Once upon a time there was a small happy town in a place called Blossom Valley. It was named so because it was surrounded by large grassy fields, prime locations for farmers who needed to sow their seed and feeding grounds for sheep and cattle. In the centre of the alley was a large stream which sustained the people living there. All around the valley grew blossom trees, each so spaced out that their trunks were bent and contorted into interesting pattern like lithe circus performers.

The small town was ruled by a beautiful young Earl and Lady. The Earl was called Syoaran, renowned for his wisdom and kindness, and his pleasant wife and childhood sweetheart was named Lady Sakura. They had several guards, all of whom were led by a brave and stoic warrior called Kurogane. But none of these characters are all that important.

What is important is the huge clock-tower that is situated on the edge of the town.

The clock-tower had existed for as long as anyone could remember, but if they were asked, no one would know who built it or when. It was also oddly disconnected to the town (being situated slightly on its outskirts) despite the fact that the townspeople had designed the style of the town around the simple clock-tower. The people saw it as an integral part of their town and culture and history despite it being shrouded in mystery. No one ever went inside it, no one ever really spoke of it and no one ever researched into it.

It was simply there, overlooking them all.

Therefore, Dear Reader, you will be unsurprised to know that the clock-tower harboured a strange and tragic secret...

Inside, on its highest attic amongst the giant cogs and screws there lived a beautiful fairy. His hair was as light and golden as the rays of the sun and his eyes were as blue as the sky on a clear summer's day.

Every day and every night the fairy danced in a circle, keeping the clock-tower turning and working. He was cursed, he could not break out of his slavery for if he did something terrible happened (but we shall see more of that later).

It was a long and lonely existence. The fairy had cried an awful lot at first, horrified at his curse and his doomed future, but as the centuries passed by he eventually stopped. The monotony of his existence was finally accepted and a sort of ice settled over his heart, blocking off memories of joy and happiness and love and friendship because he knew he wouldn't experience them every again and the memory of them only hurt.

Every day and every night he danced and danced. His feet often bled so the floor was decorated with dried, red footprints. He was too thin but despite never eating he never actually starved; his hunger and thirst, just like the pain in his tired body, were always just on the precipice of being intolerable. However, there was one respite for the fairy. For a few minutes of every hour, the fairy could take a break. He usually took this opportunity to rest his weary feet, but on some days (such as the day this story is based on), he would walk over the great stained glass windows and look out into the Valley.

Today was the Annual Funfair, celebrating the arrival of spring and the Blossom trees coming out in their full bloom. There would be a great parade down the main street which would finish in front of the castle. Then the Earl and Lady would come out, bless the town and the Blossoms and then the whole town would release balloons into the air.

The small Fai loved the celebrations; in fact he loved any celebrations because in his world of loneliness he clung to whatever feeling of Belonging that he could. The clock-tower was part of the town, the celebrations were part of the town and so therefore he was part of the town. He loved the vibrancy, the colour and the life, it reminded him of how he used to be, it gave him back, at least for one day, what he had lost.

The smells of various foods and spices floated up into the air.

Taking his short break the fairy ran to the stained glass windows and opened one up slightly. He smelled the food and felt the soft wind ruffling his hair. It was amazing! Opening his sapphire eyes, he looked down onto the village but to his great shock, down beneath him a pair of deep red eyes looked straight back up.

Quickly, the Fai fell to the ground out of sight shaking; for the first time in centuries, someone had actually seen him!

xxXXxx

Kurogane was an old stick in the mud, or so that was how he was seen by his fellow men. He disliked the pomp and preening and showiness of celebrations. In his mind, the Blessing of the Sakura was one of the worst celebrations. Everyone was so damn happy and that was annoying for two reasons: The one reason, (the reason he always told everyone) was that Kurogane was a man who liked the simple things of life; to fight, to eat and to sleep. That was all. So all this carrying on with dancing and brightness and exuberance simply exhausted him. The second reason, (which he largely kept to himself,) was because it all seemed like a shallow facade to him. Everyone was happy because they were told they had to be happy, that they were meant to be happy, that it was strange not to be happy. Kurogane did not find a desperate willingness to fit in and belong a good pair of reasons to be joyful in the first place. People should choose to be happy, for whatever reason they wish. It shouldn't be put-upon it shouldn't be a demand, it shouldn't be just 'part of the culture.'

But whenever he tried to explain this to others, they never understood what he meant, so in the end he left it and allowed people to think and say whatever they wanted about his actions, hence his reputation of being a 'stick in the mud.'

It was also why he always agreed to work on such days, making sure that people were safe during a time when most people, even the guards, just wanted the day off to party and make merry. Being pretty much the only guard working meant that he had to step back and keep a clear head, so he deliberately removed himself from being a celebrator with the rest. He ostracised himself, and didn't care.

Kurogane always took his job seriously even though there had never been an attack on their little town. He knew every face and knew every name. He made everyone's business his business. So when he looked up at the clock-tower, during one of his sweeps, his heart stopped still and his breathing hitched when he saw the face of either an unknown boy or woman peering down at him.

The face saw him looking and promptly vanished back into the clock-tower, and Kurogane, now re-gaining control of himself, suddenly felt furious. Never had he checked the tower! He had never even thought of making sure people would go into there, strangers or not! How could he have been so stupid?

He began to circle the tower until he found a way in; a tiny little door which had been bordered up rather haphazardly. He ripped off the woods easily, as it was so old it was decayed and weak, before pulling open the door and barely squeezing himself inside.

The stairs spiralled upwards and were exceedingly tight. Kurogane had his sword out and breathed deeply, trying to not let the panic of claustrophobia affect his behaviour or judgment.

The stairs themselves were covered in old dust, which he was now kicking up and it was making him cough. As he wheezed slightly, he couldn't help wondering how long the person had been up here, as the dust was so thick and clearly hadn't been disturbed until now.

Perhaps he hadn't even seen anyone, maybe it had been a trick of the light?

'Well if that's true,' he thought, ploughing up the stairs as lightly as he could to avoid the dust, 'then I will only find out by investigating.'

The guard finally reached the top o the tower and looked around in wonder.

Decorated around the rafters were colourful bits of papers, the remains of old balloons and trails of beads on string. It was the sort of 'treasures' a child would collect; brightly coloured junk reverently hung out as adornment.

The floor was more sinister. Red footsteps pattered the oak wood. He wondered about torture, was someone trapped up here, against their will? Were they being hurt ('of course they are, look at the floor!')? Had someone needed help all this time, and yet he had been too stupid to even notice?

Kurogane's insides burned with shame and self-loathing as he called out, "who is here? I am Kurogane, Head of the Royal Guard! Show yourself!"

Timidly a young blond stepped forward, his eyes wide in shock and fear, his face lightly lined with worry. Kurogane stared at what was the most beautiful person he had ever seen in his life, and Kurogane had been surrounded by beautiful men and women for as long as he could remember. But this man (he realised the blond was a man after a few seconds, noting that the body was long, slender but muscular, and he had a strong jaw line) was far more alluring and fascinating than Sakura or Tomoyo or Yuki or any of the others who he knew.

"Who are you?" He breathed.

The creature put on the most disgusting, fakest smile Kurogane had ever seen, rising himself up in what appeared to be false confidence and suddenly shattering the mirage of exquisite beauty he had naturally radiated before. "I'm a Fai. A fairy. Pleased to meet you!"

Kurogane gaped, suddenly feeling angry and as if he were being tricked, "a fairy? Are you kidding me?"

The creature shook its head, the smile still plastered on his face. It was making Kurogane hate him. "Stop smirking at me!" The guard ordered, "And you're coming back with me to the castle. On our way you will tell me what your name is and how you got here."

"Kuro-grumpy is mean!" Complained the fairy, "and I can't leave this clock-tower. Something dreadful happens if I do."

"I don't scare easily," huffed the Guard, deciding that clearly the young male was an imbecile and himself feeling foolish for being so overcome by his appearance, "and never give me such an idiotic nickname again!"

The Fai smirked mockingly (and with a hint of sadness) as Kurogane marched him down the stairs and to the front door.

"I don't have a name," said the fairy, his heart thumping as he approached the door that led to the outside world. "If I ever had one, I've forgotten it now."

"Don't say strange things," moaned Kurogane, feeling his temper ever rising and the vein in his head pumping wildly. He hadn't time for this kind of nonsense. Kurogane was not good with nonsense, he couldn't deal with it.

They opened the door and stepped outside. Kurogane cursed in shock, the kind of cursing that made the Fai almost laugh because it was so coarse even though what they were seeing was not funny. As soon as they had stepped outside the monotonous tick-tocking of the clock-tower ceased, and so did everything else. The whole world had turned grey and everything was frozen. The people were frozen in place, the wind was not blowing, there was absolutely no sound, no warmth from the sun, everything, absolutely everything was in shades of grey, frozen and silent. Everything but them.

"W-what's happening?" Kurogane cried, understanding what had happened perfectly (common sense dictated that he worked it out) but it was so ludicrous he couldn't accept it.

"Time has stopped," the Fai looked at him, azalea eyes sad and soft, "whenever I tried to leave the clock-tower, this happens. I have to stay in the clock-tower, dancing in a circle, in order to keep time moving." Kurogane glanced down at the Fai's bare feet. They were bloodied and callous.

"What I don't understand," Fai continued, "is why you are with me, unfrozen. That's never happened before...mind you; no one has ever seen or been with me before either!" The fake laugh did not hide the painful loneliness Kurogane could hear in the Fai's voice.

"How long have you been here?"

The Fai shrugged, "as long as I can remember. Forever? I watched this town grow up, starting from a single farmhouse right up to the little Kingdom it is today." His smile widened and grew patronising, "I'm very proud."

Kurogane was a simple, honest man and he could take everything in his stride. "Alright," he sighed, "I believe you. Obviously you need to go back in to the clock-tower." The Fai's jaw tightened slightly as he hardened his resolve and he nodded tersely.

"But you won't be alone anymore," continued Kurogane, revelling in the blonds' surprised expression. It was the most honest facial expression he had seen the blond make so far. "I'm going to visit you every day and I am going to try and break whatever curse you are under."

He stretched out his hand and ruffled the blonds' hair. His breath caught slightly at how soft and silky the curly locks were, "Don't worry, Fai," he breathed trying to not let his emotion show, "we won't allow this continue. I will save you from this fate, somehow. I swear my life upon it."

A.N.- I purposely didn't put Fai in italics when Kurogane says it at the end as Fai's name. Before it was in italics because fai means fairy in French. I got the idea for this short story (it will be about three chapters) from a short animation on youtube called 'Clocktower-Cute Aniboom Animation by Arenyth.' Please check it out, it's around three minutes long, with no dialogue, and is very beautifully animated and is very emotive. I have no beta, so please forgive (and point out) any grammar or spelling errors, and, please, if you like, leave a review :)