•.•.•.•

A man who tried to fit another's shoe,

Knowing that he could never do,

Carried the burdened of hate and blame,

Life now gone and claimed.

•.•.•.•

"Kouen?"

"My child?"

Red eyes fluttered open, mouth dry, and body as stiff as a board. The first nephew of Hakutoku moved his right hand, letting it hover in front of his face and a feeling of disbelief coursed through him, opening and closing his hand like it was something unbelievable.

"I- I'm alive?"

Kouen rose from the comfort of his bed, inclined to sit on it instead, and wondered, why he was so surprised. He took a deep breath and tried to recount what happened yesterday, just before he slept, and his mind came up with a blank.

And whenever he closed his eyes, he could feel the sun rays hitting his face, the jeers of a crowd, and the feeling of doom in the pit of his stomach.

Kouen could feel bile rise from his throat.

The child hugged himself, giving himself the comfort he needed, and shuddered, red eyes glazed over from sleep and hair a complete mess.

A rapid series of knocks entered Kouen's ears, but he didn't have the strength to speak, much less open the door to his abrupt visitor.

"Kouen, this isn't funny." A familiar voice said with a tint of worry, "open the door Kouen, or I'll break it down."

"Yu- Yuu-nii?" The redhead croaked out and he couldn't stop the shivers that wreaked through his body. A moment passed, and Kouen's door, made of flimsy wood and paper, broke down due to Hakuyuu's spear, blue eyes on fire.

The blue haired boy didn't miss a beat, letting his spear clatter to the ground, he promptly approached his cousin and wrapped his much longer arms around Kouen's smaller frame.

"Shh, shh, is there something amiss Kouen? Did you have a... nightmare?"

Something wet travelled across his cheeks and it took a moment for Kouen to realize that it was his tears, a strong feeling of sadness appeared in his heart when he heard the muffled voice of his cousin through the door.

And Kouen didn't know why.

Hakuyuu's arms tightened around him and Kouen enjoyed the comfort it brought, how he knew that he won't be alone, even in this small amount of time.

Kouen didn't know how much time passed with Hakuyuu holding him like a baby, he just knew that his cousin never left his side, and to him that was what mattered.

"Kouen-dono screamed in his sleep this morning,"

"He did? Poor child, nightmares must be plaguing him."

"Hakuyuu-dono went to his chambers this morning, he comforted his cousin it seems."

"My, my. They share quite a deep bond then, I wouldn't be surprised if Kouen-dono were to follow his cousins to war."

"Shh! Don't speak of that, this mustn't reach the ears of anybody."

"It would only be a matter of time,"

"Still, let the children have their innocence. It looks like it would be taken away from them shortly,"

A thin frown appeared on Kouen's lips and he turned his head to see the expression on his cousin's face, which didn't betray any of the emotions he was feeling.

Seeing his cousin turn to him, a faint smile appeared on Hakuyuu's face and he ruffled his cousin's head of red locks, amused to see the clear irritation on Kouen's face.

"Come Kouen," the blue haired child mumured, "we should visit Hakuren in his chambers, I suppose he overslept again."

Hakuyuu didn't have long legs, for he was still a child of ten summers, but it was still hard for Kouen to match his long strides with his short legs, of a child of seven summers. Huffing a laugh at his cousin's current problem, Hakuyuu stopped walking and waited for Kouen to reach his current position, frown still in place.

"Why did you stop?"

Hakuyuu's lips twitched at the look of displeasure on his cousin's face, barely suppressing his chuckles, and offered a hand.

"Come on, I'm not leaving you behind."

Kouen felt his eyes water for a moment, not knowing why he was so emotional all of a sudden, yet didn't hesitate to reach out to Hakuyuu's hand and holding it tight.

If Hakuyuu wondered about it he didn't asks any question, he just squeezed his cousin's smaller hand for reassurance and Kouen felt his lips twitch, his first try on that day to smile.

"Ne, Hakuyuu-niisama where's Mei-Mei?"

Blue eyes flickered with emotion and Hakuyuu pursed his lips, "it's not his time yet, Kouen."

Bells rang in Kouen's mind and everything changed, like how a blank scroll suddenly became filled with colours, Kouen grew larger in size and their surroundings became pure white, Hakuyuu also grew, stopping only an inch shorter than his cousin, baby fat disappearing.

Kouen now looked like his true age of twenty-nine summers, and Hakuyuu looked like no fire burned him to his death, yet the two knew otherwise.

"I see," Kouen muttered, voice a low baritone. "I never thought there will be a life after death,"

Hakuyuu curled his lips and spoke, "not really, King Solomon just likes to give exceptions at times."

"King Solomon? Aladdin's father?" The redhead asked curiously, a hand stroking his goatee.

"Never thought you'd have a goatee of all things, Kouen." Hakuyuu replied amused, visibly dodging the questions directed to him.

"It suits me," Kouen said calmly and red eyes burned. "What is this exception you speak of?"

"A choice," Hakuyuu answered swiftly, all amusement on his face drained out. "For better or for worse?"

"I cannot see how any of our situations could be better," Kouen stated dryly, arms crossed.

Hakuyuu seemed to mull over his thoughts and a small smile appeared on his face.

"We could still be alive,"

Kouen took a deep breathe and turned his red eyes, now scarlet, towards his cousin, a sharp tone in his voice.

"What do you mean?"

"It could start from the very beginning," Hakuyuu began, a twinkle in his eye. "When you just achieved consciousness of you actions."

"Tempting," Kouen replied, a curl on his lips. "But, not for me. I know that it was my time, my only regret is that I couldn't say goodbye to my siblings."

Blue eyes flickered to sapphire, and a smirk appeared on Hakuyuu's lips.

"Interesting, I was apprehensive when Hakuyuu and Hakuren recommended you, but I could see that they were right."

Hakuyuu's form shifted, and a man that Kouen could easily recognize due to Aladdin, appeared in front of him, dark blue braided hair and sharp sapphire eyes unmistakable.

Kouen's eye widened a fraction and he almost performed a kowtow, before he thought otherwise, he knew that this man wouldn't appreciate it the least.

A grin appeared on Solomon's face, one twenty-two summers old, and a staff wielded expertly on his right hand, floating in mid air, away from the pure white ground.

"You can call me Solomon, I hate the title of king, which I'm pretty sure you can relate to. Eh, Kouen?"

"It was not rightfully mine, to be Emperor." Kouen said lowly, whole body stiff.

"True! But it wasn't supposed to be Hakuryuu's either, it was supposed to be Hakuyuu's you know? But Arba stopped all that,"

Kouen inhaled sharply, a look entering his eye. "Why did you not present this to Hakuyuu-niisama then? It is his title to claim not mine,"

A frown appeared on Solomon's face, "I did that too, but Hakuyuu declined, Hakuren did the same thing, so did Hakutoku!" Solomon added in afterthought, "imagine my surprise though, when they all recommended one person,"

Sapphire eyes turned to Kouen's own.

"You,"

The redhead stiffened, shock colouring his features, and his eyes widened impossibly. Kouen couldn't speak, his mouth was all dried up, but Solomon didn't give him the chance to recover and continued speaking.

"Surprising, I know, but I had to test you before I did anything." A grin now broke out on Solomon's face, "you passed it with flying colours! Though, I can't reincarnate you in your dimension. Only in a different one, I found one with minor differences, really minor, nothing you have to worry about, so..."

"Bye-bye! Don't die again so soon!"

Kouen's mind exploded in white and he felt the ground swallow him up, then...

Nothing.

•.•.•.•

I do not own Magi.