And while I'm at it...
I wanted to do it yesterday, but didn't happen.
What I want to say is: Ashura-ou, you BASTARD! I loved you since RG Veda, I never doubted you couldn't be evil, was sure you were a nice person, not only because of your lovely kind eyes, but also considering the way Fai acted around you. BUT, I'll never ever forgive you for what you've done to him. I don't care if you wanted to die, if you wanted to dispell the second curse or anything. Not only were you the only and the first one "to show him kindness" and accept him. To Fai you were a real father. A father, CAN YOU HEAR ME? Do you have any idea HOW painful it must be for a child to kill his parent?! Just what were you thinking? He already was blaming himself for the death of his precious brother, and now you're making him kill YOU, the second important person he ever had? Sure, it's easy for fans to call Fai a weak, indecisive wimp who can't let go of his past and understand what's really important to him, and who can't fulfill his promise. I wonder if they even tried to imagine how THEY THEMSELVES wolud keep up with something like THIS.
Am I just too attached to my parents? If MY Dad (or Mom, for that matter XD) had gone crazy and started slaughtering the entire world and provoking me, I have no idea how I'd bring myself to... resolve this.
Did you get my point? And to add to the parent/child drama, you didn't even think of your own words! Fai is waaay too kind. Any man (except for Seishirou, yeah) would hesitate, and THIS ONE... Ok, it was just a very stupid idea.
Phew!
ALso I must say that I reeeeally like the fact, that it was Kurogane who killed Ashura-ou. I mean, he did something that was intended to be done by Fai only, it just feels... like he was entrusted by CLAMP to do a very important thing for Fai (with usual "You must kill your imporatnt people yourself"). But it's just me.
I'm also very glad we got more of r!Fai's character. Just look at him! He's all "Screw you! I don't care what happens to me, take my bro out RIGHT NOW!" I did get the impression he was somewhat weaker than Fai, more passive and accepting. But we just didn't get the chance to see him in action. All this time, being locked in the tower he could only watch his twin suffer and hopelessly try to get out. Here I'm thinking of Hokuto in the last two volumes of TB. She looked realy desperate and tired, didn't she?
And the most important thing is that FAI DIDN'T CHOOSE TO SAVE HIMSELF. That's really really great, and makes me very happy, because I don't think he'd ever be able to forgive himself for being the reason for his brother's death. I know what it is, to blame yourself for something and be unable to forgive yourself, even if the things I think of are relatively meaningless. And here we have a super sensitive, soft-heartened and unhappy person who's been bringing musfortune to people since the moment he was born, and always thought HE was responsible for his twin's death. No matter how much I thought of this, I couldn't think of him letting go of it and being truly happy. And now he has a chance!
Besides it proves once again that bonds between twins are REALLY strong.
Page 22. I think now Fai looks SO MUCH like Sakura back then.