A/N: Sorry this took so long. I had a nasty flu and couldn't get out of bed for eight days. I'm finally feeling human again. The next chapter is almost done so it won't take long. Fai finally gets to meet Lord and Lady Suwa in part eighteen. It'll, I hope, put some smiles on your faces.

Part Seventeen:

Fai cast a dissolving hex at the wind chime. He looked at the officials that had the wayward novice tied up and sitting in a wagon. "The dead will all decay and not roam the countryside any more."

"I hate that that had to happen, but the dead shouldn't be wandering around," the head priest said to Fai.

Fai walked over to the novice and asked, "So, why did you dabble in raising the dead? It has horrible repercussions."

The novice gritted his teeth, his eyes looking on the verge of madness. "Because I would be the one to banish them back to their graves. I would have become a hero and then been promoted at the shrine. I could get a reputation and travel, rather than sit around copying old scrolls."

"So you wanted fame and fortune, but chose the life of a priest. Kind of inconsistent, since they should live a humble life," Fai pointed out.

"Not if you weren't born with the skills of a warrior! It was my way to get glory," the novice snarled. Fai shivered and felt a wave of regret. There were people who didn't have his talents and craved them. He, on the other hand, had been neglectful of his gifts the past. However, he did feel Captain Demetri would be proud of the changes he'd made since living in Nihongo, and he took comfort in that.

The chief guard walked up to Kurogane and asked, "So did you want to add attempted murder to the charges?"

Kurogane looked over to Fai, who shook his head. "What he'll receive for casting a spell to raise the dead will be more than enough punishment."

Kurogane turned back to the guard. "You heard the mage; he wants no charges. Just take him away for his crimes against the dead." The guards left the shrine's courtyard with their prisoner just as dawn cast proper light. "So what's he in for?"

"Nightmares. He'll start imagining the dead are coming for him. It's all rather unpleasant and bound to drive him mad," Fai answered.

The high priest turned and offered Fai and Kurogane breakfast. They took him up on the offer, but quickly left towards Edo.


"...and that's my proposal," Duchess Naidra Harvoan said, closing the trunk containing several bars of gold. She let her guards resume their position around the trunk and looked around the lake side lodge she'd rented in secret.

The major leaders of several large bands of bandits were mostly nodding. One named Adrik, however, was scowling. He was the main one to influence because he was the most powerful and respected among the bandits. His cousin, Merron, had been killed last winter by Fai's companion. She was hoping to leverage that into his support.

"So, basically you'll funnel funds and weapons to us, and you want us to aggravate King Ashura in return? Lady, that's insane. I've seen the king in battle. He's one of the best combat mages in all of Celes. He and his men would crush us easily," the tall bandit with stubble on his chin said. "This is why we stay in small groups and do light raiding. If we were to band together, it'd attract too much of Ashura's attention."

"Exactly! I want his attention away from Luval Castle, just for a very short time."

"So you want us to band together and cause enough trouble to catch the king's attention. That much you've explained. But you haven't explained why," Adrik pointed out, giving the Duchess a shrewd expression.

"I want you to preoccupy the king while that hateful brat, Fai, is gone. I want Ashura distracted so I can move in on Yuui and manipulate him into eloping with one of my granddaughters. If Ashura is busy fighting in the west, he won't be around to influence that bashful boy. One of my girls should be able to get his attention, because I'm sure he's naïve when it comes to the opposite sex. And if not, I have a potion that'll help push him towards one of my girls. Once a royal marriage is forged, it can never be undone by divorce. It'll be something permanent that Ashura can't ignore."

"He's what...? Sixteen? Good luck with that. Wizards at that age could care less about girls."

"Like I said, it'll happen one way or the other, regardless of his age. He's the weaker of the two."

"And then when Fai gets back? What if Ashura chooses him to be his successor? Then your plans will have gone up in smoke," Adrik said, rubbing the stubble on his chin.

"Everyone knows Ashura is leaning more towards Yuui. But even so, I'll make sure the same happens to Fai and he marries one of my girls. He's an overgrown child that needs the appropriate bait put in front of him. Besides, I though you'd want to help make a fool of Fai. He was one of the ones responsible for your cousin's death, him and that foreign companion of his."

"It'd be nice to see him under some woman's thumb," Adrik said. "Okay, you've got us, but don't think we're in this for your quest. We want the money you promised. If you don't carry through, don't think we won't tell King Ashura why we decided to band together suddenly."

"I want renege! You just keep Ashura away from Yuui over the next month."

"Done," Adrik finally said. "Ashura is about to have to take up his roll as a combat mage. I hope he's rusty."

The bandits around the room chuckled. "We'll give him a run for his money," one of the other bandit leaders said. There were more chuckles and some arrogant bragging after that.


"Is this it?" Schuldig sneered. Nagi peered over the hill top. Schwarz were all lying in the tall grass and observing the rice fields and the farmers in the distance. It was coming to the end of the harvesting season, so activity was at a minimum.

Crawford looked over the top of his glasses at Schuldig and asked, "What did you expect? A five star hotel with an Italian chef and champaign?"

Nagi had no idea what Crawford was talking about, but it put a sneer on Schuldig's face. He chose to ignore his adult companions' nonsense. "I haven't been here before, but that girl from the village said this is the border of Suwa," Nagi confirmed. He had gone to gather information, and he was happy they had finally arrived at their destination.

"So now we stalk down that ninja in your vision and get this over with," Schuldig said.

"Not so fast. The time hasn't come yet. We have to wait a little longer to take on the ninja with the dragon tattoo on his arm. He'll be having a vicious argument with the mage at this border. That'll be the day when we will take them both," Crawford said.

"I'm sick of this roughing it shit. I want some civilization, not this farm village."

"I hate to break it to you, but we're roughing it at that small lodge we found abandoned in the hills," Crawford said. Schuldig groaned and rolled over on his back. "We won't cross the border of Suwa yet."

Schuldig snickered. "Going back to your roots, Brad? Living in small shacks in the hills?"

Now Crawford gave Schuldig a sour expression. "Remember, chaos isn't meant to be comfortable."

"I know," Schuldig said, now wearing a lop-sided smile. "I still would like electricity and consistent plumbing."

"Why don't ye learn to appreciate God's creation, ya' heathen!" Farfarello snapped.

Nagi tuned out the upcoming religious argument between Schuldig and Farfarello and turned to Crawford. "Do you know how long before we find the ninja?"

"You know it doesn't work like that, Nagi. But I can tell it won't be terribly long. We'll lay low in the mean time."

Nagi looked at the village, just a small spot in Suwa. He'd been careful to hide his abilities from these farmers, too afraid they'd turn him over to the lord of the province. They seemed suspicious of a young teenager traveling alone, but he was able to lie and claim he was an orphan. No doubt they wouldn't concern Lord Suwa over his appearance. He glanced over at his adult companions; they, on the other hand, would warrant an immediate report.

He felt a rare smile come to his face as Farfarello and Schuldig started to tussle in the tall grass with growls and curses when their argument on religion hit a high point. This was typical, so Nagi had learned not to be concerned. This was just the way Farfarello and Schuldig expressed their close friendship on a volatile topic.

Crawford never weighed in on religion. It was as if the man knew something, but couldn't or wouldn't say what knowledge he had. It did unnerve Nagi, but he was patient. Crawford always revealed what was necessary in the correct time.


Yuui reached up for a book and heard, "Well isn't that interesting. Family trees rather than magic."

He swirled around and saw Governor Boris, to his irritation. He had been alone for most of the day in the tower with the forbidden books. At first, it was hard to not get distracted by some of the old, unknown knowledge. What put him on track was finding the old legend about a set of twins that came to conquer Valeria. It matched up to the time the chieftain and his brother moved the tribe from Celes. A warrior from Valeria killed the chieftain's twin brother and then the chieftain committed suicide.

Yuui was afraid the bloodline had died, but he was relived to find the chieftain also had a son that had come to Valeria with the rest of the tribe. After his father and uncle's deaths he lead the tribe into a long, bloody war against the natives of Valeria. With his strong magic, he had quickly dominated Valeria. He married into the royal family, which at reading that news, Yuui had started to get unnerved.

He started tracing the royal lineage, which was very tedious work. It only irritated him to be interrupted halfway through, but he put on his best manners and replied, "A little side research. It's personal and unrelated to my project. I guess I got distracted."

"It's almost dinner, and I'm looking forward to having some real conversation," Boris said, flopping down on a chair. Boris picked up one of the books on hexes, snorted, and tossed it on the floor in disdain. Yuui began to wonder about this young governor's magical talents; did they lean towards aggressive or recovery.

"I'm not much of conversationalist, unlike Fai," Yuui said. No need in hiding his identity to this man.

"Well, you're bound to be more entertaining than my regular retainers. Keep your false identity, by the way. I suspect some of my people like to talk to Valerians too much in exchange for... favors. But that's not a polite conversation for a prince."

Yuui reluctantly followed the young governor out of the tower. There were several Celians sitting around the long dining table, all drinking and talking. They paused and looked at Yuui, who was still wearing a glamor. They greeted him warmly and asked him for the latest gossip from Celes. He obliged with some minor stories, but he always hated being the center of attention.

He was served way too much wine in a fancy goblet, cold chicken, and turnips. He grew silent and listened to the conversation around him. Yuui found the conversation inane at best, asinine at worst. The more alcohol flowed, the more cackles at silly conversation happened. He was used to Fai being a heavy drinker, but he was at least somber when he drank.

He glanced over at Boris at the head of the table; he seemed somber and sober. He sat with his legs draped over the arm of his chair as he picked at his chicken with his fingers.

"...and then I says to him, you're a fool because that old story ended with the girl running off with that horse trainer and not the prince. She threw away all that money!" one of the men further down the table slurred.

Boris slammed his hand on the table and scowled. "According to the story it was the power of love that won out over wealth. It's a tale to illustrate that gold can never get in the way of true love."

The group got silent, but then one of the women at the table howled in laughter. She said, "Gold can be a powerful incentive to find love with a prince, no matter how odious he is."

Boris pointed to Yuui and asked, "So... if you were a prince and knew a woman just wanted your fortune and power, would you still marry her?"

"No," Yuui answered flatly. "If she could be bought with my money, then she could be bought with someone else's just as easily."

"Well, spoken," Boris said, lofting his goblet towards Yuui. "People with such power, like princes, should always guard themselves against unscrupulous suitors."

Yuui's mind drifted to Fai. He knew Fai was enamored with Kurogane before they left for Nihongo. He wondered if Fai's feelings for Kurogane had grown or extinguished. Yuui also wondered if Kurogane would return Fai's feelings. He had to admit he was worried about Fai's heart, because his twin wasn't as used to being as defensive as he was.

"I'm afraid I'm pretty tired. I'd like to get some sleep. Thanks for your hospitality, Governor," Yuui said, starting to dread staying in his first bedroom.

"If you need anything, just ring the bell and a servant will get it," Boris said.

Yuui nodded and fled the dining hall. When he was firmly locked away in his first bedroom he dropped his glamor and sank to the floor. It was dark and cold, but he could tell not a thing had been touched since he and Fai were banished. A thick layer of dust was everywhere.

He hugged his legs to his chest and closed his eyes, his back against the door. He knew he wasn't going to get any sleep, but he needed to try. Finally, fitful rest came to him on the tile floor.


"What's wrong?" Kurogane asked. Fai looked over to where Kurogane was propped up on his elbow beside him.

Fai sighed and then looked around their rented room. It was simple with a table, small fireplace, and an elk pelt to sleep on. It was early evening, but they had decided to turn in. They were at an inn just miles from Edo's borders. Heavy rain had bogged them down, legitimately delaying their trip back until the day before Kurogane's twenty-first birthday. Fai had been brooding all day.

Since leaving the shrine three days ago, Fai had badgered Kurogane about his plans to go back to Suwa, but the ninja had remained tight-lipped about his intentions. Now, Fai was in a sour mood because the time when they had to part was less than a day away.

He took a deep breath and figured there was no lying to get out of this. "Well, I was wondering if you've thought about staying at Shirosagi Castle for a little while longer."

"Like I told you, I haven't considered it," Kurogane replied. Fai felt his eyes narrow.

"Not even for a moment? You're going to pack up and leave for Suwa tomorrow?"

"That's my plan."

Fai's stomach sank. He started to feel used and angry. "Well then... I guess this is it?"

Fai was baffled by Kurogane's calm expression. The ninja settled on his back and wrapped up in a blanket, getting ready to fall asleep. That only infuriated Fai. He contemplated kicking or hexing Kurogane.

Instead, Fai calmed his hot temper and flopped over on his stomach. His hurt and anger were disturbed by Kurogane chiding him. "Have some faith in me."

Fai thought back over their last months together. Kurogane had proved himself again and again. Still, he had trouble trusting, because there was not one thing he'd seen Kurogane do to change things. Fai took a deep breath, but didn't answer. He buried his face in the wiry pelt and tried to stifle his tears.

Kurogane, to Fai's consternation, slept soundly. They took off for Shirosagi Castle at the first light of dawn. Fai refused to be the first one to speak; he was still angry with the ninja and pretty hurt. Kurogane, on the other hand, was in a contented silence with a placid expression.

They rode through an Edo that was just starting off its morning. People gave them sleepy half waves as they passed by towards the castle. Fai was astonished to see Princess Tomoyo waiting at the front gate of Shirosagi Castle. No one else was around, not even guards.

Kurogane got off his horse and gave the princess a bow. She smiled brightly and said, "You got a letter back from Suwa, Kurogane." She held out a rolled up scroll. "I got one from your parents as well. You have my consent to take him."

Kurogane unrolled the scroll and read; afterwards, he gave Fai a lop-sided smile. "I told you to have faith in me."

Fai got off his horse and took the scroll. "I can't read it."

"My parents have given me permission to bring you to Suwa. You'll be staying with me for the next six months. I wrote them a letter and sent it when Kentaro was here to check on me. You must have impressed him, because it seems he argued my case. My parents are very eager to meet you."

"I'm happy that worked out. I'll want to see you both off after you finish getting your things together," Tomoyo said. She left them alone in front of the castle.

"What...? I don't understand," Fai said, anger draining. He felt numb and free to talk now that they were alone.

"And I thought you were smart, mage. Get your things packed. You're moving to Suwa," Kurogane said. The ninja turned to leave with a too smug expression.

"Wait a minute!" Fai said, clutching the scroll in a balled up fist. Kurogane looked over his shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me all this?"

"Because there was a chance my parents would have said no. Or Princess Tomoyo may have decided to keep you in Edo. I couldn't stand the thought of getting your hopes up only to have them crushed. I wanted to wait and give you good news."

"But you made me think you didn't care and that you weren't doing anything to keep us together," Fai said, marching up to Kurogane, fury on full tilt again.

"And I told you to have faith in me. I'm not letting you go until it becomes absolutely impossible. I mean that, so stop doubting me," Kurogane said. Fai was taken aback by Kurogane's narrowed eyes and tightened jaw. That's when it dawned on Fai how he'd wronged Kurogane; his stomach churned with some guilt.

"I guess I hurt your feelings over the last couple of days with my mistrust."

"I've never given you one reason to not trust me. I've been patient with you because of your childhood, but I need your trust if you choose to come with me to Suwa." It was a firm ultimatum.

Fai nodded. "I'm sorry. It's just that you aren't normally devious like this."

Kurogane smirked. "I guess your bad habits are rubbing off on me. Come on, I want to get on the road."

They went towards the entrance of Shirosagi Castle after tying up their horses at a post. Fai said, "I still think you should have told me instead of sneaking around like a little sissy."

"What! Idiot mage! I'll wring your scrawny neck!" Kurogane shouted at Fai as he ran off in laughter.

To be continued.