Summary: Our Kurogane and Fai decide that enough is enough and make their break from the dungeon of Ashura's land. Just when they think things can't get worse, they're whisked away with no Mokona to translate! And who are those two oh-so-familiar strangers in the dark?

Warnings: Swearing, spoilers, KuroxFai-ness. Though much less on the last one. It's totally hinted and therefore pretty fun, but not really much.

Disclaimers: Without CLAMP, you wouldn't be reading this.

Legend

The Fates Are Against Us

"Kuro-tan, this isn't going to work."

"Would you shut up? Yes it will."

"This is the oldest escape plan in the book."

"You know that and I know that, but maybe they don't."

"Sounds a little iffy to me, Kuro-pan."

"Would you stop with the names!"

Fai chuckled quietly as Kurogane sizzled on the other side of the cell's door. He would have considered a reprieve of the name-calling, however Kurogane made it much too fun of a sport to quit. He smiled. "In any case, this isn't going to work."

The ninja scowled. "Do you have a better idea?"
Fai shrugged airily. "Maybe, but yours good enough for now."

"Really?" Kurogane sneered. "You were against it as soon as I suggested it."

"That's because it's the first escape plan people try," Fai grinned. "Everyone expects it by now."

"Well there's a chance they won't," Kurogane said almost petulantly.

"You're awfully cute when you're pouting," the blond remarked cheekily.

"I'm not pouting and I'm never cute!" Kurogane snarled. "Now shut up."

Fai snickered again, but held his tongue. It had been just over a day when Kurogane had finally hit on something that resembled an escape plan.

:-:-:-:-:-:

"So, Kuro-tan."

"What."

"Are we just going to lie like this some more or are we going to do something about getting out of here?"

Kurogane scowled darkly at Fai. Smug bastard. Despite the deep ache that still radiated from his temple Kurogane sat up, resisting the urge to put a hand to it, forcing the slight wince back and took his first good look around their cell. It was bare to a fault, containing absolutely nothing, not even chains. At this point he looked at his wrists and ankles then over to Fai's; no shackles, ropes, or anything to hinder their movements. Kurogane grinned at the guards' naiveté. The fools obviously did not think them much trouble at all if they did not even chain them.

"So?"

Kurogane slid his eyes back to Fai's face. "So what?"

Fai sighed in exasperation. "So what are we going to do to get out of here?"

Kurogane opened his mouth for an immediate response, but found that he did not have one. He closed it again and fell into a deep scowl of thought.

"Don't hurt yourself thinking too hard," Fai teased, reaching over to poke Kurogane's nose.

Kurogane blinked at the finger at the tip of his nose. His face flushed red at the touch, but he quickly remembered that he should be angry that Fai not only teased him, but had touched him as well. "You damn bastard!" He flared smacking Fai's unresisting hand away. "Don't touch me!"

Fai grinned unabashedly and pulled his hands close to his cheeks. "Yah! Kuro-chu's scary!"

Kurogane boiled silently, glaring as Fai smiled some more. God damned bastard.

"So."

Kurogane snapped out of his anger to raise an eyebrow at the wizard. "So what?"

Fai could not contain his laugh at their repeated exchange. "So you obviously need to pay more attention."

The ninja grimaced, not at all understanding to what Fai was referring. Idiot. "We're supposed to be thinking of a way to get the hell out of here."

Fai hiccupped quietly after restraining the rest of his laughter and nodded in mock seriousness. "Yes, yes."

"You're impossible."

"But you like a challenge," Fai teased, edging indiscernibly closer to Kurogane.

Kurogane grunted, not meaning to lean slightly toward Fai's shoulder. "Whatever."

Fai smiled softly and let the room fall to silence as Kurogane's brow furrowed in concentration. He was too tired to think, so he busied himself watching Kurogane rack his brain for some way to get out of their dungeon.

So lost in schemes and possibilities Kurogane only noticed Fai's presence again when the wizard's head lolled onto his shoulder in sleep. He stiffened, all thoughts of escape fleeing his mind to leave it completely blank as he stared, wide-eyed at the soft blond hair falling haphazardly around Fai's features, relaxed in slumber. Kurogane knew he should be throwing a fit and shoving Fai from his person, but he found that he could not. He simply stared. Unbidden, a rough hand lifted to brush the curling wisps of Fai's hair that hung lightly in the air.

He dropped his hand and growled to himself. The damn wizard really had some nerve falling asleep on him like this. What did he think, that Kurogane would not care? Did he think Kurogane would allow it? Did he think that maybe Kurogane did not mind it at all? He snarled out loud, wishing that last thought physical form so that he could eradicate it personally. God damned mage. He heaved a deep sigh and looked at Fai again. He was much more personable when he was sleeping, Kurogane decided. No name-calling, no teasing, only quiet. He should put Fai down from his shoulder. If Fai slept like this he would be awfully stiff by the time he awoke. And since when did he care if Fai were stiff or not?

Kurogane pushed a hand through his hair roughly in frustration. This was beyond stupid. They had to get out of this cell and the sooner the better. He needed someone around besides Fai. He looked down at the man again, letting the hand that brushed through his own hair fall to tentatively touch the soft locks again. His hand drifted to his shoulders and gently settled him to the floor, fingertips lingering perhaps a moment longer than necessary.

He frowned deeply. This was getting out of hand. They had to get out. He leaned against the wall near Fai's head stoically contemplating what to do.

:-:-:-:-:-:

Fai woke slowly, no memories of lucid dreams in which he was in a different world meeting a princess he had never seen, and flexed his shoulders from his cramped position on the floor. How had he gotten here anyway? He pushed himself from the floor, propping up on an elbow to look around. He had not been over here, but rather more toward the middle of the cell. And where was Kurogane? Then he noticed a warm touch by his arm and he almost fearfully looked behind him. Kurogane rested with his back against the wall, head bowed in sleep, a hand resting next to Fai's arm. Had they been that close since Fai fell asleep? He swallowed and tried to will away the embarrassed blush that crept onto his face.

He most certainly did not want the consistently angry ninja to wake up to the two of them sleeping so close to each other and he scooted away a respectable distance, already missing the warm hand. They really had to escape this place.

Kurogane immediately noticed the loss of Fai's warmth and slit his eyes open. He turned his head and saw Fai lost in thought, gazing almost forlornly at the place he had occupied while asleep. He barely suppressed an irritated noise and his expression turned dark as he glared at Fai.

Fai felt the cold of the other man's glare and looked up tentatively to meet angry red eyes. He plastered a smile onto his face. "Good morning, Kuro-chi."

Kurogane's glare turned impossibly darker.

Fai's smile grew impossibly brighter.

Neither gave any hint to relinquishing their protective habits, but finally Fai decided that it was time to start thinking of how to escape again. "So did you come up with anything?"

"No," Kurogane spat. "Have you?"

Fai pondered the question dramatically a moment, then brightened and took a breath. "No," he said simply.

Kurogane twitched. "You damn bastard! Don't act like you have an idea when you don't!"

"But it's so fun to see your reaction, Kuro-pii," Fai laughed brightly.

Kurogane snarled and was about to give Fai a good verbal lashing, when the door to their cell creaked open and a guard entered, set a tray with two bowls of sickly brown broth onto the floor and left, locking the door again. Kurogane blinked almost owlishly at this event.

Fai tilted his head to the side in thought. "They feed us. Who knew?"

Kurogane stared incredulously at the man. "You idiot! That's our way out."

Fai looked at Kurogane incredulously. "What's our way out?"

"If they come in here to give us food, we just escape through the door," Kurogane explained.

Fai rolled his eyes. "I hardly think that will work, Kuro-chan."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I'm sure it's been tried before and they aren't that stupid?"

"It'll work," Kurogane said, forcefully. It had to work. It was the only option they had right now.

Fai shrugged. "Whatever you say, Kuro-pon."

"Shut up."

Another day past and the two prisoners realized that they were only fed once a day. Fai took the time to poke warily at the broth and found it completely inedible. Kurogane did not think it was too terrible, but he agreed that it would probably do more harm the help, so the bowls were left otherwise untouched. Since neither knew when the guard would come next, Kurogane insisted that they remain at the ready and they took positions on either side of the cell door in wait.

Fai did not like the prospect of simply hoping that their ambush would work. Guards were not guards after all if they could be taken lightly. Kurogane was bent on making it work however, so who was he to argue with the obstinate man?

Together they would knock out whoever next came through the door and make their escape. Though, Fai reminded himself, Kurogane would need to hunt down Souhi. The ninja was resolute in that they would not leave without his weapon. The time eked slowly by the two as they awaited their next visit.

"Kuro-puu –" Fai began.

"Shut up."

"Kuro-puu," Fai persisted. "What are we going to do once we get out of here?"

Kurogane sighed heavily. "How the damn should I know?"

"Well, we can't get caught again," Fai pointed out reasonably. "We'll have to go far, far away."

"Obviously."

"Somewhere in the wild, maybe."

"What the hell are you getting at?"

"I'm just musing."

"Well it's annoying, so shut up."

They waited.

"Hey, Kuro-ko," Fai asked, bored.

Kurogane glared at him.
"Why do you suppose we can still talk to each other?"

"Because you're not gagged."

Fai smirked at the remark, but chose not to jibe Kurogane into elaborating. "Do you suppose Mokona is close by?"

Kurogane shrugged indifferently. "I don't see why it matters as long as we can understand each other."

"Well, you remember in Hanshin when Mokona got kidnapped, right?"

"Of course."

"Well, then you have to remember that any large distance between us and Mokona and we won't be able to understand each other."

"Your point?"

Fai sighed. "My point is, Kuro-myu, that if we go too far, we won't be able to talk to each other any more."

Kurogane cocked an eyebrow at the mage across from him. If they could not speak with each other, it might mean that the man would desist calling him stupid names constantly. That thought appealed greatly to the ninja and he grunted in response. If they could not understand each other, not only would Fai perhaps stop calling him names, but stop talking period. Kurogane grinned.

Fai raised his eyebrow at Kurogane's strange response and shook his head. He did not think he would ask what it was the man was thinking. "So?"

"So what?"

"So what do we do if we can't talk to each other?"

We'd be quiet, Kurogane thought sourly. He shrugged. "I think we'll worry about that if it happens."

Fai did not appreciate that thought, though he supposed there really was not anything that could be done to prevent it from happening. He frowned somewhat and fell silent.

Kurogane eyed Fai cautiously. Being silent was a rare treat from the wizard and Kurogane enjoyed it when it occurred, but this time it felt discordant. Loathe as he was to break the newly fallen silence, he asked. "What is it?"

Fai smiled. "Nothing, Kuro-chu."

Kurogane's patience failed him and he leaned over to snag a handful of Fai's shirt, yanking him closer. "What did I tell you about lying to me?" He spat.

Fai flinched, but regained his composure and grinned. "Oh, Kuro-kuro, you tell me a lot of things and don't mean them."

"I meant everything about lying to me," Kurogane snarled forcefully.

Fai softened somewhat, allowing the smile to fade. He blinked and looked away, not sure whether to apologize or remain quiet.

Kurogane scowled. "Don't feel bad, just don't lie to me."

The blond glanced back at Kurogane. "I'm trying."

"Not very hard," the black-haired man sneered. He dropped Fai's shirt with disdain and glanced toward the door. "I think someone's coming." He fell back to the opposite side of the door's frame.

Fai grinned widely. "I still don't think it will work."

"Shut up," Kurogane's voice was clipped as he watched the door.

The door swung outwards and a guard stepped through. Kurogane pounced from his position and slammed the heel of his hand into the base of the guard's head. He crumpled to the ground without a noise, the bowls of liquid he had been carrying clattering to the floor. Fai moved in quickly to pull the keys from the guard's belt as Kurogane ripped a length of fabric from his sleeve to tie a gag at his mouth and another around his wrists. The two ducked out of the cell and Fai shut the door, bolting the lock.

"Now what?" Fai asked, glancing down the hallway.

Kurogane scoffed. "We find-"

Fai waved the rest of the sentence off. "We find Souhi, I remember."

Scowling at being interrupted, Kurogane turned and headed down the corridor without a word.

"Do you know where you're going?" Fai asked, catching up. "You were unconscious when we were brought in."

Kurogane's steps faltered a moment.

Fai smiled at him. "You can ask. I won't think less of you."

Kurogane paused to glare at him and ground his teeth in irritation. "I…" He took a deep breath and turned away from the smiling blond. "I have no idea where we are."

Fai patted Kurogane's shoulder amicably. "Luckily I remember. Follow me."

Kurogane growled, but followed Fai otherwise silently to the end of the hall. They approached a perpendicular hallway and Fai paused to glance in each direction. He looked back once at Kurogane before taking the left wing. The two moved in silence down the torch-lit corridor toward the light flickering from a room at the end. Voices filtered quietly their way as they approached.

"What do you suppose is taking so long?"

"I don't know."

"We should go check."

"What are you, his mother? I'm sure he's just stopped to pick up some more booze or something."

Fai looked back at Kurogane, who nodded. They would need to act quickly, otherwise they would be forced to act. Fai edged closer to the doorway and took a quick peek inside. Five men sat at a crude table lit with a few candles. Weapons were scattered around the room, but none of the guards were armed. He did not see Souhi.

He leaned back, shoulder bumping Kurogane's. "I don't see it," he whispered.

Kurogane frowned deeply. Those were not words he wanted to hear. Souhi had to be in that room. Where else would it be? He focused on Fai again after the wizard jabbed him with an elbow expectantly.

"It's taking too long. Maybe he got lost." A scuffle of boots against stone floor signaled the approach of a guard. It was now or never.

Fai let the man get to the doorframe before lashing out with his leg to knee the man in the midsection, sending him roughly backwards to the ground. He cried out, clutching his abdomen.

The rest of the men were now on their feet rushing to the door. Fai ducked back and let Kurogane meet them. He could see that Kurogane was not one for practice at hand-to-hand combat, but he held himself remarkably confidently, simply throwing his strength behind each blow to keep the men down. Fai darted around the melee and began his search of the room's contents. Souhi was quite distinguishable of a sword, but thus far Fai did not see it in any of the piles of weapons strewn across the ground.

Kurogane's shadow appeared over his shoulder. "Find it?"

Fai never spared him a glance as he picked through the pile in front of him. "I wouldn't be searching had I have found it, Kuro-wan," he pointed out.

Kurogane snorted and took a breath to berate the condescending man, when Fai let out a triumphant noise. He held Souhi up to Kurogane, a pleased and confident shine in his blue eyes.

Kurogane stood transfixed by those eyes a single moment before scowling and yanking Souhi from the wizard's grasp without a word of gratitude. Fai smiled as the ninja turned away; he had not expected one anyway. He stood and followed Kurogane back to the door, checking to ascertain that the guards would not be conscious in the near future. What Kurogane lacked in skill, he made up for in brute strength. The guards looked to have at least a few hours before they could even contemplate waking up.

Kurogane glanced back at Fai when he noticed the other had paused, and found him checking to make sure that the guards would not be waking soon enough to give chase. He did not like that it was a slipshod job on his part. Fighting with his hands was not something in which he had much experience. Give him a sword any day. He stepped from the room, trusting that Fai would follow and made his way to the door a few paces away. It had no latch and Kurogane glared at it, as if to chastise it for being so naive as to not have a lock to prevent escape.

He sensed Fai's grin behind him. "Not even a lock on a prison door."

"They must not have many prisoners," Kurogane snorted. He pushed the door open and stepped out into the dusty street, clutching Souhi loosely, prepared for attack. His gaze darted up and down the street, searching for anyone wielding a broom or some other potentially dangerous object and glanced back at Fai. He shrugged. "Coast is clear."

"So what now?" Fai stood beside him.

A little too close. Kurogane surreptitiously edged away. For some unknown reason he was quite wary of Fai, but he would not let the mage affect him. "I dunno," he grunted.

Fai smiled softly to himself. He would allow Kurogane to think he had not noticed him move away slightly. "How about that way?" Fai motioned toward what appeared to be the end of town and a large field beyond.

Kurogane shrugged. "Why the hell not." He let Fai move ahead of him, leading the way away from the prison.

"Hey, Kuro-chu."

Kurogane groaned inwardly.

"Do you think that escape was a little too easy?"

"Does it matter as long as we're not there anymore?"

"It might."

"It doesn't."

They reached the last of the town's buildings and crossed from the road into the waist-high prairie grass. A soft wind blew in from the west, whistling through the sheaves. Fai sighed. In the quiet light of fading dusk, the scene was perfect. For what, he did not contemplate, but perfect nonetheless. He looked back to say as much to Kurogane, but stopped short as he saw the expression on the ninja's face.

"Kuro-tan?"

Red eyes met blue and Fai heard what it was that gave Kurogane pause; the sounds of battle in the near distance. Kurogane shook his head and turned in that direction.

Fai could have rolled his eyes. "Why?"

Kurogane glared back at him. "You tell me that you don't feel we should and I'll believe you and we can go a different way." He looked back toward the sounds of the fight. "But I know you feel it too."

Fai sighed and nodded. "All right."

They walked in silence, sifting their way through the stiff grass even as it thinned as they neared the sounds. The large dirt clearing they came across did not appear to be the same kind of dirt that the rest of the land seemed to have, but upon a closer glance, it was apparent that the ground simply saw that much blood as to be almost permanently stained. Kurogane lifted an eyebrow at it. Somehow this made him very uneasy. And the closer they came to the now visible clashing armies, the stronger that feeling became.

A startled and harsh grip on his wrist pulled him from his contemplation and he looked back at Fai. His eyes focused on the warriors in front of them, a look of shock on his face. Kurogane spared a cursory glance to the field, but did not see anything worth the look on Fai's face. He looked back at him.

"What is it?"

"That looks like Syaoran-kun out there," Fai's voice was hollow.

Kurogane jerked his gaze back to the battle, trying in vain to force the urgency from his movements, and searched each face for the kid. His eyes settled on a young, lithe figure, fighting alongside an effeminate royal. The kid looked much worse for wear and Kurogane shoved away his concern. The battle now looked to be ending, as the warriors made their way to their respective sides as a large moon settled calmly above them.

"Kuro-tan, I think something's happening," Fai said.

"No shit," Kurogane growled.

"No, as in something's happening to us."

"What?" Even as the word left his mouth, he noticed their surroundings fading. The only other constant was the army closest to them. Not the one in which the kid was. A thought flashed through his mind and he lashed out with his hand to grab Fai's shoulder. No way was he going to allow them to be separated.

He felt Fai's calm hand grasp his own over his shoulder and he sighed in suppressed relief, all the while quietly fuming to himself over being that codependent so suddenly. As soon as it began, though, the shimmering of their surroundings solidified again and they were now looking around at a completely unfamiliar place. Kurogane ripped his hand away from Fai's shoulder immediately, turning away and scowling as much as he could to hide his embarrassment. He knew Fai was smiling at him. Smug bastard.

"So where do you suppose we are now?" Fai's words were completely unintelligible.

"What the hell?" Kurogane asked.

Fai's expression was shocked as he tilted his head to a side at Kurogane's language.

God damned white manjuu, Kurogane swore to himself. Now not only did he have to deal with Fai, he had to deal with the wizard's ridiculous language. "Never mind."

"What?" Fai felt the need to ask. He wanted to jibe Kurogane about being right that they would not be able to communicate if they were too far from Mokona, but knew that Kurogane would not understand first and foremost, but that he probably would not see the humor in it.

Fai simply grinned and started toward a small grove of shadowy trees. The area seemed somewhat more forest-like than the prairie from which they had just come. Fai moved into the dark, picking his way carefully over the small path between trees and shrubs. He paused a moment to allow Kurogane to catch up and also to listen to the soft sounds of speaking not too far away. Why did those voices sound so familiar?

"Do you hear that?" Fai asked as quietly as he could manage, even knowing that Kurogane would not understand.

Kurogane grimaced, and gave Fai a questioning look. Fai cupped his palm around his ear to indicate that Kurogane should listen. Kurogane glared skeptically a moment, but listened intently, finally catching what Fai was indicating. Two voices. They were familiar too. He looked at Fai, the question plain in his eyes. Fai shrugged almost helplessly and moved forward again. The same uneasy feeling as when they approached the battlefield settled in Kurogane's mind as they moved closer and the voices stopped. He grabbed Fai's elbow, halting him and falling in at his side.

Fai opened his mouth to inquire about Kurogane's actions, but a calloused finger placed over his lips prevented it. He met Kurogane's eyes, startled. The man glared at him, willing him silent. Fai now noticed the absence of the voices. Kurogane turned around to face the direction from which the voices seemed to have come. Fai's eyes went wide and he gasped loudly as the flash of an all too familiar sword arched through the air to rest firmly under Kurogane's chin. Kurogane did not flinch, but stiffened under the blade's tip; his eyes bore into the darkness angrily. Fai's gaze followed Kurogane's into the forest to see two shadows, one holding Souhi's duplicate steadily.

"Who the hell are you?"

W/C: And another chapter of Legend comes to a close. And it's on time too! I was totally scared for a while that I wasn't going to make the deadline. Upon this note, I will unfortunately have to let anyone who cares know that the next chapter will need an extra week. I've been far too much of a procrastinator this semester and have gads of research papers and presentations to do before the end of the term. And since next chapter is going to be really tricky to write, I won't be able to devote the time and effort needed to make it good. I'm very sorry and hope no one's too upset about it. I'll make it extra good to make up for it.

So next chapter! Who are those two familiar strangers in the darkness? I'm sure that all of you are intelligent enough to have already figured it out. So what are our intrepid heroes (both pairs) going to do upon this meeting? What will happen between them? Will Our Kurogane and Fai ever understand each other again? Find out next time! It'll be up May 15th.

Thanks and love to everyone who still reads this monstrosity and reviews. It warms my heart.