Title: "Chi to Namida to Mahoutsukai no Kokoro"
Author: LegolasLover2003 aka Ashley
Category: Anime - "Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE"
Genre: Angst/General
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to "Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE". I don't own nor am I affiliated with anything relating to the story or characters of "Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE", all rights to that go to the wonder that is CLAMP. I just like to play in their world… and I just love Fai. A lot. And Daisuke Namikawa… PASTA!!!
Author's Note: This story contains SPOILERS for "Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE". If you have NOT seen "Tokyo Revelations" OR read the manga up through at least chapter 166, then this story WILL be a SPOILER!
Note #2: THIS IS JUST THE PROLOGUE! There is more to come... promise!
PROLOGUE
What was he doing?
More importantly, why was he doing it?
Everything hurt… everything ached and screamed in agony. The grip on his throat tightened, squeezing with such raw power and force that he simply couldn't take it.
Blood bubbled up, frothing over pale lips and forcing the young man to try and gasp in much needed air.
But the blood… so much blood… it burned in his throat, scratching him raw and filling his lungs.
One soft blue eye unfocused… was he fainting or… were those tears?
He couldn't help it, the salty liquid that streamed down the side of his face as he looked up into the angelic visage of Ashura-Ou.
Fai struggled to speak, struggled just to breathe as he felt his life slipping away in the man's grasp.
'I'm not strong enough… onegai… onegai… don't make me do this… Ashura-Ou… ONEGAI!'
"I told you… didn't I?" Ashura whispered, his free hand gently cupping the side of the magician's pale face. "That my magic power grows stronger the more I kill people…"
Weak arms moved, grasping onto the Celes Country Ou's wrist weakly and trying to pull from the man's clutches.
'You killed him! Doushite?!' Fai's thoughts screamed, adding some strength to his exhausted limbs.
But not enough.
Fai's body heaved, blood spurting upward to cover his face.
He couldn't get any air… couldn't breathe… think… there was nothing he could do.
Gentle fingers fell over the eye-patch on Fai's left eye. Those fingers probed the now empty socket, feeling around the old wound and causing the magician to try and twist his head away.
Ashura-Ou smiled softly, "Besides, it seems like you've lost one of your eyes, which serve as the source of your magic power."
Weakly, Fai tried to write the words to a spell in the air before him, but Ashura-Ou was faster, grasping the magician's fingers in his free hand. "You tried to die along with me, right? You've always wished for the end…"
Fai's body arched, blood filling his mouth and spilling past lips opened in a silent scream. With every last ounce of strength, the magician looked to the motionless figure who lay not far past him.
'Kurogane…'
His blue eye closed, body jerking in a spasm, choking on his own blood as he screamed with everything he had.
"KUROGANE!"
One blue eye opened, the pupil tiny, almost unseeing in the darkness of the bedroom. Fai was shivering, his body aching and thirsting for rest.
Alone… cold… frightened…
The magician sat up, lithe fingers tangling in waves of light blond hair, pulling and trying to bring some sort of feeling…
Some sign that he was causing the pain…
That he was awake…
"Fai?"
Blinking in surprise and horror, the young man's blue gaze fell on the small creature that stood at the foot of his futon. Long ears turned down, the tiny shiromanjuu was obviously worried.
"Fai… daijoubu ka?"
Taking in a deep breath, Fai closed his eye and nodded. "Hai. Daijoubu… daijoubu…"
Mokona wasn't about to be placated however, and hopped up into the magician's lap. "Fai…" the creature started, seemingly afraid. "You were screaming, Fai…"
For a moment, the man said nothing.
He wanted to tell Mokona that he was alright, that it had been nothing more than a nightmare.
But it wasn't a nightmare… it had happened… it was real and now…
Now he had to live with the consequences…
Without realizing it at first, he suddenly crumbled. His perfectly preserved mask falling to shatter.
"Gomen nasai…" Fai whispered, pulling Mokona into his arms and simply hugging the small being to his chest.
He didn't know when he started to cry, but he felt Mokona's tiny arms hugging him, whispering soft words that he was alright.
Everything was okay…
They were in Nihon Country…
Kurogane wasn't dying…
Fai didn't need to be sad anymore…
Fai didn't need to cry…
Everything was okay…
Mokona promised it was okay…
Really…
"Fai… Nakunai onegai… Nakunai…"
But Mokona's soft words of comfort and assurance only opened the door wider, and Fai lost himself in his tears until he was too exhausted to even stay awake anymore.
When Mokona pulled the comforter of the futon up to Fai's chin and snuggled down onto the pillow next to him, only then did the magician find peaceful sleep.
血と涙と魔法使いの心
Chi to Namida to Mahoutsukai no Kokoro
(Blood, Tears, and the Heart of the Magician)
A "Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE" Fanfiction
TRANSLATIONS:
Ashura-Ou = King Ashura
Ou = King
Onegai = Please
Doushite? = Why?
Shiromanjuu = White Steambun (a nickname that Kurogan gave to the white Mokona)
Daijoubu ka? = Are you alright?
Daijoubu = I am alright.
Gomen nasai = I am sorry
Nihon Country = Japan Country
Nakunai onegai = Please don't cry
Nakunai = Don't cry
Chi to Namida to Mahoutsukai no Kokoro = Blood, Tears, and the Heart of the Magician
NOTES:
- This IS THE PROLOGUE. I know, I need to stop making chapter stories… This story probably isn't going to be very big, but this is just the prologue. Stick with me, man.
- The story takes place after Chapter 166 of the manga and happens during the Nihon Country arc. The part above happens between Chapter 166 and Chapter 167 of the manga (aka Fai is awake and they're in Nihon Country, but Kurogane is still unconscious).
- Ashura-Ou's dialogue comes from Page 15-17 of Chapter 164 of the manga. Translation from Ashura-sama; Scanlation from Mangashare dot com; Raw provided by LadyDarkMoon.
- I'm not 100% sure on how grammatically correct the title is. I tried a translation program and what it gave me was something about "oyobi naka kokoro" and I really didn't want to be talking about the "inside heart" or "inside of the heart" so I didn't use it. I know that the particle "to" is used for a specific list ("ya" is for a list that can have an etc.) and that Subject_no_Object is how you say Something_of_something… so "Mahoutsukai no Kokoro" would read as "Heart of the Magician" instead of as "Magician of the Heart". However, I'm not sure that putting "Blood and Tears" before "And the Heart of the Magician" is accurate. I'm not saying that the "Blood" and the "Tears" are from the "Magician" however, which also added to my confusion. Anyway, if someone can provide me with a "it's right" or a "it's wrong, it should be this way" then I would be really thankful.
- Reviews are loved! Go for it!
- For information regarding my thoughts on the Fai x Kurogane pairing, please check my story "Sensitive to the Scent".