Fic: Ever After (10.2)
Title: Ever After
Characters/Pairings: Characters abound from the multiverse, and if you think you spot a pairing, it’s probably there.
Rating: T
Summary: ‘Fairytale’ is a very trying place. Children get abandoned; loves fall under evil spells, and various members of royal families get abducted on an almost regular basis. Even with a witch on-hand all ills can’t simply be wished away - but then, if it’s really the ‘happy ever after’ you’re looking for, it’s quite obligatory to start with ‘once upon a time…’ AU, with heavy reference to canon.
A/N: I have a great lot of nothing to say this chapter but this: http://news.uk.msn.com/odd-news/article.aspx?cp-documentid=149601784 This amuses me, ^w^.
Posted in two parts.
First part is here.
Watanuki supposed it was a good thing Doumeki Haruka was already dead, or the amount of cigarettes the youth had seen the man get through during their night-time conversations probably would’ve killed him. People dreaming weren’t supposed to be able to smell anything, but still the rich scent of tobacco hung around Haruka, something comforting and familiar even in the ever-changing landscape dreaming crafted up out of thoughts and air.
“The fireflies are bright tonight.” Watanuki felt the comment was a stupid one as soon as it left his lips, but still it hung in the air between him and his companion, he himself standing, Haruka calmly seated on the imitation of Yuuko’s porch. (Or maybe the porch was the imitation and this was the real thing? It was so hard to tell sometimes.)
Haruka blew out a stream of smoke, letting it curl up into the darkness. “They are, aren’t they?” The fireflies were lovely, darts of blue-white amongst the trees in the garden. Weren’t they a sign of the Zashiki-warashi? “Perhaps it’s their way of apologising to you.”
“Why would they apologise?” Watanuki was confused. “The fireflies haven’t done anything to me.”
“Then that’s why they’re apologising.” Haruka really was nothing like his grandson. “It hurts when we can’t protect those we care for.”
“About Doumeki’s eye -”
Haruka glanced up at him from the side, somehow quelling half-formed words with that look. “I wasn’t talking about my grandson’s eye.”
#
“Both of you,” Yuuko told the two males sitting on her couch, Fai on one end, Syaoran on the other, “came to this island with a wish for me to grant, and from both of you I demanded your time as a price.” Maru and Moro silently brought her a chair and she sat upon it, aware of the brown and blue gazes tracking her movement, the tiny flickerings of action that could lend emotion and meaning to the words she said. “In addition to this, Syaoran-kun has retrieved items for me, pouring his effort and his will into everything, made bonds with others that may later hurt and sting. Fai-san…” the witch’s eyes softened slightly, “Fai-san, you have given your precious feelings, your home, the safety that you treasured for so long. Combined, these things you have paid equal the wishes you made to me, and so now I can grant what you’ve worked for so long.”
Fai looked at her more seriously, setting down the cold tea he’d been holding for so long. “Kuro -”
“You wished for opportunity, Fai-san. He is it.”
Guilt struck Fai again, sharp as the implication that lay in Yuuko’s words. “So I did this to him?” It hadn’t been Ashura-ou’s magic-?
“Regardless of your intervention in affairs, some things would have always happened.” There was a vague comfort in what Yuuko said. “It is hitsuzen that things have come to be so.”
Syaoran interrupted, hesitant. “About Kurogane-san -”
“Kurogane-san has gone to the place where Sakura-chan is. That is,” Yuuko continued, seeing both of her customers snap to attention at that, “castle Leval. It’s an old faerie castle enchanted out of time - only those who know where it is can pass through the barrier that divides it from the rest of this world, and only those with strong magic can reach the barrier in the first place.”
“How do I get there?” Fai asked at once.
“How do we get there?” Syaoran asked, looking at the mage.
“Syaoran-kun -”
“With aid,” Yuuko said, overriding Fai. She held out her hands before her, palms up, and something small and white suddenly bounced up onto them, looking unusually serious. “Mokona will help you find your way there, and keep you both in contact with me through the other Mokona throughout your journey.”
“Mokona will do her very best,” the little creature promised.
“Yuuko-san -” Fai tried again, frustrated. He didn’t want this - this was his mess; he had to solve it on his own, without dragging anyone else into it, without forcing them to share in the problems he inevitably brought with him. He was supposed to be dealing with this alone.
Again, the witch overrode him. “Mokona can teleport you anywhere that she has been before. I would advise going first to the Faerie Court - perhaps someone there will be able to advise you on how best to find Leval. The castle is of fey creation, after all.”
“Thank you, Yuuko-san.” Syaoran nodded solemnly as Mokona suddenly leaped into the air, glowing brightly. Wings spread from the creature’s back to curl around them as Yuuko’s magic circle appeared beneath them on the floor, the wind rising to curl around Syaoran and Fai, pulling them into the vortex that was swirling in Mokona’s enlarged mouth.
Fai, with his nails digging into his palms, looked at Yuuko’s stoic face until it was no longer possible to do so, closing his eyes as the witch’s magic pulled around him and took him to another place. It was only when he felt his feet touch solid ground once more that Fai opened his eyes again, his blue gaze meeting an opulence he hadn’t seen in a very long time, Syaoran gawking at his side as Mokona cheerily leapt down to sit on the brunet’s head.
“We’re here~!” Inside the Faerie Court, on the spirit mountain.
“So we are,” Fai agreed, tacking a smile to his face as he looked at Syaoran’s new choice of headgear. “Mokona is very clever to land us straight in the Faerie Court’s Entrance Hall!”
“Mokona is very clever,” Mokona preened. “Mokona is everybody’s idol!”
“Uwa~,” Fai clapped his hands, almost visible sparkles coming off of his frame. “Mokona gets more and more impressive by the minute!”
“Yup~!” Mokona unashamedly joined in with the sparkling. Syaoran sweat-dropped, and tried not to choke all on the glittery emissions that were floating in the air.
“Visitors, visitors~!!” A new voice trilled out a cry before Fai could further flatter Mokona’s ego, the sound of two pairs of pattering feet coming flying across the floor to the trio accompanied by the jangle of what sounded like tiny cymbals and tinkling bells, something small and pink crashing into Syaoran’s knees. Syaoran went flying, Mokona leapt to safety in Fai’s outstretched arms, and a second voice spoke out, disapprovingly, originating from a tiny…girl-like creature who had come to stand at the fallen Syaoran’s feet.
“You knocked them over.” She was a serious thing, dressed in dark colours with hair the same shade, bound up with bells in long pigtails either side of her disproportionate head.
Her pink, short-haired counterpart ignored her, having already scrambled up from where she’d run into Syaoran to do a twirling dance on the boy’s stomach, waving a jangling tambourine with a gusto.
“Welcome, welcome, welcome~! Sumomo will do her welcome dance for you!”
“Er…” Syaoran seemed a little nonplussed by the spinning, tambourine-waving girl - and especially her choice of stage -, glancing up at Fai and attempting a discreet whisper, “what are they?”
Fai chuckled softly, leaning down slightly to whisper his response as he offered a hand (Mokona moving to his shoulder) and helping the youth up. ‘Sumomo’ hopped off of his stomach, still spinning on the floor. “Chibis. Don’t worry, Syaoran-kun,” the boy relaxed minutely, “you’ll see a lot worse in this Court.”
“F-Fai-san…”
“Come, come~!” Sumomo was singing again, twirling around as she lilted out a strange little song to the rattle of her instrument. “Visitors should come with Sumomo~!”
“Our Regent will give audience to Fluorite-sama within the hour,” her companion said somewhat more stiffly. “His companion is free to partake in the food of the feast in rooms adjacent to the audience chamber. Their Highness wishes both of you to know that no harm would come to any emissary sent by the Forest Witch in this place.”
“Their Highness is very kind,” Fai said, still smiling.
Syaoran tugged on his sleeve, asking quietly, “How do they know you’re here?”
Fai patted him on the shoulder. “The fey don’t easily forget anything.”
“Come~!” Sumomo prompted them again, dancing ahead to get the others to follow her.
Slowly, they went after her as Sumomo led them down vast corridors all but glowing with magic, Syaoran clearly interested as he glanced around himself, asking questions of their other little companion - the second girl, who turned out to be called Kotoko. Fai, for his part, kept quiet and looked only ahead, petting Mokona with one hand absently. They continued like that, right up until Sumomo laid a hand on a gigantic set of double doors before them, the wood swinging inward at once to reveal a room full of talking faeries, their sound obviously previously sealed off from the outside corridor by some magical barrier of some sort.
Almost immediately the talking all but stopped, gazes flickering up to gawk at the newcomers, feeling the threads of magic coming off of both of the humans. The recognition slowly stealing onto a few of the faeries’ faces did nothing to abate the shock, the curiosity that was so palpable in the hall, Sumomo and Kotoko apparently oblivious to the gradual whispers that were starting up around the small group of four - five, when they included Mokona - as they made their way into the room.
Mokona took the opportunity to hop down and hide in Syaoran’s arms, quietened by the looks.
The two guiding chibis drew to a halt, Kotoko still as serious as ever. “We will inform the Regent of your presence.”
Syaoran smiled. “Thank y-” Their guides didn’t even wait for him to finish his sentence, disappearing with one last rattle of Sumomo’s tambourine, the chime of Kotoko’s bells.
Alone now in a sea of virtual strangers, Syaoran shifted a little awkwardly at Fai’s side, painfully conscious of the stares they were receiving. How his elder companion could appear so unaffected was beyond him, but Fai only continued to smile in that blithely bland manner of his, so outwardly friendly but so obviously unapproachable. Syaoran didn’t dare quite look at him, never mind speak, and Mokona huddled down a little more in the boy’s arms, quiet.
And then Fai went rigid. The sudden stiffness in one usually so languid drew Syaoran’s attention immediately, the boy looking up to see what had caught his companion’s attention and seeing a tall faerie with mismatched eyes and black hair stepping through the hall’s whispers, his own implacable smile a direct challenge to the blond his gaze had locked with.
Mokona let out a soft sound, barely above a whisper. “Fai…”
Syaoran frowned slightly, feeling the pull in the air, hearing the increase of hissed messages being flung around them, sensing more than seeing Fai straighten into someone of authority, exuding a chill that just wasn’t…that just didn’t feel like Fai, not the smiling, laughing man of the sunshine forest who called a grumpy wolf silly nicknames and climbed trees with twigs in his hair. This person…this smiling person who didn’t even so much as incline his head when the approaching faerie bowed before him, who radiated coldness and greatness and a distance so vast Syaoran hurt inside to think of it…that wasn’t Fai. This was someone else Syaoran didn’t know, had never been introduced to, and the brunet didn’t know whether that made him immensely grateful or endlessly sad.
“Fai-bocchan,” the faerie male before them rose from his bow, slipping from that smooth movement and seizing Fai by the upper-arms in the next breath, leaning in to kiss the man’s mouth. Fai turned his head aside at the last moment, the stranger’s lips scraping his cheek instead. “How lovely to see you come home.”
Fai raised his hands and placed them squarely in the middle of his captor’s chest, pushing the other away and freeing himself. “If I have a home, Seishirou-san, it is certainly not in this Court.”
“And I thought our time together meant so much more.” ‘Seishirou’ only smiled when Fai made a disgusted noise at the back of his throat, the faerie turning to look at the silent Syaoran. “And who is this? He’s got a little way to go in terms of magical strength, Fai-bocchan, but he looks just as sweet as you once did, all those many years ago.”
Fai’s snarl was liquid, twisting as the mage stepped protectively in front of his brunet charge, and Mokona flattened herself completely against Syaoran’s chest, slipping under the boy’s cloak. “Try it and your remaining eye will go the same way as its partner.”
Syaoran saw then, more closely, the difference in Seishirou’s eyes: the left iris was grey, something that seemed tinged with shades of violet, alive and responsive. The right eye, in contrast, was…it moved as it should’ve done, but it was darker than its twin, blanker, closer to black. He…was blind in that eye?
Seishirou smirked, uncaring of the scrutiny fixed upon him, and brushed a hand over Fai’s cheek, the edge of his long sleeve touching skin. “You’re lovely when you’re angry.”
The images flooded instantly to mind with the faerie’s touch - hot, heated flashes, clasped hands, lips on skin, bodies tangled and twined together under the frost-laced sakura tree at the centre of the Court. His back arched in pleasure, pain, Seishirou’s teeth on the pale line of his throat -
Fai tore himself from the visions, reeling, blood still pounding in his ears, some of it having slipped shamefully lower. “…Tell me Seishirou-san,” the blond still felt breathless, but none of it leaked into his voice, “just how many years is it now since you’ve last seen Subaru-kun?”
Something flashed through the faerie’s gaze, a blaze of anger - white-hot -, bitterness, hate, but still Seishirou’s smile never faltered. Instead, he gave a long sigh, striking the pose of an indulgent elder. “Little bocchan, didn’t your esteemed guardian ever teach you not to pry into others’ personal affairs?” Clearly, Seishirou hadn’t seen his darling Subaru for a very long time.
“But I’d hate to intrude on unfinished business, Seishirou-san.” Fai’s smile was all the sweeter, carrying on a conversation that went straight over Syaoran’s head. The boy had no idea what - or who - they were talking about.
“I’d call no word for a couple of centuries pretty finished - by my book, anyway.” A new voice broke into the conversation, another faerie creeping in whilst the others had been too distracted.
Mokona perked up, recognising the tones. “Fuuma!” The little creature leapt out from her hiding spot under Syaoran’s cloak and onto the new stranger’s shoulder, happily chattering away with familiarity.
Syaoran looked confused, Fai mildly interested. The mage ignored Seishirou’s brittle expression, and turned to the faerie’s brother and Mokona. “You’re acquainted?”
Mokona nodded eagerly. “Yup~! Fuuma gave Mokona lots of tasty treats when Mokona was here last time and let Mokona ride around with him all day when Mokona wanted to.”
Seishirou smoothly sliced back into the conversation with his usual bland explanation. “My dear little brother’s taken to collecting stuffed toys just recently.”
“Mokona is not a stuffed toy!” Mokona squeaked her protest out; puffing herself up to meet the cool gaze levelled her way. “Mokona is Mokona!”
“Quaint.”
“Now, onii-san,” Fuuma broke in, as Mokona bristled as much as Mokona could bristle, “you’re offending all our guests. There’s a reason Lord Subaru finished with you, you know.”
“If I recall correctly,” Seishirou clearly wasn’t in the mood for games, “wasn’t it Lord Kamui that did the finishing, as he took his brother along with him?”
Fuuma only smiled. “Ah, no, onii-san dearest. Kamui and I never technically got started - and you have to start something to finish it.”
“Such an optimistic outlook.”
Fuuma bowed, still bright. “I try.” The fey around them were still whispering and Fuuma straightened, adjusting the glasses he wore on his nose. “Come, onii-san, delightful as this is Ashura-sama will be vexed if you meddle with the Court’s guests so soon after their arrival. Look,” he extended a hand, the rest of the group automatically following its line to glance at where a silent Kotoko and Sumomo stood, observing. “The eyes and ears of the Regent are here.” When they’d gotten there nobody had noticed.
“Come,” said Kotoko, taking Syaoran’s hand, as Mokona bounded back across to the boy’s shoulder, “I’ll show you to the table.”
“Come,” said Sumomo, taking Fai’s hand, for once also unusually calm, “I’ll show you to Ashura-sama.”
Both of them ignored Seishirou and Fuuma, pulling the humans along through the parting sea of faeries, Fuuma giving a lazy mock-salute of goodbye when Syaoran glanced back over one shoulder, Seishirou having already melted into the masses. The two little chibis led the humans and Mokona through the crowds and through another set of double-doors to another room - this place was quieter than the last, with less people, a large table crammed with all manner of weird and wonderful food running the length of one long wall.
Kotoko drew to a halt, Syaoran with her. “You are to remain here, for the time being,” she said, rather firmly. “Ashura-sama bids you make yourself at home and sample of the Faerie Court’s wares at your own leisure.”
Fai glanced with a little concern at his companion, Sumomo not pausing and still leading him along, so Mokona piped up with reassurance, waving one tiny happy paw from her perch on Syaoran’s shoulder. “Mokona will stay here with Syaoran!”
”Thank you, Mokona -” Fai attempted to dig his heels in a little to slow his guide down - Sumomo, although tiny, was remarkably strong - offering Syaoran some quick words of advice over his shoulder. “Syaoran-kun, I’ll be back as soon as I can, but don’t so much as touch the burgundy-red fruits; don’t go near the golden joint of meat, and always be sure to poke every piece of food with something blunt before you attempt to cut into it in any way -”
Syaoran looked mildly confused by such strange guidance, wanting to query what would happen if he did go against the recommendations. “Fai-san -” but it was too late, Fai just smiled at him a little helplessly, already being dragged away by the overeager Sumomo, both of them off to see the Regent.
Kotoko watched Syaoran and Mokona impassively, unmoving, but somehow Syaoran got the feeling she wouldn’t allow him to follow the departed Fai.
“Syaoran, Syaoran~” Mokona tapped the boy’s cheek, bright and burbling, “let’s get something tasty to eat~!”
Syaoran smiled at the little creature. “Alright then - let’s.” And they went off to the table to check out the food.
A/N: Let it be known, one and all, that I am very proud to present to you all this day my darling baby ‘Kuro-pon’, my shiny new laptop on which the latter two-thirds of this chapter was written. *snuggles her precious*
Also, also, also, I found out during the course of writing this chapter that the seiyuu for Mokona (Mika Kikuchi) and the seiyuu for Fuuma in the Tsubasa OAD (Yuuji Kishi) are getting married on December 4th. Apparently they met at the after-recording sessions for TRC, and Nekoi drew them some pretty art and - oh hell, it’s just incredibly cute. Incredibly.
And I have little else to say save I am Sorry This Chapter Took So Long and - er - I got distracted with other fic? >> There was still fic coming out. Don’t give me those eyes. I see you. >> *hides*)
Characters/Pairings: Characters abound from the multiverse, and if you think you spot a pairing, it’s probably there.
Rating: T
Summary: ‘Fairytale’ is a very trying place. Children get abandoned; loves fall under evil spells, and various members of royal families get abducted on an almost regular basis. Even with a witch on-hand all ills can’t simply be wished away - but then, if it’s really the ‘happy ever after’ you’re looking for, it’s quite obligatory to start with ‘once upon a time…’ AU, with heavy reference to canon.
A/N: I have a great lot of nothing to say this chapter but this: http://news.uk.msn.com/odd-news/article.aspx?cp-documentid=149601784 This amuses me, ^w^.
Posted in two parts.
First part is here.
Watanuki supposed it was a good thing Doumeki Haruka was already dead, or the amount of cigarettes the youth had seen the man get through during their night-time conversations probably would’ve killed him. People dreaming weren’t supposed to be able to smell anything, but still the rich scent of tobacco hung around Haruka, something comforting and familiar even in the ever-changing landscape dreaming crafted up out of thoughts and air.
“The fireflies are bright tonight.” Watanuki felt the comment was a stupid one as soon as it left his lips, but still it hung in the air between him and his companion, he himself standing, Haruka calmly seated on the imitation of Yuuko’s porch. (Or maybe the porch was the imitation and this was the real thing? It was so hard to tell sometimes.)
Haruka blew out a stream of smoke, letting it curl up into the darkness. “They are, aren’t they?” The fireflies were lovely, darts of blue-white amongst the trees in the garden. Weren’t they a sign of the Zashiki-warashi? “Perhaps it’s their way of apologising to you.”
“Why would they apologise?” Watanuki was confused. “The fireflies haven’t done anything to me.”
“Then that’s why they’re apologising.” Haruka really was nothing like his grandson. “It hurts when we can’t protect those we care for.”
“About Doumeki’s eye -”
Haruka glanced up at him from the side, somehow quelling half-formed words with that look. “I wasn’t talking about my grandson’s eye.”
#
“Both of you,” Yuuko told the two males sitting on her couch, Fai on one end, Syaoran on the other, “came to this island with a wish for me to grant, and from both of you I demanded your time as a price.” Maru and Moro silently brought her a chair and she sat upon it, aware of the brown and blue gazes tracking her movement, the tiny flickerings of action that could lend emotion and meaning to the words she said. “In addition to this, Syaoran-kun has retrieved items for me, pouring his effort and his will into everything, made bonds with others that may later hurt and sting. Fai-san…” the witch’s eyes softened slightly, “Fai-san, you have given your precious feelings, your home, the safety that you treasured for so long. Combined, these things you have paid equal the wishes you made to me, and so now I can grant what you’ve worked for so long.”
Fai looked at her more seriously, setting down the cold tea he’d been holding for so long. “Kuro -”
“You wished for opportunity, Fai-san. He is it.”
Guilt struck Fai again, sharp as the implication that lay in Yuuko’s words. “So I did this to him?” It hadn’t been Ashura-ou’s magic-?
“Regardless of your intervention in affairs, some things would have always happened.” There was a vague comfort in what Yuuko said. “It is hitsuzen that things have come to be so.”
Syaoran interrupted, hesitant. “About Kurogane-san -”
“Kurogane-san has gone to the place where Sakura-chan is. That is,” Yuuko continued, seeing both of her customers snap to attention at that, “castle Leval. It’s an old faerie castle enchanted out of time - only those who know where it is can pass through the barrier that divides it from the rest of this world, and only those with strong magic can reach the barrier in the first place.”
“How do I get there?” Fai asked at once.
“How do we get there?” Syaoran asked, looking at the mage.
“Syaoran-kun -”
“With aid,” Yuuko said, overriding Fai. She held out her hands before her, palms up, and something small and white suddenly bounced up onto them, looking unusually serious. “Mokona will help you find your way there, and keep you both in contact with me through the other Mokona throughout your journey.”
“Mokona will do her very best,” the little creature promised.
“Yuuko-san -” Fai tried again, frustrated. He didn’t want this - this was his mess; he had to solve it on his own, without dragging anyone else into it, without forcing them to share in the problems he inevitably brought with him. He was supposed to be dealing with this alone.
Again, the witch overrode him. “Mokona can teleport you anywhere that she has been before. I would advise going first to the Faerie Court - perhaps someone there will be able to advise you on how best to find Leval. The castle is of fey creation, after all.”
“Thank you, Yuuko-san.” Syaoran nodded solemnly as Mokona suddenly leaped into the air, glowing brightly. Wings spread from the creature’s back to curl around them as Yuuko’s magic circle appeared beneath them on the floor, the wind rising to curl around Syaoran and Fai, pulling them into the vortex that was swirling in Mokona’s enlarged mouth.
Fai, with his nails digging into his palms, looked at Yuuko’s stoic face until it was no longer possible to do so, closing his eyes as the witch’s magic pulled around him and took him to another place. It was only when he felt his feet touch solid ground once more that Fai opened his eyes again, his blue gaze meeting an opulence he hadn’t seen in a very long time, Syaoran gawking at his side as Mokona cheerily leapt down to sit on the brunet’s head.
“We’re here~!” Inside the Faerie Court, on the spirit mountain.
“So we are,” Fai agreed, tacking a smile to his face as he looked at Syaoran’s new choice of headgear. “Mokona is very clever to land us straight in the Faerie Court’s Entrance Hall!”
“Mokona is very clever,” Mokona preened. “Mokona is everybody’s idol!”
“Uwa~,” Fai clapped his hands, almost visible sparkles coming off of his frame. “Mokona gets more and more impressive by the minute!”
“Yup~!” Mokona unashamedly joined in with the sparkling. Syaoran sweat-dropped, and tried not to choke all on the glittery emissions that were floating in the air.
“Visitors, visitors~!!” A new voice trilled out a cry before Fai could further flatter Mokona’s ego, the sound of two pairs of pattering feet coming flying across the floor to the trio accompanied by the jangle of what sounded like tiny cymbals and tinkling bells, something small and pink crashing into Syaoran’s knees. Syaoran went flying, Mokona leapt to safety in Fai’s outstretched arms, and a second voice spoke out, disapprovingly, originating from a tiny…girl-like creature who had come to stand at the fallen Syaoran’s feet.
“You knocked them over.” She was a serious thing, dressed in dark colours with hair the same shade, bound up with bells in long pigtails either side of her disproportionate head.
Her pink, short-haired counterpart ignored her, having already scrambled up from where she’d run into Syaoran to do a twirling dance on the boy’s stomach, waving a jangling tambourine with a gusto.
“Welcome, welcome, welcome~! Sumomo will do her welcome dance for you!”
“Er…” Syaoran seemed a little nonplussed by the spinning, tambourine-waving girl - and especially her choice of stage -, glancing up at Fai and attempting a discreet whisper, “what are they?”
Fai chuckled softly, leaning down slightly to whisper his response as he offered a hand (Mokona moving to his shoulder) and helping the youth up. ‘Sumomo’ hopped off of his stomach, still spinning on the floor. “Chibis. Don’t worry, Syaoran-kun,” the boy relaxed minutely, “you’ll see a lot worse in this Court.”
“F-Fai-san…”
“Come, come~!” Sumomo was singing again, twirling around as she lilted out a strange little song to the rattle of her instrument. “Visitors should come with Sumomo~!”
“Our Regent will give audience to Fluorite-sama within the hour,” her companion said somewhat more stiffly. “His companion is free to partake in the food of the feast in rooms adjacent to the audience chamber. Their Highness wishes both of you to know that no harm would come to any emissary sent by the Forest Witch in this place.”
“Their Highness is very kind,” Fai said, still smiling.
Syaoran tugged on his sleeve, asking quietly, “How do they know you’re here?”
Fai patted him on the shoulder. “The fey don’t easily forget anything.”
“Come~!” Sumomo prompted them again, dancing ahead to get the others to follow her.
Slowly, they went after her as Sumomo led them down vast corridors all but glowing with magic, Syaoran clearly interested as he glanced around himself, asking questions of their other little companion - the second girl, who turned out to be called Kotoko. Fai, for his part, kept quiet and looked only ahead, petting Mokona with one hand absently. They continued like that, right up until Sumomo laid a hand on a gigantic set of double doors before them, the wood swinging inward at once to reveal a room full of talking faeries, their sound obviously previously sealed off from the outside corridor by some magical barrier of some sort.
Almost immediately the talking all but stopped, gazes flickering up to gawk at the newcomers, feeling the threads of magic coming off of both of the humans. The recognition slowly stealing onto a few of the faeries’ faces did nothing to abate the shock, the curiosity that was so palpable in the hall, Sumomo and Kotoko apparently oblivious to the gradual whispers that were starting up around the small group of four - five, when they included Mokona - as they made their way into the room.
Mokona took the opportunity to hop down and hide in Syaoran’s arms, quietened by the looks.
The two guiding chibis drew to a halt, Kotoko still as serious as ever. “We will inform the Regent of your presence.”
Syaoran smiled. “Thank y-” Their guides didn’t even wait for him to finish his sentence, disappearing with one last rattle of Sumomo’s tambourine, the chime of Kotoko’s bells.
Alone now in a sea of virtual strangers, Syaoran shifted a little awkwardly at Fai’s side, painfully conscious of the stares they were receiving. How his elder companion could appear so unaffected was beyond him, but Fai only continued to smile in that blithely bland manner of his, so outwardly friendly but so obviously unapproachable. Syaoran didn’t dare quite look at him, never mind speak, and Mokona huddled down a little more in the boy’s arms, quiet.
And then Fai went rigid. The sudden stiffness in one usually so languid drew Syaoran’s attention immediately, the boy looking up to see what had caught his companion’s attention and seeing a tall faerie with mismatched eyes and black hair stepping through the hall’s whispers, his own implacable smile a direct challenge to the blond his gaze had locked with.
Mokona let out a soft sound, barely above a whisper. “Fai…”
Syaoran frowned slightly, feeling the pull in the air, hearing the increase of hissed messages being flung around them, sensing more than seeing Fai straighten into someone of authority, exuding a chill that just wasn’t…that just didn’t feel like Fai, not the smiling, laughing man of the sunshine forest who called a grumpy wolf silly nicknames and climbed trees with twigs in his hair. This person…this smiling person who didn’t even so much as incline his head when the approaching faerie bowed before him, who radiated coldness and greatness and a distance so vast Syaoran hurt inside to think of it…that wasn’t Fai. This was someone else Syaoran didn’t know, had never been introduced to, and the brunet didn’t know whether that made him immensely grateful or endlessly sad.
“Fai-bocchan,” the faerie male before them rose from his bow, slipping from that smooth movement and seizing Fai by the upper-arms in the next breath, leaning in to kiss the man’s mouth. Fai turned his head aside at the last moment, the stranger’s lips scraping his cheek instead. “How lovely to see you come home.”
Fai raised his hands and placed them squarely in the middle of his captor’s chest, pushing the other away and freeing himself. “If I have a home, Seishirou-san, it is certainly not in this Court.”
“And I thought our time together meant so much more.” ‘Seishirou’ only smiled when Fai made a disgusted noise at the back of his throat, the faerie turning to look at the silent Syaoran. “And who is this? He’s got a little way to go in terms of magical strength, Fai-bocchan, but he looks just as sweet as you once did, all those many years ago.”
Fai’s snarl was liquid, twisting as the mage stepped protectively in front of his brunet charge, and Mokona flattened herself completely against Syaoran’s chest, slipping under the boy’s cloak. “Try it and your remaining eye will go the same way as its partner.”
Syaoran saw then, more closely, the difference in Seishirou’s eyes: the left iris was grey, something that seemed tinged with shades of violet, alive and responsive. The right eye, in contrast, was…it moved as it should’ve done, but it was darker than its twin, blanker, closer to black. He…was blind in that eye?
Seishirou smirked, uncaring of the scrutiny fixed upon him, and brushed a hand over Fai’s cheek, the edge of his long sleeve touching skin. “You’re lovely when you’re angry.”
The images flooded instantly to mind with the faerie’s touch - hot, heated flashes, clasped hands, lips on skin, bodies tangled and twined together under the frost-laced sakura tree at the centre of the Court. His back arched in pleasure, pain, Seishirou’s teeth on the pale line of his throat -
Fai tore himself from the visions, reeling, blood still pounding in his ears, some of it having slipped shamefully lower. “…Tell me Seishirou-san,” the blond still felt breathless, but none of it leaked into his voice, “just how many years is it now since you’ve last seen Subaru-kun?”
Something flashed through the faerie’s gaze, a blaze of anger - white-hot -, bitterness, hate, but still Seishirou’s smile never faltered. Instead, he gave a long sigh, striking the pose of an indulgent elder. “Little bocchan, didn’t your esteemed guardian ever teach you not to pry into others’ personal affairs?” Clearly, Seishirou hadn’t seen his darling Subaru for a very long time.
“But I’d hate to intrude on unfinished business, Seishirou-san.” Fai’s smile was all the sweeter, carrying on a conversation that went straight over Syaoran’s head. The boy had no idea what - or who - they were talking about.
“I’d call no word for a couple of centuries pretty finished - by my book, anyway.” A new voice broke into the conversation, another faerie creeping in whilst the others had been too distracted.
Mokona perked up, recognising the tones. “Fuuma!” The little creature leapt out from her hiding spot under Syaoran’s cloak and onto the new stranger’s shoulder, happily chattering away with familiarity.
Syaoran looked confused, Fai mildly interested. The mage ignored Seishirou’s brittle expression, and turned to the faerie’s brother and Mokona. “You’re acquainted?”
Mokona nodded eagerly. “Yup~! Fuuma gave Mokona lots of tasty treats when Mokona was here last time and let Mokona ride around with him all day when Mokona wanted to.”
Seishirou smoothly sliced back into the conversation with his usual bland explanation. “My dear little brother’s taken to collecting stuffed toys just recently.”
“Mokona is not a stuffed toy!” Mokona squeaked her protest out; puffing herself up to meet the cool gaze levelled her way. “Mokona is Mokona!”
“Quaint.”
“Now, onii-san,” Fuuma broke in, as Mokona bristled as much as Mokona could bristle, “you’re offending all our guests. There’s a reason Lord Subaru finished with you, you know.”
“If I recall correctly,” Seishirou clearly wasn’t in the mood for games, “wasn’t it Lord Kamui that did the finishing, as he took his brother along with him?”
Fuuma only smiled. “Ah, no, onii-san dearest. Kamui and I never technically got started - and you have to start something to finish it.”
“Such an optimistic outlook.”
Fuuma bowed, still bright. “I try.” The fey around them were still whispering and Fuuma straightened, adjusting the glasses he wore on his nose. “Come, onii-san, delightful as this is Ashura-sama will be vexed if you meddle with the Court’s guests so soon after their arrival. Look,” he extended a hand, the rest of the group automatically following its line to glance at where a silent Kotoko and Sumomo stood, observing. “The eyes and ears of the Regent are here.” When they’d gotten there nobody had noticed.
“Come,” said Kotoko, taking Syaoran’s hand, as Mokona bounded back across to the boy’s shoulder, “I’ll show you to the table.”
“Come,” said Sumomo, taking Fai’s hand, for once also unusually calm, “I’ll show you to Ashura-sama.”
Both of them ignored Seishirou and Fuuma, pulling the humans along through the parting sea of faeries, Fuuma giving a lazy mock-salute of goodbye when Syaoran glanced back over one shoulder, Seishirou having already melted into the masses. The two little chibis led the humans and Mokona through the crowds and through another set of double-doors to another room - this place was quieter than the last, with less people, a large table crammed with all manner of weird and wonderful food running the length of one long wall.
Kotoko drew to a halt, Syaoran with her. “You are to remain here, for the time being,” she said, rather firmly. “Ashura-sama bids you make yourself at home and sample of the Faerie Court’s wares at your own leisure.”
Fai glanced with a little concern at his companion, Sumomo not pausing and still leading him along, so Mokona piped up with reassurance, waving one tiny happy paw from her perch on Syaoran’s shoulder. “Mokona will stay here with Syaoran!”
”Thank you, Mokona -” Fai attempted to dig his heels in a little to slow his guide down - Sumomo, although tiny, was remarkably strong - offering Syaoran some quick words of advice over his shoulder. “Syaoran-kun, I’ll be back as soon as I can, but don’t so much as touch the burgundy-red fruits; don’t go near the golden joint of meat, and always be sure to poke every piece of food with something blunt before you attempt to cut into it in any way -”
Syaoran looked mildly confused by such strange guidance, wanting to query what would happen if he did go against the recommendations. “Fai-san -” but it was too late, Fai just smiled at him a little helplessly, already being dragged away by the overeager Sumomo, both of them off to see the Regent.
Kotoko watched Syaoran and Mokona impassively, unmoving, but somehow Syaoran got the feeling she wouldn’t allow him to follow the departed Fai.
“Syaoran, Syaoran~” Mokona tapped the boy’s cheek, bright and burbling, “let’s get something tasty to eat~!”
Syaoran smiled at the little creature. “Alright then - let’s.” And they went off to the table to check out the food.
A/N: Let it be known, one and all, that I am very proud to present to you all this day my darling baby ‘Kuro-pon’, my shiny new laptop on which the latter two-thirds of this chapter was written. *snuggles her precious*
Also, also, also, I found out during the course of writing this chapter that the seiyuu for Mokona (Mika Kikuchi) and the seiyuu for Fuuma in the Tsubasa OAD (Yuuji Kishi) are getting married on December 4th. Apparently they met at the after-recording sessions for TRC, and Nekoi drew them some pretty art and - oh hell, it’s just incredibly cute. Incredibly.
And I have little else to say save I am Sorry This Chapter Took So Long and - er - I got distracted with other fic? >> There was still fic coming out. Don’t give me those eyes. I see you. >> *hides*)