A/N:

                This is my retreat from writing reality-type stories. I can't help it! I'm a fantasy writer at heart, and thus this fic is born… This fic has no connections whatsoever with my other work in progress 'Always Then Always Forever'.

                Hope you all enjoy!

Prologue : Death's Domain

Another day passed.

Below the harsh winter sun, a tall man strode calmly aside a well-worn path. He was clad in dark yet richly woven clothing, the only contrast being his pale cream coat that brushed lightly against the ground.  Dark shoes stood out in stark contrast against the white earth; one foot stepping in front of the other. Ice-blue eyes carefully regarded the surroundings, ever watchful for anything suspicious lurking amongst the small mounds littering the landscape.

Around him, the skeletons of trees and bushes were scattered in what seemed to be desolate woodland, but in this land one never knew what could appear. And desolate? Yes, but gorgeously so. Cliffs with veins of pure gold and burnished copper towered over the pale landscape, flecks of the precious ore glittering in the light. To his left gleamed a frozen stream, seemingly suspended in time as the whirls and eddies, waves of current, were captured in ice.

Hooves and feet crunched the snow underfoot.

Beside him a huge beast of ebony snorted, a brief flicker of flame reaching out to vaporize the snow crusted around its nuzzle.

It always snows in this valley.

Lifting a hand, he watched impassively as a few snowflakes gathered and melted in the warm cup of his palm. A moment's concentration later found the water dripping off, within moments materializing back into snow.

A slight softening of sharp features; he had always loved snow. And therefore, the valley had always snowed for him.

"Aoshi-sama!". The call rang out, echoing several times over as it bounced off the surrounding cliffs. Next to him, the steed of Death flattened its ears against its head and bared fanged teeth. Clearly it was not pleased, and rolling its eyes back announced that it was nervous.

A light giggle and a 'poof!' later, a figure appeared on its back. "Welcome back, Aoshi-sama! How was your outing?".

His icy demeanour, a perfect reflection of his valley, withstood the onslaught of exuberant cheeriness to maintain his impassive expression as he continued walking. Behind him, the horse gave a small whinny, clearly a plea for help. Without looking back he knew she was starting to braid its mane.

"We've got heaps of new births since you've been away", the girl sang out, small fingers nimbly weaving the silky black locks of the stallion into a simple braid. Petite of stature, she was clearly dwarfed by the massive horse though she was already in her early teens.

He didn't bother prompting her for more information. She would tell him anyway. As though reading his thoughts, the girl smiled the happy smile of those with no worries. But of course, she had nothing to worry her save for the present, and that was gone in a moment anyway. The past and the future held no concern for her.

After all, they were pretty much handled by her two sisters.

"Oh!". The interest in her tone made him perk his ears. Something that elicited a reaction like that was bound to be important. Bright orange eyes went blank, mane in hand left forgotten, "Pretty baby". Her voice was distant, "Poor girl. Poor girl. Poor girl".

"What do you mean by poor girl, Del?". His voice was calm and smooth, rich and deep.

She gave him a bright smile then, encouraged by his words, "The one with the pretty eyes, Aoshi-sama?".

"Yes Del. Why do you feel sorry for the girl with the pretty eyes?". Careful, measured and perfectly under control.

The beaming smile remained, "She's calling for her mother".

"Does she have her mother?".

A grimace darkened her normally cheery disposition, holding for several seconds, "Does who have her mother?". A moment later and the frown broke to reveal her happy grin once again, "How was Aoshi-sama's day?". Her fingers resumed the braiding.

He fell silent then, deep in thought. Del paid him no heed as she hummed tunelessly, tormenting the poor horse with additional flowers braiding into its mane. The resulting silence was punctured with short announcements stated in Del's sing-song voice, "Puck is attempting to play a prank on a sprite. Wayland Smith is shoeing Rhiannon's horse. A new soul is dancing in a faerie ring". Her next words stopped him cold; "Kelcee's asking Liot to make her a pendent".

"A pendent?". Brows furrowed, he mused out loud, "Where are Kelcee and Liot?".

The grin was now accompanied by a twinkle in her eyes, always present whenever she reported on her sisters, "In your home, of course!".

But of course. Where else would his changelings be?

Curiosity roused, he hauled himself onto the relieved steed, causing the girl to whoop in excitement, her braiding forgotten. "We're gonna talk to Kelcee and Liot?". It was more of a statement rather than a question.

The horse sprang forwards, exhaustion forgotten and now eager to be home.

Behind them, hoof-prints vanished in the snow.

The home of Death held little semblance to his valley, and yet like the valley represented another side of him. The valley was what he presented to the world; ice-cold and relentless, a ruthless exterior daring others to challenge it.

His dwellings however were very much different.

Travelling through a narrow chasm revealed a clearing completely void of snow. Here, he was more relaxed. More hospitable. Lush emerald grass covered the earth, dotted here and there with glimpses of rare sapphire and ruby wild-flowers. A traditional hunting lodge stood tall and sturdy near the back of the clearing, seemingly carved out of a huge block of mahogany. Ebony pieces seemed to gleam in welcome as the fae dwelling reached out a tendril of warmth towards its master.

It is good to be home, he told it silently. Faint inscriptions on the walls danced in reply.

In a single fluid motion he was off the horse. Del followed suit, albeit with motions much clumsier than his. A simple pat on its flank sent it cantering out of the glen, shaking its head furiously to dislodge the flowers and leaves woven into its hair. Aoshi waited till it vanished before heading towards the lodge.

Behind him, Del followed obediently.

The door swung open the moment he touched it to reveal two girls staring back at him. The shorter one grinned, "Told ya he's back".

Ignoring her triumphant tone, he carefully laid two sheaths onto a table nearby, "Who is the child Del spoke of?". Del, who had been hanging around in the doorway, beamed as she saw the weapons and made to pounce, but a soft tap on her head stopped her. Of the little things she could remember, she knew that meant 'Bad. Don't do'.

The Present was hard enough to keep under control at the best of times anyway.

The tallest of the girls, Liot, cocked her head to the side, long brown hair falling softly around her slim shoulders, "The girl that was born without a mother? She died, you know. The mother, I mean. From the birthing". A moment's pause later, she added, "She's got a very powerful destiny, that one". Violet eyes turned thoughtful at that.

"Oh?". He looked towards Kelcee, who was currently fingering the swords thoughtfully. A slight hint of wistfulness there; she would inherit Death should he die. That much he knew.

The dark-haired girl shot him a grin, one he was quite familiar with. Del, seeing it, had an identical version on her face. Somewhere here was a chance for mischief. Seeing her master expecting more information, Kelcee sighed, "She will be named Takani Megumi. Very powerful healer".

"Healers can only help those who are destined to live". There was no worry in his tone. Healers in the past had never managed to impair him from collecting the souls Lord Finvarra demanded.

"Of course, Aoshi-sama", Kelcee's grin grew larger, stirring unease in him. Obviously she knew something he didn't.

Liot smiled innocently as well, and handed a pendent to him. It was a gorgeous thing; gold and silver worked together to create an intricate cage in which a purple translucent stone floated. Amethyst, stone of calm, protection and healing. On the surface of the cage, runes and inscriptions shimmered and danced.

A meaningful look prompted her to answer, "She will need it. The village she was born in is littered with the Saugh. It will protect her from them". The self-satisfaction in her tone vanished then, replaced by worry, "However, she would be vulnerable should the Hunt ride".

Unbidden, Kelcee spoke up then, her words carefully measured, "She will come upon them quite a few times". The secretive grin she held was starting to seriously unsettle him.

"Show me".

The girl shrugged and spread her hands. The air between them rippled and solidified into a cloth. "This one shows the major path of her destiny. She has yet to weave her Greater cloth".

He studied it intently, noting with interest the many different life-threads entering and leaving the fabric. Clearly she would be healing quite a few people. However, one thread stood out from the rest, weaving in and out and making up a fair bit of the cloth. It caught his eye and increased his unease.

Black, dark blue and silver. "This", he picked at it, "This is my thread".

All three girls grinned at him then as Kelcee nodded, "Yes, Aoshi-sama. That's your thread".


            In case you haven't guessed, this is an Aoshi/Megumi fic just like my other one. *Grin*. Reviews are more than welcomed!