Disclaimer: I do not own Magi, its story, or the characters. That right belongs to the amazing creator, Shinobu Ohtaka. I do own the idea(s) and OC's that are contained within this story. And hope that you as read respect that. Please don't use the OC's w/o my permission, as she has been with me since I was 6... On a different note, she and her other half are staring in another of my stories.

Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to LittlePrincessNana for being amazing and helping with it. Also, I reply to all signed in reviews. Sorry to those who are guest reviewers, but do continue to enjoy this story.


Word: deceptive

Definition: perceptually misleading

Synonyms: misleading, illusive, deceitful, sneaky


2 months after Ren Kouen arrives on Samon Island

Year 1, Month 2 (July), Day 16

Kouha's POV.

It had been ten days since the dumb twit had awoken, only to pass out once more. Taking three more days for the girl, Lunaria, to wake up once more, leaving him annoyed. He had told them to leave her there, that she would be trouble and he was being proven right. But then again he was ignored, said more than a few times to be quiet. So as he stood there staring at the strange girl, Kouha couldn't help the rage that was surging through his veins.

This girl, Lunaria, whoever she was, was a threat to both his brothers. He didn't like how they doted on her at all. It was only made worse that she was not speaking at all now. Lunaria had gone completely mute, gaining more and more of his eldest brother's attention. Which didn't help his moods at all? Hell, even the old bats had taken to the dumb bitch, who right now was standing there staring out over the ocean. Something that she had started to do after getting the okay to be able to move about.

Though he would give her one thing, she could cook and clean. A role she had just taken too after Koumei's attempt to cook her first night being released from the confinement of her mat. She made not a peep as she ate all the food on her plate. Though the way she paled as it didn't agree with her. On reasserting in his mind, she was stupid.

The citizens of the island were a bit suspicious of her — a stranger in their midst. Something unknown to them, therefore, to be shunned. He had hoped she would react by running away into the jungle and not returning. Instead, she just looked at them with her weird ringed eyes and smiled sadly and walked away, as if accepting their reaction as normal.

Grinding his teeth as he narrowed his pink eyes at her, Kouha decided he would try to get a reaction out of her. When she did not indicate that she heard him come up behind her, Kouha bit back a growl and walked around her, so he was standing directly in her line of sight, tilting his head up those few inches at her. Further incensing him as he reached out, placing his hand on her shoulders and pushing her backward. The slight widening of her eyes was the only reaction he got as she waved her arms just a little bit to keep her balance.

"What is with you? Do you think that acting like that will get you a free ride forever?"

His words bitten out had her tilting her head at him. A look of pure confusion washing over her face pulled a low growl from him as he covered the short distance to stand in front of her again.

"I know you can speak, even if it is another language. The healers all said you could understand, so answer you fucking bitch. Nod your head or something."

When she blinked her eyes slowly, she just stared down at him. Almost as if she felt sorry for him. It was a form of pity, and it made him see red. Once more placing his hands on her, this time her stomach, he shoved her again. Smiling darkly when she did more than stumbling backward, only to glare daggers as a frown marred his face when she twisted just enough to slide her legs further apart, keeping her upright.

But it earned him a reaction as she stared at him concerned. Her mouth was opening up to say something only to close as shame crossed her face, and she looked back at the ocean again. Giving him a brief glimpse of something in the depth of her eyes as she shook her head back and forth once more. As if trying to deny something or reject it.

Dashing up to her, giving her no time to react, Kouha swung at her. His intent clear as day, only to find that her arm came up and met his fist, effectively blocking it. Feeling she got lucky, Kouha continued his assault, landing a few blows as she began to back away from him. Her eyes were silently telling him something that he refused to acknowledge as he continued his assault on her person. Each time it was blocked, he lost himself more and more to the blinding rage.


Koumei's POV.

He had wondered where his younger brother had gone. And something in the pit of his stomach said that he needed to find Kouha. Over the last half month, he had been very vocal about getting rid of their guest, actively being rude to her, which caused Kouen to yell at him, which just aggravated the situation. Because in Kouha's mind, Koumei knew, all he had was his two brothers. So, of course, he saw Lunaria as a threat to his family, safety, and sanctuary.

Pressing his lips into a thin line as he noted that the village was oddly quiet for it being early evening. Letting his pink eyes glance around, looking for someone, but not finding a single person. That sinking feeling in his stomach got worse as he heard voices coming from the edge of the village. Making him move a bit faster, his feet covering the distance until he met a wall of people.

"I swear that boy was always volatile. But his actions beyond reproach. Cruel. Poor thing."

"Indeed, did anyone see how this started?"

The comments kept coming, and it made Koumei narrows his eyes as he cleared his throat exceptionally loudly and rudely. Drawing the attention of those in front of him. The dark looks they had vanished upon seeing him. Before their faces showed a mix of shame and relief washing across their faces at seeing him, then in the next instant, those same people had the crowd parting and shoving him through.

"Please, Lord Koumei, do something."

When he reached the front of the crowd, Koumei felt the blood drain from his face as he just stared. There was Kouha attacking Lunaria, each of his punches and kicks had her stumbling backward. Her arms showing signs of starting to bruise; her legs were no better. Koumei had seen his brother on the battlefield, he knew what to expect. But this, this was taking his insecurities way to far and knowing that this had to stop and soon because when Kouen saw this, he would lose it on their brother. More-so if Kouha ended up maiming or outright killing her, which from the crazed gleam in his eyes, that was his intent.

"How long has this been going on?"

Koumei set his mind trying to gauge the best way to stop this. Knowing full well that any interference would bring physical harm to the person, even himself and Kouen, while Kouha was raging. There was a reason that Kouha was sent out to fight on the battlefield first with Leraje since his sword Nyoi Rentou and Lerajes ability to control and manipulate the 7th magic strength/power. Making Kouha a deadly opponent in his own right, since he loved the sight of blood.

Giving a small sigh as he watched the scene before him, Koumei jumped when a hand clamped down on his shoulder, drawing him from his thoughts. Looking up, he couldn't help his eyes going wide at seeing Kouen. Who had a smile, of all things, on his face as he looked at what was going on.

"Right now, I am trying to figure out a way to stop this. Otherwise, Lunaria will be seriously hurt or killed."

The slight shift of his older brother's body as he shook his head and kept his eyes trained on the two before him. Koumei could tell he was not happy, but not why he was smiling at what he was seeing. It was disturbing as a loud gasp came from the crowd, pulling his attention back to the duo in time to see Kouha jump up and try to knee the girl in the face. To have his jaw go slack in astonishment as she brought her hand up and blocked it while it caused her to stumble backward another step.

"Do you not see anything other than Kouha attacking a defenseless girl?"

"Lord Kouen? What do you mean? He keeps hitting her, pushing her back. She is now almost to the edge of the jungle."

The deep, dry chuckle from his brother had Koumei re-evaluating what he was seeing. Pausing when he saw as he looked with fresh eyes was like having a bucket of freezing water dumped over his head. As, again, Lunaria blocked another one of Kouha's attacks, next a punch. But still, she didn't seem to be concerned or worried, Lunaria didn't seem to be focusing on anything at all, just running on instinct. Until he saw her stumble in the soft sand as it shifted, forcing her back again, towards the edge of the jungle.

"She is defending herself. Not every hit is landing on her person. Except for when she trips in the sand."

"Correct. Never think just because Lunaria doesn't seem like anything more than a girl, that she is defenseless. Let's wait and see how this goes. I wonder if she will be the first, other than me, to take him back down a peg."

The small nod of his head as agreed with his brother. His mind was working as he started to recall the journal entries from when they were boys, and it was all a dream for Kouen. It was fascinating to see her block his attacks, making Kouha lose himself a bit more, becoming sloppy. But it was evident that she was growing tired as more blows were landing and she kept stumbling. Eventually, Kouha landed a solid kick to her stomach that didn't just send her stumbling, but skidding across the ground until her back slammed into one of the palm trees — drawing out a pained gasp from her as she slumped down.

It was a bit of a godsend, since Kouha never continued attacking a downed opponent, or at least if they didn't get back up. Which she was not doing but he was chalking that up to the fact Lunaria hit her head hard on the tree's trunk. That was not the case this time, as he saw his brother run-up to her, grabbing a fist full of her hair as he snarled at her. The pressure from Kouen's hand on his shoulder made him grimace as he watched, time seems to slow down. Kouha had jerked Lunaria's head up, showing her strange eyes were blank, void of anything with his right hand as he brought his left knee upon a direct course to her face.

It was a blow that would leave her either brain-damaged from the force used or snap her neck. Stepping forward to stop this, Koumei felt a hand halting him from moving forward. Taking a quick look up at Kouen who just shook his head as he raised his walking cane to stop the others from interfering, earning quite a few dark looks and a few comments about him being cold to the girl.

His attention never deviated from the scene before him. All while his mind supplied small tidbits knowledge from Kouen's journal about her being attacked before as a child. He gave a strangled gasp when he saw Lunaria's right hand shoot up, grasping Kouha's bent knee, while her left snapped to his inner thigh jerking it. The shock on his brothers faces as he attempted to backpedal too late because she moved her head, so her face was away from them, just as Kouha let out a howl of pain that echoed on the air.

"Koumei get over there and keep him from moving. I will deal with Lunaria. And someone get me any of the healers. Now!"

Already he was moving forward, not hesitating as he heard Kouen bellow at the gathered crowd a second time to get a healer. They would probably need more than one. But he was more intent on getting to Kouha and restraining him. The closer he got, the better he saw what had happened as Kouha tried to jerk away, using both his hand, after letting go of her hair to pry her fingers off his leg, which was bleeding from where her nails punctured his skin. Blood welling up around them and over his pale flesh.


Kouha's POV.

He lay there, staring up at the thatched roof of the healer's hut. His leg throbbing even with the numbing agent applied that also doubled up as an antiseptic. The room was small, shaded with the way the front curtains hung over the two windows. Next to him was the cause of his pain and shame. Lunaria remained unconscious from the day before, which wasn't surprising. The knot on her head, where it had slammed into the tree, was the size of a goose egg. But what had him reeling was the fact that when he had grabbed her hair to knee her in the face in his rage, she had not only reacted, but he swore that her eyes flashed briefly to a different color.

Then there had been white, hot pain until brothers had gotten him to calm down. Keeping him from causing more damage to his leg, which was now thoroughly bandaged from knee to groin. There was a slim chance that he would lose feeling in his leg from how much he struggled in panic, and he was lucky it would not become a dead limb.

Pushing himself up on his elbows until he was in a sitting position, Kouha looked at the unconscious girl next to him. He couldn't seem to wrap his head around the fact that she had been able to block his attacks. Meaning she had some skills in primary defense, though if he guessed, she had never fought on or around the sandy ground before. And not once had she retaliated and attacked him back, instead she just either looked at him or out at the ocean. Which made him mad all over again. It was as if she was saying he wasn't a worthy opponent.

Narrowing his eyes, Kouha willed her to burst into flames. She was a nuisance. One that needed to vanish, even if he was now a bit curious as to how she learned to defend herself like she had, or attack while being unaware. That was not a skill; it was conditioning, harsh conditioning. Some he was glad he never had to have.

A soft groan, followed by the sound of lips smacking drew him from his thoughts. Quirking an eyebrow as he watched as the girl made a face at what he guessed was the remnant tastes of his blood in her mouth. Only to hear another soft groan from her, as she opened her odd eyes. Looking up at him and blinking a few times before she tried to sit up. For which he placed a hand on her and pushed her back onto the mat, already having been told by not just Lady, but Nana and Gem that she shouldn't move until they were sure she didn't have a concussion.

"Stay down you fucking moron. I don't want more trouble if you make your concussion worse."

The flicker of pain and worry in her eyes before they went blank and complied with his command. Making him smile smugly down at her before she sighed at him. The small shake of her head as she just stared up at him, face and eyes unreadable as she lay there. Feeling a bit annoyed at her lack of response, Kouha shifted only to hiss as pain burned up and down his leg, making him reach over and gingerly place a hand on it.

"You did this to me you. You fucking psycho, you hurt me badly."

The way her eyes suddenly widened, and then she was pushing herself up into a sitting position, it happened too fast for him to react. A look of concern and worry on her face and in her eyes was genuine. But as Kouha leaned away, she leaned into his space, sucking the corner of her bottom lip into her mouth and chewing on it. As she gazed down at his bandaged leg. Pain and shame were etching their way slowly across her visage.

"Hurt I did?"

Her words made him pause in shock, leaving him unable to react as she moved. When he came out of it, it was because she had placed her hands on his hurt knee and upper thigh — giving him a good view of her bareback, showcasing the scars stretching across the flesh around both shoulder blades.

"What the fuck are you doing!"

At his exclamation, he got her to look up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she sniffed softly.

"You hurt, I did, fix I do."

Again at her spoken response, he went still. His mind was doing its best to process what it was hearing and trying to understand. Just as a flash of light, followed by warmth spread through his leg, burst around him. Temporarily blinding him as he reached out on instinct to grab her, then it was all gone as his hand threaded through her black hair once more. Feeling the fine tremors running through her as she gasped desperately for breath as if exhausted for some reason.

"You stupid bitch, just what the hell were you doing? No, what the hell did you do?"

When she turned her head just enough so he could see her face with her hair partially hiding it, he saw her eyes still shimmering with unshed tears, but there was a similar white light in their depths before they closed as she went limp in his grasp. Hand sliding from his leg, so he was holding her up by her hair again.

"I think the question is what are you doing Kouha."

At the sound of his eldest brother's voice, Kouha whipped around seeing both of them standing in the doorway with the healers right behind them. Blinking his eyes as he looked down, he realized what it looked like he was doing. Since they were lying across the doorway, him by the wall her the closer, it would look like he was trying to force her into a sexual act. Groaning, he let his head fall back, so he was looking up at the thatched ceiling, only to go still.

"Kouha, I think it would be prudent to answer, Kouen."

He heard Koumei, but he couldn't pull his eyes from what he was seeing. It was something he had only seen maybe twice in his life. There above them all flying around was the Rukh. And a whole lot of it, both white and black. Unable to give a reply, he just pointed up with his free hand.

"Oh, dear. Is that... Is that The Rukh? Does it have to do with that burst of white light and magic we felt?"

"Calm down Nana."

Lowering his gaze, he looked at the healers, who were staring in amazement at what was happening in the small room of their hut. It was pretty amazing, but as far as he knew, Rukh only gathered like this for the magi.

"Hush, Nana. That goes for you two gentlemen as well. Kouha, will you tell us what just happened."

This came from Lady, whom he watched come to kneel by them, carefully taking Lunaria from him and placing her on her back on the floor once more. Showing she was asleep again, though it didn't look peaceful. Just then he saw blurs of white and black dart down and enter her body, making it arched up off the ground causing Lunaria to gasp again. It was then he noticed that she wasn't wearing all those silver crosses.

"She woke up; I told her she had to stay lying. Then told her that she hurt me. From there, she sat up quicker than I could react. I was stunned, she spoke to me, and I understood what she said, though it was poorly spoken. The next thing I knew, she was placing her hands on me and saying something like if she hurt me, she had to fix it. Before I could stop her, this bright light and warmth were spreading through my leg."

While he spoke, he watched as more and more Rukh came down, crashing into her body. Only to leave it just as quickly. Sweat was beading on her skin as she whimpered from it. Curiously he looked around the room, his head suddenly feeling heavy as the edges of his vision began to blur. After a few seconds, he found her jewelry and reached for it. His arm not wanting to obey, he was only able to grab one of her bracelets. Struggling, he pulled it over to him, frowning as he felt his arm feel like lead.

Not quitting as he picked up Lunaria's arm and slipped the damned trinket over her hand, snagging it a few times on her fingers. But once he did, he felt as if the world around him seemed to fade out. Though he swore that the girl looked a bit more peaceful after the bracelet was on her wrist.


Kouen's POV.

He has seen a burst of light that accompanied the strong wave of magic. It didn't feel like any magic he was familiar with. So, when he heard Kouha screaming when there was only one other person in the room with him. Kouen narrowed his eyes as he stood up as quick as he was able to, following Koumei and the healers. What he saw when he stepped through the door and into the room left him feeling stiff. Kouen was doing his best to not scream at his younger brother, who looked confused for but a second before looking down and going pale.

It didn't help his mood when Koumei spoke up, telling Kouha to answer only to watch as he pointed to the ceiling instead. Though he did look and went still at seeing the Rukh manifested like it was, both pure and tainted together. The last time he saw of it like that was during the battle with Magnostadt. But there had been a reason, his step-mother and Empress of the Kou Empire had attacked causing things to shift dramatically and bringing many things to light. Other than that strange wave of magic and light, the Rukh shouldn't be gathered like it was.

Kouen dropped his gaze down after hearing his brother speaking, only catching half of it. Kouen couldn't help raising an eyebrow at seeing Kouha trying to put Lunaria's jewelry back on her. When he had the piece he had grabbed, looking back up, Kouen followed his gaze. As if his body was on auto. He was seeing the cloud of black and white was thinning out. When he lowered his head, Kouen saw that Lady was finishing up with placing all the pieces, belt included, back on Lunaria.

"Oh, it's vanishing."

At that statement, Kouen didn't even look up, his mind already jumping from one logical conclusion to another as he growled low in his throat. He did not like what he saw, as he watched Lunaria pull Kouha down to her and hug him. Shifting her hand through his younger brothers hair as Kouha seemed to struggle to stay awake, irritation flashing in his younger brother's face before he passed out.

"What is going on?"

The silence that met Koumei's question was brief as Kouen stepped further into the room and towards the three on the floor — stopping only when a pair of hazel eyes glared up at him. Taking the silent warning for what it was, Kouen stood still, leaning on his walking cane, waiting.

"Nana, would you kindly come over here and help. Kouha has bent his leg while he was moving about."

Shifting his focus from where his brothers head was nestled against Lunaria's chest, Kouen saw that Kouha had indeed moved his leg, bending it so he could twist at the waist, which struck Kouen as odd since he hadn't cried out in pain as he should have. So, staying silent, he watched as the Nana gently maneuvered the leg straight and began to undress it.

"Why do you think that he passed out like that, Lady?"

A light cackle, full of humor, filled the room when twin gasps followed it. Drawing Kouen, and he was sure Koumei, attention from the two sisters. Kouen was at a loss for what he, no they were all seeing. Where there had been puncture wounds from blunted nails around his knee and the bite marks on his inner thigh were gone, leaving a perfectly smooth expanse of skin. As if it had never been damaged at all.

"Kouha falling asleep is a natural reaction for the body when its natural healing ability has been sped up. Well, the after-effects when it catches up with the person."

Pausing and pinning Lady with a pointed look only to get a loud snort from her and chuckles from her sister, Kouen waited. Already he had pieced a bit of what Kouha has said about what Lunaria had done, though not sure how the Rukh tied in, somehow she had healed his brother. He didn't recall ever finding out if she had magic like the rest of her family. But with Lunaria being from a completely different world, he guessed it wouldn't be too far fetched.

"Kouen! Pay attention."

At the sharp yell, he came out of his ruminations, to glare at who raised their voice. Only to blink owlishly as two sets of eyes boring into him. Letting him know that he had not heard a single thing that had been said. Feeling a little bit chastened, he tilted his head down in acknowledgment.

"Good. Now back to what I was trying to explain. You all know about magic, being King Vessels and all that. But you know about other magic, that is inherent to people themselves without tools."

Giving just the barest nod of his head, he looked sideways at Koumei who had that gleam in his eyes as he too nodded.

"Well, amongst all that magic, or Magoi if you will, Healing magic is the rarest. And it doesn't usually manifest like this in humans normally. Add in all the other strange mysteries that surround this poor girl; I think it is about time we start getting more information about her. And Kouen, since she seems to know you, somehow, I think you better start filling us in."

Feeling his lips pull down into a frown, he shook his head no to them. It was not his place to tell them about Lunaria; that was her right. And at the moment she was not awake and cuddling his brother. Who, as he looked down at the duo, was smiling as they slumbered peacefully. At some point during all the talking and thinking, Kouha had shifted his arm around Lunaria's waist, holding her as a small child would with a parent or sibling.

The sight of it set him off as he stepped closer to the intent of disentangling Kouha from Lunaria. His brother didn't have the right, as of this moment, to touch or hold her. He suddenly didn't want his brother to be anywhere near the girl. That right was lost when he attacked her with the intent of seriously harming her, if not killing the girl.

"Please, ladies, I think I understand where my brother is coming from."

The soft huffs of anger, accompanied by their glares, made Kouen stare down at them imperiously. Kouen was not going to give in to the women. Mostly, because he too wanted answers. Answers that he didn't have. It would have to wait until Lunaria was awake. And remembered something of her past life, a life that he was sure was shrouded in darkness.

"The girl will tell you about herself. As for how I know her, come with me. I think there is something you all should read."

With that said, he turned and walked from the small room. He didn't want anyone else to know about the dreams and visits he had to another world as a young man. But right now it would be the easiest way to appease the healers while giving him the added benefit of getting them on his side though he would deal with Kouha later.

"Kouen, you do know that is her forgiving your brother, right?"

He paused mid-step, looking over his shoulder at Nana. Who was smiling up at him, her dark chocolate eyes flashing with merriment and something else he didn't want to name. Kouen shook his head negatively to deny what she asked; he continued out of their hut and towards the one the people of the island had given him and his brothers.

TBC!