Last Time: Fai and Kurogane were having an important conversation where Fai was about to reveal how he felt about his childhood friend, when suddenly he vanishes! Kurogane goes looking for him but a huge snowstorm knocks him out.

We then see a young man called Watanuki looking after a red-eyed man he calls Doumeki. However, it turns out Doumeki is actually Kurogane! Kurogane at the end of the last chapter remembered how much he loved a type of flower that reminded him of a time where he and Fai were together, and boom, his memory was restored!

And now...

"Did you know all along who I truly am?"

Watanuki looked over to the hulking red-eyed man who stood in the doorway."Oh, so you've recovered your memory," he stated flatly.

"Answer the question!"

"So rude," tutted Watanuki, "not like Doumeki. The real one. Well, Doumeki was rude, he always ate too much and would sneak my food away to guzzle like a monster before it was ready but he only did it because he loved me and so loved everything I created by default. I understand that now." He turned to face Kurogane, "I did not know who you really were. I really did take you in from near death, you must understand that. But...but I have strong magic in this place. It is designed to make you forget. But I cannot. You did, and I thought it was perhaps a kindness to let you forget. Something terrible must have driven you into the blizzard. Were you abandoned by friends?"

"No, but thanks to you I have inadvertently abandoned one of mine."

"Oh," Watanuki had the grace to blush his sad blue eyes turning a shade darker, "I am sorry then."

"I need to leave immediately," said Kurogane gritting his teeth. His urge to find Fai was over-powering, but so was innate goodness. "But I don't want to leave you alone." He continued, making Watanuki look up at him, "who is Doumeki?"

"My best friend," smiled Watanuki, "he is loyal and kind and when I got my powers, which on one hand are wonderful but on the other a curse, he decided to stand by me no matter what. But I was unkind to him, and spiteful, and one day it all went too far and I hurt him too much." Watanuki paused, "or at least, I think that's what I must have done because one day he left and he just... he never came back."

"Why didn't you search for him?"

"I can only go so far from this house. If I go any further terrible things happen. Magic and nature will go un-ruled and will fall awry. I am a prisoner here, a prisoner to my own magic. I cannot leave. Do you see what I mean by the magic being a curse?" He sat down heavily at the kitchen table, "but even if I could leave this place, what good is it to chase after someone who was always too good for you anyway? My only tragedy is that Doumeki realised he was too good for me," Watanuki looked away, "I hope he has a good person who loves him, perhaps a pretty, fair wife, someone who doesn't even look like me so that she can never remind him of his time here."

There was some silence now. Kurogane thought of Fai; what if he had met some amazing beautiful person and had, in that moment, forgotten all about him? Kurogane knew that while he was handsome in a masculine manner, he wasn't pretty or cute or sweet or any of those things that Fai admired in nature and people. Kurogane wasn't the kind of guy that attracted a lot of people-that was Fai. So what if Fai had met someone like himself, someone slender and cute with large eyes and fair skin?

"But Fai wouldn't just leave everyone behind," he decided, "that's just not who he is. Even if he is flighty and silly I don't think he'd run off like that. And if he has, then I'm going to find him just so I can kick his skinny ass for abandoning me."

"I am travelling to find my own best friend." He said to the forlorn Watanuki, finally breaking the silence. "He too disappeared one day, but I do not believe he has left me. I have too much faith for that." Watanuki gave a sad smile at that. "But while I am searching I shall look out for your Doumeki, so that, when I return this way, I can at least give you peace of mind."

"Thank you," said Watanuki, "that is too kind. I owe you much already. I have a gift for you, in an attempt to rectify my error of keeping you here. There is a woman who lives in a tower not too far from here. From her tower she can see all around, so she is the best person to ask if you are trying to find someone who came this way. "

"Thank you, who is this woman?"

"She goes by the tile of The Lady of Shallot."

xxXXxx

With an array of new warm clothes courtesy of Watanuki the Mage, Kurogane continued his search for Fai. Using the sun for guidance, he was travelling east searching for a place called Shallot. The sun blazed now, a massive white orb, warming the air. A few blades of grass and some gorse began to show between the clumps of pure white snow.

Kurogane pulled off his hat and scarf. The mountains of his home became increasingly distant until at long last he couldn't even see them. He mourned their loss, he felt as if he had lost that final link with his home. Still he thought of Fai and tried to hold the beautiful blond's face in his mind, stirring him to carry on.

Soon the snow gave way completely to thick, rich grass and the land became muddy. It was like wild moorland now, with heavy marshes sucking at his boots and slowing his progress. He cursed to himself bitterly, hating the wilderness. It was strange, for even though there was grass and plants and small pools of muddy water, he could not see or hear any animals. He shrugged, he had the feeling he was going to go through many strange lands before he found Fai, the thought of which then made him sigh wearily.

Then he saw it, in the distance was a tall round tower made of brown bricks. It looked extremely run down, with half of the roof smashed in and holes in the wall. It looked like there was only one window, and that was placed far at the top of the tower. There was no door by what he could see.

"Could the Lady live in that?" he wondered, "but why would a lady live in such a place? I was expecting a castle or grand house." He looked around, "but in this desolate land there is nowhere else."

Taking in a deep breath he began to march towards the tower.

Unbeknown to Kurogane, in the tower a young girl sat with long brunette locks arranged in two heavy curls either side of her head. She was surrounded by hundreds of cracked mirrors.

She sat at the window peering out and the handsome figure slowly making his way to her tower.

"A boy!" she gasped leaping up out of her seat and running to one of the mirrors, "show him to me," she demanded.

Immediately a close up of Kurogane was revealed on the glass. "He's not as pretty as the other one," she spoke aloud, "but he isn't too bad. Besides..." she blushed slightly, "I like the slightly more mature type of men."

"That's your problem," said a strange voice from one of the mirrors, "that's how you got yourself in trouble in the first place."

"Hush, hush," sang the girl, sounding anxious, "I shan't do anything naughty. I shall be clever this time."

"He is looking for the Snow Queen and her new pet, you mustn't tell him where they are," cried another high-pitched voice from somewhere in the shadows.

"I won't I won't!" The girl stood up and began to brush off the heaps of dust on her clothes and in her hair, "I shall simply charm him and send him on his way. I will not reveal anything. I'm not as stupid as you all think."

She bent down and looked at the glass showing his determined face, "Maybe I can get him to fall in love with me. He's a hero, I can already tell! If he's hero and falls in love with me," she blushed, "maybe he can be the one to save me. Oh how I want saving!"

"Nothing can save you," snickered the first voice from earlier, "you leave here and you're dead"

"Shut up!" she shrieked, "I shall have my handsome hero! Let me have my fantasies!" She picked up the mirror showing Kurogane and gently stroked his face, almost willing herself to love him already. She placed a kiss where his lips were, "I'll show you all," she whispered, "I shall have him, my fantasy..."

A.N. I cannot apologise enough for how long it's been. I have a week off work and there's no evening classes at college this week, so I'm shirking half-term homework and instead trying to catch up on all my fanfictions this week!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

FYI, the character at the end is not an OC, but one from the Clamp-verse ;)