A/N: I had so much fun writing this chapter. It couldn't stop laughing as I wrote the last part. Enjoy this one.

Part Fifty-Six:

Boris ate his lunch and tried very hard to ignore his libido. It was on full tilt because of all the fighting, bickering, and animosity he'd witnessed since his time in Nihongo. It was a like a buffet for his fetish, and he desperately wanted to take Yuui to the nearest room and make out with the soft, little blond. All the emotional friction was battering him and testing his self discipline, hard.

And things were pretty tough for him right now. He wasn't used to the idea of Yuui having a twin, because he'd dealt with Yuui one-on-one for so long. The reality of Fai's obnoxious presence was smacking him soundly, now. The reality that Fai wasn't just something he had to keep as an intellectual concept, now, irked him. Fai was currently a large, looming part of Yuui that Boris had gotten a first hand taste of and wasn't overly fond of.

He did admit Fai was a great cook, but it was the only positive thing he would attribute to the bratty mage. Now he knew exactly what Captain Demetri had bitched about in his letters. How Yuui could be so sweet and humble next to his ego freak twin astounded Boris.

The meal consisted of something called sashimi. It was served with a rice porridge Fai called kayu. There was a potent, green paste called wasabi Boris wasn't used to, but found interesting. The chopsticks took a little practice, but Kurogane's parents kindly taught him how to use them, as they gave Fai exasperated looks, for some reason, when Boris mastered them.

"Your father seems stable, now, and is resting comfortably," Lady Suwa reported.

"Good. I'm going to start working on the Gordian Knot after lunch. Once that's done, then I can restore Yuui's magic and then he can finish healing our father."

"So explain to us why you're here and what is going on. Why did you bring your father here?" Lord Suwa asked.

Fai explained the struggles with King Ashura and their thinking about protecting King Ashura's reputation. He also explained about buying time to heal Yuui so he could restore King Ashura's sanity.

"Good thinking. You have my vow; I'll protect his reputation and his health," Lord Suwa said. His brow furrowed, before taking a swig of tea. "I can tell your father, by your devotion to him before his illness, is a good man and treated you with respect and care. He wasn't like what we know. You deserve to have that man restored to you."

Fai's eyes got misty and he launched himself into Lord Suwa's arms, unsuspectingly. "Thank you, Lord Suwa. I want my father back. It feels like the weight of the world is on me. I have to recover Yuui to get Ashura back."

Lord Suwa pointed at Fai's head and turned to his wife, the blond was latched firmly around his chest. "Why does this leech always pick me?"

She giggled. "Maybe it's because Kurogane resembles you so much."

Lord Suwa growled and struggled to get Fai's vice-like grip off of him. That's when Kurogane and Yuui came in, the ninja leading the healer with a hand tucked in the crook of his arm. "You've started eating," Kurogane observed.

"Yes, but I made plenty for you and Yuui," Fai declared and prepared plates for them as they settled at the table. Lord Suwa rubbed his ribs and gave Fai a disgruntled look. Kurogane pushed Fai aside before he could latch on to him so he could teach Yuui how to use chopsticks. It was hard, because he was blind, but Yuui got fed, and was more adept than Fai at using the eating utensils.

Boris, when he looked at Yuui, knew he had to find an excuse to get him alone after lunch. He looked like he had more color to his cheeks and he had that winsome smile. Fai was probably angling to spend some time with Yuui, too. Boris looked over at Fai and decided to use the younger man's own arrogance to get some alone time with Yuui.

After eating and holding a good conversation, Boris pointed out, "You better get started on that Gordian Knot, Princess Fai. You want to get Yuui's eyes back as quick as possible, right?"

"You mind your own business, Count Atrophy. It's not like I see you solving the knot."

"I suck at solving them. Puzzles aren't my thing," Boris explained.

"Ha! I thought so! And you call me lazy? Ha!" Fai declared with an arrogant gloat.

"That's right. You spend your time with that puzzle since you're so good at solving them," Boris said. He stood up and took Yuui's hand. The healer looked stunned as Boris tugged him upwards and put an arm around his shoulders. "Meanwhile, Yuui looks like he could use a nap, so I'll tuck him in."

Fai looked utterly shell shocked as he realized he'd been snookered. Kurogane chuckled and said, "That round was well played, and it went to you, reanimator of Celes."

"I hate you so much, Master of Gangrene! Lord Kuro-papa-sama, please have him boiled in oil and horse whipped or something!" Fai sputtered to the older ninja. "What do they do to punish real evil-doers here, anyway?"

Lord Suwa gave a belly laugh. "He won, you lost. Just accept it with grace and learn to not let your guard down around the reanimator, because he fights dirty. Kurogane, show them to the guest rooms and let them get settled in."

When Kurogane rose and started to lead them away, Fai let out a howl of outrage. It made Boris chuckle in evil delight. He was determined to put Fai in his place, no matter what.


Kurogane left them in one guest room, alone. Yuui gave a slight giggle. "You know Fai will get you back for that. He's very smart and holds a grudge."

"Bah... let him stew in his own juices. The idea of us spending time together, alone, will give him an incentive to solve the knot."

Boris carefully put his hands on Yuui's shoulders and drew him into an embrace. Yuui trembled slightly and leaned against him. "You don't really care, do you? About what happened to me."

"I care that you were hurt. I care that you were lied to and made to fear strangers."

"Please don't judge Fai and Ashura. They did what they did because they love me and they want to protect me. People make decisions based on emotions quite frequently."

Boris held him tighter and said, "You should lie down and rest. You've been through a lot, lately."

"Only if you promise to hold me."

"Little thumb sucker." Boris then looked around the room. "This realm is certainly different. There's no bed, just a pallet on the ground. Come on."

Boris pulled him along and carefully helped him lie down. He then lay beside Yuui and got comfortable after taking him in his arms. Yuui buried his face against Boris' chest and murmured, "I just felt why you were so keen on getting me alone."

"All the tension going on around me has taken a toll. Fights, arguments, lots of entertaining things."

"Would you like me to please you?" Yuui shyly asked.

Boris said, "I'm not that big of a cad. I'll wait until you're a little more lively."

"Actually, the walk with Kurogane helped refresh me. There's this amazing fruit here that perked me up. I must get you some. I want to take seeds back to Celes and grow them."

Boris smirked. "Well, I'm hungry for something, but only if you're up for it."

Yuui nodded and Boris was pleased to see Yuui's face grow a deeper shade of red in the dim light as he nodded. Boris pressed a deep, ardent kiss on Yuui and then he felt a strange flutter in his stomach. He'd never felt this white, hot lightening hit him deep in his belly before.

He stopped kissing Yuui and then there was a crashing disappointment, he still wanted more kisses. That's when it hit Boris. "Yuui, you're projecting."

"I'm so sorry, but I wasn't. When I'm with you I clamp down on my empathy. I don't want to influence you. Whatever you feel are your own emotions." There was nothing but open honesty in the blond's face.

Boris took a deep breath and felt a jolt as he realized he couldn't blame Yuui for these emotions hitting him. He tried to sort out what he was feeling. Yuui asked, "Boris, are you okay? It feels as though you're upset."

Boris threw everything he knew out the window and pushed a powerful kiss on Yuui, just embracing all the fluttering, striking feelings flowing through him in a torrent. He carefully pushed Yuui onto his back on this strange pallet and asked, "You have to promise me, if you feel the slightest bit of discomfort you'll make me stop. That's not optional. Do you understand?"

"I'll tell you if I get nervous, Boris, but I trust you not to harm me. I know you'll watch after me."

Boris pressed a kiss to Yuui's neck and tugged at the foreign clothes. Yuui moaned and begged for more. Boris pushed Yuui's yukata off his shoulders and trailed small kissed on his soft shoulder. Yuui shiver and Boris paused.

"You okay?"

"Please don't treat me like I'm so fragile. It's time I changed some, and I can't do that if you stop treating me like you have. I promised you I'd let you know if I didn't feel comfortable."

Boris smiled. "I really despise you."

Yuui chuckled. "Then show me how much."

Boris continued trailing kisses downwards and finally reached his navel. Yuui's "eep" of surprise pleased Boris. "You're like a kitten, don't want your soft, little belly messed with?"

"You're going to insist on it, aren't you?"

"Uh huh." Boris proceeded downward. It wasn't long until he brought Yuui into wild, thrashing ecstasy. Finally, the healer's body grew limp as he fought to control his breathing.

Boris rose to his knees and chuckled. He loved the serene smile on Yuui's face. When Yuui seemed as if he'd come down from his climax Boris asked, "So you want to show me the same kind of contempt?"

"Absolutely," Yuui answered in a dreamy tone.


"Can you believe that... that..." Fai said as he ran his hands over the green, magical orb. There was a pink glow coming from his finger tips. He paced back and forth furiously in Kurogane's room; he was certainly in a snit.

"Duke of Decay?" Kurogane supplied.

"Already used that one." Fai's right index finger hit something. He brought his finger off the orb, dragging a green, glowing thread off it. He dragged it away from the orb and flicked his finger, the thread burst in the tiniest firework. "Finally! One down, one-hundred-and-fifty-three to go!"

"So what is that thing anyway?"

"It's from an old legend of this court mage that served one of Ashura's ancestors. The court mage was also a brilliant mathematician that would entertain the king with puzzles. He finally made one so intractable that the king couldn't solve it for ten whole years. It was a knot made of magic energy that simply couldn't be untangled. Finally, Ashura's ancestor got so angry with the puzzle he sliced it into pieces with a powerful blast of magic and was able to get the prize inside, a liqueur he desired. The whole point of the puzzle is that it's impossible to solve if you aren't creative or don't cheat."

"Sounds like something you'd come up with," Kurogane said with a smirk. "Can you solve it?"

"I have to, there is no 'can' about it."

"Why don't you blast this one with magic?"

"Because Ashura put a protection on it. My magic would only bounce back and hex me. Fortunately, Ashura didn't have time to craft this one very well, so it shouldn't take too long to solve."

There was a knock at the door. Kurogane answered it. His father was on the other side. He moved aside and let Lord Suwa enter. The older ninja said, "I had two things happen while you were away that you should be aware of."

Kurogane sat at the writing table with his father. Fai, in the meanwhile, sat on the futon and continued working the knot, seemingly not paying them any attention, but Kurogane knew otherwise.

"I'm guessing one has to do with cousin Ran?" Kurogane asked. "I was wondering what he was doing here, anyway."

"It seems Fei-Wang is attacking Tsukiyono. Ran is the envoy sent to ask our help. Lord Takatori has even had three attempts on his life. I've agreed to help. He's waiting on me to get some men together to go. He's also requested your mage set up fluorite wards. However, getting the ice king better takes priority."

"Of course. Mamoru is an ally. Fai and I will work on it after all this business with Celes is done," Kurogane said

"Yes, but there is something else that bothers me. It's Ran. He's gone back to Shinon, but seems unsettled about it. He also had an unhealthy interest in your mage," Lord Suwa said hesitantly. Kurogane glanced over to see Fai's hands still moving over the puzzle, eyes glued on it, but Kurogane knew he was attuned to the conversation just as much as the puzzle.

"Unhealthy?"

"Yes. He asked after the mage before you and I thought it odd. I made the mistake of mentioning Fai had a twin and something seemed odd with Ran. Of course, this was before I thought you'd bring the twin of your mage here. Now, I am somewhat concerned. Ran seemed, for lack of a better word, intrigued over the notion of twins, even after I mentioned King Ashura and his fury. I'll be leaving with Ran soon to help Lord Takatori, so I hope there will be no run ins with Fai and Ran in the meanwhile. I count on you keeping peace between them until I leave with Ran."

Fai's hand flung away another burst of green magic with a soft pop. The mage smiled a bright smile where warmth didn't reach his eyes at all, just iciness. Kurogane knew Fai would go absolutely nuts if Ran so much as glanced at Yuui, let alone talked to him. Boris had been a stranger to Fai before all of this, so there was no history, unlike the history with cousin Ran. That would be an epic fight he didn't want to see.

Kurogane was baffled by his cousin's attitude; Ran despised Fai. Why take an interest in him all of the sudden? "Father, it makes little sense. Why would Ran concern himself over my mage and his brother? He's always the type to follow rigid rules, which would include keeping to himself."

"I have a theory, but I would hate to make an assumption."

Kurogane decided his father looked decidedly vexed. Kurogane wanted his father to be blunt, even though it wasn't something prized in their culture.

"Please make it clearer to me, Father."

"I think Ran has some powerful feeling towards Fai, and I fear he would project them onto Yuui if lines aren't made clear," Lord Suwa said bluntly. "The way he talked, he indicated that sort of thing."

Pink sparks flew off the surface of the orb. Kurogane shot Fai an annoyed look and then turned back to his father. "Well, Ran can cope. I'll keep the twins apart from him until you leave. You said there was something else?" Kurogane hoped to get the topic off Ran before pink hexes started flying around.

"Yes, I'm afraid several village elders came to speak with me. They were none to pleased to understand about the true nature of your relationship with Fai. They made certain demands. One of which is that you produce a blood heir within the next two years."

More pink sparks flew off the orb and crackled in the air. Kurogane shot Fai yet another vexed looked, but Fai appeared to be deeply involved with the magic puzzle. He turned back to his father. "So they finally made their ultimatum." He sighed and shook his head. "We knew it was coming. So what would you have me do, Father?"

"I promised to help make things possible between you and Fai, but like I explained, they have some legitimate concerns."

"Like war with other provinces? Yeah, I know."

"I can meet with the lords of the neighboring provinces and try to get their vows to not declare war over this."

"Will they listen?" Fai asked, pulling at another green thread. This one, however, snapped back into the orb. Fai's brow furrowed in aggravation.

"I don't know. Some will, but there will be other greedy lords trying to take this as an opportunity to expand their territory for their own children. Suwa rice production is a very powerful incentive to make war on us. If Kurogane had a child, the other lords would respect our boundaries, because they'd know he'd fight harder to protect Suwa for his heir."

"And an adopted child wouldn't satisfy the other lords or the farmers?" Fai asked.

"Having a blood heir also has religious significance. It honors our ancestors to continue the bloodline," Lord Suwa explained. Lord Suwa stood. "I hate to put this on you both, now, but I need to know what your plans are for children so that I know how to handle the farmers and the other lords. Please talk it over and decide."

Lord Suwa left and Fai was able to break off another piece of green, glowing magic with a popping sound. He set aside the orb and looked over to Kurogane. The ninja moved to Fai's side on the futon.

Fai asked, "Have you though about it?"

"It's been at the back of my mind. I was hoping for more time. I'm not ready to raise a child yet. I have a lot of things I'd like to do first."

"Like what?"

"Establish my relationship with the Suwa village elders and the province lords. If I can do that, it'll soften how they feel about you. I'd also like to help out Tsukiyono and bring Fei-Wang to justice. I'd also like make sure you're comfortable here and have status in our society that's agreeable to you and those you encounter. I'd like to teach you to read and speak our language without magic."

"That, I'm willing to do." Fai then gave him a warm smile with the hint of a slyness. "After that, and we settle down, then you can make me a mommy. Because I really do want children."

"What?" Kurogane bellowed in rage. "What's with this mommy talk!"

"Well, would you rather be the mommy, Kuro-daddy?" Fai said in a taunting tone.

"Shut it with the mommy talk, mage!"

"You should call me Fai-mommy when we start having our little bundles of joy! I want a bunch of little girls so I can dress them in pretty clothes and pamper them silly. I just know they'll have you wrapped around their fingers in no time. Of course, with your temper, I pity any suitors our daughters will have," Fai said in glee with a slight clap of his hands. Kurogane was mere seconds from choking the snot out of Fai. "Of course, that leaves the question of how will we get our little girls?"

Kurogane grew somber. "I could insist on adopting. It would be legally binding, so the child could inherit Suwa, but that could bring trouble on the child we'd raise. Our son would have to grow into a very strong warrior, strong enough to defend his claim."

"Don't worry, Fai-mommy will teach our girls enough fierce hexes to put fear into the burliest of the ninjas in Nihongo!"

Kurogane gritted his teeth and went back to wanting to choke the snot out of Fai. The way Fai was talking, he wanted to adopt twenty girls and turn them into the same papered brat he was. Over his dead body! He wanted one son and the mage better get used to that idea.

Kurogane put that aside, knowing he'd have to bring up the other choice they'd have. "The other option is for me to take a legally bound concubine and have a natural child with her. I could declare that child as my blood heir. I would be obligated to support her for life and she would have full say so in raising the child. A concubine would be more involved in our lives, and you really wouldn't have input with how any child I sired would be raised."

Fai's glee melted away. "Yes, I suppose that's a way. Is that your preference?"

"How do you feel about it? Would that ever be something you could accept? Don't lie to me about this. It's too important and will affect the rest of our lives," Kurogane remained neutral, he wanted to know Fai's untainted opinion.

Fai looked thoughtful and said, "Well, women are very pretty and soft. I admired them myself from time to time, but I just don't think I could watch you raise a family with a woman."

"Wow, honesty from my mage. I'm impressed."

"Well, you tell me. Is your heart set on having a child carry on your bloodline? It would be very difficult, but we could negotiate."

"I'm willing to sacrifice for you. My preference is to adopt a son in a year or so when everything is settled."

"Oh, Kuro-go! Thank you for saying yes to our daughters! I want a huge family! I'll be the best mommy! You wait and see!" Fai said, latching himself around Kurogane's neck.

"You crazy moron! Let go before I punch you!"

"Now what will our girls think when you threaten Fai-mommy like that?"

"They'll know you're insane! Wait a minute! I never agreed to taking in any girls!"

"Aww... but I can dress them up and spoil them rotten," Fai said.

"Tsk... you're a boy and it didn't stop your father from spoiling you."

"True that," Fai said.

"I'm going to go tell my parents our decisions. Why don't you work on getting your brother's magic free."

"Good idea. Yuui-uncle needs his eyes."

Kurogane chuckled and decided to rile up Fai for all this mommy talk. "Yeah, maybe Boris-uncle will help you out if you get stuck."

"Ohhh... You! The Prince of Petulance will never be an uncle to our fifteen daughters!"

"Fifteen! Get that out of your head! Fifteen marriage dowries would break us!" With that, Kurogane marched out of his bedroom before he throttled Fai.


Ran found a messenger on the outskirts of Suwa. "Go to Lord Takatori and tell him that an urgent matter has delayed me. He should tell my master Shinon to not expect me for a few more days."

"Anything else, sir?"

"Yes, tell him I'll be bring Lord Suwa to assist us."

The messenger mounted his horse and took off in a flurry of dust. Ran turned his own horse around and headed back to the Suwa family compound, his mind in a heated need to avenge his parents. The only way that could be satisfied now was punishing Fai by ruining his family. He ached to hurt that blond mage and he wouldn't stop until he caused him sorrow.

To be continued.