A/N: More codependency and a splash of hypocrisy on display.
Part Fifty-Two:
Fai opened his eyes when the purple runes dissipated. He looked around the rocky ground and the pitch black sky that not even the stars could warm. No clouds, no blizzard. It was a stale place with a cold to it that the rest of Celes couldn't match. This was the extreme North Pole of Celes no one dared to visit.
It was plunged in an eternal night because of a disaster eons ago; it was a long since forgotten part of their lore. Boris, of course, was only able to put them five meters away from the ley lines that were cracked and damaged.
Yuui walked away deeper towards the damaged land and saw something over the edge of a rock outcropping. He gave out a strangled scream and stumbled backwards into Boris' arms. The ex-governor quickly embraced Yuui, dropping his silver staff in the process. He rocked Yuui a little and rubbed the small of his back when the healer whimpered in terror; he buried his head on Boris' chest. The ex-governor gave soothing whispers in the younger twin's ear.
Fai's jealous rage hit full tilt, and he was about to yank his twin away from Boris' arms. He was ready to hex the snot out of the man for daring to hold Yuui. He never wanted to see anyone lay a finger on Yuui, even friendly, because Yuui could be damaged even more. Comforting Yuui was solely his job, because only he knew what Yuui truly needed.
It shocked Fai when Kurogane laid a heavy hand on his shoulder and gave him a lethal glare. The look Kurogane was giving him and the shake of the ninja's head told him that he would be restrained with bodily force, if need be. Fai clenched his magic staff and turned back to Boris and Yuui.
Yes, to see his brother trust someone else enough to seek comfort and protection made Fai seethe. Boris, though, parted from Yuui, who looked sickly pale. His twin met his eyes and said one word that caused Fai's stomach to clench in fear. "Pit."
Fai, with trepidation, went to the rocky outcropping and looked down into the gigantic crater. The shape and contours were the exact same as the pit on Valeria, only instead of the tower located in the center, there was a giant, blue-green crystal. He felt himself get queasy, but Kurogane's hands were on his shoulders. "Pull it together, Fai. We have to worry about your father, not this evil place."
Fai nodded. "I sense a void of power here, though, not like the pit on Valeria that had an oppressive amount. That giant crystal in the center does radiate a great deal of energy, but it's being siphoned off. The center where that crystal is located was where the tower on Valeria stood. That's where they put Yuui to part him from me so we couldn't use out powers together. He was able to escape the tower with a burst of his magic, but then we just weren't strong enough to leave."
"Will it entrap you again?" Kurogane asked, furrowing his brow. Boris joined them with trembling Yuui tucked under his arm. Fai's hands itched to cast a hex at Boris; he wanted the man to stop touching Yuui now!
"Not this one. It's a pit without a magic barrier. Maybe Celes and Valeria are parallel realms of some sort. This pit seems identical, or rather, this is the negative space to the one on Valeria," Fai said, trying to reason in spite of his distracting anger at the reanimator.
"Our ancestors came from Celes, Fai," Yuui said and finally parted from Boris. "It's the whole reason our blood can cure King Ashura." Afterwards, he explained about his revelations and quest on Valeria for the cure.
"That explains a lot about our culture, languages, and magic." Fai turned to Kurogane. "There was some adjustment when we were brought here, but not much. The two realms have been aware of each other for eons."
"If that's true, then this probably is linked to that pit on Valeria," Kurogane reasoned. The ninja chuckled and shook his head. "There was a witch from a different realm visiting Princess Tomoyo right before the first time I visited Celes. She took me aside and said the strangest thing, but it never left me. She said 'There is no such thing as coincidence, just the inevitable. It's all Hitzusen.' I always thought she was full of it, but this makes me think she had a point."
"Hitzusen?" Fai said, trying out the word. He then smiled at Kurogane. "I like that. Maybe I'll meet her one day. Maybe she was talking about us? We were destined to meet."
"Not now, mage! We have to find and catch your father," Kurogane snapped, more aggravated at remembering that infuriating, greedy, lecherous woman than anything Fai had said.
"Boris, are you sure Father can beat those creatures?" Yuui asked.
"Positive. The undead just attack without reason. Your father is seasoned enough to get rid of them." Boris then gave a wry twist of his lips. "I'm sure he'll even bring down the bear once he gets a hold of him."
Fai could feel Yuui's extreme anxiety when the man said that. Fai was no empath, but his twin was an exception to the rule. He could see his twin tremble and tear up. The man hadn't made his double meaning about his name too subtle. Fai clenched his staff, grabbed Yuui's shoulder, and shoved him into Kurogane's arms. The ninja looked shocked, but held Yuui firmly. Fai then hotly stared at Boris.
The ex-governor picked up his silver staff and got in a defensive stance that only a seasoned combat mage would recognize. This man would be hard for Fai to beat, even though Fai had more raw power, this man had discipline. Fai'd had enough of this man causing Yuui pain, and, well, he was sick of Yuui's fawning attention on the man, too. He was here, now, and he would be the one to protect his twin from Ashura.
"It seems you're upset with me, Exalted One," Boris said with a sardonic tone.
Fai pointed the topper of his staff at Boris and said, "You leave Yuui alone! Now. You're hurting him. I see it, and I won't tolerate it any longer!"
"Me? I'd say it was you that did it to him," Boris said.
"Stupid mages! This is not the time for a pissing match!" Kurogane shouted, trying his best to hold onto the squirming healer in his arms. He finally hoisted the frail, trashing teen over his shoulder to restrain him. His prayer was that Yuui wasn't a biter, too. "What if the ice king shows up? He'll slay you both because you're too focused on one another. Agree to be allies until this is all over with and then settle your differences."
"He started it, Kuro-pon!" Fai whined, but under that was a hard, serious edge.
"He didn't, you spoiled mage!" Kurogane growled. "Besides, you need his help now that you let your father have control over that blasted tattoo."
Boris nodded and relaxed his stance. "I'll settle up with the Exalted One after this. He's hellbent on keeping Yuui as a pet, not a brother, and he needs to be disabused of that notion. And if it takes a good hexing, Captain Demetri style, then I'll happily dish it out. From the letters the captain sent me, you were no prize."
Fai glared. "I've learned a lot from him! He gave me all his knowledge through his journals. I'll show you everything he taught me from his writing. I had to actually face down Nihongo Country monsters while learning. You had it easy, I didn't. And for you to say Captain Demetri didn't value me..."
"I never said he didn't value you. He liked you a great deal, in spite of himself. He just found you lazy, which is not trait for a combat mage," Boris said and then smirked. "And you're about to find out that lazy is not a trait anyone ever ascribed to me."
Fai was utterly gob-smacked, for once. No one, besides Kurogane, had ever stood up to him, so he was unsure what to do with this challenge. Fai couldn't believe his lover was standing there, saying nothing to Boris. Then again, he was too busy trying to restrain Yuui.
That was until Yuui tried to knee Kurogane in the stomach. He grabbed Yuui more firmly and then shouted at the two would-be combatants, "Would you two moronic mages knock it off before I have to come over there and pound your skulls into the ground alongside this ankle biter!"
Fai finally stomped his foot and glared. He could see he had pushed Kurogane to the limits of his thin patience and he better not keep testing the ninja. "This isn't settled!" Fai promised.
"Not by a long shot," Boris agreed with an arrogant smirk.
"Later, you two jealous idiots!" Kurogane snapped, adjusting the squirming blond on his shoulder as the younger twin sobbed and pounded his fists uselessly on the ninja's back. Thankfully, no teeth were used. "Get it together. Let's catch the ice king!"
"Okay," Boris said. He was now fully relaxed and slung his staff over his shoulder. "The king is my focus. It means a lot of innocent citizens of Celes could be hurt. And then he could move to Valeria."
Fai snorted and lofted his nose in the air. "Don't pretend you care about Valerians!"
"I do care about Valeria, because my father cared about it. But also I have a very intense loathing for one particular Valerian. That's why I'll do anything to stop your father. It has all to do with my hatred of one particular Valerian."
Yuui stilled himself and craned his head around to glare at Boris. "I despise you so much! You're a horrible man! I hate you, too!"
Fai was baffled at Yuui's strange behavior; yelling at a random stranger was certainly not like him, especially someone that exuded such an intimidating air. Yuui never talked to anyone like that, never. There was boldness and passion that actually scared Fai for his twin; he was just too intense. Yuui would make himself sick if he kept up his fury. It was as if his twin was floundering in a cyclone of violent emotions and was clueless how to processes what was battering his heart and mind.
Kurogane dumped Yuui on the ground because his thrashing started up again and got too much. Yuui just landed on his rump on the ice and stared at Boris; his body shook. Fai knelt down beside Yuui and flung his arms around his twin.
Kurogane said, "Fai, you're being willfully blind. Even I can see there's something going on between them, and it's not like I care about that sort of stuff."
Yuui broke away from Fai and flew right into Boris' arms; and then it dawned on Fai. Yuui was infatuated with the ex-governor; that part of Ashura's tale was true. Boris had Yuui's heart, somehow, and Fai was forced to admit it now, seeing the way they held each other.
Fai grew murderous at this; all Boris would do was lead Yuui into insanity. Fai would worry about making sure Boris left Yuui the minute they caught and cured Ashura.
"Now that that's out in the open, let's get the ice king's attention," Kurogane said. "This place is creepy and I want to get out of here soon."
King Ashura finished blasting the undead bear with a hex, sending it to the ground. Now it was still, once again, like the rest of the animal corpses at his feet. He walked over to the bear and turned its lifeless head with his booted foot. His rage was a white hot burn in his head, chest, and stomach.
"You're not going to be the last bear I'll slay on this day," Ashura vowed, trying to reason out why he had granted mercy to Boris the first time. There was some reason, but it was clouded by his fury. There would not be a second chance for the reanimator.
Now he'd wait them out to reveal where they were. No doubt, they would lay a trap for him. He would be wise. He'd target Yuui and hold him hostage to force them to capitulate. After all, Yuui would believe him if he lied and said he'd submit to treatment. And the minute he got close...
Ashura looked down at the bear and gave it a dismissive smirk. He let his foot off the bear's head and torched it with his pyrokineses. He turned from the flaming body with subtle wave of his staff. Now all he had to do is wait for them to reveal where they were hiding.
"So Fei-Wang is making war against Tsukiyono?" Lord Suwa asked the young man sitting across the low tea table from him. Ran nodded and sipped his tea.
"There have been three attempts on Mamoru's life. I respectfully ask that all of the misunderstandings in the past be forgiven and that you lend us support." Ran's tone sound a little bitter and forced, but he knew the young man was doing this in sincerity.
"Of course I'll support Tsukiyono. We're allies."
Lord Suwa noted Ran lost some tension in his shoulders. "You've changed, cousin Ran." Those amethyst eyes looked confused for a moment, and then he nodded. Lord Suwa continued, "It's Shinon's influence on you again. You've finally decided to be submissive to him again. That was wisdom on your part. He's a good master and won't lead you wrong or misuse you."
Ran's face tinged pink, and his face adopted a scowl. He took that as a sign of them resuming their wakashudo relationship. Lord Suwa suppressed his chuckle, knowing it would only offend Ran's dignity. The boy had real issues when it came to obedience and submission. Ran always wanted to dominate and control; he always wanted to be on top and not underneath someone.
He rebelled like a young stallion and needed to have an excellent master to take him into hand to shape him into the fine warrior he could be. Ran's quiet nature covered a hot rage that needed taming, and Lord Suwa knew Shinon could, if anyone, make Ran pliable and less coarse and volatile.
"Shinon and I have resumed our wakashudo agreement as you recommend Lord Suwa. Many thanks." Only Ran sounded acrid and a tinge hostile. It seemed like Ran also sounded tired, and there were bags under his eyes.
Undoubtedly, he was still resisting his master, very hard. There was so much of a story there, but Lord Suwa couldn't delve into it. As with wakashudo situations, no one should get in the middle of them. They were always a very private affair.
"Well, cousin Ran, I'll support Mamoru, have no fear."
Ran lowered his head in what was a tractable body language. "We appreciate your assistance in our dark times." Ran took a few more swigs of tea. "So... where is Kurogane's... bed mate? I'd like to avoid him."
Lord Suwa was suspicious of that question. Why wouldn't he ask after Kurogane first? He claimed to want to avoid Fai, but there was something very false there. Was Ran hoping to draw his sword against Fai again? Certainly not, he'd lose face at this juncture.
Then a sinking thought came to Lord Suwa. Did Ran find Fai on some level attractive and only displayed hostility to hide his socially inappropriate yearnings? Lord Suwa admitted a fierce anger at this idea. That would mean Ran had tried to kill Fai because the mage was being bedded by Kurogane, and Ran knew Fai wouldn't give him a glance. Lord Suwa hated to think that, but that's what his astute instincts were screaming at him.
"The mage of Celes is with his father, the ice king, an extremely powerful wizard, who is a homicidal megalomaniac terrorizing his own kingdom." Lord Suwa hoped that would warn Ran off. It would certainly be a test of Kurogane's devotion to endure battling King Ashura. "Fai went to stop his father's reign of terror along with Kurogane. They have to rescue Fai's identical twin, too."
"Identical twin? Twins? There are two?" Ran asked, very taken aback. Then there was some strange expression Lord Suwa couldn't grasp, but it made him leery and feel Ran was just plain creepy.
"Yes, Fai has a twin that he prizes above his own skin. But you don't understand that bond like Kurogane. He spent a great effort taming that wild spirit in Fai and learning to respect the bond between twins. Also, my son has spent a lot of effort learning everything about his mage as a person apart from his twin." Lord Suwa put clear emphasis on the word 'his mage' along with a firm glare.
"Wild spirits get bored after a while and seek other pleasures and experiences. Your son's mage will be that way. And one day, someone will be there to claim him from your son, ruin him, and disgrace him in front of all Nihongo. And then the vixen will be thrown away like foreign trash." Ran rose from the tea table with a sour expression. "I'm sure I'll see it."
"If anyone gets near the mage to defile him, that person will face me."
Ran got an arrogant look. "Then I guess you don't trust the mage to be loyal to your son, if you have to threaten other potential suitors. I hope cousin Kurogane brings the twin as well. I'm curious if he's more of the pleasing sort."
With that, Ran left with a narrowed eyes and heat on his face. Lord Suwa slammed his fist into the tea table. He had no doubts of Fai's loyalty to Kurogane, but he was always worried someone could beat the mage in a fight and take advantage of him. After all, what if there was a situation where he couldn't use his magic to its full potential.
"Okay, he'll be expecting an ambush," Kurogane pointed out. "I say we confuse him."
"How?" Boris asked.
"Easy. I stay here with Fai. You teleport Yuui some place far away. We have them cast spells at the same time, and Ashura will go after Fai. He'll be confused, but I'm sure he'll go for Fai since he's hellbent on fighting him. And that's when Fai and I will take him down. We can handle him."
"He is anxious to fight me," Fai confirmed. "I'm sure he'll come after me. But to face my own father... I don't know if I can do that, Kuro-ki. I feel I should take Yuui and run."
"But Fai, it's a good plan," Yuui said, gripping his twin's shoulders. "Kurogane and Boris can help us, and we can capture Father so we can medicate him."
Fai frowned and shrugged Yuui off. He snarled, "Go with the reanimator! You want to."
"It's not that I want to. I promise he repulses me. But why... why are you...?" Yuui was clutching at his chest and very distressed. Tears were streaming down Yuui's cheeks. "Why are you so angry with me? You're so upset with me! I can't help what I feel towards him, and I keep trying to make myself feel differently! I want so much to hate Boris, because I know it's what you and Father would want." A sob broke from Yuui and he shook his head vigorously. "But he makes me feel things I can't understand. I'm so confused about Boris. I can't understand it." Yuui clutched his head and shook it, making a painful groan. His sobs came on full force. The emotions of Fai and Boris were assaulting him, along with his own that he never learned to cope with.
"Great, now look what you've done," Kurogane sneered and shot Fai a dirty look. "You've made him into a spineless pile of goo. Now what are we supposed to do with the little blob of snot?"
"This is not my fault! It wasn't my fault he was...!" Fai clamped his mouth shut tight and glowered at Kurogane. He clenched his fists and said, "Kuro-mouthy needs to learn to keep his big, fat mouth shut!"
"And you need to learn lying isn't a virtue!" Kurogane shouted back. "You owe people you love the truth. Any less than the truth, and you are betraying that love they've given you. Trust is a part of love. If you don't know that after everything I've given you, then you aren't nearly as smart as I've given you credit for."
Kurogane softened at seeing a struggle play out on Fai's countenance. He sighed and continued, "Listen, right now you aren't respecting Yuui. Boris is right in that you're treating Yuui more like a pet than a brother. It's causing problems. After this is all over with, you need to start treating him like a man. You need to let him learn to deal with people on his own terms, and you need to let him deal with his past on his own terms, too. If you can't let him do that, then you aren't worthy of Yuui's trust."
Fai's eyes popped wide open as if Kurogane had slapped him. Fai's eyes went over to Yuui, and Kurogane could see that it finally dawned on his lover what damage he was doing to his twin. Fai's look of shame and remorse was obvious. He went over to Yuui and put his hands on his twin's shoulders. "You really like him, even though you know you can't be with him?"
Yuui didn't flinch away, but met Fai's eyes with earnest. "I need Boris so desperately. He needs me, too, but he'll never admit it."
Boris took a deep breath and looked away from the exchange. He gripped his staff and took a second deep breath. It wasn't helping unruffle Boris' obvious aggravation. He finally said, "Get up, Loftiness. We're leaving."
"Where are you taking him?" Fai asked.
"To Luval Castle. It'll baffle the king when we cast from there and you cast from here. The minute you both cast, I'll come back here." Boris turned to Kurogane. "Keep the king busy for me?"
"I planned on it," Kurogane said, drawing Ginryuu.
"Wait for three minutes after we leave and then cast, Exalted One," Boris said.
Fai put the most sickening, faux smile on his face, one that Kurogane knew was Fai's way of telling the man to eat shit and die. "Whatever you say, Your Necrophiliac Supremacy."
"Don't try to out do him in dumb nicknames. He's got a million," Kurogane warned with a shake of his head.
Boris stood by Yuui and said, "Did I mention how fond of your brother I am?"
Boris traced runes and they enveloped he and Yuui. In a moment they were gone. Kurogane watch Fai get his magic staff ready to cast. Kurogane asked, "So after all this is said and done, are you coming back with me to Nihongo, or are you having second thoughts?"
Fai plastered on a fake smile, the casting portion of his staff wavered. He traced several runes in the air and waited. He never did answer, so Kurogane dropped it. This wasn't the time. Fai swung his staff and the rune slammed into rock and ice, melting them into a molten mess.
Kurogane ready himself to see green magic. After several long minutes of waiting, Fai frowned. "Where is he? I felt Yuui cast and then I felt Ashura cast just now." Fai's eyes grew wide. "He went after Yuui instead!"
"Can you get us to Luval?"
"I'll try!" Fai said. He held up his staff and traced the runes that would drag them along the ley lines. His back and arms were going to be searing, but he didn't care. He had to get to Yuui.
To be continued.
A/N: The hubby wants me to have Boris and Ran mix it up, but I wasn't planning that. Who wants to see that? Just wondering, because I thought it was a fun idea.
