Part Forty-Two:

Fai looked at all his things spread around Kurogane's room. He was unwilling to pack. That would be admitting he had no hope, but he did have hope. Maybe King Ashura would listen and indulge him like always. After all, he couldn't remember a time Ashura had told him no. All he had to do was say 'I want' and it was always his. Still, this was so much bigger than a trinket that had caught his eye.

He hoped he'd have his way. He so desperately wanted King Ashura's blessings on his relationship with Kurogane. He was nervous he wouldn't get it, because of his age. If he didn't get it, he planned to wail and badger his father until he relented. After all, if there was one thing Fai was good at, it was throwing temper tantrums until he got his way.

He put on his furisode rather than his one traveling outfit from Celes. Not only was it too hot to wear it, but it would also be admitting defeat. He left Kurogane's room and joined the Suwa family on a deck facing the courtyard. He felt a true smile to his face as he felt the familiar tingle in his stomach.

"He's coming," Fai announced.


"And so it begins," Ashura said to himself, standing a distance from the pool that held Yuui and Boris. "I know you miss Fai, don't you, my meek, little one? Don't worry. You brazen, older brother will come to save you."

He had assigned Mayor Dayken to fill in for him while he went to fetch Fai. The rebellion was put down and everything was secure, so he had confidence enough to leave his kingdom. He traced green runes in a casting circle and smiled to himself. He was careful to remember Nihongo's coordinates, but his mind honed in on Fai and the last time he felt his son cast to help pinpoint where his Fai was.

"It'll be wonderful to see you again, Fai. I've missed you so. I'm anxious to see what you've learned. May it be enough to stop me and make me proud of you."

With that, the casting circle closed and Ashura opened his brown eyes in a land vastly different than his own.


Fai felt a surge of joy as the green runes dissolved and left King Ashura standing in the Suwa family courtyard. He leaped towards King Ashura and hugged him around the neck, fiercely. Ashura embraced him tightly and pressed a kiss on Fai's forehead, dropping his staff to the ground.

"I've missed you so much, Father!" Fai said, burying his face in Ashura's raven hair as the king's fingers twined in soft, blond strands. Tears sprang up as he reluctantly let the man go. He looked around and asked, "You didn't bring Yuui?"

"Not at this time. So, are you going to introduce me to your hosts, or be horribly ill mannered? They'll start to think wolves raised you rather than me." Ashura gave him the warmest, gentlest smile as he brushed back Fai's bangs.

Fai tugged Ashura by the hands towards the Suwa family. "Of course, you met Kurga-lurga. Well, these are his parents, Lord and Lady Suwa."

"It's an honor to meet you, Ice King," Lord Suwa said, with a respectful bow.

"Ice King?" Ashura asked Fai.

"In Nihongo, they don't address people by their names, but by indirect references. It's their way of showing respect," Fai explained. "You are known as the 'ice king' and I'm called 'mage of Celes'. Oh and also I'm known as 'spoiled brat' and, my personal favorite, 'pampered snot'."

"Mage! I should choke you blue for telling your father that!" Kurogane raged, waving a fist in the air.

Fai adopted coyness. "Aww, Kuro-wa, I thought you'd want my father to know how you feel about me."

"Why you little...!"

Lord Suwa chuckled and shook his head. "And yet again, you rise to his bait. I swear you beg for abuse from the mage of Celes."

"Really, Kurogane, you just encourage him," his mother said, repressing her giggles.

"And once again, you turn my own parents against me! I swear revenge on you, Fai," Kurogane said, clenching his fist.

"Don't worry, Father Ashura. He blusters like that all the time. I find it so adorable!"

"I really could kill you," Kurogane said, glaring at Fai.

Fai just gave a mild chuckle and hugged King Ashura again; the man embraced him back. "So how is everything on Celes? You must tell me everything."

"So, craving gossip, I see, as always. It is the national hobby of Celes, after all," King Ashura teased.

"Ice King, would you like to have lunch with us and relate the news to your son?" Lady Suwa asked. "According to him, our food will suit your taste."

"I'd be honored to share a meal with your family. I must take off some of my outer clothing before that. This is not like Celes in the least. We are experiencing what we call High Winter."

"Fai, take him to the guest quarters and let him get comfortable. We'll get you a yakata to wear," Lady Suwa said.

"Yakata?" King Ashura asked.

"It's their summer clothes. Kurgsies is wearing a cute one," Fai said. "They're really comfy."

Kurogane smacked his face and growled. "Some days, I really despise you, pampered snot."

"Aww, if I was gone you wouldn't have anyone to give you cute nicknames to carry around."

Ashura picked up his staff and nodded. "My clothing is not suited to you climate. I wasn't sure how warm it would be."

"Great! Let me get you an outfit and show you how to wear it! Then we'll have lunch. I'm so excited to show you Nihongo!" Fai was bouncing on his feet.

King Ashura petted Fai's hair. "I'm exited to see what you've learned over our parting. You'll have to tell me ever detail."

"Captain Demetri's journals helped a lot," Fai said. "Also, just experience has helped. The more I cast, the stronger I am. That's why I wonder about Yuui."

"All in due course, my precious, brazen one," Ashura said with a warm smile.

"Why don't you take your father to your old guest room and let him change. I'll send a yukata for him to wear," Lady Suwa said.

Fai happily grabbed his father by the hands and tugged him into the family compound, chatting like an excited kid at a city fair. Fai missed the dark gaze Kurogane gave the king or that the ninja tugged his father aside.


Zellen opened up his eyes, still drowsy from his and Drysi's love making. He looked over to her on his bed. She was fast asleep under a sheet, but he could see her soft, bare shoulder. He stifled a yawn and reached over to caress it.

Her body jerked and went rigid as nasty little cuts bloomed across her back. She stifled a scream and went lax as Zellen jolted awake. He curse himself when he saw, according to the enchanted water clock, he had dozed off for four hours, not just one.

"Drysi, I'm so sorry. I misjudged the time," Zellen said, hopping out of bed and throwing on his pants. He quickly got his healer's bag and got out some ointment and a cloth. He was very careful how he applied the ointment and then he traced runes and pointed at her cuts. They all but vanished.

She moaned as he got her robe and wrapped her in it. "I'm so, so, so sorry. Please forgive me."

"Zellen. The king. He altered your memory. You let him alter your memories," Drysi said.

"How can that be? Wouldn't you just pick up what I know?" He sat by her on the bed and put his arms around her, careful to not touch her bare skin.

"No, psychometry picks up body memories. Someone can alter your memories, but your real ones are stored in your body. The king wanted you to forget the real reason you traded places with Yuui. He wanted you to forget that he was mentally ill. You lied to him and said you hadn't told me. He wanted you convinced it was all about the bandits."

"But wasn't it?" Zellen tried to puzzled out what his conversation with Yuui and Boris was that night. "I remember clearly they went to go help King Ashura with the bandits."

"That's not what you told me, Zellen. You told me they went to go find King Ashura to cure his madness. It's a secret we've kept."

Zellen chuckled and shook his head. "King Ashura mad? Yuui would have told me that."

"Please focus."

Zellen shut his eyes. His head started pounding and his nose bled. Drysi pinched his nose with a handkerchief from Zellen's nightstand. The dim memory started coming back, but everything was so blurry. He remembered King Ashura asking Zellen if he had told anyone. His protectiveness over Drysi caused him to lie and say only he knew that the king had been mentally ill.

And then Ashura tried to gently convinced him it was for the greater good to have his memories altered. Zellen became apprehensive and was reluctant. He finally let King Ashura do it because... and then it struck him! Ashura implied he could rescind any clemency Drysi received from the court. Zellen was scared and Ashura was his king. What else could he do than let the man have his way.

"I remember now. He did change my memories. I think he was afraid I'd tell people. But he had nothing to fear because he's better now."

Drysi was quiet for a second. "Unless Yuui didn't find the king. And you didn't have a chance to see Yuui off?"

A sinking feeling came to his stomach. "I can't believe that. King Ashura loves Yuui more than life its self. He'd never hurt him. Or Fai."


"I swear, Father, that's not the same man I met. Fai's father is... different somehow. I just feel it in my bones."

Kurogane and his father were in the stables for privacy. His stomach had churned as he saw this different ice king embrace his Fai. Something struck him as sinister and fearful. Maybe Fai's hints about his father's wickedness were true and he just didn't pick up on it the first time.

"That's Fai's father. He said so himself. I can do nothing to change that," Lord Suwa said. "But I admit, I feel something is strange with that man."

Lady Suwa entered the stables, looking disturbed. She placed her hand on Kurogane's shoulder. "Your mage's father is very, very ill. His aura has so many black spots. Was he ailing before he got here?"

"No. He was in perfect health. What do you mean, Mother?"

"I can't tell if it's physical or mental, but he's extremely ill. If he would let me take some time and pray over him, I could tell and maybe back off the symptoms."

"But, Hitomi, he might not agree to our methods," Lord Suwa said. "We should try to say something, though."

"I just don't think there's something correct in his bearing or his aura," she said. Worry was in her eyes as she squeezed Kurogane's upper arm.

"Father, I just don't feel this man is the same one that would protect Fai with his life," Kurogane said, taking his mother's hand. "Please, believe me when I say something isn't right."

"Fai should know his own father?" Lord Suwa countered.

"He's so overjoyed at seeing him, he'll overlook things he'd normally notice," Lady Suwa said. "I think we need to have lunch with this man, carefully. He strikes me as dangerous."

Lord Suwa nodded. "I trust both your instincts for danger. If you think the man is a threat, we'll protect the mage. However, the mage will think his father is normal. He may be resistant to anything we might say."

Kurogane took a deep breath. "I know, but I won't allow any harm to come to Fai, and I don't give a damn about what the ice king wants."


Zellen served Drysi some tea as they settled in the living room next to the roaring fireplace. It was a special kind of tea that would numb the stiffness he'd just caused to her back. She thanked him and started sipping.

Zellen heard a frantic knock at the door. Growing up a healer's nephew, he was used to the midnight emergencies that would call Tanya away when he was a child. Only Tanya was out with Sergei, to Zellen's delight, for the forth time this week since they had been home. This would be the first time he had a turn at answering the door and performing a house call.

He answered the front door, but was surprised to see Milcent, one of the servants at Luval. She was shaken and had been crying. Zellen gave her a quirked eyebrow and asked, "What are you doing so far from Luval? You could see the court healer."

"It's Master Yuui," she said while gulping the icy, night air.

"What about Yu?" Zellen's stomach felt full of acid suddenly.

"It's dreadful!" she said, hoarsely, just barely audible over the howling wind.

"Come in," he said and lead her to the living room.

Milcent curtsied and said, "Lady Drysi, I'm so sorry to intrude."

"I don't consider myself anything other than a healer's wife, and I wear that title with much pride. Are you okay? You look so shaken."

"No, ma'am. I found Master Yuui... in the North Tower... he was with the reanimator."

"What do you mean? Please calm down and tell us everything," Zellen said, getting the young lady a whiskey drink from the small liquor chest Tanya kept. The girl gulped it down and nodded, looking on the verge of tears.

"I was sent to clean the bottom part of the North Tower. I knew the top part hadn't been looked at in a while and figured I'd just check it to see if it needed cleaning. At the very top is King Ashura's scrying pool and that's where I found Master Yuui and the reanimator.

"They were trapped at the bottom, encased into some sort of sleep spell. I was too afraid to go to anyone else, because I know how loyal you are to Master Yuui and figured you'd do anything to free him. Please, you must do something to save him. The only thing I can think... is... King Ashura..."

Zellen felt the blood drain from his head as he fell back on a chair. Could Yuui have been at the bottom of the king's scrying pool for months? With Boris by his side this whole time and not a fugitive? It defied his understanding. Then it clicked for him.

"Milcent, I'm about to say something you must never share with anyone. King Ashura is not well. He must have lied to me months ago about being healed by Yuui." He turned to Drysi and said, "It explained why he wanted to change my memories."

"It makes sense now," Drysi agreed.

"You must come and help him," Milcent begged. Zellen worked up his bravery and nodded with determination.

"Of course!" Zellen said, desperate to help Yuui. He had fought so hard to earn Yuui's fragile trust over the years, there was no way he'd let him down. He wasn't sure what entirely was going on, but he had to intervene and make sure Yuui was protected. "I'll need your help sneaking into Luval, but I'm going to free my friend."

"Take me with you, Zellen," Drysi insisted, standing from the fireplace heart.

"No, you should stay here," he said.

"But, Zellen, I'm King Ashura's family. If I'm seen with you, they won't question us."

Zellen wanted to protest, but he knew if he was sneaking around Luval without a good reason or credentials he'd be thrown out on his ear. "Okay, but you must stay behind me and out of the way. This could be dangerous."

"And I don't mind. Let me get dressed and we'll go," Drysi said.


Zellen had Milcent watch out at the bottom of the tower while he and Drysi crept up to the top of the tower. They reached King Ashura's scrying room at the top, and Zellen started to feel sick to his stomach, whereas, Drysi appeared unaffected. When they reached the top tower Zellen almost doubled over and vomited by the pillar he was leaning on.

"What's wrong, Zellen?"

"I don't know, but I can't go any further without throwing up," he said, clutching his stomach with one hand and clutching his magic staff with the other.

She walked over to the edge of the pool and gasped. "It's true, they're at the bottom in some sort of glass encasing."

"A sleep spell? But there must be some other spell on them that's keeping me back," Zellen said.

"I'm not a magic user, so that might be it," she suggested.

"That'd makes sense, since most people here are magic users. But damn! I would have no idea of how to get close to the repelling spell he cast or break the sleeping spell."

"But I can know. Just wait a minute, and I'll find out."

"But you'll get hurt."

"I'll be saving their lives, Zellen. It's a small price to pay." With that, he was shocked to see his modest wife peel off her outer dress, and then corset and bustle, followed by petticoats. She wore nothing but her shift, now, after the stockings came off. The last thing she tossed aside were her gloves before she dove in without batting an eye.

He worried horribly. If something happened to her, there was nothing he could do to save her, let alone, finish rescuing Yuui. He pushed himself close enough to watch her as she kicked to the bottom of the pool and laid her hands on the glass cocoon that held Yuui and Boris. Her hands burst into red mist in the water.

She kicked upwards as Zellen's heart thudded painfully. He wanted to help her out of the pool, but he knew he couldn't. She pulled herself out and sat at the edge, her chestnut curls plastered to her face. She clotted her hands with the hem of her shift.

"I saw the spell, Zellen. I know every rune he used for both spells, and I know why he imprisoned them here. He did it to save Yuui. He was starting to crave Yuui's magic and he was afraid of taking Yuui's life because of his madness. He imprisoned Boris with him because Boris would fight to protect Yuui, but his ultimate goal is to have Boris killed when Fai gets back, and then he plans to battle Fai for control over Yuui and the protection of Celes."

"What the...! He is sick!" Zellen pounded his fist against the floor. "I need to free them."

"I can use my scrying talent to project into your mind what I saw. It won't be pleasant, but at least you'll know and can cast the counter spells."

"Fine! Do it," he said. She touched his face with her bloodstained hands and then he saw every moment from the moment when King Ashura found them with the bandits, and up until the king sealed them away in the pool. It was dizzying as his ears took on a loud buzzing noise, a side effect from scrying projection.

Zellen was actually shocked to see through Ashura's eyes how Yuui had flung himself over Boris and pleaded for mercy. Yuui was never that bold, especially with his father, always desiring to please, but he wasn't surprise because Yuui was a healer. Their natural instinct was to save life. It was all so horrible, sorrowful, and twisted.

She removed her hands when the vision was finished. She collapsed on the side of the pool. She said, "Rescue your friend."

He restrained his hands from touching her and hopped up. He took up his staff and worked on breaking the restraining spell first. He had to work it backwards and unwind it that way. He knew he finally hit on it right when the pressure from his stomach left and he didn't feel like vomiting. By that time, Drysi was up and kneeling by the pool. He quickly peeled his outer clothing off, too, knowing this was going to get very wet.

He lofted his magic staff. "I'm going to break them free."

She pulled on her gloves again and said, "I'm ready to help."

He started tracing yellow runes in the air to counter the sleep spell with the casting tip of his staff. When he was finished. He hurled the topper of his staff towards the water and tossed it aside before the runes hit the cocoon. He and Drysi dove in and and swam to the bottom just as glass shards drifted upwards towards them.

Zellen grabbed Boris as he drifted up, not wanting his wife to be anywhere near him. She caught Yuui around the shoulders and they were able to drag them to the surface. Yuui and Boris both sputtered and gasped, waking up gradually at the surface.

"The...?" Boris said first and fixed his hazel eyes on Yuui, all four of them clung to the side of the pool. "How dare His Highness presume to force his will on me. I wanted to die and His Little Royal Majesty just had to step in."

"I wasn't going to let you just die! You're life has value! You need to see beyond your self-centered pity!" Yuui yelled, to Zellen's shock.

"And you presume to know the inevitable joy of my life," Boris said. "Mind your own business, Highness, or you'll just get burned!"

"I'll mind whatever business I want!"

"You really want to pick a fight with me? You don't even know what you're doing when you pick a fight with me," Boris said, with a shake of his head and then a sinister chuckle.

"Hey, you two!" Zellen snapped. "Save whatever it was. We need to leave. Quick."

Yuui looked at Drysi, who was helping him out of the pool. He was careful not to touch her bare skin. Yuui looked over at his rescuer. "Drysi? What are you doing here with Zellen?"

"I'm Zellen's wife, and I'm trying to support him," she explained.

"What? Zel?" Yuui asked as he and Drysi made it up on the pool's bank.

"It's a long story," Zellen snapped.

Zellen helped Boris up on the pool's bank. The reanimator grimaced and clutched his stomach. Zellen said, "It's a long story, but let's go to my aunt's house first."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Boris sneered and laid on his back. "His Little Pompous Highness thinks he can trump my will to die, so I'll kindly tell him to screw himself! After all, what's he going to do, tell his daddy I won't do what he says?"

Yuui sneered at Boris with matching intensity, which was something unnerving to Zellen. He'd never seen Yuui willing to fight against another person's will at all and with such intensity. Yuui climbed on Boris' prone body and slapped his face.

"I so detest what you do to yourself. You're still sane! Fight! Fight for your mind. It's not gone until you dismiss it. Stop doing this to yourself! Please live the rest of your life with joy and purpose." Yuui buried his face on Boris' chest. The reanimator let go a large sigh and wrapped his arms around Yuui shoulders that were now trembling with sobs. After several minutes, Boris grabbed Yuui's hair and forced him off his chest.

"Let's get out of here," was all he said, getting to his feet and tugging Yuui to his feet by the elbow. No, Zellen loathed the way this man was putting his hand on Yuui. There was something twisted going on there, and he didn't trust Boris one bit.

To be continued.