A/N: Yay, spring break! I got a very interesting call the night before I left to go home. I was selected to receive a scholarship to study in Japan for a whole year starting next semester. Let's see, what's the proper word for situations like this? Ah yes: WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111oneone

…Ahem, anyway here's a little celebration for everyone. I hope you enjoy it. Here is the word "adumbrate" as defined by our friends at dictionary. com:

Adumbrate /a-duhm-breyt, ad-uhm-breyt/ v. 1. to produce a faint image or resemblance of; to outline or sketch. 2. to foreshadow; prefigure. 3. to darken or conceal partially; overshadow.


Adumbrate

His heart, his breathing…it was too loud! Fai wiped the sweat that was practically pouring from his brow, trying to force himself to take deeper breaths as he flitted from shadow to shadow. They already knew he was out of bounds; they always knew. It was because of the damned earring; he wished he could just tear it out, but he already knew what would happen if he did. All that was left was for them to catch him and beat the snot out of him for trying to escape like they had the three other times he had attempted to break loose.

The dark elf foremen were approaching; Fai could hear them. Surely, even from that distance, they could hear his panting and his heart beating so hard it nearly burst from his chest. He could almost feel the whip of punishment on his back already. In an act of desperation, he tore across a short stretch of open field, leaving himself completely exposed to the eyes of the enemy, toward a tiny storage shack where he hoped he might be able to hide himself for a few moments while he caught his breath.

Fai ripped open the door to the shack. He gave a small gasp of horror when he saw a tall, black-haired figure trying somewhat unsuccessfully to hide himself between the farming tools, blood red eyes glinting at him in the scant light. The man snarled at the sight of Fai, who was frozen with shock in the doorway of the shack as the shouts of dark elf voices grew closer. Before Fai's stunned brain could react, the stranger reached out and snatched his thin wrist, jerking him inside, and pulled the door shut behind him.

Even though his poor heart had managed to withstand the terror of being chased by the savage dark elves so far, Fai was sure it would give out on him now. Somehow, in his carelessness and desperateness to escape, he had run right into the arms of a dark elf. Obviously, his escape attempts hadn't been met with much success in the past, but none of them had ever played out like this before.

The dark elf in question clamped his hand over Fai's mouth to muffle his loud, harsh breathing, hugging him so tightly to his muscular body that the blond was sure he would be crushed. He didn't dare make a sound, though. The foremen were drawing dangerously close to their hiding place. Fai hardly had the presence of mind to wonder why this dark elf was hiding in here, holding him in strict silence, his heart pounding with a fury to rival Fai's, and not handing him over to the enemy. All he could think was "Please… please don't let them find me…"

Suddenly, the door to the shack flew open with such force that it was nearly torn off its hinges. The foremen had found them. Before Fai's mind could even begin to react, the odd, dark stranger tossed the slender blond over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes so that he could lash out at the other dark elves fiercely with a scythe that he had grabbed from the miscellaneous tools around them.

The dark elves shouted in surprise and leapt back to avoid being slashed in two. Fai held on to the other elf tightly, trying to stay in place as the dark-haired elf swung the scythe again and again, clearing the foremen out of his way so that he could make a break for it. Unfortunately for the two of them, their success was rather short-lived. One of the foremen muttered a spell, shooting something long and silver at the rebellious dark elf.

The muscular elf shouted in pain and surprise as he was suddenly struck down, a shining, magical spike spearing straight through his left hand and pinning him to the ground. A nearby foreman used magic to bind Fai's legs together and his arms to his sides before grabbing his pointed ear and jerking him painfully to his feet. The dark elf who had pinned Fai's would-be savoir to the ground drew a sword from the sheathe at his side and positioned it over the captive's neck, clearly intending to behead him. Fai tried to turn away, but the dark elf who was holding him forced him to watch.

"And what do you think you're doing?" a smooth, cold voice asked from a short distance away.

The foremen started in surprise at the voice of their king, Fei Wang Reed. For a moment, there was silence. It was clear from the expressions on their faces that the foremen knew that they had done something that they shouldn't have but the hint of confusion there suggested that they weren't sure exactly what that thing was.

Eventually, the one who had been about to kill the rogue dark elf spoke up. "These slaves were trying to escape, Your Highness. When we found them hiding in the shed, this one tried to kill us with a scythe."

"So you thought you'd kill it in return, is that it?" Fei Wang asked icily.

Ah, so that was what he was angry about. Fei Wang stepped forward and grabbed the offending foreman by the throat, lifting him off his feet.

"Slaves are valuable and the only one who will decide when one will be killed is me," he hissed. "You almost beheaded my best sword maker."

"F…forgive...me…S-Sire," the foreman choked.

Fei Wang sneered as he dropped his henchman on the ground. He stepped over the gasping, sputtering figure to address the dark-haired slave who was trying to jerk the spike out of his bleeding hand. The king of the dark elves lowered his boot onto the slave's forehead and applied pressure. Fai watched in stunned silence as his would-be savior gritted his teeth against the pain, determined not to give the evil king the satisfaction of a shout.

"You're lucky you're so skilled at sword making, slave," Fei Wang smirked. "Otherwise I would have happily let him kill you. But don't think that means you'll receive any leniency in your punishment."

The king removed his boot from the slave's forehead and savagely kicked the magical spike that was still securing him to the ground, causing the slave to at last give a strangled grunt of pain. He turned to his foremen again.

"Lock them both up and give them a good whipping. Three days without food."

With that, the dark elf turned his back on all of them and returned to the castle.

By the time the cell door slammed behind him with a cruel clang, Fai was exhausted and bleeding badly. He could still hear the whip cracking mercilessly outside the holding chamber. The other slave was getting it even worse than Fai had, not only because he had tried to kill the foremen, but also because he had protected Fai. The blond put his hands over his pointed ears and clamped his eyes shut, trying to block out the sounds of the torture going on just outside the wooden door.

He tried to distract himself by contemplating the extreme weirdness of the situation. Fai knew that dark elves were evil and that they were cruel to everyone, even each other, but he had never heard of them taking their own kind into slavery. Perhaps he was mistaken, but he was pretty sure that other slave had had pointed ears like an elf and his black hair and red eyes told him that it was very unlikely that he was a light elf. But if he was a dark elf, why had he done anything to help Fai? A dark elf would never act so selflessly. Perhaps he, like Fai, was a dark-light mix?

When the whip stopped, but the shouts of pain didn't, Fai realized that the foremen were probably giving his fellow slave what they liked to call "the salt treatment". Fai shuddered. He had had to endure the salt treatment once himself and he could still remember the blinding pain it had brought. It was a favorite of the foremen when they felt that they had been insulted; they would whip a slave bloody and then rub salt in his wounds until they got bored or until they ran out of salt. Fai felt awful. If it hadn't been for him, the other slave might have been able to escape. Instead he had been caught and was now facing worse torture than Fai himself had received.

Fai wasn't sure how long it was before the torture finally stopped but it seemed like a long time. To his surprise, the other slave was still fighting when the foremen brought him in. He struggled furiously against the binding spell and when one of the dark elves was busy unlocking his cell, the slave spit in his face. The foreman snarled and smacked the slave hard across the face before tossing him into the cell so that he landed on his bleeding, wounded back. Both of them were silent as the dark elves slammed the door shut, their voices fading away as they left the small prison area behind. It took a while before Fai worked up the nerve to say anything.

"Ah, excuse me."

"…Huh?" the other elf grunted. "You talking to me?"

"Mm, well, I just wanted to ask if you're alright," Fai said.

The other elf snorted derisively. "What the hell do you think, asshole? Those bastards just whipped the shit out of me and put salt on my cuts."

Fai couldn't help but smile weakly. The other slave was right; that had been a pretty stupid question. Still, it had gotten the conversational ball rolling.

"But I'll live," the dark-haired elf continued bitterly. "No thanks to you."

Fai's little smile vanished. He was right, of course, and Fai felt terrible about it. "I'm sorry… Would you like some water? I can wash the salt out for you."

"How? There's no water in here," his fellow slave pointed out. "Those bastards put a cap on everyone's magic to keep them from using it to escape, so it's not like you can just make some appear."

"I'm a house slave," Fai explained. "They let us keep weaker versions of the magical abilities that are useful in our jobs. Isn't that true for slaves who work outside the house?"

"…Hmph. Guess I'll take it then," the other elf said.

"There's a loose brick at floor level in the wall between us," Fai told him. "You should be able to see it if you move the cot aside. I'll push the brick out, ok?"

Fai heard the dark-haired elf struggle to his feet and slide his cot aside as quietly as possible so as not to alert the dark elves to their actions. The blond moved his own cot with similar care and pushed the large, loose stone block into the other slave's cell.

"I'm Fai, by the way," Fai said.

"Kurogane," the other elf grunted as he lied down on the floor, his back facing Fai to allow him access to his wounds.

Fai muttered some magical words and weak streams of water began to flow from his fingertips. He could see the muscles in Kurogane's back becoming a little less tense as some of his pain was relieved with the washing away of the salt.

"Kurogane, hmm?" Fai mused. "I don't think that's a cute enough name for the one who so bravely defended me back there. How about Kurosama, or Kuropipi, or Kurotan?"

"What the hell?" Kurogane growled. "I risk my ass for you and this is the thanks I get? Some stupid girly nicknames? I should punch you."

"But it's how I show that I'm grateful," the blond insisted.

"Well, I don't need it," Kurogane huffed stubbornly.

A silence filled the gap between them, one that might have been awkward had they not both been so exhausted. Eventually, Fai finished rinsing the other elf's wounds.

"I think that should do it," Fai panted. Using magic under the restraints the dark elves had put in place was always extremely tiring. He tried to wipe his sweat away with a pale, trembling hand. "Are you feeling any better, Kuropin?"

"Hmph. I thought I told you not to call me those stupid names, bastard," Kurogane groused half-heartedly. "…Doesn't hurt so bad anymore, though. Maybe I won't punch you this time."

Fai didn't know him well enough to be sure, but he thought that might be the other slave's gruff way of saying thank you. Kurogane sat up, and Fai caught sight of his still-bleeding hand through the hole in the wall.

"Oh, your hand…" Fai said.

"It's nothing," Kurogane grunted, but the blond elf could tell it was causing him serious pain.

"Don't be silly, Kurowanko," Fai scolded lightly. "That spike went all the way through it. Let me wash it out for you, ok?"

"Are you a complete dumb ass?!" Kurogane snapped. "You look like you're about to die after just washing off my back! I'm not letting you use any more magic on me!"

Fai was silent for a moment. It was true that washing the cuts on Kurogane's back had left him feeling quite weak and with three days of no food ahead of him, it would be nearly impossible for him to regain any energy except through sleeping. But if Kurogane didn't tend to his hand, he might never be able to use it again, and Fai saw the injury as being mostly his fault. He couldn't just let it bleed like that.

"At least let me wrap it for you," Fai requested, tearing a long strip of cloth from his tattered shirt.

Kurogane mulled this over reluctantly for a moment before giving a sullen grunt and sticking his bleeding hand through the hole. Fai whispered the water spell as quietly as he could and was able to rinse the other elf's wound a little as he wrapped it. As soon as Fai had tied the makeshift bandage, Kurogane jerked his hand away.

"You moron," Kurogane growled. "I told you not to wash it. You trying to kill yourself?"

"I just wanted… to make up for… getting you caught…" Fai panted, closing his eyes and not even bothering to wipe his sweaty brow again. "I know it's… not much, but… it's all I can do, so…"

"If there wasn't a wall between us, I'd kick your ass," Kurogane grumbled.

The blond laughed weakly. "You have… a funny way of… showing gratitude, Kuropon."

The dark-haired elf grumbled indistinctly.

"Hey, Kurochii? Actually, I was wondering… if you could do me a little favor," the smaller elf said, still breathing hard.

"I should've known you weren't doing this for nothing!" Kurogane snarled.

"…Let me see your face?" Fai asked softly.

Apparently Kurogane had not been expecting the request to be something like that because he hesitated uncertainly, as if turning it over in his mind and searching for some sinister ulterior motive behind it. "What?" he said eventually. "What for?"

"Well, I didn't really… get a good look at you before… since it was so dark and… you were kind of squirming around… when those foremen brought you in here just now," the blond explained. "I'd just like to know… what my brave rescuer looks like…"

Kurogane made a strange little noise, a mix of scorn, surprise and embarrassment. "Look, I don't know what you're picturing in that weird little head of yours but it wasn't like I saved you because I give a crap about you or anything! You were gonna give away my hiding place if I didn't do something!"

"I know," Fai admitted. "But still, I appreciated it…"

Kurogane huffed sullenly and got down on the ground again so that Fai could see him through the hole in the wall. When his royal blue eyes met Kurogane's scarlet ones, Fai's breath caught in his chest. The light elf half of him made him a strong appreciator of beauty and his rescuer certainly qualified as a natural work of art. If he had had the strength, he might have reached out to caress Kurogane's handsome face. Kurogane looked a bit surprised by Fai's appearance as well (though it may have only been shock from how ghastly and exhausted Fai looked after expending so much energy on magic) and the light elf thought he might have seen a slight blush blossoming on Kurogane's tan cheeks.

"Hmph… You look like hell," Kurogane mumbled. "But it's your own fault for using your magic so stupidly."

Fai managed a tiny, tired smile. "Well, naturally, Kuromyuu is… good-looking, even though he's not… in the best shape right now, either."

"Tch!" Kurogane spat. He was definitely blushing now.

"Red eyes and dark hair, hmm?" Fai said thoughtfully. "Unusual traits for a light elf…"

Actually, Fai seriously doubted that Kurogane was a light elf; he had never seen a light elf with traits like that. He could clearly see Kurogane's pointed ears, and while the point wasn't nearly as pronounced as Fai's, it was he clear he wasn't human. Kurogane really looked like a dark elf, but Fai didn't want to risk insulting him with such an accusation if his guess turned out to be wrong.

The other elf frowned at him in what looked like disbelief. "You're one of those light guys, right?"

Fai gave a miniscule wry smile. "You might say that…perhaps."

"Then are you seriously that stupid or are you just trying to piss me off?" Kurogane sneered.

"Mm?" Fai said, puzzled.

"Anyone with half a brain can see I'm not a light elf."


Kurogane studied the elf from across the breakfast table. Fai was shaking as he picked unhappily at his food.

"What's up?" Kurogane asked gruffly, though he was pretty sure he already had a good idea of what was bothering Fai.

Fai gave him a pained smile. "…Kurowanko is leaving me again today, right?"

Kurogane sighed. Just as he had thought: the elf was worried about being alone again. If there was some way to avoid it, Kurogane wouldn't leave him by himself. He just didn't see any way around it; he had to go sell his produce at the marketplace and Fai couldn't come along or people might find out he was an elf. Even allowing Fai to spend the day outdoors would be dangerous as he might be seen, and since it was late November it was getting pretty cold outside anyway. There was also the small problem of Fai not being able to handle sunlight.

"I wish I could go with you…" Fai said in a small, pleading voice.

The farmer considered his request as he finished off his eggs. After Fai's reaction to being left alone yesterday, it was clear that this was not just the elf being an idiot as usual: Fai had a serious complex about being by himself in an enclosed space. Was there a way that he could ensure that Fai's identity as an elf wouldn't be discovered? If so, he would be able to bring the blond with him to the marketplace.

"Most people can only tell an elf by their pointed ears…" Kurogane said slowly. "If there was a way to hide your ears, it might be safe for you to come along."

Fai's eyes went so wide it was almost comical. "Eh? You…you'll really take me with you, Kuropipi?!"

"Well, last time I left you here alone, you freaked. Last thing I need is you going crazy on me," Kurogane grumbled. "You're bad enough when you're normal."

Fai stared at him, his eyes glimmering with unshed tears of gratitude.

"Hey, hold on!" Kurogane shouted, panicking slightly at the sight of Fai's tears. "You better not cry, you idiot!"

Fai laughed sheepishly as he sniffled at wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "Sorry, sorry. I'm just so touched that Kurorin would put himself on the line like this just for my sake."

"Tch! A-anyway, I still don't know how we can pull this off," Kurogane continued forcefully. "We need a hat or something…"

He trailed off thoughtfully. Fai watched him hopefully, silently begging him to come up with an answer. After a moment, Kurogane got suddenly to his feet and wandered over to a wooden chest in the corner of the room that Fai hadn't really paid much attention to before. The farmer rummaged around in it for a moment and reemerged with something made of heavy brown cloth which he handed to Fai. The elf turned it over in his hands curiously. It was a newsboy cap. Fai grinned up at him.

"Is this yours, Kurotan?" he chirped.

"Well, the last time I wore that thing I was about fifteen years old, but yeah, it's mine," Kurogane replied, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Try it on. It should fit you since you're so puny."

Fai slipped the cap on so that it covered his pointed ears and looked back up at Kurogane with a sunny smile. "This fits pretty well, I think. How do I look, Kuronpu?"

Kurogane was momentarily stunned. Fai was pretty cute normally, but with that hat he looked downright adorable. The farmer cleared his throat as he felt his face heating up slightly. What on earth was the matter with him? He didn't need to get all tongue-tied just because Fai was wearing a stupid hat. Was he turning into a severe pansy or what?

"It'll work, I guess," he said, turning his back on the elf so that he wouldn't notice him blushing. It was too late, though; Fai had already seen.

"Hmm? Are you blushing, Kuromyuu?" he asked joyfully, getting up from his seat at the breakfast table so that he could look at Kurogane's face. Naturally, this only made the farmer burn brighter.

"Get away from me, idiot!" Kurogane growled. "I'm busy!"

"Ooh, now even Kurowanko's ears are turning red!" Fai giggled. "How sweet! Does this hat really look that good on me?"

"This isn't the time for screwing around!" Kurogane snapped. "We still don't know how we're gonna get you there without you getting sunburn again!"

"Ah…Hmm, that is a problem, isn't it?" Fai agreed, his smile diminishing.

"What the hell?" the farmer frowned. "You act like you just remembered that you can't handle sunlight. Isn't this something you've had to deal with for a while now?"

Fai shrugged easily, casting his gaze aside. "…I haven't always had that problem."

Kurogane's frown deepened as he waited for Fai to explain but there was no further information. He sighed and rolled his eyes; seriously, he was getting sick of all these stupid secrets but he knew he had no right to demand answers from the elf. Anyway, they had a more pressing issue to deal with at the moment.

"We just need something to cover your skin until we get to the marketplace," Kurogane said slowly. "Our stand has an awning over it, so you'll be fine once we're there."

"Do you have a spare cloak?" Fai asked. "Maybe Kurosama's magic wooden chest of clothing can help out again."

Kurogane snorted. "Maybe, but I dunno if anything in there's gonna be long enough."

The farmer returned to his trunk of old clothing and dug through it again. Fai went to peer curiously over his shoulder.

"What about that one?" Fai suggested, pointing to a folded, pale blue garment lined with fur (1).

Kurogane gave him a withering look. "That was my mother's."

Fai appeared to not be listening; he just reached over his host's shoulder and plucked the cloak out of the chest, shaking it open to its full size. "Oh, how pretty! Did she make this herself?"

"My mother made all our clothes," Kurogane admitted. "But that's not the point! No way in hell am I'm taking you anywhere if you're wearing women's clothing!"

Fai was already draping the cloak around his shoulders and pinning it shut in front. "It's fine," he assured him. "Men can wear blue, right?"

"The color is fine, but any idiot can tell that this was made for a woman!" Kurogane snapped. "It's got that fur lining and that pin thing! No self-respecting man would ever be caught dead in that!"

"Don't be such a party pooper, Kuromin," Fai said calmly. "Besides, look at how well it suits me!"

Fai had a point there; his mother's cloak did look perfect on him. But that didn't change things. That was still a woman's cloak and Fai was not a woman. There was no way in hell he was taking Fai out dressed like that. He had tolerated a lot of weird shit from the blond, but this was where he drew the line.

"Take that stupid thing off or you're staying home," Kurogane said firmly. Fai looked into his eyes and saw the resolution there. The farmer's mind was made up and nothing in the world could possibly change it.


When Syaoran and Watanuki showed up at Kurogane's place to help him load their goods into the cart, their eyes were met with quite a sight. There was Kurogane, arms folded irritably across his chest, his face set into a scowl of severe displeasure, his scarlet eyes stubbornly avoiding those of the tall, thin blond man grinning away beside him who was dressed in a brown newsboy cap and what appeared to be a woman's cloak. The two boys looked warily at each other, making a silent agreement not to say a word about the cloak. They had worked for their boss long enough to guess that this was probably at least one source of his anger.

"Good morning, Kurogane san," the boys said in unison.

"Hn," Kurogane grunted sullenly, not looking at either one of them.

"Good morning!" Fai said cheerfully. "Say good morning like a nice doggy, Kurorin."

"I'm not a freaking dog!" Kurogane snarled. "And what did I say about those damn nicknames?!"

"Hmm… I don't remember you saying anything," Fai grinned.

"I said not to call me that girly shit!" he raged.

Fai waved his complaints aside amusedly. It had been a while since Kurogane had complained about the nicknames and the blond was pretty sure that he was only doing it because the boys were there. "Now, now, Kuropyon, calm down. I told you, it's how I show that I love you. You should accept my love!"

"Like hell I will!" the farmer spat.

"So, are you two Kurorinta's helpers?" Fai asked the boys sweetly.

"Um, I guess so," Watanuki agreed hesitantly. "I'm Watanuki Kimihiro."

"I'm Li Syaoran," Syaoran said.

"Fai Flourite!" the elf chirped. "Nice to meet you!"

"Are you a friend of Kurogane san's, Fai san?" Syaoran asked.

"I sure am!" Fai trilled, latching on to the other man's arm, much to Kurogane's horror. "Kurochuu and I have been best friends ever since we were kids!"

Kurogane shot Fai a sidelong glance but opted not to say anything. After all, it was much easier to explain their relationship by saying that they were childhood friends than by admitting that Kurogane had found the elf in a field with the shit beaten out of him and just decided to bring him home. Apparently, that answer wasn't what Kurogane's two young employees had expected, however.

"Ehh?! Really?!" the two of them gasped, looking between the two older men in shock.

"Of course," Fai grinned. "Are you surprised to find out that Kurokuro has friends?"

"Oh, no!" Syaoran assured him quickly, quailing under Kurogane's glare.

"Of course not!" Watanuki insisted. "It's just that you two seem like such opposites, it's hard to imagine you getting along! And I don't remember him ever mentioning you before…"

"Mm? You mean Kurochii doesn't confess his undying love for me every day at work?" Fai asked, feigning shock as his eyes filled with crocodile tears. "How mean, Kurowanta! I thought you cared about me!"

The elf launched into a fit of fake sobbing. Kurogane seriously considered strangling him.

"Um, but I could be mistaken!" Watanuki piped up. "Actually, I'm sure he's talked about you a few times!"

"Yeah!" Syaoran squeaked. "I'm sure I remember him talking about you just the other day!"

"Don't give into this bastard!" Kurogane warned irritably. "He's faking it! And you, quit whining or you don't get to come along! We're gonna be late opening our stand and it's all your freaking fault! Enough screwing around!"

Syaoran and Watanuki had been a bit skeptical when Kurogane had said that Fai's crying was fake but they saw that it was true when the blond immediately stopped, his previous cheerful demeanor returning almost magically as he began helping the farmer load his goods into the wooden cart. The two boys exchanged brief looks of puzzlement before joining Fai in loading while Kurogane went to get a horse to pull the cart.


Kyle stared at the modest tailor shop before him. Fuka's Tailor Shop. This was the place he had been searching for; he was sure of it. He remembered that sign above the door even though it had been a few months since he had last been there. Now that he saw the place, he felt a little silly. Why had he thought he had been looking for a farmhouse?

"Is this the place, master?" Chisei (2) asked. "When I asked around at the tavern about a woman named Fuka (3), this is the place they said we could find her."

"This is it," Kyle grinned, the bad mood that had been plaguing him all week suddenly lifting in the face of his success. "We'll be together again, soon, Fai."

"What will we do with the woman, master?" Chisei inquired. "She's bound to resist us when we try to take what she thinks is her child."

"Kill her," Kyle said easily. "Humans are filthy scum, anyway. The fewer of them there are, the better."

Chisei nodded once silently. Kyle had to move carefully to ensure that his bewitched cloak continued to cover every inch of his skin as he opened the door. The last thing he needed was to turn to stone when he was so close to retrieving his prize. Bells attached to the door jingled as the two visitors let themselves in. At first the shop appeared to be empty, but a few seconds later, a glum, harassed-looking woman with long brown wavy hair appeared to greet them.

"Can I help…" the woman began but she stopped abruptly when Kyle pulled off his hood to expose his pointed ears.

"Good morning," Kyle said, feigning pleasantness. "It's Fuka, isn't it?"

Fuka said nothing, but her eyes widened in horror and her face went ashen.

"We're looking for your son," he finished with a wicked grin.

"…Y-you…!" Fuka gasped. "You're the ones who switched him!"

"That is correct," Kyle confirmed. "And we'll be taking him back now, if you don't mind."

"You're too late!" Fuka spat acidly. "I already got rid of that sick abomination!"

Kyle stared at her for a moment, then laughed quietly and shook his head. "I'm sorry; for a moment I could have sworn you said you got rid of him. I hope, for your sake, that I was mistaken."

"You heard right, you filthy piece of elfin shit," the tailor snarled, snatching a pair of scissors from the table beside her. "You'd better give me back my real son right now if you don't want these iron scissors driven right through your putrid heart."

Kyle made a small noise of distaste as she brandished her scissors at him and gestured for Chisei to deal with them. With a few well-chosen magical words, Chisei ripped the scissors from the other woman's hands and tossed them across the room where she couldn't reach them. Once the offending iron was out of the way, Kyle stepped forward and grabbed Fuka's throat. She choked and squirmed in his grip futilely.

"What did you do with him?" Kyle hissed, all pretense of humor now gone from his pretty face. "If you killed him, I assure you I will take very great pleasure in doing the same to you."

"As soon as I found out he wasn't my Yuui…" Fuka gasped, "I took him to a field… just outside of town… where I beat him within inches of his miserable life (4)… That was three weeks ago… I hope to God that disgusting creature is dead."

With that, Fuka spit in Kyle's eye. Kyle's face twitched in revulsion before he snapped her neck easily with his bare hands with such force that her head was separated from her body. He dropped her remains to the ground so that he could wipe the saliva away. There was a brief but heavy silence hanging between Kyle and Chisei for a moment before the girl tentatively broke it.

"What will we do now, master?" she asked. "Do you think she was telling the truth?"

"There's no reason to doubt her," Kyle answered stonily, "but Fai is alive. I can feel it. And he's somewhere close by."

"But if she beat him within inches of his life, then…" Chisei trailed off uncertainly.

"It means one of two things," the dark-elf said. "Either she didn't beat him as severely as she thought and he was able to get up and walk away afterwards, or someone took him in and helped him get back on his feet again. Our only choice is to continue searching as we have been and hope we come across him before he begins to suspect that we're looking for him. After all, he only knew that I would come for him at some point. He had no idea when that would happen."

Chisei nodded and tapped her staff uneasily on the wooden floor.

Kyle sighed impatiently. "My Fai has been a very naughty boy, trying to hide from me like this. He should have killed the woman and continued to wait here until I came for him like we agreed. Now he'll have to be punished."

He grinned evilly at the young sorceress. "I am so looking forward to it. I just love hearing him scream for mercy."

Chisei said nothing. Kyle took the few steps toward the door so that he could lock it and turn the sign in the window from "open" to "closed".

"We might as well wait here until darkness falls," Kyle reasoned aloud. "I was willing to brave the sunlight because I thought my dear Fai would be here waiting for me, but now that I know he's being such a bad boy there's no point in going out again."

The dark elf proceeded to close all the curtains and then make himself comfortable in the dead woman's house.


Kurogane glanced furtively in the elf's direction when he heard him give a small gasp beside him as they entered the outskirts of the marketplace. Fai's eyes were wide and sparkling with wonder, his head turning back and forth curiously as he tried to take in each stand they passed. The farmer had to bite the inside of his lip to prevent a little smile from sneaking onto his face. It seemed that his two young farmhands had no such reservations.

"You like this kind of atmosphere, huh, Fai san?" Watanuki grinned.

"Is this really that different from the marketplaces where you come from?" Syaoran asked interestedly.

Kurogane stole another peek at Fai as the blond hesitated with his answer. The dark-haired man could tell he was trying to decide how to best reply while giving away the least amount of personal information possible.

"Hmm, well, actually, I never made that many trips to the marketplace, even back where I came from," he said finally with a pleasant smile. "Somehow that job always seemed to be given to someone else…"

"What's your job, then?" Watanuki inquired innocently.

Fai hesitated again, and Kurogane started slightly when the elf's royal blue eyes suddenly turned on him to find him staring. A mischievous, amused smile appeared on Fai's lips as Kurogane hurriedly looked away, trying not to blush.

"Ah ha ha… to tell the truth, it's a little embarrassing," Fai grinned, rubbing the back of his neck in mock shyness. "I'm a maid!"

Clearly, this was not the answer the boys had been expecting.

"Eh?! A-a maid?!" they squawked in unison

"That's right," Fai chirped. "At Kuro-goshujin sama's house!" (5)

"Wh-WHAT?!!" Kurogane sputtered, his modest blush flaring up in response to Fai's joke.

"It's not easy, let me tell you!" Fai continued cheerfully. "Kurokimi leaves his laundry all over the floor every day, and he always insists that I wear nothing but an apron while I work. He's very demanding!"

"K-Kurogane san…" Syaoran stammered, his cheeks bright red. "Is…is that true?"

"OF COURSE NOT!!" Kurogane roared, blushing even more deeply than either of this farmhands as passersby began to stare. "THAT BASTARD'S MAKING THE WHOLE THING UP!!"

"But he always gives me plenty of kisses and presents and cuddles me for hours when he gets home from work, so I guess it's worth it," the blond finished, seemingly oblivious to all the strange looks they were getting. Fai looked over at the dark-haired man beside him and giggled fondly at the sheer murderous intent gleaming in his crimson eyes. Kurogane turned to the wagon that was carrying their produce and drew out the long, shining knife he used to cut the meat for his customers, holding it threateningly before him, his hands shaking with barely controlled rage.

"How would you like it if I cut you into little pieces and sold you right along with the salted beef?" he hissed dangerously.

"Oh no!" Fai squealed gleefully. "Daddy's angry!"

"Um, K-Kurogane san!" Watanuki interrupted desperately. "We've reached our stand and people are already waiting for us! We should hurry and set up shop, shouldn't we?"

Kurogane glanced to his left and saw that Watanuki was right; the usual gaggle of eager women was hanging around, waiting for the farmer and his helpers to open for business.

He put away his knife and grabbed Fai roughly by the front of his mother's cloak.

"Don't think this means you're getting out of anything," he snarled. "As soon as we get home, I'll kick your ass!"

Fai laughed unconcernedly and tweaked his nose. "You're so cute when you're angry, Kuropyun."

Kurogane snorted and blushed as he pushed Fai under the awning and got to work unloading the cart.


"…Wow! I'm impressed, Kuropiko!" Fai trilled as he sliced into the meat to get a cut that a customer had requested. "This meat is really top quality, huh?"

"Of course it is," Kurogane grunted, taking a woman's payment for a dozen peaches. "But what do you know about meat? I thought you didn't like it."

"I don't," Fai agreed. "But I used to do a lot of cooking so I learned a few things… Just look at this marbling!" (6)

"Gotta have something that sets your stand apart from the other guys or no one will make a point to come to yours," Kurogane explained shortly, though the elf could tell he was pleased by Fai's appreciation of his wares. "Besides, I don't believe in doing a half-assed job. There's no point in doing something if you're not gonna give it your all."

"You would say that, wouldn't you, Kurochuu?" Fai said with a fond smile. "…Hmm, but something tells me that Kurowanwan's yummy produce isn't the only thing that draws all these pretty girls to his stand."

"Hmph. I don't care about that," the farmer scoffed. "It's more of a hassle than anything. Anyway, what about you? You're getting plenty of attention from them yourself."

"I do like getting attention from girls," Fai admitted, gracing the girl he was serving with a sunny smile and drawing a blush and coy grin from her.

"Tch," Kurogane sneered, rolling his eyes.

"Still, even if Kuromyuu doesn't respond to them, it still hurts a little, right here," the blond confessed quietly, indicating his heart. He smiled when Kurogane looked at him. "I wonder if this is what it means to be jealous."

Kurogane's brows knitted together as he stared at the beautiful elf, seemingly puzzled. "Don't be greedy, idiot; you're getting plenty of attention from them. And like I said, I'm not interested."

Fai looked slightly surprised. "Silly Kurokuro. It's not you I'm jealous of. I… I want Kurochan to look only at me."

Kurogane blushed. No way; Fai was just messing with him again. There was no way he meant that. The farmer swallowed and averted his eyes, mumbling something that the blond, even with his superior hearing, couldn't make out over the chatter of the crowd.

"Hmm? What was that, Kuropin?"

"…I said to quit saying weird shit like that, 'specially when so many people are around," Kurogane huffed. "Someone'll get the wrong idea."

Fai pouted at him a little before slipping his smile back on to serve a sweet young brunette girl shyly told him her order. Kurogane sighed, relieved that the elf hadn't heard what he had really said: "Isn't it obvious that I already am, dumb ass?"

"Excuse me, sir, but could I get a pound of cured pork, please?" a very unhappy-looking middle-aged woman with long black hair requested of Fai once he had finished assisting the younger girl.

Fai blinked in surprise at the sheer weight of the gloom and agony she radiated and gave her a sympathetic smile. "Of course, ma'am. Any particular area you wanted?"

She indicated the cuts she desired and Fai began to fill her order, wrapping the meat in paper for her.

"Thank you, young man," she said wearily as she took the packages from him. "It's refreshing to see such a handsome smile in upsetting situations like these."

Fai watched her go curiously before looking up at the farmer. "Goodness, she sure seemed upset about something, didn't she?"

"That was the mother of a girl that my friend Sakura chan babysits…" Syaoran piped up nervously. "I hope everything's ok."

Watanuki looked worriedly at the other three. "Actually, one of the customers I was helping earlier mentioned something about a bunch of kids being found wandering outside in the middle of the night and this morning, lost and crying. Apparently there are at least three kids who weren't found…"

The three of them traded uneasy glances while Kurogane just frowned thoughtfully. Could this have something to do with that single elf and human who were reportedly roaming the area and causing trouble that he had heard those other women talking about the previous day? Kurogane certainly had his suspicions, but he didn't think it was a good idea to make any accusations about elves when there was one standing right beside him.


"Phew! That was hard work!" Fai sighed as he helped Kurogane toss the final empty crate into the back of the cart. The two boys had already been allowed to go home and Kurogane and the elf were about to do the same now that they had finished cleaning up their stand for the day. It wasn't especially late, but since it was November the daylight was starting to fade earlier and earlier. The moon was already visible in the darkening afternoon sky.

"I'm tired!" Fai panted. "I don't know if I have the energy to walk all the way back to Kuromun's house. Unless maybe Kurorin carried me…"

"I'm not carrying you," Kurogane said flatly.

"How mean," the blond whined. "I'm delicate, Kurochii, like a princess. That means you have to treat me like one or else I might break!"

"You're fine," Kurogane growled. "Quit being such a damn baby."

There was a very brief silence between them before Fai interrupted it again. "Ouchy, my feet are sore…"

The farmer made a very dog-like snarl in the back of his throat. "Fine! We'll ride in the stupid cart then! Jeez, even those kids don't whine half as much as you do!"

"Hyuu hyuu!" Fai cheered, clapping joyfully. "A cart ride with Kuronta! How exciting! I've never ridden in a wagon before!"

"It's not that big of a deal," Kurogane grumbled, though to tell the truth, he might have been looking forward to this… just a little.

He helped Fai into the back of the cart before getting in with him. The elf sat down right next to Kurogane, cuddling up happily.

Kurogane was about to spur Souhi into a nice steady trot when he recalled Fai's antics that morning and his promise to kick Fai's ass when they got home. Perhaps this was his chance for revenge. Kurogane allowed himself an evil grin and flicked the reigns against Souhi's neck, signaling the horse to take off at a high speed. Fai squeaked in alarm and clutched Kurogane's arm for support.

"Slow down, Kuropipi!" Fai pleaded as they tore down the narrow cobblestone road. "This is too fast!"

Kurogane's smirk broadened as he ignored the blond's request, keeping Souhi at his present breakneck pace. "No way; it's payback time, bastard. This is for all the shit you've given me!"

Fai clamped his eyes shut and hid his face in Kurogane's shoulder as he hugged the farmer's muscular arm so tightly it hurt. Kurogane turned his scarlet eyes on the trembling elf and tilted his head in surprise. Fai was shaking rather violently and Kurogane thought he might have even heard him whimpering.

"K-Kurosama, please… please stop!" The blond was genuinely terrified. Kurogane let out a sigh and signaled for Souhi to slow way down as his stupid conscience got to him. Now that they were going at a much slower pace Fai's grip on Kurogane's arm had loosened, but he didn't stop shaking.

"Jeez, can't even take something like that after all the screwing around you do," Kurogane grumbled guiltily. "Don't dish out what you can't take yourself, moron!"

The elf said nothing to defend himself; he just sat there, trembling and hugging Kurogane's arm.

"Hey… you gonna make it?" Kurogane asked in a much gentler voice than he had intended as he ruffled Fai's golden hair with his free hand.

"If… if it's ok with you, Kuronpyu, I… I think I'd like to walk the rest of the way," Fai replied weakly, too relieved that he was still alive after that to tease the other man about being cute for worrying about him.

Kurogane clicked his tongue in exasperation and ordered Souhi to stop so that the two of them could get out of the cart. The farmer hopped out first, helping the shivering blond out after him. As soon as Fai's feet were on the ground, he wobbled precariously as his weak knees threatened to give out on him and had to clutch onto Kurogane again for support.

"Don't tell me you can't even walk now," Kurogane growled.

"Sorry," Fai said softly, a weak smile tugging at his lips. "I guess I'm still a little shaken up so my legs are kind of like jelly. I…I just need to sit down for a minute."

Kurogane rolled his eyes as he crouched down and gestured for Fai to get on his back.

"We don't have time for that," he groused. "Once the sun goes down, it gets pretty cold and wild animals start to come out."

The elf looked at him in surprise for a moment before climbing on uncertainly.

"You're such a wimp," Kurogane mumbled, his cheeks reddening as Fai looped his delicate arms around his neck. "We weren't even going that fast."

"And you're such a meanie, Kuropun!" Fai pouted. "I told you I'd never done it before! You have to go slow at things when you're first starting out!"

Then the elf sighed and laid his cheek on Kurogane's shoulder. "But maybe it was worth it if Kurochii will carry me like this. I like riding Kuromin much better than I liked riding that cart."

"Tch! Idiot!" Kurogane spat, his blush increasing as he took Souhi's reigns again and began leading him towards home. "Don't say stuff that sounds dirty!"

Fai giggled quietly as he wrapped his spindly legs around Kurogane's waist and nuzzled his nose playfully against the farmer's neck. "But it's so funny to see Kurowanta get all flustered. A shy Kuropon is even cuter than an angry Kuropon."

"I'll put you back in that cart if you don't shut the hell up," Kurogane threatened. Fai fell silent, instead amusing himself by allowing his eyelashes to lightly tickle Kurogane's skin as he batted his eyes. The dark-haired man swallowed hard and tried nervously to pick up the pace. The sooner he got the flirtatious elf off of him, the better.

Kurogane led Souhi in silence in the increasing darkness for a long time and eventually he began to wonder if Fai might have fallen asleep. His cheek was resting warmly on Kurogane's shoulder and his breathing was deep and relaxed. Therefore, when Fai suddenly spoke, it startled the farmer and made him jump.

"What's that, Kuropyon?" he asked.

"What's what?" Kurogane snapped. "Don't talk so suddenly like that after being quiet for so long! Jeez, give me a freaking heart attack!"

Fai laughed. "I'm sorry. I had no idea that Kuromuu was so jumpy!"

"Tch!"

"I was just looking at that door in the side of the hill," the elf continued. "See, there's some pretty flowers planted there and a welcome mat… it looks like someone's living there."

Kurogane followed Fai's finger with his eyes, squinting through the darkness.

"Oh, that," Kurogane said unconcernedly. "That's a högfolk house."

At the sound of that word, Fai's limbs suddenly felt as though they had turned to jelly again. If Kurogane hadn't already been carrying him on his back, his legs probably would have given out on him.

"H-Högfolk…?" Fai repeated faintly.

"Anyone with half a brain can see I'm not a light elf."

"Then…you don't mean you're a da—"Fai gasped.

"Don't you dare accuse me of being one of those fucking dark-elves!" the other slave interrupted forcefully. "I'm a högfolk!" (7)

"Hmm? A what?"

"Högfolk!" Kurogane repeated impatiently. "Don't tell me you've never heard of us!"

Fai smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Kurochuu. I've been a slave since I was pretty young. They don't teach us anything here except for stuff we can use in our work."

"We're an intermediate race," Kurogane explained, "a mix between humans and elves."

"A mix, huh?" Fai echoed thoughtfully. "I know all about being a mix... It's tough sometimes, huh?"

The dark-haired slave shrugged. "I'm sure we don't have it worse than anyone else."

"You… you have… a lot of h-högfolk living around here?" the elf choked.

The farmer shrugged. "Not that many. A lot of people don't really like 'em; they think they're too much like elves so they're afraid to go near 'em."

"And… what do you think of them, Kurobun?"

"I don't mind 'em," Kurogane shrugged. "They've got as much right to be here as anyone else. Besides, it's not like they cause trouble or anything. Not like you."

Fai said nothing. He felt light-headed and dizzy with grief and a sudden rush of painful memories. His Kurogane's house… had it looked like that one? Hearing this Kurogane say that word as they stood outside the dwelling of one of his Kurogane's people was almost more than Fai could take.

"What's up?" Kurogane asked. "You're shaking again."

Fai closed his eyes and clung to the farmer's back. "Nothing, just… I'm c-cold…" he lied.

Kurogane hesitated for a moment. Then he plucked Fai off of his back and held him in his arms, trying to warm him by cuddling him against his chest. Fai couldn't tell if Kurogane had believed his lie but to tell the truth, he really couldn't bring himself to care. He curled up in the farmer's strong arms, biting his lip in an effort to prevent himself from crying. Fai bit his lip so hard that he could taste blood in his mouth, but it didn't keep the tears from falling.


"Damn, I'm hungry," Kurogane sighed as he put Fai down on the bed and hung up his cloak. The blond said nothing, instead keeping his head lowered so that his lush bangs hid his red rimmed eyes from sight.

"You want anything?" the dark-haired man asked from his place near the hearth where he was working on starting a fire.

Fai took a deep breath and let it out slowly, willing his voice not to shake as he answered.

"No thanks… I…I'm not feeling very well," he mumbled. "I think I'd just like to go to bed early, if that's alright."

Kurogane looked slightly concerned but didn't try to stop the elf as he climbed shakily into his futon and pulled the covers up over his head. Fai really wasn't sleepy; in fact, he'd be very surprised if he ended up getting any sleep that night. He worried that as soon as he closed his eyes and let himself drift off that the nightmares would come and he would be assaulted by the horrible memories of that day… But had no other choice; he really just wanted to be alone right now and was pretty sure that if he so much as looked at the farmer, he would start bawling his eyes out.


It was a good hour and a half before Kurogane addressed him again. He had finished cleaning up after his dinner and came to kneel at Fai's side, setting a steaming mug of something on the floor right in Fai's line of view. Apparently he knew that Fai wasn't really sleeping. The blond shifted his head slightly in a questioning motion, but was careful not to actually look at the other man.

"Tea," Kurogane grunted. "It'll settle your stomach and warm you up."

After another couple moments' hesitation, Fai sat up wearily, his back to Kurogane as he picked up the mug of tea. The elf took a cautious, reluctant sip. Kurogane didn't leave when Fai accepted the drink, and the blond was surprised to find that he didn't want him to.

"Hey, K-Ku…um…" Fai began hoarsely, unable to say Kurogane's name. "Do you think maybe… just for a little while…"

Kurogane didn't need Fai to finish his sentence; he already knew what the blond wanted. Without a word, he scooped the slender elf into his arms. Kurogane's touch was firm yet soothing, and Fai felt a small portion of his suffering being alleviated as one of the farmer's warm, calloused hands rested comfortingly on his lower back, the other bracing his head against his broad shoulder. Fai let out a wavering sigh and tried to relax in his embrace while he took another sip of his tea.

His Kurogane had never been free to hold him like this. There had always been someone watching and if their relationship had been discovered, when it was discovered, the effects had been… Fai could feel his throat tightening again painfully, the delicate fingers of his free hand clutching weakly at the farmer's shirt. Was it wrong of him to accept this? Should he not seek comfort from the loss of his lover in the arms of his mirror image? Was it disrespectful to his Kurogane's memory? Thinking about it made his head hurt. In the end, he decided that it made him feel like a traitor. He set down his half-empty mug and separated himself from his host. Kurogane made no move to stop him but Fai sensed that he was waiting for some sort of explanation.

"Sorry…," Fai whispered half-heartedly as he crawled back under his blankets, his back still facing the other man.

Kurogane hesitated, wondering if he should ask Fai if he wanted to talk about whatever was bothering him. Eventually he decided against it. Fai would talk if he felt like it. If Kurogane tried to press him for answers, he knew Fai would just dodge his questions. With a sigh, he got to his feet, slid two more logs into the flames in the fireplace and retreated to his own bed.


It might have been two in the morning when Kurogane was awakened by the sound of Fai sneaking out to perform his nightly dance in the yard. The dark-haired man sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, wondering if Fai had been lying awake that entire time. Whatever had happened to make him so upset on their way home had obviously really been bothering the elf. Kurogane wouldn't be surprised if Fai hadn't slept a wink. For some reason, that thought stirred the slightest feelings of sympathy from him. Fai had been appreciative at first the last time Kurogane had tried to offer him comfort. Perhaps it was time for him to try again.

Kurogane sighed and slid out of bed, heading towards the hook where his cloak was hanging. On his way, he noticed the outline of something long and smooth on the table in the dying embers from the fireplace. It was the flute Fai had carved the previous night. For some reason, Kurogane felt the impulse to bring it with him so he picked it up as he wrapped his cloak around his shoulders.

Fai hadn't started dancing yet. He was still stretching when Kurogane reached him. The blond paused for a moment when the other man arrived but then began again as though he didn't notice him standing there. Kurogane watched him flex his slim but muscular limbs, the moonlight highlighting his pleasant contours. The silvery glow made him look softer somehow and more fragile, like he might break if Kurogane touched him.

"…How unusual for Daddy follow me outside," Fai remarked, his voice now sounding smoother and calmer than it had the last time they had spoken. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Kurogane shrugged, trying to be nonchalant, but he could feel his cheeks getting a little bit hot. "Just wanted to make sure you weren't going to do anything stupid."

Fai pouted. "Why would I do something stupid?"

The dark-haired man frowned at him. "You tell me."

Fai considered his challenge for a moment, but decided to ignore it and instead tilted his head back to gaze at the night sky. "The stars sure are pretty tonight, aren't they?"

"…Hah?" Kurogane said, caught off guard. He had been trying to ask Fai what was wrong and somehow the elf had changed the topic to stars. "What are you mentioning those things for?"

"They're nice," Fai replied elusively. "Don't you ever take time to look at the stars?"

Kurogane raised an eyebrow at him. "Why should I?"

Fai let out a small laugh which might have been a bit forced. "I guess humans really don't appreciate nature, huh?"

The farmer frowned at this accusation and tilted his head back to study the night sky. He supposed stars were kind of pretty.

"I love stargazing," Fai said quietly. "Stars tell the future. Did you know that, Kurosama?"

Kurogane snorted doubtfully. "Sounds like crap to me."

"It's true," Fai insisted. "You just have to know how to read them. Would you like me to show you?" (8)

Without waiting for his answer, Fai lied down on his back in the grass and tugged on Kurogane's cloak to signal that he should join him. Reluctantly, the farmer got down on the ground beside him, folding and arm behind his head.

"So? What's gonna happen, then?" Kurogane asked, a hint of mocking disbelief creeping into his voice. Fai was silent for a moment as he studied the shapes in the sky.

"…Hardship for both of us," the elf said slowly. "Considerable hardship… unpleasant surprises… betrayal…"

Fai grinned weakly at him. "It looks pretty bleak."

Kurogane rolled his eyes. "Seriously, that's it? Is that the best you can do? That's pretty damn pathetic."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Fai asked, looking surprised.

"Anyone can make up vague, ominous shit like that," Kurogane sneered. "Of course we'll face that stuff; everyone does at some point in their life. Can't you be more specific?"

Fai frowned slightly and turned his face back to the sky. "I can't read what's not there, Kuropon. I'm just telling you what it says."

Kurogane clicked his tongue, a sign that he was not impressed. "If you thought something stupid like that would scare me, you're even more of a dumb ass than you look."

The elf glanced at him again. "You're not even a little bit worried?" he asked with a slight grin.

"Hell no," Kurogane scoffed. "Are you?"

"Hmm… maybe a little," Fai admitted.

"Well, you're an idiot," the dark-haired man replied bluntly. "Anyway, I can tell the future just as well as you can."

"Can you, Kuropuu?" Fai asked, looking amused.

"Sure, watch; some bad shit will happen, and after that, some good shit will happen," Kurogane said. "That's my prediction."

Now it was Fai's turn to snort doubtfully. "That's your prediction?" He laughed.

"What?" Kurogane groused. "I just did the same exact thing you did. What makes you think yours is so special?"

Fai hesitated, seemingly thinking something over. Then his grin broadened and he looked Kurogane in the eye for the first time since the högfolk incident earlier that evening.

"Are you trying to make me feel better, Kurochan?"

Kurogane's cheeks reddened slightly. "Don't be a moron. I was just trying to show you how stupid you looked trying to tell the future from those damn stars."

Fai shook his head. "It sounds to me like Kurosama is trying to tell me in his usual, gruff, Kurowanwan-sort of way that even if bad things happen, he'll see me through them and we'll be happy together when they're over."

"Th-that's not what I said at all!" Kurogane snapped, his cheeks turning an absolutely adorable shade of red. "Quit putting words in my mouth! You suck at reading me even more than you suck at reading the stars!"

"Whatever you say, Kurochuu," Fai grinned. He reached over to take Kurogane's hand and was surprised to find the farmer's thick fingers closed already closed around something. "Is… is that my flute you're holding?"

Kurogane looked down at the item in his hand as if he was just now noticing it himself. "Hmph. Guess so."

"What did you bring that out here for?" Fai asked curiously, taking it from him.

Kurogane shrugged. "It was sitting on the table when I went to get my cloak so I picked it up."

"Shall I play something for you?" the elf offered sweetly, lifting the instrument to his lips.

"Do what you want," Kurogane grumbled.

Fai smiled at him as he sat up and began to play.

The doors of homes containing children all over town all opened simultaneously, the half-conscious youngsters drawn out of their warmth and into the freezing night wind once more.


(1) Although farmers didn't typically have money to buy expensive dyes for their clothing in the medieval period, working outside with plants gave them plenty of access to ones that could be used to make pale dyes like yellow or blue. Also, it wouldn't be terribly uncommon for a farmer's wife to have garments lined with the fur of small common animals like rabbit or squirrel. Clearly my research into this matter was overdue as I carelessly mentioned Kurogane having black socks in the last chapter. It seems that black and crimson were the two most expensive colors of dye and would certainly not have been available to someone of Kurogane's status OTL

(2) Ah, Chisei… I forgot to mention it in the last chapter when I introduced her, but she's not an OC; she's a CLAMP character. I don't want to give anything away at this point, though, so I won't say any more about her. I promise, all will become clear about her in later chapters.

(3) Actually, Fuka is meant to be Kohane's mom from Holic. She was never given a name in canon so I created one for her. It's spelled with the kanji for "sudden" and "change", because, like her Holic counterpart, she was a normal, loving mother until her baby was replaced with a different one. That's when she suddenly turned sour.

(4) According to folklore, if your child was found to be a changeling, you could get rid of the elf baby and restore your own by doing one of two things. The first way, as related in British folklore, was to show the elf baby (who is not really a baby at all, apparently, but rather an old male elf. What the hell.) something really strange that he's never seen before. He will be so shocked that he will have no choice but to say something along the lines of "I am now 800 years old, and this is the first time I have seen the likes of that." His speech activates some sort of spell that reverses the change. The second way, as detailed in German folklore, was to beat the shit out of the elf and this would somehow cause the elf baby to vanish, leaving the real child behind. Babies born with disabilities were often thought to be changelings and this was how their parents rationalized brutalizing and killing those "defective" children. Medieval people were sick and twisted, huh?

(5) Technically, the translation for "goshujin sama" is "husband" but this is what the maids in Japanese maid cafés call their male customers, and in that situation it is translated as "master". "Kimi" also means "master".

(6) This really has nothing to do with anything, but you can tell if steak and other beef cuts are high quality by the amount of marbling it has. Marbling refers to white streaks of fat scattered throughout the meat. Thank you, nutrition class.

(7) Högfolk, as mentioned in the story, are an intermediate race somewhere between elves and humans, though I don't think a child produced by a human mating with an elf would be considered a högfolk. They are an entirely separate race. The translation of the word means "hill people", which comes from the facts that they make their homes in burrowed-out hillsides (kind of like a hobbit, only I believe they're the same size as the average human). There isn't a whole lot of information about them in folklore as far as I've been able to find, but from what I've gathered, they have a unique brand of music and view the fact that they are neither fully human nor fully elfin as something to mourn about. I didn't think Kurogane seemed the type to get all worked up over that sort of thing, though, so I made him more comfortable with his membership in the species than is typically portrayed.

(8) According to folklore, elves are adept star-readers and can tell the future as well as stories about past events by looking at the stars.