Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, only the plot.

Beta'ed by: MysteryPT

Thanks you all who have reviewed! Love you guys~ Sorry I can't update it faster. I kinda hurt my wrist lol.

Anonymous: Thanks for the praise~ Oh yes! Gotta love even the slightest lovey dovey from Aya-tan xD

S: I know! If I'm Amemiya-sensei, I will kill her before she can even make a move on Teito!

On going to the story...

Chapter 4: The Savior

There was a time when both kingdoms prospered in time of peace. In fact, that was not long time ago. For Frau, it seemed like only a minutes ago. The two kings were friends and often visited each other for advices. How it became like this, Frau had no idea.

He and his two trusted aides planned to sneak out from the palace to check the tower out. They did but what they found wasn't a secret the tower held. They over heard whispers from villagers about the King of Raggs' Royal Army stationed just outside the border.

Canceling their initial plan, Frau and his aides stealthily went to investigate the camp. True to the rumor, several tents had been raised. Soldiers wearing armor with Raggs emblem stood in measured distance. Amidst the light brown tents, stood another biggest one. It differed from the rest with the material dyed deep red, signifying its importance.

With a soft huff, Frau turned and rested his back at the big rock that was their hiding place. "What says you two?"

Castor gave a contemplating look at the camp and shrugged, "Obvious."

Labrador nodded, eyebrows furrowed grimly. "It won't be long until they attack. I've received reports about their advance, but I don't expect they had reached this close to the border."

"Gather our defenses, Castor," Frau paused, glancing back at the camp. The gears in his head worked fast to speculate the number of soldiers. "A few hundreds won't be enough. I'll leave the rest to your hand, master tactician." The king added with a small smile.

"Yes, I know." The strategist replied shortly. Without looking back, the bespectacled man disappeared into the nearest wood soundlessly.

Frau and Labrador's gaze lingered at the direction Castor went for a few moment before finally exchanging glances.

"Shall we go?" Frau started, breaking the silence.

"I would agree we retreat right now but apparently, that will be difficult." Frau gave his beautiful aide a weird look but still gesturing the flower lover to continue. "Look there," the aide pointed to a point behind his back. Frau turned around to find a girl, probably from the village they just went through, surrounded by several bulky soldiers.

"Oh shit!" The king face-palmed. From where the soldiers and the girl were, several muffling voices could be heard. But it was the girl's pleading that made Frau raised his head and gave Labrador one small apologetic smile.

This time Labrador was the one who wanted to facepalm. That look Frau gave meant trouble was coming their way. And there was no stopping his reckless king. With a sigh, the smaller man nodded.

"Fine," he said. "But we're running away once the girl is rescued."

"Deal." The golden haired king grinned.

Without exchanging words anymore, the king stealthily approached the group from the big rock they were, into the shadow of trees. Labrador followed suit. They made no sound as they cut their distance. The girl's pleading becoming very clear and desperate when Frau and Labrador reached behind the group.

"I bet she's a spy," said the bulkiest soldier. His hand was grabbing the girl's collar, uncaring to the girl's denial. The female was trembling hard and tears rain down his cheek as she kept denying the accusation.

Frau felt sorry for the girl instantly. Even if she was what they said, it wasn't in Frau's nature to hurt a woman. Frau half turned his head to look at his friend from the corner of his eyes. The said friend gave him one acknowledging nod. With that as the signal, Frau pulled out his knife and covered his blond spike with the hood of his black overcoat. When ready, he jumped out from the bush, taken the soldiers by surprise.

"What the…!" One soldier exclaimed. But before any of them managed to do anything, Frau had knocked most of them out. The king tried not to kill any in precaution if his action might lead to a real war. It would be a predicament for him and his country should this became the reason to start another bloody battle between the two countries.

Frau evaded a swing of sword to his left, taking that chance to grab the female from the bulky soldier's grab. The raven haired girl shrieked in fear. Unaffected by that, Frau pushed her to waiting Labrador. The light-haired aide hastily pulled the girl into safety.

Just as Labrador had disappeared from Frau's line of vision, the king heard more footsteps approaching. It seemed the ruckus he caused had attracted more soldiers. If the soldiers are his only enemies, then Frau would have no problem escaping. The soldiers made a half circle around him but that didn't matter at all. It was truly a bad day for him when they dispersed enough for Frau to see their commanding officer.

Light purple hair, nearly platinum, danced as the wind carried. Pale amethyst eyes as cold as frozen lake were scrutinizing the king. His black uniform hugged almost tightly at the lithe body. At his slim waist, a thin but deadly rapier hung almost like it was part of the man's body. Frau knew then he was so screwed. That man's pose literally screamed trouble for Frau.

The king reflexively pulled his hood lower. If the man was one of a high rank, then he would probably recognized Frau during his visit to Raggs.

The enemy drew his rapier. His stance was so perfect, Frau could hardly believe it. Being a genius in battle, Frau never had difficulties to identify weak spot of one's battle stance. But this man was different. It was surprising to find another genius here of all place.

Answering the silent challenge, Frau threw away the dagger and pulled his sword. It was a simple design but the hilt was engraved to fit Frau's hand. At the base between the sword and hilt was Barsburg's royal emblem.

For seconds, they simply wait, assessing for each other to show weakness. It was a battle of endurance and they both knew it. If the light haired man was one as good as Frau in battle, he could probably feel that Frau was the same as him. Being on the same skill level meant death for carelessness.

The camp became eerily silent. The soldiers were holding their breath, anticipation filled the air. Finally, with the enemy's black boot moved, Frau took the signal and dashed forward, sword ready to pierce. The other man did the same.

A first clash was made, and then the second and third. Sound of steel clashing broke the long silence. The two exchanged blow elegantly, almost like dancing. A bloody dance.

Frau felt his arm throbbing from where the rapier grazed him. He bet the other man felt the pain as well. They both successfully landed a few hits on each another, but none managed to do a fatal strike. The king could felt his muscles screamed in need of rest as he panted.

This one move will determine all, the king mentally decided.

As if reading Frau's mind, the other man readied his rapier once again with Frau followed suit. The final blow was exchanged. Frau's sword pierced the man's left shoulder and the man's rapier to the king's abdomen. Blood spluttered and Frau felt dizzy. He felt doom was impending as he felt to his knees, consciousness wavered.

His eyelids were heavy as lead. His gaze shifted from brown of earth to sudden darkness. He knew, he was about to fall. And that meant death for him and doom for his kingdom.

Image of his kingdom, his castle, his town, his people, ruined beyond recognition flashed in his mind. Body upon body fallen, filling the road with rotten flesh. The blue lake, shone more blue than his eyes was a pool of blood.

No!

His mind screamed. He wouldn't let that happen. Not while he was the king. Not when he could still fight. With a new resolve to survive, Frau snapped awake from his temporary weakness. It was truly a good timing for he the first thing he saw was a flash of metal coming his way, ready to tear him apart.

Quickly, he gained strength. With a swift move, Frau deflected the attack. His enemy, the lithe purple haired man, gasped in surprise. He didn't think Frau would have enough strength to resist anymore. Instead of grimacing, the black uniformed man laughed.

"I don't how long it was since I enjoyed a match. You are certainly a peculiar. What is your name?"

Frau looked up from his knee. The first thing he saw was the man's bleeding thigh. Raising his eyes, he met the other man's pale purple orbs.

"Fr…"

"Stop!"

Startled, Frau and the soldiers from Raggs turned their heads to the cry. Galloping sound of horses coming closer. From a far, despite the blinding light behind them, Frau recognized his two friends and a few Barsburg soldiers.

Castor had his face covered but Frau could tell from the look of his eyes that the King nearly blown his own cover. He almost told the enemy his name. At the revelation, Frau shuddered involuntarily. He was so close to become the reason to start the war.

The king silently conveyed his gratitude to his right hand man. The latter and Labrador quickly approached the king, breaking through the mass in the process, with swords held firm. Castor protectively put himself between the King and his assailant.

"Master, please retreat. We'll hold them off," commanded the bespectacled man.

Frau nearly smiled at the unusual title the man gave. Unfortunately, the grave situation demanded most of this attention. "You're being ridiculous. That man is not an easy enemy!"

"Obviously, I can see that. But losing you here isn't an option. Go now, or we'll lose everything."

It didn't need a genius to feel the anger oozing out from the King. Certainly it wasn't Castor's earlier sarcastic remark or having to run that angered him. Being with him most of his time, Castor and Labrador knew exactly, Frau's inability to keep himself safe, thus his kingdom as well, was the cause.

The said King reluctantly got up. Turning his back, he dragged his body out from the circle without even a second glance. What his retainer said was the truth. Being the weakling here, he had no choice. Castor and Labrador could do well fending them off while Frau made his escape. He doubt the enemy's commander could fight for long, especially after sparring with Frau. The King knew they were both had exhaust their energy fighting each other. And Frau's side losing only the number. With Castor and Labrador there, they were equal.

Rattling sound of clashing swords slowly became a distant noise. Frau persistently dragged his heavy body away from battlefield, not knowing exactly where he went. It was wilderness where he start but by the time he realized, he was already in the forest.

Branches scratched his already bleeding skin, leaving trails of blood everywhere. If it was any other forest, Frau was sure some nasty animals would have shown up. Seeing as none actually appeared, adding the oddly peaceful atmosphere, Frau most likely was in the forest surrounding the tower.

Lifting up his head slightly, Frau smiled tiredly. His guess was right. Not far from him was the tower standing proudly still. That would be a perfect place to hide, the King thought. No one could go in there except royalty, or so he was told. He didn't know if Raggs royal blood could as well, but that would decrease the chance of him getting caught.

Without a sliver of doubt, the King faced the bland door with single carving. He didn't bother to read the carving for all he neded right now was to find safety and sleep. So Frau pushed the door open, ignoring the glowing Zaiphon.

Teito woke up with a start. Familiar ceiling was all he saw but his mind ignored the familiarity. He remembered having a fight with Ouka and the latter pushed him out of the window.

And then…I fell unconscious from the shock.

Teito sat on his bed. His hand reached to his back, feeling the smooth skin. There was no pain, not even raw skin or scar. But there was traces of cold liquid spread all over his back. Teito pulled back his hand and smelled the liquid.

Must be Ouka's medicine…

It had been quite a while since the girl last gave him that medicine. The last in Teito's memory was when he tried to force his way through the barrier and ended up nearly made his arm useless. Ouka had been frantic. Ever since then, she made extra medicine just in case Teito was hurt. The medicine was made using her healing power.

From the earliest memory, both of them possessed extraordinary ability. Ouka could hear the wind's whispers as well as controlling it at will. On the side note, her healing power was great. Meanwhile, Teito could control fire. It was useless except for destroying stuff. Even more useless, it couldn't be used to destroy the barrier. Teito often wondered why he had this power if it was nothing but a nuisance.

Throwing aside his blanket, Teito made his way to the bathroom. It was a single room framed with white marble walls. At far end was a milk colored bathtub and showerhead attached to the wall.

Teito gave a quick glance at the mirror. He was rather tempted to look at his back. But instead of doing it, he walked pass the mirror and filled the bathtub. His eyes lingered on the plain side of the tub, mind wandering.

The sound of water was like a river. It calmed him always. So he closed his eyes, immersing his soul into the sound. Darkness warped him in gentle embrace. Slowly, as he fell deeper, he reached into his core. Fire was burning ever so brightly inside him. It was the proof of his power. That force was useless most of the time but when his soul was cold and lonely, it warmed his heart.

Slowly but sure, Teito felt warmth creeping up from inside his body. His fingers felt hot. Finally, his eyes fluttered open. At that time, the water had filled the tub, nearly overflowing. Swiftly, he turned the knob, stopping the flow of water.

Stripping off the clothes took no less than a few seconds for the lack of complication. Teito stepped in into the tub, soaking his body into the warmth of water. It calmed his nerve. Content sigh escaped his lips.

Teito rested his head to the side. His eyes stared blankly at the white stone ceiling. For some reason, each blur lines grazing the paint beginning to form a shape. Somehow…it looked like Ayanami.

"God, am I missing him that much?" the boy groaned. He sounded so lame, he nearly drown his head long in the water.

The water made a loud splash as a third of it overflowed. Teito opened his eyes slowly. He winced slightly, feeling the liquid stung his eyes.

Inside the water, even the ceiling looked beautiful. Light from the lamp deviated and somehow it felt like he was inside a crystal, looking at the world from a thick glass. It was captivating but suffocating at the same time. The feeling reminded him of his current state: a prisoner.

Teito hated feeling that way, feeling hopeless and surrendering to fate. He prefer to defy destiny if this was the end it would give.

With that thought in mind, Teito stood up to leave the water. After draining the water and toweled his body dry, Teito left the bathroom. It was supposed to be the same day as always, except for raising smoke he saw from his lone window.

"What in the world…?"

His heart drummed so loud in its cage. Teito suddenly felt so restless. Something was happening outside. Even from so far away, Teito could smell burning woods. Clashing weapons sounds so far yet so close to his ears.

Eagerness and anxiety made the boy paced restlessly. He wanted to know what happened but the barrier would only burn him should he try to cross the invisible wall.

"How can I see closer…?" the boy pondered. It would be too long to wait for Ayanami to visit and his thirst for knowledge was far too great to ignore. As he thought there was no other way, a door at a certain place appeared in his mind in a flash. "That door!"

With excitement pumping in his blood, Teito ran outside. The door of his room was left open while the boy quickly reach the end of the living room. Ouka's room was on the left corridor from his current place. However, that wasn't his destination. Teito ran forward, skipping the left turn and exit from the north door.

From there it was a long spiral of stairs. Teito hated this part of the tower because it seemed like an endless flight of stairs, as if there was no exit, no door leading to his freedom.

Today everything was different. Teito felt something close to what he could say as a hope. There was no guarantee something or someone would come closer to the tower, but he could help but felt hopeful. He felt something or better, someone that could lead to his freedom was approaching.

In no time, Teito had reached the end. He was too focused to look down at his steps and failed to notice a dark figure loomed over him. Teito couldn't see his face since light from the small window on the door behind the man was too bright. However, he could make out golden locks, as bright as the sun itself and a large pool of blood on the man's feet.

"Who…" said the man with raspy voice. His breath was labored and short. Before Teito could return the question, the man fell with a thud on the cold floor. Meanwhile, Teito was standing frozen on his feet as he admired the man's beauty in contrast to the gore.

Ohohohohoh they met at last! xD