Souma's father, Lord Kakyo, and three others Yuui had never met before. One was
a taller man with dark hair and stubble on his chin who had the look of someone
running purely on adrenaline. The second was a younger woman with light brown
her that fell far past her waist. The last was a young man slightly older than
Kurogane with short blond hair and a deadly serious expression.
"Welcome to Piffle City, My Prince," the stubble-faced man greeted Kurogane.
Yuui felt a moment of disconcerting worry when her friend didn't snap at the
man for calling him prince, not really sure whether it was a good thing or a
bad thing. However, she was soon drawn from the thought when the man turned his
attention to her. "And welcome to Yuui-sama, queen of all Faerie, and to her
consort, My Lady Tomoyo."
"Thank you, Ichiro-san. While you seem to know my wife, I don't believe she's
had the pleasure. Yuui, this is Ichiro Mihara, lord of Piffle Province," Tomoyo
introduced.
"Under better circumstances, I imagine it would be a pleasure to meet you,"
Yuui responded honestly. Ichiro gave her a wry smile as he took the hand that
wasn't holding Kohaku and kissed it.
"I understand you, Majesty. These are dark days. We must gather to us those we
can trust. As such, I hope you will make the acquaintance of my other two
guests in that spirit. May I present Lady Miyuki, master of Gohou Province, and
Lord Nataku Toujou, master of Tenkai Province."
Yuui bowed her head at the neck in acknowledgment of the two leaders as they
bowed low before her. "How do the two of you find yourselves in Piffle
Province?" she asked them. "I understand Lord Kakyo is master of Yomogi
Province and was in the capital at the time of the coup, but you?"
"The two of us only arrived here yesterday," Miyuki began to explain.
"I doubt you'll have heard of this, My Prince, but Lord Imonoyama is dead,"
Nataku continued, addressing Kurogane with the news.
"What?" Tomoyo whispered in shock.
"Kyle killed him when he refused to submit to his rule. No one's really known
what's been happening inside Shirasagi these past months, save for those of us
here with Lord Rasetsu and the resistance army. Now that the scum's attempting
to spread beyond his power base, the nation's finally starting to figure it
out. Though…I don't know how much of an increase we'll see in the resistance
now that he's started killing off dissenters," Ichiro mused sadly.
"What's happened to Nokoru?" Tomoyo asked. There had once been talk of an
engagement between her and the young Imonoyama, and even though it had fallen
through, she'd still maintained a good friendship with him.
"His father sent him into hiding before openly declaring his defiance. He's
currently in exile with Lord Mong Ryong in Koryo Province. I've received word
that Lady Suzuran of Kuroba Province has taken refuge there, as well. Apart
from Piffle City, nowhere else in all Nihon is better fortified against the
Dark Court than Koryo City."
"How is that?" Yuui continued to question as the group was led through the city
streets to the lord's residence. Tomoyo and Kurogane had given her a crash
course in the provinces of Nihon and their respective rulers, but she didn't
know much beyond names at this point.
"Koryo Province boarders the Shirahime Mountains…where the Dark Court is
hidden. Mong Ryong has been repelling attacks by dark faeries for many years.
He and his forebears have maintained a good relationship with their half fey
citizens and call upon their aid in times of need. And of course, we are well-
protected here with the help of just one full-blooded faerie," Ichiro went on,
giving Rasetsu a thankful grin. "We have all maintained a loose contact these
past months and when word of Imonoyama's death reached me, I requested that any
lords not under the protection of either myself or Mong Ryong seek that
protection immediately. We must remain united if we mean to survive this war."
"Well, you won't be alone against our enemies anymore," Yuui assured the Piffle
lord. "The Fire Guard will be fighting alongside the Nihon resistance for as
long as there's need."
Yuui and Tomoyo continued to confer with the lords all the way to Ichiro's
small castle. As they talked, Kusanagi fell into step with Kurogane. The two
men walked silently together for what felt like a painfully long time. After
all, Kusanagi hadn't seen the prince since just before Kyle's takeover and the
changes in him since then were nearly unfathomable.
"Kurogane-sama…what's happened?" the warrior finally managed to ask. The fallen
prince gave a bitter bark of a laugh at the question.
"What's happened? Where have you been the past two months?"
"To you," Kusanagi needled. "I've never seen you like this before. It's
like…you're a completely different man."
"To me?" the young man repeated, his eyes growing wistful for a bare moment.
He'd lost everything he'd ever been. Every purpose that had ever fueled his
life had been taken from him, but how did he explain to the closest thing he
had to a father that he was a different man? Kusanagi had a right to understand
if anyone did; he just didn't know how to tell him. He could hardly conceive of
it himself. He was finally forced to admit, "I don't know…what happened to me.
I…might be dead. I don't know."
"Kurogane-" the older ninja began in a half-harsh, half-concerned tone, but was
almost instantly cut short by his new wife. Yuzuriha knew her husband was
worried for his surrogate son's safety, but she could also see that they
wouldn't get any answers from the prince himself. They would have to seek them
elsewhere. Besides, whether or not they had actually managed to get Kurogane to
open up, any conversation they might have had would have soon been interrupted
by Kohaku's sudden wails for attention. The entire entourage actually stopped
their trek to the meeting hall in order to give Yuui a chance to calm her
daughter.
For a good five minutes, the baby girl yowled inconsolably, with no one really
able to discern the cause of her distress, as it was neither hunger nor a need
to be changed. Whatever the cause, Tomoyo and Yuui eventually managed to calm
the tiny princess down and rock her into a fitful sleep.
"I'm sorry, Ichiro-san. I do want to hear more, but I don't think my little one
will go a step farther. Arashi-san?"
For a moment, the kunoichi didn't respond. She was so unused to being addressed
at all, let alone by Yuui, that it took her several moments to realize she was
even being spoken to.
"Yes, Your Highness?" she responded swiftly upon realizing she'd been called.
"Would you please mind Kohaku for me? A war council probably isn't the best
place for her right now."
Arashi stared at the new queen oddly for a few moments. "M-me…Yuui-sama?"
"Yes," the young woman replied, holding her gaze with a very specific intent
that Arashi couldn't quite identify. "Can you do that?"
"I…yes, I suppose."
"Good. Wait for us here?" she requested, slowly passing the fitfully slumbering
baby to Arashi, showing her how she ought to position her arms through her own
example.
Arashi nodded, carefully taking the little girl in her arms and holding her
somewhat awkwardly against her chest.
"If it's all the same to the rest of you, I'll stay with her," Sorata said.
Yuui didn't know it, but he was apparently being shamelessly bold by stating
this fact rather than asking for permission. Yuui just nodded, though.
"Do that. I'd actually prefer it," Yuui said before the rest of the group
headed away down the corridor.
As if she could sense her mother leaving her, Kohaku began to whimper almost
immediately. Arashi looked up to call after Yuui, but stopped when she saw the
stiffened set of the girl's shoulders as she walked away. This was more than
just a simple request for a babysitter. It was a test for all of them.
"You know, she can tell you're nervous," Sorata said gently as he slipped his
arms around her waist. "That's why she's uncomfortable. You've got to relax."
Arashi shook her head, attempting to will the stiffness out of her body. "How
do you know so much about babies?" She felt him shrug from his place behind
her.
"I'm just good with kids, I guess. I like them and they like me."
"Maybe you should hold her then?" Arashi suggested, her nerves fraying a little
more when Kohaku gave a small cry in her sleep.
"No. Yuui-sama asked you to do it."
"A-all right," she capitulated, swallowing hard before attempting to go into
something of a meditative state. Humming tunelessly, she slowly began to rock
the child, swaying back and forth. Sensing her intent, her lover easily moved
with her. After a time, Kohaku calmed, settling down for a deep, peaceful sleep
in the kunoichi's arms.
Arashi eventually began to lose track of the time standing there in Sorata's
embrace with the little baby in her arms. For how awkward it had been at first,
it felt strangely warm now. She could almost imagine this was their child, and
there was no danger or intrigue or anything - that they were just a regular
family. When she opened her eyes to look down at the slumbering baby, she
suddenly felt the weight of her own child heavy in her womb. As her gaze traced
the soft, plump lines of Kohaku's small face, she began to wonder what her baby
might look like.
"Sorata?" she began softly as she shifted a hand to stroke Kohaku's tuft of
blonde fuzz. "I…I don't want to kill my baby. I want it to be born. I…I want
it."
Sorata tightened his grip on her as slightly as he was able without setting her
off, sensing the small note of hysteria in her voice. "All right. All right.
That's fine. It's okay."
"I don't- I don't want them to kill it. They can't-"
"Arashi, why is this so important all of a sudden?" he interrupted her, turning
her in his arms so he could look her in the eyes.
"It's your baby. I know it is," she explained, still trying to stay in control
of her self. "I don't know if they understand that or not."
Sorata's face went a shade darker at this. "How can you know that? How can you
possibly know a thing like that? I want it to be ours just as much as you do,
but it-"
"I know," she interrupted right back. "I just know. I can't let them hurt it."
"Okay, okay. It's okay. I understand," he soothed, being careful of the two
babies cradled between them as he wrapped his arms around her. "It's gonna be
all right."
Arashi said nothing more. She simply rested her head against his chest and
allowed him to hold her while Kohaku slept on, blissfully unaware of the world
around her.
                                      XxX
"What's wrong with him?" Kusanagi asked the two queens, wasting no time with
subtleties. The night was already half over, after all. The war council hadn't
lasted very long, but between that and dinner, Yuui's guardians had insisted
that Rasetsu give his oaths of loyalty to her before any further interaction
took place. After dinner, they had all been shown to guest quarters, but not
five minutes after Yuui and Tomoyo had been left to theirs, Kusanagi had
appeared, desperately wanting to speak with them. Both girls looked infinitely
saddened by the question.
"You'll have heard about his relationship with Fai during your time here, I
assume?" Tomoyo asked, rocking Kohaku in her arms in order to give Yuui a small
rest.
The older warrior nodded, also looking sad. "He told me…years ago…that he was a
lover of men. I thought he might have a secret lover somewhere, but I never
dreamed it was anything like this."
"Those two mean the world to each other. Kurogane was crushed by what happened
to Fai. He hardly sleeps anymore; when he does, he dreams of the cage of
nightmares Fai's trapped in. You probably noticed he doesn't eat much. He
trains intensely…both his battle skills and his growing magic…runs himself
ragged. He's nearly killed himself more than once; whether or not it was
intentional, we're not really sure. Being without Fai…and knowing what's
happening to him…it's driving him insane…killing him," Yuui explained, trying
hard to keep herself together in the face of the shock and pain she could see
reflected in Kusanagi's eyes.
"It isn't just that, either," Tomoyo continued. "It's worse now."
"Worse?" the ninja master half-choked on the word. "How can it be worse?"
"Not even a week ago, Kyle lured him back into Shirasagi under the pretense
he'd tell him how to get inside the Dark Court if he turned himself in. He has
the information now, but…Kyle tricked him into killing his own men in order to
escape. I know he doesn't want to regret it…but that guilt's eating at his
conscience, too."
Kusanagi shook his head as he slowly absorbed everything. Kurogane, the boy
he'd helped raise from birth, the eager, clever boy who was so certain of the
difference between right and wrong, had become a man almost overnight…a man
suffering for his love and punishing himself for what he perceived as his sins.
The worst of it was Kusanagi couldn't see any way of helping him.
"Isn't there anything we can do…to save him?"
Both queens shook their heads. "We can't help Kurogane now," Yuui said.
"Only Fai can save him. Only he can pull him back," Tomoyo finished.
"And…if you can't rescue Fai-sama?"
Normally, Yuui would have lashed out at such a question, but it had only one
answer now.
"Then Kurogane will break…shatter beyond anyone's ability to help him."
                                      XxX
The last thing Souma had been expecting to see upon being led to her temporary
quarters was her father. That was, however, just who was waiting there for her
when she was let into the chamber.
"Oh, Lord Kuzuki. Is there something I can do for you?" the serving woman
accompanying her asked him.
"Yes. You can leave me alone with my daughter. We need to talk."
Souma winced when the woman complied with only a nod of her head. She would
have almost rather faced Fuuma or Seishiro than Kakyo.
"What are you doing here?" she finally asked after what could have been hours
of silent, stubborn staring.
"I need to talk to you," he said. Maybe she was imagining it, but his voice
didn't seem to carry his usual angry tone. It seemed almost…afraid.
"What could you possibly have to say to me? You've made it perfectly plain what
you think of me these past eighteen years. What more is there to say?"
"It…it isn't like that," he began hesitantly. Souma's first instinct when he
began to move slowly toward her was to run. Her earliest memories of him held
only pain and the response had been conditioned into her from that time. Run or
he'll hurt you! However, the instincts born of her training under Arashi were
present as well. She mustn't run from her fears; she must face them and conquer
them. Through these two conflicting drives, she managed to stay in the room
when he finally stood before her, but she couldn't quite help taking a step
back when he reached a hand forward to caress her cheek. "You're so much like
your mother."
"So I've heard," she shuddered, trying hard to fight against the scared child
in her. "You do know what people think, don't you?" she flung at him. It was
the one thing that might hurt him.
"Of course I know what they think. I'm not deaf. I hear what they say and I
know what they think I am, but you know it isn't true and I know it isn't
true." Court gossip claimed that Kakyo had never recovered from Hokuto's
death…that his mind was diseased and he couldn't tell the difference between
his dead wife and their daughter…that Souma had lost her virginity to her
father. It was ridiculous, of course. Kakyo had never loved her enough to hug
her, let alone make love to her. He was guilty of child abuse, certainly, but
never incest. The insinuation, however, was the one thing that could still
shake him.
"What if I told you you had done it?" Souma asked spitefully. Kakyo's hand
stiffened instantly at her words.
"What…what are you talking about?"
"You don't remember? You don't remember that time you got drunk when I was ten?
I do. You came screaming into my bedroom. Sonomi was trying to teach me to
embroider and you screamed at her to leave. When she was gone, you dragged me
to your chambers and tore my clothes off."
"That…that never happened. I couldn't have…I…I didn't…" he struggled to get
out, taking a step back from her. It was the first time she could remember ever
seeing him scared. She liked it.
"But you did!" she snarled. "You took me to your bed…and you raped me. You
raped a little girl! Your own daughter! You should just be thankful I wasn't
old enough to get pregnant." It was a complete lie, but Souma couldn't seem to
stop herself. The fear in her father's eyes was like a drug. All her life, he'd
clung to the conviction that he wasn't this monster everyone thought he was,
and now…to be told that he really was…
"Oh, Souma…darling…my baby. I…I didn't…do that. How could I…my own daughter…my
little girl…" he murmured as he took several more steps back, finally stumbling
and falling to his knees. "Did I…did I really…only ten? I…I really…kn-knew
you?"
Souma smiled bitterly as she knelt in front of her father and seized him in her
arms. "What? You really don't remember how I felt, Tou-san? You don't remember
this?" With that, she pressed her lips harshly against his and ground her body
even harsher against his. Kakyo actually screamed at the contact, pulling
himself weakly away from her and curling in on himself, emptying the contents
of his stomach on the wooden floor. Souma almost wanted to vomit herself, but
managed to hold it back.
"Hokuto! Hokuto, I'm sorry!" he cried out weakly. "I promised you I wouldn't
let anything happen to her!"
Seeing this weeping mess her father had become didn't inspire one ounce of pity
in the kunoichi. It actually only served to anger her.
"What sort of promise did you make to my mother? Not let anything happen to me?
The only thing I ever got from you was pain!"
"Oh…oh, my baby" he whimpered as he gazed up into her smoldering eyes. "What
have I done to you?"
"You didn't rape me, if that's what you're wondering," she said, finally
deciding to release him from the horror of the crime he'd never committed. "But
do you really think what you did do to me was so much better?"
The tears in Kakyo's eyes were now half in relief and half in guilt. "Souma,
I'm sorry," he cried as he pulled her down into his arms. "I'm so sorry."
Souma allowed herself to be pulled to the ground, allowed her father to hold
her, but she wasn't ready to soften yet. "Do you honestly think that's enough?
Do you expect me to just fall in line like your precious little bird? Sorry
isn't going to make up for any of it."
"I know. I know it's not enough. I just…want you to understand. What I did…I
did to protect you."
"No!" she shouted, pulling herself away from her father. "Don't give me that.
You expect me to believe that making me miserable was supposed to protect me?"
"You don't understand-" he tried to start again as he pulled himself into a
sitting position.
"No, Tou-san, I do understand. I understand you missed Kaa-san and you took it
out on me because she died giving birth to me. I know what it's like not to be
able to have the one you love. I can understand that…I could even forgive you
for it…but please…don't try to pretend it was anything else. Protect me? No.
There wasn't anything noble in your treatment of me. We should just…let it
go…leave it all in the past where it belongs," she said, the anger finally
draining out of her voice. She was only just starting to really hear herself.
Who was it these angry words were coming from? Was it really her? How could it
be? She wasn't like this.
Kakyo nodded in agreement. "You still don't understand. I don't know if anyone
ever will. I just…wanted you to know…that I do love you. I always did. I just
didn't know how to protect you."
Souma said nothing when Kakyo leaned over and kissed her forehead. She didn't
even look up when he stood and left. She remained seated, staring listlessly at
the floor. She wasn't certain just how long she'd been sitting there when she
heard a different set of footsteps entering the room.
"Are you all right?" she heard Subaru asking her. Then he was kneeling in front
of her, lifting her face up by the chin to see if she was hurt.
"Fine," she mumbled, not really looking at him. The Shiro lord shook his head.
"No, you're not. Not really," he said as he lifted her into his arms and
carried her to her futon, gently setting her down.
"You're lucky you didn't know your father, Subaru-san," she said dully as he
conjured her a goblet of water.
"Well, considering he was once lord of the Oni, you're probably right," he
said, offering her a wry smile as he held the goblet out to her. The smile she
returned was sad. She took the offered goblet, contemplating it for several
long moments before putting it aside. She then reached forward to take his hand
in hers. She didn't need to say anything. It was painfully obvious what she
wanted.
"Are you sure?" he asked her once again. She nodded, reaching another hand
forward to rest on his inner thigh.
"I…want to forget. I just want to forget about all of it."
"What…did he do to you?"
Souma shook her head, slowly sliding her hand up his thigh to fondle him. "It
isn't what he did to me; it's more what I did. I don't want to be me right now.
I just want to feel."
Subaru shuddered briefly before taking her hands in his and kissing them,
easily taking control of the situation. "As you wish," he murmured soothingly,
moving his hands to her shoulders and gently laying her beneath him on the
futon.
It wasn't any easier. She was so young. Compared with him, she was a baby.
Ultimately, he found he couldn't look at her face as he pleasured her, so he
used his power to smother the candlelight in the room. They both made soft
moaning sounds as they gave each other pleasure, but Subaru could feel it on
his own face and on hers. They were both crying. He felt guilty, but…like her,
he just wanted to feel.
Chapter End Notes
     Song for this chapter is "The Prayer" from Quest for Camelot.
***** Riding Out of the Dawn *****
When Kurogane first heard the shouting, he thought he was dreaming, which was
strange because he wasn't asleep, only meditating. Had he fallen asleep again?
No…no…it's real. An attack?
Instantly, he was on his feet, grabbing Ginryuu before rushing out of his
quarters. At first, there were no signs anything was wrong, but as he raced
closer to the castle entrance, he began to hear shouts again.
"What's happening?" he shouted at the guards upon reaching the sealed gate.
"We're under attack," one reported tensely.
"The Fire Guard hasn't had a chance to erect barriers yet. They're in the
city," another said, sounding more worried than his compatriot.
"Open the gate," he ordered.
"But Your Highness-"
"Open the gate right now!" he demanded.
"Don't go out there, Kurogane," a firm voice suddenly commanded from somewhere
behind him. Kurogane turned and saw Doumeki, Watanuki, and Kamui heading for
the gate. It was Doumeki who had spoken.
"But we've got to do something."
"The best thing for us to do is leave Piffle. Ryuuki can take care of things
here. We have our own mission."
"You…expect me to just leave them?"
"That's exactly what I expect. I won't have you risk Fai like this."
"I won't abandon them," he declared as he drew Ginryuu. He'd already
disappointed his people enough in his quest to save Fai. He wasn't going to do
it tonight.
"Don't try it," Doumeki ordered, his eyes narrowing in an uncharacteristic
display of anger. He could clearly see what Kurogane intended to do if the gate
wouldn't open for him. "It's too dangerous. You'll hurt yourself."
Kurogane didn't care. He had to do it. He'd never done it before, but it was
hardly five feet away and he could clearly visualize the spot. So, just as
Ryuuki had taught him, he gathered magic to him, creating a shield around his
form before forcing his body through the teleport spell.
"Idiot!" Doumeki snarled as Kurogane vanished. The prince could very well wind
up buried underground.
Kurogane's first instinct upon rematerializing was to collapse and vomit up the
little food in his stomach, but he managed to remain on his feet. He'd ended up
just where he wanted to be: right outside the front castle gate. Taking hardly
a second to savor his triumph, he sprinted away down the main street, toward
the fighting. The others would be on him in mere moments.
The first things he noticed were the fires. The Oni had set fire to many of the
buildings and the members of the Fire Guard seemed to be too engaged with their
enemies to do anything about it. The citizens were trying to organize into
water brigades, but there was very little they could do against enchanted
flames. Perhaps, Kurogane found himself thinking, if he could create fire, then
he could also…
Again, he focused his energy, concentrating it on the living flames surrounding
him. Then he began to draw the flames to him, calling their power to join with
his own. Slowly but surely, he absorbed all of the flame in his reach.
When one of the enemy warriors noticed this, he turned to find the source and
his eyes instantly found Kurogane. Shocked, the prince found he knew the
warrior. It was Koryu, the leader of the Oni. Upon recognizing him, Koryu's
face split into a devious grin and Kurogane suddenly found the dark faerie
standing before him.
"Well, if it isn't the little prince. I didn't know you could do a trick like
that."
"I've been practicing," Kurogane responded, trying to sound nonchalant, even
though all he wanted to do was collapse. Quenching the fires had drained his
reserves rather than added to them. In an attempt to seem more of a threat, he
brandished Ginryuu in front of him. "You want to see what else I can do?"
"Indeed, I do," Koryu said with relish, brandishing his own weapon and
springing at Kurogane before another word could be wasted.
The faerie lord was, of course, inhumanly fast, but to his own amazement,
Kurogane found he could follow his movements. It wasn't so much that he could
see them; it was more that he could sense the blows as they happened and keep
time with them, blocking each one and sending out a few of his own. When Koryu
realized they were evenly matched, he gave another grin.
"My, but you have been working hard. Not a lot of mortals possess the stamina
to reach this level. By rights, you should have dropped dead long before now."
Kurogane shuddered at the insinuation. He had come very close to that line many
times before now. Only here in this moment did he realize how dangerously close
he still was to it. Pushing himself a little closer to the line in order to
press his advantage, he found himself a hairsbreadth faster than Koryu for a
few moments.
Those few moments were all he needed. Moving like lightning, he brought Ginryuu
down on Koryu's exposed sword wrist, severing the hand. Koryu gave a brief
shout of pain as his hand and sword went flying away. The hand soon regenerated
itself, but by the time it had, Kurogane literally had Koryu pinned to a wall,
Ginryuu jammed through his stomach and buried in the wall behind him. The dark
faerie laughed, sending up a few small streams of blood.
"Very good, little prince, you might…just-" For some reason, Koryu's words
slowly came to a halt.
"What?" Kurogane demanded.
"Oh, Kurogane," Koryu began almost reverently. "No one told me you had a
Heart." As he spoke, he slowly reached out a hand toward Kurogane's chest. When
the prince realized he was reaching for his sun pendant, he angrily batted the
hand away.
"Why does that matter?"
Koryu outright laughed at this question. "You really don't know? My Prince, you
have the power to kill me right there in your hands."
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't you see? Take that charm, plunge it into my heart, detonate its
power…and I will die."
Kurogane stood stark still for a moment, trying to absorb this new information.
"I…I don't believe you. You're lying…to get the Heart from me or something," he
accused. Koryu just shook his head.
"I'm a dark faerie. What would I want with a Heart of Fire? You could do it,
Kurogane. You could end my life right now."
It couldn't be. It simply couldn't be. No way it was this easy - but Kurogane
still found himself sorely tempted to try. After months of utter
helplessness…there might actually be something he could do to harm their
enemies?
"Do it, Kurogane," the faerie lord murmured hypnotically. "Take my life from
me. You have the power. You are one of us. Your eyes are painted with the color
of your true desire. Don't deny your true nature. Spill my blood."
Yes. Yes, he could do it. He would. He must. He must destroy this creature.
"Kill me in cold blood…just as you killed all those helpless men."
Wait…
"Kurogane!" He suddenly heard a different voice shouting to him. He glanced to
his side and saw Yuui, flanked by Doumeki and Watanuki. Taking a cursory peek
at his thoughts, she met his confused gaze head on. "Don't. You don't have to
do this. You have a choice."
"You don't want a choice, though, do you, little Kurogane?" Koryu asked
knowingly, completely ignoring Yuui. "You want to kill me. You know you do. I
can see it in your eyes. You want to make me pay for what happened to your
precious lover."
Yes - Fai. If he could make one of them pay, he must.
"Don't do it. Don't let him do this to you," Yuui urged pleadingly. "You're not
an animal, Kurogane. You're not like them."
"But you are," his victim urged just as strongly. "You're just like me. You
can't escape it."
"Kurogane, remember what you're fighting for. Fai wouldn't want this for you,"
his friend insisted. God, but she was so much like her brother.
"But you can't save him…unless you destroy us," Koryu reminded him, knowing
exactly what pressure point he was twisting.
That did it. With a cry of rage and pain combined, he seized the sun charm,
snapping the chain around his neck as he channeled power to it. With that
power, he actually managed to thrust his fist inside the dark faerie's chest.
For a moment, he saw a flicker of fear in his opponent's eyes.
However, the moment he attempted to channel more power to the Heart, his own
body rebelled against him. His vision went hazy and his body finally collapsed
as the last of his reserve strength bled from him. He still clutched the Heart
tightly in his fist, but he could do little more than lie helplessly on the
ground, watching Koryu's blurry face laughing above him before vanishing
entirely.
The next moment, he felt a pair of arms around him; then he faintly felt the
teleport spell before he and his rescuer dropped onto soft, moist grass.
"It's okay. We're safe now," his rescuer whispered in his ear. His mind told
him it was Yuui's voice, but his ears kept hearing Fai's.
"Fai…I'm – so sorry. I tried…I tried so hard…I just…don't know what to do. Do
I…have to be like them…to save you? I…I'll do it. I will…" Unable to keep the
world in focus anymore, Kurogane finally released his hold on consciousness.
Yuui very nearly cried when Kurogane called her Fai. In an attempt to hold
herself together, she just knelt on the grass, holding his unconscious body in
her arms and stroking his hair gently, as if comforting a small child.
"I wouldn't let it bother you too much," Tomoyo consoled, coming to sit beside
her with Kohaku cradled in her arms. Their group had teleported to a far bluff
barely within sight of the besieged city. Yuui and the two guardians had only
remained behind to get Kurogane out. "He was weak…drained…not thinking
clearly."
"But it still happened," she said sadly. "No matter what his state was…he still
made the mistake. Who will he see when he wakes up? Me…or him?"
"Let's not worry about it until then. At least we all got out safe."
"You're sure the Fire Guard will be able to handle things here?" Yuui asked
Doumeki, who was hovering close at hand.
"They'll be able to get it under control. It isn't a very large force. I don't
think Koryu really expected usto be here. It was just a lucky chance for him.
Kurogane was actually very helpful in undoing most of their damage. Clearly, it
put too much of a strain on him, though."
"You do realize he'll be angry with you," Yuui turned her line of questioning
to Watanuki. "for not telling him the Heart had that kind of power."
"It never occurred to me to mention it. So few Hearts have ever existed, no one
has ever made a full study of their complete properties. It makes sense that
the detonated power of a Heart could kill a faerie if thrust into his or her
own heart; I just don't know if the prince could do it."
"Would he…lose the Heart of he were to try?" Yuui asked, knowing that the
pendant was very important to him, for more than reasons of power.
"No, the Heart would certainly endure the detonation of its power. What I'm
saying is I'm not sure if he would. You saw what happened when he tried it just
now. If he'd had enough strength to remain conscious, he may well have killed
himself trying. Thankfully, he'd already drained too much of his own power to
make a proper attempt. Koryu probably knew he was mostly spent. That's why he
risked tormenting him like that."
"Could any of you use it against them?" Yuui asked hopefully.
Watanuki shook his head. "No. Kurogane's worked with it so intensely, the
Heart's bonded itself to him. Only he can use its power now. The only way he
could hope to survive killing a faerie with it is to be at his full strength
when he tries. If what he accomplished tonight is any indication, he might be
able to pull it off, but…"
"But…?" Yuui prompted impatiently.
"What Kurogane accomplished tonight will light a fire in him," Doumeki began to
explain. "He will see that pushing himself the way he has has yielded results.
It may cause him to push himself even harder, toe the line between life and
death with even greater abandon."
"But…what will happen to him?" Souma asked, hesitantly joining in on the
conversation.
"We couldn't say," Subaru answered her. "Kurogane-san is operating on a new
plateau that few mortals have ever even tapped, let alone become proficient in.
He will either become the greatest warrior the mortal world has ever known…or
it will be too much for him. This power will overwhelm him…and lead to his
destruction."
None of the three girls said anything in response to this. Yuui held her
brother-in-law a little closer and Tomoyo held Kohaku a little tighter. Souma
sought her small bit of comfort in Subaru's arms. Kamui glanced at the pair in
very strong disapproval, giving his little brother a scathing glare when Souma
wasn't looking. However, when Subaru's only response was to give Kamui a very
stern shake of the head, the older Shiro went to Yuui and placed a hand on her
shoulder.
"We should keep moving, Yuui-sama. We cannot linger here."
                                      XxX
"You are one of us."
Is he? Is it true? He doesn't know anymore.
"Have you ever seen your eyes? They're the eyes of a demon. Your eyes are the
color of fresh blood. You would have spilled mine tonight. You know it…don't
you? You know you'll have to become like us if you want the strength to get him
back."
"But…will I be the man he loves if I do that?" he asks, finally turning to face
Koryu.
"Does that matter? I thought you wanted him back…no matter what the cost
toyoumay be."
"Idowant him safe…"
"Even if you yourself are somehow lost along the way?"
"If I have to…"
"You are one of us," a new voice declares. Kyle soon appears beside Koryu.
"You've already tasted your first blood and youknowyou want more. You felt
powerful in that moment…like there was nothing that could possibly stop you.
You want to feel that again. You want never to be weak again."
It's true. It's all true. He really doesn't know what to say anymore. How can
he deny these things that are more or less true?
"But youaren'tlike them," a different voice insists. He turns to find Yuui
standing opposite himself and the two dark faeries. He also notices that as
more people appear, the room they occupy seems to become more distinct. He can
see they are in a large stone chamber, but one end of the room is still
shrouded in heavy darkness.
"You don't want to hurt innocent people…only guilty ones. They don'tcarewho
they hurt. Iknowyou're not like that."
"How do you know what I'm like?" he asks bitterly. "I've hurtyou."
Yuui shakes her head. "You weren't thinking clearly. You aren't like that ,"
she says firmly.
"Heh…maybe it's the only time to tell what I reallyamlike?"
At this, Yuui's face twists in helpless anger and she crosses the chamber in
only a few steps, swiftly slapping her hand across his face. He staggers only
slightly from the blow, more out of surprise than pain.
"Wake up! Can't you see what you're doing to yourself? Do you really think
killing yourself for him will make Fai happy? If you lose yourself…or if you
die saving him…he'll just follow you. Youmustrealize that."
"Oh, I think he realizes what he's doing to himself," Koryu breaks in, suddenly
appearing directly behind Kurogane and resting a hand on his shoulder. "He's
becoming more powerful. You should have seen him tonight. He was brilliant.
He'll be a beautiful killer when he finally accepts that it's what he really
wants."
"You are one of us," yet another voice says. Yuui visibly winces when Yuuko
appears in their midst. "Are you really going to listen to her? She wants to
hold you back. It can't be good for her if a rival sovereign gains power."
"What? No! That's not it at all!" Yuui cries out desperately. "You can't
possibly believe that!"
He doesn't. He knows an insinuation like that is ridiculous. If he can trust
anyone in the world, it's his two sisters, but he doesn't let Yuui know that.
If he is to do this thing these creatures suggest, he will have to distance
himself from everything in his life that is good. The fact that Yuuko has
appeared to him in comfort is proof there is no redemption to be had for him.
All that's left for him is to save Fai. After that, it will probably be best if
he just…loses himself.
"Did you ever really see a difference between us, little prince? We have the
same eyes, you and I," she tells him, gazing directly into his eyes to prove
her point.
"You are one of us," a final voice joins all the others, a voice Kurogane knows
better than all the others. Yuui shakes her head, her face falling in horror as
the new figure at Kurogane's back places his hands at his shoulders and leans
down close to him." Fai isn'tforyou anymore."
"Maybe not," he says angrily as the Dark Prince kisses his ear. "But I won't
letyouhave him, Seishiro. I have the power now. I'llkillyou…even if I have
tobecomeyou to do it."
That last moment of anger was enough to shock Kurogane out of unconsciousness,
but he found he didn't quite have the strength to look around to find out where
he was. All he could see was a featureless rock ceiling over his head.
Had he meant them? The things he'd said in the nightmare? He was already
starting to forget exactly what had been said, but he was fairly certain he had
meant it.
                                      XxX
Yuui can't help but smile upon entering the dream realm and realizing she's
sitting in front of a mirror with Sakura standing behind her brushing out her
newly long hair.
"How have things been going?" the queen asks casually as she styles her
daughter's hair.
"Well, we're all still breathing. That's something," Yuui says slowly, getting
an odd look on her face as she thinks harder and harder on the situation.
Finally, she tries to turn and look at her mother, but Sakura keeps her head
facing forward. "Is thisyourdream, Kaa-san?"
Sakura only nods.
"I didn't know you had the ability to walk in dreams."
Sakura shakes her head. "I don't."
Yuui freezes. "W-what do you mean? If you can't walk in dreams…but this is your
dream…then…then-"
"This is my dream of death," Sakura explains calmly, giving her daughter a warm
smile.
For a moment, Yuui can't take it in, but the revelation slowly spreads
throughout her entire being until she finally cries out in shock and turns to
face her mother.
"What – what happened? When?"
"I let myself die," she explains calmly, knowing this will be difficult for her
to accept.
"Why?" Yuui demands, tears pouring down her face. "I only…just found you. Why
would you leave me? You haven't even…metFaiyet. How could you do this?"
"Because I'd never see your father again. There was no end in sight for
me…ever…unless I did something about it. Can you understand that?" she asks,
gently pulling her daughter into her arms for a last embrace.
"I…I think so," the young queen responds after several moments of quiet crying.
She wraps her arms tightly around her mother, as if she could hold her here
through her own power. If she'd worked at it, she probably could have, but…what
good will that do? If Sakura wants to go, she has no right to hold her here.
"This is…the last time I'll see you…isn't it."
"Yes, baby. I really am sorry, but…this is the only way."
Yuui nods slowly, attempting to rein in her grief. "I…I'll tell Fai…that you
love him."
"Yes, please. I did leave a message for the two of you, though. It should be
with Touya or Yukito. When you return with him, make sure you get it."
"I will."
Sakura shudders briefly in Yuui's arms. "I'm sorry. I really can't stay long,
but I had to find you. I had to see you one last time…to explain. I didn't want
you to hear it from someone else."
Yuui knows their time is growing short because she can see Sakura's form
already beginning to fade away. Kotori had been able to remain in the dream a
little longer, but she'd been a dreamseer herself. Sakura is little more than
the will to say a last goodbye - and that is done. Yuui shudders once, swallows
hard, and kisses her mother's cheek once before releasing her from her embrace.
"Will you be all right?"
"Someday…someday, I will be," Yuui says, trying hard to smile for her mother,
but unable to keep all of her sadness out of that smile. "Goodbye, Kaa-san. I
hope…that the two of you can finally find some peace."
"Goodbye, Yuui. Never forget how proud of you I am."
The sight of Sakura's last smile remained behind her eyes even after she'd
woken up. Somehow, she knew that smile would haunt her for many years to come.
"Yuui? Yuui, are you all right?" Tomoyo asked worriedly. "Why are you crying?"
As Yuui rolled onto her side to face her concerned wife, she reached a hand up
to her face to feel the moisture of tears on her cheeks.
"T-Tomoyo…Sakura's dead," she whispered, her throat tightening against the
escape of those awful words. Saying them made them true.
"Oh…Oh, Yuui…I'm so sorry," Tomoyo said soothingly as she pulled Yuui into her
arms.
Everyone in the cave heard the words and they all had their own reactions of
shock and grief, but no one yet dared to ask how it had happened. It was war.
There were bound to be casualties. What they were all really worried about was
how Yuui would take it. It hadn't even been two weeks since she'd lost her
father and surrogate mother. Her next words, however, proved she might be able
to handle it.
"She…she's with Syaoran now. At least…they're together."
                                      XxX
"Kurogane, would you mind watching Kohaku for me?"
The question instantly snapped the fallen prince out of his meditation. "What?"
"We need to leave here soon and everyone else is going to scout out the exits.
I need you to stay here and keep an eye on your niece."
The group had sought refuge in the Labyrinth after escaping Piffle City. The
battle around the Faerie Falls entrance had become much less heated since a
larger portion of the Oni forces had been diverted to fight in Piffle, so
they'd easily been able to sneak in that way. They'd been hiding out in a cave
they'd chosen for the last few days, but now it was apparently time for another
jump.
"Why can't someone else watch her?"
"Because there are two entrances to scout and I don't want anyone going into a
potentially bad situation with no backup. Someone needs to stay here and
protect Kohaku."
"You shouldn't leave her alone with me," Kurogane finally admitted, revealing
the true reason he didn't want to be assigned this task. Yuui just stared very
intently at him for a long time after the confession. She knew what he was
afraid of and there was simply no time like the present to beat that fear out
of him.
"You won't harm her, Kurogane. You won't. I know you. You think you're this
berserk killer, but you're just not like that. I'm going to prove to you what
you are here and now because you're going to stay here and look after my
daughter."
Everyone else in their group had taken their argument as an opportunity to get
out of the cave. Once Yuui was certain everyone except her daughter and
brother-in-law were out, she simply stepped out and erected a barrier across
the mouth of the cave. Kurogane glared at her through the transparent shield of
magic.
"I can just teleport out of here, you know?"
"No, you can't. Obviously, you forgot, but no one can teleport into, out of, or
within the Labyrinth. Only Sakura could do that," this casual comment threw
Yuui into a cowed silence for a moment, but she soon recovered from it.
"Besides, even if you could teleport in here, you and I both know you still
haven't completely recovered from Piffle. You're going to stay here, get some
more rest, and take care of Kohaku. We'll be back before too long."
Yuui didn't give Kurogane a chance to retaliate. She, Souma, Tomoyo, Larg,
Doumeki, and Kujaku headed off in the direction of the Spirit Lake entrance,
while Watanuki, Hisui, Subaru, Kamui, Sai, and Soel headed toward the Faerie
Falls entrance.
Kurogane fruitlessly pounded a fist against the shield and let out an angry
shout. Unfortunately, his ruckus woke Kohaku from her nap and she began to cry.
Kurogane groaned in frustration.
"Don't do that," he pleaded as he walked over and sat down beside the small
bundle of blankets and cushions Kohaku was nestled in. Of course, she paid him
no mind. She only cried louder when no one comforted her. After all, how was
she to understand her uncle's inner turmoil over having any contact with her?
She was a week old. All she understood was she'd been asleep, she wasn't
anymore, and her mother was nowhere to be found. What was a poor baby girl to
do but cry?
Kurogane sighed, feeling guilty as he stared down at the squalling baby. He'd
woken her up. How could he not offer some kind of comfort for it? Would it
really hurt her…just this once? Slowly, hesitantly, he reached a hand down to
stroke the downy fuzz on her head.
It didn't help much. Kohaku just continued to cry, waving her tiny limbs about
in a frenzy. Feeling Kurogane's touch, she quickly shot out a hand and seized a
finger in her tiny fist.
For a moment, the young man marveled at the smallness of the girl's fist…the
baby-softness of her skin. She really was just something his warrior's mind
could barely grasp. How could there be something so delicate and precious in
the world when there was so much bad in it? He could already tell Fai would
adore this little girl.
Being able to grasp something helped a little. Kohaku's sobs became much less
frantic, but she still cried to be held. Her little nest simply wasn't good
enough. After debating with himself for several long, anguished moments,
Kurogane gathered the infant up in his arms and cradled her awkwardly against
his chest, trying to do what he'd seen his sisters do. Kohaku began to calm
down a little more, but she was still crying.
"It's okay. It's okay," he soothed, rocking slightly in order to comfort her,
though he almost wanted to cry with her. He didn't really know why. Was it her
innocence…or the fact that he would never be able to have this with Fai - even
though it was the one thing that needed to happen?
Kohaku eventually stopped crying, curling up in Kurogane's arms and nuzzling
her face in his chest as she fell back asleep. The ninja felt both saddened and
elated as he held her. Even though he had sworn he would not involve himself
with Kohaku, the girl herself and Yuui seemed to be having none of it. He had
unwittingly allowed himself another vow to protect. Perhaps his sisters knew
him a little too well.
When the others returned to the cave several hours later, they found Kurogane
asleep against the wall with Kohaku nestled securely in his lap, his right hand
resting protectively on top of her head. Most of them couldn't help but smile.
"Kurogane and Kohaku are so cute," Soel sang quietly.
"I knew she'd get to him," Tomoyo said proudly.
"We'll let them sleep," Yuui declared happily. "We'll head out when Kurogane
wakes up. Who knows when he might sleep again."
Though, if the niece and uncle pair could get each other to sleep, more than
one solution would be coming out of this night.
                                      XxX
The scouting trip was the first time any of the four friends had seen the
Spirit Lake entrance to the Labyrinth, and this was Kurogane's first time
seeing it. To him, it just seemed like a small pond in a cave, but he knew the
darker color of the water indicated it was a fairly deep pond.
"So how does this work?" he asked no one in particular, figuring someone would
answer.
"We'll guide you," Kamui said. "The swim isn't so far you couldn't do it in one
breath, but it's a little dangerous if you don't know the way."
"What about her?" the prince asked, nodding at Kohaku in Yuui's arms.
"She'll be fine. I'm going to hold a field of air around her as we go. She
could handle breathing in the water. I just don't want to put her through
that," Yuui explained, quickly doing as she said and casting a protective field
around her daughter to hold the air in. Then Larg hopped onto her shoulder,
Doumeki took her free hand and led her into the pool, quickly ducking under the
surface and out of sight.
Tomoyo, Watanuki, and Larg entered the water about five minutes after them,
also wasting little time in swimming out. Souma and Subaru were next. He and
Kamui entered the water another five minutes later.
"Just hold your breath," the faerie said. "I'll lead you out."
Kurogane did as asked and the very next moment, water was closing over his
head. As Kamui pulled him through the dark tunnel, he found his thoughts
drifting back to Fai and how he would have panicked now had the blond not
taught him how to swim all those years ago. He had experienced moments of being
both thankful and regretful for it. Now was a moment he was thankful. He
thought nothing of the cold water slipping past his skin.
He took a huge gulp of air the minute they broke the surface, taking a moment
to shake off some water before opening his eyes. Kamui was already swimming him
to shore, which wasn't that far off. The faeries were using spells to dry off
those who had no other means, except for Kohaku, who had never gotten wet. She
just made odd little faces at the others as they shook off water.
"Why couldn't we have all done the air bubble thing?" Kurogane asked as he and
Kamui walked onto solid ground.
"Swimming's faster," Kamui replied. "Does getting a little wet really bother
you?"
Kurogane's only response was a low growl. He didn't see it, but the three girls
all smiled. It sounded almost like old times again. That, however, was the end
of it.
"Did you really think you could hide forever?"
They all froze when they heard the voice. Hoping against hope it was a
nightmare, everyone turned to face the source. Seishiro was the one who had
spoken, but he was accompanied by Fuuma, who carried Assassin's Hand at his
side.
"Hello, Niece," Seishiro said coolly. The next moment, the lakeshore exploded
with movement.
"GET YUUI OUT OF HERE!" Doumeki shouted, quickly moving with Subaru to engage
Seishiro as he sprang forward.
"Wait! No-" Yuui tried to protest as Watanuki seized her and Kohaku, vanishing
instantly. Kamui would have done the same with Kurogane, but was quickly
engaged by Fuuma.
Hisui, Sai, and Kujaku raced to shore, having seen what was happening when they
surfaced from the tunnel. Sai grabbed Tomoyo and Larg opened a wind tunnel for
them, taking them to wherever Watanuki, Yuui, and Kohaku had gone. Hisui was
about to take Souma when she was swept into the fight between Doumeki, Subaru,
and Seishiro. Kujaku glanced at Kurogane, but the prince shook his head. Soel's
powers shouldn't be wasted on getting him to safety. They should be saved for
Souma. Kujaku was about to say something when he was overtaken by the battle
between Fuuma and Kamui. Unfortunately, he was quickly taken out of the fight
when Fuuma moved around a blow he struck and sliced off his left arm with
Assassin's Hand.
Kujaku cried out in pain as he fell to his knees, blood spurting from the open
wound. Doumeki, Hisui, and Subaru all exchanged glances. Kujaku would die
without help and Doumeki, as the only other wielder of dark magic among them,
was the only one who could help him. Leaving the fight to his two companions,
he moved to Kujaku's side. The dark faerie chuckled bitterly.
"Heh, never thought I'd see…one of you helping me out."
"Shut up. Where did they go?" Doumeki asked Soel, who had hopped up beside
Kujaku in the confusion. If Larg was with the others, it was still connected to
Soel. The Mokona whispered something in his ear and the two faeries were soon
gone.
When it was just him and Kamui once again, Fuuma stole a glance over at
Seishiro, Hisui, and Subaru. Then he grinned at Kamui.
"Two against one hardly seems fair, don't you think?" With that, he darted off
to join the other fight and Kamui was right on his heels, knowing that any
fight involving Assassin's Hand could hardly be considered fair.
"Subaru," Seishiro crooned gently to his former lover as their blades clashed
over and over again. "You've been sleeping with someone else, haven't you."
"What business is that of yours?" the Shiro lord hissed, blocking an attack
from Fuuma before reengaging with Seishiro.
"You belong to me, Subaru. No one else will enjoy you. In fact," Seishiro began
with a soft sneer as he glanced over at Souma, "I think I'll rectify the
problem right now." Before anyone could stop him, Seishiro was moving toward
Souma like wind across a field.
"NO!" Subaru shouted, knowing he couldn't get between them in time. Souma drew
her twin blades, but before Seishiro could engage her, he was stopped by
Ginryuu. He laughed as he glanced over at Kurogane.
"Ah, Kurogane-kun. Koryu says you've improved. Might I see your new skills?"
"Sure thing, bastard," he muttered, knowing the Dark Prince would hear him.
Before he'd even finished speaking, he lashed out as Seishiro, biting deep into
his shoulder with Ginryuu. The Dark Prince gave a small grunt, but then he
smiled at Kurogane and they were both off in a whirl of flashing swords. Kamui,
however, watched their battle a moment too long and received Assassin's Hand in
his thigh as a reward.
"Keep your eyes on me, Kamui," Fuuma warned as Kamui fell to his knees, trying
very hard not to let his pain show. Before Fuuma could get in another blow,
Hisui swept Kamui away from the fight, leaving Subaru free to do battle alone.
Soel quickly moved over to Hisui and Kamui, knowing they would need to get to
Doumeki, as well. Once they had gone, only Subaru, Fuuma, Seishiro, Kurogane,
Soel, and Souma remained.
"So noble of you to stay behind and fight me in your brother's place," Fuuma
said casually as he and Subaru traded blows. "Unfortunately, you're not the one
we came here for."
"Look around you, Fuuma. She's not here anymore," he said angrily. "What are
you hoping to accomplish here?"
Fuuma laughed at this. "Oh, my, dear Subaru, whoever said I was talking about
Yuui?" he asked, pushing his gaze past the confused faerie lord. Subaru twisted
around to follow his gaze and found himself looking at Souma, standing with her
blades held at the ready.
"No!" he shouted, turning back to Fuuma and attacking him with even greater
intensity. "Why her? What's so special about her?"
"Nothing. It's just what she wants," he said before disappearing, making a
beeline for Souma. Subaru was right on him.
They're after her ? If she dies, it'll be my fault.
Subaru was just about to engage Fuuma again when he was intercepted by
Seishiro, who proceeded to battle both him and Kurogane.
"RUN, SOUMA! RUN!" he tried to warn her, but he was too late. She was already
blocking Fuuma's first attack.
"Soel! Soel, get her out!" he pleaded as he and Kurogane battled furiously
against Seishiro.
"Soel can't! Fuuma's too close! Soel – Soel will call someone," the tiny
creature cried out.
"They can't help you now," Fuuma said callously to his would-be victim as he
battled her away from the shore and into the forest. It wasn't long at all
before they were out of sight of the other combatants.
"That's not important," she said calmly. She was beginning to see where this
was heading. Even at her best, fighting her very hardest, she could see that
Fuuma was only toying with her. It was only a matter of time.
"I can see your heart, Lady Souma Kuzuki. I know what it is you truly want," he
said cajolingly.
Souma just laughed. "If you can see that, then you know just how impossible it
is."
"That's true, but failing that…I can see what you would rather have instead."
"Is that so?" Souma asked, letting down her guard for the barest of moments.
That was the moment Fuuma used to shove Assassin's Hand hilt deep in her
stomach, being careful to avoid severing her spine. Souma managed not to scream
at the pain. She only gasped, feeling the dangerous fluids begin to spill from
her stomach and into the rest of her body.
"Yes," Fuuma said softly as he caught her falling body in his arms, carefully
lowering her to the ground. "As you can never have your beloved Tomoyo, you
wish instead to die in her service. I've granted your wish."
Souma tried to chuckle, but it hurt too much. "Am I…supposed to say 'thank
you'?"
"It's not expected in situations such as this, but I imagine you will once I've
said all. You'll live about another ten minutes. That will give your friends
time to find you and save the child."
Souma's eyes widened at this and her already failing breath caught in her
throat. Child?
"What?" she whispered.
"Don't worry. I didn't harm your child when I stabbed you. There will still be
time for the father to come and rescue it."
"F-father?" she murmured, only just barely comprehending.
"Yes, Souma Kuzuki. You are nearly one week gone with child."
"Pregnant…?" she choked out, slowly moving a hand to the undamaged part of her
abdomen. She had…a baby?
"Again, yes…by Lord Subaru Shiro, no less." Having broken that bit of news,
Fuuma leaned down and kissed Souma's forehead. "Rest well, Lady Souma Kuzuki. I
hope your wish is everything you dreamed of." Then he pulled Assassin's Hand
out of her stomach, drawing out a fresh gush of blood. Souma couldn't help
crying out this time. It burned…it burned so much.
Fuuma gently laid her down on the forest floor before disappearing into the
morning air. Souma drew in air slowly, trying not to think about the deadly
burning sensation spreading through her body. It wasn't so bad to die in
Celes…the place she'd been so happy. It would be good to rest here.
"SOUMA! SOUMA!" she heard Kurogane shouting before too long. Seishiro must have
gone the moment Fuuma had done his deed.
"Souma, please! Where are you?" she heard Subaru crying.
"Can you hear us, Souma?" That was Watanuki.
Souma gathered up her strength for one last cry, no words…just a small sound to
let them know where she was. She wasn't certain how much time remained.
They all looked stricken when they finally came upon her.
"Oh, Souma…Souma…" Subaru murmured as he knelt beside her to examine her wound.
"Y-you're a healer," Kurogane said frantically as he knelt with them. "Do
something! Help her!"
"There…there's nothing I can do," Subaru admitted, sounding almost as frantic
as Kurogane. "He was using Assassin's Hand. Nothing can save her…not from
this."
"Subaru…san?" she pleaded desperately, taking his hand in hers.
"Please…save…our child…"
She imagined the look on Subaru's face in that moment was just as shocked and
disbelieving as hers had been.
"What?"
"He said…you could…save it…please. I don't have…a lot of time."
"A-all right," Subaru said, trying to stay calm as he moved his hands to the
place he knew her womb rested. He'd never performed the magic before, but he
knew how the procedure worked, so he focused all of his power on the tiny spark
of new life he found growing in her body…he would have noticed it before had he
bothered to pay attention. Then, slowly, cushioning the barely begun life
within a warm, glowing ball of his own magic, he transferred the tiny seed into
his own body, shifting his own innards to accommodate and protect it. He wasn't
sure how he felt about this yet, but there was simply no time to think about
it. Once the transfer was finished, Subaru lifted the dying girl into his arms,
gently brushing her hair back from her sweaty forehead and pressing a tender
kiss to the clammy skin.
"It's all right now," he reassured her. "It's going to be fine."
"Thank you," she said softly, several tears leaking from her eyes. "You'll…take
care of…him?"
"I will. I promise," he said, a few of his own tears escaping. "I'm so sorry…I
couldn't protect you," he choked out.
Souma shook her head slightly. "…wasn't…your fault. Ku-Kurogane?" she called
weakly. She didn't have many words left.
"Yes?" he asked, taking one of her hands in his in hopes of comforting her.
"Tell them…I'm sorry," she said, smiling with more than a little fear in her
eyes. He nodded for her, squeezing her hand a little more tightly.
Souma inhaled and exhaled slowly, wondering when the moment she wouldn't be
able to resume would come. She had to admit she was a little scared here at the
end. There was no telling what was waiting for her.
And then, just above Subaru's head, she thought she could see a face - a
smiling, gentle face…a face she'd only seen in portraits…had only dreamed
about…
Kaa-san?
Subaru and Kurogane both felt the moment the life left her. For a tiny moment,
she seemed to almost lift…seemed lighter…but then her body settled again and
she was gone from them.
"No," Subaru cried softly, burying his face in her chest. He'd been responsible
for her; he should never have left her side. And now the child…that was too big
a thing to even begin to contemplate.
Whether it be literally or figuratively, Subaru Shiro knew he would carry Souma
Kuzuki with him to the end of his days.
Kurogane gave Souma's hand one last squeeze, then withdrew to wipe his face
free of any traces of sorrow for his friend's passing. He knew he would have to
keep himself together for Yuui and Tomoyo's sakes…when they took Souma back
with them. Seeing where she'd dropped her blades, he went to retrieve them.
Then he took the sheath from Souma's waist and belted the twin blades. He would
carry Sumomo and Kotoko with him from now on in memory of her.
"We…we need to take her back to the others," Watanuki finally announced, though
he knew they all dreaded what was about to happen.
                                      XxX
"Is everyone all right?" Tomoyo shouted the moment the last of their group
arrived. "What happened?"
Yuui realized what it meant just a few moments before Tomoyo when Kurogane
carried Souma to them and laid her before them.
"No," she whispered, clutching her daughter a little tighter against her chest.
"Oh, Souma, no. No!" Tomoyo cried as she fell to her knees beside the body.
"They were after her. They battled us into a corner," Subaru said, knowing it
would bring little comfort to know Souma's death had been planned, but perhaps
to know there was nothing they could have really done.
As the three royals gathered around their fallen friend, the faeries all moved
away to give them space to grieve, knowing they had been close. Yuui wrapped
her arm around Tomoyo's shoulders and Tomoyo turned to bury her face in Yuui's
shoulder, crying softly. Soel and Larg came to cuddle next to Souma's unmoving
body and Kurogane just watched over them all, having already had his moments.
After the two queens had cried quietly together for some time, Tomoyo turned
her face up to Yuui's and wondered softly, "Did I bring this on her?"
"What?" Yuui asked in shock.
"I knew…how she felt about me. Did I expect too much of her as a friend…knowing
I could never return her feelings?"
"No. You can't blame yourself for that," Yuui soothed her. "If you're guilty,
we're all guilty. We all knew. Souma made her own choices."
The small group huddled together like that for many hours afterward, taking
comfort in each other and missing those of them who were absent.
                                      XxX
They don't want to do it; neither of them do, but Tomoyo had once learned from
Chang Ang that Kakyo Kuzuki has some measure of dreamseeing ability. If she and
Yuui are to come to him in a dream to tell him of his daughter's death, he will
more than likely believe it.
The two queens find Kakyo sitting alone in a tomb, sealed inside with a stone
coffin. Neither need to ask to know it is the tomb of his dead wife, Hokuto -
Souma's mother.
"I knew you would come," he says without looking up at them. "I've been waiting
for you ever since you left Piffle."
"Then you know what news we've come to deliver," Tomoyo says sadly.
Kakyo nods, angry tears beginning to cascade down his face as he lays his head
on the stone lid.
"We knew…Hokuto and I…long before she was born…the place where our Souma would
end up. I even foresaw Hokuto's death…but I couldn't do anything to change it
because she wanted Souma so badly…even though she knew what would happen to
both of them."
"You knew…this whole time?" Yuui asks in shocked amazement.
Kakyo nods slowly. "I wanted to protect her; I promised Hokuto I would. I tried
to keep her contained…prevent her from becoming a ninja. After all…how could
she end up in the place we foresaw if she never became a warrior? But…it seems
I couldn't contain her true nature. The person she was would have led her to
that place in the forest no matter what I did."
"She was happy, Kakyo-san…for a time, at least," Tomoyo says, nearly choking on
the words.
"I could never say it to her; she would never have believed it…but I was proud
to be her father," he says, finally rising from the sarcophagus and turning to
look at them.
"You just knew you were going to lose her," Tomoyo finishes, "And you didn't
know how to handle that."
Again, Kakyo nods, taking a moment to wipe the tears from his face. "Please…lay
her to rest as you see fit. You were her friends…and her family."
"We already did," Yuui says, her voice taking on a slightly colder tone. "We've
set up a little place in Celes. She'd want to rest there. We weren't going to
give her to you even if you'd asked. Your intentions don't excuse your
treatment of her. She deserved better."
"I know it," he says, smiling wearily. "I deserve any punishment coming to me,
but you know…my Souma did have better. She had it in all of you."
Yuui gives the Nihon lord an odd look, not quite happy and not quite sad. Kakyo
is a broken man who's done horrible things in the name of love. Perhaps she can
forgive him for what he's done to Souma one day…but not now. So the two queens
leave him alone with the memories of a dead wife and the pain of a child he's
been grieving for since her birth.
***** For True Love Conquers All *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
The more he thinks about it, the more he wonders that he's ever been anywhere
else. This tower room seems to be all he knows. He can only ever find memories
of the four-poster canopy bed with the gauzy curtains and the silver and blue
fleur-de-lis coverlet - that and the balcony, because Seishiro likes to fuck
out there. His uncle and his odd little clone son are the only people he can
really remember as they are the only ones who come to see him anymore, and even
their faces are starting to become indistinct. There is little difference
between his own face and Seishiro's face to him now. He can only keep them
straight by the places they prefer to make love. Seishiro out on the balcony or
in the bed, but himself, usually on the floor, sometimes against the wall, but
always near the fireplace. His clone enjoys the fire, even though he himself
hates it, he has simply never been able to argue with this dark creature his
own accursed body produced.
Again, now that he thinks on it, it's even been awhile since either of his two
lovers have come to him seeking his body. He's starting to feel that maybe
something is happening on the outside - that outside world he's never seen. Has
everyone simply forgotten about him? Is there anyone left in the world at all?
Without his two malicious lovers about to distract him, he also finds strange
little half-memories swimming to the surface of his mind. Sometimes he thinks
he can see faces in the fire, in the stone walls, in the blankets, even. He's
certain he's never seen any of them before - and yet he has. Whenever he
catches glimpses of them, he feels a pain deep in his chest. They always make
him so sad - and he just can't remember why ! One face in particular, a dark
face with eyes like burning coals, never fails to bring tears to his eyes. He
will sometimes try to kiss that face and whisper futile apologies to it,
desperately trying to touch the rough, warm skin, trying to clutch the imagined
strands of dark hair. Sometimes he thinks he must know this face; other times
he is just as certain he's simply insane and his two lovers have locked him
away for his own good.
Today, he finds himself kissing a pillow, knowing he'd seen that beloved face
in it, even if it had only been for a moment. His quest for redemption from the
bedding is, however, interrupted by a small, questioning voice.
"Fai?"
He looks up and sees himself standing before the bed, only this himself isn't
his son. This is someone new. His clothing is all black and made of a fabric he
doesn't recognize, though some of it might be leather. His eyes are adorned
with a thick black makeup. In his strange life, it's quite likely the oddest
sight he's ever seen, but very little of what his eyes are telling him actually
registers in his brain. The one thing that echoes in his consciousness is the
hesitant name on the young man's lips.
Fai.
"Fai?" he whispers to himself. "Yes…yes…that's my name. Fai…"
"You're not…him, though?"
"I don't think so," he returns slowly, "but you're not him, either. If you
were, we'd be on the floor by now."
The other him shudders. "Can we…can we not talk about the floor?"
"What would you rather talk about?" he asks his guest.
"Who are you?"
"If there's anything other than the name you already seem to know, I don't know
about it. There isn't much left. I stay in this room always…and I sleep with my
uncle and my son whenever they come to me."
"Your son?" his other asks with another barely suppressed shudder.
"He says that's what he is. I'm not really sure anymore. He looks just like me,
though."
"I know what that's like," he says, his face coloring slightly in shame as his
eyes shift to the floor. The tone of his voice causes Fai to really look at him
for the first time.
"Are you trapped in a room somewhere like me?" he asks, patting the bed to
indicate the boy should sit down.
"Yes…I think I am," the other him answers, slowly sitting down beside him after
several long moments of hesitation.
"So who sharesyourbody?" Fai asks outright.
When the boy bites his tongue rather than answer, Fai gets the impression he's
never really said the words out loud. However, this room is a different place
and the answer he wants comes eventually.
"My father," he says, sounding like he might be sick.
"What's your name?" Fai suddenly asks. When he hesitates again, Fai realizes
it's something else he hasn't said aloud - not for a very long time, at least.
"Yuui," he finally murmurs.
The name strikes a chord in Fai's memory, but he opts not to pursue it. He's
found many chords that don't add up in his little room anyway. He only responds
with, "That's a nice name."
"No. No, it's not," Yuui says despairingly as he draws his knees up to his
chest. "It's a filthy, disgusting name."
Being careful of his fragile other, Fai slowly lifts his chin up to look him in
the eyes, the same beautiful blue as his own. "I don't believe that. I can make
the name nice again for you…if you want…" he says gently as he presses his lips
to the boy's trembling ones.
He isn't sure why he does it. Perhaps he just doesn't know how to interact with
people anymore? The union of bodies has been his forced method of communication
for so long that words mean very little to him now. He seems to judge people
based on their reactions to pleasure and pain, and he can tell as he lays Yuui
down on his bed that the boy isn't entirely used to pleasure. The way he
hesitantly touches Fai's body says he expects pain from this activity.
Yuui doesn't reject his kisses and his touches, but he is very slow to accept
and reciprocate them. Fai can tell Yuui won't open up for just anyone; he does
it for him, he thinks, because the two of them are somehow the same.
"Yuui…Yuui…" he moans softly as he kisses the boy's neck. Yuui's body moves
slowly against his, almost as if he's in some kind of trance.
"Nng…Fai," he groans back, clinging tightly to him as he slowly begins to strip
him.
When Fai finally manages to get a hand between his legs, the reactions begin to
change. The physical reactions are correct. The younger boy starts to swell
with desire and he bucks against Fai's body, but his words say something
completely different.
"Fai…Fai…please, don't…I…I can't do this. I'm scared."
Unfortunately, the words have long since ceased to mean anything and Fai can
only react to the eagerness the boy's body displays. He continues to touch as
he likes. The dark powers his lovers have inspired in him begin to emerge and
his touches begin to trail searing fire across Yuui's skin.
"No…no! Stop…please stop. I don't want this!" Yuui cries in pain, feeling only
helpless shame as Fai continues to strip him. He's come to a point where he
will give Yuui pleasure…even if he has to force it on him.
It's the sound of Yuui's tears that finally snap Fai out of his animalistic
haze. The fire in his eyes dies and he looks down to find a nearly naked boy
beneath him, sobbing in pain and terror as his pale skin bleeds from several
tiny bite and scratch wounds. Sweet Goddess, what's come over him?
"I-I'm sorry," he says, awkwardly scrambling off of his younger self. Yuui,
encumbered by his half-pulled down pants, drags himself to the edge of the bed
and vomits onto the floor. He remains there for a while, trembling and
breathing raggedly. Fai doesn't dare touch him, even to comfort him.
"Thank you," Yuui says softly, pulling his pants back up, but seeming to lack
the strength to fasten them as he collapses beside Fai once more.
"For what?" Fai asks bitterly, curling into a small ball as Yuui had done
earlier.
"For not doing it," he returns wearily, reaching a hand over to lift up Fai's
face. "A-Ashura would have done it. He would have taken what he wanted…and left
me bleeding. Why…did you stop?"
"Because I made those sounds once," he replies, staring off past Yuui's haggard
face, at something distant and barely half-remembered. "No one listened when I
said to stop. Can…can you really…just say no?"
"You can," Yuui says warmly, patting his cheek encouragingly, though he looks
half-dead from exhaustion. "Kurogane…let me say no."
"Kurogane?" Fai whispers. That name strikes a chord too strong to ignore. He
doesn't think he's ever heard it before, and yet no word has ever felt more
right in his mouth. It warms him from the inside, filling him up after an
eternity of being empty. "Who's…Kurogane?"
"He's…well…hewasmy boyfriend, but it's too dangerous for me to be with him. He
was so nice…so gentle. He wanted to have sex with me so bad…but he waited 'til
I was ready for him. He…he-loved…me…so much."
As Yuui's wonderful, warm words about his lover pour out of him, Fai finds his
own memories resurfacing. He remembers their time together in Celes…childhood
games…and slowly discovering how much he loved the other boy. He remembers
their time as lovers…warm, sweet, and blissful…unparalleled pleasure. It hadn't
all been wine and roses, by any means; there had been hard times, but those
painful moments had made the happy ones all the more worthwhile. The face that
has haunted him all this time is Kurogane's. Kurogane…his love…his soul
mate…his strong, gentle protector…how could he have ever forgotten?
Oh, Kuro-sama, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to forget about you. Can you ever
forgive me?
As the two young men remember, they embrace tearfully, crying for a love
neither is sure they can ever regain.
"I have a Kurogane, too," Fai says after the pair has cried all their tears.
"But I…I've been trapped here so long, I'd forgotten. I don't know if he even
still remembers me…or wants me."
"Oh, he wants you," Yuui says, giving Fai a wry smile. "Kuro-tan won't forget
about you even if you want him to. If you've got a Kurogane out there
somewhere, I can almost guarantee he's coming for you. He'll always come for
you…no matter what it takes." As Yuui says this, a few more tears prick the
surface of his eyes. Fai hugs him close again.
"What's wrong? Why can't you be with your Kurogane?"
"It's just…it can't happen. I won't let him die because of me. Hehasto live."
Fai shakes his head. "He won't die because of you," he says, suddenly realizing
something. "He'll live because of you. It's because of you that he lives at
all."
Yuui sighs wistfully. "It's a nice thought, but…he would be so much better off
without me."
"He wouldn't. It…it's a dream. I don't know if you'll carry this back with you
at all…I don't know if I'll even escape…but youneedto remember this. He lives
because of you."
The younger man gives a short bark of bitter laughter at this. "I guess I'll
try, but I have to ask you something. Why are you giving me this advice when
you don't even believe it yourself?"
"The same reason you told me Kurogane would always come for me…even though
you're not sure of it yourself. We have to believe it."
                                      XxX
The scent of salt water was unusual to Kurogane. He had only been to a real
beach once before, but that was why he'd chosen it. After they had created a
small shrine several feet underground for Souma's resting place, it had been
time to make the next jump. Yuui had decided he ought to choose the next
location. He'd scoured his memory and, interestingly enough, had come up with
this place: the eastern coast of Valeria.
When he was much younger, Amaterasu had decided that he needed to see the whole
of Valeria, so she'd sent him and a small entourage on a tour of the country.
Now that he thought about it, that trip had actually ended a short while before
he'd met Fai.
For whatever reason, it was this beach he remembered most from that trip. The
stories surrounding its history were very captivating. Legend said that the
ruined Empire of Gallia lay far across this ocean. Long before recorded memory,
it was said that the remnants of the dying royal house of Gallia had crossed
the ocean and founded the colony that would one day become the kingdom of
Valeria. It was a story so far beyond his own scope of the world, he often
wondered why it captured his interest so. By rights, it should have been just
another story, but it wasn't. He sometimes found himself wondering just what
sort of catastrophe could make the Gallians flee across an unexplored ocean to
a country they weren't even sure was there. It was an enigma, to be sure; an
enigma that culminated here, and yet, instead of more curiosity, Kurogane found
it strangely peaceful here…like he could finally be at rest on this shore. Of
course, when he thought of rest, his thoughts invariably turned toward Fai.
Someday, after all this was over and Fai was his husband (somehow), he wanted
to bring the blond here. He didn't know why, but he felt almost certain he
would love this place. There was something almost…magical about it, but a
different sort of magic than one could feel in Celes. He wanted Fai to be able
to experience it with him.
"I don't know if you can hear me," he said softly to the sky, only feeling
comfortable enough to talk to Fai like this when he was away from the others,
who were all back in the forest making camp while he took a walk along the
beach, "but I really want you to see this place. I think you'll feel the same
way about it I do. I'm coming to get you, you know. I'm gonna set you free.
They won't stop me. I'll get you outta that hell; then I'm gonna bring you
here. I promise you'll see this place someday."
Maybe it was because Fai loved singing so much, but whatever the reason,
Kurogane always felt closer to Fai when he tried singing to him. He sometimes
did it when he was alone like this. This time he chose a song he'd learned from
Tomoyo, a song he'd always associated with Fai.
When I see your smile
Tears run down my face
I can't replace.
And now that I'm strong
I have figured out
How this world turns cold
And it breaks through my soul
And I know I'll find deep inside me
I can be the one.
I will never let you fall.
I'll stand up with you forever.
I'll be there for you through it all,
Even if saving you sends me to Heaven.
It's okay, it's okay, it's okay.
Seasons are changing
And waves are crashing
And stars are falling all for us.
Days grow longer and nights grow shorter.
I can show you I'll be the one.
I will never let you fall.
I'll stand up with you forever.
I'll be there for you through it all,
Even if saving you sends me to Heaven,
Cuz you're my
You're my
My
My true love, my whole heart.
Please don't throw that away.
Cuz I'm here for you.
Please don't walk away and
Please tell me you'll stay,
Stay.
Use me as you will.
Pull my strings just for a thrill
And I know I'll be okay,
Though my skies are turning gray.
I will never let you fall.
I'll stand up with you forever.
I'll be there for you through it all,
Even if saving you sends me to Heaven.
More often than not, Kurogane found himself thinking the song was a little
presumptuous in assuming the singer would go to any kind of heaven. People who
took the title of guardian didn't often do things to earn them a place in
Heaven, but that didn't matter so much to him. He did what he did because he
wanted Fai safe…no matter the cost.
"It's been rough, you know. We've lost a lot of people…and now Souma's gone. We
need you back. I need you back. I can't do it anymore."
The prince gave no indication of surprise when Kakei appeared at his side. He
just stopped talking. He'd known that Yuui had summoned the faerie lord in
order to confer with him on how well the barrier around Valeria was holding up.
He hadn't expected him to want to speak to him, though.
"You stood on this shore once…a long time ago," he said softly.
"Yeah."
"I'm not talking about when you were a boy, Kurogane-sama. I mean a very long
time ago…you were a man then."
"What do you mean?" He thought he understood what the clan master might be
talking about, but couldn't be completely certain.
"I'm old, Kurogane-sama…older than you can possibly conceive of, ancient. I've
watched your world grow up; I've seen things none of you could dream of…and
this is not the first time I've known you. You and Fai stood on these sands
together once before…a very long time ago, after a long battle."
"I understand what you mean; what I don't see is how the person I was a
thousand years ago is relevant to me now."
"Much more than a thousand years; try three thousand," the ancient master said
with a chuckle, "and it will always be relevant. You are still the man you were
then and you'll bring Fai back to this place, just as you did before."
"And why's that so vital?" the young man asked, more than a little bitterly.
"Because the two of you promised to meet me here once again…and I don't know if
I'll live to meet you both if you should choose to come again after this age
ends."
"You're a faerie, aren't you? You could go on forever if you wanted."
"Nothing in this world is older than I am. I was young when it was still being
born in fire. Did it never occur to you I might tire of it one day…long to
maybe see something new? I won't wait forever, prince of Nihon, so you'd better
hurry and fulfill your promise."
"A promise I don't even remember making? Why is it so important to you?"
Kurogane asked again.
"I suppose it's because you two made an impression on me then…and that's saying
something. I wanted to see what you'd become, whether or not you would make
good on the things you said you'd do. All this time, I've wanted to know if
anything could weather the tides of time untouched. I thought if anything
could, it would be the two of you."
Kurogane gave the faerie an odd look. "What about you? You've lived all this
time."
Kakei outright laughed at this. "Maybe so, but I'm certainly not untouched. I'm
different; I'm not the faerie I was when I first knew you. You were able to
die…to preserve your essence. I was never able to do that. The light the two of
you create will change the world; it always has…but I want to know if that
light will survive, and your time to answer my question and keep your promise
is running short."
If nothing else Kakei had said was true, that certainly was. Kurogane didn't
really care about who he'd been in the distant past. He'd clearly still loved
Fai, even then, and that was all that really mattered to him. Eons of time were
too big; they were simply too far above his power to perceive them. That was
for beings like Kakei. All he knew was now…and now, time was running out. Time
was running out for all of them.
XxX
He isn't sure how, but his conversation with Yuui seems to have allowed him to
escape his tower prison. More and more of his memory is returning and he is now
fairly certain he's trapped in a nightmare. How that's happened, he doesn't
know, but the only other possibility is that he's dead and trapped in some kind
of limbo. It had been hell before from what he can remember, but now he's just
trapped. The place he finds himself isn't much better than the tower, but it's
still someplace different, and that is a great boon to his sanity.
He's been walking across miles and miles of water. At first, the waters had
been rough, but now they're beginning to calm. He can't guess how long he's
been walking on the calm water before he sees a figure in the distance. As he
draws closer, he begins to see yet another visage that looks like his. Unlike
Yuui, though, this face is older, a great deal older if the expression in the
single eye is any indication. The figure is dressed in a white kimono, more
accurately, a furisode, like the one he'd worn to the masque with Kurogane.
When they are close enough to really see each other, the man gives him a weary
smile and asks, "So, do you call yourself Yuui or Fai?"
"Fai," he answers, glancing sideways at his older self, finding the question a
bit strange. "And you?"
"The name they gave me was Yuui, but for all intents and purposes, I am Fai.
For some reason, I suppose someone thought you and I should meet."
"What do you mean?"
"You do know you're dreaming, don't you?" the older man asks gently. Fai nods.
"I know. Whatever it is, it's at least better than the nightmares
I'vebeenhaving, but…is ityourdream…or mine?"
"A little of both, I imagine. I know I'm here and you seem to know you're here,
as well. Though, I don't know who in their right mind would want me talking
toanyoneright now."
"Bad day?" Fai asks sympathetically.
"Heh, bad year. It's over now, though. Well, mostly over," he says, giving Fai
an encouraging smile. Then he notices something on Fai's hand. "That's quite a
ring you've got there."
"What?" Fai bursts out, glancing down at the hand the other Fai had been
looking at. Sure enough, his finger is adorned with his silver and sapphire
engagement ring - the one he'd thought was gone forever. With a strangled cry,
he hugs the ring to his chest. "Oh, God! I thought I'd lost it!"
The older Fai's eyes widen slightly. "Well, clearly it's important to you."
Fai nods. "Yes. Kurogane gave it to me."
"Ku…Kurogane?" the older man asks, looking slightly stricken.
"Yes, he…he asked me to marry him. Hepromisedme we'd be married."
"Wow," the other him murmurs with a sad smile. "You…actually get to marry him?
I must say I'm…more than a little jealous."
"You've got one, too," Fai says softly. His older look alike just smiles,
looking infinitely sad as he does so. "Can't you be with him?"
"I don't know. So much has happened…I've hurt him so much. He almostdiedbecause
of me. I don't know if Ishouldbe with him."
"Do you love him?"
His other gives him yet another sad smile. "More than I ever thought I could
love another person. I had no right to love him…and he shouldn't have loved me,
but he pursued me anyway…even after I deceived him. Even though he knew what I
was…all the lies I'd told…what I'd planned to do…he still risked his life to
save mine," he recounts, a strange mix of warmth and self-loathing in his eye.
"Because he loves you. If you love someone enough, you can forgive them
anything."
"But he hates liars. There're…still things I haven't told him. There must be
some sort of limit on how much you can forgive someone."
Suddenly Fai sees a horribly bloody vision in his head. He sees a moment of
decision in familiar red eyes; then he sees a sword slice through an arm, blood
spraying everywhere as those eyes struggle to hide their pain.
"He did that to himself…for me…and I…I think I took advantage of him."
"How do you mean?"
The next vision in his head is of two slick, naked bodies moving together on a
futon, one still heavily bandaged. His other blushes slightly.
"I…I couldn't help it. I was just so happy he was alive. I couldn't not tell
him how I felt another minute."
Fai shakes his head. "Do you really think anyone could hope to take advantage
of Kurogane?"
His older counterpart chuckles self-deprecatingly. "No. I suppose that's more
or less true."
"What happened toyou?" he asks, indicating the patch over the man's left eye
socket. "Did you give up something for him?"
"You could say that. Really, I wanted to protect all of them when this
happened. There's…there's just somuch."
Fai thinks a long moment before responding. "Then…just leave it in the past
where it belongs. Clearly, he'll forgive you for anything in your past. Does
anything really matter except him?"
"No, I…I suppose you're right."
"Then go back to him and tell him that."
"Fai?" the older man suddenly starts to ask. "Tell me…why areyouhere?"
Suddenly being forced to remember his own troubles, Fai sighs. "I…I'm not
really sure. It seems like I've been trapped down here for so long. I'd
forgotten everything…but something made me remember. Ever since then, I've been
wandering. I don't even know if there's a way out."
"I wouldn't worry. If there's a way out, your Kuro-sama will find it. Even if
there isn't, he'll make one for you. You know that."
"I hope so. I have no idea what's happening on the outside. I could have been
down here for years, for all I know. Even if Idoget out, I…I don't know if it's
a good idea for me to leave here."
"Why would you say something like that?" the older Fai asks, his expression
going hard.
"I've seen…terrible things,doneterrible things while I've been here. I'm…not
right. I don't want to carry that into the outside."
Still looking almost angry, the older him places a hand on his shoulder. "I
don't have to tell you he won't accept that. I think you know it already."
Then, seeing that he needs it, he pulls the younger man into his arms, holding
him close as he trembles. "The only thing I can tell you with total certainty
is that if you wait, he'll come for you. He'll rescue you, no matter how long
it takes."
"I…I don't think I have that much time left, though."
Fai D. Fluorite was about to ask the young man what he meant when he suddenly
found himself awake. He felt a little bad, feeling he'd left his alternate in a
terrible position, but he also knew there was little he could do. He would
probably never see the boy again. His only real comfort came from the fact that
he believed what he'd told him.
Through fire, darkness, and death itself, his Kurogane would come to save him.
He knew. He'd seen it happen before; and this young man was obviously not the
deceiver he was. He was miles more worthy of rescue, and even as unworthy as he
himself was of being saved, Kurogane had saved him anyway. Surely, he would
come for that poor, lost boy, no matter what stood in his way. He knew that for
certain as he gazed up into the sleeping face of the man whose embrace he slept
in.
"I love you," he whispered, pressing a feather-light kiss to his chest. He'd
hoped not to wake the ninja, but the man grinned slightly and held him a little
tighter, groaning in approval, but not opening his eyes. Fai could have sworn
his heart melted at the exchange. Even after all his sins, could all
this…really be his…forever?
XxX
Yuui had never seen real snow before. She'd dreamed of it, certainly, but
really seeing it was a whole different experience. She couldn't quite keep the
wonder off her face as she gazed around the clearing where their group was
setting up camp. A thick blanket of pure white powder covered everything,
sparkling and cold. Tomoyo had told her it wasn't the right season for snow.
Normally it would have all melted by now, but the Dark Court's power was
spreading to affect all of Koryo Province, rather than just the border between
them. Apparently, it was always snowing in the Shirahime mountains. Yuui could
believe it as she glanced at the rising peaks not far off from the forest, dark
and forbidding, even in the weak afternoon light. They were technically still
in Koryo, but they may as well have already passed into the Dark Court's
territory.
"I still don't see why we can't go now," Kurogane growled irritably as he put
the finishing touches on the tent where he, the Shiro brothers, and Kujaku
would be sleeping. Doumeki had actually managed to reattach the dark faerie's
severed arm, but the limb was still weak and he hadn't been much help in
setting up camp the past week. Yuui was advising their guide save his strength
for the coming battle.
"You know we can't. We need to wait until dark, and I want everyone to get at
least a few hours of sleep before we begin the final advance. Even you."
"You really expect me to sleep at a time like this?" he asked, stalking angrily
toward her across the small campsite.
"Yes," she said, trying to keep the atmosphere calm. The others pretended not
to listen, but Yuui noticed Doumeki and Watanuki ready to leap to her defense
should the fallen prince lapse into another bad moment and become violent.
"So I'm supposed to wait and sleep when we're this close to him? Goddess, but I
can't stand this anymore, Yuui!" he shouted, using her name to let her know how
serious he was.
"Nii-sama, please. Kohaku's trying to sleep," Tomoyo pleaded with her brother
as she came up behind him, holding the still-fussy baby in her arms.
"You'll have to stand it a few hours more," Yuui said, her tone going suddenly
stern.
"What are you going to do about it?" Kurogane asked her, getting right up in
her face. All activity in the camp ceased at the direct challenge.
The old Yuui might have backed off, but she did not. Things were different. She
was a mother, a wife, and a queen now. Her brother was still just a prince.
"Try me," she warned. "You know what I can do."
He didn't know why it happened. Maybe it was because her still short hair
reminded him so much of Fai's…perhaps the spark in her blue eyes made him
remember his lost lover…remember him and miss him so badly he could hardly
breathe. Whatever the reason, Kurogane seized Yuui in his arms and kissed her.
The shock in the camp was tangible. Kurogane had mistaken the twin for Fai in
the past, but he had never gone this far before, never lost quite this much
touch in a single instant. Yuui herself was too shocked to do anything. She
just hung there in his arms, dead still, letting him kiss her. It was Kurogane
himself who finally stopped the horrifying embrace, backing away from his
sister with a look of shock and self-loathing on his face. They both stared at
each other in silent horror for several long moments before Kurogane finally
broke the spell and turned away, stomping past Tomoyo and snatching Kohaku from
her arms before heading into his tent.
God, how could have made that mistake? He'd crossed a line with this and he
knew it. Even in all his fits of half-mad rage and barely conscious delusions,
he had never fallen that far. He had actually seen Fai standing before him for
a moment. He didn't know where he stood anymore. Sometimes, it seemed he was
getting better; other times…this.
It was Kohaku crying that finally got him to start calming down. She could
sense the turmoil in him and it made her uncomfortable, too; so she cried, even
though she was wrapped in enough blankets to look like a rather large ball.
Yuui had been told the weather wasn't any real danger to Kohaku, but she didn't
like the idea of her little daughter being even a little cold, so she was
wrapped in several more layers to protect her from it.
Kurogane took several deep breaths to calm himself, rocking her as he did so.
Once the two of them had found a rhythm, Kohaku fell fast asleep.
Kurogane wasn't far behind.
He's back in his room - the last place he'd known real happiness.
"Thank God, I found you. I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it, but then...I heard
your voice...singing to me."
Kurogane swallows painfully upon hearing the voice. He's dreamed of it so many
times, but this…feels different. Something is wrong…or something is right. He
doesn't really know anymore. He's fooled himself a time too many to be sure of
anything. Feeling both dread and helpless longing as he turns, his eyes fall on
the one person he's been dying to see for so long.
"Is it…really you?"
Fai nods, smiling sadly. "It's me. I'm real."
Not even waiting for him to finish, Kurogane runs to him and sweeps him up in
his arms, spinning around in elated circles with him.
"Goddess, I missed you. I missed you so much," he cries, planting several
kisses on Fai's face when he finally sets him down.
"I missed you, too, Kuro-tan."
"How did you find me? Why didn't you do it before?"
"I couldn't before. I don't even know how I'm doing it now. I just knew I had
to find you. There…there isn't much time left."
Kurogane feels a spark of fear ignite in his chest, slowly growing as he stares
down at the blond. "What are you talking about?"
Fai takes a step back from him, taking his hands in his as he looks him
steadily in the eyes. "I…I'm going to die…Kuro-rin."
For a moment, it doesn't sink in. He just stares at Fai, uncomprehending. Then
–
"What?" he whispers, slowly taking Fai's face in his hands, searching for some
sign it isn't true. "How…how can you be dying?"
"I don't know. I only know I am. I can feel it. Maybe that's why I was finally
able to come back to myself. I can…feel myself slipping into the darkness. I
can't stop it."
"No!" Kurogane shouts, crushing Fai against his chest as if that alone will
hold him here. "Youcan'tdie! I'm coming to save you! We're so close now.
We…we're going to get married. Youcan'tleave me now!"
Fai shakes his head, resting it against his chest, hoping to offer and receive
some kind of comfort. "It's too late."
"I…I…Fai, you can't – it's not…notfair! I fought so hard! You can't justgolike
this! I-"
"Kurogane!" Fai shouts at him, trying to say what he needs to. "I came to find
you because I wanted to say goodbye. I wanted so badly to see you one last
time, but I…I'm scared!" he cries out, suddenly bursting into tears as he wraps
his arms around Kurogane. "I'm just…so scared. I don't want to die!" he sobs,
clinging as tightly as he can to his lover.
"Oh…oh, Fai," he whispers, gently cradling his fiancé against him, feeling
tears prick his own eyes. "I'm sorry; it's just…I missed you so much…and
nowthis…"
"Kuro-koi, would you please…just hold me? I don't want to be alone."
Kurogane nods, lifting him into his arms and carrying him to his futon, sitting
down and cradling him in his lap as the two of them cry quietly together,
knowing it may well be the last time. When Fai has a little more control over
his voice, he begins to sing softly, trying to tell Kurogane just how much he
loves him one last time.
I will always be with you.
Makes no difference where
Your road takes you to.
Even if we're apart,
Now we're joined at the heart.
Though our moment may be gone,
You and I will still live on.
I will always be with you.
I'll be by your side
Whatever you do.
Other memories may fade,
But the ones that we made
Are eternal as a star.
Now I'm part of who you are.
And I'll be there with you
In the sound of your laughter.
I'll be in the tears you cry,
Cuz the way you and I
Have touched one another
Doesn't end with goodbye.
I will always be with you
Like a guardian angel,
Constant and true.
When you're lost in the night
And you can't see the light,
My love will see you through.
I will always be there.
You'll have me there.
I will always be with you.
As the last notes of the song fade away, Fai suddenly falls asleep in his arms.
Trying his hardest not to panic, Kurogane lays him out comfortably on the
futon, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips.
"I love you…so much. Don't give up yet. I'm coming for you."
Kurogane started awake, glancing feverishly around the tent. Kujaku, Kamui, and
Subaru were all there.
"Something wrong?" Kamui asked, seeing the panic in his eyes.
Hoping beyond hope that it had been just another nightmare, the prince reached
for the rose tucked behind his ear. At first, it looked fine, but then three
petals suddenly wilted and dropped into his lap right before his eyes.
"No," he whispered in horror.
Giving Kohaku to Subaru, Kurogane shot to his feet and dashed out of the tent,
moving to the tent where he knew Yuui and Tomoyo were sleeping.
"We have to go now!" he shouted. The two hadn't been asleep for very long and
woke easily at the intrusion.
"Kurogane, we can't-" Yuui started.
"You don't understand! He came to me…he's dying! He's going right now! If we
don't go now, he won't make it. Please!" he begged, thrusting the rose right in
Yuui's face. Several more petals wilted and fell.
Yuui studied him and the rose a brief moment, seeing the truth burning in his
wild eyes and in the dead petals gathering in her lap. She nodded.
"Yes. Yes. We'll go right now."
Hold on, Fai. You can't leave me. Not yet!
                                      XxX
He feels much better as he sinks down through the blackness. He had found his
love…been able to talk with him one last time. He can go peacefully now…with
only a little fear.
He doesn't really know where he is when the falling stops. It's an empty hall
steeped in darkness - not the kind of pure black he's become used to, but the
darkness of night…of a peaceful sleep. Not knowing what else to do, he begins
to walk.
After a time, he comes to a fountain made of white marble burbling crystal
water. Suddenly feeling very thirsty, he falls beside the beautiful structure
and begins to drink his fill. The pure water is cold and refreshing, soothing
his aching body.
"Are you dead, too?" a voice suddenly comes from beside him. Fai looks up to
find a cloaked figure sitting on the fountain beside him. The figure draws back
its hood to reveal the face of Clow Reed.
"Clow-sama?" he whispers. "Why…why would you ask that?"
"Well…the truth is…Iam dead. I died by Yuuko's hand. Your sister is queen of
Faerie now."
"My sister?" Fai asks in confusion. With that, Clow gives him everything. The
truth of his lineage, the curse on him and his sister, and the horror of the
curse on himself and Yuuko that still remains in the world…the reasons he's
suffered all this time.
"So, tell me, Fai-kun…areyou dead?" the former king asks.
"Perhaps I am," Fai answers, shuddering. Perhaps it's already happened and he
hadn't even known it.
"Perhaps you are, for the living do not say such things. Do you know the face
of death?" he asks.
"Yes," Fai murmurs, remembering his slow fall through the darkness after his
last goodbye with Kurogane…rememberingSeishiro'sface…
"I am not unhappy," Clow begins to explain. "Nor am I content. There was
something…left undone in life. This odd sort of…being…is death for those with
unfinished business. It is not so bad to be dead. But you…how do you come to be
in this place of crossing?"
Without hesitation, Fai tells him everything. He leans his head back, closes
his eyes, and gives voice to his life. In all his years, he's never before
spoken so much or so long, and yet the words come effortlessly, as though it's
something he's done many times before.
He surprises himself, remembering his youth in Celes, his first meeting with
Kurogane, discovering his love for him. He speaks of Kurogane and their
passionate lovemaking without blushing. He speaks of Seishiro and the torment
he'd forced him through. He speaks of his engagement to Kurogane…and the
horrible nightmares he's lived through. He speaks of his farewell to Kurogane
with sorrow and love.
It is not difficult. Indeed, it's as though he's been parched and there is cool
water in his mouth. He says 'Seishiro' and his breath is clean after years of
being foul and bitter. He admits, "I was raped," and an old tightness in his
chest eases.
He recites the names of his mothers and knows with total certainty that they
are both dead. He leans his face into Clow's shoulder and soaks his robe in
memory of Himawari and Sakura.
Through it all, Clow nods, sighs, and holds his hand. When at last he is quiet,
the former king says, "You are not dead. You are not like me. Your grief shines
from your heart. The flame of love is strong. Your story is not finished, Fai."
Not Prince Fai Fluorite Reed, but Fai, a son beloved of three fathers and two
mothers.
Clow strokes his head, which rests on his shoulder, as he begins to fall
asleep, but as he's drifting there in the space between, Clow gives him a last
warning. "You should know, though, that beyond this fountain there is only
death. If you ever wish to return, you must not stray beyond it."
When Fai awakes, the old king is gone.
                                      XxX
It didn't really look like a castle from the outside. All that was visible was
a causeway leading to a pile of snow-covered boulders.
"Are you sure this is it?" Kurogane demanded of Kujaku. They had made their way
fairly quickly through the mountains, led by Kujaku, teleporting when
necessary, only to end up here.
"Oh, this is what we're looking for, all right," Kujaku said with a crooked
grin. "I couldn't forget the place if I wanted to. It doesn't look like much, I
know, but it's what's inside that counts in this case."
"If you say so," the prince growled impatiently.
"Is the plan clear?" Yuui asked Watanuki one last time. He would lead the upper
attack group.
"Yes. I am to lead Kamui, Subaru, Hisui, and Sai in battle against the Oni they
send to face us."
"Good. Kujaku-san?"
"I'm to guide the rest of you to the lower levels. If we meet with resistance,
Doumeki and I will do the fighting while the rest of you continue forward to
retrieve the prince."
"Yes. Any questions?"
Not a word was spoken. The only question that remained was what were they to do
if they were already too late, but no one dared to ask it. Yuui nodded, letting
them all know she appreciated that fact. She took one last moment to make sure
that Kohaku's sling was secure around her shoulder and the small shield she'd
erected around her daughter was strong enough.
"Forward."
With that, the group simply walked out from under cover and directly onto the
causeway. They'd walked a good ten feet before any sign of movement could be
detected from the supposed castle. However, within moments, a swarm of Oni was
spilling down the causeway toward them. Doumeki erected a shield around
himself, Kujaku, Kurogane, Tomoyo, Yuui, Kohaku, and the Mokona. The remaining
five prepared to engage the enemy in battle. Kamui and Subaru both drew swords,
but Kamui was also a wind faerie like Hisui and the two wind masters prepared
to wield that weapon. Subaru was a water sprite, but he preferred a sword in
battle. His magic was better suited for healing. Watanuki couldn't call plant
life to do his bidding here, but the rocks were still at his command. Sai,
however, was probably the strongest of them for this battle. She was one of a
very few faeries who wielded ice magic in battle.
The causeway erupted in chaotic battle the moment the Oni wave swept over them.
Yuui didn't take the time to see how they were fairing.
"Go," she ordered Kujaku.
The dark faerie easily took control of Doumeki's shield, using it as a vessel
to teleport their force down through the levels. It seemed to be going well
until they came to a stop in a darkened corridor several layers down in the
earth.
"What's wrong?" Yuui asked tensely.
"There's one more level, but it's shielded," he explained. "I…I can't break
through."
"Larg!"
"Mokona's on it," the tiny black thing said, immediately creating a wind portal
down through the last shield.
When they arrived, who should they find waiting for them but Seishiro and
Fuuma, weapons drawn and standing guard outside a large door. Assassin's Hand
was back with Seishiro.
"Stand aside," Yuui commanded. "We won't hesitate to kill you."
Seishiro chuckled. "Really, my niece, I'd be more amazed than anything else if
you could actually follow through on that, but we aren't really guarding him.
We don't need to. You're free to go in any time. The one you'll have to get
past is Fai himself."
None of them liked the sound of what Seishiro was telling them, but he didn't
give them any more time to ponder it. He and Fuuma sprang forward together.
Doumeki and Kujaku engaged them immediately.
"You won't get the jump on us this time," Kujaku said with a wry grin as he
clashed blades with Fuuma.
"Go!" Doumeki shouted as he and Seishiro fought. "Save Fai!"
The three royals didn't need telling twice. They all rushed the door at once.
It gave fairly easily and they headed inside.
"Where is this?" Soel asked from its place on Tomoyo's shoulder.
"The lowest level," Kurogane answered quietly. He'd been here before - in his
nightmares: a stone chamber with a wall of darkness at its end. It was not,
however, this revelation that brought him to a standstill. Fai was already
waiting for them.
The blond stood just in front of the dark vortex, his arms crossed and one hip
casually popped as he grinned at them. He was dressed all in black.
"Fai?" Yuui asked uncertainly.
"Perhaps. That depends on which Fai you're looking for."
That was all it took. Each one of them knew that this was the demon they'd
faced in their nightmares. This was their final obstacle.
"I'm looking for my Fai, the real one. You're in my way," Kurogane said, giving
clear challenge as he drew Ginryuu and took an offensive stance.
"Oh? Will you kill me, Kuro-tan?" he asked as he walked slowly toward them.
"If I have to. You're not him."
"We'll see about that," the demon said softly, stopping before Kurogane. The
next moment, Sumomo and Kotoko were in his hands and the two blades were
crossed with Ginryuu. The last round had begun.
Kurogane mentally berated himself for bringing the twin swords into battle, but
it was too late to change it now. Now there was only the fight. They traded
blows furiously for several moments before his opponent began to taunt him.
"Do you really think you can defeat me?"
"I will," he returned calmly, pressing his advantage, maneuvering the demon
back toward the dark vortex.
"You won't use Ginryuu on me. You can't do it."
Kurogane's only response to the jibe was to slip between a moment of careless
defense and nick both of his opponent's wrists, easily knocking the twin blades
from his grip. When the ninja pushed forward, the creature fell backward,
landing just before the vortex.
"Care to bet on that?" he asked, resting the tip of his blade just over the
demon's heart. "Now where's Fai?"
His enemy had a good chuckle at this before gesturing back over his shoulder at
the wall of darkness. "Where do you think? Could you really do it, though?" he
asked, seizing Kurogane's blade in his hands, cutting himself as he pressed the
tip a little harder against his skin. "Could you really run me through?"
"Don't tempt me," Kurogane warned.
"You should know that if you kill me, he'll die, too. He's too weak to survive
without me."
Kurogane's eyes widened slightly at this, but he didn't back down. "I don't
believe you."
"Then kill me…and find out."
The two of them remained frozen like that for an indeterminable amount of time,
staring each other down. After a time, the demon with Fai's face shook his
head.
"I didn't think so. There's only one way this can end. Step into my web," he
said, sneering as he vanished into the vortex.
"What is this stuff?" Yuui asked as she and Tomoyo came to Kurogane.
"Darkness," he replied. "Pure dark energy. Kyle told me about it. He's in there
somewhere," he explained.
"But…how can we get in there?" Tomoyo asked.
"We can't. Not our physical bodies, anyway. They'd be destroyed," he continued,
looking at Yuui, allowing her to see his thoughts and to know there was only
one way.
"No!" she insisted. "You'd never survive the transition. None of us could.
There has to be another option."
"There isn't," he said, calmly tossing Ginryuu aside. Weapons wouldn't do him
any good where he was going. In order to enter the vortex and rescue Fai, he
would have to transform himself into a state of pure energy. It was the only
way he could finish the task without destroying himself.
"Kurogane, a faerie can barely do it. You've got no chance."
"Except I've got to do it. Doesn't really matter if I can or not. I have to. If
I don't come back…get Tomoyo out of here."
Not giving Yuui a chance to say anything else or act on her own, Kurogane
focused his will on performing a teleport spell, only when he reached his
desired state, he didn't direct himself anywhere. He plunged into the darkness,
using every scrap of will he possessed in order to retain his conscious mind.
He might have traveled through the darkness for a minute or a millennium. He
didn't know. Time felt different in this form. However, after a time, he began
to sense something in the darkness.
He couldn't exactly see in this form. It was more that he felt things. There
was something more in the screaming vortex…a barrier…shielding something.
When he'd finally passed through the shield, he allowed himself to collapse
back into his physical form. He stayed on his feet only a moment before
collapsing into a heap.
"Impressive," he heard the demon's voice somewhere overhead. "You actually
managed to get through. I was almost certain you'd die."
"Sorry…to disappoint," he groaned, still getting used to his body. After a long
while, he finally managed to look up, only to find a coffin made of glass,
crystal, and obsidian resting in the center of the barrier. The demon Fai was
sitting on top of it, tracing circles in the glass with his fingertips.
"What do you think you can do?" he asked as Kurogane slowly pulled himself to
his feet and began to drag himself forward. "Even if you can wake him, you'll
never gather enough power to get back through the vortex. You're going to die
here."
"Then so be it," he growled weakly. "I'm not leaving here without him."
Suddenly looking fearful, the demon raised a hand and brought power to bear on
the weakened prince. Kurogane felt a spell searing through his left arm for
only a moment before the limb exploded outright.
Kurogane collapsed to his knees with a scream of pain as blood sprayed from the
wound. Knowing he would black out soon if he let this rapid blood loss
continue, he used his remaining hand and brought his fire magic to bear on his
bleeding stump, cauterizing it completely to stop the blood flow. Wracked with
screaming pain, Kurogane slowly pulled himself up off the floor once again.
"Why are you still trying?" his opponent asked in shocked amazement. "You do
realize I can do the same to the rest of you until there's nothing left."
"But you won't," the injured prince said, smiling weakly as he came to stand
beside the coffin. He was starting to realize what he had to do.
"Because…you're…Fai…"
"Finally starting to figure it out, are you?" Fai asked arrogantly. "I'm the
only Fai there is. My weaker half's already dead and buried. He's crossing into
death even as we speak."
"It's…not too late," Kurogane insisted.
"Heh, you would die for him?" Fai asked with a sneer, tracing a finger over
Kurogane's chest.
"No…not for him," Kurogane said, slowly raising his remaining hand and gently
stroking Fai's face. "For you. For you…because you are Fai."
Fai's face fell at this. "W-what?"
"You…all this time…I've thought you were my enemy, but you're not. You're
right. You're partof Fai. You're a piece of his heart. I can't destroy you. I
can never destroy you. I love you. No matter how scarred and ugly this piece of
you is…I still love you. I love all of you."
Fai shook his head sadly. "You…you don't mean that. You can't."
Kurogane didn't say anything. The only thing to do was show him. He pulled Fai
to him, cradling the injured shard against his chest as he pressed his lips to
his in a lingering, loving kiss.
When the two finally separated for air, tears began to spill down Fai's face.
He threw his arms around Kurogane, sobbing pitifully into his neck.
"Oh…Kuro-rin!"
"I love you," he whispered to him.
"Save me," he whispered before vanishing into the darkness.
Collapsing against the coffin, Kurogane was finally able to peer down through
the glass. Fai was lying inside…so pale…so still.
Please…it can't be too late!
Removing the Heart of Fire from around his neck, Kurogane plunged the charm
through the glass, instantly shattering it. The two Hearts glowed, reacting to
each other's presence. Then, using his remaining arm, Kurogane lifted Fai's
upper body through the broken lid.
"Please, don't leave me," he prayed before claiming Fai's lips with his own.
There, on the threshold, just as Fai's about to start walking away from the
fountain, he feels warmth in him again. Slowly, he turns back.
"Kurogane?"
For a moment, Kurogane felt a tiny chill of fear when Fai's eyes failed to
open, but then the color began to return to his face and his eyelids fluttered
open. He looked dazed at first, but then his eyes zeroed in on Kurogane.
"Is…Is it really you?" he whispered, reaching a hand up to touch Kurogane's
face. The ninja prince couldn't quite stop the few tears that managed to escape
as he crushed Fai against his chest.
"You left me, damn you," he cried into his hair. "Don't ever leave me again!"
"Oh, Kuro-koi!" Fai cried as he weakly wrapped his arms around his lover's
neck. "I'm so sorry. It's been…awful…"
"Well…it's gonna be all right now. I promise," he reassured the dazed blond as
he gathered his strength to pull him out of the coffin. Having been imprisoned
for nearly three months, he was very weak and couldn't quite manage to stand on
his own, and with Kurogane in the state he was, things didn't go quite as
planned and they both ended up in a heap on the ground. Kurogane shook his
head, grinning sadly.
"I guess I'm the one who should be sorry," he said as he struggled back to his
feet. "I may have brought you back…just for the two of us to die here."
The shield around them was beginning to break down. Why, he couldn't begin to
guess, but he wasn't sure if he could gather enough power for another shift,
and he didn't think Fai was in any kind of state to even try it on his own.
"I don't care what happens anymore, Kuro-sama…as long as I'm with you," Fai
murmured as his lover helped him to his feet, supporting him as best he could.
They were either leaving together…or not at all.
"Kurogane!" a voice suddenly came to them through the collapsing shield. Yuui?
Just then, a light appeared through the darkness, connecting to the collapsing
sanctuary and creating a path for them.
"Come…come on, you idiot," Kurogane said affectionately. "Let's go home."
Slowly moving forward and helping Fai to walk, Kurogane made his way down the
corridor of light. The going was slow, but Kurogane refused to stop - not now
that he had Fai with him again.
"What happened to you?" he asked. Fai hesitated a long moment before answering.
"I…I looked into the Darkness…and the Darkness looked into me…"
Kurogane wasn't quite sure he understood what it meant, but he did know Fai was
going to need much more help than just a kiss. He held onto him as tightly as
he could all the way back through the corridor. Even when he reached the end
and the others were shouting their names and he collapsed, lost in
unconsciousness, he did not let go of Fai, and Fai did not let go of him.
Chapter End Notes
     Songs for this chapter are "Your Guardian Angel" by The Red Jumpsuit
     Apparatus and "I Will Always Be With You" from All Dogs Go to Heaven
     2.
     I should also make mention of the other Fai our Fai was dreaming
     about. That incarnation of Fai was written by a friend of mine, Moro-
     moro over on FF, for her own story, Gothix. She also wrote a version
     of the dream for Gothix and it's far and away a much better scene
     than what I wrote, so if you're ever in the mood for a high school
     AU, definitely give Gothix a try.
***** Til Then, Sleeping Beauty *****
"I really hope you don't think it's that easy to rescue him."
Don't listen. Don't listen.
"Even if you do somehow manage to take him out of here, his spirit will never
truly leave this place."
Don't listen. He's a liar.
"You should know better than anyone…how dark magic can infect the
heart…Darkness."
"Shut up!" Doumeki finally shot back, never once flagging in his onslaught
against the Dark Prince, even though they both knew his words had reached him.
Shizuka Doumeki's only true sore spot was, after all, his connection to the
dark power.
"Do you ever wonder what they were thinking when they named my successor the
Darkness? What does that say about you and your father?"
Doumeki's stone façade cracked for a brief moment. There wasn't a day he didn't
wonder about that.
"It doesn't matter," he suddenly heard Kujaku's voice behind him, finding
himself back to back with the dark faerie as Seishiro and Fuuma circled them.
"Darkness doesn't define you. Trust me; I know dark magic. It'll take you over
and enslave you if you let it. You haven't let it. You aren't one of them."
Before Doumeki had a chance to even consider this, a great light burst forth
from the core chamber, illuminating the gloom in a brilliant blaze. The storm
faerie caught a brief glimpse of Seishiro's surprised face as he turned to see
what was causing it.
His eyes fell on his surrogate daughter, her arms spread wide, and her
attention and power singularly focused on creating a corridor of light through
a vortex of dark energy. Tomoyo faithfully kept guard at her side, making sure
no one disturbed her wife.
"Oh, my. That's interesting," Seishiro commented, his voice seeming to display
an odd shade of sincerity.
What's she doing? Doumeki heard Kujaku's voice in his head. His battle with
Fuuma had ceased, as well. He was about to respond when he saw a figure taking
shape in the light. Several moments later, the emerging figure resolved itself
into two distinct forms…Kurogane supporting Fai as the two of them half-crawled
from the vortex.
My God…he's okay. They're both all right.
Unfortunately, this grateful thought had no sooner entered his head than
Kurogane crashed to the ground beside Yuui, unconscious, but still holding Fai
tightly against him.
"Fai!" he shouted, completely forgetting about Seishiro as he rushed into the
crumbling core chamber, falling to his knees beside the two of them.
"Oh, God, his arm! What happened to his arm?" Fai cried weakly, still in shock
from everything that had happened.
"He'll be fine," Doumeki assured him as he examined the wound. The prince had
had enough sense to cauterize it to stop the bleeding. He couldn't begin to
guess what had happened, but at least Kurogane would survive long enough for
them to escape.
Fai looked like he might say more, but Yuui stepped in, resting a hand on her
brother's shoulder. "Don't worry, Fai. We can heal this. It'll be all right."
The lost boy stared wide-eyed at his sister for a long moment before nodding
his acceptance. However, within a few seconds it was fear, rather than
confusion, that filled his unblinking eyes.
"Consider yourself lucky, Darkness," Seishiro informed him as he crouched right
next to him. "You see, you've broken my mother's power, and I cannot let this
place fall just yet. So, just for today, I will let you go. I will see you
again, though…my Fai-kun."
Fai looked like he might scream as Seishiro leaned forward to kiss him, but he
never got the chance to claim his nephew's lips. Doumeki quickly shunted the
dark faerie aside. The two cousins got a good laugh in at the nearly empty
gesture before vanishing into the vortex.
"Fai?" Doumeki urged, gently trying to extricate Kurogane from Fai's grip. "We
need to get out of here. You need to let go of him so we can carry the two of
you-"
"No!" Fai insisted vehemently, clinging all the tighter to his lover,
irrational and in shock after their ordeal. "Don't take him away from me!"
Doumeki sighed, seeing that his son wasn't in any state to be argued with just
now. It wasn't that the two princes were particularly heavy; they were simply a
cumbersome burden as he rose from the floor with both of them in his arms, Fai
still clinging desperately to Kurogane, and Kurogane hanging on to him, even
from the depths of his unconsciousness.
It wasn't until they'd fled the crumbling chamber and Kujaku was teleporting
them back up through the layers that Doumeki really had a chance to look at
Fai. After three months of imprisonment and being sustained by nothing but
magic, the boy was horribly emaciated; his hair had grown to his shoulders and
he just looked generally unkempt. It would take some time for him to fully
recover from his experiences in the dark. As he held fast to Kurogane, he
trembled violently, like a leaf about to be devoured by a winter gust. Could he
ever really be the same again?
It'll be okay. It'll be okay! It'll be okay!
The moment they broke the surface, Doumeki searched for Watanuki, easily
finding him tending to a fallen Subaru as the Oni retreated around them.
"Fai?" he asked the moment he spotted his lover. Doumeki nodded, indicating the
two ravaged boys in his arms. For a moment, the nature sprite looked stricken
by the sight of their son, but this was eventually overtaken by relief and he
nodded himself, helping Subaru back to his feet.
"Why are they…retreating?" Subaru asked weakly as his mauled back slowly
healed.
"Don't know, but things are really falling apart in there."
"It may well be because Yuui sliced through the dark core with light. It's
bound to have shaken Yuuko's power," Kujaku mused as the entire band gathered
together.
"Either way, we need to get out of here," Sai said coolly.
"Yes, before Yuuko gets her act together and decides to send the Oni after us
again. We need to get to Koryo. Let's move out," Yuui declared decisively,
turning her back on the evil place in the hope she would never lay eyes on it
again.
                                      XxX
As she watched her enemies flee, Yuuko found herself thinking she'd never felt
anything quite like this. This was a different kind of anger.
Not for a long time had she found herself quite so out of options as she did
now. The little queen had somehow managed to shake her power foundation with
the spell she'd cast. Somehow the Dark Queen didn't even think it had been her
intent, but it had happened just the same. Seishiro and Fuuma were helping her
repair the damage from below, but if she were to leave now to pursue the
escaping faeries, her entire court would surely crumble. With her own mind in
such chaos, the Oni were less than useless to her. Without Koryu, she could
barely control her small contingent under good conditions. The coup she'd been
setting up for nineteen years was falling to pieces around her and there was
nothing she could do.
When Yuuko got angry, she got angry. What she was feeling now was more of a
slow, quiet rage.
How dare you? How dare you defy me?
"What? My hospitality wasn't good enough for you, little Fai? Fine. If you
can't sleep here, you won't sleep anywhere else. I'll see to it that you never
sleep again. You will have no peace unless it be in death."
The Dark Queen smirked to herself as she imagined the young prince, distraught
under the weight of her new curse. Certainly, it wouldn't be as effective as
something Kyle could cast, but the boy would feel the strength of her hate; he
and his sister would perish under it if it was the last thing she did.
                                      XxX
It had been a long time since anyone in Koryo had seen the sun. Even before
Kyle's coup, the Dark Court's power had been growing. It had been nearly half a
year since the snow started falling in Nihon's northernmost province. When Yuui
inadvertently broke Yuuko's hold and the sun broke through the clouds for the
first time in six months, celebration broke out throughout the entire province.
It was this scene the weary group of warriors walked into when they entered
Koryo City. They could not, however, share in the joyous atmosphere with
Kurogane and Fai in the state they were in. Really, they were all in shock.
Lord Mong Ryong, Tomoyo's now former betrothed, welcomed them with open arms
upon seeing the condition his prince was in. Once all wounds were tended and
the travelers were all fed and rested, he was fairly certain he'd be able to
hear about the cause of the sudden happiness in his province.
Rooms had been granted to everyone, but Subaru was currently in Fai and
Kurogane's room with Tomoyo, Yuui, and Kohaku, who all watched anxiously as he
worked on Kurogane.
"Why is it taking so long?" Yuui asked. Thus far, the water sprite had only re-
grown a part of the prince's upper arm. "I've seen you heal major injuries
inside a minute."
"This is a little different, My Que…Yuui-san. Faeries can usually regenerate
severed limbs on their own. If that can't be done, it means dark magic was used
in the limb's severance or, in this case, destruction. That isn't so with
Kurogane-san. There's no dark magic here, but his body's not strong enough to
regenerate the arm. He simply doesn't have that kind of power. I'll be able to
regenerate it fully, but it takes a great deal more skill than just healing up
a few cuts or a broken bone. I have to recreate this limb's exact structure. If
I don't do that…well, let's just say he'd be better off minus an arm in that
scenario. From this point, I'd say it will take at least another hour."
The queen gave her vassal a weary smile. "All right, I understand. Message
received. Get out of your hair," she said, leading Tomoyo away from the
impromptu operating table and over to the actual table, where Fai was sitting,
staring intently at the faerie lord as he worked. A bowl of miso soup sat
untouched on the table in front of him, about half an hour cold at this point.
Yuui called a little magic to her hand and used it to warm the broth.
"Fai, would you please eat this?"
"He's not moving," Fai murmured, not even acknowledging his sister's request.
He seemed like he would burst into tears at any moment. "What…what have I
done?"
"What are you talking about, Fai? You didn't do this," Tomoyo tried to reassure
him as she rocked Kohaku.
"But I…I think I did," he whispered, still looking only at Kurogane. "I
can…remember things…terrible things. The darkness in me…I…it was me. I did
this. I hurt Kurogane. I…I'm a monster. I…didn't…"
Yuui and Tomoyo shared a brief glance. They had both seen the manifested demon
and knew that Kurogane must have fought with him, somehow resulting in him
losing an arm. How Fai could have that creature's memories, though, was beyond
them. Yuui moved to her brother's side and pulled him into her arms, pressing
his head against her chest.
"Listen to me, Fai. It was only a nightmare. You're free now. Kurogane's going
to be okay. None of this was your fault," she soothed, gently running her
fingers through his hair.
Except that…it was my fault. All of this happened because of me .
"Is…is that her?" Fai suddenly asked, his eyes falling on the baby in Tomoyo's
arms.
Pulling away from her brother and seeing that his gaze had finally shifted away
from the bed where Kurogane lay, Yuui smiled and nodded, leading him to her
wife.
"Fai…this is your niece, Kohaku."
Fai stared at the little girl, and she stared right back. He had never seen a
baby before; Kohaku was something entirely new to him.
"Hi, Kohaku-chan," he said softly, hesitantly reaching out a hand to touch a
soft, plump baby cheek. However, just as he made contact, Kurogane woke up.
"Fai?" he mumbled dazedly as his eyelids fluttered open. Subaru only had a
moment to feel shock. With everything he'd been through, the prince should have
been unconscious for several hours. As such, Subaru hadn't felt the need to use
spells to try and keep him under. Now he was awake "on the table", as it were,
and the faerie lord had only reconstructed his arm as far as the elbow. When
Kurogane had been in the heat of battle in the depths of the Dark Court, he
hadn't allowed himself time or energy to feel how much pain his body was in.
Now there were no distractions; now the pain and the panic over not being able
to find Fai were both instantaneous. Kurogane screamed.
It was such a raw sound, it raised the hairs on the backs of their necks.
Kohaku began to cry and Kurogane began to thrash about on the futon. The
thrashing caused Subaru to lose his hold on the shield spell he'd cast to hold
the delicate limb together while he was working on it and the suddenly exposed
arteries began to gush fresh blood once again. Arcs of blood spilled out onto
the clean bedding. As the prince screamed in pain, he called out desperately
for Fai.
"Fai! Fai! Where are you, damn it?FAI!"
For a brief moment that felt like an eternity to the blond, he stared at his
writhing lover in shock.
Oh, Goddess. What have I done? What have I done to you?
It was Yuui shouting and Kohaku crying that finally snapped the young man out
of his shocked state.
"Help him! Help him, Fai! You're the only one who can!"
Acting on an instinct he barely understood, Fai rushed to the futon and threw
himself down on Kurogane, grabbing his upper arms and pinning him down as best
he was able.
"Kuro-rin, it's all right! I'm right here!" he cried out, having to shout to be
heard over Kurogane's hysterics. Upon seeing Fai's face, the young man
immediately fell limply back on the futon.
"G-God, Fai, I…thought I'd lost you again," he said weakly, gazing adoringly up
into his lover's eyes, almost as if he didn't realize anyone else was around.
"Everything's fine now," the still-distraught blond lied as he stroked
Kurogane's hair. "You saved me…but you were injured in the battle. Subaru-san's
fixing you up now."
Though he was in excruciating pain, Kurogane still managed to smile for Fai.
While they'd been talking, Subaru had managed to recreate his shield and stem
the flow of blood, already getting back to work now that Kurogane was at least
somewhat under control. He briefly wondered whether or not he should ease the
prince's pain with a spell, but then decided his magic ought to be focused
completely on the task at hand. Nihon's prince could handle pain.
The two lovers caressed and cuddled as best they could for several more
minutes, each reveling in the other's long-absent presence. Fai even leaned
down to kiss Kurogane, hoping to take some of the edge off the magic surgery.
However, at the height of the exchange, Kurogane suddenly stiffened. Upon
feeling his discomfort, Fai pulled back, seeing the stricken expression on his
fiancé's face.
"What…what is it? What's wrong?" he asked, sounding as if he feared Kurogane
might be about to announce his own death.
"Fai…" he whispered, reaching out his remaining hand to stroke the younger
prince's cheek. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"For what?" he asked in dread. Kurogane wasn't one for apologies. What was this
one for? What was happening?
"I promised you…we'd be married. But we can't…not now…we can't ever-"
"What?" Fai's whispered interruption was more deafening than any explosion.
"Why not? What are you talking about?"
"Kyle…put a curse on us. If I marry you…you'll die…" that was all the ninja
managed to get out before Yuui put him back under with a very powerful sleep
spell. She hadn't wanted him to say anything. She'd been hoping Fai would never
have to know, but it was too late now. The words were spoken and could not be
reclaimed.
They all expected sobbing to be the next sound they heard from Fai, so they
were horribly shocked when the blond began to laugh.
"Fai?" Yuui asked nervously as she looked into her brother's face, seeing just
how close to the edge of his control he was.
"That just figures now, doesn't it?" he shouted, continuing to laugh as tears
spilled down his face. "Why can't they just leave us alone? Why can't they just
let us be?" he railed at the heavens, still laughing hysterically, even though
his heartache was pouring down his face in waves.
"Fai! Fai, calm down!" Yuui had to shout to be heard as she pulled Fai away
from Kurogane, afraid he might accidentally jostle him. "It's not over yet.
There's still a way to break the curse."
"B-break?" the half-mad prince breathed, hardly daring to hope.
"Yes. If you can bear a child of your own body that Kurogane's father to, the
curse will be broken."
In that moment, Fai seemed to break. The fraying threads that connected him to
everything else snapped all at once as he fell weakly to his knees beside the
futon. "It's never enough. It's just no use!" he sobbed, finally breaking down
outright. "I would give anything…anything…to be with my Kuro-koi…and yet the
world asks for the one miracle I can never perform."
Yuui gazed pityingly at her brother as she knelt beside him, taking him in her
arms and rocking him, rubbing his back and stroking his hair to sooth him, as
she often did for Kohaku.
Yuui, you can't wait anymore, Tomoyo was suddenly in her head, insisting. You
have to give him Yuuko-san's potion now. Heneedsit.
I can't do that.
Why not? Just look at them.
I am, Tomoyo. Do they really look like they're ready to have a baby right now?
You know what a handful Kohaku is. Neither of our brothers is mentally or
physically ready to take care of a child yet. They still need time to heal…both
of them.
But…can't we at least tell them about it?
No…I don't think we can. What if we tell them…and something happens to make it
not work? It'll destroy them. It's better to let them think we're still trying
to find a way. When they're both ready, we'll give them the potion…but not now.
"It's going to be all right," she soothed her brother, who had no idea a
conversation had just taken place over his head. "We're going to find a way to
make this work. We have to."
                                      XxX
"You knew we were never going to be married…didn't you," Tomoyo said to Mong
Ryong as he approached her from behind. She was standing on a balcony just off
the dining hall, looking down on the still celebrating city. A small feast had
been given in their honor, even though Fai and Kurogane still couldn't attend.
Yuui had been formally introduced to Lady Suzuran Shura, the fiery ruler of the
Kuroba Province, and Nokoru Imonoyama, someday to be master of the Horitsuba
Province. Yuui and Kohaku had both gone to sleep, but Tomoyo had decided to
stay awake, knowing that this conversation with the Koryo lord would have to
happen sooner or later.
"I did know that, yes," he responded easily. Mong Ryong was dressed rather
casually for a noble. His dark, shoulder-length hair was tied back and it
seemed to Tomoyo that he might have been incapable of not smiling. Even his
current solemn expression was blended with a wry twinkle in his dark eyes.
"How? You don't have the gift, too, do you?"
"I don't, but my most trusted advisor did. She died of consumption nearly two
years ago, but until the hour of her death, Wall Mae-san told me about the
future she saw in her dreams. She told me that our Tomoyo-hime would one day be
the bride of the faerie queen herself. She warned me the Dark Court would move
against our nation, but she never explained how. I had seen Kyle Rondart's face
before when he approached me with an offer of marriage between my house and the
royal family. I knew he was our enemy, but Wall Mae-san had warned me not to
strike back, only to defend. If I'd argued against his plot, I would have been
killed, and Koryo would have been subjugated by the Dark Court. So I agreed,
knowing a marriage between us could never happen if I simply let the dice fall
where they may. Our two mates had already been decided."
Tomoyo laughed softly at the way he phrased his last statement. "You're in love
with someone else, aren't you."
"You could tell?" he asked sheepishly.
"I knew it at the masque all those months ago, when we met to seal Kyle's
contract; I just didn't think much of it at the time because I knew I would one
day be married to my Yuui. So, Mong Ryong-san…who is your special someone?"
"Wall Mae-san's daughter, Chun Hyang. Though…up until a year ago, she would
have had none of me, but Wall Mae-san always told me she'd fall for me one day.
Really, it was the last thing she said to me. Right up until she kissed me
herself, I wasn't sure if her mother had been dreamseeing or just hoping I
would win her. Chun Hyang's quite the little spitfire. When Suzuran-san sent
her personal guard down to Piffle to fight for the resistance, she wanted to
join them."
"You wouldn't let her," Tomoyo finished softly.
"Not in those exact words. It took some convincing. My Chun Hyang is brave…but
what can she do against an army of dark faeries?"
Tomoyo nodded; what he said was true, after all. In this great conflict between
the immortal forces of light and darkness, what were all the mortals but pawns
and liabilities?
"So…what happened down there?" he finally asked her.
"Fai…Yuui's brother…was taken by the Dark Court. We had to get him back. Ku-
Kurogane loves him," she admitted softly, knowing Mong Ryong would understand.
"The Dark Court itself has a core of pure dark energy. My brother entered that
darkness, risking death to rescue him. Yuui and I didn't know if they'd be able
to get back through, so Yuui cast a spell to create a pathway through the
darkness. She shattered the dark with light. Kujaku-san believes that broke the
Dark Court's power. We don't know how long it will last, but that's what we're
looking at right now."
"Well, whatever ends up happening, we thank you for this, My Lady. My people
haven't seen the sun in so long. If there's anything we can do for you, you
have but to ask."
"You've already done so much. You're giving us shelter now. You've sent
soldiers down to Piffle to fight, even though you still need as much help as
you can possibly have right here. Your people have suffered fighting the Dark
Court. I know this weather hasn't allowed you to plant crops. I'll do my best
to see that Faerie helps you out; it's the least we can do." She might have
gone on if Mong Ryong hadn't held up a hand just then.
"All right. All right. I see. In that case, would it be thanks enough to allow
all of you to remain here to rest and heal…until you are all well enough to
continue on."
Tomoyo nodded, not mentioning that she wasn't certain just how long it might
take her two brothers to heal, but she didn't think it needed saying. Mong
Ryong probably understood.
"There is…one other thing, though," she continued.
"Yes?"
"No doubt the news of Chang Ang-sama's death has reached you by now."
"Yes," the lord responded, his face going taut with sadness. "An unfortunate
loss. He may not have always been the…ah…nicest of men, but he was a good man,
nonetheless."
"He asked us to bring his ashes back to Koryo, where he was born, in order to
scatter them around the Goddess' sanctuary. We've brought the urn-"
"I'll see to everything else. Now, you really ought to get some sleep, too. You
look exhausted," he said, taking her hand in his and briefly kissing it. Tomoyo
smiled gratefully.
"Thank you very much, Mong Ryong-san. I'll bring the ashes to you in the
morning."
                                      XxX
"You can't get away from me."
The dark, sick caricatures of his own eyes stare at him… into him.
"You're wrong! Ididget away from you. Kurogane came. He rescued me," he
insists, hating how weak his voice sounds.
"Can he save you from yourself, though? Iamyou, Fai. You can never just cast me
off. It wasyou.Youare the one who hurt your precious Kurogane," his other says
smugly.
He swallows painfully, trying hard not to cry. "E-even if I did do that…he's
going to be all right."
His dark self laughs. "Maybe this time…but what about next time? What happens
when I surface…when you let me out? At this rate, the day will come when you
will hurt someone. No one who's close to you will ever be safe again."
"No. I won't let you…I'll fight you!"
"You? Don't make me laugh. You arenothingcompared to me. You'll let me out
someday; I promise you. Someday, you'll need me. You won't be able to do
without me," his other whispers dangerously, leaning in very close and pressing
his lips to his ear. "You'll release me in order to save his life, because
you'll have no other choice, and when that happens…I will kill him."
"NO!" Fai shouted as he shot up from the futon, clutching the sheets in terror.
"What's wrong?" he heard Kurogane asking urgently. Fai shifted slightly and
immediately found himself cradled in the warrior's protective embrace. He
wrapped his arms around him, clinging as tightly as he was able. Then he began
to cry.
"Oh, oh, God!" he cried over and over again, burying his face in the warmth of
Kurogane's bare chest.
"It's okay," the ninja prince soothed. "You're safe now. It's gonna be all
right."
"No…no matter what I do…I'll never be able to unsee it…the things I saw down
there…"
"Shh, shh," Kurogane continued to soothe, rubbing Fai's back as he clung to
him.
After several long moments, Fai finally started to calm down, his breathing
ragged as he rested against Kurogane.
"I…I woke you up, didn't I?" Fai murmured guiltily.
"No," his lover answered, sounding more than a little guilty himself. "I wasn't
sleeping. I was…watching yousleep."
"Kuro-rin, you ought to be resting," Fai chastised with a sad smile. "After
your arm-"
"Don't even worry about that," Kurogane said, jokingly flexing his new arm for
the blond. "This thing's fine. I'm just…not used to sleeping."
"What do you mean?" Fai asked, feeling he already knew.
"I…haven't been sleeping well these past months. I didn't see much better in my
sleep than you did and I had the option not to see it, so I stayed awake
whenever I could."
Fai shook his head before leaning in to kiss Kurogane. "I hate to think of how
everyone's been worrying about us."
"I was worried about you," the older prince growled, clutching Fai tightly
against his chest. Only then did the two of them seem to realize neither of
them was wearing a shirt. Fai clung just as tightly to Kurogane as his lover
kissed the top of his head, feeling the familiar warmth of his skin close to
him once again.
"I'm so sorry. All this time…you've been suffering."
"Wasn't your fault," he said softly as he caressed Fai's shoulders, feeling
tears in his eyes he knew he couldn't let him see. "You're here now. It doesn't
matter anymore."
It did matter. They both knew it mattered, but…what could they do?
Fai seemed to have an answer as he slowly pushed Kurogane back onto the futon.
The two lovers stared at each other for a silent eternity before Fai broke it.
"Make love to me, Kuro-koi," he whispered.
"A-are you sure?" Kurogane asked, hesitantly reaching up a hand to stroke Fai's
face. When he made contact, Fai held his trembling hand in place with his own,
caressing it lovingly.
"All that time…I was lost in the darkness…I was touched by so many…known,
taken…taken away from you. I want to be with you again. I want to feel you
inside me. Please…take me back."
Kurogane's only response was to nod, simply lying where he was and allowing Fai
to get things started. He knew what he wanted, after all. Fai slowly crawled
down his body, taking several long moments to kiss his stomach as he pulled his
pants down. Then he trailed lower, not taking too much time for teasing before
taking his lover's member into his mouth. Kurogane's head fell back as he
gasped in pleasure. Though he was still uncertain about this, he couldn't deny
he'd missed this feeling. As his breathing grew heavier, he tangled his fingers
in Fai's hair, feeling the familiar softness of the blond strands.
Fai wasted no time in getting him up. Kurogane could have sworn that the play
that usually took them several minutes, at least, lasted only a few seconds
this time. Almost before he knew it, Fai was crawling back up his body, leaving
him aching for more.
When the younger prince took a moment to quickly remove his own pants, Kurogane
took the opportunity to start sucking on his own fingers, hoping to prepare Fai
in some way since they had no oil.
"Don't," Fai said harshly when he saw what he was doing. The harshness,
however, was instantly gone when the blond fell back to kissing him. He
continued in a softer tone as they caressed, "No. I want to feel it this time."
"Fai-" Kurogane began warningly as his lover mounted him once again.
"I know. It's okay," he quickly shushed him. "I'll be fine." Then, without
anymore warning than that, Fai slammed himself down on Kurogane's fully erect
manhood.
Fai's head fell back, his mouth opening wide in a silent cry of pain.
"You okay?" Kurogane asked, sounding slightly panicked as he carefully watched
Fai's face.
"It's all right," Fai reassured him, managing to smile for him, though he was
obviously in pain. If he was feeling a slight burn, then he knew he could
barely imagine what Fai was feeling.
"We don't have to do this," he coaxed softly, placing gentle hands on Fai's
hips.
"No," he snapped, a fire lighting in his eyes that Kurogane recognized - with
no small amount of fear. "I decide who I have sex with."
"And…what happens if I decide we're not having sex?" he asked, afraid yet
needing to know the answer.
Fai looked and felt confused - confused by Kurogane's words, confused by his
own actions - his desperate need - to be with Kurogane again and to prove that
the decision was his. Nothing made sense anymore. "Would you…really do that?"
Kurogane hesitated a long moment before finally shaking his head. "I can't say
no to you." He had promised to love all of Fai, no matter how broken. He had to
let him discover this part of his heart - even if there was pain.
Fai was back into things almost instantly. He moved his body up and down over
Kurogane, creating a rough rhythm between them. They moved frantically together
on the futon for what felt like hours, neither of them coming to climax.
Kurogane tried stroking Fai's manhood in an attempt to bring him pleasure, but
nothing seemed to help. When Kurogane finally did come, he felt a faint spike
of pleasure as he emptied himself into Fai, but he didn't feel the usual sense
of completion and contentment he derived from this moment. He just felt…empty.
Fai continued to bounce wildly above him for several moments before giving a
weak cry and a final jerk as he released his seed into Kurogane's hand. His
skin, always seeming to glow like the light of the full moon whenever they came
together, shone briefly before just flickering out. When it was finally
finished, Fai just sat awkwardly on top of him, trying his hardest not to meet
the warrior's searching gaze. He felt sullied…dirty. He had taken the
beautiful, sacred bond he'd shared with Kurogane and turned it into this ugly,
twisted thing -just to prove a point. What had the darkness done to him? What
had he done to Kurogane? Had their enemies…really taken this from them as well?
He didn't think he could bear it.
Kurogane was ready with open arms when Fai finally collapsed on top of him.
Even though the blond faerie wouldn't look at him, he could still see the gamut
of emotion running across his face. He asked no questions and made no judgments
as he held his broken lover close. It had been a stupid thing to do; he knew,
but he had needed it no less than Fai, even though it had brought them both
nothing but pain.
After a time, Fai's body began to shake with sobs and Kurogane felt his
shoulder grow wet with tears. Fai curled up against him, clinging to him like a
frightened child.
"I'm s-so s-sorry," he sobbed pitifully against his neck. "I…I ruined it…and
I'll never…never be p-pregnant."
"No. Shh…shh," Kurogane began to soothe him again. "Nothing's ruined…just a
little broken. We can fix it. And you know I don't care about that."
"B-but I-"
"It doesn't matter," the older prince insisted firmly. "I'm going to be with
you whether I can marry you or not. It doesn't matter what they do. They can
never really separate us. I'm gonna love you and be with you always…even if it
can never be official."
"But I want to h-have that w-with you, K-Kuro-sama. I love you. I w-want the
world to know you're m-my husband. I want to h-have your child. I w-want to be
able to love it and h-hold it in my arms, b-but I…it's…I'm just n-not enough."
Kurogane shook his head, holding Fai just a little tighter. "We're not giving
up, Fai. I said we're going to be together no matter what. We'll call ourselves
married even if history can't remember us that way. That doesn't mean we still
aren't going to try to find a way. I won't let Kyle tell me what to do. I've
seen these faeries do insane things. There has to be a way."
Fai didn't say anything else. He just cried as Kurogane rocked him. He rocked
him until he cried himself back to sleep, and even then, he continued to rock
him. Once he was certain Fai was sound asleep, he kissed the top of his head
once before rising from their futon and tucking Fai in securely under the
blankets. Then he grabbed a black yukata and quickly dressed himself. He had
some questions that needed answering.
                                      XxX
Subaru couldn't say he was as surprised as all that when he opened his door to
find Kurogane standing outside it. He could see the question burning in the
young man's eyes. The only thing he was surprised about was that he hadn't
asked it sooner.
"I need to talk to you."
"Nothing for the public ear, I take it," Subaru said softly, stepping aside to
indicate the prince should come in.
"It's been at the back of my mind," Kurogane began to explain as he stepped
inside, waiting for Subaru to close the door behind him to continue, "because
of everything that's happened, and I didn't ask you back then because Souma was
dying, but…you're pregnant."
"Yes, I am," the faerie lord said slowly.
"How is that possible?" Kurogane asked.
"It's possible because I'm the child's father."
"That makes it possible for you, a male, to carry a child?" Kurogane shot back
incredulously.
"No. That makes it possible for me to carry this child. Any fey man could turn
himself into a woman if he really wanted to have a child, but it won't work
like that for Fai-sama," Subaru went on quickly before the hope had a chance to
blossom in Kurogane's eyes. "The curse specifically said that the child must be
of Fai-sama's own body. If he changes his body in order to conceive, it won't
be his own body anymore. I can carry this child inside me without having to
change my gender because it wasn't conceived in my body. A child…cannot be
conceived within a male form. That is the thing you and Fai-sama must
overcome."
"All right," Kurogane acknowledged, accepting the shoot down with a shudder and
a small growl of frustration. "Then…if a faerie's child can be transferred from
one body to another…why can't you do that for my mother?"
Subaru shook his head sadly. "It isn't as simple a thing as moving the child
from one body to another. The new host body must be compatible."
"And what does that mean?"
"It can only be one whom the child is a close enough match for in blood.
Otherwise, the new host body would view the infant as a foreign threat and
attempt to attack it, much as the body does with any other form of disease.
Even if the child could be protected by magic within an incompatible host body,
that body would eventually destroy itself attempting to purge the perceived
threat. We thought to try this in the beginning, but there's simply no one who
is a close enough match for Amaterasu-sama's child. Her only close surviving
kin are you and Tomoyo-sama, and you'd be in the exact same fix she is were
either of you to take the child on. Kyle has no living relatives and it
certainly makes no difference to him whether your mother lives or dies, so why
should he take the child on?"
"All right, all right," Kurogane admitted, silently acknowledging that he was
no closer to bringing either Fai or his mother peace than he had been when he'd
come into the room. They were well and truly stuck.
Subaru stared at the prince for a long moment, analyzing the scent coming off
him.
"Oh, Kurogane-sama. Tell me you didn't-"
"Yeah, it was stupid. I know that. You don't have to tell me, but I couldn't
talk him out of it…and it wasn't like…I didn't want it either," Kurogane said,
not meeting the water sprite's gaze. He knew Fai was fragile right now, but
he'd also come out of his ordeal with powers he'd never dreamed of. This new
strength made him all the more fragile and it would take him time to sort
through it all. Kurogane knew he was much the same, but he at least recognized
it in himself. Fai was…lost.
"Kurogane?"
The two men looked up in shock. The voice was small - faraway - but they'd both
heard the desperate call as if it had been a clap of thunder. Kurogane dashed
out of the room, looking down the length of the corridor to find Fai standing
in the dim light, stark naked, eyes wide and desperate. God, but he'd gotten so
thin.
Upon spotting him, Fai started to sprint down the hall. His current physical
strength, however, didn't quite match his need to get to Kurogane and he
stumbled the last few feet. Kurogane rushed forward, catching him in his arms
as he fell.
"Why did you leave the room?" he asked, holding Fai close and rubbing his back
to soothe him.
"You weren't there," Fai mumbled into his chest, sounding like he might cry
again. "I…I didn't want to be alone."
"I'm here now. I won't leave you again," he whispered to him, glancing over at
Subaru, who was still standing in his doorway, shocked. There was no doubt in
either of their minds that their conversation was over.
Take care of him, Subaru's voice sounded in his head. In this state…he could
easily harm himself.
I know, he thought, still unable to direct the thought straight to Subaru, but
knowing he would hear it.
Giving Fai a tender kiss on the forehead, he gently lifted his shivering body
into his arms, cradling him as close as he possibly could. It shocked him to
feel just how insubstantial his fiancé seemed to be. He seemed to weigh no more
than a starved kitten.
"Why didn't you at least grab a blanket, you moron? It hasn't warmed up enough
for you to be walking around like this," he tried to tease him as they walked
back to their own room.
"You weren't there," Fai repeated helplessly. "I had to find you."
"It's okay. It's okay now," he said again, not sure how many times he would
have to repeat himself before they would both believe it.
                                      XxX
It took a week for the snow to melt. A week, the group rested in Koryo. None of
them thought it was a good idea to remain this close to the Dark Court, even if
it was in disarray, but they could all acknowledge that Fai simply wasn't in
any condition to be moved. Sometimes he seemed to be getting better, other
times he would wake screaming, clinging to Kurogane and sobbing as if he were a
little child again.
Kurogane and Yuui were currently out on the balcony of the two princes' room,
while Tomoyo waited inside with Fai, watching as he played with Kohaku and the
Mokona. Since Fai couldn't stand to have Kurogane out of his sight and Yuui had
wanted to speak to Kurogane alone, the four had found that this was the best
solution.
"I'm worried about him," the young queen said, watching her little brother play
with her daughter from a distance.
"You think I'm not?" the Nihon prince growled, watching the same scene with a
betraying amount of relief on his face. It was nice to see Fai happy about
something.
"Has he eaten anything?" Yuui asked seriously as she turned to meet her
brother-in-law's eyes.
"No. I've tried. Believe me, I have, but he just won't eat. It's almost like…he
hasn't decided whether or not he wants to keep living yet."
"I think…maybe you should try making him something," Yuui suggested
tentatively.
"Me?" Kurogane reiterated, looking flabbergasted. "I…I could burn water. I'd
end up poisoning him."
"I don't think you would, though. If you're making food for him, I think you'd
do fine. You want him to eat, don't you?"
"Of course I want him to eat. I just…" Could he really do it? Could he make
something that would help Fai make the decision to start eating again? He was
afraid what might happen if he failed at it, but…at the same time, Fai needed
to eat. He had to try something.
"All right," he said after a while. "I'll try."
Yuui would have said something else, except the two of them suddenly felt a
very distinct chill in the air. Instantly, their heads snapped in the direction
of the border between Koryo and the Shirahime Mountains.
At first, it looked like a dark cloud was drifting down over the mountain
range. Clouds, however, certainly didn't shriek. It didn't take the two royals
long to figure out that it was a swarm of Oni. They shared a brief moment of
unbridled terror before turning to each other, coming to the wordless consensus
that Fai couldn't be allowed to see it. They rushed inside and Yuui snatched up
Kohaku and grabbed Tomoyo by the hand, giving Soel and Larg a chance to hop up
on Tomoyo's shoulders. Once he'd scooped Fai up in his arms, Kurogane quickly
followed Yuui out the door.
"What's happening?" the bewildered blond asked, clinging unquestioningly to the
older prince as he ran.
"We need to get out of here," he answered in a clipped tone. Their hope of
that, however, looked to already be shrinking when he saw the expression on
Watanuki's face as he ran toward them, followed by Doumeki, Kamui, and Mong
Ryong.
"Yuui-chan, we've got a swarm of Oni approaching from the south," he informed
her when the two groups finally joined up.
"We've got another coming at us from the north," Yuui told them.
"Did they come for us?" Tomoyo asked, glancing guiltily toward Mong Ryong.
"Most likely," Kamui said dispassionately.
"You shouldn't worry about us, My Lady. We have enough half-fey soldiers to
make a stand against them until you've gone. Once you have, their focus will
probably turn elsewhere," Mong Ryong reassured her.
"Is it…safe to move him yet?" Kurogane asked, indicating the blond in his arms.
"Probably not," Doumeki responded up front. "But we've got no other choice. We
have to get out of here now."
"Subaru's bringing the others," Kamui said. "They should be here soon.
"Correction," Subaru put in as he approached with Hisui, Sai, and Kujaku.
"We're here. Everything's ready?"
"Yes," Yuui said.
"You'll need to be outside the castle in order to teleport away. We keep a
constant shield around it," Mong Ryong explained, wasting no time in leading
the group to a back entrance.
"Thank you, Mong Ryong-san," Yuui said. She was aware of everything the noble
had done for them, but there was time for precious little else.
"It's-"
Whatever the lord had been about to say was cut off when he opened the back
door. The swarm had reached the city already. They were completely surrounded.
"Damn it," Doumeki muttered, moving in front of the group in order to provide
some protection.
"Can we get out?" Yuui questioned tersely.
"We might need to break through the castle's wards. It's hopeless this way,"
Watanuki said.
As the group debated, Fai stared out at the swarm surrounding them. They had
come for him. They had come to take him back -back to the dark. He knew it.
"No," he whispered.
"What?" Kurogane asked, looking down at him.
"No," he repeated. When his gaze met Kurogane's, the older prince saw something
in him snap. Almost before Kurogane knew what was happening, he was lying on
the floor with Fai standing over him, staring out at the swarm. Then he pushed
past Doumeki and out into the gathering darkness.
"Fai! No!" Kurogane shouted, trying to go after him, but finding himself
stopped by Doumeki. "What are you doing? He's going to get himself killed!"
Kujaku was the one to finally voice what they were all thinking.
"What does he think he's doing?"
Fai briefly turned back to look at them. "I won't go back," he said softly, a
fierce fire burning in his blue eyes. Then he turned to face the onslaught.
"I WON'T GO BACK!" he screamed, feeling power surge through his body. As he
raised his hands in the air, a single, all-consuming thought claimed his mind.
Bleed.
And it happened. The first wave of Oni began to bleed. Healed wounds reappeared
and seeped blood. Blood began to pour from their mouths, noses, ears and eyes.
Any place blood could possibly exit the body, it came, spilling onto the newly
thawed ground and hazing into the air.
Bleed! Bleed! BLEED!
Wave after wave descended upon the castle, and each one began to bleed in their
turn. When one of the creatures actually managed to reach the maddened prince,
he simply placed a hand on its forehead and the demon burst open, spilling
blood and organs over both him and the ground.
The group stood, thunderstruck at the display of carnage.
"Oh, God," Yuui whispered.
"Are…are you sure he needs rescuing?" Mong Ryong asked as yet more Oni met the
same fate upon entering Fai's personal space.
"A Hand of Blood," Kujaku said in shocked awe. "He…he controls blood."
"Oh, my, but this is beautiful."
Fai froze upon hearing the new voice. No…it couldn't be him…not here…anyone but
him.
The Oni immediately ceased their attack when Seishiro appeared in their midst.
Fai slowly turned to face him as his uncle began to walk toward him, a look of
horror frozen on his face.
Oh, God. Oh, God, oh, god, oh,god,oh,god,ohgod,ohgodohgodohgodOH, GOD!
"I knew you had it in you, Nephew."
"Run! God, Fai, run!" Kurogane shouted at him, but Fai didn't seem to hear or
see anything apart from Seishiro.
Fai felt himself begin to tremble uncontrollably as his uncle drew closer. He
was the source of everything…of all his pain…all his terror…all his nightmares.
Every scar came from him…and yet he couldn't make himself move. He could do
nothing to protect himself. The only command his body took was to close his
eyes in an attempt to block everything out.
"You have the power now, my beautiful Fai-kun," he said to him as he drew him
into his arms, teasingly nuzzling him. "You have the power to kill me."
Let me go! Let me go! LET ME GO!
He desperately wanted to scream the words, but he couldn't make his mouth work.
He could only tremble in terror as Seishiro's hands roved his body.
Pain…fear…violation!
"Do it," Seishiro hissed forcefully in his ear. "Kill me, Prince of Light. End
my life."
That voice…it brought back every horrible moment of his life. He felt it
happening all over again. The pain…the darkness…the fear…the cold. The memories
sent a strange chill down his spine and he suddenly felt ice in his hands. He
had to do something! He couldn't let Seishiro take him from Kurogane again!
Power surged through him once again, and when he felt the icy cold of it fill
his hands, he heard Seishiro give a small gasp of surprise and he felt warm
blood splash onto his stomach. Opening his eyes, Fai glanced down between their
two bodies to find two blades of solid ice rammed through Seishiro's stomach -
blades coming from his own hands.
Seishiro laughed softly at this, placing a hand on one of Fai's cold ones.
"Another Hand, sweet Fai-kun? It is beautiful…but it's not enough. If you want
to kill me, you must use the Hand of Blood."
"No…no…" Fai moaned weakly, shaking his head back and forth as his mind
suddenly processed the sight of the Oni bursting open before him. He suddenly
seemed to see just how steeped in blood he was. No…he didn't want this…he
didn't want this power!
"No?" Seishiro asked, a glimmer of both disappointment and anticipation in his
eye. "In that case…I suppose we're back to square one…" he crooned, sliding a
hand down Fai's body and slipping it between his legs.
"NOOO!" Fai screamed in horror. He was frozen. He could never fight Seishiro
when it got this bad. It was like the time had never passed and he was still
sixteen years old…still trapped in the illusion…still unable to move…still
unable to process the fact that he was being r…r…ra-
Quite suddenly, the touch between his legs stopped. He opened his eyes and
found a new blade protruding from Seishiro's heart - a blade of steel.
"Don't touch him," a voice near his ear hissed dangerously. Glancing to the
side and finding Kurogane at the hilt of the blade, a wave of such intense
relief and exhaustion swept through his body, he lost consciousness on the
spot, collapsing from Seishiro's arms into Kurogane's.
"You can't protect him forever, you know," the Dark Prince said with a smirk,
barely revealing the pain of the multiple stab wounds. "He'll have to face
himself and his powers one day."
For hardly more than a second, Kurogane stared oddly at Seishiro. It was such a
strange thing for him to say - even if he knew it to be true.
"Go to hell," he said quietly before channeling a wave of fire magic down the
length of his blade, setting Seishiro on fire. His only indication of pain was
a small grunt. Even as his flesh roasted, the Dark Prince smirked at him.
"I'll drag him there with me…unless you hold onto him."
Kurogane didn't wait to see what Seishiro did after he withdrew Ginryuu from
his chest. Hoisting Fai up in his free arm, he carried him back to the others.
"Let's go," he said tersely, his attention mostly focused on Fai. As Soel began
a teleport spell for them, the prince's thoughts turned inward.
Seishiro had given him another ultimatum. What did it mean this time?
I won't let him hurt you anymore, Fai. I won't ! No matter what it takes…
                                      XxX
The swarm that had attacked Koryo from the south had been the remnants of the
armies fighting in Celes. When the group reached the forest, they were greeted
by the relieved Water and Wind Guards. Once Touki had promised they would be
safe in the forest, the group headed in, making for a place they'd left little
more than a week ago.
They had told Fai of the things that had happened during his long sleep, but he
seemed to know most of it already, even though he didn't know how. He knew
about his descent from Clow Reed, his true relationship with Seishiro, what had
happened to Fuuma, and Clow, Syaoran, Himawari, and Sakura's deaths. He knew
his two sisters were queens and his niece a princess. He knew things and pieces
of things. Sometimes it seemed he thought things had happened that had never
happened. One thing he didn't seem to know about, however, was Souma's death.
It didn't take the Valerian prince long to wake from the swoon he'd fallen into
in Koryo. He woke with a start, instantly looking for Kurogane, who had
remained at his side the entire time. For a while, Kurogane just held Fai,
going through the whole process of comforting and soothing him all over again.
"It's okay now. It's all right. He's gone. We're in Celes now," he murmured to
him, gently kissing his face.
"Celes?" Fai said, nearly swallowing the word. "We're…back in Celes?"
"Yeah. We're safe here. We thought…you'd want to see it."
"It?" Fai asked, feeling like he already knew the answer. Kurogane nodded as he
helped him stand. The blond spotted Tomoyo, Kohaku, and Yuui standing next to a
stone hillock that appeared to be the entrance to an underground cave. It would
have been like any other place in the forest, except that a stone settled above
the cave mouth contained the words 'A Sanctuary' in a simple black script.
"She's down there," his fiancé explained. "We thought you might want to say
goodbye."
"We'll be helping the others set up camp," Yuui said before heading off with
Tomoyo and their daughter.
"You gonna be okay?" Kurogane asked.
Fai nodded. "Just…don't go too far."
"I won't. You can see the camp from here," the ninja prince said, pointing off
in the direction their sisters were heading to reveal the other faeries busily
setting up things. Fai nodded his acknowledgment, walking away from Kurogane
with some difficulty, and heading down into the tomb.
It wasn't so deep as all that, perhaps ten feet under. A rough stone staircase
spiraled down into the small chamber. It was no architectural wonder, but the
place was made beautiful and lit by several clusters of clear quartz crystal,
lit from within by tiny sparks of magic. The crystals cast their soft blue
light all throughout the chamber - even on the simple stone coffin set into a
niche in the earthen wall.
As Fai moved closer, he could see that the crystals illuminated a plaque carved
into the side of the coffin. The plaque read simply, 'Here rests Souma Kuzuki,
a woman noble in spirit and fiercely devoted in friendship. She left too soon.'
"They were right to say it, Souma-chan. You did leave too soon," Fai said
softly as he sat down beside the coffin. "I suppose I just thought…that we'd
always be together…the five of us; but…maybe it was unfair of us…to become
couples like that and just…leave you behind. But I…I think maybe you understood
better than anyone…that we couldn't really help it. Souma-chan?" he continued,
hesitantly placing a hand on the coffin.
"I'm not sure if I'm telling you this because I think you can't hear me…or if
I'm doing it because I hope you might hear me…but you always listened before,
Souma-chan. I…I'm scared. I don't…know myself anymore. I'm not sure if I'm
me…or this dark thing living inside me. I've seen everyone I love bleed by my
hand. I've watched my power burn in the darkness…and it brings everything to
ruin. If I'm…supposed to destroy this world…do I need to destroy myself to
prevent it from happening? This thing inside me…it hungers for blood and chaos.
I'm afraid I…I don't know…if I can contain it. What if it gets out…and it hurts
Kurogane? It said it would. I should die…but I – I don't want to. I love
Kurogane…and without him there is no world…but without the world…there is no
him, either. Can I break his heart…to save his life? I don't know what to do,"
he sobbed, resting his head against the lid of the coffin and wetting the stone
in memory of his friend - and to give some kind of voice to his inner anguish
and turmoil.
How could a single boy hope to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders
without splintering into a million pieces?
                                      XxX
"The Hand of Blood is a dark magic," Kujaku explained quietly. Having finished
setting up camp, the other faeries had gathered around him while Yuui and
Tomoyo helped Kurogane cook dinner. "But it hasn't been seen for a very long
time. It doesn't manifest in the Oni. Their minds are much too hive-like to
ever come into such a controlling thing as a Hand of Blood."
"But what about the other magic he displayed?" Subaru asked. "The ice blades?
Seishiro said they were another Hand."
"A Hand of Ice," Sai put in. "Like my own, but he would be only the third
faerie in our history to manifest such power."
"Who was the first?" Tomoyo couldn't help but ask.
"My mother, Umi Watanuki," Watanuki answered. "I never knew her, but I've heard
the stories - a water master wielding blades of pure ice."
"Two Hands…almost simultaneously. It's amazing," Kamui said softly. "Such a
thing has never happened before."
"If Fai's mental state is anything to judge by, it may never happen again,"
Doumeki speculated. "There's never been a case quite like his."
"In any case," Kujaku continued, "there is a distinct possibility Prince Fai
has become a dark faerie."
A hush fell over the assembled group at that. They had all been thinking it,
but of course, as usual, Kujaku was the one to give voice to the unspeakable
thought.
"What are you saying?" Kurogane asked, looking ready to bash Kujaku over the
head with the ladle he was clumsily handling.
"Not all dark faeries are the enemy," the dark faerie said pointedly. "I'm
simply saying that his time trapped in the dark could have caused his magic to
manifest in this way. Dark magic isn't inherently evil. What it is is extremely
powerful, so much so it often leads its wielders down paths of greed and self-
destruction. It takes a great deal of self-control to wield dark magic in your
own right…rather than allowing it to wield you."
"If he…really has become a dark faerie…then Fai-sama will suffer greatly to
control his power before this is over," Subaru said softly.
"He'll fight it," Kurogane said harshly, applying the same harshness to the pot
of oden he was stirring. "He won't give up."
"No one's saying he will," Watanuki said cajolingly. "It just…won't be easy.
Fai-kun's…very fragile right now."
"Gotta have a little more faith in him than that," the prince bit back. "And
whatever the case, you'd better not mention it to him…not yet, anyway. He's
heading back."
"How do you-" the question died on Kamui's lips when he and the others glanced
back in the direction of the hillock to find Fai emerging from below.
"I know," Kurogane responded simply.
Fai gave his friends a weak smile as he approached them. Soel bounded up to
him, quickly coming in for a snuggle.
"You okay?" Kurogane asked him. "You were down there a while."
"I'm fine," the younger prince said, smiling for his lover. Kurogane wasn't
sure if he'd ever heard such an outright lie from Fai's lips, but he decided
not to call him on it in front of everyone else. They would talk about it
later.
"Well, however long you were down there, you came up at just the right time,"
Tomoyo said with a smile. "Kurogane's just finished making us all oden."
Again, that awful smile. "Really, Kuro-tan? I didn't know you could cook."
"We still don't know if I can," he responded, wanting to glare at Fai, but
unable to keep from smirking over the exchange. "We're about to find out." He
wasn't yet confident he could. His oden didn't look like the best meal he'd
ever seen. Really, it looked like something the cat dragged in, ate, and
promptly spat back up. Yuui and Tomoyo had told him what to do, but he had had
to put everything together on his own.
Feeling almost afraid, Kurogane ladled up a bowl of his potentially hazardous
attempt and carried it over to Fai, offering it to him with a tiny flame of
hope in his eyes.
"Here," he said, his voice almost quavering.
Fai's gaze shifted between him and the bowl for several long moments before
finally accepting the bowl of stew. Then the blond stared down at the oden for
another long moment.
Goddess, please eat, Fai. I made this for you . Please tell me you don't want
to die.
Taking one more glance up at Kurogane, as if asking if he really had to, Fai
slowly raised the spoon from the bowl, gave the food a strange, discerning
look, then took a bite.
Fai hadn't eaten anything in nearly three months. To his starved body, this
offering tasted like the food of the gods. Just from the one bite, warmth began
to fill his body and flavors burst in his mouth. Swimming in the rich dashi
broth, his tongue caught tastes of beef, potato, and egg, all filling him up as
little else in his life ever had. He swallowed the first bite and smiled up at
Kurogane. This one was real.
"It's delicious, Kuro-rin. It's one of the best things I've ever tasted."
The older prince's shoulders slumped slightly in relief. He didn't care if Fai
was exaggerating; he was just happy his love was truly pleased. He wanted to
fling his arms around the blond and kiss him in praise for finally making the
decision to eat and live, but he could hardly do that with Fai already laying
into the rest of his bowl. The prince began to hear comments from the others as
they tried the meal, things he might add or use less of next time, but he
didn't really take any notice of them. All he could see was Fai enjoying his
food.
Even if it was only for a moment…at least they could enjoy some small amount of
happiness.
***** Sleep On *****
He's only ever seen portraits - court-ordered portraits with stiff postures and
solemn expressions. He's sometimes dreamed of the man in the portraits, trying
hard to picture what he looked like in real life, since he can barely remember
his face.
This is different, though. This isn't a painting and it is somehow different
from any dream he's ever had. Kurogane doesn't really know how he knows, but he
is somehow certain that the man he's seeing now is his father - Ashura.
"Otou-san?" he whispers unthinkingly as he watches the dark-haired man pace
feverishly through a dimly lit chamber. Of course, he can't hear him.
After several more minutes of the frantic pacing, the distraught young man sits
down at a vanity, burying his face in his hands.
"Goddess…God…" he mutters over and over again. After a time, another man
appears beside him. Kurogane can see his reflection in the mirror above the
vanity, but it isn't a face he recognizes.
"It'll happen tomorrow," Ashura says without looking up at his guest. "Tomorrow
I marry Tera-chan and we bring down Taishakuten. It's what you've wanted, isn't
it? To see him fall?"
"It would be better for everyone if he did. I know you know that. I've always
felt that Nihon's part-fey subjects were my own people, but they've been raised
as humans…so human is what they unfailingly choose to be. As such, I've never
been able to interfere in Taishakuten's decisions. I cannot meddle in the
affairs of this world."
"Why…do they die so easily? The half-fey?" the shaken young man asks. "I
thought faeries were supposed to be immortal. Don't their half-human offspring
get any of that?"
"They would…if they could accept it. Most of the half-fey cannot understand
what it means to be an immortal. Even young faeries can barely comprehend it.
One must be brought up a faerie to evenbeginto understand the weight of
immortality. Were you to suffer a mortal wound to the heart, the only
conclusion your human mind would be able to accept was that you were dead, and
thus you would die. That's what happens to the half-fey. They are shot, burned
alive, stoned, hung…they feel the pains of dying and don't understand that it's
a passing thing, so they give into it…and they die. And of course, as the blood
dilutes, it become all the harder to access the immortality locked within it.
This you know. You know more about faerie blood than most humans. That's why I
think you'll make Amaterasu-hime a good consort."
Ashura shakes his head, sighing bitterly as he meets his visitor's eyes in the
mirror. "Is that all you came here to say?"
"No. Iknowyou'll succeed tomorrow. I've seen the future awaiting you."
"I haven't. I haven't really seen much of anything in my dreams these past two
years. Not since Shashi…" He breaks off after that, unable to finish.
"I know…but I've come here tonight for a different reason. I came to give you
these," he says, holding a closed fist in front of the emperor-to-be's face.
When his fingers open to reveal what he holds, Kurogane is shocked to see his
and Fai's necklaces - the moon and sun…the Hearts of Fire and Water.
"What are they?"
"Very powerful magic. They're called Hearts. This one is a Heart of Fire," he
explains as he fastens the sun charm around the young man's neck. "It's raw
fire magic given form as a jewel. I placed it in the gold bindings of the
necklace to help conceal it from people who would misuse its power."
"And the other one?" Ashura asks, nodding at the moon charm still in the other
man's hand.
"A Heart of Water. I thought you might give it to your bride as a wedding
present."
"Why would you give these to us? Tera's never studied magic and I'm only a
beginner. What can we do with them?"
"Keep them safe from enemy hands. They'll be needed in the future."
"Do you…want me to learn to use it?"
"No. The Heart bonds very specifically to the one who wields it, and that isn't
either of us."
"Why not you? You made it, didn't you?"
"I did, but I've never used its power and I don't intend to. These Hearts are
meant for others."
"Who?"
"The Heart of Fire is destined for your son."
If Ashura wasn't surprised before, he certainly is now. "M…My…son?"
"Yes. You and Amaterasu-hime will have a son. Allow me to be the first to
congratulate you on his birth."
"But…Clow-san…he isn't…evenconceivedyet," Ashura says, a faint smile taking up
residence on his face.
"Perhaps not, but I've seen him. He'll be a fine young man."
"And…the other?"
"A child will be born in Valeria not long after your own. It is this child who
will come to wield the Heart of Water…and who is destined for your son."
"King Touya will…have a daughter? He hasn't even married yet."
The one called Clow chuckled slightly at this. "Not– not exactly. You'll
understand before too long. Yuuko is stirring again. I fear the seeds of
darkness will soon be planted in your world. Just keep these safe until the
time is right."
"I did," Ashura says as Clow disappears. His eyes shift up to meet Kurogane's
in the mirror. "I did what he asked…for you."
"You can…see me?" Kurogane asks slowly, beginning to move forward.
"Yes," his father replies as he turns to face him, his face seeming to age from
the one he'd seen in the mirror only a moment ago. "To think…I closed my eyes
just now and you were a little boy…Kurogane."
"J – just now? You…you've been dead…for eighteen years."
"We still have dreams…even when we're dying. From where I stand, I'm dying in
your mother's arms even now. Our own time matters little in the world of
dreams. I hoped I'd be able to find you. My God…my son…my grown up son. I…"
Words seem to fail the man as father and son slowly draw closer together,
finally coming into a hesitant embrace.
"Tou-san…tou-san…" he murmurs, suddenly caught up in the emotion of this moment
he'd thought he could never possibly experience.
"I think I understand what Clow-san meant back then. But tell me…the child he
spoke of…was it Yuui-chan or Fai-kun?"
"Fai," Kurogane answers simply. "He's the one. He wears the moon pendant now."
"Ah," his father says with a slight chuckle. "Well, youareTera's son, I
suppose; and I see you've grown into this nicely," he continues, lightly
tapping the charm resting on his son's chest. "I can feel your power. You're
much stronger in magic than any human I've ever known."
"Ihadto get stronger…to rescue him."
"I know, and I can honestly say I'm proud of you for everything you've
accomplished. I know you'll make a worthy ruler."
"Even if…what I want is to be with Fai?"
"Even so."
"Tou-san…what I saw just now-"
"A piece of my memory. Iwantedyou to see it. I wanted you to know that, no
matter what's happened…you were meant to have this power…and your Fai was meant
for his. They are the tools you need to build your future."
Kurogane can't help but wonder in what fucked up world Fai is meant to be a
dark faerie and he is meant to nearly kill himself learning fire magic, but at
the same time, his father has essentially come through death itself to relay
just that information, so there must be something to it.
"So…that was Clow Reed, then?"
"The king of Faerie himself. You know of him?"
"Only that. I'd never really seen him; and now…"
"He's dead in your time," Ashura finishes for him, understanding just what his
silence means. "So who rules Faerie now?"
"Yuui…alongside your daughter…Tomoyo," he says, not sure if his dying father
knows of his little sister. Amaterasu hadn't even known until several days
after the incident in Valeria.
"Ah, yes. Our little girl. I'd seen glimpses of her face. Clow-san told me she
would be a dreamseer…along with the one who would be her lover. It was Yuui-
chan all along? Oh, my," his father says, again chuckling softly.
"Reed…why did he see so much more than they did? It kills them…everything they
didn't foresee."
"Well, for starters, Clow-san is a pure-blood faerie, much more attuned to
things of that nature. Second, if I know him at all, he intentionally blocked
their sight."
"What? Why? Why do something like that? Wouldn't it have helped us more to
know?"
"Not even a little bit. You may have noticed this, but Clow-san could only
reveal small details of the future to me, and even those were risks. What would
your sisters have been able to tell you without risking something worse
happening? Would they have been happier knowing about the curse and being able
to do little to change it? Even if they had known and somehow prevented it,
Yuuko probably would have just done something worse."
Kurogane's first thought is that he can't imagine anything worse than the
months of suffering he and Fai have endured, but then he realizes…at least the
two of them are still alive and together again. It's more than many others can
say. Yuuko could have done worse; she could have done much worse.
"She tried to take him away from me," he says quietly, not allowing himself to
remember the pain.
"But you broke the spell, didn't you," his father returns softly. "You'll need
the power of that Heart if you want tokeepit broken. He will, too. The Dark
Court will never stop hunting you."
Kurogane half-laughs at this. "Well that goes without saying, but…what can the
two of us do against them ?" he asks. He will be the first to admit that he's
barely a match for Seishiro, even when fighting at his newly-won hardest.
"The Hearts," Ashura responds simply. "Learn to use their powers together as
one. Not for nothing did Clow-san make certain they ended up in your
possession. Iknowyou'll make good use of them."
"Tou-san-" he said aloud, his eyes suddenly fluttering open to see the morning
sun peeking through the flap of his and Fai's tent. Slowly, he sat up, rubbing
his forehead in consternation. That had really happened; he knew it had. His
father had passed through time and death itself to speak to him one last time -
to give him the answer he needed.
Glancing to his side, he caught Fai in a rare moment of peaceful slumber. They
both still had trouble sleeping. This was actually the first time in months
he'd had a dream instead of a nightmare. Allowing his gaze to slide slowly down
Fai's neck, his eyes came to rest on the moon charm lying on his fiance's
chest, rising and falling with his breath - the Heart of Water.
Slipping his own amulet from around his neck, he lifted the sapphire and silver
charm from Fai's chest and clicked the two pendants together in his hand,
combining them into one - just as they were meant to be.
The twin charms reacted to each other, glowing softly in the dim morning light.
This had happened before and he had never known what it meant. He'd always
thought it was Fai's magic that caused it, but now he knew the truth. He could
feel the power coursing through the conjoined amulets, their magic finally
awakened. This was the answer. This was the weapon they needed…and it had been
in their hands all along.
Fai gave him a small start when he suddenly bolted awake from another
nightmare, but the prince recovered quickly enough, ready to help Fai through
the harrowing process of waking yet again.
"Kuro – Kurogane," he cried quietly as he clung to his lover.
"It's all right. I'm here," the warrior soothed him, gently rubbing his back as
he let him cry into his shoulder. "They can't hurt you anymore."
Kurogane had no idea how long they cuddled together on their pallet like that,
but after a time, the two felt something warm pressed between them. They
glanced down to find the two pendants still locked together, just as Kurogane
had joined them. Now they were glowing even more brightly, magic pulsing
through them.
"What…what is this?" Fai mumbled in slight confusion.
"I'll explain it to you. Do you feel up to doing a little training today?"
"I…I suppose, but…what's going on?"
"We've got work to do."
                                      XxX
How do you feel?
Very…calm, actually.
While Kurogane still couldn't direct his thoughts to most other people, he
found he could do it with Fai. Neither of them knew why. Perhaps it was
just…easier to think about connecting directly to him than it was with anyone
else.
After telling Yuui and Tomoyo what he was planning, he'd brought Fai out into
the forest, far away from the camp so they could work in peace. Then he'd shown
him all the fire magic he'd been learning, explaining about the Heart of Fire.
Then he'd told him about his own amulet, saying that he should be able to do a
lot of the same things. Fai was currently suspended about six feet off the
ground, contained within a ball of water that was keeping its shape around him
through his magic.
That's good. Maybe you ought to try this when you get panicky?
Maybe. Kuro-rin…what exactly do you think we can do with this power?
I think…if we can figure out how to harness the combined magic of the Hearts,
we'll be able to fight Seishiro with it.
It took Kurogane less than a second to realize he'd said very much the wrong
thing. Beneath the water, he saw Fai's eyes snap open, a dangerous fire briefly
flaring to life in them.
Seishiro!
Suddenly, the ball of water turned to solid ice, freezing Fai inside. Then the
orb crashed to the ground, shattering on impact, leaving Fai lying, gasping,
among the broken shards.
"Dammit," Kurogane muttered as he hurried forward, helping Fai to sit up. "Are
you all right?"
Fai nodded, still shivering, less from cold than from shock.
"I'm sorry," the older prince said as he pulled Fai into his arms. "That was
stupid. It was my fault."
Fai shook his head. "No. I should have controlled it. But…you really think we
can use it to…to fight them?"
Kurogane nodded. "I found out that these things can kill faeries. It's just…I
probably couldn't do it without killing myself. I don't have that kind of
power. But you and me, working together, we could probably do it. I'm not sure
how yet, but I think what we need to do is work with them…together…learn their
powers."
"You mean…like this?" Fai asked, clicking his pendant into place with
Kurogane's once again.
"Yeah. Just like that," the ninja said, his expression softening as the charms
began to glow once more.
Coming to an unspoken agreement, the two lovers clasped their hands around the
glowing amulets, instantly feeling the surge of their power. As the two of them
focused their attention on the growing power they held between them, things
began to happen.
They both felt cold and heat rush through them in harmony. Fai felt his hands
burn and Kurogane felt his own freeze. One instant, the sun seemed to blaze in
their eyes, the next they were dowsed with pouring rain. The deepest ocean, the
heart of a raging volcano, so many things - it was getting harder and harder to
hold onto the pendants.
Neither was certain if it was real or imagined, but they felt as light as if
they floated underwater - and yet they seemed to be surrounded by a blazing
ring of fire.
It was seeing Kurogane enveloped by a corona of fire that did it. Against his
will, Fai found horrible memories seeping into his consciousness.
"You bring destruction. You will reduce this world to ashes and bring all to
darkness."
No. No. Oh, God, no…
"The world will burn with you…Kurogane will burn…they will all burn."
"NOOO!" Fai shrieked, collapsing as his connection shattered. The magic burst
outward from their broken center, smashing several nearby trees and shaking up
quite a few others.
"Hey! Hey! What happened?" Kurogane demanded as he dropped to his knees beside
the blond, pulling him into his arms. Fai trembled there for several moments,
feeling both the pain of the trees they'd accidentally destroyed and the shock
of his brief flash of half-memory. Suddenly feeling bile rise, he turned from
Kurogane and emptied the contents of his stomach onto the ground. Kurogane gave
him a wry grin as he hugged him close again. "Feel better?"
"A – a little. I'm sorry. I…I let it…get away from me."
"No, you didn't," Kurogane said firmly. "You saw something…or remembered
something. What happened?"
"No, I…I just…lost it…too much power. I'm not really sure," Fai said, giving
him a weak smile.
Kurogane had certainly known Fai long enough to know when he was lying to him,
and it almost hurt him to think that Fai even felt the need to keep something
from him. He would've called him on it, except that he felt the fragile blond
tremble in his arms once again and cling to him a little more tightly. It would
have to keep until later. Fai wasn't ready. Besides, the others would have felt
that and would be running to investigate.
"Come on. Let's get you some water," he said as he stood, lifting Fai up in his
arms.
"Heh. You know I could do that myself, Kuro-min," Fai teased lightly as they
headed back through the forest.
"You probably just made yourself tired back there. You ought to save your
strength. We can try again later."
"I am sorry," he said again, looking sad all of a sudden. "It was going
well…wasn't it?"
"Yeah, but don't worry. It's gonna take time to be able to create and hold that
kind of power. We'll have time to work on it later."
"But…what if I…can't?" Fai asked, his expression changing again - to something
like fear.
"Don't be like that," the dark-haired prince chided roughly. "You've been
through a lot. It'll also take some time for you to get your strength back to
what it was before."
"But I…don't want to let you down anymore."
"You won't. You haven't…not ever. Just don't push yourself too much. Rest."
Kurogane wasn't entirely sure why, but he somehow felt he'd lost the ground
he'd gained with him in the past few days. It felt like Fai had slipped back
into the clutches of whatever demon held his mind prisoner. The only trouble
was that he was getting better at concealing that fact from everyone…
…everyone except Kurogane, anyway.
                                      XxX
The group rested in the relative safety of Celes for about another week. The
two princes spent the time training away from prying eyes, with Kurogane
bringing Fai in to rest whenever he gave too much, either of his physical or
mental strength. Now that it wasn't just his own health he was responsible for,
he had to make the calls on when enough was enough.
It was on the morning of the eighth day that the message came through from
Touki.
My Queen, a dark faerie has gotten through our wards. Be aware…it may be the
Sakurazukamori.
All of them wanted to believe that the forest might keep them safe, but Celes
was…capricious at best, and one simply didn't take chances where the
Sakurazukamori was concerned. They packed up their camp quickly and were almost
ready to go when their enemy appeared. They were all, however, surprised not to
be addressed by either Seishiro or Fuuma's voice.
"Sorry to disappoint," Koryu said smugly. "I imagine you were expecting someone
else."
"You're not taking him," Kurogane said firmly, moving to stand in front of Fai.
"Strangely enough, I didn't come here for him," the dark faerie said, slowly
shifting his gaze over to Yuui, who held Kohaku in her arms. "My queen has a
desire to meet the great grandchild of her deceased husband. Give me the
child."
Fear flashed briefly in the young queen's eyes, but it soon turned to anger.
"Who do you think you're talking to? I am Yuui, queen of all Faerie. Who does
Yuuko think she is to command something of me? You will not have my baby, Lord
Koryu Satani."
The faerie lord seemed surprised, if not shocked, to hear the Queen of Light
use his full name. For a moment, all present could have sworn they'd seen the
dark faerie tremble.
"I didn't come here to talk," he said with an air of finality, his face
settling into a mask of anger. Then he launched himself straight at Yuui - and
doing that, found himself stopped by Watanuki, Doumeki, and Subaru. Kamui, Sai,
and Hisui were all standing at the ready incase the first three failed.
Kurogane turned his attention to Tomoyo and Fai to make sure they were all
right.
"How did Koryu get in? Touki and Kazahaya were supposed to be guarding the
borders," Soel asked Kujaku, the only one who hadn't immediately entered battle
mode…and the only one who might have some insight into Koryu Satani.
"I'm not sure," he replied, watching the battle with interest. "I do have one
idea, but…"
The two Mokona waited anxiously for the dark faerie to finish his thought, but
he never did. His interest had been snared by something else. The tiny
guardians slowly followed Kujaku's gaze, finding it fixed on Yuui, who was
muttering something intently under her breath as she stared at Koryu.
Who does he think he is? You are queen. He should obey you. You are his master
.
"Obey me. Obey me. Obey me. Obey me-"
Finally making out what she was saying, Kujaku's eyes bulged in sudden fear.
"Yuui, stop!" he shouted at her, drawing the attention of all the non-
combatants.
Yuui either did not hear or did not care that Kujaku had spoken. She was much
too focused on the dark faerie trying to fight his way to her.
Make them obey you. They are yours to do with as you choose. Make him obey!
"Your will is mine," the young queen said slowly in a voice not her own. Even
Kurogane and Tomoyo could hear her now. At the sound of the unfamiliar voice,
Kohaku began to cry.
"Yuui?" Fai tried to call out to her…uncertain…afraid.
"Don't do it, Yuui!" Kujaku attempted to get her attention one last time…to
make her see what she was doing. But barely had the words left his mouth when
Koryu suddenly broke free from the three combatants and headed straight for
Yuui once again. Kujaku didn't see the move, as he was too preoccupied with
trying to reach Yuui before she did something she couldn't undo, but everyone
else saw and they all began to move in on him. That, however, was when Yuui
made a move of her own.
"Koryu Satani!" she bellowed, her voice resonating throughout the forest. "I am
queen of Faerie…and youwillobey me!"
Just as Koryu was reaching out a hand to snatch Kohaku away, he froze. He hung
frozen in motion for several long moments before slowly getting to his knees
before Yuui. Everyone else froze, as well, standing in shocked amazement.
"What…did…you…do…to me?" Koryu demanded ferociously, trying valiantly to throw
off whatever spell was holding him down.
Suddenly seeming to come back to herself, Yuui stared down at the dark faerie
kneeling before her. "I…I don't know…I'm not really sure," she stammered,
holding her daughter a little tighter in order to comfort her.
"Is it…a Hand?" Sai wondered aloud?
"No," Kujaku said somewhat sadly. "This is something only the sovereign has. It
is the most extreme form of the geis - the covenant."
"The covenant?" Yuui asked, not looking at him. "What does that mean?"
"None of you would remember it. It ended before you were born. The sovereign
once had the ability to force his subjects to obey him, regardless of their own
will."
"She can…make him do whatever she wants?" Subaru asked.
"Why didn't we know about this?" Doumeki asked, continuing the line of
questioning in a slightly irked tone.
"Because Clow Reed wished it so. When he killed his father, he wanted that
power to die with him, so he swore off its use and placed a geis on the people
never to speak of it again. I was the only one permitted to speak of it should
it come up again."
I was meant to keep it from happening. I failed you, Clow…
"Why you?" Kamui asked suspiciously. "What's so special about you?"
"I don't know," Kujaku answered in a tone that said he very much did. "Perhaps
it's because I'm of the dark and he considered the ability to be dark."
Yuui might have demanded the answer of him with her newfound power, but just
then, she couldn't tear her gaze away from Koryu's. He stared up at her in
rage, trying to be defiant, but unable to extinguish the fear that lingered
just beneath the surface. She could do anything she liked with him. She could
force him to tell her all of Yuuko's plans…order him never to touch Kohaku…she
could force him to end his own life. She had that power, but…she didn't want
it. She didn't want to gain by such a blatant exploitation of another person.
It would be no different from the things Seishiro had done to Fai.
"No," she said firmly, closing her eyes and shaking her head, releasing him
from her control. He immediately got to his feet, backing away from all of
them.
"Yuui-sama, think about this," Kamui cautioned her. "He's a dangerous enemy.
Can you really afford to let him go?"
"I don't care. I won't take away another person's will."
"Couldn't do it, huh?" Koryu mocked softly, well aware that she'd briefly
contemplated killing him. He had to regain at least somemeasure of control.
"She spared you!" Fai lashed out at the dark faerie. "She showed you
compassion, much more than you deserve after you tried to kidnap her daughter.
I might not have," the blond said warningly, the fire that made Kurogane
nervous smoldering briefly in his eyes.
"You would do well to leave here before the queen changes her mind," Hisui
advised the dark faerie.
Hisui hadn't made herself known up until that point, but when she did, Koryu's
attention was drawn straight to her, suddenly realizing who she was.
"You…you're the one…he betrayed us for…Hisui."
The wind spirit nodded, recalling somewhere in the back of her mind that Koryu
was Kokuyo's cousin.
"Please…I was told…that he's still alive. What did Yuuko do to him?" the young
lord asked, almost seeming to forget where he was.
"None of us…could really figure it out," Hisui began, also seeming to forget
who she was talking to when brought to the subject of her lover. "He said he'd
return to Faerie with me. I left his side for but a moment…and when I returned,
he was already lost in the sleep of death. I don't know what she did to him."
Koryu looked pensive for several moments before suddenly locking eyes with
Hisui again.
"There might be a way to wake my brother. Don't give up on him just yet," the
Oni lord said before vanishing into the forest.
"Brother?" Hisui murmured in shocked confusion. "What…what did he mean by
that?"
"An excellent question, Hisui, and an even longer story than most," Kujaku said
casually. "But it's a story that has a great deal to do with the former Oni
master, Akuma, the Shiro brothers…and myself. It's a conversation best kept for
a more secure location. So if you want answers, I suggest we press on."
                                      XxX
"You took his blood tithe, didn't you?" Koryu demanded furiously as he stormed
into Yuuko's throne room. The dark queen herself was draped over her throne
like a worn out rag doll, barely coherent after all the effort it had taken to
maintain the Dark Court's existence. The insane, rundown queen was little more
than a figurehead. Seishiro, Fuuma, and Kyle were in charge now.
"Oh…hello, Koryu," she greeted languidly. "What are you doing here?"
"Kokuyo!" he shouted, not to be deterred. "Two years ago! You took his blood
tithe."
"Even if I did, what are you going to do about it, little lord?" she asked. The
blood tithe was a system set up by Yuuko when she'd first founded the Dark
Court. Being under Clow's geis to never speak of the covenant again, she
couldn't develop a power like it for herself. Thus, the blood tithe was agreed
to. Yuuko's servants could certainly betray her if they wished, but she still
maintained a degree of control over their blood. If a time came when it was
necessary, she could extract that tithe as she wished, tailoring very specific
and enduring punishments for those who betrayed her.
"I didn't say I was going to do anything about it," he responded, sidestepping
the challenge. "I just want to know what you did to my brother."
"So you know," Yuuko said softly, completely changing the subject.
"Fuuma told me. Of course you know. Who else knows?"
"Not many, if that's what you're worried about. Kokuyo himself didn't even
know. Your parents, of course. Clow and I were the ones they came to after the
first child was born."
"Kokuyo?"
"No…Kokuyo was the second child. You are the third and last."
"We have…another sibling?" he murmured in slight shock. Now that he thought on
it, Fuuma had never said that Kokuyo was the first. "Who?"
"Well, it isn't Seishiro. He knew it the moment Fuuma saw the truth of it in
you. Apart from him, the only other person who knows the truth is Kujaku."
"Kujaku? The dark faerie Clow kept as a lapdog?"
"His full name is Kujaku Satani. He is the rightful heir to the title of clan
master."
"Then…what's he doing with them?"
"I couldn't tell you," she said with an odd smile. "No one knows what that one
is thinking nowadays. He never really belonged to the Dark Court…though I
imagine he was horribly torn when Clow and I went to war against each other."
"How do you mean he never belonged to the Dark Court?"
"He didn't choose to come here, as the others did. Akuma imprisoned him here
when he joined me. He remained a prisoner for nearly five hundred years. When
Kamui killed your father for raping his mother, he was able to escape. So
Kokuyo became the new Oni lord and Kujaku has been with Clow ever since. How
much of this his companions know, I couldn't guess."
"Why…keep him prisoner?" Koryu asked, feeling a twinge of guilt for the older
brother he hadn't realized he had. If Yuuko's treatment of captives was any
indication, Kujaku had been imprisoned beneath the court for the first three
hundred years of Koryu's life.
"Because he wouldn't agree to the blood tithe. He knew too much about his
father to be allowed to return to Faerie. I only let him escape when he did
because the war was ending and there was little point to holding him
anymore…though, I see now that I would have done well to retrieve him when I
still had the chance," she mused, more to herself. "It was through his efforts
that the little faerie queen was able to penetrate to the core."
"What did you do to Kokuyo?" Koryu asked again, now that the subject of the
blood tithe had come up once more. "How did you extract his tithe?"
"I poisoned him," the fallen queen answered with more than a little relish.
"Not enough to kill him…just to leave him in a coma. I gave him a poisoned
kiss…along with the command that he was not to heal himself. He was left
trapped in limbo...and unless I say otherwise, he will remain so."
"What happens if I want his tithe back?" Koryu finally asked, offering his
ruler a subtle challenge.
Yuuko laughed, trailing her fingers through her long hair for several moments
before answering. "I thought you might. You do realize I could extract your
tithe if I wanted to?"
"It crossed my mind," the young lord said calmly, trying to keep his thoughts
from showing on his face. None of them would have dared to approach Yuuko under
normal circumstances, but it was starting to become common knowledge just how
far gone the queen was. She wasn't even trying to probe his mind anymore.
"I will, then," she said with a twisted smile. "Come here to me, Koryu Satani."
Koryu felt a brief spark of fear shoot down his spine as his feet began to walk
toward the throne of their own accord. He had made the gamble and he would have
to pay the price one way or the other. Once he'd reached her, she drew him down
close to her, pressing her lips to his. As they kissed, the Oni lord heard his
queen's voice in his head.
Koryu Satani, son of Akuma and Sonsei Satani, I grant you full control of
Kokuyo Satani's blood tithe, but you will leave this land. The Oni will
continue to fight in your absence and you will be condemned to exile in the
wastelands to the east, across the Amphirian Ocean. You will wander there alone
until you discover what it is you truly want. Until that time, you may not
approach these shores.
Koryu's eyes widened as he pulled back from Yuuko. Banished - until he knew
what he wanted? Even now, he didn't believe he really knew what he wanted.
Would such a day ever come?
Giving a childish grin, Yuuko drew her staff from thin air, tapping her
general's head with the emerald orb at the top. "Now…go," she said, her firm
tone belying her maddened air.
Almost immediately, Koryu turned on his heels, walking away from the throne and
toward his uncertain future with more than a little trepidation.
                                      XxX
The situation in Piffle City hadn't changed much in the near three weeks since
the group had been forced to flee. Ryuuki and his warriors had managed to purge
the walled city of Oni and erect a barrier field around it, but the surrounding
fields were still chaotic with battle. If the current situation were allowed to
continue, they would be faced with a siege, as they had been in Valeria, and
none of them wanted to pay the price that had been paid to end the siege of
Cephiro.
The sounds of battle carried even into Lord Ichiro's castle. It had been in
everyone's ears constantly since Ryuuki's lieutenant, Kiyokazu Fujimoto, had
met them at the city gates after Larg had teleported them through the barrier.
As he'd done before, Ichiro had granted those who'd wanted them their own
rooms, but the small band was currently gathered in the room occupied by
Kujaku. They had been asked to attend a war council later in the evening, but
Yuui knew things had be settled within their own group before they could really
start helping others.
Kujaku was draped languidly over his futon, but the others were arranged mostly
in sitting positions throughout the rest of the room. Doumeki and Watanuki were
seated on the windowsill with the Mokona and Kurogane and Fai were leaning
together against the wall opposite the window, so Fai wouldn't have to see any
of the fighting. Sai and Hisui were seated on a couch and Kamui and Subaru both
stood guard by the door. Tomoyo and Yuui were both seated on the futon facing
Kujaku. Kohaku had thankfully fallen asleep and was currently cradled in
Kurogane's arms while Fai shyly stroked her downy hair.
"The truth, Kujaku-san," Yuui said, her voice barely audible.
"Do you ask this of me…under pain of the covenant?" the dark faerie asked
gravely, remaining in his strangely relaxed position.
"No…never. I want you to tell me. I want you to tell me who you are…who you are
to the Satani…and the Shiro clan…and who you are that my grandfather would
protect you…even though you've known the confidence of the Dark."
Kujaku stretched, a bitter smile taking up residence on his face. "That story
began nearly three thousand years ago, My Queen. Did you know…that Akuma Satani
began life as a girl child?"
Apart from Kujaku himself, the only ones present who seemed to know this were
Doumeki, Watanuki, and Kamui, those of their number who had been born before
the start of the Last War.
"This truth was no longer spoken of after Akuma defected along with Yuuko, so
of course it was forgotten."
"What caused…this change?" Yuui finally managed to ask. She had seen glimpses
of Akuma Satani as a male, but she'd apparently not seen far back enough to see
him as a her.
"A woman named Tohru Shiro," Kujaku replied, staring very pointedly at Subaru
and Kamui.
"What? Did he change just to rape my mother?" Kamui challenged, his voice
taking on a shade of anger.
Kujaku laughed. "You know that isn't true, Kamui. Kokuyo and Koryu were already
born by then. The transformation occurred long before your baby
brother's…conception."
Subaru had to physically restrain his brother when Kamui took several
threatening steps forward. It took a few moments of him murmuring, "It's over;
it's done with," in order for the older Shiro to calm down.
"I would ask you not to provoke him," Yuui said warningly. "Akuma…made him
watch."
"Well, forgive me, Your Majesty, if I hold a slight grudge against the former
Shiro master for the life I've led," the dark faerie said, his voice nearly a
growl as he gazed accusingly at Kamui, who was staring intently at the floor
after Yuui's revelation.
"Then explain to us why that's so," Yuui went on calmly. "We're going to have
this all out now, before anything else happens."
"The first three hundred years of Akuma Satani's life were quite promising,"
Kujaku began, as if relating an old story he'd heard. "She was the elder of a
pair of twins, and her little sister, Sonsei, adored her. She was a powerful
warrior and when she became master of the Oni at such a young age, it was
expected she would rule over them with a firm hand. People began to wonder when
she might take a husband and produce an heir for her clan. But what nobody knew
was that Akuma had carried on a secret romance most of that time…with the
master of the Shiro clan, Tohru."
Kamui looked like he might lash out, but Yuui held up a hand to silence him.
"Why would they keep this romance a secret? It's been my experience that Faerie
is…not averse to non-traditional relationships."
"Akuma was barely sixteen when they met, barely grown by human standards and
little more than a newborn by faerie standards. Tohru was already seven hundred
years old when the tryst began. Such a relationship would have been looked down
upon until Akuma was at least a hundred years old. Even after that point,
well…even before the Last War, the Satani clan didn't always…see eye to eye
with the rest of Faerie's citizens. A union between the Satani heir and the
Shiro master would have been…questionable, at the very least. So they loved
each other in secret."
"What happened?" Fai suddenly asked, already fearing the direction this tale
was taking.
"When Akuma became master of the Oni, she asked Tohru to marry her…and Tohru
refused her. There hadn't been even a whisper of a betrothal for the Shiro
master, but Tohru told Akuma their union wasn't meant to happen. It went on
like that for another hundred years, secret meetings, Akuma begging Tohru to be
her wife. They went on making love to each other right up until the night Tohru
married Kazuhiko Fay-Ryuu, a distant cousin of the Sol line. She slept with
Akuma one last time right before the wedding, married Fay-Ryuu, and went to his
bed that night."
"THAT'S A LIE!" Kamui burst out. "My mother was no common slut! You shame her
memory!"
"Calm down, Kamui-san," Yuui ordered.
"I've never spoken a lie in my life," Kujaku insisted.
"How would you even know any of this?" Subaru asked, still in the act of
subduing his brother.
"Because I heard the story from my parents' own lips."
"And who were they?" Yuui asked.
"Akuma and Sonsei Satani. My proper name is Kujaku Satani."
Shocked silence ensued for several moments following Kujaku's revelation. Sai
was the one to finally break it.
"But…they were…sisters…"
"They were indeed. When Tohru finally turned her back on Akuma for good, Akuma
lost her mind. Thinking that Tohru would prefer her as a man, she made the
transformation, becoming the man who would be my father. When Tohru still
refused him, he turned to Sonsei for comfort. My mother had always adored her
sibling, professing to love Akuma no matter what form he took. So she took his
twisted desires onto herself…into herself…and became Tohru for him…because it
was what he wanted. I was merely the first product of my father's incestuous
insanity."
"The first…?" Yuui murmured, barely able to conceal her shock.
"Kokuyo and Koryu," Hisui said, finally making the connection.
"That's right. They didn't come around for a good long while, though. For the
longest time, it was just my mother and I. Akuma still had enough presence of
mind to realize what he and Sonsei had done would never be accepted…so he hid
us from the world. For two hundred years, we remained sealed in the Satani
castle. I was a little hellion then, but mother just passively accepted our
fate. She always told me it was because she loved my father. And then…Kokuyo
was born," the slender faerie recounted with a pained smirk.
"He was the special one. He was allowed to walk free in the light of day. Akuma
accepted him as a son, realizing he would never touch another woman apart from
Sonsei. Perhaps I was just too painful a reminder of his rejection…of the
earliest days of their sin. Kokuyo was never allowed to know either our mother
or myself. We entered another two hundred year period of isolation…up until the
rebellion against King Fei Wang. Akuma sided with Clow and Yuuko, and I never
understood why…perhaps he just felt a moment of guilt and desperately needed to
tell someone…but he revealed our existence to them. They were the first people
I'd ever seen apart from Mother and Father, and my little brother for a few
minutes after his birth. I remember…there was such pity in their eyes," he
recounted, actually looking sad for the first time during the interview.
"Surely, they'd gotten angry with him for his crime, but I never saw any of
that. Clow gave us a choice. He offered us the chance to come out of the
darkness. I almost took it. I was ready to breathe the free air…but then my
mother refused. She said she would remain…as long as Akuma wanted her there. I
looked back at her then…and saw just how serious she was…not a trace of
madness. She loved her brother. After everything he'd done to her, the woman
actually loved him…and I knew he would leave her there alone. There was no
telling when he'd feel the need to seek his sick redemption in her arms. I knew
that if I left, she'd be completely alone…so I stayed. I let them close the
door in my face again."
"What happened…when Yuuko released the Sakurazukamori?" Subaru finally managed
to ask after another long bout of horrified silence.
"Akuma sided with her. The Satani clan left Faerie behind, carrying the might
of the Oni into the service of the newly formed Dark Court. Mother, of course,
would have followed my father anywhere, but I wouldn't swear an oath to Yuuko.
I wanted no part of their conflict. Yuuko and Clow had been…the first people to
show me some compassion. I didn't want to watch them destroy each other.
However, because of all the secrets I knew about my father, I couldn't very
well be allowed to walk free, now could I? So they kept me imprisoned beneath
the Shirahime Mountains…bound within the dark core for five hundred years."
Kujaku's narrative was quite suddenly interrupted by screaming. Everyone looked
up to see Fai on his knees, tearing at his hair and shrieking to high heaven.
Kurogane was down beside him instantly, struggling to hold Fai in one arm and
Kohaku in the other; no easy feat, as Fai's panic attack had woken Kohaku up.
"No more! No more!" the incensed prince shouted. "I don't want those memories!
I can't stand it! I don't want to go back in the Dark! AAGGH! KUROGANE!"
"I'm here, Fai!" Kurogane had to shout to be heard, wrapping both his arms
securely around the distraught blond once he'd passed the wailing Kohaku safely
to Watanuki. "I'm right here. It's gone now. It won't hurt you anymore."
It took Fai several minutes to realize he was being held, not held down. His
fit eventually lapsed into pitiful sobs as he clung to his lover.
"You're not going anywhere. You're staying right here with me. I promise," the
dark-haired prince soothed, gently kissing the top of Fai's head.
"It…it won't stop…looking into me. I c- I can't…stop it…coming into me," he
whimpered.
I'll stop it for you, Kurogane said, giving the words only to Fai's mind.
"What was that?" Hisui asked once the baby and the young man had both been
sufficiently calmed.
"He's remembering…being trapped down there," Kurogane explained, continuing to
stroke Fai's hair, unable to completely keep himself from remembering the
feeling of the Dark pressing in around the boundaries of his conscience.
"And he was only a prisoner for three months," Tomoyo murmured as she gazed on
her two brothers in sorrow.
"I…think you should take him to rest, Kurogane," Yuui suggested, though she
kept her eyes on Kujaku.
Kurogane looked like he was about to agree, but then he seemed to decide
something.
"No," he said firmly, staring straight at Yuui.
That caught the young queen's attention. Her gaze snapped over to her brother-
in-law, meeting his hard eyes. "Excuse me?"
"He ought to hear this. If he's ever going to get better, he needs to be part
of what we're doing."
"He's sick, Kurogane. Does he really look like he's in any condition to hear
more?"
"What do you want, Fai?" Tomoyo asked, hoping to keep the fight from
escalating.
Fai looked up, seeming surprised to even be asked the question. Then he clung
to Kurogane just a little tighter. "I…I want to stay with Kuro-sama."
Yuui gave Kurogane a particularly stern look for several moments, but he only
shook his head.
"I'm staying right here."
Finally, Yuui turned her attention back to Kujaku, signaling to everyone that
she was through arguing.
"How did you bear it for five hundred years, Kujaku-san?" Tomoyo asked, turning
things back to the previous line of questioning.
"The time doesn't matter so terribly much. Kurogane will attest to this. Time
loses its meaning in the void. You can be there for a minute or a millennium;
it'll get into your head. What matters is how you deal with it when you get
out."
"And how did you get out?" Watanuki asked, still cradling Kohaku in his arms.
"I escaped the day Kamui here killed Akuma. He was the one holding me down
there…and I could feel the moment of his death. I broke free, breaking up
through the layers of the Dark Court, and no one tried to stop me."
"Not even Sonsei?" Subaru asked.
"Heh, Sonsei. The day Akuma Satani died was also the day his little sister
followed him into death. Her strange little life had no meaning without him."
"So what did you do once you were free?" Yuui asked, noting the grain of
sadness in Kujaku's bitter cynicism.
"I returned to Faerie. Clow took me in and let me remain there in secret. A few
knew I was there, but no one ever knew who I really was. I imagine Clow foresaw
my usefulness and kept me safe for the day."
"It couldn't have been just that, though," Fai suddenly put in, his expression
absent as he fondly remembered the old king he'd met only once. "He knew what
you'd suffered. He must have wanted you to know some happiness."
"Yes…yes, I suppose that's true, as well," Kujaku admitted slowly, his eyes
taking on an odd look - like he didn't quite know how to reconcile his two
disparate experiences of the world.
"Then…the way Koryu spoke of to get Kokuyo back?" Hisui asked hesitantly.
"More than likely, whatever Yuuko did to him, she took his blood tithe - the
oath all her servants swore to her should they betray her. He must have known
truly what he wanted in laying his fortunes at your feet…to risk the payment of
the blood tithe. Either way, I couldn't guess how my brother plans to get the
right to that tithe from Yuuko. It's the only thing that could possibly wake
him."
"Why didn't you speak of it before, then?" Kamui asked, still hanging on to his
bitterness over the truths the dark faerie had revealed.
"No one thought to ask. Certainly Clow knew the truth, but would it have really
made you feel any better knowing the cause of your beloved's fall?" Kujaku
asked Hisui. "You still wouldn't have been able to do anything for him."
"I'll make her give me his tithe," Hisui declared hotly.
"You may not have to. Koryu seems to be doing just that. Whatever the case, no
one who asks Yuuko for something she's unwilling to give comes away unscathed.
I advise you to wait. If Koryu really wants that tithe, he will pay the price
for it."
"Can we really trust what you're saying?" Kamui continued to question.
"I swear by the heart of our sovereign and the bones of our Lady, I've spoken
no lie this day. If I prove to be an oath breaker, may She strike me dead this
very moment." With that, Kujaku turned his face upward, as if waiting for
something. When nothing happened, he turned back to Kamui. "Does this satisfy
you? We must not break our oaths, after all."
"I…I can't…trust you. You're…his son," Kamui struggled to get out.
"Answer me one thing, then…Subaru," Kujaku continued, turning his attention to
the other Shiro. "Why did your mother die?"
Subaru hesitated a long moment before answering. It was, of course, better to
ask why a faerie had died, rather than how, as it was all so very much a matter
of choice for them, but even he wasn't entirely certain of the answer.
"I was only two hundred when she left. She called the two of us to her…and
asked me if I was ready to be master of the Shiro clan. I was…shocked. It was
the first I'd heard of their plan. All my life, I'd expected Kamui would some
day become master. When she asked me, I told her I was assuredly not ready. It
wasn't my place…stain on the family that I am. Who was I to lead our clan? But
she told me…that she believed I had the strength for it. She'd been waiting
until she thought I was ready…waiting to go to…him. I begged her not to go…to
at least give Kamui the birthright owed to him…but she wouldn't be persuaded.
She lay down…and just faded away. All this time, I thought the him she spoke of
was Kamui's father…but now-"
"She chose him," Kamui interrupted harshly. "Satani…killed my father…and she
still chose him instead. Their skin glowed…that night. Was I…just as little to
her as my father was? Was I so easy to leave behind…to cast aside?" he asked,
finally giving voice to the thoughts that had plagued him for a thousand years.
"If you remember nothing else, Kamui Shiro, remember that your precious baby
brother is also his son. Of those of us who bear the name Shiro or Satani, he
is undoubtedly the one who deserves the blessings of both lines. He was the
child the two of them wanted. Why the rest of us exist is far beyond me,"
Kujaku said, driving home each point as cruelly as he was able.
"That's enough, Kujaku-san," Yuui broke him off in a firm voice. Already, she
could see her knight shattering. First Fuuma - now this. She'd hoped to give
Subaru some peace of mind over his making…to give him something hopeful to
paint over the stains he'd been pinned with all these years, but she'd also
realized that Subaru's identity couldn't be changed without destroying Kamui's.
Youknowit isn't true, Kamui-san; not all of it, she said to him in thoughts.
You were there that night; I've seen it, too. Tohru-sama never cast your father
aside. He left because hewantedto. A mere sword wound wouldn't have killed him
and youknowit.
Even so…his pain-filled psyche cried out to her, was I so easy to abandon? Why
give me life…if neither of them ever wanted me?
Maybe…it was for your sake that they were together to begin with?
What do you mean?
I'm not sure…but from what I gather, your mother had a bit of the power of a
Yumemi. Perhaps she saw something…
"Perhaps…" he said aloud, not really seeming to take the words to heart as he
turned to leave the room.
"Brother, wait," Subaru pleaded, catching hold of him once again. "Our mother
couldn't have loved you less. You said it yourself. The plan to have the Shiro
birthright passed to me was all done to protect me. You suggested it, didn't
you?"
Yes…but maybe I only did it because I didn't want to know who she'd really
choose, he said privately to his brother. And all these years, I've let you
suffer the burden of being the product of a rape that never happened…because I
didn't want to face what I saw that night.
"I don't blame you. I don't blame you at all," Subaru said aloud, pulling his
semi-catatonic brother into his arms.
"Is there anything else anyone feels like telling me that I might want to
know?" Yuui asked, sounding more than a little irate. At this point, the best
thing she could do for Kamui was leave him to Subaru. Most of the others,
though, were starting to get on her nerves. These faeries kept talking about
being truthful, never telling lies and never breaking oaths, when all they
really did was dance around the truth so skillfully it would have almost been
more sporting to lie. Did no one think she needed to know any of this?
When no one responded to her request, she went to gather Kohaku from Watanuki.
The little girl burbled for her several times before falling back asleep.
"I'll see you all in a few hours. You'd better take good care of him," Yuui
told Kurogane. He glared at her, and for a moment, it was like the old
days…when the two princes were in the youth of their love and Yuui would chide
Kurogane about something unimportant - but then Yuui shook her head, sighing
once before heading out of the room with Tomoyo.
It wasn't like she wanted to be the bad guy right now. It just seemed she and
Kurogane had very different ideas about what needed to be done for Fai. It
killed all of them to see him in such a state, while they had no idea what he
really needed from them.
After two weeks of taking only a step forward for every two steps back…perhaps
it was time to try Kurogane's approach?
Do you remember what I said to you…the day we rescued Fai? When she and Tomoyo
conferred like this, there was no chance anyone could possibly overhear them.
I remember. Why?
I…might have been wrong. Maybe it's time we started trusting them.
Instead of saying anything, Tomoyo stopped Yuui right there in the corridor and
planted a very quick, very heated kiss on her lips, then gave her a pleased yet
playful smile before continuing on without her. Yuui needed several moments to
process the exchange before she was able to follow after her wife.
                                      XxX
It was three days following the showdown in Kujaku's chamber that Yuui summoned
Kamui to her and Tomoyo's chambers. Even after the war council, there had been
good news and much to do with love and babies, so Yuui was feeling very good
about the timing. They had learned at the council that Koryu had vanished from
the battlefield. Wherever he was, the Oni were essentially leaderless, and why
they continued to fight was anyone's best guess, though they were more fighting
defensive tactics now rather than offensive ones, and the Fire Guard was
steadily pushing them back from the city walls.
After the council, Yuui had finally managed to get Chi in contact with Hideki.
As they had fled the city so quickly last time, she hadn't been able to uphold
her promise, but now it was done, and Hideki had finally been able to see his
wife and child again and reassure them he was all right. Yuui had also heard
that Subaru had gone to Kakyo Kuzuki with the news that he was carrying his
grandchild. She hadn't heard how the meeting had gone, but she didn't imagine
the Nihon lord had been particularly surprised by the news. She liked to think
he was at least happy that some part of Souma remained in the world.
With all of the good things happening, Yuui almost wanted to take them as an
omen that her decision was the right one. Tomoyo certainly thought so, and she
had let her know it that very night. Even Kohaku had been very agreeable these
last few days. All she needed now was a little help from Kamui.
The faerie captain looked…pensive…upon entering their sitting room. He hadn't
been heard from much since their first day in the city, which could be either a
good or a bad thing, but Yuui hoped he and Subaru had at least worked through
some of their demons.
"Kamui-san, I need to know what sort of spell you used on Fuuma and I…when
Kohaku was conceived," she began rather abruptly once he was standing before
them. Instantly, his eyes bulged in shock. He'd thought that matter was behind
them.
"Yuui-sama-"
"No. This is from before I was anything to you but a little forest brat. You
know what I want you to call me."
"Yuui…chan…why do you need to know this? I thought all that was forgotten," he
said quietly, his face going ashen as he remembered the sins of the past year.
"It is. This has nothing to do with me or any of that. I want that spell for
Fai and Kurogane."
"What? Why?"
With that, Yuui pulled the phial of potion from within her clothing. Even after
all the time that had passed since she'd received it, the small vessel was
still warm.
"If I reveal the miracle contained within this phial, do you swear, on your
honor, that you will not reveal its existence?"
"I swear, on my honor and on my brother's life."
"Good. This potion came to me from another world, Kamui-san."
"How…do you mean?"
"Just as our two worlds are different planes of existence, so, too, are there
other worlds beyond ours not connected to us in any way. This potion was given
to me because it will allow Fai to conceive a child inside his own body and
carry it to birth. Their curse can be broken."
"That's…good news," Kamui said slowly. "But what do you need my help for?"
"I'm afraid if I slip them the potion, they might not make love. I know things
have been…difficult for them these past weeks. It's destroying both of them…not
to have what they once had. I believe this will help."
"I don't mind assisting you, but…why couldn't you just tell them about the
potion?"
"Because I'm afraid of what might happen if it doesn't work. If I give them
this fragile hope, only to have it dashed…I'm afraid it really will be the
final nail in the coffin. I want to be certain it's worked before I tell them.
As such, once I've slipped Fai the potion…I want them to be helpless to do
anything but mate…just as Fuuma and I were," the young queen said solemnly,
willing herself not to remember the agony of that day. Just because she had
forgiven those responsible didn't mean she could look back on her rape with
anything but horror.
"I understand. Does it matter to you if they…remember the effects of the
spell?"
"Actually, I'd prefer it if they remembered. I want this to be a good memory
for them. All I really need is an aphrodisiac. They need to desire nothing but
each other…just long enough…and, maybe…if we're lucky…this will help them start
to get back on the right track."
"It shall be as you wish. I will work this spell for you, My Lady. You'll have
it by tomorrow," he promised her, bowing low.
"Good. That's when we'll do it, then. Thank you for this, Kamui-san."
His only acknowledgment of her thanks before he left was a small smile and a
brief nod. Even if his existence meant nothing to the world, he could at least
do this one thing to make someone else happy.
***** Love Melody *****
Kurogane and Fai were cuddling on their futon when Tomoyo and Yuui brought
Kohaku to visit them. They hadn't focused very much on training since coming to
Piffle. Kurogane had coaxed Fai into getting in a few hours of meditation
practice with his amulet by itself, but nothing more than that. Somehow, the
ninja got the feeling that Fai worked better in Celes. Perhaps he just felt
more comfortable there. Whatever the reason, he'd been thinking of requesting
that the group move back to Celes rather than remain in Piffle. They all agreed
that Fai still needed rest before they actively rejoined the war effort, but
Koryu's little stunt had thrown a spike into their plans. However, the fact
that he seemed to have vanished made the older prince somewhat hopeful. With
the Dark Court's chain of command apparently in disarray, it might be safe for
them to return to Celes to let Fai recuperate and allow the two of them time to
train.
"How have you two been today?" Yuui asked, coming to the futon, sitting down,
and laying Kohaku right next to Fai.
"All right," Fai responded as he sat up, sounding not too bad, all things
considered. "Can I-"
"Sure," Yuui answered without waiting for him to finish, seeing that he was
gesturing toward his niece. Kohaku always seemed to lift his mood. Fai
immediately offered his hand to Kohaku, who seized his fingers and promptly
began to suck on them. Fai gave the little girl a brilliant smile as he watched
her.
"What occasions the visit?" Kurogane asked, sitting up himself when Tomoyo
finally joined them.
"Kohaku was being fussy, so we figured we'd bring her to see her uncles,"
Tomoyo explained.
Having grown very adept at sensing it, Kurogane noted a breath of deception in
the statement, but there was no harm in it, so he let it go. If he and Fai were
under observation, then they were under observation. There was little they
could do about it. He would play along for now.
"Have either of you eaten anything today?" Yuui asked, fixing her brother with
a rather pointed stare. It was a little early for dinner, but it wasn't an
entirely unreasonable question, considering that it was Fai and Kurogane.
Fai ducked his head slightly, not meeting Yuui's gaze. "Kuro-rin had some sushi
earlier, but I wasn't really hungry," he explained, nodding toward the low
table where they'd eaten, adorned with an empty plate and a cold bowl of miso
soup.
Yuui shook her head. "I thought that might be the case, so we took the liberty
of having something sent up," she said just as two servants entered with trays
of food. The old dishes were gathered and four bowls of oden were set on the
table in their place, along with four goblets and a fresh plate of sushi.
"I don't know if I'll ever get used to that," Yuui said once the two young
women had gone. "Just having people at my beck and call."
"Well, you'll just have to force yourself," Tomoyo said, her grin only slightly
impish as she whisked Kohaku away from Fai and carried her over to the table.
Yuui quickly followed her and they both sat down, waiting for their brothers to
join them.
"Oh, Tomoyo-chan," Fai whined, as if trying to resurrect the old days. "Don't
take Kohaku-chan away from me."
"If you want to play with her some more, you'll have to come and eat
something," Tomoyo said, her tone inviting no debate.
"Come on and eat, baka," Kurogane said as he stood from the futon and offered
Fai his hand. "You've got to be hungry by now."
"Maybe a little," Fai capitulated, taking the offered hand and climbing to his
feet. He'd caught a scent of the delicious stew and was now a bit more willing,
as it reminded him of the meal Kurogane had made for him not too long ago.
Though, still feeling a little rebellious at having been conned into eating, he
went for the goblet first, pleased to discover the particularly sweet taste of
plum wine. He downed at least half the goblet before starting in on the oden.
"I don't see how you can eat that stuff," Fai commented between bites as he
watched Yuui delicately lift up a tuna roll and place it in her mouth.
Once she'd finished chewing, Yuui only grinned. "I guess I developed a taste
for raw fish when I was pregnant. You'll probably want to be getting used to
'that stuff' if you mean to live with Kurogane in the future."
Fai's first desire was to be sad at the mere mention of his and Kurogane's
future, but, strangely enough, he found that he couldn't fall back into the old
depression. Something very different was starting to boil in his chest. He took
several bites of oden, thinking whatever it was might have been caused by the
wine. Unfortunately, though, it did nothing. All he felt was a sudden need to
drink more wine. Quickly, he lifted the goblet and guzzled the rest of it like
water. The sudden deluge of alcohol upon his system caused his head to spin,
but the bout of vertigo didn't last long. He tried to take another bite of
oden, but was stopped by Kurogane's voice.
"Fai?"
At the sound of his lover's deep voice, Fai felt a sudden tremor of passion
sweep through his entire body. It felt like it had been an eternity since
Kurogane had called to him like that, his rich voice both soft and thunderous
with the heat of need. When the blond finally looked up to meet his prince's
eyes, he saw just that: Need…raw and open. As Kurogane stared at him openly,
Fai suddenly felt the very distinct weight of the clothing on his body.
"Kuro…koi?" he whispered back, the name on his lips causing a familiar warmth
to pool in his stomach. Any moment now, that warmth would begin to spill lower.
Every moment they were not together was a new little death.
Kurogane was in very much the same boat. After just one sip of the wine, he'd
been compelled to drink more. He'd tried to stave it off with the oden, but he
ultimately hadn't been able to stop himself from guzzling the alcohol, just as
Fai had. Now, he couldn't keep his eyes off the blond and he couldn't help but
imagine what it would feel like to tear his clothing from his body and have him
right there on the table. The thought alone made him fully, instantly hard and
he groaned aloud, his hips giving a few involuntary thrusts.
He'd almost forgotten there was anyone else in the room when Yuui's voice
saying something about feeding Kohaku briefly entered his conscience. The next
moment their sisters were gone and Fai was on the floor beneath him, panting
desperately and offering himself up to be touched and kissed.
He didn't really remember tackling Fai, and yet they'd somehow gone from
sitting at the table to being splayed out on the floor, tearing at each others'
clothing and kissing every possible inch of skin they could get at. Neither
could explain it, but it was suddenly as if they were fighting for their very
lives. Coherent thought had vanished, only to be replaced by a single
overwhelming imperative.
Mate…or die.
In the midst of their passion, Kurogane seemed to instinctually realize that
what they were doing simply wasn't efficient. This wasn't about pleasure. This
was about getting his seed into Fai's body - no matter what. Growling hungrily,
he managed to tear himself away from Fai's body long enough to scoop him up,
carry him to the futon, and deposit him on it without much ceremony. Just as he
was about to fall on him again, the blond made a small sound of pain that
briefly subdued him.
Fai wriggled about on the sheets for a moment before coming up with a small red
bottle. Something in Kurogane briefly rose above his drive to impregnate the
blond at his feet, screaming that this was important. Battling against the
animal need, he crouched down over Fai and took the bottle from him. When he'd
uncorked it, the scent of roses quickly permeated the room, awakening something
familiar in both of them. It was not, however, enough to quell the command of
instinct beating in their blood.
While Kurogane covered his fingers in the rose-scented stuff, Fai took the
opportunity to remove his already torn tunic and wriggle out of his pants. Once
he was fully naked, he took a moment to eye Kurogane's yukata. Both were angry
and confused with the black cloth. The complicated clothing was an undesired
barrier in their desperation to mate. So, after several moments of heated
confusion, Fai finally managed to focus his power on the yukata and it simply
fell open, leaving Kurogane exposed to him.
Once they were both free, Kurogane wasted no time in jamming two fingers up
inside Fai. Opening himself to the penetration, Fai cried out in both pain and
desire. His entire world had become the minutes separating him from the moment
when he would finally be filled with Kurogane's essence.
After several minutes of hard thrusting and scissoring, the ninja decided that
his prince was ready for him and withdrew, taking a moment to cover himself
with more of the bottle's contents and help Fai brace himself against the
pillows. Then he positioned himself solidly on his knees, helping Fai hook his
legs over his elbows as he pressed the tip of his manhood against the entrance
to the blond's body. Then, without any hesitation, Kurogane plunged into Fai.
Gripping the ninja prince's shoulders to steady them both, Fai let out several
small cries of pleasure when Kurogane struck his sweet spot.
Normally, Kurogane would have allowed Fai time to adjust to him, but there was
none of that this time. They were both desperate to complete the mating, so
Kurogane began thrusting immediately, in and out, as deep as he could possibly
go. Fai came almost instantly, crying out as his semen spurted out of him. He
felt pleasure, but no relief. He was still empty, desperately needing to be
filled. The luminous glow of Fai's skin, normally marveled at by both lovers,
went unnoticed this time. Kurogane continued to thrust, knowing his release was
near at hand.
Then, sensing the moment, Kurogane gave one final thrust, allowing his weight
to collapse against Fai, burying himself in the slighter male's body as he
reached his climax with an animalistic cry of victory. Fai sighed in
contentment, knowing that he was finally filled with his lover's semen. Then,
just like that, the two fell into an exhausted sleep, sated by the completed
act of procreation.
Neither of them knew it, of course, but falling asleep in that exact position,
not even taking the time to separate, gave Kurogane's seed the time necessary
to soak into Fai's body, combining with Fai's own essence to begin the miracle
they both so desperately desired.
It wasn't a very long nap, just long enough, but the sleep felt much longer to
both of them, having had no peace in slumber for more than three months. This
small cat nap felt more refreshing and satisfying than a month of sleep.
Blinking sleepily upon waking, Kurogane found himself crouched low over Fai,
buried firmly in his body. As he watched Fai wake, he found himself wondering
how they could have possibly maintained such a position in their sleep. He
vaguely remembered the events of the past hour, but the memory he clung to the
hardest was just how wonderfully fulfilling the whole thing had been. He felt
truly happy again after months of pain and confusion. He felt like his love was
finally starting to come back to him. Hoping Fai felt the same things he was
feeling, he couldn't help but chuckle upon catching sight of the blond's
confused doe eyes.
"I think we've been had," he said, leaning forward to kiss Fai on the nose.
"What…what do you mean?"
"I'm pretty sure those two snakes put something in our wine…a spell, maybe."
Fai closed his eyes briefly, giving up a wry grin. "Yes, you're probably right.
Goddess, but I'm starving right now."
"Well, let's eat, then," Kurogane said, still grinning as he pulled out of Fai.
Rather than re-dress himself, he stripped off the yukata. "How're you feeling?"
"A little sore," he answered right off the bat, slowly starting to take stock.
What stood out to him the most, though, was that he felt…unwound. He felt
almost as if he'd been tightly coiled all this time and this had suddenly
released him. Ultimately, he looked up at Kurogane and said, "I feel better."
Knowing what he meant in that moment, Kurogane could have sworn he was beaming
down at Fai. Scooping him up in his arms, he pressed his lips against Fai's in
a warm, lingering kiss before carrying him over to the table and setting him
before his barely touched bowl. Ravenous as they were after their activities,
it didn't take them long to polish off their own bowls and start on their
sisters' untouched bowls. Amazingly enough, the oden was still somewhat warm.
"Yeah. Look at this," Kurogane said, pointing to the wine goblets. The rims of
their own empty ones were painted red, but Tomoyo and Yuui's were painted
purple. "That must be how they told the difference; and they must have also
been the ones who left the oil, just as they were leaving."
"I suppose…but why would they do this?" Fai wondered out loud.
"Maybe…they thought it would help. I mean…you do feel better, don't you?"
Kurogane asked, staring intently at Fai as he reached for one of the full wine
goblets. Fai nodded, but there was still a shade of doubt in his eyes.
"I do. I really do," he rushed to reassure the dark-haired prince when he saw
him sigh. "I feel…so much better than I have since…well, since you proposed to
me, really," he said, bringing tiny, fond smiles to both their faces. "I'm
just…afraid it'll go away. It always does. Some- something will happen…and I'll
fall right back into the Darkness," he murmured, gathering his knees up against
his chest and curling in on himself.
Abandoning the wine, Kurogane crawled over to Fai and pulled him into his arms.
Gently rocking him, he placed a kiss on the top of his head to soothe him.
"You're right. It probably will happen again…but you've just got to keep coming
back from it. Hold onto this," he whispered to him, holding him just a little
tighter. "Remember what this feels like. Come back to me. I'll be waiting for
you. I'll always wait for you."
"What if…I can't come back?" he whispered fearfully, his mouth going dry.
"Then I'll come for you…right into the Darkness, just like I did before. We're
going to beat this thing, you and me…no matter how long it takes."
"Together forever," Fai said softly, feeling slightly comforted as Kurogane
pressed a kiss to his ear. Even though he was afraid, even though he was
uncertain of so many things, for the first time in a long while, he truly felt
that he and Kurogane together could defeat this evil that pursued them - even
if it took them forever.
                                      XxX
"I knew you'd come back to me."
Fai looked all around as he walked through the forest, anywhere but at the
source of the voice.
"Another illusion, Uncle?" he asked. Normally, these things happened in
Seishiro's bedroom - the place where Fai had lost his innocence. Now they were
in Celes. It was just barely dawn and the sun hadn't quite managed to rise yet.
"You tell me, Nephew. Are you really here with me now…or is this in your head?"
"It doesn't matter," Fai said bitterly, still not looking directly at him. "You
know you can have your way with me whether I'm trapped in an illusion or not. I
can't fight you."
"Is that true?"
"You know it is. I couldn't fight you two years ago, I couldn't fight you in
Koryo, and I can't fight you now. So go ahead! Throw me down on the ground and
have me right now! The moment I find a bit of happiness, a bit of comfort, you
have to come and snatch it away! God, why don't you just kill me?" he screamed,
falling to his knees before the dark faerie.
"Because that's not really what you want, is it," his uncle said knowingly,
kneeling down and placing a hand on his cheek.
"What I want? That's never stopped you before!" he cried. "I begged you that
night! Always I begged you to stop, but you never listened. Why now?"
"Because this has to stop. One way or another, this has to stop," Seishiro said
firmly, leaning forward and pressing his lips against Fai's.
For a moment, Fai hung in shocked suspension, lost in the kiss. But then his
senses returned to him and he slapped Seishiro away.
"Like that!" he spat out harshly. "It's always like that! If it needs to stop,
why do you keep doing it?"
"Because I wanted you to hate me."
"I do hate you!"
"No, you don't. You hate what I make you feel. You hate that I make you weak.
You're afraid of me. You don't hate me enough to overcome that fear and end my
life."
"Why do you keep saying that?"
"Why would I say it if it wasn't what I really wanted? It's all I've ever
wanted of you."
"Oh, of course. I understand now," Fai said, laughing bitterly. "You can think
of no better torture than to turn me into you. If I kill you…I become you."
"That is true…but would you rather leave the killing to your precious Kurogane-
kun? You know he'd do it for you."
"No!" Fai snapped, his chest filling with horror at the mere thought of it.
"But I…don't think he'd want that for me, either."
"There's no way to win. There never has been. Only…I don't think you can really
bring yourself to kill another…not consciously, anyway. You really are just
like him."
"Him?"
"Subaru, of course. If he must be the one to kill me, I'd hoped to summon up
his hatred, but I'm afraid I've failed in even that. What can I do, nephew of
mine? What can I do to make you hate me enough to kill me?"
"Nothing. I won't kill you. I won't let myself become you," Fai answered
resolutely as he climbed back to his feet, standing over Seishiro for the
briefest of moments. Seishiro soon followed him, though.
"What would you do…if I were to kill your dear prince?"
"Then the world would end in fire," Fai said solemnly, suddenly fearing he
understood the meaning of what he'd seen in his nightmares. Did it mean…that
Kurogane was to die…that his death would summon forth the dark power sleeping
in his heart?
"Well, we can't have that, now can we."
"What do you want with me?" Fai finally asked. "If you're not going to fuck me,
why did you bring me here?"
"Oh, we are going to fuck, Nephew. Make no mistake about that. But are you so
certain it was I who brought you here? How do you know you didn't come here of
your own accord…to settle things?"
"Maybe I did," Fai said, turning away from Seishiro once again. "Maybe I just
can't help being unfaithful to the man I love."
"That's it," the Dark Prince said in a voice that immediately drew Fai's gaze.
A light seemed to have come on in his one eye. "It was never yourself you
feared me for. It was him, wasn't it? Every time I took you to my bed, you were
afraid he wouldn't want you anymore when you finally crawled back to him. That
was it, wasn't it."
Fai nodded. He wanted to cry, but he felt empty of tears. Somehow, they both
seemed to know it was ending today. He would either leave this place and return
to Kurogane…or he would remain, his body forever chained to Seishiro's, and he
still didn't know if he had any right to return to Kurogane's bed. Every time
Seishiro even looked at him, he felt as if he'd betrayed Kurogane a thousand
times over.
"You took my virginity," Fai said quietly, finally admitting it to himself.
"Even if it was just an illusion…we were both there…and you can't forget your
first time. No matter how much I might wish Kurogane was my first, you'd
already left your mark on my body by the time he made love to me. That stain's
always going to be there. And…for all I know…I'm supposed to be with both of
you!" he shouted, also admitting the true reason for his terror and utter
disgust with himself. The nightmare in which he and his uncle had glowed for
each other had never truly left him. He'd never even told Kurogane about it.
"Ah, I see. That's what we've come here to settle, then. I can promise you that
never happened. I never touched you while you slept. That was all the Darkness
getting inside your head. I can prove it to you if you want. Have sex with me."
"So we're right back where we started from," Fai said, beginning to laugh
again, bordering on sounding hysterical this time.
"No. I said 'have sex with me', not 'make love with me.' There's a difference.
I'll show you that we don't mean anything to each other. It only means
something if you want it to. In the earlier days, the old faerie sovereigns
would seal treaties with their vassals through acts of sex. It's just that - an
act, nothing more. Only your desire can give it any more meaning than a pair of
pigs rolling in the dust. The only way you'll ever know is if you lie with me
one last time. You said it was your decision, didn't you? Consent, then. Lie
with me as a consenting adult and reclaim what I took from you. Prove to me I
have no power over you. I'll even let you top if you want."
"No," Fai said calmly, uncertain of the heavy feeling in his chest and stomach.
It wasn't desire - certainly not, but somehow he knew Seishiro was right. He
would never know peace unless he found out the truth. "If…if we do this…I don't
want to look at your face."
"All right," Seishiro started as he stripped off his cloak and tunic. "You can
pretend I'm Kurogane-kun that way."
"No," the Valerian prince said again, moving over to a nearby tree. "You're not
him."
Giving the Dark Prince nothing else as he continued to strip, Fai simply undid
his belt and slid his pants down a little ways, revealing only the necessary
parts.
"Is that all?" Seishiro's voice sounded in his ear as he felt arms slip around
his waist.
"That's all you're getting," Fai returned sharply as he braced himself against
the tree, confident that Seishiro had stripped completely. "It's all you need."
"Mm, that is true," his uncle said, pressing his lips to his neck. Then he slid
a hand down between Fai's legs, fondling, rubbing, and teasing as much as he
possibly could. He took his sweet time in getting his nephew up, but Fai gave
him no reaction. Undeniably, the touches felt pleasurable; certain touches
cannot help but elicit certain responses, but for whatever reason, Fai was able
to keep things straight in his mind this time. He could remember that it was
his uncle touching him like this. He could view it as nothing more than two
bodies rubbing together for heat and pleasure. There was nothing intimate about
it - not even when Seishiro tried to whisper passionate and dirty things to
him. Through it all, he kept his head on straight.
Thankfully, the older faerie didn't take him raw this time. He felt some sort
of lubricant on his fingers as he took the time to loosen him, but he didn't
care to know what it was. He didn't speak to Seishiro at all. He wouldn't.
Unfortunately, he wasn't able to suppress a small gasp when Seishiro finally
entered him. Blushing in anger at himself, he managed to tune out what his
uncle said to him as he began to move in and out of him. In response to his
silence, Seishiro only pounded harder. Fai didn't move with him. He remained
immovably braced against the tree, unbending before the violent motions.
As the moment of completion drew nearer, Seishiro thrust into him harder and
deeper and jerked his tortured manhood all the harder. Fai had to clamp down on
himself to keep from crying out, but he couldn't stop the increasing intensity
of his panting. He couldn't stop his body from feeling what was being done to
it. As the sensations heightened, Fai kept his eyes fixed desperately on the
foreign hand that worked at his sex - the only part of Seishiro he could
glimpse. Nothing yet.
"A- ah!" he cried out in a tiny, strangled voice, forcing his head to stay down
and his eyes to remain open as he watched himself come, spurting himself onto
the bark of the tree. Seishiro came a moment later with a satisfied grunt. When
he pulled out quickly, Fai could feel the warm semen dribbling out of him, down
his thighs to stain his clothing.
Seishiro leaned forward briefly and kissed his cheek. "You see? Nothing. Not a
single, tiny glow from either of us. The only light is from the sun."
Indeed, the sun had risen while they'd been going at it. As Fai looked around,
he almost felt like he was seeing the forest for the first time. The air even
tasted different.
"I'm…free?" he whispered, wrapping his arms tightly around his torso, uncertain
if he really believed it yet. When he finally glanced back at Seishiro, he
found he was still naked.
"Prince Fai Fluorite Reed, what I once stole from you, I now return. Go to your
lover as a virgin from this meeting. Perhaps you will never forget that you
once knew your uncle's touch, but I don't think it will consume you as it once
did. I'll ask when next I see you.
"As it stands, though, Nephew…I will require a favor from you in kind in the
not too distant future."
Quite suddenly, Fai bolted awake. Glancing hurriedly around, he found he was
back in the room he shared with Kurogane in Piffle City. Kurogane lay right
beside him on the futon, still sleeping peacefully. The morning sun was only
just beginning to shine through the balcony door.
Did it…did it really happen?
He had no idea either way. It didn't sit in his memory like a dream, slipping
quickly into oblivion upon waking. This sat in his memory as if he had only
just experienced it - as if Seishiro had only just pulled out of him, leaving
him dripping with sperm.
Glancing down beneath the sheets in terror, Fai did in fact find his thighs
coated with semen, but it was cold and sticky. He and Kurogane had made love
just before going to sleep last night, so the seed was probably his, not
Seishiro's.
Whatever had really happened, Fai realized he was free of it - finally free at
last. His uncle's power over him was broken. However, just as he was realizing
that, he happened to glance down at Kurogane again and see how peaceful he
looked. His face was even lit by the tiny hints of a smile.
When Fai saw Kurogane sleeping like that, he knew he would have to tell him
what had happened. He would have to tell him of every betrayal he'd ever flung
at him, whether real or imagined. This was inarguably a betrayal. He had gone
willingly into Seishiro's arms, free of any spell, so far as he knew. Was this
one betrayal too many? Would Kurogane still want him after this? How many times
of losing your body to incest and betrayal was too many?
He was free of Seishiro now, yes…but had he gained that freedom just in time to
lose the one thing he treasured above all else? Whatever happened from here on
in, he knew he couldn't keep secrets from Kurogane anymore, not like this one,
never again - not if their love was to survive.
Somehow managing to keep his sudden terror in check, Fai leaned down over
Kurogane and brushed his lips lightly across his forehead, wiping his gathering
tears away afterward.
I won't lie to you anymore…but have I come back to you…only in time for you to
walk away from me…Kuro-koi?
                                      XxX
Kurogane did eventually get around to asking Yuui if they could return to
Celes. Seeing that Fai seemed to be improving, she decided it was worth the
risk. The group had teleported away from the city to just within sight of the
forest, opting to walk the rest of the distance rather than do any more
teleporting. Sometimes it felt like forever since they'd been able to just
walk. Since most of the Dark Court's forces had been diverted to fight in
Piffle, less force was needed to protect the enchanted forest. The real goal
throughout the entire ordeal had been to guard the entrance to Faerie, so the
Wind Guard had withdrawn to keep a perimeter around Faerie Falls and the Water
Guard had taken up the position of guarding Spirit Lake itself. With the
liminality between two sovereigns only just barely broken, no one was willing
to find out if the enchantment that barred Yuuko and her minions from entering
Faerie still held strong or not.
With everything going on, Fai hadn't found the opportunity to tell Kurogane the
things he'd promised himself he was going to tell him. Even now, he was having
trouble working up the nerve. He just…didn't quite know what to say or how to
say it.
K- Kuro-sama?
Yeah?
Can…can I talk to you about something?
Right now?
Yes. I…it's something I've been meaning to-
Whatever Fai had been about to reveal was suddenly cut off when an indistinct
blur shot out of the forest and knocked Tomoyo to the ground. Kohaku, who was
strapped to the young queen's chest with a sling, let out a wail of terror.
None of them quite realized their attacker was Fuuma until he began to speak.
"Perhaps you can handle the little lord of the Oni, but you won't get away from
me. The princess must not live."
Before even Yuui could intervene, Fuuma was tackled to the ground by none other
than Sai.
"You will notharm Her Majesty! Not while I'm here!" she shouted as they
wrestled on the ground.
"My, my, but you're quite defensive of this human queen," Fuuma stated calmly.
"Could it be you harbor the same feelings that led Souma-chan to her end? No,"
he continued in a ponderous tone as they continued to battle. "You don't even
know what it is. There is, however…a strong desire to die for her. This I can
grant."
In the blink of an eye, Sai was lying on the ground with her chest torn open.
Just as Fuuma was about to reach inside and do what he did to Himawari, Kamui
leaped into the battle, forcing his former lover back from Sai's broken body.
Subaru quickly moved in to protect her while she healed.
"What did he mean?" Subaru asked quietly, keeping the conversation between the
two of them. "The feelings that led Souma to her end?"
"I think he means she was in love with Tomoyo."
"Well…yes. We all knew that, but…leading to her end?"
"He said he would allow me to die for her. That must mean that was her wish, as
well: to die for her…since she could never be with her."
"Do you…want to die for her?"
"Yes…no…I don't know. I don't understand what this feeling is. I don't…think I
love her. I just…feel she must not die. I couldn't tell you why. Something in
me…rebels whenever she's in danger. Just her…"
Having felt the pull of a soul mate's connection himself, Subaru had a theory
about his fellow clan master's feelings, but it was just that, so he remained
silent, allowing his attention to be drawn to his brother's fight.
Yuui was blind and deaf to all of it at the moment. The instant Sai had shoved
Fuuma away from her family, she'd rushed to them, wrapping her arms around
Tomoyo and cocooning Kohaku securely between them.
"Are you all right? Are you all right?" she asked over and over again, hard-
pressed to keep tears from coming. How could she have not been paying
attention? How could she just let it happen?
"I'm fine. We're both fine. It's okay," Tomoyo tried to reassure her,
attempting to calm both her wife and their daughter. "Just a little shaken."
Kamui, meanwhile, was somehow managing to hold his own against Fuuma. The
former lord had summoned up a sword, thankfully not Assassin's Hand this time,
and the two were locked in heated combat.
"Why…Fuuma?" he demanded as they traded blows. "She's your own daughter…your
little girl! Why would you ever hurt her?"
"I could tell you that Yuuko wishes her death, which would be true, but the
fact of the matter is she means nothing to me. The existence of Yuui-chan's
child means an end to the chaos, and I don't want that, so she must die. Her
life means no more to me than yours does."
"I don't believe that," Kamui said, finally giving breath to the words everyone
knew he held dearer than his own life…but that no one had the heart to tell him
simply couldn't be true.
"Really, now? You don't believe the promise I made to you all those months ago,
covered in my baby sister's blood? You don't believe I will be the one to kill
you?"
That was when Kamui saw it; it wasn't even a whole second, but he knew he saw
it - a flash in his lover's brown eyes, an expression on his face…horror and
terror. Then, for only a moment, he could hear him screaming.
"Fuuma?"
His moment of distraction was all his opponent needed. Fuuma brought his sword
up and thrust it straight into Kamui's heart, eliciting a small shout of pain.
"Your Fuuma is dead!" he hissed in his face before whipping the blade out and
shoving him to the ground.
"No…no, you're not," Kamui whispered, his voice too quiet for any human ear.
Even as he bled out, his face lit with a relieved smile and his eyes filled
with happy tears. "You're still alive."
Just as Fuuma was about to swing his blade down and decapitate the downed
captain, he found himself stopped by another blade. Surprised to find himself
faced with a blade of ice, Fuuma followed its length to find himself faced with
Fai, who looked nothing if not enraged.
"Just like that?" the blond prince demanded calmly, his eyes blazing. "After
everything you did to my sister to create Kohaku, you would destroy her…just
like that? I won't stand for it!" he shouted, engaging Fuuma and quickly
maneuvering him away from Kamui. It was easy enough. All he needed to do was
recall the rage he'd felt against Fuuma for what he'd done to Yuui…and his
powers came awake as they'd done in Koryo.
The others watched the fight with more than a little trepidation. Fai actually
seemed to be holding his own against the former clan master. What they didn't
realize, however, was that his reason was slipping away - a little more with
every blow.
It was when he started to see the doubt in Fuuma's eyes that Kurogane began to
fear for Fai's safety. If Fai actually killed Fuuma…what would happen to him?
Suddenly, Fai held a hand up in between blows and Fuuma stopped dead. Then, as
he slowly lowered his hand, Fuuma's body knelt jerkily before him.
"He's…controlling his blood," Watanuki said in awe and horror. As the others
watched, they came to the same conclusion. It must have been a refining of the
technique he'd used in his last fight. Rather than simply summoning the blood
from the body, he could force the body to do as he wished.
"You hurt my sister," Fai said in a voice not his own as he raised the ice
blade above Fuuma's head. "Now I can make you pay for it."
"Fai! Stop!" Kurogane shouted, rushing forward.
"Nii-sama, wait!" Tomoyo tried to shout after him. There was no telling what
Fai might do when he was like this.
"If you kill him, you become him. Don't do this!" Kurogane pleaded as he caught
Fai in his arms, desperately trying to reason with him.
"Don't interfere!" Fai snarled, trying to wriggle his way free of the arms that
held him. "He deserves to suffer!"
"No! I won't…let you…do this!" the ninja growled back, giving no quarter as
they struggled.
It happened so fast, neither of them was really certain what had happened.
Fai's hand slipped and there was the sound of flesh pierced by something sharp.
It was very much like the moment Fai had impaled Seishiro on his newborn ice
blades - the feeling of penetration into the gut…the brief splash of blood.
Only…Seishiro had easily shrugged the wound off.
Kurogane did not.
For a moment, his face bore a look of faint surprise, quickly followed by an
attempt to suppress the pain he must have been feeling. As Fai stood, frozen in
shocked horror, Kurogane leaned against him, whispering in his ear,
"Don't…don't let them control you. I – I love-"
When the dark-haired prince collapsed against him, Fai slowly fell to his
knees, cradling him in his arms.
"Ku- Kuro-sama? Kuro-rin? No…don't…I didn't mean to…please, don't – don't die."
But Kurogane made no response. His blood was warm as it seeped from the wound,
painting Fai's front crimson. It was just like one of his nightmares - only
this wasn't a nightmare. The hot blood was already causing the blade to melt
and it was flowing much more freely. He was really soaked in Kurogane's blood.
Kurogane was really dying in his arms.
"AAAAGGHH!"
He was barely conscious of it when Kurogane was pulled away from him. His arms
reached out and grasped empty air. His vision was painted red. The taste of
copper was in his mouth, the scent of it in his nose, and his skin was slick
with blood, not just Kurogane's, but his own, as well.
No! No! Kurogane…I'm sorry!...so sorry…I didn't… mean to! Don't die! Please
…don't die! I need you!
Fai didn't see who did it, but he suddenly felt a bolt of magic shoot through
his head and his hold on consciousness was quickly severed.
"I…need you. Don't go…"
                                      XxX
"I told you," his other whispers in his ear. "Itoldyou I would kill him."
If he dies…if he dies, I killed him.
"He isn't here anymore to come between us. It's just you and me now."
"SHUT UP!" he screams, clamping his hands over his ears. "He'snot dead!
He'snot!"
"You know that for a fact?" his own twisted face taunts him.
"He…hecan'tbe…"
"What if heis, though?"
"Then…thenI'mdead, too."
When Fai snapped out of his fevered sleep, he found himself lying on a bed -
not a futon, but a bed. He could tell because of the way Tomoyo was seated at
the foot of it with her legs draped over the side. At first, she didn't notice
him, as she was occupied with Kohaku, but then he asked her, "Kurogane?"
Tomoyo's eyes immediately found his and a smile spread across her face. Then
she turned a little to her right and said gently, "Yuui? He's awake."
Fai turned on his side and was greeted with the sight of Kurogane lying in the
bed right beside him, with Yuui bent over him checking his vitals.
"Is he all right?" he asked, tears already beginning to gather in his eyes.
Yuui gave him a reassuring smile when she looked up at him.
"He's going to be fine. Subaru-san got to him in time to heal the wound. He's
just resting. We haven't been here very long."
"Where are we?"
"We're home, Fai…back at the cottage. This is your bed."
Fai nodded, knowing she was right when he glanced at the curtains that Watanuki
had made for them. Apparently, their ability to ward off bad dreams had worn
off.
"What happened?" he asked, his gaze quickly turning back to Kurogane's face,
somewhat relieved to see him sleeping peacefully.
"You lost control again. If you'd killed Fuuma, you would've been taken by the
Sakurazukamori. Kurogane tried to stop you and…in the confusion, you ran him
through. Fuuma disappeared when it happened. When you…started to lose
it…Watanuki put you under…so Subaru-san could do his work. He healed the stab
wounds, but he says he might be a little…delicate for a while."
"And you know he'd teach you a lesson for saying anything like that," Tomoyo
said, trying to lighten the mood, even if only a little. Yuui smiled; Fai did,
as well - only it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"It seems…I can't do anything but hurt you," he said, reaching a hand out to
touch Kurogane's cheek. "All you've ever done is love me…been faithful to
me…and I've returned that love and faithfulness with nothing but pain and
betrayal."
"Even if that were true, you are the one he loves…and that makes him happy, no
matter what else happens," Tomoyo attempted to remind him. Both sisters knew
that at this point, the only person who could grant Fai forgiveness and
redemption for his perceived guilt was Kurogane. Until he regained
consciousness, there was little either of them could do to ease Fai's pain.
As if he hadn't even heard Tomoyo speak, Fai moved over on the bed, curling up
next to Kurogane, but still being careful of him. Gently, he ran his fingers
through his black hair, somewhat damp with sweat.
"I'll get better," he said softly. "If you stay, I promise I'll get better.
I'll do my best…I promise. Please…"
"I'll hold you to that," Kurogane's gruff voice suddenly sounded in his ear.
Fai looked up to see the older prince smiling down at him. Rather than outright
jump him, Fai delicately wrapped an arm around his neck and leaned up to kiss
him.
"I'm so sorry. I – I didn't-"
"It's all right," Kurogane said, shaking his head. "It wasn't your fault."
"But I-"
"No. I would have risked anything to keep that from happening…and we're both
okay now."
"I stabbed you, Kurogane," Fai finally managed to get the words out. For a
moment, the ninja's face was unreadable, but then the expression softened and
he leaned in to kiss Fai.
"Yeah. Yeah, you did. But that wasn't you. I know that wasn't you," he said,
resting his forehead against Fai's.
Suddenly feeling like they were intruding, Tomoyo and Yuui shared a brief look
before simultaneously heading out of the room.
"We always do seem to come back here, don't we," Kurogane said with a light
chuckle.
"Wouldn't…wouldn't it be nice if we could stay here…always?" Fai said,
snuggling up even more tightly against Kurogane and burying his face in his
chest. They couldn't, of course. They both knew it. There was simply too much
at stake. At the same time, though…it was nice to dream…to dream they could
live a simple life in the forest…that they could remain forever in this place
where they'd been so happy…
"It would," Kurogane said, sighing as he ran his fingers through his lover's
silken hair. It was a beautiful thought; it really was, but they both knew they
could never live with themselves if they just ran away - as tempting as the
prospect was.
Fai knew there were still many things he needed to say to Kurogane, even though
the timing couldn't be less ideal. He had no idea when he'd again feel ready to
tell Kurogane the things he'd been planning to say today, but quite suddenly,
chief among them was no longer his indiscretions with Seishiro.
Even he didn't know what had happened when he'd stabbed Kurogane. He had no
idea if it had been an accident…or if he had really not known Kurogane in that
moment…and stabbed him on purpose. Of all the horrors he'd experienced in the
past years, this was the one that struck him the deepest.
                                      XxX
"They're awake," Subaru announced as he approached Kamui. The older Shiro
hadn't entered the cottage when they'd brought the unconscious princes in. He'd
taken up a post on the edge of the clearing, staring out into the twilit
forest. He hadn't moved for the past few hours.
"Why are you taking it like this?" Subaru asked, sighing in exasperation. "He
took us by surprise. None of it was your fault."
"It isn't that. Subaru…Subaru, I…I saw him," Kamui said, not looking at Subaru
as he spoke.
"What…what do you mean?" Subaru asked, feeling an icy pool of dread well up in
his stomach. He thought he already knew…but for some reason, he wanted to stave
off the certainty a little longer.
"Fuuma. I saw him. It was only a moment…barely there…but I know what I saw. It
must mean…the Sakurazukamori hasn't completely consumed him. He's still alive
in there somewhere."
Subaru just shook his head. "No, Kamui. I know what it's like…to pray
desperately for that to be true…but he's gone. He's already been devoured. The
Sakurazukamori keeps what it takes."
"Subaru, I saw him. I heard his voice!" Kamui insisted, suddenly leaping to his
feet and turning to his brother, seizing his shoulders. "You have to believe
me."
It wasn't anything visible, but Subaru's grief seemed to double in that one
moment. Cajolingly, he placed his own hands over Kamui's. "Brother…why is this
so important?"
"Because we don't have to lose them! It might mean…that Seishiro still
exists…somewhere in the Sakurazukamori."
At that, Subaru's face went blank. "Even if that were true, what business is
that of mine?"
"You…you love him," Kamui said, his emotional walls completely shattered by the
brief glimpse of his love. "You never really believed he was gone beyond all
hope…did you?"
"Even if the real Prince Seishiro Reed still exists within the
Sakurazukamori…I've never known him. How can I love someone I've never known? I
was always the prey of the Sakurazukamori. Perhaps…it is our destiny to destroy
one another," he mused coldly, blocking out any other emotions that might have
been summoned up.
"You don't mean that," Kamui whispered, actual tears gathering in his eyes.
"You can't."
"But I must," the Shiro lord said harshly. "Even if they are still alive…the
only way to force the Sakurazukamori to release its hold is to kill them."
"No. There must be another way."
"There isn't."
"What about your child? Souma's child?" Kamui asked, throwing out his last
appeal. "What will happen to it if you kill Seishiro…and become the
Sakurazukamori?"
"Perhaps it would be better…if I didn't suffer this child to exist. Its mother
is dead…and its father may as well be dead."
"Then…who takes over leadership of the clan after you're gone?" the older Shiro
asked, not quite believing his baby brother was saying such things.
"You, of course. The world will finally be put to rights under Queen Yuui. Our
enemies will be defeated, we'll be at peace with the humans, and the true heir
to the Shiro clan will take his rightful place among the queen's circle of
vassals."
Without waiting for Kamui's response, Subaru turned and headed off into the
forest. No matter how much conviction he presented to the rest of the world,
and even himself, to a degree…his brother's revelation had shocked him to the
core. He'd only just managed to convince himself he might actually be able to
kill Seishiro…and now this.
Whether or not Subaru had waited, Kamui wouldn't have had a response for him
anyway. He was just too shocked by the younger faerie's behavior. Admittedly,
Subaru had undergone something of a personality shift ever since Seishiro's
betrayal, but nothing this extreme.
Even if there were a way to rescue the Sakurazukamori's victims…would his
brother ever truly recover from the betrayal? Would he ever regain the things
he'd lost the day Seishiro declared he had never loved him?
                                      XxX
Even though Subaru's healing skills had done the job almost instantly, it was
only after several days had passed that Fai declared Kurogane well enough to go
outside. It had nothing to do with Kurogane himself; it was really just Fai
needing to gather up the nerve to say what he needed to say to him. It would
have happened sooner, except he seemed to be getting sick. Fai found himself
throwing up most mornings. It wasn't particularly debilitating. He would always
feel much better afterward and it wouldn't affect him for the rest of the day -
just in the mornings. Perhaps it was the stress of carrying around all of his
secrets with him that was causing this to happen. Maybe saying what he had to
say would help him get better - both physically and mentally.
On their first day out, the pair decided to go for a walk. Fai had been hoping
to go much farther than what they ended up managing, but he'd suddenly found
himself exhausted. Worried, Kurogane had insisted they stop to rest in the
shade of a large tree for a while. Not really feeling the need to speak, the
lovers had just cuddled against the tree trunk for a good while. The cuddling
had, of course, eventually lapsed into kissing…and that had progressed even
further. When Fai suddenly managed to pull his thoughts back together, he found
himself straddling Kurogane's hips with both their tunics cast off to the side.
Kurogane was only just starting to work on the rest of the clothing.
"Wait," Fai said, gently halting Kurogane's fevered movements by resting his
hands on top of his. "Kuro-sama…before we ever…make love again…I think there
are a few things you need to hear."
Kurogane's expression immediately went serious at this. "This is what you
wanted to talk to me about that day…isn't it?"
Fai nodded.
"All right. What is it?"
Swallowing hard, Fai shifted his gaze slightly downward, terrified of what he
might see in Kurogane's eyes. "Kuro-koi, I…I had sex with Seishiro."
As the silence began to stretch, Fai was just starting to think it might
destroy him when Kurogane finally spoke.
"What do you mean? In one of his illusions?"
"That – that's just it. I don't know. It…felt like it was really happening…but
then I woke up. I don't know. I just don't know," he said, shaking his head
back and forth. The small panic attack was halted when Kurogane gently lifted
his face up to look him directly in the eyes.
"What happened?"
"When I was trapped in the nightmare…he took me…so many times…and our skin
glowed. I was so confused. Only…this last time…he said it was just the
nightmare…but that I'd never have peace…or get back what he took from me two
years ago…unless I broke the power he has over me…unless I consented to lying
with him in order to learn the truth. I– I couldn't help it, Kuro-rin. I had to
know…so we had sex. I agreed; he…he didn't force me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
I-"
Before Fai could get out anymore, Kurogane leaned down and pressed a tender
kiss to his lips.
"It's okay," he said when they finally separated for air. "I understand."
"But…I was unfaithful to you. It's happened…so many times."
"None of which really happened, " Kurogane reassured him. "Not even that last
one. You did what you felt you had to do."
"And…you're not angry?" Fai asked, sounding hopeful for the first time.
"I'm jealous," Kurogane finally admitted after another long silence. "I tried
to deny it for a long time, but Seishiro was right. I'm jealous that he knew
you first…that he has that knowledge of you at all…and I hate that he lords it
over you like he does, but I'm not angry…not at you. None of it was ever your
fault."
As tears welled up in his eyes, Fai allowed his head to collapse against
Kurogane's chest in relief. "I– I was…so scared…y- you wouldn't want me
anymore. I thought this time…might just be one time too many."
"That could never happen…as far as he's concerned, anyway," the ninja prince
said with a wry grin and a slight quirk of his eyebrows, "because I'm always
going to take some of the blame for what happened to you on your sixteenth
birthday."
"But you-"
"No," Kurogane interrupted, silencing him by placing two fingers against his
lips. "He warned me something would happen to you…if I didn't claim you for
myself. I let the moment pass…and he took you instead."
"But you did claim me" Fai said softly, nuzzling a little closer to his lover.
"You're holding me now."
"I know…but so long as we're being honest, he gave me another warning. He said
if I didn't keep holding onto you…he'd drag you to hell with him. I don't know
what it means, I just…"
"We're together now," Fai finished for him when he trailed off. "I guess the
only thing we can do…is face his threat when it comes. We'll protect each
other."
Kurogane couldn't manage to keep the odd little grin off his face as he kissed
the top of Fai's head. "You got your answer then? From him?"
Fai nodded. "I think so. I think I can be yours now…all yours. Even though
he…raped me."
Kurogane's breath caught in his throat at that. Slowly, he glanced down at Fai
to find him looking up at him with a slightly bitter smile on his face. It was
the first time he'd ever said the words out loud.
"Seishiro raped me. My own…uncle…" he repeated, his eyes glistening as he
finally admitted it to himself. "I was raped."
"Yeah," Kurogane said, gently pulling Fai's head back down to rest against his
chest, cradling him close. "That's right. You were…and I couldn't protect you.
In fact, I probably did the worst thing I could have done…sleeping with you the
very next night."
"What – what are you talking about?"
"It was stupid of me. It didn't help you get better. Hell, it probably made you
worse. You've kept it all bottled up inside for two years."
"I don't think that's true," Fai said, lifting his hands up to run his fingers
through Kurogane's hair. "About it being stupid, I mean. I wanted it, too…and I
knew. I knew that night…that you really loved me. Nothing's ever going to
destroy those memories for me. You're mine and I'm yours…even if we can't ever
be married."
"Oh, we'll get married. Even if we can't find a way to break the curse, we'll
train with the Hearts until we're strong enough to face Kyle in battle…and kill
him. Then we'll be free."
"Still…it would be nice to have a baby, wouldn't it?" Fai mused. "A little
Kuro-tan."
"We still could, you know. It wouldn't break the curse…but I'm pretty sure
you've got enough power to change your body…so we could do it," Kurogane
suggested tentatively.
"You…you think?" Fai whispered, yet another layer of hope added to his slowly
brightening voice.
"Sure. Subaru's having Souma's child. That Akuma guy changed gender. A lot of
them do it…just to have kids. We could do it, too. Only…Subaru told me it
wouldn't work to break our curse…because it requires your unaltered body,
but…like I said, we'll take care of that."
"Yes…killing Kyle. Do you…really think we can defeat them…allof them?"
"Somehow, I get the feeling Yuuko won't be too difficult when she finally shows
herself. I think she wants to die. She just…can't let it happen, if that makes
any sense."
"Yes…yes, I think it does," Fai said, his eyes briefly going blank.
"Seishiro and Fuuma might be a little harder, though…I keep hearing them say
the Sakurazukamori was sealed somehow…before that bastard was its host. Maybe
we can find some way of doing it again. That way, no one else would have to
sacrifice their life to it."
"That…just might work," Fai said, smiling as he tilted his head back up to
plant a kiss on Kurogane's lips. Just when the thought had entered his head to
get back to the hot and heavy, Kurogane pulled him back a little ways.
"You said…there were things I needed to hear. Was there anything else you
wanted to talk about?" the warrior asked, feeling that there was still
something unsaid between them. Not that something was deliberately being kept
from him - more that his love just wasn't sure what to say.
For a moment, Fai seriously considered not saying anything…but he couldn't do
that. He had sworn to himself that he would never lie to Kurogane again. He
couldn't break that promise now.
"Kuro-rin, please…tell me…what happened when you went to the Dark Court to
rescue me?"
Kurogane closed his eyes for a moment, uncertain if Fai was ready to hear this
or not; but he ultimately came to the decision that if Fai was going to be
honest with him, he needed to do the same in return.
"Doumeki and Kujaku got us down to the core, but Seishiro and Fuuma attacked
us. They held them off while the girls and I went in to try and figure out how
to get you out. Only…you were already there waiting for us."
"What do you mean?" Fai whispered, fearing he already knew.
"I'd seen it in my nightmares…so many times…like everything inside you that was
dark had come to the surface. Only it was real this time."
"A monster?" Fai whispered, holding his gaze. He had seen it himself…many
times.
Kurogane nodded, remaining silent for several moments as he stared into Fai's
eyes. "We fought. I followed him into the void," he said, closing his eyes
briefly. He couldn't stop the tremor that ran through his body at the memory of
the absolute nothingness, but he could at least keep Fai from seeing the fear
in his eyes. He didn't continue until he felt he could safely open his eyes
again. "When I finally broke through to where you were, he was there…sitting on
top of the coffin Yuuko had you trapped in. That was when he destroyed my arm."
"Oh, God," Fai said in a quiet, horrified voice as he traced a hand down
Kurogane's regenerated left arm. "I knew it. I don't know how I know…but I knew
it was me."
"I know how. I don't know when I figured it out, but I realized that he was
you…a part of you, at least. I couldn't destroy him. The only way to win…to
save you…was to accept him for what he was - the person I care more about than
anything in the entire world. When I did that, he just…faded away. I broke the
coffin open, pulled you out, and kissed you. You know the rest."
Fai nodded, resting his head against Kurogane's chest once more. After a while,
he managed to mumble, "He's…he's still inside me, Kuro-sama…in my head."
"I know," Kurogane said softly, kissing the top of his head again. "At
least…I'd suspected it. He's probably always going to be there. He's part of
you. It's probably not gonna be any different from accepting…what happened two
years ago. It makes you who you are," he said, rubbing Fai's back in an attempt
to soothe him.
"But…what if I hurt someone again? What if Subaru can't heal you fast enough
next time?" Fai asked, lifting his head up to offer the older prince eyes sick
with worry.
"You can't think like that. You've just gotta learn to control yourself. It's
no different from when I learned to use a sword."
"But…you…I hurt you. You might have died!" Fai hissed, turning his gaze away
from Kurogane. "If you'd died…and I'd killed you…" He couldn't finish. He just
couldn't. It was too awful.
"It didn't happen, though. I knew there was a chance I might get hurt, but I
made my choice anyway because I didn't want to see something worse happen to
you," Kurogane explained, reaching a hand forward to stroke Fai's cheek, not
forcing him to look up at him, but waiting until he wanted to.
"But I…I don't know what happened. I don't know…if I just slipped…or if
I…really didn't recognize you and I…if he took over…and I stabbed you on
purpose. I don't know. Maybe I don't…want to know," Fai said, still not looking
up at Kurogane as tears slipped silently down his face.
"Then don't," Kurogane said firmly as he wiped each tear away. "Don't think
about it. Either way, it's a matter of self-control."
"Kuro-rin…what if…I can't ever control it? What if it's just…part of my
nature?"
"What do you mean?" Kurogane asked, feeling that Fai was starting to talk about
something a little different.
"I saw…so many things down there…terrible things. They said…that creation will
burn because of me. That I'm supposed to bring about…the end," he said, finally
looking up at Kurogane, his eyes slightly red from crying.
"Who told you that?"
"Seishiro…the Darkness…I'm not sure anymore."
"Can you really believe it then? The enemy'll say anything to keep us off
balance. Tell me…do you want to destroy the world?"
Fai blinked, looking almost indignant for a moment. "Of – of course not, but it
isn't so much the world I worry about. It's you…my Kuro-koi. I saw you die…so
many times…saw you die…or murdered you…"
Once again, Kurogane pulled Fai down close to him, cradling him as he nuzzled
his face in his hair. "Only nightmares. I had nightmares, too…these last few
months. I dreamed I'd killed you…or just not been fast enough to stop your
death. I couldn't sleep. Heh…and you couldn't do anything but sleep," he said,
giving a slightly bitter laugh.
"But you're right. That's over now. You rescued me," Fai said, leaning up to
kiss Kurogane. "You fought…so hard. You almost killed yourself…learning magic.
You're just…so…I think you're probably even more powerful than I am."
Kurogane chuckled. "No. I know I'm not. You wouldn't kill yourself doing some
of the things I've tried. I almost did."
"I didn't have to work nearly so hard for my magic, though. You're so much
better than I am…and…you can probably get even better. If we work together, you
won't have to worry about using your own life energy. We could be…unstoppable,
Kuro-rin. We…really could stand up to them," Fai said slowly, the expression on
his face getting a little more amazed with each passing moment.
"You're probably right about that. We do still need to be careful, though,"
Kurogane said, watching his lover's face with a slightly leery expression. "I
think the desire to be stronger is what draws him out."
Fai's face went cold all in an instant and he clung to Kurogane just a little
tighter. "Yeah, you're…you're right."
"Kujaku said…you might be a dark faerie now."
Kurogane felt Fai stiffen in his arms at that, but it wasn't too long after
that he just went slack. "He's…probably right. These…these powers I have…they
can't be anything good. Blood…I control blood." His voice had dropped nearly to
a whisper by this point. "Have…have I become the thing I hate most?"
"No," Kurogane reassured him, leaning a little further down to kiss his
shoulder. "It's not a bad thing. He said dark magic isn't inherently evil. A
lot of its wielders just turn out that way because the magic ends up
controlling them. It doesn't have to be that way, though. You're stronger than
that…better. We'll train together…and we'll beat these things together. We'll
be the strongest pair of fighters this world's ever seen."
After a while, Fai nodded, though his body trembled slightly. "I…I trust
you…Kuro-koi. I know we'll…work through it together. Maybe we can…start over?"
he suggested tentatively.
"What do you mean?" Kurogane asked, though he understood the look in Fai's eyes
quite well.
"You said you regretted our first time…the timing of it, at least, and…when I
was…with Seishiro, he said I could come to you as a virgin again. Let's…let's
try again. I feel like…I can really come to you as an equal this time. I want
us to start things off right this time," Fai said, holding Kurogane's gaze the
entire time.
Kurogane took several moments to think about the request. He knew it didn't
really work like that, and he was fairly certain Fai knew it, too, but it was
still a nice idea - that they could wash the slate clean of the years of pain,
frustration, and secrets…that they could start fresh…like they were children in
the first bloom of their love. Maybe they could do it - come to each other anew
and rebuild their broken love…create something just as beautiful. Most of all,
Kurogane found he was proud of Fai for saying the words. He was proud his lover
could finally say he was no longer a child and that his fate was in his own
hands. His answer was to lean in and capture Fai's lips with his own, pulling
the younger man down on top of him.
They took things very slow, taking every moment to relearn the tiny details and
secrets of each other's bodies. Kurogane helped Fai to slip out of his pants,
teasing him with a kiss as he went down. Fai repaid him in kind when he helped
him remove his own pants, caressing his inner thighs and the skin just above
his pelvis with his lips. He was already hard by the time Fai straddled his
hips again. They kissed, touched, licked, caressed, fondled, and sucked for
what felt like hours in Celes' silent afternoon heat.
When Kurogane finally felt that he couldn't handle any more of the slow,
tortuous foreplay, he tried to grasp Fai's wrists, but had a bit of trouble
holding onto him, as they were both already slick with sweat.
"How…how are we going to-" he started to ask, but Fai interrupted him with a
brief kiss to the lips. Then he took Kurogane's right hand in his and began to
suck on the first two fingers.
Briefly, Kurogane felt magic tingling between the two of them. When Fai
released his digits, he found they were covered in more than just saliva. Fai
had somehow used his powers to create a lubricant. Grinning hungrily, the ninja
pulled his lover in close again and easily slipped the two fingers inside him.
The delighted gasp that passed the blond's lips nearly made him come on the
spot. He managed to hold on, however, and decided to pay Fai back for his
initial round of teasing with a few gentle thrusts, always falling just short
of the pleasure point. He knew exactly where it was. When he finally withdrew,
he gave Fai yet another grin, thinking he knew what was coming next.
Indeed, Fai didn't disappoint him. He writhed sinuously down his body,
eventually coming to rest with his lips just barely wrapped around the tip of
his manhood, slowly, very slowly, taking the whole length into his mouth and
down his throat a little ways. The next moment, Kurogane threw his head back
against the tree roots, moaning in pleasure and desire as magic spilled from
Fai and into him, igniting the point of contact with sensation. He couldn't
quite help digging his fingers into Fai's shoulders. He didn't need to look to
know he was ready when Fai finally pulled away from him. He lost no time in
positioning himself at Kurogane's hips once again.
Allowing just the tip of him to enter, Fai held his gaze for several long
moments, and he just stared right back, each of them saying without words how
wonderful this moment was. After a while, Kurogane leaned up to kiss Fai. The
younger man met him halfway and, as they kissed, he slowly let his body slide
down. Clinging tightly to each other, they both moaned at the pleasurable
sensations. Once they'd taken the time to sufficiently enjoy the feeling of
being so intimately joined once again, Fai slowly began to move, controlling
the pace of their lovemaking.
It was the exact same position they'd used in Koryo, but it couldn't have been
more different. Instead of dominating, Fai was simply taking the lead, even
though he was receiving rather than giving. He didn't bounce up and down this
time. He moved deliberately, rhythmically, drawing out every second. After
several moments of writhing and panting helplessly on the bare earth, it
entered Kurogane's mind he ought to return the favor. Slipping a hand between
them, he gave Fai several good strokes.
The sudden stimulation caused Fai to cry out and fall forward onto the ninja's
body. They continued their motions, but Fai couldn't help giggling a little
through his groans of pleasure.
"What– what a sneaky little puppy you are," he said, kissing his nose.
It was such a little thing. It hardly should've affected him, but the older
prince suddenly felt tears pricking at his eyes. He hadn't realized how much
he'd missed it until this moment.
"You…haven't called me a puppy in months."
"Are you-" Fai started to ask, taking notice of his newly bloodshot eyes.
"Shut up," Kurogane said gently, stopping Fai's mouth with a very deep kiss as
they continued to move together on the warm, moist earth. They maintained their
closeness, reveling in the heat as Fai's skin began to glow. The glow, however,
served to mask a different heat.
The lovers became lost in the sensations as their movements became more
frenzied. They could both feel that the moment of climax was near and they
pushed for it with all their strength, needing to reach that height together.
When it finally came, they both screamed, not just in ecstasy, but pain, as
something fierce blazed between them. Fai clawed at the earth and Kurogane dug
his fingers into Fai's hips as they released their orgasm and sudden pain into
the world. When they'd finally spent their passion, Fai collapsed on top of
Kurogane, breathing hard.
"Dear God and Goddess," he whispered, glancing at Kurogane's exhausted face as
they panted together. "What was that?"
"I think I know," he replied, his smile pained, though he was still trembling
from the aftershocks of what was quite possibly the best orgasm he'd ever
experienced.
Helping Fai to move, Kurogane managed to get the two of them onto their sides.
They glanced down between their bodies to find that their twin pendants had
somehow become joined in the middle of things. The white, hot glow of their
magic was only just beginning to fade, along with the glow of Fai's skin. The
pain they'd felt at their climax had come from twin scars now seared into their
chests from where the pendants had been pressed between them.
"Oh, that…that's different," Fai murmured, reaching a hand down to examine the
burn on Kurogane's chest. "Are you all right?"
"Stings a little. I kinda like it, though," he said, tracing Fai's scar, which
was already showing signs of healing. "I want to keep it."
"I might be able to keep mine. Seishiro kept his eye from growing back, after
all," Fai said, starting to focus his magic on his burn scar, hoping to halt
the healing process.
"We probably shouldn't wear these during sex anymore, though," Kurogane
commented as he glanced around, seeing that the power they'd raised had ruffled
up the surrounding forest a little.
"And if we do, we could at least erect a barrier," Fai said absently. "It might
be a good way to practice raising magic in a less stressful situation."
"Probably wouldn't object to doing it more often," Kurogane said with a
chuckle, ruffling Fai's hair when he finally looked back up at him.
"Well, it never happened like that before. The Hearts weren't awake yet," he
said, leaning in for another kiss. When they finally separated for air, he gave
the ninja a wonderfully contented smile. "I think we need a bath, Kuro-rin.
We're all covered in dirt and…other things. People will be asking questions."
"Yeah…because what's going on between us is such a big mystery," Kurogane said,
giving Fai's shoulder a light punch as he sat up. Fai slid back a little ways,
allowing Kurogane to gently slip out of him.
"You feeling okay?" Kurogane asked, noticing Fai wince slightly when he stood.
"Just a bit stretched is all…and I still feel tired," he said, the last a
little more to himself than Kurogane, "but I think I can get to the river just
fine." Then he offered Kurogane a hand up. Rather than refuse, as he normally
would, Kurogane took the offered hand and allowed Fai to help him up.
Once they'd gathered their discarded clothing, they headed off to the river,
hand in hand. Fai couldn't help but smile in the comfortable silence that fell
between them. For the first time in a long while, he felt truly hopeful, no
strings attached. Kurogane had managed to make so many of his fears seem silly.
He felt stronger than ever; they were both becoming stronger all the time.
Perhaps there really was a future for them.
***** Dreaming of True Love *****
The change in the two princes was apparent immediately. They laughed and talked
with their companions; they played with Kohaku, though everyone knew it caused
them pain as well as joy. Cloistered in the forest as they were, it almost felt
as if they were at peace.
Even so, they kept in contact with the disparate forces of Faerie and the Nihon
resistance. War councils were held almost daily to keep everyone informed.
Since Sakura's death, Touya had temporarily taken the role of regent and had
sent what troops were still able to assist in Piffle. The news from the siege
was looking better all the time. The Oni lines were being pushed further back
all the time and Ichiro, Rasetsu, and Kusanagi were all fairly confident the
line would break and fall back very soon. The Dark Court itself had been silent
and no one was really sure why. They all remembered that Kyle had driven the
half-fey from Shirasagi and that Seishiro had been planning to rally them, but
they had seen nothing of that. Shirasagi's half-fey seemed to have simply
vanished.
Added to the worry over their hidden enemy was the fact that the weeks were
fairly flying by and Amaterasu was due to give birth soon. At the start,
Kurogane had been the most vehement about his mother not keeping the baby, but
the more time he spent with Kohaku, the less he felt even he could actually
kill a child. So they waited in concerned silence as the empress' time drew all
the nearer.
All the while, Kurogane and Fai trained in secret. They grew stronger and more
adept in the use of the two Hearts as a single power. They were becoming a
force to be reckoned with, confident they would soon be on equal footing with
the worst of their enemies. The only trouble was that Fai's illness seemed to
be getting worse. The stronger they got, the harder he would crash by the end
of their training sessions. He was able to keep the throwing up a secret from
the others, but Kurogane eventually caught him at it, as he always did.
"How long has this been going on?" Fai heard the ninja's voice somewhere from
behind him as a warm hand came to rest on his shoulder. He was hanging his head
out the window of their room, still trembling after the rather violent bout of
illness.
"About a month now," Fai answered as Kurogane helped him back inside. "I
thought you were still asleep."
"No. You jostled me a little when you bolted for the window," he explained as
he helped Fai back to their bed. "Bit surprised you've kept it secret 'til now,
though…if it's been happening for a month."
"Only a few times a week," Fai said as they sat down together, cuddling close
while Kurogane soothingly rubbed his back.
"Think maybe your exhaustion has something to do with this?" the older prince
asked sharply. "I thought we weren't doing this anymore."
"I was hoping it would go away. I don't know what's wrong. It's not like I feel
sick all the time."
"I take it you haven't told anyone about this?"
"No. What would I say? What can anyone do? For all I know, I…I'm dying."
Fai's grim prophesying was suddenly interrupted by the burbling sweetness of
Kohaku's morning song. The curtains of Yuui and Tomoyo's bed parted to reveal a
smiling, tearful Yuui and Tomoyo picking up the babbling two-month-old.
"Fai…you're not sick, and you're not dying," she said as she rose from the bed
and walked over to them, kneeling in front of Fai. "You're going to have a
baby."
For a long moment, the two princes stared at the young queen in shocked
silence. When Fai managed to gather at least some of his wits, all he could
manage to get out was, "What?"
"It…it's a long story," Yuui began, placing her hands on her brother's knees.
"Kakei-san connected me with a sorceress from another world. In exchange for my
ability to bear children, she gave me a potion that would allow a child to be
created in your body."
"You…you gave that up?" Fai murmured, still not quite comprehending as he gazed
into his older sister's tear-filled eyes.
"Don't worry about it. Kohaku's all I need. With this…you and Kurogane will
have a child, and when it's born, the curse will be broken."
"Back in Piffle…" Kurogane started quietly. Yuui's only response was to nod.
"Then…why didn't you tell us?"
"What if I'd told you…and the potion had failed? Would you have
survived…knowing how close you'd come…really?" she asked, the look in her eyes
almost pleading. Kurogane thought about it a moment, finally nodding his
acceptance. If for nothing else than Fai's sake, he could forgive her the
deception.
"I'm…pregnant?" Fai whispered, pressing his fingers gently against his stomach
as he struggled to integrate the miracle into his reality.
"Yeah," Kurogane said, placing a hand next to Fai's on his stomach. Suddenly
becoming aware of his lover's presence again, Fai turned in Kurogane's arms to
look him in the eyes. When their gazes met, the joy of the moment washed over
them and their lips met. Yet again, after so much despair, it seemed there
might be hope.
"Oh…oh, Goddess, Kurogane…" Fai said, resting his face against Kurogane's neck
when they finally separated. "I'm going to have your child…at last…at last."
When Kohaku began to fuss, Tomoyo brought her over to join the smiling group.
Yuui took her in her arms and slipped aside the neckline of her nightgown,
offering her daughter her breast. The little girl latched on and eagerly began
to nurse. Kurogane and Fai couldn't help but watch the scene, both their hearts
filled with awe at the realization that such a moment was now within their
reach. As Kohaku fed, Yuui began to sing - a song from long ago, one of
Himawari's.
Under the snow,
Beneath the frozen stream,
There is life.
You have to know
When nature sleeps she dreams.
There is life.
And the colder the winter,
The warmer the spring.
The deeper the sorrow,
The more our hearts sing.
Even when you can't see it,
Inside everything
There is life.
Remembering the song from their childhood - their mother - Fai began to sing
with her, reaching out a hand to stroke Kohaku's hair as his thoughts swirled
around the new life growing inside his own body.
After the rain,
The sun will reappear.
There is life.
After the pain,
The joy will still be here.
There is life.
For it's out of the darkness
That we learn to see,
And out of the silence
That songs come to be,
And all that we dream of
Awaits patiently.
There is life.
There is life.
                                      XxX
The news about the baby didn't make training any easier. Kurogane insisted they
stop anytime Fai showed the slightest sign of fatigue. It annoyed Fai a little,
but it was almost better than being at home, where everyone fussed over him
even more endlessly than they had before. An impromptu party had broken out
when the four royals had brought the news to the rest of the group. In the
midst of all the bad in the world, something truly wonderful had finally
happened. It didn't take long for the news to spread to their allies, either.
Kyle's curse would be broken. The enemy's hold was slipping.
Watanuki was talking about putting Fai on a more rounded diet when the morning
sickness subsided, which Yuui had assured him would happen after the first few
months. Fai had no objections to the plan, and he was relieved to know that the
vomiting would pass before too long. What really got on his nerves was how the
others kept subtly trying to suggest that he stop training with Kurogane. Now
that he was pregnant, his drive to train was stronger than ever. He had to make
this world a safe place for Kurogane's child. He had to purge it of the
darkness that had caused them both so much pain. That evil would not touch
their baby.
Today's training session, however, had come to something of a standstill.
"Do you…really think we can do it?" Fai asked.
"I think we have to do it. I'm the one who has to kill Yuuko. You can't do it
because of your fey blood. I'm the only one who can, but without your Heart…I
won't be strong enough to do it."
"So you think…that by joining the Hearts with your sword…I'll be able to help
you without physically helping you?"
"That's exactly what I think."
"What if it doesn't work like that?"
Kurogane gave him a grin that could only be described as roguish as he held
Ginryuu out in front of him. "We won't know unless we try it."
Fai looked torn for several moments. He hated the thought of Kurogane going
into battle against Yuuko and Seishiro without him by his side, but he also
knew he was right. The ninja prince was the only one who stood any chance of
defeating Clow's geis and killing Yuuko. For everyone's sake…this had to be so.
Finally, Fai nodded and removed the sapphire moon pendant from the chain around
his neck. Rarely had he ever been separated from it. Apart from Yuui, the
pendant was one of his earliest memories. It was the piece of Kurogane that
he'd unknowingly carried with him his entire life. Now all he could do was
return it to him and hope it would protect him in the battle to come.
When Fai held out his hand with the pendant in it, Kurogane extended his other
hand, in which he clutched the ruby sun charm. They clicked the twin pendants
together and Kurogane took the single charm and laid it on the blade of his
sword, just beneath the hilt. Fai rested a hand on top of the pendant and
Kurogane laid his own hand on top of his. Then, as one, they channeled their
power through the charm and into the blade, fusing them into one. The last
thing Fai added to the working was a prayer for Kurogane's safety. When they
pulled their hands away, the pendant was set perfectly into the metal of the
blade…as if it had always been there.
Once Kurogane had sheathed the katana, Fai wrapped his arms around him, pulling
him close to whisper to him, "Carry it with you…my heart."
I'll keep your heart with me, he gave the words directly to Fai's mind.
I'll carry it in my heart, Fai returned. He wasn't sure how long they stood
together like that before another voice entered his thoughts.
Fai, can you hear me? Yuui asked.
Yes.
You and Kurogane need to come home right now.
Why? What's wrong?
Ransho-san contacted us. Amaterasu-sama has gone into labour.
                                      XxX
Kurogane vaguely remembered Tomoyo's birth. He very clearly remembered the
moment he'd promised himself he would protect her, but everything else was
hazy. He remembered the sound of screaming - his mother screaming. It was much
the same now.
The empress' screams were already echoing down the corridor as the group
approached the room where Amaterasu was laboring. Rikuo was keeping watch
outside the door.
"Ransho, Yukito, and Kakei are with her now. It shouldn't be too much longer,"
he told them, his expression unreadable.
"Tomoyo? Kurogane? Do you want to go in?" Yuui asked.
Kurogane nodded. Fai gave his hand a quick squeeze before letting go. Tomoyo's
hand soon replaced it and they headed in together.
Is…is Kaa-san going to die?
Of course not, Kurogane-sama. The empress is strong.
There was no Kusanagi to tell him that today. There was no comfort to be had.
That was plain to see in the blood-soaked sheets Amaterasu was splayed out on.
Kakei and Yukito were working feverishly to deliver the child and Ransho and
Chitose were standing at a safe distance, waiting to offer help.
Words were being spoken, but Kurogane didn't really register any of them in his
head as he and Tomoyo slowly approached their mother. The empress didn't even
notice them until Kurogane laid a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open
and she gave them a wry smile. It was painful to see her so helpless.
"It…it's not…his fault," she said as she took her son's hand, giving it a
reassuring squeeze. The prince growled in frustration. He wasn't so much
concerned with assigning blame. Right now, all of his concern was focused on
her. Again, it struck him how very small she seemed. She had always been such a
commanding woman, her presence filling a space. She'd been so strong; nothing
could touch her. When he was a child, she'd seemed to be the height of the
world, but now he was grown…and his mother was a mortal woman like any other.
Amaterasu leaned her head back and opened her mouth, but she only had the
strength for a small, strangled cry. Her eyes bulged and her body gave one last
torrent of blood. The cries of the Nihon empress' last child soon filled the
air.
The empress was still breathing, but the light had already gone from her eyes.
Someone called for Subaru, but when he approached, Amaterasu just shook her
head.
"Kaa-san…stay with us, Kaa-san," Tomoyo begged softly as she and Kurogane knelt
beside her. Amaterasu didn't acknowledge the plea. She just held her son's
gaze, still squeezing his hand tightly.
"You're ready," she said firmly. Then she laid her head back, closed her eyes,
and exhaled. She did not inhale again.
You can't do this. You can't leave me like this. I'm not ready! How can I do
this on my own?
"Kurogane-sama?" Yukito's gentle voice suddenly broke in on his fevered
thoughts. He held a yowling bundle in his arms. "You have a little brother."
Kurogane remained silent when Yukito passed the baby to him. He didn't even
have to think about it when forming his arms into a cradle for the little one.
It had started to come naturally…even though it was because of this child that
his mother-
"He wants his mother," Tomoyo said sadly as she reached a hand in to stroke the
baby boy's cheek in an effort to sooth him.
"Well…he can't have her. He can never have her," the bereft prince said
bitterly. Briefly, it occurred to him that he could easily crush the baby in
his arms, but at the same time, he knew he never could…not now that he had
known Kohaku, and that Fai was carrying his child. Part of him still wanted to
be the scared, angry, sad little boy who had just lost his mother…to be able to
ask why…but he already knew the answer. He had seen the truth in his mother's
eyes as she lay dying. Amaterasu could have survived with help. She'd died
because she was ready to. He would have to live with that.
"I think…wherever she is…she's happy. She's with her Saya…and our father.
They're all together now," Tomoyo said. Kurogane might have responded had Fai's
voice not suddenly sounded rather loudly in the chamber.
"Hail, Kurogane, Emperor of Nihon."
Kurogane started upon hearing the words, looking up to see that their group had
entered the room, and all present were now kneeling before him. That was when
the enormity of the situation really descended on him. With his mother dead…he
was emperor. Everything he'd ever wanted was in his grasp: his birthright, Fai
as his mate, a child of theirs…an heir…all of it - to be had upon payment of
his mother's life.
The ninja shook his head in an attempt to banish the thought, reaching a hand
down to help Fai to his feet.
"And hail to Fai, emperor's consort and partner," he said, kissing his lover's
forehead in the traditional way.
"He'll need to be fed," Yuui reminded her brothers, her decision to rise
letting the others know it was safe to stand. "I can do that," she said,
passing her own child to Tomoyo.
"You can…nurse two kids?" Kurogane asked uncertainly. Throughout all of this,
the baby hadn't stopped crying.
"Of course," Yuui said, reaching out her arms for the little boy. As Kurogane
slowly handed him over, she asked, "What's his name?"
"Ryuou," Yukito answered, saving Kurogane from an awkward moment. "That was the
name she gave us when the labor began.
"Hello," Yuui cooed to the child as she lowered the neckline of her blouse and
offered him her breast, which he latched onto immediately, sucking greedily.
"Hello, Ryu-kun."
"So what are you going to do with it?" Kujaku asked, breaking in on the moment
in his usual intrusive fashion. "It is Kyle's child, after all…and he presents
a legitimate challenge to the Nihon throne."
"Do you see how old he is, Kujaku-san?" Yuui asked somewhat sourly.
"Kyle's the one who should pay for his crimes, not this kid. Kyle should be the
one to answer for her life," Kurogane said firmly, never taking his eyes off
Ryuou. An enemy's child he may have been, but he was still his baby brother and
he would protect him, just as he protected Tomoyo.
"No. You're wrong," a new voice suddenly entered their midst. As one, their
eyes shot to the door, only to behold Koryu standing there, looking utterly
ravaged.
Instantly, weapons were drawn and spells were readied. Kurogane and Fai moved
to stand in front of Yuui and Tomoyo, with Kurogane slightly in front of Fai,
wielding Ginryuu.
"How did you get in here?" Kurogane demanded. "Did that bastard send you to
collect his property?"
"It's me," the dark faerie murmured. He hadn't even acknowledged the defense
mounted against him. He only stared at Amaterasu's broken body. "I'm the one
who should answer for her life."
"What do you mean?" Kujaku asked.
"Who cares what he means? How did he get through the barrier?" Sai hissed,
wielding her ice blade.
"No," Yuui said quietly as she studied Koryu, not sure how, but seeing
something changed in him from their last encounter. "What do you mean?"
"That boy…Ryuou…is my son…not Kyle's," he said slowly as he turned to look at
the baby in Yuui's arms.
For what felt like hours, rather than the mere minutes that passed, the only
sound to be heard in the room was Ryuou feeding, completely oblivious to
everything around him. Tomoyo was the one to finally ask, "How?"
"Kyle's infertile," Koryu answered bluntly, still not really looking at any of
them. "He had no hope of getting a child on Amaterasu, so he asked me to try.
When she conceived, he made me swear to keep the secret…never to claim the
child as mine."
"And you here break that oath?" Kakei asked gravely.
"What honor have I left in the eyes of my queen?" he asked, looking directly at
Yuui and making everyone realize that something entirely different from what
they'd expected was occurring here. "Besides…what weight does such an oath
hold? I had no care when I made it. I didn't think the fact I was a father
would bother me very much, but I started to feel differently as the months
passed. I started to think that…maybe I wanted it to know me…when the time
came. I don't know what it was, but something started to change."
"You had doubts about your loyalty to the Dark Court," Kujaku clarified. "If
you had been truly loyal to Yuuko, Yuui never would have been able to control
you with the covenant. It only extends to those who count themselves as her
subjects. That's how you got through today…isn't it."
Koryu nodded. "Some of the Earth Guard challenged me, but when I was able to
pass through the barrier, it proved to them I wasn't their enemy. I had made my
decision as to whom to give my service to."
"So where have you been since that last encounter…if you were wavering even
then? It's been nearly two months since that day," Yuui noted.
"Yuuko banished me to the East…to the ruins that lie beyond this country. I
went to her to claim my brother's blood tithe. She granted it to me…but my own
tithe was to be that I leave this land…doomed to wander in the ruined land
beyond the ocean until I understood what it was that I truly wanted. I walked
alone for weeks," he recounted, shuddering at the memory. "Nothing lives in
that barren place. It's been like that for thousands of years…and is likely to
remain so…punishment for the wars of men. Nothing living can thrive there. I
nearly went mad with the emptiness of it. It's…what I imagine the void to be
like," he said, glancing guiltily at Kujaku.
"So you…could have saved her life?" Kurogane asked, his quiet tone masking what
most of the others thought must be a potent rage.
"Maybe…if I'd figured it out sooner. Just wanting to know my son wasn't enough.
I had to decide where my allegiances lay…and I'd never known anything but Yuuko
and the Dark Court. It wasn't an easy decision…but if you want my head, I
certainly wouldn't blame you. Only…allow me one thing first," Koryu said, going
to kneel before Yuui. The other faeries all tensed up, but Yuui allowed the
approach. Maneuvering Ryuou into one arm, she offered the Satani lord her hand
and he took it.
"Yuui Fluorite Reed, Queen of all Faerie, I pledge my loyalty to you unto my
dying breath. I am yours to command, My Queen, and the Satani clan, along with
the Oni, will rejoin Faerie, making the ring whole and unbroken once again."
"Yuui-sama? Are you sure you can trust him?" Kamui asked quietly. "He's a
Satani. Theywere the ones who betrayed Faerie before."
"That was a long time ago…and that wasn't him. He wasn't even born. Don't
forget that Subaru-san is a Satani, too," she pointed out, chastising the
captain without seeming to do so. Then she turned her attention back to Koryu.
"As for you, Lord of the Oni, you should know that nothing broken can ever be
made unbroken again. The fact will always remain that it was once broken.
Something broken can be made new again, though," she said, briefly glancing at
her two brothers. Then she leaned down and kissed the top of Koryu's head. "I
accept your oath. You will, however, still have to answer to my wife and her
brother for the life that has been lost," she added as she helped him to his
feet.
Kurogane was the one to approach him and he offered no resistance as the young
warrior sized him up. After several minutes, Kurogane delivered a crushing blow
to the faerie lord's face. Koryu rolled with the punch, stumbling back several
feet. Kujaku ended up catching him as he reeled.
"That's enough. Kyle is still the one who should pay," Kurogane announced
before turning and heading out. Fai gave the dark faerie an approving smile
before following after his fiancé.
"It's all right," Tomoyo reassured the bewildered faerie. "It means he likes
you."
"Does…does this mean that the war's over?" Yukito asked uncertainly. "If the
Dark Court's got no one left to fight for them-"
"It is not over," Kakei said calmly. "Those who remain will not give up so
easily."
"Koryu?" Hisui broke in hesitantly. "What you said before…about control of the
blood tithe…does that mean…you can wake him?"
"Yes," Koryu said. "We can go to him anytime."
"Yuui-sama" Hisui started to ask, hardly daring to hope, "can we?"
"Wait," Yukito interrupted. "If you're going to return to Faerie, there's
something you and Fai-kun need to see first. Sakura left a message for you."
                                      XxX
When Yukito gave them the wedding ring Sakura had left behind, the twins had
retreated to the room their three guardians had originally brought them to upon
their return to Valeria: their room…the place that had been set aside for them
in the castle. Neither of them knew how to retrieve whatever words she'd left
for them, but they were confident of figuring it out.
As far as royal jewelry went, the ring was simple. A plain silver band capped
by a small unfaceted emerald. Simple, but heavy, nonetheless - they both knew
it. Like the rings they'd exchanged with the Youou siblings, like the Hearts
now bound into Kurogane's sword, this simple piece of jewelry carried the
weight of two people's shared experiences, the depth of their feelings for each
other.
"What was she like?" Fai asked his sister as the two of them sat on the bed
together, contemplating the ring.
"Where do you start?" Yuui mused, shrugging hopelessly. "She was beautiful and
strong. They both were. They…waited so long to have us, and when they finally
did, they couldn't keep us. I don't even want to think what it would be like
for Kohaku to be raised as someone else's child."
"And we thought they'd abandoned us," Fai said bitterly.
"They never blamed us for it. They were both so kind. They waited until I was
ready to be their daughter…even though it hurt them. They deserved us…they were
nothing butdeserving…and this was their reward," Yuui said quietly, her fists
tightly clenching the coverlet they sat on.
"And yet…if it hadn't happened the way it did…you might have married
Kurogane…and Kohaku would never have been born. We can't change what
happened…and I don't think we really want to…but we can at least make them
proud of us…and see that they can rest in peace," Fai said, resting a finger
against the cool metal of the wedding band.
Seeing the gesture, Yuui copied it, thinking she might know what to do now. The
moment both their flesh was in contact with the ring, the metal grew hot and
the emerald started to glow. Within moments, a small image of Sakura's face
appeared between them, smiling warmly.
"Hello, Yuui. Hello, Fai," the image said, sounding somewhat distant. "I'm
sorry it had to be like this. I really am, but I wanted you to know it wasn't
your fault. Syaoran and I were happy to do the things we did…for you. We were
happy you were born…and happy you survived. We will always be proud of you.
Yuui, Kohaku is beautiful. I know you'll be a good mother…and a great queen.
You're so strong already. Fai…my son…my baby…I'm sorry we never had a chance to
really meet…but I know you must be a wonderful young man…because of how they
all miss you…how lost Kurogane-kun is without you…how much he loves you. I pray
you'll be happy together…and that you'll rule Nihon and Valeria in peace. All I
can say to the two of you now is…take care of each other. Protect your families
and your people…whoever you deem them to be. I love you. We both do. We'll
always love you. Don't give up."
Then, just like that, she was gone. For a long while, the twins just sat,
staring at the space where their mother had been. Then they slowly turned to
face each other, blue eyes brimming with tears. Wordlessly, they fell into a
comforting embrace, holding each other close as they did when they were
children and still shared the same bed. They remained like that until they had
no more silent tears to cry.
                                      XxX
For everything the group had gone through in the past months, Faerie seemed
remarkably untouched by events in the human world. When they emerged from
Spirit Lake, the sithen appeared the same as it always had, undisturbed by the
plots to take it over.
"It hasn't been this peaceful the whole time," Kakei said in response to Yuui
commenting on this. "Faerie is linked to its sovereign. I may have been your
stand-in these months, but you are no less the sovereign. The land has
reflected your emotions. Sadness, anger, and fear in the beginning. Only
recently have we been so at peace as this. Before the news even reached me,
Faerie itself told me you were happy. The land hasn't been this relieved in
many years," he explained as he led the group through the corridors.
"What do you mean?" Yuui asked.
"Clow was rarely ever at peace…especially after the Last War. I think the only
moment he experienced true happiness in that time was when Yuuko ended his life
for him. Faerie mirrored that strain. You'll probably notice the difference in
the days to come."
It didn't take them long to reach Hisui's quarters. Kokuyo was lying just as
she'd left him, no different from the day Yuuko had struck him down.
"What do we have to do?" Hisui asked Koryu.
"I think it's best if you do it," he said, handing Ryuou to Tomoyo. He and the
baby still weren't quite used to each other, but Yuui insisted that he at least
try holding him whenever she wasn't feeding him.
"How?"
"I…I have to kiss you. It's how the tithe is transferred," the young lord said
awkwardly. Hisui didn't think twice about it. She stepped forward, grabbed him
by the shoulders, and planted her lips on his. Koryu nearly stepped back in
shock, but he gathered his wits soon enough and passed the wind master the
magic that had been humming in his body the past weeks.
Hisui knew it the moment the spell had passed into her. The powerful command
filled her head and her skin prickled with the force of it. She almost thought
she could understand why Koryu had taken so long to decide…what with all this
running through his head. Anxious to be rid of it, she quickly approached her
lover, dropped to her knees beside the bed, and pressed her lips to his. With
every ounce of power in her, she willed the magic command to pass into him.
Awake.
Feeling the prickling slowly draw out of her, Hisui drew back, watching
Kokuyo's face with bated breath. The seconds had started to bleed into minutes
before the color began to return to his face. Then he drew a deep breath and
his eyes flickered open. For a moment, he seemed confused, but then he
recognized Hisui and he shot up in bed, seizing her by the shoulders.
"Hisui! Hisui, are you all right? She didn't hurt you, did she?"
For a moment, Hisui couldn't speak. All she could do was take in the sight of
him -awake at last. Then tears began to flow freely down her face and she flung
her arms around him, holding him as tightly as she was able.
"I'm fine! I'm fine! God, Kokuyo, I'm so glad you're all right!" she sobbed.
The look of confusion returned to the former lord's face as he held his lover
close, unable to understand the reason for her tears.
"What…what happened?"
"She's a little overcome just now," Kakei said as he approached the pair.
"Perhaps it would be best if I just…" he started, resting a hand atop Kokuyo's
head as he opened his mind to him, giving him everything that had happened
since his blood tithe had been collected.
"The…the Water Guard's protecting Spirit Lake?" he asked breathlessly when
Kakei finally broke the connection.
"Yes."
"That…that won't be enough. It won't work."
"What do you mean?" Yuui asked.
"Well, Highness, if Koryu's given you use of the Oni, and Yuuko has no other
recourse to fall back on…she will use the humans. That was her plan from the
start. Would your soldiers fight against human opponents?"
"No," Yuui said quietly, "no, they wouldn't."
"But…how does she plan to get in? Yuuko can't enter Faerie," Sai reminded them.
"Can't she?" Kokuyo asked, sounding almost cryptic. "She didn't ignore the
possibility that one of the twins might beat Seishiro to the throne. She's
confident that the spell that kept her out before will have faded with Clow's
death. Are you confident you're strong enough to keep Yuuko out, Majesty?"
"No," Yuui said again, only just beginning to realize the implications of it
all. "We…we need to get out there."
"We may already be too late. Yuuko will have realized she's lost control of the
Oni," Kokuyo said as he and Hisui rose from the bed together.
No words were wasted as the group turned and headed back the way they'd come,
but when they reached the front gates and saw people emerging from the lake, it
was not who they were expecting.
Rikuo, Yukito, and Eriol climbed onto the lake's shore and immediately began to
run toward them.
"What's going on?" Yuui shouted to them once they were in earshot.
"I'm sorry, Yuui-chan, but Eriol insisted on coming here. He said it was a
matter of life and death. Rikuo-san was bringing us when…when…" Yukito tried to
explain.
"Yuuko's on the move," Rikuo took up the slack. "The Water Guard is being
approached by an army of half-fey. She's brainwashed them all. What are your
orders, My Queen?"
Yuui looked thoughtful for a moment, but it didn't take her long to decide.
There was no other course of action left to follow.
Touki? she called out to the water master in her mind, allowing everyone else
to hear her thoughts.
Highness? What are your wishes?
Let them pass.
Pass? Even…even Yuuko and Seishiro?
Even them. Seishiro could kill you all with a single touch. I won't have any of
you dying for my sake. We'll meet them here.
"Are you sure about this, Yuui-chan?" Watanuki asked.
Yuui nodded. "I'm the only one with any prayer of barring Yuuko from Faerie…and
I can't do it. I'm not strong enough yet. Kurogane…do you think you can kill
Yuuko?"
"Yes," the ninja answered firmly, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Then do it if you get the chance."
"What about Seishiro and Fuuma?" Subaru asked.
"I'm not sure," Yuui whispered before turning and heading back inside the
sithen. The others followed.
"Kakei-san, I want you to summon the other lords here. All of them."
"At once, My Queen," he said, breaking off from the others to carry out the
order.
"Yukito-san, Eriol-kun, and Tomoyo, I want you to go to my quarters. Take Soel
with you. If we fail today, it can get you out of here."
"Yuui, I-" Tomoyo started.
"No. Don't argue with me on this one. You have to keep them safe," she said as
she passed Kohaku to Tomoyo so that she carried both babies. "If the worst
should happen, you need to get yourselves out."
"But…what about you?"
"Larg will stay with us. We'll be able to escape," she tried to reassure her
wife, even though they all knew there would be no escape if they failed.
Tomoyo swallowed hard, nodding her acceptance. She leaned in and kissed Yuui on
the lips once before turning and moving away with Yukito, Eriol, and Soel
following behind her.
"We can't keep them out," Yuui continued once they'd gone. "The rest of us will
prepare to meet them in the throne room."
"Majesty…the Oni would be willing to fight against half-fey, if you wished,"
Koryu told her.
"I know they would, but I don't want them to," Yuui said firmly, never breaking
stride. "Destroying an opponent who can't fight back is no way to win."
"Heh, I don't know if there's even one instance in history when a fortress has
been taken with an army of invalids," Kujaku noted mockingly.
"Maybe we can't hurt them, but they can't hurt you, either," Yuui replied.
"These people are nothing but a shield…a helpless, innocent shield. It's their
leaders we need to worry about."
As the group headed toward the throne room, it slowly began to grow, the clan
masters answering Kakei's call one by one, until all they lacked were Ransho
and Rasetsu.
"They're coming, Highness. This is it," Karura reported with a discomfiting
amount of excitement in her voice. "I saw them rising from the lake."
"All right…are you with me?" Yuui asked when they'd reached the main doors to
the throne room, standing outside for what seemed like a much longer moment
than it actually was. "All of you?"
"To the death…Yuui-chan," Watanuki said calmly, unquestionably answering for
all of them. When the band of fighters finally entered the throne room, Yue and
Kero were there waiting.
"You are not…even trying to keep them out of the sithen?" Yue asked the young
queen, the resignation in his voice already plain to be heard.
"I can't. That isn't my desire. I want to end it. I want to face them now."
"We're tired of running," Kurogane continued. "We're tired of them taking away
the things we love." As he spoke, he slung an arm around Fai's shoulders,
giving him a brief, tight hug.
Fai…if this doesn't work-
Don't think like that. It will work. It must !
But if it doesn't…and something happens to me-
Don't.
If I die, I want you to get out of here. Go with Tomoyo and the others.
You won't die. Even if you do…how could I leave you? How could I ever leave
you…when I've only just found my way back to you?
You've got a responsibility now. You're carrying the heir to Nihon's throne.
You have to live…and the baby has to live.
A-all right, Fai agreed reluctantly, looking none too happy about it. I'll
survive…but I won't save our baby because of Nihon; I'll save it because
it'syourbaby…ourbaby.
Thank you.
Damn you. Don't you even think of dying.
The first sign of the enemy's approach was a great clap of thunder, signaling
the collapse of the main gate.
Majesty! Rasetsu and I are coming through Spirit Lake now. Yuuko's army has
broken through the main gate. They'll reach you in minutes,Ransho warned her.
I know. Thank you for the warning, Ransho-san.
Just as Ransho predicted, Yuuko's horde of brainwashed half-fey was swarming
just outside the entrance to the throne room within minutes, chomping at the
bit to get inside. Only Seishiro's tenuous control over them kept them back.
Yuuko herself stepped forward, wreathed all in black as usual.
"Surely you didn't think you could keep us out forever, did you, little queen?"
"Why did you trust Koryu-san?" Yuui asked, rather than answer her question.
"You must have known he would betray you."
Yuuko laughed at this. "I wanted us to come to this point. I have every last
one of you here now - the stain sprung from my husband's seed. You will all die
here…you, your daughter, your brother, and that unborn thing he's carrying."
"If you so much as touch him, I swear I'll tear you apart," Kurogane warned,
resting a hand on Ginryuu.
"They tell me you might actually be able to now. I almost want to see it," the
Dark Queen responded with a strange little smile.
"I don't believe you're really like this, Yuuko-san," Yuui said. "I've seen
what you can be. Fai received a precious gift through you. I know you've been
hurt…and I understand…but I can't allow you to hurt us anymore."
Yuuko's indulgent expression shifted into a suspicious glare. "I don't know
what you're talking about, but I know you don't have the power to say what I'm
allowed to do. Seishiro. Fuuma."
At Yuuko's command, the Dark Prince and his cousin stepped forward, swords
drawn. Kurogane looked ready to leap forward, but Subaru beat him to it.
"Yuui-sama, please allow me," he said, drawing his own blade. "This is my
fight."
"Mine as well," Kamui said, stepping up to stand beside his brother.
What are you doing? Subaru asked his brother.
I won't let you go it alone. The Sakurazukamori is just as much my problem as
it is yours.
"As you wish," Yuui said quietly. There was no doubt in hers or anyone's mind
that this was to be the last battle - for all four of them.
"You've no idea how long I've waited for this, Subaru," Seishiro said as the
younger faerie approached him.
"I think I do," he returned bleakly as he raised his blade to meet Assassin's
Hand. Almost before anyone realized it, the former lovers were engaged in a
furious duel.
"He'll kill him, you know? Your brother?" Fuuma said to Kamui when the two of
them crossed blades.
"I'm afraid he wants that," Kamui said, catching each of Fuuma's strikes. "Even
if he doesn't…he wouldn't survive killing him."
"Just as you wouldn't survive killing me?"
"Exactly. They say I can only set you free by killing you…and then my own
freedom is forfeit…but I don't believe that. I know you're still alive in there
somewhere," Kamui said, not only blocking, but returning blow for blow.
"Well, I'll just have to prove to you how wrong you are…and make good your
death."
The battle between Kamui and Fuuma was fast-paced, but mostly subdued, easy
blows that lacked any real rage. The fight between Seishiro and Subaru, on the
other hand, was fierce and bestial. Subaru struck at Seishiro with everything
he had, but the Dark Prince took it all calmly, smirking lightly as he defended
against Subaru's fury.
"Why won't you kill me?" Subaru finally demanded. "You would have done it
before! There's nothing holding you back! You could kill me with a single
touch! Why won't you do it?"
"You want me to kill you, Subaru? You would destroy the last piece of Souma
Kuzuki that exists in this world?"
"Lord and Lady in heaven, I don't care anymore! I just want it all to stop! I
want to be free of you…of hating you…of wanting you…of needing you. I can't
kill you. No matter what you've done…you're still you.I tried not to love you;
it doesn't work," Subaru choked out, lashing out at the Dark Prince, mindless
of all else.
"So…even after all this…it would still pain you to kill me?" he asked, the
smirk on his face suddenly going cold.
"More than you can know," Subaru said bitterly.
"Then I have failed," Seishiro said before his calm exterior shattered. His
cool, defensive style suddenly exploded into a fierce offensive and he forced
Subaru back, hacking at him until he forced his sword from his hand. The blow
sent Subaru crashing to the ground and Seishiro was on him in mere moments,
holding Assassin's Hand just above his heart.
"Subaru!" Kamui shouted, trying to get to his little brother. Fuuma quickly
waylaid him, though, keeping him engaged in their fight. Yuui wanted to step
in, but she could see that her vassal would have none of it. Whatever else was
in the Shiro lord's expression, the thing to be seen most strongly was
pleading.
Oh. Goddess…Subaru…
Please…kill me now…just end it.
The moment the two were frozen like that was long - Seishiro with the blade
poised to strike and Subaru defenseless, his chest bared for Seishiro's final
blow. However, to everyone's utter shock, Assassin's Hand did not fall.
Seishiro raised the blade and took a step back. Even Kamui and Fuuma had
stopped fighting at this point.
"What do you think you're doing?" Yuuko demanded. "He asked for death. Kill him
now!"
Shaking his head, the Dark Prince threw the sword at his mother's feet. "No. I
will never."
"What?" Subaru whispered in shock.
"Traitor!" Yuuko screamed as she picked up the blade. "I'll give you your
reward now! I'll kill him for you!"
In the moments before Yuuko made her strike, Seishiro turned to face Yuui. Time
seemed to slow down as he opened his mind to her.
My Queen, in this last moment, I give you my mind. Someone must know the truth.
All of Seishiro's thoughts and feelings, the events, the days of his life
poured into Yuui's head all in a single instant. As revelation after revelation
burst upon her, everything suddenly became clear. Then Yuui saw Yuuko start to
move.
"No! Stop!" she screamed.
It was over in seconds. Yuuko sprang forward and Seishiro moved to shield
Subaru. Then there was the sound of metal piercing flesh and crimson blood
splashed onto Yuuko and Subaru.
As Seishiro stood there with his own blade plunged through his heart, his
expression slowly began to change - between the cool smirk they were all used
to and the sudden rage they'd seen only moments before. Then he began to speak
in two different voices - almost as if he were arguing with himself.
"Take her, damn you. She struck the blow. She killed me. You must take her."
"You're wrong, Seishiro. Maybe she did strike the blow, but she isn't the
reason you're dying. You died to protect him. He is the cause of your death. He
will be my new host."
"You won't have him. I won't…let you. He's…mine."
"Do you think you can fight me, Seishiro? Do you think your useless love can
hold out against the forces of chaos?"
"Chaos?" the enraged voice laughed bitterly. "Love is chaos, my master."
"Heh, maybe. Maybe so…but what power does that give you?"
"You think I haven't planned for this? I was never going to let this happen."
"What can you do? You're helpless."
"I'm talking to you now, am I not?"
For a moment, the cool persona seemed panicked. Then the angry one took control
and made eye contact with Yuuko.
"Let go of the sword."
At first, the Dark Queen didn't seem to comprehend what was happening. All she
could do was stare at her son - the son she'd just run through - with the self-
same blade she'd used to kill his father.
"Let go of the sword, Mother…now."
In a brief moment of comprehension, Yuuko released her hold on the hilt.
Seishiro immediately grabbed hold of it.
"It was with this sword that you were reborn into this world…and with it that
I'll imprison you once again. You will rest forever in this accursed blade."
"You can't do this!"
"I can. This sword was once human. It caused my death, it and nothing else. It
shall be your host ever more!"
Quite suddenly, Fuuma dropped to his knees, clutching his head as he shrieked
in pain. The fit lasted only moments, and when it ended his body went limp.
Kamui was only just in time to catch him before he hit the ground.
"Fuuma? Fuuma, can you hear me?"
Then, with a cry of abject agony, Seishiro wrenched the sword from his chest
and flung it across the room. For a moment, he just stood there, trembling.
"By God, I'm free of it," he mumbled before weakly collapsing. Just as Kamui
had done, Subaru darted in to catch him as he fell. With the sword gone, he was
bleeding even more heavily.
"Oh…oh, God…S-Sei…Sei…shi-"
"I tried…so hard…to have you hate me…so that you would experience no pain…when
you had to kill me," he choked out as he reached up to stroke Subaru's cheek,
"but I failed. Failing that…I was going to kill you…to spare you that pain…but
I couldn't do it. I…wanted you to know…how I really felt…before I died."
"What…what do you mean? You can't die," Subaru whispered desperately, pressing
a hand to the flowing wound in the vain hope of using his power to help.
"It's too late," the Dark Prince said, resting a hand on top of Subaru's as his
eyes slid closed. "Nothing can stop this."
"SEISHIRO!"
***** Her Whole Life Long *****
For the longest time, he had known nothing. There hadn't even been darkness. It
was just…nothing. There had been nothing and no one…not even himself. He
carried few memories from before the breaking of the seal…brief flashes of his
mother, his father, his cousins…their warmth. He remembered the promise he'd
made to his mother in order to help her escape her cruel destiny. He was
willing to sacrifice for his parents…he had never experienced a love like the
one he saw between them and he didn't want to see it broken. That was all he
remembered. Everything else had been burned away by The Breaking.
He'd thought he'd be able to control it…somehow…but that notion had been
extinguished the moment the chaos force had made contact with his mind. The
Sakurazukamori had stripped away each layer of him, flaying away every atom
until he was nothing but a naked mind, and even that it tore into. It could
see, touch, and know everything he was…and in an instant, all of that was
burned to ashes. Nothing remained of his identity. The only thing that existed
for him was pain, unending and unendurable, as the Sakurazukamori forced its
way inside his mind and body. Claws tore into him, carving the image of the
chaos force into his back. Pain wracked his body and spirit, and images of what
had been and what would be assaulted his mind, torturing him the more as he
died. Whether it was death or something else entirely, it was merciful enough.
He suffered that moment of hell for only an instant before slipping into the
silent nothing.
The moment he had become aware of himself again was when the Sakurazukamori had
come across little Subaru Shiro, lost and alone in Celes. Their eyes had
met…and he'd suddenly felt himself - Seishiro Reed.
Who are you, little one?
The Sakurazukamori had been about to do it - he'd had the little faerie boy in
his arms and he'd been just about to rest a hand against his heart and close
his eyes forever…when Seishiro had cried out.
Don't! Don't do it! This child is…intriguing.
You're awake? Most intriguing .
He'll die eventually, just not yet. He seems like he could be interesting to
keep an eye on.
He was enough to wake you. Perhaps you're right. All right, Seishiro Reed. I
will not kill him now. I'll make a bet with him. We shall see what this child
does.
Seishiro's first conscious act after hundreds of years of oblivion had been to
save Subaru Shiro's life. In the years following that awakening, he had had to
constantly return to his memories of the little boy to keep himself conscious
and grounded. The nothing became a plane of static…of white noise and shifting
patterns of darkness and light. He couldn't see or interact with the world
beyond his mental prison. All he could do was cling to the image of the boy,
hoping beyond hope to somehow retain the consciousness the encounter had given
him. He had no idea what was so special about this one child; all he knew was
that he'd given him his self back and he intended to hold onto it.
After several centuries of gathering his strength, Seishiro was slowly able to
use his senses again. He began to see how the world had changed since The
Breaking: the war that had been fought, the formation of the Dark Court, his
new role as the Dark Prince, and so much more. He began to share space in his
own mind with the Sakurazukamori, who noticed his awakened presence, but more
or less paid him no mind. It was an entirely new experience for the chaos
force. Never before had a host regained sapience under its control and
Seishiro's awakening was something of an amusing distraction for it. As time
went by, Seishiro was able to tell when his jailer was looking into his mind
and when it was not, slowly figuring out how to keep his thoughts simple for
the Sakurazukamori whenever it was watching and saving anything more complex
for when he was alone.
Seven hundred years passed between that first encounter and their next meeting
with young Subaru. By that time, he had become master of the Shiro clan, which
both Seishiro and the Sakurazukamori had been surprised to discover. It had
never occurred to them that he could be a direct descendant of the Shiro line.
The Sakurazukamori had seen the young lord as an opportunity to sow discord
among the faerie courts. Subaru, of course, had no memory of the ultimatum the
Sakurazukamori had given him when he was a child, as the memory had been erased
even in the moment of its making, but the chaos force could still see the marks
it had left on the boy's body, even through the incalculably strong shield of
glamour that had been layered over his skin. It had known upon finding him
alone in Celes once again that he was the selfsame child from so long ago.
Subaru had known him, as well. Of course he had - Seishiro Reed…traitor…the one
who had been cast out…the Dark Prince. However, even with that knowledge, it
hadn't been particularly hard for the Sakurazukamori to seduce the young Shiro.
Something in him - perhaps the dangerous thrill of the unknown…or the dark
delights his smoldering gaze promised - had drawn the innocent Subaru in from
the very first, even through his fear, mistrust, and doubt. He had been a
virgin when he'd come to him in the labyrinth that night, seeking to understand
what drew him…and in the darkness of the sacred caves, the Sakurazukamori and
Seishiro together had shown him just what passion could give birth to.
There, with the sounds of their ecstasy echoing off the stone, Seishiro had
learned the awful truth. The darkness had been pierced by the combined glow of
their skin. This was how Subaru's spirit had managed to call him from the
depths of his living death. There would be love - or there would have been if
The Breaking had never occurred. He was Subaru's and Subaru was his…except he
would never really be able to touch him…to hold him or speak to him. A love
barely born was already lost.
The Sakurazukamori tormented him with that knowledge for decades. Even though
he didn't want to, Seishiro found himself truly falling in love with
Subaru…with the shining light that was so unlike the darkness in his own soul.
His jailer drew Subaru in with the words of love it drew from Seishiro's own
heart, tormenting him with the fact that he would never really be able to have
Subaru for his own…how futile his love was. As if all this weren't bad enough,
the prince also had to live with his knowledge of his grandfather's last curse
- the truth that not even the four masters had been privy to…only Fei Wang and
his parents. Yuuko was cursed to kill Clow; it was true, but Fei Wang had not
stopped there. The curse would go on. All who took their descent from Clow
Reed's seed would be fated to die by the hand of the one they loved the most.
It would somehow be Subaru's fate to be his executioner…and if he had learned
anything about the Shiro lord, it was that such an act would destroy him. He
would never survive killing someone he loved.
The knowledge of their fate…of the pain he would one day inflict upon
Subaru…compounded with the anguish of being so close to him and yet so
thoroughly separated from him…and the fact that the chaos force could kill him
whenever it chose…caused Seishiro's rage to grow. As the years passed, his rage
began to give him power. For a brief moment, he would have control of a hand.
He could stroke Subaru's face for the length of a heartbeat. One whispered word
of the Sakurazukamori's would be his… really his. He clung to the first time
he'd been able to kiss Subaru for himself with all his being. He could never
accomplish anything truly significant in his moments of freedom, or the
Sakurazukamori would have shut him down in a heartbeat. It enjoyed baiting him
with them, but what it couldn't have possibly foreseen was that the stolen
moments gave him hope. He learned to use his rage to mask his thoughts from the
chaos force. He came to the conviction that Subaru must not be the one to kill
him. He would not allow his precious Subaru to become the Sakurazukamori.
Masking himself from his captor, Seishiro gradually began to influence its
thoughts, suggesting things seemingly unconnected that could potentially be
seeds of chaos, but that were all ultimately linked. Slowly, he began to have
an effect on events beyond himself. He drew Kamui and Fuuma into the web with
the promise that he had no desire for a crown, which was ultimately true, even
if his later actions suggested otherwise. The plots allowed him closer to the
twins when they entered the picture. Yuui's child would block his path to the
throne when the time was right. Fai's rape had been at his suggestion, but the
Sakurazukamori certainly hadn't objected to it and he had taken no real part in
it. His only real action had been to draw Kurogane into it and to warn Fai to
kill him. Even though it hadn't worked the way he'd wanted it to, he'd thought
to rouse Fai's anger…his hatred…to awaken the young prince's power and goad him
into killing him before Subaru was forced into it by destiny. Fai, however,
proved to be much like Subaru. He simply couldn't kill indiscriminately. He
wasn't like that.
When it seemed this plot had failed, he'd been forced to adopt a different
strategy. In desperation, he'd nearly goaded the chaos force into killing
Subaru in order to spare him the pain of his murder and the burden of the
Sakurazukamori, but it had seen right through the prompt. It was not going to
allow him release so easily, so it had hesitated at the last moment, allowing
the others to rescue Subaru.
The next course had been to incur Subaru's hatred. If he couldn't save him from
the fate of becoming the Sakurazukamori, he could at least spare him the pain
he would suffer killing him. There would be no pain if Subaru hated him. So
he'd tortured Kamui by pulling Fuuma further into his web with Kotori's murder.
Amazingly, his younger cousin had put up no fight. Yet another piece of
destiny, she'd told him. It had been what she wanted…in the hope that she might
be able to make a difference. Her death and Fuuma's fall had, of course,
destroyed Kamui and fanned Subaru's rage to blazing life. For a time, it seemed
the new plan might work. Even better, the need to keep control of both himself
and Fuuma divided the Sakurazukamori's attention even further, allowing
Seishiro the opportunity to plan.
He still had to find a way to keep himself off the throne in order to uphold
his oath to Subaru. So, after he'd been declared a worthy candidate for the
throne, but before he'd begun to take Arashi in order to keep with his mother
and the chaos force's plots, he'd secretly managed a spell to destroy his own
fertility. If Yue had bothered to look again, he would have found Seishiro
suddenly an unfit candidate.
Souma's death had been an unlooked for coincidence in his quest to draw
Subaru's hatred, but he couldn't deny his own jealousy toward the girl for
being someone other than himself who had known Subaru's touch. By then he'd
realized that Subaru could never forgive the true Seishiro for the misery he'd
caused in order to keep him safe, but he simply couldn't care anymore. Subaru
was the only thing that mattered. The rest of the world could crumble for all
he cared, so long as Subaru was safe. To that end, a last desperate plan began
to form in his mind.
He would betray Yuuko. That suggestion was certainly chaotic enough for the
Sakurazukamori to allow it through. When he turned traitor, his insane mother
would almost certainly destroy the cause in order to make him pay. Then he
would intervene. Subaru would be free and Yuuko would take on the
Sakurazukamori. She would get her wish. It was a kind of death, after all…and
shouldn't his mother take on that weight…after everything that had happened?
Unfortunately, even this failed. The chaos force saw through him again. It took
his intervention as his death by Subaru's hand and opted to torture its
rebellious host one last time. It mattered little to the Sakurazukamori who the
host was. It would live on, regardless. However, as they began to struggle for
control, Seishiro had realized something. Assassin's Hand had been created
through the sacrifice of his aunt…more specifically, through her head. The
sword had been human once. Maybe…just maybe…it could be counted as a host. So
Seishiro fought; he fought with all the rage and passion and cunning his years
of imprisonment had pent up…
…and he'dwon.
The Sakurazukamori had never really been challenged before. That was what gave
him the advantage. It took only that moment of surprise to force it into the
black blade, forcing it to withdraw from Fuuma's mind in the same moment. Then
he tossed the accursed thing away for the last time…and breathed free for the
first time in fifteen hundred years as he collapsed, ready to welcome death
with open arms.
Subaru was crying…begging him not to die. How could he…how could he still care
for him…after everything he'd done? Perhaps this was his death at Subaru's
hands? He had done it to protect him, after all…and Subaru would at least be
spared the pain of having dealt the killing blow.
He was screaming now…screaming his name. Why?
"Why are you…so sad?" he whispered. "You shouldn't…cry…for someone like me."
"No. No, no, no, no, no," Subaru mumbled over and over again. "I won't let you
die…not now…not now…Iwon't!"
There was only one thing that might possibly save Seishiro now: the one thing
he didn't have, but that he needed now more desperately than he'd ever needed
anything in his life…dark magic. Only dark magic could counter the magic of
Assassin's Hand.
Please…please…he prayed silently, pressing his hand even more firmly against
the bleeding wound. If he dies…if he dies, I…
That was when he felt it - lines of fire and ice tracing their way down his arm
and pooling in his hand. The burning was so intense it could have been either
extreme heat or extreme cold. Then he thought he could almost see it - a dark
mist playing about his fingers. Not really knowing what to do, he simply held
on, allowing dark to meet dark.
They both felt it when the two magics mingled, beginning to fix what was
broken. Seishiro's head fell back as he drew in a sharp gasp and Subaru slumped
over him, painfully unused to the violent mesh of light and dark magic within
his body.
"Subaru?" Seishiro murmured, slowly feeling his strength returning.
"Subaru…what did you do?"
"I told you," Subaru whispered, weak but happy, "I couldn't…let you die."
"No," Seishiro said sharply, sitting up and gathering the weakened lord in his
arms. "I should have died. I was trying to protect you. Now we'll both die."
"What…what do you mean?" Subaru asked as his own strength slowly began to
return. "Everything's going to be all right now."
"I know you believe that, but nothing could be further from the truth," the
former Dark Prince growled. "There's still…one more curse."
"Seishiro, I…I don't understand."
"Fei Wang Reed…didn't just curse Clow when he died," Yuui started to explain,
drawing together the disparate pieces of her newfound knowledge. "His curse was
meant to go on. All who are descended from Clow Reed are fated to die by the
hand of the one they love the most."
"That…that can't be," Subaru said. "Sakura…she-"
Seishiro shook his head. "My little sister died of a broken heart…the direct
result of her husband's death. When he died…he killed her. If I had died, you
would have been spared the task of killing me yourself."
"But…I don't…why would I kill you?" Subaru mumbled, still not quite
comprehending.
"It doesn't matter whether you want to or not. It's going to happen. Don't you
understand? Everything I did, I did to prevent this from happening."
"K- Kuro-sama?" Fai said quietly, turning to look at his fiancé. Did this
mean…that Kurogane and Tomoyo were fated to kill him and Yuui?
"No," Kurogane hissed, his eyes narrowing in rage as he turned to face
Seishiro. "No! I did not come this far to have this happen! There's got to be
something we can do to reverse it."
The next sound everyone heard was the unhinged laughter of an insane Dark
Queen. She laughed at all of them, though she looked like she might cry.
"If there was something to be done…don't you think I would've done it? There's
nothing you can do, little boy. You will all suffer as we did," she said,
smiling cruelly.
"If you couldn't find a way to stop it from happening, you didn't love him
enough!" Kurogane accused, goading the Dark Queen. "I'm going to find a way to
stop this because I love this idiot and I'm not going to kill him! No one can
make me."
Yuuko's laughter died instantly. Rage flared to life in her blood red eyes.
"How dare you, you mortal brat? How dare you speak to me like that?"
"Can you deny it?" the young emperor fired back at her. She was the nightmare
from his childhood, but he no longer feared her. She was just a sad old woman
who was long dead and didn't even know it. There was nothing inside her.
Yuuko let out a shriek of rage and swooped in to grab the sword Fuuma had
dropped. Kurogane only had time to shove Fai out of the way and draw Ginryuu
before she was on him, striking furiously, intending to cleave his sword in
two.
Ginryuu held out against her fury, though, and Kurogane matched her blow for
blow. He had nearly killed himself training for this moment and it was all
proving to be worthwhile.
"He was everything to me!" she screamed.
"And you killed him," Kurogane said calmly.
"It wasn't my fault!" she cried, getting more wild and desperate by the minute.
"He betrayed me!"
"You betrayed him first. You promised him you wouldn't kill yourself and you
still looked for a way. Look what it's done," Kurogane said, maintaining his
calm throughout. "Face it. You never loved him."
At this, Yuuko let fly a cry so primal and harrowing, it raised the hairs on
everyone's necks. It was all her years of loneliness, hurt, self-loathing, and
hatred compounded into a single vocalization.
Queen Yuuko Reed was mighty; it was true…but if her deteriorating mental state
was anything to judge by, this battle would not last much longer.
                                      XxX
As Yuui had asked, Tomoyo had taken the two babies, Soel, Yukito, and Eriol to
her and Yuui's chambers and they had shut themselves in while the battle had
been going on. Kohaku had been mostly calm, but Ryuou was inconsolable. Had the
older three not been preoccupied with the one-day-old, they might have noticed
Eriol's eyes going completely blank for the second time in his life. They
didn't notice him until he started to unlock the door.
"Eriol, what are you doing?" Yukito demanded in a voice much harsher than he'd
meant to use. "It's not safe out there."
"I have to go to her. I have to do this," he said, not looking at his father.
Yukito tried to go and stop him, but Eriol seemed to sense the movement and
threw up a hand behind him just as he managed to get the door open. The
Valerian high priest suddenly found himself blocked by a barrier.
"Eriol!"
"I have to talk to her before she dies. She can't die like this," he explained,
unfailingly calm.
"Who, Eriol-kun?" Tomoyo asked.
"Yuuko," he answered, finally turning to look at them. Tomoyo couldn't help but
feel she'd heard this voice somewhere in her dreamwalking. She knew it wasn't
Eriol they spoke to now.
"Clow…sama?"
Eriol nodded. "Please…let me go to her. Do not interfere."
"But…it's dangerous. What if he gets hurt?" Yukito asked, quickly catching on
to Tomoyo's revelation.
"Don't worry," the boy said with a warm smile. "Everything will be all right."
                                      XxX
The dynamics of the battle in the throne room hadn't changed much. Kurogane
still had Yuuko on the ropes and she was deteriorating all the faster. After
one particularly harsh blow, Yuuko was driven to the ground, her sword
clattering away.
"It's over, Yuuko," the young emperor declared, raising Ginryuu for the final
blow.
In the few moments it took to raise the blade, Yuuko's eyes darted away from
his face and Kurogane froze. He followed her gaze and found it directed at Fai.
When he turned his own gaze back to Yuuko, she was smiling in that completely
unhinged way of hers, a spell suddenly in her hand.
There was no time for anything else. Acting purely on instinct, Kurogane threw
himself in front of Yuuko's spell as she let it fly. This would not end as it
had eighteen years ago.
He wasn't really sure what happened first - whether he heard Fai screaming or
he felt the intense burning in his chest, but those two things were suddenly
all his world consisted of. His head was filled with the sound of Fai's cries
and his body burned, feeling like it would incinerate at any minute.
The next moment, he felt himself gathered up in someone's arms and looked up to
see Fai.
"No…no…get out…" he groaned.
"No!" Fai growled as he pressed his hands against Kurogane's chest. "I won't
let you die."
Kurogane wasn't certain what he could do without the healing abilities his
sister had, but it slowly started to make sense as the burning in his body
began to diminish. No healer could work fast enough to stop his death, but with
his Hand of Blood, Fai was doing the job his heart no longer could: keeping his
blood flowing through his body.
"Come on," Fai encouraged. "Keep breathing."
Kurogane did so, taking it one breath at a time, but while the two were
absorbed with each other, Yuuko slowly struggled to her feet.
"Fine. I'll have you both at once," she hissed, gathering another spell and
flinging it at them. The attack never reached them, though. The ball of dark
energy was absorbed into a barrier.
For a moment, Yuuko looked shocked, but then Yuui stepped forward, her raised
hands clearly indicating she'd set up the barrier.
"Stop this now, Yuuko-san," she said calmly, her eyes on the ragged queen as
she approached her brothers.
"Stop? Why should I stop?" she asked, her head tilting oddly to the side as she
watched the three of them. "He's the only one who can kill me…and I've waited
forty years to destroy my faithless husband's bloodline!"
"Clow's dead, Yuuko-san," Yuui said as she placed her hands beside Fai's on
Kurogane's chest, speaking as if to a child. "What are you trying to prove?"
"You shouldn't exist!" the mad queen snarled. "None of you!"
"And yet here we are," the younger queen replied, her healing magic glowing
brightly in the charged air. "Look around you, Yuuko Reed. There's no one who's
on your side anymore. The Sakurazukamori has abandoned you. The army
surrounding us…they're all under your son's control. You are alone."
At this, the elder queen began to laugh again. As the tears began to come,
mingled with her laughter, she turned her pain-filled face to heaven. "I've
been alone…ever since Fei Wang uttered that curse. Do you really think you can
hurt me with that? Clow was gone from me the moment it was my fate to kill
him."
"That isn't so."
Everyone looked up at the sound of the new voice. A small figure was advancing
through the army of brainwashed half fey. A few of them tried to strike at the
figure, but were held back by the barrier surrounding him. Most of the faeries
recognized the figure as Eriol, but Yuuko collapsed to her knees the moment she
heard his voice.
"…Clow?"
"Yes," the boy said quietly as he came to stand before Yuuko. She shook her
head and turned away.
"What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't leave you…not like this," he said, gently cupping her cheek in his
small hand.
What's happening? Yuui put the question out to anyone open to her thoughts.
The only explanation I can think of, Majesty…is that the king's spirit remained
somehow bound to this world after his murder, Yue explained rather jarringly as
he watched the exchange with everyone else. I don't know. I can't understand
it. Such a thing has never occurred before.
"If I let you die like this…there will be no peace for you, ever."
Yuuko laughed bitterly at this. "I never looked for peace. Why should I have
such a thing?"
"Whether or not you look for it, I mean to win it for you. I will not let my
father win. I let you kill me. Do you still believe I meant to betray you forty
years ago?" he asked, slowly starting to wipe the tears from her face.
"I don't know," the old queen said after several long moments of silence.
"I came back for you. I endured being tied to the physical plain. Is it still
not enough?"
"For the things I've done? It's too much," she said, looking away from him
again.
"Do you really expect me to just abandon you?"
"That was what I wanted," she hissed, "for two thousand years. If you'd
only…put me aside then…it could have all been avoided."
"Would I have somehow loved you less? It wouldn't have worked. I've atoned for
my betrayal and my crimes. Your atonement is still to begin, but before it
does…there was something I wanted you to know. Fei Wang sought to tear us
apart…to destroy our unity and see our rule fail before it had begun," the
possessed child started to explain.
"And he succeeded, didn't he?" Yuuko asked bitterly. "We were both destroyed."
"That isn't true. I never stopped loving you, Yuuko…and I never blamed you for
what happened, not for an instant. I never saw the need for it, but I know it's
what you've wanted to hear…" he said, leaning in to whisper in her ear, "I
forgive you…my Yuuko."
He was right. It was all she'd ever desired to hear. As he pressed his lips to
hers, she felt the weight of her guilt lift from her.
"I wait for you, my sweet," he murmured to her before taking a step back from
her. Yuuko was left by herself, kneeling in the middle of the throne room.
"Do it," she called over her shoulder without actually looking back. "Do it,
child of man, emperor of Nihon. Nothing is easier. It's what you've always
wanted."
Kurogane was silent as he climbed shakily to his feet. He couldn't feel the
vengeance he'd burned with for most of his life as he gazed down on the fallen
queen. All he could feel was a strange sort of empathy. How easy would it be
for either Fai or himself to come to this point?
"What stays your hand, man-thing?" she hissed, turning to glare at him out of
the corner of her eye. "Strike!"
Kurogane turned to look at Fai as his fiancé handed him his fallen blade. He
could feel Fai's magic in it as he took the hilt in hand.
"Are you all right?" the blond asked, keeping his hand on Kurogane's for a
moment.
"Fine. You with me?" he asked, holding his gaze intently.
"Always," Fai said calmly, leaning in to give him a quick, reassuring kiss.
"Face me," Kurogane requested as he turned to face Yuuko once again. "I'm not
going to start my reign by stabbing you in the back."
"Heh, how noble of you, little emperor," she said, staggering to face him while
remaining on her knees. "At least have the decency to kill me in a fashion
befitting my actions."
"I'd like to," he growled, holding the point of the blade just over her
heart…but this wasn't the way. This couldn't be done in anger. It had to be
done in mercy.
"Please," she whispered, the hard look in her eyes softening for the barest of
moments. "Send me to be with him."
He did as she asked. It was quick: the pierce, followed by the stab through the
heart. As he gathered his own power, he felt himself surrounded by Fai's magic,
as well, preserving his life and adding to his power. At first, the twin Hearts
glowed red and blue, then white hot with the strength of their power. When he
felt it was strong enough, Kurogane released it, sending the wave of magic down
the length of the blade.
When the sudden rush of power entered her body, Yuuko gasped, quickly crumpling
as she slipped from the end of the sword.
Eriol was waiting for her when she fell. He caught her in his arms, letting her
head rest in his lap as she struggled for breath. Their eyes met one last time
and he smiled down at her. She gave him a faint smile and he leaned down for
one last kiss. Then Queen Yuuko Reed breathed no more.
"It is done," the boy said quietly as he closed the dead queen's eyes. "And you
all are free of Fei Wang's curse."
Leaning on his bloody sword, Kurogane knelt before the boy king. "Sir…what do
you mean?"
"My father's aim was to destroy me…and my existence was greatly defined by my
love for her, so he attacked that. Ultimately, it failed. We were not
conquered. Because the curse failed at the root, it has lost its power. You
will all be free of it. Make good the time you have won."
"We will," the young emperor said solemnly.
Having gotten this promise from him, Eriol placed a hand on Kurogane's sword
and the weapon was instantly clean of Yuuko's blood. Then his body shuddered
and slumped over Yuuko's body. As the real Eriol came to, her body quickly
faded away to nothing.
"Are you all right?" Yuui asked her cousin as she came to help him stand.
"Yes. She…the old queen…she's at peace now?" he asked.
"She will be."
"That's good."
"Your father will be wanting to know you're safe. Seishiro-san?" Yuui started,
turning to look at the still shaken couple. "Could you…maybe…speak to your
followers? Is there a way to calm them?"
Nodding, Seishiro glanced at the army of half fey. For a long while, he stared
them down, and finally, their battle lust seemed to calm and the chamber began
to silence.
"You can speak to them now, my Queen."
"People of Nihon-" she began.
"We are not of Nihon!" several people in the crowd cried out. "They have made
that perfectly plain!"
"People of Nihon," she repeated, her voice somehow carrying over the crowd.
"You were not cast out by your own. You were banished from your home by an
imposter. You were deceived by a faerie who wished you to fight against your
own people on his behalf. Empress Amaterasu is dead. Your true ruler is here
even now and he will not turn you away."
A fresh outcry swept the crowd at this proposition, but Yuui simply waited them
out, standing silently before them.
"However, if there are any among you who do not wish to return to Nihon, you
will have a choice. I, Yuui Fluorite Reed, am the new queen of Faerie. The man
you've pledged your loyalty to is my subject now and I am willing to accept you
as my own subjects, should you choose. Wherever you choose to go, you will be
welcome. Is this arrangement agreeable to all of you?"
Slowly, the resistance seemed to die out of the crowd. They looked to each
other, looking lost at first, then starting to consider. Several nodded; no one
outright objected or made the call, though.
"Clef-san? Rasetsu-san? Would you mind leading these people out and starting to
figure out who's going where?"
"Yes, Your Highness," they both answered. As the two lords began the migration
from the throne room, those that remained started to gather together.
Tomoyo?
Yuui? What's going on? Is everyone all right? Is Eriol-kun with you?
It's all right now. Yuuko's dead. Stay where you are. We'll join you soon.
Eriol-kun's all right. Tell Yukito-san not to worry. How's Kohaku?
Sleeping. She's been a perfect angel. Ryuou's a little cranky, though.
Well, his father will be in soon. There are just a few things we need to get
sorted.
"So…what now?" Kujaku asked, cracking an odd smile at the strange circle of
allies.
"It is not over," Kakei reminded them. "Perhaps the Dark Court is dead, but
there is still Kyle to deal with…and he is inarguably the most evil of them."
"That's true. Nihon cannot be free until he is dealt with. We will confront him
in the morning, offer him the chance to surrender," Yuui decided.
"He won't, you know?" Seishiro told them as he and Subaru slowly moved to join
the group. "Kyle has nothing left to lose. All he wants is power, and he could
never hope to gain it over either court."
"Why not?" Fai asked.
"It's because of his infertility. No faerie court would ever recognize an
infertile heir," Koryu explained.
"Nihon was his only hope of gaining power. He will fight to the death to hold
it," Seishiro finished.
"On the subject of fertility, Seishiro-san…Arashi-san's baby…who is the
father?" Yuui asked, turning her full attention to her uncle.
"You're thinking about that now?" Kujaku teased.
"Yes. It's important. A child's life could be at stake. Do you know who the
father is?"
Seishiro gave a strange half smile at this. "Of course I do. That child belongs
to them. I had no part in it."
"How do you know?" Subaru asked, looking up at him.
"I know because I, too, am infertile. I couldn't have fathered that child."
"But how is that possible?" Yue asked. "I know who is worthy to rule over
Faerie. It's why I exist. How could I have seen you as worthy if you're
infertile?"
"Look again, moon advocate. I think you'll find your judgment a little
different this time around. After that day…I destroyed my own fertility
myself…in order to uphold the promise I made to Subaru."
"What about Fuuma?" Kamui asked. He was holding the still unconscious faerie in
his arms. "What happened to him?"
"When I attempted to break with it, the Sakurazukamori had to use everything it
was in order to fight me. It ripped its presence from his mind completely. He's
free of it, but I couldn't tell you how long he'll be out. I intentionally
banished it from my mind, but to have it ripped out…obviously, this is an
unprecedented case. He should be all right, though. Just wait," Seishiro said.
"But he's-"
"You can't wait a few weeks, Kamui?" Seishiro asked, his tone somehow both cold
and playful. "I had to wait a thousand years for this day…and even then, I
didn't expect it. Have a little patience."
That silenced the elder Shiro right quick. Subaru made no comment on it; he
just held Seishiro a little tighter.
"Subaru-san, what…what did you do…exactly?" Yuui asked slowly, starting to
think back on the exchange. "To save his life…"
"It was dark magic," Kujaku started to explain, realizing Subaru probably
wouldn't understand what he'd done. "Pure dark energy. In his hour of greatest
need, he developed a Hand polar opposite to his Hand of Healing. That was the
only thing that could have possibly reversed the effects of Assassin's Hand.
It's a rare trick. Really, I think the queen's assassin here is the only one to
have ever used dark magic like that."
"Assassin?" Yuui asked, seeing that Kujaku was indicating Doumeki.
"Oh? Did he never get around to mentioning that to you?" Kujaku asked in his
usual light tone.
"It's true," Doumeki said, not quite meeting his adopted daughter's gaze.
"That's my official position in the court. I am the Darkness…the sovereign's
chief assassin."
"Well…hopefully, there won't be much need for that in the future," Yuui said,
seeing the slight quirk of her guardian's lips that indicated his smile. "I
want you all to take this night for yourselves, but then I want you back here
early. We'll contact Kyle via mirror and offer him the chance to surrender. If
he will not, we'll have to go from there. My promise to the half-fey will be
upheld."
                                      XxX
It had been a long time since Seishiro had had rooms in the sithen, so no one
was really surprised when he accompanied Subaru to his own quarters. Yuui had
warned them they weren't finished entirely. Seishiro had yet to prove his
loyalty to her, and she couldn't completely overlook his crimes, but she had
given this one night to everyone, including him. If this was to be his only
night with Subaru, he would make the most of it.
The moment they had entered the bedchamber, Seishiro had pinned Subaru against
the doors, kissing him fiercely. Subaru allowed it for a while, moaning
appreciatively at all the wonderful sensations.
"Subaru…Subaru…" the former prince moaned over and over again. He'd been denied
his voice for so long, he didn't think he'd ever be able to have enough of
speaking - of saying Subaru's name.
"Everything you did…you did for me?" the younger Shiro asked quietly, looking
up at the ceiling as Seishiro kissed his neck.
"Everything," Seishiro whispered against his soft skin, knowing he was
referring to both the good and the bad. "I did it all to protect you…nothing
else mattered."
"Why?" Subaru asked, looking down at Seishiro. "What was so special about me?"
"I…literally came alive when I met you," Seishiro responded, his voice deadly
serious. "That day in the forest all those centuries ago…when we first stumbled
across each other…I felt my self…for the first time since I'd been devoured.
The Sakurazukamori would have killed you, but I convinced it not to. The fact
that I'd somehow regained consciousness was interesting enough for it, so it
let you live. Clinging to that image of you kept me conscious of my self. When
we met again…and it seduced you…I started to realize I was in love with you…and
that I couldn't let my curses destroy you…no matter what else might be lost in
the process."
"And it…never occurred to you I might not want to be saved that way?" he
whispered, remembering the images the Sakurazukamori had planted in his mind of
what Fai had suffered at its hands.
"It did…but I couldn't let myself care about that…and I never expected to
survive to have to answer to you for it," Seishiro said, slowly pulling back
from him.
"Well…here we are," Subaru said, not really sure what he ought to do.
Seishiro seemed to know, though. Taking Subaru's hands in his, he slowly got to
his knees in front of him, pressing his forehead to the younger faerie's
delicate fingers.
"Please," he whispered, "I beg you…please forgive me for the things I've done.
I know I don't deserve it," he continued, gently pressing a kiss to each finger
as he spoke. "I could live a thousand lifetimes and never deserve it…never
deserve you…but I ask, on my knees, to be forgiven…for what I've done to us."
As Subaru watched Seishiro beg, he couldn't help but remember the exchange
between Yuuko and Clow they'd witnessed. The words left unspoken between them
had nearly brought two worlds to disaster. It would not do any good for him to
deny Seishiro.
"I cannot…blame you…for any of it," he said, freeing one of his hands from
Seishiro's grip and using it to gently stroke his hair. "In spite of it all…I
love you. What I said in the hall is no less true now than it was then. I
forgive you."
Relief, actual and whole, shone in Seishiro's eye as he moved to his feet and
pulled Subaru into his arms.
"Let's be together…really together," Subaru whispered against his ear. "I want
to be with you."
All of the times before had been heated and violent. This time, they came to
each other as if for the first time - slow, hesitant, gently exploring. They
took the time to slowly strip each other, each relearning every detail of the
other's body. For a long while, they just kissed and touched - every inch of
skin - the fall onto Subaru's bed happening so naturally, it became uncertain
how it had been instigated.
They held each other tightly as they moved together on the sheets - as if they
still feared being lost to each other forever if they dared to let go. Despite
heated skin slick with sweat, they held on. They held on long after their
combined glow had peaked and faded away, long after their cries of ecstasy had
died, leaving them breathless in each other's arms, their hearts beating as one
as the air slowly returned to their lungs.
Neither slept that night, the fear they would wake to find it had all been a
cruel dream too crushing. They simply held each other, needing only to feel the
other's presence in his arms to be comforted again.
Seishiro was content. Forgiveness from the others he had wronged would be much
harder to earn, but Subaru had forgiven him. That was enough.
                                      XxX
Kamui didn't need to wait long for Fuuma to awaken. In fact, he woke up that
very night. He'd taken the former lord to his own chambers in order to better
keep watch over him, intending to have neither food nor rest until he'd awoken.
However, a mere hour into this vigil, Fuuma's eyelids fluttered open.
"How…long have I been asleep?" he mumbled.
Not quite sure how to answer this, Kamui gently took his lover's hands in his,
afraid of what he might do when he finally remembered. "What's the last thing
you remember?"
"I…" Fuuma didn't get past that. His eyes bulged, filling with horror and pain
as his memory returned. "What…what have I done?" he whispered, the memory of
his sister's blood on his hands as fresh as it had been all those months ago.
"No more than she'd planned," Kamui tried to reassure him as he lay down beside
him, wrapping his arms around him. "Listen to me, Fuuma. Kotori had a plan.
We'll probably never know what it was, but she saw something…and I believe she
did what she did so you would ultimately be saved."
"And that's…supposed to make me feel better?" he asked, his eyes glistening
with unshed tears. "Knowing my little sister sacrificed herself…lived her life
knowing I would be the one to take it away from her in the end…for my sake? Did
I…did I kill anyone else?" he asked, swallowing hard to keep a hold on the
tears he refused to shed.
"You don't remember?"
"Not much. There was just…nothing. I remember once…feeling myself again…but
feeling like I was shoved into a tiny, dark hole…and I thought I saw your
face…"
Kamui nodded, fairly certain he knew what moment that was. He truly did not
want to burden his love with the souls he was about to lay on his conscience,
but he also knew it would only be worse for both of them if he lied.
"Yes."
"Who?"
"You killed…Syaoran, and…you did not kill her, but Himawari died in combat with
you…using her Hand."
"Himawari?" Fuuma whispered brokenly. One of his dearest friends - such a kind,
caring soul…what monster could kill her?
"You also killed…Souma Kuzuki."
"Wait!" Fuuma snapped, suddenly seeming to remember something. "What about
Yuui…and the baby? What happened to them?"
"Yuui is our queen, Tomoyo is her consort, and your daughter, Princess Kohaku,
was born a little more than three months ago."
"Kohaku?" he whispered, the name somehow lighting a healing warmth in him.
"Yes."
"Tell…tell me about her," he choked out, starting to feel like he might not be
able to hold back the tears.
"She's beautiful. She's tiny and perfect and everyone adores her. Her hair is
blonde like Yuui's. You can see her in the morning if you want. Everyone's
resting tonight."
"Kamui, what…what's happened? How long have I been gone?"
"Too long," Kamui murmured into the taller faerie's chest, holding him a little
tighter. There would be plenty of time tonight to tell Fuuma everything that
had happened, and how he had miraculously been rescued from a fate worse than
death. For now, though, Kamui just wanted to hold him - to feel him in his arms
and know he was really there with him. Fuuma…his love…whom he had once given up
for dead.
He was not all right. By no stretch of the imagination was he all right. It
might take a very long time for him to recover from what he'd been and what
he'd done, but at least he was alive - truly alive. That was all Kamui needed.
It was he, not Fuuma, who shed the first tear that night.
                                      XxX
"Kujaku! Wait!"
Kujaku halted his trek back to his own quarters when he heard Kokuyo's voice.
Without turning to look at the former Oni lord, he asked, "What do you want?"
"Koryu told me…what happened…who you are."
"So what? Were you expecting some big happy family reunion? The Satani
brothers, reunited after centuries of war?"
"No," Koryu's voice broke in. "We just-"
"What?" Kujaku demanded sharply as he finally turned to face them. "What more
can you possibly need from me?"
"To talk to you. To find out who our parents really were. To find out why,"
Kokuyo said, placing a hand on Koryu's shoulder. He was used to having him as
family. They'd been cousins long enough; brothers wasn't so unusual. Kujaku was
something new, though. "To…apologize."
"For what? All you did was not be born first. That was mymisfortune. Why do you
need to apologize for it? I knew our parents a little better than you did, I
think, and they weren't sorry for it…not really, anyway. Your being sorry won't
change what happened and it won't make up for what they did. That's my burden."
"It shouldn't be, though," Koryu insisted. "Why should you have to bear it
alone?"
"Because it shouldn't go past me. It should stop here," he said, his mask of
sarcasm and indifference slipping briefly to reveal what might have been actual
concern.
"What happens if we decide we don't like that?" Kokuyo asked.
"Are you going to fight me on this? Are you going to sully the one good thing
I've done with my life?"
"Certainly we're going to fight you on it, but I don't think we see it as
sullying anything," Kokuyo said as he and Koryu began to move toward their
older brother. "We shouldn't…prosper from what you've suffered."
"I spent five hundred years trapped in the void, and here I stand before
you…mostly sane. Tell me, little brother…who do you think has the stronger
mind?"
"Probably you, Brother," the former lord said, the word unfamiliar in his
mouth, "but when I said fight, I didn't literally mean violence. Hisui's heard
the truth from you and I could easily ask her. Wouldn't you rather we hear it
directly from you if we're going to hear it at all?"
Kujaku stared at his younger brothers for a long while, he the guardian they
hadn't even known they had. Should he continue to protect them…and let them
hear the story from a different perspective? No. Kokuyo was right. If they were
going to learn anyway, he wanted it to be from him.
"Damn," he muttered as he reached his hands out to his brothers. Each took a
hold of one, strengthening the mental connection with the physical contact.
Instead of telling them, as he'd done with Yuui and the others, he expedited
the process by giving his memories directly to their minds. The only drawback
to this, unlike with the first telling, was that he couldn't keep his own
emotions back. The others didn't know all of his true thoughts on the events,
but Kokuyo and Koryu received all of his emotions through the transfer. They
felt his rage, his self-loathing, his despair, his bitterness, and his subtle
caring as acutely as if they were their own.
None of them spoke once the transfer of memory was complete. Kokuyo and Koryu
simply released Kujaku's hands and rested their own on his shoulders.
"I hope you aren't expecting me to cry on your shoulders," the eldest Satani
said, his typical cynicism right back in place. "Those foolish tears were
burned out a long time ago."
"Nothing of the sort," Kokuyo reassured him.
"We just wanted you to know it's all right," Koryu continued.
"I know it's all right," Kujaku said quickly, not giving an inch. Clearly, the
memories were the only things they would get from him.
"Of course, only…if you ever want to talk…just let us know," Kokuyo said.
"Understood. If you're quite finished being sentimental, I'm pretty sure you've
got better things to worry about than me. I've served my purpose, but you've
got a kid waiting for you and you've got a lover who's been pining for you for
more than a year now," he said to Koryu and Kokuyo respectively, "so get to
them."
Looking like they both wanted to say more, the two younger Satani brothers
finally heeded their older sibling and went on their way. Kujaku watched them
go, standing in place long after they'd gone.
I certainly hope you've got your fill of brotherly love, baby brothers…because
that's likely the last you'll see of it.
His role was not yet completed. There was one last reason why he'd survived
when he shouldn't have and the coming day would, he had no doubt, reveal that
purpose.
"My life is yours to do with as you please, Your Highnesses," he said to the
empty corridor. "I hope you use it well."
                                      XxX
Kurogane and Fai didn't speak during the walk to Kurogane's room. Yuui had
assured them she could create a full set of rooms for them, but for the moment,
the two were content to stay in the small room off of Yuui and Tomoyo's chamber
that the sithen had created all those months ago.
The reunion with Tomoyo and Soel was joyous, if brief. Yukito was beside
himself with relief to see his son alive. They two were offered rooms for the
night, but Yukito said they would only remain as long as it took to meet with
Kyle. Then he would have to carry the news to Touya.
Not much time was spent celebrating their victory. They were all exhausted and
still too focused on the battle that still needed to be fought. Kyle might have
lost the support of the Dark Court, but even alone, he was still one of their
most dangerous enemies.
Once the two lovers had entered their room to rest for the night, they ended up
just staring at each other for a long while.
"Well," Kurogane started, a small smirk starting to creep onto his face, "it
worked."
Fai's face lit up with a smile of his own as he flung himself at his fiancé,
wrapping his arms around him and smashing his lips against his.
"You stupid idiot!" Fai ground out, laughing and crying at the same time as he
planted kisses all over Kurogane's face. "You could have died! You could have
died!"
"Stealing my lines a lot today, aren't you."
"Shut up!" Fai hissed, pounding a fist against his chest.
"It didn't happen, though," Kurogane reminded him, gently running his fingers
through his hair. "You didn't let it. We stopped her together…and that's how
we'll finish it."
"You know…if we defeat him-"
"If?" Kurogane cut him off.
"When," Fai amended, his voice shaking, "when we defeat him…you'll be emperor."
"I know," Kurogane said quietly, his lightheartedness dying away as he drew Fai
close to his chest once again, "but that's something else we'll do together."
They didn't speak for several more minutes; they just held each other, each
savoring the other's warmth. Kurogane was the one to finally break the silence
again.
"Are you…okay with it?"
"With what?" Fai asked, looking up at him.
"Seishiro…being here?" he explained, pointedly holding Fai's gaze as he spoke.
"It's fine," he said after taking a moment to think about it. "I've made my
peace with him. Besides…it wasn't even him. It was it…and it's gone now. The
appearance will just take a little getting used to."
Kurogane chuckled briefly at this before leading the way to the bed. The pair
didn't even take the time to undress. They just kicked off their shoes and
crawled into bed, curling up close to each other. Kurogane attempted to whisper
something to Fai, but the blond was already asleep, no doubt tuckered out from
essentially breathing for both himself and Kurogane. Smiling softly, the ninja
opted for a kiss to Fai's cheek before passing out himself.
Whatever the new day would bring, the lovers could at least sleep soundly
knowing they'd triumphed.
***** You'll Love Me at Once *****
Kamui hadn't told anyone that Fuuma had regained consciousness, so it was
something of a surprise when the captain entered the throne room leading the
former lord.
"Fuuma-san!" Yuui shouted, hurrying over to him. "Are you all right?"
"My Queen," Fuuma began, falling to his knees before her, "I have betrayed you.
I have broken my vow to serve and protect you. You would be well within your
rights to execute me."
Rather than take the pose of a queen over her vassal, Yuui knelt before Fuuma,
as well, reaching out a hand to touch his cheek. "No. You mustn't blame
yourself. It wasn't your fault…and you know what you're supposed to call me."
"Yuui-chan," he said softly, meeting her gaze. "You forgive me…time and again,
even when you shouldn't. You are…truly noble."
"There's nothing to forgive…not anymore. You've only ever done what you had to;
and it's because of you that she was born," Yuui said, her voice reverent as
she drew Fuuma's attention to the baby held in the sling against her chest.
"This is…Kohaku-hime?"
"Kohaku, Fuuma. She's your daughter, too."
The room had already fallen silent, and it remained so as Fuuma reached out a
hesitant hand, waiting for the baby to acknowledge him before proceeding any
further.
Kohaku's eyes zeroed in on her father's fingers the moment they entered her
field of vision. Curious as ever, she reached for them, cooing insistently.
Reassured, Fuuma moved closer, allowing his daughter to grasp one of his
fingers in her tiny fist. As with most babies, the first place the finger went
was straight in her mouth. She gummed it furiously, trying to discern what it
was from her limited experience of the world.
Smiling, his eyes bright with tears of wonder, Fuuma leaned down and kissed his
daughter's forehead. Releasing his finger, Kohaku cooed for him, then began
smacking her lips together in the familiar gesture they all took to mean she
was hungry.
"Not just yet, sweetie," Yuui said, leaning over to kiss the top of Kohaku's
head. Then she looked up at Fuuma. "Would you like to hold her while I talk?"
For a moment, Fuuma looked stunned, but then he slowly began to nod, holding
his arms out for the baby girl.
Gently, Yuui lifted Kohaku out of the sling, wrapped in Himawari's quilt. Then
she passed the baby girl to her father. Everyone tensed briefly, waiting for
Kohaku to protest, but she did not. She stared up at her father, scrunching up
her face oddly for a moment before relaxing and curling up against him,
deciding she was fine with this.
"All right," Yuui said, her voice firm as she turned to look past the council
table, toward the throne that had so long been vacant.
All things considered, it was a very simple throne, a chair made of yew and
inlaid with threads of silver and ebony. Really, the only indication it was
different was the slightly raised dais it sat on. A mirror had been set up
before the throne and Yuui took her place on it, with all the others taking
their respective places around her: Tomoyo at her right hand with Kurogane and
Fai beside her and Kamui and Fuuma with Kohaku beside them, Kakei at her left
hand, flanked by Doumeki, Watanuki, Subaru, Seishiro, and Kujaku. The other
lords and the generals all stood in a loose semi-circle behind them, including
Koryu, newly sworn to the council of clan masters, holding his baby boy. Once
everyone was in place, Yuui made the call.
"Kyle Rondart, last remnant of the Dark Court, your queen calls to you," she
said, the mirror going dark as she sent out her power, seeking the dark
faerie's mind.
They didn't have to wait long. Kyle soon appeared on the glass surface,
surrounded by a slew of blank-faced human guards.
"You are no queen of mine, Yuui Fluorite Reed!" the hypnotist spat out. "You
are nothing but a pawn whose path to the throne was paved with the bodies of
those who cared for you…who died for you. You have no real power."
"Kyle Rondart," Yuui continued, not acknowledging his attack, "By now, you are
no doubt aware that Yuuko Reed is dead and the Dark Court has fallen."
"So I've noticed," Kyle said, sneering at both Seishiro and Koryu in their
turn. "I won't ask how you won even the Sakurazukamori from us."
"There is no 'us', Kyle. Your allies are either dead or defected. There's no
one left who opposes us…except for you."
"Maybe so…but that's really all I need," the dark faerie said ominously.
"I'm willing to give you the chance to surrender peacefully-"
"I will never," Kyle snarled back at her. "Even if we must war until the world
collapses in fire, I will fight. I will never submit to you. Have your little
faerie land, but leave the human world to me. That is the only condition I will
accept."
"You think you can rule them?" Kurogane asked through grit teeth. "You think
they'll submit to you?"
"They don't have to submit to me, little boy. A human mind is nothing to me. I
can control them all."
"Could you? Could you control them all…for the rest of your life?" Yuui asked.
"As long as I need to. The human mind is an easy thing to break."
"So be it," Yuui said quietly. "That was your only chance. We will not contact
you again…and we will show you no mercy."
"Neither will I," Kyle said, leering unpleasantly as his image faded away,
leaving the group with only their own reflections.
"So…what now?" Kujaku asked, clapping his hands together.
"We hit him hard while he doesn't expect it," Doumeki said, his tone a shade
harsher than normal.
"He'll always expect it," Watanuki reminded him.
"He's got the entire city of Shirasagi under his control. He'll use that to his
advantage. A city full of helpless people makes for a pretty good shield,"
Kamui said.
"Is there any way to fight against his Hand of Hypnosis?" Tomoyo asked the
group at large.
"At the very least, he won't be able to control us," Kakei started to explain.
"Not those of us who are full-blooded fey. He can control swarms of human
minds, yes; they are un-complex compared with fey minds, but while controlling
such a vast quantity of human minds, he wouldn't be able to control even one
faerie mind. This will leave us free to combat him."
"How many can he realistically expect to control?" Yuui asked.
"I couldn't say. Such an outpouring of power has never truly been tested
before. He may have had some hand in the brain washing of the half fey," Kakei
speculated.
"He did not," Seishiro reassured them. "I imagine myself and the Satani
brothers could help you get inside his head."
"I'm not sure I want you there," Yuui told him, rising from the throne and
looking back at him. "Is there anything you can do to prove to me you aren't
that person anymore?"
Thinking about it for several minutes, Seishiro ultimately turned to Subaru,
took his hand in his and placed it over his empty eye socket. The two seemed to
share a brief internal debate before Subaru finally nodded. Magic shone briefly
about his hand before he pulled it away, leaving Seishiro to blink and show off
his newly regenerated grey eye.
"The Sakurazukamori…wore this socket empty as a badge…of the great warriors it
had destroyed: the Masters Yasha and Ashura…and to prove it did not need both
eyes to be the most deadly creature alive. I here reject that badge and offer
my services to My Queen unto my dying breath. You may even take my eyes, if you
so wish."
After pondering his oath for a time, Yuui slowly nodded. The gesture was
acceptable. For so long, the image from their nightmares had been a dark man
with a single grey eye. This Seishiro was whole…as whole as he was capable of
being, anyway. She didn't doubt that the Sakurazukamori had left markings of
its passage on him, but this would do for now.
"All right. Kakei-san…do you think it might work? If not the four of them…then
the lot of us working together…to break through his mental defenses?"
"I think it certainly has a chance of working. Nothing like this has ever been
tried before…but we really have no other option if we want to be rid of the
Dark Court once and for all."
"And…Fai and Kurogane…you would be able to kill him without the use of
Assassin's Hand?" she asked her two brothers.
"Absolutely," they answered together.
"In that case, Ransho-san, Ryuuki-san, Touki-san, Kazahaya-san?" she called out
to the three generals and the one acting general. "With Kyle's threats, I think
it would be best to withdraw the four guards back into Faerie. It will make him
wonder whether we're giving up."
"It shall be done, My Queen," Ransho said with a small bow.
"And Kurogane, if you contacted Kusanagi and they marched out now, do you think
the Nihon Resistance could reach Shirasagi by dawn tomorrow?"
"Probably," he said.
"Then do that, if you wouldn't mind."
"Dawn then, Yuui?" Fai asked her.
"Yes. We make our move at first light. An army of fey will do us little good in
this situation, so it will be just a small group. Only those of you who wish to
need go. I won't force anyone into this."
"No one would be forced, Yuui-chan," Fuuma insisted.
"As we said…we're with you to the death," Watanuki reminded her.
"All right. We have a whole day and night before we need to assemble. Use the
time as you see fit," Yuui announced. Then, in view of everyone, the young
queen shook her head and her cropped hair began to blossom into long, golden
locks once again, flowing all the way down to her waist.
"Yuui…what…?" Fai tried to ask, but couldn't quite manage to get the words out.
"I cut my hair…the day I lost you. I swore I wouldn't let it grow back until
you were free. You are free, brother…really free," she said quietly, coming to
her brother and running her fingers through his own somewhat lengthened hair.
"No matter what happens tomorrow…you did defeat them."
Fai's expression upon hearing this was strange. His eyes were bright, but his
smile was contained in them as well. "Thank you," he said, laying his hand atop
hers. It said to him that she believed in him…and that was all he needed - for
his family to believe in him.
"Ano…Yuui-chan?" Fuuma's voice suddenly broke into the moment. Kohaku was
really starting to fuss in his arms. Laughing, Yuui came to take her from him.
"All right, you silly girl, it's breakfast time already."
                                      XxX
Lacking a significant other to pass the time with, Koryu volunteered to baby-
sit for the day after the odd families of mortal and immortal had taken lunch
together. He found himself in the quarters Yuui had granted him with Ryuou,
Kohaku, the Mokona, and Hisui and Kokuyo. They'd tried to convince Kujaku to
join them, but they got the distinct impression he'd rather swallow a hornet's
nest than be a part of their little family gathering, so they'd left it alone.
Hisui and Kokuyo were playing with Kohaku and the Mokona on the couch while
Koryu sat on the floor, continuing to get used to his fragile infant son, who
seemed, to the Oni lord's great surprise, to be taking a shine to him.
"Soel? Larg?" the youngest Satani asked the two tiny guardians, still looking
down at his son as he spoke.
"Yes?" they said together, bounding over to him.
"You're…their guardians…yes?"
"Uh-huh," Soel said.
"When they were kids, you two were always right there…ready to sweep them out
of danger. There's more danger now then ever. Why aren't you glued to their
sides?"
"Fai and Yuui…do not need Soel and Larg anymore," Larg answered serenely.
"Fai and Yuui can take care of themselves. If Soel and Larg are still here,
it's because Fai and Yuui want Soel and Larg here," Soel continued.
"What do you mean?" Kokuyo asked, looking up from Kohaku.
"The magic Clow used to create Soel and Larg…in order to bestow some of Soel
and Larg's abilities…the stipulation was to be that Soel and Larg would only
exist as long as there was a need for Soel and Larg to exist. Because Soel and
Larg are still here…there is a reason. Perhaps Fai and Yuui just…want Soel and
Larg to be here," Larg said.
"Maybe…because you protected them so well as children…they believe you will be
able to protect their children just as well?" Hisui suggested, absently shaking
a rattle over Kohaku's head for her to play with.
"Mm…yeah. Maybe," Soel said quietly, hopping up onto Koryu's lap and nuzzling
up against Ryuou, who burbled in surprise as the white Mokona's fur rubbed
against his cheek.
As the small group giggled at the antics of the newborn and the Mokona, they
had no idea that Kujaku had, in fact, decided to join the gathering. He watched
them through the mirror in his own small chamber, his throat constricting with
an emotion he couldn't seem to identify as he struggled not to give in to the
tears he hadn't shed since he was a child.
                                      XxX
"What do you think it's going to be?" Fai asked Kurogane as they both traced
their hands lightly over his belly. He was only two months along, so the swell
had only just started to show. The lovers were currently sprawled out on their
bed, stripped down to just their pants, with Kurogane holding Fai against his
chest.
"No idea. After Kohaku, I'd be fine with either."
"Royal protocol doesn't care what gender your child is?" Fai asked, going a
little stiff at the idea.
"My mother was the first female ruler Nihon ever had, but the idea for the
royal family is to earn your position. She did that when she killed her tyrant
of a father. Our kid will earn its right as heir by doing just that…earning it.
I'll be happy with either a boy or a girl. Though…most of my experience is with
baby girls."
"You mean…Tomoyo and Kohaku?"
"Yeah," Kurogane said, leaning in to kiss Fai's ear. "So…there's absolutely no
way I could convince you to stay behind? Not even for the baby?"
"None whatsoever," Fai answered calmly, pulling Kurogane's hand up from his
stomach and kissing the palm. "You need me to help you work the magic. You know
you do. It's the only way to destroy Kyle, and if we don't do that…we may as
well not have the baby at all. Our baby will have no peace in a world where
Kyle exists…and I won't let what happened to us happen to our child."
"Never," Kurogane vowed, kissing the back of his fiancé's neck.
"We will live or die together…all three of us," Fai said firmly, squeezing
Kurogane's hand in his.
Kurogane made no response to this. He knew it wasn't entirely true. Either one
of them would do just about anything to preserve the other's life, but what
would come would come. There was little sense in worrying about it until the
dawn came.
"We really ought to be getting some sleep," Kurogane said gruffly. "You
especially."
"But you don't want to," Fai said, rolling over in Kurogane's embrace to face
him. "You don't want to waste any time on sleeping. You want to use the time we
have left…because you're terrified that any moment might be our last."
"So let's use it," Kurogane whispered, holding Fai's searching gaze for several
long moments before claiming his lips with his own.
For a long while, they just lay on the bed, hands fiercely intertwined as they
kissed. Then the hands slowly began to explore, taking in every precious inch
once again. From that point, it wasn't long at all before they were naked on
the sheets.
To make sure their activities didn't harm the baby in any way, Kurogane ended
up lying flat on the bed with Fai on top of him, kissing his neck and running
his fingers through his hair. No games tonight - just two hearts together as
one, fearing they would never touch again after this night - never again be
whole. They drew out each moment, living it to the end of eternity hand in
hand, then returned to the present to try it all over again. Each kiss was a
lifetime…each caress brought tears of joy and sadness…and each gentle movement
became a silent cry of 'I love you'.
No words were spoken. Each could hear the other's name in their heated moans
and tiny gasps. Knowing each other's bodies so well at this point, the two
peaked exactly together, drawing in twin gasps of perfect pleasure and
satisfaction. Fai's head fell back and Kurogane's grip on his hips tightened
with the release, only loosening once the comforting scent of roses had filled
his nose and his body was bathed in the moonlit glow of Fai's skin.
After the waves of pleasure had subsided, Fai sat astride his lover, smiling
tearfully down at him. Once even the glow had faded away, Kurogane pulled him
down to cradle him fiercely against his chest. Even as the tears were kissed
away, more were provided. It was almost difficult to tell where one began and
the other ended.
"I'll never leave your side," Kurogane promised.
…no matter what happens.
"Never," Fai whispered back.
"I love you," Kurogane said, his voice firm despite the pain.
"More than life itself," Fai finished, pressing his lips against Kurogane's.
All through the night, they held on…kissing, caressing, holding…just
incase…just incase they really never would again - one last embrace to replace
their forever.
                                      XxX
"I really did miss your hair," Tomoyo said quietly as she ran her fingers
through Yuui's blonde tresses. Their bodies were still intertwined as they
languished on their bed. They had already shared their goodbye embraces, having
decided it would be best for Tomoyo to remain behind with the babies. Their
brothers at least had the option of dying together, but Kohaku needed at least
one of them to stay alive. This night really could be the last they saw of each
other.
"Maybe I should leave a lock with you," Yuui suggested as she languidly planted
kisses all along her wife's breasts, only half-joking, "as a token…"
"Maybe…" Tomoyo said, more to herself than to Yuui. "I…I was wondering-"
Whatever Tomoyo had been meaning to say never came. Yuui looked up to find
she'd fallen asleep. Worried by the suddenness of it, she reached a hand up to
shake her.
"Tomoyo? Tomoyo?"
"Don't worry. It's not even really a spell…just a little suggestion."
Yuui made no reaction to the shock of hearing the voice. She slowly glanced up
to find a figure standing at the end of the bed.
"Doumeki?" she murmured, but knowing it was not, even in the moment she spoke
the word. This figure looked exactly like her surrogate father…but was also not
him. Plus the fact that there was something…off about his silhouette - like it
wasn't quite coherent around the edges.
"Haruka Doumeki, My Queen. Your guardian is my son."
"What did you do to Tomoyo?"
"She's only sleeping. She'll wake the moment I've gone."
"Why?"
"I needed to speak with you. I could have possessed her in order to do so, but
somehow, I didn't think you'd appreciate that, so I opted for the more
difficult path."
"You're…dead, then…Doumeki-san?"
"Yes…since the Last War. Kyle Rondart defeated me in combat. I have remained
bound to this world since that day because…I have seen something. Something is
to happen tomorrow…and the fates of the two princes, Kyle, and Shizuka are tied
to it."
"What is it?"
Haruka shook his head, smiling sadly at her. "As a dreamseer yourself, you know
I cannot tell you. I only want you to be aware…to change their destiny. There
is a choice Shizuka must make…and if he chooses wrong, it will be the end of
everything you've worked for."
"Just from one decision?"
"Yes. You of all people should know how easily causality can shift."
"And how am I to know what this choice is?"
Haruka reprimanded her with a simple raise of the eyebrow. "Only you can make
that decision."
"Doumeki-san…what did you mean before…when you said this was the more difficult
path?"
Haruka seemed to shudder at the question, as if reminded of something horrible.
"It is…painful…for a spirit to cling to this world after death. It is as if
your essence is constantly being torn in all different directions. It becomes
even worse when one reveals oneself to the living without the guise of flesh.
Clow-sama possessed the boy Eriol to appear when he needed to because he was
young as a spirit and unable to bear the strain of appearing. I've learned to
bear it."
"So you've had no peace…all this time?"
Haruka chuckled self-deprecatingly at this. "Peace is not something I looked
for in going to my end. Few of the fey have truly earned peace when it is their
time to go to it; I certainly didn't."
"Why is that?" Yuui asked, probing deeper. "Why did you die, Doumeki-san? I
don't believe Kyle could have killed you unless you really wanted to die."
"There's some truth to that. The truth is that my actions prevented a love from
being realized."
"What do you mean?" Yuui asked, subconsciously resting a hand on Tomoyo's
shoulder.
"My best friend was Tohru Shiro. I believe you know something of her and her
abilities. We knew something of the future…and conspired to ensure that Kamui,
Shizuka, and Subaru were born as they were."
"Why?"
"If we succeed in changing this cruel destiny…then I will tell you. Before I go
to my rest, I want to know that my son's birth was not in vain."
Yuui wanted to ask more, but before she could, Haruka had vanished into the
darkness and Tomoyo was stirring beside her.
"Mm, Yuui? I'm sorry…must have dosed off," Tomoyo said, her voice still thick
with sleep.
"It's all right. What were you saying before?" Yuui asked, gently running her
fingers through her wife's hair.
"I…I'm not sure."
                                      XxX
The grey pre-dawn light found a small band of warriors leaving the cover of
Celes Forest. Fai, Kurogane, and Yuui walked at the front, flanked by Doumeki,
Watanuki, and Kamui. They were followed by Subaru, Seishiro, Kujaku, Koryu,
Kokuyo, and Hisui. This line was followed by Ransho, Ryuuki, Touki, and
Kazahaya. Last of all came the other clan masters who had chosen to be present
for this fight: Sai, Karura, Rasetsu, and Eagle. Kakei had wanted to come
along, but they'd all decided it would be best for him to remain behind if the
worst should happen. Tenou and Tarta, not quite as battle hungry as some of the
others, had elected to stay behind, ready to offer assistance if needed. Fuuma
would almost certainly be lord of the Monou clan again…someday. For now, he'd
been judged as mentally unstable after his experiences, and for that very
reason had been kept back from the battle at hand. They all knew that their
friends and loved ones were back in the viewing room at this very moment,
gathered around the reflecting pool to witness the final outcome. Some had
swords; Kurogane was armed with Ginryuu and Souma's twin blades, while the
twins were both armed with their bows and arrows. Most of the small company,
though, was armed purely with magic, in stark contrast to the rebel forces they
were approaching, most armed to the teeth.
The large company of disparate Nihon warriors was led by Kusanagi, Yuzuriha,
Sorata, and Lord Nataku, and each combatant wore a band of simple red cotton
fabric around the right upper arm. When the two groups came together after what
felt like a strangely long march from the forest borders, Nataku and Kusanagi
came to greet the three royals.
"Your Majesties," Nataku said, bowing before them. "Lord Ichiro sends his
apologies. He wished to be here for this day, but he felt it necessary to make
certain Piffle City was well guarded. Lady Miyuki is still very young and…Lord
Kakyo is not…mentally fit for the strains of battle just now."
"If we're lucky, you won't have to do any fighting," Yuui explained. "I had
Kurogane ask you here because I thought it best for Nihon's citizens to retake
their capital themselves once the enemy is gone, rather than to have a fey army
march in there. Your emperor will lead you."
"Emperor?" Nataku and Kusanagi both asked at the same time, turning to look at
their prince.
"My mother is dead," Kurogane said quietly. "She died two days ago…giving birth
to a son."
Needing no more confirmation than this, Kusanagi turned to face the rebel army
and shouted out, "The empress is dead! Hail, Kurogane Youou, the true ruler of
Nihon!"
"Hail, Kurogane!" the cries rose up as one as the rebel fighters fell to their
knees, all bowing down to their true ruler.
"Hail, Fai, emperor's consort and partner!" Kurogane called to them as he
pulled Fai into his arms. Before, he had given Fai the traditional kiss on the
forehead, but now, in front of all the soldiers, he kissed him solidly on the
lips, holding nothing back.
"Hail, Fai!" they heard from all around them as they blended together for those
few fleeting moments. "Hail, Kurogane! Hail, Fai! Hail, Kurogane and Fai!"
"If you two are finished, I think we've got a snake that wants killing,"
Kujaku's voice suddenly interrupted their moment.
"Right," Kurogane started, slowly opening his eyes as he pulled away from Fai,
who was grinning encouragingly. "What did you have in mind?" he asked,
directing the question at Yuui.
"I think it best…if you and Fai face him together," Yuui said. Kurogane nodded;
he had expected as much when she'd asked if they'd be able to defeat him.
"You do remember I can kill him with a touch?" Seishiro put in.
"I remember, but Kyle could kill half the city by the time you'd have even
gotten within reach of him," Yuui reminded her uncle sternly. "We want to win
this with as little loss of life as possible. We can't win the city back by
destroying it. Kyle would only move on to another one. What we need to do is
get inside his head, and you said you and the Satani brothers could help with
that."
"Certainly. With all of us working to break his control, I imagine we could
manage it long enough."
"Well…there's nothing for it but to do it, then," Yuui said calmly. "Nataku-
san? Kusanagi-san? If you would, please hold your distance here. We don't want
to spook Kyle into doing something drastic-"
"Or give him more fuel to add to the fire," Kujaku interrupted snidely.
"I'll let you know if we need your help," Yuui said, pointedly ignoring the
eldest Satani's jibe. Then, wasting no more words, she turned and began to walk
toward the city, Kurogane and Fai easily falling into step beside her, with the
others following as they had done earlier.
For all the distance they had to cover over a mostly barren field, the march
didn't seem to take all that long. The sun never quite managed to rise, as
clouds had gathered to cover it, promising a storm as morning sped over the
small band.
"KYLE!" Kurogane shouted, projecting his voice into the heart of the city like
a lance. "COME OUT AND FACE US!"
Then, as if he'd been expecting them, which no one doubted he had been, the
massive main gates of the city began to part and Kyle strode out from them,
surrounded by a throng of Shirasagi's citizens, each wearing a blank expression
and holding some sort of sharp implement to their exposed throats. Some held
daggers, some broken pieces of stone or glass, any common item that could be
used to pierce the skin and draw blood.
"Sweet Goddess," Fai whispered. He wished he could say he was shocked, but he
knew none of them really were. Of all their enemies, Kyle was the only one
unconditionally capable of committing such an atrocity.
As Kyle and his "entourage" approached them, Kurogane and Fai broke away from
Yuui, moving forward while the rest hung back.
"You had something you wanted to say to me, little boy?" Kyle asked, his voice
condescending as he smirked at them through his horde of captives.
"Not really," Kurogane growled as he slowly drew Ginryuu. "We're through
talking."
"Do you really want to be doing that?" Kyle continued to question, casually
raising an arm. Glancing at the first ring of prisoners, both royals saw thin
lines of red begin to appear on their necks where their weapons were pressed
harder.
Any day now, Fai threw the thought back at their friends.
Working on it, Kujaku reported tensely.
"Did you really think you could-" The smug look on Kyle's face died just as
quickly as his voice, the color draining from his already sallow skin. The look
of shock was soon replaced by rage as the threads of power emanating from the
dark faerie began to thrum all the stronger. Several people in the first ring
dropped to their knees; some cried out. One man did slit his throat open.
"We were thinking to, yes," Kurogane said calmly, slowly moving toward the
first ring with Fai at his side.
Run, Fai projected into the minds of all who could hear him. For God's sake,
run!
Most of them managed it. Some could only crawl away. Just the one could not
rise. Subaru and Yuui wanted to help, but they both knew the captives would
only come out the worse if they attempted to interfere now. So they waited,
watching with baited breath as Kurogane and Fai proceeded forward.
Ring by ring, the two rulers made their way toward Kyle. As each ring fell,
Kyle began to look more and more distressed. He managed to force a few into
suicide, but he simply couldn't control all of those people and fight off
mental bombardments from a band of faeries at the same time. When the last ring
fell, only ten of the prisoners lay bleeding.
"You won't harm these people anymore," Kurogane announced to the stricken
faerie, raising his sword to strike when they were finally face to face with
him.
For a moment, Kyle looked terrified, but then a sneer lit up his pale face and
Kurogane felt his mind go blank. The next things he became aware of were his
own hands, gripping Ginryuu. His eyes slowly traced the blade from hilt to tip.
Then something in his head guided his eyes to his left and he found himself
looking at a chest…a chest protected by nothing but blue cloth…Fai.
The sword ought to be in the chest…in the heart …
"No," a voice whispered in his ear as a warm hand laid itself over the cold
hands that gripped the silver sword hilt. "Don't let him control you."
Fai…Fai's voice…his hands…his lips on his face…his warmth…
"You have the power to fight back."
That was when he really became aware of himself again. He was Kurogane…emperor
of Nihon…and he'd been fighting Kyle…then…he'd been about to-
"Oh, God."
The warrior emperor dropped his sword in horror, finding himself gazing into
Fai's gentle blue eyes.
"It's all right," Fai whispered to him, resting his forehead against his. "It's
all right."
Kyle growled in frustration at the display. "Maybe your rabble can block my
hypnotic powers…but I do still have one ability left to me."
It was happening before Kurogane could even get his wits gathered again. Fai
was there…and then he wasn't. When the young ruler looked up, he thought he saw
Kyle grappling with Fai. Strange flashes of energy swirled around them as they
struggled, and several times, Kurogane thought they almost seemed to be melding
together at the points of contact.
"What are you for…if not to be used?" Kyle hissed in his face.
"That won't work, Kyle," Fai ground out. "It's done. It's in the past."
"It doesn't matter. You're angry, aren't you…that I toyed with your man? Your
resistance only gives me more power."
Then, with one last cry and a blinding flash of light, Fai was gone…and Kyle
stood alone in the grey morning light.
"What…just happened?" Yuui asked, shock plastered across her face.
"He…he…absorbed him," Seishiro explained, just as shocked as Yuui, but not
visibly so.
"What do you mean?" Yuui demanded, turning to face him.
"He stole his essence…everything he was. It's all part of Kyle now. I had…no
idea he had such an ability."
"Can we get him back?"
"I…don't see how."
Kurogane heard none of this. All he could perceive was Kyle standing before
him, sneering vindictively. His words entered his brain, but he barely made
sense of them.
"I can usurp the life of another…absorb it and make it my own. I imagine you
can see where it would behoove me to keep such an ability to myself…unless it
was absolutely necessary. Of course, you understand…your Fai is mine…forever.
He is gone from this world."
The world faded away around him; it became a seething mass of red with Kyle at
its heart. This creature was nothing but a cage - a cage of flesh he had to
break open at any cost. He had not come this far…endured so much, lost so
much…only to lose Fai now…like this. With each passing moment, he felt more of
his restraints slipping away. The power he had cultivated grew to a boiling
point, mindless of how much of his own life he was spending.
"I want Fai," he hissed. "Give him back!"
Physically, Kurogane sprang at Kyle, wrapping his hands around his throat as he
tackled him to the ground, but the physicality of the act wasn't important; it
was what was happening on the mental plane that mattered, that could be felt by
anyone with even the smallest drop of fey blood. Kurogane was literally
breaking Kyle's mind open - forcing his way inside.
KUROGANE, STOP! Kakei's voice sounded in every mind from across the divide
between worlds. You won't survive this! Neither of you will be able to come
back!
"I don't care what happens to me!" Kurogane growled, neither knowing nor caring
if he actually spoke. "I don't care aboutanything! No matter what, I'm bringing
him back!"
"This…this is what all the omens meant…about the world ending in fire," Yuui
said as the group watched in shocked awe. "It wasn't Fai himself who would
cause it…but his death…it would cause Kurogane to lose control."
Indeed, as they watched, Kurogane's power only continued to grow, igniting the
barren fields before the captive city. Already, the fire was growing. Before
long, it would grow out of control.
Kurogane was numb to all of it. All he could do was channel his growing rage
into peeling back the layers of Kyle's psyche, reaching deeper until he found
what he sought. Kyle's mind was weak. Ancient or not, Kurogane had known
horrors he had never even imagined. He had known the hollow desolation of the
void - the crushing, infinite nothingness pressing in around him, threatening
to snuff out his very existence like a dying candle. A mind was nothing
compared with that.
Where are you? he cried into the splintering supernova of the dark faerie's
mind, seeking his only reason for being.
The situation only appeared to be getting worse on the outside. The combatants
were hidden by fire and smoke and there seemed to be nothing Yuui or her
compatriots could do…until it occurred to Watanuki…
You never miss, he thought-spoke to Doumeki, laying a hand on his shoulder.
Doumeki's eyes widened as he glanced over at his lover.
You're suggesting I-
He could destroy them all…everyone here…the humans…this world . We cannot let
the Dark Court win.
But Fai…
He's dead already, Watanuki thought bitterly, squeezing the assassin's shoulder
even tighter. At least we can help them to be together.
Finally nodding, Doumeki slowly reached for his quiver, plucking out an arrow.
"What are you doing?" Yuui asked, sounding slightly panicked when she noticed
the movement.
"Yuui, I have to."
"No! Wait! Please wait!"
FAI! Kurogane cried out with all his being, completely unaware of his present
danger.
What are…you doing? the blond's voice sounded faintly from an even deeper
layer. You'll…kill yourself.
I'd die anyway, he insisted harshly, pushing even deeper. For a moment, he
thought he could see Fai's face. Youknowthat!
It's…too late. Get out. Go.
Don't say that! I'm going to get you out!
Go.
"Doumeki, wait! You have to wait!" Yuui pleaded in the waking world, realizing
that this was the moment Haruka had warned her about. Only…which was the proper
choice? If the wrong choice was made, it could mean the end of everything.
Could it be…that her brothers were meant to die here today? If he could only
wait just a little longer.
"I have a shot, Yuui," Doumeki said, catching a brief slice of clarity through
the growing blaze. "I'm taking it."
"No!"
Kurogane may as well have already been dead anyway. Just because Kyle's mind
was weak against him didn't mean it wouldn't resist. His own psyche was already
beginning to shatter.
You…will die, Fai cried out to him, his presence seeming to flare stronger.
You can't…just stay here, the dying emperor ground out. You can't lose to him.
What about the baby?
Kuro-koi, I-
Fai, come on! I'm here ! Take my hand!
The group's attention was briefly drawn away from the momentous clash of wills
by Yuui stepping in front of her guardian at the last minute and taking his
arrow straight in her heart.
"YUUI!" Watanuki screamed, running to catch her as she fell.
"Help her, Subaru!" he pleaded.
"No…wait," Yuui gasped out, pulling the arrow from her chest herself. It
hurt…Goddess, it hurt so much, but she forced herself to look as her heart
pumped the blood through the open wound. This was fatal…for a human.
I am fey. Fai… we are fey! We do not have to die.
Kuro-sama…please, the fading light pleaded.
We live together…or we die together, the ninja insisted, stretching out his
hand. Which is it?
Fai's spark flickered hesitantly…then a hand reached out to grasp his
outstretched one…and Kurogane was tumbling back from Kyle with Fai in his arms.
Yuui felt it the moment her brothers separated from Kyle, and this was the
catalyst that finally jumpstarted her heart, causing it to knit itself back
together. None of the others could see it through the flames, but she rose
almost simultaneously with her twin.
Fai shook his head as he climbed up off of Kurogane. His mind noted that his
ninja wasn't in any immediate danger, only dazed from the awesome feat of
psychic attack he'd just performed. For the moment, all Fai could think about
was protecting their family. Turning about, he managed to find Ginryuu, raising
it and whirling to face Kyle.
The dark faerie was on his knees, struggling to rise. He was coughing up blood
and it was trickling steadily from his ears and nose. Seeming to realize his
peril, he looked up, terror filling his eyes to see Fai standing over him.
For a moment that seemed to last for several years, Fai hesitated. No matter
what Kyle had done, this could not be done in anger. He was so tired of anger,
hate, and pain. As Kurogane had done with Yuuko, this had to be done in mercy -
in an effort to protect that which he held sacred. Slowly, he drew the sword
back and, aiming for the heart, plunged it into Kyle's chest. The weakened
faerie gave a small cry of pain when the combined powers of the Hearts started
to flow into his body.
"Die and pay for all the lives you've destroyed."
Kyle's eyes widened, bright with fear as yet more blood poured from his body.
"I…I don't…want to die…"
Shaking his head remorsefully, Fai sliced the blade up from his heart and out
through his shoulder, feeling what little remained of his strength drain out
through the sword.
"Too late for that…far too late."
Gurgling up one last mouthful of blood, Kyle fell awkwardly to his side, his
body disintegrating into black vapor before he even hit the ground.
As Ginryuu dropped from his grasp, Fai turned his face skyward, feeling the
first drops of rain. Then, as he fell backward, the clouds burst open.
For a time, it seemed he was just falling through space; but then, as if
through the haze of a dream, he felt warm arms catch him and hold him, securing
him before he could hit the ground. The acrid scent of smoke hung heavy in his
nostrils as the blaze surrounding them was slowly dowsed.
"I…I did it," he whispered, seeing Kurogane's concerned face hovering above
him. "I broke…the curse."
"Yeah. Yeah, you did. You were great. Just rest easy now."
"You're…all right?"
"Yes."
"Good," Fai murmured, resting his head against Kurogane's chest. "I can go
then."
Fai felt Kurogane's arms stiffen around him.
"What are you talking about?"
"My strength is gone. I used it…to defeat him."
"You're…really going to do this?" Kurogane choked out. "After everything we
went through? What about the kid?"
"Yuui can take him. She can carry him…and you'll have him…after I'm gone," Fai
soothed. Perhaps this was what was meant - the whispers that said he and Yuui
would join flesh? "At least…I die on my own terms."
"Wait!" a different voice broke in on their last conversation. "It doesn't have
to be that way."
The next face to enter Fai's field of vision was Kujaku's. Others gathered
around them, but Fai couldn't make them out; his vision was already going dark.
"You can do something?" Kurogane asked.
"This isn't a matter of simply healing him. His life force has been drained
away, by both Kyle and the sword. However, as Kyle could literally steal the
lives of others, I can give my life for the sake of another."
"What do you mean?" Fai asked, voice getting weaker.
"Never thought to ask what my Hand of Power is, did you?" Kujaku chuckled. "It
is given to me…to choose a person and to offer my own life as a sacrifice…in
place of that person's life," he explained, laying a hand on Fai's heart.
"You…you can't do that," Fai tried to protest, but could get his voice no
louder than a small groan. "I can't…let you do that…for me."
"My Prince," Kujaku insisted, using Fai's title without a trace of sarcasm.
"Please…this world you've won should not die in the moment of its making. I am
of the old world. Let the life I've led have some meaning. No one else need die
here."
Fai wanted to protest, but he couldn't speak anymore, and no one else seemed to
be stepping in. The only change he saw were two hands coming out of the group
to rest on Kujaku's shoulders. His brothers?
"I, Kujaku Satani, first born child of Akuma Satani, do block the gates of
death with my own spirit. Lord and Lady, appease your hunger with a far larger
soul."
Then, a dagger seemed to appear in his hand, and as he plunged it into his
heart, splashing his blood on Fai's chest, the world around them seemed to
disappear, leaving only the two of them. Fai couldn't even feel Kurogane
holding him anymore. As Kujaku slowly began to fade from his sight, he thought
he could see other faces just beyond his.
Souma…Sakura…Syaoran…Clow…Himawari…Kotori…even Yuuko and Amaterasu…all smiling
in their own way.
It isn't time for you to die yet. You shouldn't waste your life on a rat like
Kyle.
Kujaku-san…please, don't…
Don't be like that, the dark faerie said, his normal level of sarcasm
returning. This is whatIwant.
When Fai came to in Kurogane's arms, the rain was falling so hard, there was no
telling the difference between the rain and the tears.
"Goddess," he sobbed, reaching his arms to wrap around Kurogane, who held him
tightly.
"It's okay," the ninja emperor whispered to him. "It's over."
No one really knew how long the group stood there in the rain, gathered around
the two young rulers. They could have stood there for days, for all anyone
knew. The rain never let up, so there was no marking the passage of the hours.
Yuui, though, eventually knelt down beside Kurogane, placing a hand on his
shoulder.
"Kurogane?" she said softly as she shook him, not continuing until he looked
over at her. "It's time."
Nodding, he and Fai took the hands she offered them, allowing her to help them
stand. Sai brought him his fallen sword and, gripping Fai's hand tightly in
his, he raised Ginryuu high above his head, signaling to Kusanagi and the
others in the distance. The rebel army came toward them quickly, almost at a
run, rebels no longer. When Kusanagi finally came to stand before his former
pupil, he gave the young man a good clap on the shoulder.
"Always knew you'd do it…Your Highness."
Again, Kurogane's only acknowledgment was a nod. Still holding Fai's hand, he
turned and began to walk toward the city, whose gates Kyle had overconfidently
left open. Yuui and Kusanagi stayed close with the two rulers, but the other
faeries mixed with the army a little more as they all followed the young men
through the gates, hoping to downplay the fey element in the victory. These
people had been fed horrendous lies already and they didn't need to make it
worse.
The army was mostly silent as they walked through the city streets. It was
almost as if they hardly dared to believe they were free of the Dark Court's
shadow. The already sizeable group slowly began to grow as it moved forward.
The frightened citizens slowly emerged from their houses, asking word from the
soldiers and trying to get a glimpse of the true emperor, who had finally
returned to free them. The city still reeked of darkness, but the rain was
already beginning to cleanse it. Someday, the city would be beautiful again,
Kurogane vowed to himself as they came within sight of the castle.
If it was possible, the people seemed to grow even quieter upon passing though
the main gates and into the dark, dank corridors of the once bright dwelling.
Part of Kurogane wanted to be just as timid as them upon beholding his old home
once again, but there was no room for that here. Besides, Fai was at his side
now. With him, he could face the things that had happened here - could face the
darkness and drive it away. Never, not once, even in his wildest childhood
dreams, had the young emperor dreamed that his way to the throne would be paved
in such a manner…and yet here they stood, on the threshold of the throne room.
Kurogane hesitated a moment once he and Fai reached the steps leading up to the
royal dais. Without Chang Ang…who would perform the ceremony?
"In the absence of a high priest or priestess, I, as the spiritual head for my
own people, will perform the ceremony of coronation," Yuui announced to the
crowd. Kurogane shook his head, smirking lightly. He should have known. There
were plenty of willing brains around for her to pick. Normally, there would be
speeches and all manner of fiddle-faddle, but there would be none of that
today. Today, there would be a simple oath.
Briefly releasing hands to turn and face Yuui, Kurogane and Fai knelt together
before her at the foot of the steps. Kurogane drew Ginryuu once again, placing
the tip of the blade securely against the carpeted floor and leaning his own
weight slightly against it. After all, a Nihon emperor's vows were made not on
a crown, but on a sword - on protection.
"Kurogane Youou, son of Amaterasu Youou and Ashura Youou, do you swear on your
life to defend your consort, the people of Nihon, and Nihon itself against all
harm, and to render justice unto them as befits the laws of your forebears?"
Yuui asked, resting a hand on the hand gripping Ginryuu. Looking into her eyes,
Kurogane nodded.
"I so swear it…on my life," he said solemnly, giving Fai's hand a brief squeeze
before Yuui took their joined hands in hers.
"And do you, Fai Fluorite Reed, son of Sakura Fluorite and Syaoran Fluorite,
grandson of Clow Reed, swear to aid Kurogane to the best of your ability…to
council and succor him as he has need?"
"I swear it on my life," Fai vowed, returning the pressure of Kurogane's
fingers with his own.
"Rise, then, my brothers…and take your places as rulers of Nihon."
Once Kurogane and Fai rose from their kneeling positions and Kurogane had
sheathed his sword once more, the three rulers shared a look. They smiled
sadly, each in their own way, remembering absent friends - those who should
have been present, but never could be. They also seemed to realize that this
was it - the beginning of their separate destined paths.
Still holding hands, the newly anointed rulers turned and moved up the steps.
When they both took their places on the thrones, Yuui let out a great cry.
"Hail, Kurogane and Fai! Hail to the emperors of Nihon!"
That was when the cheering broke out. The people took up the cry, shouting
praises to the new sovereigns. A new day was soon to dawn, ripe with promise.
"HAIL KUROGANE! HAIL FAI! HAIL KUROGANE AND FAI! HAIL TO THE EMPERORS!" the
cries rang out from every corner, rising to the heavens. The noise lasted well
into the night.
***** The Way You Did Once *****
It was a week before the wedding could take place. Shirasagi's citizens needed
to be talked out of the frenzy Kyle had worked them into before they would
allow aid to come to the city from Faerie. Food was needed, along with medical
help for the emaciated, the sick, and the torture victims. Working together, it
didn't take a crew of faeries more than a few days to rebuild the city. Also
within that week, Amaterasu was laid to rest.
The ceremonial grounds were set up on an unburned patch of ground just outside
the borders of Celes, essentially the divider between all three nations, and
citizens from all three traveled to the capital: their friends, people who had
fought with them, and ordinary people who just wanted to catch a glimpse of the
lost prince and the new emperor.
Kurogane had chosen Caldina as the new high priestess. A bit of an unorthodox
choice, but in the wake of the war that had come so close to being lost, no one
really contested the choice. Caldina and Yukito had met several times in order
to create a new set of vows. The ceremony would be a twining of Valerian and
Nihon traditions to symbolize the joining of the two countries, as well as the
two young men. Valerian vows focused more on the exchange of rings, but Nihon
rights, like most other things about it, focused on vows of the sword.
When the day arrived, a crowd of hundreds was gathered around the altar:
sitting and standing, human and faerie alike. The lovers themselves were back
in a tent, waiting for Caldina and Yukito to complete the trek to the altar
through the crowd of wedding guests.
Fai and Kurogane had both heard it was normal to experience nerves on the day
of one's wedding, but neither was experiencing anything of the sort at the
moment. They were too caught up in each other and the fact that they were
actually here. Only a few short months ago, it had seemed almost impossible for
them to ever reach this point…and of course, in remembering those months of
hardship, they couldn't help but remember all the people who weren't here to
celebrate this day with them. Fai didn't even try to look away when Kurogane
noticed how bright his eyes were.
"You ready for this?" he asked, resting a hand on Fai's shoulder. Smiling
gently, Fai placed his own hand over his soon-to-be-husband's.
"Absolutely. Completely ready."
"Then what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong…as such. I just…wish Himawari could be here…and Souma…and
Sakura and Syaoran…even Clow-sama and Kujaku. They all…fought so hard for
us…and they paid for it. They should be here," he whispered as several tears
slid down his face.
Sighing, Kurogane leaned down and gently started to kiss the tears away. "I
wish my parents could see this, too. Hell, I even wish that damn priest could
be here, but we need to enjoy today…not just for us, but for them, too. If we
don't…and if we don't live well…rule well…then they died for nothing. Let's not
waste it…any of it."
Nodding, Fai wrapped his arms around Kurogane's neck, pulling him back down for
a kiss.
"You're right," he whispered against the taller man's lips. "Let's go."
Indeed, as the soon-to-be newly weds glanced down the long, grassy isle they
were about to traverse, they saw Caldina and Yukito reach the end of it. Eriol
was about halfway there, scattering flower petals as he went. As the two
priests began to bless the altar and the items upon it, Kurogane began to make
his way forward.
The young emperor was dressed in the traditional black kimono. The garment was
made of luscious silk, but that was as extravagant as it got. The design was
otherwise simple and it suited the warrior emperor. All the true extravagance
of a wedding in either country centered around the bride, and Fai was the one
to draw every eye there when he began the walk down the isle, not because of
his adherence to this tradition, but because of how he varied from it.
Fai hadn't wanted traditional clothing from either country because, frankly,
they were not his traditions. Neither would anything from Faerie have truly
been his. As he was a unique individual, a product of all three nations, he
wanted something that was uniquely his - so he'd chosen to wear the clothing
Himawari had made for him, his foster mother's own blend of Faerie and Valerian
style. All told, the outfit was simple for a wedding, but it was still
beautiful: white linen pants and an undershirt with a silk blue tunic. At the
hems of the pants and the cuffs and neckline of the tunic, there was a flowery
wing pattern stitched in gold thread, and as an added touch, having grown up
barefoot in the forest, the blond had chosen to be married today without shoes.
The final touch was the two roses tucked behind his ear. Brides in Valeria
carried bouquets, but he didn't feel quite right doing that, so he'd chosen
only two flowers: a red rose from Valeria and a blue rose from Faerie. After
months of war, the lost prince of Valeria was truly a sight to behold.
Fai felt a little awkward at first. He didn't really know anyone at the far
reaches of the crowd. For a while, all he could see was people staring at him
and all he could think of was how scared he'd been at the masque in Shirasagi -
with all the nobles staring at him like he was a piece of meat. However, as he
continued forward, he began to notice how different the looks these people gave
him were. They were all overjoyed to be free, to have lived to see the end of
the fighting…and they were pleased with him. They had all heard the rumors and
they were pleased that he would be the new emperor's consort.
As this happy revelation washed over the young man, he began to recognize
people in the crowd: the lords and ladies of both Nihon and Faerie, his Uncle
Touya, Hisui and Kokuyo, Kamui and Fuuma, Subaru and Seishiro, Sorata and
Arashi, Kusanagi and Yuzuriha, Koryu with little Ryuou, his two fathers,
Doumeki and Watanuki, and right up in the front, Yuui and Tomoyo with Kohaku
and the Mokona. Upon seeing the rest of his family, and seeing Kurogane reach
the altar and turn to wait for him, Fai wasn't sure what kept him from running
the rest of the way.
Yukito and Caldina were standing with their backs to the altar, where all the
necessary items were laid out: a red pillow with their two rings laid on it, a
ceremonial sword, a crystal goblet of wine, a small loaf of bread, and a red
cord. Caldina was the first to step forward, looking to both royals before
beginning.
"We are gathered here to witness the handfasting of Kurogane Youou and Fai
Fluorite Reed in the presence of the Lord and Lady. Be welcome all those who
come in perfect love and perfect trust. We call upon our lovely Lady of the
Silver Moon and our gentle Lord of the Wildwood to be present here today to
bless this act of love celebrated in their honor," she announced to the crowd
at large. Yukito then picked up the pillow with the rings on it and stepped
forward.
"The ring is the perfect circle, whole and unbroken. I bless these rings in the
name of the God and Goddess, that they symbolize the bond of true love between
Fai and Kurogane."
"Kurogane," Caldina began, addressing her emperor without any form of
honorific, as the ceremony dictated she must, "is it your wish that you shall
become handfast to Fai before the Lord and Lady and these witnesses?"
"Such is my wish," Kurogane responded, keeping eye contact with the high
priestess as she continued.
"And do you pledge on your honor, and before the Lord and Lady and these
witnesses, that you will ever strive for his happiness, placing it above your
own from this day forward?"
"I do so swear," Kurogane promised.
"Then place your ring on his finger," Caldina commanded gently. Kurogane turned
to Yukito, picking up the silver and blue ring that had been through so much
already, and placing it on Fai's pinky finger, symbolizing the sacred bond of
the red string.
"Fai," Yukito continued once the ring was in place, "is it your wish that you
shall become handfast to Kurogane before the Lord and Lady and these
witnesses?"
"Such is my wish," Fai replied, a bright smile lighting up his face.
"And do you pledge on your honor, and before the Lord and Lady and these
witnesses, that you will ever strive for his happiness, placing it above your
own from this day forward?"
"I do so swear."
"Then place your ring on his finger."
The ring Fai lifted from the pillow was one he had made himself, out of his own
power: a gold band set with a ruby, a match in design for the one Kurogane had
given him. Smiling, he turned to the taller man, took his hand in his, and
slipped the ring on his finger. Kurogane's face was mostly composed, but Fai
knew him well enough to see the grin contained in his eyes.
As Yukito went to lay the pillow down, Caldina moved to lift the ceremonial
sword from the altar, coming to stand before Kurogane with it. The Valerian
vows were completed with the exchanging of rings. Now was the time to swear in
Nihon fashion.
"My Lord and Lady," Caldina continued, "here before you stand two of your
children. Witness now what they have to declare." With that, the high priestess
placed the hilt of the blade firmly against the warrior's chest, directly over
his heart.
"I, Kurogane, do come here of my own free will to seek the partnership of Fai.
I come with all honor, love and sincerity, wishing only to become one with him
whom I love. Always will I strive for Fai's happiness and welfare. His life
will I defend before my own. May this sword be plunged into my chest should I
not be sincere in all that I declare. All this I swear before the God and
Goddess. May they give me strength to keep my vows."
As Yukito took the sword from Caldina and brought it over to Fai, the blond
caught the wry look on his lover's face. He knew words meant little to him and
the only thing that really mattered to him was action. These words were simply
for the people to admire and joy in. He had proven his vows already with the
things he had done. Indeed, as Fai felt the ceremonial weapon pressed against
his own heart, he didn't truly feel the weight of it, as he imagined some did.
The weight had already been present. The vow had been proven already. There was
no hesitation in his voice as he spoke the words.
"I, Fai, do come here of my own free will to seek the partnership of Kurogane.
I come with all honor, love, and sincerity, wishing only to become one with him
whom I love. Always will I strive for Kurogane's happiness and welfare. His
life will I defend before my own. May this sword be plunged into my chest
should I not be sincere in all that I declare. All this I swear before the God
and Goddess. May they give me strength to keep my vows."
Taking the sword away, Yukito went to place it back on the altar while Caldina
lifted the red cord from it - their own red string. Joining their hands
together, the couple raised them for Caldina to bind them securely together.
"You are bound together by the right of handfasting in the eyes of the Lord and
Lady," she announced as she worked to tie the cord. "Ever love and help one
another as you have promised here today. May the God and Goddess bless you."
As Caldina stepped back, Yukito came forward with the crystal goblet, holding
it first to Fai's lips, then to Kurogane's lips, allowing them to drink as he
spoke the prayer. "Lord and Lady, I call upon you to bless this wine, the blood
of the Earth pressed smooth. As we drink of thee, may we learn of the wisdom of
the God."
This finished, Yukito stepped back and allowed Caldina forward with the loaf of
bread. As she spoke, she tore chunks from it for the newly-wed couple to eat.
"Lord and Lady, I call upon you to bless this bread, the fruit of the womb of
the Goddess, without which we would not live. As we eat of thee, may we learn
of the love of the Goddess."
Once the ritual meal had been consumed, both Yukito and Caldina stepped back,
allowing the two this moment to say what they needed to say to each other. They
hadn't told anyone except Kakei, whom they'd had to ask, but they were going to
use a portion of the Faerie ceremony that they both liked. It felt only right.
If they were going to use pieces of ceremonies from their respective countries,
then they ought to use something from Faerie, as they had first known and loved
each other in Celes, the faerie forest. Turning to face each other, they joined
their unbound hands and looked into each other's eyes. Then, speaking together,
they gave their last vow.
"By seed and root, by bud and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit, by life and
love, in the name of the Lord and Lady, I take thee to my hand, my heart, and
my spirit, at the setting of the sun and the rising of the stars. Nor shall
death part us; for in the fullness of time we shall be born again at the same
time and in the same place as each other; and we shall meet, and know, and
remember, and love again."
Finishing these words to each other, they leaned in and kissed, briefly, but
passionately. Then they turned back to the two priests, letting them know it
was okay to finish. Smiling warmly, Caldina stepped forward to speak her part.
"As it has been since the beginning of time, and as it shall be until the end,
two lovers have been joined together, and by this have been made stronger,
happier, and greater than they were apart, and the simple fact that their love
exists in the world benefits us all. This wondrous state is the gift of our
gracious Lady and her own gentle Lord, whose love flows through all things, and
whose passion we see reflected throughout the seasons, and which is the deepest
mystery of all creation." When she'd finished, Caldina bent down and kissed the
pair's joined hands before kneeling in front of them. Then Yukito came forward
to finish.
"We thank you, O Lady, for your presence here today. Give each of us your gift
of love; let each of us find the one who makes us more than we are, who brings
us joy and happiness. We thank you, O Lord, for your presence here today. Give
each of us your gift of love; let each of us find it within our hearts to love,
to be the lover, and to be loved."
Finishing the ceremony with the same gesture as Caldina, Yukito knelt before
the newlyweds, signaling to them it was time to take their first steps. So,
carefully, they turned and began to walk back down the grassy isle, their hands
still bound together.
As the cheers rose up around them, the two turned to look at each other. Rather
than feeling ecstatic in this moment, as he thought he would, Fai just felt
warm and secure. All he could think was, I'mmarriedto him now. He's myhusband.
We'll never be parted again. We survived. Somehow…we survived it all.
They weren't permitted to stop midway back, but once they'd reached the tent,
Kurogane wrapped his free arm around Fai and kissed him deeply, milking every
moment until their friends and family came stampeding after them.
"We made it," he whispered in Fai's ear. "We did it together."
As they were swamped by Yuui and Tomoyo, it was all they could think about.
Somehow, they had survived. They had survived everything the world had thrown
at them. For all they had lost and all they had suffered, what else could be
said but that they had earned this day?
                                      XxX
As with most celebrations of this magnitude, the reveling lasted well into the
night. Human and faerie alike were ecstatic, not only to celebrate the wedding,
but to revel in the fact that there was still love and life in the world after
there had been so much darkness and despair.
Tents had been set up for any among the nobility who wished to retire early,
and Kurogane and Fai had opted to do this before they could get too drunk. The
wine, both human and faerie, was flowing freely tonight. They both wanted their
wits about them for consummation, after all.
"Have you and Koryu-san decided what to do about Ryuou-kun?" Fai asked as he
flopped down on their futon.
"He wants him," Kurogane replied as he sat down beside him, a bit better at
fighting off the effects of the wine than Fai was. As he kicked off his shoes
and untied his obi, he continued with, "He really wants to be the kid's father,
so I guess he'll return to Faerie with him. He couldn't be away from your
sister for long, anyway, not until he's weaned off the breast."
"We'll have to stay in touch, then," Fai said as he fumbled with his tunic.
"The little ones ought to be part of each other's lives. Though, speaking of
little ones, did I hear that Yuzuriha-san is expecting one now?"
"Yeah. I'd say that's why Kakyo originally wanted to offer his title to
Kusanagi."
The main political concern of the past week, apart from setting up young Nokoru
as the new Imonoyama lord, was Kakyo's wish to abdicate his position as lord of
his province. He no longer had an heir and he staunchly refused to remarry, so
he'd thought it best to remove himself from the political scene. As Kurogane
had said, he'd originally wanted Kusanagi to have the position, but the ninja
master had refused, liking the position he was in now. Kurogane had suggested
Sorata in his stead. He had proved himself just as able a commander as Kusanagi
during the war and he and Arashi were, of course, expecting a child. Sorata had
been overjoyed to learn he was, in fact, the father of Arashi's child, and it
was probably that happiness that had prompted him to accept the new position.
"What did Yuui decide to do about Seishiro?" Kurogane asked, moving to help Fai
with his clothing after getting out of his kimono. He knew there had been talk
among the faerie lords, but he'd never heard what the final outcome was.
"She's accepted that he's loyal to her, but he's being placed under house
arrest. He's to remain within the Shiro estate for the next fifty years. He's
accepted it. He even seems to agree with her. I don't know why, but I guess she
knows things the rest of us don't. He did give her his mind, after all."
"Does it matter to you one way or the other?" Kurogane continued, lying down
beside Fai and pulling him into his arms, both naked as the day they were born.
"No," Fai said calmly, resting his head against Kurogane's chest. "I've made
peace with it. Anyway, the creature who did those things no longer exists…not
in the physical world, at least."
"So what are you feelin' up for tonight?" Kurogane asked, nuzzling the top of
Fai's head.
"Nothing too rough," Fai said, leaning up to kiss Kurogane's chin. "We don't
know how it'll affect the baby."
"Okay," Kurogane said, rolling onto his back and bringing his new husband to
straddle his hips. "Slow and easy, then."
"Yes," Fai said, moaning softly as he leaned down to kiss his emperor lightly
on the lips.
Both rulers knew, however, that slow doesn't necessarily mean brief.
                                      XxX
"Well, I certainly hope that worked, because I am never doing it again," Yuui
said, the timbre of her voice changing from male to female as she spoke.
Indeed, her entire body had been changing from male to female during that
single statement. "It was just a little too weird."
"I know," Tomoyo said, the expression on her face an odd combination of
satiated and troubled. "It was a little bit like…sleeping with Fai."
Tomoyo had decided a long time ago that she wanted to be a mother in her own
right, and the festive, triumphant mood coupled with the alcohol had prompted
the young queens to try and make it happen. Though Yuui was unable to bear more
children as a woman, she was still fertile, so as a man, she could conceivably
father many more children on her wife. Transforming herself into a man had been
all it had taken…or at least they had thought it would be that simple. She'd
managed it, but Yuui had had absolutely no love for being a man right from the
very start. As such, the love-making had been more than a little awkward and
over very quickly…once they'd figured out where everything went, that was.
"It'll work," Yuui tried to reassure them both as she wrapped her arms around
her wife, her breasts squashed comfortably between them. "It'll work."
"Yes. It most definitely worked."
Tomoyo was the only one to show surprise at the new voice. Yuui simply pulled
the flimsy blanket up a little higher and cast her gaze into the airy shadows
of their tent.
"I really hope you weren't watching that," she challenged the darkness beyond
the flickering candlelight.
"Not as such," Haruka Doumeki explained as his astral form took shape out of
the shadows, "but I am a ghost. I can't help but be aware of what happens in
the realm of the living…and incase you were wondering, I see two beautiful
girls with long brown hair and dark eyes."
"Did I get it right?" the faerie queen asked without preamble.
"What do you think?" the former Darkness asked her.
"I think…that I wouldn't want to live in a world where letting Shizuka kill
Kurogane was the right decision."
"Then you have your answer."
"This…is the reason I fell asleep the other night, isn't it?" Tomoyo finally
managed to ask.
"Perceptive. You've made a good choice, My Queen."
"You were going to tell me what happened…between you and Kyle, weren't you."
"Not to be deterred, I see."
"I tend to be like that when interrupted in the bedroom," Yuui shot back.
"Besides…Shizuka is practically my father and Kamui-san and Subaru-san are some
of my most loyal friends. I want to know why they had to suffer…and why Kujaku-
san had to live…and die…the way he did."
"Because those children had to exist…every single one of them. If even one
piece of the puzzle had been absent, you would not have won this war. If Tohru
had been able to be with Akuma as she'd wanted, the Satani brothers would never
have been born, neither would Kamui. If Subaru had been born under those
conditions, Sonsei would have been driven mad by the loss of her sister to
Tohru. When Yuuko was banished and came to power, Sonsei would have killed them
both and taken both the rule of the Oni and Akuma's child for her own. Subaru
would have grown up under the hand of the Dark Court…and as the unwilling lover
of his own aunt. Seishiro still would have won him eventually, and they would
have overthrown both Sonsei and Yuuko, rising up to become the masters of both
the Dark Court and the Oni. Seishiro would have had no reason to secretly
battle for your side. He and Subaru would have led the Oni to victory against
you. Instead, the Shiro brothers were born to serve you and the Satani brothers
were born to live the life they did so that they might undermine the Dark Court
and eventually come to serve you, as well."
"And…Shizuka?" Yuui asked, barely able to comprehend it all.
"My son was needed…to protect you and your brother. Without him, Kimihiro and
Himawari wouldn't have survived, and neither would the two of you. Tohru and I
knew this…and the key to it all was for us to come between our two
friends…Oruha Doraggu and Kazuhiko Fay-Ryuu. They loved each other; every one
knew it…even if they never said anything…and we convinced them of what needed
to happen. They understood…they knew how powerful a dreamseer Tohru was. So,
even though they were so in love, Oruha married me when I became the first
Darkness, and Kazuhiko and Tohru later married. It was the best possible future
any of us could have hoped for."
"Not for Kujaku-san," Yuui said softly. She still couldn't get the sight of his
resigned face out of her head.
"There wasn't anything anyone could have done. For him, it was either the life
he had, or no life at all. Besides, you know that at the end, he felt that the
pain he'd endured was worth something…and that should be all that matters."
"What about the four of you?" Tomoyo asked, looking at the dead faerie with
pity in her eyes.
"You must understand, Your Majesty…we lived under the rule of Fei Wang Reed.
Our happiness was to dream of this future…when his evil influence had finally
been defeated, once and for all."
"So…all of this…these generations living and dying…was all for the sake of me
and my brother?" Yuui asked, still not quite sure how to feel about it.
"Yes. You and your brother are the keys to all of this; you always have been.
You two are the place where all the peoples of this world come together.
Faerie, the people of Nihon, and the Valerians, the children of the old world.
They are all joined through you, and from this day forward, the people will go
on together. The spirits of the dead can finally rest in peace. Maybe you're
not ready to believe that, but you'll see the proof of it in the days to come,
and there will be many days in which to see it."
Smiling, albeit somewhat sadly, Yuui nodded. "All right, fine. If you say so,
but the only bit of your dreamseeing I really care about is the two beautiful
girls."
"They'll come. I guarantee it. Though, Yuui-sama, would you mind…saying goodbye
to Shizuka for me? He's moved on and he thinks I have, too. He doesn't need to
see me here again. Also give him Oruha's love."
"Wait," Yuui started, raising a hand to stop him. "You never told me about the
battle with Kyle…why you died…"
"Because I wanted to, Yuui-sama. My guilt had become too great by that point
and he was revealing his strange life draining Hand…threatening to consume me.
I didn't want it to end that way, so I let one of the wounds he'd inflicted
take me. I died because I was ready to."
"And I'm supposed to tell Shizuka that?"
"Absolutely. He'll understand. You know he will." With that, Haruka Doumeki
finally faded back into the shadows, drifting onward to his hard-earned rest.
"Will he understand?" Tomoyo asked after a time.
"Yes. In my experience, there's a time in the life of most every faerie when
they'll come to understand that. I guess…living so long makes you realize a few
things."
"So…twins?" Tomoyo queried, returning to the former line of inquiry.
"It looks that way. I hope he's right. I can tell you a thing or two about
twins."
                                      XxX
The wedding guests remained in Nihon for a few days before returning home.
Kurogane and Fai accompanied the faerie and Valerian parties back through Celes
on Suwa's back, the horse having finally been returned to Kurogane just before
the handfasting. The first stop on the journey was Spirit Lake. Watanuki,
Doumeki, and the others all said their goodbyes to the new emperors and while
small groups of faeries took turns traveling back through the inter-dimensional
gateway, the royal siblings said their goodbyes.
"It's almost like back when we were kids," Tomoyo said as she hugged Fai, "and
we were saying goodbye for the day."
"Distance is a little bit further, though," Kurogane noted. He wasn't doing a
lot of hugging himself, but he let both his sisters hug him.
"Only a little," Yuui said, smiling sadly. "It's…the first time the four of us
are really going to be apart, isn't it."
"Yeah…but this is what we all wanted…to end up like this," Fai said, his
expression mirroring his sister's, "and we'll see each other often enough.
There's always mirror communication, and Soel and Larg."
"You're right," Yuui said, moving in to give her brother one last hug. "We'll
come back to see the baby born."
"You'd better," Fai said, his eyes bright.
"Rule well, you two," Yuui warned as she took Tomoyo by the hand. "We'll be
watching."
"Don't we know it," Kurogane said, his expression wry as they watched their
sisters, Kohaku, and Larg all head down to the boat that would take them back
to Faerie. They stood watching until the boat had sailed off, vanishing into
the water. Soel continued to wave, even after they were gone.
"It's okay," the tiny creature said. "This is what Clow made Soel and Larg
for…what Mokona always fought for."
"And you did so well," Fai said, nuzzling the top of the diminutive guardian's
head.
The Valerian party rested at the lake for the night before pressing on toward
Valeria. Arrangements had already been made between Touya and Kurogane that
Touya would serve as lord of the new province, with Eriol following him to the
position. The two emperors had been invited to stay in Valeria for a time, but
there was still one other thing Kurogane wanted to take care of first. So, once
they had guided the party out of Celes and back to Cephiro, Fai and Kurogane
rode on alone. It didn't take long on Suwa, but they still rode through the
night, winding up on Valeria's eastern coast by morning.
"So this is what you wanted to show me," Fai said quietly as he gazed out over
the vast ocean, sparkling in the morning light.
"Yeah. I promised I'd bring you here when I had you back. I don't know why, but
I felt…at peace here. Kakei said it was because you and I have been here
before."
"I know what you mean. It is peaceful…and it does feel familiar. Maybe he was
right."
"No maybe there," Kakei said as he appeared beside them. "You were definitely
here. The land was a little different and so were you, but ultimately…not so
different as all that."
"I had a feeling you'd be here," Kurogane said to the faerie lord.
"Yes. Apart from our promised meeting, there is one last thing to take care
of," he said, removing the sword belted to his hip. No one needed to say that
the blade was Assassin's Hand. They all knew it.
Kakei stepped up to the very edge of the beach, allowing the water to wash over
his feet as he raised the black blade high over his head. Then he threw it,
threw it with all his strength. The three watched as the evil thing spun into
the distance, disappearing from sight before it even dropped into the water.
"It isn't gone," the ancient lord said quietly. "It's the force of chaos, and
it cannot truly be destroyed. Someone will find it again
someday…somehow…someone will be drawn to it. This is the best we can do."
"It came from your world, didn't it?" Kurogane asked sharply. "Why shouldn't it
be buried there, too?"
"Because for better or for worse, our worlds are joined, Kurogane-sama. Perhaps
they will one day go their separate ways, but they will always touch each other
in some way…somehow shape each other's futures. Why do you think the place that
is most sacred to Faerie rests in the mortal world?"
"Were they always joined?" Fai asked.
"No," Kakei replied. "I was there when they came crashing together, and the
country across the sea still lived then, as well. That was where the two of you
were fleeing from when you came here. It was the first peace you'd known in
some time. That feeling lingers on, even now."
"What was it we said to you back then?" Kurogane asked.
"That you would create a world worthy of all that had been lost. You've had a
lifetime and then some to accomplish this. Do you think you've done it?"
"I don't know what was lost then," Kurogane began after thinking about it for a
while, "but I do know what's been lost this time, and we're not there yet, but
we will be…soon."
Smiling wearily, Kakei nodded. "As I thought. Despite what you might think, I
have seen the world the two of you have shaped, and I have known the things
that have been lost throughout the centuries. I believe you have done it
already. You have fulfilled your promise."
Neither of them could really explain why, but both Kurogane and Fai felt a deep
sense of relief at hearing the old clan master's words. It was as if they could
finally let go of what had gone before and really move into the future.
                                      XxX
Seven months later, Kurogane found himself sitting in the same place he'd been
seventeen years ago. He sat in the exact same pose with Kusanagi by his side,
only now he was the same height as his guardian and there were strands of grey
in the ninja master's black hair; and instead of his mother screaming in agony
giving birth to his sister, it was his husband screaming in agony giving birth
to their child. Kurogane wanted very much to be in the room with Fai, but it
was something of a taboo for the current ruler to be present at the birth of
the future one.
Fortunately, Fai didn't have to go through the process without some form of
painkiller, as Yuui had. The only trouble was that there wasn't much to be done
until Yuui arrived to help. The only one other than Fai capable of performing
the necessary magic was Kurogane, and he didn't trust himself to perform such
precision magic. His abilities were all geared toward destruction. Fai would
have done the spells himself, but he simply couldn't manage it in the state he
was in. At the rate the labor was progressing, Kurogane was starting to worry
he'd have to order the physicians to cut Fai open before the infant broke free
on its own.
"Where is he?" Yuui demanded the moment she appeared before him. Tomoyo, Larg,
Watanuki, Doumeki, and Kohaku teleported into the corridor right along with
her. Watanuki was carrying the wriggling ten-month-old princess and Tomoyo was
seven months pregnant with twin babies. In about another month, she would give
birth.
Kurogane jerked his head in the direction of the door at the end of the
corridor, hard-pressed to keep the relief from showing on his face. Wasting no
more time, Yuui swept down the corridor and through the door. Tomoyo waddled
over to her brother and sat down beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"You look like you could use a rest."
"Or a drink," Doumeki suggested with a slight smirk as he pulled a bottle of
faerie wine from his cloak. He'd barely had a chance to uncork it before
Kurogane snatched the bottle from his hands and took a long swig. Tomoyo rolled
her eyes at the assassin.
"I needed that."
"Kamui, Fuuma, and Subaru will be coming before too long. They want to see the
baby before the naming ceremony," Watanuki related, finally giving up on Kohaku
and setting her down to crawl around on the floor with Larg. "Eagle and Kakei
would like a chance to visit before then, as well."
"That's fine," Kurogane said, waving a hand absently.
"Yuui was also wondering if she could impose faerie rule on all of Nihon,"
Tomoyo added.
"Whatever," Kurogane said, not looking at her, but then he seemed to think
about it and his head snapped up. Then he turned to glare at his imp of a
sister. "Very funny."
"Don't worry. Yuui's delivered a few babies. With her here, it'll only take a
few minutes."
'A few babies' was beginning to be an understatement in both kingdoms. Subaru
had given birth to Souma's son, Akira, not even a month ago. Hisui and Kokuyo
had conceived, and as the child was fully fey, it was born in only six months,
a boy named Tachibana. Eagle and Geo had married and Eagle was expecting a baby
in another three months. Kazahaya and Rikuo hadn't married, but Kazahaya had
become pregnant during the war and had given birth to a baby girl, Kobato,
about three months ago. He and Rikuo were still dancing around the subject of
marriage. Arashi and Sorata's daughter, Dita, had been born roughly four months
ago. Yuzuriha was due in another two months, and they had recently received
word from Mong Ryong that Chun Hyang was expecting a child and they were all
invited to the wedding that would be taking place in a few weeks' time.
As Tomoyo predicted, it was only a few moments before a scribe and a priest
burst out of the room. The scribe rushed away, but the young priest headed
straight for Kurogane.
"A prince is born, Your Majesty, a little boy," he said excitedly.
"A boy," Kurogane said slowly, as if he couldn't quite comprehend it.
Feeling he might grow old waiting for his emperor to give some other reaction,
the priest hesitantly broke in on his confusion. "Sir…I'm sorry, but…Fai-sama's
asking for you."
That snapped the young emperor awake right quick. He moved past the priest and
into the room. Priests and physicians were scurrying about cleaning, though
there was a great deal less cleaning to do than they were used to, considering
that the faerie queen had essentially 'magicked' the baby out of her brother's
body. Fai was lying on a futon with Yuui sitting beside him, mopping at his
brow with a damp cloth. When he saw Kurogane, though, he attempted to shoot up
from the futon. Yuui, however, managed to stop him in time.
"Hey, now! Just because they didn't cut you open doesn't mean you don't need to
rest. He's coming to you."
"You okay?" Kurogane asked once he'd settled himself gently down on the futon.
"Fine," Fai said, smiling tearfully. "I'm fine. Where is he?"
"Right here, Your Highness," a priestess answered, coming toward them with a
tiny forest green bundle. Rather than cry out, the baby boy only sniffled
slightly when the woman handed him to Fai.
Even now, neither man could get over just how tiny the boy was. The tip of
Fai's finger just fit into the palm of his little hand. He had ten plump little
fingers and ten little toes. His blue eyes were wide in his tiny face and his
head was covered with a small tuft of dark hair.
"This is what I wanted," Fai whispered as the tears streamed quietly down his
face. "For so long…I've wanted to hold him…your son."
"He's here now," Kurogane said quietly as he wrapped an arm around Fai's
shoulders.
Looking up from the new family, Yuui saw the others gathered in the doorway.
Fuuma, Kamui, and Subaru had arrived with little Akira. Soel immediately
bounded from its place beside the futon to hug Larg.
Yuui-chan? the queen heard Watanuki's voice in her head. I…don't suppose now
would be a good time to tell you I'm with child?
Yuui had a good chuckle to herself. Kimihiro…really?
Watanuki just nodded.
"All right, everyone. Come in and see him…slowly and quietly, please," Yuui
warned as she stood from the futon. Doing as she said, they all filed in and
gathered around the futon, slowly sitting. Watanuki even allowed Kohaku to
crawl up onto the blankets. The little girl curled into a ball at the end of
the futon, staring at her cousin, not quite sure what to make of him.
"Heheh. He's your cousin, Kohaku-chan. Do you like him?" Fai asked his niece,
turning his son slightly so she could see him. The girl's green eyes widened a
little more.
"What's his name?" Tomoyo was the one to finally ask.
"Zima," the two rulers answered together.
"Prince Zima Youou," Yuui said slowly, trying it out. "I like it."
Suddenly, little Zima began to sniffle again, sounding like he might start
crying. Exchanging a look with Yuui, who nodded approvingly, Fai snuggled the
baby a little closer and quietly began to sing to him.
Come, stop your crying.
It'll be all right.
Just take my hand,
Hold it tight.
I will protect you
From all around you.
I will be here.
Don't you cry.
Picking up her own spellbound daughter, Yuui brought her a little closer to the
baby boy, and she and Fai began to sing together.
For one so small,
You seem so strong.
My arms will hold you,
Keep you safe and warm.
This bond between us
Can't be broken.
I will be here.
Don't you cry.
From all their time with Yuui and Fai, Kurogane and Tomoyo had learned the
words to the lullaby, as well. Doumeki, Watanuki, Soel, and Larg all remembered
Himawari singing it when the twins were little. Even the three knights had
heard Yuui sing the song before. So, for the last verse, they all sang
together.
'Cuz you'll be in my heart.
Yes, you'll be in my heart.
From this day on,
Now and forever more.
You'll be in my heart,
No matter what they say.
You'll be here in my heart
Always.
"Always."
                                      XxX
"Where are we now? Is it winter?" Fai asked, seeing all the white particles
flying through the air.
"Uh…Fai-san…I think you just landed in flour," Syaoran supplied, surveying the
situation along with his mentor.
"Looks like a kitchen," Kurogane noted. "Maybe a bakery."
"Mokona's sorry. Maybe Mokona was just hungry and wanted to come somewhere with
yummy treats," the small creature suggested.
Hearing all the commotion in back, someone entered from the front of the shop.
The woman stopped dead in her tracks when she saw them, and all four travelers
were shocked to hear her declare, "Heavens above! Your Royal Highnesses!"
"Say what, now?" Kurogane asked
"What– what are you doing back here? I mean…certainly you're welcome, but…my
shop's been inspected before. I thought it was perfectly safe for the princess.
Is something wrong?"
"I…don't think we're who you think we are," Syaoran said slowly. However,
before the baker could protest, a different voice joined the conversation.
"Erii-san? Is something wrong?"
A little girl entered the kitchen from the main area. She couldn't have been
more than seven. Her short hair was black, her skin pale, and her eyes were a
deep hue of red. Her eyes widened in momentary curiosity, but then her serene
face split into a wide smile.
"Hana-sama, you didn't sneak off again, did you? Your parents knew you were
here?"
The girl, Hana, shook her head as she walked toward them. Coming to a stop in
front of Fai, she drew in a huge breath of air and blew it toward him. The gust
of air was backed by a stream of magic and her breath ended up dusting every
last grain of flour from the mage's body. For a moment, he eyed her, just as
curious about her as she had been about him. To be so in control of her magic
at her age? What sort of world had they landed in?
"Come," she said, motioning them to follow her as she headed for the front
room. Fai didn't give it a second thought. Kurogane and Syaoran gave it a
second thought, then a third thought, but they eventually ended up following
the other two.
"Hana-sama?" the baker, Erii, called after them. "What about your order?"
"Don't worry!" Hana called back. "I'll be back later."
Hana led them through what appeared to be a noodle shop out onto a crowded city
street, flush with vendors and shoppers alike. Fai was wondering if anyone else
might potentially recognize the people Erii had mistaken them for, but after a
time, he got the impression that the people didn't even see them at all, let
alone recognize them. Then he realized.
"They can't see us at all, can they?" he asked Hana. She shook her head.
"Nope. It would be too much trouble."
"You have very strong magic, Hana-chan," he complimented.
"Yup. Tou-chan taught me."
"Tou-chan?"
"You'll meet him, and Tou-san. Just wait a few minutes. I can't teleport more
than myself yet."
Tou-chan and Tou-san? Hmm…
Hana led the group through the city streets and up to a large castle. When they
reached the main gates, Fai felt Hana remove her shield of glamour from
herself. The guard on duty didn't quite jump out of his skin, just a brief
flinch.
"Hana-sama, you and your brother need to stop doing that. You're going to make
me old before my time," he reprimanded her as he opened the gate for her.
"Sorry, Saiki-san," she apologized quietly as she entered the castle. The
travelers hurried in behind her before Saiki could shut them out.
"Are you going to take the shield away yet?" Fai asked quietly.
"MmMm," she murmured, shaking her head and continuing on through the corridors.
"Just a little further."
'A little further' turned out to be through a maze of corridors and into an
open-air garden somewhere in the center of the castle. The garden was only
occupied by two men. The taller man, tan and dark-haired, lay sprawled beneath
the shade of a tree, his head resting on his clasped hands as he dozed lightly.
He was dressed in a simple black yukata. The other was tending to a rosebush.
He was slender and pale, and the blond hair tied in a ponytail fell to just
past his shoulders. He was dressed in a blue furisode and he hummed to himself
as he worked - an old lullaby, Fai couldn't help thinking. When they entered
the garden, the slender man looked up instantly and Fai saw his own face
smiling at Hana - as he'd somehow known he would.
"Hana!" he called out joyfully, holding out his arms for her. Hana ran to him
and he swept her up in his arms, spinning her around. Hana laughed out loud and
the man dozing beneath the tree, Kurogane, of course, woke up, grinning at the
two.
"Where have you been all day, you little imp?" Fai asked Hana, but before she
could answer, he looked over her shoulder, directly at the concealed group, and
began to understand. "Who have you brought us this time?"
With that, Hana allowed the glamour she was conjuring to dissipate, revealing
the four travelers. Fai's eyes widened in mild surprise, but then he smiled
knowingly before glancing over at Kurogane. "Kuro-sama, you might want to get
up. We have company."
Sitting up, Kurogane looked in the direction Fai's gaze indicated and saw their
look-alikes staring at them in apparent fascination. He was no more surprised
than Fai had been.
"Oh. You."
"Welcome," Fai said as he came toward them, leading Hana. "Yuui and Tomoyo said
you would probably be coming here sometime soon."
"Tomoyo?" Kurogane spoke for the first time.
"Yuui?" Fai asked, his tone a shade harsher than the ninja's. "As in…your
twin?"
"That's right."
"You mean…he's still alive in this world?"
Fai chuckled lightly at this. "Well…yes. Only…he is a she."
Fai Fluorite's eyes widened slightly at this, but he soon shrugged it off. His
sibling was alive somewhere. That was all he needed. His thoughts of his twin
were soon left in favor of contemplating the man before him.
"I know you…don't I," he said after a time.
"Well…yes. I guess you would have to say so."
"You were younger then."
"Much."
"But I was right?"
"Absolutely."
"So…we were mistaken for royalty. That makes you…?"
"Emperor and Emperor Consort. Typically, they just call me 'emperor', though."
"And you're…Tou-chan?"
"Mm-hm."
"Making…him…Tou-san," Fai finished, nodding toward the other Kurogane.
"Yes. Hana is our daughter, our second-born," the emperor consort explained,
ruffling the little girl's hair affectionately.
"How does that work, exactly?" Kurogane asked, his gaze darting curiously
between the two rulers and the princess.
"I'm descended from the faerie folk. Physical form is…shall we say fluid to
me," he said. For a moment, the travelers could have sworn they saw a woman
standing before them, but the moment was over before it had even begun. His
gaze a shade more interested than before, Kurogane turned his eyes toward his
own Fai.
"Can you do that?"
"Maybe. I don't know," Fai said, sounding almost prim.
"If he can, you don't want him to. Trust me," Emperor Kurogane said as he stood
and stretched. ""It's weird."
"Second-born, you said?" Fai continued politely, returning to the former line
of questioning. "Who's your first?"
"Zima. He's probably around here somewhere. He prefers to play his games closer
to home," the blond emperor said, teasingly nudging his daughter, who just
smiled and hugged his leg. "Hana loves her noodles…even though we've got
perfectly good cooks here at home."
"But Erii-san's are the best," the little princess insisted.
While this had been going on, Kurogane had been sizing up his counterpart,
eventually coming to the same conclusion Fai had.
"You're that kid, aren't you."
"Yeah," the emperor said as he strolled over to them. "Been a while."
"Went through with it after all."
"Took a bit longer than I wanted, but yeah. You?"
"He's here, isn't he?"
The king smirked at this. "Guess so. Maybe you're not so much of a coward,
after all."
Giggling at this, Emperor Fai took his counterpart's hand and led him to sit
beneath the tree his husband had been sleeping under. Kurogane followed and,
after several moments of confused wondering, Syaoran and Mokona followed. The
emperor followed as well, but only leaned against the tree, rather than sit
with the rest of them. His husband was already chattering away.
"I'll have some food sent up. I know it's been a long journey for all of you.
Of course, you're welcome to remain here as long as you like. Tomoyo-san wanted
us to tell you she's thinking of you."
"When was that?" Kurogane asked.
"I don't know how long it will have been for her or for you four, but by our
count, it's been nearly fifteen years. Our Tomoyo never forgot, though. She met
your princess during a very trying time in all our lives."
"Ours, as well," Fai said quietly, "if when we all met is anything to go by."
"I know," his royal counterpart responded with a look of sad understanding.
"Yuui's kept track of you since our spirits were connected. You journey ever
on…in search of answers that may not be spoken. Isn't that right…Syaoran-san?"
he asked, his gaze finally settling upon the youngest member of the group.
For a moment, the emperor consort and the boy who was not a boy locked eyes,
and a shared experience passed between them. They had both known the roaring
silence and the absolute nothingness of the void - an experience only those who
had known it firsthand could truly understand. Slowly, Syaoran nodded, knowing
he was sharing his entire life with this other Fai through this connection,
even as he shared his with him.
These questions you want to ask him…you already know the answers, don't
you…because youarehim…and he is you. That is why they can never be spoken, the
emperor consort spoke directly to his mind.
All the same…I want to ask. Just…to be able to ask. That's all I want.
"I understand. I'm sorry for prying, it's just…you're a great deal like what I
imagine my own father to have been. You see, in this world, my sister and I
were the children of Sakura and Syaoran Fluorite," Emperor Fai said, saying it
aloud more for the benefit of Syaoran's companions. Syaoran himself had seen
this already, inevitably blushing at the thought of just what that entailed.
"Were?" Fai asked uncertainly.
"Yes. My parents have been dead for fifteen years. They died…fighting a war.
Many people died. I never really had a chance to know Syaoran Fluorite…so I
know what it is…not to be able to ask your father all the things you wish you
could have," he said, still speaking mostly to Syaoran.
"And you can't stop thinking…maybe there was something you could have done,"
the young man said quietly.
"You never stop thinking it…and the horror remains behind your eyes at night
for the rest of your life," the emperor consort returned, no longer speaking
only of their parents' deaths. "All you can do is live a life that makes it
worthwhile to survive the doubt and the nightmares."
Carry them with you…but not as a burden…as a reminder of why you are who you
are…and why you will make them proud.
Once the blond emperor had finished speaking, his husband sat down beside him
and he rested his head on his shoulder, taking comfort from him. Whether he'd
intended it or not, each of them had taken something from his words. Syaoran
didn't realize there were tears in his eyes until he heard Fai asking him,
"Syaoran-kun? Are you all right?"
"Yes," he said, shaking his head and quickly wiping at his eyes to clear them.
"I'm fine.
"Uh…what's the girl doing?" Kurogane asked, drawing everyone's attention to
where he was looking. Hana was staring pointedly at a young sakura tree off in
a far corner of the garden. After a time, she began pointing at it, too.
"Just watch," Emperor Fai said, barely managing to hold in a giggle.
No one was really certain how long they all stood watching the young princess
point and stare, but after a time, she drew in a huge lungful of air and
shouted, "BOO!"
At her cry, a glamour field that had been held before the tree shattered and
two teenagers came tumbling out of the branches, a boy and a girl. The girl
looked annoyed, but the boy was laughing.
"And here I thought I'd tricked you. You're just getting too good for me,
Hana."
"Zima-san, I take it?" Fai asked his counterpart, who nodded.
Hana grinned and pounced on her brother. When she landed, a squeak came from
inside his kimono and Soel popped out.
At the sight of the new Mokona, the traveling one slipped out of Syaoran's
cloak and bounded over to it, shouting, "Yay! Another Mokona!"
"Dear God, there's two of 'em!" the two Kuroganes groaned almost exactly
together. Both Fais giggled.
"Who is she?" Fai asked the emperor consort, nodding toward the peeved girl
with the black hair.
"That's Dita-chan, Lord Arisugawa's daughter. She and Zima have been best
friends since they were very little. She's a little formal."
"Zima-sama, why do we keep doing this? You haven't been able to fool her for
six months now," the young woman said primly. Zima just rolled his eyes.
Clearly, the conversation about her level address had been had many times
before.
"See what I mean?"
"They do look exactly like their father," Fai commented, glancing over at the
dark-haired emperor, who sighed.
"Maybe so, but they get their behavior from him," he said, jerking his head
toward his husband.
Kurogane grumbled low in his throat, half-smiling at the same time. "Ain't that
just the way."
"As I said before, you're all welcome to stay here as long as you wish," Fai
said as the three noble children and the two Mokona returned to sit with the
group. "We can even visit with Yuui and Tomoyo if you like. I'm sure they'd
love to finally meet you."
"Yes. Yes, I think that would be nice," Fai said quietly, glancing around at
his companions and receiving their nodded agreement. This seemed like a nice
world to rest in - at least as long as Mokona allowed them to. There were still
many things for all of them to talk about. They could be at peace here - for a
time.
***** Epilogue - Once Upon A Dream *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
"How long did Emperor Kurogane and Emperor Fai reign for?"
"Their reign lasted a hundred years," the old storyteller told the child on her
lap.
"But…Fai was a faerie. Didn't he outlive Kurogane?" the little girl asked, her
eyes bright with tears of worry.
"By no more than a few minutes. You see, when it came the old emperor's time to
die, Fai lay down with him…held him in his arms until he'd passed, then simply
willed himself to follow, just as Queen Sakura did for King Syaoran. And of
course, Prince Zima became emperor after them, reigning in peace with his
empress, Dita, for nearly as long as his parents had."
"So they died together?" a young boy in the audience asked.
"Of course," the old woman said with a chuckle. "What other way would they have
chosen?"
"What about Queen Yuui and Queen Tomoyo? Did Tomoyo die, too?" another little
girl asked.
"No. Living in Faerie with Yuui granted her the life of the fey. They reigned
for many hundreds of years, up until Faerie separated from our world,
disappearing into the mists of time, and for all anyone knows, they reign there
still to this day."
"Did Tomoyo ever have her babies?" yet another child asked.
"Yes, she did. Two baby girls named Yuzuki and Kaede. No one knew it at the
time, but Kaede-hime was the reason Sai had been so protective of Tomoyo. She
and the princess shared a faerie's soul connection, and when she was old
enough, they fell in love."
"What about Watanuki? Did he have a baby?"
"Yes. Her name was Kohane. He and Doumeki lived out their lives with her in the
cottage in the forest."
"Why?"
"Who knows? Perhaps they were simply tired of court life and wanted a chance to
raise their own child in peace. They passed eventually, but some say you can
still see Kohane in Celes."
"Was Akira the only baby Subaru was ever able to have?" another little girl
asked sadly.
"Unfortunately, yes. If you'll remember, Seishiro couldn't have any children of
his own. It was the sacrifice he made to ensure everyone's future. So he helped
raise Akira as if the boy were his own, in place of his mother."
"Obaa-sama!" another girl in the audience called out. "My name is Soma, too!"
"Really now? I certainly hope you live up to the name, then. Souma was both a
worthy warrior and a fierce friend. Honor her name and she will surely guide
you."
While a few children remained to ask questions, the rest of the audience slowly
began to disperse: some young, some not so young, all familiar with the Tale of
the Two Princes. It was always a big event when the ancient storyteller came
around. It was said that no one knew the old stories better than she did. There
were whispers that she was more than a hundred years old. Few like her remained
in the world. Whenever she came around, work always ceased so that people might
listen to her stories. Unfortunately, though, the old woman knew what her
audience did not - that time would soon be coming to an end. She wasn't
entirely sure why; she simply sensed that her time was ending.
"I think Emperor Kurogane should have died in battle," the storyteller suddenly
heard the insistent voice of a boy among the crowds of dispersing people.
"Why?" another boy asked. "I think it was nice they got to die together."
"You would. You just don't get it. A warrior like him, he would have wanted to
go that way."
Looking through the crowd, the old woman quickly found the sources of the two
voices - two boys standing with the girl who'd identified herself as Soma.
Somehow, she'd known what she would find when she looked at them: a boy with
dark hair and red eyes and a slightly smaller boy with blond hair and blue
eyes.
"You know this for a fact, do you?" she asked, her voice lancing directly
toward the impetuous boy as she gently pushed through the gaggle of children
surrounding her. Soma and the blond boy both started upon being addressed by
her, but the dark-haired boy tried to look defiant. He couldn't have been more
than twelve.
"Yeah," he started slowly. "Yeah, I think so. That's what I'd want."
"Tell me, young man, how old are you?"
"I'm gonna be twelve in another week," he announced proudly. The old
storyteller sighed, reaching out a hand to rest it on his shoulder.
"Then I suppose you would think battle is a good thing," she said, looking to
the toy rifle strapped to the boy's back. "What is your name, young one?"
"Youou Suwa," he said. The old woman laughed quietly at this.
"I suppose it would be." This was it - the reason why her time was coming.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded petulantly. Looking into the boy's
mind, the storyteller could see that his parents had given him the name in
honor of the ancient royal line. The land of Nihon was no longer governed by an
imperial court and a sovereign. Over the centuries, the empire had taken on a
more democratic system of governing. The only vestige of the old system was the
way the provinces were still divided up.
"What about you?" she asked turning to the other boy. "What's your name?"
"Yuui," he answered shyly.
"Ah," she said. "What a coincidence. My name is Yuui, too."
The boy's already intense blue eyes lit up at this; not only to learn he had
the same name as the honored storyteller, but also to know that he and his
friends were the first people she'd ever revealed her name to. Everyone else
just called her Obaa-sama.
"Would you children like to see something?"
All three children nodded eagerly. Something new and exciting was always
appreciated in their lives.
"Is it far?" Youou asked as the three followed Yuui through the town.
"It's in the forest," she answered. This particular town had grown up not far
from Celes' borders. "Is it still all right?"
"Well…I guess if it's not too far in. It's just…our moms need us at home,"
Youou explained.
"Any particular reason?" Yuui asked, feeling that she already knew.
"Well, You-tan's mom just had a baby girl a few weeks ago, and mine's going to
have a baby soon, too," the younger Yuui explained. The elder laughed out loud
at this.
"You might have waited," she said with a grin.
"What?" Soma tried to ask.
Rather than explain, Yuui asked, "What's her name?"
"Tomoyo," Youou answered.
"Heh, even your name has endured…just as I promised you," she said, speaking to
someone who was not there.
"What are you talking about, Yuui-sama?" Yuui asked her.
"You know…it isn't entirely true…what I told you about Yuui and Tomoyo," she
said as she led them into the forest. It wouldn't take long to reach their
destination. The forest's magic was more subtle these days, slipping into a
state of near-hibernation ever since the break with Faerie, but Yuui had a
relationship with the old wood such that it would take her where she needed at
the pace she desired. Just enough time to explain…
"How so?" Soma asked.
"Tomoyo did die…not so very long ago, actually. Just sixty years."
"Sixty years?" Youou repeated incredulously. "That seems pretty long to me."
"Not to me, it doesn't. We traveled together for nearly a hundred years before
she left, telling the old tales to those who would listen."
"You traveled with Queen Tomoyo? But…that must mean you're…" Soma struggled for
the words.
"Queen Yuui," Yuui finished for her, his eyes wide with wonder.
"Not anymore. I haven't been a queen since this world and Faerie parted ways.
My Kohaku became queen when I left."
She could tell that Youou was skeptical of her, but Yuui and Soma still
possessed some of their sense of childhood wonder.
"But…why did you stay here…when the two worlds split? You could have stayed in
Faerie with Tomoyo…and been happy forever," Soma said.
"As young as you are, you wouldn't understand…but sometimes life can get too
long. The half-fey in this world have lost touch with their roots and they live
mortal life spans. I'm the only one left. Even Kohane has gone now. As for why
I returned. Even I couldn't tell you…for who am I to resist the charge of the
Lord and Lady? For good or ill, I am bound to the land of my birth until my
time of dying…though that land be utterly changed…save for this forest."
"Yuui-sama…how long has it really been…since it happened…since the time of the
Two Princes?" Yuui asked her.
"Nearly sixteen hundred years have come and gone since those days…and the time
will soon come for me to join them," she said quietly as they finally
approached the little hillock. Youou was starting to ask her what she meant
when he was interrupted by the sound of shifting stone. If he'd been skeptical
before, he really had to believe in the magic the former queen used to move
aside the rocks, revealing the entrance to an underground chamber. Soma covered
her mouth in shock.
"Is…is this the place where…"
"Yes," Yuui said, knowing the girl couldn't bring herself to say the words.
"Come," she said, heading down into the crypt. The three followed close behind.
Two tombs had been added since the crypt had been created all those centuries
ago. Yuui led the three children to the oldest of the tombs, using her power to
shift the heavy lid and reveal the sarcophagus' occupant: Souma - dead at only
eighteen, and looking the same as she had the day they'd laid her to rest,
preserved through magic, untouched by time. The young Soma gasped, knowing just
who she was looking at.
"She died before she could really live," the old woman said sadly, her grief
still evident even after all this time. Gently, she pulled her reborn friend
into her arms, whispering to her, "You have the chance to live the life she
could not. Don't waste it. Honor her name."
Once Soma had nodded, Yuui took the time to shift the lid back into place
before moving on to the next sarcophagus, which was much larger. The two
occupants were also much older. Kurogane was well and truly an old man, his
once youthful skin wrinkled with age and his once black hair snow white. Fai
didn't have quite the same appearance of age: a few lines on his face and a
decent amount of grey strands mixed in with his blond ones. Whatever the
difference in their appearances, they were resting peacefully together, the
Hearts of Fire and Water around their necks and Ginryuu clasped securely in the
old emperor's dead hands.
"The sword is here," Yuui began to explain to Youou, "should you ever have need
of it."
"G-Ginryuu?" the boy whispered in reverent awe, taking in every detail of the
well-honed blade before turning to look up at the old storyteller. "Why would
I?"
"I don't know…but I now think this is the reason I was meant to stay for so
long…so that I could meet you once more…and give you these gifts. They may be
needed again someday soon."
"But…why me?"
"You've been carrying that toy too long, Youou-kun. You know why…don't you. You
are him. Only Kurogane could ever truly wield that blade…he and Fai. Return to
this place if you ever have need and you will see I speak the truth."
After returning the lid to her brothers' sarcophagus, Yuui led the group to the
last one, which was also built for two. This occupant was an old woman, much
older than even Yuui seemed to be. Lovingly, the old storyteller reached a hand
in to stroke her grey hair.
"My beautiful Tomoyo," Yuui said reverently. "I've waited so long to return.
The time's finally come for me to lie beside you."
"What?" all three children demanded in shock.
"Y-you're dying?" Soma asked, her voice thin with sorrow.
"Why? Why do you have to die now?" Yuui asked, tears already beginning to form
in his eyes.
"Oh, don't worry, Yuui-kun. You'll see me again soon," she reassured him as she
pulled him into her arms for a hug. "I'm coming right back to you, Otouto. I
just have to die before I can be reborn. Though, heh…I suppose I ought to call
you Nii-sama now. We won't be twins in this life, but at least we'll still be
together."
"But…I don't…want you to die," Yuui sobbed, burying his face in the old woman's
chest. Soothingly, she stroked his soft, blond hair.
"Children, please don't be sad for me. I'm happy. I can finally rest…and I can
be with all of you again. There's a whole new lifetime of memories still to
come."
"Then…you're the baby…my mom's going to have?" Yuui asked, still sniffling as
he wiped at his eyes.
"Yes, and that new life can't be born until I die."
"A-all right," Yuui said, drawing a shuddering breath as he released the old
woman. "If you promise you're coming right back…"
"A few days at the most," she said, dropping a gentle kiss onto the boy's
forehead before turning to climb into the sarcophagus.
"But…if we do need to get back in again…how will we do it?" Youou asked her.
"You moved all the rocks to get us down here."
Turning back to survey them one last time, Yuui smiled down at Soma. "You have
the gift in you. There is a spark of faerie blood…and that will be enough. All
you need do is find it."
"M-me?" Soma murmured in shock. Could it really be true?
"Absolutely. Go now. Return to your homes and tell them the old storyteller has
passed on."
"Won't the old stories die with you, though?" Yuui asked her.
The elder Yuui chuckled at this. "No. Believe it or not, a government scribe
actually tracked me down a few years ago to record the whole thing on paper. It
will stay…through the ages…so long as you do not forget."
"We won't," Soma promised her, a few tears escaping her eyes.
"Good. Now go home. I'll seal the entrance after you."
"But…won't you be lonesome?" Yuui asked.
The former queen smiled tenderly down at her brother. "No, I won't…not here
with my Tomoyo, but if you wish, you may stand at the entrance and sing for me.
I will hear you."
Nodding, the three children bowed their heads to her before turning and heading
back up the stairs. Once Yuui felt them reach the surface, she raised the stone
barrier that protected the crypt from the outside world once more. Then, as she
lay down beside Tomoyo, slowly pulling the sarcophagus lid over their heads
like a thick blanket, she heard their voices - singing her to her rest.
The old woman knew the old lullaby. She recognized all the familiar words from
her childhood, but there were some new words, as well. Centuries of singing had
made the song longer.
Don't listen to them
'Cuz what do they know?
We need each other,
To have, to hold.
They'll see in time.
I know.
When destiny calls you,
You must be strong.
I may not be with you,
But you've got to hold on.
They'll see in time.
I know.
We'll show them together, 'cuz
You'll be in my heart.
Believe me, you'll be in my heart.
I'll be there, from this day on
Now and forever more.
Oh, you'll be in my heart,
You'll be here in my heart,
No matter what they say.
I'll be with you.
You'll be here in my heart.
I'll be there,
Always.
Always.
Yuui smiled as the world slipped away around her. She was eager to see them all
again, even though she knew she wouldn't consciously recall them…not for a long
time, at least. What she had told them was true, though. She was happy…happy
that she could at last lay down her burden, knowing that their legacy was
preserved. Already, she could hear Tomoyo calling to her.
Yuui, my Yuui…come to me. We're all waiting for you. It's time to let it go.
The old woman cried, feeling the years lift from her as she died. It was the
best thing she could have said.
Chapter End Notes
     Wow, guys, I am soo sorry it took so long to get all of this cross-
     posted. Life happens and all, that sort of thing. I'd say the shorter
     chapter format certainly works better. It was definitely nice for me
     to revisit LBABD after a few years away from TRC. I haven't looked at
     the new Tsubasa yet, but I hear it involves the gang meeting up with
     the Gate 7 crew. Heheh, apparently I called that back in the day. For
     all my old friends, I hope you enjoyed your second look at the ol'
     sleeping beauty in the wood, and for all my new readers who have
     stuck with it through the cross-posting process, I hope you enjoyed
     it just as much. No matter where I end up as a writer, La Belle Au
     Bois Dormant will always have a special place in my heart and it
     makes me happy to know it's touched some of your hearts.
     Til next we meet, dear readers, adieu.
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