Warning: AU, Fantasy, PG-13, Ran/Ken (eventually).

Author's Note: Ooops! Somehow I always miss holidays. Sorry! A belated Happy Holidays to everyone and Happy New Year! And as a Christmas treat I'm posting this early! So, here they are! The scenes that started it all. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: Weiss belongs to Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss.

First Born of the Thirteenth House

Part 2: Ran ( c )

Ken overslept and awoke with the nightmare. He sat up in bed, his shoulders sagging. Killing Weston hadn't even altered the dream. Sighing, he climbed out of bed and paused to examine the state of his pallet. It was worn and patched but serviceable. It was also the only thing he owned besides the clothes on his back and his boots.

He rolled it up and carried it downstairs with him to the kitchens.

"Where have you been? The wood master was looking for you," the head of the kitchens said when she saw him. She wasn't as intimidating as her predecessor but she was close.

"Looking for me? Why?" Ken asked.

"He wanted you to go off with his Lordship to recover the body in the ravine," she answered.

"Body?"

"Didn't you hear? Someone fell off the tower roof last night."

"I heard a wind blew 'im off," said a kitchen maid. "Lady Hitomi's chamber maid told me sister that her Ladyship saw 'im lifted right off 'is feet."

"Shut up and work," the kitchen head commanded then turned back to Ken. "Anyway, the wood master went instead and we're runnin' low on wood."

She cast him a meaningful look and walked away. Ken sighed. So much for requesting his compensation and leaving. He'd have to wait.

Tucking his bed-roll into the corner behind his favorite stool he left to get wood. If the kitchen was low then probably so were his other rooms. One more day of work wouldn't kill him, and it would give the wood master a chance to find a replacement. Sighing he caught up his canvas carrier and began filling it.

The mysterious death was the topic of the day. The kitchen workers spoke of nothing else. No one seemed to be sure of who it was that had fallen, but there was a rumor that it was a Chancellor. Ken was amused by the chatter at first, but found it wearing as the day wore on. He began to welcome his trips upstairs as a relief from the kitchens. Although it was the same above stairs. Everyone was whispering speculations. The difference was above stairs the whispers were accompanied by worried or frightened glances around the rooms. The nobles were afraid.

By noon he decided he'd better recheck the wood in the guest rooms. There was only one in use which made his job that much easier, and he brought extra wood so he could over fill the bin and not come back until after dark.

As Ken approached the door which led from the service corridor out into the hallway he paused, listening. He'd thought he'd heard voices. Opening the door a bit he peeked out just in time to see the flash of a knife and the red-haired stranger stumble against the opposite wall.

The attacker muttered something, turned and strode away toward the main hallway. Ken ignored him. He dropped the wood inside the service corridor with a muffled thud before dashing across the hallway to the stranger.

He was laying slumped against the wall, unmoving. Ken didn't hesitate but opened the nearest door and hauled the stranger inside an unused room. He pulled open the man's waistcoat and shirt to reveal a profusely bleeding wound. Acting instantly he covered the wound with his hands and summoned the magic.

The pop inside his ears was deafening, the flash of white blinding, and he felt himself crash onto the floor with enough force to push the air from his lungs. Darkness clouded his vision, but he fought against it. He could hear someone moving around in the hall outside. A vision of the attacker returning made him begin to struggle to rise, but he was too weak and only succeeded in rolling onto his side.

A hunched figure stepped through the door into the dim light of the dark room and froze. She took in his prone, gasping figure and the unmoving form laying near the door. She crouched down next to the stranger and touched his exposed chest.

"What have you done?" she hissed sharply.

Ken blinked at her. A kitchen keep? What was a kitchen keep doing there? He watched her smooth, elegant motions which belied her hunched and aged appearance.

"Nothing," he answered, still taking deep, heavy breaths. He forced himself up onto his hands and knees but had to pause and rest there.

The spy watched his struggles for a few seconds before turning her attention back to Ran. His heart was beating steadily, his breathing was deep and even as if he were asleep. She took note of the deep red stain on his white shirt, but there was no sign of blood on his skin. Upon closer examination she found a thin, white scar several inches below his left nipple. Resting a finger on it she examined the wound beneath it with her inner eye. It had been deep. The blade had pierced his lung and come close to his heart, but it was fully healed. She peered again at the crouching figure in the middle of the room and arched a curious eyebrow.

Ken shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny. She obviously wasn't what she appeared to be. He had to wonder who else in the House wasn't who they claimed they were. Suddenly he wished he'd been up on time and had left as planned, even if it would've meant the stranger's death.

"What happened here?" the kitchen keep asked softly, her voice brittle with age but he no longer trusted it.

"Not sure," he answered wearily. "I came to fill the wood bin and I saw him fall."

"He fell in here?" she asked quietly.

Ken paused only briefly to gauge the stranger's position in relation to the slightly open door.

"No, I moved him in here. Out of the draft," he said. "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing from what I can tell," she answered without moving her eyes from his still crouching form. His breathing was evening out and he seemed more able to hold himself upright. "How did you come to be sprawled halfway across the room?"

"I tripped going to the mantel for a candle," he said quickly.

She hid a smirk. He was learning. That lie had come much more easily, although the others may have been merely half truths. There was a pile of wood just inside the service corridor, and a fresh pool of blood outside the door in the hallway. What she really wanted to know was why this servant had healed Ran and how he'd summoned the power to do so. From what she could see he looked near collapse, so the effort had taxed him, but that he could do it at all should've been impossible.

"Are you alright?" she asked dropping the pretext of age and addressing him in her natural voice.

He shifted to one side slightly in a nervous reaction which he tried unsuccessfully to hide.

"I'm fine," he stated trying to fill his voice with a strength he didn't feel.

This time she allowed her small smile to show.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Boy," he answered flatly.

"Boy?" she almost laughed, but held it in check. "Well, Boy, I'm going to trust you. I am Lord Fujimiya's liaison here."

When he didn't visibly react to her news she continued.

"We haven't much time. Given that there have been two at...incidents involving Lord Fujimiya's health, I think it would be wiser for him to depart as soon as possible," she thought a moment, listening out the door for any change in the silence of the hall. "Is there anywhere you can hide him? Somewhere he won't be discovered? I need time to contact his groomsmen and once he's discovered missing this whole place will erupt. We can't risk having him exposed to whoever caused him to 'fall'...can we?"

Ken hesitated a moment before nodding. He wasn't sure he wanted anything more to do with these people. But having thwarted two attempts on the Lord's life he felt he had some vested interest in seeing him safely away. He looked down at the sleeping man and wondered what had prompted his quick, almost desperate reaction. Why did he care whether the man lived or died? Except that it could've meant the ruination of the House. It still might. But did he really mind that? He shook his head to clear it and nodded again.

"Good," the kitchen keep said rising. She stood in the doorway and peeked out. "Do you think you can carry him?"

Ken crawled back over to the Lord and looked at him before nodding.

"Good," she repeated. "Take him quickly. I'll cover your tracks and come for you when its safe. Hopefully he'll be somewhat recovered by then."

"How will you find us?" Ken asked partially lifting Lord Fujimiya to rest against his chest. Despite his trim appearance the man was heavy, causing Ken to grunt with the effort.

He felt a light touch to the top of his head and looked up as the kitchen keep removed her finger tips from his hair. She smirked down at him.

"I'll be able to track you anywhere," she said and he clearly read the threat.

Swallowing hard he nodded and scooped Lord Fujimiya onto his shoulder. Bracing himself against the wall he rose unsteadily to his feet.

"Hurry," she said suddenly, urgency evident in her tone. "They're coming."

They crossed the hallway and entered the service corridor, where she quickly gathered and shouldered the discarded load of wood.

The kitchen keep headed toward the far side of that floor while he headed down a set of backstairs. Partway down he triggered a hidden switch and slipped through an opening in the wall into a secret passage.

Over the years Ken had explored the other tunnels under the House and found that they led to some interesting places. He'd found various passages within the House itself which allowed him quick and easy movement between areas normally isolated from each other. Some, he guessed, were forgotten service passages. Some could only have been meant for darker purposes. At any rate he'd learned how to enter the tunnels without going through the kitchens, which meant he could visit Tris at anytime he pleased, although it had meant learning his way in the dark.

Ken made it as far as the wide staircase before he could carry his burden no farther. He tried to set the man down gently, then went to collect his lantern and returned with it to the sleeping Lord. Collapsing on the other side of the step from Lord Fujimiya he gave up the idea of lighting it and sank into an exhausted sleep. Too worn out to worry about whether he'd be missed in the kitchens.

-----

Ran fell into darkness, unable to resist its pull. In terror he reached for the one person he knew would hear him and silently screamed her name. Her answer was immediate but faded too quickly as the impenetrable cold embraced him. He was falling away from her and he couldn't stop.

Then suddenly, miraculously he did stop. Something had caught him. Something powerful. It drew him back and he clung to it. Resting weakly in its grasp he slipped into a deep, soothing sleep.

The first thing Ran became aware of when he awoke was the stench. The overpowering aroma of sweat and a human body gone too long unwashed. He choked and gagged on the odor. Behind it was a damp mustiness like that in an unused cellar.

The second thing he noticed was the dark. Infinite and impenetrable. He'd once heard a servant refer to something being as dark as the inside of a cow's stomach and now he understood what she had meant. He couldn't see anything. Where was he?

Swallowing down his panic he slowly felt around him. He was laying on some sort of stone slab with his back resting up against the wall, which was also stone. At his head he felt a stone shelf of some sort and when he shifted to explore it the toe of one boot slipped off the edge of the slab, striking another surface only a few inches lower. Steps? Stone steps? Had they thrown him into some sort of dungeon?

Suddenly the memory of Takashi's knife returned and Ran clutched at his chest. He could feel the crustiness on his shirt, but the wound under his heart was closed. How was that possible? He should be dead. Shouldn't he?

Perhaps he was and this was purgatory. With a stench that bad he could almost believe it.

He shifted again to feel the step above him and his hands closed around something. A moment of feeling the object revealed it to be a lantern. Ran pulled it to him gratefully and fumbled it open. Reaching deep inside himself he drew out his little bit of magic and formed a light ball. Too tiny on its own to light anything more than his palm, but inside the lantern the glass walls reflected and increased its light. Sighing in relief he glanced around and froze.

He wasn't alone. Not three feet from him on the same step lay a person curled into a tight ball. Obviously the source of the smell.

Ran studied the figure carefully. He guessed it was probably male, but any other distinguishing characteristics were hidden by the tattered and patched clothing, long mass of hair, and the utter filth covering the form from head to toe. Ran was instantly repulsed. How could anyone survive being so dirty?

He was either unconscious or asleep, Ran couldn't tell which, but the lighting of the lamp hadn't disturbed the...man? Boy? His age was as indistinct as everything else. Ran scowled in distaste and set the lantern down carefully.

Opening his own shirt, which was untucked, stained and torn, he found the scar. Gently he touched his fingers to it and pressed. No pain or discomfort. It seemed to be fully healed. He frowned in thought. The amount of magic it would've required to heal such a wound was on a level with that of the crown Prince himself. No one in this House, or indeed any other, should be able to summon such power.

A noise from somewhere above him on the staircase distracted him from his thoughts. He reached for the lantern to dowse its light, but stopped when he felt eyes suddenly on him. He froze in place and looked again at the figure across from him. The creature hadn't moved in the slightest, but Ran could feel the tension emanating from the male's body. He felt as though he were in a very small cage with a very dangerous beast.

At the same time he felt the inner touch again. The one he'd felt in the yard the day before. A hesitant reaching, like a shy stray dog leaning in for a tentative sniff. This time he reached back, and started as a connection was made. Like a tiny shock after crossing a carpet in stocking feet.

Before he could explore the strange new feeling the kitchen keep materialized out of the dark on the steps above them. He blinked up at her.

"Manx?" he asked in relief.

"How are you?" she asked him, coming closer. She had a lantern of her own, and he again wondered where they were.

"Fine," he said absently touching his chest.

Ran froze again as the figure across from him uncoiled like a sleeping cat and sat up. The smooth grace of his motions spoke of a young man, although he hung his head forward keeping his face effectively covered by hair and shadows. Ran watched him curiously. Taking in the shifting of his clothing over his body. Young and strong, he surmised, from years of hard work, and too thin from too little food or time to eat. With that thought he felt his own stomach growl and remembered he'd missed lunch. Belatedly he wondered what time it was.

"And who are you?" he asked the male before him stoutly, feeling quite satisfied with the way his deep voice reverberated off the stone walls.

"The wood boy," came the answer in a quiet tenor after a slight hesitation.

"He found you in the hallway," Manx informed Ran.

The way she said it caused his hand to stray to his chest again and he looked harder at the other male. The wood boy shifted nervously.

"Thank you," Ran said and meant it from the depths of his soul.

The wood boy merely shrugged.

"My Lord, the House is in an uproar," Manx said attracting his attention. "Apparently, your stabbing wasn't sanctioned by Lord Hidaka. When the perpetrators returned to find you gone they fled in panic. They are being sought in the forest without. You are being sought by every measure within, although it is believed you are injured, possibly dead, and in their hands. I feel the time has come for your departure."

Ran climbed to his feet while she spoke and checked on his sword. It was still strapped to his waist.

"I'm afraid it maybe too late for that," he said. "I reached for Aya. She must know of my distress. Reinforcements are most likely on their way. Where are we?"

"Catacombs under the House," Manx answered.

"Indeed? Interesting. Which is the easiest way outside?" he inquired.

Manx looked down at the still seated figure of the wood boy who was aptly watching them through his long, tangled curtain of hair.

"Go to the top of these stairs, turn left and follow the tunnel to the end. The steps there go to the stables," he said.

Manx nodded and turned to head up the steps. Ran glanced back briefly at the dirty, huddled figure who made no move to follow. He felt the unexplainable impulse to either stay or insist on his coming too. Ran frowned at it and pushed it away. Nodding his thanks once again he followed the quickly disappearing back of the kitchen keep. There were more pressing matters than a dirty wood boy who possessed power he had no business possessing. Although, that mystery would have to be explored when things were settled. If they were settled.

After they'd left the staircase and were well down the tunnel he moved closer to Manx.

"You did mark him?" he asked softly.

"Oh, yes," she said and he could hear her smirk. "He won't be going anywhere."

"Good."

Minutes later they arrived at the stables, and moved to peer out the doors into the yard. All activity there was halted and everyone was looking skyward in shock and alarm.

The air above the House was full of mounted men and women. An armed host outfitted for battle. As they watched three carriages materialized from the portal over the tree tops and moved to join the riders. Ran's jaw tightened as Lord Hidaka emerged from his House at a run followed closely by his officers and advisors.

"Keep your eyes on that wood boy," he said to Manx. "I'll handle this mess."

"As you wish," she said sounding slightly amused.

Ran heard her walk back to the door they'd just come through but he didn't watch her go. Instead he watched the drama unfolding in the yard before him. The riders landed followed by the coaches. Lord Hidaka looked apoplectic as he clumsily greeted them. He was obviously terrified.

The head rider, better outfitted than the rest, moved his horse forward. He stared down at the frightened Lord like one would look at an ugly bug under a glass.

"Where is the Lord Fujimiya?!" he demanded in a loud clear voice. His gloved hand gripped the handle of his sheathed sword tightly.

"S-sir," Hidaka stammered, "w-we..."

"I am here, your Highness," Ran called. He quickly tucked in his shirt and buttoned his waistcoat over it to hide the blood stains as he stepped out of the shadows of the stable doors and strode forward.

-----

Author's Note: Well, that's what started it all. Lying in bed one morning imagining Ken catching Ran as he fell. Then imagining that he had the ability to heal him. Then the rest just seemed to follow. What'd ya think? They may not be 'together', but at least they're together, right? Only Yohji to go! Look for him in the next chapter! Thanks for reading! Please REVIEW!

Swtjemz: Well, you won't have long to wait for the playboy. And this is just a tiny, little cliffhanger compared to the others. No one's dying or about to be killed, so you should be able to relax. Sorry, but my evil side sneaks out every once in a while. Thanks for reading! :)

Anna: Thanks! More is on the way! Thanks for reading! :)

RuByMoOn17: Sorry. Are you feeling better now? Thanks for reading! :)

Precognition74: Yeah, one year of me writing it in notebooks with a slight break in the summer when I wrote "Once I Was Loved". Phew! And I haven't even finished it yet, although I do know how it ends. How could I not guess it when you seemed to know what was about to happen? At least you can use it for practical things! Thanks for reading! :)

Mondtanz: Well, that was the introduction. Anticlimactic? Hey, I had to leave you guys wanting more, right? That's how I work. ;P Okay, I think I confused you some how. Sorry. Please allow me to explain. Each House has its own family that rules that House and its lands, but swears fealty to the First House and the First (or royal) Family. So, they aren't related. They used to be independent of one another too, but there was a Great War and the outcome was that the First House was the victor and that's how they received their rankings (the Second House swore fealty first and so on). The First House then imposed forms of control over the other Houses to ensure their loyalty which you will find out about later. I can't really tell you any more than that without spoiling some of the story. Ran will in fact bring some of this up himself, but I'll clarify it for you here. Sorry. Yeah, its hand written in three single subject notebooks and its not done yet. I'm typing and writing at the same time, and posting too! Its like a part time job! But a good one! My hand gets sore too, but I push through the pain! :P Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope that cleared that up for you! :)

Krysana: Thanks! You probably missed it because my summaries aren't very good. I'm afraid I'll run out of space so I try to keep them short, but I think they're too short. I should fix that the next time I update. Ken is 19. You're right, normally he'd have been promoted in his position if for nothing else but loyal service. However, he doesn't want a promotion, and being in the kitchens is handy. ;) Thanks for reading! :)

Ru-chan: Thanks. Well, now you know the outcome. I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thanks for reading! :)

Seph Lorraine: Hee-hee-hee! I stabbed him! I'm evil! :D Yay! My hubby loves that part too. That's his favorite part aside from the kicking down the stairs scene. It slows down a bit now though. Hopefully people will still find it interesting. Oh-ho-ho! You'll just have to wait and see about Weston's body! That's part of the mystery! ;P Thanks for reading! :)

Ranny Boy: Eeee-hee-hee-hee! I am evil! :D But its okay now. -wink- Thanks for reading! :)

Makami: Yeah, Ran got stabbed, but now you know he's okay. I pity flamers. They are only depriving themselves and annoying others. And I like your writing! You're too hard on yourself! Stop it. Stop it now. Thanks for reading! :)

Stuck in a rhyme: Well, I'm glad you got around to reading it now. Yay! You like it! Yeah, I know Crawford is the precog in the series, but for some reason I can really see Omi as a seer. Thanks for reading! :)