Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Shadows ❯ beginnings, part 1 ( Chapter 27 )

Shadows

*******

chapter 16

*******

beginnings, part 1

*******

Aya rested his head against the crook of Yohji's neck and, despite his earlier protest, was relieved that his mate was carrying him. So far, all that was keeping the darkness inside him at bay was the feel of Yohji holding him tightly and breathing in Yohji's scent. He inhaled deeply and wrapped his arms around Yohji's neck, afraid to ever let go.

He could feel the shadows that cloaked them, and that a shinigami or two was still following him, urging him to fall back into the darkness and free himself from the mortal world. Aya buried his head even closer to Yohji, trying to use the man's heartbeat to drown out the shinigami voices.

/So close, young one. Fallen just a bit more, and free you would have been./

/Foolish, foolish choice. Pain here, pain and sorrow. Emotions that are so heavy. Free yourself and join our pack. Never should you have been so cruelly caged./

The worst part of it was, deep inside, a tiny voice agreed with the shinigami. Aya knew a piece of his soul wished he hadn't been brought back, that he'd broken his promise to Yohji. It longed to escape this cage of flesh and to join its own kind, to never feel alone again. To spend an eternity with its pack mates, reveling in each other between feeding and ushering souls beyond.

But the rest of him loved Yohji too much and felt that his mate was all he needed to feel loved and not alone anymore. That was why, when Yohji had called for him, his voice pleading and reaching him even when he'd been so deep within the darkness, Aya had returned. For anyone else he might have broken his promise, might have been trapped in the darkness forever, but not when Yohji wanted him back. He'd had to honor his oath to his mate, had to do what Yohji had asked of him. Aya could never hurt Yohji.

Now he clung to this reality with all his strength, forcing himself to remain solid and _here_, to not fall into the darkness until his body was as insubstantial as the shadows he commanded. Even though Aya's body thrummed with power from the oni's deaths, he felt utterly exhausted from concentrating so hard. He was afraid that if he relaxed, he'd join the shinigami forever.

/Foolish you are, young one./

/Hush, mated they are./

"Shh, Aya, we're almost there. Stop fussing." Warm lips pressed against his left temple, and Aya eagerly lifted his head, needing the precious heat and affection. He could feel Yohji's surprise, the emotion washing through the man's worry and exhaustion for a moment, and then he felt Yohji's hunger as his mate kissed him. Trust Yohji to be able to walk and carry him at the same time he was thrusting his tongue into Aya's mouth and stealing his breath away. Aya shifted in the blond's arms, trying to get better contact with that ravenous mouth. The kiss was helping to center him, to fill him with light and warmth that drove back the cold and darkness.

"Yohji, if you keep doing that you're going to walk right smack into a wall. It seems rather silly to have survived a battle like that and be done in by architecture and hormones."

At Schuldig's mocking voice Yohji broke off the kiss, wringing a whimper from Aya at the lost contact. He tightened his arms around Yohji's neck, desperate to remain close to the man's warmth and scent. Yohji held him tighter in return, shifting Aya in his arms to a more comfortable position.

"Says the man who finally came up for air a few seconds ago," Yohji snapped. He kissed Aya on the forehead. "So hush, Schu."

Tucking his head under Yohji's chin, Aya looked about him and noticed that they were in a private section of the palace. The floors were richly upholstered in a cream coloured carpet, and the walls were done in various shades of blue, light on top and darker on the bottom. Fine paintings and sculptures were dispersed along the walls, and candles were everywhere resting in elaborate silver sconces.

Nagi was walking beside him, and as Aya looked about he shifted closer and tucked back a strand of hair that was falling onto Aya's face. His friend looked drained, dark circles surrounded his eyes and his face had a pinched look to it. But he was alive, and Aya could only see a few slashes on his chest and arms. Nagi was holding onto Omi's hand, and Aya could sense a taint of magic surrounding the young prince. That was something new, and for a moment he puzzled over the sensation. But it was too much to think about, so he rested his head back on Yohji's chest.

"Aya, we'll need you to pull back the shadows in a minute. The Guards stationed in this wing will need to see me, Omi and the other Guards to let us in. Can you manage that?" Birman was walking beside Aya now, so he nodded.

"Aya, can you…?"

"He said yes, Birman." Yohji was snarling, so Aya lifted his head again and looked up at his lover. Yohji's face was just as shadowed and worn as Nagi's, showing the exhaustion that Aya could feel from the man. It was making Yohji's temper rather short, that and the worry he was feeling. Aya drank in the emotions, almost as if to remind himself what it was like to feel them for himself.

Seeing Omi reluctantly leave Nagi's side and walk to the front of their group with Birman, Aya had the shadows fall back until they and the three Guards were exposed. That done, he resumed listening to Yohji's heartbeat and soaking in the man's body heat. Aya dimly heard the exchange between Birman and the Guards stationed outside of the Royal quarters, but the story she spun for the sentries didn't interest him enough to pay attention.

/They are not your kind. Amongst the mortals you go, the humans and the half-breeds. Come with us. Alone again you'll never be./

A couple minutes later and Yohji was walking again, and the heavy oak doors closed behind their group as they walked down the quiet hallway.

"Aya, please drop the shadows now."

Doing as he was bid, Aya let the shadows retreat, and he breathed a sigh of relief that the shinigami went with them as well, after one last entreaty and gentle caresses to his cheek. A part of Aya cried at their absence, and his hold on reality weakened the slightest bit. Once again he tucked his face against Yohji's neck, breathing in the scent of musk and sweat, flicking out his tongue to lick golden skin.

"Hmph, that tickles, cat."

"All right, we're here. There are several available suites in this area, and Honjyou, I want you to guard this hallway. The only ones allowed here are the king, Manx, Botan, my pages and me. I'll send a few pages to look after everyone, since they'll know to keep their mouths shut about what they see. If anyone asks what you're doing here, just tell them you're supplying protection to a few shaken up dignitaries."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Birman, I'm heading back to my room, and Nagi's coming with me." There was a hint of defiance in Omi's voice, as if he was expecting the Spymaster to challenge his decision. Yet the woman quietly agreed with him, her voice amused.

"That's fine, Omi. I'll have a page attend to you two there. If I remember correctly, I'll need to make sure she arrives with a lot of food for Nagi to eat. Bounds need to replace the energy that they use for their magicks, don't they? I imagine you all must be hungry then." There was a touch of awe in Birman's voice, awe and wonder. Unlike the Guards, she didn't smell of fear, not afraid of being so close to such legendary creatures.

"Nagi will most certainly need food, and Schuldig too. Some food for myself would be appreciated, but I'd prefer a bath more," Crawford dryly commented. "Jei, I want you to stay with Hidaka and help him when he wakes up. Are you up to that, Berserker?" He stressed Jei's codename.

"….yeah, I should be able to handle him best. Just make sure to supply us a couple gallons of blood, animal or human." The reek of fear from the Guards increased. "A bath would be almost as appreciated, I can't take smelling all this blood much longer."

"All the rooms are equipped with bathing chambers, I'll send the pages to warm the water for you. They'll bring food and medical supplies, and anything else you'll need. All I ask is that you remain in the rooms until Botan, Omi or I tell you otherwise." Birman paused for a second, and after clearing her throat, continued in a quiet voice.

"I just… thank you, for what you did back there. If it hadn't been for you, King Shuuichi would be dead, and many others. Rest assured that Botan and I will make sure that the king appreciates all you have done for him." Then the woman briskly left.

"Well, I guess Aya and I will take this room. Do I need to tell you what will happen if anyone wakes up us before noon tomorrow?"

"Don't worry, Yotan, it sure as hell won't be me disturbing you. After I eat and clean up, I think I'm gonna do my best to sleep for a couple days." Then Schuldig chuckled. "Gods, you know I'm tired when I make no mention of sex."

Feeling a rumble in Yohji's chest, Aya knew that his mate was amused by that fact. But while Masato bemoaned that he obviously hadn't left the best impression on his lover, and would have to remedy that when the both of them had some energy, Yohji only opened the door and entered the room. It was dark in there, the fading sun providing the only light, but it was more than enough for them to make their way to the bed. Yohji was about to set Aya down when he grimaced.

"Even with the armor protecting us for most of the fight, we're still a bit grimy. Can you stand for a few minutes, Aya?"

"I told you I could, Yohji." Aya was gently set onto his feet, and he felt a pang when Yohji reluctantly pulled his hands away. He leaned towards his lover, wishing to prolong the contact, but Yohji gave one of his eartails a quick tug and walked away. He quickly lit a few candles, and after setting the matches aside, started to open the two other doors in the room. One was a closet, in which hung several robes, and the other proved to be the mentioned bathing room. While Yohji investigated the other room, Aya had the shadows search for any signs of traps or spells then warded the room. Swaying from having to focus his will to control the shadows, Aya braced himself against the wall with his right hand.

Yohji came back in another minute, pulling two robes out of the closet and hurrying over to Aya. "Here, put this on and then you can rest for a bit. There's a huge barrel in there with enough water for the both of us, but it needs someone to recite the spellword that will heat it all."

While he talked, Yohji gently stripped Aya of his clothes, pulling off the torn black costume and tossing it to the floor. When he was done he wrapped Aya in the robe, which was soft and warm. That done, he led Aya to the bed, where Aya gratefully sank down onto the soft mattress.

Aya reached out and undid the laces of Yohji's shirt, noticing the healing wounds on his lover's body. There were claw marks along the bottom of his throat, down his chest and on his left arm.

"Those need to be cleaned."

"They will be, when we take our baths." Yohji pulled the shirt over his head while Aya worked on his pants. "There isn't a mark on you though, just dried blood." He kicked off his boots and then his pants, and after pulling on the robe sat by Aya.

Curling up against his love, Aya freed Yohji's hair from its ponytail. "No, they healed when I killed the oni." The energy from the demons' death was still inside him, but Aya only felt more and more tired with each passing moment. He wanted to lie down and sleep, but was afraid of even that bit of darkness.

"I felt some of it when you killed them, at least at the beginning." Yohji stroked his hand through Aya's hair and then tilted his chin up. "After a while, I couldn't feel you anymore, Aya. Do you have any idea how much you frightened me there? Especially when you passed out, and I could barely touch you? Crawford said…." Yohji gulped in some air and bent his head to nuzzle Aya's neck for a moment. When he looked back up his face was sad and a touch angry. "He said you might decide to become a real shinigami and that you might not want to live as a human anymore. You scared the _hell_ out of me."

Grasping Yohji's face between his hands, Aya brushed their lips together. "Yohji, I had to do something to fight the oni. But I never thought it would take me so far from you. I was scared too, until you called me back."

"Damn right I called you back. You're mine, cat. I'm never letting you go." Yohji's mouth fastened on his, passionate and ravenous, and Aya moaned in pleasure at the feel of it. The world snapped into crystal clarity at the embrace, and he shifted desperately to be closer to his mate. He needed this, needed Yohji to make him real, and Aya knew that as long as the man was by him, he'd never regret coming back. Yohji made being `human' worthwhile.

He slid his hand inside Yohji's robe, wanted to feel the warm, smooth skin it hid from him. It was Yohji's turn to moan as he tenderly laid Aya down on the bed, his body resting on top of him. Some of the energy inside Aya was devoured by the other bound, and as he was drained Aya felt the darkness retreat further from him. He deepened the kiss and wrapped his legs around Yohji's waist.

Their robes had come half undone when Aya felt a presence nearing his wards. The knock on the door, which seemed too loud in the quiet room, had Yohji jerking away from him, one of his hands on his bracelet. Sighing, Aya sat upright and banished the shadows.

"What?"

The answering voice was hesitant, either because the young man knew whom he was attending to or the bite of irritation in Yohji's question.

"Uhm, I'm sorry to bother you, but Birman sent me."

Growling, Yohji kissed Aya on an exposed shoulder and stood to his feet, jerking his robe back into place as he stomped to the door. Tidying himself as well, Aya was happy to note that Yohji didn't feel as tired as he'd been a few minutes ago. It seemed that oni energy was very potent.

When the door was opened a very nervous teenager, who appeared a little younger than Nagi, tentatively stepped into the room. In his arms were bundles of clothes and a tray laden with food, and a small wicker basket dangled from one of his elbows. He was dressed in a blue and black uniform, and his black, shaggy hair fell unto his pale face.

"Sirs, Birman sent me to you. I have some food for you, and medical supplies." The page set the food down on the table by the bed. "I see you found the robes, would you like me to warm the bath for you?"

All it took was a slight nod from Yohji and the page rushed towards the bathing chamber. He smelled nervous, but at least there wasn't any fear in him. Aya stared after the boy for a moment, until Yohji pressed a cup of tea into his hand.

"Drink, Aya. You feel pretty tired."

"The same could be said for you too." But Aya lifted the cup and took a sip, grimacing at how hot the beverage was. "It's not as good as Cass'."

"No, it isn't." Yohji gulped down the tea, making Aya wince at the sight. The blond had to have lead lining in his mouth to endure that. Then Yohji started on the food, which was several types of meats, some casseroles, and a plate of petit fours.

"I think this is from the reception dinner. Guess the food won't go to waste after all." Yohji tried to hold a fork of quail meat to Aya's lips, but he wouldn't open his mouth. "Aya, you should eat."

"No, the tea will be fine." Aya tried another sip. "Don't glare at me like that, Yohji. I'm… I feel too full already." It was the truth. His body felt bloated from all the energy he'd absorbed during the fighting, with all those deaths around him. All Aya wanted to do was give Yohji some of that energy and sleep for a week.

Yohji eyed him critically for a moment, and then started to devour the food as if he hadn't eaten for several days. The tray was soon empty, although Aya hadn't eaten anything other than a couple of the small cakes, which had looked too good to ignore. Yohji needed the energy more than he did at the moment, needed it to heal, and there wouldn't have been enough food for the both of them. Whoever was attending to Nagi and Omi was going to be in for a bit of a surprise.

Just as Yohji finished wiping his mouth, the page re-entered the bedroom. "Sirs, the bath is ready."

"Great. I need to wash this stink off me in the worst way." Yohji rose to his feet and tugged Aya after him. The page's eyes went wide when the both of them entered the bathing room at the same time, and he flushed a little.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Uhm, it's Shin, sir."

Pulling Aya towards the bath, Yohji smiled at the boy. "Do me a favor, Shin, and bring us some mulled wine and more of those desserts. Then make sure no one disturbs us until at least morning. Okay?"

The boy nodded his head. "Yes sir. I set the clean clothes on the stand in the bedroom, and here are some towels." He patted a wire stand that Aya could sense was charmed in some manner. Probably to keep the towels warm for them. "I'll be back shortly."

Watching the boy leave, Aya let his robe fall to the floor. "How did he manage to put things together for us so quickly?"

"The page? Birman has the same system with her kids that the Guards have. You know, the copper bracelets that send messages tapped onto them? She probably had them scrambling about as soon as we left the ballroom."

Aya knew he was tired if he'd missed that bit of magic. But to be fair, the evening had been filled with an overabundance of spells and wards, and he could do without any magic for a while. Well, any magic other than that which provided them with a pool full of hot water.

Yohji picked up the bucket of warm water that had been set aside for their use and gestured for Aya to stand over a wooden grate. Doing as the man wanted, Aya shivered as the water was poured over him, and again when Yohji very gently washed him clean. His mate didn't miss a spot, completely washing his body and hair until Aya didn't smell any more blood or death on him. When he was done he returned the favor, washing Yohji clean and being very careful about the man's cuts. They were almost completely healed now, probably from the energy Yohji had fed from him.

Then Yohji was stepping into the shallow bath, holding out his hand for Aya to join him. They had to sit down in order to be mostly submerged. Yohji sat with his back resting against the wall of the bath, his legs stretched out before him, and Aya knelt over his lap, facing the blond. The hot water felt delightful, helping to soothe exhausted and overworked muscles.

Trailing his fingers along the faint red lines on Yohji's throat, Aya leaned forward to quickly kiss the fading cuts. He could feel Yohji's throat vibrate against his lips when his mate started to purr. Long fingers tangled in his hair, and Aya's head was tilted back so Yohji could ardently kiss him. Their tongues twisted about in each other's mouth, flicking about until they were both moaning in need. Aya felt so close to shaking completely free of the darkness that he pressed closer to his mate, rubbing against Yohji's chest as the two of them quickly grew hard.

Using his hold on Aya's hair, Yohji held him still as he pulled back. "Gods, Aya…." Then the handsome man grinned wickedly. "You know, this isn't a public bath." He rocked his arousal forward, rubbing it against Aya's.

"When has that stopped you lately?" Aya arched his throat and tilted his chin up, and he could all but see Yohji's eyes glaze over with lust at his offering.

"Aya, love, I need you too much right now. I'm so fucking hungry, and you taste too good to resist. May I?" Yohji bent his head to gently suck on Aya's neck.

Starting to purr, Aya slid his right hand down Yohji's chest, scraping a nail along a light brown nipple along the way, and then wrapped it around his lover's cock. He just adored hearing Yohji suck in his breath like that, and the lips on his neck became rougher. Yohji started to suck on his skin in earnest, bringing his teeth into play as they slowly clamped over Aya's jugular. Whimpering, Aya tilted his head back as far as he could, his eyes closing at the sensation of teeth sinking into his throat. He gave himself completely to the man who had brought him back, who made all the pain and heartache of this world bearable. Who made him feel more pleasure than he could ever imagine. Aya went limp against Yohji and whispered his mate's name.

For a moment the pressure on his throat increased, becoming almost enough to break through his skin, and the next it vanished. Aya found himself being kissed with a passionate intensity, his mouth being ravaged as hands stroked along his body, nails scraping his skin to form more red marks of ownership. All he could do was cling to Yohji and give himself over to the sensations, offering everything he was and the stolen energy that filled him.

Yohji growled, low and savage, and steadily pushed a finger inside of Aya, making him gasp. It didn't stop until it was completely buried in him, then a moment later it pulled out, only to return doubled. The digits pushed into him and twisted about, flicking against that spot inside of him that had Aya writhing on Yohji's lap, whimpering and pleading for more. The darkness returned to his vision, but this time it was shot through with sparks of light at each burst of pleasure, and Aya felt so much emotion, almost too much. Ecstasy and desire and need and love, and a possessiveness that took away his breath filled him almost as much as the pleasure did.

"You're mine, Aya. I won't let you go, I'll never let you go so far from me again. I thought I'd lost you, and I never want to think that again." Yohji growled the words as he nuzzled Aya's throat, and suddenly once again his teeth were on Aya, a painful flash that only accentuated the pleasure even more. This time there was a hint of copper in the air, and Aya sighed as he trembled. He was completely in this world, Yohji's world, and their link was tight around him, entwining him so deeply with Yohji that for a moment he felt fused to the man. Everything that had prevented him from giving all of his being to his mate was gone, or soon would be, and Aya surrendered completely.

"Yours, love, forever." The words hung in the air, and Aya felt a slight tingle of magic. He knew that there would be no breaking this vow, ever, and that he'd honor it until the day he died.

Pulling back the slightest bit, Yohji lapped at the new mark on his throat as he handed Aya a bar of soap. Trembling so much that his hands shook, Aya almost lost the bar a couple of times as he tried to lather up his hands, and eventually it did get away from him. But by then he had enough lather to coat Yohji's cock, and he wanted it inside him so desperately that he didn't care if it was slick enough or not.

"I need you too much, cat, to ever let you go. You're a fire in my blood, a need so great…." Yohji pulled Aya closer to him, lifting him up as he prepared to thrust inside him. Aya braced himself on his knees and started to lower himself, whining in need as the tip of Yohji's cock pressed against him. Groaning, Yohji slowly pushed in as he licked Aya's neck when he tossed back his head as he was penetrated.

"Never, Aya. Never leave me again. I'll shatter if you do," Yohji growled possessively. The tip of his arousal buried inside Aya, Yohji suddenly snapped his hips upward the same time he pressed Aya down. Aya let out a small cry as his mate's cock was entirely sheathed inside him, Yohji's balls pressing tightly against his ass.

"Gods, you're so fucking tight and hot. All mine, Aya, every last bit of you. Your heart, body and soul. How can I mark you so you never forget that?"

Aya lifted his head when Yohji began to thrust inside him and stared back at his lover. "I never can, Yohji. You've already done that." All of him should have been clamoring for the darkness, not just that one small part. But Aya knew he was Yohji's, and that the man had wanted him back. That had kept Aya from doing as the shinigami had wished.

Thrusting forcefully, Yohji gripped Aya's hips tightly with both hands. "I'll do it again then, and again, so you never forget. You're mine, love."

"Ye~s." Aya moaned as he tilted his head back again, the same time he lowered his body to meet Yohji's hips. Shadows writhed around them, darting closer to stroke their flesh, to join them. The shadows were Aya's, but they were Yohji's now too, as everything of Aya's was - like the energy that was pouring out of Aya, burning hot and potent, leaving him weaker by the moment. But it was a human weakness, that, and Aya willingly gave up his strength so Yohji could be whole.

He chanted his mate's name softly, crying and gasping each time Yohji drove against that spot inside him, until his vision was an equal mix of light and dark. Aya couldn't tell if his eyes were open or not, couldn't form a coherent thought as Yohji slowly shattered him with bliss and love. As sweet as the oni's energy had been, it was nothing like what he was feeling from Yohji, was pouring off his lover stronger and stronger with each thrust that had Yohji buried in him to the hilt. Yet Aya kept pistoning his hips, meeting Yohji with a desperate attempt to take him in even more.

"Oh gods, you're so fucking good, Aya. So lovely and warm. I love you. I love you. So beautiful, and mine." The fingers on his hips dug into Aya's flesh as Yohji screamed his name, and the feel of heat spurting inside him, another mark of ownership from Yohji, had Aya crying in ecstasy. The sound caught in his throat, tight as it was from the intense emotions buffering him, and he shook as he came.

Slumping forward, Aya tucked his face against Yohji's neck, resting against his lover's chest as he tried to remember how to breathe. Aftershocks of pleasure had him trembling in spasms, and it took several tries to make his arms lift high enough to wrap them around Yohji's shoulders. The older man mumbled in his ear for a moment, the words making no sense but the emotions behind them crystal clear, and Aya ignored them to listen to Yohji's heartbeat slowly return to normal.

Feeling utterly content, Aya rubbed his cheek along Yohji's shoulder, and then pulled back enough so he could bite the man, almost breaking skin as he did.

"OW! Aya, what the fuck was that about?" Yohji glared down at him as he rubbed his sore shoulder.

"Idiot, you should know better by now. I'm yours and you're mine." Aya glared back at his mate.

Cursing about bad tempered cats that had more teeth than brains, Yohji jostled Aya about on his lap, pausing to hiss when he slid out of Aya's body. When he was done rubbing his shoulder and bitching, he reached out his hand and tucked back Aya's bangs.

"Well, you almost faded away on me, so keep that in mind before you bite me again."

Aya could sense Yohji's fear at that memory, and he shivered as he recalled how deep in the darkness he'd been. Only Yohji could have called him back. His exhaustion suddenly smashing down on him in a powerful wave, Aya once again rested against Yohji.

Soft lips pressed against his forehead. "Well, I'm feeling nice and energized, which means you must be tired as hell. One of these days we'll synch up, but for now, let's go to bed." Yohji gathered Aya in his arms and slowly stepped out of the bath. Aya leaned against him when he was set on his feet, and each of them slowly patted the other dry. Yohji used one of his eartails as a leash, leading Aya to the bedroom as he snarled softly. They found the bed turned down for them.

"Food being delivered to us; not having to worry about cleaning up in the bath when we're done playing, and a soft, huge bed…." Yohji groaned as he sank down in the feather filled mattress, pulling Aya with him. "I could get used to this."

Aya curled up against the taller man, still finding himself craving the warmth Yohji radiated. He couldn't get enough of Yohji's scent, even though the man's musk was all over him, sunken deep into his skin.

"I want to go home."

Yohji tsked gently and brushed back Aya's bangs. "We will, love, in the morning. It is best if we stay here and hash things out, or we won't be able to remain at the Koneko for long. For now, we'll rest and see what the morning brings. Cass or Crawford would warn us if we would be safer back home." Yohji kissed him gently. "I just hope Teddy and Koyu made it out safely."

"Hn." Aya shifted closer to Yohji, relishing the feel of their skin touching. He'd just rested his head on Yohji's chest when there was a knock on their door.

This time the page entered without waiting for a response and almost dropped the tray he was carrying when he saw Yohji and Aya curled up in bed together, without their robes. At least the sheets were pulled up enough to save the young boy from suffering a nosebleed at the sight of their nakedness.

"I- I brought you the wine, sir." The page set it down on the nightstand by the bed, careful not to look directly at Yohji as he did. "Is there anything else you need?" He actually squeaked out the last few words.

"No, I'm pretty damn content at the moment," Yohji drawled as he hugged Aya. "Oh, we're all done with the bath."

"Yes, sir." The page fled to the bathroom, and Yohji chuckled as he poured them some wine.

"Here, Aya, have some. You need the energy now, and it should help you sleep."

Aya accepted the cup as he blinked his eyes. It took him a moment to realize that Yohji was probably talking about the wine helping to soothe him after all the fighting and killing. Aya hadn't given much thought to all the humans he'd killed just a short while ago, not since he'd faced the oni. While nightmares usually would torment him after his missions, Aya didn't think that would be a problem tonight. All the people he'd killed during the battle had deserved their fate.

"Yohji… in all the confusion I couldn't see, but… you did, didn't you?" He sipped the wine nervously as he waited for an answer to his vague question.

Yohji pushed a petit four past Aya's lips and ran his thumb over them while Aya chewed. "Did I kill Hirofumi and Reiji?" Yohji smiled at Aya, the expression predatory and sated. "Yeah, I did. It was nice and painful, too. Last I saw them, most of those two were scattered all over the ballroom floor." The smile turned dark for a moment. "That reminds me, I need to retrieve my nets before we leave tomorrow."

Reiji and Hirofumi were dead, Yohji wouldn't lie to him about that. And Aya knew that Jei had taken out Masafumi, since he hadn't felt any magic from the wizard past a certain point that night. His masters were dead, their hold on him broken forever. Once Aya-chan was freed, Aya would be beholden to no one but Yohji. He shivered at the thought.

"Shh, Aya. I don't like how you're feeling right now." Yohji bent down to kiss him, and then fed him another dessert. "It's all over, you've nothing to fear. You're safe."

Swallowing the cake, Aya drained his mug of the spiced wine and lay down on the bed. He curled up tightly around Yohji as he closed his eyes. It had actually happened, and Aya was now free. A coldness settled in his heart at the thought that after they returned to the Koneko and freed his sister, Aya would have no tie to his past other than Nagi. There would be no more Ran, just Aya. That thought seemed incomprehensible to him at the moment, so he gave in to his exhaustion and slept.

*******

Omi watched with some amusement as Nagi finally fell back onto the bed and rubbed his distended stomach. Several trays filled with empty plates were scattered about the room, and he could only account for one of them. The rest were from his ravenous boyfriend, who looked so full he'd burst if he tried to eat anything else.

"Please tell me you're finished!"

Nagi softly burped and nodded. "I think so."

Chuckling, Omi tiredly rose from the bed and stacked all the trays on a table. That done, he returned to Nagi's side and cuddled next to his boyfriend. "So, what now?"

"We sleep for however long we can. Now that I'm not starved, I feel tired enough to not wake up for a week."

"Well, you certainly ate enough to keep you full for that long." Omi gently poked Nagi in the side. "I think the poor page would have broken into tears if we'd asked her to fetch any more food for you."

Nagi yawned and draped an arm over Omi, holding him close. "Well, I used a lot of energy tonight. More than I've ever used at one time before."

"I know. I'm glad that you were able to remain safe." Omi stroked Nagi's left arm, careful not to put much weight on the healing wounds. The first thing he'd done once they'd cleaned themselves off had been to treat Nagi's injuries. Even though he knew his lover was a bound and had seen how quickly Aya could heal, it still amazed him how quickly the cuts had scabbed over, not even needing any stitches.

"You used some energy yourself." At those words Omi looked from Nagi's arm to his face, his throat suddenly dry. Nagi stared back at him solemnly. "Are you going to talk about you being a wizard?"

Omi forced himself to swallow the panic he felt. He'd hoped to avoid this discussion for as long as he possibly could, yet here was Nagi bringing it up. "I'm tired, we should sleep."

"Omi…." Nagi's hand on his shoulder prevented Omi from rolling over and pretending to be asleep. "Did you know about being a wizard?"

Grabbing Nagi's hand, Omi held onto it tightly. "I… I knew there was magic in my family, and the possibility that I had some. Botan even tried to test me a couple times, but I wouldn't let him."

"Why not?"

How could Omi explain his fears growing up? "Because… that's all I really knew about my uncle and cousin at first, that they were wizards. When I found out the truth…." Omi shivered. "If I had magic, I really would be Reiji's son."

Nagi leaned forward and brushed his nose against Omi's. "You hid from yourself because of them? Omi, Aya told me that Crawford said you were Shuuichi's son, not Reiji's. I think that's the only reason why Aya allowed me to see you at first. You're not related to _them_. Well, not directly."

Omi could only stare at his lover in wonder. "I'm not?" Somehow he couldn't see Crawford lying about something like that. He doubted the precog would waste an untruth on him of all people. "I… oh, I wish I'd known that before."

Smiling at him, Nagi stroked Omi's face with his free hand. "Will you train your power?"

"I don't know." Omi sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them to look closely at Nagi. "Don't you mind that I'm a wizard? I thought bounds hated them."

"We don't have much love for ones who use our blood for spells, but that's about it. Are you planning on doing that?"

Omi shook his head back and forth. "No, never. I couldn't do something like that, not now. Do you want me to train my talent?"

"Yeah." Nagi smiled sadly at Omi. "One of the things Jei warned me about you was that you'd die in a few decades and leave me alone. He warned me about my heart breaking when that happened. But wizards live longer than humans, so… we'd have longer to be together." The last was said in a quiet voice, but Omi was close enough to hear the words.

This day had been a very long one, filled with nervousness and apprehension, fear and sorrow. Omi had killed his own blood, and many people. He'd stood up to his father and discovered that he did indeed have a magical talent. As worn and confused as he was, this day had been made worthwhile just to hear Nagi say that he wanted to spend as much time as possible with him, even a couple centuries worth. Omi felt so happy at that moment.

"Well then, I'll have to have Botan train me now. I want to be here with you for as long as I can." He leaned forward and kissed Nagi. Their lips remained in contact for a few minutes, the kiss on the chaste side because of their exhaustion, but they relished the intimate contact too much to just break it off. When they did pull apart, Nagi pressed closer to Omi, and holding each other tightly, they fell asleep.

*******

Koyu winced in sympathy and held onto his lover's hand even tighter. Teddy's face was being poked and prodded by a ragged-looking Healer, one who disturbingly smelled of alcohol. He imagined that all the healers in the capitol had been rounded up to deal with the casualties of the wedding reception, many of them having been dragged away from celebrations, and hoped that Teddy had gotten a good one.

The Healer, a grey haired woman who oddly didn't look more than thirty, stopped her muttering and patted Teddy's uncut cheek tenderly. "Okay, the good news is I believe I can save your eye. Hell, you probably won't even have much of a scar by the time I'm done. But eye wounds are tricky. You might permanently regain your full sight back, or it might start to fade over time."

"Whatever." Teddy's voice was tight with pain, despite the opium he'd been dosed with while waiting for medical attention. Koyu held the man's hand between his own and hummed a soothing melody. He looked at the Healer, wishing she cut a more impressive figure than a stocky, leather dressed woman whom he imagined had been out partying until just a short time ago.

"Can you really heal him?" Koyu knew that eyes were rather difficult to heal, especially when it had been all but destroyed by the sword cut, and was shocked that she'd given Teddy that good a diagnosis.

The woman smiled at him, showing Koyu a strong set of white teeth. "I'll do my best. Now give me a minute." She bent her head in concentration, one hand over Teddy's wounds and the other pressed against the floor. Koyu stared in wonder at her, since she wasn't chanting as most Healers, or giving Teddy a potion of some sort.

All of a sudden Teddy jerked, his body becoming stiff and a moan of pain escaping his lips. Koyu watched in horror as more blood coursed down his face, and when he moved to prevent the Healer from harming his lover any more, he found he couldn't touch the woman. His hand stopped several centimeters from her shoulder.

Staring wide eyed at the Healer, Koyu was summoning the breath to scream when she suddenly sat back on her heels, her hand falling from Teddy's face as she flashed a tired smile. She then pulled out a clean handkerchief from the wicker basket by her feet and a vial of water; and in moments was washing Teddy's face clean of the blood and gore.

Koyu sucked in his breath as he noticed that Teddy's face was healed of the sword cut with just a faint red line going across his nose and left temple. His left eye appeared out of focus, the pupil dilated, but it was whole. Never in his life had Koyu seen a healing take so quickly or effectively.

Turning to stare back at the Healer, he found her with a finger pressed to her lips. "But, how…?"

"Shhh, Harper, we don't need to let the others know about this."

"You're not a Healer, are you?" Koyu asked in a quiet voice, still trying to accept the fact that Teddy was healed, and not in any way he was familiar with.

The woman nodded her head and grinned. "Oh, I'm a healer all right, I'm just not one of those pompous asses in robes who make you drink foul shit and complain about how a healing drains them so." She pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and breathed a heavy sigh. "'Oh, I love serving Kannon and Eisei, but the sacrifices I make for the poor souls in my care.'" She pretended to swoon then made a face as she straightened up.

"Bunch of stuck up idiots, they are, believing that only they can heal."

"But, what are you then?" Koyu could honestly say he'd never met a person quite like this woman. "And what is your name?"

The woman frowned slightly. "It's best you don't know it, sweetie. All you need to know is that you should take your lover home and make sure he gets plenty of rest and food for the next couple of days so he regains his strength and heals properly. Also, put this over his eye." She reached into her basket and pulled out some bandages. "It's not a good idea, exposing the eye to light for the next couple days, or for people to see how quickly it healed. Now take care." She then rose to her feet and cradled her basket in the crook of one arm.

Koyu held on to the bandage in one hand, and Teddy's hand in the other. "But, but you're leaving? Where are you going?"

The stranger laughed and patted him on the cheek. "You Harpers, always wanting to ask a million questions and have them answered to boot. I'm going home, sweetie, is where I'm going. Now be a good boy and do the same." She took a step backwards. "And do me a favor, and tell Cass that my girl needs a new cloak and has this damn obsession with the color sky blue at the moment. I'd appreciate it if she could help me out with that."

"You know Cass?" Koyu was so confused at the moment, and he didn't think it was the after affects of the fighting. Maybe if he smacked his head against the wall a couple times he'd snap back to normal.

"See, another question. Yeah, I know Cass, have known her for years, and her parents before that." A look of sorrow crossed the woman's features. "A shame, what happened to them. But now is not the time." She did another shift in temperament and winked at Koyu. "I know the Koneko too, and stayed there a time or two when I needed to. Hell, maybe now that Yohji is mated and not on the prowl anymore, me and the girl can stop by for dinner one night. Maybe I'll give you my name then." She waved goodbye and briskly walked away from Koyu and Teddy, and in moments was lost in the crowd. Koyu could only stare befuddledly after her.

"Koyu, my eye doesn't hurt anymore." Koyu looked down to see Teddy dazedly poking a finger against his face. He quickly batted his boyfriend's hand aside.

"It must be because of the drugs, love." He quickly did as the stranger had bid him and wrapped Teddy's eye. Koyu had a suspicion of why the woman didn't want any attention drawn to her and decided it would be best if he didn't stand here thinking and that Teddy and he returned to the Koneko with post haste. Once Teddy was taken care of, Koyu slipped an arm around the smaller man's waist and hoisted him upright.

"We going home, honey?"

"Yeah, Teddy, we are. You think you can stay awake long enough to make it back there?" Koyu didn't want to have to drag an unconscious Teddy through the capitol and wasn't sure if he could manage finding a cab to take them back to the Koneko. It was pure bedlam in the palace; no doubt the city would reflect that as well.

Teddy somehow managed to straighten himself and take a couple steady steps forward. "Yeah, now that the pain's gone, I don't feel so bad." He glanced aside at Koyu. "Beside, I need to keep an eye on you." He grinned rather silly at Koyu, who could only look back at him in confusion. "'Sweetie' my ass, you're taken, you know." Teddy hmphed and immediately stumbled, causing Koyu to catch the man and help him back to his feet.

Deciding that he should check up on his Guildmaster before leaving, Koyu dragged his lover over to the older Harper. "Master Daithi, I'll be leaving if it's all right with you."

The older man quickly waved at the two Ministers, one Guard and two other Harpers around him. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be right back." He stepped forward and clasped a hand around Koyu's left elbow.

"The two of you look as exhausted as I feel, and I bet you were planning on walking back home. I'll escort you outside and order my driver to deliver you to the Koneko." When Koyu opened his mouth to protest the Guildmaster shook his head. "No, no, it's the least the two of you deserve. After all, you did help me make it out of that room alive and were injured in the process." He then squinted at Teddy and asked how he was.

"He's in some pain, but a Healer looked at him and recommended that we go home and rest." Koyu prayed to the gods that his lover would just keep his mouth shut and not ruin his story for him. Luckily, it looked like the drugs were rendering the longhaired man oblivious to everything around him.

"If he needs anything, or you as well, Koyu, do not hesitate to let me know. I can't possibly thank you enough." The man fell silent, and not a word was said for several minutes. Once they were in a relatively empty hallway, the Guildmaster suddenly cleared his throat.

"I imagine that you haven't been paying much attention to what is going on, due to your concern for your lover, but there are some interesting stories going about."

Koyu, highly conscious of the fact that many of those rumors had to deal with friends of his, looked at his Master, hoping that the worry he felt didn't show on his face.

"What rumors would those be?"

Guildmaster Daithi smiled at him. "Oh, that several wizards fought on the side of the Guards, and that they had charmed some Guards with magical gifts and weapons to help them fight the traitors. Interestingly enough, not one word is being said about bounds. Not even the Guards who were present for the fight are saying anything, or the Royal Wizard or Spymaster, who were there also. It's as if they don't want anyone to know what really happened inside that room. And of course everyone who was there is too shaken up to argue against them. I spoke to a few witnesses, and even they are buying the story. A story I've been asked to spread." The older man's face twisted in bitterness, and he wiped his free hand against his soiled gold and red robe.

Not knowing what he should say, Koyu grunted softly and turned his head to look at Teddy. "Maybe they were Guards."

"Oh, one of them was, and I don't think enchanted weapons made him rip out several soldiers' throats with his teeth. Don't lie to me, Koyu, you know they were bounds. I'm willing to bet that you also know what one of them was, the one in black with the young boy by his side. Do I need to say the word?"

"I…." Koyu wanted to deny what his Master was insinuating, but the look in the man's blue eyes stilled his tongue. But he couldn't let someone with so much power and influence know about Aya. "I'm not sure I know what you're saying."

"He's talking about Aya," Teddy slurred, and Koyu wanted to kill the Healer apprentice who had so thoroughly dosed his lover. And smack Teddy for that slip. At those words the Guildmaster's eyes narrowed in victory.

"I thought you might know who I was talking about, considering how that black band around your wrist came to life and attacked the mercenary." Daithi nodded his head, and Koyu cursed the fact that the older Harper had been so observant, even during a pitched battle.

He didn't say another word, and soon they were standing outside the palace waiting for the Guildmaster's carriage to arrive. Teddy was leaning heavily against Koyu at the moment, and he wondered if it was more than drugs that made the man utter that slip back there and appear so out of it. The woman had warned him that Teddy needed rest. He hugged his boyfriend close and glanced back at the Guildmaster. Koyu had no clue whether Aya, Yohji, or the others had managed to escape from the battle, or if they had survived the oni. But if they had, they didn't need another danger poised to strike at them.

"What are you thinking, sir?"

"Hmm, me?" The Guildmaster guilessly blinked his eyes. "I think a song about bounds and… your friend saving the king would be much more stirring than a story about a bunch of magicked Guards. But I must do as I'm bid and spout drivel." Then the man became serious. "I'm also thinking that your time on the road is to come to an end. Call it sentimentality, or thanks for saving my life, but you are now free to remain at your lover's inn and tend to him. I hope he isn't left blind from that wound."

Koyu could only stare at the older Harper. He was not even three years into his mandatory seven years on the road, and even then hadn't much hope of being assigned to the Koneko when he was done traveling. Yet here the one thing he wanted the most was being handed to him.

"Why?"

"It's like I said, a bit of gratitude for your help, and guilt over your lover being wounded defending me." Daithi looked him straight in the eye. "That's the official story, at least, and we all know how necessary the things are. But if there happened to be someone at the Koneko that… was a bit special, I can think of nothing better than a Harper being there to record the true events as well. I feel that the truth will be a long time in coming to light, but that doesn't mean it should be ignored. Do your job, Harper Koyu, that is the price of this gift. And you'll probably be stuck with some training duties and so forth, so people don't think I'm being too nice." He winked at Koyu. "I'll probably run you so ragged with errands for me that no one will envy you, and you'll probably wish to be back on the road."

"Sir… I don't know what to say."

"Hmph, not a good thing, Harper. We should always be quick with a snappy comeback, it's expected of us." Guildmaster Daithi winked again as the carriage pulled up beside them. "Now go home and get some rest. I wish it was me, so do a little sleeping for the both of us."

Still at a loss for words, Koyu could only bow deeply to his Master and helped Teddy into the carriage. He'd have to think carefully of what happened tonight, and warn Aya and Yohji that someone knew the redhead's secret, but Koyu was too tired to worry about the situation at the moment. Guildmaster Daithi was a good man, and Koyu couldn't see him holding the truth against Aya or anyone at the Koneko. It was even possible that they had gained an ally of sorts tonight. As a Harper, Koyu could understand the Guildmaster's decision. They were the chroniclers of legend, and kage were creatures of legend. Of course the man would want someone to be there to witness history first hand, especially after Aya had so ably proved tonight that he would live up to form.

*******

Botan rubbed his eyes for a moment then picked up the mug that Birman had set beside him. He gratefully swallowed the stimulant while Kikyou rattled off his list to the king.

"I've got Guards stationed at every exit, and they aren't to allow anyone to leave without a thorough search and questioning, and are recording the names of those allowed to depart. Over a dozen more healers should be arriving within the hour, and we're slowly clearing the wounded from the grand foyer. Eimin's priests should be here soon to take care of the dead."

The longhaired man's speech came to a halt, and Botan knew that Kikyou had to be tired from all the running around he'd done the past few hours. But he didn't feel any sympathy for the new Captain and his baptism by fire. Not when he felt completely exhausted and drained from the fighting and the horror he'd seen that evening.

"Thank you, Kikyou."

Kikyou bowed low to the king. "If you'll excuse me, Sire, there are matters I must attend to." As soon as he received permission from the king, Kikyou quickly left the room.

King Shuuichi watched him go and sighed as he settled himself against the back of his chair. Manx, who was seated beside him, her wedding finery exchanged for a plain blue robe, tenderly squeezed her new husband's hand. Botan sipped the last of his beverage and waited for what came next.

"So, it looks as if I still retain the throne."

"For now," Birman quietly commented. Manx looked over at her associate and glared, but Shuuichi sighed again and nodded his head in understanding.

"You said you recognized private guards from several highborn families among the mercenaries, Birman. Are you sure?"

The Spymaster inclined her head a few centimeters then quickly raised it up to stare into the king's eyes. "Yes, I am. I can give you their names, if you so like. I'm sure many of the Guards will recognize them as they help the priests move the bodies." Botan grimaced at the thought of all the dead left in the ballroom, and the gruesome task the priests and Guards had in store for them.

Shuuichi didn't ask for the family names, probably to save him from hearing which nobles had sought to betray him. With his brother and brother-in-law both conspiring to kill him, the king probably had all the betrayal he could stand for a moment. Botan's thoughts proved accurate when Shuuichi spoke in a tired voice.

"I know Reiji bore me no love, not after I ascended the throne instead of him, but never would I have thought that Hajime would turn on me like that. What was he hoping to gain, other than the throne?"

Manx leaned forward and hugged him. "Shuuichi, don't do this to yourself. Don't try to rationalize why he chose to betray you."

Not one to allow an opportunity to pass him by, nor willing to watch Manx comfort Shuuichi over a situation that she should have been aware of if she'd been doing her job properly and not planning a wedding, Botan set his mug down on the table by his chair with a solid thud.

"But he did betray the king, Manx, and Reiji and his sons as well. There was a conspiracy of grand proportion being planned the last two months, and if not for the bounds that fought here tonight, it would have been successful. Shuuichi would be dead, and you too, and Kritiker torn apart while Reiji and Hajime battled for the throne."

Ignoring Manx's hiss of anger, Botan gazed steadily at his king. "You owe them a great debt, sire. They risked their lives for you and yours, and they didn't have to. Hidaka is now a bound, and several of his friends are exposed for what they are, when the safest thing is for them is anonymity. Are you going to honor the promise you made back in the ballroom and let them safely go?"

Shuuichi appeared insulted that Botan doubted his word, but he didn't care in the slightest. He was dealing with a human here, not a bound who would have no choice but honor his or her promise. There was no way Botan was going to let a simple thing such as offending his king get in the way of making sure that Schuldig, Yohji and Aya were indeed safe.

Glaring at him for a moment, the king wearily nodded his head. "I won't go back on my word, though the thought of a kage unsupervised in my city will give me nightmares for some time to come." He bent his head and rubbed at the spots on his temples that his formal crown usually rested on. "I can't believe that bounds came to my rescue when my own family turned on me. This feels like some type of bad dream."

Furious at that comment, Botan was beaten to saying something by Birman. "They did come to your rescue, Sire, and that can't be forgotten. I'd much rather have Aya running around on the loose than a good many of your Ministers and nobles in your Court. One thing I hope you've learned from tonight is not to take things at face value so much."

It was a slight reprimand, but still, a daring one when given to a king. But Birman didn't look apologetic in the least. Botan knew she had to be enjoying this; her chance to ever so slightly rub in the king's and Manx's faces what their ignorance had failed to realize. She dealt with the two and Shuuichi's Court much more than Botan did and had been handicapped by Shuuichi's refusal to see what exactly was happening around him and Manx's utter loyalty to the king for the past couple years.

"Maybe things wouldn't have happened tonight if you'd done your job and informed us of the conspiracies against the throne," Manx spat out at the Spymaster.

"Maybe you should have had a clue yourself of what was going on, Manx dear." Birman deliberately left out the redhead's new title. "I've had my suspicions of something being wrong for months, but you didn't want to hear about it unless I had solid proof. When I did finally receive the proof I needed, it came from bounds. I didn't want to jeopardize them by bringing them before the throne, or risk you doubting what they had to say because of what they are, and in return alerting the conspirators. And while I may be the Spymaster, you were the Captain, and it was just as much your job to protect the king as mine!"

Manx looked ready to snipe back at Birman, but Shuuichi patted her on the hand and prevented that. He leaned forward in his chair, and for a moment looked every inch the king he was. His face was stern and his demeanor focused.

"The past few hours have been spent trying to get things under control, and now that we finally manage that, we start fighting amongst ourselves. I won't have this right now, not in a time of crisis." Both women stopped glaring at each other and looked at their king. "Now, I'm sick of hearing only part of the story. Botan and Birman, I want to hear the tale in its entirety while I have the time to do so. I want answers."

Taking a deep breath, Botan exchanged a quick glance with Birman and decided to be the one to start recounting the events that led up to this evening. As he opened his mouth he spared a brief thought to Cassandra and his daughter. For both of their sakes, and for their kind as well, he had to make the king understand just how much was owed to the bounds, and how important that magical race would be to Kritiker's future.

*******

Yuushi shuffled over to his bed as he pulled off his torn and stained uniform. He didn't think it would be worth the effort to try and mend and clean it, so he crumpled it into a ball and tossed it into the trash. He'd helped save the king tonight, the least he should get out of that was a new uniform. A brief stop at the washbasin helped to clean him off enough so he'd be decent enough to sleep and sank down on the bed. Just as he was in the process of pulling up his sheets there was a knock on his bedroom door.

Jumping out of bed, Yuushi hurried over to the door. He'd locked the apartment door behind him, so no one should be able to get into his quarters like this, other than Naru and Reiichi. The latter was in the infirmary, and the former would never bother with knocking.

"Who is it?"

"Birman. I'm coming in." As the knob turned, Yuushi cursed and darted over to his closet, where his robe was hanging up. He was barely decent before the Spymaster entered his bedroom. Birman was dressed in plain, clean black pants and a blue shirt, and she held a steaming mug in her hand.

"Here, drink this."

Yuushi responded to the order automatically, and before he knew it he was drinking down a very hot, very bitter beverage. Just barely avoiding scalding his tongue, he quickly gulped down the drink.

"What was that, poison?"

Birman smiled at him as she sat down in the room's only chair. "No, a stimulant. I wanted to talk to you while your wits were about you, and thought that might help. You won't be able to sleep for the next twelve or sixteen hours, and then you'll fall down where you're standing when it wears off."

He'd heard about a stimulant that potent and knew that it wasn't casually handed out. While Yuushi would have appreciated knowing that he'd now be unable to sleep until tomorrow afternoon, he knew he'd be able to occupy himself during that time and had many things to take care of. Besides, he deserved it for being stupid enough to just drink what was given to him.

Judging from how bright-eyed the woman was, Yuushi would guess that Birman had had a mug or two herself. "Why are you here?"

"Ah, I see it's working already." Birman smiled at him. "I've come to hear your side of the story, of why you and the Guards knew about the battle and said nothing, and to help you decide your future."

Ah, now was the time he and the others would pay for their decision to handle the matter themselves. Yuushi just wished that he'd be able to have the blame rest mainly on his shoulders.

"Firstly, tell me how Reiichi is doing, if you know."

Frowning, Birman started to pick at the frayed fabric on the chair's arm. "I do know, and I don't take orders from you." She glared at him for a moment. "But I understand that you are worried about your friend. He's recovering… but the Healers doubt he'll be able to return to the Guards. He was hamstrung by an oni, and lost a chunk of his leg as well, and will limp for the rest of his life. There is no way he can resume active duty, unless the leg heals better than they think it will."

Which wasn't very likely. Yuushi closed his eyes as he thought of how hard Reiichi would take the news. He was in his mid thirties and should have been able to look forward to at least another decade of service before becoming inactive.

"Thank you." Yuushi looked at Birman. "One more thing: why are you here and not Kikyou? He's my Captain."

Clapping her hands quietly, the dark-haired woman was smiling once again. "Good. You are a quick one. There is a very good reason why I'm talking to you and not him, but I'll tell my story after you tell yours."

Sighing, Yuushi knew he'd have to do as he was bid if he wanted any answers. So he sat down on his bed and told about how Yoru had contacted him, and the conclusion he and his roommates had come to.

"When we found out that Lord Eto was involved and kept him under surveillance for a few days, we were afraid that if we stepped forward with our story we would actually be talking to one of his sympathizers. So we decided it would be best if we, the Guards, handled the matter. We only involved the people we trusted. Once we had the numbers we needed for the fight, we worked hard on keeping everything a secret. It was easy getting access to the weapons, and since I helped Kikyou put together the duty roster for today, I made sure that only the Guards that I could trust were assigned to the ballroom."

"I see." Birman fell quiet for a moment. "I'd like a list of everyone you saw Eto talking to. We know he had his supporters and have found personal guards from the Cheung, Lee and Tory families among the mercenaries, and we have placed Minister Esperenza under arrest as he tried to flee the palace with some incriminating documents. But I'm sure we won't find everyone involved without your help."

Nodding his head, Yuushi promised to supply that list. "Reiichi has it written down, I'll fetch it in a few minutes." He resisted the urge to let his hands play with the belt on his robe. "Are we going to be punished?"

An elegant eyebrow was raised at that question. "Do you think you should be?"

"We did go behind the king's back and failed to notify our Captain. Maybe more lives would have been spared if I had stepped forth."

"Or more might have been lost, as you said." Birman fell quiet for a moment. "I have it on rather good authority that the battle played out in the way best guaranteed to ensure that the king survived. If it had gone any differently…." She shook her head. "Maybe the oni would have been released too soon, if Yoru's plan had been discovered. Maybe they would have fallen back onto an assassination in the dark. As bad as today was, over all it went surprisingly well. The traitors were killed, and the oni destroyed before they could escape."

Yuushi shivered at the mention of demons. He knew he'd have nightmares for weeks to come about the bloodshed that had ensued when they'd been released.

"So we won't be punished?"

"No. We'll have to put our spin on things and make sure that people don't find out that you were acting on your own, but you helped save the king and his family, and you won't be punished for that." Birman looked at him steadily for several heartbeats, as if she was waiting for more from him.

"We wouldn't have been successful if it hadn't been for the bounds. They were the ones that had swung the odds in our favor, especially against the demons. What's to happen with them?"

Birman tapped her fingers on the arms of the chair. "For right now, they're sleeping, and tomorrow they will be allowed to return home. Several of them will be leaving the capitol, but a few will remain here. One of them will be Hidaka."

Yuushi shivered as he recalled the sight of Ken Hidaka running around the ballroom, ripping out soldiers' throats with his teeth, and slicing into them with the ferocious claws that he'd suddenly sported.

"Was he always a bound?"

"No." Birman shook her head. "I won't go into the details now, but… he helped Botan out with a spell that enabled the kage to fight on our side, and paid a bitter price for that help. He was made into a bound this evening." Brown eyes stared intently at him. "He made a great sacrifice for the king. Will you and the other Guards who know what he's become, turn him aside?"

He thought hard about that matter for a few minutes. "I… I, personally, won't. Same with many of the others, once I explain what happened. Hidaka is thought well of. But I can't promise that they'll be comfortable around him." He'd need a new partner, now that Liss was dead. Yuushi felt a stab of pain as he thought of the dead woman, and many other of his friends who fell.

"It's hard to believe that Kudoh is a bound, too. Don't tell me he just became one tonight."

There was another shake, and a smile tugged at Birman's lips. "No, he's been one all his life, although it seems he just found that out a short while ago. He's what I want to talk to you about." Her gaze became serious. "Kudoh and Aya, the kage, are sworn to me. They will work for the Crown in whatever capacity I need them to. I can think of a lot of uses for a succubae-bound and a kage.

"The thing is, after witnessing the battle tonight, I don't want them to be the only bounds working for the Crown. You yourself admitted that they were what won the battle for us."

Yuushi nodded, trying to adjust to the fact that there was a kage in the palace, and one sworn to protect the king at that. "Yeah, they did. What are you going after, Spymaster?"

Rising to her feet, Birman tugged at her blue tunic. "This is my proposition, Honjyou. I know that you were cheated out of the Captain's position, yet you still honored your vow to the Guards. I need a man who is a good leader and, above all, honest, to head a division that will fall under my jurisdiction and not Kikyou's. He's not to know about this, as is anyone not involved with this new division. The only other people who will know will be the king, his queen and son, and the Royal Wizard."

"What is this division to do," Yuushi asked suspiciously.

"It will be the Shadow Guard. A unit within the Guards created to work with bounds and to handle important matters of the Crown." Birman ran a hand through her hair, for a moment looking incredibly tired and young. Then her normally proficient façade covered her features. "I can't say much more than this to you, unless you decide to join, but there will be a war coming soon, within the next few years - a war that will involve bounds."

"Esset."

Birman nodded at the word. "Yes, Esset. While we persecute and kill bounds, they round them up and form them into an army. If Kritiker is to survive, we need to build an army of our own. The Shadow Guard will help in that, will deal with any and all bounds, and will be required to work alongside them, starting with Yohji and Aya. The division will need to be made of trustworthy, tolerant Guards, and must remain a secret. Are you interested?"

Yuushi knew he should seriously think about the matter, especially since a kage was involved, but he found himself nodding his head and replying `yes' in an instant. He'd be risking his life and wouldn't receive much in the way of glory because of the secrecy involved, but he'd be doing what he'd joined the Guards to do. He'd be making a difference and saving more lives than he could as a normal Guard.

"One thing though, I don't want to be involved with politics. I won't have anything I'm in charge of become tainted with them."

Birman seemed taken back at his tone for a second, and then she gazed at him appraisingly. "First off, I'll be in charge, not you. But you'll only have to answer to the king and me. Secondly… I think I can safely promise that politics will have nothing to do with the Shadow Guards." She made a bitter face for a moment. "You will be protected from them by the fact that the Court will never know you exist. You will pretend to work for Kikyou, and so will anyone who is involved with the new division, but I'll see to it that you are given some room to move and won't fall under scrutiny."

"Fine." Yuushi then smiled. "I'll want Naru and Reiichi with me. They're the Guards I trust the most. Besides them, I'll pick the most tolerant of the ones who stood by me today."

"A good idea, but Reiichi can't return to active duty."

Yuushi's excitement dimmed upon being reminded of that fact. He scratched at his head, trying to figure out how to include his best friend in his new assignment. After a few seconds, Birman cleared her throat.

"If I may suggest?" When Yuushi nodded, she continued. "The king is not entirely happy with the idea of a kage remaining outside his supervision. It's not that he doesn't trust Aya, but that if anyone finds out that a kage is alive, there will be panic and conspiracy to make the kage a tool to be used. So, Aya will return to the Koneko, and I wouldn't want to be the person to step in his way."

Yuushi shivered as he remembered the kage tearing the oni apart. "So?"

"Reiichi will be retired from the Guards, but welcome to help train recruits if he wants to." Birman looked around Yuushi's bedroom. "It would be understandable that, after having his career cut short, he wouldn't want to remain here at the palace. It would be equally understandable that as his best friends, Naru and you would want to remain by his side and help him through the difficult adjustment of being crippled."

"Ah, and where would we live?" Yuushi thought he knew where the Spymaster was going with this; he just wanted to see if she'd come out and say it. One thing was for sure; he imagined that a certain blond, former Guard was in for a rude surprise the next time he spoke with Birman.

"Why, the Koneko of course." She laughed for a moment. "Kudoh will have a fit when he finds out, but he won't have a choice in the matter. He'll have his orders, and the main thing is to make sure that Aya is protected at all times." Birman's mirth faded away. "I don't want to think what will happen if Esset finds out about him. You're to protect Kudoh also, but he won't know that. He'll agree with the living arrangements if he thinks Aya will be kept safe. And the best way to do that is to make sure that Aya's mate is not used against him by Kritiker's enemies."

"We will do our best to protect both of them." Never in all his days has Yuushi ever thought to be babysitting a kage, or Kudoh for that matter. This had to be the weirdest day in his life, and he had the sinking feeling that that record wouldn't last for long.

"Good." Birman walked over to the bed and grabbed Yuushi's hand, pumping it up and down for a moment. "Welcome to the Shadow Guard, Honjyou. Monday morning I want you in my office so we can lay the groundwork for your new unit, and I want a list of names of the candidates. You're to move into the Koneko by no later than Tuesday. Now I want that list of names of conspirators, and you need to make sure that all of your Guards know not to say a word about the battle tonight that hasn't been approved by Manx or me, and to make no mention of there being bounds or a kage here in the palace tonight."

Rising to his feet, Yuushi nodded his head. Thinking of all he had to do before Monday morning, he wondered if he'd possibly get it done before the stimulant wore off.

*******

<Schuldig, wake up.>

Mumbling, Schuldig pressed against Masato, snaking his arm around his mate's waist as he snuggled closer. Masato purred softly and hugged him tightly.

<Schuldig, I need you to wake up now. Get up.>

"Stop bothering me, you asshole."

"Who are you talking to, love?" Masato lifted his head from the pillow, his eyes bleary and his voice thick. Schuldig groaned as he was shifted about and forced to wake up.

"I'm talking to an asshole who's going to regret waking me up." <I'll get you for this, Crawford. What the hell do you want?>

<There are things that need to be done, Schuldig. In another couple hours the king will be here to talk to us, and we need to be prepared. Also, Ken will be waking up soon, and he'll be eager to hear about his girlfriend. Check out her condition and report it to Jei. Let me know if he's still affected by last night. And in another two hours, make sure that Yohji and Aya are up. I want everyone to be coherent for the discussion.> There was an annoying sense that Crawford was wide awake and eager to start the day, despite all the fighting yesterday. Schuldig wanted to strangle his father. He could easily hide the body among the ones from the ballroom.

<Crawford, get this through your head right now. I may have to go off to Esset with you, but I'm not your lackey. Never for a single moment think that. I'll do what I have to do to get the job done, but if you think you can order me around, you'll be sorely mistaken. I'll make your life a living hell.>

<Whatever, Schuldig. Just do what I told you, which truly needs to be done. Gods, you really do take after your mother.> With that, Crawford severed the mental link and went back to whatever it was he'd been doing before bothering Schuldig. Which was probably shining his shoes or something anal like that.

Schuldig groaned as he forced himself to sit upright, and Masato immediately wrapped his arms around him and had him rest against his chest. His mate was so nice and warm, and the air still carried a faint hint of the sex they'd had last night. Schuldig felt Masato's morning erection brush against his behind, and he sent an image to the older man of Schuldig deepthroating the large cock.

"Gods, Schu, don't do that," Masato growled as he tilted Schuldig's head backwards, exposing his neck. "I'm having a difficult time right now not tossing you down on the bed and fucking you silly."

He could feel his mate's hunger and knew that the feeding from last night hadn't been enough for either of them, due to their exhaustion. If anything, the sex had little to do with their appetites and more with assuring themselves that they were alive and still together. But both of their natures were clamoring to be sated, Masato needing Schuldig's energy and he, the older man's emotions. For a second Schuldig spared a thought over how well the two of them matched up.

Then he was turning around in Masato's arms and gracing his lover with a lascivious grin. "What a wonderful idea. I just got my instructions for the day, and I need a little energy to get the job done. How about you?"

Masato grinned back and cupped Schuldig's ass with his hands, spreading open his cheeks and teasing his fingers along the exposed crack. "Oh, I definitely think a little meal is in order." He leaned down and thoroughly kissed Schuldig for a long minute or two.

"Yeah, definitely a good idea, brat."

Smarting a little over the nickname he'd been saddled with, and starting to squirm from the attention from Masato's fingers, Schuldig growled low in his throat as he resolved to have Masato squirming under him. It was time to teach the old man a lesson in manners.

*******

Looking down at the sleeping Guard, Jei scrubbed a hand over his short hair and took a deep breath. Hidaka's scent was altered now, due to his new nature. The man was definitely a bound. But he didn't `feel' that strongly to Jei's senses. The gaki part of his soul whispered to him to roll Hidaka onto his back and to take the man's throat between his teeth until Hidaka acknowledged him as the stronger bound. Jei even found himself leaning down before he could stop himself.

Having traveled so much with Crawford and spent the past couple months with Nagi, Schuldig, Aya and Yohji, who were very powerful bounds, Jei had forgotten what it was like to be with a weaker bound, especially a weaker flesh-gaki bound. Though Hidaka wasn't all that weak, he just wasn't almost all demon like the rest of their group were. Add to that to how new the man was to his demon nature, and Jei just wanted to smack him around some until Hidaka knew his place.

Thankfully, it was easy to control the urge due to the amount of feeding he'd done yesterday. By all means he should be sleeping for the next few days as he digested the meal, but Jei knew he was in a bit of a dangerous situation here, and that his survival required him to be awake and aware. So he'd pushed past the lethargy when Schuldig had contacted him a short while ago, and now that he had showered and changed into the outfit the page had left him, Jei was ready to get this ordeal over with. He reached out a hand and roughly shook Hidaka awake.

The Guard instantly reacted to the stimulus, rising up from the bed as he snarled and bared his teeth. Using his greater strength to his advantage, Jei easily lifted Hidaka from the bed and slammed him against the wall with enough force to crack the plaster. As Hidaka dazedly growled at him, Jei exposed his fangs and snarled viciously.

The sound had the desired effect on the man, and Hidaka stopped growling and even whined for a second. His lips quickly covered his teeth, and his claws became sheathed.

"Hidaka, snap out of it and wake up."

"Jei?"

Nodding his head, Jei warily released the new bound. Hidaka slid down to his bed, his body shivering and his eyes focusing on his hands. His claws slid out a couple inches, and Jei did nothing. He knew the man needed a moment to collect his thoughts, and the claws hadn't been unsheathed to be used as weapons.

"It wasn't a dream, you really are a bound now." He spoke the words with a gentleness that was usually beyond him, but this was a new bound he was dealing with, a youngster unsure of himself and in pain. Jei's bound instincts now told him to proceed gently.

Hidaka stared at him, his eyes wide, and for a moment it looked as if the Guard was going to argue with him. He then looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers until his claws completely unsheathed.

"What the hell am I?"

"A flesh gaki-bound. It seems the demon's soul fused with yours due to the wizards' interference." For a second Jei almost growled, but he stopped in time. Hidaka might think he was growling at him, not at the thought of the foul magic users.

Staring down at his hands for another moment, Hidaka then looked up at Jei, disgust plain on his face. "I was eating people last night and drinking their blood. I ripped out their throats with my own teeth."

"Whose else would you use?" Okay, the man wasn't able to respond well to humor. Jei sighed and scratched his head. What the hell did Crawford think he could do in this situation? Jei had always been a bound, had always suffered an unnatural, for a human, appetite and didn't have a problem with what he was. Unlike Hidaka.

"Right, listen to me for a moment. You're a flesh gaki-bound now, and that means you're gonna have to forget a lot of stupid human taboos. You're not human anymore, and you'd best deal with that fact real quick." When Hidaka looked about to speak, Jei bared his fangs and made the man remain quiet. "You're going to crave blood and flesh, preferably human blood and flesh. But animals' will do. Mainly you can live on the blood, which will probably be a bit easier for you to handle.

"You're stronger now, much, much stronger than before. Be careful about that until you realize your new strength. Your senses are much sharper, and it'll take some time until you're used to them and what they're telling you. Learn to trust them, they'll never lead you wrong. Be careful about exposing your new teeth, they don't retract like the claws do. And be careful with the claws as well, they're sharper than metal knives even if they are natural." Jei shrugged his shoulders. "Or as natural as we can be." That was it, all the advice that he could think of at the moment. The main thing was to keep Hidaka calm, to not treat him like a freak, and if it looked as if the man's appetite was getting out of control, to shove the cow's blood that was in a leather flask on the table down his throat.

"There should be some food arriving soon, I sent a page to fetch it before I woke you up. You're gonna need to eat a lot more now, and if you keep yourself full with normal food, the hunger pangs for blood and flesh are easier to manage. But you will need to eat as a gaki a couple times a moon."

Hidaka remained quiet, distressingly so, so Jei cleared his throat. "Anything you want to ask me? I'm not going to be around much longer, so now's your chance."

"How is Yuriko? Have you heard anything about her?"

Gods, the man had it bad for his lover. Not happy about causing another bound pain, Jei tried to smile as sympathetically as he could with a mouth full of sharp teeth.

"Yeah, Schu checked up on her for you." He paused for a moment, and Hidaka noticed that, his face going pale.

"Is she dead?"

"Nah, she's alive." Jei sighed and played with one of his knives. "She wasn't that badly wounded, and the Healers have been taking good care of her. But… I'm sorry to say this, but she doesn't want to see you. She asked that you stay away from her. It's probably the shock talking." The shock of seeing the man she loved turning into a demon before her eyes.

Jei wanted to tell the grief-stricken man that maybe it would be for the best of he broke things off with his human lover, that it wasn't wise to try and keep a relationship going with someone who was afraid of his true nature. Not every bound could be as lucky as Nagi had been in finding Omi, even if his lover had turned out to be a filthy wizard. And then there was the fact that humans tended to die so quickly. A few decades and poof, they were gone. But he didn't think that Hidaka would appreciate the advice at the moment. No matter how little credit Crawford gave him, he wasn't totally inept at thinking of other's feelings.

Hidaka moaned and buried his face in his hands. "She hates me, I know she does. Why wouldn't she, I'm a fucking freak now. A monster."

Jei snarled and jerked Hidaka's head up by his hair. "Listen to me, we may not be human, but we're not monsters or freaks. We didn't ask to be bounds, some damn wizards decided to fuck with things and we're stuck paying the price. Yeah, humans might be afraid of us and think that way about us, but they're ignorant fools. Keep up that attitude, and bounds will want nothing to do with you. It's hard enough for our kind to survive without someone throwing themselves a perpetual pity party."

"What the hell am I supposed to do, Jei? My lover is afraid of me now, and there had to be Guards who noticed what the hell happened to me. What am I, if everyone I know and care about turns away from me?"

Jei reminded himself to swallow his anger and be patient with the idiot. It wasn't Hidaka's fault what happened, and he owed it to Liss to look after her partner. For a moment he felt a stab of pain as he thought of the dead Guard. She might have only been a good fuckbuddy, but he missed her attitude and lovely body. Too bad she wasn't here at the moment. Liss would have no problem smacking some sense into Hidaka's head.

"You have friends, Hidaka. They might be monsters like you, but you have Yohji and Aya. You also have Omi; if he can handle having a lover who's a bound, a friend should be no problem for him. Then there's Botan and Birman, too, not to mention the staff at the Koneko. You have more supporters than many other bounds do."

Hidaka slowly nodded his head. He rubbed his nose with the back of his hand then looked up at Jei. "I guess. So, what do I need to know about my new nature? I'm assuming that it can't be reversed."

"No, you'll die if you try to separate your two souls. You're a bound now, until the day you die." Jei stared at the younger man, making sure that Hidaka lost any silly hope that he had that his condition might be reversed. It surprised him when he felt a pang of hurt as the faint hope died in Hidaka's eyes. Then he sat down on his bed, deciding to resume the lesson before the page arrived with food. He didn't have much time to spend with Hidaka before he had to return to Esset.

*******