Summary: Shurano Kurogane and Fai meet the Traveling Kurogane and Fai and words are exchanged.

Warnings: 1. Swearing. 2. Kurogane/Fai

Disclaimers: It's CLAMP's. Not mine.

Legend

When Worlds Collide

Kurogane glared down the length of his sword at his and Fai's doubles. There had to be some kind of sorcery going on here. Neither of the two looked to be forthcoming with information on what kind of demons they were and he demanded again of them the answer. His own double turned just slightly to meet his angry glare with cold red eyes, but offered no response. His patience left him.

"Are you deaf?" He grated.

His double snarled at him. "I can barely understand you."

"So you're stupid," Kurogane observed.

The man growled low in the back of his throat and his hand fell to the hilt of what appeared to be Souhi's duplicate. The man in the odd white and blue clothes placed a steady hand on his wrist, gripping lightly. The man glanced over at the other and his hand slowly relaxed from its grip.

Kurogane looked over to the strange, but familiar Fai in front of him, fighting back a startled flinch as he met clear blue eyes. He swallowed painfully around the lump that suddenly formed in his throat, but did not allow Souhi to waver in keeping the man at its point from moving.

"What the hell are you?" Kurogane demanded.

The man frowned deeply, seemingly mulling over the words before responding. "We're travelers."

"From where?"

The man glanced at the blond beside him, hesitating a moment. "Somewhere far away."

"That's a little vague, Kuro-tan," Fai noted to the man.

"Don't call him that!" Kurogane shouted at him.

Fai grinned unabashedly at him. "Jealous? Shall I only call you Kuro-tan?"

"No!" Kurogane sputtered. "But…but don't call him that. He's not me."

The man stared at Fai though, an unreadable expression on his face. Kurogane forced back the odd jealously that suddenly flooded him at that look in the man's eyes. He pressed Souhi's tip closer to the man's throat.

"Don't look at him like that," he growled through gritted teeth.

The man cast his again angry eyes at him. "I'm not interested in fighting you."

Kurogane grunted skeptically. "What are you interested in then?"

"We're looking for two people."

Fai furrowed his brow. "I don't suppose they would be two children and a small white creature would they?"

The man looked surprised at this, but then glared at them, his distrust growing. "How do you know that?"

Fai grinned. "By chance we met on the battlefield just the other day. They were quite surprised to see us. The young man didn't understand why it was that Kuro-puu here decided to fight him."

The man drew his sword quickly and before either could move, had its tip pressed against Kurogane's own throat. "You fucking bastard. If you hurt any of them…"

Kurogane merely grinned condescendingly. "You'll what? You don't have the strength to defeat me."

The man flinched at the words, but growled. "And how would you know?"

"I know because I see in your eyes the weaknesses you nurse," Kurogane sneered. "Your desire to be strong is what's holding you back. The kid has more strength than you do right now."

The other man took that exchange as an opportunity to gently pull at his partner's arm, a silent warning in his eyes. The man cast a sidelong glare at him, but relaxed somewhat. Fai raised an eyebrow at the former.

"Why don't you talk?" He asked.

The other man grinned disarmingly and shook his head, pointing to Kurogane's double.

Fai turned his questioning glance to the man.

He rolled his eyes. "Don't let his silence right now fool you. He talks far too much for his own good normally. But he can't understand any of us right now. Luckily that means he's decided not to waste his breath."

Anger flared suddenly in Kurogane's black eyes. "Why do you talk about him like he's an annoying inconvenience?"

"He is."

Kurogane's irate glare turned icier and he clenched his free hand in suppressed rage.

Fai was quick to try and sooth him, placing a calm hand around his fist, ironically mimicking his doppleganger's earlier action. "Kurogane."

Slowly the fist relaxed again. "So, it seems that there are two of us wandering around," Kurogane began, mulling over the entire situation. "You're too harmless to be demons." Kurogane scrutinized the odd pair in front of him. "I wonder."

Fai picked up on the imminent conclusion Kurogane was approaching. "Do you think?"

Kurogane nodded to Fai and looked back over to their mirror images. "Princess Tomoyo told us about you," he said.

The man's eyes went wide in astonishment. "Who?"

Kurogane sighed, exasperated. "You are as deaf as you are stupid then. Princess Tomoyo. She said that you would be traveling with the kid and that princess. She said that everyone existed to some extent in other worlds; other dimensions. Never thought I'd actually meet myself."

The man had recovered from his shock, and now studied Kurogane carefully.

"So if you're supposed to be me in another world, then you and I have some things in common," Kurogane continued. "There is one very important thing that we should have in common too."

"And what would that be?" The man asked, disinterested in the musings.

"Him," Kurogane pointed first at Fai and then at the man with whom his other self was traveling.

The man blanched. "What?" He sputtered. "Why the hell is he important?"

Kurogane narrowed his eyes. "Why isn't he?"

"Because," the man said. "Because he shouldn't be."

"Why?"

The man was silent, conflicted eyes darting away from Kurogane's.

"Do you think of him as a weakness?" Kurogane demanded. "Do you think he's a nuisance? Something to be tolerated until you can rid yourself of him? Is he something not even worth your time?"

"No!" The man shouted, bringing his sword away from Kurogane's throat and clashing Souhi away from his own.

"Is fighting all you care about?" Kurogane inquired coolly as his sword was knocked from its position.

The man shook with anger and he lifted his sword, ready to strike.

Fai knew that this would most likely come to blows, so he calmly stepped backward, reaching out to gently take his double's elbow and lead him away from the two as well. The man looked at him curiously, and Fai smiled warmly. He did not have any interest to argue or fight with either of these two. But the other Kurogane seemed bound and determined to not listen to his Kurogane in a matter he knew was very important to him. His other self seemed to understand that they were to stay out of their more violent counterparts' ways and they shared a knowing smile.

The two Kuroganes were not quite in the smiling mood, though. Kurogane had taken up his own ready stance and the two glared at each other.

"So tell me," Kurogane demanded. "What do you think of him?"

The man growled. "I'm not interested in sharing philosophical differences with you."

"What are you interested in, then?"

"Getting the hell home," he grated.

Kurogane snorted. "What exactly defines home? A place alone? Without him? Without the kid and the princess?"

The man blinked, taken aback by these questions. "A place where I belong."

"Where do you belong?" Kurogane asked.

"A place with Tomoyo-hime," he responded, almost quietly.

It was Kurogane's turn to be taken by surprise. He had known a Princess Tomoyo as well? That would be why he had seemed shocked when he mentioned the name. Idly, he pondered briefly why his reflection seemed to think she was more important than Fai. Important, yes, but on a different level. "Are you so sure about that these days?"

The man hesitated. "Yes."

"You don't sound convinced."

"Don't assume you can tell me what I'm thinking!" Kurogane struck out suddenly furious, bringing their swords together with a loud clash.

Kurogane's own temper flared. "I won't have anyone who is supposed to be me masquerading as someone too stupid to understand his own emotions!"

"I understand my emotions," the man spat, bringing around his sword for another blow.

Kurogane parried it easily, attacking with his own move. "Then why are you denying them?"

"Don't pretend to understand me," the man grated. "You know nothing."

"Don't I?" Kurogane said dryly. "You are me, after all. I would think I know plenty."

The man snarled. "I am no one but myself."

"You're not too enamored with this concept, are you?" Kurogane grinned.

"Are you?"

Kurogane shrugged slightly, radiating indifference. "What matters is that the four of us are here. And I like where I am a hell of a lot better than where you are. Obviously you need to wise up."

The man glared skeptically at him, before striking another blow. "What makes me so inferior to you if we're the same?"

Kurogane blocked the stroke and aimed his own. "We're the same on a basic level. That means small, but crucial things are the same. Life circumstances are different, but we should be essentially alike. That means our emotions are the same, the most important people to us are the same. I understand my emotions very well." He blocked another of the man's blows and struck back. "You on the other hand, are in a very angry state of denial of yours."

The man growled. "Don't lecture me."

"I can hardly say it's my fault that you need lecturing."

"I don't need him!" The man shouted.

"No?" Kurogane raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't he temper you when no one else can? Doesn't he get you to smile, no matter how much you don't want to? He's gotten to you and there's no getting him back out. He's necessary to make you whole. There shouldn't be you without him. You need him."

"I don't!" The man said furiously. "I don't need any of them."

"You do," Kurogane growled, his patience ebbing. "I would be lost without him. I would be dead without him."

"Quite literally too," Fai cut in.

"Shut up!" The two Kuroganes snapped simultaneously. They glared at each other.

Both Fais thought that was simply too amusing and chuckled. They grinned at each other. Fai placed a hand on his double's shoulder.

"It might just be me…us, but we seem to get along much better than the Kuronpyuus," he said.

The other blond smiled questioningly at him and shrugged.

"Hm, though I do wish you knew our language," he sighed. "Talking would be much easier."

Kurogane paid no attention to their exchange, continuing to fight the red-eyed man who was still trying his patience. After Fai's interjection into his speech, he had forgotten what he was in the midst of saying to the insipid fool who looked like him.

"Lost your place?" The man mocked after a few moments of thoughtful silence from the other.

Kurogane was finished. He would never be able to force sense into this idiot. He shook his head in defeat. "I give up with you. You are far too stupid to understand your emotions and will never be truly strong. You're not worth my time," he sheathed Souhi, looking over into Fai's blue eyes. "You're not worth his either. You don't deserve him."

The man's anger suddenly quelled. He glanced over at his own Fai quickly, before looking down and away. "I don't deserve any of them."

Kurogane looked back over to him. "Then why don't you try to?"

The man did not answer.

Sensing progress, Kurogane stepped toward Fai, hoping that a more emotional attack would at least start his moronic double's reasoning down the right path. "Even if attachments are weaknesses, you can't help but form them. Even if it's the last thing in the world you want. They're not bad." He took Fai's hand in his own. "I wouldn't actually be me without him."

The blue-eyed Fai was now watching at the two, longing etched over his face. Kurogane's double was not looking at the two, though, but at the other blond in front of him.

Kurogane pulled his gaze away from Fai to look first at the other Fai and then at the other man. "The kid and the princess are looking for you. The next time we go back into battle, you can take our places and go to wherever it is you're supposed to go."

The man snorted. "How kind."

Kurogane glared. "Don't push it."

The man growled and stalked over to the blue-eyed man. He snatched up a wrist and tugged him into the darkness of the surrounding trees.

"Shall we follow them?" Fai wondered.

Kurogane scowled at him. "Why would you want to? That black freak gives me a headache."

Fai chuckled. "He is you, Kuro-chuu. What do you think I deal with every day?"

Kurogane looked scandalized. "You can't possibly think I'm like him!"

Fai squeezed Kurogane's hand playfully. "Let's just say you're exactly the same on that basic level."

Kurogane snorted, scowling childishly.

Fai chuckled again, but quieted. He looked down and leaned forward into Kurogane's solid form. "I wouldn't really be me without you either," he murmured.

Kurogane turned his face into the soft blond fall of hair at his shoulder and breathed deeply. "I feel sorry for those two, really. They have no idea what they're missing."

Fai smiled softly. "I think we should make up for them, hm?"

Kurogane trailed his hand up Fai's arm, across his shoulder, and gently tilted his jaw up to see him. "I agree."

:-:-:-:-:-:

Kurogane's red eyes burned heatedly in the dark as he continued to tug Fai through the trees. He saw the flickering of fires up ahead, but knew better than to approach them. Knowing their luck that night, everyone at that camp would be familiar with the Kurogane and Fai whom they had just left. And that would mess things up even more. Not straying too far away from them though, he pulled Fai over to a small clearing and, dropping the wrist in his grip, sat down heavily.

Fai settled himself as well, keeping a bit of distance between them. He knew Kurogane was always a little testy after a fight that may or may not have been won. This would be no exception, especially seeing as how he had basically lost to himself. He watched the other carefully, trying to read his feelings.

"As much as I usually complain about you talking a lot, I wish you would right now," Kurogane groused.

Fai grinned, having absolutely no idea what it was Kurogane said. "Sorry."

"Now you speak that weird ass language of yours," he sighed. "Damn that wretched white manjuu wherever it is. It couldn't be closer to make my life easier. No. It's probably lounging around with the princess eating whoever they're staying with out of house and home."

"Kuro-tan, I think you should lighten up," Fai said. "I have no clue what you're saying, but if I know you, it's most likely complaining about something that can hardly be helped."

Not knowing what the wizard said, Kurogane caught his name and scowled at him. Damn him and his nicknames. "Whatever."

"I'm sorry," Fai offered.

Kurogane glared at him. "I could be wrong, but it sounds like you're apologizing. Don't do it. It'll piss me off."

Fai shrugged and grinned. He turned his eyes upward then, to watch the stars flicker faintly through the trees' thick foliage. His thoughts returned to the image of their doubles standing so close, hand in hand. He had not understood what the black-eyed Kurogane had said, but it sounded reverent; full of unshakable devotion. He wanted that. Someone who believed in him unfailingly and who would be with him no matter what. Someone like the Kurogane he had just seen. He sighed deeply and looked over at his own Kurogane to meet his eyes.

His breath caught in his throat at he looked into those red eyes and he felt his chest tighten. "Kuro-wan."

Kurogane almost rolled his eyes at the nickname, but held his tongue. This moment seemed far too serious for him to screw it up with a fit over a stupid name. Swallowing his pride and steeling his courage, he reached a hand forward, reluctantly proud that it was not trembling as visibly as he thought, and touched the side of Fai's face. Fai would not understand, and that was why he felt he could say it in this moment.

"I don't deserve you," he mumbled, still ashamed that he was putting voice to this. "I don't deserve any of you. Maybe by the end, when the princess has her feathers; when she remembers the kid. Maybe by then, I will be strong enough. And maybe you will be too."

Fai's eyes were wide as he listened to Kurogane's words. They were not as sure as the other Kurogane's, but they felt sincere, almost wistful. He placed a hand over Kurogane's and smiled without reserve. "I'll wait for you," his whisper was anything but audible.

"I won't disappoint any of you," Kurogane growled quietly. "I will become stronger. Just wait."

W/N: I'm here to apologize. I won't actually make excuses for my tardiness (for there are quite a number) with this chapter save to quote a friend: "It's better to be late for some stupid self-imposed deadline than to be on time and turn out an absolute piece of shit." He's a good man and I took his advice. I did try to turn out the best thing I could. Even now though, I think it's definitely lacking. As in everyone's out of character. It's probably redundant to a fault and confusing to follow. For this I also apologize. Be that as it may, I got what needed to be said out there. It's even a little romantically smushy at the end. How sweet.

Next, I do another "Let's describe CLAMP's chapter in a different perspective!" So original. Ahem. So I hope no one hates me/this chapter too much. I did give it my best shot. I don't know if it was enough though. I'll try harder for these last chapters. I swear.

Thanks for reading! Only another two chapters until the end!