Warning: This is a Tatsumi and Tsuzuki fic. If you want a different pairing, read a different story.
Disclaimer: I am not Hans Christian Andersen. I am not crazy enough to claim Yami No Matsuei as mine and you are smart enough to know that already.
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Tsuzuki had a smile that could blot out the sun, and he was beaming over Tatsumi's apple pie. "My favorite!" He squealed in delight, sprouting puppy ears. He was a little worried when Tatsumi said he would be the one to handle the office food budget. Tatsumi could be such a miser and a meanie.
"Now Tsuzuki-san let everyone have a piece."
The puppy ears drooped, as violet eyes watched the pie cut into smaller slices. That mouth watering delight! He knew it would taste heavenly. Tatsumi was a first-rate cook but he would never share his culinary delights for free. Anyway today's food budget was money well spent from everybody's point of view.
Tatsumi smiled to himself as he watched Tsuzuki eat the pie with delight.
"Tatsumi that was excellent." Kacho proclaimed.
"Thank you Tatsumi! It's the best pie ever!"
The cook welcomed the complements.
"I have a job for you Tsuzuki."
"Why does he always see me?"
"Because you are always lazing around here unless I whip you to go to work; you lazy good for nothing salary taking glutton!" The chief fumed.
Tatsumi sighed as he whispered "Your mouth always gets you into trouble."
"Deliver this to the main office as soon as possible."
"What that would take hours out in this weather!"
"You can always quit, but then you will never be able to eat Tatsumi's pies ever again."
"That's terrible." Muttered the glutton under his breath. "Okay I'll do it."
Tsuzuki got ready to leave, but Tatsumi called him back. "You should tie your scarf properly, you don't want to get cold." He reminded the younger man as he help him into his coat and saw him out the door. "Hurry back or I'll cut your salary."
"Hai. Hai."
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Tsuzuki made the delivery in record time. He even asked the main office to call his branch to let them know how hard he was working. He was on his way back but the snow so much deeper now than when he started.
When he got around the bend he saw a beautiful coach like a shining silver star. The coachman completely covered in white fur called for him to stop, so he did. It appeared that the coach had sunk to deep into the snow to get free on it's own.
His horse Uma paced around uneasily but with a gentle whisper Tsuzuki told her to stay still. He got down to talk to the stranger. Uma tired to keep Tsuzuki back. "What's wrong with you girl?"
The stranger called to Tsuzuki again.
"I'm coming. Please Uma stay here."
Uma tired to follow her master once again but found her legs frozen to the ground. She tried to call out to her master but the winds drowned out her voice.
"Are you stuck?" Tsuzuki asked unaware of any danger.
"Not at all, but we have been waiting for you." The coachman replied as he jumped down of the coach.
Tsuzuki didn't think he heard right. "What?"
"Come with us now. Tsuzuki-sama." There was an insistence in the words even as the tone remained the same.
"I can't I have to get back to the office. I'm sorry but I have to go back to -" He tried to back away but found his retreat cut off by three other men dressed exactly as the coachman. He didn't notice them before against the backdrop of snow.
"You will come with us or we will hurt you." They had long silver knives drawn out.
"-Tatsumi." He turned to find Uma encased in ice. "UMA!"
"You are coming with us."
"NO!" Screamed Tsuzuki as cold hands took firm hold on his shoulders. His heart was beating so fast, but fear kept him rooted to the ground. "NOOOO!"
A sudden eruption of power encircled him and the strangers.
Tsuzuki opened his eyes to find himself on the ground. Uma was thawed out, lying on her side, unmoving but breathing. The men in white were also unmoving on the ground scattered around him. He backed away not understanding what had happened but instinctively knowing that he had caused it.
The coach was untouched as if an invisible shield had protected it from the explosion. The door opened and Muraki came out.
"Well done Tsuzuki-san."
"It wasn't me!"
"Oh but it is." Muraki smiled gently as he gathered the shaken man in his arms. "They won't hurt you anymore because they are dead."
Tsuzuki couldn't believe it. He didn't want to but he knew it was true. He just killed those men. He saw the opened and unmoving eyes. "Dead. Dead because of me!" His mind reeled and then he realized he was being carried away. "Let me go!"
"Ah but my dear Tsuzuki-san. How can I possibly leave you here? I must get you warm, with my bear skin."
"How do you know my name?"
"I've been looking for you."
"Who are you?"
"My name is Muraki." Muraki whispered reassuringly as he kissed Tsuzuki's forehead, sending a chill that took hold of his heart, his body and his soul. "Now forget everything else."
The snow king entered his carriage with his angel and away they flew to his castle.
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Tsuzuki's disappearance was quite a mystery. Rumors went flying on what happened and why, but the only real witness was his horse Uma, who would not have survived that winter had it not been for Tatsumi who took care of him. The miser spent his own money, because he believed that Tsuzuki wasn't dead as some people claimed. When Uma had recovered, he decided to go look for Tsuzuki, promising himself he would not return without him.
He came across a little house with flowers all around. Knowing his friend, this sunny and cheerful place was a home he would choose for himself.
He knocked on the door hoping to find some clue as to where Tsuzuki may have gone.
"OH GOODIE! GUEST! I AM WATARI!" A blonde shrieked in delight, making Tatsumi a little deaf. "COME IN! COME IN!" He laughed as he pulled the dumbfounded traveler inside.
"I was hoping you could help me. I am looking for my friend."
"Does this friend have a name?"
"Tsuzuki. Tsuzuki Asato."
The blonde's fingers went flying over his magic cauldron and he saw the answer instantly, but choose not to tell the weary traveler. "You must have some tea."
"I must find my friend first."
"You will have a long journey, you must eat."
"The longer I wait here, the more time I waste which I could be using to find him."
"It's free."
Ah! The magic words no miser could resist. "Well maybe just a little."
Watari poured out some tea and served some cookies as well. The cookies were laced with his latest potion, but even though he knew that Tsuzuki with the snow king, he had no idea what his newest potion would do.
Tatsumi was a real miser at heart so he pilfered two cookies by pretending to eat them before he even attempted to eat one. Besides he did not have the sweet tooth that the chief and Tsuzuki possessed.
Watari was disappointed that there was no reaction in the first cookie and by the second one he was so curious as to why nothing was happening that he eat one himself. Suddenly he found himself having an overwhelming desire to tell Tatsumi the truth. The potion master confessed that he saw Tsuzuki was in the clutches off the evil snow king and that he had laced the cookies with his latest potion, which he now suspected to be a truth potion.
"You've wasted enough of my time!" Tatsumi roared as he rode off to find his missing friend.
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tbc
August 7, 2004
