Disclaimer: Clamp Characters are not mine, any OC's and story line are.
AN: Finally, who our Mage really is will be revealed. Things take a serious turn.
Chapter 13...The Dark
It was April 1st and Watanuki's 17th birthday. They were having a party for the spirit magnet at the Doumeki family temple, way out back in one of the furthest gardens from the house and temple itself. They had thought themselves safe, and had let their guard down a little. They were wrong. Perhaps that's why the evil being was able to get to them, that and the protections at this end of the property had weakened over the years. Plus this was no ordinary everyday evil ayakashi as it turned out.
Watanuki had just put the final touches on his latest creation, sure it was his birthday, and he had made his own cake, again. But then he was the only one he trusted to do it just right. He was walking towards his friends to display this masterpiece of bakery confection, when the demon struck. Out of nowhere, what at first appeared to be a large man grabbed Watanuki with an arm around his throat and started pulling him away towards the back of the property. Thank all the Gods Watanuki IS so loud. He screamed bloody murder when the evil being first grabbed him.
Doumeki hadn't brought his bow thinking they were safe as long as they were on temple grounds. But he immediately visualized his bow and fitted a spirit arrow to it spotting what was happening he pulled back, releasing the arrow made of his spirit at the evil ayakashi trying to take Watanuki. The arrow hit the being in the shoulder, startling him enough that it caused him to let go of Watanuki, who fell to the ground heaving and gagging, unable to breath from the evil presence.
Meanwhile Aya had gotten out Kei, from the case she always carried with her everywhere and was running towards the evil creature blade drawn spirit energy flaming to life. Seeing her, that being smiled evilly and took his attention off Watanuki.
"What's this, so little one, you wish to dance do you?" Pulling up a few feet away from the creature, Aya stopped and breathing heavily and took in what she really faced. The creature before her had shed the glamour of an ordinary man, and in its place stood a Demon Lord. Crimson skin, Fangs, sickly yellow eyes, black horns and wings, the claws poison to any mortal and even some immortals.
"You will NOT take him"
"Think so little one, well come, lets us dance and see who takes the prize."
Gripping Kei, Aya rushed the Demon Lord engaging him in battle. Doumeki, the manifestation of both bow and arrow having drained him of his spirit power, Himiwari, Mokona even Yuuko could only watch as the Demon Lord and the Knight Mage danced the Waltz of Death. Aya attacking, feinting and defending with Kei, The Demon fighting with Fangs and razor sharp poisoned claws, he needed no weapons of steel. The Demon was strong and fast Aya couldn't get thru his defenses to get in a killing strike. Demons could be killed if you knew where to strike and could get passed the claws and fangs. Her Very Important People, their very lives hung in the balance.
She made her choice. She made what appeared to be mistake, a fatal one, one that allowed the Demon to grab her by the throat, poisonous claws piercing the side of her neck, digging in for a secure hold. He lifted her from the ground, bringing her face up to his, his rancid breath hot across her skin.
"Tsk tsk how sad and so easy, it ends here little one, my love, my Queen, will truly enjoy the succulent young flesh of the Seer that I will bring her. Especially after I have seasoned it with fear and terror to her liking."
"NEVER!"
Spitting out that word, blood flecking her lips, The Mage took the dagger she had pulled from the sheath she kept on her thigh, filling it with all her souls power she plunged it into the heart of the Demon Lord. Yellow eyes opened in shock for a single moment before the demon imploded, dropping the poisoned Knight Mage and leaving behind only a pile of crystalline dust.
Yuuko grabbed the blanket they had all been sitting on during their picnic and grabbed one of the bags Watanuki had used to bring the food in. Running to the downed Mage, she draped the blanket over the shivering form and handed the bag to Doumeki and the recovering Watanuki.
"Hurry, gather the crystals, if you wish to save her life. Get all of it you can."
"Please Yuuko-san, please save her, any price. We'll all pay." Himiwari cried, doing as they were told, the boys gathered the remains of the onetime Demon Lord.
"The price, well most of it will be paid by the boys gathering up the crystals and giving it into my keeping, it is the rarest substance in all the worlds. The rest of your price is only this, there are four puncture wounds on her neck from the Demons claws, each of you will take one of the scars, leaving her with but one of her own. Agreed?"
The boys having gathered all the crystals, handed the bag to Yuuko.
"Yes" They all said at once.
Taking a deep breath, the Dimensional Witch directed each teen, who wondered at her actions but did not question them. At least not this time.
"Himiwari, go sit on her legs, Watanuki straddle her waist and hold her wrists, Doumeki, grab her shoulders. Do you have anything you can put in her mouth to bite on?" Doumeki removed the leather belt he was wearing doubling it over twice and placed it between the teeth of girl lying below him. The witch then took out a pinch of the precious powder and placed it in the palm of her hand, poured some of her sake upon it to make it into a paste, which she then spread over the wounds on the neck of the dying mage.
"AAAAAAAAGGGGGGRRRRRRR!" The mage screamed deep in her throat, biting into the belt between her teeth., body arching in pure agony, her friends held her as down as best they could. Tears streamed down the faces of Himiwari and Watanuki, Doumeki holding the Mages shoulders held also her eyes, trying to give her some of his strength. His mind crying out the name of her true self, begging her silently to stay with them all.
{Please, do not disappear, Watanuki needs you, Himiwari needs you, I-I need you.}
"Yuuko-san what is happening? Why doesn't she pass out, wouldn't it be easier on her?" Watanuki asked.
"The purified crystals are drawing out the poison. It is a very painful process. Her will is so strong she will not lose consciousness just from the pain, not until she is utterly drained."
"Purified?"
"Yes, the Demon Lord was pure evil, He was one of the Eldoran, she used her own soul and will pouring it into the blade that killed him. Purifying his essence. An Eldorian Lord has not been killed by such as she, and in such as way in uncounted millennia. There is no stronger magical substance. That magician and I… we found only 2 single crystals in all the worlds and from them we created the two Mokonas."
This was information she could actually give, as it did not cross the line of interference as this had been a thing of the past. To the Seer and his friends the true price of saving the Mage became apparent. Yuuko now had a rather large bag full of this magical stuff, she had just used a decent amount of it to rid the Mage of the poison coursing thru her veins. And it had taken only 2 minuet crystals to create the Mokonas, magical creatures of incredible alcohol tolerance and perversity.
Slowly the wounded Mage quieted as the last of the poison left her body. The wounds closed, healed and three of them disappeared only to reappear upon the necks of the three teens who had paid the price. Watanuki was finally able to move off the girl below him, taking the sobbing Himiwari into his arms they comforted each other. Doumeki gather the Knight Mage into his lap pulling her head up against his shoulder, he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her bloodied hair.
Mokona had been sitting on the side lines, unable to touch the crystals from which he had been created. That's when the 'call' they had been expecting from the other Mokona came thru...Suddenly going mekko Mokona showed an unfamiliar landscape, but familiar faces.
"Happy Bir..." They four in the other world had started to say. Kurogane always the warrior and quick to notice details of a recent battle, spoke first.
"Witch-san, what happened here? Who fought, was anyone hurt?" Yuuko, told the four (well five if you count the white Mokona) of the events that had just occurred. Sakura-hime wept, Syaoran looked fierce and held Sakura as she wept, very typical. But Fai, Fai was looking at the girl in Doumeki arms, he took several steps before falling to his knees, whispering...
"Cerowyn?... FAI!" He screamed and dove towards the vision of the other world, Kurogane caught him in mid-air pulling the mage back up against his chest, where he sagged against the Ninja, looking longingly at the image projected before them. The wounded blonde girl opened her blue eyes and looked into the portal...
"Corwin? Yuui. You lived, I'm so happy, I knew I made the right choice." With those words the exhausted girl lost her battle to stay awake.
"FAI!"
"She has just fallen asleep. All is well Fai-san, these three have paid the price to save her life, all she needs now is rest and lots of nutritious food to rebuild her strength"
"Witch-san, what means this?" Kurogane asked worried for the weeping Mage in arms.
"Those who have passed on, absolutely cannot be returned from the dead. That is impossible. But however that does not mean they can't be reborn to a new life. And as you have already found out, time moves at different rates in each of the other worlds."
Doumeki looked up and across the dimensions, across worlds, his eyes met those of the ninja. He would hold this Mage to life, as that warrior held his own to him. Whether they liked it or not. Kurogane nodded, satisfied, they understood each other, these strong fierce men.
The true threat to the Balance has revealed itself could the choices they make and the prices they pay be enough?
AN: The truth comes out! Our mage is none other than the 'real' Fai who had been reborn in another world after his sacrifice. It is not surprising at all, that twins especially such twins as these, would know the true names of each other's soul.