Part 7:

Fai crept out of the compound and "borrowed" a horse. He had snuck some fluorite crystals in his saddlebags and took his staff, along with a few changes of clothing. He planned on being in Tsukiyono for a while. It was late afternoon, so he could get a lead and camp out in the woods along the way.

He made sure no one watched him as he got well down the road. Then his mind started to think they'd probably be relieved to be rid of him. They'd be better off without his presence, which was a distraction to a lot of people.

Then there was a part of him that so wanted to make a point to Kurogane, and he knew just the way. There was a quaint Nihongo tradition he'd use to his advantage. Of course, he'd have to trick Mamoru a bit, but he was sure the young lord would let it slide, seeing how he was going to be hard at work setting up wards in Tsukiyono.


Kurogane was really pissed off when Fai didn't show for dinner. His father was also vexed, but said nothing. His mother seemed very worried. She asked, "So have you taken time to talk with your mage, Kurogane?"

"No. He's just pouting like the child he is. He'll get over it," Kurogane said. His voice sounded so tired in his ears from the exasperation he felt at struggling with Fai lately. Why couldn't Fai just accept that he wanted to take care of him like his father did his mother.

"He better," his father said with a half-hearted snarl. "Maybe that blow to his head that Ran gave him addled his brain permanently."

"Please, Husband. He was raised differently, so he doesn't understand some of our culture. Can we be a little more patient with him? I'm sure with time he'll adjust and learn what is expected of him."

"He's been here over a year now. He is being willfully ignorant at this point."

"I know he is being rebellious a fair bit. He should know enough to be more respectful. I will have to say our son has a different tone he's using with his mage since we've gotten back from Celes, and I think that may be what's causing the problems," Lady Suwa ventured.

"Tone?" Kurogane asked, wondering what his mother was referring too.

"Fai is a combat mage and wants to live that way. He told me he sees it as his duty to still hold this role on behalf of the children you'll have. He wants them to be well protected."

"Why doesn't he trust me to do that? That's my job," Kurogane asked.

"Kurogane, think of Fai as a thoroughbred horse that races. If you stop the thoroughbred's racing career when it's young and turn it out to pasture to breed, what happens?" his mother asked.

Kurogane knew what his mother was getting at, but he despised the message. Damn if she wasn't right. He acknowledge, "The horse gets slow and complacent."

"Is that the life you want for your mage? Slow and complacent?"

Kurogane felt his face grow hot. "No, of course not. I desire his happiness. I would have never asked him to live in Nihongo if I believed I couldn't make him happy and he could live a good life with me."

Lady Suwa laid her hand on Kurogane's wrist. "Son, your mage feels like you want him to be a pastured thoroughbred. Go talk with him and find common ground." He felt a jolt at her words.

Kurogane nodded, always finding value in his mother's sage advice. He asked to be dismissed and then went to their bedroom. He went in and noticed the absence of that gold magic staff of Fai's. He found the note with too-round kanji and clenched it in a tight crumple when he read the words.

Thoroughbred or no, Fai was about to be dragged back here kicking and screaming by his hair and find out what it was to be pastured. All that after he'd choked the snot out of Fai in front of Mamoru Takatori.


"And you agree that I'm an honored guest?" Fai angled Mamoru into this bad position. Mamoru was unknowing of all the machinations in Suwa, so he was happy to offer "honored guest" status in Tsukiyono.

All Fai did was say he was here to set up wards on Lord Suwa's orders. A huge lie, but Fai couldn't care less. He had gotten Mamoru into a grateful situation and then asked for "honored guest" status, which was granted eagerly.

"Have some rest before you go do your work. We'll have dinner soon. Tomorrow morning you can go and start setting up our wards. What will you need? It seems strange Kurogane isn't here with you. Would you like me to send Youji and Ken to go with you?"

"Not at all. I want to do this myself," Fai said with a smile.

"So where is Kurogane anyway? Still with his father in Edo?" Fai's face flushed at the idea that word about the trial had spread.

"He's back in Suwa. Speaking of Kurogane, and my honored guest status with you, is it correct that if Kurogane and I have a disagreement, that you'd be compelled to side with me?"

Now, Mamoru's brow furrowed in concern. "Of course, I'd have to support you. Especially, since you're doing a great service for my province. Did you have a disagreement with Kurogane?"

"You could say that."

Ken ran into Mamoru's sitting room, panting and looking distressed. "Kurogane of Suwa's here, and he's rather pissed off."

"Ken," Mamoru chided Ken's coarse tongue. "What is he angry over? Is it at us?"

"Nope, it's his mage that's got him all hot and bothered. He said something about his mage being, in his words, an insulting child that's going to get the spanking he justly deserves," Ken said, with wide-eyed embarrassment.

"Well Kuro-lu was quicker than I thought he'd be," Fai said, sounding too placid for a potential confrontation with his mate. Fai turned to Mamoru. "I choose not to see Kuro-gru. May I go on to bed and not deal with his sissy temper tantrum? And Ken, make sure you tell him I called it a sissy temper tantrum."

"But? Me? Deal with Kurogane?" Mamoru asked, looking absolutely flabbergasted now.

"Well, I am an honored guest, right?" Fai's alluring, blue eyes narrowed, knowing he had Mamoru over a barrel.

"Yes," Mamoru said, now understanding with aggravation Fai had snookered him and thrown him in between some sort of lover's spat. "But shouldn't you be the one to deal with your mate?"

"Certainly!" Fai said with cheer. "Only after he's learned his lesson."

"And what lesson is that?" Mamoru asked, now starting to hear all sorts of profanity exchanged between Youji and Kurogane coming from his courtyard.

"That he needs to respect my skills and independence. I didn't want to go home to Father, and Princess Tomoyo would have been too extreme of a lesson. I figured you'd be my best option," Fai said, turning on his heels and marching down the hallway. "Have a good night, Mamoru."

Fai was sure his host was extremely angry with him, but he could hear Kurogane giving threats of violence, now. And well, he didn't want to be the one to resort to hexes to put Kurogane in his place. Best let him vent and fume to Mamoru and his henchmen.


"Where is my bratty mage! I know the idiot came here! Hand him over, now!" Kurogane bellowed at Mamoru.

"I can't do that," Mamoru said, getting acid in his stomach. Youji was there, blocking Kurogane from going further into the Takatori family compound, and Ken was at Mamoru's back, still, Kurogane was formidable, and Kurogane's temper was legendary. Therefore, Mamoru took a deep breath and admitted, "Fai is now an honored guest of the Tsukiyono province. He wishes to not see you, therefore, I'm compelled to keep you from him until he decides he wants to."

"What! Mamoru! Drag him out here by the hair! I won't go in your compound because you would be within your rights to take my life, but you must understand, he's being childish. He needs to be treated like a child until he learns to be an adult!"

"Do you think I'm pleased he tricked me into this?" Mamoru said with a hot glare. "Settle down, and I'll talk to him and see if I can't convince him to talk to you. In the meanwhile, stand down. I'm an ally of Suwa." Kurogane's fists clenched and he gave a short nod. "Good, Youji, take him to a the barracks and let him get comfortable."

Kurogane turned and followed Youji to the barracks, Ken tagged along. Mamoru sighed and shook his head. It was bad enough having to deal with his grandfather's girl, Hikaru, causing trouble with Suwa, and now this dropping on his doorstep was the last thing he wanted.


"But please..." Mamoru begged at his fifth hour of exhausting negotiation. Both were being extremely stubborn, neither giving one inch. Fai sat on his futon with crossed arms and a pout, Mamoru sat on the floor in front of him. "Could you at least go talk to Kurogane?"

"When Kuro-jiji sends an apology through you, then I'll go talk to him."

"But Mage, he's adamant to not give one unless you apologize first." Mamoru smashed his fist on the hardwood floor. Now his exhaustion was turning into fierce anger. "I've run in between you and him fifteen times tonight and it's getting time to go to bed. Just swallow your pride and say you're sorry already!"

Fai crossed his arm and glared. "I'd sooner stick my feet on hot coals."

"Listen, would it be so terrible to make up with him?"

"It would if he didn't consider how he's being so callous to my feelings."

"Be practical, already. After you implant the wards around Tsukiyono you'll no longer be my honored guest. You'll have to do something," Mamoru pointed out and then exhaled in frustration.

Fai then looked contrite. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this, but I didn't know what do. I just..." Fai's expression changed to lip quivering sorrow. He lowered his head. "...need to be understood."

"Didn't he understand you?"

"Yes, before he knew we were to have children. Now he doesn't, and I don't understand why he's treating me differently."

"I could have told you that hours ago if you would have told me that's when his attitude changed," Mamoru said with narrowed eyes. "From what I understand, you are to have his children through some sort of magic. In our culture, the woman, or in your case, the person, that bears you a child is to be treated with the utmost respect and honor and to be cared for. You are to make their days easy because they endure a great pain on your behalf to give you the only thing lasting humans can build in this life: descendants. He's feeling you deserve this honored status and he's feeling offended that his care is being be rebuffed."

Fai shook his head vigorously and then gave Mamoru an overly sweet smile. "Tell him I want to have his children, but his placing me in an 'honored status' is not going to work."

"Would you please talk to him?" Mamoru asked, so tired of these two interlopers that had lodged themselves in his territory. "At least let him escort you around Tsukiyono to set up wards."

"Oh no! I'll lick broken glass before that happens. I'll take off tomorrow and he needs to stay away except to apologize." Mamoru flinched at this grisly declaration. It was more graphic than Kurogane's last declaration; he'd said he'd sooner melt down Ginryuu and toss it into the ocean than apologize to Fai first.

Mamoru's head dropped forward and he sighed. "Fine then. You are my honored guest, therefore, there are some things I can order. One of them is to have breakfast with me."

"Will Kuro-mo be there?"

"Of course. Whether you talk to him of not is your business, but you are required at my table. After that, you may go set up the wards, by yourself, if you still wish."

Fai looked thoughtful, then nodded. "Fine. He maybe ready to apologize by then."

Mamoru muttered, "I seriously doubt it, but I'll see what I can do."


"You know, this reminds me of something that happened between me and Asuka once," Youji said, resting on the door frame of the barracks. Kurogane looked up from where he sat on his futon close by Ken. They had been playing a dice game while Mamoru was trying to negotiate, yet again, with Fai.

"How did you get her in line?" Kurogane snapped, but there was such weariness under it, and it was a deep weariness. He despised whatever was coming between Fai and him. He'd fought so hard to have Fai, and now it seemed as if Fai was yanking away from him, hard. He was struggling to keep what he'd won the right to have; it didn't seem right he had to fight for it all over again.

His confusion about Fai's behavior since they returned from Celes ran deep. Yes, his mother had given him some insight, but it seemed Fai should be honored by his gift of protecting him. He pushed his mother's words aside, for the first time in his life, hoping for a different answer from the widower samurai.

Youji got a soft, fond smile and said, "I never did. That was part of her charm. She was always such a tomboy. She even continued to be a samurai after we were married."

"Finally, someone in my situation," Kurogane said. "Didn't you make your woman quit?"

"No. She didn't want to. She still wanted to help me police Tsukiyono after we were married. Oh, did I hear all sorts of criticism about not making her stay at home and giving me babies!" Youji chuckled. "She really was a daring woman. I had to finally decide if I wanted her happiness or I wanted order."

"Which did you choose."

Youji's face grew so sorrowful. "Well, she never did give me children, but we did have some wonderful adventures together policing Tsukiyono of criminals. Five, short years is all I had with her. Can I suggest you stop your struggles with your mage? You see, one day one of you will pass on. You could grow very old together and have several decades, or you could loose him in a year or two, but it'll happen."

Youji toked on his clay pipe and gave Kurogane a sharp gaze. "It's not worth it for the time you have with him to be filled with strife. If you really love him, go back and think about what made you love him. Once you think on that, I think you may have the answer you need to make peace between you and him again."

Kurogane absorbed what the man had said. It was from someone with a wife who had a warrior's heart. Still, he resisted. "Why didn't you make her stay home and have children?"

Youji's shallow smile came to him lips. "Because, it would have changed her. I fell in love with Asuka because she was a fighter. I would have fallen out of love with her if she lost that fight or changed into someone else."

"But weren't you worried about her getting harmed as a samurai? Arresting criminals can be dangerous," Kurogane asked, glad the man was able to talk to him about such an obvious pain. Kurogane hated to press forward feeling the man was willing to let his painful knowledge be passed on; he really needed answers and advice. "Her being a samurai lead to her early death at the hands of those three foreign espers. Wouldn't you have changed things if you knew?"

Youji nodded. "Yes, there is a part of me that would have demanded Asuka quit, but then sometimes I ask myself 'would I rather have five, blazing hot years with the woman I love, or some hollow puppet of her for the rest of my life?' I struggle with that question to this day, and I can't say it's an easy struggle. I can't answer that question for you, because I haven't answered it myself. I do want my wife back, but at what cost would I pay, or... make her pay? Ask yourself that. Would you love him still if he became a caged parrot or would you love him as a free phoenix?"

Kurogane scowled at the man and snarled, "That damned tattoo."

"It must not repulse you too much," Youji pointed out with a smirk. Kurogane admitted to himself it was a turn on. It showed Fai was a capable warrior in Kurogane's culture, even though it was really a punishment in Fai's. It was as if Kurogane could take pride in a very competent warrior being by his side. And he had taken pride in having Fai at his side at one time.

"This is I why I stay single. No headaches like this. Hey, by the way, any news about Ran?" Ken asked. "It'll be great to have him back."

Youji snickered. "What, so you two can bicker some more?"

"As I recall, you had more fights with him than I did," Ken pointed out.

Kurogane answered, "No, I haven't heard about Ran, but I could ask Fai when he stops being so petulant. Though, his twin would have to inquire, and I don't really know how Yuui'd feel about that."

"Well, whatever you think. I was just curious," Ken said as Mamoru came in with a frown.

"He still won't budge," Kurogane guessed.

"Not an inch, but I'm making him have breakfast with us. I'm hoping some sleep with put you both in better dispositions. I do think I know what's bothering him though. Let me get some rest and we'll talk about it in the morning."


Ashura flew high into the sky, snow flurries enveloped him, but he flew higher still. Only when he saw Princess Tomoyo standing on the ground below him did he drift downwards and stand before her. He banished the snow and created a replica of a Nihongo cherry tree orchard. He still had strong control over his dreams, even though he was no longer a dream seer.

"Welcome, Princess. What can I do for you?"

"As you are aware, Fai's presence has caused some difficulty in Nihongo. I wish to discus the gift of fluorite you bestowed to us and how it's now becoming a political weapon in our realm."

Ashura grew troubled. "Please tell me more."

Princess Tomoyo told him of Lord Suwa's threat towards Lord Ueda and any other lord that attacked Fai or Kurogane. She explained that the fluorite was considered a gift from Celes to Nihongo and that Lord Suwa really retained no greater rights than the other lords.

"I understand. What would you like from me?" Ashura asked.

"Permission to tell Lord Suwa he cannot use Fai's destructive magic to an unfair advantage. There are a lot of innocent people living in peace. Their lives are much better for your gift. It wouldn't be fair for Lord Suwa to have this much power. It could create a lot of political instability in Nihongo.
So may I have your support?"

"Tell Fai this. If he takes up one province lord's wards, he must take them all up, including the ones in Suwa. Then he must take the responsibility of fighting off monsters in Nihongo. Tell him to weigh it out carefully."

"Thank you, King Ashura." Princess Tomoyo gave him a warm smile. "I'll leave you to your flying now." With that, she disappeared back to her own dream.

To be continued.