Part Seven:

"Home, finally!" Fai said, lofting his hand. The sled, reindeer, and glass encased demons levitated upwards towards Luval Castle. Kurogane admitted he was relieved. Nihongo Country was in sight. They landed in the stable and several smiling grooms and servants greeted them.

"We knew you'd do it, Master Fai!" one young groom shouted, bouncing on his feet.

"When it comes to Yuui, there isn't anything I won't accomplish," Fai said, but then looked over towards Kurogane. "Of course, I had a lot of help from Kurgs. He deserves some cheers, too."

"Fai!" Suddenly, everyone grew silent and lowered their heads as King Ashura and Princess Tomoyo entered the room.

Fai jumped from the sled. "We were able to capture two. The one that's wounded is the one that attacked Yuui."

"Well done," Ashura said, squeezing one of Fai's shoulders and giving him a smile. He lofted his staff and the demons levitated in a swirl of green. "Let's heal Yuui, shall we?"


Kurogane stood in the bright room with enchanted walls; they were in the tallest tower in Luval. The demons were in the middle of the room, still embedded in glass. He took Ginryuu in a two handed grip and nodded, signaling he was ready. Fai and King Ashura also held their staffs defensively, fluorite toppers glowing.

"Just release its hand," Tomoyo requested of Fai. She lifted a vial that already had a medicinal liquid in the bottom. She raised her hand, a hazy red orb appeared. Fai raised his staff and part of the glass around the hand of the wounded demon shattered. The red orb grew tendrils and stretched out towards the demon's bare hand. The tendrils turned blackish and then went into the vial. Tomoyo held her hand over the vial and briefly chanted something Kurogane recognize from his mother's spells.

She held the vial towards King Ashura. The liquid was now glowing a gold color. "It's done."

"Good. I'd appreciate it if you'd go administer it to Yuui, while we get rid of these two demons," Ashura said. She nodded and left the room. King Ashura turned his attention to the demons. "One at a time, Fai."

"Yes, sir," Fai said, shattering the rest of the glass around the wounded demon. It howled and instantly tried to lunge at Fai, craving his blood. Kurogane quickly beheaded the creature before it got close to the mage.

It melted into a ball of goo and smoke. "Alright, I'm ready for the next one. It should put up more of a fight."

Fai pointed his staff at the next one and released it, glass shattering everywhere. He and Ashura used magic to hold the demon still as it thrashed. Pink bands held onto its left arm, green bands held onto its right arm. It started howling and trying to chomp the mages.

Kurogane ran Ginryuu across the demon's stomach, disemboweling it. The demon collapsed and dissolved. Kurogane sheathed Ginryuu just as Fai gasped. "Yuui! I've got to go see him!"

Fai bolted from the room in a flash. Before Kurogane could follow, Ashura grabbed his elbow. "Thank you for what you've done for Yuui. And also, what you've done for Fai. I know he can be a handful."

"I found out why last night."

"He told you? He never talks about it, willingly."

"No, the mayor did. I should let you know there was some trouble last night. We ran into some bandits. Fai was put in the position where he had to kill someone."

Ashura grimaced and nodded. "I know. I felt the hex. I put a marking on his back that should have prevented that."

"I've seen it." Ashura's eyes went wide and then narrowed in suspicion. Doubtlessly, the twins were at the age when they were starting to attract some amorous attention, probably to King Ashura's consternation. Those bandits' threats towards Fai were what tipped off Kurogane to Ashura's sudden coolness. Kurogane felt heat come to his face. "It was unintended since we had to use a couple of hamam. I noticed, though, it's turned from black to a dark green."

Ashura relaxed at Kurogane's explanation, but then looked disturbed. "That means his magic has grown a great deal. I'll need to think on this."

They left the room and walked towards the twins' suite. Kurogane heard Tomoyo say, "...so it'll be in the morning."

"He's already getting warmer!" Fai said.

They walked in to see Fai sitting on the bed beside Yuui. Tomoyo was smiling at the twins, holding an empty vial. King Ashura asked, "He'll be fine?"

"He should be awake by tomorrow morning. We'll wait to make sure he'll make a full recovery. I'll monitor him through the night."

"Princess Tomoyo, I can't thank you enough, but I think I have a notion on how to repay you for saving my son," King Ashura said. "Why don't we go have a late lunch, because I have something to discuss with you. We'll let Fai watch over Yuui."

"As you wish, Highness," she said.

"I'll have lunch sent for you and Kurogane. Make sure you eat your food and don't overindulge in the wine, Fai," Ashura said, leading Tomoyo out.

Kurogane turned to Fai and Yuui. "Thank you so much, Kuro-pon."

"Stop with the dumb nicknames already, if you want to thank me!"

"Awe, come on, there's surely one you like. Kuro-rin, Kuro-pu, Kurgs..."

"I hate them all, you nitwit!"

Fai just gave a chuckle and stood from his twin's bed. He brush back Yuui's bangs and released the hand he was holding. He turned a bright smile towards the ninja and said, "I can't wait to introduce you, but he's the shy one."

"You could use some shyness," Kurogane griped as a servant wheeled in a food cart.

"Lunch, Master Fai," a young boy announced. Fai went over and inspected the cart.

"Good for you, Kuro-go. It's cod. Ashura must really be pissed off at me if he's sending fish."

"Serves you right." Kurogane and Fai sat on an extravagant rug with rich colors and elaborate patterns, the meal spread between them and the servant dismissed. Fai gave a gentle chuckle and then they ate in silence. "Why so quite, mage?"

"No reason. I'm just glad Yuui's safe. But I have to say, I hope you stay a little while longer."

"Tsk. I have to go thaw my feet." Kurogane could see something strange in those blue eyes. He had no clue what it was, but it prompted him to admit, "This adventure has been interesting, though. I'm glad I did come and was able to help your brother and kill those demons. So, you learned your lesson?"

"About casting spells I haven't practiced properly?" Fai asked. He glanced over at Yuui and nodded. "It just means from now on I'll have to study twice as hard."

"It's hard for me to imagine you have the patience for studying anything."

Fai smile grew bright. "There's something I really, really want. I want Ashura to grant me the right to carry the letter 'D' in between my first and last name. It's an honor only the greatest wizards of Celes carry. I'm not studied enough, yet, but I'll get there. It's a dream of mine." Fai was silent for a second and then affixed the most charming, warm, and real smile on his face. It was unnerving for Kurogane to see a true one. "So what is your fondest dream?"

He was about to make a dismissive comment about being warm, but instead he confessed, "It's to get back to Suwa, my home province. I want to help my father hunt monsters, so the stress can be taken off my mother. She's the one who maintains the wards to drive monsters away from Suwa, but she suffers an illness that takes her vitality."

"You must love your parents very much." Kurogane was a little startled. In Nihongo, the word love wasn't something said in formal company or outside of family: "fond", "like", and "admire" were typical.

It made him a tinge uncomfortable, but he nodded because it was the truth. "They are the most important people to me. They're the two people I want to protect with all my strength. Unfortunately, I can't go back for another six months, until I finish serving Princess Tomoyo. I enjoy serving the princess a great deal; she's sided with our family in conflicts and has made medicine to maintain my mother's health. I do owe her. I just feel I need to be by my father's side, fighting."

"You truly are a warrior, Kuro-tan. I admire that you've embraced something in you that I can never embrace in myself."

"Bull! You make excuses. Did you have a rough deal at the start your life? Yeah, it was something that'd break most people's sanity. But here you and your twin are. So don't give me any crap about how it's too hard to own up to what you are. That's a combat mage, whether you like it or not. Combat is bloody, but when it's used to protect innocent lives, it's worth it. You admire the people of Celes, don't you owe it to them to protect them with all your strengths and talents? They give you so much. Return it! Otherwise, you really are a weak coward, the type I can't stand. But I know you're stronger than that if you survived your childhood."

Fai's expression grew so solemn. "People have said that same thing to me in polite guises, but never in a firm, blunt way like you said. Maybe it's time I start listening. Starting with Captain Demetri. I blew him off."

"Who's he?"

"Mayor Tanya was Yuui's advanced instructor in healing. Captain Demetri was mine in combat training. He's a retired combat mage that was one of the best. He served Ashura's father for decades. He tried to train me to harness my hexes in a precise way. After what happened last night, I see why that was necessary. I need to talk to him. Do you want to come with me?"

"Sure. Nothing else to do," Kurogane said, never liking staying put for too long.

Fai lofted his hand and said, "I think I can travel the ley lines again, but..."

Kurogane grabbed Fai's lofted wrist. He turned Fai around, then yanked the collar of his clothing down and examined the head of the tattooed bird. It was now a light green.

"Mage, you're in trouble. It's now pale green, like a spring grass in my home world."

"Ashura's markings? Yes, he had a feeling one day this would happen. Let's go by sled instead."

Kurogane's gut clenched at traveling around Celes any more by sled, but he needed to finish his obligation and make sure this mage wouldn't get into any more trouble. They left Luval by sled after Tomoyo came back to watch Yuui. It wasn't a long journey to a nearby fire tower. It looked abandoned and rundown. Fai, without surprise, guided the reindeer into an door that opened on its own.

Fai led him upstairs into a sitting room where a grizzled man sat in front of a blazing fireplace. Fai instantly knelt down in front of the man and draped himself over the elderly man's lap. "Demetri, I... I want to say I haven't been devoting all my strengths and talents to Celes like I should. Please forgive me. I'll study towards being a combat mage without protest."

The man patted Fai's head and shushed him. "I know why you stopped seeing me in the first place. I also know you suddenly had a change of heart. I feel every well crafted hex that's cast in this frosty world. And I know when it's you. You must have been protecting someone very important to you to cast that killing hex last night. Outside of protecting Yuui or Ashura, I can't imagine you doing that."

"No... it was someone... else..." Fai started sobbing.

The old man turned his face towards Kurogane, and he could see now the man was wearing an eye-patch over the left eye. He also noticed the man was missing his left arm. The man didn't look one bit surprised by Fai's sudden wailing over his lap.

The man fixed a hawk-like gaze on Kurogane. "You must be the beneficiary of Fai's killing hex or else he wouldn't have brought you here. My name is Demetri D Ivanovich. You are...?"

"Kurogane of Suwa, sir." He gave a bow and knelt on the floor close to where Fai was howling uncontrollably across the man's lap. "He's such a mess."

The old man chuckled and nodded; he kept petting Fai's hair as he sobbed. "He is, but he's a valuable jewel that needs careful shaping. He can be a strong fighter, but his soft heart needs protecting while he fights for what's worthwhile."

"I've seen that."

The man gripped Fai's hair and gently tugged his head upwards. "Go get a nap, Fai. I don't wanna to see your blubbering while I eat dinner. It'll ruin my appetite."

"Yes, sir," the blond said and instantly ran out of the sitting room to parts unknown.

The old man chuckled. "He knows when I'll hex his butt for being bullheaded."

"Wish I could do that to the little, pampered snot."

Demetri gave a rich laugh and shook his head. "I see he's made an impression on you." The man shook his head. "I can see you're a solider of some sort, a good one, too. I tried to make Fai into one, but there are just things I couldn't change in him. But, he's a good boy."

"I know. I think he came to try to apologize for not being as devoted as he could to his studies."

"Yeah, it was the smell of blood that always threw him. If he can get a hold of it, he'd be a force to be reckoned with."

"He ripped apart a man's chest without an effort, but he couldn't hold it together afterwards."

"It takes training. Listen..." He pointed to a giant trunk in the conner. "Those will be his to take. My journals over the years. Everything I know is in there. I'm afraid I'm out of time to personally teach him." Kurogane caught the man's drift, and nodded. "But I don't want him to know. I want him to study what he wants without feeling guilty."

"I understand."

"Well, I take it he got into some sort of big trouble?"

"Yeah, but we were able to fix it."

"Good. Is the king angry with him?"

"Very much so. He's going to punish him tomorrow. I don't know what he's going to do."

"I tried to convince King Ashura to apply more discipline, but he's a soft touch when it comes to those boys."

"I have a feeling Fai about to get a rude awaking," Kurogane said.

"Well, he'll have one more night of freedom, so why don't you two stay overnight and have dinner?"

"Sure. I think it'll take his mind off of things."

"Go see if he's dried up the tears. I'm looking forward to some good cooking."

To be continued.