Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Oasis ❯ Oasis: Then and Now ( Chapter 2 )

Oasis

Part 2

…Here and Now…

For the first minute, strung between complete awareness and the hazy realm of dreams, he felt warmth, a sort of obscure sense of protection.

Safe.

He was safe. Eyes opened slowly, blinking just as slowly in the dimmed light of the small room. Pains, some muted and some sharply fresh, whispered to him about just how sore he was. Then thoughts flickered into a brighter sense, and he felt a stab of thick hideous fear.

Those men had left him to die.

~Oh god,~ he thought. ~Where am I? What's happened?~ Panicking, he reached for the pendant around his neck, praying it hadn't been removed. His fingers tangled in the rough fibrous cord, trailing down far enough to make sure of the smooth polished scale still attached.

~Still there,~ he thought in relief, and collapsed from his partially raised position. ~Thank the gods…~ Thus relieved, his thoughts immediately sped to his current situation, and the events leading into this wretched spot. Damn those men for taking him. Damn them for druggin him.

Damn his mother's husband.

~I'm a fool,~ he thought, stifling a curse, and turned his head to take in his surroundings. It wouldn't do to dwell on past mistakes when he could be very well in danger here. He took two attempts to sit up fully, wincing as scrapes and bruises protested, and looked on in wary caution. The bed he occupied was a simple low frame, carved wood flowing elegantly. Linen sheets, a finer weave than he had ever felt, crumpled and wrinkled around him at his movements-and he also realized he was naked underneath the light sheet. It didn't faze him-considering the bandages wrapped around his forearms and several on other areas-he had no fear of being violated during his sleep. A dim memory of a slim shape giving him water flickered in his mind, but while he raised his eyes, he saw that no one was in the room. He was alone.

The room itself was spacious, with a low fireplace in one corner-used for cooking by the placement of the kettle and flat smooth stone. Not far from the hearth a secondary doorway was draped in thick opaque silk for a door, rippling faintly in the sweet-smelling breeze coming in from the side that was missing the wall. Sunlight edged the shadows in gold just beyond the missing wall-he could see that the roof, simple woven thatch, extended out to form a rough balcony. Poles, made from young living saplings, made the corners, with several longer poles balanced neatly to form the edge of the thatch. Birds were darting around the tufts of golden-dry grass-he could hear the shrill piping of the young birds in their nests. Daisuke found himself wondering just where he was, to be in such a strange place. Pots of varying sizes were stacked neatly in the corner. Storage, he guessed, and noticed the low table and single chair. The walls, out of the three that remained, seemed impossible. The walls flowed upwards from the ground, leaving natural grass to grow as a lush carpet. Faintly, turning to look at the gray granite-like stone, Daisuke reached out a hand to trace the faintly scalloped edges of a window. Someone had…formed this…

~Impossible…stone can't be shaped…~

The curtains fluttered suddenly, a simple draping meant to be pulled against the cooler breezes, and Daisuke looked outside. From what he could see, grass was at eye level. This house, a simple furnished and elegant house, was built into a low hill. Impressed, Daisuke reached out, snagged a tuft of grass and toyed with it. Grass. In the desert.

"What kinda place is this?" he wondered, hoarsely.

"It is my home," a low and hesitant voice replied, just outside of the window.

A sharp inhalation brought stabbing pains to his attention, and he realized he was tensing up as if he was attacked. "Who-where am I?" he replied in a low controlled voice. "What happened-why-" he broke into a fit of coughing, his throat dry and rasping.

The voice was silent.

"Did you save me?" Daisuke muttered after wiping his mouth.

The thatch rustled above his head-the speaker must be on the roof, even though Daisuke knew he wouldn't have been able to move fast enough to spot him-and the voice came again, low, quiet, and young. "Yes."

"Then why-" Daisuke knotted the loose fabric of the bedsheets in his hands. "Are you going to kill me, like those idiots that left me in the desert?"

"Um…no…We're still in the desert, you know. This is my home-I live here, alone, so no one else knows you're here…"

"Then show yourself!" Daisuke demanded. "Why are you hiding?"

"…it's forbidden to be seen…" the voice whispered. "I wasn't even supposed to save you-I'm breaking a lot of rules just by having you here…"

"So you're some kind of prisoner…?"

"I'm not a prisoner!" the boy exclaimed indignantly. "I live here!"

"Whatever," Daisuke snorted. "Just as long as I can go as soon as possible." With a stifled yawn, he levered himself down back onto the small bed and smiled. Mysterious, yes. He wondered in sleepy thoughts if this other person was happy living by himself, wondered why exactly he would bother to save a half-breed like him.

"Hey…are you still there?" he asked after a moment, yawning.

"Yes…" The voice was sulking, almost childishly so.

"You really can't let anyone see you?"

"No. This place is my home. My protection. If I leave-if I'm seen…they'll kill me."

~Protection…~ he thought with a faint scowl. ~Wards and glyphs literally reek of power here…I can't tell where the source is…Someone's defiantly out to keep this guy alive…~ And the thought followed him down into the depths of sleep, curious and exhausted at the same time as to why this person, this unseen unnamed boy was so important. But he could think on that later…

When minutes passed, and no comment came, slim legs appeared into the view of the window. Ken knelt, carefully peering into the room through the curtains first, and then leaning over fully to examine the sleeping boy within his bed. His face was unreadable.

His heart was pounding loudly-for a moment he thought the sound of his blood rushing in his ears would wake him and be the end of him. He had no doubt that this boy would try to kill him-he was human, after all. Did his brother not say that anyone who knew his past, his life, would kill him?

No matter. A flicker of a frown passed over his features, then. He would have to be careful, however. It wouldn't do to anger his brother.

And, for the first time in years, Ken found himself wondering if he dared to think of a way to deceive his brother.

~\*/~

…Five years past…

"Not now, Ken," he muttered, without looking up. He was really quite tired from the recent events of the week, and the continuous draining attempts to puzzle out the words of the last pages needed for his Source spell. The final sequence lay before him, located in the hidden pages of a crumbling text. He didn't have time for meaningless hours spent with his brother, no matter his plans for the boy's adoration. He didn't even have to raise his head to see Ken standing in the doorway, still sheened with sweat from his daily blade practice.

He didn't have to look up to know that a flicker of disappointment was gleaming in his brother's eyes. Annoyance sprang to life in a vicious growl, partly because he didn't want to bother to respond to Ken's sometimes choking devotion, and partly because he knew that no matter what he did, he'd end up doing something for the boy, regardless, because that was the only way he'd have Ken at his side.

But for the moment the younger Ichijouji was ignored; ruthlessly, he drew his hands apart, the power between them sparking faintly in the dim light, and turned his palms up while spreading his fingers wide, then touching the tip of his thumb to his middle finger on the right, and closing the two middle fingers together on the left. He muttered the precise words under his breath in synchronized assonance with the movements. The power shaped itself into a literal woven web of light, and at the last moment, he whispered a glyph of Perception over the web. He took a moment to roll in the glory of his accomplishments-weaving an Translation spell was complex, requiring several odd glyphs and movements that a even a high-level mage would be hard-pressed to duplicate. Despite his age, Osamu managed several variations of the spell with different successes on each attempt. He smirked absently, pleased that Ken was witnessing one of his impressive displays of power, turned his hands palm down again-the web of light funneled down and spread out accordingly as he pressed his fingertips to the page open before him.

The words on the page glowed briefly, absorbing the light and the lines of power-Osamu felt a strong tingle of power running through his hands, and a whisper of breath from just behind his shoulder. Then the Translation glyph winked out of sight with a glittering swirl of spark-motes and the words seemed to rearrange themselves without problem.

Osamu laughed triumphantly, exhaustion coating his bones with a thick layer of leaden feeling, but the elder Ichijouji reveled in the brilliant feat. "It's all here! The required sequence, the words-even a suggestion on whom to choose!" Excited, the prospect of power flooding through him and chasing away the need to rest, Osamu bent over the book, nearly pressing his nose into the vellum as he murmured words to himself.

"Brother…" Ken's timid whisper reached him. The vivid indigo-colored eyes widened slightly. To Ken, at that moment, Osamu was swathed in power-the boy felt dizzy, suddenly. ~What is this?~ Swirls of dark violet color, slashed with red and black and the occasional deep blue shimmered faintly around his brother. A color that had ventured into view the moment that glittering web of Glyph energy had touched the page.

"Hmm…I see…reveal the text, reveal the Source…Ah…what's this?" Osamu muttered to himself, ignorant of his brother's suddenly pale face. "Oh…Source shall be able to find the glyph's colored taint-interesting, I would have never thought of that-"

In fact, Ken realized, that if he glanced around the room, the individual objects placed on neat shelves each had their own glow and significant color. He barely heard the low continuous words as Osamu sat with his back to him-he was completely enthralled with the sudden frightening shift in his vision. "It's-"

"Beautiful!" they said together, one crowing, one whispering.

Osamu smiled darkly-soon, so very soon, he would have all the power he would ever need. All the knowledge. "Ken," he began. "Would you hand me the quill-I must take notes." He waved a hand imperiously over his shoulder. The spell upon the page before him, the final sequence of glyphs, elemental and innate, shimmered as he ran his finger down a line of text. It said, simply, that a Being existed who had the power to bind souls to one another. Once summoned, if asked and presented with the right words-revealed through a previous Mage through trial and error in a paragraph farther down-the Being would bind a soul to someone in search of power. Therefore, someone with a high potential of being a Glyph mage would be ideal. Osamu smirked at that point-despite the laws against the dangerous magicks of the glyph spells, the potential still remained high in many of the families and descendents.

He would find his Source.

"Ken? The quill?" Osamu snapped, realizing nearly a minute had passed since his last words and twisted around in his chair.

Ken merely blinked slowly, his face unusually pale and clammy in the dark-lit room. He shivered, his gaze staring vacantly around the room, and fell against the closed door.

"If you're sick, take yourself upstairs-I won't have you soiling my study." Osamu remarked scornfully.

"I-" Ken swayed alarmingly. "It's so dark…" he murmured, and proceeded to slide down against the wall until he was slumped inelegantly on his bottom, pressing shaking hands to his suddenly closed eyes.

"What in the bloody Hells are you talking of?"

He had no name for what he saw, no name for the hungry power that seethed through his brother's usually calm aura-he didn't even know how he could see such things. Fearful, he whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut. "That-" he pointed vaguely around Osamu. "It's dark and strong-everything is glowing…Osamu!" he cried out last, helplessly, shaking again.

"Enhanced perception is not unusual in a younger Source, particularly if the Source is an untried Mage. On several occasions a Source can label several variations of power without hindrance, and commonly see a slight glow or radiance around a Glyph, spell, or Mage. The more power a Source has available to be tapped, the higher the ability to see the actual color-tainted aura of a Glyph."

The first thing that came to Osamu's mind was ~You are mine, little one. Always.~ And inside he grinned a brilliant smile of triumph, a bitter mix between perfection and a tinge of remorse. "Tell me what you see, little one," he whispered in a voice that sounded truly concerned-

But inside, hard and cruel and mocking, he began to laugh at the irony.

~\*/~

~I was waiting for so long

For a miracle to come

Hold on and don't shed a tear~

…Here and now…

Nearly fourteen days, now. Twelve of them spent with nothing but the damn trees for company. Grumbling forcefully under his breath, Daisuke lay sprawled upon his back in the shade of one such tree, glaring up into the cerulean sky through the deep green of the canopy. He shouldn't blame the tree, hell, the tree was harmless-but he had no one else to blame. At least, in sight, that was.

Daisuke itched a fading scar on his wrist, a remnant of the tight and painful bindings used only a week's span before, and made a face. Twelve days of waking up and finding his food placed upon a plate when he didn't expect it. Twelve days of looking around in sudden manner, vainly trying to catch a glimpse of the mysterious boy-like savior. After only twelve days, this Ken-a name reluctantly volunteered after a mainly one-sided conversation-had never shown himself, but was always within hearing. Never seen, always heard, and oddly enough, if Daisuke had felt the urge, full of a sparkling vivid energy that pinpointed his location.

Not that he would have tried to use that way of finding Ken. That took all of the fun out of the game, Daisuke conceded. Convincing Ken to appear himself was the game, and so far Daisuke had been losing. God, but the boy was open to talking about nearly everything, the redheaded half-breed had discovered. And by everything, he had almost just as accidentally discovered, that didn't include himself or the reason he was in such a secluded place.

So far Daisuke had come to several conclusions. One-Ken was being kept here against his will by his evil sorcerers and used for the power that ran like fluid in his veins. It was a good idea, and one that Daisuke had nurtured with passion until he mentioned to Ken-

And heard the brilliant unfettered laughter for the first time. A chord had strummed deep, then, almost too deep to be noticed. It was then, while he stared bemused into the trees above him that he decided that along with Saving Ken from a Fate Worse Than Death, he would try to get the boy to laugh more. From the sound of the laughter, Ken was a caring innocent soul, and Daisuke had grinned helplessly, until Ken had made an indistinct sound of helpless frustration, after his bout of mirth, and hadn't spoken for several hours, something that had puzzled the redhead to no end.

Daisuke was beginning to wonder where the boy went, if he went at all, during those increasing bouts of silence that left him strangely unnerved. He liked to think that he was wearing down the nearly iron-clad wall of will of the unseen boy, but that only led him to the second conclusion.

Two-Ken was either disfigured, cursed, or worse. His mind couldn't fathom of a simple reason to live out in a place like this-and Ken had said that his identity would get him killed, so Daisuke opted for the second suggestion. It was more reliable than an adventurous kidnapping and heroic tale, anyway.

"Oiy," he called up. "You there?"

"Mmm..?" a drowsy reply reached his ears.

"You aren't cursed, are you? Or maimed? Disfigured? Horribly ugly?" Daisuke grinned wickedly, and laced his hands behind his head. Leaves and whip-cord branches shook, then, suddenly, as Ken began his usual tree-switch habit-a thing he was forced to acquire in the first several days to avoid Daisuke's enthusiastic attempts to find him. At the most he would get a glimpse of a shadow, or an outline against the sky, but then it would disappear back into the shadows of the canopy.

"…what?" Ken made a sound of confusion, and nimbly slipped into a second tree. "Why-what ever gave you that idea?"

"Well, someone doesn't want to be seen-so, I figure you could be really really ugly, or invisible, you know. Could be a curse to make you ugly and invisible!"

"I-I'm not ugly!"

Daisuke grinned again, knowing that unseen eyes were fixed in his direction. "Like I can tell, Ken. You're always just a leaf, from here," he teased.

"Well, that's just stupid. I'm not cursed, or maimed." Ken paused, and then muttered in a lower voice. "And I'm not ugly…"

Daisuke laughed. "I don't think it would matter, really," he said after wiping his face. "I've already-" He paused, shaking his head with a weirdly pained look in his face. ~Let's not think of that…~ "Aw, nevermind. I just thought I'd ask."

"And you've woken me up, too. Thanks. I'm touched and grateful for your attention. Ugh," Ken spat out a piece of bark. "Daisuke…"

"Yeah?"

"Tell me about your family?"

Time seemed to stop, suddenly, the warmth of the sunlight and air freezing around Daisuke's skin-his heart spasmed. "…huh?" he choked out after a second.

Ken didn't appear to notice. "What was your mother like? Your father? Do you have brothers or sisters?" He seemed honestly curious.

"Ken, I-" Daisuke bit at his lip, hesitation and hidden anxiety twisting his face into a frown. "I don't think that's a good topic…"

"Why? Do you not like your family?"

"No…it's just…" God, this was hard. Could he know? Daisuke pulled himself up, scooting back until the rough bark of the tree pressed into his skin. "Ken…um…well, my family's different…" A bitter mental laugh, and a flash of panic floated into his thoughts. ~Different? How about a different race…~

There was a waiting silence, from the trees, and Daisuke knew that Ken was perched somewhere up there, merely waiting. He could sense it. He could sense a lot more than he was willing to admit-something that put him a very precarious position.

"You'd…I don't want you to think I'm a freak…" He squeezed his eyes shut, shuddered, and rubbed at his forearms. The back of his neck prickled; sweat was itching uncomfortably from just under his tunic. The thought of Ken thinking of him, despising him for his blood-line-even though he was sworn never to reveal his father's kind-made him sick inside. A cold sort of fear that surrounded his heart and sank cruelly hooked barbs into his soul.

"Why would I think you're a freak? You're just a boy, Daisuke. Well, unless you were a gypsy, and dressed in pink and red and juggled balls for a living-then you'd be a-"

"That's not what I meant!" Daisuke snapped out, anger in his voice for the first time. "Ken, you don't understand-Those men who left me here, they did so because of my mother's husband. He thought I was a freak. I am a freak-there's no one else in the world like me…"

Again, the silence fell upon the Oasis.

Daisuke closed his eyes, swallowing faintly. "My mother-" he began, voice cracked and husky. "She fell in love when she was young, with a red-haired and dark-eyed stranger. They were very much in love, and after she ran away to be with him, they traveled together. Mother used to tell me stories, when I was young, of how they saw an ocean and met the King of Faeyri-but that's not the point. My father has an older daughter, named Jun. She's beautiful, in their way. Powerful and strong, and kind at the same time."

"But your mother didn't marry your father?"

"No…my mother, returning home to announce that she planned to marry my father, was betrothed to the first suitable man available-she was pregnant with me at the time. They nearly killed my father. My mother died, thinking he was dead, when I was about three. I ran away from home and my step-father at age 11." Daisuke paused, anger and pain and fear in his voice. "I met my father only two years ago, and found out why people sometimes looked at me strange, and made evil signs behind my back, and muttered curses. Other kids would try to beat me up-I'm very good at running, you see."

"Why would they do such a thing?" Ken asked in horror.

"Because," Daisuke replied in a soft whisper. "My father wasn't human..."

"…A halfbreed?" Ken replied after a long silence.

"Yeah…"

"…What was your father?" Ken asked. "Who was he?"

Daisuke smiled faintly. "I can't tell you that, Ken. I'm sorry, but I can't. I swore that I'd keep it a secret…" Then he laughed darkly. "Ironic, isn't it? We both have secrets we can't tell to each other, and here I am, already bound-"

With a hitch of breath Daisuke shook his head violently. "I'm hungry," he said abruptly, and stood. "I'm going to get some food. Did you want me to leave some out for you?"

"No, I'm fine-wait, what did you mean, bound?"

But Daisuke was already walking away, and Ken had to force himself from stepping into view-his mind and soul were confused from the strange words of this equally strange boy, and as Daisuke disappeared into the hill-built home, he decided to retreat deeper into the trees to mull over the recent conversation. ~Why is there something that pulls me to him? Why do I care?~ Frustrated and uncertain, hating that he wasn't able to do more, Ken fled.

~\*/~

The stars were out and burning brightly when Ken returned to his senses. A bone deep ache of something settled low in his chest-he wasn't quite sure of what to make of the feeling. He knew it had to do with Daisuke, with his presence here, but Ken couldn't bring himself to do anything about it. Couldn't bring the thoughts of the smile, of the eyes, from his mind and banish them. Couldn't find it in his heart to think of a place without another person to talk to anymore.

~I don't want to be alone, anymore,~ he thought. Being alone was something that he couldn't conceive of anymore-not since Daisuke had came and spoke to him about different places and other things that he hadn't seen in years, places he couldn't remember since coming here.

~A halfbreed…humans like that aren't usually allowed to live…~

Half-human, half…something. Something that had driven his stepfather to kill him. A jab of anger flourished at the thought-how could anyone kill such a boy as this, no matter what his bloodline?

But Ken knew there was a danger to such thoughts, such feelings. Afterall, hadn't Osamu said that they would try all sorts of trickery to get to him? Perhaps…

Perhaps Osamu hadn't ever met anyone like Daisuke. Perhaps Osamu, Ken dared to think, was wrong in this one small thing.

Ken looked up to the sky, his eyes reflecting the clean white light of the moon, and sighed. He was so confused-what on earth was he doing?! Sitting here, hidden up in the trees for over a week, all because of a boy who should be dead…

What could he do? There was nothing he could change, nothing that he wanted to change-he didn't want to be alone anymore.

~But…Osamu…~

Yes. There was that. Bitterly, feeling rebellious and hateful and hurt, Ken cursed that he was so important enough to be kept, like a prisoner-Daisuke had been right from the start. He was nothing but a prisoner. Nothing better than a kept pet-

Growling, Ken slammed balled fists into his folded legs, shaking the tree supporting him and felt the first rage-filled tears slip from his eyes. It wasn't fair!

~I want to see my home…I want to go home and-~ the wish to see his mother was strong, bitterly so, on his mind, and for the first time in several years he found himself grieving deeply that her life had been cut short. ~I can't even remember what she looked like…only her voice. Her hands. Her smile.~

Breathing harshly, Ken wrapped his arms around himself and moaned deep in his throat. ~Oh, brother, why am I here?~

~\*/~

~Let the rain come down and wash away my tears

Let it fill my soul and drown my fears

Let it shatter the walls, for a new sun

A new day has come~

The pain pulled him from a restless sleep.

Gasping, Daisuke pulled himself upwards, horrified and suddenly anxious to run into the night. ~No…~ Gritting his teeth, wishing it wasn't possible, he pressed his hand to the flesh over his thumping heart and hissed out a curse. ~I won't-~

In the back of his head, a faint anguished wail, entirely mental, called out to him without knowing.

~Ken…~ Daisuke panted, hunched over. ~He's in so much pain…~ and roughly pulled himself back from the emerging bond.

~No! I will not-~

Tears spattered onto the sheets over his legs. ~I shouldn't be thinking this…~

~-I can't-~

God help him, Ken didn't even know, as Daisuke gritted his teeth to the point of cracking, sweat standing out on his skin, chilling him in the cooler night air. He didn't even know that the small tenuous link between them-

Something that he didn't understand. Oh, he knew of it-had heard it spoken of when they thought he hadn't been listening. His own sister had teased him about the day he'd find his counterpart soul, his lifemate, and foolishly, he had assumed they were merely stories.

God, he was a fool.

~I can't do this…I can't stand to be apart from him and I can't bear to be near him without him…~ He drew in a shaky breath. ~When did this happen? How could I have missed this?~

~Whoever keeps him in this place…whoever does this willingly…how can I fight such a power? I can barely keep myself from getting killed-how can I take him from this place and show him that I-that I can't-~

~I haven't even seen his face! I have no idea who he is-and I'm willing to lay it all down at his feet-~

~Is this how you felt for mother, father? Is this what you meant when I'll know when my life begins? I can't imagine going back without him…I can't possibly-~

~I can't leave him here…I won't…~

~I have to make him trust me…even if he's blind to the bond between us…I have to be with him no matter what it costs me…~

~I have to see him…~

The internal pain somehow worsened, as Ken cried out in distress, alone and confused. Daisuke hissed between his teeth, swearing to himself as he rose from the bed on shaky legs that he wouldn't get too close, only to assuage the rising need to see, to hear…to love…

Even as he swore those words, he knew they would crumble the minute he heard the low innocent voice. Saw the flitting shadow… He knew all of his strength would be gone, again, and it would take all his will to stop it from happening, stop this painful and yet exhilarating thing from completion.

But this time, in the face of Ken's grief, he didn't know if he wanted to keep himself away

~\*/~

~Where it was dark now there's light

Where there was pain now there's joy

Where there was weakness I found my strength

All in the eyes of a boy~

Ken found himself sprawled out upon the sweet smelling grass, staring upwards through the spaces at the stars so far off. Wisps of clouds, a milky white against the light of the moon were scudding slowly through the atmosphere. The air smelled sweet, and somehow warm. Ken found himself watching the trees sway gently, the leaves fluttering. Pain tugged at him, indecision and hurt and a nagging sense that he was a traitor.

It didn't matter. Sighing, he scrubbed at the tears that shone faintly on his cheeks, wincing at the soreness in his eyes and the raspy quality to his breath. His mind had slowly blanked into a mumble, the way he felt after a particularly draining day, and a ghost of a smile traced over his face. His didn't know his mind could feel tired…seems like he was discovering all sorts of things about himself.

~Brother…I wish it had been different…I wish those people had never killed our family…I wish you weren't hunting them down-I need you…~

~I wish I could break the rules…~ He paused, frowning. ~No…I wish there weren't any rules…then I wouldn't have to hide…I could sit and laugh and talk freely…I could be myself…~

~I could-~

~I-~

You can do whatever you'd like…Osamu does not control you, Ken…

~It's you,~ Ken thought in amazement. ~Where have you been? I thought…~

The Being gave him the impression of a smile. I've been watching-I thought it was time to say a few words, it paused, while Ken gasped for a breath and struggled to sit up.

~You've-seen?!~

Listen, little one. Your brother has freed me, in a way, and I owe that to you. In return I have watched over you. It is true that I am forbidden to interfere in anything that transpires on this realm… The voice became tinged with mischeiviousness. That does not mean I cannot talk and listen…offer advice…

~Ancient one…I don't know what I should do…~

Do what your heart asks, little Ken. Do that, and you will be free. You will be able to leave this place…perhaps even travel the world…

~But…~

But first, the being whispered to him. You must listen to what your heart asks. Do not doubt it's whispers. It will be true.

~Ancient one-I don't understand.~

You will. Oh, and your guest is coming. He is very concerned-he seems to care a great deal.

~Wait!~ Ken cried out with his mind, willing the Being to return-

-But he knew that like before, the Being wouldn't answer, almost pushed the limit of his restrictions to this plane. Ken was left to figure out the cryptic statements on his own, like so many other times. Tears forgotten, Ken rose to his feet, thrilled and doubt threading a sick line through his stomach, he waiting. Daisuke was coming.

He could hear the footsteps, now, faint whispers of sound. He didn't know that standing there, in the moonlight like some faeyri prince of myth, shrouded with pale luster and gleaming, that Daisuke would feel his heart shatter and reform upon the sight. All he knew, as he heard a shocked gasp, that this was the most incredible thing he had ever done.

And, as he turned around, he thought that his life would never be the same.

~\*/~

~Hush now, I see a light in the sky

Oh, it's almost blinding me~

Daisuke came upon the clearing with every intention of denying his heart, denying the bond growing between them. He came with an angry heart, a pain and grief filled mind that it had to be so-but he knew that it wouldn't be possible.

It didn't stop him from trying-it was all he could do.

He came upon the clearing, resolute and determined, and saw a boy standing in the moonlight. His heart seemed to seize, feeling oddly light and thickened at the image.

Moonlight glittered across his skin, pale as alabaster in the colorless light, smooth as marble. Hair, longish and brushing the tips of the shoulders bared beneath a loose tunic, was a dark color impossible to discern. Ken, he noticed from the edge of the trees, stood barefoot in the low grass, his legs bare to the thigh under a pair of loose gauzy trousers. The sight was perfect.

Ken was perfect.

Daisuke felt himself gasping, his heart exploding in emotion in the middle of his body-how could he possible turn away from such a boy? He couldn't-not ever. Something inside was welling up and making it impossible to breathe-

And then, as the boy turned to look at him, somehow knowing where he stood in the shadows, Daisuke felt that his life would never be the same. ~I would die for him…~ he thought, realizing. ~I could never let him be harmed…I could never let him go…~

And so, knowing he stepped into a willing sweet death-one of love and a bond that wrapped them both up in a fate that neither of them could realize-Daisuke heard a voice.

Treat him well.

Surprised, and somehow not at all, Daisuke nodded without taking his eyes off the waiting boy standing in the pool of moonlight.

He stepped forward, and into the light itself, and sealed his fate to that of the young Glyphmage.

~Let the rain come down and wash away my tears

Let it fill my soul and drown my fears

Let it shatter the walls for a new sun

A new day has come~