The Man in the Glass
Chapter Five
By Hayai Akurei
--((00))-((00))--
You may fool the world down the pathway of yearsAnd get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you've cheated the man in the glass.
"The Man in the Glass"
--((00))-((00))--
He was never going shopping with the kid again. Ever. If there was one thing that Syaoran was indecisive about, it was food. Half of the things they bought at least looked edible, but Kurogane was having second thoughts. They'd have to experiment later. And from that point on, he'd send the princess to go with the boy.
"Where's the wizard?" asked Kurogane, eyeing the princess and setting their bag of groceries down. She smiled at him, regarding him almost the way a daughter would to her father, as she set the dishes in the sink.
"He's in his room, getting dressed," she replied, wiping her hands on a towel. "He said he wanted to go out and get some fresh air."
A rumble of annoyance began to build in his chest. "He most certainly is not if he's still sick!" the ninja growled, ignoring Sakura's smile at his back as he trudged upstairs, grumbling random obscenities.
For the love of everything sane! That idiot did the most stupid things sometimes, and it made Kurogane want to smack some sense into him. Was he trying to get himself killed? On second thought, he didn't want to know. Sure, Fai cut things close – closer than Kurogane would have liked – but always seemed to reconsider. Like he was on the edge of a cliff and wondering if he should jump, torn between survival and the possibility of ending of whatever it was that pained him so badly.
He knocked on the door to their room sharply. "Hey, you decent in there?" Waiting for a few seconds for an answer, and not getting one, Kurogane opened the door. Fai sat on the edge of his bed, looking somewhat dazed, but brightened upon noticing the ninja's presence in the room.
"Hello Kuro-bun! Come to fetch me?" he chirped, his tone cheery but with considerably less energy than normal. Part of Kurogane's brain twitched instinctively at the name, but he said nothing. Fai's appearance was unsettling to say the least. He looked awake enough, but his face was somewhat haggard; there were even slight bags under his eyes.
He looked even more delicate, if that was at all possible, in the pale violet jerkin of soft velvet that Kokuyo had lent him, along with a white shirt and cream-colored pants. A pair of slender leather gloves covered his hands a few inches past his wrists and his feet were clad in deerskin boots. Considering how tired he looked – and probably felt – it would only take a slight gust of wind to blow him over.
Kurogane stood in front of him and felt his forehead. At least his temperature had gone down a bit. "Did you get enough sleep?"
"Uh-huh!" There was that smile again. "My headache is gone, but I wanted some fresh air to clear my head up."
"You're not going anywhere," Kurogane said firmly, his eyes hardening.
"Aww! But Kuro-taaan!" whined Fai, tugging at the other man's deep green tunic. "I don't wanna be cooped up inside the house all day! I've been in bed forever!"
Kurogane scoffed. "A day and a half isn't forever."
"Same difference. It'll only make me sicker, you know! Why can't I come?"
"Not if you're going out dressed like that," he argued, "You'll freeze." The blonde blinked as the taller man set a heavy gray cloak about his shoulders. "We're going to see this Elder of theirs shortly, so bundle up. We don't need your cold to get worse."
Fai slumped in mock-depression, though there was a goofy grin on his face. "Oh-kayy…"
As they began to walk downstairs, the blond looked up. "Ne, Kuro-chan."
"What is it?" Kurogane could barely veil the anger in his words. "And for the millionth time, my name is Kurogane, dammit!"
"Thank you."
He blinked, silenced by Fai's gentle smile. Somehow, this one seemed…real. Although his once stunning blue eyes were slightly dulled with traces of fever, and the lines on his face made him looked insomnia-stricken, he glowed.
Looking puzzled, the wizard tilted his head, blinking owlishly at his companion. "Kuro-pin?"
Not wanting to be caught staring, Kurogane huffed, his dark bangs swishing in crimson eyes. "Whatever. Just don't get sicker."
A happy grin spread across Fai's face as he giggled, trotting a little faster to keep up with the ninja.
--((00))-((00))--
"Here we are!" announced Kokuyo. Kurogane glanced over at the kids, still trying to detach a blond leech that had somehow attached itself to his arm. If Syaoran kept his mouth open any longer, a bird was going to fly in, thinking he was a birdhouse.
"It's so big," Mokona murmured in awe. Kurogane grunted. Little-Mr.-State-the-Obvious. But the manjuu wasn't kidding. The place was frikken' huge. It wasn't even a house, it was practically a mansion built into the side of the cliff. And he had a feeling that what they were seeing on the outside wasn't even the entire place. The side where it merged into the rock could have easily housed all of Tomoyo-hime's kitchen staff.
Golden locks bouncing as she tugged energetically on Syaoran and Sakura's hands, Kohaku said, "Just wait 'till you see inside! It's even bigger! And there's all these books! Father says that Master Clef has more books than anyone else in the country!"
"Well, maybe in this province, but certainly not the whole country," came a new voice, as the door opened. There, standing in the foyer of the house was a little man about half Fai's height. Short sugar pink hair hung lightly in his blue eyes, contrasted by his dark blue outfit and brown jacket.
The ninja blinked. He sure didn't look that old; he didn't look a day over fourteen. Hell, he looked even younger than the kid!
"As much as my friends like to boast about my library," Clef said, casting a glance at Kokuyo as they all filed into the landing, "I'm sure nothing can compare to when you visit the Citadel. They have enough books to last you three lifetimes, and you still wouldn't be able to read them all, even if you could read from the moment of birth."
"Clef-san!" Kohaku squealed, running to him. He smiled at her as she clung to his jacket. "Do you have a new book for me? I finished the last one!"
"That's wonderful! Did you like it?"
"Uh-huh!" she nodded enthusiastically. "Does the new book have knights and dragons in it too?"
A broad smile spread across the small man's face. "Of course, child. If you go see Presea in the kitchens, I think she'll have it ready for you." His voice dropped to a whisper. "And the last time I saw her, she was making cookies."
With a crow of delight, the blonde little girl scampered off, making her way through the maze of shelves, her precious burden in her arms. Watching her go, Clef chuckled and shook his head, turning his attention to the others.
"May I introduce Master Clef," Kokuyo introduced, "Our village elder and resident scholar."
"The pleasure is mine," Clef said, bowing shortly. "And no need to introduce yourselves, I've heard all about you from little Kohaku and the other villagers."
Catching Kurogane's questioning look, he smiled. "Gossip spreads faster than wildfire around here, I'm afraid." Stepping up to Sakura, he kissed the back of her hand. "It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty."
Sakura flushed. "Thank you for allowing us to stay, but please, just call me Sakura."
"And you are Syaoran, I presume," Clef said, shaking the boy's hand in greeting. "Kokuyo tells me that you are an archeologist."
The kid almost flushed with embarrassment. "Yes sir. I was leading an excavation in some ruins in my home country before I left with her Highness."
"Whatever for?" Clef asked. "Well, why did you leave, I mean?"
"We're looking for Sakura-chan's memories," piped up Fai. "They look like feathers. And without them, she's incomplete."
Clef looked pensive. "I see."
Despite the man's small stature, Kurogane could almost feel the wisdom radiating from him as he continued to converse with Syaoran, leading them all into a cozy sitting room. His young looks didn't fool him; he was much older than he let on. And when those deep blue eyes met his own red ones, he felt as though they could seemingly dissect his every thought with only a cool glance.
Like another pair of blue eyes he knew.
"And you must be Kurogane, the warrior who killed the boggart."
"The what-what?" chirped Fai. Kurogane was just as eloquent. "Eh?"
"You must be talking about the shapeshifter," Syaoran said. Clef nodded sagely. "Yes, boggarts have the power to change their shape to whatever they wish. And to date, we still have not found a sound way to defeat them. This is a first for Juillet Village. All that we really know is that they prefer to come out when it's dark. That's why the village is so well lit at night. We cannot risk being attacked."
Fai tilted his head in question. "So what exactly do they do?"
"They take the form of your greatest fear. And that's before they drink your bloodstream dry."
Kurogane clamped down the rising swell of icy cold fear in his chest. If they took the form of your greatest fear, then…
Oh shit.
His thoughts were cut off as Fai began coughing, his willow-thin frame trembling with the force. Almost grateful for a distraction, Kurogane led him to a settee and sat him down. As the wizard's coughs subsided, the ninja could feel the other man shivering.
"I told you that you should've stayed back at the house," Kurogane growled, setting the gray cloak tighter about the blonde's shoulders, "You should be resting."
Fai pouted. "But I didn't want to be left alone."
"You would have had Godzilla for company, even if he does sleep in front of the fireplace all day."
"Are you all right?" asked Sakura, kneeling by Fai's side. The blonde gave her his trademark smile, which practically had the power to banish – almost – all doubt. "I'll be fine. Just concentrate on finding that feather of yours."
Syaoran turned to Mokona, who was perched on his shoulder, long white ears raised like antennae receiving long-distance messages. "Do you sense anything, Mokona?"
The manjuu shook his head. "Mokona doesn't feel it here, but it's here."
"What kind of explanation is that?" Kurogane snapped. And Tomoyo-hime said that this trip would be good for him. Hell's teeth, his blood pressure must have skyrocketed through the roof the first day he'd met the manjuu and the wizard! He was certain he was going to die of a mental breakdown just being around those two.
Clef rose to his feet. "Would you all like some hot tea? I'm sure Fai-san would like some for that cough of his. I can ask Presea to make some."
"Yes, please," Sakura answered, rubbing Fai's back gently as he finally got past the phlegm in his throat. Clef nodded and rang a small bell sitting on the table. Within moments, a young woman walked out from the distant hallway, Kohaku bouncing along with a cookie in one hand, another in her mouth.
"You rang?" she asked, tossing her long blonde hair and sounding slightly irritated that he was using a bell of all things to summon her like she was a servant or some sort of dog.
He beamed innocently at her. "Presea, would you mind getting us some tea? And some of those new cookies I saw you baking this morning."
A vein in her forehead twitched. "Were you sneaking around in the kitchen again? No more sweets for you after this, mister!"
He merely chuckled and she rolled her eyes, heading back into the kitchens with Kohaku.
"You are welcome to any of the books here," Clef offered, turning his gaze back to his guests. "I have a feeling that they will be of some help to you on your journey. And if you need any assistance, don't hesitate to ask me."
Syaoran bowed shortly in gratitude. "Thank you very much, sir. Your help is greatly appreciated."
"Glad to be of service. Now, you say milady's memories take the form of feathers?"
"Yes, and it is imperative that we find them all. We're not sure when it arrived here, but according to Mokona, it is here."
The little magical creature nodded rapidly. "Yes! The feeling that Mokona is getting is a weeeird one, but Mokona knows that it is definitely the aura of Sakura's feathers!"
"Well, we can search the records for any history that might tell us the whereabouts of your feather, that would be the best thing to do," the older man concluded.
Kurogane frowned. "And just how many books are we talking?"
"Oh, only a couple hundred."
"Only a couple hundred?"
Clef waved his hand dismissively. "I wouldn't worry. Just between Syaoran and myself, we'll have those sorted out like last season's old weeds in a matter of hours! And Kokuyo will able to help. Just be glad you're not at the Citadel Library! To go through their history collection would take you years, even with a team of a hundred! But everything here is indexed, and information is easily found! And I'm a bit of a history enthusiast, so I've read many of them already."
"Whatever you say."
Once again, Kurogane's attention was turned to Fai, whose cough had returned anew. And yet again, that persistent twinge of worry was nagging at Kurogane's chest, tying it up in little knots. He hoped that the mage would be okay. Not that he was getting gushy or overly protective or genuinely concerned for him or anything!
Finally, Fai's coughing stopped, and he lay down. As Presea returned with the tea and cookies, Kurogane said, "I told you that you should've stayed at home."
Fai stuck his tongue out at him and took a sip of tea. "And I said that I didn't want to stay," he retorted. His voice was now slightly raspy, his throat raw from coughing.
Clef's brow narrowed, turning to a small closet and rummaging through it. "Have you gone to see Doctor Kakei yet? Ah, here it is!" Blue eyes brightened upon producing a thick, woolen blanket.
Fai nodded. "Yes, but the medicine I'm taking is less than pleasant."
"I agree. Terribly nasty, but helpful," the little elder concurred, taking a seat next to Fai, opposite Kurogane, and spreading the blanket over him. "I should ask him to bring me some Star Magnolias later on. It should help your coughing a little."
Rising to his feet, the ninja asked, "Where is the doctor's place? I'll go get it." He was itching to do something, anything, and flipping through books wasn't exactly his forte.
"Down the main street over by the blacksmith's store," supplied Kokuyo. "Shall I go with you?"
"I'll go!" Fai offered.
"You stay here," Kurogane said shortly. "I'll go get it. You need to rest up and get better quickly. The more you exert yourself, the worse your condition will get. You stay right here with the others and get some rest."
"But Kuro-tan – "
Whirling on the slighter man, the ninja glared at him. "Will you just shut up for once and listen to me? It's bad enough that you have little to no common sense when you're healthy! Just get some rest! Take a nap or something! That is the first rule for any illness! Rest! And plenty of it!"
Fai whined and buried his nose under the blanket. "Aww…"
"K'so," he swore under his breath, running a hand through his hair, "You're so damn stubborn, you know that?"
"Kurogane-san?" asked Sakura, getting to her feet. "Would it be all right if I came with you instead?" He cast a wary eye at her.
"I'd prefer it if you didn't."
"I'd still like to come. I'm not sick."
He couldn't quite argue with that. What a pushover he was turning out to be. Striding towards the door, he said, "Fine. Come on."
"Wah?" the blond whined. "But why can't I come?"
The vein in his forehead was twitching madly now. "Because you're sick!"
"Will you be all right?" asked Syaoran, helping his princess into her coat. Sakura smiled warmly at him, exuding such radiance that it was hard to not spellbound by her charm.
"I'll be okay. Kurogane-san will be with me. And if we split up, we might find information on the feather faster that way. We can ask around the village and see if anyone else knows anything."
That seemed to reassure him, and he silently relented his princess-protecting duties – though the ninja could see the kid still inwardly coiled slightly, ready to spring to action should the need arise. Did the kid ever relax? Then again, he wasn't much one to talk. They shared a look, which Kurogane took as, "I entrust her safety to you. Take care of her."
He had no need to worry. Any bastard who even thought about harming the princess would have to face the almighty wrath of her "father" first. And like any smart man knows, a woman's father – foster fathers being no exception – is a force to be reckoned with, especially when his daughter's safety and well-being is on the line.
"We'll be back soon!" the princess called back, waving. "Take care while we're gone!" Fai smiled and waved back at her, as did Syaoran.
"Have a good time, Princess!" Syaoran called. "We'll be here waiting!"
Beaming prettily, Sakura trotted out the door. And before he followed her outside, Kurogane cast one last killing glare at the wizard, practically willing his message into the blonde's brain.
Rest, dammit! Or I shall have to hurt you!And with that, he shut the door with a curt click.
--((00))-((00))--
"Thank you, come again!" called the shopkeeper as Sakura left with a wave. The princess trotted outside, a bag of fruits in her arms. Kurogane stood by the door, waiting for her with Fai's medicine. As they made their way out into the sunshine-filled street, he asked, "Well?"
She shook her head. "He hasn't heard anything about a feather either. Do you think it will be like in Jade Country where it had been around for centuries?"
He shrugged. "Beats me."
There was a long moment of silence between them as they made their way out of the marketplace and began to head back up to Clef's house.
"Um, Kurogane-san," Sakura ventured. He looked at her, trying not to look too stern with her.
"What is it?"
"I was just thinking…of when we first got here."
"Yeah, what about it?"
"The boggart. Clef-san said that it takes the form of your greatest fear."
Did she figure it out already? He kept his gaze trained in front of him. "Don't worry about it. It was a long time ago."
"But that monster…"
"Just leave it." It came out harsher than he intended, and he felt her flinch slightly. "I'm not mad at you. It's just…complicated."
Green eyes locked on him, studying him with such gentle support. How was it that she reminded him so much of Tomoyo? The same eyes, the same determination and gentle power, the same soft voice that made him want to spill all his worries…
"Yukito-san once told me that it was okay to be worried," the princess went on. "My brother is very stubborn, and Yukito-san has to deal with him all the time! But when onii-chan finally says what's on his mind, he feels much better. You don't have to say what's worrying you, but…I'd like to know more about you."
She shifted the bag in her arms. "I realized that I really don't know a whole lot about any of you. You, Fai-san, or Syaoran-kun. And yet, I know that you are all good people. I feel like I've known you all my life."
Sighing, Kurogane sat down on a nearby bench. The princess took the seat next to him, and offered him an apple from the sack. He took it, and turned his gaze to the sky. Blast princesses and their innate persuasive powers.
"I fear…failure," he said, his voice flat and to the point, although he felt somewhat embarrassed that he was divulging this to her. Sakura said nothing, but merely sat, taking a bite out of her own apple. "It happened only once, and after that, I swore that I would never allow it to happened ever again.
"I was trained to be one of the royal bodyguards from the time I could first hold a sword. By the time I had completed my training, the princess had been born and I had been assigned to be her bodyguard. Most people were scared of me, but the queen liked me for whatever reason, as did the princess. Empress Kotori was like a saint."
He took a bite, chewing thoughtfully before he continued.
"She said she trusted me, as did the emperor, Kamui. So I watched Tomoyo as she grew up, protecting her at all times, as was my duty. She was such a sweet kid."
His heart grew heavy as darker memories battled to the forefront of his mind.
"Tomoyo is Japan's sole sovereign ruler," he said, "And she's only sixteen years old. And it's all because of my own stupidity. There was this guy, a foreigner by the name of Zagato. He served as the princess's tutor when she was ten, after the other one died. I thought nothing of it after the first two years, and I was stupid enough to think I could trust him."
He grasped the apple in his hand, his anger rising.
"The day Tomoyo turned fourteen, Zagato attacked the emperor and empress during a an ambassadors' summit, killing everyone in sight. He had been possessed by a demon, and had somehow got past all security. How long he had been harboring that creature, I have no idea. But that thing you saw the boggart turn into was that demon.
"I knew nothing of magic to get rid of him. The entire castle guard couldn't put him down. The princess almost died that day, using magic that was far beyond her skill to cast in order to weaken him. But if it hadn't been for her, we all would have died."
The poor apple was soon going to die in his fist.
"I killed the traitorous bastard, but it wouldn't make the guilt go away. The princess became our ruler of all Japan long before she should have ascended the throne. She shouldn't have had to become an adult so soon."
He relented his grip on the half-destroyed fruit, practically nibbling on what was left of it.
"And so I vowed to kill any and every threat to her life. I would not fail her like I had done once already. I could never do that to her. And that's why I have to get back. To Japan, and to Tomoyo."
Sakura swallowed her bite of apple, looking at him calmly. "Do you feel better now?"
Kurogane could feel some weight come off his shoulders, and for the first time in a long time, he could breathe easy. And Sakura hadn't said anything, whether it was to make him feel better or feel worse. All she had done was listen.
And maybe, that's just what he had needed.
"Surprisingly, yeah."
She smiled, finishing off the red fruit. "Well, we better get going. Syaoran-kun and Fai-san are going to wonder what's taking us so long."
He merely grunted, getting to his feet and tossing the leftover core into a trash barrel as they made their way up the street. Soon, they could see Clef's mansion come into view, surrounded by flowering trees.
"What's that sound?" asked Sakura, pausing as she listened. Kurogane stopped and looked around, searching for the source. It was a lovely tune, carried freely by the cool breeze that danced through the air.
"Look," the princess said quietly and pointing upward, "It's Fai-san."
His gaze followed to were she was indicating, and blinked in surprise. Sure enough, there was the blond wizard, sitting on the edge of a windowsill and singing to the open air, his dark gray cloak pulled tight around his shoulders. He hadn't caught sight of them, but neither of them made a move to draw his attention.
The rays of the late morning sun bathed Fai in a gentle, almost ethereal glow. For once, he looked completely relaxed, simply enjoying this simple moment. Then, as his song came to an end, there was a flutter of wings and three little white birds settled into the tree right in front of the blond. He smiled, and holding his hand out to them, began to sing again.
In my heart I will always cherish you, cherish youI will always cherish you here inside
The west wind blows and it's carrying, carrying
The west wind carries my song across the sea
Can you hear me? Can you hear me calling?
O'er distant lands under the sun and stars
In my heart, I will always carry you, carry you
I will always carry you close
I pray you will always think of me, think of me
I pray you will always think of me, dear
By grace of heaven, I'll hold you once again
Like all that is held beneath the cradle of the sky
In your heart, do you still love me? Still love me?
Do you carry me close to your heart?
In my heart, I will still love you, still love you
Cherished lover, I will love you always.
The little birds cocked their heads at him, flickering up to him and settling on his lap and shoulders. As one nibbled at his soft golden locks of hair, another alighted his proffered finger and chirped happily at him, puffing his feathered breast in delight.
Tweep. Tweep.
Fai chuckled and kissed the bird's head.
Inwardly, Kurogane smiled. Just a little, of course. But he had a feeling that things were going to turn out all right after all.
--((00))-((00))--
Author's Notes: Woo-cha, this is LONG! Longest chapter I've ever written!
And just to let you know, because I was a complete and utter doofus, I forgot to add a disclaimer. The poem "The Man in the Glass" belongs to Dale Wimbrow. I DID NOT write it. We happened to be reading it in Speech Psychology when studying personal and public selves and when I read it, I was all, "OMG! This is so totally Fai!" And so did this whole story begin.
The song Fai sings I made up myself. I was listening to Riverdance at the time, so it loosely modeled off one of those songs. I stink at writing song lyrics otherwise.
And I know Kurogane's OOC here, but he needs to fess up to someone! And he can never say no to his princess, so why not this one?