Takuya came to consciousness slowly and unwillingly as the daylight pierced the shelter that they all slept in. He sat up, groaning as the world seemed to sway about him, before settling. I feel like I did after that time I stole some of old man Arada's cider. He stood, shakily, then closed his eyes as the world started to shift again, causing his stomach to rebel. Am I going to feel like this every time I do magic? The twins don't seem to. He breathed deeply until the queasy feeling subsided, and then moved into the courtyard, where a puzzling sight greeted him.

Tomoki appeared to be sobbing while Kouichi held him gently, his breath coming in hiccups. Kouji was striding amongst the remains of the garden, his hands holding a mass of green. He looked up as if he sensed Takuya's presence.

"So you're awake." He looked around, then stripped some other leaves off a straggly-looking plant.

Takuya drew closer to the sobbing child, ignoring Kouji, and knelt gingerly, afraid that the world would spin again. "Tomoki? What's wrong kid?"

Tomoki looked up, and Takuya took in a deep breath in shock. One of Tomoki's eyes was blackened, his face and especially his cheekbones were bruised, and blood trailed from a split lip. From the way he was moving, it was clear that he had injuries and aches in his arms and chest. He drew away from Kouichi slowly, then hung his head as Takuya continued to look at him.

"I fell over."

Takuya snorted. "Was that before or after you got beaten up?"

Tomoki looked like he was about to start wailing again. "I fell over."

Kouji shook his head as he took a plate, and started to grind some of the leaves he'd collected with the back of a spoon. "I've used that story before too, Tomoki. It doesn't help you any by protecting them, doesn't make them want to hurt you any less." He added some water to the mush, starting to create a greenish paste. "You have to show them that you're not weak anymore."

"But Katsuharu'll…" Tomoki trailed off, realising his mistake. "I fell over."

"Sure." Kouji spread some of the green paste onto a large, flat leaf, and then moved to kneel in front of Tomoki. "This is going to sting for a bit." He pushed it against Tomoki's bad eye and the boy yelped.

"You trying to hurt me too?!" He scrabbled to try to pull Kouji's hand away, but the elf's superior strength prevented any movement of the leaf away from Tomoki's eye.

"Hold still," scolded Kouji. "This'll make the swelling and the bruise go down. I know it hurts, I had it applied to me enough times to know, but it will help you." He tried to smile kindly. "Won't it be a shock to them if you look like you haven't been in a fight?"

Tomoki's struggles subsided slowly. "Is that what this does? Why are you helping? How do you know all this?"

Kouichi smiled and got up. "Yes, it's a salve to reduce bruising." He poured out a cup of water from the pitcher and started to shred leaves into it. "We're helping because, like Kouji said, it's happened to us a few times, although more to him than to me because he never learnt that sometimes its wiser not to speak and anger a person. And we know all this because it was our father who helped us heal, and no good healer would ever use magic unless he had tried herb-lore first." He held the cup out to Takuya. "Drink. It'll make you feel really sick for a moment or two, but it'll settle your stomach, and your head, and bring your colour back."

Takuya took the cup and looked at the bits of leaf floating in it nervously. "Sure it'll make me better?"

Kouichi shrugged. "That or you'll throw up pretty quickly."

Takuya looked less than enthusiastic. "Thanks." He drank the contents of the mug down as fast as he could, then closed his eyes and bent double as his stomach threatened to empty itself. "Ooo…"

Kouji smirked. "Looks like it took."

Takuya straightened slowly, then blushed as he remembered falling asleep against Kouji, to the sound of his steady heartbeat. "Um, about yesterday afternoon, when I fell asleep…"

"It's okay, Takuya. I thought it was rather… um… sweet?" Kouji blushed too as he spoke, and then cleared his throat noisily. "But I doubt you'll do any practice today. You seem tired from all the work you did yesterday."

"Yeah," replied Takuya nervously. "Don't know how you guys do it if you end up feeling so sick afterwards."

Kouichi shook his head. "We don't. Not unless we do something major. It's a practice thing again, I'm afraid." He smiled at Takuya. "You did really well though."

Takuya shook his head. "No I didn't. It kept trying to get away from me, the fire inside me I mean."

Kouichi shrugged. "It always will, Takuya. Every night, darkness tries to swallow me whole, but I always push it back. That's the part that will get easier. You learn how to control it, push it back. But it's always there." He sighed, then took the rest of the salve and started to rub it gently into Tomoki's face as the boy held the patch to his eye for himself.

"Thank you… for helping me," said Tomoki. "Everyone says you're monsters, but you're nice people. You're just cursed or whatever by the Gods, not being nasty on purpose."

Takuya smiled. "You found a pretty lass for Midsummer then?"

Tomoki made a face. "Girls are icky. And I have chores to do that day, so I've no time for dancing."

"Seems sad," said Takuya.

Tomoki looked at him curiously. "What about you? You're prisoners and can't take part in anything."

Kouichi paused for a moment. "Tomoki? Keep your eyes open that day. Some bad things are coming to a head."

"How can they?" asked Tomoki. "Yutaka is being knighted, and Mama and Papa are coming to see, so I'll get a little time off to see them." He noticed how serious Kouichi looked. "But I'll watch for bad stuff, if you're sure it's coming."

"It is." Kouichi moved away from him.

Takuya shifted uncomfortably. "Watch for torches and candles people might knock over and stuff, okay? Kouichi thinks there might be fire."

Tomoki nodded and let Kouji peel the leaf from his eye gently.

"You look better," said Kouji simply. "Certainly your tutors won't notice unless they look hard."

Tomoki made a face. "No, but I'll get a punishment for skipping my first class." He started to gather up the kitchen things, then stopped. "I'll leave them here. You were so busy with me, you didn't eat."

Takuya smiled. "That's okay. Now scat before you get into even more trouble."

Tomoki nodded, and then ran out of the courtyard.

***********************

Damn him, thought Joshua as he stomped through the hallways of the castle. Damn him for sending for me, and damn him for doing it when I have an audience with father. He inclined his head at the servants who bowed as he passed. How will I convince my father of my goodwill when that fool of a magician Goodwinson drags me away from the court? He started up the long tower to the mage's apartments in the tower. Damn him, damn him, damn him. This scheme will no doubt be as useless as all the others. He pushed the door open and entered. "I'm here, old man. What is it that was so important?"

Goodwinson swirled round to face him, and knelt. "You know I am your faithful servant, Prince Joshua."

"Be quiet," snapped the prince. "I have no patience for your showman's ways, your slight of hand, or your attempts at lording."

The mage rose. "But my lord, I thought that was the very thing that led to my employ in your service."

Joshua snorted. "I play my own act well enough to see through yours, Goodwinson." He sat in a chair and took on a mournful expression. "The sulking prince, always dreaming, always too shy to speak to all the pretty ladies of the court who giggle and flirt…" His mouth twisted into an ugly expression. "Makes me sick, their fawning over me. No, over my title, for I doubt they ever see Joshua beneath." He swung his feet up to rest on the table. "And what of my brother? What of our plans?"

Goodwinson nodded to himself. "Yes, yes, my lord. Our plans must change if you still wish to succeed at Midsummer."

Joshua looked angry. "And how must they change, fraudster? Must they change so I'm open to risk and discovery?"

"Oh no, sire," placated Goodwinson. "There is simply a problem with the demon. It is too young to perform such a feat, and I fear that its prolonged contact with the human world has corrupted its thirst for death and destruction, and instead led it on a gentler path." The mage smiled a little, and produced a strangely shaped sealed pot, and a small vial. "So the plan proceeds as before, but you must leave this in your brother's room, or else near it. Crack the seal and throw this vial in. Do not empty the vial; merely throw the whole thing in. Exactly a day later, the pot will explode in flames and start the fire that will surely kill your brother."

Joshua nodded. "That will suffice, mage. I am pleased to know that the book I liberated for you from our vaults has been of some use." He smiled. "And with luck, this sad accident will be no fault of mine." He changed his expression to sorrowful. "How sad my brother's death will be, and how unhappy I will be that I must take the burden of being the heir in his stead." He laughed and scooped up the vial, placing it in his belt pouch.

***********************

The farmyard was still and silent as Takuya entered. No laughter of his brother or carefree chattering of the workers, or even the sound of his mother singing as she went about her baking.

"I'm dreaming again, aren't I?"

"Yes, my child."

Takuya spun around to face the voice, only to find a woman stood behind him. She wore a gown of purest white, and her long pale hair trailed down from a small diadem set with diamonds. Her eyes seemed to change colour, blues, greens, and browns seemed to dance through her irises.

Takuya had no doubt about who it was he faced, and knelt quickly. "Mother Goddess, I am your servant, always."

The Goddess smiled and knelt in front of him. "Oh my child, I can see the weight you've been carrying has grown less with the friendship of others. I chose well to make you one of mine."

Takuya kept his eyes on the ground, not daring to look at the one who ruled life. "Please, My Lady, My Lord Mithrir came to me in a dream and called me one of his children. One of the cursed demons he rules. Am I?"

The Goddess smiled, and gently tilted his face up to look at her. "Takuya, human-kind, the earth-folk, are not strong enough by themselves to bare the weight of fire magic, just as the earth itself melts and flows under fire's influence. Magic must come from life, but not all life is suited to all magic." She stroked his hair gently. "When the time came for you to be born, it was found that the weight of this gift would crush you unless I took the smallest amount of that which protected My Lord's people and put it within you. That part of you calls to him, while the rest of you calls to me."

Takuya started to cry. "So I am a demon after all…"

The Goddess wiped his tears gently. "No, child. You are human, and no demon blood runs in your veins. The fires do not burn you because they recognise what I put in you to keep you safe from your own power. That is all it does. You gift would destroy you had I not, and I have no wish to destroy my warrior."

"Warrior?" asked Takuya, puzzled. "My Lady, there are so many stronger than me, wiser or faster than I am. Surely, even if they are cursed in your sight, Kouichi and Kouji Minamoto would be able to serve you better than I."

"Sweet Takuya, your great strength dwells in your heart, not your mortal frame. And your heart sees no boundaries, which is rare among your people." She touched his forehead, and her hand glowed briefly. "I give you a gift, so your heart may grow stronger still, if you listen to it." She smiled. "You should return to this place for real once this trial is over. You dream of it, even though it causes pain. Know that you are chosen of the Gods, Takuya, and we will help where we can, but it is not our place to decide mortal paths. Many dangers you must face without our help." She kissed his forehead and stood. "Do not speak of my visiting, except with those you trust. We do not want it known that we are moving in your lives once again."

Takuya stood automatically out of politeness. "Who don't you want to know?"

The Goddess faded away, and the world turned black as Takuya fell back into sleep.