Title: Fantasia

Author: Regina Wren

E-mail: wren13 @ gmail.com

Fandom & Pairing: Janne Da Arc; ka-yu x yasu

Keywords: yaoi, romance, AU

Rating: Teens

Words: 19,435

Status: Complete

Disclaimer: I don't hold any rights over anyone contained herein, except for the story, which is mine. And just because I should probably point this out legally: this is a fantasy, plain and simple, it's not meant to harm anyone directly or indirectly, I'm not making any profit from this, and it's only meant for entertainment and enjoyment purposes.

Fantasia
By Regina Wren

Part 7

 

The break of morning brought home all that had happened in the night. Tangles of brown vines swung limply off branches, flowers had wilted and crumpled, and entire trees had turned brown as autumn. The forest floor was littered with broken wood and torn branches, intermittently scattered with the bodies of the fallen, and a mournful silence hung over the remains of that burnt Eden.

Ka-yu sat with his back against Yasu's house, one of the lucky houses that had been spared because of its outlying location. His fingers trailed absently into Yasu's hair, stroking the golden strands where the fey rested against his chest. Yasu had always seemed so wild-spirited to the point that Ka-yu doubted he could feel anything more than superficial attachment to anything. But last night he had seen the grief of a being that cared deeply about those around him. Yasu had evidently considered the entire village to be his friends and family, and watching them die had taken its toll. For a long time he could only hold onto Ka-yu in shock until sometime during the night Yasu drifted into an uneasy nightmare state of half-consciousness. Now the nightmares had seemingly passed and Yasu rested peacefully, his breathing steady and his body relaxed, while Ka-yu reflected on all that had happened.

He himself had been unable to sleep for the rest of the night, watching as the demon moved on, and feeling the deathly stillness that settled in behind it. The trees and their faerie host were not the only things to die that night. When the first rays of the sun finally stained the sky in pink and gold the village lay silent as a graveyard. Occasionally the shadow of a fey would move among the ruins as though searching for something. Lost.

Yasu's face was peaceful in sleep, and Ka-yu rested his cheek lightly against the pale brow at his shoulder. For good or bad, Yasu had wormed his way into his heart. Now Ka-yu just wished for enough time to explore this, but time was one thing Yasu didn't have anymore. Even his friends acknowledged that Yasu's glamour was fading, just as surely as that of the fey he had seen die last night. His death was going to be slower, but no less certain.

"Mm... Ka-yu?" the blonde stirred sleepily.

"Yeah."

"Is it over?"

Ka-yu let out the sigh he'd been holding. "The demon's gone. But there's not much left behind."

Yasu breathed against his chest. "Mm..." But he didn't move from his restful position, simply letting Ka-yu hold him in that protective embrace. For a few minutes they remained like that, comfortable, ignoring the world that lay beyond them for a little while longer.

Soft footsteps sounded, and Kiyo appeared around the corner, his round face looking drawn and troubled. He looked like he was about to speak, but catching sight of Yasu in Ka-yu's arms he shut his mouth again. Instead he just held Ka-yu's gaze, unspoken worry passing between the two of them.

After a few moments Yasu looked up to see the other healer.

Kiyo took a breath. "I can't find You," he admitted. "I haven't seen him since yesterday."

The other two glanced at each other, the same dreaded thought in both their eyes. That seemed to give Yasu strength and he roused himself, climbing to his feet, one word on his lips.

"Bastard."

Ka-yu didn't need to ask to know Yasu was referring to the demon, the anger in his voice unmistakable. He stood beside Yasu watching shadows settle in they fey's eyes. They gave Yasu an almost frightening look that wouldn't let anyone forget there was something wild behind that pretty appearance. He was fey, after all, just as much as any Forest God - good or evil - and his essence fundamentally came from nature itself. If that Dark God had taken You's life too, Yasu would have the death of his best friend to mourn too.

"That bastard!"

"I'll say!" A slender figure dropped from above to land lightly beside them.

"You!" Kiyo burst out, but You ignored him. He didn't seem to notice how worried the others had been about him, too preoccupied with other things.

"There are less than two hundred of us left. Most are gathered around the centre of the village, and it's complete chaos there. And that doesn't include those who've already fled to other villages or gone into hiding," You ran a hand wearily over his eyes. He looked worn out, but at least he was alive. As a soldier he'd probably been up all night dealing with the disorder around that monster, and just to come out alive must have been an ordeal.

Ka-yu noticed Yasu's eyes flash with sudden life, then the blonde spun around and disappeared inside his house before anyone could stop him. Energy seemingly flowed back in his veins, strong as ever.

"Yasu?" The hunts master followed him wondering what had fuelled this abrupt change in him, closely followed by the other two. "What are you doing?"

Yasu was pulling his travel pack out from the cupboard. "I'm going after that beast."

"What?" That was You, probably thinking Yasu had finally completely lost it.

"Yasu, you're being reckless," Ka-yu inserted in a more calm voice.

But Yasu only shook his head. "No. I'm going to die if I stay here anyway, and you all know it, so don't try to tell me otherwise," the patient tone of his voice hid none of the steel that lay behind the words. It was a promise that once his mind was set on an idea he was going to follow it through, and no amount of arguing could possibly change his mind. "If I'm going to die anyway, I may as well try what I can to stop that demon," he said, his mouth a firm line, and his dark eyes blazing with inner fire.

"Fine," Ka-yu didn't even bother arguing that. "But we're going with you."

"No. You're not." Yasu said as he stuffed various possessions into his pack. "I'm going alone. Those two," he indicated Kiyo and You, "are staying here, and you are going home, Ka-yu, back to the Duke's service," he flipped his hair dismissively over his shoulder as though that settled the matter.

Now it was Ka-yu's turn to be stubborn, which he could do just as well. He had no intention of returning home just yet. The Duke could wait. Yasu couldn't.

Wait. The Duke? He'd never told Yasu anything about that.

"Yasu, how do you know about my working for the Duke?"

The blonde lost his grip on the water bottle he was packing and tightened his lips, guilt written clearly across his face. At that moment he looked exactly like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Something fell into place in Ka-yu's mind: You saying that it wasn't like Yasu to just drag a random stranger all the way here. "I wasn't just some random guy you found, was I?"

Yasu straightened and lifted his head, looking him in the eye unashamedly. "I don't just bring any random guys back here with me, Ka-yu. I saw you ride out every day, and I watched you, ever since the winter. That's how I know how you spend your day. I was there when you chased those poachers out of the forest, and I saw you help that deer with a wounded leg. That's how I knew you were a person I could trust. I was just waiting for the right time to meet you." One perfect eyebrow arched in challenge. "Satisfied?"

Ka-yu could only stare at him. All that time, months spent watching, waiting, until the moment Ka-yu had stepped off the path. And until today he'd wondered if Yasu's playful words and smiles were nothing more than the whimsy of a flighty faerie.

"Yasu," You stepped in, a dark and sorrowful look on his face. "My girlfriend was out there last night. This morning I found her body crushed under the debris. I want to kill this demon as much as you do. I'm not going to be left behind if you're so determined to take off after it. All our lives are at stake here, not just yours, because if no one does anything now, we're all going to die sooner or later." No one could argue that logic.

"And if you three go then you're going to need a healer," Kiyo put in dryly, earning him a crooked grin from Ka-yu.

Yasu folded his arms. "You guys are impossible," he sighed, though Ka-yu got the impression he was almost glad they wanted to accompany him. "Fine. But don't expect me to wait for you."

You nodded and Kiyo smiled slightly before they ducked out the door leaving Yasu and Ka-yu to themselves.

Ka-yu could only pack what he had, his only possessions, his hunting knife and rifle. Looking at them now suddenly made him wonder how long it would take his horse to find her way home. But even thinking of that place made his stomach knot up unpleasantly, and he pushed it aside. He'd deal with that issue when the time came.

Instead he let his eyes take in the room around them, the smooth wooden surfaces, and the glitter where elven silver had been used in place of iron, as door hinges and as nails. Still the feeling that neither he nor Yasu would ever see this place again haunted him and sent a shiver down his spine.