There will be magic, chapter 30, RukaxYomi, KaixRuki, AoixReita
Title: There will be magic
Author: yukigafuru
Chapters: 30/?
Pairings: RukaxYomi, KaixRuki, AoixReita for now
Bands: Gazette, Naitomea, D... (and a surprise)
Rating: PG-17, for this chapter
Warnings: will be angst, yaoi, a bit of gore here and there
Genre: AU, Angst, Romance
Disclaimer: I am not connected to the real persons. This is just a figment of my imagination and I don't make any money nor profit in any way out of this (well, except gathering your love that is).
Summary: The age of magic and mystery is coming towards its end. But what if someone that has the gift to see the future can join forces with others who have the power to stop it? What will be born then? What will be found?
Chapter 30
By the time Asagi and Ruki finished their talk, the others had already decided that there was nothing better to do than prepare a few snacks, just in case they would leave after all.
“So, did you reach a decision?” Ruki asked Kai as soon as he came back.
Kai shook his head and explained. “Draw. It's literally up to Asagi.”
Said person joined them also. “What is up to me?”
“Whether we stay or leave.” Ruka explained.
“You know I'm not supposed to... Who doesn't want to leave and why?” the seer asked.
The dragon explained. “According to Aoi, a town is pretty far away, so if that storm comes, and I can practically feel it blowing behind me, we'd be caught in the open, without shelter. That would be disastrous. So it's better to wait till it passes. We have enough provisions so it wouldn't be that big of a problem.” Ruka and Yomi nodded to the king's words. It was obvious they had agreed. “And since he was the one that told us about the distance till the next town, I don't understand why Aoi and Kai are bent on leaving.” Yomi voiced. From his frown, it was easily understandable that what he really didn't understand was Aoi's actions.
“I just...” Aoi started.
“Kai?” Ruki asked. He was a bit curious too, since he was refraining from reading anything from the others.
“I'm just standing by Aoi on this one.” Kai shrugged. “I trust him, so I know he must have a reason.”
“It's easier if you just tell us what to do, Asagi. Or better yet, Ruki can tell us what you want us to do without you actually telling us anything.” Ruka deviously said.
“It doesn't matter who voices it. It just matters whether what I know, as someone who has seen the future, influences the actors' decisions.”
“So you absolutely won't say?” The dragon dejectedly asked. He was surprised to see a flicker of something in Asagi's eyes, who was watching Aoi attentively.
“I can only urge Aoi to tell you what he knows.” Asagi said and for a few brief moments, the seer and Aoi locked glances and both of them seemed to be debating their relationship from then on. Suddenly, Aoi started.
“If that storm catches Reita like this, it could kill him. Which is why I want to outrun it at any cost.”
“Kill him?” Yomi exclaimed. “Why?”
“That's not a normal sand storm.” Aoi started his explanation. “It absorbs magic. Sand storms in the middle lands absorb magic. It's not the only natural phenomena that is strange here. Normally, if sheltered and not using magic, then the effects aren't severe. You might feel tired and sleepy, an especially sensitive person, like Ruki, might experience headaches, someone very strong might feel dizzy or nauseous, or just jittery. It really is case by case. But the effects are reduced probably because your body and subconscious, the magic within you, is fighting against it. Probably. I've never heard of someone going through what Reita is going, who got caught in a sand storm and survived.”
“What about the opposite?” Yomi asked, holding his breath. Aoi shook his head.
“Then it's a 50-50 chance. It still doesn't explain your reaction. Besides, if what you just said is true, something within us fights against the effects for us, then why shouldn't it be fulfilling its' role in Reita's case?”
“Because Reita is unstable. His magic is not completely his own. Let me explain it this way, magic is something that runs through every molecule, cell of our being, it even connects our souls, it's completely fused with us, normally that is. It's like mixing white and black colours, obtaining grey. Reita is like a man and his shadow. They're united, he can't live without his shadow, and yet, his shadow exists outside him.” Aoi struggled. It was hard to find words to describe what he thought he knew. It was even harder to voice for the first time what were only theories, things he thought he had learned after travelling in search for Reita. It had been a long adventure, but it had been worth it. He had reached his objective and had grown, matured, become someone that might actually have a chance at gaining the tiger's heart.
“What about Ruki?” Kai asked, making the connexion between Ruki's changes and Aoi's words.
“He's not unstable any more. That link between you would not have been possible otherwise.”
“You might be more knowledgeable about magic etc. but I only have to say this - the dragon interfered- that storm will reach this place in about 5 hours. Even assuming we fly at maximum speed, depart immediately, and fly throughout the night, unless the nearest town is within about 10 hours of flying, we're going to be caught by it.”
“That's...” Aoi faltered.
“If you're planning on saying impossible, think again. Dragons are masters of the wind.” The king revealed. It was not common knowledge, one of those secrets protected throughout the generations by the dragons. They felt nature, could sometimes influence it slightly, predict the weather and definitely make use of winds to fly. All assumed that dragons could fly because they batted their wings or something and of course the dragons never corrected that erroneous assumption. But, it would have taken a lot more muscle, a lot less hard bone, and a hell of a lot more magic in order to fly over the vast distances that dragons flew if it were only an issue of mechanics and magic. In truth, it was all about the change in the winds' direction, air temperature and humidity. Dragons felt the air around them like a spider feels its own web, and used it in much the same manner, when they were in their transformed form.
Hearing that, Aoi became whiter than snow. Kai tried to console his friend by placing a hand on his shoulder but he was shrugged away. Ruki felt his despair even though he wasn't even trying. Aoi was simply leaking it through every pore.
“So we have to take shelter.” The dragon concluded.
“But if Aoi is right... then...” Yomi struggled but the words just couldn't be spoken. His heart ached for his friend, but he was also moved by the feral expression Aoi had. Compared to the normally cool and aloof, mysterious person he knew, it was simply too different and too shocking, and if the odds were... “Aoi, exactly how sure are you that Reita's magic... You know, what you said earlier.”
“80 per cent.” Aoi croaked and then, anticipating Yomi's next question added “sure that I'm right.”
Everyone was stunned. It was almost certain that Reita would die, then? After getting him out of the catacombs, after everything they had went through, after Aoi had finally found him? It didn't seem fair and it wasn't.
“We stay.” Aoi whispered. “There is no way we can be in the next town in ten hours. It takes at least 2 days. That's how long it took me, and I dare say, it'd probably take the horses twice as much.” The king raised his brow, reminded of another question, just how had Aoi got to Dred? He was also a bit surprised at the speed suggested, because if that was true, then Aoi had been just slightly slower than the king himself and there was only one other magical being the dragon knew of that could compete with the dragons, yet not overtaking them, when flight was concerned. And that was the phoenix - and subsequently their cousins, the rocs. But the king did not voice his questions. He'd find out eventually and now was not the time.
Reita was surely not light as a feather, yet Aoi carrying him gave that impression. Yomi watched the dark haired man closely and was forced to admit he shouldn't have been so hasty in judging him. Him and Ruka had just happened to stay a bit behind the others in their way to the former prison. Not sensing his mate by his side any more, Yomi turned. Ruka seemed frozen in place, waiting for Yomi to come to him. The kitsune complied.
“Ruka?” he asked, a feeling of uneasiness washing over him.
“Yomi, someone once told me that if you don't voice your concerns, you'll really end up losing that which you fear losing.”
Yomi tilted his head, the slight unconscious action triggering a fleeting smile on Ruka's face. “It's obvious to me that Aoi cares deeply for Reita...” Yomi nodded. He had come to the same conclusion a bit earlier. “And one more thing became obvious: you care for him too.” Yomi sighed. “Not this again, Ruka. We talked about this. He's a dear friend. The one I love is you.”
“Do you? How many times have we talked, Yomi, these last days? And how much of that was about Reita? And how many of your thoughts were aimed at Reita?”
“Ruka, you're here and by my side and safe, and that...”
“Before we reached that forest, since the time I met you, practically every minute I thought about you, you know. At first, most of the time was being annoyed at you, or mad at you, then surprised... It evolved, but you were always there in my thoughts, Yomi.”
The kitsune approached Ruka and gently touched his folded arms.
“No one loves the same way. I'm not possessive as you are and neither am I jealous.”
“Really? Because you certainly were when I mentioned my childhood with Kai. There's no one you can be jealous of right now, is there, Yomi? And yes, you're right, I'm here, and I've been here, and it's practically turning the knife in a bleeding wound watching you care so much for Reita.”
“Ruka...”
Ruka shrugged and started walking towards the other again. “Ruka!” Yomi voiced louder.
“I just wanted you to know, Yomi. That's all... Just... think about it, okay?”
Yomi didn't get it. He couldn't. And neither did he understand Ruka's change in personality. He was more used to the screaming, possessive bastard he had learned to keep in check; call him an idiot but he was quite comfortable by now with a blood-sucking vampire that would eliminate everything that he considered a fret. Yomi did not know what to do with this quiet version, that stated his point and then left him to think about it. “Think about it?! Where's the `I'm not good at sharing`, the orders, the attempts on someone's life?” Yomi mumbled.
He stared at the cloud of dust that made the sky and the earth blur into an unidentifiable mass of colour. The wind had grown stronger and now and then, Yomi had to remove an annoying mesh of hair that kept getting in front of his eyes. He sighed and then followed. He was farther behind the others, so he got to follow with his eyes the moment each crossed the threshold. The reactions to what he saw caused his heart and mind to finally reach the same conclusion.
He saw Aoi manoeuvring Reita's limp form in a protective way. He saw the way his hands held on just a bit tighter to the body in his arms, the way his muscles, obviously strained, from the weight, flexed and the way his body glided. His expression was back to his normal stoic one and his body was just a bit more rigid than Yomi thought was normal, and that was it. Aoi had let a moment of weakness shine through and then recovered. Yomi knew he couldn't do that. He couldn't have been the one to carry Reita in such a way. He would rather scream and shout and cry than hold himself in check and he knew he was more of a 'be carried' person. He liked feeling cocooned, loved, cherished, fretted over. Even if he had loved Reita, he wouldn't have been able to be such a person for him. And Yomi had the feeling Reita needed someone like that.
And then Yomi saw Ruka, his hands fisted, his arms almost glued to his body, walking briskly yet with a bit of a defeated air. Why did he see it as defeated? Yomi wondered. Ruka wasn't crunched over, his steps were still long and firm, his back straight, his head held high. And yet... Yomi instinctively knew Ruka was carrying at the moment a heavier burden. Yomi couldn't be a pillar of support for the vampire, but maybe he could try to be a fluffy place for him to come home to, Yomi caught himself thinking.
It wasn't in him to decide to ignore Reita, like Ruka would have probably preferred. Reita was still a very close friend. But Reita wasn't alone any more, and neither was Yomi. Reita didn't need him any more, but there was someone by his side that needed him just as much as Yomi needed and wanted him back and a relationship always takes two.
Yomi hurried to join the others, when seeing the fleeting glance Ruka threw his way, a bit insecure, a bit hurt, a bit hopeful. He didn't want to leave his mate feeling like that not even for a second. Ruka didn't smile much, but his canines shined a little bit in the day's dying light, when Yomi ran towards him and grabbed his hand. He hadn't even realised he had been clenching his fists until Yomi glided his palm across his forearm triggering instant relaxation. Ruka wasn't good with words either and had felt like an absolute fool earlier - Yomi had that effect on him apparently - but he was glad he had finally made use of that advice.
They both went inside, hand in hand.
Author: yukigafuru
Chapters: 30/?
Pairings: RukaxYomi, KaixRuki, AoixReita for now
Bands: Gazette, Naitomea, D... (and a surprise)
Rating: PG-17, for this chapter
Warnings: will be angst, yaoi, a bit of gore here and there
Genre: AU, Angst, Romance
Disclaimer: I am not connected to the real persons. This is just a figment of my imagination and I don't make any money nor profit in any way out of this (well, except gathering your love that is).
Summary: The age of magic and mystery is coming towards its end. But what if someone that has the gift to see the future can join forces with others who have the power to stop it? What will be born then? What will be found?
Chapter 30
By the time Asagi and Ruki finished their talk, the others had already decided that there was nothing better to do than prepare a few snacks, just in case they would leave after all.
“So, did you reach a decision?” Ruki asked Kai as soon as he came back.
Kai shook his head and explained. “Draw. It's literally up to Asagi.”
Said person joined them also. “What is up to me?”
“Whether we stay or leave.” Ruka explained.
“You know I'm not supposed to... Who doesn't want to leave and why?” the seer asked.
The dragon explained. “According to Aoi, a town is pretty far away, so if that storm comes, and I can practically feel it blowing behind me, we'd be caught in the open, without shelter. That would be disastrous. So it's better to wait till it passes. We have enough provisions so it wouldn't be that big of a problem.” Ruka and Yomi nodded to the king's words. It was obvious they had agreed. “And since he was the one that told us about the distance till the next town, I don't understand why Aoi and Kai are bent on leaving.” Yomi voiced. From his frown, it was easily understandable that what he really didn't understand was Aoi's actions.
“I just...” Aoi started.
“Kai?” Ruki asked. He was a bit curious too, since he was refraining from reading anything from the others.
“I'm just standing by Aoi on this one.” Kai shrugged. “I trust him, so I know he must have a reason.”
“It's easier if you just tell us what to do, Asagi. Or better yet, Ruki can tell us what you want us to do without you actually telling us anything.” Ruka deviously said.
“It doesn't matter who voices it. It just matters whether what I know, as someone who has seen the future, influences the actors' decisions.”
“So you absolutely won't say?” The dragon dejectedly asked. He was surprised to see a flicker of something in Asagi's eyes, who was watching Aoi attentively.
“I can only urge Aoi to tell you what he knows.” Asagi said and for a few brief moments, the seer and Aoi locked glances and both of them seemed to be debating their relationship from then on. Suddenly, Aoi started.
“If that storm catches Reita like this, it could kill him. Which is why I want to outrun it at any cost.”
“Kill him?” Yomi exclaimed. “Why?”
“That's not a normal sand storm.” Aoi started his explanation. “It absorbs magic. Sand storms in the middle lands absorb magic. It's not the only natural phenomena that is strange here. Normally, if sheltered and not using magic, then the effects aren't severe. You might feel tired and sleepy, an especially sensitive person, like Ruki, might experience headaches, someone very strong might feel dizzy or nauseous, or just jittery. It really is case by case. But the effects are reduced probably because your body and subconscious, the magic within you, is fighting against it. Probably. I've never heard of someone going through what Reita is going, who got caught in a sand storm and survived.”
“What about the opposite?” Yomi asked, holding his breath. Aoi shook his head.
“Then it's a 50-50 chance. It still doesn't explain your reaction. Besides, if what you just said is true, something within us fights against the effects for us, then why shouldn't it be fulfilling its' role in Reita's case?”
“Because Reita is unstable. His magic is not completely his own. Let me explain it this way, magic is something that runs through every molecule, cell of our being, it even connects our souls, it's completely fused with us, normally that is. It's like mixing white and black colours, obtaining grey. Reita is like a man and his shadow. They're united, he can't live without his shadow, and yet, his shadow exists outside him.” Aoi struggled. It was hard to find words to describe what he thought he knew. It was even harder to voice for the first time what were only theories, things he thought he had learned after travelling in search for Reita. It had been a long adventure, but it had been worth it. He had reached his objective and had grown, matured, become someone that might actually have a chance at gaining the tiger's heart.
“What about Ruki?” Kai asked, making the connexion between Ruki's changes and Aoi's words.
“He's not unstable any more. That link between you would not have been possible otherwise.”
“You might be more knowledgeable about magic etc. but I only have to say this - the dragon interfered- that storm will reach this place in about 5 hours. Even assuming we fly at maximum speed, depart immediately, and fly throughout the night, unless the nearest town is within about 10 hours of flying, we're going to be caught by it.”
“That's...” Aoi faltered.
“If you're planning on saying impossible, think again. Dragons are masters of the wind.” The king revealed. It was not common knowledge, one of those secrets protected throughout the generations by the dragons. They felt nature, could sometimes influence it slightly, predict the weather and definitely make use of winds to fly. All assumed that dragons could fly because they batted their wings or something and of course the dragons never corrected that erroneous assumption. But, it would have taken a lot more muscle, a lot less hard bone, and a hell of a lot more magic in order to fly over the vast distances that dragons flew if it were only an issue of mechanics and magic. In truth, it was all about the change in the winds' direction, air temperature and humidity. Dragons felt the air around them like a spider feels its own web, and used it in much the same manner, when they were in their transformed form.
Hearing that, Aoi became whiter than snow. Kai tried to console his friend by placing a hand on his shoulder but he was shrugged away. Ruki felt his despair even though he wasn't even trying. Aoi was simply leaking it through every pore.
“So we have to take shelter.” The dragon concluded.
“But if Aoi is right... then...” Yomi struggled but the words just couldn't be spoken. His heart ached for his friend, but he was also moved by the feral expression Aoi had. Compared to the normally cool and aloof, mysterious person he knew, it was simply too different and too shocking, and if the odds were... “Aoi, exactly how sure are you that Reita's magic... You know, what you said earlier.”
“80 per cent.” Aoi croaked and then, anticipating Yomi's next question added “sure that I'm right.”
Everyone was stunned. It was almost certain that Reita would die, then? After getting him out of the catacombs, after everything they had went through, after Aoi had finally found him? It didn't seem fair and it wasn't.
“We stay.” Aoi whispered. “There is no way we can be in the next town in ten hours. It takes at least 2 days. That's how long it took me, and I dare say, it'd probably take the horses twice as much.” The king raised his brow, reminded of another question, just how had Aoi got to Dred? He was also a bit surprised at the speed suggested, because if that was true, then Aoi had been just slightly slower than the king himself and there was only one other magical being the dragon knew of that could compete with the dragons, yet not overtaking them, when flight was concerned. And that was the phoenix - and subsequently their cousins, the rocs. But the king did not voice his questions. He'd find out eventually and now was not the time.
Reita was surely not light as a feather, yet Aoi carrying him gave that impression. Yomi watched the dark haired man closely and was forced to admit he shouldn't have been so hasty in judging him. Him and Ruka had just happened to stay a bit behind the others in their way to the former prison. Not sensing his mate by his side any more, Yomi turned. Ruka seemed frozen in place, waiting for Yomi to come to him. The kitsune complied.
“Ruka?” he asked, a feeling of uneasiness washing over him.
“Yomi, someone once told me that if you don't voice your concerns, you'll really end up losing that which you fear losing.”
Yomi tilted his head, the slight unconscious action triggering a fleeting smile on Ruka's face. “It's obvious to me that Aoi cares deeply for Reita...” Yomi nodded. He had come to the same conclusion a bit earlier. “And one more thing became obvious: you care for him too.” Yomi sighed. “Not this again, Ruka. We talked about this. He's a dear friend. The one I love is you.”
“Do you? How many times have we talked, Yomi, these last days? And how much of that was about Reita? And how many of your thoughts were aimed at Reita?”
“Ruka, you're here and by my side and safe, and that...”
“Before we reached that forest, since the time I met you, practically every minute I thought about you, you know. At first, most of the time was being annoyed at you, or mad at you, then surprised... It evolved, but you were always there in my thoughts, Yomi.”
The kitsune approached Ruka and gently touched his folded arms.
“No one loves the same way. I'm not possessive as you are and neither am I jealous.”
“Really? Because you certainly were when I mentioned my childhood with Kai. There's no one you can be jealous of right now, is there, Yomi? And yes, you're right, I'm here, and I've been here, and it's practically turning the knife in a bleeding wound watching you care so much for Reita.”
“Ruka...”
Ruka shrugged and started walking towards the other again. “Ruka!” Yomi voiced louder.
“I just wanted you to know, Yomi. That's all... Just... think about it, okay?”
Yomi didn't get it. He couldn't. And neither did he understand Ruka's change in personality. He was more used to the screaming, possessive bastard he had learned to keep in check; call him an idiot but he was quite comfortable by now with a blood-sucking vampire that would eliminate everything that he considered a fret. Yomi did not know what to do with this quiet version, that stated his point and then left him to think about it. “Think about it?! Where's the `I'm not good at sharing`, the orders, the attempts on someone's life?” Yomi mumbled.
He stared at the cloud of dust that made the sky and the earth blur into an unidentifiable mass of colour. The wind had grown stronger and now and then, Yomi had to remove an annoying mesh of hair that kept getting in front of his eyes. He sighed and then followed. He was farther behind the others, so he got to follow with his eyes the moment each crossed the threshold. The reactions to what he saw caused his heart and mind to finally reach the same conclusion.
He saw Aoi manoeuvring Reita's limp form in a protective way. He saw the way his hands held on just a bit tighter to the body in his arms, the way his muscles, obviously strained, from the weight, flexed and the way his body glided. His expression was back to his normal stoic one and his body was just a bit more rigid than Yomi thought was normal, and that was it. Aoi had let a moment of weakness shine through and then recovered. Yomi knew he couldn't do that. He couldn't have been the one to carry Reita in such a way. He would rather scream and shout and cry than hold himself in check and he knew he was more of a 'be carried' person. He liked feeling cocooned, loved, cherished, fretted over. Even if he had loved Reita, he wouldn't have been able to be such a person for him. And Yomi had the feeling Reita needed someone like that.
And then Yomi saw Ruka, his hands fisted, his arms almost glued to his body, walking briskly yet with a bit of a defeated air. Why did he see it as defeated? Yomi wondered. Ruka wasn't crunched over, his steps were still long and firm, his back straight, his head held high. And yet... Yomi instinctively knew Ruka was carrying at the moment a heavier burden. Yomi couldn't be a pillar of support for the vampire, but maybe he could try to be a fluffy place for him to come home to, Yomi caught himself thinking.
It wasn't in him to decide to ignore Reita, like Ruka would have probably preferred. Reita was still a very close friend. But Reita wasn't alone any more, and neither was Yomi. Reita didn't need him any more, but there was someone by his side that needed him just as much as Yomi needed and wanted him back and a relationship always takes two.
Yomi hurried to join the others, when seeing the fleeting glance Ruka threw his way, a bit insecure, a bit hurt, a bit hopeful. He didn't want to leave his mate feeling like that not even for a second. Ruka didn't smile much, but his canines shined a little bit in the day's dying light, when Yomi ran towards him and grabbed his hand. He hadn't even realised he had been clenching his fists until Yomi glided his palm across his forearm triggering instant relaxation. Ruka wasn't good with words either and had felt like an absolute fool earlier - Yomi had that effect on him apparently - but he was glad he had finally made use of that advice.
They both went inside, hand in hand.