Hey^^ Today's chapter is super long and it took a long time so please review^^ It's a little scary in the beginning then sort of funny (in my opinion) towards the end. The last three chapters will be scary though. Three chapters left *squeals* Here are review replies:

To: Ninja Mafia Mistress (wicked name btw^^)-

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it^^

To:Tarmachan-

See, now that you're thinking about it, you might see something ;)

To: BrettWitford-

Stuff it.

Jk, what I mean to say is: They already know it's blood. Although, next time round I'll probably use the tail end of your explanation (it's old=who cares?) just to avoid having to write that again. Yes, I'll admit it was a stupid explanation *nods in agreement* thanks^^

When Kurogane went to the bedroom, he found that Fai had already fallen asleep. He was on his stomach, blonde hair fanned around his head and blankets bunched up around him. Kurogane couldn't help but smile before lying down next to him and falling asleep.

That night, Kurogane woke to find that instead of latching onto him as he usually did Fai was turned away, practically curling in on himself. He was shaking as well and Kurogane realized that not only was that what had woken him, but also that Fai was till asleep. He heard the slightest of whispering and unconsciously leaned closer, listening to the blondes dream.

"Ashura… Stop… Why are you doing this, please..?"

It dawned on him that Fai was having a nightmare. He continued to whisper to himself and rolled to face Kurogane, eyes still closed, still asleep.

His face looked terrified, like if he were awake he could just burst into tears. It was so different to see Fai asleep; he didn't have the presence of mind to hide his emotions so everything was raw and real. When he was scared, he actually lookedscared. After five minutes of watching him look scared, Kurogane couldn't take it anymore. He reached out and touched Fai's shoulder, gently shaking him awake.

Fai shot up with a sharp intake of breath. His eyes darted around the room before settling on Kurogane and closing with a sigh. Slowly he fell back onto the pillow, releasing the breath he had caught. His arms went up and he crossed them over his eyes. A car backfired outside and Fai slowly calmed his breathing.

"You okay?"

"Yes," He nodded without moving his arms. "It was only a dream."

"What was your dream?"

Fai's entire body stiffened mid-breath, like he hadn't expected Kurogane to ask. How could he not?

"Just a nightmare… I don't even remember it…"

Kurogane sighed.

"That's not true, why are you lying to me?"

"I'm not."

Fai's response came much too quickly for it to be true.

"I'm not." He tried again, "I really don't remember."

"Alright, don't tell me."

Fai didn't open his eyes, but his face flickered with guilt as he responded.

"It was just a dream Kuro-chu. I really don't remember."

"Okay."

Kurogane laid back down, moderately annoyed. He knew the name Ashura was a source of fear in Fai's mind and he knew he wouldn't forget a dream about him that easily. And the blonde was still visibly upset despite all his denials; dreams you don't remember can't upset you after you wake up.

But he also felt bad for the mage; experiencing something so horrible he didn't want to talk about it and then being made to feel guilty about it… Now that Kurogane thought about it he realized his questioning, although well meaning, had probably only made him feel worse.

Feeling somewhat guilty himself he rolled over to face the blonde again, make sure he wasn't too upset. He almost screamed.

In fact, if he hadn't spent his entire life being trained notto scream when startled, he probably would have. For an instant, a split second, Fai was dead. He was lying on his side facing Kurogane and he was covered in blood. In the second he had to analyze the picture before him, he saw stab wounds in his chest and small, almost delicate gash in his throat. His eyes were open, but they were dead, frozen in fear.

And then they weren't, and he was hearing his name.

"Kuro!"

Fai was sitting before him, eyes wide and worried and very much alive. His chest was perfectly intact and the blood was gone. Everything was fine.

What the hell was that?

"Y-you were dead…"

"What are you talking about?"

"What?"

"Kuro, what are you talking about? You looked at me and shot backwards! I thought you were going to scream…"

"I don't scream."

Kurogane muttered automatically without any thought. Then he continued.

"I… You were dead. I saw you, you were bleeding and it looked like you had been stabbed…"

Fai's eyes widened and he hiccupped in surprise.

"That was… that was my dream."

"What?"

They were sitting up in the center of the bed, facing each other. Fai looked absolutely horrified and Kurogane felt the same. His vision had been disturbing and then to find out that Fai had dreamed it as well was surreal.

"That was my dream!" Fai was too startled and surprised to censer himself. "That I was stabbed in … the chest…"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why, in your dream, were you stabbed?"

Then, when Fai hesitated, a better question popped into his head, one he already knew the answer to.

"Who stabbed you?"

Fai looked away.

"Answer me."

Fai shook his head without making eye contact. Kurogane's patience snapped.

"Ashura."

He simply repeated the name he had heard Fai pleading with moments before, but the blonde's head snapped up and he looked like he was about to cry.

"How did you..?"

"You say his name in your sleep a lot."

"Oh…"

It occurred to Kurogane that Fai honestly didn't realize how much he knew.

"What was your dream?"

No answer. Kurogane was determined though. Something about his vision or hallucination, whatever it was, had instilled a sense of urgency in him. But Fai was having none of it. He needed to get his attention. He knew how.

"Fai."

Fai winced like he'd been struck.

"I don't remember."

His voice cracked as he spoke and he sounded more like he was trying to convince himself. Kurogane sighed.

"I just don't understand why you can't tell me."

"There's nothing to tell."

Kurogane nodded.

"Whatever you say…"

Kurogane dismissed the remnants of his dream-yes, that's what he had decided it was: A dream he had been about to have but hadn't quite fallen asleep for-and gently, not quite believing he was actually doing it, he reached out and touched Fai's shoulder, turning him to face the same direction and guiding him down to lay alongside him. When the blonde didn't resist, Kurogane hesitantly wrapped his arm around him, pulling him backwards and curling around him. Fai stiffened at first, but when the ninja's movements stopped he relaxed, heaving a small sigh of contentment. Until the moment he fell asleep, Kurogane was left wondering if Fai was just happy the questions had stopped, or if he was truly comfortable.

Kurogane woke quite happily the next morning to a mess of blonde hair directly in front of his chin. He was holding Fai from behind, the smaller being curling backwards into him and for once, the room had an atmosphere of calm. An atmosphere that was only broken when Kurogane saw the dried tear-tracks on Fai's cheeks. Fai was notoriously good at hiding his emotions, so for him to cry Kurogane knew last night was pretty bad.

They lay there for a few moments before Fai began shifting, ultimately rolling away from Kurogane before waking up. The ninja watched him yawn like a cat from behind.

"Good morning, Kuro-sama."

"Good morning."

It didn't sound like a lot, but Kurogane's usual greeting was a grunt. Fai rolled to face him, showing off the strains of the last night.

Delicate violet half-moons sat under tired blue eyes, disrupted with tear-tracks that continued onto slightly-paler-than-usual skin. The worst part by far though was the plastic smile that cracked below everything else. That was bad; that told the ninja that his chance was done. In the daylight, his mind clear, there was no way Fai would let Kurogane get anything out of him. The blonde had too many excuses, too many things he could use to get away, and Fai's one quality that Kurogane found completely and totally ass-holien was his stubbornness.

He watched Fai sit up, his hair in every direction, and sat up with him, deciding to try anyway.

"So, are you going to tell me anything else?"

"Kuro, it's a little early to be thinking about all of this. I have to go make breakfast for-"

"The kids aren't up yet, don't change the subject. Besides, I think this was different from your usual dreams."

Once again, letting him know how much he knew startled Fai, who turned away.

"What makes you say that?"

Kurogane maneuvered smoothly in front of him.

"It's been a while since I've had to wake you up from a dream-"

"You've woken me up before?"

Kurogane flushed involuntarily.

"A couple of times towards the beginning when you were getting them a lot. I… I'd just wake you up and leave so you wouldn't notice. You only noticed last night because I stayed with you."

"Oh…"

"Usually you say other names in your sleep… Chi was one of them. You say your own name a lot."

Kurogane, who was slightly embarrassed by how much attention he had been paying, watched Fai wince and open his mouth, probably to change the subject. The ninja dropped his open palm on Fai's head. Not hard enough to hurt, just enough to get his attention.

"Now if you would shut up you'd realize that I'm not trying to make you talk about that, your past. You already know I don't give a shit about any of that. I'm talking about last night. You don't even have to use names."

Fai was looking at his lap, kneading his fisted hands into the bed like a kitten. He was nervous, thinking…

Considering

Kurogane realized, which was further than he had ever gotten before.

"I… don't remember."

The ninja sighed.

"I can sit here all day blondie…"

Fai looked up and bit his lip. Hard.

"Oi."

No reaction.

"Quite that! You're gonna make yourself bleed!"

Nothing.

"Your saying you'd rather make yourself bleed than tell me?"

Guilt crossed Fai's face at his statement and he let up on his lip. That gave Kurogane an idea, which he felt somewhat bad about even having. But he had noticed that Fai's driving force in a lot of his actions was guilt. He didn't want to hurt anybody. Kurogane mentally berated himself about what he was about to do, but in the end he decided that Fai manipulated people all the time for much less important things. He tried to remember why this was important, but all he could come up with was that he wanted to know.

After a moment's hesitation, Kurogane allowed just the slightest twinge of hurtto cross his face. After all, that wasn't really a lie; he was slightly hurt that after all this time Fai still didn't trust him, he was just choosing to show it for once. The blonde ought to know anyway.

Fai watched him and he saw the tell-tale guilt cross his face.

"I don't remember… a lot…"

"But you do remember some..?"

A slow nod as Fai turned his face away.

"All I remember is the end."

"Yeah?"

"He killed me…"

"Who killed you?"

"You said I didn't have to use names."

"Ashura?"

A pause.

"…yes."

His eyes closed and Kurogane thought that was it, and then…

"But you were right."

His eyes slid open.

"Something was different."

"Such as..?"

"It was here."

"What do you mean?"

"It was… usually in my dreams, I'm home. But last night I was here, in this world. And I was wearing this world's clothes and so was he. It was strange."

Kurogane nodded, not quite believing how much Fai was telling him. Kurogane watched him continue, noticing how carefully he chose his words, trying not to give too much away.

"I wasn't myself. It felt like I was an image; same body, same clothes, different circumstances."

"How did you-"

"Mokona is veeery hungry!"

The ninja cursed inwardly as he heard the kids moving about in the other room. He was about to finish his question when he saw that Fai was already up, half way across the room.

"Coming!"

Kurogane sighed and eventually followed.

That day was pleasantly warm as they walked through the city together.

"C'mon manju, anything?"

"Mokona is sorry! Mokona can't feel anything now!"

"Maybe we should just go back for now…"

Fai sighed, earning a concerned look from Sakura, who had noticed right away how tired he was and readily agreed.

When they stepped into the apartment, Fai stopped and stiffened.

"It's freezing in here!"

Kurogane rolled his eyes.

"So? It's always cold here, where the hell have you been?"

"Outside," Fai answered, matter-of-factly, "Where it's warm for once. It shouldn't be so-"

"Guys?" Syaoran interrupted, "The hallway's warm…"

Sakura went over and gasped.

"It is! I wonder why…"

Kurogane leveled a glare at Fai.

"Now look what you've started. You're all exciting yourselves. The glass of the widows is thin; we're probably getting a draft. The hall way is inside the building, it has lots of insulation. It's not magic or anything…"

Fai nodded slowly, clearly thinking. Before Kurogane could ask, Mokona interrupted.

"Mokona thinks we should ask someone else if their apartment is cold!"

"That's a good idea Mokona."

Fai agreed, smiling.

"We could ask one of our neighbors if their apartment is cold as well."

The ninja's brow bunched.

"Of course it will be-"

"Since he's head of household, I vote that Kuro-daddy asks. All in favor?"

Mokona shouted 'aye' and the kids looked at each other until Fai motioned at them to raise their hands. They both did so without question. Fai laughed; Kurogane growled.

"No, this is stupid. What does it prove if the apartment is cold or not?"

Fai bit his lip.

"It proves whether ours being cold is normal or not. But if Kuro-sama really doesn't want to ask, then I will…"

Fai was obviously thinking something though, and now Kurogane wanted to know what.

"Oh I'll do it, but I still don't think it makes a difference."

He strode over to the door next to theirs, apartment fourteen, and gave a few harsh knocks. Mokona slipped back into their apartment and they waited. It was a few moments before the sound of a dead-bolt clicking back let them know they weren't being ignored.

The cracked open as far as a thin chain would allow and a small elderly woman pushed her face into the gap. She looked frail, with thin grey hair and light hazel eyes. She looked like she could have blown away with the breeze. She seemed frightened as she stared up at Kurogane, the only person her vantage point allowed her to see.

"C-can I help you?"

"Yeah," The ninja was aware of the intimidation he was causing, but he didn't really care. He was feeling slightly idiotic about his upcoming question and wanted it over.

"We were wondering if your apartment was cold."

"C-cold?"

The woman looked at him like she expected him to force his way in at any moment.

"Cold. Like snow."

His attitude seemed to change something in her and she glared at him, fear turned to annoyance.

"I know what the word cold means, thank you very much."

Kurogane sighed.

"If you know than just answer the question-"

"Kuro-rin, remember your manners!"

"Who else is out there?"

The woman now seemed more curious than anything else. Kurogane huphed and side-stepped, showing her the rest of his little group. As she squinted at them, she saw Syaoran first who gave a small bow, then Sakura who smiled warmly and finally Fai, who did both. When she saw him, her eyebrows went up.

"Young man?"

Syaoran stepped forward and she waved him away with a roll of her eyes.

"Not you, you."

She jerked her chin at Fai.

"Come closer so I can see you."

Fai did as he was told and the woman squinted further.

"Do I know you? You seem familiar…"

"We live next door-"

"No, no… I remember you from a long time ago."

There was an uncomfortable silence as she examined his face. Then the door closed. The all stared at each other until they heard the chain drop and the door swung all the way open, letting them see the woman's back as she toddled into the apartment.

"I'll just have to have you in for tea."

The inside of the apartment was entirely white and pink, with little red rosettes where space allowed. Every available surface was covered with figurines of children and angels and the occasional kitten. There was a strong smell of stale potpourri.

"Have a seat in the living room, anywhere is fine."

There were two small couches in the living room, both pink and white striped except for the clear plastic covers that were on everyupholstered item. Syaoran and Sakura sat stiffly on one and Fai sat down on the other, patting the spot next to him for Kurogane.

The ninja however was having an internal battle between his need for comfort and his need for dignity. Fai stepped in as the ref.

"Kuro, be polite or I'll tell her not to give you a cookie with your tea…"

"I don't want a friggin' cookie…"

He grumbled as he dropped next to Fai, the force making the slighter man fall sideways. He was louder than he thought though.

"I wasn't planning on giving him one anyway, so rude…"

The woman called from the kitchen where they could hear her filling a kettle with water from the tap.

Kurogane cursed in annoyance and turned to Fai who had just managed to right himself.

"Why are we still even here? We're inside, we already know that… it's… warm…"

Fai winked.

"Now we're figuring out why."

With the kettle on the stove, the woman returned and settled a plate full of small sandwiches on the coffee table, adjusting a cherub doll to make room, before taking one and lowering herself into a large plastic-covered armchair. For all her snipes and barbs she seemed to have a very hard time maneuvering herself. Once seated she gestured for them to help them selves and they did, Kurogane only after Fai poked him in the ribs, teasing comment poised on his lips. Kurogane cut him off though by shoving his sandwich the rest of the way into his mouth and grabbing one with a growl. The woman conveniently waited for all of their mouths to be full before starting a conversation.

"So I assume you've found out what you were wondering?"

"Yes."

Fai managed after quickly swallowing what Kurogane assumed was mostly un-chewed sandwich. Ingrained manners were going to kill him at some point, Kurogane decided, or at least get him a lung-full of bread*

"Your apartment is…" Fai searched for the word, clearly thinking of several and passing them over. He settled on:

"Lovely…"

She smiled.

"Oh thank you dear."

"Yes," Sakura quickly agreed, "I love the colors."

Syaoran looked slightly ill and Kurogane was left to debate if she meant it or was just being polite. Either way, their host didn't seem to appreciate it.

"You shouldn't repeat another's complement so quickly, child. It comes off entirely insincere."

There was silence as they all tried to figure out what had just happened. Sakura spoke first.

"O-oh… I'm… sorry..?"

She looked to Syaoran to see what she had done wrong and the boy offered a subtle shrug. Then the woman seemed to have had enough of them and turned back to Fai.

"I'm Ruby, by the way."

"Ruby," Fai repeated, dropping the honorific as they had earned to in some worlds. "My name is Fai and this is Sakura, Syaoran and Kuro-"

"-gane."

The ninja finished for him to avoid any misunderstandings. He knew better than to let Fai perform introductions. Ruby offered them each a brief nod as Fai gestured to them before looking back at him.

"May I ask why you wanted to know if my apartment was warm?"

"We," Fai reiterated, "were interested because our apartment is so cold."

She nodded.

"You live in apartment thirteen, right?"

"Yes, we do."

Ruby shook her head at him.

"Thirteen… That's a bad number you know, bad luck."

"Yeah, we get it."

Kurogane piped up form his disgruntled slouch nest to Fai. She was just going to scare the kids. Ruby looked at him.

"You're not very bright, are you?"

"What the he-"

Fai placed a calming hand on his arm without turning around.

"Yes, we've been told it's very unlucky. We certainly haven't been having much luck lately…"

He looked away as if lost in thought and Kurogane grinned. Forget magic, Fai's number on skill had to be manipulating a conversation.

"How so?"

Ruby was now the picture of concern, sitting forward, eyes trained on Fai.

"Well… we're looking something, something important, but we're having a very hard time tracking it down…"

"Could I help you?"

"No… well," Fai's face visibly brightened. It was all a mask, Kurogane knew, but it was very believable.

"You might. What we're looking for might cause strange things to happen where it goes. Ruby, can you think of anything strange happening lately?"

Kurogane smirked. Leave it to the elderly not to ask what they were looking for or why they needed it or even why it was important.

"Like the temperature?"

Ruby asked hopefully. Fai hesitated.

"…Sure. Just something strange, that wouldn't normally happen."

"Well, lately I haven't been able to get any hot water."

Her tone suggested that this was a punishable crime. Fai nodded sympathetically.

"Neither have we."

He looked around.

"Was…was that all?"

Kurogane could have laughed at Fai's face. He was obviously regretting the situation.

"Oh no," Ruby continued. "I was talking to Estelle in apartment twenty-four and she says she can't get any either. The super says that the hot water heater is fine and it's probably because the water tower is on the roof and it's so cold out, but today was warm and it's still freezing!"

"Right…"

"And then there's the electric!"

"The electric?"

Fai asked desperately.

"Yees, yes, you haven't noticed that the lights flicker?"

"Oh, right…"

"Just the other day I was having lunch with Edna in forty and the lights went out completely! Not just one bulb, all of them! Right in the middle of my story too; what was I telling her…"

In the background the kettle began to rattle. Ruby continued.

"Oh right! I was telling her how the other night I was trying to fall asleep and I hear footsteps out in the hall! At three in the morning! And then there was crying-"

The kettle buzzed louder.

"Um, Ruby? Your kettle…"

"I mean, people could learn to be considerate of their neighbors. If you're going to cry, stay in your apartment!"

Sakura stood to get the kettle before the water evaporated but Ruby stopped her.

"Excuse me we're in the middle of a conversation you shouldn't just leave."

"I'm sorry, but your kettle-"

She didn't get to finish her sentence though as the kettle exploded with a loud bang and all three light bulbs on the fan over their heads burst.

The bursting light bulbs were startling, but it was late afternoon and so thin grey light filtered in through the drawn blinds. Everyone seemed frozen in place for a moment before Ruby snapped.

"Well, don't just sit there, I'm an old woman, I can't reach the floor to wipe it you children go clean it!"

Everyone sat stock still, concerned as to what might happen if they moved.

"Why don't you let me take care of it?"

Fai moved to stand and the woman reached out and put her hand on his knee.

"Oh you're such a nice young man, but you stay hear and talk to me, we were having such a nice conversation. The rest of you should make yourselves useful."

Fai looked slightly disappointed and Kurogane realized he was probably looking for a polite way to end their 'nice conversation'. But Ruby was desperate to talk to someone it seemed and she didn't seem too ready to let Fai go. Kurogane decided to go and figure something out later.

"We'll get it."

He stood and ushered the confused children with him, almost laughing at Fai's confused face.

Kurogane grabbed a rag and finished wiping off a countertop. He glanced back in the living room to check on Fai. He was smiling and being polite but he looked positively miserable. Ruby wasn't listing supernatural occurrences, she was listing complaints. Fai was trying so hard to seem interested-no, to be interested, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to end the conversation. Apparently he understood that she was a lonely old woman who wanted someone to talk to and that made it impossible in his mind to leave. The ninja had had enough.

"Oi, you two go home, I'll rescue the mage."

Without so much as a question Syaoran and Sakura ducked out the front door and Kurogane worked up the right amount of concern before striding into the living room.

"The princess burnt her hand on the kettle really bad, I think you should go look at it."

"Oh!"

Fai jumped up in the middle of Ruby's sentence.

"Ruby it was lovely meeting you but I have to go."

"Oh that's alright sweetie, you just come back and visit me soon okay?"

"Uh-huh."

Fai was up and out the door before Kurogane could get a hold of him. He reached the apartment before him as well and went strait to Sakura, grabbing her hand and examining it.

"Let me see it. Does it hurt? How long were you-"

Sakura was watching Fai with a slightly confused expression and Kurogane stepped in.

"Oi, mage, calm down. No one burnt anything."

Fai looked at him.

"Why did you-"

"For as much of a bastard as you are, you are really fucking polite. You'd have sat there and talked to her all day if I'd let you."

Fai processed the information, a slow grin spreading across his face.

"Kuro-chu learned how to be subtle, I'm so… proud!"

Just as Kurogane was about to come back at him there was a knock at the door. They all looked at each other and Kurogane muttered as he strode over to the door.

"If she followed you she can have you."

He opened the door to an older woman, certainly not ruby though, in her mid seventies. She had dark salt-and-pepper hair and deep ocean blue eyes. She was thin but not frail and her face was lined but determined.

"I think I can help you."

*BrettWitford knows where this came from lol. Yeah, I'm that much of a spazz^^

Okay, Ruby is a hastily thought out Oc but I like her. Her apartment is based on the apartment of a friend of my grandmothers who lived in the same building (but certainly not her personality) I have a feeling old people would like Fai and I like the idea of SOMEONE not liking Sakura. I know she's a little weird, but basicaly her premise is that she's a lonely old complainer who likes Fai because he'll listen to her but she doesn't like the others. As for their visiter, you'll just have to wait^^

ありがとう,

ハッピーハロウィン

ShingetsuXMangetsu