Disclaimer: I own very little.
Ice and Flame
As soon as Fay closed his eyes, he was in Celes.
A part of his mind reminded him that it couldn't be, Celes was behind and would not return, but it was too real to ignore. The ice and snow, the empty wasteland all around him, the biting coldness that reached him even through his thick clothes – surely it could be nothing but real. The only thing he could hear was the howling of the wind, wild and cold and all alone, just like he.
He wondered briefly where the others were, what had happened to them, whether it was his fault they were away. He always caused bad luck to everyone; had it finally deprived him of his companions?
A lock of hair fell onto his face, fluttering at his breath. The cold air soon caught the dampness of his breath in the blond hair, frosting it over.
Fay tried to remember what had happened, how he had got here, but he couldn't remember. All he could recall was pain, pain and blood and the accusing gaze of the real Fay, empty and dead. Kurogane, he could recall, the unvoiced flash of pain in the ninja's eyes, the scent of blood as a sharp blade tore through bone and flesh, and an involuntary cry escaped his lips. His legs no more steady, Fay fell onto his knees, hiding his face in his hands. Without Kurogane, he would die – and without Kurogane, he would welcome death.
"I'm sorry, Kurogane," he whispered. "I'm so sorry, Kuro-sama… My Kuro-sama…"
There was no response, of course, just the howling of the wind. No one heard Fay's lonely sob as he wished he'd had power over time.
Suddenly, he felt warm. Having grown up in a country like Celes, he knew all too well what that meant. When you felt warm despite the freezing weather, you were just about to freeze to death.
Well, let that happen, thought Fay, his hands dropping to his lap even as he kept his eye closed, the tears freezing on his cheeks. He would welcome death – there was nothing left for him to live for, anyway.
He realized, then, that the wind's sound seemed to have changed, gaining a familiar pattern. "Fay," called the wind, mocking his name, his stolen life and identity. "Fay!"
Fay whimpered, no more able to appear strong. "Leave me be," he begged in a whisper, "Please, just let me be…"
"Oi, mage!" Okay, so that wasn't the wind. Fay's eyes snapped open, staring up at two red flames in the darkness of his bedroom.
…Wait a minute. Bedroom. No ice, no snow, no Celes. The warmth had been the blanket covering him, not a sign of death. And the sound of the wind calling for him…
"You okay, mage?" asked Kurogane, concern creeping into his voice in a somewhat unusual manner. "You were crying."
"I – I am now," Fay managed to say, his heart feeling suddenly incredibly light. "It was just a bad dream, that's all."
"Well, sleep now," Kurogane grunted, flopping down to Fay's side. Without a moment's hesitation, he drew the blonde. Fay, pressed against the muscular chest, felt a strong heart beating under his hand.
Eye falling closed, Fay breathed deep, drawing in Kurogane's scent. One might have assumed he'd be afraid to go back to sleep, but he wasn't.
This warmth, these strong arms, would never let him fall back to Celes.