They stood in the clearing, breathing hard, weapons still at the ready. They surveyed the remains of the battle, the clearing littered with the bloodstained bodies of the enemy ninja.
"Where were they from? They bore no markings, no insignia on there uniforms..." Fai was concerned. How could they protect Princess Tomoyo if they didn't even know where the threat was coming from? He turned around and looked to Kurogane to see how his lover had faired during the battle. His breath caught in his throat at the scene before him. Kurogane was pressing his hand against a deep gash in his side. Blood flowed seemingly endlessly from the wound, staining his hand and clothes. His hand did little to stop the bleeding. Fai rushed over to Kurogane as he collapsed to the ground. Fai knelt at his lover's side. "Kurogane, what happened?" He tore a piece off the bottom of his shirt, pressing it against the wound in a frantic attempt to stop the bleeding.
"That last ninja sliced me up pretty bad, didn't he?" Kurogane said weakly. Fai could clearly hear the strain in Kurogane's voice, and see it clearly in his eyes. Fai had only one option left. To use his magic. He placed his hands over the wound on Kurogane's side, and prepared to cast a healing spell. As he muttered the words to the spell, a faint blue glow appeared around his hands, pouring into the wound. But before he could finish the spell, Kurogane slapped Fai's hand away. "You know it won't work. I can see it in your eyes, Fai. You know this wound is fatal." Fai knew what his lover had said was true. Kurogane was dying. He held Kurogane's hand in his own, as tears streamed down is face.
"I can't lose you! Please don't die!" Fai was scared, and grief-stricken. He didn't know what he would do after Kurogane died.
"I can't change what has to happen, Fai." Kurogane reached up with his free hand and brushed a tear from Fai's cheek.
"Kurogane. I want you to call me by my true name. Once, before you leave me forever."
"I love you, Yuui." Kurogane pulled Fai down into one final kiss. Then, his heart stopped, and he was gone. Fai laid his head down on his dead lover's chest, and cried. Heart-wrenching sadness engulfed him. He cried, and cried, shoulders shaking, till there was not a tear left in his body. Storm clouds gathered overhead, and it began to rain as he gave into the darkness of unconsciousness.
