GetBackers Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon's Son ❯ Winds of the West ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Author's Note: This is going to be one of those really long fics. Really long. Fortunately, I have several chapters already written...but I'm spacing out uploading them because, well, it takes me forever to write an entire chapter of anything these days. There will be many pairings over the course of this fic-novel, some het, some shounen-ai. Who knows, I may even get some shoujo-ai in before all's said and done. But for this chapter, the only established pairing is Juubei/Kazuki.
Warnings: AU, chara-death
Disclaimer: GetBackers is the property of Yuuya Aoki and Rando Ayamine. Only the mechanics of the actual story is mine.

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Blood everywhere, a crimson tide that refused to obey the commands of the Kakei-ryuu techniques, no matter what was tried. Fuuchouin Kazuki, last of the Fuuchouin clan, could feel his life flowing out of him in that red current, slowly seeping into the ground. A fitting place for it, he supposed, for from the earth were they born and unto the earth all returned And as he looked up at his Juubei's anguished face, Kazuki knew that he had failed - the clan would end before the sun set.

"Kazuki! Hold on just a little longer! Kazuki!"

"Juubei...."

"Kazuki! I'm here, Kazuki...."

"Juubei . . . I'll always be with you, Juubei...."

"Kazuki!"

The world was growing faint, distant. Even Juubei's voice was beginning to fade.

"Kazuki!"

He was so tired. If he just closed his eyes for a little while, just rested for a time, then everything would be better. Yes, that was what he needed: rest.

"KAZUKI!!"





White light cradled him like a warm blanket, soothing and numbing his senses. The light was everywhere, infusing him, warming him, and giving him strength. So this is death, Kazuki thought with tired amusement. If this was to be his fate until the next incarnation, he would not complain. The warmth was almost enough to fill the empty place in his heart. Almost.

Pain twinged through him as he remembered. Juubei. Though it was forbidden, they had intended to build a life together, wresting their happiness from the world that would have taken it from them. Elegance was not where Kazuki had envisioned his life as a child, but it was the only place left for him, a surrogate family carefully built with his own two hands. Any one of his Elegance would have gladly given their lives if they had thought it would spare his. Many had, in fact, though it seemed to have been a futile gesture.

"Fuuchouin Kazuki, sole inheritor of the most sacred and hidden Fuuchouin-ryuu techniques, last of your clan, I have seen your heart and it is filled with great sadness and pain. Release unto me this burden of your heart, that you may pass on to the next cycle."

Kazuki opened his eyes slowly; he was reluctant to leave behind the relative peace of unknowing, but the voice had left no room to refuse. The maned head of a great red dragon hung over him, at once fearsome and reassuring, swathed as it was in the glow of refracted light. No mortal human had seen the face of a dragon god in a century or more, but then Kazuki was hardly a mortal human anymore, being dead. Was this, then, Enma, Lord of the Dead?

"Has your passing been such a shock that you have lost the power of speech, Kazuki-kun?" the dragon asked, his great head sinking lower until Kazuki could feel the dragon's warm breath washing over him. This close, the air smelled of sun-baked leather and hot steel, each red scale shimmering with divine light. He mentally blinked as he saw his hand reach outwards, fingertips barely brushing against a flared nostril. The scales were warm, but not scorching, cooler than the steam that huffed out when Enma snorted. Had that been amusement or annoyance? He couldn't tell.

"Your burden," the dragon prompted gently.

"I . . . Juubei. . . ."

"Release this tie, Kazuki-kun, that you may pass on to the next cycle."

"I . . . I can't," he sighed, closing his eyes as he bowed his head. "I'm sorry, but . . . I can't. I . . . there would be nothing left of me without him."

Another puff of steam, another snort of amusement or annoyance. He flinched as he kept his head downcast. What would become of him now? If he could not move forward and they could not send him back. . . .

"I will take him, Enma," a new voice purred.

Kazuki's head snapped up as he opened his eyes, surprised at the intrusion of another entity. This time his disbelieving eyes were met with the sight of a great white tiger with luminous red eyes. Could this be . . . Byakko, the celestial guardian of the west?

"You have neither right nor need, Byakko."

"We have each been charged with choosing for the newborn amongst us. You would deny me my right to choose whomever I wished?"

"A mortal. . . ."

"My choice, as is my right."

"So be it. But be certain you know what it is you have set in motion this day, Byakko of the Four Winds!"

The burning red form of Enma vanished, taking with him the warmth and white haze. Kazuki rather abruptly found himself shivering amidst the clouds, alone with the faintly glowing form of Byakko. This was not what he had expected from death and though he could see that his spiritual body was whole, he felt terribly lost and alone. What would become of him now? And what had Byakko meant by choosing? Juubei, how I miss you!

"Walk with me, Kazuki of the Strings. . . ."

How had he known that name, spoken only in hushed whispers by his enemies?

"Surprised? And why should your god not know all of your names, last heir of the Fuuchouin clan? Who did you think taught the first of your line to use the koto strings?"

"I...."

"Na, it's quite all right, Kazuki-kun," the great cat purred as they paced through the clouds, headed somewhere. "But you must have many questions, yes? And such a strong tie to the world of the living, more than I had anticipated."

"Then . . . you knew?"

"Indeed, I was counting on it."

"You . . . you were counting on it?"

"Separated from your beloved servant and protector, I had strong hopes that you would be unable to release your burden to Enma, preventing your passage into the next cycle . . . and thus allowing me to take you."

"You . . . you arranged my death?!"

"I did."

"What?!" he cried, fresh anguish welling up within him at the magnitude of his losses. "That ambush, just for me? All those deaths? All that senseless violence.... And the pain in Juubei's heart? And my Elegance! They will be lost without me! Why? Why?!?"

"You credit me with too much, cub," the tiger purred, stopping to crouch down, one front paw reaching out to pull him closer. "The ambush was already set; I only nudged your life thread, trading it for your beloved Juubei's life. Elegance will continue on, guided by Juubei and Toshiki, now united by a force stronger than even their hatred of each other: your loss."

"Juubei...."

"Fate has thrust you into a time of great pain, and for that I am sorry, Kazuki. But it was necessarily."

Kazuki buried his face in the white fur of Byakko's shoulder, fighting to deny the tears that threatened to betray his broken heart. Death was supposed to be a relief from pain, but this was anything but that. And he still didn't know why he was being made to suffer, though it seemed this suffering was to have been his regardless.

A deep rumbling rolled up from the tiger's chest and it took Kazuki a moment to recognize it for what it was: purring. He mentally recoiled from the crazed laughter that bubbled up inside him, threatening to spill out at the image of the great white tiger god purring like a house cat sated with fresh cream.

"I know that your heart aches, cub," Byakko murmured as they resumed their walk, "but I needed you. Even we gods are not eternal. When the god of storms dies, he takes all with him. Thus when the new Raitei is born, he comes alone into this world. We who remain are charged with finding those worthy of serving and supporting the new Raitei, we four of the elements charged with the highest ranks. The others will each find a strong warrior, just as I found you, but I know them, I know their minds. The three they choose will serve well, but they will not be enough. The Raitei will need the compassion only you will bring."

"I don't understand. . . ."

"Alive, I could not bring you here, ask of you what I need to ask. But now that your spirit is no longer confined by mortal flesh, now that you are free, I can give you wings."

Hopelessly muddled, Kazuki stopped and flopped down on the cloud beneath him. All this talk of gods and warriors, eternals and wings, had set his head to spinning. He had scarcely believed in the existence of gods before his death, let alone the possibility that one might die or that another might be born. And he was completely lost on how any of it could possibly relate to him. Who was he but the last of a once noble family, scorned by the outside world of the lower castes for being too much like a woman . . . and then feared for the terror of his threads, the power of Elegance's might.

"This time it is mine to place the Avatar of Destiny, the most trusted advisor of the Raitei. Who could be better for such a job than one who knows every secret of the Fuuchouin-ryuu techniques? But . . . if you truly wish not to do this, then . . . I will find another. Perhaps I could find a place for you amidst my own staff, until you can release your burden to Enma and move on."

"I . . . I'm still not sure I understand what you wish from me...."

"Only for you to be yourself, Kazuki-kun," the great tiger murmured, his muzzle reaching down to brush against his hair in what he could only assume was a sign of feline affection. Unfortunately, it did nothing to ease the lonely ache in his heart.

Juubei . . . I'm no good at this without you. What do I do? I don't even understand what has happened to me.





The palace of the Celestial Guardian of the West was like something out of a dream, a weaving of delicate filaments and smooth faces that, combined with the stratospheric environment, gave it a touch of unreality. Or perhaps as though the entire complex was an extension of the clouds upon which it sat.

"This . . . is a home?"

"Not just a home, Kazuki-kun, but my home. What better place for the god of the winds than a castle in the clouds?"

Kazuki could think of no suitable response as he stared up at the delicate spires. There was a man waiting for them at the entrance. A slender blonde dressed all in white, he was several centimeters taller than Kazuki himself with piercing lavender eyes half hidden behind golden fringe. He appeared to have infinite patience, simply watching as they approached, perfectly motionless save the gentle sway of his earring.

"A new soul, Master?"

"A guest, Kyouji. No trouble, I trust?"

"Teshimine is moving about the immortal realm again, but no, no trouble. Merely curiosity."

"No doubt seeking to know who we choose. Very well. When he comes, I will speak with him."

"As you wish, Master," the man murmured, bowing his head slightly. A slight movement as he stepped aside, and then Byakko was leading Kazuki into the castle. As they passed the entry arch, the great white tiger's fur rippled and shifted and, before incredulous eyes, the tiger god changed into a human form, albeit one that still possessed a restless striped tail. Hair as white as snow fell in soft ripples to the man's shoulders, whispering slightly with his movements. Traditional robes in soft mist greys would have given him a certain regal bearing if not for the mischievous twitching of his tail; the celestial guardian was amused by something.

"Did you think I only had one form, Kazuki-kun?" he asked with quiet mirth.

"I . . . hadn't thought about it," Kazuki confessed. "That man . . . at the entry...."

"Kagami Kyouji, Avatar of Reflection and head of my house. He is the most trusted of my Avatars, much as Teshimine is the most trusted of SohRyu's Avatars. As perhaps you may become for the Raitei?"

"But . . . I'm not worthy of such! I'm just a gang leader who got himself killed!"

"You are the last master of the Fuuchouin-ryuu techniques. Empowered with the strength of an Avatar, you would be a great force indeed. Moreover, as I said, you have the compassion the Raitei will need to help him through these first few weeks."

They came to a halt in the midst of an inner courtyard, cobblestones winding through manicured beds of flowers and colorful foliage dappled with the shadows of giant maples. An arched doorframe sat before them, the doors closed, though they led no where. While the engraved pastoral images on the doors were beautiful, it seemed a strange thing to have in a courtyard - one could as easily walk around the arch as through it to reach the fountain that danced beyond.

"But I have no new arguments to offer you, Kazuki-kun. If you do not wish to be a monitor of men's fates, then perhaps Kyouji can find some place for you here until you grow weary of this life."

"I do not know myself to be worthy," Kazuki murmured, watching the dance of the fountain's waters to keep from being caught by Byakko's burning red eyes, "but I must believe that the god of the West would not have done all this if I was truly incapable of this new task. I cannot move forward alone, and if I cannot go back, then . . . perhaps this is the right step.

"Until my lord grows weary of this life or he finds one better suited, I will serve as his Avatar."

Byakko smiled serenely, reaching out to tap the left-hand door of the arch three times. The archway glowed a soft silvery blue, humming quietly as light began to shimmer in one set of kanji on the right-hand door. Byakko paused a moment longer before pulling open the doors. Kazuki could only stand and gape; instead of the garden that he knew was there, the doors opened onto a marbled room lit by flickering wall sconces and a ring of windows just below the rim of the domed ceiling.

"After you, Kazuki-kun," Byakko purred, amusement once more coloring his tone.

The room, while elegant with it's silvery marble tiles and columns, modern wall sconces, and rich blue draperies, was strangely empty as Kazuki stepped through the doorway. Like an undressed stage waiting for the players to arrive. When he turned back around, he could still see the garden through the doorway, but on this side, the door actually sat in a wall. Then Byakko was through and the doors swung shut once more.

"Where are we, Byakko-sama?"

"The Castle of Storms," the tiger god murmured, "and it would appear we are the first to arrive. All the better.

"Hail, Raitei!" the guardian called out in a commanding boom. "I, Byakko of the Four Winds, call you forth! Come forward and meet the choice of the Winds, the Avatar of Destiny!"

"But I'm not...."

"Shh, it's not your turn to speak, Kazuki-kun," Byakko scolded gently.

"Byakko of the Four Winds, you are a welcome guest in my home," a young voice called down from somewhere above. Kazuki turned about in a tight circle, searching in vain for some glimpse of the voice's owner. Looking more closely, he realized the crown molding concealed a clever illusion - the dome's curvature did not actually meet the top of the columns that appeared to support it. Presumably, the Raitei was hiding up there.

"Do you accept the choice of the West?"

Kazuki suddenly felt a presence behind him and spun about, surprised to see a young man of a height with himself standing there. Blonde with tawny brown eyes, he appeared to be at most eighteen years old, even to the army-surplus cargo vest, overlarge white shirt, and khaki cargo shorts. But there was a seriousness about him at odds with his strange choice in attire. Was this the newborn Raitei?

"He wears his hair bound like a woman," the youth snorted, reaching out to flick one wrap behind Kazuki's shoulder. "And bells? He is a man, isn't he, Byakko?"

"He is. Fuuchouin Kazuki, last of the Fuuchouin clan, final true master of the Fuuchouin-ryuu."

"Do please correct me if I am wrong, but the Avatar of Destiny is supposed to be one who oversees and guides mortals along the paths of their lives, tacitly moving each life towards the destiny Fate planned. It has also traditionally been the post of the Avatar charged with overseeing the affairs of the Castle of Storms and typically my closest advisor."

"That is correct."

"Someone who could, conceivably, hold my life and perhaps even my sanity in his hands."

"Yes."

"Someone who is to be a warrior of this same castle, should the need arise."

"Yes."

"Byakko-san, if you wanted to break with tradition by giving the Avatar over to female energy, you could have at least found a proper woman!"

"That was not my intention."

"Can he even fight at all?"

"He was widely respected and feared as the leader of Elegance, one of Tokyo's more successful and powerful street gangs."

"Him?? You have to be kidding...."

Kazuki gritted his back teeth, his hands fisting at his sides. He was willing to tolerate a fair amount of abuse when it was his own character that was being questioned. He wanted to have faith in Byakko, but from the vague smile on the tiger god's lips, it seemed as though his patron had no intention of stopping the rantings of the teen who was circling around him, sizing him up like a wolf with a deer. But Kazuki was no timid doe and if he needed to show his strength, then he would. He would not allow Elegance, and everything he had achieved through the gang, to be so casually dismissed.

"You're sure about this?" the Raitei asked quietly, brown eyes shifting suddenly to Byakko. Something prickled the hairs at the back of Kazuki's neck. What was going on?

"I am, yes."

"Slow to anger, and even then, not for his own sake."

"Some would call that a benefit, not a fault," Byakko murmured.

"Some would, yes." the Raitei murmured, his lips thinning to a tight line for a moment. "So tell me, Kazuki of the Fuuchouin clan, can you feel anger on your own behalf? Do you have the courage to be an Avatar, to speak your mind to the gods without fear?"

He glanced at Byakko, wary that he was somehow being set up for a trick. Then again, the Raitei had addressed him directly and obviously expected a response. Whatever he thought of the childish godling, it would be rude not to answer a direct question. And no reason not to loose the full of his venom on the one who had questioned his skills without having any true knowledge of what his strings could do.

"What do you care when you obviously intend to refuse me?" he spat, annoyed to hear his words falling into polite form in spite of his intentions.

"Ahh, now there's the spark," the Raitei chuckled, and in defiance of any expectation, he broke into a wide grin, laughter softening his dark eyes. "You're right, Byakko-san, a slow temper is a credit, not a fault. But then I knew better than to doubt your wisdom."

"You could have fooled him. . . ."

Kazuki stood dumbfounded, blinking witlessly at the two gods. And feeling completely confused.

"Stand easy, Kazuki-san. And forgive my words, but . . . I had to know. Yours is the most important position. I must know that the Avatar of Destiny will stand firm and let me know when I've crossed the line. You can do that for me, can't you?" he asked with an almost embarrassing amount of worry creasing his youthful face.

"I . . . yes, sensei, I can do that."

"Please, Ginji is fine. This is my home and you are to be overseer of this castle as well as my most trusted advisor. Such formality between us is not seemly."

"As you wish," he replied, bowing in acknowledgment. Or rather, he attempted to bow; Ginji stopped him partway, one hand reaching out to clasp his shoulder.

"Informal, Kazu-chan," the Raitei grinned, releasing his shoulder after a quick squeeze. He felt himself shuddering at the unintended reminder - Juubei had also called him Kazu-chan on occasion, though not often. A nickname saved for their quiet moments alone.

"Ito no Kazuki, final keeper of the Fuuchouin-ryuu, the Raitei finds you worthy. Stand fast," Byakko intoned. Before he could ask the tiger god what he meant, roaring winds swirled around him, whipping the air into a white haze that sealed him away from the two gods. There was a power in the winds, a strength that he could feel wrapping around him like an invisible thread. He was beginning to wonder what if anything was going to happen to him when he felt a rush of hot air like a physical assault, knocking him off his feet. Searing heat washed over him in wave after wave until he felt certain he must be burning alive. And then it stopped. Silence crashed down on top of him as the winds simply ceased to be. He tried to roll onto his side, to get up, but his wing kept getting in the way.

Wait . . . wing?

Sitting up abruptly, he immediately regretted it as his head started pounding and he fell back onto his back. His wings automatically flattened out beneath him to accommodate the new posture - why couldn't they be so helpful a second ago? - spreading to full extension on the marble tiles. It actually felt kind of nice, the cool tiles soothing heat-seared nerves.

"Kazu-chan? Are you okay? Kazu-chan??"

"I have . . . wings?" he croaked, moderately irritated at the hoarseness of his own voice; it had been fine a moment ago.

"Hai, hai, of course. You'll get used to them and you don't actually have to wear them all the time. They're part of you when you manifest as the Avatar, but they should fade away once you learn to relax out of full Avatar. But they are pretty. Here, sit up and I'll show you. . . ."

Leaning a little more into Ginji's supporting arm than he would have liked, Kazuki carefully pulled himself upright. This time the headache didn't threaten to make him pass out, although his vision did swim for a moment. Closing his eyes seemed to help and after a few seconds he opened them again. Sitting on the floor wasn't ideal, he could already feel that - his wings were too long. But they were flexible enough if he wasn't down for very long. What caught his attention, however, was the color of the long feathers Ginji was holding up, presumably for his benefit. Delicate silver, shimmering in the light, the hooks and barbs were a metallic array of silvers while the veins were an almost burnished pewter hue.

"Told you," Ginji chuckled, amused by his reaction. "Silver for the wind, I suppose. Byakko says you're the first Avatar to use the Fuuchouin-ryuu. I guess you'll have to discover for yourself what that means for your koto strings and how to read the threads of life. Not that you have to do much with that - Byakko says your existence is enough, something about passive approval. I won't pretend like I understand, but if it means we have more time to get to know each other, then it's probably a good thing, right?"

"I . . . I guess so," Kazuki agreed with a slight nod. The spines of his wings were starting to tingle and complain at the bends and almost-creases from the unnatural position. With Ginji's support, he pulled himself up to his feet, squeezing his eyes shut again for only a moment.

"Kazu-chan?"

"I'm fine," he murmured. "I think . . . I would prefer 'Kazuki' if you don't mind, Ginji-san."

"If you agree to call me 'Ginji,' no honorifics, we'll call it even. How about we take you to your apartment? You look like you want a nap."

"I think that would be a good idea," Kazuki agreed. He glanced around the circular room, hoping for some sign of Byakko, but the celestial guardian was apparently gone. Sighing at the missed opportunity, he vowed to thank his patron the next time they met. He had a feeling the life he was beginning was going to be well worth the price he had paid for it.