On Trees, Hot Chocolate and

Why Stop-Motion Christmas Specials Are Evil

Part VII

DISCLIMER: It's not mine, blah, blah…

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, you might hate me for this but…update? You know, this was originally just a fluff storey, you know, but it somehow turned into a Watanuki/Fai centric fic with Kurofai and Douwata thrown in.

"Do you see us, human child?" the first of the three creatures asked, it small wings fluttering wildly with the effort of keeping its body aloft.

"It must see us," the second answered, cocking its beast head to one side and regarding Watanuki with glassy, expressionless eyes. "It would not scram if it did not."

"It is hard to tell, with human children. They scream for so many reasons," the third hisses, fixing it myriad of faceted eyes, like a beetle's eyes, on the boy, holding him transfixed. "Do you see us, human boy?"

Watanuki said nothing, simply staring at the image before him, and wanting like nothing else in the world to rum form the sickening feeling growing in his gut, but finding his legs would not obey. Not while those bright eyes stared into his own wide blue eyes.

"Come now," said the second again, its toothy jaws distorting familiar the words into harsh snarls, "Surely you want to tell us. Though, by now, we already know."

Watanuki gave a small nod of affirmation, and the creatures broke into horrible laughter at the sight.

"Do you know what it is we are?" the first asked, its blood red wings fluttering.

"No,"Watanuki croaked.

"So young, and tender," the beast headed one snarled, before the others silenced him.

"And, your name?" the third asked, beetle's eyes glittering.

Watanuki shock his head vigorously; his mother was a magician, he knew better that to give out his name to something so clearly inhuman.

"Come, boy, if you tell us, we may not eat you," the first said, voice slick and sweet like honey.

"No."

The three looked at each other, a strange emotion spreading across their inhuman faces.

"That is too bad…"

"Oh, far too bad…"

"Indeed," the beetle eyed one concluded, "Well, it'd serve you best to run now, human child. Though, I'm not sure what good it would do you!"

With that, Watanuki felt as if a great weight that had been keeping him in place had been lifted, and he did run. Not from obedience to the three nightmares commands, but rather from instinct, from fear, and from the desire to escape the awful, oppressive feeling of being near the things. He ran blindly, only half-aware of his surroundings, more aware by far, of the creeping feeling of the rapid approach of the creatures, of the clawing terror in the back of his mind.

They where there, almost there, just behind him.

He could hear them breathing, laughing, calling out to him "Human child, human child, there is no need to fear! We swear we shall kill you, before we pull you apart!"

He could feel one of their hands coming closer and closer, reaching out to grad him.

And he felt the instant he collided with something warm, and as human as he was. And in that moment, it stopped. They were no longer just behind him, so after briefly glancing upwards to see who it was he was clinging to, he slipped out of consciousness.

--

"Kimihiro!" Fai shrieked, as he ran toward his son, and the one who had found him. Kurogane was not a step behind him.

"What happened?" Kurogane demanded of Doumeki, who was clutching Watanuki's unconscious body.

Doumeki shrugged with apparent confusion, thought his face remained unchanged. "He was running, and yelling, then he ran into me, then he fainted."

"That's it?" Kurogane confirmed, as Fai reached out to clutch the form of his small son in his arms. Doumeki nodded.

"Did he say anything?" Fai asked.

Doumeki shock his head again.

Fai nodded, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they glowed blue, and he uttered a single word, his magic suddenly swirling brightly around him, before converging on Watanuki and going dim once more. Fai blinked again, and his face suddenly became a mask of fatigue.

"Here," He said, handing Watanuki to his tall husband, "Take him to the car. I don't know what he was running from; it could be a lot of things, if the other boy couldn't see it. I put a general shield spell around him, a strong one."

"You aren't supposed to do that kind of magic anymore," Kurogane scowled, "Not since…"

"I'll be fine!" Fai answered, putting on a grin before turning to face Doumeki again. "Now, thank you, very much for your help, Doumeki-kun! Do you know where you grandfather is?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you go find him, then, hmm?" Fai asked. Doumeki nodded again, before running off. Fai turned, realizing he'd had an unknown audience; Sakura and Syaoran stood nearby, watching the scene take place.

"Is Kimihiro ok?"

"Oh, he's fine!" Fai answered, "He just fell, and daddy is taking him to wait in the car. Now who want to get the tree?"

END NOTE: So, hate me for that crap?