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 17 — Bittersweet Victory
By Mystic Dawn
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Kyle clasped his hands together and stepped out of the shadows. He had his long, black hair tied in a ponytail, and his round glasses reflected the shimmering gleam of torches that burst to life as he passed. He wore a long cloak and peculiar tight-fitting garments, emblazoned with the characteristic bat-like symbol they had come to associate with their enemy. There seemed to be something different about him in comparison to when they had last seen him in Piffle. He seemed more sure of himself for one thing, and power seemed to flow about his form—a dark, foreboding power.
"Long time no see," Kyle smirked, confidently folding his arms across his chest. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd changed your mind about coming here. The full moon will soon reach its peak, and the midnight hour will come and pass." He eyed them carefully. "Cutting it close, aren't we?"
Syaoran's grip on his sword-hilt tightened. "You tricked us into coming here," he accused. "There was never a meeting. All you wanted was to get us."
"Not exactly, but why must we dwell on petty little details?" Kyle said with the air of someone who knew perfectly well what he was doing. His sea-green eyes glinted. "The point is that you came."
"Give us the feather," Syaoran said, his eyes narrowing determinedly.
"What," Kyle snorted with laughter, "you mean this thing?" He parted his cloak slightly and withdrew an incandescent sphere, the beautiful white feather clearly enclosed in its center, glowing faintly. "Do you honestly think I'll just hand it over because you tell me to?" The smiled quickly faded and was replaced by a chilling expression as he delicately balanced the sphere upon a pedestal that had suddenly risen from the marble floor. He waved his hand and a shimmering force-field engulfed both the pedestal and the memory shard, ensuring its safety. He turned and fixed them with a dangerous look. "Unless you're willing to die for it," he said ominously.
Sakura gripped Syaoran's forearm fearfully. Fay stiffened and Mokona gasped audibly. Kurogane tensed, his hand closing upon the pommel of his sword. But unlike his comrades, Syaoran firmly stood his ground.
"You see," Kyle drawled, "I have my orders, which are simple really, once you get right down to them."
"You want to kill me and the wizard, and take the kids for some reason or other," Kurogane snarled impatiently. "We already know that from those spineless mercenaries you hired."
"Astounding," Kyle murmured, inclining his head mockingly. "I never expected someone as dim as you to remember such a vital piece of information."
Kurogane said nothing, but his eye twitched.
"But you're a little off the mark," Kyle admitted. "My task is not as simple as you may think, for there are more things besides those that need to be attended to. Something concerning this, something concerning that... You know how tedious these things are. But..." His eyes swept the group. "...there is one missing from the Fellowship," he said softly, his voice carrying throughout the large chamber.
Syaoran narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Missing?" he repeated.
"Yes," Kyle smiled. "It's a shame, really. I was looking forward to meeting her in person. I guess I'll just have to deal with her afterward once I've finished with you."
Fay drew in his breath sharply, immediately realizing who he was referring to.
Kyle wore an amused expression. "Why, Fay, you only just realized it?" His gaze then fell upon Kurogane. "You of all people should have been the first to know whom I speak of," he said quietly as he walked up to him calmly, as if he were simply taking a casual stroll out in the countryside. "Would you like a hint?" He took a few more steps until he was right before the tall ninja. He smiled slowly and whispered loud enough for the others to hear, "You've shoved your tongue down her throat."
Kurogane had kept his face expressionless up to now, determined not to be provoked. But this was finally too much. It was one thing to insult him, but it was a completely different thing to drag what he and Tomoyo did or did not do into an insult. The only indication of anger that he showed was the flash of his crimson eyes. His sword leapt from its sheath and he lashed out at Kyle in one smooth and rapid movement.
But Souhi froze two inches from Kyle's neck, and no matter how hard Kurogane tried to make his hand sink the sword into his enemy's flesh, he could not pass the invisible barrier that Kyle had enveloped around the enraged ninja. Kurogane's arm muscles trembled as he labored to pass the magic force-field confining his movements.
"Feisty," Kyle commented lightly as he fingered the blade. "You keep it sharp," he noted, somewhat satisfied. He chuckled sinisterly as he turned from Kurogane and seated himself upon the throne, casually leaning his elbows upon the throne's arms. He waved his hand lazily and freed Kurogane from his spell.
Kurogane stumbled forward, losing his balance, for he had been trying to free himself and had been caught off-guard when the magic lifted. He glared at Kyle vehemently, breathing heavily, as he held his sword tightly in his fist. "Are you too afraid to face me without your powers, you bastard?" he grated through clenched teeth.
Kyle merely laughed as he wound his hands together, obviously enjoying himself. "All in due time, Kurogane. I have some things to attend to before I move on to you." He crossed his legs and surveyed them with an almost casual air. "So, as you can see, I am not the same man you used to know. I now have power... more power than you could ever imagine. I can manipulate anything, bend anyone against my will."
"So that's how you got Prince Dai to agree with your plans," Sakura suddenly said. "He was a coward. He would have never made a move to kill Princess Tomoyo on his own."
"Precisely," Kyle admitted without preamble. "Something for everyone, as the saying goes."
"But I fail to see what you gained."
Kyle smirked and shrugged indifferently. "Oh, but I did gain," he murmured malevolently. "I was able to observe Tomoyo-hime through him. I now know her every hope, her every dream, her every weakness... It will be a simple thing to overwhelm her and claim her powers."
"That's what you wanted all along, isn't it?" Fay demanded. "More power."
Kyle's eyes rested upon Fay. "I am merely following orders," he replied simply. "Fei Wang Reed desires the adolescents. I can understand why. He also desires Tomoyo-hime. Her magic, specifically." His mouth twisted into a grotesque smile. "He also wants you to suffer by my hand."
Fay's hands tightened around his bow-shaft. "...In what way?" he asked him warily.
"By witnessing grief and despair, all over again. He said nothing about absorbing your magic, so I will absorb it instead. It will suffice, since that was part of the bargain." Kyle grinned malevolently as he extended his arm and pointed his finger at the blond wizard.
Fay had no time to react, and even if he had been meaning to use his magic to protect himself, he would have been too late. A beam of red light hit him squarely on the forehead and he teetered backward, as if he had been dealt a mighty blow. His cerulean eyes widened slightly in surprise as he stared avidly at something before him that the others could not see, his bow and arrow falling with a clatter onto the marble tiles.
"Fay-san!" Sakura gasped.
Syaoran whirled around to face Kyle, his eyes blazing with anger. "What did you do to him?!" he exclaimed.
Kyle smirked. "I've simply trapped him in his own fears." He put a forefinger to his lips in a shushing gesture. "Now watch," he commanded them. "This will be a priceless moment."
Fay continued to gape at the space before him, his eyes growing bigger in dawning fear and comprehension. "No," he mouthed, shaking his head. "It can't be..." Then his pupils contracted so much that they could hardly be discerned. "Ashura-ou!" he gasped.
"Ashura-ou?" Syaoran repeated in recognition.
But he had no time to contemplate the matter further, for Fay raised a violently trembling hand to his face, as if trying to shield his eyes from the horrors he was witnessing. "I had to!" he cried out, falling to his knees. "Please..." He started to rock back and forth, clutching at his head in pain. He screamed shrilly as he fell to his side, his body writhing. "Nooooo!"
Sakura drew in her breath sharply and clutched at her chest in pain. "Ahhh!"
Syaoran's head swiveled with lightning-speed from Fay's form to Sakura's. "Sakura?" he cried out in alarm.
Sakura gripped Syaoran's sleeve and weakly raised her head. "Stop it!" she shouted out hoarsely. "Please, lift the spell! He's in terrible agony!"
"Not likely," Kyle said in a deadly voice.
"What's the matter with her?" Kurogane demanded anxiously. "Did that bastard attack her, too?"
Mokona cocked his ears. "Now I get it," it murmured quietly. "Sakura's strongest power is being able to sense someone else's thoughts and emotions. If one of us is in intense mental pain, she also shares the pain in part."
"Sakura, hang in there," Syaoran whispered to her reassuringly as he drew his sword and turned to face Kyle. "Let Fay-san go!" he said determinedly. Kurogane stepped up beside him, his sword also at the ready.
"Ah," Kyle drawled, "is it time to pick up the pace?" He grinned mirthlessly. "Well, I won't be one to disappoint you."
He waved his hand negligently, and Syaoran, Sakura and Mokona were suddenly lifted about ten feet into the air. The air shimmered around them and they found themselves enclosed in a glass-seeming globe.
"We're trapped!" Mokona squeaked, clutching desperately onto Syaoran's hair. "He's trapped us in a magic ball!"
"But what about the others?" Syaoran said as he pressed his hands against the smooth and transparent walls, trying to make out what was happening below.
Sakura inhaled deeply. "Leave it to me," she said quietly as a glowing pink nimbus surrounded her.
Syaoran obliged, stepping back a pace, trying to give her room.
Sakura, her expression one of fierce concentration, slowly raised her hands, palm outward. A bright shaft of light shot forth from her hands and sprang back like a boomerang as soon as it had made contact with the walls. Sakura was forced backward into Syaoran from the force as it hit her chest, and her sharp gasp of pain made Syaoran's heart ache.
"Sakura!" he cried as he held her protectively in his arms. "Are you all right?!"
Sakura blinked and moaned as she raised her hand to her head. "That was a mistake," she mumbled.
"You still don't know how to properly use your powers," Mokona told her. "You could do yourself some serious injuries if you start experimenting on your own!"
"But... it looks like... Kyle-sensei's getting ready to do something..." she protested weakly. She peered through the transparent walls, and since they were unable to do anything to free themselves from their prison, they could only look down upon the sight unfolding before their eyes.
Kurogane gritted his teeth as his gaze traveled from Fay's writhing form, to the globe where the others were trapped. It was obvious that he had underestimated Kyle. He had not been expecting him to be so effective and efficient in his methods of overwhelming them. How could he possibly stand a chance against him? He did not have any magic powers.
Kyle smiled grimly. "Now it's just you and me," he purred venomously.
Kurogane inhaled deeply as his hand tightened around Souhi's hilt. "If you're so bent on getting rid of me and the wizard, how come you haven't placed me under the same spell?" he asked him tensely.
Kyle smiled grimly. "Because I have something I want to reveal to you before I take care of you," he said in a low voice.
Kurogane suppressed a shudder. Kyle's words were like poison, sapping him of his strength. "And what d'you wanna tell me?" he demanded impatiently. "Spit it out, it's not like I have free time on my hands, you know."
"Actually, we have all the time in the Universe." Kyle grinned maliciously and took a step closer to him, advancing dangerously.
Kurogane tried to back away from him, but he was unable to move a single muscle, as if he had been frozen solid. Surely due to Kyle's magic again.
Kyle reached his side and whispered right in his ear, "You do not know the truth surrounding your birth."
"What the hell're you talking about?!" he snapped.
Kyle chuckled. "You've always believed that you were of the House of Ito, vassal to the Imperial family of Nihon. Son of Aya and Kumaso Ito, and brother to Suzue Ito, have you not?"
Kurogane wanted to lunge at him, but he was paralyzed by his magic.
Kyle's next words were deadly. "All of your life you've been living in a lie. Haven't you ever wondered why your father has been less than affectionate with you? And haven't you ever wondered why you sometimes feel apart from others?"
"That's a load of crap! You're trying to trick me with all of these ass lies!" Kurogane snarled. But with a sinking feeling in his stomach, he knew that Kyle wasn't lying.
Kyle put his face very close to Kurogane's. "You wish," he said in a dangerous voice. "But you know very well that I speak the truth." Kyle raised his hand before Kurogane's face. "Watch very closely, now. For you are about to witness the truth regarding your past." He swept his hand over Kurogane's eyes.
The last thing Kurogane saw was Kyle's malicious smile before the darkness took him.
He snapped his eyes open and nearly dropped his sword in his surprise, for his surroundings were totally unfamiliar to him.
He appeared to be in a large, spacious room, presumably a bedchamber, for the floor was littered with silken cushions and pillows, and a blue-draped divan was situated in the far corner. Delicately-painted kakemono scrolls hung upon the walls, either depicting personages, either depicting beautiful scenery. Even as abysmal as Kurogane was when it came to tastes in decor, he could tell by the arrangement of the paintings, the flower-vases, and the soft hue of the curtains, that he was clearly in a woman's room. Sunlight filtered through the window, wholesome light that left no doubt that it was probably fairly early in the morning. But hadn't it been close to midnight?
Kurogane's grip tightened on Souhi, his eyes darting wildly around the room. Where was he? What had Kyle done to him? But before he could try to think of a way to escape, a sudden cry drew his attention. His brow creased, and he carefully made his way across the room to the source of the sound. He cautiously peered around the corner, and what he saw only confused him even more.
A young woman was lying on a makeshift sleeping pallet, her long black hair sprawled about her, bringing out her pale face. She emitted a low moan, and Kurogane realized that it had been her voice he had heard before. She was drenched with sweat, her face a grim mask of agony. Her robes were smeared with blood, and she gripped at the bed sheet to withstand the pain of childbirth.
"Just a little further," an old woman urged her. "You can do it."
The young woman cried out and gasped with sudden pain as the midwife finally managed to pull the newborn from her womb.
"There, you did it," the tired midwife said with relief as she held a squirming infant in her arms. She cut the umbilical cord still joining it with its mother. The newborn wailed to clean out its lungs of the liquid trapped in them, and when the task had been completed, it quieted. The midwife handed it to a serving-maid, who departed from the room with a respective bow.
The woman lay back against the pillows, drawing ragged breaths. "Is my baby all right?" she whispered.
The midwife smiled reassuringly at her as she smoothed her sweaty brow. "He is just fine."
The woman smiled weakly. "A boy?"
"Yes, my Lady, and he looks like he is going to be a strong man when he grows up."
My Lady? Kurogane repeated silently. Was that woman some sort of noble?
The woman sighed. "My baby boy." She looked up at the midwife. "When will I be able to hold him?"
"Soon," she promised. "We must clean him first."
The midwife silently departed from the room without another word as soon as the exhausted woman had been claimed by sleep.
Kurogane turned his back on the noblewoman and frowned in confusion. What was Kyle trying to prove by showing him a labor? He screwed his face and tried to remember what he had said. Something about his whole life being a lie because he did not know the truth regarding his past. So what had Kyle done? Had he transported him to some other world? But how was that possible? As far as he knew, only Mokona was able to transport them to other worlds.
His eyes suddenly widened and he inhaled sharply. Of course he hadn't been transported to some other world! Kyle was showing him the past!His past! Kurogane whirled around and stared avidly at the sleeping woman, a lump forming in his throat. Then... could that womanpossibly be... his mother? Had he just witnessed his own birth? He licked his lips nervously as he gripped at the wall with one hand. If she did turn out to be his mother... his real mother... then Aya Ito, the woman he had always believed to be his mother all these years, was nothing more than a fake. He found that his mouth had gone dry, and that he could not swallow properly. Could it be true? His eyes darted to the door. There was only one way to find out.
He slowly crept out of the room, passing through the door that the midwife had left open. He had to find out where those two other women had gone. If he saw... the infant, he thought, for he refused to call him by his own name before he was absolutely sure, then he would be able to reach a conclusion as to what was occurring instead of relying on wild guesses.
Kurogane did not have to go very far to locate them; they were in the next room. Anxious not to be seen, he crouched behind a piece of elaborately-carved furniture right by the door, straining his ears to hear their low whispers.
"Did you clean him?" the older woman asked the serving-maid.
The girl nodded. "He is so quiet," she remarked. "He must be sleeping."
The midwife peered at the sleeping infant wound in a white bundle in the girl's arms, now free from blood. She frowned. "He is not sleeping," she said. "He is wide-awake."
The girl also frowned as she looked at the newborn. "The why is he not crying?"
The midwife shrugged. "I do not know."
She regarded the baby boy curiously. He stared right back at her, and the midwife hissed as she stepped back in surprise.
Kurogane frowned and subconsciously leaned forward to get a better look at what had made her react like that.
"What is wrong?" the serving-maid asked her, frightened.
The midwife moistened her lips, uncertainty marring her otherwise calm features. "Infants are not supposed to be able to see the first few months they live," she explained.
The girl nodded; she knew that already. She waited for the elderly woman to continue.
The midwife's eyebrows furrowed. "This boy looks as if he is aware of what is going on around him and..." She drew a deep breath. "His eyes are... red."
Red?! Kurogane gasped silently, his hand clenching in a fist as a number of conflicting emotions crashed over him like a raging sea.
The serving-maid gasped as she placed her hand over her mouth, horrified. "A demon?"
Kurogane felt a sudden ripple of anger under his numb disbelief. A demon?! I'm no demon!
She extended her arms before her, as if fearful that the baby would perform some sort of devilry that would harm her. She laid him down upon the table and turned to the midwife. "What will we tell our mistress?" she asked her in fear.
The midwife shrugged. "Nothing. She will see for herself when she awakes."
"Oh, Matsu-sama, you are cruel," the girl accused her. "What if she will not be able to stand it? She is very weak from giving birth to... it."
Matsu shrugged again. "I will not do anything unless she commands." She looked shrewdly at the girl. "The mistress may be displeased if we take matters into our own hands."
The girl wrung her hands. "But it is obvious that this cannot be her baby! The gods must have taken the real one and replaced it with this... monster!"
Matsu sighed as she turned to the door. For one fleeting moment, Kurogane feared that she had seen him, but she passed by him without so much as shooting him a cursory glance, as if he were invisible. "We shall see," she said, before closing the door behind her.
Sighing, the girl shot one last, dark look at the infant before she, too, practically fled from the room.
Kurogane remained stock-still for a long moment, trying to get to grips with what had just happened. Despite all he had seen and heard, a lingering doubt still remained. He finally got to his feet, holding his sword loosely at his side, his legs unwillingly leading him to the table. He dreaded to confirm his suspicions, but he just had to make sure. Extending a hand that slightly trembled, he made to pull back the blanket to see the infant clearly. When his hand made contact with the cloth, his fingers passed through the fabric, as if they had no substance.
So, not only was he invisible, but he was also insubstantial. But that did not prevent him from seeing the newborn's face.
He had a mass of messy, thick black hair on the top of his head, and his hands were closed in tiny fists. His serious face seemed to be screwed up in an expression of fierce concentration, his piercing blood-red eyes circling the room. Kurogane's eyes started from his face, for there was no doubt that this helpless little creature washim, complete with all of his traits and characteristics.
What had happened to this newborn to be separated from the woman who had glowed with happiness to hear of his successful birth? What had happened for his life to change so drastically, to be raised by people who were not his family? But why had Kurogane never been told the truth? Why had no one even cared to tell him?
Kurogane tried to gather his scattered thoughts, but his surroundings suddenly flickered and changed in a swirl of color. "Now what?" he found himself wondering out loud in chagrin.
He was back in the bedchamber again, and, apparently, some time had passed. By the position of the sun, he could tell that it was close to sunset, and the woman was seated comfortably upon the divan, cradling her baby boy in her arms. She crooned soft words as she smiled down at him warmly.
Kurogane felt a painful stab of loss. As he gazed at the woman, who was looking down at the newborn in her arms with love plainly shining on her face, a throbbing ache filled his chest, an ache he knew stemmed from the fact that he had never had the chance to ever meet his real mother. She was an exceptionally beautiful woman with waist-length, black hair and pearly-white skin, her movements slow and graceful. Her eyes were a deep amber color, a soft expression reflected in them as she gently rocked him in her arms.
Kurogane felt another painful stab. Everything he had ever known, everything he had ever believed in, had been a cheap lie, a despicable sham. Why hadn't he ever been told the truth? Why had he been led to believe all this time that he had a different family? He looked at his newfound mother longingly. What had happened to the sleeping infant curled so tenderly in her arms? What had been the reason for him to be separated from her?
Smiling, his mother gently eased the baby upon a soft cushion beside her on the divan, drawing a blanket over him. "Have sweet dreams, my son," she murmured, and her voice touched Kurogane's heart. It sounded so warm, so... familiar. The pain of loss became more acute.
His mother stood and turned to the window, drawing the curtains closed. She stood still for a moment, her gaze locked upon the sunset. Finally, she turned back to the divan, sighing heavily. She raised her head when she heard a polite knock, and the door slid open.
Matsu bowed in with a small tray in her hands. "Would you like some tea, my Lady?"
"Yes, please," she thanked her.
Matsu said nothing as she prepared the tea, but Kurogane could tell by her expression that her thoughts were bleak. Shaking her head, she turned to offer the small porcelain cup to her mistress, but could not withhold a shudder when her eyes fell upon the newborn.
Kurogane scowled darkly. The midwife obviously thought he was some sort of a demonic offspring, just like the serving-girl, just because of his eye-color. They were probably simple peasants who believed in superstitions and folktales. He knew he was wrong to judge them because of it, but still, it made him wonder if that had been the reason why he had grown up away from his mother.
The noblewoman took the offered tea and drank some. She frowned and set the teacup down upon the table before her. "Matsu?" she whispered.
"Yes, my Lady?"
"Can you keep a secret?"
Matsu arched her eyebrows curiously. "Yes, my Lady," she finally said.
The noblewoman sighed. At first, she said nothing, as if trying to think through what she was going to say. "As you know," she said quietly, "my husband has been absent for nearly nine months on an expedition, and has no knowledge of the baby."
Mastu nodded, indicating that she understood.
Kurogane's heart began racing excitedly, and he leaned forward eagerly so as to hear their conversation better. He was going to learn about his father.
The noblewoman bowed her head and bit her lower lip. "But we... we have over a year to make love. And... no other man has touched me." Tears welled in her eyes and she choked back a sob.
Matsu's eyes widened, and not being able to hold herself back, blurted, "Then how is it that you gave birth, my Lady?" She blushed crimson at her outburst and bowed low. "Please forgive me for my insolence."
She waved her hand. "I do not mind, for I am also confused." She wiped at her tears with a small handkerchief. "I have no idea where he came from," she confessed. "As you can see, he bears no resemblance to me."
Mastu gulped. "And are you certain... I mean..." She swallowed hard. "That no man...?"
The noblewoman shook her head. "I would never commit such a foul crime," she declared, a defiant note in her voice. "I love my husband, and I would never let any other man touch me, even should it cost me my life." She moistened her lips and clasped her hands in her lap. "What I need," she said in a voice that slightly trembled, "is answers. I need to find out how this was possible." She looked at the midwife, a hard glint of determination in her eyes. "Who else knows of his existence?"
"My Lady?" Matsu asked, taken aback by the unusual question.
"Besides you and Akako, who else knows of the birth of my son?"
Matsu's brow knitted. "The rest of the household is aware that you were with child, my Lady, but so far, I believe that only we know of his birth. After all, only we aided you in your labor, and barely a day has passed since he was born."
The noblewoman nodded in satisfaction. "I would like to keep it that way. Until I discover the truth, at least."
"Yes, my Lady."
"And that is why I have a task for you," she continued. "I need you to bring me the soothsayer."
"The madman?" Matsu protested.
"I have no choice. He is my only hope, for I need aid and guidance. Hopefully, he will be able to provide me with answers."
Matsu sighed in resignation. "As you wish, my Lady. When would you like me to bring him?"
"At once, if possible. You may go."
Matsu got to her feet and bowed low before drawing the door closed behind her. The noblewoman sighed heavily as she cast a sorrowful look at her sleeping child.
Kurogane found himself sitting on the floor with no memory of how he had gotten there. He had been rendered senseless, overwhelming surges of shock coursing through his entire being, obliterating everything, except this... In the span of a mere half-hour, he had discovered that the people he had always thought to be his family were nothing but imposters, and he had discovered his biological mother. But...
He did not have a father.
But how was it possible? How had he come into existence? His mind miserably failed to comprehend it, as it violated all the laws of nature. What was he? Where had he come from? Fear suddenly gripped at his heart, a fear that made a chilling sensation penetrate his body. Was he really some sort of a demonic offspring? Was he really a demon because of his blood-red eyes and his savage lust for carnage? He felt numb, numb and deadened. It was as if he had lost the will to continue existing because of this horrible discovery.
The scene altered once more before his eyes with a shimmering blur of color and motion. Reluctantly, he raised his head to see what would happen next, but he could care less. Everything else had ceased to matter.
A soaked figure stood in the center of the self-same room, his cloak tattered and dripping onto the rug. His gnarled and knotty hands gripped an old staff, and his face was hidden in the large hood, its length in the front reaching below his nose. His mouth was surrounded by a silver beard, dirty with rain and grime. Kurogane surmised that this new personage was the soothsayer, but frankly, he didn't give a damn anymore.
The noblewoman—his mother—eyed the soaked newcomer with a slight trepidation, as if wondering if she had done the right thing to bring him here.
"I see," the hunched form said in a wheezy voice. He clicked his tongue. "Yes, I see your problem, Yukiko Midori."
She drew a deep breath. "And what must I do?"
He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Do you recall anything peculiar occurring nine months previously?" he suddenly inquired.
"Pardon?" Yukiko asked politely, trying to mask her surprise.
"Did anything strange happen? Some creature that acted out of the ordinary, or some sort of peculiar phenomenon? It might be something you did not consider out of the ordinary when it occurred."
She did not speak at first, a worried frown mirroring her bafflement. She looked up, slightly apprehensive. "The moon," she finally replied. "When I had been gazing at the moon one evening, its rays seemed to intensify, if only for a few moments. I did not regard it as something unusual, for I had only thought that it had been because of the moon not being obscured by clouds, but now..."
The soothsayer nodded knowingly. "I see," he repeated. "And you wish to know exactly what, my Lady?" he pressed.
Yukiko was taken aback somewhat at his rather crisp tone. "I... I need answers. I need to know where he came from. And..." She took a deep breath. "...what I should tell my husband. He... he will think I have been... unfaithful."
"In a way that was inevitable," the soothsayer informed her, "as you were chosen by the very gods as the most suited to perform this task."
"E-excuse me?"
"It has been decided by ancient times what shall come to pass," he said cryptically. "Declared in the heavens by the gods themselves. There will be born a child with eyes the color of blood and hair as black as the darkest night. He is the one destined to be the most powerful warrior the world has ever seen. His fate is as complicated as the very structure of that which created the very Universe. The one who is like no other..."
"What are you saying?" Yukiko demanded.
"What has been predetermined." The soothsayer turned to face her. "Nine months ago, the moon shone for you. Its beams fell upon you, and in that moment you conceived the Dragon Lord."
"I... what...?" She had forgotten all of her manners as she tried to comprehend what was happening. "The Dragon Lord...? What... what does that mean?"
"It means he is the one who stands between our two worlds," the soothsayer explained, though his explanation only managed to confuse her even more. He nodded solemnly, as if readying himself for something. "You must give him up."
"What?! Whatever for?!" she demanded, darting instinctively to the sleeping infant.
"As you told me before, your husband would never accept him, as he will most certainly believe that you were unfaithful. You cannot keep him."
"But he is only a baby!" she cried. "I cannot simply abandon him!"
The soothsayer said nothing for a time. "Bring him to me," he said suddenly.
"What?"
"I must see him."
Almost as if some exterior force were controlling her limbs, Yukiko stood up, went toward the divan, and eased the newborn into her arms. Unwillingly, she approached the soothsayer and pulled back the blanket, revealing the infant.
The soothsayer edged closer and looked down at the baby. The waif looked up at the old man and fixed him with an piercing look, his crimson eyes mirroring the soothsayer's reflection.
The man chuckled softly. "You are the one." He gathered the baby in one of his arms, the other hand still clutching his staff tightly.
He looked up at the horrified Yukiko, whose body seemed paralyzed. "I feel your pain," he said softly. "But you cannot fight Fate."
"Is he...?" She faltered, unable to finish her phrase.
The old man arched an eyebrow, but it was a hidden movement from Yukiko, for his hood still hid his face. "He is no demon." He smiled wryly. "But then again, he is no mere mortal either."
Yukiko could not understand what was happening. Everything was hazy and dim to her.
"Who in your household know of the child's birth?" he asked her.
Yukiko's mouth felt like it was made out of lead. "My midwife Matsu, and the serving-girl Akako... everyone else simply knows that I was with child."
"I see." He clicked his tongue again. "You will tell them all that the baby died at birth. They will not say anything to your husband, for fear of his reaction," he assured her. "And both your midwife and the serving-girl will be more than happy to oblige, for they themselves believed him to be a demon." He turned to leave the room.
"Wait!" she managed to gasp, extending her arm longingly. "Can I... can I at least say goodbye?" she begged.
The soothsayer paused for a moment, as if considering her request. "Very well."
Yukiko gently took the sleeping child from the soothsayer and looked down at him for a long moment, biting on her lip to keep from crying. "I love you," she finally whispered hoarsely, tenderly kissing his forehead. She reluctantly handed him over to the soothsayer. "For some reason," she whispered, "I know that this is what has to be done." Tears poured down her face. "It is for the best, is it not?" she choked.
"Do not fear for him. He will be well-cared for," the soothsayer assured her. "Take comfort in the fact that he is special."
Yukiko nodded brokenly. "I understand, but will—?" Although she continued to speak, Kurogane was unable to hear what else his mother said, as a chilling darkness crept over him and obscured his vision once more...
Kurogane drew a shuddering gasp and opened his eyes, finding himself back in the present. He whipped his head around to look at Fay, who was still thrashing as he struggled with whatever horrors his mind was hurling at him, then to the globe where the others were trapped, still hovering several feet in the air. He slowly turned and saw Kyle, seated sedately upon the throne, as if he had no care in the world. Their eyes locked, and Kyle's smile mirrored pure evil.
"Enjoyed the trip down the memory lane?" he asked him knowingly.
Kurogane shook his head in an attempt to clear it. "What the hell was that for?" he snarled in the most insulting tone he could manage.
"Oh... consider it a gift, courtesy of Fei Wang Reed. He thought it appropriate for you to discover the truth about your past before I finish you off."
"I doubt he did it out of sympathy of my ignorance," Kurogane growled, hefting his sword menacingly.
"Of course not. He had his reasons."
"Yeah, but I guess he forgot to fill in some gaps, didn't he?!" Kurogane spat. His anger and confusion were strengthening him, preventing his mind from dwelling on his past for too long. It felt good to be angry, to be shouting, to be releasing his steam. "It's not like I ever got how the hell I was created, did I?!"
Kyle snorted with laughter. "I'd think that was obvious... although you are rather dim, aren't you?"
Kurogane shot him the dirtiest look he could muster, his anger blazing white-hot inside of him.
"Think, Kurogane," Kyle smirked tauntingly. "Dragon Lord... the gods themselves choosing who your mother would be... you being no mere mortal... come on, it's not that hard to piece it all together..."
Suddenly, it clicked. Kurogane's eyes widened to their fullest extent as he looked up, a myriad of emotions overwhelming him. "A... a dragon?" he croaked.
"There you have it," Kyle laughed mirthlessly, getting to his feet. "I guess you're not as dim as I thought."
Kurogane weakly sank to his knees, his eyes wide in numb disbelief, as he held his sword loosely in his hand. Now he understood. All too clearly. His fate was not his own to shape. He was a puppet, led along by the strings to perform each task he was destined for. His will was not his own to control. He had been created, created for some sick purpose by the gods. And worst of all, he was not human. Now he realized the truth. Why he had never felt close to his... family, he thought scornfully. Why he had sometimes felt different and apart. It all fit. It all fit so seamlessly together that he was astonished how he had never realized it sooner...
Kyle took an ominous step toward him. "So..." he said in a malevolent whisper. "How does it make you feel to know you're a dragon trapped in human form?"
Kurogane's mind was slow to react from his shock. "Trapped?" he repeated through numb lips.
"Oh, yes. Ryuujin was the god who bathed your mother in silver light, thus conceiving you. You see, your father is a god. And not just any god. He's the god of the dragons." He pursed his lips in mock-speculation. "I guess this is why dragons respect you so much, isn't it?"
Kurogane felt as if his heart had skipped several beats as he struggled back to his feet. Another piece of information that fit together perfectly; the fact that dragons had confided so much about their culture and their civilization to him. He had always wondered why they had shown so much faith in him... The last remains of his resolve began to crumble into dust. There was no doubt now that everything he had witnessed had been true... but what was he to do now that he knew that he wasn't a human, but... a dragon?
"I see you're not taking it very well." An amused smile tugged at Kyle's lips.
Kurogane gave him a flat look of pure hatred.
"You know, I'd love to give you time for this to sink in and all, but I have my orders to follow." He closed his hand in a fist, smirking, and a ring of blackness materialized around Kurogane's neck.
Kurogane gasped and groped at the ring with his hand, which began to shrink rapidly, squeezing his throat. He tugged on it in a futile attempt to remove it, but it was like trying to move a mountain. Even Kurogane, with all of his strength, was no match against magic. Fight it! his mind screamed at him. Don't let it end like this! But he was finding it harder and harder to focus, and even though he could open his mouth, he could not draw air into his lungs.
"I'll be sure to take good care of your princess," Kyle sneered tauntingly.
Kurogane's eyes widened as he staggered to his knees. Not Tomoyo! No! He abandoned his sword and pulled on the ring fiercely, now using both of his hands, but all he succeeded was in scraping it against his neck in his attempts to free himself. The ring seemed to sink even deeper into his bleeding flesh, and he could feel his windpipe being crushed. He knew that it was all over. I've failed to protect you all... I'm sorry, Tomoyo... guess I'm not coming back like I promised you... He could now feel blood trickling down his neck, and black spots danced across his eyes as he doubled over. Forgive me...
———————————————
Suzue pursed her lips. "Hmm..." She hitched the material up slightly. "Maybe we should make it a little shorter..."
"I like the length the way it is," said Tomoyo.
"For a cloak it's perfect," Suzue agreed, "but it's white. I'm afraid it's going to dirty very quickly."
"It's not like I'm going to go anywhere," Tomoyo teased. "This is going to be solely for formal occasions. You know, for my duties at the Shrine."
Suzue stepped back to admire her handiwork. "I suppose there's no problem, then," she conceded. "White suits you, Princess."
"Suzue-chan, I've told you not to be formal with me," Tomoyo complained with a little pout.
Suzue grinned. "Sorry, Tomoyo-san," she apologized. "Although sometimes I do get carried away, I've had manners drilled into me. Unlike someone else I can name," she added good-naturedly under her breath.
Tomoyo parted the cloak slightly and looked approvingly at the white dress Suzue had made her. "I wonder what Kurogane will say when he sees me wearing this," she mused.
"Most likely his tongue'll get tied to his own katana," she giggled.
"You don't seem to have a problem with the 'scandal'," Tomoyo observed, the corners of her mouth twitching.
Suzue snorted in a most unladylike fashion. "It's about time," she said bluntly. "Whenever I came by to visit and I chanced to be in the same room with you two..." She shook her head in mock-despair. "...it was painstakingly obvious that you two were head over heels in love. Someone following your conversations would probably miss it, but the way you two would look at each other... Honestly, Tomoyo-san, sometimes I was tempted to shout out, 'Go ahead and kiss already!' like I knew you two wanted to."
"Was it really that obvious?" she asked in some surprise.
"It was to me. Nii-chan's pretty easy for me to read. I grew up with him, after all. I can tell what he's thinking just by looking at his face." She smirked. "The way he looks at you..."
"As if his eyes are boring into me," Tomoyo whispered softly. "His eyes are so captivating..."
"See what I mean?" Suzue laughed.
Tomoyo lowered her gaze and smiled bashfully. "I can't help it, Suzue-chan. Now that there's nothing in the way, my feelings are no longer suppressed." She sighed as she drew back her long hair. "We wasted so many years... what with him having to help the others, what with our stiff-necked pride, never admitting our feelings—" Her words were suddenly cut off as she gasped, clutching at her chest.
"Tomoyo-san?" Suzue said, alarmed. "What's wrong?"
Tomoyo did not answer as she doubled over in pain. Her heart felt as if it were being cleaved in a million pieces. She thought she could hear a familiar voice in her mind. I'm sorry, Tomoyo... guess I'm not coming back like I promised you...
Suzue flew across the room and wrenched the door open. "Souma-chan!" she exclaimed. "Something's happening to Tomoyo-hime!"
Souma, who had been talking with a fellow ninja a few feet away, stiffened and dashed inside.
Tomoyo's breathing was ragged. Forgive me... With her mind's eye, she saw someone fall. "Kurogane!" she shrieked as she staggered, falling to her knees. No... he was dying! She managed to raise her head and look up at Souma. "I leave you in charge," she gasped through clenched teeth.
"Princess, what are you saying?!" Souma demanded. Her eyes were wide in incomprehension and terror, and her mouth was hanging open.
Tomoyo screwed her eyes shut as she formed the image of Kurogane in her mind. She had made no promise not to meddle, and meddle she would. He had protected her so many times... now, it was her turn. She drew a deep breath and gathered her will.
———————————————
Kurogane fell to the ground, his vision blurring. How ironic that he was choking to death... He had always expected that if he were to die, he would die in battle, with a sword through the gut. Certainly not at the feet of one of his enemies, dying at the cause of magic. Hadn't Fay been nearly strangled to death only a few days ago? Ah, but then, Kurogane had been there to save him. But it was highly unlikely that Fay or any of the others was going to come to his aid. They were all trapped, trapped and helpless. No one was going to save him now... He wondered dryly why he was still able to think about such petty little things, and why he had not finished dying already. Maybe it was something natural when someone was dying. Had all the people he had killed experienced something similar?
He suddenly felt himself flung to the side, then, a searing flash of pain encircled his neck, and he found that he could breathe again. His chest heaved with his eager gasps for air, and he coughed weakly, clutching at his throat. The ring was gone. Sweet, wholesome air filled his lungs as his senses began clearing. How wonderful it was to breathe again!
"Are you all right?" he heard a familiar, melodious voice ask him anxiously.
His breaths were raspy and his eyesight blurred, but he recognized the voice immediately. "Tomoyo?" he croaked weakly. "What...?"
"I teleported myself," she explained quickly as she tugged at his shirt, urging him to get up. "I sensed that you were in danger and came as soon as possible."
He struggled to his feet, then suddenly gripped her shoulders fearfully. "You shouldn't be here!" he told her in a strained whisper. "It's too dangerous!"
"More dangerous than you being strangled to death?" she countered, her violet eyes flashing. As he began to protest, Tomoyo quickly said, "Don't worry, I can handle him. As soon as I take the feather, he'll be a sitting duck," she said confidently.
"I can't let you take that risk!"
A blinding flash of green light erupted near them and with a wave of her hand, Tomoyo dispersed it. "Surely you can do better than that," she said reproachfully, and, after a pause, added, "Kyle Rondart."
A snarl mixed with a mass of red-colored gas came hurtling toward them, but Tomoyo merely clapped her hands together once, and a ripple of blue light emerged from them, dissolving the gas. Kyle stepped forward from the shadows. "How did you know it was me?" he demanded, his features horribly disfigured by his fury and rage.
"Even a toddler could have figured it out," she boasted. "All the little hints you were leaving behind were glaringly obvious. It seems to me that power's gone to your head."
Kurogane could tell that she was trying to goad Kyle into doing something rash, but he could not help but feel a slight apprehension when Kyle finally spoke. "I'd say the same for you. All you're doing is defending yourself."
"Is that supposed to intimidate me?"
"Hardly. I'm just giving you a fair warning."
"Don't waste your breath."
Kyle smirked nastily. "You underestimate me."
"As do you."
Kyle conjured a mighty wind that sped to engulf her, but Tomoyo simply raised her hands, a beam of pure white light siphoning forward, hitting Kyle on the chest. He fell back with a cry and the wind died as soon as it had began.
"Kurogane, get the feather," Tomoyo told him, breathing quickly. "Now that he's been weakened, you'll probably be able to break through the force-field surrounding it by using one of your special techniques."
"But, Tomoyo..." He did not want to leave her side. For one of the first times in his life, he felt scared. Kyle was brutal, capable of resorting to anything to get his way—it had been proved so in the past—and Kurogane suddenly realized that the sense of dread that had been haunting him ever since he had left Shirasagi had been leading up to this moment.
"Hurry! There won't be a better opportunity!" she exclaimed, keeping a careful eye on Kyle, who was struggling to his feet.
Kurogane hesitated only for a moment, then, gritting his teeth, retrieved his sword, turned, and ran for the pedestal.
"NOOO!" Kyle roared, hurling an energy sphere at the retreating ninja's exposed back.
"Kurogane!" Tomoyo shrieked as she darted forward.
Kurogane flung himself onto the ground just in time. He thought he caught the whiff of singed hair as the blazing energy sphere narrowly passed over him and crashed into the wall with a resounding tremble. He rolled over and got to his feet, quickly spinning around. He was prepared to face anything, anything but for the sight that met his eyes.
Tomoyo and Kyle were locked in a furious contest of wills. They hurled magic at each other so fast that it was impossible to follow their movements. Kyle threw a lightning-bolt, Tomoyo evaded it and showered him with needle-like white sparks, which Kyle deflected by creating a curtain of night. Even the very air surrounding them seemed charged and heated. The magic they flung at each other crackled and sizzled menacingly.
Kurogane felt dwarfed before such a display of power. It was the first time he was actually witnessing Tomoyo using such enormous quantities of her magic, and he feared that she would soon weaken herself. And his dreadful suspicions only proved too true.
Kyle grinned maliciously and raised his hand, channeling a mighty blast of magic from his palm. It was a pitch-black mass of darkness, which headed straight for Tomoyo with accelerating speed. She erected a hasty barrier to protect herself and took the attack head-on. Kyle grimaced and raised his other hand, amplifying the amount of his spell. Tomoyo's magic shield was not strong enough to face the intensified inky gloom and she faltered as the force of Kyle's sorcery peeled away her defenses.
"Tomoyo!" Kurogane gasped as he helplessly gaped with wide-eyed astonishment at the sight unfolding before him.
Tomoyo's barrier wavered, which was more than enough. A wave of night siphoned forward, her shield crumbling before it, and a pulsing shaft of the darkness hit Tomoyo squarely in the chest.
It seemed to take her an eternity to fall. Her flawless alabaster face was marred only by a small frown as she slowly sank backward, her sleek raven hair streaming about her as she fell spread-eagled onto the floor.
"Nooooo—!" Kurogane wailed in a voice rent with unspeakable loss as he stumbled to her side. He reached out and fumbled to grasp her hand. It was as cold as ice, and she showed no signs of life. Kurogane blinked furiously as an annoying sensation began to build up in his eyes. "Tomoyo...?" He refused to believe what his eyes were showing him. It just wasn't possible, it wasn't.
"Please be all right," he whispered hoarsely, gathering her gently in his arms. Her body was as limp as a rag-doll's. "Please..." He smoothed back loose strands of her hair that dangled before her face with trembling fingers. "Tomoyo, please, open your eyes." He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, his eyes brimming with moistness. "Open your eyes for me," he begged her.
She did not respond to his touch, nor did she open her eyes.
A choked cry escaped from his lips. "Why...?" he asked her in a broken voice, but received no answer. "Why won't you open your eyes for me?" He bowed his head over her and drew racking sobs, his eyes spilling with hot tears as he held her to his chest. "Come back to me!" He continued to weep uncontrollably, his shoulders shaking with undisguised grief as his embrace tightened about her still form. "Come back!"
A piercing noise reached his dumfounded senses, and it took him a moment to fully comprehend what it was. It was laughter; a cold, malevolent-sounding cackle. Kyle wore an amused expression on his face. "Poor, poor, Kurogane," he said softly in a mocking voice. "Does it really bother you so much that I killed her?"
Kurogane's face was a mask of pain and betrayed no other emotion as he laid his cheek against the top of Tomoyo's head, still cradling her protectively in the circle of his arms. He drew a shuddering breath, a heart-wrenching emotion of loss clutching at him.
Kyle rolled his eyes. "What a revolting display of affection," he spat in disgust.
Kurogane's eyes flashed with fury and his nostrils flared white with anger. His face was streaked with tears, but his expression was set, and his teeth were clenched with hate. Wordlessly, he gently eased Tomoyo back onto the marble floor. Gripping the hilt of his sword, he charged at Kyle with a fierce cry and a thirst for blood burning in his throat, which could only be quenched by spilling his life. He cared not about the need to control his savage instincts, for he intended to relinquish himself utterly to them to confront Kyle. And he would not regret it.
Kyle was ready for him. A black sword materialized in his hands, and he expertly blocked the blow Kurogane had nearly dealt. He swung out at him, but Kurogane leapt out of the way and lunged at him. There was a deafening roar in his ears, and all sounds were muted to him. His sword seemed weightless as he savagely swung at Kyle, but each of his blows was countered. When their blades clashed, they emitted sparks, so furious was their battle. It was good to be fighting again. Sword-fighting demanded every bit of a man's attention and pushed everything else from Kurogane's mind. But even so, it could not erase the image of Tomoyo, which continued to hover in his awareness. A towering rage had taken hold of him, and he wanted nothing more than to utterly destroy Kyle for taking away the only person he had ever truly loved.
Kurogane lashed out with Souhi, finally spotting an opening. His blade would have surely seared through flesh and bone had he not met with an obtrusion, the force of his attack backfiring on him and throwing him onto his back, his sword skittering away.
Kyle had conjured a shield to protect himself and had restrained Kurogane with magical bonds. He struggled against Kyle's sorcery in vain; his muscles trembled and he started perspiring heavily in his futile attempts to free himself. "You friggin' bastard!" he panted, his expression defiant. "Too afraid to play with me without your damn magic?!"
Kyle grinned evilly. "How can I fear someone who has already lost? Your resolve has broken. I've already destroyed you by showing you your past and by killing your princess." His expression became malicious. "That is how I defeated the greatest warrior in the world. By reducing you to a weak remnant of your former greatness." He loomed above him, hefting his sword. "I hope you're not feeling terribly put out with Tomoyo's demise. I'd so hate to kill you while you're blubbering with grief."
Kyle's words stung him, but they stung all the more because they were true. The immensity of what had happened had burst the dam keeping all of his emotions suppressed inside of him and he longed to flee, to escape, from everything and everyone, for nothing mattered anymore. Nothing mattered without Tomoyo. Nothing...
Kyle snorted with disgust. "You're pathetic," he spat. "Love is for weaklings, and the moment you let it enter your life you became a weakling yourself." He smiled cruelly and raised his black sword over his head.
Kurogane knew what was coming. He had been in the opposite position countless times. Knowing that he could do nothing to break his bonds and protect himself, he braced himself to receive the fatal blow and closed his eyes. He drew the image of Tomoyo's face from his memory. Tomoyo's smiling face had been the only thing that had ever touched him in such a profound way. For, the first time she had smiled at him, a few days after the siege upon Shirasagi Castle eleven years ago, had sealed his fate, and he had been ruined for any other. Kurogane now finally understood when he had first fallen for her, and he only felt his loss more keenly because of it.
"I'd rather kill you ever so slowly by dragging this on, but time is ticking, and I have to take care of Fay before I deliver the children to Fei Wang Reed," Kyle drawled, then grinned mirthlessly. "It's almost a shame that I managed to take everything away from you before the end." The sword came thrusting downward...
Kurogane had failed. He had failed to protect his friends, and he had failed to protect Tomoyo. He had failed to protect them all, and now he was going to die. He tensed himself and clenched his fists, ready to take the sword-thrust that would—
Wait! He could move his hands! Without a second thought, he quickly rolled out of harm's way, and Kyle's sword merely grazed his shoulder in a near miss.
Kyle's expression was shocked and he faltered. "How did you break through my magic?!" he demanded incredulously.
Kurogane did not know and he did not stop to contemplate it. Taking advantage of Kyle's hesitation, he drew out his dagger and slashed horizontally across Kyle's chest. Kyle stepped back at the last second and the gash turned out superficial, but nevertheless, it still bled heavily.
He clutched at his chest, his face white with pain. He shook his head, as if in a daze. "How...?" he repeated weakly. His eyes then fell upon something behind Kurogane. "You!" he gasped. "You're—!" He was suddenly thrown onto his back by a blast of magic, and was immediately enveloped in reddish liquid tendrils. "No!" he screamed as he was slowly being pulled into a crimson pool. "It's not possible!"
Kurogane realized what was happening, for it had happened to him, as well. Kyle was being transported to another dimension. Kyle's shrill cries of protest were cut short when he finally slipped through the portal, and the sluggish liquid dissolved into nothingness. But who had sent Kyle away? Kurogane turned around slowly and he drew in his breath sharply, his dagger falling from his slack grip onto the marble floor with a clatter. His heart started beating faster and his ruby eyes widened as they gazed into a pair of amethyst ones. "Tomoyo?" he whispered in a voice of mixed emotions. "You're...?"
Tomoyo was standing on trembling legs, and she smiled at him weakly. Her smile had not changed a bit in the last nine days. She took a step toward him, but stumbled, wilting like a flower. Kurogane sprinted forward to catch her, and as he cradled her in his arms it suddenly struck him that she was ever so small—such a fragile creature of beauty and grace. And yet, she was powerful, able to withstand even the most ruthless attacks. Kurogane could not help but feel admiration and pride for her. She was certainly no lowly weakling, and her present exhaustion was only due to her using up vast amounts of her powers to help them.
"Kurogane," he heard Tomoyo murmur, and her eyes fluttered open, "stop acting as if I'm made out of glass."
"What?" he asked her, genuinely baffled.
Tomoyo chuckled weakly. "The way you're holding me," she explained patiently. "It's as if I'm going to shatter in a thousand pieces."
Kurogane smiled faintly, for Tomoyo's sense of humor was the same as always. Why was he comparing the past with the present? He then understood that it was because he had been subject to severe changes and he was subconsciously making sure that everything else was the same.
"Hold me, Kurogane. I won't break," she assured him in a soft voice.
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him, breathing in the calming fragrance of her hair. "I thought I'd lost you," he whispered hoarsely in her ear.
"Really, Kurogane, there's no need to be so melodramatic," Tomoyo chided him gently. "It'd take more than that to finish me off. I was merely stunned for a few moments, though, I have to admit, it was pretty close."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm just a little tired, but I'm perfectly all right. Especially since I'm with you," she whispered. Her arms about his shoulders tightened. "I was so afraid I'd lose you."
"Not that I'm not glad for you two..." a muffled voice suddenly said from behind them. "But I could really use some help here!"
Kurogane and Tomoyo looked up in surprise to see Sakura, Syaoran and Mokona perched precariously atop a slowly suffocating Fay. They were still too dizzy from their fall when the globe had dissolved to notice that they had landed on top of him.
Kurogane snorted in disbelief and Tomoyo burst out laughing. After he had lifted her effortlessly back onto her feet, they went to help the others off of Fay. Sakura and Syaoran were horrified at what they'd done once they'd regained their bearings and kept apologizing to the wizard, only for him to finally shoo them away with a wave of his hand and a pitiful whine.
"Please, I don't think my nerves can last much longer," he begged, gently massaging his temples with his forefingers. "I feel like my head's going to split in two."
"Are you all right, Fay-san?" Sakura asked the slightly trembling wizard anxiously.
Fay took the water skin Syaoran offered him and drank deeply. "More or less," he said dryly. "Living your worst nightmare is no piece of cake, I can assure you." He forced a smile on his face. "So, Tomoyo-chan, if I'm not mistaken, you teleported herself here?"
"Of course," she replied. "It's not a difficult feat if you've got a clear idea of where you want to go."
"Or who you want to go to," he chuckled.
Syaoran's brow wrinkled in confusion. "But I thought that you could only transport a person to another dimension once."
"I thought so, too," Sakura said.
"It's because she didn't exactly send Kurogane to another dimension when she sent him to Yuuko," Mokona explained. "She only sent him through time."
"I didn't know that!" Fay exclaimed, amazed. "You can actually do that?!"
"Well..." Tomoyo blushed. "It's not like I do it all the time..."
"So this is how the Dimensional Witch's world was thousands of years ago?"
"Yep!" Mokona said proudly. "That's one of the reasons she knows Tomoyo personally. Ain't it neat?"
"Pretty neat," Fay agreed, grinning. "Help me up, would ya, Kuro-sama?"
"Here." Kurogane offered him his hand and easily pulled the wizard to his feet. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked him.
"MaybeI should be asking you that," he said, tapping the ninja's chest pointedly. "You're full of blood!"
The gaping gash in Kurogane's shoulder and the cut in his neck caused by the ring were quite apparent now that he was standing. "They'll heal," he replied shortly. "So, how're you guys holding up?"
"Apart than Fay-san, we're all perfectly fine," Sakura informed him, frowning slightly at his vague tone. She then rushed forward to embrace Tomoyo warmly. "It's so good to see you again!"
"I'm glad to see you again, too!" she agreed, hugging Sakura tightly. After she had also greeted Mokona and Syaoran, she turned to Fay with a worried crease between her brows. "Are you sure you're all right, Fay-kun?" she asked him anxiously.
"Sakura-chan's exaggerating," Fay chuckled. "I'm as right as rain! Really," he added at their disbelieving looks. "I knew that Kyle-sensei was only trying to weaken me by showing me what I feared the most. I'll have to admit that I was surprised that he showed me exactly what I had been dreading, though, but still, it's not like dreams can hurt you." He flashed another smile, but Tomoyo was not convinced.
"Unless they're magically imposed," she said darkly. "Now bend down so I can make sure you're all right. You're too tall for me to reach you."
"Really, Tomoyo-chan, there's no need—"
"I'll have none of that," she said icily. "Bend down right now."
Grinning in defeat, Fay bent down so Tomoyo could lay her hand upon his forehead. "Hmm..." she mused. "There doesn't seem to be any lasting damage..."
"See? Told you I'm all right."
"But that still doesn't mean that there won't be aftereffects," Tomoyo continued as if she had not heard him. "You might suffer from some sort of mental breakdown if you were seriously traumatized by what you saw. Usually, when mages try to weaken their opponents by forcing them to relieve painful memories or by making them witness the things they fear the most, they become mentally impaired or lose their sanity." She peered at him intently. "Are you sure you don't feel strange?"
"Kuro-puu," Fay whined, "does Tomoyo-chan often ignore you when you're trying to tell her that you're all right? She's convinced that I'm going to crack." He frowned and looked around when he did not receive an answer. "Kuro-sama?"
The others followed his gaze. Kurogane had drifted from their midst sometime during the conversation, and was standing a little way away staring into space, a haunted look in his eyes.
Now that it was all over, everything he had discovered was finally able to sink in. He was still rather confused about what he had discovered, but there were also stunning truths that he was having trouble coming to grips with. Although he loved his parents, and knew that they had done their best in raising him as best they could, he felt an unexplainable anger at never being told that he was not their son. No wonder Kumaso had always loathed him. He probably felt it was a dishonor that his 'son' was not of his bloodline. But still, Kurogane was a grown man, and he had every right to know the truth. He would never be able to forgive them for not telling him. But what of his true heritage? He was a dragon trapped in a human body. A dragon! No wonder he had dragonish traits—even the others had noticed it. It was a part of who he was... what he was. He could not deny that everything made a dread sort of sense now.
"Kurogane?" Tomoyo said questioningly, laying a hand upon his forearm. "What's wrong?"
There was a long moment of uneasy silence. "He... he showed me my past," Kurogane finally said quietly. "My true past."
"Your true past?" Tomoyo asked him, frowning. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean... I mean..." He turned his face away from hers, swallowing hard. He now knew what he had to do. He could not drag her down with him. He had to steel himself for what he was about to do. "I'm... I'm not who you think I am!" he managed to gasp, shuddering.
"Kurogane, what—?"
"No, stay away from me!" he said, firmly disentangling her seeking arms from about him. He turned his back on her, clenching his fists. "Don't ever come near me again!"
Tomoyo froze as if she had been dealt a heavy blow. "What...?" she said weakly.
It hurt. It hurt him so much to cause her this pain. And it caused him just as much pain. "Don't make me repeat myself," he said in a choked voice. His eyes started to burn, and he knew what was coming. "Just forget about me. You have to."
His words cut through her like a knife. "What are you saying?" she asked him in a voice near tears. "Why are you trying to push me away?" Her lower lip trembled. "I thought you loved me."
"I do," Kurogane said as he turned to face her, his voice throbbing with emotion. He thought he would die when he saw the pain reflecting in her eyes.
"Then why are you breaking my heart?" she demanded, drawing a racking sob.
He looked down at her helplessly. He couldn't got through with this and remain in one piece. But he had to. He raised his hand and held her cheek. "Tomoyo, I'm not who you think I am. I'm not who I thought I was." He gritted his teeth and let his hand fall, for these next words would hurt the most. "We can't ever be together," he choked, his voice cracking. Tears welled in his eyes. Not wanting to seem weak, he deliberately looked away from her. "Please, don't make this harder than it already is."
"Kurogane, you're not helping me understand!" she cried, pulling desperately on his sleeve. "Talk to me!"
Kurogane's resolve finally snapped. He jerked his head, refusing to look at her, hot tears splashing down his face. "I'm not human!" he exclaimed, sinking to his knees and gripping at his head. "Leave me the hell alone!"
"But, Kurogane—!"
"No! No matter what you say or how you try to comfort me, I know the truth!" he spat in a bitter tone. He covered his face with his trembling hands. "I have no family! I'm alone!"
"You're not alone!" Tomoyo cried. "You have me!"
"But how can we ever be together? Damn it, Tomoyo, it's not just our social statuses here! If..." He looked up into her eyes. "If we ever..." He shook his head furiously. "You're human, and I'm not. We can't be together." He doubled over, rocking backward and forward, drawing ragged sobs of profound pain and sorrow.
"Look at me."
He stopped rocking, but did not look up.
"I said look at me." Tomoyo placed her hands on his cheeks and turned his head to look at her.
He followed her movements and reluctantly looked into her violet orbs. He blinked hard, his tears still streaming down his face.
"I don't care about you being human or not," she told him in a quavering voice, for tears were also threatening to overcome her. "I fell in love with you for who you are. Not what you are." Her hands traveled over his face, tracing his features. "What happened to the Kurogane I knew and loved?"
He grasped her hands, holding on to them as if his life depended on it. "All I ever knew was a lie," he whispered vehemently. "The Kurogane you knew is no more." He let go of her and stood up abruptly, turning his back on her. "Because he was a lie. He never existed."
"Kurogane!"
Kurogane looked back for a moment over his shoulder at her, and there was revulsion and self-loathing etched in the harsh lines of his face. "I wish things were different. I wish I was normal. Damn it, if only none of this had happened! You don't know how much this hurts—" He suddenly cried out and staggered, falling to his knees.
"Kurogane?!"
Kurogane clutched at his chest in pain. His fist clenched, gripping hard at the shirt's material covering the left part of his chest. He drew a shuddering breath and gasped horribly, screwing his eyes shut. An inarticulate scream escaped from his lips as he fell onto his side, writhing.
Tomoyo took a hurried step forward, but was suddenly held back by an arm that caught her around the waist. "You cannot do anything for him, Princess Tomoyo."
Tomoyo looked up at the tall figure that had suddenly appeared and was restraining her. He wore a tattered, dark-colored mantle, and from what she could see from his face, his skin was deathly pale, as were his lips. She frowned in confusion. "Who...?"
"You..." Kurogane managed to gasp weakly from his sprawled position at their feet. "Mage..."
"It is time, Kurogane," he said, "for you to undergo the change. And then you will have to make the choice."
"What change?! What choice?!" Syaoran demanded in alarm. "Kurogane-san, what's this man saying?!"
"The beginning of reckoning has arrived," the mage continued. "The moon has reached its zenith in the sky. The time that was nearing has now come."
Tomoyo stepped back from the mage in fear and shook her head. He was not moving his mouth when he spoke, and she could feel a sort of chill aura surrounding his form. "I don't understand..."
"You will understand soon enough, Princess. The time has come for him to face his Destiny." He raised his arm high above his head, palm upward. "Embrace your true form!" he cried in ringing tones. "Become who you were destined to be!"
Kurogane's eyes snapped open. They were now totally crimson, the whites of the eyes no longer existent, and his pupils had become pitch-black and vertical. A river of fire suddenly coursed through his veins and scalded his throat. His uneasy breaths grew stronger and raspier. A black metallic-looking scale grew over his face and his arms and legs, thin and brittle-looking.
"What the...?" Syaoran gasped inaudibly.
But it did not end there. Kurogane's face suddenly started growing. It sprouted into a muzzle over three feet long, and it continued to grow. His nostrils widened, his eyes were forced apart and slid over to where his temples should have been, but still, he continued to change.
Kurogane's canine teeth, which were longer-than-average to begin with, started growing longer, as did the rest of his teeth. Soon, his jaws were full of rows upon rows of large and sharp carnivorous teeth. Two silvery whiskers elongated about his nostrils, and two large silver-hued horns protruded suddenly from the top of his head. His head became wedge-shaped, his hair disappeared wholly, and he was covered by a wave of dark, black scales. But the worst was yet to come.
His limbs grew longer and stronger, ripping up his clothes. His arms and legs retained their muscles, but became more bunched, and the thin scales covering him thickened noticeably. His hands and feet melted and remolded themselves into claws, with shiny talons, like burnished steel. His knees suddenly reversed direction with a horrible and sickening grinding sound. Stretching behind him came a scaly sinuous twisting tail. Upon the top of his head, just between his horns and along his back down to the tip of his tail, grew a silvery spinal ridge.
While undergoing this change, he had steadily grown larger and larger, until now, his body measured to about thirty feet in length. And then, from between his shoulders, tearing away the last of the tattered garments still clinging to him, great bat-like wings began to sprout. They were silver-black, leathery, and immense.
Now, he had become a full dragon. His eyes fell upon his companions. They were a blazing red and they flickered and glinted, and it seemed as if a fire burned in them. He extended his claws before himself, as if examining his new form. He suddenly threw back his head and a gout of flame burst forth.
Sakura was clutching Syaoran's arm so hard that he could not feel it anymore. He looked up at the immense creature with something akin to horror. Mokona remained rooted to the spot, gaping at the dragon. Fay's face was chalk-white in astonishment and fear.
The dragon—Kurogane—looked down upon them, his expression unreadable. He shrieked shrilly, throwing back his head and shaking it, as if in a furious rage. He spread his silver wings to their fullest extent and bared his fangs, his black wing claws managing to easily touch the walls around him. He gave off another enraged cry, smoke pouring from his gaping muzzle. Turning from them, he stumbled to the balcony and leapt from it, coasting down on untried wings.
"Kurogane!" Tomoyo exclaimed as she dashed after him, her tears trailing behind her.
As one, they all rushed after her to the balcony to see where Kurogane had gone. He seemed to fall for a moment, then, with powerful thrusts of his leathery wings, he pushed himself up higher and higher into the air, and soon, he had disappeared into the night.
Tomoyo gripped at the railing, her tears streaming down her face and her expression one of despair. "I've lost him!" she gasped through her sobs, finally losing the last of her resolve as she fell to her knees. She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking. "He's gone!"
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To Be Continued
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A/N: The climax finally came and passed. This was an idea that came to me a long time ago and was one of the motivations to actually write this story. We see Kurogane associated with dragons often: his kudan was a dragon, he uses dragon-based special techniques, his treasured silver katana is named Ginryuu... It fit for me to make out that he's a dragon in human form, you know? (And no, that doesn't mean he's a hybrid. Explanations next chapter.)
I know from Greek mythology that sometimes, gods mated with mortals by taking on different forms (other than human forms, I mean). Zeus, for one (he was the king of the gods, and a very busy guy). He mated with Europa as an eagle, another time with Danae as golden rain, and also with Lydia in the form of a swan (don't ask me how he managed it; it's fiction, so anything's possible). The point is, whenever Greek gods mated with mortals, the children born would be out of the ordinary (special, special!). Danae gave birth to Perseus, a great hero, Europa gave birth to three sons (two became kings, and one became a wise and revered lawmaker), and Lydia gave birth to two heroes, who became Argonauts. And of course, we all know Hercules, son of Zeus, who was a demigod. (No, Kurogane's not a demigod! That would be way too extreme!)
So it seemed appropriate for me to say that Ryuujin, god of the dragons, did likewise with Kurogane's mother. Okay, now that I'm reading this explanation again, it sounds weird. When I told my dad this idea so I could hear a second opinion, he goes, "Oh, then Kurogane's mom cheated on his dad." She didn't cheat on him! How was she supposed to know that being shed in silver light would get her pregnant? And technically, she didn't sleep with anybody... nyeh, this explanation sucks, right? —slaps forehead— Thought so. Oh, well.
Oh, and just for the record, no, the baddies wouldn't just sit still for the goodies to yap about what they should do, which is why this chapter might have come off as rushed. 'Twas purely intentional because real life ain't a fairytale, y'know. (Okay, why am I talking like I've just come out of a western?) Um... isn't it kind of like the time Zero (the male ones) weren't giving Soubi any time to react and fight back in Loveless? XDDDD Yes, I like Loveless, so sue me!
Tell me if you like it or tell me if you hate it. Please review!