Summary: After four years of travel, Kurogane and the others finally wind up in Nihon. To his horror, he finds that a lot has changed in his absence. From Tomoyo getting married, to a mysterious force infiltrating Nihon, getting Sakura's feather back isn't going to be easy. Especially when Kurogane is forced to come to grips with a startling revelation that will change his life forever...
Pairings: KuroganexTomoyo, SyaoranxSakura
Disclaimer: Do I even need to do this? You ought to know this already.
Note: This fan fic is based on the manga, with a few extra tidbits here and there from the anime. It was first published on July 28, 2005, therefore set before Chapitre 91. A lot of theories here will coincide with the actual events in TRC, either because I added them later (evident in latter chapters) or because of some good guessing (evident in the first chapters). I also decided to use the official spelling for Fay's name (and Fei Wang Reed's name).
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A/N: With the last chapter of the first part of this series, I decided to do a much-needed revamp concerning replacing a couple of phrases, some spelling mistakes, grammatical structures and misuses in punctuation, a phenomenon fairly evident in the first chapters, which are, in my honest opinion, horrible. They're short, crude, rough, and pretty boring. Thankfully, as time passed, my chapters became longer and much more elaborate in description. I still don't understand how the majority of my readers managed to stay interested enough to keep reading, but I'm grateful that they did. It was your encouragement that has made me what I am today!
It's been nearly two years since I started out as a fan fic writer and I can say without preamble that I've definitely matured. While writing my fan fic, I gained experience, so even though it was a laborious task rereading and editing it, I feel it was worth it so you could enjoy When Worlds Collide as it was meant to be. Constructive criticism is still greatly appreciated.
I hope you enjoy my fan fic!
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When Worlds Collide
Chapter 13 — Discoveries
By Mystic Dawn
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"I couldn't find out who the person Kurogane-san saw was," Sakura told them in a despondent tone as the four of them climbed down the stairs and entered the inn's common room. She hung her head. "I'm sorry," she apologized meekly. "I tried as hard as I could, but I didn't sense anything that could have helped us."
They settled in a secluded corner of the common room where a small table was situated to eat lunch. Kurogane and Syaoran had just gotten back from acting out their disguises to find that Sakura and Fay had already returned about an hour before them. So the four of them had decided to discuss quietly about their findings during their meal (Mokona had to be left upstairs, for it would attract too much attention). Kurogane had told them that it would be absolutely normal for them to talk over lunch, because most business talks were conducted over meals anyway. Fay had grinned at this, and had asked him curiously if he thought of their mission as 'business.' Kurogane had resisted the temptation to punch him and had replied with a curt grunt, meaning that Fay had suspected right.
Sakura sat on the cushion beside the wall and sighed heavily. Fay sat down beside her and patted her shoulder comfortingly. "That's all right, Sakura-chan." He smiled encouragingly at her. "He must've been very powerful to be able to mask his life-force."
Syaoran slipped in the place across from Sakura and Kurogane sat beside him. "How powerful is he, then?" Syaoran asked Fay curiously.
Fay shrugged. "I can hazard a guess, but I may be wide off the mark, for all I know. All I can say for sure is that we're dealing with someone very powerful here. Not even the One Without Destiny could hide his life-force when possessing Dai-ouji and Kazuo-san."
He was not allowed to say anything else, for Caldina hurried over to their table, carrying a circular tray. "Hi, guys!" She winked at them hugely as she placed a bottle of saké and four glasses on their table, also leaving them a jug of fresh water. "I hope you'll enjoy the wine, Kumaso-kun," she said to Kurogane with a grin. "Since you're the expert, you can tell me if it's good."
Caldina had first served on them last night, and she had jovially introduced herself, insisting that they not use formalities. It turned out (thanks to Fay making friendly conversation) that she was something of a manager around the Dragon's Den, and took care of just about everything. Her favorite pastimes were serving on people and getting to know them better; she simply loved to interact. She waited expectantly for Kurogane to try the wine, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
Kurogane poured himself some saké and took a sip. He shrugged. "It's not bad," he grunted.
Caldina beamed. "That's a relief! I would've been very put out with Karen-chan if she hadn't let it set long enough to ferment!" She elbowed Fay and winked. "She prefers cooking, so knowing her, she'd probably leave it all to her new helper... although she isn't much of a help, to be frank. She's notoriously forgetful and absent-minded."
"Really?" Fay asked with a wry smile as his eyes flitted to Kurogane. "I think I know exactly how you feel, Caldina-chan. Having someone fearfully forgetful, I mean. Sometimes, Kumaso-kun here would forget his head if it weren't for us!"
Kurogane scowled as Caldina exploded into peals of silvery laughter. She patted Fay's back as she said, "Masayo-kun, your humor's like nothing I've ever seen!"
"I try," Fay said modestly, buffing his nails on his shirt.
This just sent Caldina into another gale of laughter. "Well," she said after calming down slightly, "I guess you four're starving, aren't ya?"
"Pretty much," Fay confessed, flashing a grin.
"'Kay then, I'll be right back," she chirped happily as she turned from them, literally strutting down the aisle. Many heads turned as she passed—the majority of them men—as they furtively checked her out. A number of women wore expressions of great distaste on their faces, and some of them even went so far as to scowl at their male companions. One even had the nerve to elbow the man beside her in the ribs, and judging by the poor fellow's expression, it had been a pretty well-aimed hit.
"Caldina-chan seems more provocative than in Outo, doesn't she?" Fay mused. His eyes followed her as she passed the double doors into the kitchens, calling for Karen to make more fried tofu (hollering, actually).
"What the hell was all that chitchat for?" Kurogane asked him in a sour tone.
"Groundwork," Fay replied with a mysterious smile as he reached for the bottle of saké. "It never hurts to open channels of communication, right?"
"But didn't you do that last night already?" Syaoran asked him curiously, arching a confused eyebrow. "You know... when she first served on us."
Fay shot him a grin. "Sure I did! But we need to keep at it, don't we? It'd look suspicious if we suddenly stopped talking to Caldina-chan." He poured himself a healthy portion of the wine. "What were we saying? Ah, yes. So, this mage here is probably more powerful than the One Without Destiny. And that's not counting the times the latter's used the feather." He sipped tentatively and his face lit up. "Good wine," he said approvingly.
"Then the question we should be asking is what this mage wants with us," Syaoran stated firmly, continuing their discussion. "He could be working for Fei Wang and the One Without Destiny, but then again, he could be someone who has nothing whatsoever to do with them and want something else from us."
"But what?" Sakura interjected. "If the mage is acting on his own, then is he after my memories, too?"
Fay shrugged. "I have no idea, Sakura-chan." He leaned forward and rested his forearms upon the table's rough surface, trying to find a more comfortable position on the hard cushion he sat on. "So what did you two do this morning?" he asked Syaoran and Kurogane suddenly.
Kurogane shrugged. "Just acting out our roles," he said in a low voice as his eyes darted about the room, making sure that no one was listening in on them. "We didn't find anything suspicious, but that's probably 'cause we weren't really looking."
Fay scratched the tip of his nose thoughtfully. "Sakura-chan and I didn't do much, either," he admitted. "We tried to trace down where the mage came from and where he disappeared to, but nothing doing."
"Did you two actually perform magic on the street?!" Syaoran demanded anxiously in a hushed voice.
Fay burst out laughing. "Oh, no! Goodness me, that would've been a catastrophe!" Once he had regained his breath and a few shreds of his composure, he explained. "We were pretending to be looking at the goods displayed in one of the shop's windows. Sakura-chan tried to detect the mage's life-force, but she couldn't. Instead, she subtly probed the area the way I told her to and found the faint traces of some sort of protective shield he had fashioned."
Sakura nodded glumly. "I've never met such power before."
"And you most likely never will," Fay added darkly. He drummed his fingers upon the table, contemplating the matter. "There's something strange about this mage, though. He's too powerful to be ordinary. And the fact that he used that shield and was spying on us only goes to show that he knows us." He drained his drink. "But we can't do anything about him, except keep our eyes peeled just in case we see him again. It won't do to dwell on the matter 'cause we'll just keep on repeating the same things. Since we know nothing about him, I suggest we do nothing about him, until more information comes our way."
Kurogane shook his head with a tsk. "I'm not too keen on the idea of having to look over my shoulder every time I walk down the street," he grumbled irritably.
"Then don't," Fay grinned. "Sense the mage's aura," he said, assuming an all-knowing expression and waving his hand before him slowly, as if he were acting out the role of a narrator in a play, using movements for a grand effect. His quite accurate imitation of a mystic caused Sakura and Syaoran to double over with laughter, and Fay also joined in, pleased at this warm reception of his acting abilities.
"Easier said than done," Kurogane hissed through clenched teeth, annoyed at Fay's usual frivolous manner. His scarlet eyes narrowed and he folded his arms over his chest. "That so-called mage didn't have an aura," he said bluntly. "It was only because of my instincts that I noticed him."
"He's trickier than I thought, then. Kuro-min is also a very well-trained ninja!" Fay plucked the bottle and poured some more wine in his glass again. "But we honestly can't do anything about this mage at the moment, Kuro-tan," he said in a matter-of-fact voice. "We need more leads."
"I hate to say it... but you're right," Kurogane grunted sullenly.
"Of course I'm right! I'm always right!" Fay grinned.
"I wouldn't go that far," Kurogane mumbled in an undertone.
Fay either did not hear him, or he simply chose to ignore him. "So for now, let's just sit back and relaaaax!"
He made to fill Syaoran's glass with saké, as well, but Kurogane firmly placed his hand over it. "No alcohol for the kids," he stated in a tone indicating that there would be no room for argument.
Fay took on a sly look as he corked the bottle and took a small sip from his glass. He put it down and smacked the palms of his hands together, a pleading expression on his face. "Please, Daddy," he whined, ignoring the deadly look of daggers the ninja shot him. "Lift the drinking ban just this once!" His protuberant blue eyes shone brightly. "Pleaaaaase!"
"I thought I told you to stop calling me that!" Kurogane grated.
"But it's so much fun," Fay grinned in earnest. "Nothing causes me more joy than to watch your face assume all of those delightful expressions of exasperation and bottled-up anger!"
Kurogane groaned and gripped at his hair in aggravation. "I'll kill him," he muttered. "One day I won't hold back and I'll kill him."
Fay's hearing was very sharp, and he heard Kurogane with stunning clarity, proving that he had only ignored the ninja before. "Why, Kuro-rin!" Fay gasped in mock shock. "What a horrible thing to suggest!"
Horrible, but would grant me immense satisfaction, Kurogane thought vehemently as he glowered at Fay, clenching his teeth together so hard that they would surely break if he applied more pressure.
Fay pouted. "You don't react so violently to my other names for you," he pointed out. "What's the matter with 'Daddy'?"
Kurogane did not answer as he extended his arm and snatched the wine bottle. He sloshed some in his glass and banged the bottle back on the table loudly. He downed the drink in one go, and then reached for the saké once more, filling his glass again.
Fay raised an eyebrow. "Okaaay... it looks like you don't want to talk about it," he assumed carefully.
"I sure as hell don't," Kurogane retorted angrily as he was about to quaff off his third glass of wine.
"But you're using your father's name as an alias."
"That's only because the names sound the same," Kurogane snapped. "'Kurogane' and 'Kumaso'. Get it?" He gulped his saké down noisily and refilled his glass.
Syaoran and Sakura sweat-dropped nervously. It impressed them that Kurogane could drink so quickly and so much without anything happening to him, even though they knew that he never got drunk.
Fay's brow furrowed as he stared at Kurogane, curiosity written plainly on his face. He suddenly cracked him a broad smile. "Aaah... wait a minute! I think I know what the problem is now!" He closed one eye and assumed a kittenish expression. "Kuro-bun's afraid of becoming a father!" he deduced with a sly grin.
Kurogane had the glass to his lips at that point, and, inhaling a large amount of saké, he went into an extended fit of choking, coughing and spluttering.
"Are you all right, Kurogane-san?" Sakura asked him in alarm.
The ninja emerged a few moments later from his glass, his face sopping wet with sticky wine. He was wearing a deadly expression. "What—did—you—just—say?" he hissed through clenched teeth in a voice so quiet and menacing, that Sakura and Syaoran would have fled for their lives if they could have gotten up from the table.
Fay was unperturbed by the threatening atmosphere. He thrust his fist into the air with a jubilant exclamation of, "Hyu! I knew it! That's it, isn't it?"
Kurogane said nothing as he rapidly turned red with anger, his crimson eyes aflame with fury. With stiff movements, he pulled out a handkerchief and mopped up his dripping face.
"You are serious about this little thing going on between you and Tomoyo-chan, aren't you?" Fay asked him pointedly as he drank some of his saké.
Kurogane's jaw dropped open as his already flushed cheeks turned even redder. He mumbled something inarticulate as he closed his hand over the soaking handkerchief, forming a fist, stress marks all over his face. The words 'bastard' and 'throttle' were clearly heard, however.
"What was that, Kuro-tako?" Fay asked him cheerfully. "I must admit that I didn't hear you!"
Kurogane slammed his fist upon the table. "Shut the hell up!" he fumed, his intimidating blood-red eyes practically bulging. He furiously stuffed the handkerchief back into the front of his robes as he snatched the wine bottle and filled his glass again.
"Then you aren't serious about her?" Fay asked with a mocking smile, leaning his chin upon one hand, and absently fiddling with the stem of his wine glass with the other.
Syaoran swallowed hard upon seeing Kurogane's expression. It was very uncomfortable having someone beside you seethe with anger. Especially if that someone was a very pissed off ninja who was more than capable of committing murder. He pressed himself flat against the wall, trying to put as much space between himself and Kurogane as he could manage. Syaoran had a funny feeling that he would start shouting his head off before long, despite the fact that they had to be unobtrusive.
Kurogane was trying very hard to control his trembling hands, which very dearly wanted to wind themselves about the sordid wizard's throat and strangle him. "Shut up," he growled in a strained voice, the cords of his neck standing out. "Just shut your damn mouth for once in your frigging life." To keep his hands busy, he drained his drink again.
"I merely asked you if you're serious about your relationship with Tomoyo-chan," Fay said innocently in his defense, taking a sip from his glass.
"Do you have a death wish?" Kurogane demanded in a flat voice.
"Not really." Fay cracked him a broad grin. "So, are you afraid of becoming a father?" he pressed.
Kurogane gaped at him incredulously. His eye twitched.
"Well, you are making a big fuss about it," Fay pointed out, half-shrugging.
Syaoran and Sakura took one look at each other, and, without exchanging a single word, they both simultaneously stuffed their fingers in their ears, expecting Kurogane to blow his top at any moment.
Kurogane's lips were pressed together so tightly that his mouth resembled an extremely thin line, and his expression was livid. He grabbed the bottle of wine with jerky movements, for he was still trying with all his might to control himself. "Since this issue clearly doesn't involve you in any way, you've got no right to be prying into such private matters," he snarled, seeing that Fay was not about to be put off anytime soon without some sort of an explanation. "It's something between me and Tomoyo, so leave me the hell alone already." He then drank straight from the bottle, hoping that the saké would manage to soothe his rage somewhat.
Fay nearly burst out laughing again, imagining Kurogane suggesting something of that nature to Tomoyo (or maybe even Tomoyo taking the initiative to mention it), hurriedly covering his mouth with his hands. Fay's shoulders shook as he laughed silently, his face contorted with glee as he rocked back and forth.
But he could not continue laughing thus silently, and he finally cracked.
"AHAHAHAHAHA!" Fay howled with mirth as he desperately clutched at his stomach, causing most of the customers to turn their heads at the commotion and look at the four of them curiously.
Kurogane exhaled and slapped his forehead. "Oh, hell. There he goes again." He quaffed off the rest of the saké in the bottle, pointedly ignoring the imbecilic wizard.
But all he achieved was to make Fay laugh even harder, and to Kurogane's chagrin, Sakura and Syaoran also joined in. Sakura covered her mouth in an attempt to cover her giggles, her shoulders shaking and her eyes twinkling impishly. Syaoran stuffed his fist in his mouth and bit on it, trying to stifle his own chortling.
"Did I just miss something?" Caldina pouted as she returned, balancing two trays in her hands.
They did not answer; they were still laughing too hard for coherent speech. Fay clapped his hands and continued to giggle hysterically, merely extending a forefinger and pointing it at Kurogane in answer to her question.
Caldina laid the trays down upon the table and smirked. "I'm guessing that Kumaso-kun here must've made some sort of joke, eh?"
Kurogane rolled his eyes. "They're just acting their age," he muttered in a sour tone as he picked up his chopsticks and jabbed moodily at his food.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Fay laughed again, while Sakura and Syaoran somewhat attempted to retain their composures, both a little stung by Kurogane's words.
Caldina chuckled and winked at Kurogane hugely. "Well, you know what they say, Kumaso-kun. Laughing is healthy and good for the soul!"
"More like a pain in the ass," Kurogane grumbled in an undertone.
Caldina then turned with a smile to the girl who had just appeared beside her, carrying the two other trays. "Just leave them here," Caldina told her kindly. "I'm betting these four're pretty hungry!"
"All right," the girl said softly as she laid one of the trays before Sakura, and the other before Fay.
As soon as Fay caught sight of the girl, his mouth dropped open. A peculiar expression marred his otherwise cheerful visage, and his eyes were wide in recognition and numb disbelief.
The girl had very long hair, the color of raw sienna, which just passed her knees. She had two small ponytails that tumbled upon her shoulders, caught up with light-blue ribbons. She had pale, nearly milky-white skin, and she wore a plain linen-white kimono tied with a periwinkle sash. Her eyes were amber-colored and full of sweet innocence and naivety, which made her seem overly vulnerable and fragile. She looked very young, but they strongly suspected that she was, in reality, older than she seemed.
"This is Chii-chan," Caldina cheerfully introduced her to the foursome. "She recently became our new helper here." She put an arm around Chii's shoulders and smiled at her sympathetically, seeing that she was somewhat skittish around the strangers.
"Hello," Chii uttered in a small and quiet voice; she stared determinedly at her feet, avoiding making eye-contact with them.
"There's no need to feel shy," Caldina admonished her gently. "These people are okay. That one's name is Kumaso-kun; he's a wine-merchant. That one over there is his little sister Yoshiko-chan. The boy over there is Kumaso-kun's assistant, Sadamo-kun. And blondie here's called Masayo-kun," she introduced them proudly.
Chii nodded, but still looked rather nervous.
"Chii-chan!" A woman with wavy, shoulder-length reddish blonde hair poked her head out of the kitchen. "Could you please help me out with the food here? I've got my hands full at the moment and I can't handle everything at once."
"Right away, Karen-san," Chii said in a rush. She disappeared through the kitchen doors so quickly that it took a moment for the group to realize that she had left.
Caldina chuckled. "Chii-chan's really shy," she explained, "especially around strangers. And because of that, she becomes all flustered and forgets how to do even the most simple chores. That's what I meant by her being terribly absent-minded beforehand. That's okay, though. She'll loosen up with time." She flashed them a big grin. "Well, I've gotta see to the other customers. See ya!" She winked at them before moving on to another table to take orders.
Sakura looked at Fay curiously. "Do you know this Chii-san?" she asked him timidly.
It took Fay a split second to realize that Sakura must have noticed his reaction when spotting Chii. He pursed his lips, wondering how much he should reveal, as the others were regarding him with curiosity. He recalled that Tomoyo had told him that the truth would have to come out eventually. But now was not the time. He picked up his chopsticks and stabbed at his food. "Well," he said carefully, as if weighing his every word, "Chii is someone I know back in my country. This girl is her counterpart in this world." His brow then furrowed slightly in confusion. "But they're not exactly the same," he muttered thoughtfully. "Strange..."
"How can you tell them apart?" Syaoran asked him in amazement as he began on his food. "I sure can't, at least not at first." He remembered meeting all the same-looking people in each world they traveled to. It was positively confusing, and took a great deal of getting used to, in his opinion.
"Well, for one thing, my Chii has these cute cat-like ears," Fay explained. He leaned back and grinned in remembrance, his sapphire-blue eyes shining as memories that only he could see flooded his mind's eye. After several moments, he looked back down at his food, chuckling. "I can just tell," he said softly, spearing a rice ball with his chopsticks.
Seeing this Chii had awakened something inside of Fay. He did not want to admit it, but he missed Chii—his Chii—quite a lot. He had never actually sat down to think about her properly ever since he had left Celes. It made him feel more than a little guilty, to be honest with himself. But remembering Chii made him remember the task he had set her. Remembering the task he had set her, he remembered his king, Ashura. Remembering Ashura, he remembered...
Fay knew that, eventually, he would have to face his fears one day. But now was not the time. Assuming a semblance of gaiety, he started chatting animatedly with his companions, Syaoran and Sakura laughing gaily with his jokes and Kurogane wincing and gritting his teeth in annoyance.
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After about an hour, they finished their lunch and headed for their rooms upstairs. Sakura and Kurogane shared one of the rooms (because of them posing as brother and sister), while Fay and Syaoran shared the other. Sakura unlocked the door to her shared room and made to enter it, the others trailing along behind her. But before she had even managed to take a few steps, she ducked with a surprised yelp as something large, round, and white jumped out of the room and collided headfirst into Kurogane's face, because... he just so happened to be the tallest.
"GAH!" Kurogane exclaimed as he raised his hands to pry Mokona away from his face. "Get off of me, you freakin' white manjuu!"
"Ew!" Mokona made a sound registering disgust. "Kurogane's face is sticky!" It clambered up onto the ninja's head; grabbing hold of his hair, it leaned forward and sniffed his face critically. "Aha! It's alcohol!" Mokona deduced with a giggle.
"I'll show you," Kurogane growled as he managed to grab Mokona by its ears. He pinched the creature's cheeks hard, stretching it to the fullest extent. There was a loud pop! and Mokona escaped from Kurogane's clutches with a dive into his billowy sleeve, burrowing deep into his shirt with astonishing agility. As Kurogane frantically patted at himself in an attempt to locate and apprehend the sly Mokona, Sakura, Syaoran and Fay collapsed to the floor in a heap, laughing their heads off.
"Why the hell're you always crawling around in my clothes, damn it?!"
"Because Kurogane looks like he needs some cheering up!" Mokona responded from somewhere along his back.
After several long—and excruciatingly agonizing for Kurogane—moments, the lump that was Mokona scurried forward and poked its head out from the front of Kurogane's shirt. Springing out before the ninja could manage to get his hands on it, it flew through the air with a jovial "Wheeee!" landing safely in Fay's outstretched arms. "Didja guys know that Kurogane is veeeery muscular?" Mokona then asked the others innocently. "Too bad you guys didn't get a proper chance to see him! The bandages from those arrows hid him very well when he was resting up!"
Kurogane spluttered, his face reddening with anger (and embarrassment, though he would sooner die than admit it). Fay snorted with laughter at Mokona's observation, his eyes twinkling impishly, and Sakura could not hold back a grin. Syaoran smirked once before pulling out the all-too-familiar Prophecy; unrolling the scroll, he absent-mindedly settled upon Kurogane's sleeping pallet. Kurogane shot him an irritated look, but said nothing as Mokona jumped up and bopped him on his nose before he had even managed to blink twice. "And points for me for hitting you so fast at that angle!" Mokona winked and snickered.
Kurogane started to spew curses and threats that he could not utilize under his breath as he rubbed furiously at his nose. Crossing his arms over his chest, he glowered vehemently at the lot of them—specifically at the flaxen-haired wizard and the furry white ball.
Sakura cleared her throat in a hope to break the tension and untied the bundle she was carrying. "Here you go, Moko-chan," she said with a smile. "We brought you some food."
"Food!" Mokona squealed as it leapt onto the floor. "Glorious food!" It jumped up and down excitedly as it energetically chowed down the rice balls Sakura gave it. "Mokona thought for a moment there that you had forgotten me!"
Fay chortled and winked. "Of course we couldn't forget about you!" he told the magical rabbit as he waved his hand enthusiastically. "Whatever would we do if our mode of transportation starved to death?"
After Mokona had finished its lunch (which only took about two seconds as it gobbled everything up in the blink of an eye), Syaoran looked up from the scroll and regarded it with a serious expression. "Do you feel the feather's vibes?" he asked it.
Mokona sobered up and cocked its ears. "I'm picking up some sort of disturbance toward the east," it said after a moment of sensing.
"Solar Tower," Kurogane grunted as he bent over his pack and pulled out his water-skin. Dampening a clean handkerchief with the water, he cleaned his face to rid himself of the uncomfortable stickiness of the lingering saké. Drying himself with one of his sleeves, he corked the water-skin and stuffed it back in his pack.
Mokona nodded in agreement as it climbed up Fay's shoulder. "But it's weak. He's not using the feather right now."
"So... what do you propose we do, Kuro-chan?" Fay asked the ninja expectantly as he clapped his hands together, the ever-present smile back upon his face. "We have around five and a half days left until the full moon, right? And two days to reach the Tower... that gives us plenty of time to snoop around the Red Rose, doesn't it?"
Kurogane's scowl grew more prominent, and he stared at Fay beadily through the corner of his eye. "Just 'cause I'm not in the mood to break into a sweat chasing you around the room, doesn't mean I'll let your 'innocent' little remarks slide away," Kurogane sourly informed him. "I'll definitely get back at you one of these days."
Fay shivered with mock apprehension, then chortled, accompanied by Mokona's joy-filled giggles. Mokona whispered something in Fay's ear, which caused him to snigger loudly. They shot furtive looks at Kurogane and tried to stifle their laughter.
Kurogane decided not to say anything about their united conspiracy against him (although he was wondering darkly what Mokona had told Fay). Ignoring them, he rummaged through his things and drew out a long dagger and a whetstone. Tying up his pack, he crossed the room with a couple of long strides and pulled back the deep-blue curtains as he looked out the window. He regarded the gray sky and the dark clouds critically. "It'll start snowing before long, and by the looks of it, it'll be snowing all night long," he reported. He sat down beside Syaoran, stretching his long legs before him. Unsheathing his blade, he inspected the edges with a professional criticism. He then proceeded to sharpen it with the whetstone.
"Then we can't go to the tavern to find out more about the One Without Destiny, can we?" Sakura asked him, trying to ignore the hair-raising swishing sound of stone against metal. "At least not today."
"We should probably make an attempt. The weather might get even worse tomorrow. And we can't risk arriving at the Tower later than the full moon." He peered down at his blade for a few moments, then resumed his sharpening.
"But won't it look suspicious if we all go together?" Syaoran said. "What if we're being spied on?"
Kurogane paused and scratched at his chin thoughtfully. "You've got a point there," he muttered. "That mage's still lurking around. And if we're not being followed by him, we're definitely going to be followed by hired thugs that that One Without Destiny sends after us."
"You're acting as if you don't think our disguise works," Syaoran said accusingly.
"You can never be too careful," Kurogane muttered sagely. "I've heard of good disguises falling apart before. Heck, some've even fallen apart on me, too."
"And what did you do to repair the damage?" Fay asked him, abandoning his frivolous tone.
Kurogane half-shrugged, but did not answer. His expression grew sterner and harder, however. He ran his thumb lightly along the dagger's edge and smirked with satisfaction when the blade cut him.
Syaoran's brow creased. There was still a lot to Kurogane that he was still not aware of, but now was not the time to pursue it. There were more important things on his mind at the moment. "We're going to have to think this out," he mused thoughtfully. "My father and I never really met with trouble on our travels. We used the guise of writing a book, but there was never really anything to hide from."
"Unlike with us," Kurogane pointed out, sheathing his dagger. "Our mission's too vital to hope that we won't be found."
"I think..." Sakura started to say, but suddenly swayed dangerously and collapsed.
Fay barely managed to catch her before she fell flat on her face. "She just fell asleep again," he assured the harried-looking Syaoran, who had half-risen from his sitting spot. Fay easily lifted her up in his arms and carried her to her sleeping pallet.
"I think that Sakura and I should stay here," Syaoran suggested quietly as he sat back down while Fay tucked Sakura in. "I can watch over her while she sleeps. I've still got to concentrate on the Prophecy, anyhow." He tapped the parchment with his forefinger. "Princess Tomoyo made it very clear to me that we'd be able to find out more about the One Without Destiny from here, too."
"Then me and Kuro-sama'll go to the tavern, and you'll watch over Sakura-chan while you comb the Prophecy," Fay said, standing up. "That also means we'll be able cover more 'ground' that way."
"We should make for the tavern around early evening," Kurogane said.
"What exactly are we going to look for?" Fay asked him.
"We'll ask the tavern keeper about the One Without Destiny."
"But remember what the King had said in his letter?" Syaoran reminded him. "He said that it was as if the tavern keeper was under some sort of spell and could have told him whatever he wanted, except that the tavern keeper couldn't tell him what he really wanted regarding his son and the One Without Destiny."
"Hyu!" Fay whistled in amazement. "Syaoran-kun, that's practically word-for-word what the letter said!"
Kurogane arched an eyebrow, regarding Syaoran with something akin to awe. "How can you remember stuff like that?" he demanded incredulously.
"I don't do it on purpose," Syaoran said defensively, searching for some sort of an explanation. "It's just the way I remember it. It came out naturally."
"It's amazing the way some people can memorize stuff just like that, isn't it?" Fay grinned down at Kurogane, snapping his fingers. "Too bad you can't, Kuro-tako!"
Kurogane narrowed his eyes dangerously, his fist tightening about the dagger's handle.
Fay took no notice of the ominous signs Kurogane was exhibiting, and he clapped his palms, rubbing his hands together. "We can ask the tavern keeper about the One Without Destiny, and we can also ask some of the regular customers, too, can't we, Kuro-pippi?"
Kurogane grunted, something that Syaoran and Fay had come to understand meant his assent. "But it'll have to be discreet," he warned him, stowing his dagger in his robes.
"Really, Kuro-puu, don't you think that I can interrogate someone without revealing my true intentions? Have you no faith in my abilities?"
"What abilities?" Kurogane scoffed.
"Why, my witty charm, of course!" Fay grinned and winked.
Kurogane rolled his eyes heavenward. "We're doomed," he said in a despairing tone.
———————————————
The setting sun cast long shadows over the large city of Sembia. The little light that managed to filter through the cluttered buildings and the smoky haze from warm fireplaces cheerfully burning scarcely illuminated the streets. The weather, which was crisp and cool to begin with, soon worsened as the temperature slowly dropped. The velvet-black sky finally surrendered to the dark clouds, bursting forth with delicate snowflakes, which gently settled down upon the earth and its inhabitants.
Kurogane and Fay made their way carefully along the streets, as the chill had already managed to half-freeze puddles of water from the previous night's rain-drizzle. Their long cloaks were soon bedraggled with dirty snow-slush, which had been churned into some sort of a muddy paste by all the passers-by.
Fay sifted his hair, trying to rid his locks of the snowflakes still stubbornly clinging to them. He pulled up his hood and drew his cloak tighter about him, blowing on his hands in an attempt to warm them. What he wanted was to get indoors to warmth and comfort and escape from the cold and wintry atmosphere. "Are we there yet?" he whined at Kurogane.
Kurogane gritted his teeth in irritation. "Almost," he snapped, annoyed by Fay's penetrating voice.
Fay sighed heavily. It was obvious by Kurogane's curt tone that he was not in the mood to talk. After a few moments, Fay spoke again. "Dreary," he commented laconically, his eyes lazily taking in the last-minute purchasers along the merchants' stalls and shops. "Is the weather always this... gloomy?" He rubbed his hands together, trying to get them warmer.
"It's winter," Kurogane grunted, ignoring the nipping wind billowing his cloak about him. "The weather's supposed to be like this."
Fay had been so absorbed in warming his hands that he had not realized that Kurogane had come to a stop after a few moments until the last second, but by then it was too late; his head crashed into Kurogane's back and he fell down with a surprised cry. "Geeze, Kuro-pon!" he complained, rubbing at his head. "Give me a warning or something next time!"
Kurogane snorted with contempt. "We're here," he grunted.
Fay grabbed hold of the hem of Kurogane's cloak and hauled himself up, hardly taking note of the fact that the ninja had a look of outrage on his face once he had erected himself. Grumbling, Kurogane straightened his cloak, scowling blackly.
Fay brushed the snow off of himself and looked around. Sure enough, the door of the building they were standing before was decorated with a painted red rose. The tavern wasn't much of a sight; it only had one other floor, and it had a shabby and seedy look about it as dust and grime covered the clouded windows. "This is defined as 'classy'?" Fay wondered dubiously.
"The Red Rose is as classy as far as taverns go. Believe me, I've seen worse."
"Oh, I can believe that. It's not much of a sight, but—"
A bought of raucous laughter from the interior suddenly interrupted him, as the sounds of a shrill squeal of glee and more guffaws floated to their ears. Kurogane and Fay exchanged nervous looks.
"Um... Kuro-sama?" Fay asked him tentatively. "Tell me you didn't hear that."
"I heard it," he replied stiffly.
"Oh, dear. It's a good thing that Mokona, Syaoran-kun, and Sakura-chan aren't with us." Fay paused. "Especially Sakura-chan," he added.
"I'll say," Kurogane agreed fervently.
"Was that what I think it was?"
"How the hell d'you expect me to know? I've been around Sembia before, but I haven't been here."
Fay crossed his arms and tapped his foot. "This is 'classy'?!" he demanded incredulously, spreading his arms. "Even the tavern in Jade was more respectable! And the bar in Outo!" He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "People don't get too carried away in public," he mused. "At least I hope so..." he added in an undertone. "Oh, let's just open the door and get in already! I can't take the cold!"
Kurogane threw out his arm and blocked Fay's way. "Don't get carried away," he warned him in a low voice. "One wrong move could be disastrous."
"Trust me," Fay replied with a small smile and a wink.
"That's what I'm afraid of." Kurogane grasped the handle and pushed the door open.
The interior was, if possible, even more dingy-looking than the exterior. The tavern consisted of one room with stairs situated at the back leading to the upper floor, and it reeked of stale sweat and spilled wine. Rough tables and battered-looking cushions—none too clean—were scattered about with hardly anything resembling order. But, despite the shabbiness, the tavern was crowded. A few courtiers, some commoners, and a number of burly workmen was what the room's population consisted of.
Some of the customers raised their heads when Kurogane and Fay entered. There were stares aimed their way that were ringed with suspicion, and other stares that were simply curious. The two of them made their way to the only other empty table in the room, which was right by a table of rough-looking men who had just broken into a bawdy song.
Fay shuddered and winced as he sat down. "Their voices are like dull saws," he mumbled, tweaking his ear with one forefinger.
Kurogane pulled off his cloak and laid it beside him as a serving-girl approached their table. She was large-hipped, busty, and even though her clothes were simple they left little to the imagination. "What would you good sirs like?" she asked them in an inviting tone.
"Something to drink," Fay replied with apparent ease, "preferably saké for me."
"And you?" she asked Kurogane, her keen eyes sizing him up.
"The strongest drink you've got," he said crisply.
She smiled slowly at him and scurried off.
"Well," Fay said conversationally as he removed his cloak, "that wasn't too bad, was it?" He grinned slyly.
Kurogane stared at him hard, but decided not to give him the satisfaction of answering.
After the barmaid returned with their drinks, a heavily scarred mountain of a man stood up from his seat just a few tables away. "Bring me an' me mates summat to wet our whistles with, lassie!" he bellowed in a booming voice, sitting back heavily upon his cushion.
She pouted, shooting one last look at Kurogane, as if a treat had been snatched away from her, and bustled back to the counter.
Fay smirked and arched an eyebrow. "Big fellow," he murmured as he sipped at his saké. He made a sour face. "Bleargh! I much preferred Caldina-chan's batch."
Kurogane sampled his drink and wrinkled his face in a sour expression. It was bland and watery, and although it was pungent-tasting, he strongly suspected that it was not something that would agree with his digestive system.
"So what do we do now?" Fay asked him in a low voice.
"We ask around. You could ask that serving-girl about the 'magician-vagabond'," he suggested blandly. "She's sure to know something about him since she works here."
"Why me?" Fay complained.
"'Cause interrogating people is your specialty. You said something about using your 'witty charm', if I remember correctly." Kurogane smirked, inwardly pleased that he managed to get back at Fay in a way.
"That's hardly fair, Kuro-puu. She was ogling you, not me."
"Life is full of injustice," the ninja replied philosophically with an evil grin.
"Oh, all right," Fay said in a resigned tone. "But I still think—"
Kurogane's hand suddenly shot out and grabbed someone's bony wrist, whose hand had been mere inches from the money-pouch at his belt.
"Ouch! That hurts!" A small boy, around seven or eight years old, squirmed to free himself. His robes were mere rags, and he was smudged with dirt. He was abnormally thin and starved-looking, and his scraggly brown hair was unevenly cut.
Kurogane's scarlet eyes bored into the boy's gray ones. "No one steals from me," he snarled in a low voice. "Got that?"
"What are you going to do with me?" the boy asked fearfully. "Are you going to thrash me? Or hand me over to the King's guards?"
"Of course not," Fay interjected. "We'll let you off the hook if you can answer a few questions for us. And with sincerity, of course."
"I'll tell you whatever you want if this guy lets go of me."
Fay looked at Kurogane expectantly. Kurogane released his hold, but continued to regard the boy with an intent and alert gaze.
The boy settled upon one of the cushions at their table. He clasped his hands before him. "Well, what do you want to know?" He squirmed slightly under Kurogane's persistent stare.
"How long has it been since you last ate?" Fay asked him kindly.
"Day before yesterday I nicked some bread." The boy's eyes narrowed. "Are all these questions going to be about me?"
"No," he said, "I was just curious." He called the serving-girl over and asked her to bring him a meal for the young boy.
"Er... thanks," the boy said, taken aback at Fay's charity.
Fay flashed him a smile. "Now, then." He looked encouragingly at the young child. "My friend and I here were wondering what happened to a man who used to stay here. I think you probably might have heard of him. He was well-known, after all. Some sort of wandering vagabond, if I remember correctly."
"Are you asking about that magician who called himself the One Without Destiny?"
"Yes, that's the one," Fay grinned.
The boy shrugged. "He vanished something like a week ago. I don't know where he went. No one knows, actually. That's why everyone's talking about it."
"That's all right. What we'd like to know is what he did. Our source was a little vague, and we need to—" Poor Fay was interrupted for yet a third time, when one of the customers broke into a coarse laugh, slapping the barmaid familiarly on the bottom. She giggled shrilly and batted her lashes at him.
The boy rolled his eyes. "Not again," he murmured. "It's her fault, you know," he informed the two of them in a matter-of-fact tone of voice as they exchanged surprised looks. "She flirts outrageously, so who wouldn't jump at the opportunity to do her?" He sniffed disdainfully.
The young boy seemed too worldly to Kurogane, knowing things that a child at that age should normally not be aware of yet. His years of innocence seemed not to have ever existed. "The point," Kurogane said, turning the conversation back to their issue, "is that we need to know how long he stayed here, what he did, and who he talked with. Can you provide us with this information?"
"I can tell you what you need to know," the youngster answered back confidently. "I don't know the answers to all of your questions, but I have my own sources as well. I can guarantee that by this time tomorrow, you'll know so much about the One Without Destiny that you'll be sick to your stomach with too much information."
"Hopefully, we won't be reduced to nausea!" Fay laughed.
The boy laughed along and Kurogane relaxed slightly, but he still kept up his guard.
The serving-girl returned shortly with a steaming stew and placed the wooden bowl upon the table. "That'll be two silvers and five coppers," she said, eyeing Kurogane with interest. "Would you like anything else?" She stuck a lock of her dark hair between her teeth and looked at him hopefully.
"No," Kurogane growled in a flat tone as he fished out some money from his pouch.
"You will let me know if you want anything else, won't you?" she asked him winsomely as she sidled up to him, leaning against him casually.
Kurogane's eye began to twitch, but he resisted the urge to push her away from him in disgust, not wanting to cause a scene now that they were so near their goal.
"Anything at all," she encouraged. "I'm here to please, you know."
Kurogane counted out coins, ignoring her blatant ways of trying to get his attention. He slammed his palm upon the table, leaving the money. "If you don't mind?" he then asked her acidly. "I want to get up and you're in my way." He tried to keep his voice steady, but it was a difficult feat, for he found her sleazy attitude utterly revolting. She's even worse than a whore, he added silently to himself.
Her mouth dropped open in shock. She humphed, snatched up the money, and hurried off without so much as a 'thank you'.
"That was just perfect!" the boy chortled with glee. "The serving-wench has never been turned down before!" He looked up at Kurogane in awe. "She was honestly trying her hardest to get you to dally off with her," he told him truthfully.
"I'm not that kind of person," Kurogane snapped angrily.
"You're different from others, then," the boy remarked. He smiled at Kurogane knowingly. "There's someone else, isn't there? Is she pretty?"
"Breathtaking," Kurogane sighed, a foolish grin spreading upon his face.
Fay snorted into his saké, and was rewarded with an annoyed glare aimed his way.
"Well," the boy said, his voice taking on a professional tone, "if you come back here tomorrow, same time, same place, I'll have all the information you want. I guarantee it."
"Thank you very much," Fay grinned his thanks as he pulled on his cloak. "Enjoy your meal."
"I sure will," the boy replied gratefully.
Fay turned to Kurogane with a huge smile as soon as he had closed the tavern door behind them and they had started through the dark, snow-filled streets. "Well, that went pretty well, didn't it?"
Kurogane crossed his arms and started swearing sulphurously under his breath.
———————————————
After about a half hour of walking through the snow, Kurogane and Fay returned to the inn. Fay bid Kurogane a cheery good night by calling him 'Daddy' again, and he giggled and dove into his room when Kurogane responded with a loud, "SHUT UP!" brandishing a clenched fist.
Grumbling, Kurogane opened the door to his shared room and slipped in, closing it quietly behind him, not wanting to wake Sakura up. He had barely taken a step when he stopped dead in his tracks.
Sakura was nestled under the warm blankets of her sleeping pallet, a smile as bright as the sun rising upon her face; Mokona was curled up beside her, twitching his feet in his sleep; and Syaoran was a few feet away from them, his back resting against the wall as he snored lightly, the Prophecy unrolled upon his lap.
Kurogane frowned. It was very irresponsible of Syaoran to fall asleep like that. He crossed the room on silent feet, and, kneeling beside him, he gently shook him awake.
Syaoran stirred and yawned tiredly. "Whazzup?" he mumbled sleepily, stretching his arms above his head.
"You fell asleep," Kurogane answered.
Syaoran rubbed at his eyes blearily and looked up. He blinked once. He then blinked again. "Kurogane-san!" he suddenly exclaimed with a start, his sleep-logged brain finally starting up. "You're back!" His amber eyes looked up at him intently. "What did you and Fay-san find out?"
"Someone's going to provide us with information. We're going to have to go back to the tavern tomorrow."
"Oh." His crestfallen expression spoke volumes.
"Hey," Kurogane said gruffly as he punched him lightly on the shoulder in a friendly manner. "It's only one more day."
"I know that," Syaoran said as he rolled up the Prophecy, "but still..." He left it hanging.
"I know, kid," Kurogane agreed. He seemed to hesitate a moment, then said, "You're really worried about her, aren't you?"
Syaoran nodded, looking down at Sakura. "She seems to be sleeping more often than usual," he observed. "I'm worried that it might mean something. She should be getting better with each feather we find, and instead..."
"Maybe it's because she's also using her magic more often," Kurogane suggested. "Tomoyo would tire easily after casting spells, too."
"That must be it." But Syaoran's tone of voice was dubious. He stood up. "Well, have a good night's sleep, Kurogane-san."
"You, too."
Syaoran shot Sakura one last look before closing the door behind him.
Kurogane chuckled softly and shook his head as he shrugged off his cloak. Syaoran falling asleep while watching over Sakura reminded him vividly of something similar happening to himself when he had been watching over Tomoyo a few years ago.
He burrowed under the covers of his sleeping pallet, shifting his weight to find a more comfortable position. He closed his eyes, and, unbidden, memories of Tomoyo filled his mind. She was radiant and beautiful in every way, and he finally fell asleep with a small sigh of contentment.
———————————————
Tomoyo roamed through her private gardens. It had been a tiring day paying homage to the gods and attending to her religious obligations as High Priestess. It was her duty to offer the specially prepared 'shinsen' every day at the shrine to please the divinities, and then perform the ceremonial dances along with her shrine maidens and priests, praying for abundance and prosperity for Nihon. It was the daily routine always expected of her. Afterward, she would depart from the shrine into the castle-complex and see to matters of state, which needed constant attention and supervision.
She was either making decisions for the welfare of Nihon or tending to the Lunar Shrine. She had many responsibilities that would take up much of her energy, exhausting her, and she would usually fall fast asleep every night. But sleep could not take her that evening, despite the physical discomfort she felt. It happened sometimes. Too many thoughts would swirl around in her mind and prevent her from finding peace.
But here, in the vast gardens of Shirasagi Castle, she was at peace with herself and with all around her. A crystal pond, with bits of thin frost at the edges, reflected the moon's silver light, and wild perennial water-lilies floated on the surface of the calm water. A low waterfall poured into the pool, the white foam crashing and frothing upon the moss-covered rocks situated at the tip of the waterline. The current, however, carried the lilies gently and smoothly away from the falls toward her.
Tomoyo knelt upon the thin crust of snow at the pool's shore and ran her hand through the chill expanse, bumping a water-lily as it passed by. She cupped her palms and raised them. She could not hold the water, for it trickled through her fingers. She sighed and opened her hands, allowing the rest of the water to return to the pond. She extended her fingers to another water-lily and pulled it toward her, admiring the delicate pink petals that were spotted with water droplets.
But even so, trying to distract herself with nature, she could not make her thoughts stray from the one who occupied them. Sighing heavily, she let the flower drift away. "Kurogane..." she murmured to the wind.
Anticipating Kurogane's return now was something entirely different from awaiting his return when he was traveling around other worlds. It was because she had not known that he cared for her then. Now that she knew, it had been harder for her to let him go. But she had not acted selfishly, holding him here against his will. She knew Kurogane very well and had anticipated his offer of aid to his companions. And she knew that they needed him.
Tomoyo was worried about how he and the others fared. She knew that they must have surely reached Sembia by now, and she found herself wondering if they had found any information on the One Without Destiny, for what would now follow was hidden from her, the specific passage in the Prophecy referring to presently-occurring events having been smeared. She had attempted to scry in her pool to foresee what would await them, but the One Without Destiny kept interfering. She had never met such strong power before. She shivered as she remembered how he had seeped from her magical dome and dissolved, as if he had never even been there.
But again, the image of Kurogane came to her mind, chasing away her dark thoughts. She recalled his face. His touch. His taste. She wrapped her arms about herself, longing for his return. When they would finally be together again. She would hold him in her arms and never let him go again. They had both been so blind. They had both suffered needlessly for so many years, each loving the other, but fearing that the other did not feel the same. And they had both been so terribly, blindly wrong.
Tomoyo should have realized it in the confrontation against one of her most fierce enemies. One of her faithful daimyo, Iekata, had been seduced by the lull of the Dark Side. The forces of darkness had granted him powers and had convinced him to confront her. With his private warriors and with a mass of hired mercenaries, he had attempted it. With the powers he had been given, he had broken into Shirasagi Castle and laid waste to the grounds, bent on savage annihilation.
Neither she nor the ninja had remained idle, however. They had confronted Iekata; the ninja with their weapons and by using their special techniques and Tomoyo with the Ceremonial Bell, which would better help her to channel her power. The bell was said to have once belonged to the Lunar God Tsukuyomi No Mikoto himself, and it was her duty to guard it with her life and use it as High Priestess.
But at one point during the battle, Tomoyo had been surrounded. With a ferocious cry, Kurogane had leapt forward to protect her, pulling off his cloak and drawing it around her to shield her from the offending arrows. He had purposefully ignored his own injuries and wounds, his concentration fully upon protecting her person, as he hacked and hewed at their foes with his silver katana Ginryuu.
She should have realized it then—that he cared for her as deeply as she cared for him. But she had only thought then that he had done it out of a sense of duty. He took being Lead Ninja very seriously, as she recalled.
Then, Iekata himself had confronted her. It had not been a very serious challenge, however, for Iekata had been too drained by the darkness to properly use his newfound powers. She had easily defeated him, hoping that she could at least have saved his soul at the very most. But she had not been able to. The dark beings, displeased with Iekata's performance, had taken it as payment... just like she had failed to save Kazuo and Dai. Although Dai had certainly deserved what he had received, losing your soul was a heavy price to pay. The idea of her enemies existing in eternal torment did not appeal to her at all, as vile as they may have been.
She sighed heavily and gazed at her reflection in the water. Despite the troubled times of the past, Tomoyo could recall happy times as well. She remembered with a small blush that she would sometimes pretend to sleep while Kurogane stood guard over her, basking in the warm feeling of his protective and attentive gaze. As Lead Ninja, he was obliged to watch over her at all times—even while she slept. But sometimes, he would be so exhausted that he would fall asleep, his slumped form resting against the walls of the corner he would sit in. Those were the moments that she lived for, for only then would she catch glimpses of the real Kurogane under the steeled exterior. His otherwise morose expression would take on an expression of serenity, and he would occasionally smile—expressions that he would never exhibit in public during his waking moments.
She had felt guilty at many times for secretly being in love with him, though, for his brutal ways had made him feared and awed by all. But Kurogane had now changed, into the man she had always dreamed of and known had been there all along. All he had needed was a little encouragement to come out. Although he had had a notorious killing-obsession, he had not been truly evil. He simply went about his duty in the best way he judged, and—
Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw a tall woman approaching her, her green eyes worried-looking. She bowed before her princess. "Your Highness," she greeted her respectfully.
"Souma," Tomoyo nodded as she got to her feet, throwing back her long ebony hair. "Has the time already passed by so quickly?"
"Yes, Princess," she replied in a somewhat withdrawn tone. "You asked me to come for you after a quarter of an hour."
"Yes... I suppose I should get to bed," Tomoyo decided as she started for the castle. "It's just difficult when I can't go to sleep."
Souma fell in step beside Tomoyo and nodded absent-mindedly.
"There is something else troubling you," Tomoyo said knowingly once they had passed into the long corridors. "I would appreciate it if you told me."
Souma hesitated for a few moments. "It's about the way you bid goodbye to him, Princess," she finally said stiffly.
Tomoyo arched an eyebrow. "What about the way I bid Kurogane farewell?"
"Well... it's caused something like a... a scandal among the court members, Your Highness. I trust you are well-aware of how gossip lingers."
Tomoyo's expression was amused and her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Really?"
"Yes, Your Highness," Souma said, a hint of anger in her voice.
"And you are also of the same opinion?"
Souma said nothing for a time. "Without meaning any disrespect, Your Highness, but..." She drew a deep breath. "How long has this been going on?"
"It depends on what you mean, Souma."
"Pardon?" she asked her politely.
"Well, it has been going on for around eleven years if you are referring to the feelings Kurogane and I nurture for each other."
Souma's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.
"But," Tomoyo continued before she could protest, "if you mean when we actually made a move and confessed out feelings to each other, it only happened four days ago."
Souma blinked in confusion. "Eleven years and then... only four days ago?" she repeated.
"I quite agree. An absurdly long time, don't you think so?" She smiled impishly.
Souma shook her head quickly. "Your Highness, this is highly inappropriate," she pointed out. "A ninja and a princess?" She clamped her mouth shut when she realized that she might have taken it just a little too far.
"There are no restrictions based on whom I decide to spend my life with," Tomoyo replied rather coolly.
"That was not what I meant, Your Highness," Souma said quickly.
"You misunderstood me as well, Souma. I am not angry with you. Please speak your mind. I insist."
"It is expected by the general population that you marry a noble," Souma finally said. "Although the House of Ito has served the Imperial Family for many generations, we are hardly what one would call of noble blood."
Tomoyo shook her head and brooded silently for several long moments. "To be quite honest, Souma, I've grown weary with my responsibilities," she said quietly.
"I'm afraid I don't understand," Souma confessed.
"I am twenty-three years old," Tomoyo sighed. "Normally, I would have had to marry someone at eighteen, or even sixteen years old, but my religious obligations at the Lunar Shrine held me back. I have also always done what was best for Nihon and for my people, and the marriage between myself and Dai-ouji was more of a political nature, in an attempt to maintain peace, than out of any tender feelings I had toward him."
She looked up at Souma helplessly. "I tried, Souma," she said in a trembling voice. "I tried to make myself love him. But I just couldn't. I was already in love with Kurogane." She clasped her hands before her. "Can't I make a decision for myself? One small choice in my life that will be based on what I want, and not by what is right or what is wiser? Don't I deserve a small repayment of happiness for all that I have done?"
Souma was at a loss for words, so she decided not to say anything to contradict her.
They walked on and were almost before the doors leading to Tomoyo's rooms when Souma turned to her princess. "If he harms one hair on your head, he'll have to answer to me," she stated fiercely. "Cousin or no cousin."
Tomoyo giggled. "I don't think you'll have to resort to violence, Souma," she said. "Kurogane would never do anything to hurt me."
"Perhaps, Princess, but I won't take any chances."
Tomoyo giggled again and bid her goodnight, adjourning to her rooms. She went to the balcony and leaned upon the railing for a time, still not tired enough for sleep. She then raised her face to the star-strewn sky. Her amethyst eyes were bright as they beheld the moon, and, unbidden, her lips parted and a sweet heart-stirring melody filled the air as she sang. Her voice was clear and beautiful, possessing a thrilling timbre that could move anyone to tears.
"Please be safe, Kurogane," she whispered with the fading notes of her song, wiping at her wet eyes.
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To Be Continued
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A/N: You know, reading through the two former A/Ns I had for this chapter reminded me of how very, very immature and childish I was two years ago. —head-desks— I mean, excuse me?! There I was talking like a fucking homophobe when I'm not one, why didn't anyone say anything or point it out?! God, I sounded so stupid! —scowls— I disapprove of racists in general, so reading through the A/Ns after so long really made me see a lot of flaws I had... as if I was seeing a racist in myself. It was humiliating.
I won't hide the fact that I enjoy my fair share of shonen- and shoujo-ai and I'm proud of it. Love comes in all shapes and sizes, so love between two people of the same sex shouldn't be seen as something wrong or abnormal. A lot of KuroganexTomoyo fans come off as ignorant little homophobes and I don't want to be carted in the same category with them. Is it wrong of me to like shonen- and shoujo-ai and prefer KuroganexTomoyo over KuroganexFay? I should hope not! Everyone has their likes and dislikes. And no, I'm not saying this trying to come off as if I dislike KuroganexFay. I've read some good KuroganexFay fics in my time and I adore the relationship they share, which is why I still try to depict them having a strong bond in my fic. I just fell in love with the KuroganexTomoyo relationship first. And seeing as not many people support it, well, at least I'm here trying to remedy that! XP
And just for the record, I'm not a FayxChii fan (I mean, please, the guy made her in image of his mother) even though there's a wee tiny bit of fluff in this chapter and Chapter 15. I regard it more as a father/daughter relationship though, just like the itsy-bitsy KuroganexSakura fluff you spot here and there. I prefer FayxAshura (and AshuraxTaishakuten, but let's not go down that road right now), so those of you sharp enough will be able to notice it throughout my entire fic, both in previous and latter chapters.
Tell me if you like it or tell me if you hate it. Please review!