To prevent the holy kingdom of Lunat to suffer any more cases of riot and disorder, the Royal Palace had issued a decree to all outlying territories and guilds. In the wake of the Red Emperor's declaration of war against the crown, several factions had already splintered off, in hopes they could take advantage of the chaos to gain status and power.

Needless to say, they failed miserably and the Royal Army walked among the corpses of the fallen. In many towns the streets began to run with tears and blood, and it became clear that the king did not care for the safety of his subjects-he hadn't for a long time.

The Red Emperor's reputation only grew, him having started appearing in multiple places at an alarming rate. There was a copycat declared to be on the loose, but the power and grace he struck while slaughtering the armies that threatened peaceful guilds was nothing but real. A man hunt had begun for the rest of the Kiseki because of this, the army willing to rip up acres of land just for the chance of finding their head, but there had been no luck.

It was like the legends themselves had fell off the face of the planet, and the woods that surrounded Seirin grew dense and impassable. All the rest of the people could do was pray to the gods and hope this was a good sign.

Personally, Kasamatsu thought this all was bullshit, but when he saw the Royal Army itself right through Kaijou like they owned the place, he was more than a little inclined to believe.

"I told him. I told him this would happen!" He knew this was all those brats' fault, and yet he couldn't find it in himself to blame them for everything that had happened. He'd supposed that war and in-fighting was inevitable, but Akashi had forced all of their hands. It was him that declared war, him that spurred everyone's efforts into overdrive, and him that finally brought to life the terrifying and ugly feeling inside everyone's hearts.

They were done with this, Kasamatsu included. He just wished that it could've been done in a more-ah, who was he kidding? It was war.

"Moriyama? Listen to me carefully. Evacuate all the civilians into the seaside caves. Keep anyone who is willing to fight and put their lives on the line defending Kaijou." He ordered, and no one had the nerve to raise any objections. His companions did look at him questioningly-but his hard gaze betrayed nothing.

Nothing of the horrifyingly empty gaze he kept remembering in Kise's eyes and how he would never see that boy that way again. None of them. That's why he turned to whoever was left, and gave another, very special request. "And please get in contact with Seirin. This isn't going to end the way the royals want it to."

At least, not without a fight.

The first blow that Aomine struck nearly shattered Kagami's ribcage, had it not been for his exceptional reflexes. His aura was still blazing at full strength, driving him half-mad, but it was the look in Aomine's eyes that drove his anger the most. It wasn't that sickly yellow anymore, but it almost held a mocking tone-like the dragoon didn't expect to even come near his expectations.

Well, Kagami's demon-addled brain had something to say about that. Ignoring the shouts that came from someone vaguely familiar, he finally shouldered his familiar sword that had somehow been picked up by his hands, feet gripping the snow and pushing off into the white dust.

Aomine vanished. Nothing was left in his movements but the blue lightning from his eyes as he flipped over to the left and brought his spear again. It was all Kagami could do to bring his sword up in a clash of metal before both of them were moving again. His heart was beating fast and thick-there was fire in his blood. His teeth curled over his lips as he let out another snarl, accompanied by a world shaking swing of his blade.

Each one let out an arc of pure energy as he swept it by, carving out rocks and plants behind them, but each of them missed Aomine by a hair's breadth-teasing him, mocking him with a chance of victory. The dragoon took a few steps back before there was a rumble beneath his feet. Kagami looked down and it was all he could do to avoid the black spears rising suddenly from the snow and shooting into the air.

A few of them drew lines of blood across his arms and he dived through Aomine's following burst of flames to send him flying with a furious punch. The shocked look on the dragoon's face had almost been worth it, and if Kagami was in his right mind, he probably would've laughed and said something ridiculous. Instead he merely growled, the red demon aura crackling around him even more as he rushed forward recklessly.

"You really don't wanna quit?" Aomine laughed, easily jumping over him, returning the favor with a Jump that came down in a huge shockwave, knocking a few more rocks off the cliff side. Kagami could barely feel the bruises forming on his flesh as some of the spare shrapnel sprayed past him. He only had one goal-attack and kill. And that's what he was going to do.

His sword swung around in a circle, picking up force until it let out aura energy causing it to crash angrily off Aomine's spear which he lazily blocked with. "You're gonna tell me that's all you-"

The dragoon stopped suddenly in his sentence because of two things: one was the red lightning suddenly shooting out of Kagami's eyes, indicative of the Zone; second was the huge monstrosity appearing behind him.

Midorima thanked the gods for his enchanted glasses, because otherwise it would've been practically impossible to see anything in this battle-induced haze of snow. Besides, fighting dragoons had always been annoying for him. Not only did they jump around too much, but their attacks could switch from long-range to short range in a flash and as an archer, that was hard to counter.

Not for Midorima Shintarou, of course. Takao's crack of his shotgun echoed, and his eyes followed the trajectory straight into Imayoshi's spear, loosing an arrow directly at him without a second to spare. The man was proving harder than normal to take down for someone so ordinary but leave it up to Aomine to find annoying companions.

The Seirin Magnus had gone somewhere and the idiot summoner's Garuda was the one kicking up so much wind, so it was probably up to him to defeat these morons. Fine by him, he didn't-

The Bel'ua's quick reflexes were what saved him from a sudden jump attack, cracking the ground beneath him enough for the smiling dragoon to send a piece flying straight at him. He knocked it aside with an arrow, but not before a couple pieces grazed his cheek. "Now, now, you won't get to Aomine at this rate if you're going to look down on me."

Midorima didn't reply to him. He didn't have to because suddenly, like always, Takao was there the spear sparking off of the barrel of his shotgun. The two exchanged a few close range blows before-anti-climatically, he might add-the Bel'ua archer fired a beam of magic, knocking the dragoon backwards onto the ground.

"You're too overconfident. I have all situations covered," he said with a push of his glasses before firing his powerful legs in a jump that would've crushed Imayoshi's spine had he not moved at the last minute.

"Haha, nice, Shin-chan!" Midorima's ears picked up, but he was too focused on fighting to acknowledge the praise and idiotic nickname. The dragoon dodged, rolling up off the ground, though it was clear that he was having trouble keeping up with the archer's speed. As soon as Midorima kicked Imayoshi away, Takao swooped in, with a couple of exploding shells and a shotgun to the neck.

The dragoon let out a grunt of pain, but didn't have any time to recover, as a few more arrows were heading his way. This is the way he and his partner always worked: in tandem, a deadly dance between close and far range. Midorima's keen senses and Takao's hereditary hawk eye left no stone unturned and it was impossible to sneak attack them.

Of course, Imayoshi just had to prove himself difficult. His spear stuck into the ground for a moment, flinging up a huge cloud of snow at Midorima's face. No time to react-the dragoon was already leaping, knocking him to the ground with a lance at his chest. The archer's hands were wrapped around the shaft in an effort to stop it from digging in, but it was a battle hard fought.

Midorima snarled in Imayoshi's leering fight, only to have it cut off in surprise when an explosion blew him sideways. "Takao-"

But the gunner didn't hear him, he was too busy fending off the shadowy spears that were rising from the ground. Takao was agile, but even he couldn't see everything and blood filled his vision as one of them pierced his partner's shoulder. "Takao!"

His ears slicked lower and his feet scrambled for purchase on the icy ground. How dare he get hurt by that! He was fast enough that the rest of these few seconds felt like hours-the taut string in his bow-hand, the feeling of magic thrumming through him, the green that filled his sight as he let loose one of his strongest spells yet-

The air burned electric as a green light arced through the air, hitting Imayoshi in the back just as the spear itself withdrew from Takao's shoulder. The dragoon barely had time to react before a circle lit up around him, rays of light piercing him from all directions.

All this happened before Takao had even hit the ground, and Midorima would've been impressed by his speed had he not being glaringly, infuriatingly ANGRY that his partner could just get injured like that.

"You're completely useless!" He yelled as he dragged Takao upwards, taking undeserved care to not jostle his shoulder too much.

"Haha, yeah I know. That's why I've got you," The human breathed out, smiling through the pain. Midorima didn't accept that at all-his ears were still twisting around furiously.

"Did I tell you to get in my way and bound straight into Imayoshi's attack?! Honestly, that was the stupidest thing I've ever seen a human do. This is all your fault," the Bel'ua archer continued to growl as he bodily picked up Takao, walking his way over to where he heard the other sounds of battle. He didn't really care about Imayoshi at the moment, having knocked the dragoon unconscious so they would no longer be bothered by him.

Kiyoshi seemed to live up to his reputation as the Iron Heart and was holding his own against the rest of the dragoons, assisted by the Garuda summon Kuroko's summoner had whipped up. With wind obscuring their vision, the large Magnus was crushing the opposition. Seeing he needed no assistance, Midorima continued to ignore him in favor of setting Takao down on a snowbank.

His partner had been protesting and chattering this whole time, but frankly, the archer was numb to the whole argument presented. He was NOT letting up and he was most definitely going to get Kuroko to heal this idiot later after he beat the shit out of him.

"Shin-chan, what the hell? It was my shoulder, not my legs, I could walk just fine! I'm glad you're overcoming your fear of personal boundaries, but-" A glance from Midorima's steely eyes shut him up, but only for a moment. "Don't give me that look. I'm perfectly fine!"

"Perfectly fine, my ass."

"Look, you don't even need to help me! Just go over there and give Kiyoshi a hand and I'll keep pressure on this wound!" Takao flicked his grey eyes over to where the two Seirin guild members were fighting the other two dragoons, but Midorima didn't look particularly worried. Those dragoons were weaker than their leader anyway.

The Bel'ua, however, barely even got to open his mouth before his ears stood up straight on his head, eyes widening in shock. Takao, knowing that wasn't normal, started twisting around, grabbing onto his partner's arm. "What is it? Something big?"

Midorima didn't answer, because he couldn't. It was something huge, certainly-Bel'ua are sensitive to magic-but he could tell it was appearing over where Kagami and Kuroko had run off to. The taste of the magic was similar to Izuki's right now but…

The sounds next to them had stopped, the other idiots finally having realized something was going on, staring up into the sky like him. Almost unconsciously, the archer had lifted Takao off the ground, but in preparation for what, he didn't know.

That was a summon, and a lot of power went into it.

The wind suddenly changed, blowing straight back onto them, Garuda shrieking and disappearing above their heads. The air seemed to grow several degrees colder, freezing in layers against Midorima's pale skin. It sent waves of chill through his heart, because without a doubt, he knew the imperial army had found them.

"Shiva," he breathed out in a cloud. "Goddammit."

A beautiful woman had appeared above them in the sky, slowly spreading her arms and ribbons outward as the blizzard picked up. A few bells chimed and she fully formed, ice crown and gorgeous face dipping down almost like in a mocking greeting.

Her eyes, however, were as cold as ice.

It was all Aomine could do to stay in place, refusing to show weakness to anyone, even a giant ice lady. It felt like he'd been sleeping for a long time, only just now waking up to get the blood flowing through his veins. He was even having FUN in a FIGHT, until this had shown up to ruin it, but now he was really starting to worry.

He was in the Zone, and so was Mr. Tiger over there, but a summon of that size had to have multiple people summoning it, and from what little he remembered from Satsuki's countless lectures, that was really bad. Really fucking very bad.

There was a sudden heel click that vibrated through the air, and her sword fell down, bringing a wave of snow with it. Aomine clung to the ground with all his strength, feeling the clang of armor as Kagami was blown into him. Their Zone protected them from the majority of the blast, but he'd been so wrapped up in the fight-

Tetsu! Kise!

Shit. They're here. I need-

Aomine growled, turning his head, only to find that Satsuki had already thought ahead and was shielding the two, though it was clear her power was only going to last for a little while longer. The wave died down, but now Shiva's attention was fully on those two, and Aomine may have been an overconfident jerk, but he knew that fighting Shiva right now was a bad fucking idea.

Satsuki had already communicated her plan to him telepathically as soon as Shiva had appeared, and it hadn't made him happy. She made it clear he had no choice and after that attack it was all he could do to agree.

Tetsu and Kise suddenly appearing had cinched the deal.

The blue lightning in his eyes was flickering out from the release of his aura, but Kagami next to him was still growling. "Oi, dumbass, don't you dare-"

The half-demon didn't listen. Aomine swore as he rushed forward, causing Shiva to shift back and driver her now multiple swords in the ground, trapping Kagami in an ice prison. It broke, sending shards everywhere and it was only thanks to his impeccable reflexes he escaped relatively unscathed.

However, he heard a scream from behind him-Tetsu's scream-that made him jolt forward and tackle the idiot out of the way of another attack. "YOU FUCKING IDIOT! YOU CAN'T TAKE THAT ON!"

Kagami was struggling and yelling under his hold, but Aomine for once, was stronger than him. They wrestled on the ground before the dragoon finally managed a blow to the side of Kagami's head that knocked him out completely. It made him easier to handle, yes, but now they were out in the open for Shiva's next attack.

The wind was picking up again and he could smell Midorima and the others running over to the battle, only to stop when they saw Shiva as well. This was fucking ridiculous-he almost wanted to laugh. The Kiseki took down Bahamut before, a summon ten times as powerful as Shiva, but Aomine was so out of practice, and Tetsu was still injured so there was no was this was going to work. They were going to die, to something so pathetic as this….

Psyche. Satsuki, you better be ready, I'm not gonna be able to stand much more of this.

Clinging to this idiot and not attacking was all he could do right now-all he could do for Tetsu. For Tetsu, for his little best friend that he'd lost so long ago-and now-

"HOLD ON!" Satsuki's voice rang out clear and the entire world vanished in one huge flash.

Himuro Tatsuya was a very lonely man. Here he was travelling alone, in the bowels of Lunat, the country he hated because it took everything away from him. First his home and his parents, his teacher, and finally his little brother.

Sure, Taiga had been lost in a storm when they were just 15, but he hadn't been able to go back and search properly as the Royal Army had closed the area off. By the time he got back in, it was as if Taiga never existed.

Alex told him to move on, there was no way he could've survived the storm, but he saw through her. He saw the moment he'd closed the door she dropped to the ground crying. Tatsuya wanted to throw away the ring that hung heavy around his neck but could never bear to do so. His Taiga could still be out there-they'd never found the body.

And then Alex had been captured by the royal army for incitement of riots just to save Tatsuya's life-a bad move on her part, for now she was gone. Gone and Tatsuya had no one for he was sure they executed her for her sins. He didn't know what happened to make the imperial presence so strong all of a sudden, but when he arrived in the remote mountain village of Yosen, he heard rumors about the Red Emperor.

Tatsuya honestly couldn't care less. He strode, purposeless into town seeking a place where he could rest and figure out what he was going to do when he chanced upon a hunting guild. It made the young samurai curious, Taiga's voice ringing in his head about how he was going to join one and become the strongest warrior in the world.

It was with a sad smile he entered, only to stop short at the entourage of people already inside. He must've disturbed something, as they all looked up to stare at him. It was a group of huge people surrounding a shorter black-haired woman with a fearsome looking sword, and not one of them appeared to be uninjured.

"I'm…sorry? I seemed to have walked in at a bad time." Tatsuya apologized, ever the polite warrior. It's one thing his parents taught that had always stuck on him.

"You can say that again!" One of the bigger guys said loudly, causing a shuffle to go through the small crowd.

"Quiet. You. Are you new here?" The woman asked, pointing her sword directly at Tatsuya, who froze.

"I just got here, so yes. I'm new." One of his eyes was hidden behind a fringe, but he was scanning all of them for a reaction. Most looked at him in surprise and wariness.

"Well, you don't look like you're with the imperials…" The shorter man with light colored hair muttered. That made Tatsuya narrow his eyes in thinly veiled hatred, but thankfully the woman-who seemed to be their leader-silenced him.

"If you weren't new here, you would know about the frequent patrols in this area by imperial scouts, and if you were with them, you wouldn't be covered in dust and blood. I think that's enough speculation on his part. If you want to earn a place here, I have a job for you."

That definitely caught Tatsuya by surprise: he wasn't expecting her to suddenly give him a job off the bat, especially seeing how he didn't even come here for that reason. "Huh?"

"Araki-sensei, are you sure? He's just some random-"

Araki pounded her sword against the ground, silencing all opposition. "Look, all of us are injured and occupied with the imperial scouts, so we need this newbie to scout out the Magnus Graveyard!"

Wait, newbie? Didn't he get a choice in this matter? Tatsuya's eyes were flicking back and forth between everyone, but he had no allies. He even opened his mouth to argue but closed it when he realized he had nothing better to do. Still, he didn't want to get involved in this business. It wasn't even his village!

"I'm sorry, but-"

"Araki-sensei, you can't just force him to do things like that! Man, I know the rumors about the Kiseki and that red-haired swordsman are floating around, but-"

"Wait, what?"

The big guy who just spoke turned when Tatsuya suddenly spoke. "Did you say red-haired swordsman?"

His black haired companion answered him. "Yeah. He defended Kaijou awhile back from imperial soldiers. They said he's even allied himself with the Kiseki of all people."

That couldn't be….Tatsuya's legs suddenly felt very weak underneath him. He knew that it was a rumor, there must be hundreds of red-head swordsmen in the country, but the samurai couldn't beat down the tiny fleck of hope that had taken root in his heart.

And if I spent more time here, maybe he could figure out if it really is Taiga!

"What do you want me to do?" Tatsuya asked, startling even Araki. She gave him another considering look, once up and down, before nodding.

"The Magnus Graveyard mentioned earlier-it got its name from a huge Magnus stumbling in there a month or so ago and turning to stone against a tree. They only do that when they sleep for a long time or are dead, but he hasn't woken up. The villagers have been leaving offerings there for his soul to go to rest, but the last few times there have been reports of imperial scouts. I want you to go over there and clean up their mess," Araki said, concise and straightforward.

Tatsuya's heart hurt at the mention of the dead Magnus, but he nodded. It sounded simple enough for a skilled samurai and allowed him some form of revenge. "I can do that."

Kuroko woke up in sections; he wasn't even sure if the first time he opened his eyes his surroundings were real. He remembered saying something, turning over and going back to sleep, only to wake up as he was now.

The sky above him was a strange purple-tinged night, which only furthered his suspicion that this was Momoi's doing. Trying to confirm it, he opened his eyes fully at looked around. Floating lanterns gently spewed light onto the ground, softening the edges of the trees and flora that covered the area around him. This was most definitely the Glade-Momoi's specifically created haven.

Now that Kuroko understood, he could feel that electric spark in the air of deep magic, thanks to his elven blood. He lay there for a little while, marveling in the distant sound of wind and birds but he knew he had to get up-like his consciousness, the events of what happened on the mountains came back in shattered pieces.

The white mage forced himself up, only to find that rising above the soft cushion set on the ground left him feeling strangely weak.

"Oi, Tetsu. Stop that." Kuroko froze when he heard that very familiar voice above him. He blinked and looked, only to find what he most wanted and feared: Aomine's hard gaze staring back down at him. The lancer's armor had been shed, leaving him in a simple blank outfit, but he didn't look any less familiar.

"Aomine-kun." The white mage did stop trying to get up, now content to just sit here knowing Aomine was okay, but the silence that reigned was anything but comfortable. There were so many things he could say in this moment, and when he'd left it had been on the worst terms possible. Kuroko could barely look at his old best friend, his old partner anymore without wondering if Aomine still hated him, which is why he jolted when a heavy hand suddenly fell on his head.

"Idiot, drink this." A glass was held down in front of him, and Kuroko took it with strained and confused hands. The one on his head was warm and reassuring, giving his hair a little shake before leaving. The water was slightly glowing-it was Aomine's and Kuroko's favorite drink after a workout: water laced with a potion to revitalize their exhausted muscles.

He remembered, didn't he? Despite everything.

He put it to his lips and let the familiarity of the gesture slide down his throat with the liquid. It soothed the slight ache in his muscles, and dragged his mind back down from the clouds. "Thank you, Aomine-kun."

Said lancer just gave a grunt of acknowledgement, never having been good with words. Still, he dropped himself to sit down next to Kuroko's cushion, not saying a word. The white mage stayed silent longer, trying to finish the glass and feel better before he spoke-after all, healing that deadly wound had drained him almost thoroughly.

Kuroko opened his mouth, about to say something, but Aomine beat him to it. "Why did you have to pick him of all people?"

"Him? Do you mean Kagami-kun?"

"Well duh. He's your new partner isn't he? Your new 'light'. Bah, he's so weak." Aomine's long fingers picked at a bit of grass and threw it away in a huff.

The blue-haired mage frowned slightly. This is always why they didn't get along, but he'd seen it, he'd seen right before he passed out, the light in his eyes returning-he was having fun. Did his friend still not want to admit it?

"Aomine-kun, I don't think you mean that," Kuroko said softly, setting down the glass. Piercing blue eyes focused on him because of that statement.

"Huh? What the hell, Tetsu?"

"I saw you. It was rather hard due to my condition, but you were having fun, weren't you? Your eyes aren't…." Kuroko looked directly at them now. They weren't that sickening yellow, but back to the fiery blue he'd always loved. It reminded him of just how many horrors that sick darkness made Kise see-how did it affect him? What nightmares had Aomine had?

The lancer's gaze hardened at the word 'condition,' but thankfully it faded with his normal cocky smirk. "Me, having fun fighting that moron? I'll admit, I didn't see him being a half demon coming, but…Ha, it was pretty fun there for a little bit. I'd still crush him in a one-on-one fight, though."

That was certainly heartening to hear. Before this, Aomine had a hard enough time even admitting he liked fighting Kise, and it had gotten worse when his eyes turned yellow. The once blazing aura of his felt cold and stiff, just like their relationship. "I still think you underestimate Kagami-kun, but I'm glad you had fun."

Aomine just made an angry noise. "Stop talking about that bastard. What the hell was that stunt you pulled? Why did you leap in front of Kise like that, huh?! I could've fucking killed you!"

"But you didn't."

"But you nearly did!" Aomine reached out, gripping Kuroko's arm in a vice. It almost hurt, had the little mage not already been used to Kagami's fearsome strength. "You're a fucking idiot, Tetsu, always getting in the way. Didn't I tell you just to leave me alone?!"

Kuroko fixed his once-partner with a steely gaze all his own. "If I didn't, you would've killed Kise-kun. I couldn't just let you do that, Aomine-kun. Not when I've been trying to get you both back this whole time. Both of you."

It was all he had to do to make Aomine look like he'd been struck in the face. The grip tightened, and then loosened when he realized just what he was doing. The lancer had never been good with words or emotions, always relying on Momoi to do it for him. What came out next was in a choked voice, oddly quiet for someone as loud as him. "Your stomach. I want to see it."

Kuroko didn't answer or object, just slowly took his too-large shirt (he suspected Kagami for that one), and raised it, showing the smooth unblemished skin where there was no wound. Not even a speck of blood was left, thanks to his own magic. Aomine's hand brushed against the skin almost delicately, and Kuroko felt his mask almost drop. The lancer was NEVER this gentle with anyone, not even Kise. It had been an action reserved almost entirely for the tiny blue-haired boy who'd been Aomine's companion since they had joined Kiseki together.

And just a simple touch like that made the events of the past year come crashing down on his shoulders.

All of a sudden, Kuroko felt a heavy weight fall on him and realized it was Aomine-Aomine was hugging him, tightly like he could never let him go. There was a shudder in his shoulders, but no sound-of course he'd be too proud to try and acknowledge the tears spilling from his eyes.

"Tetsu, you're not dead. You're not dead, you're not dead….." Aomine kept repeating this to himself so many times that Kuroko started to feel tears spring up in his own eyes, just like when he heard the broken tones in Kise's voice.

His own hands were brought up to gently wrap around his friends shoulders. "It's okay, Aomine-kun, I'm fine now. I promise."

The lancer's voice was so soft, and Kuroko kept his own hands light and avoiding the spines, just sinking into the warmth that was so familiar now. It was true part of the reason that he'd been so attracted to Kagami in the first place was because he reminded Kuroko so much of Aomine, but as time grew on they became separate entities. The similarities were there enough to make his heart hurt, but Kagami had wormed his way in, and the white mage was selfish. He wanted both.

The shaking stopped a little later, but Kuroko didn't blame Aomine when his touch lasted a little bit longer than it should have. "You're an idiot, you know that? All this time I had to deal with Satsuki moping around because she thought you had died."

"I'm sure Aomine-kun can handle it," He lightly teased, as it had been his favorite hobby. The lancer scoffed, drawing back into a lazy sit, looking like he hadn't just been crying over Kuroko's shoulder.

Really, the similar reactions Kise and Aomine had were remarkable-despite being worlds different, there was a reason they had always revolved and attracted each other. "Ugh. You had to bring Kise along to, so I have to deal with that annoying shit as well. You should've just come alone; it would've made this a lot less complicated."

For that, however, he smacked Aomine over the back of his head, knowing it wouldn't affect him at all. "Kise-kun came here of his own volition, and I'd ask you'd stop rejecting him, as it just creates problems for everyone."

The lancer opened his mouth, but Kuroko beat him to it. He'd been holding this back the whole time, but it was what he'd been itching to tell the idiot demon this whole time. "You cannot keep dancing around your own feelings and rejecting everyone else because you think you are stronger than them, Aomine-kun. We've had this discussion before, but now you will listen to me. Kise-kun is here for you, and he fought this hard just to make you acknowledge his strength. He can give you something I never could, so please get your head out of your ass about everything. I didn't come back from the dead twice for you to keep sinking into your own pit."

That got Aomine to just stare at him, wide-eyed. That had probably been the most words he'd heard Kuroko speak in one go, and even someone as poker-faced as him couldn't hide the underlying threat in his voice.

Ever since that day, ever since the time that Aomine had rejected his friendship and made him cry, ever since he'd given Kise that scar, it was something he wanted said to the lancer. Something that needed to be said. But he'd run away instead, leaving them all to sink further into darkness until by chance he was given this opportunity right here.

Out of all his friends, it was Aomine he was longing to and fearing to see the most-remembering the bitter taste of his rejection, but those warm, hazy memories he couldn't give up. Despite the looming problem of-someone else-the lancer's friendship was precious. And here he was, and Kuroko was damned if he wasn't going to claw out his way to getting it back.

"Hey, where do you think you can even go and tell me this, Tetsu? You can't even beat me in a fight," Aomine said, trying to cover his tracks.

"I don't have to. I've already lost-or won, depending on which you think it is. I've brought them all here in one place, and you have no choice but to fix everything you've messed up. I never stopped caring about you, even when you pushed me away, Aomine-kun." Kuroko's slight smile just had Aomine snarling and looking away from him.

He was back to the rejected cat mannerisms. Aomine had always been panther-like in his expression and right now he was acting like a bratty cat. "You…that's not fair Tetsu. Stop bringing that up."

"I will when Aomine-kun stops being stupid." And he wasn't backing down, even if his eyes had warmed into a pool of slight happiness, the edges of his mouth turning slowly up. "I am truly glad to be here with everyone."

The lancer took a few breaths after that, looking like he definitely wanted to say something rude but faltering each time. A plethora of expressions crossed his face before he finally settled on the one that Kuroko had been hoping to see the most-contentedness.

A hand reached out again to mess up his already horrid bedhair as the dragoon gave him an almost blinding smile. "You never play fair, Tetsu. Fine, fine, I'll go talk to him. Satsuki isn't gonna let it go either. I think Kagami's around here somewhere. Tell him 'fuck you' for me when he inevitably rushes in."

Kuroko merely nodded, giving a smile back before-almost nervously-raised his fist in the air. It was like a snap went through the space between them-the white mage hadn't known what to expect, but Aomine actually flinching wasn't one of them.

Still, after several treacherous, painful moments, Aomine's fist met his.

It took Kiyoshi, several minor summons, and a sleep spell to finally get Kagami to calm down from his rage, and even then he'd destroyed half a grove trying to find where the summon that threatened Kuroko went.

He woken up almost suddenly to his guild members staring at him, visibly relaxing when the blazing light was no longer in his eyes. Frankly, Kagami didn't want it to happen again if all it did was give him a massive headache.

"Why didn't you tell us you were a half-demon?" Kiyoshi asked, his large hands holding him down as he discovered moving also made everything hurt. Kagami looked away at first, awkwardly. To tell the truth, he didn't really know either. Being half demon was apparently taboo enough for his parents to just abandon him, so if he told Seirin they had a chance of kicking him out. And he didn't want that.

"Most people aren't fond of the idea. Now can you let the hell go? Please?" Thankfully, Kiyoshi just laughed and did as he was told, making sure that his charge was laying there comfortably. Someone had explained to Kagami after he calmed down that they were in a fae's home Glade, so they were safe now from whatever had attacked them.

"Well, it's true I've never heard of half-demons, that's true, but you're an idiot if you think we're gonna judge you!" Izuki said uncharacteristically.

"I said I was sorry, okay? I just-well I didn't know something like that would happen, I swear! It wasn't exactly important with everything happened," Kagami finished awkwardly, trying to stare somewhere else than at his guild mates.

"Don't worry, I don't think either of us blame you. A lot's been happening. Just don't tell Riko I said that when we get back, okay?" Kiyoshi's flippant statement got Izuki to laugh at least, and Kagami to grumble, roll over and demand they leave him alone. The two did leave him after a little while, asking him a few more questions before going.

After that, it was quiet. All the warrior's keen ears could pick up was the soft breeze and faint echo of birds somewhere near the sky. Kagami didn't like it. It gave him time to think, about everything that happened, all that went wrong and how he, HE of all people couldn't protect Kuroko when it was needed most.

His thoughts lingered slightly on how strange his new demon traits felt but it was quickly outwashed by the sudden urge to see his little white mage. He had to make sure that little shit was alright before whacking him over the head. Unfortunately, his entire body was still in pain, and-

"Kagami-kun."

Kagami really wished he could say that he didn't scream like a small child, but he did. Jolted a few inches to the right too, for good measure.

"You-goddammit Kuroko, don't do that!" He yelled as he sat up painfully, turning around to see the completely unrepentant white mage sitting beside him.

"I'm sorry Kagami-kun. You looked so peaceful that I didn't want to disturb you." The blue-haired boy cocked his head slightly to the right, causing a strange red flush to appear on Kagami's face. He didn't fucking need this. He was supposed to be worried and angry!

"You. Are the problem. Here," Kagami said slowly, poking Kuroko hard with each word. "What the hell were you thinking running off like that? When I saw you like-like-"

He couldn't even get the words out of his mouth. Fortunately, the white mage seemed to beat him to the brush. "When I got stabbed instead of Kise?"

"Yes, that! Weren't you the one who got angry at me for sacrificing myself?!"

"And I told you right there, Kagami-kun, that I didn't know if either of us could keep that promise."

The half-demon drove his fist into the ground. "You fucking idiot, you're such a hypocrite I could punch you right now!"

The blue-eyed gaze, however, held him still. "Then do so. I wouldn't blame you."

Kagami even held up a fist like he was going to make do on the promise, and Kuroko didn't even flinch. He didn't move, and didn't stop staring like he expected the blow to come roaring down on his face. And he…..

He couldn't do it. Not to someone like you.

"Sometimes-I really regret meeting you. If you're going to make me feel that way," Kagami said instead, pulling away and turning around. He didn't want to look at Kuroko's face anymore and have his heart once against broken into pieces.

Hell, he even regretted saying that, because what if the white mage hated him for that-

"Ow! What the-" He yelped as a hard fist came down on the back of his head.

"Sometimes I regret meeting Kagami-kun because he's so stupid." Kuroko's words had him whipping around in protest, only to find that the mage had backed out of grabbing range. "If I hadn't jumped in at that time, I was afraid that Kise-kun would be dead. I was afraid I would lose two friends at once there. I had the greater chance of survival with my healing magic, but most of all…"

Kuroko's eyes lost some of their steely impassiveness as his voice grew softer. "I didn't really think. I had no intention of dying, but all I saw was Aomine's spear and I knew it was a mistake. If no one did anything, Aomine-kun would kill a person he cared about, and Kise-kun would be dead. And no one would be happy anymore."

And like usual, Kagami had no idea what to say, suddenly feeling a pang of guilt run through his chest at the way Kuroko wouldn't stare at him directly. Was he truly being selfish, just wanting his white mage to be okay and not go after his other friends? Was he just jealous? There were too many questions and feelings, and he didn't know what to say.

"I-I-um, I guess I understand," he began, trying to find his voice and choose his words carefully. The Seirin group were like family to him, and he'd do anything for Tatsuya and Alex. Kuroko wasn't even a question at this point and he was sure it was painfully obvious to everyone-everyone, including himself.

Because no matter how thickheaded Kuroko said he could be, the whole stunt finally brought into perspective how much he actually cared for the little shit and it almost worried him. "But you're still an idiot. I'm here to help. Maybe that situation is unavoidable, but you gotta stop using your life like it's some sort of tool for your friends. They like you too, so it's pretty insulting to them, idiot!"

Not including himself in that-never including himself in that. He tried glaring down at Kuroko after his mini-speech, but the last thing he'd expected the white mage to do was start laughing. And he did-it wasn't a full-bellied one like most normal people, but for someone as emotionless as Kuroko, it was something.

"I didn't think….Kagami-kun could be so eloquent. You really do say some cheesy things sometimes," Kuroko said, after a moment's peace.

"Why you-"

A small hand came up and rested against his mouth, and that gesture alone was enough to stop him in his tracks. "I'm glad Kagami-kun can say things like that. I…have always forgotten how valuable life is to other people. My mother always told me that white mages gifts are to be used to heal their loved ones hearts and minds, but I suppose I'm still a child."

Kuroko was close enough to him that he could smell the spring rain and vanilla that always lingered around the white mage. Funny, he had never noticed that before…where did it come from? The blue-haired boy's pulse was even racing through the hand covering his mouth, matching Kagami's own.

"You really are special, Kagami-kun. And even if you're dumb, I think-I think you'd make a good paladin."

The words echoed through Kagami's mind, half sending him into a daze. The tone of his voice had told him that Kuroko's words more serious than he could realize-didn't…didn't he say that his own paladin was long gone or dead or something? And here Kuroko was saying he could replace that? Be THAT important?

The hand left his mouth. "I know you got upset whenever I talked about my paladin, but I just wanted to clear something up."

Kagami didn't trust himself to speak.

"My paladin was-once someone who was very precious to me. That much is true. He is someone irreplaceable to me, no matter how far he strays, and I will always care for him deeply. He was the one I recited that poem to when we were young, to remind ourselves we always had each other. So I just wanted to ask-how much does Kagami-kun care about me?"

What the hell kind of question was that?! Kagami would almost storm around and answer, but anything like that would break this delicate, fragile moment. It was like the air was squeezed out of his lungs, and against his own accord, he spoke. "Too much."

And then there was Kuroko's beautiful moonlit smile again, and if he couldn't feel the grass beneath his legs, Kagami would've thought he died again. "W-what's this all about. Trying to embarrass me?"

"Anything but. That play that you heard about? Its name is White Silence. And since I seem to have come to caring about Kagami-kun as much as my paladin before, I thought that it would be only fair. I'm not very good with words, and this is all I have. But," Kuroko said, leaning forward and up so again, both their noses were almost touching, "I still have something to say."

And so Kuroko whispered to him, only the birds and moon being a witness. And it was only them who saw, in the next magical moment, the white mage lean forward and capture the lips of his warrior.

"White silence will always reign, my friend-

And I will be with you, until the end."

No matter how long it's been,

It's always been black in the eyes of men.

I've long since wondered if that was true,

But not once have I forgotten you.

Black is a heart of an evil man,

It's the color of the road you began.

I'm afraid of the force which seperates you

From the feelings I know are true.

But white's a color that isn't black….

White's the words you can't take back.

And white's my magic, divine and true…

White's the love I hold for you.

White silence will always reign, my friend,

And I will be with you until the end.

Hi I'm alive. And here to say I'm etremely sorry for the long random hiatus. I have...problems that I'm trying to deal with, and a low energy level combined with school and everything is one of them. I have been working on this on and off and now this 7k monster is done. dunno how well it turned out but hey, here you go. I'd like to heartily thank everyone who has still kept up with this thing even with my wierd inconsistancy and I hope you like this update! and all the stupid kagakuro fluff. Whatever that is.

Also the reason you don't see Aomine and Kise together is cause they're *coughs* making up in private.

ALSO RADBROSTACHE ON TUMBLR DREW ME THESE TWO PICTURES OF WHITE MAGE KUROKO AND IM CRY GO CHECK THEM OUT
post/142441290849/sorry-this-is-so-simple-but-i-had-to-doodle
post/144082817319/i-still-love-what-magekurokos-outfit-is-so-i