Something Real -- Chapter 8
Chapter: 8
Pairing: Sakumoto, Ohmiya
Genre: AU, Fantasy
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Plot = mine. Arashi = not mine.
Summary: Sho gets introduced into the dangerous world of the fey -- where not everything is what it seems.
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Junichi was choking him - not quite enough to kill him, but enough to make Sho choke and sputter and see stars - and Sho wasn’t sure what to do. He tried to yell out and was shocked when Junichi didn’t stop him.
“You can yell all you want.” He chuckled. “Jun won’t hear you. I spiked his drink last night, and I’m afraid he’s just too sick to get up now - as I’m sure you noticed.”
Sho’s mind panicked. It certainly explained Jun’s fever, but Junichi wouldn’t seriously hurt his own brother, would he? Jun’s fever had broken before Sho got up, so Sho reasoned Jun couldn’t be too sick.
As Sho’s thoughts ran wild and he struggled to escape before Junichi really did kill him, he felt Junichi go rigid behind him.
“I’m sorry, brother, but did I just hear you say you were the reason for my ill health last night?” Jun spoke icily. “Let him go. Now.”
Junichi released him and Sho fell to the ground coughing. He looked up to find Jun gripping Junichi’s neck from behind with one hand - Jun’s face terrifying as Junichi grinned.
“What are you doing, Jun? Hm?” Junichi looked at Sho. “Playing house with the Light Fey Prince?”
“What I am doing is no concern of yours.” Jun still spoke in a frightening tone.
“Oh, but I think it is, baby brother. You see, you just proved that you would threaten to hurt your own flesh and blood in order to protect this pathetic excuse for a Fey. Am I going to have to kill you along with him?”
Jun was still gripping Junichi’s neck tightly, which Sho didn’t quite understand. It didn’t look like Jun was hurting him, and he wasn’t sure what Jun was trying to do in that position.
“No one is killing anyone. Mother wants him alive, and I will do as I was bidden.”
Mother? The Queen? Was Jun…no. Impossible.
“You’re delivering him to mother? Then why have you kept him up here for the past few days? Why didn’t you take him straight away?”
“He had information I wanted before I gave him to the Queen.”
Sho couldn’t believe his ears. Jun was just lying, right?
“What I am most concerned about, however, is how you got into my room - and why you dare to poison my drink.”
“C’mon, Jun. Let’s be honest. I don’t trust you, and you don’t trust me. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t have done the same. As for your room…it was unlocked.”
Jun’s eyes narrowed, and in a split second Junichi was on the floor, writhing in pain, Jun’s hand spread in the air over him. After a few moments, Junichi stopped, breathing hard but laughing. Sho finally understood why Jun’s hand on Junichi’s neck was so important.
“Oh, you have gotten powerful, haven’t you!” The slightly maniacal laughter continued.
“You lied. The door was not unlocked.”
“Fine. It wasn’t unlocked. But I won’t tell.”
Jun moved to attack Junichi again with magic, but Junichi blocked it. “Stop this, Jun. We have more important matters - such as taking the halfling to see mother.” Junichi gripped Sho’s arm and yanked him up as Sho resisted.
Jun immediately stepped closer, yanking Junichi’s hand off and wrapping his own hand around Sho’s arm, pulling him closer. “He was my mission, and I found him. I will take him.”
Junichi scoffed, but didn’t protest. “Fine. But I’m coming with you.” He eyed Sho with scorn before walking out of the room, pausing until he saw Jun following, dragging Sho.
Sho wasn’t sure what to do. Was Jun really taking him to the Queen? Wasn’t that what Jun had been preventing? It didn’t make sense! The Jun that was leading him around the castle now was too different - much like the Prince Jun he first met all those days ago with Nino. Had it all really been a ploy to get information out of him? He couldn't ask, Jun, however, because Junichi would hear every word.
As they entered the throne room, Sho began to realize how real this was and resisted. Jun simply responded with a painful wrist twist before shoving him forward, the throne room doors closing with a resounding boom.
Jun moved his hand to Sho’s neck - the same position Jun and Junichi were in earlier. Sho knew what would come if he tried anything. But Jun wouldn’t really do that, right? Jun wouldn’t hurt him, Sho felt that in his heart…but his mind made him second guess that feeling.
“Mother.” Jun and Junichi said together, bowing, as Jun forced Sho to bow as well, before returning to stand upright.
“My handsome sons! What is this lovely present you have brought me? Don’t tell me you’ve completed your mission at last, Jun!”
“I have, mother. This is Sakurai Sho, the son of the Light Fey King.” Jun said without emotion.
The Winter Queen laughed as she clapped her hands together. “I was beginning to worry, Jun dear, but I see I was wrong to!”
“He had him long ago, mother, using him as a slave. He should’ve brought him earlier, but he claims he was trying to get close to him to gain information.” Junichi interjected distrustfully.
The Queen looked at Jun sharply. “Does he have information that is valuable, Jun?”
“I wasn’t able to find out, as Junichi let the plan out before I could finish.” Jun said it as if he could care less, and all of this was a waste of time.
The Queen came closer, smiling wide. She nodded to Jun and he let him go, but the Queen touched him once with her finger and Sho found himself covered in ice with only his head free. Jun then moved to his throne, sitting on it with a bored look.
“I don’t trust him, mother. He used to be friends with him!” Junichi spat.
The Queen looked at Jun with cold interest at that. “Explain yourself.”
“Clearly, Junichi was spying again and making assumptions, as he likes to do. Yes, I made friends with him as a boy, but it was all to gain his trust. I’ve found the best way to get close to an enemy is to make him a friend - after that, destroying them is a piece of cake.”
Sho couldn’t believe it - no, he wouldn’t believe it. Sho still couldn’t remember all of his past, but he couldn’t believe that it had all been a lie.
“Just kill him and be done with it.”
Jun said it with such indifference and with such a blank look toward Sho that Sho couldn’t deny it anymore. It really had all been a lie. Jun had been playing with him. Sho knew he had feelings for the prince that not even he completely understood, but this made it quite obvious they were deeper than Sho had realized, as Sho’s heart broke with those words. Sho went numb; his mind went blank at the betrayal.
“Now, now. Let’s not be hasty.” The Queen circled around him like a predator. “I believe he can be useful to me.”
“You’re not going to kill him!?” Junichi shouted, outraged.
“Do not raise your voice to me, Junichi.” She said sharply, and Junichi closed his mouth in a scowl. “Jun had the right idea. Wouldn’t it be lovely if he were my slave? Think of what all the fey would think! The Light Fey Prince kneeling to serve the Winter Queen!” She smiled at the thought. “If it doesn’t work, I’ll kill him then,” She added.
Junichi stormed out angrily, and no one stopped him.
“So all this time, you wanted him as a slave?” Jun questioned, still in that bored tone.
“No. It wasn’t until Junichi mentioned what you were doing that I thought of it. It really is genius. Either I get a wonderful slave, or I get to kill my enemy. What could be better? I will be the ultimate ruler.”
The Queen stalked back toward Sho, who was no longer looking at anyone, or anything - numb to it all. She caressed his face softly.
“I’ll train him well.”
With that, the Queen kissed him, and Sho fell into a haze of nothingness.
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Ohno was sitting at the table in his house when Nino burst through the door, panting.
“Oh-chan! The hamburger picture is gone!” He cried, running to Ohno and gripping his arm hard.
Ohno stood up quickly. “Why…”
“It’s gone, Oh-chan! He’s done something to Sho, I know it!” Nino emotions of anger and worry were battling each other on his face. “I know you said we needed to trust Jun, that Jun would protect him - which I still don’t understand how you can feel that way, after all he’s done - but if the picture is gone, Sho is definitely in trouble!”
“Calm down, Nino. I agree; something must be wrong. Grab Aiba-chan.”
Before Nino could dash away, there was a quick pounding on the door, and the pair froze. Ohno walked quietly to the door with Nino right behind him. He closed his eyes, concentrating on finding out who was demanding entrance.
Ohno’s eyes opened in shock, and he quickly pulled open the door. Nino hissed when he saw the man, moving to stand in front of Ohno protectively.
“Killed Sho-chan, and now you’re here to murder the rest of us, too?” Nino yelled, attempting to leap at the man, but Ohno held him back.
“Jun,” was all Ohno said.
“Ohno.” Jun responded. Nino still looked at him viciously, but then he noticed that Jun didn’t look right. His normally styled hair was in disarray from hands running through it too often, his eyes had dark circles from lack of sleep, and overall, he looked like he’d been through hell.
Nino relaxed, stunned by Jun’s unkempt appearance, and Ohno guided him into the house. Jun slumped into a chair, and Nino and Ohno sat across from him.
“She has Sho.” Jun managed to get out weakly, his voice raspy.
“What happened?” Ohno asked gently.
“Junichi found him. I had to play along. I had to take him to her. I thought she would demand an execution for the next day, like usual, so I would have time to help him escape. But she’s keeping him as her slave. She’s put this fog into his brain, and it’s like he isn’t alive. He never leaves her side.” Jun gripped his hair in distress. “Sometimes she tortures him for fun, and he doesn’t even try to stop her. I tried to talk to him once, but he didn’t seem to recognize me. It's been three days! I don’t know what to do!” Jun’s tears came then, but it didn’t matter - Nino and Ohno both knew from his red eyes that he had been crying for quite awhile before.
“We’ll figure out a way to save Sho.” Ohno said, mind already working away on a plan.
Nino, on the other hand, was confused. “Why do you care so much, Jun? You threw us all away, without a backward glance. You weren’t even that close to Sho.”
Jun looked up at Nino sadly. “I was trying to protect all of you.”
“Protect us?”
“I treasured our friendship. I know it seemed like a few months didn’t matter, but it did to me. And actually, I kept seeing Sho. I discovered in those few months that I cared about him differently than you guys did. To be honest, I was a little jealous when we played together in a group, because his attention was on everyone, and not just me. So while I would still visit with you guys occasionally, I saw Sho almost every day without telling you, just the two of us.” Jun eyes went soft at the memories. “I loved him. I still love him. I’ve always been watching over him. So when my mother commanded me to bring the Light Fey Prince to her all those years ago, I knew I had to take drastic action. I cut ties with all of you, I forbade you to bring Sho to the Realm, and I took Sho’s memories of us. I thought it would save all of you.” Jun’s tears never stopped falling.
Nino was shocked. “You knew, didn’t you, Oh-chan? That’s why you said to trust him.” Ohno didn’t respond.
“Why did you bring him back?” Jun asked in an agonized voice. “Why?”
Now close to tears himself, Nino said sadly, “I had a vision.”
“A vision?”
“Sho saved the Light King. You know he’s been missing, and my vision was so vivid, so real. Such terrible things were happening - I couldn’t just let it continue! I thought it would be simpler than this.” Nino closed his eyes unhappily.
“So you brought him into the castle on his first day because you thought that was where the Light King would be, knowing that he didn’t know how to use his magic?!” Jun’s voice rose angrily.
“We didn’t go to fight! I thought it would be best to search the castle to find the King’s whereabouts and leave, and then plan on how to save him! How was I supposed to know that you would be there, and that the Queen was holding a celebration!?” Nino’s voice also grew angry.
“Stop it, both of you.” Ohno commanded quietly, and the pair stopped.
“Now is not the time to blame each other. There are always things we don’t foresee, and right now we need to save Sho-chan.”
Nino and Jun’s faces looked guiltily at each other before nodding.
“How is the Queen keeping Sho under a spell?” Ohno asked.
“She kisses him.” Jun said with disgust. “She has a lipstick that she’s imbued with magical properties, so that whomever she kisses ends up forgetting their past, replacing memories with adoration for her. The longer it goes on, the harder it is to undo.”
Ohno gave Jun a hard look, and Jun looked a little guilty once more. Nino wondered what they were up to, when he remembered Jun’s words from earlier. “You - you took Sho’s memories that way, didn’t you?”
Jun turned to Nino with surprise, and then sadness. “I learned the basic idea from her, and changed it a little to fit my needs. I didn’t want Sho to be my dimwitted slave - I only wanted to make him forget about us, and me in particular. But yes, the idea is the same.”
“And he follows her everywhere, you said?” Ohno questioned.
“Yes. Sometimes there are moments of distance, but typically she keeps him close, and he follows her.”
“Then I think I may have a plan.”
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Once again presentable, Jun walked back into the castle, acting every inch the Dark Fey prince he was. He briefly wondered where Junichi had run off to. It had been 3 days since he had stormed out of the throne room, and just a few hours since Jun had left Ohno and the others, but Jun hadn’t seen his older brother since then. Jun put it out of his mind, however - he had more important things to do.
He immediately found his mother in the throne room, as usual. Jun decided to slump into his own throne carelessly, his eyes giving a quick glance in Sho’s direction, to make sure he was still there and alive, his heart breaking at seeing Sho in such a poor condition.
His mother always made sure her slaves looked well kept, although they sometimes had bruises early on from beatings for misbehaving, but that usually went away as their adoration for the Queen grew. But while Sho was well groomed and clean, he was blank. He sat slumped on the ground leaning next to the Queen’s throne, staring blankly at nothing, and no one could get his attention except the Queen. Even then, however, the Queen’s voice only made him stare blankly at her direction - usually, the slaves had a look of adoration in their eyes, an eagerness to please. Sho didn’t resist the Queen’s commands, but he did it in such a zombie-like fashion, never speaking. Jun just wanted to grab him and hold him tight and tell him it would be alright, that they would save him. It nearly brought Jun to tears again, but if Jun was good at anything, it was self control, and control was what he needed in front of his mother - otherwise, they were both doomed.
Jun simply had to wait for a moment when the Queen sent Sho away for a quick task, or when the Queen left Sho behind. After several hours of waiting, Jun was beginning to think it wasn’t going to happen today. The Queen held court, listening to the problems of the Dark Fey, and had entertainment and food. It was almost always a constant party with the Queen. Jun even had to endure a moment when she tortured Sho for the entertainment of her guests, Sho's screams of pain slashing at his heart.
Finally, the Queen stood, excusing herself to her chamber for a moment, ordering everyone else except her chambermaid to stay and enjoy themselves. Jun knew she would be gone only for a moment - most likely to change outfits or reapply makeup - but he took his chance. Everyone was in such a state from the party that no one was paying attention to the slaves, and Jun pretended to leave, exiting into the shadows behind the Queen’s throne. Hidden from view, he whispered to Sho.
“Sho. Follow me!”
Sho didn’t respond; he didn’t even look his way.
“Come on, Sho! Come to me!”
Again, nothing. Jun knew this was going to be the difficult part, so he didn’t stop. Instead, he grabbed Sho’s wrist and pulled him, gently and slowly, toward the shadows behind the throne. “Come on.”
Sho still didn’t look at him, didn’t even move, so Jun was able to pull him away from seeing eyes. Once in the shadows, Jun picked Sho up in his arms and began to leave the throne room, but as soon as he took one step outside the throne room, Sho began to resist, having been ordered to stay in the room by the Queen. Jun wrapped his arms around Sho in a body bind as he continued to kick and thrash around. Thankfully, he was still in “no speaking” mode, and didn’t cry out. Jun carried him through a short corridor that was deserted, and entered a barely used room, kicking the door shut behind him and quickly sealing it with magic. Sho continued to resist, so Jun dropped him on a chair and rushed to open the room’s only window. He could hear Sho pounding on the door, trying to get out, but he had to focus on finding - there!
“Sho, why are you resisting?” The voice of his mother called through the window. Jun turned to watch Sho, as Sho stopped trying to open the door, his face turning toward the sound.
“Come out here, Sho dear. I think we should take a walk.” The Queen continued to speak.
Sho, in his zombie state, plodded his way across the room and to the window, seeing the Queen right outside. Thankfully, the room was on the first floor, as Sho climbed out the window toward the Queen. Jun glanced around outside, noticing fey wandering nearby, but apparently not seeing the scene in front of them. Jun guessed it was Ohno’s illusions at work. He followed Sho out the window.
The Queen smiled at Sho and began walking, leading him away from the castle. Jun followed behind, nervous.
Finally, they reached Ohno’s house. Shortly after Jun, Sho, and the Queen had entered, Nino and Ohno appeared as well, Ohno locking the door with several spells, Nino doing the same with the windows.
“It really is freaky how you can do that, Aiba.” Jun said, looking at the Queen.
Aiba smiled the Queen’s smile, unnerving Jun. “I know! Isn’t it too cool?!”
“Remember, Aiba, you have to stay as the Queen until we can bring Sho back.” Ohno reminded. “If you change back to yourself, it will be all we can do to keep Sho from hurting himself trying to get out of here.”
Jun approached Sho cautiously, putting a hand on Sho’s cheek. “Sho?” He whispered. Nothing.
“Sho, I command you to wake up!” Aiba said in the Queen’s shrilly voice. Sho simply looked at him with no response.
“Come on, Sho. Don’t you remember us?” Nino asked sadly, tugging on Sho’s limp hand. Still nothing.
They tried all kinds of things, all to no avail. Ohno attempted magic, Nino talked to Sho to about his past, and Aiba tried all kinds of commands as the Queen. Jun just wanted to cry.
Soon it was nightfall, and everyone was exhausted. They decided to try again in the morning, but Jun couldn’t bring himself to leave Sho alone even for a second. After Aiba commanded Sho to sleep, Jun crawled into bed with him, hugging him tight, remembering when Sho had so often done the same, as recently as Jun’s fever.
The next morning, Jun awoke to find the door open and Sho leaving. Jun leaped out of bed to chase after Sho, but it was too late. Nino, Ohno, and Aiba were in the main room, discussing tactics, not expecting Sho to appear without a heads up from Jun. Surprised by the appearance of Sho, it took a moment before Aiba switched back to the Queen’s form, but all it took was that moment for Sho to realize that it wasn’t the real Queen. He ran to the door, trying to open it, as everyone tried to grab him and calm him down. Sho continued to try to escape and fought back, injuring himself more than anything, scraping his hands against the wood of the door and other objects and hitting his head on the ground. Ohno’s tactics of putting Sho to sleep were somehow ineffective, and Jun tried the one thing he could think of, although it killed him to do it. He put his hand on Sho’s neck and sent a strong electric shock through his nervous system, and Sho slumped to the ground in pain. Jun quickly knelt and gathered Sho into his arms, crying for him to remember, begging him to become himself again.
Sho, weak from the electric shock, feebly tried to push Jun away. “Stop, Sho! Stop! Please!” Jun continued to beg, but Sho didn’t stop, blood on his raw hands from trying to get out and fighting the others. Desperate, Jun grabbed Sho’s face between his hands, and looking straight into Sho’s blank eyes, he whispered, "Come back to me.”
With those words, Jun leaned down and kissed Sho deeply on the mouth, and Sho went limp against Jun’s body.
Pairing: Sakumoto, Ohmiya
Genre: AU, Fantasy
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Plot = mine. Arashi = not mine.
Summary: Sho gets introduced into the dangerous world of the fey -- where not everything is what it seems.
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Junichi was choking him - not quite enough to kill him, but enough to make Sho choke and sputter and see stars - and Sho wasn’t sure what to do. He tried to yell out and was shocked when Junichi didn’t stop him.
“You can yell all you want.” He chuckled. “Jun won’t hear you. I spiked his drink last night, and I’m afraid he’s just too sick to get up now - as I’m sure you noticed.”
Sho’s mind panicked. It certainly explained Jun’s fever, but Junichi wouldn’t seriously hurt his own brother, would he? Jun’s fever had broken before Sho got up, so Sho reasoned Jun couldn’t be too sick.
As Sho’s thoughts ran wild and he struggled to escape before Junichi really did kill him, he felt Junichi go rigid behind him.
“I’m sorry, brother, but did I just hear you say you were the reason for my ill health last night?” Jun spoke icily. “Let him go. Now.”
Junichi released him and Sho fell to the ground coughing. He looked up to find Jun gripping Junichi’s neck from behind with one hand - Jun’s face terrifying as Junichi grinned.
“What are you doing, Jun? Hm?” Junichi looked at Sho. “Playing house with the Light Fey Prince?”
“What I am doing is no concern of yours.” Jun still spoke in a frightening tone.
“Oh, but I think it is, baby brother. You see, you just proved that you would threaten to hurt your own flesh and blood in order to protect this pathetic excuse for a Fey. Am I going to have to kill you along with him?”
Jun was still gripping Junichi’s neck tightly, which Sho didn’t quite understand. It didn’t look like Jun was hurting him, and he wasn’t sure what Jun was trying to do in that position.
“No one is killing anyone. Mother wants him alive, and I will do as I was bidden.”
Mother? The Queen? Was Jun…no. Impossible.
“You’re delivering him to mother? Then why have you kept him up here for the past few days? Why didn’t you take him straight away?”
“He had information I wanted before I gave him to the Queen.”
Sho couldn’t believe his ears. Jun was just lying, right?
“What I am most concerned about, however, is how you got into my room - and why you dare to poison my drink.”
“C’mon, Jun. Let’s be honest. I don’t trust you, and you don’t trust me. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t have done the same. As for your room…it was unlocked.”
Jun’s eyes narrowed, and in a split second Junichi was on the floor, writhing in pain, Jun’s hand spread in the air over him. After a few moments, Junichi stopped, breathing hard but laughing. Sho finally understood why Jun’s hand on Junichi’s neck was so important.
“Oh, you have gotten powerful, haven’t you!” The slightly maniacal laughter continued.
“You lied. The door was not unlocked.”
“Fine. It wasn’t unlocked. But I won’t tell.”
Jun moved to attack Junichi again with magic, but Junichi blocked it. “Stop this, Jun. We have more important matters - such as taking the halfling to see mother.” Junichi gripped Sho’s arm and yanked him up as Sho resisted.
Jun immediately stepped closer, yanking Junichi’s hand off and wrapping his own hand around Sho’s arm, pulling him closer. “He was my mission, and I found him. I will take him.”
Junichi scoffed, but didn’t protest. “Fine. But I’m coming with you.” He eyed Sho with scorn before walking out of the room, pausing until he saw Jun following, dragging Sho.
Sho wasn’t sure what to do. Was Jun really taking him to the Queen? Wasn’t that what Jun had been preventing? It didn’t make sense! The Jun that was leading him around the castle now was too different - much like the Prince Jun he first met all those days ago with Nino. Had it all really been a ploy to get information out of him? He couldn't ask, Jun, however, because Junichi would hear every word.
As they entered the throne room, Sho began to realize how real this was and resisted. Jun simply responded with a painful wrist twist before shoving him forward, the throne room doors closing with a resounding boom.
Jun moved his hand to Sho’s neck - the same position Jun and Junichi were in earlier. Sho knew what would come if he tried anything. But Jun wouldn’t really do that, right? Jun wouldn’t hurt him, Sho felt that in his heart…but his mind made him second guess that feeling.
“Mother.” Jun and Junichi said together, bowing, as Jun forced Sho to bow as well, before returning to stand upright.
“My handsome sons! What is this lovely present you have brought me? Don’t tell me you’ve completed your mission at last, Jun!”
“I have, mother. This is Sakurai Sho, the son of the Light Fey King.” Jun said without emotion.
The Winter Queen laughed as she clapped her hands together. “I was beginning to worry, Jun dear, but I see I was wrong to!”
“He had him long ago, mother, using him as a slave. He should’ve brought him earlier, but he claims he was trying to get close to him to gain information.” Junichi interjected distrustfully.
The Queen looked at Jun sharply. “Does he have information that is valuable, Jun?”
“I wasn’t able to find out, as Junichi let the plan out before I could finish.” Jun said it as if he could care less, and all of this was a waste of time.
The Queen came closer, smiling wide. She nodded to Jun and he let him go, but the Queen touched him once with her finger and Sho found himself covered in ice with only his head free. Jun then moved to his throne, sitting on it with a bored look.
“I don’t trust him, mother. He used to be friends with him!” Junichi spat.
The Queen looked at Jun with cold interest at that. “Explain yourself.”
“Clearly, Junichi was spying again and making assumptions, as he likes to do. Yes, I made friends with him as a boy, but it was all to gain his trust. I’ve found the best way to get close to an enemy is to make him a friend - after that, destroying them is a piece of cake.”
Sho couldn’t believe it - no, he wouldn’t believe it. Sho still couldn’t remember all of his past, but he couldn’t believe that it had all been a lie.
“Just kill him and be done with it.”
Jun said it with such indifference and with such a blank look toward Sho that Sho couldn’t deny it anymore. It really had all been a lie. Jun had been playing with him. Sho knew he had feelings for the prince that not even he completely understood, but this made it quite obvious they were deeper than Sho had realized, as Sho’s heart broke with those words. Sho went numb; his mind went blank at the betrayal.
“Now, now. Let’s not be hasty.” The Queen circled around him like a predator. “I believe he can be useful to me.”
“You’re not going to kill him!?” Junichi shouted, outraged.
“Do not raise your voice to me, Junichi.” She said sharply, and Junichi closed his mouth in a scowl. “Jun had the right idea. Wouldn’t it be lovely if he were my slave? Think of what all the fey would think! The Light Fey Prince kneeling to serve the Winter Queen!” She smiled at the thought. “If it doesn’t work, I’ll kill him then,” She added.
Junichi stormed out angrily, and no one stopped him.
“So all this time, you wanted him as a slave?” Jun questioned, still in that bored tone.
“No. It wasn’t until Junichi mentioned what you were doing that I thought of it. It really is genius. Either I get a wonderful slave, or I get to kill my enemy. What could be better? I will be the ultimate ruler.”
The Queen stalked back toward Sho, who was no longer looking at anyone, or anything - numb to it all. She caressed his face softly.
“I’ll train him well.”
With that, the Queen kissed him, and Sho fell into a haze of nothingness.
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Ohno was sitting at the table in his house when Nino burst through the door, panting.
“Oh-chan! The hamburger picture is gone!” He cried, running to Ohno and gripping his arm hard.
Ohno stood up quickly. “Why…”
“It’s gone, Oh-chan! He’s done something to Sho, I know it!” Nino emotions of anger and worry were battling each other on his face. “I know you said we needed to trust Jun, that Jun would protect him - which I still don’t understand how you can feel that way, after all he’s done - but if the picture is gone, Sho is definitely in trouble!”
“Calm down, Nino. I agree; something must be wrong. Grab Aiba-chan.”
Before Nino could dash away, there was a quick pounding on the door, and the pair froze. Ohno walked quietly to the door with Nino right behind him. He closed his eyes, concentrating on finding out who was demanding entrance.
Ohno’s eyes opened in shock, and he quickly pulled open the door. Nino hissed when he saw the man, moving to stand in front of Ohno protectively.
“Killed Sho-chan, and now you’re here to murder the rest of us, too?” Nino yelled, attempting to leap at the man, but Ohno held him back.
“Jun,” was all Ohno said.
“Ohno.” Jun responded. Nino still looked at him viciously, but then he noticed that Jun didn’t look right. His normally styled hair was in disarray from hands running through it too often, his eyes had dark circles from lack of sleep, and overall, he looked like he’d been through hell.
Nino relaxed, stunned by Jun’s unkempt appearance, and Ohno guided him into the house. Jun slumped into a chair, and Nino and Ohno sat across from him.
“She has Sho.” Jun managed to get out weakly, his voice raspy.
“What happened?” Ohno asked gently.
“Junichi found him. I had to play along. I had to take him to her. I thought she would demand an execution for the next day, like usual, so I would have time to help him escape. But she’s keeping him as her slave. She’s put this fog into his brain, and it’s like he isn’t alive. He never leaves her side.” Jun gripped his hair in distress. “Sometimes she tortures him for fun, and he doesn’t even try to stop her. I tried to talk to him once, but he didn’t seem to recognize me. It's been three days! I don’t know what to do!” Jun’s tears came then, but it didn’t matter - Nino and Ohno both knew from his red eyes that he had been crying for quite awhile before.
“We’ll figure out a way to save Sho.” Ohno said, mind already working away on a plan.
Nino, on the other hand, was confused. “Why do you care so much, Jun? You threw us all away, without a backward glance. You weren’t even that close to Sho.”
Jun looked up at Nino sadly. “I was trying to protect all of you.”
“Protect us?”
“I treasured our friendship. I know it seemed like a few months didn’t matter, but it did to me. And actually, I kept seeing Sho. I discovered in those few months that I cared about him differently than you guys did. To be honest, I was a little jealous when we played together in a group, because his attention was on everyone, and not just me. So while I would still visit with you guys occasionally, I saw Sho almost every day without telling you, just the two of us.” Jun eyes went soft at the memories. “I loved him. I still love him. I’ve always been watching over him. So when my mother commanded me to bring the Light Fey Prince to her all those years ago, I knew I had to take drastic action. I cut ties with all of you, I forbade you to bring Sho to the Realm, and I took Sho’s memories of us. I thought it would save all of you.” Jun’s tears never stopped falling.
Nino was shocked. “You knew, didn’t you, Oh-chan? That’s why you said to trust him.” Ohno didn’t respond.
“Why did you bring him back?” Jun asked in an agonized voice. “Why?”
Now close to tears himself, Nino said sadly, “I had a vision.”
“A vision?”
“Sho saved the Light King. You know he’s been missing, and my vision was so vivid, so real. Such terrible things were happening - I couldn’t just let it continue! I thought it would be simpler than this.” Nino closed his eyes unhappily.
“So you brought him into the castle on his first day because you thought that was where the Light King would be, knowing that he didn’t know how to use his magic?!” Jun’s voice rose angrily.
“We didn’t go to fight! I thought it would be best to search the castle to find the King’s whereabouts and leave, and then plan on how to save him! How was I supposed to know that you would be there, and that the Queen was holding a celebration!?” Nino’s voice also grew angry.
“Stop it, both of you.” Ohno commanded quietly, and the pair stopped.
“Now is not the time to blame each other. There are always things we don’t foresee, and right now we need to save Sho-chan.”
Nino and Jun’s faces looked guiltily at each other before nodding.
“How is the Queen keeping Sho under a spell?” Ohno asked.
“She kisses him.” Jun said with disgust. “She has a lipstick that she’s imbued with magical properties, so that whomever she kisses ends up forgetting their past, replacing memories with adoration for her. The longer it goes on, the harder it is to undo.”
Ohno gave Jun a hard look, and Jun looked a little guilty once more. Nino wondered what they were up to, when he remembered Jun’s words from earlier. “You - you took Sho’s memories that way, didn’t you?”
Jun turned to Nino with surprise, and then sadness. “I learned the basic idea from her, and changed it a little to fit my needs. I didn’t want Sho to be my dimwitted slave - I only wanted to make him forget about us, and me in particular. But yes, the idea is the same.”
“And he follows her everywhere, you said?” Ohno questioned.
“Yes. Sometimes there are moments of distance, but typically she keeps him close, and he follows her.”
“Then I think I may have a plan.”
------------------------
Once again presentable, Jun walked back into the castle, acting every inch the Dark Fey prince he was. He briefly wondered where Junichi had run off to. It had been 3 days since he had stormed out of the throne room, and just a few hours since Jun had left Ohno and the others, but Jun hadn’t seen his older brother since then. Jun put it out of his mind, however - he had more important things to do.
He immediately found his mother in the throne room, as usual. Jun decided to slump into his own throne carelessly, his eyes giving a quick glance in Sho’s direction, to make sure he was still there and alive, his heart breaking at seeing Sho in such a poor condition.
His mother always made sure her slaves looked well kept, although they sometimes had bruises early on from beatings for misbehaving, but that usually went away as their adoration for the Queen grew. But while Sho was well groomed and clean, he was blank. He sat slumped on the ground leaning next to the Queen’s throne, staring blankly at nothing, and no one could get his attention except the Queen. Even then, however, the Queen’s voice only made him stare blankly at her direction - usually, the slaves had a look of adoration in their eyes, an eagerness to please. Sho didn’t resist the Queen’s commands, but he did it in such a zombie-like fashion, never speaking. Jun just wanted to grab him and hold him tight and tell him it would be alright, that they would save him. It nearly brought Jun to tears again, but if Jun was good at anything, it was self control, and control was what he needed in front of his mother - otherwise, they were both doomed.
Jun simply had to wait for a moment when the Queen sent Sho away for a quick task, or when the Queen left Sho behind. After several hours of waiting, Jun was beginning to think it wasn’t going to happen today. The Queen held court, listening to the problems of the Dark Fey, and had entertainment and food. It was almost always a constant party with the Queen. Jun even had to endure a moment when she tortured Sho for the entertainment of her guests, Sho's screams of pain slashing at his heart.
Finally, the Queen stood, excusing herself to her chamber for a moment, ordering everyone else except her chambermaid to stay and enjoy themselves. Jun knew she would be gone only for a moment - most likely to change outfits or reapply makeup - but he took his chance. Everyone was in such a state from the party that no one was paying attention to the slaves, and Jun pretended to leave, exiting into the shadows behind the Queen’s throne. Hidden from view, he whispered to Sho.
“Sho. Follow me!”
Sho didn’t respond; he didn’t even look his way.
“Come on, Sho! Come to me!”
Again, nothing. Jun knew this was going to be the difficult part, so he didn’t stop. Instead, he grabbed Sho’s wrist and pulled him, gently and slowly, toward the shadows behind the throne. “Come on.”
Sho still didn’t look at him, didn’t even move, so Jun was able to pull him away from seeing eyes. Once in the shadows, Jun picked Sho up in his arms and began to leave the throne room, but as soon as he took one step outside the throne room, Sho began to resist, having been ordered to stay in the room by the Queen. Jun wrapped his arms around Sho in a body bind as he continued to kick and thrash around. Thankfully, he was still in “no speaking” mode, and didn’t cry out. Jun carried him through a short corridor that was deserted, and entered a barely used room, kicking the door shut behind him and quickly sealing it with magic. Sho continued to resist, so Jun dropped him on a chair and rushed to open the room’s only window. He could hear Sho pounding on the door, trying to get out, but he had to focus on finding - there!
“Sho, why are you resisting?” The voice of his mother called through the window. Jun turned to watch Sho, as Sho stopped trying to open the door, his face turning toward the sound.
“Come out here, Sho dear. I think we should take a walk.” The Queen continued to speak.
Sho, in his zombie state, plodded his way across the room and to the window, seeing the Queen right outside. Thankfully, the room was on the first floor, as Sho climbed out the window toward the Queen. Jun glanced around outside, noticing fey wandering nearby, but apparently not seeing the scene in front of them. Jun guessed it was Ohno’s illusions at work. He followed Sho out the window.
The Queen smiled at Sho and began walking, leading him away from the castle. Jun followed behind, nervous.
Finally, they reached Ohno’s house. Shortly after Jun, Sho, and the Queen had entered, Nino and Ohno appeared as well, Ohno locking the door with several spells, Nino doing the same with the windows.
“It really is freaky how you can do that, Aiba.” Jun said, looking at the Queen.
Aiba smiled the Queen’s smile, unnerving Jun. “I know! Isn’t it too cool?!”
“Remember, Aiba, you have to stay as the Queen until we can bring Sho back.” Ohno reminded. “If you change back to yourself, it will be all we can do to keep Sho from hurting himself trying to get out of here.”
Jun approached Sho cautiously, putting a hand on Sho’s cheek. “Sho?” He whispered. Nothing.
“Sho, I command you to wake up!” Aiba said in the Queen’s shrilly voice. Sho simply looked at him with no response.
“Come on, Sho. Don’t you remember us?” Nino asked sadly, tugging on Sho’s limp hand. Still nothing.
They tried all kinds of things, all to no avail. Ohno attempted magic, Nino talked to Sho to about his past, and Aiba tried all kinds of commands as the Queen. Jun just wanted to cry.
Soon it was nightfall, and everyone was exhausted. They decided to try again in the morning, but Jun couldn’t bring himself to leave Sho alone even for a second. After Aiba commanded Sho to sleep, Jun crawled into bed with him, hugging him tight, remembering when Sho had so often done the same, as recently as Jun’s fever.
The next morning, Jun awoke to find the door open and Sho leaving. Jun leaped out of bed to chase after Sho, but it was too late. Nino, Ohno, and Aiba were in the main room, discussing tactics, not expecting Sho to appear without a heads up from Jun. Surprised by the appearance of Sho, it took a moment before Aiba switched back to the Queen’s form, but all it took was that moment for Sho to realize that it wasn’t the real Queen. He ran to the door, trying to open it, as everyone tried to grab him and calm him down. Sho continued to try to escape and fought back, injuring himself more than anything, scraping his hands against the wood of the door and other objects and hitting his head on the ground. Ohno’s tactics of putting Sho to sleep were somehow ineffective, and Jun tried the one thing he could think of, although it killed him to do it. He put his hand on Sho’s neck and sent a strong electric shock through his nervous system, and Sho slumped to the ground in pain. Jun quickly knelt and gathered Sho into his arms, crying for him to remember, begging him to become himself again.
Sho, weak from the electric shock, feebly tried to push Jun away. “Stop, Sho! Stop! Please!” Jun continued to beg, but Sho didn’t stop, blood on his raw hands from trying to get out and fighting the others. Desperate, Jun grabbed Sho’s face between his hands, and looking straight into Sho’s blank eyes, he whispered, "Come back to me.”
With those words, Jun leaned down and kissed Sho deeply on the mouth, and Sho went limp against Jun’s body.