Fables of Red Lines
Title: Fables of Red Lines
Chapter: Prologue
Rating: PG-13
Band(s): SCREW, D=Out, Sadie, D'espairsRay, Lin, more to come in future...
Pairing(s): Pairings to be developed more later within the chapters.
Summary: Do all stories have good endings? How does one define a good ending and a bad ending?
Notes: Disclaimer- I don't own anyone except for the story~ and this is my first time posting here, please treat me favorably~
“…and so, the prince and princess lived happily ever after.” The blonde-haired man shut the book and looked at the sleepy boy. “Now, be a good boy and sleep now, alright?” The boy pouted. “But I don’t wanna sleep…” the man chuckled. “If you don’t sleep, you can’t grow up as sexily as me.”
“But I just want to be smarter so I can help you…” The smaller boy rubbed his eyes as the man’s eyes widened slightly, but did not reply. The boy looked up at the man again. “But Nii-san…why do all these stories have good endings?”
The man looked thoughtful for a moment as he stroked the boy’s hair gently. “Sometimes, a little bit of fantasy is needed in our lives. If there were only always bad endings, life would feel miserable, no?”
“But Nii-san, Kouki-san always says that the world out there is a bad place, that’s why me and Hikaru are always kept within our houses…” The man frowned. He would have to talk to Kouki about these talks he was telling them. “That’s because we are worried about you little brats running around too much. Take Tsurugi for example. Mao-san is always worried because he runs around too much, and comes back with injuries.” The boy’s eyes widened a little.
“I don’t want you to get worried about me, so I’ll be a good boy!” the man chuckled. “Now, if you said you don’t want me to worry, be a good boy and sleep now, okay?” the boy yawned and nodded, falling asleep almost immediately as he closed his eyes. “Good night, Byo nii-san.” Byo pressed a soft kiss to the boy’s head.
“Goodnight, Manabu.” He blew out the candle and shut the door behind him as he left the room, and then leaned against the wall. “Kouki, you idiot…” he rubbed his head.
“Amazing.” Byo lifted his head. “What is?”
“You act like an ass and a bipolar pervert every other time of the day, but when it’s just you and Manabu only, you act so much like a loving elder brother. So hard to believe.” Byo shot a mock glare to the owner of the voice as he came into sight. “He’s my brother; of course I love him more than anything else.” He turned and started walking.
“I can see that.” The shorter man chuckled as he followed closely behind. “Anyway, I have some news for you.”
“If it’s from Kouki, I’m going to kick his ass. Do you know what he’s been telling Bu, Jin? He’s more worrywart than I am, and I thought Karyu was bad enough.” Byo grumbled. “Anyway, what is it?”
Jin’s smile faded away as a serious look entered his eyes. “Kouki did send a message. It seems like they were attacked tonight, but thanks to the enhancements, every single attacker was repelled.” Byo came to a halt and turned behind. “Do they know who?” Jin shook his head.
Byo sighed and continued walking. “Our enhancements won’t hold, unless it is an element of ours.” Byo turned into a corner and pushed the door open. “And even if it’s our element, there are open weaknesses that can be used against us. Tsurugi’s near kidnapping proved that.”
“That’s right.”
Byo raised his eyebrow and turned behind to look at Jin. “You said Kouki sent a message.” The shorter man nodded. “So why is he here with Bakanase?”
“Hey!” Byo ignored the protest as Jin chuckled. “When I said message, I didn’t meant they couldn’t come here and give a message, you know. You were with Manabu, I was sent to find you, so as to pass on the message.” Jin said in amusement. Byo rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine…could I trouble you to make some tea for us?” Jin nodded and left the room.
“As Jin might have told you, we were attacked tonight.” Kouki said tiredly as the three of them sat down while Minase snapped his fingers, and in an instance, the candles in the room lighted up. “The attacks are becoming more frequent as they grow older. At this rate, one of them will be taken from us. And for the record, Mao and Hizumi are on their way here.”
Byo raised an eyebrow for the second time that night. “Are you guys intending to carry out meetings at my house often?” Minase shook his head. “We hope not, but as of current, your house is the safest place.”
“I hope you don’t jinx it when you say that.” The conversation fell short as Jin walked into the room, two cloaked figures following closely behind. “Dammit Byo, did you have to make your enhancements so complicated?” The shorter of the two cloaked figures complained as he pushed back his hood. “I’m drenched!”
“Sorry about that, Mao-nii~” Mao grumbled a little more as he and Hizumi sat down, Jin passing the cups of tea around. “This smells nice. Byo, you’re getting more better.” Hizumi voiced his approval as Byo smiled. “Under other circumstances I would claim credit, but the tea leaves were made by Manabu.”
Everyone, with the exception of Jin, stared at Byo. “Bu-chan made this?” Kouki asked, all wide-eyed. “He’s my brother after all.” Byo smirked, then faded away. “Anyway, please get back on the topic on hand.”
“Right.” Kouki turned serious again. “Fortunately Hikaru wasn’t aware, since Ibuki kept him well-distracted while we eliminated the invaders, but I think we have to change our tactics. We can’t keep them hidden forever.”
“I agree with Kouki.” All eyes turned towards Hizumi. “Even as they are learning about their abilities now, there is no guarantee about the future. Anything can happen.”
“If that’s the case I have a proposal.” Mao set down his tea. “Or rather, it was proposed to me. Shortly after Tsurugi’s near kidnapping,” Mao hardened his grip on his cup handle. “Lord Kisaki came to see me.”
Everyone frowned. Kisaki was an unpredictable person, and despite having been working under Kisaki for a period of time Mao still could not figure out what went through his head. Thus Kisaki’s proposal had come as a shock to him.
“Them or the world. Make your choice.”
“So what did he propose?” Mao snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at all of them. “You’re not going to like it, especially you, Byo.”
Byo shrugged. “Try me.” Mao took a deep breath.
“As you all are already told when we were made guardians, our protection is void once they reach 18.” Heads nodded around the room, and already Mao saw the look of unhappiness on the other three faces. “Lord Kisaki said that there is a way to continue that protection, but we are not the ones who will continue our guardianship.”
“Then who?” Mao heard an undertone of hostility from Hizumi. It was going to be especially hard on Hizumi, as Zero was fast reaching 18 in a couple more of years, not to mention that the new guardians were someone that they all had fought so hard to reject for centuries…
He was mentally prepared for the outburst that would occur in a while.
“The Crown Princes of the respective Royal Houses of Shikoku.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: First multi-chapter fic, I do wonder how is this going to turn out...*fretting*
Hope you enjoyed it! ^^
Chapter: Prologue
Rating: PG-13
Band(s): SCREW, D=Out, Sadie, D'espairsRay, Lin, more to come in future...
Pairing(s): Pairings to be developed more later within the chapters.
Summary: Do all stories have good endings? How does one define a good ending and a bad ending?
Notes: Disclaimer- I don't own anyone except for the story~ and this is my first time posting here, please treat me favorably~
“…and so, the prince and princess lived happily ever after.” The blonde-haired man shut the book and looked at the sleepy boy. “Now, be a good boy and sleep now, alright?” The boy pouted. “But I don’t wanna sleep…” the man chuckled. “If you don’t sleep, you can’t grow up as sexily as me.”
“But I just want to be smarter so I can help you…” The smaller boy rubbed his eyes as the man’s eyes widened slightly, but did not reply. The boy looked up at the man again. “But Nii-san…why do all these stories have good endings?”
The man looked thoughtful for a moment as he stroked the boy’s hair gently. “Sometimes, a little bit of fantasy is needed in our lives. If there were only always bad endings, life would feel miserable, no?”
“But Nii-san, Kouki-san always says that the world out there is a bad place, that’s why me and Hikaru are always kept within our houses…” The man frowned. He would have to talk to Kouki about these talks he was telling them. “That’s because we are worried about you little brats running around too much. Take Tsurugi for example. Mao-san is always worried because he runs around too much, and comes back with injuries.” The boy’s eyes widened a little.
“I don’t want you to get worried about me, so I’ll be a good boy!” the man chuckled. “Now, if you said you don’t want me to worry, be a good boy and sleep now, okay?” the boy yawned and nodded, falling asleep almost immediately as he closed his eyes. “Good night, Byo nii-san.” Byo pressed a soft kiss to the boy’s head.
“Goodnight, Manabu.” He blew out the candle and shut the door behind him as he left the room, and then leaned against the wall. “Kouki, you idiot…” he rubbed his head.
“Amazing.” Byo lifted his head. “What is?”
“You act like an ass and a bipolar pervert every other time of the day, but when it’s just you and Manabu only, you act so much like a loving elder brother. So hard to believe.” Byo shot a mock glare to the owner of the voice as he came into sight. “He’s my brother; of course I love him more than anything else.” He turned and started walking.
“I can see that.” The shorter man chuckled as he followed closely behind. “Anyway, I have some news for you.”
“If it’s from Kouki, I’m going to kick his ass. Do you know what he’s been telling Bu, Jin? He’s more worrywart than I am, and I thought Karyu was bad enough.” Byo grumbled. “Anyway, what is it?”
Jin’s smile faded away as a serious look entered his eyes. “Kouki did send a message. It seems like they were attacked tonight, but thanks to the enhancements, every single attacker was repelled.” Byo came to a halt and turned behind. “Do they know who?” Jin shook his head.
Byo sighed and continued walking. “Our enhancements won’t hold, unless it is an element of ours.” Byo turned into a corner and pushed the door open. “And even if it’s our element, there are open weaknesses that can be used against us. Tsurugi’s near kidnapping proved that.”
“That’s right.”
Byo raised his eyebrow and turned behind to look at Jin. “You said Kouki sent a message.” The shorter man nodded. “So why is he here with Bakanase?”
“Hey!” Byo ignored the protest as Jin chuckled. “When I said message, I didn’t meant they couldn’t come here and give a message, you know. You were with Manabu, I was sent to find you, so as to pass on the message.” Jin said in amusement. Byo rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine…could I trouble you to make some tea for us?” Jin nodded and left the room.
“As Jin might have told you, we were attacked tonight.” Kouki said tiredly as the three of them sat down while Minase snapped his fingers, and in an instance, the candles in the room lighted up. “The attacks are becoming more frequent as they grow older. At this rate, one of them will be taken from us. And for the record, Mao and Hizumi are on their way here.”
Byo raised an eyebrow for the second time that night. “Are you guys intending to carry out meetings at my house often?” Minase shook his head. “We hope not, but as of current, your house is the safest place.”
“I hope you don’t jinx it when you say that.” The conversation fell short as Jin walked into the room, two cloaked figures following closely behind. “Dammit Byo, did you have to make your enhancements so complicated?” The shorter of the two cloaked figures complained as he pushed back his hood. “I’m drenched!”
“Sorry about that, Mao-nii~” Mao grumbled a little more as he and Hizumi sat down, Jin passing the cups of tea around. “This smells nice. Byo, you’re getting more better.” Hizumi voiced his approval as Byo smiled. “Under other circumstances I would claim credit, but the tea leaves were made by Manabu.”
Everyone, with the exception of Jin, stared at Byo. “Bu-chan made this?” Kouki asked, all wide-eyed. “He’s my brother after all.” Byo smirked, then faded away. “Anyway, please get back on the topic on hand.”
“Right.” Kouki turned serious again. “Fortunately Hikaru wasn’t aware, since Ibuki kept him well-distracted while we eliminated the invaders, but I think we have to change our tactics. We can’t keep them hidden forever.”
“I agree with Kouki.” All eyes turned towards Hizumi. “Even as they are learning about their abilities now, there is no guarantee about the future. Anything can happen.”
“If that’s the case I have a proposal.” Mao set down his tea. “Or rather, it was proposed to me. Shortly after Tsurugi’s near kidnapping,” Mao hardened his grip on his cup handle. “Lord Kisaki came to see me.”
Everyone frowned. Kisaki was an unpredictable person, and despite having been working under Kisaki for a period of time Mao still could not figure out what went through his head. Thus Kisaki’s proposal had come as a shock to him.
“Them or the world. Make your choice.”
“So what did he propose?” Mao snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at all of them. “You’re not going to like it, especially you, Byo.”
Byo shrugged. “Try me.” Mao took a deep breath.
“As you all are already told when we were made guardians, our protection is void once they reach 18.” Heads nodded around the room, and already Mao saw the look of unhappiness on the other three faces. “Lord Kisaki said that there is a way to continue that protection, but we are not the ones who will continue our guardianship.”
“Then who?” Mao heard an undertone of hostility from Hizumi. It was going to be especially hard on Hizumi, as Zero was fast reaching 18 in a couple more of years, not to mention that the new guardians were someone that they all had fought so hard to reject for centuries…
He was mentally prepared for the outburst that would occur in a while.
“The Crown Princes of the respective Royal Houses of Shikoku.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: First multi-chapter fic, I do wonder how is this going to turn out...*fretting*
Hope you enjoyed it! ^^