~//[TRC] - Secrets Behind Cracked Smiles

[Ruby Chan]

Kurogane cursed as he saw the limp bundle in the snow in front of him. That was the last time he ever fell asleep and left the others to do what they pleased - he'd woken to find that the kid was gone. Normally Syaoran would have been ok, but in a blizzard like this....he had just hoped that nothing had happened to him. But it looked like his hopes had gone unanswered.

"Hey, kid?" He muttered, tapping Syaoran's cheeks with an uncustomary gentlness. Finding no response, he sighed and picked him up, carrying the boy back to camp. This is the second time in one night that I've had to carry someone back....what am I, a transport service? He grumbled in his head.

Setting Syaoran down by the fire and wrapping a cloak around him, he motioned for the princess and Mokona to watch him - they couldn't really do anything other than that for the poor boy. He glanced around, shoulders relaxing slightly as he saw that Fai was crouched nearby - part of him had thought that the d.amn mage would have left again.

Frowning, Kurogane moved over to the other man, suddenly feeling that something wasn't right with the wizard.
"Fai?" He whispered. The blonde didn't respond, so Kurogane lightly seized his wrists, spinning Fai to face him.

"Fai?!" Hhe stared in shock at the sight before him. Fai was crying for the nth time that night, and yet....something about this just seemed wrong. There was hidden desperation there that just seemed to be growing stronger.

"Fai! What on earth's wrong now?" He demanded, gnawing at his lip in worry as the mage carried on whimpering. Then, as if only just realising that he was there, Fai gave a short cry and fell into his arms, sobbing. The last thing Kurogane heard before Fai fainted was something that sounded suspiciously like...

"Ashura..."

[Sakaki]

"Ashura....." Fai moaned, clutching tight to Kurogane, before falling into unconsiousness.

I own your soul, Fai, you'll never escape me....

Slowly, almost against his will, Fai once again came to.
Burying his pale face in Kurogane's chest, he spoke quietly, but stronger,
"He's awake......" Fai clutched Kurogane tighter, as if begging him not to pull away. "He's awake......and you can hate me....." Fai lifted his blonde head to stare into Kurogane's eyes, "You can hate me forever, Kurogane.........please just don't feel nothing......don't......forget me....in the end....."

Fai closed his blue eyes, laying his head once again against the ninja's chest.
He couldn't pretend anymore, couldn't deny.....even through the hurt and rejection,
 I Hate You...........
I Hate You, Fai!....
he loved the man, and whether or not Ashura came for him in the next second, or whether Kurogane pushed him violently away, he was going to hold onto the feeling of Kurogane against him as long as he could...

Perhaps long enough to heal my soul..........

[Ruby Chan]

Kurogane stared down at the blonde man who was clinging onto him, and shut his eyes tightly, trying hard to ignore the feelings of tenderness he could feel welling up for Fai. No! He was a ninja, and ninja's didn't behave like this! No!

But the way that Fai was lying so trustfull against him, even after how Kurogane had treated him earlier...it wreaked havoc with his control. Before he could stop himself, he was gently pulling Fai up into a sitting position, and tilting the mage's head to look at him.

The sight of those accepting blue eyes, ones that promsied to love him no matter what he did next...they broke the last ounce of his control, and before he knew it, words that he had kept hidden were spilling out.

"I don't hate you, Fai. I never did."

And even as Fai looked up at him confusion, Kurogane was pulling him in for another kiss.

[Sakaki]

Kurogane began to move, and just for a moment, Fai thought the ninja meant to pull away.....
and he held tighter, refusing.......unable.... to let him.
Then seeing the look in Kurogane's eyes, Fai slowly let go, letting
the man look into his eyes and gently pull him to him.

I don't hate you, Fai. I never did.

Fai moaned softly, as once again the ninja's lips touched his, this time with a gentleness
that the wizard wouldn't have expected from the man.
He closed his eyes, pushing away his confusion, losing himself in Kurogane's touch, never wanting it to end.......never wanting to let go.........

[Ruby Chan]

The moment seemed endless to Kurogane. As the two melted together, it was a perfect moment when both of them knew how the other felt, and accepted those feelings easily. Lost in the moment, he manoeuvred them down until they were lying on the floor, still kissing as they lay in each other's arms.

Eventually breaking away, he tightened his grip on Fai and tucked the other's head under his chin, smiling as he felt the mage's breathing even out.  Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to succumb to the peacefulness of sleep, praying that the first time he held Fai like this wouldn't be the last...after all, they were storming the castle the next moring.

And Fai had said that Ashura was awake.

[Pikari]

Drip.  Drip.  Drip.

Drop by drop, water leaked through the tiny crack, falling like tears on his cold face. Cold, unfeeling tears. Each drop of ice pierced his skin, making Ashura's anger grow ever stronger.

I cannot... will not... be beaten like this. Release me!!!

Glass shattered all around him and the water rushed in, granting his request. Shards of glass, like deadly snow, danced all about him. Ashura rose... toward the light... toward the surface. His head broke the surface and he gasped, frigid air filling his lungs.

Moments later he stood beside the pool, dripping robes weighing down his body. He didn't feel the wetness, though. He could sense it. Fai was here... close.

You will not escape my grasp again.

[Okamirei]

It's...warm...

Syaoran coughed, opening his eyes halfway. Too weak to get up, he lay silently by the fire.
He turned his head. There, he saw Kurogane and Fai; close together..kissing...

No...that can't be right...Fai-san? Kurogane-san?

Another racking cough struck his chest. It must be...my mind playing games..
Syaoran closed his eyes, retuning into unconsciousness.

[Sakaki]

The blonde wizard lay nestled in Kurogane's strong embrace, no longer confused or questioning, but accepting the ninja's kisses eagerly.
Later, with his head resting against the other man's chest, he felt as safe as he possibly could in this world of darkness, ice and lies.

Fai closed his eyes and soon slept, Kurogane's arms holding him close against his body, breath rising and falling together, as if they were one.
But as Fai's mind drifted off into the dream world........he once again saw the King.

From far away, Fai heard the violent shattering of glass, his body flintching in his sleep as he held as tight as possible to Kurogane, slender fingers gripping handfulls of the ninja's clothing as if some force could suddenly tear him away........and he saw the dark haired King rise from the water.......

Betrayer...........

 Ashura-ou was angry.....
And now he was also free........

[Ruby Chan]

Time Rushes By....Next Morning Has Arrived

Kurogane checked his sword one last time, feeling himself grow nervous despite his calm exterior. Fai had woken last night, crying out that Ashura had escaped. The ninja had soothed him back to sleep, but had lain awake all night, unable to sleep. He was too worried about Fai to let down his guard so.

Ashura hadn't attacked yet though, and Kurogane knew that the king would be waiting for them in the castle. Glancing up at Fai, who was gently shaking Syaoran and Sakura awake, he felt the sudden urge to pull the wizard close to him, although he managed to stop himself in time.

The kids were asleep...they won't know about us, and I want us to stay that way....don't I? Gaaah! What am I thinking? Like I want to be able to hold him in public whenever I feel like it! ......Oh d.amn....

Closing his eyes in denial of what he was about to do, Kurogane silently moved behind Fai and slipped his arms around the blonde's waist, pulling the mage back against his broad chest. Although he felt Fai squirming in what appeared to be pleased surprise, he was able to ignore it.

Now if only he could stop paying attention to the three pairs of eyes that were blinking up at him in disbelief....

[Sakaki]

Fai heard the ninja coming up behind him as he woke the others, but didn't expect what happened next. He froze momentarily in shock, as Kurogane's arms were suddenly, firmly around him and pulling him close.

He's gone crazy........my world has made Kurogane go crazy......
He laughed a little at his thoughts and silently decided not to question anything at this point. Coming to this world had started as a nightmare and then just as suddenly, fulfilled a secret wish that Fai had never dreamed could come true.....

He leaned back against the ninja's chest and closed his eyes, smiling at the pairs of eyes that stared at them in astonishment.
"Kuro-mu is feeling a bit lovey-dovey today, ne?" Fai laughed softly, gently, not wanting Kurogane to become angry or embarrassed and pull away.

[Okamirei]

Syaoran gazed speechless at the two men. Feeling himself turn red, he turned around, coughing.
So it wasn't my mind playing games...something DID happen

"So...we head towards the castle today."

[Pikari]

Ashura had changed his robes to a set of dry ones, and now he walked the halls of the castle. The entire fortress seemed to be empty, like some great, echoing tomb. His own tomb.

A distant noise from one room attracted his attention. He found one of his guards - one of the ones who had survived, apparently - rummaging through a drawer, probably looting. With no monarchy to govern the land, most likely anarchy had become the law.

"You!" Ashura boomed.

The guard jumped, and when he turned to see who had addressed him, his eyes widened with fear and horror at seeing his king standing before him alive again. The man dropped to his knees immediately, pressing his face as close as he could to the ground. "Y- your Majesty!"

"How many of my guards remain?" the monarch demanded, scowling down at the display of grovelling.

"A- around fifteen or twenty, I believe, sir."

"Go find them," Ashura ordered. "Tell them to return to the castle. Tell them Ashura is King again."

The man ran to obey.

[Ruby Chan]

Kurogane growled under his breath as they strode carefully along the bridge to the castle. D.amn stupid world....they have snow. They have cliffs. They have a castle where you have to jump just to get onto the bridge. And they have a stupid king who makes my Fai scared.

Kurogane pulled up short. His Fai? Ok, now this was getting ridiculous. It was one thing to admit he cared, that he may love the mage...and quite another to be getting possessive. His eyes narrowed as he suddenly saw movement from one of the castle's upper windows, but before he could check again, a pair of slender arms had wound themselves around his waist.

One glance at the wizard told Kurogane that Fai wasn't just here to annoy him. Yes, the smile was there. Yes, the cheeky raised eyebrow was there. But so were the terrified blue eyes. Sighing softly to himself, Kurogane wrapped a muscular arm round his loved one's shoulder, and carried on walking.

[Sakaki]

As they walked across the ice covered bridge, towards the castle, Fai felt a terrified calm come over him.......as if in a dream......as if this weren't really happening.........as if he hadn't walked across this very bridge a thousand times before......

He walked towards the castle, holding onto Kurogane,
the one I love........
knowing full well what waited inside....what cruelty Ashura was capable of....what power.........for he'd experienced it firsthand many times.

The wizard felt helpless and wanted desperately to run.......anywhere.......away......

But he wouldn't leave Kurogane's side.
He would die defending him if he had to.......against Ashura.....
He would stand between them if he must.....
Perhaps Ashura would be satisfied just to take him.....

The closer they got, the more still Fai became. He felt as if his heart would suddenly stop, as if just the aura of Ashura's presence...power........could engulf him and he would just cease to exist......

And still he walked on......trying desperately to prepare himself for what lie ahead, Ashura's words ringing in his head..........
I Own You, Fai........
I Own Your Soul............
You Belong To Me............

[Ruby Chan]

As Kurogane forced the great iron-wrought doors open, he could have sworn that he heard voices echoing round the entrance hall, whispers from an otherwise dead past. And where were the guards? If Fai had just sealed the king, surely there should still have been some servants and guards still around?

He frowned, realising that something was most definitely off. Come to think of it, why hadn't they been stopped as they made their way here? Swearing, he drew Souhi and got into a fighting position, whipping his head round to roar at the others.

"It's got to be a trap! Be ready! If Ashura's awake, then he must be waiting for us to make the right move!"

[Okamirei]

Syaoran gripped Hien tightly; as a response to Kurogane's order. It's quiet..
Following Kurogane, he looked around the castle; eyes alert.
The palace was vast and empty, its wide halls leading into the grand room.
He gave a cough, glancing back to see if the princess was all right.

[Sakaki]

Fai watched as Kurogane and Syaoran reached for their weapons.
"It won't matter," he told them. "You can fight the guards, but in the end, weapons are nearly useless here...............against him."

Fai stepped away from Kurogane, and giving him a long, tender look, walked on ahead and through the heavy, iron doors.......to face the fate that awaited them.....to the King that awaited him.....

He was terrified and wanted to return to Kurogane, to his strong embrace, but he knew to walk in like that, revealing their relationship in front of the newly awakened King, would surely mean Kurogane's death...or worse....
If Ashura didn't know already.........

Fai walked ahead.......the halls of the castle freezing his heart with each step he took...........

[Ruby Chan]

Kurogane frowned as Fai began to walk on ahead. He's not...he is! He's actually going to face that creep alone! Sheathing his sword, he turned back to Syaoran and Sakura, his voice urgent.

"Stick together. Follow us only if you feel you'd be safer that way. Otherwise, start looking around the rest of the castle for the feather, alright?" Hhe barked, before hurrying after Fai.

Catching the wizard up, he grabbed at one of Fai's black gloved hands, feeling a dim sense of relief when Fai stopped to look at him.
"Oh no you don't mage. Where you go, I go. If you face Ashura, I face Ashura. Don't you get it? I thought with asll your flimsy ideas about 'love' and 'loyalty', you would. We're together Fai. And together we'll win or fall."

[Sakaki]

Fai stopped walking, as Kurogane spoke behind him.......grasping his hand in his.
A deep aching rose in the wizard's heart.
My heart is breaking........

"You don't know, Kurogane....you can't know what he's capable of," Fai whispered, looking up at the ninja with his sad, blue eyes. "If he knows........if he even suspects what we are..........." Fai lifted Kurogane's hand to his face and held it there.

"I don't want to see you hurt.......I can't see you hurt," Fai closed his eyes and held Kurogane's hand against is cheek. "He may let you go......if..."
The wizard's wide, blue eyes began to cloud over......considering his words carefully.

[Ruby Chan]

Kurogane growled, grabbing Fai and beginning to shake him as the mage's words trailed off.

"No! D.amn it, I won't let you go 'sacrificing' yourself just to save me or the others! You're just as important as anyone...maybe even more so, at least in my opinion! Don't give me that look! I can see it in your eyes! You're going to just hand yourself over to him, in exchange for our safe passage, right? Well I won't let you!"

Releasing his hold on Fai momentarily, Kurogane pulled the blonde into a tight embrace, withheld tears choking up his voice.

"I won't let you..."