Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa, neither do i own the starting of this story.

Warning: THIS ENTIRE STORY IS YAOI/ BxB. DO NOT PROCEED IF THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

LOTS OF ANGST AND- About RAPE/ NON CON. BE-WARNED.

Chapter 13: Things Don't Always go as Planned

Kurogane spat as the guard opened the lock holding the metal bars of the dungeon cell. The sound of chains rattling echoed in the silence.

"So finally I'm getting out of this idiotic cell?" He could not help but comment. Very swiftly, he snapped onto his feet and proceeded to the exit. "Time to spill some blood." His red eyes gleamed with anger as he flexed his shoulders and neck.

The fucking asshole.. he is so gonna..

"I'm sorry Kurogane-san.. But I need to put you in these cuffs." The teenager he assumed to be Kishimoto mumbled slightly. Looking about sixteen or seventeen, the boy had a slender but relatively fit body with short cropped black hair. A small scar cut across the end of his right eye brow, depriving the area of any hair growth.

The words which reached his ears almost made him laugh. What? Did he say he was going to put him in cuffs? There's no way..

Before he could register what had exactly happened, he was already on his knees with both hands pinned to his back. He felt a cold metal object gripped onto his skin and a second later, a small click sounded. The cuffs were already locked in place.

"Please, Kurogane.. You need to calm yourself down for the meeting. Things will go really bad if you cannot keep your temper in check." A whisper by his ears shook him back to reality. And then it was gone. The boy then proceeded to the exit of the cell, beckoning for him to come.

"Fuck." He had underestimated his opponent. But nevertheless the boy had a point. His temper had never done anything good so far.

Almost too obediently, he stood up and follow suit. His mind wandered back to just a few hours before. There's still that bit which was troubling him. The words the messenger boy had said just hours before lingered in his mind. What did he meant by the conclusion of the meeting would not be to my liking but I have to accept it? And what did he meant by he'll take care of Fai? Is he injured or something? The image of the blonde lying on the ground burned into his mind. Quickly, the man brushed it away. He need to keep his temper in check.. The idiot should be fin.. no.. he's definitely not fine. How can he be when he was having spasm on the floor the last time he saw him? So the boy was actually trying to reassure him that Fai would be in good hands?

There are so many questions.. but no answers..

"Have you know Ryu for a very long now?" Kurogane mumbled slight, one of his question escaped his thoughts. The boy didn't seem like the type who could come up with a plan. It must have been someone planning behind and sent him to convey the message. Who could the one who send the message to him?

"Ryu?" The teenager asked, turning to take a look at the Kurogane before continuing to walk forward. "He's been here ever since i remember. Even though he's only twelve, i think he has seen alot already. He actually pretty mature and sensible for his age. I treat him like my own little brother."

"He can be pretty cute at times too." Kurogane could almost hear the smile behind those words. The tall raven could tell that Kishimoto was pretty fond of the kid. That was when he realised he had been obediently following the sixteen-year old through the winding tunnels and up the stairs to the surface.

"Wait.. you're just going to let me walk on my own?" He frowned slightly. To be kept in the dungeon would definitely mean that he was deemed as a dangerous criminal.. why is there no one escorting him? Deep within his thoughts, the man had not noticed that he had already arrived at the exit of the dungeon.

The sudden glow of the late afternoon sunlight hit upon his face, the glare making him squint his eyes shut just so slightly. Being underground, the dungeon was generally a dark place. So it has really been a while seen he last seen the sun. When he finally regain his sight, he saw two burly figure standing before him.

"Let you walk on your own? Of course not!" Kishimoto chuckled at his comment. "There's only one way in and out of then dungeon. So there's no point to put you in chains there. Furthermore, the dungeon is like a labyrinth. You'll definitely get lost there is you don't know your way."

"But it's different outside. So these are your personal guards.. in case you try to run away." He added, to receive a "cheh" in response from the red-eye.

Reluctantly, he let the two other male grab him by the shoulders. With that, the conversation between the two came to a halt. Very briefly he wondered what meeting would require his attendance despite him being the new-comer who was sentenced to be locked up for disregard of the army's rules. Maybe he'll find out more during the meeting itself.

xXx

"Mizuro-sama." The guard at the door called out politely as he lifted the flap of the tent slightly. "Toya-sama's requesting for a meeting with you.. He says he has something to discuss with you."

Mizuro paused in his action, the smaller version of their army's flag still suspended in mid-air. A map of Shara country spread across the two-meter table in the middle of the room.

"He has been standing outside since afternoon." The man added, looking expectedly at the War master while waiting for further instructions. "Do you want to let him continue to stand there?"

Very slowly, the black eyes of Mizuro scrutinized the area before putting it down at a specific location near the valleys some distance away from them. A sigh escaped from those lips.

"Send him in."

The bespectacled face which was peeking through the tent's entrance then disappeared before a tall man of 180 cm walked in.

"Mizuro-sama" Toya greeted the War master with a deep bow. Silence engulfed the pair as the war master put down the matters at hand and slump down into a chair.

"It's been a while hasn't it." After what it seem like an eternity, the War master finally broke the silence, sighing gently as he eyed the man standing in attention. To be honest, he didn't want to see him.

"It's been two years to be exact." Toya replied who had been, too, looking at the man before him all these while. "How have you been, Kaho?"

At the mention of his first name, Mizuro shuddered with nostalgic as memories from back before he was made the War master came back to him. He thought he had left all those unwanted memories behind when he attained this position. The two of them had fought together in countless battles before. He had always been the strategist for attack plans while Toya would be the one to point out critical loopholes and to ensure that the plan was executed to expectation. They were an ultimate pair when it comes to warfare.

Well.. things were different now. At these thoughts, Mizuro could not help but let another sigh escaped from his mouth. Those times were long gone. He's now the war master of Yasha-ou's camp and he's merely one of the soldier who swore his life to fight for the King.

"What is it-" He demanded out rightly, gaining a slightly surprised look from the black-head. "..that you want to discuss with me?" He asked lowering his tone slightly. Yes he had purposely avoided the question. He did not want to talk about his well-being with him. Those memories that stirred within him had already made him lowered his sense of authority. Despite his position in the camp, he still regarded Toya highly. Even though they could not be friends anymore, the tall and tan guy had nevertheless proved himself to be a trustworthy comrade.

"The expedition." Toya mentioned the topic of his discussion briefly.

Mizuro could feel his heart skip a beat.

"What about the expedition." Mizuro inquired sharply. The man had started a touchy topic. The upcoming expedition was supposed to be a secret.. How did he find out about it? The black eyes narrowed, staring hard at his underlying in an attempt to read his mind.

"I'll go." The reply that came was not what he had expected.

The War master struggled to keep an emotionless expression at his words but could not help but let questions bombard his head.

"What made you suddenly want to go?" He could not help but let the sole and the most important question that sprang out at the top of his mind escape. So many times he had tried to send the man to the expedition but he had refused him flat in the face. Why now? ...Maybe apart of him already knew the reason but refused to admit it. After all, it was their fault that things turned out as it did. No.. It was actually more of his fault than his. His self-blaming friend often take too it too hard on himself and he had conveniently led him on, making him to share the burden...

Maybe it's really time for atonement..

The answer that came out of Toya's mouth just so silently made him almost think he heard him wrongly. His reply had completely took him by surprise.

"I want you to free Kurogane." Toya replied all so was probably the last reason he expected from the man. Mizuro made an effort to compose himself. As the war master, he should not be fazed by anything. Subconsciously, he gripped onto the small hard lump within the pouch that was hung on his hips.

Mizuro closed his eyes, willing the uncertainty to leave his clouded mind. He admit he was weak and he needed strength.

Please guide me, Yasha-Ou..

A small purple glow emit from with the pouch flickered slightly before radiating a diminishing glow.

The eyes of black-head opened once again. This time confidence radiated from them.

"I understand. You may leave now"

The conversation was nothing but short and brief.

xXx

"Kurogane please just stand and wait here while I report to Mizuro-sama.."

Kishimoto walked forward and pass the corner of the tent towards the guard standing in front of the tent. He then muttered softly to the guard standing and the guard muttered something back.

"Mizuro is seeing Toya-sama now. I guess I'll bring you to the waiting room while we wait for them to finish their conversation. Seem like an important discussion is taking place." After a short conversation, Kishimoto came back reporting what he had learnt.

But just as those words left his mouth, Kurogane watched as a tall, well-built male exit the tent with a troubled look on his face.

"Where have I seen him before?" A small mutter escape from his mouth. The male had looked strangely familiar. He could not help but think he had seen him some where before.

"Huh? What did you just say, Kurogane-san?" Kishimoto enquired as he heard something from the tall raven.

"That guy.." Kurogane started before stopping himself. "Nah.. It's nothing. Are we going in now?"

"Huh? You mean Watanuki? That's Mizuro-sama's personal guard." Kishimoto added. "He may not look like it but he's actually a pretty decent fighter."

Kishimoto looked at tall raven slightly before turning to check out who the male was referring to. It was apparent from the line of sight that was obviously not referring to Watanuki.

"Oh. That's Toya-sama. He's one of the more capable guys around.. He's good in both battle strategies and physical fighting and has quite a bit of leadership skills. I heard he was supposed to be next in line for captain but somehow.. well, you know who took his place." Kishimoto shrugged slightly. "No idea why he came to see Mizuro-sama but yup! Let's go in then."

"Hmm.." The tall male took a final interested look back at the black-head before entering the war master's tent. Apparently he was the first to arrive.

xXx

Toya sighed heavily as he left the war master's tent. That did not went as well as he expected. He had wanted a real heart to heart talk with his old friend, a long talk to discuss what had happened to them over the past two years. After all, they had been so close... then.

Guess things just didn't go the way he had wanted it to. Initially he had thought it was probably due to the lack of time from the heavy responsibilities of being the War Master that caused them to drift apart.. He didn't exactly want to disturb him. But now, after that conversation, he wasn't so sure about that anymore.

It seemed that he was avoiding him or if not, it actually seemed like he had not want to have anything to do with him at all. Toya had not missed the initial sigh the War Master gave when he started addressing him.. or the small shudder he gave when he called him by his first name..

It was telling. Did he still blame him for all that happened two years ago? Deep inside of him, he had never really forgive himself for what he had done. It ate into his conscious for the longest time.

And there was the aim of the conversation he had come to achieve.. Seeing the black brows leap just so slightly when he told Mizuro he would go, he knew he had already grabbed the war master's attention. The surprise on Mizuro's face upon his request was expected. He was already prepared to explain why he chose this path. But he was dismissed so simply that he could not help but feel slightly disheartened.

Toya sighed, heading back to his own tent. This conversation had made him realized that he no longer knew his friend anymore. At first his response were fairly normal.. the usual uncertainty and contemplation in his eyes were telling. But the final statement that Mizuro gave was definitely a command from a war master to his underlying. Every word reeked of authority.

"I understand. You may leave now" The man shuddered at the coldness of those word. A chill ran down his spine

"Guess people really change when placed in the position of authority." He mumbled slight as he enter into the tent and proceeded to land himself on his bed. Given two years ago, he would have laughed if Mizuro had tried to say that to him. Mizuro was never the decision-maker. He had a lot of great ideas but there was also the self-doubt that shackled him down, preventing him from moving on with his own plans. Nevertheless he must admit he did have the potential to become a great leader. It was probably after he became the war master that he actually started to gain control and give orders.

"Talking about which.." That was when his thoughts strayed from Mizuro to Shozu.

That man was really a nobody before he became the Captain just two weeks ago when the previous one died on the field. He had never heard of him before. Everyone knew every war master choose their own captain. He was almost sure Mizuro would choose him to fill the gap. But somehow that didn't happen.

Toya would be perfectly fine if the man he choose was of higher capabilities than him. Looking at Shozu, he must probably be the last candidate on the list.

Shortly after gaining power, he started ordering people around. Everyone knew to avoid direct contact with him. Only those who seek to gain some power off him stick to him and became his underlying to do the dirty works. Everyone knew he was up to no good but there have never been concrete evidence against him. Somehow he has always been able to turn the situation around to favor himself.

Toya gave a huge sigh as his thoughts went back to the meeting with Mizuro earlier on.

"I understand. You may leave now." The words would haunt him for a while.

The fact that he said he understood. That meant he would honour his wishes.. right? But the expression he had on his face told him otherwise. All the reaction he had expected the war master to have did not happen. Seriously, he had no idea what the war master is thinking. Maybe his plans won't work out after all.

That was when he suddenly jolt up in horror. No! He could not predict what Mizuro will do! That means.. the message he made Ryu pass to Kurogane is not valid anymore!

He better get another message to Kurogane before the meeting start!

"Ryu!" The name screamed in his head as he rushed out of his tent. Things could go really wrong.. At the back of his mind, the face of a certain blonde nudged him so gently.

The sun had already begun to set.. He hoped he could somehow make it in time.

xXx

"Enough! Quit your squabbling!"

All eyes in the table turned to him with mild surprise mingled with expectations. The man simply sat motionlessly in his spot with his eyes closed, his head resting on his index fingers between his brows.

Slowly, the black eye opened to reveal a focused pair of black eyes. "I have made my decision."

At his final decision, another protest which was escaping from a certain red eye stuck short in his throat as the instruction from before flashed into his mind.

The conclusion of the meeting will not be to your liking but you need to agree to the plan.

The red eye male swallowed the lump in his throat. I need to agree..

Grudgingly, the tall red eyed raven nodded, accepting his fate. The war master nodded in approval

"Watanuki! Call everyone to come to the parade square." Mizuro commanded. "I have an announcement to make."

The faint purplish glow within the pouch flickered once, twice before continuing radiating his usual glow.. Just that it's probably a lot dimmer than before.

Maybe it's really time to make amendments..

A/N:

Hi guys! AND IT'S A NEW CHAPTER! D: took me super long to put this together. There's alot of details i wanted to put in and i keep having trouble deciding whose point of view is the best to let the information out! SO NEXT UP, Chapter 14: Everything is in a Mess :P

Hope this chapter is not too confusing! A lot of things are happening at the same time and the relationship between the characters are getting complicated :( So tell me if you're getting lost!

Some questions at this point of time:

1. What expedition are they talking?

2. What happened between the Mizuro-Toya-Shozu trio in the past?

3. What's with the faint purple glow?

To the anonymous viewer: Really thanks for the review! Haha At least i know there is someone waiting to read the next chapter and i'm not writing for the sake of nothing:)