#nihon Fai

[completeoveranalysis]

INCREDIBLE.

[anduefex]

a truly obnoxious wizard

[noisypeanutmoneyspy]

[kumeko]

Prompt: Tsubasa, bamboo : loyalty, strength, steadfastness

A/N: I had written this for a CCS/Tsubasa zine that sadly got cancelled. ☹ I’ve always loved Tomoyo’s/Kurogane’s relationship, the utter steadfastness of Kurogane’s loyalty and her confidence in him.

…

…

…

…

Sake cup in hand, Tomoyo stepped out onto her bamboo-lined balcony and took a deep breath of the cool, sweet air. It was a pleasant night for a moon-viewing and she leaned against her balcony rail to watch the party below. Bright, colourful lanterns shone in defiance to the night’s gloom, lighting up the palace’s courtyard. Below, she could make out a drunk Syaoran energetically fighting the ancient sakura tree while Fai and Mokona cheered him on.

It was cute. They’d no doubt forgotten just what they were here for. Her attendants and sister were seated a short distance away, their half of the party a more dignified one. The only ones missing were Sakura and Kurogane: a princess who could no longer afford the cost of travel and the latter which was standing behind her right now.

“I thought you would prefer drinking with them,” she said, glancing over her shoulder.

Dressed in a black and red kimono, Kurogane regaled her with surprise, his eyes widening slightly before he shook his head. “I thought you didn’t have the sight anymore,” he asked as he stepped out of the shadows.

“I do not need that or even your senses to know where you are.” Tomoyo smirked, moving slightly so he could stand next to her. A bamboo leaf brushed her shoulder. “You are very predictable.”

“Am I?” he questioned, taking a sip from his own cup. There was nothing graceful about the way he drank and even in this he couldn’t hide his brash nature.

“Very much so.” Tomoyo chuckled, cupping her cheek with hand. “You’re like a little puppy.”

“Puppy?” he repeated, aghast.

“A cute, little puppy,” she confirmed, mischievously. She glanced at Fai and Syaoran once more. Classical music drifted through the air. “And with that group, it is very helpful, I imagine.”

“It’s very annoying,” he grumbled, giving Fai and Mokona a flat glare. Despite his words, there was no bite in his tone, and she wondered if he could see how much he had softened over the years. Even his profile wasn’t as hard as it used to be, his sternness of a gentler type now.

“Your inflexibility can be,” she agreed innocently, ignoring how his glare now swung to her. “You could just enjoy the party with them, you know.”

“I did.” Kurogane smiled faintly, the limit of his honesty. “And now I’m here. To renew my vow.”

Tomoyo regarded him for a moment. “We do not have to do this every time, you know.”

 “We do,” he disagreed, finishing the last of his sake before resting the cup on the railing. “Until my mission is over, until I can stay here, I want to.”

“What is the point if you aren’t here?” Tomoyo winced. That sounded harsher than she intended. Rephrasing, she added, “It is not that I doubt your loyalty. I can see it in the lengths you go to find that other Sakura and Syaoran.”

He didn’t say anything, just regarded her with dark eyes as he waited for her to finish. And that much hadn’t changed over the years either, how he knew when she had more to say.

Tomoyo glanced up at the moon, so much brighter than the light reflected in her sake. After taking another sip, she quietly set aside her own cup. “This vow is not meant to chain you, not if you no longer need it. You may return here as much as you like, but…”

When I sent you away, I understood that you might never return.

Tomoyo couldn’t voice those last words. Cowardly, she looked away. The tall stalks of bamboo on her right glowed faintly in the moonlight and she took solace in their rigidity. There was a price to pay for every wish, and hers was his company.

It was an insignificant thing in comparison to his life.

“I remember your laughter when this started,” Kurogane said. She glanced at him, but he wasn’t looking at her anymore. Instead, his gaze was locked on his companions.

“Your expression was funny,” she murmured.

He didn’t frown or even growl at that; he’d grown up in ways she hadn’t expected. “Yours will be funnier when I finally return home.”

Home? She stared at him, surprised.

“Yeah, just like that.” He grinned, all teeth, as he kneeled before her. “Like I said, I want to do this. After I find those two, I’m done with travelling.”

“What if that day never comes?” she asked, trying not to hope.

“It will come.” There was no doubt in his voice. Then again, he’d never been a dreamer, had he? Kurogane always took action with the uttermost confidence.

Tomoyo studied him for a moment. She couldn’t see the future anymore, couldn’t know if he was right, if it would take decades before he was right, but it was hard not to believe him. He’d stopped the universe from unravelling, travelled through time, and fought fate itself, after all. What was finding two people compared to that?

Giving in, she raised her hand. “Very well then, Yoo.”

Only the cold moon and steadfast bamboo witnessed her blessing.

Hopefully, the next time they did this would also be the last.

[yououui]

what’s your favorite canon moment of Kurofai?

that's like asking me who my favorite child is but honestly it has to be

BECAUSE I MEAN WHERE TO BEGIN

this truly is the moment Kurogane admits to himself (and Fai) that he loves Fai. he is willing to do anything for Fai. he's willing to tie his entire life to Fai, potentially giving up going back to Nihon since he has no idea how long Fai will run for or if/when/where he'll settle. everything leading up to this moment with their conversation (like Kurogane admitting point blank that he doesn't care about Fai's past but he does care about Fai), the way he protected Fai from Syaoran, and then everything after with the way they hold onto each other (Kurogane keeps Fai's head cradled in his hand, Fai latches onto him when he transforms, Kurogane literally carries Fai around because he doesn't want to lose sight of him kind of like the way he refused to let go of his mother). but this moment right here

because there are so many ways to interpret it. from Kurogane's perspective, he's making a promise or a compromise: he'll be the one to kill Fai, but Fai has to keep living until then. but hello, Kurogane is never going to kill Fai? but he ties their lives together with his blood with no knowledge at the time that there will be any way to reverse it. as long as Fai doesn't go off and get himself killed, he is going to live until Kurogane dies. by offering this compromise, Kurogane is admitting that he wants Fai to remain by his side until the bitter end.

but FAI hoo boy see he has a different perspective. because he thinks that they're going to kill each other, or at the very least that Kurogane is going to kill him once he learns the truth about Fai's past and his betrayal. so to Kurogane, this is basically a marriage proposal, promising the two of them to remain side by side for the rest of their lives. for Fai, it's a promise of something to come much sooner than Kurogane realizes. and I think that's what the little smile he gives means; I think he understands what Kurogane is saying and what he means by it, but he also knows something that Kurogane doesn't. he knows it's going to end badly. and all he can do is give that pained, resigned smile as he feels all of that love being poured over him, yet knows at the same time that he's going to be the one to ruin it. and that's also why he pushes Kurogane away after he wakes up, because he is fully aware of what Kurogane wants and feels and he knows it can't end well, so at least he can make Kurogane hate him so when the truth comes out it won't hurt as much and Kurogane won't hesitate nearly as much to kill him.

too bad Fai doesn't understand yet that when Kurogane loves you, that means forever baby, even with your baggage and betrayal

[amphis-art]

The Ambassadors of Nihon, Kurogane, Lord of Suwa and his Lord-Consort, Prince of Valeria and Mage of Celes, Fai D. Flourite.

"Who told them all those titles?!"

"Not me."

I saw these outfits and I immediatly thought of Fai and Kurogane attending a very important event in the name of Princess Tomoyo.

And I really wanted to do papercut again.

[noa-ciharu]

Ship ask: favorite canon moment of kurofai

Tough question since there are alot of top tier kurofai moments. But this particular scene stands out

Yes, the whole sequence.

Because as countless people said before - tsubasa found family journey is sort of allegory for therapy. Crowd of deeply troubled individuals all with their fair share of issues and traumas got paired up together and started bonding over time - and helping each other in process.

However there were countless ups and downs, and that's what relationship between Kurogane and Fai was always like prior to this moment. They couldn't interact truly openly because barrier was always present. Both Fai's (past, false identity, planned betrayal, deep self hatred, avoidance, emotional distance and so on) and Kurogane's (viewing physical strength as priority, subsequently emotionalism and escapism as weakness, and probably some more)

All the unspoken and Kurogane's progress of getting to reach through Fai's iron self-protection walls reached culmination in acid Tokyo - however Fai was still not ready to accept how close he got to Kurogane (and rest of the crew). Emotional tension between them from infamous Good morning Kurogane scene to Celes arc was off charts. With good reason tho, because they were almost like on checkmate position when neither can move forward nor backwards. Kurogane can't do a thing because Fai is one holding the card but similarly Fai belives he truly has no power over his fate because once Ashura awakens it'll all start crumbling. He believes he's living on borrowed time and that he did something he shouldn't have - gotten to close

He thinks he doesn't deserve to be cared for.

And then Celes angst rolls and Kurogane sacrifices what was considered most important to him (strength and power to protect) so Fai could live.

Ofc that was one of major factors (combined with somewhat karmic pain of having someone you love be self sacrificial and you having no say in it and no way to help them - bet feeling was a bit sobering), but that's not all- for the first time in his life Fai knew he wasn't living a life worth expiration date. He was free

Also Kurogane has come full circle, both literally returning to birth place and changing perspective 180° degrees. When he left nihon he was power hungry basically, speaking power out of fear of powerlessness to prevent tragedies. But now he purposely cut own arm so he could protect those he cared about. I probs should add more here but it's rly late

And ofc - Fai hitting Kurogane as payback and calling him by nicknames again 🥺🙏 little gesture that means alot when their whole background is taken into consideration. They're finally able to meet face to face and have a honest healing relationship without any hints of pretense or tension

[askkurofai]

What if Kurogane and Fai settled in Nihon and had twins? 🥺

[nearer-than-the-eye]

back in tsubasa reread and godddd. piffle is such a crazy fucking arc like. truly the calm before the storm, everyone has so noticeably improved—syaoran able to release some control and trust that sakura can win the race, loving her not only as her vassal but as her equal. sakura winning the race!!!!!! and the narrative underscoring how happy she is to have this victory through her own agency and to have been able to help the party. kurogane in full dad/big brother mode, getting to meet this other tomoyo and re-remembering tomoyo’s wisdom and letting go of some of his resentment (while also rededicating himself to returning to nihon). and of course fai. fai. “if you think that, you’ve changed too” GAY ASS.

you know i love fai’s arc and i looooooooove how the end of piffle is fai realizing he is in SO deep with this crew. worried about the kids’ development and emotional well-being. taking care of kurogane and also continually telling the stupid fucking joke about him being the kids’ dad that is ACTUALLY JUST TRUE. FAI. and then of course fai will lean into the joke even further w the mom stuff in recourt. before it all comes crashing down.

tsubasa feels so much like a dnd actual play series in the best fucking way possible. unlikely characters through together who develop their bonds kind of inevitably as they go through their wacky adventures but with such a strong sense of chosen family. BEFORE IT ALL COMES CRASHING DOWN.

[hanneswrites]

Title: it's warm and real and bright

Pairing: Kurogane/Fai

Rating: T

Word Count: 2.3k

Summary: Post-Canon AU where Kurogane & Fai settle down in Nihon Country after the final battle with Fei-Wong Reed. Fai & Kurogane have been working on resettling Suwa for nearly a year when Fai comes to some sudden realizations. Resettled Suwa AU. [Written for KuroFai Olympics 2022, Team Blessed, Prompt: I See the Light]

[Read on Ao3]

Kurogane presses a hand into the small of his back and Fai stops, hands stilling almost instantly in the air in front of him. The glowing runes encircling his fingers flicker with barely-kept magic as Fai turns his head to look at him, only to be met with a weary and disapproving glare.

“You’ve tweaked it enough for the night,” Kurogane says, in a tone that implies less of a suggestion, more of a command. 

Fai sighs and flexes his fingers, the violet runes dissipating from the air in front of him as he seals off the last of the spell. 

He would typically brush Kurogane off and send him on his way because Kurogane, in reality, knew close to nothing about constructing and maintaining active magical barriers, but this time, he thinks perhaps Kurogane might be right. 

Fai closes his eyes for a moment and rubs a hand over his face. He’s exhausted - has been exhausted for days now. He’s been adjusting the runework on the barrier surrounding Suwa nearly every day since they’d first set foot back in the realm all those months ago. What had started out as a simple and easily-maintainable barrier surrounding their camp while Kurogane and a few of his men began the process of rebuilding had now blossomed into a complex set of runework that bartered protection for what had quickly become a small village. 

It’s only when Fai notices that Kurogane is still standing behind him that he cracks his eyes open once more and turns to face him fully. 

“I’ll be done in a little while,” Fai assures. 

“You’ll be done now,” Kurogane says, and Fai quirks an eyebrow at him.

“Is that an order, my lord ?” He grins when Kurogane scowls at him, and does not protest as Kurogane pushes insistently at his back, leading him toward the hallway where both of their chambers were located.

He stops just before the threshold to Fai’s rooms, his hand still warm against Fai’s back and Fai can practically see him mulling over something in his head as they both stand there silent in the hall. 

Kurogane’s jaw tightens, closing his eyes for a brief moment and huffs out a breath, slowly retracting his hand from Fai’s person. 

He almost seems reluctant to leave me alone, Fai thinks, quickly running through the possibility that Kurogane might be privy to a threat to the realm that he isn’t letting on, but he halts that train of thought almost immediately as Kurogane moves closer once more. Fai nearly stops breathing as Kurogane sets a gentle hand on his shoulder and pulls him close, resting their foreheads against one another for a long moment.   

“Go to sleep,” Kurogane says, and then he turns and vanishes into the shadowed darkness of the hallway. 

----

Kurogane is already gone when Fai wakes in the morning, as he often is, so Fai sets about brewing himself a cup of morning tea before he gets to work on checking and updating the barrier. The seasons are beginning to change outside and Fai is distinctly excited to see what autumn will be like here. The morning air is cool and crisp - a stark contrast to the absolutely sweltering summer he’s had to endure in the last few months. 

When his tea is finished brewing, he takes a few moments to stand outside on the porch and bask in the morning sun, reveling in the pleasant breeze and the lingering scent of fresh cut cedar. Perhaps it would be a good morning to take a walk around the grounds and make sure all of his rune stones were still intact.

He finishes his tea and checks on the runework he’d sealed off last night, tweaking it just a bit more before heading off to his chambers to change for the day. On his way out of the house, while he picks up his logbook, his eye catches on the small bowl of peaches on the kitchen table and he gets an idea. Not five minutes later and he’s out the door, logbook and a small linen-wrapped lunch for Kurogane tucked under his arm.

----

Leaves crunch under his feet as he approaches the worksite Kurogane said he’d be helping with today. The trees surrounding the small village have started to turn a beautiful shade of auburn and Fai can’t help but feel warm, even in the early chill of fall, as he catches sight of Kurogane standing in the shade of one of them - that well-known scowl present on his face as he surveys the parchment in his hands. 

His brow is furrowed, his lips set in a tight line - he looks stressed, Fai thinks, something’s clearly not going according to plan .

“Lunchtime,” Fai calls as he gets close, in the hopes of cheering him up at least a little bit.

“Later,” Kurogane bristles, not even deigning to look up at him. 

“Now,” Fai says, draping himself over Kurogane’s shoulders and dangling the lunch he’s prepared for him in front of his face to obstruct his view of the parchment, “You deserve a break, Kuro-sama.”

Kurogane turns in his arms to face him and Fai shoots him a mischievous grin. He moves to disentangle himself from Kurogane, only to be stopped by a firm hand settling itself on his hip, keeping him in place. And he’s suddenly very distinctly aware of how close Kurogane is to him.

Fai flushes, his cheeks growing hot as Kurogane looks at him, a small smile curving on Kurogane’s lips as he leans down, warm breath ghosting over Fai’s ear. 

“Is that an order, my prince ?” Kurogane says, just barely loud enough for him to hear, and Fai nearly stops breathing. He pulls back abruptly, a nervous chuckle slipping out of him as he smiles back. Kurogane just gives him a long look, still smiling softly as he takes the bag from Fai’s hands.  

He leaves not long after and tries not to notice how Kurogane’s men bow their heads to him as he leaves, almost as if he were also their lord. Fai tries desperately to focus on inspecting the barrier runes for the rest of the afternoon, but instead his thoughts keep circling back to Kurogane - the warmth of his hands, the light in his smile, the rough timbre of his voice. And he does not get much work done for the rest of the morning. 

-- 

Fai hurries back to the house in the early afternoon, tossing his logbook aside as he enters the house, and rushes into the sitting room. Quickly, he settles himself down on the pillow in front of his large oval mirror, swiping his hand along the frame and focusing his magic into his fingertips. It takes a few moments for the mirror-glass to light, warbling indistinctly until his magic finds a familiar connection reaching out to him and latches on. 

Sakura’s face lights up in the mirror and she gives him an enthusiastic wave. Fai lets out a long breath and waves back, grinning as he settles back into his pillows. 

“Fai! It’s so nice to see you again! I’ve missed you!” Sakura says, her voice only slightly distorted by their tenuous connection across dimensions. 

“I’ve missed you too,” Fai chuckles, and they spend a little while catching up.

 “How’s Kurogane been?” Sakura asks, and Fai catches a mischievous glint in her eye - which he chooses to ignore for the time being.

“He’s been busy - it seems like more and more people just keep coming every day,” Fai says, absently glancing over at the runestones he’s left unfinished on the table and wondering if he’ll have enough time to finish them tonight and very much not thinking about Kurogane’s hand on his hip, “He’s been handling it well.”

Sakura gives him a look, like she knows he’s not telling her everything and he just smiles at her placatingly. 

“Has Syaoran visited as of late?” He asks, trying to change the subject. 

Sakura smiles wistfully and Fai notices her worrying the hem of her tunic between her fingers.

“He was able to stay for a day last week, but -” Sakura looks away, a small frown flitting across her face. Fai’s hands instinctively move to reach out to comfort her, as he would have back when they were all together, but he stills them and presses his nails into his palm. 

Sakura does not continue and Fai waits a long moment before unfurling his hands and smoothing them along the hem of his tunic. 

“It’s difficult to be apart from someone you love so dearly,” Fai says, and Sakura looks at him, a sad smile turning up the corners of her lips as her eyes start to water. She nods and closes her eyes, placing one hand over her heart as she takes a deep breath. Fai allows her her silence, patiently waiting for her to compose herself. 

“I suppose that’s why you chose to stay in Nihon,” Sakura says, her voice still a bit rough. 

Fai looks at her, jaw dropping open just the slightest bit. He recovers quickly, laughing. 

“I stayed in Nihon because Kuro-rin didn’t know the first thing about barrier magic and he needed help,” Fai waves a dismissive hand and continues on, “How have your lessons been going, by the way? Has that high mage of yours been treating you well?”

Sakura arches a brow at him, but lets the topic drop.

 ----

Fai ends the call with Sakura with a promise that they’ll talk again soon. Sakura just gives him a knowing smile and waves as he moves his hand over the mirror, the image of her dissipating into the air like smoke. He sits with himself for a few moments, his hands balled up in his lap and his eyes closed, listening to the far-off sounds of the village he and Kurogane had built together. Part of their conversation still sticks with him though.

I chose to stay in Nihon because Kurogane needs my help.

I chose to stay in Nihon because Kurogane asked me to. 

Fai’s eyes slowly open and he stares at his hands as his heart makes a concerted effort to beat itself out of his chest. Kurogane hadn’t asked him to stay, had he? Now that he thinks about it, Fai can’t quite remember a moment in which Kurogane had asked him to stay. 

The three of them - Syaoran, Kurogane, and himself - had landed in Nihon, they’d spent time at the palace together, they’d talked about Syaoran’s plans for his future travels, they’d talked about Kurogane’s plans now that he’d been able to return home for good, and when it came time for Syaoran to move on, Fai had just…stayed. It hadn’t been until after Syaoran left that Tomoyo had even brought up the concept of resettling Suwa. 

I chose to stay in Nihon because Celes no longer exists.

Fai gently places his palm over his heart and takes in a deep breath. His gaze flits to the room around him, all of the little markings of home that surround him, from his favorite mug sitting next to Kurogane’s on the kitchen table to the practice sword lying haphazardly half-sheathed in the corner, right next to his own set of neatly stacked notebooks. 

I chose to stay in Nihon because… 

In the distance, Fai catches the distinct sound of Kurogane’s footsteps on the path leading up to the house. He pauses, his mind going blank as he listens to the front door slide open and shut, listens to the soft shuffle of Kurogane taking off his shoes at the door, listens to him move about their home in the easy quiet of this late afternoon. 

Kurogane steps into the kitchen, framed by the warm light of the setting sun behind him in a way that makes his skin shimmer like gold. His sleeveless tunic is covered with patches of mud and wayward leaves and Fai’s breath catches in his throat. 

Oh. 

Kurogane raises an eyebrow at him as he moves further into the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water and leaning against the kitchen counter. 

I chose to stay in Nihon because of him .

“What’s up with you?” Kurogane grunts, rifling through their cupboards, “Did something happen while I was--” 

Fai cuts him off by nearly slamming into him, his hands bracing themselves on the counter on either side of Kurogane’s body. Kurogane turns abruptly, a look of confused concern on his face. Fai takes that as his opportunity to quickly take Kurogane’s face in both of his hands and pull him down into a rough kiss. It takes only a brief second for Kurogane to match him, meeting him with a fervor all his own. 

Fai smiles against Kurogane’s lips, and it almost feels like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders as he pulls back, resting his forehead softly against Kurogane’s. There are unshed tears in his eyes, threatening to fall as he gently takes Kurogane’s hand in his own and entwines their fingers for the first time. Fai knows he’s being dramatic, but he can’t quite bring himself to care. 

“I lov-” Fai starts, but his voice catches in his throat. He huffs, pulling away just slightly so he can look Kurogane in the eye, only to be met with the warmest smile Fai thinks he’s ever seen on Kurogane’s face. Kurogane’s fingers tighten over his own and he pulls Fai back, closer, until he can press his lips against Fai’s hair. 

“I know,” Kurogane says, low and quiet, as if it’s a secret that only the two of them share, and he kisses him again.

[completeoveranalysis]

[9]

LOVE that they draw attention to this as well. It’s all on purpose! They want you to realise!

OH time is stopped there?? Yeah that’d do it. Also if Evil Wolverien did that then it's VERY similar to what Clow can do, considering that he’s the only other person we’ve heard of so far who has created that kind of magic (ie, in CCS). They're DEFINITELY related. 

It’s making me wonder what other glimpses of Clow we'll before this is all over, to contrast him with Evil Wolverine. Obviously I have countless holes in my knowledge of Clow’s actions so far, but based JUST on what I’ve seen there’s already a nice contrast between them. Clow in Tsubasa had this same kind of power in the same world and spent his time raising Sakura and Touya, and also being kind to Lava Lamp inside Syaoran so that he'll be ok in the future. Evil Wolverine spent his time trying to kill children instead, emotionally destroying them so that they do what he wants, and is the entire reason Lava Lamp was trapped there in the first place. 

There’s still a LOT left of the picture left to fill in but I’m interested to tie this all together eventually.

And off they go!!

IS THAT THE END OF NIHON?

DID WE SOMEHOW SURVIVE NIHON?? 

THESE ARCS SURE DO ARC DONT THEY?

[ellayuki]

we're all made of glitter and nightmares (and baby, we thrive)

Tsubasa Chronicle Month 2023

- Day 16: ANGST

~

“Kuro-sama, even you have to admit, I don’t exactly fit in,” Fai says, tired and frustrated and resigned, though most of all, just unbelievably sad. 

He hadn’t expected, when they’d decided to live out the rest of their lives together in Nihon, that there would be any sort of pushback. Princess Tomoyo and her sister, the Empress, have both welcomed him with open arms, and Souma’s his weekly drinking (and gossip) buddy; and their first visit had gone smoothly enough (not taking into account the part where Kurogane had been unconscious for days, Sakura, too, and Seishirou’s sudden appearance and everything that followed that) with the other residents of Shirasagi Castle.

But maybe he has been too naive. 

Because Fai knows, it’s one thing to accept visitors that you know will leave one day, but it’s another completely to accept strangers in your everyday life. And Fai’s a stranger to the people of Nihon, from his looks to his magic, to the accented way he speaks (now that he’s learned the language) and his still growing understanding of the culture of his new home.

At first it was okay. No one said anything, even as every pair of eyes followed him everywhere he went in curiosity. 

But curiosity has turned to suspicion and, in some notable cases, resentment and hostility. People tend to lash out when things are different than what they’re used to, when they think something, no matter how small or insignificant (though Fai is neither small nor insignificant) threatens their way of life.

And Fai sees the way it all weighs down on his lover, sees the way the whispers and the pointed barbs are slowly but surely starting to take their toll. (Nobody says anything to him, but even Tomoyo’s smile grows dimmer when Shirasagi’s courtiers start mumbling.)  

“So what? You actually think I give a shit about what any of those bastards think or say?” Kurogane asks, looking at him with an incredulous look on his face. “They can all hang, for all I care.”

“I don’t care, either,” Fai says, sighing and shaking his head before meeting Kurogane’s gaze again. “What I do care about is the effect their words have on those I love. You, the princess, the empress, Souma. I don’t want to cause any more discord…”

Kurogane slams down the empty sake cup he’s been holding since they’ve started this conversation. “So, you’re just gonna, what? Leave? Just like that? Run away again?” And that’s a low blow, and Kurogane knows it, but when Fai inhales sharply, eyes widening in shock, he doesn’t back down. Damn him. “Tell me, mage.”

Fai’s frustration turns white-hot, and he can feel his eyes starting to burn a bit. “You think I want to? Kuro-sama, this is my home, this is where I thought I could be at peace.” He stands up, wraps his arms around himself, and walks to the open door to their small, secluded garden. “But how can I be, when my very presence here causes pain to those I hold dear?” 

(How can I, when even now I seem to bring misfortune to those around me?)

[izartn]

I would love a fic where the Tsubasa crew ended up in the RG Veda world after all the canon happened, and end up passing a few days with Yasha and Ashura.

If we go by post canon Tsubasa, this means it's only Syaoran, Kurogane and Fai, but that's fine by me too. I prefer them all settled on their skin.

Imagine those three finding again Yasha and Ashura, only this time the two are alive and together as their counterparts in the country of Shura/Shara wished, and still gods, but at the cost of loosing everything else. I imagine it's be a very bittersweet feeling.

Imagine the Tsubasa trio (and oh, syaoran only has the memories but he never really met Ashura in person after all. maybe he takes care of remembering everything to tell his parents when he gets them back. the end of the shara arc was so melancholic and sad),

Imagine the Tsubasa trio swapping stories with the RG Veda duo, and the surprise and sad happiness at the recognition of their past companions names, living other lives, happy lives, in other worlds without them. Just the duo reaction to Kendappa being the ruler of Nihon, with Souma as her loyal retainer and a little sister to take care of and spoil, and Ryu having been a close friend of past Syaoran in Outo and also Souma of that world, and misterious Kujaku who helped Syaoran and the rest in Nirai Kanai, still someone of great power and kind nature.

I would love to read it if written skillfully, it could lead to pain, like Ashura deciding it was due to not being born in those places that everything went well, and Yasha reasuring them that it has nothing to do with anything. Maybe TRC-trio revealing what happened in the Shura-Shara world, that they were kind if misguided and people were happy with their rulers and remembered them for centuries.

They both died at the end of course, but given this is the og RG Veda counterparts, Ashura letting go of life after realising there would be no bringing Yasha back makes perfect rational sense to them. It was what Yasha intended to do in this world if there was no bringing back Ashura alive to themself.

Fai getting chills when TRC gets the resumed story of what went wrong in this world and it starts with Ashura going, my father Ashura-ou heard a profecy that I would... I don't think Fai says anything to them? But getting a conversation with Kurogane about the like good of it being the same Ashura-ou who raised him and fucked him up at the same time, and brought the destruction of Ceres by the end... Some startling parallels there, CLAMP did well in choosing the figure of Ashura-ou for Fai father. Didn't our Ashura also had a twin who was killed at birth or something? Or just the living half brother?

Maybe Fai does end up talking a bit with Ashura about the madness of Ashura-ou. And the fucked up thing about destinies and curses that others impose on you. And being saved by meeting their guys and a new family.... And then it gets melancholic and a but sad ;_;

But I belive that Yasha and Ashura are living incognito between humans, although without mingling much, so this visit from the TRC crew maybe makes them realise that although their lives are short, both of them deserve to care and be cared for their new friends and neighbors. Leave them in a better please than the desolation of, at least we both have each other for ever and ever of RG Veda ending, please. More like, without you by my side I wouldn't be able to enjoy life, but together we can be happy and meet new people and new places and help others.

Syaoran telling Sakura about this world, Kurogane and Fai meeting the true Yasha after his feather fake on Shura and realising how much was missing and not, and the measure of the love that's it's there across dimensions and lives for these disasters, Fai and Ashura awkwardly bonding, Syaoran realising this Ashura has never been a ruler of anyone and how that affects then, Yasha being a bit distant from these weirdos who galled through the sky until they sit talking and then warming up bc he's fond of their devotion and follow through, etc, etc.

Just. All these people meeting and being themselves, and the funny realization that Yasha and Ashura had been very powerful and/or gods the two times they've met, deciding the future of their worlds. That nobody is ever all gone.

Lovely lovely.

Of course I also want more Yasha/Ashura fic in general, but also more tsubasa proper crossovers with other clamp verses, or other canons in general so this scenario is like catnip for me, specially considering the arc of shara/shura which adds the extra knowledge for the TRC trio here.

[sakuraswordly]

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle Explained(Source Writer: Evilgidgit)

Oh, boy, I’m tackling a tough one. Kingdom Hearts was tricky enough, but this is another whole kettle of fish. I’m not saying Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle is a bad story, manga or anime; it is a very good one, but trying to understand the story in its entirety is a challenge. The manga was written by the team of CLAMP, best known for writing after popular manga like Cardcaptor Sakura, Magical Knights Rayearth, and Chobits. Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle is a big crossover of all of their notable works, and features world jumping with some new incarnations of familiar faces – so it actually is a lot like Kingdom Hearts narrative-wise. Let’s see if I can explain the plot as simply as possible. In Clow Country, Princess Sakura (based on the heroine from Cardcaptor Sakura) likes to hang out with her best friend Syaoran (also from CCS), an archaeologist who is investigating ancient ruins nearby. Sakura lives with her big brother King Toya and the kingdom’s high priest Yukito (both from CCS), her father Clow Reed (a prominent figure in the CCS universe and this one) being dead. Sakura loves Syaoran and intends on confessing to him. However, things go weird when Sakura is drawn to the ruins and her soul materialises as a pair of wings. Syaoran saves her but the wings explode into feathers and scatter across the multiverse of CLAMP’s works. Syaoran is sent to modern day Japan by Yukito, where he meets Yuuko the Witch of Dimensions, a main character of xxxHolic. Yuuko can grant wishes at a certain price of equal value – think equivalent exchange from Fullmetal Alchemist. At the same time of Syaoran and the comatose Sakura’s arrival, Yuuko is visited by the story’s other main characters – Kurogane, a grumpy swordsman who wants to return to his home, another version of Japan called Nihon, after being banished by Princess Tomoyo (another CCS character) to learn what true strength is; and Fai D. Flowright, a cheerful magician who fled from his world to avoid the king Ashura since they have a history together. Yuuko explains that Sakura’s feathers contain her memories and scattered to different worlds and alternate dimensions. Since all three have goals involving world hopping, Yuuko sends them all off together at a price – Kurogane gives up his precious sword, Fai surrenders a magic tattoo that suppresses his immense power, and Syaoran gives up the memories Sakura and he have. Yuuko gives the trio Mokona Modoki, a talking white rabbit creature that can cross dimensions and sense Sakura’s feathers. Mokona also has a twin that stays with Yuuko and used to communicate with her. Sakura begins to regain her memories as the group travel from world to world to find her feathers, which have caused significant changes in several dimensions. Eventually, the story’s first major plot twist occurs. The group go to post-apocalyptic version of Tokyo which is being slowly destroyed by acid rain, with the only drinkable water available at the bottom of the Tokyo Metropolitan Building, protected by one of Sakura’s feathers. The plot twist comes – a second Syaoran appears and it is revealed the one we’ve been following so far is actually a clone. The original Syaoran was captured long ago by the story’s antagonist Fei Wong Reed, also responsible for Sakura’s feather scattering and events related to Kurogane (killing his mum) and Fai (see below). Clone Syaoran was made with half of the original’s heart, and it was only a matter of time before the original Syaoran broke lose. Clone Syaoran loses his heart and becomes an emotionless puppet obedient to Fei Wong, abandoning the group to find the remaining feathers. Beforehand, he rips out one of Fai’s eyes which are the source of his magic, letting him use magic. Fai starts wearing a snappy eyepatch. The real Syaoran’s backstory is revealed – he comes from the universe of Magical Knights Rayearth and crossed dimensions to save Sakura from being captured by Fei Wong. The price to cross worlds was paid by his parents, assisted by Sakura Kinomoto (protagonist of Cardcaptor Sakura), who gave her magic wand to Yuuko as payment. Syaoran’s plan failed and he was captured, though this later turns out to be false. Fai was aware that Syaoran was a clone all along. Fai is severely wounded by the loss of his eye, and has to be turned into a vampire, a process aided by two vampire brothers named Subaru and Kamui, and must drink Kurogane’s blood to live. Sakura wishes to save the Clone Syaoran, loving him, with her friends accompanying her. The travellers eventually end up in Fai’s home world where it is revealed Fai is actually an alias. His real name is Yui and Fai is the name of his dead twin brother. Twins born in Fai’s world bring bad omens so King Ashura put both in a tower while he went on his annual slaughter of his people. Fei Wong offered to free one of them. The real Fai asked him to save Yui, so Fei Wong tossed him out a window and let Yui, but altered his memory so that he believed he sacrificed his brother to save himself. Fai is also hexed with two curses - one that will make him murder anyone who is magically stronger than he is, and the second will cause his magical powers to destroy his own world. Ashura fights the group but Kurogane kills him. As the world begins to collapse,  Fai uses his magic to send everyone to another dimension with the intention on staying in his dying world. Kurogane is having none of it and drags Fai into Modoka’s portal by chopping his own arm off to do it. The group arrive in Nihon, Kurogane’s world, where they meet Princess Tomoyo. Kurogane is given a prosthetic arm by a pair of brothers named Fuma and Seishiro, who are hunting the vampire twins across the worlds. Fai has to give up the last of his magic to Yuuko for Kurogane to use the arm. Sakura is rendered unconscious beforehand, being stabbed by Fai as part of his curse, her body and soul are split apart, with the latter appearing in a dream world. In the dream world, Sakura encounters Kimihiro Watanuki, the protagonist of xxxHolic who works for Yuuko and has a connection to the Syaorans. The Clone Syaoran arrives in the dream world, leading to a fight between both Syaoran. Sakura jumps in the way of their attacks and is killed, destroying her soul. However, she reveals she is in fact a clone herself and the real Sakura has been a prisoner of Fei Wong all along. Fei Wong then steals Sakura’s body to use its stored power. Here is where it gets really complicated. The group set out to find and rescue the real Sakura and end up in Clow Country, which is stuck in some sort of time loop. They discover from Yuuko that Fei Wong lives in an alternate version of Clow Country, based in a different timeline which was altered by him. In that timeline, Syaoran left his world and went to Clow Country after his mother foresaw him doing so, where he met Princess Sakura, whose parents are Nadeshiko and Fujitaka (who is Syaoran’s adoptive father in the current timeline) and Clow Reed was unrelated to her. Sakura had a death seal placed on her by Fei Wong which would expire within seven years, until Syaoran was offered by Yuuko the chance to rewind time at the cost of his freedom. Syaoran agreed, and became Fei Wong’s prisoner. Fei Wong captured Sakura too, and replaced both with their clones. Syaoran could never return home as a result, and Kimihiro Watanuki was created to fill the void of Syaoran’s absence. Fei Wong’s goal is revealed. Long ago, Clow Reed and Yuuko created Mokona together, but Yuuko eventually began to die. Clow wished her for an instant to open her eyes, but the power behind his wish was so strong it caused Yuuko to become trapped in a frozen state between life and death. Clow eventually died but was reincarnated as Eriol Hiiragizawa and Fujitaka Kinomoto respectively, both of whom exist in the Cardcaptor Sakura universe. Fei Wong wishes to break Yuuko’s frozen state to prove himself superior to Clow Reed. He intended on using the magic of Sakura’s memories and body as they travel across time, space and different dimensions to achieve this. Syaoran, Kurogane, Fai, and Mokona confront Fei Wong, and learn Clow Country is actually a future form of the post-apocalyptic Tokyo they visited before. Clone Syaoran arrives and betrays Fei Wong, but is killed. In another twist, both clones appear trapped in a glass container, alive and unharmed. It is revealed that Yuuko and Clow Reed were aware of the two clones and paid prices for them to be reborn – Clow paid possibly with his life, while Yuuko paid by letting her death draw closer. The two were reincarnated in the Magical Knights Rayearth world, reunite, and via a paradox, become the parents of the original Syaoran. Realising they would create an endless time loop, they seal themselves in the glass container until the time is right. Now wielding the magic of Clow Reed, the two break out and confront Fei Wong. Fei Wong uses the original Sakura’s body to achieve his dream, saving Yuuko , but it causes the fabric of the universe to collapse. Kurogane kills Fei Wong while the clones undo the damage to the universe. However, Fei Wong uses a final trap, sending both Syaorans and Kimihiro into a void from which they are not meant to escape from. Both of the clones disappear, leaving Syaoran and Kimihiro. They decide to split the wish payment to escape, but it has dire consequences for both. Kimihiro’s payment is to remain in Yuuko’s shop forever. Syaoran returns to Clow Country where he reunites with his friends, learning the original timeline has been restored. However, Syaoran decides his payment must be to travel through dimensions until he finds a way to revive the clones/his parents. Kurogane, Fai and Mokona agree to accompany him whilst Sakura remains behind in Clow Country. Before departing, Syaoran and Sakura confess their love to each other, and reveal they actually have different but identical names – “Tsubasa”.

© 2013 - 2023 Evilgidgit

[yououui]

only the sun has come this close

kurofai

rated E

“Did you know that you have freckles, Kuro-sama?” Fai asks quietly as his eye looks over Kurogane’s face with some kind of reverence. Kurogane smiles fondly, so full of love for this man. He did know that, actually, as he had spent so much time in the sun as a child. They faded over many years of guarding the palace at night and sleeping through the day, so much so that they are almost undetectable unless someone is as close as Fai is right now. And Kurogane doesn’t usually let anyone this close. Kurogane and Fai share their final night in Nihon together before departing to Clow.

read on ao3

[talvenhenki]

From the same song I sent you last time, now with another quote that would make a nice fic title: "The life they have denied you" :D

Ooooh now this is such a juicy quote, oh dear

If this was a Tsubasa fic, my first thought would be all that Fai & Yuui mess and how one twin lives under the other's identity and mourns the loss. Might be told after a few cups of sake in Nihon while Kurogane is waiting to receive the arm he needs and Fai's past has come to light 👀

Tbh this also reminds me of 07-Ghost and how the ghosts have had to give up their past lives as regular humans from the God Houses. Knowing me, this would be a fic about Labrador's life as Ilyusha and about the kids he grew up with and how he had the same illness as the little girl (Ririn? I forgot her name already oops).