AN: I know it's been a long time since I updated anything, so this is my gift to you: a freaking long chapter with lots of... stuff. You people are going to hate me at the end of it, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! I've been working on this one-shot on and off for a loonnnggg time (a few months? years? who knows?), so it's been under extensive amounts of revision. R&R!

Sakura Biyori

Kagome x Fai (IY x Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles)

firefox369

Juuroku de kimi to ai
Hyakunen no koi wo shita ne
Hirahira to maiochiru
Sakura no hanabira no shita de

Cerulean eyes gazed into the shadowy darkness of the dimly lit architecture. This place... this land of deserts and acid rain... this was all that remained of her beloved Tokyo. Her heart clenched as she stared at the two remaining buildings, head moving back and forth as she decided which place to call home. She could feel the rain pattering against her soft clothing and skin, but the sharp burns they created in her body were quickly wiped away by the furious sewing of her reiki. Her wounds were healed even before the rain splattered completely against her petite figure.

"Miko. You'll die if you stay out there too long."

She whirled to look at the man who spoke. Golden eyes stared back at her, the pupils mere slits glimmering dangerously in the flickering light of the torch he held in his slender fingers. His face was young, as well as his body, but his eyes spoke otherwise. The man before her had seen several years, many more than she could ever hope to witness. And the pain. His eyes held an agony similar to the pain in her own gaze. They spoke of a long, tiring journey and an even more tedious and exhausting future.

"Are you sure you don't want to be rid of me, Vampire?" she mused bitterly, her hand automatically moving to the wound on her arm. The bleeding died down long ago, but the harsh rain was making the blood well up near the surface again. Her power, engraved within the DNA of her blood, was rising to the surface to fight off the burning rain.

The vampire blinked laconically, eyes flickering towards the blood staining her hands, and began to turn into the building.

"Much blood will be spilled tonight" he spoke, glancing back at her one more time before turning his back on her and sheltering himself under the outcropping near the front door. His actions reminded her of a certain someone, and the girl stifled a giggle when she realized that this was as far as the man would go to offer her a night in his home. She quickly scurried after him and held her bloodied hand in front of his face when she was near enough.

He looked at the crimson appendage warily, eyes darkening in hunger. She could see his throat bob up and down as he swallowed thickly.

"What are you doing, miko?" he questioned, reaching out and grasping her arm. His hand was cold, but not nearly as cold as she thought it would be. The chill wasn't deathly.

"My name is Kagome, and I'm offering you blood. If a lot of it is going to spill tonight, I might as well keep you from devouring one of the victims alive. I'm sure my blood will keep you satisfied until the bloodshed is over" she explained cheerily. Much to her surprise, the vampire snorted and lowered her hand with a gentle shove.

"I'm much older than I look Kagome" he stated. She sighed and shrugged when he continued walking, shaking her head.

"Stop it!" a girl screamed from below, just as a scream of pain echoed into her current room. Kagome raced off to find the source of the noise, alarmed, but the vampire held her back with an all-knowing glint in his golden orbs. Her time to help was not now. If she went to heal the injured now, she would get in the way and cause more casualties in the midst of the battle beneath her feet.

So she waited and listened as explosion shook the building and dropped masses of dust and debris from the ceiling. Magic was thick in the air, she could taste it, and it drew her powers to the surface even more. The dark magic greatly overwhelmed the good and her reiki flashed in warning, trying to protect her from the suffocating evil. But somehow, somewhere in the back of her mind, Kagome knew the evil magic swirling in the air had underlying hints of kindness and regret. That thought calmed her and she waited impatiently for someone to haul broken bodies up the stairwell. She was not disappointed.

A few minutes later and a man dressed very much like a black clad samurai heaved a blood-soaked blonde out of the depths of the basement floor. He glanced at her for a moment, narrowing his eyes in scrutiny, before deeming her harmless and hurrying into a room a good distance away. Next to exit was a boy about her age carrying a crying, but unconscious, brunette girl. He didn't seem to notice her and followed the darkly dressed man. The vampire finally released her and trailed after them, eyes boring into the blond man's broken form.

"I can save him" he muttered, and the blond man's friends looked at him with hope. Could he really keep their friend alive? Would the magician actually be able to survive and continue with them on their perilous journey?

The vampire glanced at Kagome, and that was when she knew what he wanted from her. She entered the room, hiding behind the vampire for a while, before taking a deep breath and letting it out in one steady exhale.

"And I can help" she added confidently, finally stepping out of the vampire's shadow.

"Who are you?" the samurai-esque character demanded, and she smiled.

"My name is Kagome. I'm a time traveler of sorts. A holy one. If I'm thinking correctly, this guy over here," she motioned towards the vampire with a jerk of her thumb, "will turn that guy over there," she pointed at the dying man on the cot, "into a vampire. Of course that's only if you accept his offer. That's where I come in. My holy energy, if used carefully, can keep the pain of his transformation to a bare minimum and will keep him from going insane. Pretty nifty, if you ask me."

"So you're a pain reliever?" the boy her age clarified.

"She can make him human" another voice stated. Kagome looked at the shadows in the corner and resisted the urge to groan when another pair of golden eyes stared at her. Another vampire. Perfect. "If Fai drinks her blood every day for the course of one moon cycle, he will regain his human form."

Kagome nodded, not quite sure if she should believe the vampire or not (she never had dealings with them in the Sengoku Jidai, and as such didn't know any of their remedies for misfortune).

"I'm willing to do what it takes to bring him back and make him, well, him again" she informed, waving at the paling man on the cot. "What do you say?"

The two human men glanced at each other before the younger slowly nodded. He wasn't fond of the idea of leaving the fate of his friend in the unknown girl's hands, but he was determined to see the man make it through the rest of their journey. He refused to let the magician die like this.

"Okay then! Let's get started," Kagome cheered, then faced the vampires. "What do I do?"

Aitakute kakenuketa
Hi no ataru kyuu na sakamichi ya
Kouen no sumi futari no kage wa
Ima mo kawaranu mama

Dark. The haunting darkness consumed him and chilled him to his very core, but he didn't mind. In fact, he quite liked his current habitat. That agonizing pain, that bestial hunger, none of it existed in the shadows. Even that crushing guilt that chipped his heart away had faded into the all-devouring black. For the first time since he was born, he was content and at peace.

People are waiting for you, you know.

A melodic voice brushed his soul with a rush of power, wrapping around his very being and caressing his fatigued magic. The voice was feminine and soft, light and forgiving. He liked it. A lot. It didn't grate on his nerves or make his head hurt like voices of some other girls he had the luck of talking to during his time in the light.

They'll do anything to get you back. You're very lucky to have such loyal and loving friends.

But he didn't want to go back. No. He wanted to stay in the shadows where he could feel nothing, where he was finally free.

It's a little too late for that, magician the voice giggled and he felt the soothing aura again, brushing softly against his cheek. The calming presence started to disappear and the blonde man lost himself in a blizzard of fragrant, pink petals. The relentless wave of flowers covered the darkness. They graced his cheeks, his hands, his lips, and for a moment he was beyond content. He was happy.

Suddenly, the sakura petals fluttered away in small dots of light, reminding the young man of fireflies on a warm, summer evening. And then, the pain returned. His entire body burned and stung, his heart cracked and trembled, and the darkness shivered and burst. The black shadows metamorphosed into brilliant hues, several of which the man could not even name, and drew an awed breath from the cavity of his chest. Despite the jolts of agonizing heat coursing through his veins, the vast array of colors captivated and hypnotized him. The pain drifted to the back of his mind, and he and the dazzling lights were all that remained.

This is the beauty you seek, is it not?

Cerulean eyes watched at half-mast as the hues drifted into a white background. He could no longer feel the pain, and the light that steadily ate at the darkness did not scare him any longer. Slowly, the man nodded and shut his eyes. A gentle smile curved the tips of his mouth as his golden bangs fell in front of his face. What remained of that gentle existence brushed against him again, grazing his cheeks and tenderly pressing against a corner of the young man's lips?

I offer you this beauty only if you wake. Your friends need you.

"I..." the man finally spoke, reaching out to grasp at the being he could feel, but could not touch. What, exactly, did he want? What was this strong yearning in his chest? What was this furious clenching in his heart? He could not control himself as he reached out again. His hands met something solid this time, and he held onto it in desperation. The presence soothed him, calmed within him a raging storm he could not control. He could hear voices echoing in his ears and drumming in his head, but the only one he could understand was the one belonging to that sinfully sweet, feminine laughter.

Then open your eyes and bleed the life of your new existence.

His eyes snapped open as he pulled the small figure close to his body and nuzzled her throat. Her scent was intoxicating, like the breathing sigh of a sakura tree in spring. Before he knew what he was doing, he had opened his mouth and placed his elongated canines against her fragile skin. He could feel her artery pulsing beneath the skin, could feel the soft thump of her heart against his cold chest. He hesitated, but the being's fingers running through the silky locks of his golden hair subdued his fears. The sharp teeth broke through skin and a rush of sweet blood filled his mouth and throat. His eyes closed in satisfaction and ecstasy.

The crimson liquid dribbled down his chin and her collarbone as he drank, relishing the feeling of the blood coursing through his starving and trembling form, but he felt somewhere deep in his heart that what he was doing was wrong. Enjoying such a demonic act was utterly despicable. He drew away, licking at the wound and guiltily wiping away the drops of blood that beaded against the fair skin.

"Gomen nasai" he whispered, hatred beading at the back of his eyes. He dared not open them.

"It's all right" that voice cooed, and he felt a small hand rubbing comforting circles on his back. Her kindness, added onto the searing pain in his heart and body, drew the first tears he cried in what felt like an eternity. How could she possibly forgive a monster like him after what he did to her?

"Gomen nasai..." He gripped her sleeves and slowly raised his head, feeling and ignoring the hot liquid dripping down his cheeks. The relentless crimson rivulets reeked of metal and lost life.

The girl could feel the anger emanating off him in suffocating waves, could feel the regret in his soul and see the sad grit of his teeth in his reverie. She knew that expression.

She carried it herself once upon a time.

She placed a soft kiss on his forehead, adjusting his bangs to move away from his one eye. The magic user suffered much more than he needed to as a human, and she hoped that his time as a vampire would make up for the pain he experienced in his previous life. "Don't be ashamed. Your current state is not a form of punishment for your dark past. The Gods have been cruel to you that is all."

His one eye fluttered open. No longer was the iris a cerulean similar to her own. It had turned gold, like a molten sunset, sometime during his body's adaptation to the vampire blood. The color reminded her of a certain someone, and she couldn't help but smile at the gorgeous hue and the hope glittering beneath it. Though his morals shattered long ago, she could see the yearning to repair the mishaps, to right the wrongs, within his depressed gaze. Beneath even that, she saw the hard perseverance and determination. This man wasn't a weak magician who relied only on petty words and chants to protect him. No. This man was obviously a fighter; a fighter who could make even the great Inu no Taisho beam with admiration.

She was happy that she found him in time to make the change relatively painless and that she arrived before he was forced to feed from one of his own traveling companions. The young woman was sure that she had saved him a major amount of self-hatred and guilt. She saved him from destroying a dream that would have come true.

"Gomen..." he repeated despairingly, lowering his forehead and burying his shame in the crook of her neck. He could not pull away from her despite his fear, but his thirst was satiated enough to keep him from attacking the girl again.

"It's all right" she murmured, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and hugging him to her. She rested her chin against the top of his head, gazing assuredly at the magician's depressed companions. A strange warmth then engulfed the man's entire being, and he noticed that the girl's body was glowing a bright pink. The pain in his body faded and the hole in his heart began to fill.

"The Gods sent me here, Fai."

His body went stiff and rigid, worried with the young woman's next words. He could sense his companion's uncertainty behind him. They were nervous for him. They were afraid that the young woman would take him away and punish him for his unforgiving past. As the thoughts ran through their heads, the glow became brighter and brighter until all Fai could see was the girl who held and comforted him. She smiled a smile that cracked the barriers around his heart.

"They ask for your forgiveness, for they abandoned you in your time of need. The mother Amaterasu sent me to save you now."

And the walls around his fragile heart shattered. The girl laughed at his expression of disbelief and cupped his face in her hands.

"Well, Mr. Flowright, what is your response?" she teased. He found that he could not respond with words, and instead laughed quietly through his fangs and tears of relief. The girl felt the blood tears rolling down over her fingers and pooling at Fai's chin, but ignored them to relish the man's relieved gaze. "No matter what you do or what you've done, I'll be by your side." The broken man remained silent upon hearing her words, but his body trembled. He released a gasping sob and lowered his head.

That night Fai D. Flowright cried enough to decorate the twilight sky with his incarnadine tears.

Kimi to boku to "sakura biyori"
Kaze ni yurete maimodoru
Marude nagai yume kara sameta you ni
Miageta saki wa momo-iro no sora

A single gold eye fluttered open for a few moments before squeezing shut in exhaustion. His body ached and groaned as he struggled to sit up on the cot. The rusty scent of blood filled his nostrils and they flared as his hunger and thirst renewed.

"That look is creepy coming from you, Fai" a deep baritone grumbled and the magician turned to face his dark companion. The samurai held his sword close, not wanting to let it go while his friend's condition was so unstable. Considering how viciously the blonde attacked the holy girl yesterday, he wasn't sure how non-vicious his friend was at the moment. Until the magician smiled.

"Ah. Good morning Kurogane."

"Kagome's outside finding herbs to keep the wound from infecting. Her stunt yesterday kept the eye from healing completely" Syaoran, the baby boy of their group, informed. "At least, that's what Subaru said."

Fai sighed and shrugged his shoulders, smiling nonchalantly. He vaguely felt his long hair brushing against his collarbone and wondered how long it had been since the locks were last cut. Or maybe it was an after effect of turning into the strange thing he was? What was he, exactly? He wasn't even sure anymore. "Can't be helped, I guess" he mourned playfully, admiring his own wits at the silent double meaning.

And then an even stronger scent of blood knocked all self-control out of his head. What was happening to him?

Kurogane noticed the darkening red in his friend's gaze and stood, placing his hand on the hilt of his blade. He would rather not have to fight his companion, but if the recently turned magician wanted to attack he wouldn't restrain himself if it meant the difference between life and death. When Fai charged, it was not at Kurogane. He bolted out the door and straight towards the scent of the blood. The smell enticed him, drew him in and strengthened his hunger and need for the life rushing beneath the petal soft skin.

An invisible barrier blocked his path and knocked him back and into the air. He twisted himself as nimbly as a cat and landed a few yards away, gazing at the shimmering particles questioningly. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered how and when his movements turned so fluid and predatory.

"Sakura is on her way back, but I refuse to let you see her in your current state" that voice warned. Fai spun to face the girl, fangs lengthening as her cherry blossom fragrance threatened him with the loss of control.

"Stand back" Fai commanded, holding out his left hand to keep her from coming closer and placing the other against his forehead. "What have you done to me?"

The girl gaped at him. "Me? I haven't done a thing! If anything, I should be asking you the same question! You freaking bled me half to death!" At the struggled flicker between the gold and red in his eye, she sighed and held out her hand in offering.

"You're hungry."

"I refuse to drink from you again" Fai stated. Though his expression was soft his eye was hard. The scent of blood came even closer and the magician struggled to keep his composure even more.

She grinned. "Sakura's on her way back right now, and if you don't drink a little from me you'll lose control and kill her when she arrives."

Fai's smile faltered.

Kagome's grin turned into a smirk. "Hit a sore, have I? Now come on, we don't have all night and Sakura'll be back any moment. I'd hate to have to kill a handsome young lad like you."

His smile came back full force. "I believe I'm at least a few years older than you, young lady."

"Kagome. Call me Kagome. Young lady is so...formal." She blanched at the word. Blech. She didn't attempt to contradict him because she really was younger than him. Kagome wasn't sure by how much, but she was certain that the male was definitely more mature age-wise. Mentally, on the other hand, she would have to ponder at a later date.

She felt his trembling hands grip her forearm as he lowered his torso and brought the wrist to his lips.

"I refuse to do this again."

"Of course, Fai. Whatever you say" she agreed flippantly. The smirk fell from her face when she saw his dark look. Gently, he placed his fangs against her wrist before glancing at her for reassurance. Seeing her stubborn gaze, he sighed. Kagome could feel his hot breath against her skin as he heaved a breath in surrender, and could only blush slightly at the sensation. It tingled, soft on her skin.

He bit, clamping down on her with his strong jaws.

Kagome, unprepared for the immense pain that accompanied his bite, cried out in agony. The pain was stronger this time, more stinging and jolting. Suddenly, she wondered if the pain she felt was the same pain that came hand in hand with dying.

Suki deshita suki deshita
Egao sakisometa kimi ga
Boku dake ga shitte ita
Migigawa yawarakana ibasho

Fai hid within the shadows of his room, watching nervously as the ebony haired figure stepped inside and looked around. He hated hiding from her like this, but he could only handle drinking so much of her blood (he refused to admit that he liked the taste of it). He always left with a crushing feeling of guilt when he was through with his daily meal. He really hated it.

"Kagome, what are you doing in Fai's room?" Sakura questioned, a quirky smile across her lips.

"Well, I can't seem to find him" Kagome replied simply. The princess laughed at her. "I can't help but feel that he doesn't want me to find him. He's even hidden his aura."

"I'd be hiding too, if I were him. Your infatuation with him these last few days is borderline stalking" the brunette giggled and motioned for the priestess to get out of Fai's room. Kagome sighed and nodded her agreement. "Have you told him yet? Why you're doing this? I think Fai would be a little more forgiving if you told him the reason for making him drink your blood every day."

Kagome shook her head. No. "I doubt that would make him feel much better. Besides, we're almost at the end of the cycle."

Sakura gazed at the girl distastefully but let the subject rest for the moment. The moon was at its zenith, meaning that midnight was drawing near. If Kagome did intend to go through with her plans then she would have to find Fai quickly. Green eyes landed on the magician's form huddled in the corner. Fai cringed when the princess smirked. She wouldn't! She wouldn't torture her own travelling companion, would she?

"Fai, I really think you should get out of that corner. Vampiric magicians shouldn't have to hide from teenage girls, you know" she sang.

On second thought, maybe she would.

Kagome whipped her body around with narrowed eyes and glared at the vampire. Fai huffed and stepped out of the shadow, pouting and with his arms crossed. Note to self: teenage girls always conspired together in their own secret language. Nothing was safe from their evil little schemes. Nothing.

"Come on, Fai, you only have to do this for ten more days!" Kagome bargained. "Ten more days and I'll leave you alone for the rest of your life."

Fai grumbled swears under his breath and grabbed her arm. "After ten days I'm never doing this again."

"Of course" the miko stated amiably. Sakura grinned at the magician and skipped out of his room. Kagome's pained whimper trailed after her, quickly swiping off the smile and replacing it with a depressed grimace. She would never get used to hearing such a pure creature making such a pained noise.

Fai inwardly grimaced as he clamped onto the miko's wrist and heard her whine. The blood gushed into his mouth, but he noticed that the metallic liquid tasted different today. The power within it was slightly faded and the tingling as it coursed down his throat was less rejuvenating. It tasted weaker, almost to a sickly state. He was tempted to pull away and demand her to stop visiting him every day, despite the fact that he agreed to drink from her for ten more days. As if sensing his hesitation, Kagome sent a jolt of her reiki through her arm. Fai's body flinched at the holy energy's contact and accidentally bit down harder on the girl's wrist.

"You need to keep drinking, or I'll zap you again" Kagome whispered. The vampire gazed at her with his smoldering golden orb and she smiled comfortingly at him.

Fai withdrew his fangs a moment later and lapped at her wound. He noticed that the wound didn't heal nearly as quickly as the first day he bit her, a fact that worried him just as much as the lack of energy in the blood he consumed. Her daily offerings were undoubtedly taking a toll on her body. Kagome shivered as Fai's tongue stroked her sensitive wrist and she collapsed to her knees. Fai knelt beside her and roughly grasped her shoulders.

"Why are you doing this?" he demanded. Enough with the happy facade, he wanted answers now. "You're killing yourself."

Kagome chuckled and cupped his cheeks in her chilled hands. "The Gods sent me here to save you, remember?"

"You're killing yourself" Fai stated again.

"I can't die from a little blood loss, silly vampire" she teased. Her face neared his own, so he let his eyes flutter shut and his head lower. He felt her lips gently brush the center of his forehead and he couldn't help but smile. This was the only reason he tolerated her insistent pestering. Honestly, the magician was growing extremely attached to the young miko.

"Good night" she whispered, standing up and lowering one of her hands. Fai gazed up at her, entranced by her cerulean irises. Kagome's hand lingered on his cheek as she stepped away, her fingertips skimming the soft skin.

"Good night" Fai breathed. Kagome smiled at him and stepped out of his room, sliding the door shut behind her. He suddenly scowled and ran his graceful fingers through his golden bangs. "Damn. She went around the topic again."

Sakura no shita no yakusoku
"rainen mo koko ni koyou" tte
Nando mo tashikameatta kedo
Ima mo hatasenu mama

"Good morning Fai!" Kagome called, slamming his door open and grinning at the distraught male. "Time for your daily dose of miko blood!"

"Good morning, Kagome" Fai greeted kindly. He plastered a smile on his face as she skipped to his side and held her wrist in front of his mouth. Kurogane watched as the vampire's eyes glanced at the unusually pale skin, both of the men's gazes drawn to the two ugly scabs above her vein. "You haven't healed yet."

Kagome shrugged at his comment and flicked the man's nose. "Hurry up, I'd hate to zap you again. Once you're done I can sleep the rest of the day away and heal."

"You'll die if you keep this up."

"Fai," Kurogane warned, "hurry up and bite the girl so she can rest."

The magician gave a lopsided grin. "Everyone seems to be in on some secret except for me" he mused. "Would you mind filling me in?"

"You'll find out in a few days' time" Kagome responded, waving her pale wrist beneath his nostrils and pressing its surface against his lips. Kurogane fought the urge to roll his eyes at the miko's antics. She hardly acted like the holy women from his home world, and he was positive she would have been ridiculed like no other if the other priestesses saw her little stunts. Her kind was expected to kill anything remotely demonic on sight, yet she was caring for a vampire (granted it was only to turn Fai back into a human, but Kurogane had a feeling that she had had friendly relationships with demonic beings before).

Kurogane watched with wary, crimson eyes as his companion bit into the fragile wrist. He could see the girl's life spilling into Fai's throat and forced himself to stay put. The girl already survived several days of the dangerous bloodletting, she could handle a few more.

Fai's eye suddenly snapped open and he quickly pulled away from the miko in alarm. Kagome gazed at the magician coldly, emotionlessly, and covered the bite. Now, Kurogane wasn't quite sure what was going on between the two, but from the look of the blonde's horrified expression something bad was going to happen, and his gut told him that he didn't want to be in the middle of it all. Silently, he stood and slipped out of the room under the cover of the graceful shadows. His disappearance went largely unnoticed.

They remained silent, Kagome staring at Fai with her emotionless gaze, and Fai staring at Kagome with his eye wide in muted horror. She knew. She knew all along. She knew what she was doing was suicidal, yet continued to let herself deteriorate for him. Kagome could feel a lump rising in her throat at Fai's shattered expression, but she swallowed it down and schooled her face into a cool mask of indifference.

This was for his own good.

"So, you wanted to die?" the blonde whispered, "All this time, you were waiting for a release?"

No! She wanted to scream the word, but her voice wouldn't listen to her. "Amaterasu sent me here so save you. I didn't come here looking for death."

"I don't need saving. I don't need you to save me."

The young miko smiled, finally breaking the aloof facade. She understood his passive language much better than he anticipated. When her mask fell, the tension around them seemed to loosen, as well. "I really am doing this all for you."

"I know."

"Then let me help you."

"You'll die."

"It's my duty, Fai. It's about time that you understand that."

"What part of 'you'll die' do you not understand?" the magician questioned.

Kagome giggled. "Why, the 'die' part, of course. Us holy beings don't pass on that easily."

"Your blood-"

"A little blood loss won't hurt us."

Fai chuckled humorlessly. "I can taste the weakness in your blood, Kagome. I can taste the sickness."

"You probably just tasted a cold that I've been feeling lately."

"I can taste the death."

"Really now?" Kagome hummed, the tips of her mouth quirking upward. Her smiles were usually contagious, but he could not feel the familiar prickles in his muscles that accompanied her smiles today. Not now. She continued to smile that mysterious smile as she looked him over from head to toe, sizing him up the way she had the first day she encountered him.

"What's it taste like?" she inquired.

"Fatigue. Pain."

Kagome shook her head.

"No," she chastised, "you mean it tastes like mortality."

For some strange reason, Fai began to smile.

Kimi to boku to "sakura biyori"
Kaze ni sotto yomigaeru
Kimi mo ima dokoka de miteru no kanaa
Ano hi to onaji momo-iro no sora

He was positive that they would get through this month without any problems. Yes, she looked weak. Yes, he could taste the barest hints of death in her blood. Yes, they still had seven more days before the moon cycle would end and he would be human again, but he was so sure that she would survive. He was determined. The moment he returned to his human form, he would confess to her. He would make sure she knew that he loved her more than anything else in the world, and he would let her rest and recuperate before he started courting her formally.

Fai licked the last drop of blood beading at the small cut on her wrist and sat back to gaze at the amazing, strong woman before him. The more he gazed at her, the more he knew that he wouldn't be able to hold back for much longer. Her cerulean eyes gazed into his own and she smiled.

"What's it taste like?" she inquired. Fai helped her lie back down on her bed, his arm against her back for support.

"Mortality."

Kagome shook her head.

"No," she chastised, a hint of a giggle in her voice.

Fai tilted his head in confusion. Was she pulling some sort of prank on him or something? Slowly, Kagome lifted her hand and placed it on Fai's cheek in a loving caress. He shut his eye and leaned into her soft touch. If only he could stay like this forever, without the fear of either of them dying and fading into nothing.

"It tastes like humanity."

The blonde magician sighed and knelt beside Kagome's bed, a strange smile quirking the corners of his mouth.

"Humanity" he mused.

Kagome nodded. "Yes, humanity."

"Perhaps you should rest, Kagome" Fai suggested, lifting the covers of her bed and draping them over her fragile body. "I think you're going crazy."

A small laugh escaped the young miko's throat before she pouted and poked Fai's cheek with whatever energy and strength she could muster. Then, she gently urged Fai forward and placed the ritual kiss upon his forehead. Though she never told Fai why she did it, the magician knew the reasons behind the action and gladly accepted the kisses. They were a blessing from Amaterasu. Now, they were also a sign of Kagome's affection.

As soon as Kagome had placed the kiss upon his forehead Fai pushed himself farther up her body so he could stare her straight in the eyes. Their noses touched. Kagome could feel Fai's soft breath against her lips. Even in the dim lighting of the morning sun, the magician turned vampire could see the crimson blush contrasting against her pale skin. He held that position for a few moments, unsure of whether or not he should continue, but Kagome's lips closed the distance between them.

That morning Fai thought that his undead heart would burst with joy.

Oikaketa hibi no naka ni
Kizamareta ashiato wa
Nani yori mo kakegae no nai takaramono

After breakfast, Fai dutifully followed Kagome back to her room, and his gut twisted when she stumbled and leaned against the wall to her right for support. Then her feet shuffled for a few moments and she leaned forward dangerously. She was going to fall.

"Kagome!" Fai breathed, lunging and catching her before she could hit the ground. The young woman's skin was horribly clammy and pale, and her rolled from side to side as if she did not have the energy to keep it raised on her own.

Fai gingerly adjusted her in his strong and embrace and lifted her off the ground. He could feel her gasps against his neck and the sweat on her brow against his collarbone, but he knew that he had to bleed her or all of her efforts would have gone to waste. Everything she worked for up until now would have been pointless.

"Fai?" she mumbled. The magician shushed her and opened the door to her room. "Fai, don't forget to drink my blood."

"I know, Kagome" he whispered. "I know."

He laid her on her bed and placed his lips against her wrist, making sure only to scratch it so he would get no more blood than he needed. Even if she wanted him to drink more of her blood, he wouldn't. Right now she needed it more than he did.

Kagome's body trembled as he licked the wound, and Fai immediately stopped. He stood up to leave, but something within his heart told him that he shouldn't. Something within him told him that he had unfinished business with the miko, so although he stood, he made no movement towards the door. Instead, he leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead like she used to do him. Despite the fact that Kagome's eyes were shut, Fai had hoped that she would do something in response to his kiss. A smile, a furrow of her brows, a grunt, anything would have sufficed, but she did nothing.

"I love you, Kagome" he murmured and ran his long fingers through her silky hair. "I love you so much it hurts."

The girl did nothing.

"Please don't leave me" Fai begged, tracing her lips with his thumb.

Just one look at how broken and weak the miko had gotten and Fai knew.

Kagome would die before the end of the month.

Kimi to boku to "sakura biyori"
Kaze ni yurete maimodoru
Tomedonai omoi ga afuredashite
Namida ga komiageta

Fai gazed down at the bedridden miko and wiped the blood from his mouth. Although his eyes were blank and dull, his smile held a softness that Kagome thought she would never see. No longer did fangs poke at his lips. She had succeeded.

Fai was human again.

"What's it taste like?" she inquired. Her voice was weak and hoarse, and that was when the blonde magician realized that there was nothing he could do to keep her from death. The young miko would not want to become a vampire, he was sure of it, in order to stay with him. He knew she would rather die.

"Mortality. Humanity" he finally responded.

Kagome shook her head.

"No," she mused, laughing weakly at Fai's confusion. She pulled him down closer to her bed and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

"You mean it tastes like evanescence. It tastes like Life."

Fai smiled and shut his eyes. Of course. Of course she'd say that.

"I'll be going now." Kagome chuckled and patted his cheek. "Be a good boy for Kurogane, ne?"

Fai licked his lips, savoring the taste of her. She tasted fresh and sweet. "Hai."

As if drifting into a deep sleep, the young miko shut her eyes and smiled contently. Her hand slipped from Fai's grasp and thudded softly against the bed at her side. Fai watched intently as she drew her last breath, his heart clenching painfully in his chest and thumping painfully against his ribcage.

"Good night, Fai" she breathed.

"Good night, Kagome."

And then she was still.

Kimi to boku to "sakura biyori"
Kaze ni yurete maimodoru
Mada minu mirai wo mune ni daite
Miageta saki wa momo-iro no sora

"Fai, it's time to go."

A single cerulean eye looked up through pale blonde bangs to gaze at the young princess beside him. In the open field with nothing else in sight but him and the tomb, everything else felt insignificant. The only things that mattered were Fai, his dead lover, and their doomed love. Sakura lowered her head and stared at her hands as she nervously twiddled her thumbs. Although the magician had regained all his powers and his human state, the brilliant smiles that instantly cheered her no longer existed. They all seemed strangled and fake, as if he were squeezing them out with his last bit of strength.

The smiles made him look so tired.

Someday Fai vowed, running his fingers over the polished tombstone. I will repay you for everything you've done for me.

"Fai?" This time it was the young Syaoran who called.

The blonde man shut his one eye and slowly leaned over to place a chaste kiss on the gray marble. "I promise" he whispered. His voice trembled as he spoke.

As he turned to leave, a single sakura petal fell from the sky and brushed against his lips. Fai watched as it continued to flutter and spiral downwards until it landed in the safety of the tombstone's shadow, a splash of color in a sea of shades. Suddenly, he began to laugh. No matter how hard he tried to stop himself from laughing, he couldn't. Soon enough, the laughs turned into sobs and the diamond-like tears that started to roll down his face would not cease. That day he cried more than enough tears to overflow the galaxy with stars, but even that amount wasn't enough to fill the gaping hole in his heart.

The End

I met you at age 16 and fell into a hundred-year love
under these cherry blossoms that fall slowly

the steep hill I ran through wanting to see you and
our shadows in the corner of the park remains unchanged

you, me, and the cherry blossom weather returns after being swayed by the wind
as if I woke up from a long dream, the sky I looked up at is pink

I loved you, I loved you who created a colorful smile
that soft spot to the right that only I knew about

a promise made beneath the cherry blossom 'let's come here again next year'
we made sure many times but it's still unfulfilled

you, me, and the cherry blossom weather is recreated softly in the wind
are you looking at it from somewhere? that same pink sky from that day

the footsteps left in the days I chased after
are treasures more important than anything else

you, me, and the cherry blossom weather returns after being swayed by the wind
the unstoppable feelings overflow and tears build up

you, me, and the cherry blossom weather returns after being swayed by the wind
with the unseen future held in my chest, I look ahead and see the pink sky