[fic] Timeless, final part
May. 10th, 2007 10:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caffeine_buzzTitle: Timeless (final part)
Fandom: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle
Rating: PG
Pairings/Warnings: KuroFai, SxS.
Notes: The last part of my fic for the Spring Challenge. Enjoy ^_^
Previous Parts: One : Two
“We’ll leave the horses here.” Kurogane reined his horse to a stop. Up ahead he could see a tall, thin structure sticking out of the ground. It was a lamp post made of silver, a straight thin piece of metal with symbols carved all around it. Blue jewels adorned the top around the lamp, but the light was out and it looked as though it had not been lit for some time. The lamppost itself had the appearance of being once a proud and magnificent artifact that had been long neglected and the once-shining silver had grown scratched and dull.
“Kurogane-san?” Sakura looked at him curiously. “Do you know where we are?”
“This is the silver lamp!” Mokona spoke up from its warm hiding spot inside the hood of her cloak. “This marks the path to King Ashura’s castle.”
“But there isn’t a path,” Sakura protested. “The one we were following disappeared days ago.”
“There used to be one,” Mokona told her. “It’s covered by snow.”
“But if it’s a path to the castle, shouldn’t the road be cleared by tracks?” Sakura pressed. “Even in the winter the path to the manor house was always clear because of all the people and caravans that came to see my brother. And that woman bandit said that they sent messengers to the king. I’m sure they weren’t the only town who did that if things are so bad, shouldn’t that have cleared the road?”
“This isn’t a natural snow, Lady,” Kurogane spoke up. “This entire place gives me a bad feeling.” Like that stupid blond idiot, he thought grimly, very aware of the black feather he had tucked safely into his belt. The other he had secretly placed inside Sakura’s cloak when she’d taken it off to use as a blanket the night before. It was easier than explaining everything to her. Easier than thinking of Fai, dying forever in the moonlight.
“Are you sure we should leave the horses?” Sakura asked, even as she prepared to dismount.
“I don’t like doing it, but I think we should,” Kurogane said. He glanced at Mokona. “White thing. How far are we from the castle?”
“Not far, even on foot,” the white creature replied. “And Mokona is Mokona.”
“Whatever,” Kurogane said, removing his pack from the horse’s back. He looked over at Sakura, who was struggling slightly with hers. “Are you going to be able to carry that?”
“I’ll be fine,” Sakura said with a shaky smile. “It’s not very heavy, really. And….and anyway, Syaoran-kun’s present is in here.” She bit her lip nervously, and Kurogane decided to let the subject drop.
“Let’s go.”
“Will the horses be okay?” Sakura wondered as she hurried to keep up with Kurogane’s long strides.
“We shouldn’t be gone long,” Kurogane said. “They can take care of themselves until then.”
Sakura nodded slowly. She shivered a little as a cold wind blew past and pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders. Mokona snuggled close against her.
As they walked past the silver lamp, Kurogane felt something move in the air. A strange prickling feeling ran down his spine and he shook his head as if to clear it. He looked over at Sakura and saw her shudder visibly as she stepped forward. Sakura paused for a moment and looked back at the lamp, then turned to Kurogane.
“Did you feel that?” she asked in a hushed tone.
“Ignore it,” Kurogane said. “And stop looking back. If you’re determined to do this, you have to look forward.”
Sakura lowered her eyes for just a moment before nodding resolutely.
“Right. Let’s go, then.”
They walked in silence for a while, and Kurogane found himself glancing cautiously at the trees as they passed. It was far too quiet. There was definitely something wrong.
He thought of Fai standing rigid and cold in the moonlight and of two black feathers clutched in white hands.
“Kurogane-san!” Sakura’s hushed cry attracted his attention. The girl pointed to one of the snow-covered trees nearby.
Two birds sat in the tree branches, frozen and unmoving, one with its wings partially stretched out as if about to fly. Neither one moved, and their eyes stared ahead unblinking, but they didn’t appear to be dead.
“What’s wrong with them?” Sakura wondered softly.
“Magic,” Mokona breathed, and Kurogane glanced sharply towards it.
“Did it just affect the animals?” Sakura asked it. “Is that why it’s so quiet?”
“Mokona doesn’t know.” The creature sounded uncertain and sad.
“We’ll see eventually,” Kurogane said. “Keep walking.”
It wasn’t long before they saw a figure up ahead, standing like a statue in the middle of the road. Kurogane heard Sakura’s breath hitch as they approached.
It was a man, dressed in the same voluminous cloak and face-covering hood as the bandits they had met on the road earlier. The man’s pose suggested someone walking against a strong wind, and there was a rolled piece of parchment clutched tight at his side. Like the birds, he neither blinked nor breathed, but did not give us the impression of someone dead. Despite the snow that partially covered his body, what little visible skin he had was rough and tan, and there was no trace of blue around it. He didn’t look frozen to death at all, despite his motionless stance.
“Is he…he’s not dead, is he?” Sakura said, a slight tremor in her voice. “Kurogane-san?”
“No,” Kurogane said, nodding his head in agreement. “He’s not.” His voice was certain, but even he wasn’t sure how he knew. “I think we know what happened to those messengers that woman mentioned.”
“I don’t understand,” Sakura said. “What happened to him?”
“Was it magic?” Kurogane looked over at Mokona. “That’s what you said before.”
“Time magic,” Mokona said. Its voice was uncharacteristically serious. “His time is stopped.”
“Like the birds,” Kurogane said. “Is that what we felt when we passed that lamp?”
“Mokona feels a very strong magic here,” the white creature confirmed. “Mokona felt it when we passed that place.”
“If the spell started there, how did he get so far?” Sakura asked. “And why are we okay?”
“Mokona isn’t sure,” the white creature told her. “But Yuuko-san once said that some spells can be gradual and you can fight against them before they take you.”
“So he fought the spell this far and then it got him?” Kurogane looked dubious.
“He does look like he was fighting against something, doesn’t he?” Sakura spoke up. “Like he was walking against something strong. But he didn’t reach the castle.” She looked worried. “Is it going to get us too?”
“If it was, we’d feel it already,” Kurogane said dismissively.
“Maybe something’s protecting us?” Sakura mused. “Moko-chan, is that something you can do?”
“No, Mokona doesn’t have that power,” the creature replied, shaking its head.
“Who cares what it is?” Kurogane said. “We should keep moving. Is this the right way, white pork bun?”
“This is,” Mokona agreed. “The path is covered, but this is the right way.”
“Then that’s all I care about.” Kurogane placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. “Stop staring at him and let’s go.”
“But…” Sakura hung back for moment. “Should we really leave him like this?”
“We can’t do anything for him now,” Kurogane said. “I’m not dragging him along with us.”
“But if we took him back to where the lamp is, maybe he’d be all right.” Sakura still seemed reluctant to leave the frozen figure.
“And then maybe this spell or whatever the hell it is would get us when we came back him and you’ll never be able to save the kid,” Kurogane said. “Whatever’s wrong with this place, the castle will be where we’ll find out what it is. So come on.”
“R-right.” Sakura nodded. With one last worried look at the frozen man, she hurried after Kurogane.
As they got further down the unseen road, they began to pass more and more figures suffering from the same frozen malady. Animals could be seen along the sides of the road, more birds frozen in mid-flight, rabbits stilled as they ran from wolves that could no longer catch them, even a small deer paused as it reached over to pull some bark off a tree. Worse than the animals were the people. Some were clearly messengers, while others looked to be warriors or even refugees. All had the same posture of someone fighting against a strong wind.
By the time they were able to see the castle in the distance, a huge dark structure surrounded by high gray clouds and thick walls of ice, the frozen people had changed. Now they all stood like giant porcelain figurines, frozen in the most normal of acts – greeting a friend, bending down to pick a long-since dead flower, carrying baskets of fruit home for a meal. Their expressions were untroubled, as if they had been hit by the spell before they even had time to realize it.
“And the animals and the birds that lived in the kingdom of snow were frozen, and this land became a timeless land,” Sakura murmured as they passed a pair of children walking hand and hand down the road.
“What was that?” Kurogane asked sharply.
“I think I know this story,” Sakura said. “I think I’ve heard this somewhere before. I can’t remember it now, but I’m sure I know this.”
“That’s not much help, Lady,” Kurogane said.
“I know,” Sakura replied. “But still. Moko-chan, does it sound familiar to you?”
“You should know, shouldn’t you?” Kurogane said suddenly. “White thing. You know what’s going on here. You traveled with that idiot.”
“Mokona doesn’t remember,” the white creature said. “Mokona remembers traveling with Fai, and being Fai’s cat. But Mokona doesn’t remember anything else.”
“Useless,” Kurogane snorted.
“Mokona is being very helpful! Mokona led the way!”
“You’ve been very helpful, Moko-chan,” Sakura said encouragingly. Kurogane grunted and turned away from them both.
Kurogane slowed their pace as they got closer to the castle, keeping an eye out for any sign of impending ambush or guards. However, there appeared to be no one anywhere nearby. It was as if there was nobody even aware of their presence, despite their close proximity to the castle. Kurogane listened for the telltale sound of fluttering wings or a crow’s cry, but heard nothing. The land was as dead as it had been since they first passed the silver lamp.
“This doesn’t seem right.” Sakura’s voice was hushed and she pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, shivering in the cold. “There’s no one here, either.” She bit her lip. “Do—do you think this happened to Syaoran-kun, too? The thing that froze all those people?”
“We won’t know until we find him,” Kurogane said, evading the real answer. It only made him think of Fai in the moonlight again, and he gritted his teeth against the thought.
Soon they found themselves standing at the foot of what had once surely been a magnificent staircase that led upwards to the castle door. The structure, like most everything else they had passed, seemed to be suffering from a long period of disuse, crumbling in place and covered in snow.
“It’s sad…” Sakura said quietly. “There’s something sad about this place.” She shivered slightly.
“Mokona can feel it, too,” the white creature said.
“It’s like no one has been here in the longest time,” Sakura said. She held Mokona close. “It feels so lonely here.”
Kurogane didn’t reply to either of them. Pulling out his sword, he carefully began to ascend the steps. Sakura hung back for a moment, eyes closed as if listening hard for something, before giving a deep sigh and hurrying after him.
By the time they reached the castle doors Sakura was visibly out of breath and her hands were white around the straps of her pack. Kurogane, however, showed no signs of weariness as he stared at the closed gates. Something caught his eye and he leaned over to see a pair of men standing frozen on either side of the doors, both almost hidden by the snow.
“Guards,” Kurogane noted. He walked over to one and brushed some of the snow away. The man’s expression was surprised, and he appeared to have been in the midst of turning around to run inside when he’d been frozen. One hand rested unmoving on the hilt of a sword that had been only half-drawn, and the steel blade was scratched and rusted.
“Do you think everyone here is frozen?” Sakura wondered quietly. “Is that why everything looks so abandoned here?”
“Not everyone,” Kurogane said grimly. “That guy who took the kid wasn’t frozen. And that blond idiot.”
“Fai-san…” Sakura murmured. “I hope he’s all right. Do you think he’s here too, with Syaoran-kun?”
Kurogane didn’t reply, but the tight grip he had on his sword made the answer clear. Without another word he strode forward to the castle gates. They creaked loudly as he opened them, and Sakura winced at the sound.
“Are you coming?” Kurogane stood in the doorway and looked back at Sakura, who was still looking at the frozen guards. She nodded and hurried after him.
They walked in silence through a long, winding hall, their footsteps echoing along the high walls. The only light was from the windows above, a dim gray light filtered through clouds. The hallway and walls were silvery-blue ice and covered in a thin but noticeable layer of dust. Occasionally they would pass a door or winding stairway, but still Kurogane kept walking forward. Everything around them was silent and dead, and even their breathing seemed too loud in the stillness. Here and there they could see the silhouettes of frozen people, half-hidden by the shadows, and Kurogane walked quickly by without looking at them.
At last the hallway split into five winding paths, and Kurogane stopped walking.
“Which way should we go?” Sakura wondered aloud. Kurogane didn’t answer for a moment, thinking.
“White thing,” he said at last. “That stupid blond…he used you to sense those whatever-they-were, shards. Can you still tell where they are?”
“Mokona can.” The white creature was quiet for a moment, as if concentrating. After a moment, its eyes opened and it pointed down the far hall. “Mokona senses something that way.”
“Then that’s where the kid is.” Kurogane readjusted his grip on his sword. “Can you tell anything else? Is there anything else here?”
“There’s a very strong power, too,” Mokona replied after another thoughtful pause. “Two powers. Down that way.” It pointed to the middle fork.
“The idiot and the king,” Kurogane said. He smirked. “Perfect.”
“Kurogane-san?” Sakura said curiously as he walked towards the middle fork.
“Take the white thing and find the kid,” Kurogane said without looking back. “I’ll deal with the rest. Find him and get out of here.”
“But it might be dangerous. This was my idea, I should--” Sakura started to protest.
“You can’t fight, right?” Kurogane said. “You’re here to save the kid. Do what you came here to do, and I’ll do what I’m here for.”
“But what if--”
“It was my idea to come here,” Kurogane cut her off again. “If I didn’t want to be here, I’d have let you go alone. I want to have a talk with that blond fool and his king. You’ve got something important of your own to do, right? So leave this to me. You find the kid and save him, and then get out of here. I’ll catch up to you when I’m finished.”
“Kurogane-san…” Sakura nodded. “Be careful.”
She turned and hurried down the far path, Mokona clutched in her arms.
Kurogane listened until he couldn’t hear the echoes of her footsteps anymore, and then strode purposefully forward into the darkened hall.
--
The hall went on for what seemed like ages, twisting and turning at seemingly random intervals, and with every turn Kurogane found himself getting increasingly more irritated. Of course the idiot would live in a place like this, all hidden passages and never-ending twisted halls. Sakura, at least, had Mokona to guide her, so she would be all right. Kurogane, on the other hand, was beginning to believe that he might be here forever, following the same halls into eternity.
A wisp of cold wind blew by him and then Kurogane found himself blinking in the sudden brightness as the darkened hall gave way to a brightly lit circular room. Unlike the rest of the crumbling and worn castle, this room was bright and clean, almost lived in, though when he looked closer Kurogane could see cracks in the floor and along the walls. A wide staircase stood opposite from the door, leading to a balcony above.
At the top of the staircase stood King Ashura and Fai.
“You idiot,” Kurogane grumbled, readying his sword. Fai’s face was hard like stone and his one visible eye was narrowed; the other was still hidden by bandages. He had abandoned the gray crow’s cloak for the more opulent blue clothes he had worn when Kurogane had first seen him atop the gates, and he held the blue staff in his hand. King Ashura, however, appeared just the same as when Kurogane had seen him in the town square, regal and cold, with pale skin untouched by time. The man’s golden eyes stared down at him with no visible sign of emotion or recognition.
Kurogane tensed, waiting for either one to make a move, but Fai and the king simply stared down at him, neither moving nor speaking. Fai’s eyes were turned away.
“Well, you bastard?” Kurogane called finally. “Are you going to do something?”
“You shouldn’t be here,” Fai said harshly in a voice Kurogane hardly recognized. “Go home, Kurogane. This isn’t a place the living should be. Take Sakura-chan and
leave.”
“Like hell I will,” Kurogane stated. “Find something else to say.”
“Then there’s nothing I can do.” Fai seemed to collapse in on himself, leaning heavily on the blue staff. King Ashura took the blond’s hand and kissed it lightly.
“Don’t hurt him,” Fai whispered, just as he had the night the snow fell.
King Ashura’s movement was so fast that, had Kurogane’s reflexes not been what they were, he would’ve been impaled by the king’s sword. The king had flown down the stairs in an instant, while drawing the sword Kurogane hadn’t even seen beneath the man’s cloak. Kurogane only barely managed to deflect the attack and dodge, turning even as he did to face his attacker. King Ashura didn’t seem in any way affected by the fact that his attack had just missed. He turned to face Kurogane and readied his stance. Kurogane tensed, waiting.
Though he was prepared for the next attack, Kurogane was still only barely able to deflect it, and he was thankful that he’d taken his sword from that bandit; his old sword would’ve been cleaved in two by the king’s powerful sword strokes. Kurogane moved in for his own strike and only just missed. King Ashura was clearly a skilled fighter, and Kurogane couldn’t help but smile a bit to himself. This was what he’d been looking for, a worthy opponent. In no time blood had been drawn on both sides.
The battle continued and Kurogane found himself matched stroke for stroke. He was beginning to tire only a little, but the king seemed unaffected by weariness or even battle rage; the man’s face remained impassive.
That was when Kurogane noticed it, just a small step out of place as the king lunged at him. Kurogane took advantage of the mistake, angling for a hit that he hoped might prove fatal…
…and then, beyond King Ashura, atop the steps he could see Fai staring at him with one wide blue eye, shaking and terrified, somehow, somehow broken in a way Kurogane hadn’t seen before.
Kurogane pulled back just slightly as he struck, drawing blood, but the wound was neither deep nor fatal. King Ashura moved away, seemingly unaffected by the pain. In one swift movement the king moved to attack again, and Kurogane cursed his own stupidity.
Letting that bastard affect my judgment, again, he thought bitterly. That had been his best chance to end things, and he hadn’t been able to do it. All because of that idiot.
Kurogane managed to block the king’s attacks, but it was clear that he was in trouble. King Ashura seemed to have endless reserves of strength, and his sword strokes were skilled and precise.
Kurogane dodged another sword stroke, raising his own sword in a defensive position. As he moved backwards to readjust his stance, his foot hit a crack in the floor and he stumbled just slightly, raising his sword to block the king’s oncoming strike but knowing that isn’t wasn’t going to do any good, that he should’ve made the killing stroke when he had the chance and that that stupid weakness was going to get him killed. King Ashura darted forward, sword ready, clearly prepared to take advantage of the moment of weakness.
There was a loud noise from behind, and King Ashura crumpled to the ground just before he was able to deliver what would surely have been a mortal blow. Fai stood directly behind the unconscious king, his hands tightly clasped around the staff he had just used to knock the man unconscious.
“What the hell?” Kurogane lowered his sword but didn’t let go of it. Fai’s one
visible eye was narrowed and his face was tight.
“You could have killed him,” the blond said. “Why didn’t you?”
“Because your idiocy is rubbing off on me,” Kurogane said. “He could have killed me. Why’d you stop him?”
“You could have killed him,” Fai repeated. “And you didn’t. I just…I just repaid that debt.”
“So what are you going to do now?” Kurogane asked. “Are you going to fight me?”
“If I have to.” Fai lowered his eye. “Don’t make me fight you, Kurogane.”
“I’m not leaving,” Kurogane said flatly. “Not without the kid.” He raised his head to stare straight into Fai’s visible eye. “And not without you either, you idiot.”
Fai’s eye widened in shock for a moment, and then he shook his head.
“I can’t let you do that,” the blond murmured. He raised his head, and his eye was cold and determined. “If you won’t leave, Kurogane, then I’ll have to make you leave. Because that’s the only way to save you.”
“You’ll have to defeat me, then.” Kurogane readied his sword. “If you can.”
“You always have to be stubborn, don’t you Kurogane?” Fai smiled bitterly and raised his staff. “I should never have let you get so close. I’ll fix that now. I’ll fix everything.”
--
Sakura wandered down the winding halls of the castle, guided by Mokona. The only sounds she could hear were her own footfalls and heavy breathing.
“Are you sure this is the right way, Moko-chan?” she asked quietly.
“Mokona is certain,” the white creature replied. “Mokona feels power in this direction. We’re getting very close to it now.”
“I hope we find Syaoran-kun,” Sakura said. She glanced back over her shoulder. “And I hope Kurogane-san is all right.” Suddenly she shook her head and faced forward. “No. Kurogane-san said I shouldn’t look back. If all I can do is save Syaoran-kun, that’s enough. That’s why I came here, so I can’t look back.”
Up ahead she could see a lit doorway. Sakura slowed her pace just slightly as she came closer to the room, listening for the sounds of anyone who might be waiting for her. She could hear faint noises coming from up ahead.
“We’re here,” Mokona said softly, hopping out of Sakura’s arms and peering into the doorway.
“Then let’s go,” Sakura said firmly. Together they entered the room.
The chamber was wide and well lit, the walls decorated by sharp ice crystals and lamps lit by strange blue fires. Ahead of her was a regal and empty throne.
“There’s no one here,” Sakura said softly. Something about the atmosphere of the room made her want to whisper. “Do you see anything, Moko-chan?”
“Down there!” Mokona’s urgent voice caused her to turn. The creature was pointing down the wide staircase that led downwards to another circular room. A figure sat at the foot of the stairs, surrounded by shining shards of glass. A familiar figure.
“Syaoran-kun!” Sakura ran down the stairs so fast she very nearly tripped, ignoring Mokona frantically calling her name behind her. All she could see was Syaoran kneeling there, mismatched eyes intent on the ground.
Sakura slowed her run as she reached the last few steps. Syaoran paused and turned to stare darkly at her out of the one blue eye.
“Syaoran-kun…” Sakura trailed off, unsure what to say. It didn’t seem like Syaoran there, staring at her so coldly. “Do—do you remember me, Syaoran-kun?”
“Lady Sakura,” Syaoran replied. His voice was devoid of warmth or emotion, and it didn’t sound at all like him. He stared at her for a moment more, then turned back to gazing intently at the pieces of glass laid out before him.
“That’s not what I asked you to call me,” Sakura said, taking a tentative step towards him. “Do you remember?”
Syaoran didn’t reply. Sakura took another step closer, then knelt down beside him.
“Talk to me,” she said quietly. Syaoran continued to stare at the glass as if she wasn’t even there. “Why won’t he say anything?” Sakura turned to Mokona, who had just made its way down the stairs. She looked back at Syaoran. “How can I help him?”
“Mokona doesn’t know,” the white creature said sadly. “Mokona doesn’t know this spell.”
“But there must be some way!” Sakura said. She pulled open her pack and dug out a now-stale pastry, still wrapped as carefully as it had been so many nights ago. She reached over and pressed the item into Syaoran’s hand. The boy looked at her, but there was nothing warm in his eyes.
“This is a present for you,” Sakura said gently. “I—I know it’s not much now, not anymore. But I wanted to give it to you, Syaoran-kun. I wanted you to have something special, because it was your birthday too. I—I wanted to see you smile, because you always make me smile.”
Syaoran’s eyes met hers and Sakura thought she could see something in the blue eye. Something small and shining and painful that cut through the blue of the eye like scar.
Impulsively, Sakura threw her arms around Syaoran.
“Don’t be lonely, all right?” she said.
She pulled away slightly and placed a hand over Syaoran’s blue eye, closing her own eyes as she moved. She thought she could feel something warm underneath her palm, a small blue flame that didn’t burn her.
“It’ll be all right, I promise. So don’t be lonely anymore,” Sakura whispered.
“L-lady Sakura?”
Her eyes flew open and Sakura pulled her hands away. Clenched tightly in one hand was a small shard of glass. Sakura looked up.
Syaoran stared back at her, red-faced and wide-eyed. Both of his eyes were brown.
“Syaoran!” Sakura threw her arms around him again, smiling so hard it made her face hurt. She could feel him blushing.
“Lady Sakura, you shouldn’t--” Syaoran started to protest and Sakura held up a hand to stop him.
“‘Sakura!’” she said insistently. “Just ‘Sakura,’ okay?”
“Sakura.” Syaoran swallowed hard, his face still red. “All right.”
“Syaoran…” Sakura leaned back, unable to stop smiling. “I’m so glad you’re all right! Do you remember what happened?”
“I-I think so.” Syaoran put a hand to his head. “I remember something was in my eye. And then a man came and it was like he was calling to me, somehow, and I had to go with him. After that, I just remember being here. There was something I was trying to do, but I can’t really remember what, or how. I-I know Fai-san was here, too. I remember Fai-san being here.”
“He is here, I think,” Sakura said. “And Kurogane-san, too. But I don’t know where. Moko-chan led me to you.” She gestured towards the white creature.
Light from the torches was shining off the jewel in Mokona’s forehead, and there were strange reflections illuminating the shards on the floor. Syaoran gasped quietly and leaned forward with sudden urgency, running his hands through the glass.
“Syaoran? What’s wrong?” Sakura asked worriedly.
“I think I know what to do!” Syaoran said breathlessly. “I remember this. I-I was trying to put these back together, but it was as if my vision was blocked. It looks different now. L—Sakura, look, can you see it?”
Sakura narrowed her eyes, looking hard at the glass on the floor. In the light reflected off Mokona’s jewel, she thought she could see something – thin colored strands of light that darted across the glass, connecting each piece to another.
“I can see it!” She looked over at Syaoran. “What does it mean?”
“It means I can fix it,” Syaoran said. He took Sakura’s hand. “We can fix it.”
Together, they began to sort through the broken glass.
--
Kurogane eyed Fai warily, keeping a firm hold on his sword. The blond was watching him with calm eyes, holding his staff in a battle stance.
“You’re an idiot,” Kurogane said flatly. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“What I have to,” Fai said darkly. Without another word the man darted forward, swinging his staff at Kurogane with the practiced ease of a warrior. Kurogane dodged and brought up his sword to parry the blow, gritting his teeth.
“You’re not going to use your stupid magic?” Kurogane asked, avoiding another blow. Fai was more skilled than Kurogane had expected, but the other man’s greatest strength was clearly not in close combat. The speed of his attacks was impressive and Kurogane could tell that the other man was a master of avoidance (of course), but he handled the weapon like a person backed into a corner.
Fai didn’t reply, but Kurogane heard the man’s breath hitch just slightly. Fai attacked again and again Kurogane parried the blow. He continued to dodge and defend against Fai, but did not attack.
“You can’t beat me this way,” Kurogane said. “You know that.”
“I can because I have no choice,” Fai replied. He drew back for a moment, trying to catch his breath. When he looked up at Kurogane again, his eye was pleading. “You have to leave this place, Kurogane. I’ll drown in this, if you stay. King Ashura will wake up soon and this time I won’t be able to stop him if he attacks. He’ll kill you.” His hands were white around his staff. “And if I use magic, I’ll kill you. And I don’t want that.”
“Then you won’t beat me,” Kurogane replied bluntly.
Fai attacked again without warning, and still Kurogane managed to block the attack with his sword. The blond had more strength than Kurogane had expected, but he was still outmatched. Fai swung at him again, wildly, and Kurogane dodged, cursing quietly. He could end this if he attacked. If he hurt Fai.
Kurogane raised his sword, not even quite certain if he was ready to attack or defend, and then a voice stopped him.
“Kurogane-san, Fai-san! Stop it!”
Fai stopped in mid-attack, eye wide and staring as Sakura ran into the room and stood between him and Kurogane. For a moment Kurogane thought the blond was actually going to attack her and he tensed, prepared to interfere if need be, but after a moment Fai lowered his staff, defeated.
“Sakura-chan…” Fai closed his eye. “Forgive me.”
“Sakura!” A shout drew their attention as Syaoran appeared in the doorway, followed closely by Mokona. Kurogane heard Fai draw in a sharp breath as the boy ran to Sakura, clearly worried.
“It’s okay,” Sakura told him. “Fai-san wouldn’t hurt me.”
“Syaoran-kun…you’re…” Fai reached a shaking hand towards Syaoran, then turned to look at Sakura. “Sakura-chan, how…?”
“We don’t know,” Sakura admitted. “I just…I just spoke to him, that’s all, and put my hand over his eye. I felt something hot beneath my hand, and then the glass was just…there. I don’t know how it even happened.”
Fai made a low, miserable sound in his throat and fell to his knees beside his unconscious king. He ran a hand through King Ashura’s hair.
“Of course.” Fai laughed bitterly. “Of course it wouldn’t work for me. No matter what I do, I can’t fix anything. Even if I give up everything, it won’t fix this.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Kurogane growled, and Fai stared up at him through an empty eye. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Kurogane--” Fai started to speak, but Kurogane cut him off.
“Shut up!” the dark-haired man snapped. “I hate that kind of stupid talk. It’s just you running away again. I hate idiots like that.”
“So you hate me, then?” Fai smiled bitterly. “That’s very like you, Kurogane. But there are some things even you can’t change.”
“Fai-san.” Sakura knelt down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We fixed it. Syaoran and I fixed the mirror.” She looked over at Mokona. “Moko-chan?”
“Right!” Mokona opened its mouth wide. There was a swirl of wind and then the mirror appeared before them.
It was a full length mirror of unmarred glass, and the smooth surface gave no indication that it had ever been broken. There was a large jagged hole in the center.
Fai reached out a hand towards it, then looked down at King Ashura. He closed his eye again, and his shoulders were slumped in defeat.
“Fai-san, please look.” Sakura touched his shoulder again. “Can’t you see it?”
Fai reluctantly opened his eye and followed her gaze. Kurogane leaned forward as well, curious. Mokona sat between them and the mirror, and light was reflecting off the jewel in its forehead. Suddenly Kurogane thought he could see something in the air.
Small, shining threads were webbed out all around the surface of the mirror. They shone different colors, red and gold and silver, woven together tightly. A thin blue thread stretched out of the hole in the mirror. It was attached to King Ashura’s inert form.
Fai laughed suddenly, and this time there was no bitterness in it.
“You’re right, Kurogane,” Fai said softly. “I am an idiot. A very big idiot.” He ran a finger lightly along the nearly invisible thread, and it seemed to shine a little brighter where he touched it. “This is something Yuuko-san said to me, when she gave me Mokona. ‘There are threads that bind everything and everyone. There is no coincidence in this world. You meet who you were meant to meet, and those are the threads that will bind the tightest. And those are the threads that are hardest to see, if you refuse to look.’”
Fai took hold of the thread and pulled.
There was a quiet sound, like the tinkling of silver bells, and Fai ran his fingers along the thread as it separated into more and more thin strands that could barely be seen, and as Fai touched each one it gave off a quiet chime. The strands seemed to wrap themselves around his hand all of their own accord, tangling themselves in his fingers and twisting around his wrist, small flashes of light that changed color where they touched his skin.
Fai smiled.
The blond raised his hand and something seemed to rise out of the king’s chest. It was a jagged piece of glass as sharp as a sword which gave off a strange dark light. Fai stared at it for a moment, his one visible eye half-closed, and then whistled quietly.
The glass shard floated forward like a feather and embedded itself in the empty space in the mirror.
It seemed as if many things happened at once then. The mirror glowed brighter and brighter until they all had to shield their eyes against it, and then Fai whistled again, high and sharp, and suddenly the mirror seemed to melt into droplets of shining golden rain and where the drops hit the ground ripples of light spread outwards.
Sakura gave a small cry and Kurogane opened his eyes to look at her. She had scooped up Mokona when the mirror began to glow and had just dropped the creature as gold light rippled by below her feet and Mokona too began to glow. What hit the ground was a white cat with blue eyes, which curled around her feet and purred.
The golden light spread along the ground and up the walls then outside, and the dim light that came through the windows was suddenly bright and clear. After a moment, they heard the unmistakable sound of birds chirping, and then, echoing from within the halls of the castle, frantic voices and quick footsteps coming closer.
Beside Fai’s still hunched form, King Ashura stirred. The king’s eyes opened slowly and he blinked, disoriented, before his eyes came to rest on Fai, and there was warmth in his expression that made him look completely different from the statue he had been before. King Ashura furrowed his brow in worry as he reached up to touch the bandage over Fai’s eye.
“Fai…” The king’s voice was hoarse from disuse, but the emotion in it was clear. “Your eye…are you all right?”
Fai pressed his hand over the king’s, closing his good eye.
“I’m fine,” Fai murmured. He smiled again, and there was a lightness to his expression that Kurogane hadn’t seen before. “King Ashura…good morning.”
--
Kurogane was lost, and there was no way in hell he was going to admit it.
It had been two days since they’d broken the spell over King Ashura’s land, and those past two days had been spent preparing to go home. King Ashura had thanked them all profusely for helping and had promised to see them home in the safest and quickest way possible. Even now his men were busy preparing the same sleigh that had taken Syaoran away to take the three of them home (Sakura had worried about the horses she and Kurogane had left behind, and King Ashura had promised to see them home safely as well, though when asked how he simply smiled in a way that reminded Kurogane far too much of Fai).
Kurogane had last seen Sakura and Syaoran in the castle courtyard, watching as King Ashura’s men harnessed the winter wolves to the sleigh. King Ashura himself was closeted with another one of his men, gathering information to be sure that the spell had been broken on all parts of the kingdom and preparing to send aid to those areas which were still suffering.
Fai, on the other hand, had been conspicuously absent for the past two days. Kurogane had spotted the blond briefly at a banquet the king had held in their honor, but beyond that he had seen very little of Fai. So Kurogane had decided to search the castle.
Kurogane had been walking for at least ten minutes and he had come to the conclusion that not only did he have no idea where Fai was, he had no idea where he was. King Ashura’s castle was far bigger than could possibly be practical, and every winding hallway seemed to lead to more and more winding hallways. Kurogane wondered darkly if the king even knew exactly where all the halls in this stupid place led to.
Kurogane rounded another corner and very nearly ran into Fai.
The blond had finally taken the bandage off his eye and a small scar remained over half his face. He was wearing the gray crow’s cloak again, and his face looked tired.
“Where the hell have you been?” Kurogane demanded.
“Hello to you, too,” Fai said wryly. He lowered his head and tried to make his way past Kurogane without looking at him. “I’ve been busy, Kurogane. King Ashura needs everyone with magic to help make certain all traces of the spell are gone and--”
Kurogane grabbed the blond’s arm as he passed and pulled him back so that they stood face to face.
“Don’t give me that!” the dark-haired man growled. “You’ve been avoiding me. And the kids. Why?”
“Because I didn’t want to talk to you,” Fai said after a moment. He gave Kurogane a hollow smile. “I’m running away, like usual. You should’ve expected that, Kurogane.”
“Then you’re still an idiot,” Kurogane said flatly.
“The spell is broken,” Fai said. “But I’m still what I was. People still died because of me. A curse is still a curse, as long as you believe it.” Fai tried to sweep past Kurogane again.
“I don’t believe it.” Kurogane grabbed Fai’s wrist tightly and the blond winced in pain as the dark-haired swordsman pulled him backwards. “I told you before that I wasn’t leaving here without the kid, and not without you either. I don’t care about misfortune and bad luck and all that stupid, useless crap you keep talking about. You’re coming back with me and you are going to live your damn life or I’m going to kill you myself.”
Kurogane finally let go of Fai’s wrist and turned to leave with the air of one who had just won an argument.
“Kurogane…” Fai murmured softly behind him.
Kurogane stopped walking, his back turned to Fai, and when he spoke his voice was so quiet Fai almost didn’t hear him.
“And stop calling me that.”
Fai stared at him in shock for a moment before a slow smile crept over his face. Kurogane suddenly felt thin arms wrap themselves around his shoulders from behind.
“So what should I call you?” Fai chirped, leaning over Kurogane’s shoulder. “Kuro-tan? Kuro-rin? Kuro-pi? Which do you like best?”
“I don’t like any of them!” Kurogane snapped.
“What?” Fai pouted. “But you just said not to call you ‘Kurogane’ anymore. Hey, tell me which one is best, okay? Kuro-kichi? Kuro-puu? Kuro-pyon, Kuro-ki, Kuro-popo, Kuro-pan, Kuro-sama, Kuro-chin…”
“I didn’t say that and I hate them all!” Kurogane growled, detaching himself from Fai.
“You did, you did! I heard you! Kuro-pyon’s a liar,” Fai sang.
“So are you,” Kurogane snorted. “Leave me alone.” The hallway in front of him opened up into two different forks, and he paused.
“Kuro-pin…” Fai appeared next to him. “Are you maybe lost?”
“I am not lost!” Kurogane stated.
“Then which way leads back to where Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun are?”
Kurogane didn’t answer, silently cursing whatever bastard made the stupid castle.
“You don’t know,” Fai said triumphantly. “Poor, poor Kuro-pin, I had no idea you were so bad with directions. Come on, I’ll help you.” He grabbed Kurogane’s wrist and led him towards the far path. Fai glanced back at Kurogane’s irritated face and smiled. “Since we’re going home together, after all.”
“Hmmph. All right.” Kurogane allowed himself to be led. “But stop calling me by those stupid nicknames.”
“But you said--”
“I did not!”
--
They walked out into the castle courtyard together. The sun was bright above and the light reflected off the snow-covered ground. Birds chirped loudly from the trees, and there was the unmistakable feel of life from everything.
The sleigh sat in the center of the courtyard, the wolves harnessed and half-seen, fading a bit in the sunlight. Sakura was sitting in the front of the sleigh with Syaoran, who was listening intently as King Ashura gave him final instructions.
“Just hold onto the reins so that they don’t get away from you,” the king was saying. “I’ve told the wolves where to go. They will deliver you safely.” The king looked up as Fai and Kurogane entered.
“Kurogane-san! Fai-san!” Sakura waved to them as they came closer. The white cat in Sakura’s lap looked up and blinked lazily in the sun.
Fai smiled at her before walking over to King Ashura. In one fluid movement, Fai swept off his tattered cloak and offered it to the king, bowing.
King Ashura took the cloak wordlessly, placing a hand on Fai’s head.
“King Ashura…” Fai trailed off, his eyes low. “I--”
“I know. There’s a place you belong.” The king forced Fai to look up at him. His smile was kind and Fai’s breath caught in his throat. “But I will miss you. Have a safe journey.”
“Yes.” Fai nodded, managing a small, wistful smile. “Thank you, King Ashura.”
Kurogane crossed his arms and leaned back against a tree, looking away. Fai glanced back at him and laughed.
“Don’t be jealous, Kuro-pi!” Fai grabbed Kurogane by the arms and pulled him into the back of the sleigh. “I still love you best.”
“I don’t care,” Kurogane said. “Stop dragging me into your stupidity.”
“Are you coming with us then, Fai-san?” Sakura asked.
“Yes,” Fai replied, nodding his head. “I couldn’t leave poor Kuro-chi all alone by himself, you know. He’s such a handful; someone has to take care of him.” He winked at Sakura. “And I heard Sakura-chan’s present went bad. Since that was my fault, I’ll make you and Syaoran-kun a new one, all right? A beautiful welcome home cake.”
“Fai-san…” Sakura took his hand for a moment, looking at him intently. After a moment her face brightened. “I’m happy you don’t look so lonely anymore. You’re all right?”
“I’m all right,” Fai promised. “Thank you, Sakura-chan.” Sakura let go of his hand and Fai leaned into Kurogane. “Ah, Sakura-chan? I’ve got to take care of Kuro-pin now, so why don’t you keep Mokona? As my apology.”
“Are you sure? It’s Fai-san’s cat,” Sakura said.
“You paid for it, too,” Fai reminded her.
“I paid for it, you mean,” Kurogane grumbled. Fai elbowed him hard in the ribs and smiled winningly at Sakura.
“Hmm? What did you say, Kurogane-san?” Sakura asked.
“Kuro-pin said he wants you to have Mokona too,” Fai lied smoothly. “Kuro-puu’s very nice like that.”
Kurogane snorted and looked pointedly away from all of them.
King Ashura laughed quietly.
“Yes, I think you will be fine after all,” he said to Fai. “Be well, my Fai.”
The king waved a hand the wolves leapt into the air. Sakura gave a quiet squeak as they rose, holding Mokona tight in one hand and grabbing Syaoran’s arm with the other. Syaoran turned bright red and gamely held tight to the reins.
Fai leaned over the side and watched until the castle had disappeared.
--
The land below flashed by, white on white, then slowly patches of color began to show. A patch of grass, a small gathering of flowers, trees, bushes, deep woods and warm meadows, and the sleigh moved steadily onwards. Sakura and Syaoran watched as the scenery flew past, but in the back of the sleigh Kurogane was quiet and unmoving.
Fai was asleep with his head on Kurogane’s shoulder, and Kurogane didn’t move.
Sakura cried out as the scenery grew more familiar and the sound made Fai stir. As the blond rubbed the sleep from his eyes, Kurogane looked down at the manor house on the hill and then the town below, growing closer by the moment.
They landed in the same town square the sleigh had left from what seemed like so long ago, but this time the ground was warm and the sky was a bright clear blue. People below scattered and stared as they touched down light as a cloud, and Syaoran let the reins fall from his hands, hurriedly exiting the sleigh so that he could help Sakura down.
The voices of the townspeople grew louder and more surprised as Sakura stepped down, and then there was some commotion nearby and her brother came storming through the crowd, with the look of someone who didn’t know if he should hug a person or kill them. Lord Touya’s advisor Yukito walked behind him, making calming motions. Sakura saw them coming and smiled brightly, waving. Syaoran stayed loyally by her side but was clearly bracing himself for impending doom. Kurogane grabbed the still-groggy Fai by the wrist and dragged him off before they could get caught in the inevitable sibling fight.
“Kuro-pon, that hurts,” Fai whined as Kurogane dragged him through the streets. Kurogane released Fai’s wrist and stopped in front of the door the bakery, still shut tight.
“We’ll need all new ingredients, won’t we?” Fai murmured, staring at the shut door. “And you’ll need to clean the dust, of course.”
“I’ll need to clean it?” Kurogane muttered.
“Well, you’re my hired help, right?” Fai said brightly. “And there’s so much for you to do! Let’s see, you need to dust and sweep and I bet there’s rats in the storeroom by now you’ll have to chase out since I gave Mokona to Sakura-chan, and then I’ll need all new ingredients so I can start baking again and--”
“Get them yourself,” Kurogane stated. “I’m going home and going to bed.” He turned to leave, and Fai grabbed his hand.
“Hey, Kuro-rin?” Fai said softly. “Stay with me, all right?”
“Hmmph.” Kurogane snorted but didn’t make any further move to leave. “All right. You idiot.”
Fai just smiled, and together they walked inside.
Outside a warm wind blew, and the flowers reached up to welcome the spring.
Fandom: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle
Rating: PG
Pairings/Warnings: KuroFai, SxS.
Notes: The last part of my fic for the Spring Challenge. Enjoy ^_^
Previous Parts: One : Two
“We’ll leave the horses here.” Kurogane reined his horse to a stop. Up ahead he could see a tall, thin structure sticking out of the ground. It was a lamp post made of silver, a straight thin piece of metal with symbols carved all around it. Blue jewels adorned the top around the lamp, but the light was out and it looked as though it had not been lit for some time. The lamppost itself had the appearance of being once a proud and magnificent artifact that had been long neglected and the once-shining silver had grown scratched and dull.
“Kurogane-san?” Sakura looked at him curiously. “Do you know where we are?”
“This is the silver lamp!” Mokona spoke up from its warm hiding spot inside the hood of her cloak. “This marks the path to King Ashura’s castle.”
“But there isn’t a path,” Sakura protested. “The one we were following disappeared days ago.”
“There used to be one,” Mokona told her. “It’s covered by snow.”
“But if it’s a path to the castle, shouldn’t the road be cleared by tracks?” Sakura pressed. “Even in the winter the path to the manor house was always clear because of all the people and caravans that came to see my brother. And that woman bandit said that they sent messengers to the king. I’m sure they weren’t the only town who did that if things are so bad, shouldn’t that have cleared the road?”
“This isn’t a natural snow, Lady,” Kurogane spoke up. “This entire place gives me a bad feeling.” Like that stupid blond idiot, he thought grimly, very aware of the black feather he had tucked safely into his belt. The other he had secretly placed inside Sakura’s cloak when she’d taken it off to use as a blanket the night before. It was easier than explaining everything to her. Easier than thinking of Fai, dying forever in the moonlight.
“Are you sure we should leave the horses?” Sakura asked, even as she prepared to dismount.
“I don’t like doing it, but I think we should,” Kurogane said. He glanced at Mokona. “White thing. How far are we from the castle?”
“Not far, even on foot,” the white creature replied. “And Mokona is Mokona.”
“Whatever,” Kurogane said, removing his pack from the horse’s back. He looked over at Sakura, who was struggling slightly with hers. “Are you going to be able to carry that?”
“I’ll be fine,” Sakura said with a shaky smile. “It’s not very heavy, really. And….and anyway, Syaoran-kun’s present is in here.” She bit her lip nervously, and Kurogane decided to let the subject drop.
“Let’s go.”
“Will the horses be okay?” Sakura wondered as she hurried to keep up with Kurogane’s long strides.
“We shouldn’t be gone long,” Kurogane said. “They can take care of themselves until then.”
Sakura nodded slowly. She shivered a little as a cold wind blew past and pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders. Mokona snuggled close against her.
As they walked past the silver lamp, Kurogane felt something move in the air. A strange prickling feeling ran down his spine and he shook his head as if to clear it. He looked over at Sakura and saw her shudder visibly as she stepped forward. Sakura paused for a moment and looked back at the lamp, then turned to Kurogane.
“Did you feel that?” she asked in a hushed tone.
“Ignore it,” Kurogane said. “And stop looking back. If you’re determined to do this, you have to look forward.”
Sakura lowered her eyes for just a moment before nodding resolutely.
“Right. Let’s go, then.”
They walked in silence for a while, and Kurogane found himself glancing cautiously at the trees as they passed. It was far too quiet. There was definitely something wrong.
He thought of Fai standing rigid and cold in the moonlight and of two black feathers clutched in white hands.
“Kurogane-san!” Sakura’s hushed cry attracted his attention. The girl pointed to one of the snow-covered trees nearby.
Two birds sat in the tree branches, frozen and unmoving, one with its wings partially stretched out as if about to fly. Neither one moved, and their eyes stared ahead unblinking, but they didn’t appear to be dead.
“What’s wrong with them?” Sakura wondered softly.
“Magic,” Mokona breathed, and Kurogane glanced sharply towards it.
“Did it just affect the animals?” Sakura asked it. “Is that why it’s so quiet?”
“Mokona doesn’t know.” The creature sounded uncertain and sad.
“We’ll see eventually,” Kurogane said. “Keep walking.”
It wasn’t long before they saw a figure up ahead, standing like a statue in the middle of the road. Kurogane heard Sakura’s breath hitch as they approached.
It was a man, dressed in the same voluminous cloak and face-covering hood as the bandits they had met on the road earlier. The man’s pose suggested someone walking against a strong wind, and there was a rolled piece of parchment clutched tight at his side. Like the birds, he neither blinked nor breathed, but did not give us the impression of someone dead. Despite the snow that partially covered his body, what little visible skin he had was rough and tan, and there was no trace of blue around it. He didn’t look frozen to death at all, despite his motionless stance.
“Is he…he’s not dead, is he?” Sakura said, a slight tremor in her voice. “Kurogane-san?”
“No,” Kurogane said, nodding his head in agreement. “He’s not.” His voice was certain, but even he wasn’t sure how he knew. “I think we know what happened to those messengers that woman mentioned.”
“I don’t understand,” Sakura said. “What happened to him?”
“Was it magic?” Kurogane looked over at Mokona. “That’s what you said before.”
“Time magic,” Mokona said. Its voice was uncharacteristically serious. “His time is stopped.”
“Like the birds,” Kurogane said. “Is that what we felt when we passed that lamp?”
“Mokona feels a very strong magic here,” the white creature confirmed. “Mokona felt it when we passed that place.”
“If the spell started there, how did he get so far?” Sakura asked. “And why are we okay?”
“Mokona isn’t sure,” the white creature told her. “But Yuuko-san once said that some spells can be gradual and you can fight against them before they take you.”
“So he fought the spell this far and then it got him?” Kurogane looked dubious.
“He does look like he was fighting against something, doesn’t he?” Sakura spoke up. “Like he was walking against something strong. But he didn’t reach the castle.” She looked worried. “Is it going to get us too?”
“If it was, we’d feel it already,” Kurogane said dismissively.
“Maybe something’s protecting us?” Sakura mused. “Moko-chan, is that something you can do?”
“No, Mokona doesn’t have that power,” the creature replied, shaking its head.
“Who cares what it is?” Kurogane said. “We should keep moving. Is this the right way, white pork bun?”
“This is,” Mokona agreed. “The path is covered, but this is the right way.”
“Then that’s all I care about.” Kurogane placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. “Stop staring at him and let’s go.”
“But…” Sakura hung back for moment. “Should we really leave him like this?”
“We can’t do anything for him now,” Kurogane said. “I’m not dragging him along with us.”
“But if we took him back to where the lamp is, maybe he’d be all right.” Sakura still seemed reluctant to leave the frozen figure.
“And then maybe this spell or whatever the hell it is would get us when we came back him and you’ll never be able to save the kid,” Kurogane said. “Whatever’s wrong with this place, the castle will be where we’ll find out what it is. So come on.”
“R-right.” Sakura nodded. With one last worried look at the frozen man, she hurried after Kurogane.
As they got further down the unseen road, they began to pass more and more figures suffering from the same frozen malady. Animals could be seen along the sides of the road, more birds frozen in mid-flight, rabbits stilled as they ran from wolves that could no longer catch them, even a small deer paused as it reached over to pull some bark off a tree. Worse than the animals were the people. Some were clearly messengers, while others looked to be warriors or even refugees. All had the same posture of someone fighting against a strong wind.
By the time they were able to see the castle in the distance, a huge dark structure surrounded by high gray clouds and thick walls of ice, the frozen people had changed. Now they all stood like giant porcelain figurines, frozen in the most normal of acts – greeting a friend, bending down to pick a long-since dead flower, carrying baskets of fruit home for a meal. Their expressions were untroubled, as if they had been hit by the spell before they even had time to realize it.
“And the animals and the birds that lived in the kingdom of snow were frozen, and this land became a timeless land,” Sakura murmured as they passed a pair of children walking hand and hand down the road.
“What was that?” Kurogane asked sharply.
“I think I know this story,” Sakura said. “I think I’ve heard this somewhere before. I can’t remember it now, but I’m sure I know this.”
“That’s not much help, Lady,” Kurogane said.
“I know,” Sakura replied. “But still. Moko-chan, does it sound familiar to you?”
“You should know, shouldn’t you?” Kurogane said suddenly. “White thing. You know what’s going on here. You traveled with that idiot.”
“Mokona doesn’t remember,” the white creature said. “Mokona remembers traveling with Fai, and being Fai’s cat. But Mokona doesn’t remember anything else.”
“Useless,” Kurogane snorted.
“Mokona is being very helpful! Mokona led the way!”
“You’ve been very helpful, Moko-chan,” Sakura said encouragingly. Kurogane grunted and turned away from them both.
Kurogane slowed their pace as they got closer to the castle, keeping an eye out for any sign of impending ambush or guards. However, there appeared to be no one anywhere nearby. It was as if there was nobody even aware of their presence, despite their close proximity to the castle. Kurogane listened for the telltale sound of fluttering wings or a crow’s cry, but heard nothing. The land was as dead as it had been since they first passed the silver lamp.
“This doesn’t seem right.” Sakura’s voice was hushed and she pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, shivering in the cold. “There’s no one here, either.” She bit her lip. “Do—do you think this happened to Syaoran-kun, too? The thing that froze all those people?”
“We won’t know until we find him,” Kurogane said, evading the real answer. It only made him think of Fai in the moonlight again, and he gritted his teeth against the thought.
Soon they found themselves standing at the foot of what had once surely been a magnificent staircase that led upwards to the castle door. The structure, like most everything else they had passed, seemed to be suffering from a long period of disuse, crumbling in place and covered in snow.
“It’s sad…” Sakura said quietly. “There’s something sad about this place.” She shivered slightly.
“Mokona can feel it, too,” the white creature said.
“It’s like no one has been here in the longest time,” Sakura said. She held Mokona close. “It feels so lonely here.”
Kurogane didn’t reply to either of them. Pulling out his sword, he carefully began to ascend the steps. Sakura hung back for a moment, eyes closed as if listening hard for something, before giving a deep sigh and hurrying after him.
By the time they reached the castle doors Sakura was visibly out of breath and her hands were white around the straps of her pack. Kurogane, however, showed no signs of weariness as he stared at the closed gates. Something caught his eye and he leaned over to see a pair of men standing frozen on either side of the doors, both almost hidden by the snow.
“Guards,” Kurogane noted. He walked over to one and brushed some of the snow away. The man’s expression was surprised, and he appeared to have been in the midst of turning around to run inside when he’d been frozen. One hand rested unmoving on the hilt of a sword that had been only half-drawn, and the steel blade was scratched and rusted.
“Do you think everyone here is frozen?” Sakura wondered quietly. “Is that why everything looks so abandoned here?”
“Not everyone,” Kurogane said grimly. “That guy who took the kid wasn’t frozen. And that blond idiot.”
“Fai-san…” Sakura murmured. “I hope he’s all right. Do you think he’s here too, with Syaoran-kun?”
Kurogane didn’t reply, but the tight grip he had on his sword made the answer clear. Without another word he strode forward to the castle gates. They creaked loudly as he opened them, and Sakura winced at the sound.
“Are you coming?” Kurogane stood in the doorway and looked back at Sakura, who was still looking at the frozen guards. She nodded and hurried after him.
They walked in silence through a long, winding hall, their footsteps echoing along the high walls. The only light was from the windows above, a dim gray light filtered through clouds. The hallway and walls were silvery-blue ice and covered in a thin but noticeable layer of dust. Occasionally they would pass a door or winding stairway, but still Kurogane kept walking forward. Everything around them was silent and dead, and even their breathing seemed too loud in the stillness. Here and there they could see the silhouettes of frozen people, half-hidden by the shadows, and Kurogane walked quickly by without looking at them.
At last the hallway split into five winding paths, and Kurogane stopped walking.
“Which way should we go?” Sakura wondered aloud. Kurogane didn’t answer for a moment, thinking.
“White thing,” he said at last. “That stupid blond…he used you to sense those whatever-they-were, shards. Can you still tell where they are?”
“Mokona can.” The white creature was quiet for a moment, as if concentrating. After a moment, its eyes opened and it pointed down the far hall. “Mokona senses something that way.”
“Then that’s where the kid is.” Kurogane readjusted his grip on his sword. “Can you tell anything else? Is there anything else here?”
“There’s a very strong power, too,” Mokona replied after another thoughtful pause. “Two powers. Down that way.” It pointed to the middle fork.
“The idiot and the king,” Kurogane said. He smirked. “Perfect.”
“Kurogane-san?” Sakura said curiously as he walked towards the middle fork.
“Take the white thing and find the kid,” Kurogane said without looking back. “I’ll deal with the rest. Find him and get out of here.”
“But it might be dangerous. This was my idea, I should--” Sakura started to protest.
“You can’t fight, right?” Kurogane said. “You’re here to save the kid. Do what you came here to do, and I’ll do what I’m here for.”
“But what if--”
“It was my idea to come here,” Kurogane cut her off again. “If I didn’t want to be here, I’d have let you go alone. I want to have a talk with that blond fool and his king. You’ve got something important of your own to do, right? So leave this to me. You find the kid and save him, and then get out of here. I’ll catch up to you when I’m finished.”
“Kurogane-san…” Sakura nodded. “Be careful.”
She turned and hurried down the far path, Mokona clutched in her arms.
Kurogane listened until he couldn’t hear the echoes of her footsteps anymore, and then strode purposefully forward into the darkened hall.
--
The hall went on for what seemed like ages, twisting and turning at seemingly random intervals, and with every turn Kurogane found himself getting increasingly more irritated. Of course the idiot would live in a place like this, all hidden passages and never-ending twisted halls. Sakura, at least, had Mokona to guide her, so she would be all right. Kurogane, on the other hand, was beginning to believe that he might be here forever, following the same halls into eternity.
A wisp of cold wind blew by him and then Kurogane found himself blinking in the sudden brightness as the darkened hall gave way to a brightly lit circular room. Unlike the rest of the crumbling and worn castle, this room was bright and clean, almost lived in, though when he looked closer Kurogane could see cracks in the floor and along the walls. A wide staircase stood opposite from the door, leading to a balcony above.
At the top of the staircase stood King Ashura and Fai.
“You idiot,” Kurogane grumbled, readying his sword. Fai’s face was hard like stone and his one visible eye was narrowed; the other was still hidden by bandages. He had abandoned the gray crow’s cloak for the more opulent blue clothes he had worn when Kurogane had first seen him atop the gates, and he held the blue staff in his hand. King Ashura, however, appeared just the same as when Kurogane had seen him in the town square, regal and cold, with pale skin untouched by time. The man’s golden eyes stared down at him with no visible sign of emotion or recognition.
Kurogane tensed, waiting for either one to make a move, but Fai and the king simply stared down at him, neither moving nor speaking. Fai’s eyes were turned away.
“Well, you bastard?” Kurogane called finally. “Are you going to do something?”
“You shouldn’t be here,” Fai said harshly in a voice Kurogane hardly recognized. “Go home, Kurogane. This isn’t a place the living should be. Take Sakura-chan and
leave.”
“Like hell I will,” Kurogane stated. “Find something else to say.”
“Then there’s nothing I can do.” Fai seemed to collapse in on himself, leaning heavily on the blue staff. King Ashura took the blond’s hand and kissed it lightly.
“Don’t hurt him,” Fai whispered, just as he had the night the snow fell.
King Ashura’s movement was so fast that, had Kurogane’s reflexes not been what they were, he would’ve been impaled by the king’s sword. The king had flown down the stairs in an instant, while drawing the sword Kurogane hadn’t even seen beneath the man’s cloak. Kurogane only barely managed to deflect the attack and dodge, turning even as he did to face his attacker. King Ashura didn’t seem in any way affected by the fact that his attack had just missed. He turned to face Kurogane and readied his stance. Kurogane tensed, waiting.
Though he was prepared for the next attack, Kurogane was still only barely able to deflect it, and he was thankful that he’d taken his sword from that bandit; his old sword would’ve been cleaved in two by the king’s powerful sword strokes. Kurogane moved in for his own strike and only just missed. King Ashura was clearly a skilled fighter, and Kurogane couldn’t help but smile a bit to himself. This was what he’d been looking for, a worthy opponent. In no time blood had been drawn on both sides.
The battle continued and Kurogane found himself matched stroke for stroke. He was beginning to tire only a little, but the king seemed unaffected by weariness or even battle rage; the man’s face remained impassive.
That was when Kurogane noticed it, just a small step out of place as the king lunged at him. Kurogane took advantage of the mistake, angling for a hit that he hoped might prove fatal…
…and then, beyond King Ashura, atop the steps he could see Fai staring at him with one wide blue eye, shaking and terrified, somehow, somehow broken in a way Kurogane hadn’t seen before.
Kurogane pulled back just slightly as he struck, drawing blood, but the wound was neither deep nor fatal. King Ashura moved away, seemingly unaffected by the pain. In one swift movement the king moved to attack again, and Kurogane cursed his own stupidity.
Letting that bastard affect my judgment, again, he thought bitterly. That had been his best chance to end things, and he hadn’t been able to do it. All because of that idiot.
Kurogane managed to block the king’s attacks, but it was clear that he was in trouble. King Ashura seemed to have endless reserves of strength, and his sword strokes were skilled and precise.
Kurogane dodged another sword stroke, raising his own sword in a defensive position. As he moved backwards to readjust his stance, his foot hit a crack in the floor and he stumbled just slightly, raising his sword to block the king’s oncoming strike but knowing that isn’t wasn’t going to do any good, that he should’ve made the killing stroke when he had the chance and that that stupid weakness was going to get him killed. King Ashura darted forward, sword ready, clearly prepared to take advantage of the moment of weakness.
There was a loud noise from behind, and King Ashura crumpled to the ground just before he was able to deliver what would surely have been a mortal blow. Fai stood directly behind the unconscious king, his hands tightly clasped around the staff he had just used to knock the man unconscious.
“What the hell?” Kurogane lowered his sword but didn’t let go of it. Fai’s one
visible eye was narrowed and his face was tight.
“You could have killed him,” the blond said. “Why didn’t you?”
“Because your idiocy is rubbing off on me,” Kurogane said. “He could have killed me. Why’d you stop him?”
“You could have killed him,” Fai repeated. “And you didn’t. I just…I just repaid that debt.”
“So what are you going to do now?” Kurogane asked. “Are you going to fight me?”
“If I have to.” Fai lowered his eye. “Don’t make me fight you, Kurogane.”
“I’m not leaving,” Kurogane said flatly. “Not without the kid.” He raised his head to stare straight into Fai’s visible eye. “And not without you either, you idiot.”
Fai’s eye widened in shock for a moment, and then he shook his head.
“I can’t let you do that,” the blond murmured. He raised his head, and his eye was cold and determined. “If you won’t leave, Kurogane, then I’ll have to make you leave. Because that’s the only way to save you.”
“You’ll have to defeat me, then.” Kurogane readied his sword. “If you can.”
“You always have to be stubborn, don’t you Kurogane?” Fai smiled bitterly and raised his staff. “I should never have let you get so close. I’ll fix that now. I’ll fix everything.”
--
Sakura wandered down the winding halls of the castle, guided by Mokona. The only sounds she could hear were her own footfalls and heavy breathing.
“Are you sure this is the right way, Moko-chan?” she asked quietly.
“Mokona is certain,” the white creature replied. “Mokona feels power in this direction. We’re getting very close to it now.”
“I hope we find Syaoran-kun,” Sakura said. She glanced back over her shoulder. “And I hope Kurogane-san is all right.” Suddenly she shook her head and faced forward. “No. Kurogane-san said I shouldn’t look back. If all I can do is save Syaoran-kun, that’s enough. That’s why I came here, so I can’t look back.”
Up ahead she could see a lit doorway. Sakura slowed her pace just slightly as she came closer to the room, listening for the sounds of anyone who might be waiting for her. She could hear faint noises coming from up ahead.
“We’re here,” Mokona said softly, hopping out of Sakura’s arms and peering into the doorway.
“Then let’s go,” Sakura said firmly. Together they entered the room.
The chamber was wide and well lit, the walls decorated by sharp ice crystals and lamps lit by strange blue fires. Ahead of her was a regal and empty throne.
“There’s no one here,” Sakura said softly. Something about the atmosphere of the room made her want to whisper. “Do you see anything, Moko-chan?”
“Down there!” Mokona’s urgent voice caused her to turn. The creature was pointing down the wide staircase that led downwards to another circular room. A figure sat at the foot of the stairs, surrounded by shining shards of glass. A familiar figure.
“Syaoran-kun!” Sakura ran down the stairs so fast she very nearly tripped, ignoring Mokona frantically calling her name behind her. All she could see was Syaoran kneeling there, mismatched eyes intent on the ground.
Sakura slowed her run as she reached the last few steps. Syaoran paused and turned to stare darkly at her out of the one blue eye.
“Syaoran-kun…” Sakura trailed off, unsure what to say. It didn’t seem like Syaoran there, staring at her so coldly. “Do—do you remember me, Syaoran-kun?”
“Lady Sakura,” Syaoran replied. His voice was devoid of warmth or emotion, and it didn’t sound at all like him. He stared at her for a moment more, then turned back to gazing intently at the pieces of glass laid out before him.
“That’s not what I asked you to call me,” Sakura said, taking a tentative step towards him. “Do you remember?”
Syaoran didn’t reply. Sakura took another step closer, then knelt down beside him.
“Talk to me,” she said quietly. Syaoran continued to stare at the glass as if she wasn’t even there. “Why won’t he say anything?” Sakura turned to Mokona, who had just made its way down the stairs. She looked back at Syaoran. “How can I help him?”
“Mokona doesn’t know,” the white creature said sadly. “Mokona doesn’t know this spell.”
“But there must be some way!” Sakura said. She pulled open her pack and dug out a now-stale pastry, still wrapped as carefully as it had been so many nights ago. She reached over and pressed the item into Syaoran’s hand. The boy looked at her, but there was nothing warm in his eyes.
“This is a present for you,” Sakura said gently. “I—I know it’s not much now, not anymore. But I wanted to give it to you, Syaoran-kun. I wanted you to have something special, because it was your birthday too. I—I wanted to see you smile, because you always make me smile.”
Syaoran’s eyes met hers and Sakura thought she could see something in the blue eye. Something small and shining and painful that cut through the blue of the eye like scar.
Impulsively, Sakura threw her arms around Syaoran.
“Don’t be lonely, all right?” she said.
She pulled away slightly and placed a hand over Syaoran’s blue eye, closing her own eyes as she moved. She thought she could feel something warm underneath her palm, a small blue flame that didn’t burn her.
“It’ll be all right, I promise. So don’t be lonely anymore,” Sakura whispered.
“L-lady Sakura?”
Her eyes flew open and Sakura pulled her hands away. Clenched tightly in one hand was a small shard of glass. Sakura looked up.
Syaoran stared back at her, red-faced and wide-eyed. Both of his eyes were brown.
“Syaoran!” Sakura threw her arms around him again, smiling so hard it made her face hurt. She could feel him blushing.
“Lady Sakura, you shouldn’t--” Syaoran started to protest and Sakura held up a hand to stop him.
“‘Sakura!’” she said insistently. “Just ‘Sakura,’ okay?”
“Sakura.” Syaoran swallowed hard, his face still red. “All right.”
“Syaoran…” Sakura leaned back, unable to stop smiling. “I’m so glad you’re all right! Do you remember what happened?”
“I-I think so.” Syaoran put a hand to his head. “I remember something was in my eye. And then a man came and it was like he was calling to me, somehow, and I had to go with him. After that, I just remember being here. There was something I was trying to do, but I can’t really remember what, or how. I-I know Fai-san was here, too. I remember Fai-san being here.”
“He is here, I think,” Sakura said. “And Kurogane-san, too. But I don’t know where. Moko-chan led me to you.” She gestured towards the white creature.
Light from the torches was shining off the jewel in Mokona’s forehead, and there were strange reflections illuminating the shards on the floor. Syaoran gasped quietly and leaned forward with sudden urgency, running his hands through the glass.
“Syaoran? What’s wrong?” Sakura asked worriedly.
“I think I know what to do!” Syaoran said breathlessly. “I remember this. I-I was trying to put these back together, but it was as if my vision was blocked. It looks different now. L—Sakura, look, can you see it?”
Sakura narrowed her eyes, looking hard at the glass on the floor. In the light reflected off Mokona’s jewel, she thought she could see something – thin colored strands of light that darted across the glass, connecting each piece to another.
“I can see it!” She looked over at Syaoran. “What does it mean?”
“It means I can fix it,” Syaoran said. He took Sakura’s hand. “We can fix it.”
Together, they began to sort through the broken glass.
--
Kurogane eyed Fai warily, keeping a firm hold on his sword. The blond was watching him with calm eyes, holding his staff in a battle stance.
“You’re an idiot,” Kurogane said flatly. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“What I have to,” Fai said darkly. Without another word the man darted forward, swinging his staff at Kurogane with the practiced ease of a warrior. Kurogane dodged and brought up his sword to parry the blow, gritting his teeth.
“You’re not going to use your stupid magic?” Kurogane asked, avoiding another blow. Fai was more skilled than Kurogane had expected, but the other man’s greatest strength was clearly not in close combat. The speed of his attacks was impressive and Kurogane could tell that the other man was a master of avoidance (of course), but he handled the weapon like a person backed into a corner.
Fai didn’t reply, but Kurogane heard the man’s breath hitch just slightly. Fai attacked again and again Kurogane parried the blow. He continued to dodge and defend against Fai, but did not attack.
“You can’t beat me this way,” Kurogane said. “You know that.”
“I can because I have no choice,” Fai replied. He drew back for a moment, trying to catch his breath. When he looked up at Kurogane again, his eye was pleading. “You have to leave this place, Kurogane. I’ll drown in this, if you stay. King Ashura will wake up soon and this time I won’t be able to stop him if he attacks. He’ll kill you.” His hands were white around his staff. “And if I use magic, I’ll kill you. And I don’t want that.”
“Then you won’t beat me,” Kurogane replied bluntly.
Fai attacked again without warning, and still Kurogane managed to block the attack with his sword. The blond had more strength than Kurogane had expected, but he was still outmatched. Fai swung at him again, wildly, and Kurogane dodged, cursing quietly. He could end this if he attacked. If he hurt Fai.
Kurogane raised his sword, not even quite certain if he was ready to attack or defend, and then a voice stopped him.
“Kurogane-san, Fai-san! Stop it!”
Fai stopped in mid-attack, eye wide and staring as Sakura ran into the room and stood between him and Kurogane. For a moment Kurogane thought the blond was actually going to attack her and he tensed, prepared to interfere if need be, but after a moment Fai lowered his staff, defeated.
“Sakura-chan…” Fai closed his eye. “Forgive me.”
“Sakura!” A shout drew their attention as Syaoran appeared in the doorway, followed closely by Mokona. Kurogane heard Fai draw in a sharp breath as the boy ran to Sakura, clearly worried.
“It’s okay,” Sakura told him. “Fai-san wouldn’t hurt me.”
“Syaoran-kun…you’re…” Fai reached a shaking hand towards Syaoran, then turned to look at Sakura. “Sakura-chan, how…?”
“We don’t know,” Sakura admitted. “I just…I just spoke to him, that’s all, and put my hand over his eye. I felt something hot beneath my hand, and then the glass was just…there. I don’t know how it even happened.”
Fai made a low, miserable sound in his throat and fell to his knees beside his unconscious king. He ran a hand through King Ashura’s hair.
“Of course.” Fai laughed bitterly. “Of course it wouldn’t work for me. No matter what I do, I can’t fix anything. Even if I give up everything, it won’t fix this.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Kurogane growled, and Fai stared up at him through an empty eye. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Kurogane--” Fai started to speak, but Kurogane cut him off.
“Shut up!” the dark-haired man snapped. “I hate that kind of stupid talk. It’s just you running away again. I hate idiots like that.”
“So you hate me, then?” Fai smiled bitterly. “That’s very like you, Kurogane. But there are some things even you can’t change.”
“Fai-san.” Sakura knelt down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We fixed it. Syaoran and I fixed the mirror.” She looked over at Mokona. “Moko-chan?”
“Right!” Mokona opened its mouth wide. There was a swirl of wind and then the mirror appeared before them.
It was a full length mirror of unmarred glass, and the smooth surface gave no indication that it had ever been broken. There was a large jagged hole in the center.
Fai reached out a hand towards it, then looked down at King Ashura. He closed his eye again, and his shoulders were slumped in defeat.
“Fai-san, please look.” Sakura touched his shoulder again. “Can’t you see it?”
Fai reluctantly opened his eye and followed her gaze. Kurogane leaned forward as well, curious. Mokona sat between them and the mirror, and light was reflecting off the jewel in its forehead. Suddenly Kurogane thought he could see something in the air.
Small, shining threads were webbed out all around the surface of the mirror. They shone different colors, red and gold and silver, woven together tightly. A thin blue thread stretched out of the hole in the mirror. It was attached to King Ashura’s inert form.
Fai laughed suddenly, and this time there was no bitterness in it.
“You’re right, Kurogane,” Fai said softly. “I am an idiot. A very big idiot.” He ran a finger lightly along the nearly invisible thread, and it seemed to shine a little brighter where he touched it. “This is something Yuuko-san said to me, when she gave me Mokona. ‘There are threads that bind everything and everyone. There is no coincidence in this world. You meet who you were meant to meet, and those are the threads that will bind the tightest. And those are the threads that are hardest to see, if you refuse to look.’”
Fai took hold of the thread and pulled.
There was a quiet sound, like the tinkling of silver bells, and Fai ran his fingers along the thread as it separated into more and more thin strands that could barely be seen, and as Fai touched each one it gave off a quiet chime. The strands seemed to wrap themselves around his hand all of their own accord, tangling themselves in his fingers and twisting around his wrist, small flashes of light that changed color where they touched his skin.
Fai smiled.
The blond raised his hand and something seemed to rise out of the king’s chest. It was a jagged piece of glass as sharp as a sword which gave off a strange dark light. Fai stared at it for a moment, his one visible eye half-closed, and then whistled quietly.
The glass shard floated forward like a feather and embedded itself in the empty space in the mirror.
It seemed as if many things happened at once then. The mirror glowed brighter and brighter until they all had to shield their eyes against it, and then Fai whistled again, high and sharp, and suddenly the mirror seemed to melt into droplets of shining golden rain and where the drops hit the ground ripples of light spread outwards.
Sakura gave a small cry and Kurogane opened his eyes to look at her. She had scooped up Mokona when the mirror began to glow and had just dropped the creature as gold light rippled by below her feet and Mokona too began to glow. What hit the ground was a white cat with blue eyes, which curled around her feet and purred.
The golden light spread along the ground and up the walls then outside, and the dim light that came through the windows was suddenly bright and clear. After a moment, they heard the unmistakable sound of birds chirping, and then, echoing from within the halls of the castle, frantic voices and quick footsteps coming closer.
Beside Fai’s still hunched form, King Ashura stirred. The king’s eyes opened slowly and he blinked, disoriented, before his eyes came to rest on Fai, and there was warmth in his expression that made him look completely different from the statue he had been before. King Ashura furrowed his brow in worry as he reached up to touch the bandage over Fai’s eye.
“Fai…” The king’s voice was hoarse from disuse, but the emotion in it was clear. “Your eye…are you all right?”
Fai pressed his hand over the king’s, closing his good eye.
“I’m fine,” Fai murmured. He smiled again, and there was a lightness to his expression that Kurogane hadn’t seen before. “King Ashura…good morning.”
--
Kurogane was lost, and there was no way in hell he was going to admit it.
It had been two days since they’d broken the spell over King Ashura’s land, and those past two days had been spent preparing to go home. King Ashura had thanked them all profusely for helping and had promised to see them home in the safest and quickest way possible. Even now his men were busy preparing the same sleigh that had taken Syaoran away to take the three of them home (Sakura had worried about the horses she and Kurogane had left behind, and King Ashura had promised to see them home safely as well, though when asked how he simply smiled in a way that reminded Kurogane far too much of Fai).
Kurogane had last seen Sakura and Syaoran in the castle courtyard, watching as King Ashura’s men harnessed the winter wolves to the sleigh. King Ashura himself was closeted with another one of his men, gathering information to be sure that the spell had been broken on all parts of the kingdom and preparing to send aid to those areas which were still suffering.
Fai, on the other hand, had been conspicuously absent for the past two days. Kurogane had spotted the blond briefly at a banquet the king had held in their honor, but beyond that he had seen very little of Fai. So Kurogane had decided to search the castle.
Kurogane had been walking for at least ten minutes and he had come to the conclusion that not only did he have no idea where Fai was, he had no idea where he was. King Ashura’s castle was far bigger than could possibly be practical, and every winding hallway seemed to lead to more and more winding hallways. Kurogane wondered darkly if the king even knew exactly where all the halls in this stupid place led to.
Kurogane rounded another corner and very nearly ran into Fai.
The blond had finally taken the bandage off his eye and a small scar remained over half his face. He was wearing the gray crow’s cloak again, and his face looked tired.
“Where the hell have you been?” Kurogane demanded.
“Hello to you, too,” Fai said wryly. He lowered his head and tried to make his way past Kurogane without looking at him. “I’ve been busy, Kurogane. King Ashura needs everyone with magic to help make certain all traces of the spell are gone and--”
Kurogane grabbed the blond’s arm as he passed and pulled him back so that they stood face to face.
“Don’t give me that!” the dark-haired man growled. “You’ve been avoiding me. And the kids. Why?”
“Because I didn’t want to talk to you,” Fai said after a moment. He gave Kurogane a hollow smile. “I’m running away, like usual. You should’ve expected that, Kurogane.”
“Then you’re still an idiot,” Kurogane said flatly.
“The spell is broken,” Fai said. “But I’m still what I was. People still died because of me. A curse is still a curse, as long as you believe it.” Fai tried to sweep past Kurogane again.
“I don’t believe it.” Kurogane grabbed Fai’s wrist tightly and the blond winced in pain as the dark-haired swordsman pulled him backwards. “I told you before that I wasn’t leaving here without the kid, and not without you either. I don’t care about misfortune and bad luck and all that stupid, useless crap you keep talking about. You’re coming back with me and you are going to live your damn life or I’m going to kill you myself.”
Kurogane finally let go of Fai’s wrist and turned to leave with the air of one who had just won an argument.
“Kurogane…” Fai murmured softly behind him.
Kurogane stopped walking, his back turned to Fai, and when he spoke his voice was so quiet Fai almost didn’t hear him.
“And stop calling me that.”
Fai stared at him in shock for a moment before a slow smile crept over his face. Kurogane suddenly felt thin arms wrap themselves around his shoulders from behind.
“So what should I call you?” Fai chirped, leaning over Kurogane’s shoulder. “Kuro-tan? Kuro-rin? Kuro-pi? Which do you like best?”
“I don’t like any of them!” Kurogane snapped.
“What?” Fai pouted. “But you just said not to call you ‘Kurogane’ anymore. Hey, tell me which one is best, okay? Kuro-kichi? Kuro-puu? Kuro-pyon, Kuro-ki, Kuro-popo, Kuro-pan, Kuro-sama, Kuro-chin…”
“I didn’t say that and I hate them all!” Kurogane growled, detaching himself from Fai.
“You did, you did! I heard you! Kuro-pyon’s a liar,” Fai sang.
“So are you,” Kurogane snorted. “Leave me alone.” The hallway in front of him opened up into two different forks, and he paused.
“Kuro-pin…” Fai appeared next to him. “Are you maybe lost?”
“I am not lost!” Kurogane stated.
“Then which way leads back to where Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun are?”
Kurogane didn’t answer, silently cursing whatever bastard made the stupid castle.
“You don’t know,” Fai said triumphantly. “Poor, poor Kuro-pin, I had no idea you were so bad with directions. Come on, I’ll help you.” He grabbed Kurogane’s wrist and led him towards the far path. Fai glanced back at Kurogane’s irritated face and smiled. “Since we’re going home together, after all.”
“Hmmph. All right.” Kurogane allowed himself to be led. “But stop calling me by those stupid nicknames.”
“But you said--”
“I did not!”
--
They walked out into the castle courtyard together. The sun was bright above and the light reflected off the snow-covered ground. Birds chirped loudly from the trees, and there was the unmistakable feel of life from everything.
The sleigh sat in the center of the courtyard, the wolves harnessed and half-seen, fading a bit in the sunlight. Sakura was sitting in the front of the sleigh with Syaoran, who was listening intently as King Ashura gave him final instructions.
“Just hold onto the reins so that they don’t get away from you,” the king was saying. “I’ve told the wolves where to go. They will deliver you safely.” The king looked up as Fai and Kurogane entered.
“Kurogane-san! Fai-san!” Sakura waved to them as they came closer. The white cat in Sakura’s lap looked up and blinked lazily in the sun.
Fai smiled at her before walking over to King Ashura. In one fluid movement, Fai swept off his tattered cloak and offered it to the king, bowing.
King Ashura took the cloak wordlessly, placing a hand on Fai’s head.
“King Ashura…” Fai trailed off, his eyes low. “I--”
“I know. There’s a place you belong.” The king forced Fai to look up at him. His smile was kind and Fai’s breath caught in his throat. “But I will miss you. Have a safe journey.”
“Yes.” Fai nodded, managing a small, wistful smile. “Thank you, King Ashura.”
Kurogane crossed his arms and leaned back against a tree, looking away. Fai glanced back at him and laughed.
“Don’t be jealous, Kuro-pi!” Fai grabbed Kurogane by the arms and pulled him into the back of the sleigh. “I still love you best.”
“I don’t care,” Kurogane said. “Stop dragging me into your stupidity.”
“Are you coming with us then, Fai-san?” Sakura asked.
“Yes,” Fai replied, nodding his head. “I couldn’t leave poor Kuro-chi all alone by himself, you know. He’s such a handful; someone has to take care of him.” He winked at Sakura. “And I heard Sakura-chan’s present went bad. Since that was my fault, I’ll make you and Syaoran-kun a new one, all right? A beautiful welcome home cake.”
“Fai-san…” Sakura took his hand for a moment, looking at him intently. After a moment her face brightened. “I’m happy you don’t look so lonely anymore. You’re all right?”
“I’m all right,” Fai promised. “Thank you, Sakura-chan.” Sakura let go of his hand and Fai leaned into Kurogane. “Ah, Sakura-chan? I’ve got to take care of Kuro-pin now, so why don’t you keep Mokona? As my apology.”
“Are you sure? It’s Fai-san’s cat,” Sakura said.
“You paid for it, too,” Fai reminded her.
“I paid for it, you mean,” Kurogane grumbled. Fai elbowed him hard in the ribs and smiled winningly at Sakura.
“Hmm? What did you say, Kurogane-san?” Sakura asked.
“Kuro-pin said he wants you to have Mokona too,” Fai lied smoothly. “Kuro-puu’s very nice like that.”
Kurogane snorted and looked pointedly away from all of them.
King Ashura laughed quietly.
“Yes, I think you will be fine after all,” he said to Fai. “Be well, my Fai.”
The king waved a hand the wolves leapt into the air. Sakura gave a quiet squeak as they rose, holding Mokona tight in one hand and grabbing Syaoran’s arm with the other. Syaoran turned bright red and gamely held tight to the reins.
Fai leaned over the side and watched until the castle had disappeared.
--
The land below flashed by, white on white, then slowly patches of color began to show. A patch of grass, a small gathering of flowers, trees, bushes, deep woods and warm meadows, and the sleigh moved steadily onwards. Sakura and Syaoran watched as the scenery flew past, but in the back of the sleigh Kurogane was quiet and unmoving.
Fai was asleep with his head on Kurogane’s shoulder, and Kurogane didn’t move.
Sakura cried out as the scenery grew more familiar and the sound made Fai stir. As the blond rubbed the sleep from his eyes, Kurogane looked down at the manor house on the hill and then the town below, growing closer by the moment.
They landed in the same town square the sleigh had left from what seemed like so long ago, but this time the ground was warm and the sky was a bright clear blue. People below scattered and stared as they touched down light as a cloud, and Syaoran let the reins fall from his hands, hurriedly exiting the sleigh so that he could help Sakura down.
The voices of the townspeople grew louder and more surprised as Sakura stepped down, and then there was some commotion nearby and her brother came storming through the crowd, with the look of someone who didn’t know if he should hug a person or kill them. Lord Touya’s advisor Yukito walked behind him, making calming motions. Sakura saw them coming and smiled brightly, waving. Syaoran stayed loyally by her side but was clearly bracing himself for impending doom. Kurogane grabbed the still-groggy Fai by the wrist and dragged him off before they could get caught in the inevitable sibling fight.
“Kuro-pon, that hurts,” Fai whined as Kurogane dragged him through the streets. Kurogane released Fai’s wrist and stopped in front of the door the bakery, still shut tight.
“We’ll need all new ingredients, won’t we?” Fai murmured, staring at the shut door. “And you’ll need to clean the dust, of course.”
“I’ll need to clean it?” Kurogane muttered.
“Well, you’re my hired help, right?” Fai said brightly. “And there’s so much for you to do! Let’s see, you need to dust and sweep and I bet there’s rats in the storeroom by now you’ll have to chase out since I gave Mokona to Sakura-chan, and then I’ll need all new ingredients so I can start baking again and--”
“Get them yourself,” Kurogane stated. “I’m going home and going to bed.” He turned to leave, and Fai grabbed his hand.
“Hey, Kuro-rin?” Fai said softly. “Stay with me, all right?”
“Hmmph.” Kurogane snorted but didn’t make any further move to leave. “All right. You idiot.”
Fai just smiled, and together they walked inside.
Outside a warm wind blew, and the flowers reached up to welcome the spring.
