Title: Between the Truth and the Lies
Character(s): Fai, Mokona, Syaoran, Kurogane, Ashura, Yuui
Prompt: "Fair is foul, and foul is fair." - The Three Witches
Genre: Angst
Word Count: 426
Rating: G
Warnings: Spoilers for chapter 154.
Summary: It was something Fai never expected he would do.
Author's Notes: Sorry if it sounds OOC. It's my first attempt at deciphering Fai's mind.
Disclaimer: Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE belongs to CLAMP.
Returning to Celes was something Fai never thought he would do. Yet, standing on the familiar land of snow, he knew he had done so. It was not a decision that had been forced upon him, but a choice that he had made himself, even though he had so desperately wished that he would never return again. Gazing up at Castle Ruval now, he pondered sadly if he had done the right thing.
Already, he could sense the presence that Mokona could not. There were no other living things in this world; too many had not survive the treacherous cold and long ago been defeated by the harsh winter. Just as Mokona had suggested, there were no people living in Celes other than those who dwelt within the castle. Sakura's body had fallen into this world quite recently and should be able to withstand the difficult environment for some time... long enough, hopefully.
With the help of Syaoran's powers, they were transported to the entrance of the castle. Every step that they took brought them closer to the person that Fai had been running from. Fai could not tell them. If he did, he might have to tell them the truth and confess that he had been telling so many lies. He did not want to lose their friendship; he wanted to keep those memories that they shared as happy and untainted as they were.
They were approaching the door. Anybody could have opened it with a simple push. However, it was Fai - he who knew the person waiting patiently within the room, who had hoped that they would not meet again if possible - who willingly stepped into the situation that he had most wished to avoid. Quietly, he looked up to meet the eyes of a long-lost benefactor.
Like a father might welcome his child home after a long day, the dark-haired figure offered a kind smile. Fai could sense Kurogane's watchful gaze piercing into him, suspicious and questioning, but he avoided it. As much as possible, Fai tried to prepare himself for the moment of truth to reveal itself, but he soon found that no matter how long he took, he could never be prepared for what really happened. He was looking at a familiar ragged face, the face that he had seen a very long time ago, the face that had been so similar to his own once upon a time.
For the first time in decades, he found himself face to face with the brother whose name he had stolen.