Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa that belongs to CLAMP and I don't own the poem that belongs to Marian Swinger
Pairings: Slight Ashura x Fai

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Alone the enchanter stands,

After all he'd done, all he'd been taught he'd still ended up being betrayed. The dark haired man turned to the pale body on the stone floor. Slowly it was turning back to the magic that formed it, going back to its master.

The magic swirled in its blue waves as it disappeared to another place, another dimension, another world.

Blue had always been a cold and sad colour. Somewhere a magician was travelling with that colour, doomed to be upset and distant.

Talk, dark and grim.

Ashura had always been there for his people, more than his late father atleast. A large part of his memory was clouded and blurred.

He remembered the screams, not from the people but from his magician. Begging him to snap out of it,

'Ashura please…why are you doing this? This isn't who you are!'

He remembered those words clearly. The most horrible words he'd heard and yet he wasn't able to stop.

Here he now stood high above the land of ice ruling over fields of snow and bodies of the dead. He was no king; a king was only one because of his people and now he was no one, a shell of his former self.

His servants, the peasants,

In those few moments of the battle he'd wiped out everyone close to him. Forced them away or slaughtered them down.

The country wasn't at its best anyway, the crops had failed and several outside kingdoms were invading.

Ashura laid and hand against the stone of the walls.

All of it could have been avoided if he'd been able to stop. If only he'd been able to give in and listen to his court and magician.

But he hadn't and that was the problem. He hadn't listened, hadn't given into the blonde weeping in front of him, he hadn't listened to the cries of his people.

Are frightened of him.

In the back of his mind he was sure some had escaped, he hoped some had, even if they had escaped the destruction they'd never return.

Fai…Fai had sealed him away. Thinking back to that time he was sure the magician was scared of him. That was probably why he'd left his creation to keep watch.

Fai's only friend after he'd distanced himself and he'd destroyed her, ripped her to tiny shreds of magic.

Ashura laughed coldly, he couldn't call Fai his friend not after what he'd done to the mage. Friends don't hurt eachother and he'd done it anyway.

He watches the world,

After all the carnage and destruction the land still looked calm and peaceful. It always had. Snow was a great thing to have in such a country; it was so white, so pure that just merely looking at it long enough would soothe the soul.

Even from such a great height he could still see the rabbits and foxes running around searching for food.

The king moved away from the window and took a look around the once grand hall. It was so bare and empty now.

From his great castle tower.

The palace had once been the most desirable place to live. Many would offer to work as servants just to get a free room to stay in.

He still remember when Fai had first come to the palace, he'd looked so surprised.

'This is it.'

'You're joking right?'

'No…this is it'

'It's even more beautiful up close. I used to imagine travelling to see it but…but this is better than I'd dreamed.'

'I hope you'll enjoy your stay'

'I will thank you for inviting me here'

Fai had been his first real friend and had stayed true to their friendship even after the incident with his father.

Enchantments and magic,

Ashura slowly glanced into one of the old study rooms, the books were still intact. He noticed one still on the table.

It wasn't an ordinary spell book it had once belonged to the blue eyed mage. He had always enjoyed scribbling down notes and trying new things. Even after the time he'd nearly created a monster before it had turned into a heap of black goo.

'Ne Ashura what do you about it?'

'I'm not a magician so I wouldn't know'

'Do you think it would work though?'

'Maybe…as long as you don't blow anything up I'm sure it'll be fine.'

Had given him power.

The day that Fai had been sealed away he'd lost all interest in his chores. He'd tried to help the magician out of the castle, out of the country until his father passed, all they'd got was Fai sealed for many years.

Ashura brushed off the dust on his old books. He remembered the one he used to release Fai. That day had given him the thing he wanted, someone to talk to.

Yet all thoughts of that day were quickly replaced by the last time he saw the mage. Apologising over and over while casting the same spell he'd been sealed with.

They'd given him treasure,

Ashura had never cared for the treasure in the many rooms, he'd never had to use or protect it. Fai would love sitting in one of the rooms while he read many books he'd snuck out of the libraries.

He'd sit on the pile of gold and silver looking over the mage's shoulder sometimes twirling the others hair in his fingers.

Wither way it ended the same, the two would abandon the room and wander to the courtyard to annoy the guards.

And wealth without end.

He'd always believed in two kinds of wealth, the one with money and the one with friends and family. Ashura was gifted in the former while Fai was gifted in the latter.

'Ashura what are you up to?'

'Just flicking through'

'Spells? That's not like you.'

'It's lonely being a prince…'

'I won't leave you. I promise you that.'

That was a promise that bother had made on separate occasions and both ended up the same. They were both forgotten in the wars and the screams.

Fai had always been his wealth no matter what anyone else said.

'All this' he says sadly,

He knew Fai was running from him, running for his life.

Ashura had known that the moment he'd seen Fai's tears and fear as he was sealed in that coffin.

Fai had made a pact and he was probably still following it even now. Even thought he was out of the country and his king was no more.

He wouldn't use magic without the okay from his king.

'But never a friend.'

Ashura walked out to the courtyard watching the few creatures that were left scamper to the snow covered bushes.

A few small flowers were blooming, they always did, such a lovely blue colour.

"I guess I better go to the witch…" he sighed.

He'd look for Fai, play his twisted game of hide and seek and try to think it was like before this had all happened.

Try to imagine they were still friends and that everyone was going to be waiting for their return.

As the magic twisted around him he couldn't help but smile. It was the same fake smile that he'd once learnt from his only friend.