A/N: correct spelling of of Valerian castle here. Sorry about messing that up.

Part 25:

"Look, Kurogane, they have hot chocolate here, just like on Celes." Lady Suwa said, holding two mugs. Kurogane had been staring out at Piffle World in the evening. It was lovely unlike anything he was used to. If he hadn't just had the scare of his life, he'd be inclined to go explore. "It was hard to find you at first, but the other Tomoyo was very helpful."

"How did she know where I was?" He asked. He was on the roof of the Piffle Princess' corporate headquarters. His legs dangled over the ledge as he leaned his forehead on the metal railing.

"Something called video cameras." Lady Suwa said, handing Kurogane a steaming mug after she sat by her son. She pointed to a glossy black box with a circular bit of glass. "It sent your image to one of those computers. Anyway, you seemed in such a hurry after you talked with Fai. He was very, very upset. The ice king is a bit put out with you." She gave him a smile and said in a teasing tone, "I wouldn't get on the other side of his staff, if I were you."

"The ice king isn't trying to take Fai back to Celes, is he?" Kurogane asked.

"No, and Fai didn't ask to go back either. He's afraid you want to... how did he put it? Chain him to a hot cauldron for the rest of his life." She gave a soft chuckle. "He can be so melodramatic at times. He'd put a whole kabuki troop to shame. But that being said, I'm not invalidating his feelings. He does have a right to be upset and confused."

"I do want to chain him to cauldron and I'm considering it. Tsk, I guess I can't do that. He'll just run off." He took a sip of the hot chocolate. "This isn't as good as Celes'."

"No, it isn't."

Kurogane was silent. He knew his mother was patiently waiting on him to talk. He knew he had better just talk, because she wasn't going to go away. Still, he was having trouble even thinking about what had just happened.

"Mother, I kept thinking of that time when I almost lost him from that head injury. That hurt unlike anything. All those feelings came back. Only this time, I was also afraid for the children. I feel like I'm in an untenable situation. It feels like I have to give in to his demands, but he's giving no consideration about my feelings over seeing him risk his life. You know, Mother, when we first met he couldn't give a damn about his own pretty skin. I thought he finally found something live for."

"He has. If you can't see that, then you're being a bit blind, Son. He's trying to live. He feels as if you aren't letting him. Your fear of losing him is a real problem."

Kurogane wanted to deny it, but his mother was right. She'd been trying to get this through to him for a while now. Now it was here. He had managed progress, but it seemed that it was in his hands whether that progress went backwards of forwards.

"I guess I better go talk to him."

"Only if you have things clear in your head about the role he's going to play in your life. You need to clearly invite him into that role and then support him. Right now, he feels as though you don't support him after you promised to do that very thing. He feels everything is stacked against him."

He thought about it and said, "But, Mother, I thought he wanted to live in the Nihongo way. Didn't he agree to that?"

"He agreed to live in Nihongo and among us, adopting some of our customs. But that doesn't mean he has to give up the person he is. Didn't you tell your father once you fell in love with Fai because of who he was?" Kurogane frown at Lady Suwa, but nodded. "Please think on that before you go see him."

Kurogane took that in. He had indeed told his father he loved Fai because he was Fai. It didn't matter to him Fai's gender. He didn't want to change who Fai was, and Fai didn't want to change who he was. Kurogane realized he had to stop what he was doing to Fai.

The issue now was, if he did support Fai in living his life as he chose, what would Kurogane have to do to defend that when they got back to Nihongo. In particular, how would this shape up with his father, who was still very put out with Fai.

At one time, Lord Suwa had liked Fai, now Kurogane wasn't so sure Lord Suwa could even tolerate the mage in the same room. Kurogane would have to cross that bridge when they got back to Nihongo. Right now he had to concentrate on Fai.

Yuui felt alone in the tiny room atop one of the towers in Fremma Luma castle. It was a windowless, dark space. He could start to sense there were five guards outside the door, but he still couldn't get a focus on what emotions they were actually feeling.

He was starting to feel more like himself. Confessing to Fai what he had about gifts and testing was large. He wanted to keep that to himself, especially the time he had tested Ashura. He had always intended to keep that to himself, but maybe it was time to think carefully about these things. Not thinking about them had caused this situation he was in right now. Shouldn't he not have a problem asking Boris for a staff? What would Boris ask of him in return?

He opened the door to the stairwell and looked at the guards. They all bowed their heads to him. "Please bring me the governor."

"I'm afraid we can't, Highness. He's locked inside the catacombs with the one-eyed... the ninja standing guard outside. He said he'd visit you as soon as the spell he was casting was over," the captain said.

Yuui thanked them and shut the door. He'd wait on Boris. He knew his lover was doing something terrible; he was sure of it. But he'd choose to have faith in Boris' judgment. It had never let him down before. Now he had to have faith that Boris was open about giving him a new staff without harming him return.

Yuui felt a tingle on his throat. Just the barest hint of a magic tug. Yuui felt agitated. He started pacing the tiny, round room. He opened the door again, all he knew was there was something he had to find. The combat mages all bowed their heads.

Yuui ran past them. They were so stunned that Yuui would do such a thing he got a head start on them. Down the stairs he ran. He finally found a familiar landing and ducked behind a tapestry where there was an alcove; he and Fai used to hid in it. He boosted himself quickly through a hole in the crumbling wall. It was too narrow for most grown men, however Yuui was very lanky.

He heard them rush by the alcove after checking behind the tapestry. They were in too much of a hurry to notice the small hole up high. Good, he had hidden just in time. He crawled through the hole he and Fai used to use to sneak around the castle. Now to get out of the castle and find what he needed to find.

"Zellen! It's so nice to see you," Oscar greeted him. The man was still a bit of a sloppy mess, appearance-wise, but seemed a lot happier. Zellen had sent him a few shipments of his formula, so the man could maintain the new life he was starting to establish. Oscar wrote him on occasion, and it cheered Zellen up when he was in the middle of riding the circuit.

Zellen was surprised the man worked as a baker. He'd had no idea until now. He was supposed the be the best baker in this major village of Yasny. He served Zellen a heavenly cinnamon roll and some wonderful coffee inside his café. It was very early morning before the shop was to open. Zellen used to be a late sleeper until his career had cured him of that.

"So you said you wanted to ask me something?" the dark haired man asked.

"Yes. Drysi seems to be having some problems trusting me, lately. You see, she got pregnant recently, and she's had a very hard time. What can I do to make her feel comfortable?"

Oscar gave him a baffled expression and then laughed. "That's more of a man and woman problem than anything else."

"What, but I thought..."

"Yes, some of it will have to do with psychometry, but not all. Just be patient and be there for her."

"But that's what my mentor and aunt said," Zellen said in a sulk.

"They were right. She'll come around. It sounds to me like you're looking for a quick fix."

"No. Well. Maybe." Zellen snorted in aggravation before finishing off his coffee.

"Don't blame it all on psychometry. My parents taught me that there would be barriers and challenges, but it should never be a crutch for me refusing to deal with the human condition. If she was willing to marry you and have a child, I'm sure she knows the same thing. It's just that," Oscar got suddenly wistful, "every now and again we do fall into these mistrustful modes. It's in our nature. If you choose to love her, you have to be the one with the endurance. I know you're young, but you'll figure it out."

"Thanks. I think I understand. It's just very hard right now."

"I know. Listen, I'll send you along some cheese danishes. The same ones Judge Vlad orders from me all the time. He's a big fan of danishes."

"Agh! That man!" Zellen said, smacking his face. "Is there not one place I can go without hearing his name? He shows up everywhere! It's like he lurks around trying to annoy me."

"Hello, lover boy! Pissing off my favorite baker?"

"Agh!" Zellen shouted, seeing the man appearing in a flurry of pink runes. Zellen grabbed his staff and teleported right home in a glow of yellow.

Vlad shrugged at the baker and said, "That boy is always getting under my foot. A baker's dozen of cream cheese danishes, please."

"Wow, what's the occasion?"

"The king has me guarding a very annoying prisoner. He's from that land Duke Fai moved to. The first Nihongo guy I met was a real top notch, tough guy. This one is as soft as a snow hare's belly. This joker thought he could destroy the duke's staff and the king would overlook it."

Oscar grimaced. "Did the man have a death wish?"

Vlad gave a belly laugh. "I thought so. Anyway, this whiny piece of shit is getting on my last nerve. I would have chained him to Luval's battlements and let frost bite on his balls teach him a lesson, but oh no, we have to return his delicate little ass to his father as is. That Ashura!" Vlad clenched his fists. "I swear he's a spoil sport! I just need sugar to endure this Nihongo guy's bitching. Much more and he's going to loose his fucking tongue."

"How about the apple topped danishes, then?"

"Damn it, Oscar, you know what I like! And don't forget to give me the gossip on lover boy. He amuses me."

"He seems so calm. He wasn't upset we failed?" Bresha asked Noin as they climbed the tower.

Noin nodded her head. "He was upset, but Catherine said that Hilde at least nicked the cursed twin. That was all that was needed."

Bresha wasn't sure what Noin meant, but she knew that could be very bad for Yuui, even with his healer's abilities.

Boris took a deep breath. He'd never preformed this spell before. The dead girl lay beneath his staff which floated above her in a cloud of purple. The topper was at her head, the casting point was at her feet. He had cast the spell and felt the "pulls" the book he read had referred to. His right hand to hers, his left foot to hers, and so on and so on. What was the disturbing part was the "pull" he felt on his tongue.

He then nudged her tongue by rolling his tongue around his mouth. Yes, this spell was working, but it felt so uncanny. His body felt incredibly heavy. His chest was tight and his body was burning hot.

"Where am I? Duo?" she asked. Her dull eyes opened. Boris was amazed he could close his eyes, and see through hers. This spell was just as disorienting as he thought it would be.

"You're at Frem Lumma Castle," Boris answered. He could make her stand, walk, talk, do just about anything. He could, for a very short while, get her to answer questions. "Do you remember why you're here?"

"To take the prince hostage."

"Hostage? You were about to stab him in his throat."

"No. The blade was spiked. Milliardo wanted me to nick him. He'll need to go to Milliardo now."

Boris about dropped his marionette connection, but he hung on firmly. He demanded, "Milliardo who?"

The girl's corpse shuddered and then the breath leaked out of her. That was the limit of words he could eek out of her mind. He could still move her body and make her talk with his words, but even that would fade pretty soon. He swiped his hands and cut the purple, glowing strings.

"Damn," he cursed through clenched teeth. Boris grabbed his staff and used it to prop himself up. He was seeing double and shaking. His right side was on fire.

"Governor!" Boris looked up, seeing Ran running down into the catacombs. "His Highness has run off! We must find him!"

Rage pushed Boris' nausea aside. "What blithering morons let the crowned prince of Celes slip through their fingers when he can't hex his way out of a bag? Never mind! I'll settle with them later. Bah, it could be tough to find him. He knows this castle, because he lived here when he was small and trying to hide from that old bastard the king." Boris chuckled when realization dawned on him. "I was raised here, too. I bet I can find him."

"What can I do, Governor?"

"Have the men surround the castle. If they see my little thumb sucker, they are to take him into custody by authority of King Ashura."

"But you haven't talked to the ice king."

"The king won't mind me throwing around his name in this case."

Ran nodded and left to fulfill his orders. Boris marched from the catacombs and started with the tower room where Yuui was kept. He careful retraced the path Yuui would have had to take. He searched every nook and cranny. Finally, about the forth tapestry he encountered he pulled it back carefully and saw a very narrow hole that would have been missed in a rush. Boris looked closer. There was no way he'd fit in there, but Yuui most likely could.

Boris vowed to fatten him up once he got a hold of him. He stalked off having a fair idea where Yuui was headed. It would be downward. He raced down the stairs, now having a better idea where Yuui would have to escape.

Kurogane looked into the recovery room and saw King Ashura sitting beside Fai on the hospital bed. Fai was asleep, curled up next to the monarch with his head pillowed on his lap. Ashura stopped rubbing Fai's arm and gave Kurogane one of those smiles. The one that was warm on the outside, but certainly had a deep, icy malice behind it.

"I've come..."

Ashura hushed Kurogane with a wave of his hand. Kurogane was irritable, but he had been raised to be respectful of his elders. Ashura slowly shifted Fai and tucked him under several blankets.

Ashura and Kurogane crept back out into the hallway. Ashura crossed his arms; that deceptively serene smile still played at his lips.

"How is he?"

"Very upset. He's resting now."

"I didn't mean to upset him. I said what I did because I remember almost losing him. I just never wanted to live through that again. Fai never did tell you how bad his head injury was, did he?"

"No, he lied about it, of course, but your mother told me a little while ago as an explanation as to why you threatened to lock him away in the Suwa family home."

"That was wrong of me considering..." Kurogane suddenly crossed his arms, not wanting to say the rest.

"Considering what Yuui suffered at my hands?"

"Yes, ice king."

"Your mother and I have talked a great deal about your relationship with Fai since we've been here. I think it could be a very strong one. I can see you've changed him for the good, however don't give him an excuse to slip into his old habits."

"I won't. I know he listens to you a great deal."

"He does. I've advocate for you, but that will cease if you hold him in scorn, or if he's shamed into living a life he doesn't want to."

"I don't hold him in scorn. I never have, and I never would. He only deserves to be honored."

"Then honor him," Ashura said, standing aside and opening the door for Kurogane. The ninja crept in quietly. Ashura didn't follow.

Kurogane pulled up a chair by the head of the bed. Fai was balled up under covers; he was in a deep sleep. What Kurogane had to say could wait until tomorrow; Fai's rest and health were very important right now.

Kurogane settled in for some rest. The last thought on his mind was having a long talk with Lord Suwa when they got back.

Yuui peeked outside the castle and saw it was surrounded by combat mages. He felt trapped. He was still compelled to leave, so he'd run for it past them. He was about to slip out of an archery port, in spite of the cold and him only wearing a light weight, white robe and having bare feet. The port was high up, but he was able to climb up.

"Yuui! Stop! Get down from there! Now!"

He didn't look at Boris. He continued to struggle through the narrow port, only with more fervor. Boris would stop him from his goal: to get outside. Yuui felt Boris' large hand grab his ankle. He was yanked from the archery port and held in firm arms. Yuui thrashed and was able to get his hands on Boris' chest. His magic burst forth and knocked Boris back against the wall. The governor slumped to the ground, dazed.

Boris gasped and grimaced in pain, trying to get his wits about him. Yuui backed away in horror. He was shocked he'd ever do something like that, use what Boris had traced with him against the man. Boris had done tracing so Yuui could protect himself, now he'd harmed the man that cared enough to go to all that effort.

"Boris, I'm so terribly sorry," Yuui whispered as guilt enveloped his stomach. He stretched out his empathy to make sure Boris was okay, but it was still too dull to tell anything. He went to go help Boris. Before he could, that tug towards the outside yanked him hard. He had to go. "Boris! I'm so sorry! I can't help it!"

Boris struggled to his feet. He was doubled over as he tried to even out his breathing. "I know you can't help it. Fight, Yuui. I hate you too much to see you as someone's puppet."

Yuui ran towards the archery port, realizing he was under a powerful spell. He concocted a clever scheme to trap his kidnappers that were using a strong lure. "Follow me, Boris. You can find these people and then stop them. They want me alive, obviously. Follow my blood."

"What? Yuui! That's too dangerous!"

"Whoever it is needs to be stopped. This is a way you can find them and do that. You've done it before, do it again," Yuui said. He bit his thumb, drawing blood and smearing it on the wall as he hoisted himself out of the port and ran. The combat mages were a little too far away, but Ran jumped in front of Yuui and spread his arms out.

Yuui paused when the ninja said, "No, Highness. Back in the castle. Now."

Yuui's eyes narrowed. He ran towards Ran, taking a calculated risk. He charged right towards Ran. The ninja jumped out of the way rather than risk touching Yuui. He then ran toward the woods.

It was then that a woman clad in black rode up on horseback and lofted him to the saddle. He looked up at her. She had braided, blond hair and a sweet smile. She rode off with him and everything became a blur as they road into the woods.

Fai woke slowly. His body was so achy. Every joint felt on fire and his belly felt as if a thousand needles were poking inwards. He peeked over to see Kurogane asleep in a chair by his side. He glowered, still put out with Kurogane. He felt something stir inside of his abdomen. His magic spiked suddenly and then leveled out. He put his hands over stomach and panicked.

"Kurogane! Help me! Something just happened!"

The ninja bolted awake and out of the chair and to his side. "What is it?"

"I don't know! Things feel different all of the sudden. Get your mother!"

Kurogane ran from the room shouting for people to go attend to Fai. It wasn't long before Lady Suwa and King Ashura came rushing in; she took Fai by the hand. Her worried eyes turned amused after looking him over. Before she could say anything, Icchan and his crew came in and hooked Fai up to a bunch of equipment.

Icchan finally produced a wand and slowly waved it over Fai's abdomen. The man looked over to a computer screen and screamed, "NO! This can't be! I said it wouldn't be! Damn it!" The man then howled and stomped his feet in a petulant fit.

"What is it?" Kurogane growled.

"He is going to have twins," Icchan said in a pout.

Kurogane rolled his eyes and smacked his face. "We told you that many times, you sociopath!"

"I'll put a lien on the second baby if he doesn't stop it right now!" Icchan said, waving a finger at Fai in disgruntlement. "Put that zygote back together or you'll regret it! I have Seishirou the repo man on speed dial!"

"You know his father is standing over there and ready to zap you again?" Kurogane asked in a bland tone with crossed arms. "He has lots of torture devices and enjoys using them."

"How is it that you're able to have twins?" Icchan demanded, hands clenched on the bed rail and his face in Fai's face.

Fai smiled brightly in spite of his pain. "Your nice brother helped read off some of the questions under medical history in all those forms you had me fill out. I don't think you read my answer or interpreted my clever hieroglyphs correctly on question number fifty-seven."

"Hieroglyphs? What the...?" Suddenly Icchan scrambled and toted out the massive paperwork. He riffled through it and stopped a forth of the way in. "You scribbled all over my beautiful documents with animal pictures!"

"I answered your questions the best way I knew how," Fai said in mock innocents. His philosophy was always make a boring task fun. He had to hear Ashura lecture him over and over about that, but he'd just ask Ashura for an expensive trinket with a pout, saying that if only if he had such trinket he'd behave. Yes, Ashura and he had played that game way too many times.

"Question fifty-seven you doodled two pictures of kitty-cats!" Icchan then looked at the form and got all gushy. "Granted they are the most adorable little kitty-cats. Must make them into a new toy line." Then he got stern again. "But that explains nothing to me!"

"That question asked if I was a single, twinned, or tripled at birth. Therefore, I answer the question truthfully. The first kitty-cat on the left with the smile is me. The one on the right, looking all cute, but terribly shy is my identical twin brother. I thought we'd look so cute as kitty-cats. The big kitty-cat is King Ashura. I put a cute little crown on him, but a different fur color to indicate we aren't related. And the puppy-dog with the snarl is Kurogane and you see his parents..."

"What! You've made a mockery of my forms!"

"Well then, don't put out something that deserves mockery," King Ashura said. He then looked over Icchan's shoulder. "Very good Fai. I'm glad to see you've taking up art again."

"Would you stop encouraging him!" Icchan snapped at King Ashura.

Suddenly, Fai ducked under the covers. He didn't feel green magic come from his father. Instead, Ashura lashed out with his pyrokinesis and torched the six inches of forms in Icchan's hand. He'd had a feeling that was coming.

"My forms! How will I sue you for breaking the contract now?" Icchan pouted.

Fai poked his head out of the covers and said, "Even if you had them, you couldn't sue me because I told the truth. You just didn't read it and plan for the likelihood. Twins, unfortunately in my case, run frequently in my family, along with a curse. I'm hoping to change that with these two."

"For once he told the truth," Ashura said, stopping the fiery embers on the floor with his pyrokinesis.

"You better knock off your whining and care for our twins," Kurogane said.

"You don't understand! I only planned for one baby in my designs! Not two!"

"What does that mean?"

"The Angelic Layers shell was intended to support one child. One of them might not develop and you'll probably lose one," Icchan said with a dire tone.

Fai felt panic hit. He knew in his heart that he saw his two sons in the future, but those flashes of the future were never guaranteed. At least, that's what Ashura had taught him about the dream seer gift.

To be continued.