A/N: Have a nice overload of codependency in this chapter.

Part Fifty:

After getting a fire going in the fire tower and making it generally habitable, Kurogane and Boris went to go scout the woods nearby. They found a stand of trees close by the clearing for the fire tower. He watched Boris open the palm of his hand and a plume of purple fire burst forth. Then the flame divided into about twenty, smaller, purple plumes and arranged themselves in a strange lopsided circle at various points from the center.

"What's that?" Kurogane asked. He'd never seen Fai cast anything at all like it.

"It's called Summoner's Fire, but let's keep it between ourselves. His Loftiness wouldn't be pleased to know I used such a tool," Boris said. He closed his hand and the fire vanished as more snow flakes came down. "Let's just call what I did a last resort plan if King Ashura proves too tricky. I'll be able to slow him down with what I know, now."

Kurogane wasn't sure what he was talking about, and was about to ask for details, but Yuui jogged up to them. "Are you both ready?"

"Sure. Let's do this," Kurogane said. "The sooner I have my mage back, the happier I'll be."

"Yours? Fai...?" Yuui asked, looking disquieted. "I'm not used to... sharing... Fai. I'm not used to the notion of him having anyone else in his life that could be... closer than me."

Kurogane felt a surge of pity for Yuui. He looked closely at the sad, lost, blond mage. Yes, he wore Fai's face, a perfect copy of Kurogane's beloved on the outside. But there was one thing he knew for sure after being with Yuui for a couple of hours: he was certainly in love with Fai, and Fai only. Kurogane's attraction wasn't just skin deep. He certainly felt different towards this person wearing his lover's face.

Yes, he'd defend Yuui until his last breath, no questions asked, but it would all be for Fai's sake, and Kurogane was always taught to defend the weak at all costs, anyway. He never had to do that, really, with Fai. Fai was not a weak person; he only used that appearance to deceive enemies into underestimating him, like he did with Cousin Ran. He could always take care of himself, and that was one of the things he loved about Fai.

He couldn't see any fight in this twin. He seem afraid of his own shadow, and he seemed to hide behind people. If Boris wasn't here, he'd be sure Yuui would try to hide behind him. That was fine. Kurogane had broad shoulders, but the reality of the damage Fai had done to his twin really struck him. Kurogane now confirmed he was right, whether it was on purpose or not, Fai had effectively emotionally crippled Yuui.

He knew Fai thought it was for Yuui's good, but Fai didn't realize the bad intention he subconsciously held. It would have been better for Yuui if he'd known what his grandfather had done to him and could deal with it on his own and become strong. But no, Fai wanted to be in control of Yuui because he felt guilty, and it made him feel as if he had a sense of control if he could baby and defend Yuui. Kurogane was amazed that all of his insight about Fai was confirmed by spending a short time with Yuui.

Boris seemed to share some similar opinions to Kurogane, but they had some different thoughts about the the twins. Boris seemed energized and encouraged by trying to eliminate Yuui's weakness. He seemed to find purpose in forcing Yuui to live a real life and not just live in Fai and Ashura's shadows. He admired Boris for his patience in putting up with Yuui. Kurogane knew he wouldn't want to manage Yuui at all.

Kurogane took a deep breath and decided to lay out his case so there wouldn't be any mistrust when the battle stared. "Listen, if it helps any, I love your brother with my whole heart and want to spend the rest of my life making him happy. I need him by my side, and I won't stop until that happens. In my society, it's very taboo to take a male lover, but I care about him more. I'm willing to risk a great deal for him, and so are my parents, who I respect and love.

"I know he cares about you as if you are a piece of his flesh, spirit, and soul. I give you respect because of the status he gives you, but there comes a time both of you need to find another to be with. I found your brother and claimed him as my mate; you need to find someone too. Someone that'll make you into a whole person."

Yuui crumpled onto the snowy bank by some ash trees and started sobbing hysterically. Boris took a deep breath and crouched by Yuui. "What he said is true. If you want Fai to be happy, you'll let him go."

"I can't! Who will be with me? I hate you, Kurogane! You want to take him from me, and I hate you for it! I'll never forgive you if you take him from me! I'll hate you till the day I die!" Yuui said through heavy, panicked breathing as he collapsed in the snow.

Yuui was now sobbing in a quivering mass of goo. Kurogane found the behavior childish, to be charitable. He found himself getting angry at Fai for it. This "hissy fit" wasn't Yuui's fault, it was what he'd been twisted into by his own twin and father.

How Fai could have done something like this to someone he supposedly loved was horrible in Kurogane's estimation. He intended to take Fai to task about this and get it squared before he even contemplated taking Fai back to Nihongo. It would shatter this frail creature at his feet wearing Fai's face if things weren't handled right.

"Get up, you little thumb-sucker! Start acting like a man, for goddess' sake! Wipe that snot up and get to your feet, now! You want Fai dead? You sure are acting like it! Grow a pair and get through this. I'm not going anywhere until Fai is back and your father is healed, so get over your spoiled brat act! Your tears won't guilt Kurogane or me into anything!" Boris shouted at the little ball of trembling goo.

Kurogane thought for sure Yuui was going to blubbered more, have a nervous breakdown, and bury himself in the snow like a six year old after that tongue lashing. Instead, Yuui swiped his face with a fluffy, white sleeve and looked at Boris, stunned, as if the man had slapped him.

"You won't leave me?"

"Not until your family is restored. Then, you'll never see me again." Boris stood and held his hand down to Yuui. Yuui took it and the man hoisted him up. "Apologize to Kurogane. You didn't mean it, and you'll regret hurting someone your brother wants to be with."

Yuui turned to Kurogane, shamefaced, and said in a whisper barely above the whipping wind around them, "I'm so sorry... but I need Fai."

"No! You need to learn to be your own man," Boris said. "You're holding Fai back, like he's holding you back."

"True that," Kurogane scoffed. "Listen. I'm not apologizing for loving Fai. I didn't to my parents or anyone else in my realm, I'm certainly not apologizing to you... what'd you call him? The thumb-sucker?... ha... kind of like that... I certainly won't apologize to the thumb-sucking mage for loving his twin. You'll just have to deal with me. Learn it," Kurogane said, glad Boris saw the same codependency and knew that bellowing at Yuui got him into hand for some reason.

Yuui finally nodded and said, "I am truly sorry, Kurogane. I'm not accepting the idea, yet, because I want him to stay in Celes, but I promise to talk to him."

"What we need to work on now is getting your father here and then healed. All this shit is a distraction, so man up. Now," Boris growled. Yuui seemed to take his direction, and Kurogane shook his head. Yuui seemed to be replacing one guardian for another. He wasn't sure it was wise, but it would do for now.

"Are you both ready?" Yuui asked, getting a hold of himself and lofting his staff. Both nodded. "Okay, this should get their attention."

He traced several blue runes in the air and swung the topper of his staff at a dormant tree. The blue magic infused the tree and rejuvenated it quickly. In the dead of winter there now stood a lush, green tree with fresh, red fruit. The bark re-knitted into a thick brown rather than a sickly, cracked gray.

Kurogane was impressed, all he'd ever seen Fai do was blow up trees. He glanced over and saw Boris had a look of approval. "That was a tricky feat during High Winter," Boris confirmed to Kurogane. "Judging by it, that tree will last for years. That's unthinkable. Most healers can only maintain that type of spell for a few months."

"Well, let's go hide, it shouldn't take too long. Fai always knows when Yuui casts," Kurogane said.


"But, Father, I don't understand," Fai murmured, backing away from Ashura as he advanced.

"There was a family secret I shared with Yuui when you were gone. I'm under a curse. A very dark one. It compels me to consume blood though magic. Your clever, little brother actually found a cure. He's brilliant and talented, and I'm proud of him."

Fai wanted to shake his head and deny Ashura was under a curse. Instead, he said with a lowered head, "That's what Lady Suwa told me, but I didn't want to believe her."

"What she divined is true. I started with bandits. After killing hordes of them, I had to move to other people that weren't innocent, either. That's why I needed the duchess' supporters to rebel against me, and they were more than willing. They started a skirmish I was more than happy to put down. Her supporters, though, I either consumed, or swore alliance to me once again. You see, now I've come to a dilemma. I've run out of obvious victims, just like your brother warned me I would."

"So now what?" Fai asked in dread. His hand went to his throat as he back away from his approaching father.

Ashura smiled at him brightly. "You will stop me."

"How?" Fai started trembling horribly when Ashura grabbed him by the upper arms and jerked him close.

Ashura leaned close to Fai's ear and whispered. "You will fight me and kill me, of course, now that you're strong enough. Now you can wield your power. Kill me, my son, or else every innocent in Celes will become my prey, including, our beloved Yuui. You see, I've started craving his eyes. It's the spot both of you hold your powers. It's a wicked sin to desire consuming my son's eyes."

Fai felt his body go limp with shock at his implication, but Ashura held him firm. Fai could never believe Ashura would take Yuui's power like that. His head dropped backwards in shock, and he felt Ashura's breath on the tender skin on his throat. He shivered as it grew hotter.

"Please, father... you ask too much of me, to kill you. I'd never raise a hand to you," Fai whispered and Ashura moved to embrace him around the waist. The king laid his cool forehead on Fai's heated neck, the pulse point now was pressed and throbbing.

"You will, because you love me and you wish to end my pain. You are one of the few through many, many dimensions with the raw power to beat me. I only trapped you here with the binding. You will have to kill me with your strengthened magic or never leave Celes again."

"No, not ever. Not ever will I kill you," Fai whispered, wrapping his arms around Ashura's shoulders. "I'll never do it. I owe you my life. How could I ever take yours?"

"If you owe me your life, you'll obey my dominion over you and do as I say," Ashura whispered back, tickling Fai's ear with warmth. "If you don't, I'll have to fight Yuui."

Fai's body went rigid, but Ashura's hands tried to sooth him. "No! Let me go!" Fai struggled and gradually broke free of Ashura's arms. He panted, shaking, struggling to get a hold of himself. How he wanted to just go back to Nihongo and pretend Ashura hadn't said that. "You know you can't fight Yuui. You'd... hurt him. He can't fight."

"If this is the only way I have to leverage you under my will, then so be it. You're only purpose right now is to end my bloodline and purge this curse from Celes before I take innocent blood like many of my ancestors have in secret and sometimes in the open."

"But why won't you let Yuui cure you? If he's found a cure, then you need to let him cure you!"

"But I can't. The annoying thing about this curse is self-preservation, something you certainly don't have an understanding of. The only way I can take my life or submit to a cure is through fighting another and being killed or subdued. That, and I'm anxious to see if you've learned self-preservation. Have you learned to care for your own pretty skin?"

"Not according to Kurogane," Fai said in heavy bitterness. "Therefore, I can't be your assassin. And you don't know where Yuui is, so you can't compel me. I'll run from you and keep running because I refuse to raise my hand to you."

Ashura's hand lashed out again and gripped Fai's arm, hard. Ashura's brown eyes were cold as High Winter. "You willful child. I shouldn't have indulged you. If I would have taken a firm hand and doled out punishments, you wouldn't be disobeying me now. Neither would Yuui. I've raised two very ungrateful, spoiled brats."

Fai gasped. He'd never in his worst nightmares pictured words coming from Ashura like that. His words were always so kind and sweet when he talked to his sons. He looked closely into Ashura's eyes, and it struck him that the man who had raised him was no longer in control of his body or mind. Fai shook his head. "You aren't my father!"

"But I am your father, very much so. And now you'll stop being selfish and do as I want," Ashura said, clenching Fai's arm tighter. Fai's emotions hit overload and his telekinesis lashed out, shoving Ashura away. Fai stumbled towards a large pillar and looked around for a way to escape. He ran towards the massive doorway, but stopped short as Ashura sent out a large fire with his pyrokinesis to block him from the door.

Fai sank to his knees and looked for some other way out. Ashura picked up Fai's long discarded magic staff and frowned. "I gave this to you seven years ago. Time to put you to the test."

He tossed the staff, but Fai refused to pick it up as it skidded to where he knelt. Fai shook his head. "I won't pick it up!"

"You will! You'll have to, you imprudent urchin."

"I won't!"

"Willful brat!" King Ashura lofted his hand and sent a jolt of magic through Fai, knocking him to the floor. Fai felt under his nose, it was now bleeding. "Why are you making me do this to you, Fai? Fight back."

Fai shook his head and was about to plead with Ashura, but instead there was a ripple in his stomach. He could tell by Ashura's expression he felt it, too. The thought hit them at the same time: Yuui. Fai quickly snatched up his magic staff and traced five runes, as did Ashura. It was a race to see who could get to Yuui first.


Yuui shivered in the clearing by the fire tower. Boris and Kurogane were hiding behind trees, both ready to ambush King Ashura and protect Fai. He gripped his staff and wondered what good it would do him. He knew no hexes, except the subconscious, protective ones Boris had traced on his palm. Therefore, he had no real control over them, because he would have to practice them.

He felt very out of control and helpless. What could he really do to rescue King Ashura? Yes, he knew the spell to save him, but he had to rely too much on others to catch him, neither of whom he knew very well. One of whom threatened to take Fai away, and the other of whom could lead him down a very dark path.

His musings and worries were cut short as he felt a strong flutter in his stomach. He turned his face to the snow laden sky as pink and green runes flashed downwards in front of him. Fai and Ashura appeared in the snowy, dim landscape.

"Yuui!" Fai shouted and started running towards him. Ashura lofted his staff and aimed it at Fai's back.

"Watch out!" Yuui shouted. Fai dropped and Yuui ducked, the green hex barely missing both of them. "Fai! King Ashura is..."

"...insane!" Fai completed, jumping up from the snow and running towards Yuui. He clutched his twin to his chest as Ashura advanced on them. "I didn't listen to Lady Suwa when she told me."

"And I didn't listen to Boris until it was too late," Yuui said.

"Now is the time I've been waiting for," Ashura said calmly.

"Please let me heal you, Father! I'm begging you!" Yuui said, clutching Fai back to keep from sinking to the snowy ground.

"You know my curse won't allow that, Yuui," Ashura said; his expression grew furious. "Besides, you've betrayed me and disobeyed me. I will punish you first. Then Fai will come to his senses." Green runes came hurtling towards them. Fai's pink disk shield flared in time to protect them. "You have improved, but even the best shields can be broken."

Green lighting lashed out and shattered Fai's shield. Fai gasped in shock. More green lighting lashed out from Ashura's staff, aimed right for the twins. A purple, glowing dome surrounded them and then the lightening deflected harmlessly.

Ashura now looked extremely pissed off as he turned towards the woods. "Come out, Boris."

Boris stepped out from the trees and leaned on his silver staff. "Hello, Majesty. It seems I'll get a chance to personally thank you for making me governor of Valeria. Sorry I didn't send a thank you card three years ago." Yuui flinched from Boris' tone. Now was not the time for sarcasm.

"Gracious as ever, Boris? It always was one of Gustave's points of pride, all your courtesy, kindness, and respect." Ashura said this with a smile that didn't disguise the matching sarcasm, but it did caused Boris' expression to sour. Yuui could pick up that what Ashura had said wounded Boris; no doubt it had to do with some a history between Boris, Gustave, and Ashura. The king continued, "After all, your politesses is only surpassed by your charity. That's why I wondered why you took up with Yuui. He requires more patience than you have."

Boris gave a smirk and snort. "I've lost my temper with him plenty, and he despises me as much as I loath him, but he doesn't deserve what you're doing to him. Step down and let him heal you."

"Now, Boris, I'm not about to do that. But I will crush you for getting in between me and my children. Arrogant enough to think you can face me alone after all the blood I've consumed?"

"Not hardly. I brought a guest," Boris said. That's when Kurogane stepped out of the trees and took up a two handed sword grip.

"Kuro-pon! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me and run from him. He's not in his right mind!"

"I know, mage." Then Kurogane turned to Ashura and gave him a confident, lop-sided smile. "I, too, didn't get a chance to give you personal thanks for taking my mage from me, Ice King."

"So I have both bastards in front of me who corrupted my little ones. Fine, then, let's play." Ashura raised his staff in the air, the tip glowing green.

Boris moved himself in between the twins and Ashura, raising his own staff. "Get Yuui out of here! Now!"

"Boris!" Yuui shouted and reached out for the man as Fai yanked him towards the fire tower. "Please don't kill him!"

"Come on, Yuui!" Fai shouted, tugging brother away from the oncoming battle.


Kurogane shouted and ran at Ashura. The king leaped to the side, Kurogane barely missing his arm with Ginryuu. He skidded by Boris and stood side-by-side with the reanimator. Boris sent runes flying, but Ashura sliced the runes down with his own and raised a domed shield.

Kurogane gather energy around him and launched an attack against the shield using Ginryuu. The shield rippled, but held. "Damn! Now what?"

"Keep attacking. It'll take energy for him to maintain it."

Kurogane ran towards the shield. He lofted Ginryuu and brought it down. Sparks flew as the blade dragged across the green glow. Kurogane slashed at it three more time.

"Come out and face me, Ice King. I demand the right to defend my mage's honor!"

"He's mine! Not yours! And we aren't in Nihongo. I make the rules here," Ashura said.

"Rules or no, you'll have to come out of there some time." Kurogane took three steps back and held his sword in a stance as if he were ready to thrust. "And when you do, I will defend my mage's honor."

Ashura only smiled with a slight chuckle. Kurogane noticed Boris scowling. He slowly moved backwards to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the man. "What is it, reanimator of Celes?"

"I think I have an idea to keep him busy. That shield has one particular weakness I just remembered. Are you up for a little hide and seek?"

"I don't play kids' games, but I'll make an exception."

Boris stepped forward and raised his staff. "You know what my father used to say. In for a kopeck, in for a ruble. He used to say, if you start something, you should always put your all into it, and that's what I intend to do now."

Kurogane thought the king looked baffled; the ninja was certainly baffled. Boris jerked his head to the fire tower and Kurogane got the hint he should be ready to run like no tomorrow.

Finally, Ashura seemed enlightened. Ashura eased his staff to the ground and started laughing as if Boris had told a hysterical joke. The king caught his breath and shook his head as if Boris was a slow witted child. "You've been on Valeria too long. There are no corpses here, therefore, necromancy doesn't work on Celes. "

Boris adopted the smarmiest expression. "So you'd think, but who said I was talking about reanimating humans."

Kurogane ran when Ashura's face lost its mirth and Boris started tracing runes. This was about to get ugly, and it was his job to make sure the twins were far back from this oncoming nastiness.

To be continued.

A/N: btw- the hubby says y'all will come after me with pitchforks for this cliffhanger.