Tsubasa Chronicle Fan Fiction ❯ Tsubasa: Revolutions ❯ Break Away ( Chapter 13 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

I grab onto his wrist as we walk through the crowded room full of well-dressed people. Music plays. People chat. Glasses tinkle in friendly toasts. And soon I am met with the stare of green eyes.



“You must have been a spoiled child,” he grins, but his eyes look to Kurogane who still stands at my side. “My mother never allowed me to bring my toys with me wherever I wanted. And I was a prince. ”



I return his grin, and choose to ignore his comment and ask rather, “What is the occasion?”



“No occasion. I just felt like throwing myself a party,” Sarûs chuckles, tipping back his wine glass and finishing it in a single swallow. “I make the rules after all. So I can do that.”



As a well-practiced liar, it is easy for me to spot another. And Sarûs is indeed, a lair. But I’m not about to call him on it, so I take my seat instead; tugging on Kurogane’s arm so that he will do the same.



The room is buzzing with people and amongst them all, I am all but invisible. But I can feel the eyes of guards staring into me at every direction. I don’t know why he’s bothered to secure this location so well, but seemed fine locking me up in a room with only a single guard at the door. It just doesn’t make any sense to me. But I’m hardly going to complain about it.



Music plays and people dance. I hear them laugh. Chatter. It seems to be an all-out party, and yet here I sit, with my chin in my hands. The word “bored” comes to mind, but I am sure there is a better one I can’t seem to think of, and dancing and laughing are hardly on my mind right now.



“Fai-chan!” a youthful voice finds my ears and I look to my left. Thick brown curls let out of their usual pigtails, and a short jumper and a bulk of keys traded in for a yellow silk dress and shiny black buckled shoes stand before me now.



“Where have you been today?” she asks with a tilt of her head. It’s a little odd to think that it was only a span of a day that I saw her last. It seems like it’s been weeks.



“I’ve been around. You look very lovely tonight, Kimi-chan,” I offer her a smile.



“Thank you,” she blushes. “I’m not usually allowed to come to these. But I have the night off! Will you dance with me, Fai-chan?”



I see Sarûs smirk and nod from across the table. Apparently he finds this amusing. But if in all honesty, I happen to rather enjoy Kimi.



I bow my head to her before telling her that I would be honored.



When I move to stand, I take immediate notice that Kurogane motions to do the same.



“Wait here,” I shake my head and place a hand on his shoulder. “I will be right back.”



He sits back down obediently and does not move.



The music has a nice, even rhythm that is easy to dance to. And the people here in Dynn seem to dance quite simply so it is easy to pick up on.



Left. Step. Right. Step. Twirl. Step. Step. Left. Step. Right. Step. Twirl. Step. Step.



“Your friend seems much nicer now,” she looks up at me with a smile. “They even let him out. Usually people don’t get let out of those rooms until…” her eyes fall to the floor.



“Until what?”



“Lord Sarûs has them killed. But usually people are a lot more quiet than your friend too, so I guess he was just special.”



“What kind of people usually stay in that hall?”



“People that used to work for Lord Sarûs or Lady Werra. They keep people who break promises and tell secrets there… until they die. And no one ever comes to visit them.”



For some reason, even though she is smiling at me, she makes me sad.



“That’s what I like you Fai-chan. You came to visit.”



I don’t have the heart to tell her that I will be leaving soon. But then again, she probably already knows.



We don’t speak again, and soon the song ends. I give her a low, graceful bow and kiss her knuckles before I thank her for the dance.



All she does is blush.



“It seems you’ve gathered a little admirer during your stay here, Fai,” Sarûs chuckles as I take my seat. “Which is quite impressive considering you been all but attached to your little plaything there the whole time.”



Maybe I should have danced another song. At least it would keep me away from him a bit longer.



I only stare coldly at him, watching his fingers absentmindedly slide the small blue vial along it’s chain. Back and forth, back and forth.



I really just want to leap over the table and grab it from him. And then maybe kick him in the head. But there are too many people here, and I have Kurogane to worry about. Who knows what they will do if I fail. But I want to. Even though I know I really shouldn’t.



A tall, bitter-looking woman pushes open a far door, madly swinging a silver bell above her head. She says nothing, but just moments after the sounding of the bell, dozens of uniformed servers push passed her in well organized lines. They all carry large, silver platters full of food. They all wear the same, vacant expression. I wonder if they are “dolls” as well. Or if they all just are insanely bored and hating to be here as much as I am.



“I should probably ask you not to play with your food at the dinner table,” Sarûs leans over the table slightly to say to me in a raised whisper.



I don’t find that amusing at all, actually. But I force an amused smile anyway.



I am served dinner along with every other guest, but I’m not even going to pretend to eat anything.



Soon though, I do turn to Kurogane and say quietly, “You can eat it, if you like.” After all, he’s staring at the food like he has no idea what to do with it. He reminds me rather of a confused child and if it were a different situation, it would almost be cute.



But really, it’s borderline disturbing.



He pokes at something the smells a bit like baked fish for a bit, but he either must not have much of an appetite, or the food isn’t to his liking. If I recall, Kurogane prefers his fish raw, which I happen to find absolutely disgusting.



To his credit though, he has become quite handy with a fork and knife. He used to always use things called “choppy sticks,” which, despite my efforts, I was never very good at using. Unless I stabbed my food with them, which I do not believe is the proper way to use them.



“Do you drink wine, Fai?” Sarûs looks to me with a single raised eyebrow.



“I much prefer it to other things,” I give him a polite nod.



He snaps his fingers in the air and a slim girl dressed in black comes running to him, and I find a glass of wine before me before I even have time to protest.



“So how did your afternoon go?” he asks me between sips.



“As good as can be expected, I suppose.”



“Good to hear,” he nods. “I expect you’ll be ready in two days.”



“Possibly even sooner,” I cannot help but grin. I do enjoy knowing things that others do not.



I’m going to have to remember to give Sakura-chan the biggest hug and kiss I’ve ever given her when we are reunited. She has certainly saved me from a lot of trouble.



“Really?” his eyebrows raise in eager curiosity.



“Yes,” I smile, “But I made need to ask something of you.”



“I don’t know if you’re in a position to be asking anything of me at all,” he laughs politely.



“Even if I told you I could fix your world?”



“I don’t believe I’ve ever said anything was wrong with it,” he laughs as do others who are clearly listening in on our conversation.



“You know what I mean, Sarûs. A reuniting of the two halves. A permanent merge with the world you’ve lost contact with.”



His emerald eyes narrow. Not a single person near us says a word and every pair of eyes in the vicinity is staring right at me.



It’s a big, fat, enormous lie I’m feeding him. And he’ll never have to know.



“There is a presence in this world that has ripped the two worlds apart. If I can manipulate that power, I can change things back,” I say calmly as though I have every confidence in the world and then take a long drink of my wine.



A rush of whispers ripples around the room, but Sarûs just stares at me with those cold emerald eyes and says nothing.



“All I need is the feather.”



He laughs a deep, hearty laugh one might expect to hear coming out of a large happy man. His head rolls back and his hands grip at his stomach.



“The feather!?” he laughs between breaths. “That’s all you need huh!? And you think I’ll just hand it over to you like it was nothing?! You are either the bravest or the stupidest man I’ve ever met.”



I expected such a reaction. “But you won’t have to worry about being sent back…”



“That feather is this worlds ultimate weapon. I’m not sure how it is you have come to know of it, but I hardly doubt I am going to hand over the one thing that will guarantee my victory.”



“Over Monagan-sama?”



“Of course.”



“You are aware that his half of the world possesses a feather as well. He has the same power as you do. You have no guarantee, Sarûs. You are still evenly matched.”



“And I’m just supposed to believe you?”



“How else do you think I came to know of the feather, if it was not Monagan-sama himself that told me?” I grin.



“Don’t take me for a fool, Magician,” his eyes narrow. “It’s his precious, naïve little sister who controls the feather. Not our darling blue-eyed prince.”



“And do you not expect that she would give not only the feather, but anything else Monagan would ask, in order for the power to defeat you?”



He pauses, unable to argue my point. As much of a liar I may very well be, I somehow doubt what I’ve just said is far from true.



“I’ll make you a deal,” he smiles devilishly and I cannot help but slide deeper into my chair in fear that he might suddenly jump at me and try to eat my soul, “I’ll give you the feather, if you can send me to the other world properly.”



“I don’t know if I’ll have the energy to do both. I’m not as powerful as I used to be,” I tell him. Which isn’t true. Well, at least the part about not being as powerful as I used to be.



“Then I guess we’ll just wait until you gather your energy again, before you attempt your second task,” he offers a simple shrug and finishes off yet another glass of wine.



He’s not going for it. Because he’s just as stubborn as I am. If not even more so. And it does not help that he is a spoiled, sadistic King completely set in his ways.



I may as well just give up and resort back to my original plan. I’m just going to have to steal it.



I agree with him and drop the subject, and go back to sitting with my chin in my hands and thinking.



People around me laugh and continue eating their meals. They talk politely with Sarûs and the others that surround him, but never about anything of significance or importance. And they certainly do not talk with me.



But I hear them whispering. About me. About Kurogane.



Poor Kurogane, who is now picking at a slice of strawberry pie.



Kurogane doesn’t care much for sweets either. At least he says he doesn’t. So the pie is more of a mess of red goo smeared all over the plate than anything. But he seems to be content in playing with it, so I let him.



I haven’t seen Werra all evening.



Not that I should say I care much. But if I can see her, at least I know she’s not off ripping out people’s souls again. And that alone would be a little more comforting.



Things seem to be getting louder as more and more alcohol is consumed. And the longer I stay, the less I feel like being here. So I just sit here, unmoving from this chair at the table and continue to drink wine.



I’m on my fifth glass. And Kurogane is still playing with his pie.



I’d rather be back in the room plotting ways to steal things and escape before sunrise. But no. I’m stuck here. And I doubt asking to leave would go over very well.



“You look bored Fai-chan,” I hear Kimi’s voice from behind me.



“Maybe a little,” I give a short shrug.



I turn around to look at her and I find her still standing several feet away, eyeing Kurogane cautiously.



“He’s fine,” I laugh. “I promise he’s not going to yell at you.”



“I’ve never really seen him up close,” she says quietly and then takes a step closer to me before she leans over a bit to say, even quieter, “He’s very handsome.”



I cannot help but laugh again. “Yes, he is.”



“What is his name?”



“Kurogane,” I tell her and then reach over and touch him arm. “Kurogane. Will you say hello to Kimi-chan?”



“Hello,” he says slowly. Mechanically. Just like Reira does when she speaks.



I hate it.



She smiles at him and says hello back, and says she’s pleased to meet him. And he just stares blankly at her.



“Forgive him. He’s very shy around pretty girls. He never says much.” I lie.



“That’s ok. I just wanted to meet your friend Fai-chan. That is all.” Her cheeks are bright pink as she talks which I imagine it’s a mixture of blush and wine. “I will see you later then.”



She is gone again before I can say goodbye.



She is the only person to talk to me until the guard comes and clasps his hand on my shoulder to tell me the party is now over and he is here to escort me back to my quarters.



I follow after him without complaint, with Kurogane just a step behind me the entire way.



Reira is still sleeping on the floor just how we left her. She almost looks dead, but I can see the shallow rise and fall of her chest as she breathes. That position doesn’t look comfortable at all.



The guard doesn’t say a word to me as he locks the door.



Kurogane still stands at my side.



There isn’t a clock in the room, but judging by the moon, is it rather late into the night. The sun has obviously set many hours ago, and now the cool breeze blows through the window I never closed, waving the silk blue curtains around like some sort of scene from a romance novel.



Frustrated, and still no real plan on what I should be doing, I sigh and flop haphazardly onto one of the overstuffed couches.



Get Sakura’s feather. Get Kurogane’s soul. Meet up with the kids and get the hell out of this world before Sarûs can catch up to me and eat me for dinner. Oh, and not to mention, that I still owe Yuuko hair from the twin dragons!



Obviously, she meant Sarûs and Monagan by that, which is a bit misleading if I do say so myself. They aren’t even related to one another. At least I don’t think they are.



I wonder if they have to look like dragons when I get it?



And I do find it amusing that there has been so much talk of dragons, and I haven’t seen a single one yet. Least, not one of them in their dragon form.



I stretch my arms above my head and yawn once. I feel like I’m wasting time here, but I know I should wait for things to calm down. For them to forget about me for a moment so I can go back to exploring.



I wait for maybe an hour before going back to the window.



By my best guess I have four or five hours until the sun rises. So I have no time to waste.



“I’ll be back soon,” I say quietly before leaping to the ground. And now, I try to keep in the shadows of the building and out of the moonlight, and walk without making a sound.



With so many servants and people walking about the palace at all hours, it is no surprise to me that most of the doors that lead back inside are unlocked. Even so, I am uncomfortable walking about the hallways now. It will only take one person to see me and I’m done for.



I suppose that I am lucky that the passage ways are so wide and airy, and made of stone and marble – I can hear the soft echo of footsteps coming from around any corner.



Step. Step. Step.



It’s the third time I’ve had to duck behind curtains, or pillars. This time, I find it funny to be hiding from a handful of drunken maids who have all likely been rummaging through the remains of festivity’s refreshments, and probably wouldn’t give a second look at me if I were to walk right by them. But I’d rather not take my chances.



I’ve never actually been in this part of the palace, but I think if I continue, I’ll be able to find that stairwell again.



The feather is up there somewhere.



I’ve decided the feather will be my first challenge. Because Sarûs will expect me to be coming after Kurogane’s soul anyway. I might as well get the easier task out of the way first.



How funny that stealing the feather should be the easier task…



I walk in silence until I notice that turns and doorways and decorations are staring to look familiar. Until I reach the corridor that leads to the stairwell where I know there will be at least two guards waiting for me.



I don’t know how I’m going to get pass them.



I don’t really want to have to fight them. But I suppose there isn’t much of a way around it right now.



I just hope there are only two of them again.



“Hey!” one of them calls out to me as soon as I step from the shadows. “What are you doing here?”



“Just out for a walk,” I smile.



This time there are four.



And I am completely unarmed.



In unison, they head towards me. At least they have enough sense to know that I am here to cause trouble.



One of them moves his hand towards his belt. The one who spoke. His thumb flicks a switch on a small black box strapped to his left hip. It crackles and beeps once.



I know exactly what he is trying to do. But I cannot allow him to do that right now.



He is to the ground before his mouth can even open.



The other three lunge at me. The tips of their archaic weapons pointed at my throat. Their angry voices echoing through the hallway.



I have to finish this quickly before the noise draws any unwanted attention. Though, I’m sure that is going to be unavoidable.



But at least, if I can get past them, I’ll have a head start before anyone else can come to back them up.



The box from the unconscious man’s hip squeals and hisses, and I can hear another voice or two coming through it.



“What’s going on?!” it hollers. “Kato!? What’s going on down there?”



I can’t let any of them answer.



“I’m sorry,” I smile to the last one standing.



Its been quite some time since I’ve had anyone look at me that way: since anyone has been afraid of me.



As he falls to the floor, I help myself to his sword. I may need it later.



“Kato!? Is that – ” I don’t hear the rest of the man on the other side of the black box’s question because I flick the switch again to silence it.



I’m sure whoever is on the other end is about to send someone down here to check on this. I have to hurry.



I haven’t run so fast in a very long time.



The feather.



The feather is close.



I can feel it.



Three doors down. A set of double doors with bars stretching from the top to the floor. I’ll find it there, I’m almost certain.



The bars sealing up the door at least have some magic set into them to give me somewhat of a challenge.

Well, that’s a bit of a stretch really. But at least there is some effort put into keeping people out aside from those four guards at the bottom of the stairs.



I am only one person after all and I did manage to get past them rather quickly. Though, I suppose I do have the advantage of already being in the palace and having preexisting knowledge of the feather’s presence – which is several steps ahead most people in this would, I should assume.



The room is mostly empty. Dim lights elongate the shadows around me and the first sounds that touch my ears is that of shuffling movement.



I can see the slender form of what I assume to be a girl lift herself up and stand on her feet.



Long brown hair tied up in pigtails falls nearly to her waist. Familiar purple eyes stare at me, confused and sleepy.



“Kimi-chan?” I am surprised to hear myself say as I take a step forward to get a better look.



“No,” she shakes her head. “I am not Kimi. Kimi is not allowed to come up here. Do you know her?”



“Yes, I know her.”



“Is she well?”



“She seems well,” I nod, but cannot help notice my own hands shaking.



If this is not Kimi then she must be… a twin?



A guardian of a hallway. And now a guardian of a feather.



She gives me a sleepy smile before she gets a chance to gather herself. Before she looks at me with much more serious eyes and asks what I am doing here. “You aren’t supposed to be in here,” she says.



I don’t really want to have to answer her. Never mind that I should think the answer is obvious. There isn’t anything else in this room but the girl and marble pillars, so what else would I be here for.



“You have something that belongs to a friend of mine. She is a very dear friend and I should like to get it back to her because it is very important.”



“I’m sorry,” the girl shakes her head solemnly, “But I can’t give it to you.”



I was expecting that response.



She stares at me for a moment longer. “They’re coming now,” she says flatly.



I don’t really have to ask who she’s talking about. And I don’t have time to play. “Please,” I say to her, taking a few more steps, “this is very important.”



This is the first time I realize that don’t see it anywhere; the feather. But I feel it. She’s got it, and of that I am sure.



I can already hear the stomping of footsteps down the hallway, and I can’t think of anything else to do. I grab for her wrist and pull her along as I run for the door.



She struggles against me and tries to wriggle her hand from my grasp, but I’m not going to let her go. I have no intention of hurting her.



I suppose I should probably let her know this.



“It’s ok,” I look back over my shoulder at her. “I’m not going to hurt you.”



I suppose I should have realized before that the hallway only has one entrance. So by default, there is only one exit as well.



But there are windows.



I extend my hand, palm facing the glass. It shatters in an instant and before I can even hear the sounds of the shards hitting the concrete below, I leap from the window, pulling my captive along.



She screams, which I expected, but it isn’t for long. And as soon as we land; me with my feet firmly on the ground and her cradled in my arms, she looks up at me with stunned lavender eyes and does nothing but blink in astonishment.



“Are you alright?” I ask her with a smile.



She gives me a small nod, and just gapes at me as I set her to the ground.



“Shall we go then?” I grin and grab hold of her wrist once more and take off running. She seems to be a little more compliant now.



I have no idea where I’m going. But I really don’t want to hurt her, so taking her along with me to Sarûs doesn’t seem like the best of plans. Who knows what he’ll do.



I hear shouts from the window above and I am in a courtyard I have never seen before. A garden full of trees and flowers and pathways of cobblestone – a very lovely place which does not bode well for me in the least.



After all, royalty like having the prettiest, nicest things closer to them than anyone else.



“After them!”



“Get them!”



“He’s got the girl!”



Such phrases and many more follow after me as I run, pulling the girl along.



“Please,” I say as calmly as I can. “I need the feather. I promise, I will not hurt you.”



“I can’t,” she shakes her head. “He said I can’t. He said I can’t let anyone have it.”



We pause, leaning up against a tree, but we can’t stay for long. She’s breathing so heavily though, from running so hard and so fast that it would be mean of me to not let her catch her breath.



“But it isn’t his to control,” I say as kindly as I can.



“He said I can’t. I can’t,” she shakes her head fervently. “I can’t because he’ll kill us if we do.”



“You and Kimi?” I all to quickly assume.



She doesn’t answer me, but her eyes give the answer away.



“What if I protect you? If I send you away where he can’t find you?”



She looks at me confused, as though she isn’t sure if she should believe me or not. Though I haven’t really given her much of a reason to do so, so I shouldn’t be surprised.



“And Kimi?”



“She can go too.”



“You can do that? You can send us away?”



“If you would like.”



Again she says nothing, but she doesn’t seem opposed to the idea of leaving the palace, and Sarûs’s grip in exchange for handing me the feather.



When she still says nothing, I smile and grab for her wrist again and pull her along. I have to keep moving or they will catch us.



I’m sure the entire palace is crawling with guards now.



I… I hope Kurogane is ok.



But I don’t have time to worry about him right now. I have to keep moving. If I want to save him, I can’t stop.



I’ve almost got the feather now.



It only a few hours until sunrise.



I still have to face down Sarûs to get back Kurogane’s soul while of course remaining uncaptured and toting around a girl I incidentally just kidnapped.



When this is all said and done; once I’ve fixed this mess I’ve made, things have to go back to the way they where.



As much as I would truly like it to be otherwise, it is my fate to never truly get what I want.



After all, last night I fell asleep truly happy, and look what kind of disaster this all has turned out to be.