Greetings all! Welcome to the latest chapter of "Home"! Be proud of me- I actually got this chapter out in a (for me) timely fashion!! I tried to make this chapter longer and was actually successful- I finally broke the 3000 word barrier! Hurray! I'd like to know everyone's thoughts on chapter length, though- I know some people only like short chappies and some like long ones… Toss it in a review?

Thanks so much to everyone for their wonderful reviews!

Neofeliss: *blush* aww, thanks so much! Glad you're enjoying it so far!

Sakuto15: Haha- thanks! I'm fine and so is my computer (for now… my new kitty actually dumped a glass of water on it yesterday… HPs are apparently built to withstand the hurricane of pets as well!).

Blackrose1993: Glad you're enjoying it! I actually did make up the Devil's Trill… I was loosely basing the shape off of another species of rose, but I came up with the color and stuff myself. I wish it was real…

Yoshikochan: Poor Fai… he's so predictable in his sweetness! I love him!

Rahar Moonfire: I've taken to leaving my inbox opened on my phone so I don't have to wait or be obvious about checking it… heehee Caelia=superdork… (PS- latest chap or Pirate's love? Awesome!! Go read it everyone! Shameless promotion of fellow writer complete.)

Also, thanks to everyone who added me to their alerts! I look forward to hearing from you eventually *hinthint*!

*Warnings for this chapter- not many, aside from some undoubted OOC. Eventually this will actually earn it's 'M' rating.

*Disclaimer: I continue to own nothing.

CHAPTER FOUR: MONSTER!

It was ten days before Fai was due at the castle, although Fai had decided to leave in five days to avoid tardiness. Ashura was still blissfully ignorant of his plans; however, Yuui was beginning to sense that all was not as it seemed with his twin. He began to notice little things- Fai, normally responsible for the majority of household chores, had begun to surreptitiously insinuate comments into their daily conversation that would explained the workings of the house. Projects for which procrastination was Fai's main goal were suddenly completed: the larder was emptied, scrubbed down and restocked with as much food as Fai could reasonably purchase without arousing suspicion. Rugs and curtains were cleaned, year-old mending was completed, Ashura's business documents compiled and neatly organized. Fai even made up what appeared to be a monthly schedule for the next two seasons.

In short, as Yuui had begun to notice, Fai was setting his affairs in order. The rose, atop its perch on the mantel, seemed to shadow the twins' every movement. It was as if the flower had grown its own consciousness to replace its lack of plumage. The petals Fai had painstakingly collected and dried through the use of a small magic. The fragrance had not diminished in the slightest, and Fai hoped that the gentle-yet-heady scent would remind his family of him after he had left.

Yuui could hardly stand the false smile that now seemed ever-present on his brother's face.

**********

The eve before his secretly plotted departure, it was all Fai could do to keep from giving himself away. Even the oblivious Ashura noticed the changes in the atmosphere…

Fai prepared a marvelous supper, even managing to secure a few luxury items to accentuate the main course. He wondered if he'd ever be able to cook again after he left. He guessed that it was unlikely… there were probably no stoves in the dungeon where he was sure to be kept. Little was said at the dinner table that night. The melancholy that permeated the air was too thick to break. They each excused themselves and retired early to bed.

Bidding his brother goodnight, Fai curled up on his side- feigning sleep until he heard Yuui's light snore. He silently slipped out of bed. He had made sure to place his travel clothing nearby… it wouldn't do for him to wake Yuui by rummaging through the closet. Changing quickly, Fai pulled three letters from beneath the mattress. By the time Yuui found them, it would be too late to stop him. He had not originally intended to write letters, but he found that he could not bear to leave without expressing a heartfelt, albeit belated, farewell. Ashura's letter was primarily for reassurance. Ashura was certain to fall back on his even temper- he knew he has raised his twin boys to think and be independent. The second letter, to Madame LaFoe, expressed his gratitude for all she had taught him about horticulture and for lending him her sympathetic ear when he had a dilemma that surpassed the capabilities of his family to comprehend. The third and undeniably bulkiest letter was, of course to Yuui and Ashura. There was much that needed to be said. His was understandably the most difficult to write and was stained and spattered with tears in several places. The mere thought of leaving Yuui behind this evening was very nearly too much to bear…

Fai slipped on his travel pack, prepared two days ago and hidden beneath the floorboards in the bedroom, and walked decisively toward the door- steadfastly ignoring the tears that threatened to overwhelm him. He could not contain the small backward glance cast at his brother's sleeping form, nor the whisper forced past the lump of emotion in his throat…

"Be well, brother… wind to thy wings."

**********

Not knowing the exact route Yuui had taken, Fai rode directly out into the forest- allowing his mare, Chi, to take whichever route she chose. After all, the beast had said that all he had to do was get lost. That shouldn't be a problem, Fai thought amusedly. He only hoped that he didn't need to be lost for too long… it was cold.

He rode at a brisk pace for several hours before deciding to search for a suitable campsite. His sleepless night was beginning to take its toll on him as he searched, and there were blisters in… places… from riding for so long. That was something I did NOT expect… I thought for sure I rode enough daily to save myself from saddle sores! Judging by the position of the moon, it was a couple of hours past midnight. The sky, however, was beginning to cloud over, bringing with it the promise of snow and drastically colder temperatures. Yes- it was time to stop.

An hour later a brisk wind had blown in from the north, carrying the anticipated storm with it. Visibility had been reduced to nothing, and Fai had dismounted to spare his mare. They both trudged through the already high snow, faces downcast, so it was of little surprise when they nearly walked into the vast gates of the castle. Yuui had not been exaggerating- the castle was humongous. However, all Fai could think about in his misery was that there was green grass on the other side of those gates and grass didn't grow without warmth. Never mind that he had reached the castle in a night when it had taken Yuui days, never mind that he had arrived at the placed of his supposed doom… there was warmth on the other side of those iron bars. That made them no longer a prison, but an oasis.

The wrought-iron structure swung open at a touch and closed silently behind him. Fai spent several moments leaning into Chi, catching his breath. Eventually straightening up, he gazed at the castle through the darkness. It seemed to be alight with its own radiance and cast a glow bright enough to see by into the surrounding gardens. Even faced with such an incredible edifice and situation, Fai could not help but wonder what the gardens would look like in the light of day. He wondered if this beast would be kind enough to allow him to live to see them. He'd much rather perish in the sun's warmth…

To his right he noticed another building. It was large, but dwarfed by the castle itself. Heading toward it, Fai discovered the stables. He led Chi warily into the darkened structure, only to have several torches spring to life of their own accord upon his entrance. Powerful magic is at work here… No other livestock occupied the stables, although there was fresh straw in several stalls and a large barrel of oats near the door. For a moment Fai considered leading Chi back to the gates and releasing her into the woods- if there were no horses here it stood to reason that there were no stable hands here, and Fai could not bear the thought of his precious Chi left to rot once he was gone. He realized, however, that she would fare no better, and perhaps far worse, in the wintry woods outside the protection of the castle. I can always try to plead with this beast for her release or safekeeping. And so he installed her in the nearest pen and provided her with a fresh grain ration and a skein of water. Her tack, which he had removed immediately upon settling her into the loose box, had mysteriously vanished before he could clean it. He searched the other stalls and even poked around some of the straw with a handy pitchfork, but the tack was nowhere to be found. Glancing around warily, he spotted a currycomb and proceeded to groom his little mare until she gleamed with cleanliness. After all, for all he knew it would be his last time cleaning her. He stroked her head and was rewarded with a soft nuzzle in return before he bid her farewell, leaving the stable and heading for the massive castle.

He started toward the huge double doors, intending to knock loudly- surely a palace such as this would have a night doorman… the right-hand door swung open before he could even touch it. There was no doorman.

"Hello?" Fai called tentatively. There was no answer. In fact, from what Fai had seen so far, the gardens appeared to be the only living things in or around the castle at all. As no response was forthcoming, Fai took the opportunity to examine his surroundings. He was standing in a grand entryway which boasted several small halls and two large halls leading into places unknown. The large halls were to either side of a magnificent staircase that ascended at least 30 feet before leveling off and creating a high balcony to rim the entrance. As Fai took in the surrounding splendor, he noticed that small sconces were lighting themselves down one of the tiny hallways. Having nowhere else to go, he followed.

The mysterious sconces continued to spring to life of their own volition, leading Fai along until he was hopelessly lost. He had made many turns and gone through many doors, even passing through a couple of common areas before the lights lit either side of a door at the very end of a hallway. An ornately carved plaque on the door contained an inscription: "Fai's Room".

**********

It was decadent. It was sumptuous. It was probably bigger than Fai's entire house and large enough to make him feel small and insignificant. It was a prison.

Fai's small travel pack hit the floor with a dull thud as he dropped it next to the door. Fai glanced around the room in a vain attempt to absorb it all. The obvious central focus of the room was the massive canopied bed. It was so tall that it took a four-step set of stairs to reach the mattress. Folded atop the pillow was a piece of navy blue cloth which, upon closer inspection revealed a set of loose sleeping trousers. Fai couldn't remember the last time he had slept in anything other than wool piled beneath layers of down comforters.

A large dressing table and wardrobe adorned another corner. The beautiful mahogany was carved into a recurring theme present throughout the entire room- roses. There were roses carved into sweeping vines along the bed's canopy. Roses woven into the plush carpet gave the impression that real ones had been tossed down to light Fai's path. Roses were etched into a pattern across a massive bookcase and a small nightstand, and semi-precious insets of stones set into a marble seat along a large bay window were arranged into the pattern of roses.

It was beautiful, and Fai wanted more than anything to go home to his tiny, bland room- that little room where he had played as a child. He missed that room where he had sat vigil at Yuui's side when he came down with winter fever, only to contract it himself. That little room where Fai had curled contentedly against Ashura's side as he told the twins stories about princes, and monsters, and castles just like this one. Fai had secretly coveted the idea of someday living in one of these castles, and yes… although he kept it to himself, he'd always dreamt of meeting that handsome prince.

As the realization of how far he had strayed from home finally hit, he didn't even try to stop the tears. There was no one here to see him.

Poor thing… I hope he gets at least a little sleep…

**********

The warmth of the sunlight on his skin woke him from a fitful slumber and dreams of a strange faceless voice. Fai had never woken to warmth in the cold climate of Seresu… Yuui must have covered him over with another blanket and reheated the hot rocks for him. Fai opened his eyes.

Oh….

The rush of homesickness robbed him of breath as the intensity of the previous day hit him full-force. It was several minutes before he thought he could bear to get out of bed. He did, however, steel himself for a new day. With the thought of Yuui fresh in his mind, he realized that Yuui would never allow him to wallow in self-pity… after all, he made the choice to come here on his own. Reap what I sow for myself, right Yuui? And do it with a smile- no matter the circumstance. With a somewhat stronger resolve, Fai hopped out of bed…

Only to land on his rump as the height of the bed made itself known. An involuntary giggle burst forth from his lips. Glad there was no one around to see that!

This led to the inevitable train of thought that Fai had not seen a single living person since he had arrived. He was beginning to wonder whether or not this monster of a man even truly existed, and he would have already discounted Yuui's encounter if not for the obvious effluence of magic permeating the very air of the castle. As he dusted himself off, he noticed that a platter had been placed on the dressing table. All other concerns vanished as Fai's stomach complained bitterly that it had not eaten since his early dinner last night. Lifting the cover off of the dish, Fai found a lovely fruit pastry and tea. It was the perfect amount for his hungry tummy, and Fai wasted no time in deliberation. It was delicious.

By the time Fai turned from his meal, a fresh set of clothes had been set out on the bed. However, they were not the clothes from his travel pack, which had mysteriously disappeared. The clothes were lovely, a white tunic with navy and silver brocade, and dark leggings would tuck into soft calfskin boots that would reach above the knee and were dyed to match. Fai eyed the clothes with a measure of unease- they were far finer than anything he owned. Although I suppose that wearing my old homespun trousers in such a lavish atmosphere wouldn't exactly be proper…

Dressing in such fancy clothes and being surrounded by such sumptuous surroundings was almost enough to drive Fai's homesickness to the back of his mind. Almost. The outfit was quite attractive, but Fai knew there was one important piece of himself missing. He searched through the wardrobe, hunting for his travel pack, but to no avail. He searched through all the drawers in the dressing table and chest of drawers and still found nothing. He was beginning to grow rather distressed when a thought came to him. This castle seems to know what I'll need before I do, but perhaps it needs a little nudge now and again… can it listen? Fai voiced his concerns aloud, "Um… pardon me, but I'd very much like to find my travel pack. You have been more than generous thus far, however there is something inside my pack that I need…" He trailed off, sensing no change in the mood of the room. Sighing dispiritedly, Fai turned back to the bed.

A flash of brown out of the corner of his eye drew his attention to the window seat. His pack rested atop the bench. The smile returned as he headed over. He only needed one thing out of a side pocket. He pulled out his memento and fastened it around his neck.

Garnering his courage, he strode purposefully across the room and opened the door- now he was ready to face a beast.

**********

Fai followed the self-lighting lamps back through the winding halls, examining his surroundings as he went with a clear mind. So fogged was he the previous night, he remembered little after caring for Chi except his own weary desolation. Now he was able to truly look at the castle. Plush velvet carpeting lined his path in rich violet, preventing the chill of the marble floors from seeping into his boots and feet. Each stone of the palace appeared to have been hand-placed, for there was not a single misaligned stone in any of the walls- giving them a smooth appearance that belied their actual texture. Even in the daylight, from the vaulted ceilings to the magnificent tapestries hanging from the walls, the castle was thoroughly intimidating. If the master is anything like his castle, I'd best be on my guard…

The lamps led him back to the receiving hall and from there into a large corridor that ended in a set of intricately carved and undeniably heavy set of wooden doors. A large crest was split directly down the center- half on each door. Despite their looks, the doors opened at a feather's touch from Fai on their polished silver handles.

This was the throne room, as was evidenced by the massive raised dais that held an equally massive silver throne beneath another replica (this time in a huge tapestry hanging from the ceiling) of the same royal crest on the doors. The room was dark; heavy draperies were pulled tight across the room's many windows. A few large torches cast an eerie glow into the room, obliterating detail with their shadows. Fai cautiously stepped forward, knowing the dreaded beast must be seated on the throne but unable to see him in the failing light. He couldn't keep his eyes focused on his goal; the oppressive sense of "something there" kept him constantly glancing about in a search for other dangers. I suppose if he had planned on killing me outright he would have done so last night…

After what seemed like an eternity, he could just make out the figure atop the throne. He stopped here, unwilling to move closer, fearful of seeing more detail. What he could see of the beast was already frightening enough. To Fai, the beast seemed like a great shadow. He sat sideways in the throne, one leg thrown across the arm of the shining chair and one on the floor. His right arm rested on the opposite arm of the throne, casually holding himself upright, and his left…

Fai caught the glimpse of dull metal protruding from the darkness. At first glance he thought it was the beast's sword, but a flare from the nearest torch revealed that the brightly burnished sword was held in the grip of that dull metal… the beast's hand.

Kneeling, Fai tried to recall what little he had learned from Madame LaFoe concerning courtly graces. He bowed his head, hiding his face behind his hair, and spoke softly, "Good morning, Your Majesty."

A coarse laugh issued forth from the shadows, and the figure rose, climbing down from the dais and heading toward Fai. Fai tried not to cringe as the beast drew closer. From his position on the floor, the beast towered over Fai. He stole a glance from beneath his curtain of hair as another torch flared in response to the movement. The beast was truly a frightening creature; there could be no doubt about that. Dressed entirely in unadorned black, the only color he wore was in the crimson of his eyes. What might have been a pleasant countenance to gaze upon, once upon a time, was practically disfigured by the intensity of the permanent scowl upon it. His body was heavily muscled and obviously strong, but Fai's gaze could not help but be drawn to that left arm… it was as if the skin had been peeled off to reveal a muscle of pure iron, pocked and infected with rust. Traceries of steel veins ran the length of it, disappearing into the rolled cuff of the beast's tunic. Ending the arm was a hand of the same substance… and in that hand was a sword. Fai couldn't keep from scuttling backwards, landing unceremoniously on his rear, as that sword reached toward his face. He clenched his eyes shut and tucked his chin. I guess I was wrong… he really is going to kill me. He bit his lip to keep from crying out and waited for the blow to fall.

He felt the cold steel against his chin, but it was not what he had expected. The blade did not bite his flesh, but the flat of the blade lifted his face toward that of the beast. His eyes popped open in surprise and he gazed into the murky depths of crimson. A deep baritone issued forth from the beast's lips, "There is no 'majesty' in this cursed place. You may call me 'Kurogane.'"