Title: The Prince and the Komodo Dragon
Sequel to: Ueda and The Little Black Puppy
Author: Kyoko_godaikun
Rating: PG
Genre: Strange/crack
Pairing: Ryo/Ohkura
Summary: Ryo is a Komodo dragon; he is alone in a zoo. He only has one visitor. But what will Ryo do when he finds that the one he’s fallen for has been paid to take care of him?

*************

Life as a Komodo dragon sucked. It really did. Nishikido Ryo’s whole life consisted of living at a zoo. What was fun about that? He had been classified as a new species, a pigmy Komodo dragon. Because of that, he didn't have to share a cage. He was put in a special one; of course they didn't call it a cage. It was a living environment. Just grass and some sand.

The zoo keepers would throw dead things at him. Mostly chickens and such. He didn't like eating it, but he didn't get a choice. He had found out that when Komodo dragons were very hungry they would eat anything.

At first he hated Ueda Tatsuya. For giving up the dark side, to picking white magic. But what happened to Nishikido Ryo wasn't exactly good magic.

It wasn't like he would ever become human again. Ryo burned so many bridges that he knew that hardly anyone really could stand him.

Gackt had come once to gloat. Told him it served him right. He had warned Ryo to stay away from Ueda, but he hadn't listened, and this was his punishment.

Ryo knew he had to find someone to love him for the curse to be removed. But how could anyone love someone as unpleasant as him?

Ryo had visitors, old friends who wanted to make fun of him. The word had gotten out about his being turned into a dragon. Everyone thought it was funny.

But one friend came often. He would stand watching him, sometimes even talking to him. A gentle kind soul. Ryo looked forwards to Ohkura's visits. He was the only one who was nice to him. Little by little Ryo's evil heart began to melt just a bit.

"Hi Ryo, it's me again." Ohkura came into sight. He knelt down so that Ryo could see him. "I have been sent to take care of you."

"You might not want to get too close," A zookeeper told Ohkura. "He's very dangerous."

"Don't worry; I'm used to his temper." Ohkura reassured.

"If something happens to you, it will be your own fault." The zoo keeper left.

"You won't kill me, will you?" Ohkura asked gently.

"What do you think?" Ryo wanted to tell him. He was a tiny komodo dragon, what on earth could he do?

"You have to eat," Ohkura told him. He pushed a banana through the bars.

Komodo dragons weren't supposed to like bananas, but Ryo did. He hated the food that his body craved. So he lived off the treats that his friend Ohkura brought him.

*******************

Ohkura visited Ryo almost every day. Even going the expense of buying a zoo pass. He would visit the zoo at strange hours sometimes, because of work, he wasn't always there early. But he did visit, and Ryo began to look forwards to those visits.

"Hello Ryo," The voice came. The familiar voice. The voice that made Ryo's heart flip just a little bit.

Ryo moved closer to the voice. Most scientists believed dragons to be deaf, but no one had told Ryo that.

"How are you today?" The voice asked.

Ryo moved so that he was standing close to Ohkura. Only a fence separated him.

"I see you've been growing." Ohkura told him.

"Growing?" Ryo thought, since he couldn't talk. No one could hear his thoughts.

Ohkura smiled at him. "Yes, growing. That's a good thing isn't it?"

"You can hear my thoughts?" Ryo asked.

"Yes, I can." Ohkura's smiled grew wider.

"You're not afraid of me?"

"A bit," Ohkura admitted.

"Good," Ryo smiled, as well as a dragon could smile. He felt good that his friend was a bit afraid of him. It meant that Ryo still had a bit of evil inside of him.

*******************

At first Ohkura's visits had been an assignment, Taguchi Junnosuke had paid Ohkura money to look after Ryo. Basically to make sure he didn't run away.

Ohkura began to visit. Soon those visits happened every day. Ohkura didn't go because he was paid; he went because he wanted to.

He would visit Ryo and bring him fruit. They talked about the group, how Ohkura hated him being gone. Ryo still had his acid tongue, but he had mellowed as a dragon.

Ohkura began to fall in love with Ryo. He didnt' tell Ryo, it was silly to fall in love with a komodo dragon, but he wasn't falling in love with the dragon, but what was inside of him. A man of both evil and gentleness. One of the most complex men Ohkura had ever met.

"Hi Ryo," Ohkura walked up to the cage. He sat down near the fence.

Ryo shuffled up to the fence. He had been growing. Ohkura didn't understand how that could be happening. Transformation spells didn't usually make the creature grow.

"Nice day today," Ryo told him telepathically.

"Yeah, it's going to be a good day." Ohkura agreed. "So what's new with you?"

"The zoo keepers have been trying to breed me." Ryo told him.

"Breed you?" Ohkura felt a pang of jealousy.

"Problem is; I don't get off on dragons, so I think they've given up."

"Dragons not your type?" his friend gave a half-smile.

"Of course not." Ryo told him. "Besides, I'm gay. So I wouldn't be able to breed anyway."

"What do you think about fairies?" Ohkura asked.

"What do you mean?" Ryo didnt' understand why Ohkura was suddenly talking about fairies.

"I mean, could you date one?"

"Male or female?"

"Male of course,"

"Yeah, I could." Ryo admitted. "I've wanted to do it floating in the air."

Ohkura wanted to point out that Fairies didn't float, they flew. But he didn't want another argument with Ryo. So instead, he took a piece of fruit out of the basket, and pushed it through the bars.

Ryo picked up the fruit in his mouth, and swallowed it in one gulp. "Thanks for bringing the fruit."

"Anytime," Ohkura told him.

Ohkura stayed at the zoo for over an hour, feeding Ryo fruit and talking to him. Ohkura knew that just one kiss from him, and Ryo would be back to his normal self. Ohkura just wanted to make sure that Ryo had changed before that happened.

**************

Komodo dragons aren't supposed to like fruit, that's what the zoo keepers told him. But Ryo still loved it. Ohkura would bring him some as a treat. Ryo found himself falling for his friend. Ryo also knew that the love would be one side, after all who could love a dragon?

Ryo kept telling himself that Ohkura only visited because he was a friend. The visits almost every morning. Ryo talked to Ohkura a lot. With a wave of his hand, he would make the zoo patrons go somewhere away from Ryo so that they could have quality time.

"So you're a witch?" Ryo guessed.

"No, I'm not a witch." Ohkura denied.

"But you do magic." Ryo pointed out.

"Lots of creatures can do magic, not just witches, and not just humans."' Suddenly Ohkura looked unearthly.

"You're not human," Ryo realized. "What would you do if I told everyone?"

"Who would listen to you?" Ohkura smiled. "You can't talk."

"What are you then?"

"A fairy."

"I thought fairies were small and little like Tinkerbelle." Ryo rolled his eyes.

"Give me a break," Ohkura groaned. "Let me guess, you're one of those evil sorcerers that hate fairies."

'Fairies are weird."

"So is a telepathing dragon!" Ohkura told him.

"You're highness, still talking to that lizard?" Maruyama came into view.

"He's not a lizard, he's a dragon." Okura countered.

"Why is he calling you your highness?" Ryo demanded.

"Who is that?" Maruyama asked.

"You remember Ryo," Ohkura said with a flick of his wrist.

"So why is a prince talking to a dragon?" Maruyama demanded.

Ohkura grabbed Maruyama's shirt and pulled him away from Ryo. "He's not supposed to know I'm a prince!"

"But why?"

"Cause he'll try and get me to kiss him!" Ohkura said frantically.

"I thought that was only with princesses and frogs," Maruyama pointed out.

"Well, it works for princes and dragons too!" Ohkura sighed. "I know I was ordered to do it, but not yet."

So that was it, the reason Ohkura was visiting. He didn't really care for Ryo; it was just an assignment to him. He felt tears sting his dragon eyes.

****************

After Ohkura got Maruyama to leave, Ryo decided that it had to end. He was fed up with being just a pity case. The pain in his heart made Ryo want to lash out at his friend. To hurt Ohkura the way that Ohkura had hurt him.

"You don't have to visit me anymore," Ryo told Ohkura.

"You don't like my visits?" Ohkura asked.

"I heard what you told Maruyama." Ryo admitted. 'That you're only here because someone paid you to visit me."

"At first yes, but...."

'Get out!" Ryo told him. "Leave me alone! I don't need you! I hate you!"

"Fine, be that way." Instead of leaving, Ohkura sat down on the ground.

"Why won't you leave?" Ryo asked.

"I paid good money to see a komodo dragon!" Ohkura snapped. He took the fruit he brought and shoved it through the bars.

"Why do you keep bringing me fruit?" Ryo demanded.

"Because you like it, you spoilt brat!"

"Why the hell do you care about what I want to eat?" Ryo demanded. "It's not like you really like me."

"Who says I don't really like you?"

"I for one don't like you!" Ryo snapped. "In fact, I hate you!"

"You hate me?" Ohkura looked heart broken. "You can't really mean it."

"Go to hell Ohkura." Ryo said with a sneer of his lip. "Get the fuck out before I eat you!"

Ohkura flinched, and then he turned and walked away, without saying anything to Ryo.

Ryo could only watch his friend leave. His heart hurting because the man he had fallen in love with had only visited because he had been paid to. There were no real feelings from Ohkura. But why did Ohkura keep wiping his face? And why did Ohkura look back to him one last time.

"Sayonara Ryo," Ohkura telepathed. Then like that, Ohkura was gone, almost as if he had never been there.

Ryo was left alone in his cage. If komodo dragons could cry, he would have. It hurt to see the only one that Ryo had ever loved simply walk out of his life. But Ohkura was gone, and Ryo would live as a dragon, forever.

 

****************************

***********

Ryo wasn't too sure how long he was a komodo dragon just that he was. He hadn't seen Ohkura since the day he had sent him away. So Ryo was alone. No one cared for him, no one loved him.

Sometimes when Ryo slept he could feel gentle fingers caressed him. Making his dreams better, taking away his pain. . But how could anyone touch something as hideous as a komodo dragon?

Finally Ryo saw what was visiting him. It was a creature, as beautiful as Ryo was ugly. One that was strong and masculine, but at the same time, gentle as the morning sun. With skin of silver, wings of gold. One that told him he loved him, but then tried to make him forget. So Ryo had forgotten the words, but not the creature.

"Ryo-Chan," The creature called.

Ryo opened his eyes. "What do you want?"

"I'm here to visit." for the first time, Ryo realized that this creature looked like his friend Ohkura.

"Did anyone tell you that you look like Ohkura?" Ryo asked.

"Ohkura?" The creature repeated as if he had never heard the name before.

"My friend," Ryo telepathed. "At least I thought he was my friend, but he was like all the rest."

"All the rest?"

"You're too beautiful to know what it's like...." Ryo looked away from the fairy.

"What do you mean?" The fairy asked.

"I don't have any real friends," Ryo admitted. "I drive them away with the things I say to them."

"Why do you say those things?"

"It's to protect myself." Ryo told him. "I have to hurt them before they hurt me."

"That isn't good." The fairy agreed.

"But I'm not good, I am evil." Ryo pointed out.

The creature turned, as if he was startled.

"There are humans coming. I must go."

"Will I see you again?" Ryo asked.

"Of course, that's what friends are for." The creatures smiled at him, then flew off to the night sky.

**************

Ryo was an unloved creature. Having been turned into a Komodo dragon by an ex-lover.

A zoo keeper had come into his cage. He had manhandled Ryo, poking him with a knife.

"See, he bleeds just like the other dragons!" The man said gleefully.

Another stab and Ryo could feel more blood pouring down him.

Ryo lashed out at the zoo keeper, biting him, letting the venom from his teeth sink into his skin.

Everything had happened in a rush after that, he had been removed from his special cage, and put with the rest of the komodo dragons.

The rest of the Komodo dragons did not like the intrusion of Ryo, and had fought him. Ryo was able to hold his own, but he had been hurt yet again.

*********

Ryo lay curled up in a corner of the cage. The rest of the dragons were sleeping. He wasn't sure he could sleep yet. He had to keep his guard up.

"Ryo, are you in here?" The voice asked.

"Yes, I am." Ryo telepathed.

The beautiful creature flew from dragon to dragon, looking for Ryo. The fairy looked just like an angel, unworldly, handsome.

Finally, he knelt beside Ryo.

"It's not safe for you to be here," Ryo couldn’t' keep the concern out of his voice. "The other dragons might hurt you."

"Don't worry; I can take care of them." The fairy closed his eyes and said a spell. When he opened his eyes, they glowed strangely unearthly silver. "No harm will come to us."

'Thank you,"

"You are hurt," the fairy reached out, touching Ryo's hurt skin. Ryo snapped at him. "But still have fire inside you."

"I was stabbed by a zoo keeper." Ryo tried to explain.

"Yes, I heard." The fairy told him. "I also heard that you bit him in self-defense."

"He was going to kill me,"

"I will heal your wounds." The fairy chanted a spell over Ryo.

Ryo could feel the wound healing up. He suddenly felt stronger, as if he could fight off the other dragons.

"Why do you visit me?" Ryo asked.

"Fairies and dragons have a close tie." The fairy told him. "In ancient times, you were my husband"

"What do you mean, I was your husband?" Ryo couldn't believe his ears.

"Fairy's have a much longer life span then humans. I am not really twenty-one; I am three thousand years old."

"Three thousand years old." Ryo repeated.

"I fell in love with a human prince a very, very long time ago." the fairy told him. "Time after time he is reborn, every time I find him. Sometimes he doesn't want to be near me, but this time is the worst."

"Why is that?"

"He can't remember me." The fairy looked close to tears. "Our love has given us strength for thousands of years, but this time, he only looks at me with hatred in his eyes."

"I'm sorry," Ryo told the fairy. "Is there any way you could help him remember?"

"I'm not sure he would want to remember."

"Perhaps if he did remember, it would change him."

"Oh Ryo, if only." A silver tear ran down his cheek. "You promised me that you would never forget."

"I'm the one that you loved." Ryo realized.

"If I unlocked the door in your soul that keeps you from remembering, that perhaps you would change."

"Why would you do this?" Ryo asked. "What difference could it make?"

"It might make all the difference in the world." The fairy reached out, touching Ryo. "Now sleep my love."

******************

While Ryo was sleeping, the memories in Ryo woke. He began to remember a past life, a life in a kingdom far away in the past. A time where humans and magical creatures lived together in peace and friendship.

The prince of the fairy kingdom was visiting an imperial court. The whole court was talking about him. He had been sent to the human kingdom to find a wife. That wife would have eternal life.

Prince Ryo had snuck a peek at the fairy prince. His skin light silver, his wings made of gold. He was dressed in the finest silks, and he wore a silver crown on his head.

Ryo was a prince in the court, one of the younger sons of the King. He watched from afar the goings on with the fairy prince. Since he was only the king's seventh son, He had been raised to be a husband for some princess far away.

"Who is this?' The Fairy prince said as his eyes settled on Ryo.

"That's just Ryo, my youngest son." the king said dismissively.

"What skills does the prince have?" The fairy prince asked.

"He's been raised to be a political marriage." The king told him. "He has been taught the skills of fighting and language."

"Has he been betrothed yet?"

"No, we can find no kingdom that needs a prince with an acid tongue."

"I would like to meet him."

"Your Highness?" The king couldn't believe his ears.

"I would like to meet this prince with the acid tongue." The fairy said gently. "Please."

The king took the fairy prince to the area that Ryo was working at. "This is my seventh son, Ryo."

Ryo got to his feet. "I am please to meet you."

"This is Prince Ohkura from the Fairy kingdom." His father introduced. "He is here to meet your sisters, to find a wife."

***************

Ryo loved the handsome fairy prince from the moment his eyes set upon him. They seemed to have so much in common, enjoying the same games. Their love of swordsmanship. They spent long hours talking to one another.

Then the day came, when the Fairy Prince told Ryo he loved him. Ryo confessed that he loved the fairy prince too.

They were true soul mates, one lover complementing the other.

Finally the day came when the King asked the fairy prince to pick one of his daughters to be his wife.

"I would like to pick Ryo as my spouse." the prince asked.

"He is male, you cannot marry a man." The king said dismissively.

"In my kingdom we can." Ohkura told him. "I refuse the hand of any of your daughters. There is only one I want to marry, and that's Prince Ryo."

****************

The memories of the past helped Ryo heal. To let him know that there had once been a time when Ryo was loved by everyone. The memories changed Ryo. His heart went from pure black, to grey. He would never be totally good, but he was strengthened by the love of someone, even if that person's love was in his past.

Ryo knew that Ohkura wouldn't ever come back. He knew he wouldn't in the same situation. Of course, Ryo wasn't some kind of fairy prince, and Ohkura wasn't a dragon. Ryo was simply an evil sorcerer who had come from a line of evil sorcerers. But there was something more, something much more. Someone who had loved him over the centuries.

As time passed, Ryo realized he really hated being a dragon, but he deserved it. He had been mean and cruel to Junno just to get back at Ueda. He resigned himself to always being a dragon. Though he couldn't figure out why he kept growing.

"I wish I could take it back," Ryo kept chanting to himself. He knew his wish wouldn’t' matter. Ohkura didnt' really care for him. All he was a job and that hurt. It was no longer the past, Ryo wasn't the prince of some kingdom. Though Ohkura was still a prince, he didn't love Ryo.

Ryo had been increasing in size. Now he was as large as a normal komodo dragon. Why was Ryo growing? A person only grew under a transformation spell if someone loved him. But who could love Ryo? He was unlovable. Even his mother hadn't loved him.

Ryo dreamt a lot about Ohkura. The gentle, shy drummer. The one that had been kind enough to bring him fruit. He dreamed that the visits hadn't been because he was hired, but because Ohkura really loved him. He also dreamed of their past life, when they lived a long life loving each other. But every time he woke up he found himself a komodo dragon.

Ryo had fallen in love for the first time, head over heels in love, with a man who had been hired to care for him.

Two weeks passed. Suddenly he saw him, the visitor. Ryo's heart leapt into his mouth. It was Ohkura in human form. He wasn't holding a basket of fruit, or even really looked at him. Instead, Ohkura stood a few meters away from him.

Still, Ryo trotted up to the fence. He was surprised when Ohkura stepped back away from him unconsciously.

"I came to tell you that I'll never visit you again," Ohkura told him.

Ryo didn't answer, just stood there, feeling his heart break for the first time.

"Aren't you going to say something to me?" Ohkura demanded.

"What's there to say?" Ryo telepathed.

"You could beg me not to stop visiting you." he pointed out.

"I could, but that would be selfish of me." Ryo told him. "I want your happiness."

"Why would you want my happiness?" Ohkura asked. "Why does how I feel suddenly matter to you? You told me you hated me."

"I got mad at you because I was lead to believe something that wasn't true." Ryo didn't really answer the question. "That lie gave me the thought that for the first time, the very first time......"

"For the first time what?"

"It no longer matters." Ryo said sadly. "The past is the past. In this life, we are different people. My wonderful, loving prince was something I had in the past. My feelings now no longer matter."

"It matters to me." Ohkura knelt beside the cage. "Please Ryo, tell me."

"For the first time in this life time I fell in love." Ryo admitted. "But then I heard that the one I fell in love with, was paid to take care of me. That my hope, my feelings were really a lie."

"No my love, your feelings aren't a lie."' Suddenly, Ohkura was in the dragon cage. A very dangerous place to be. Ryo had bitten zoo keepers in the past. Ohkura knelt in front of Ryo. "Do you really feel this way towards me?"

"You mean do I love you?" When Ohkura nodded. "Yes, I do."

"I love you too,"

"You were paid to take care of me." Ryo reminded him.

"At first," Ohkura admitted. "But after the third visit, I returned the money. I decided to see you because I wanted to. Because you are my Prince Ryo, the man I promised to love forever."

"I'm glad." Ryo told him.

Ohkura reached out, stroking Ryo's snout. Petting him, the way someone would pet a dog. Then he kissed Ryo very gently on the snout.

Ryo felt himself turning into human. He could hear the sounds of the other dragons taking an interest in the two humans in the cage.

Then he felt Ohkura take him into his arms. "Don't worry; I'll get us out of here."

Suddenly they were flying. Ryo holding tightly to Ohkura. He glanced up to Ohkura, as a fairy his friend was beyond beautiful. His skin light silver. This creature, this wonderful good creature had saved him from being a dragon.

For the first time, Ryo realized that the beautiful creature from his visits, the one that had helped him remember the past was Ohkura. His friend, someone who was more to him then anything. For Ohkura was Ryo's soul mate.

 

********************

 

********************

Ryo held onto Ohkura as they flew to his home. He wasn't afraid of heights, but being so far up was scary.

Ohkura finally landed at a palace that looked very familiar to Ryo. It was like a large summer house, with French windows, it's full of light. He had been at this palace before, but he couldn't remember when.

Then Ryo remembered the Land of the Fairies series of books. They had been read to him by his mother. They had told about the land of fairies. This place was so much like those books. The wonderful peaceful place that had become familiar to readers world wide. He realized he had never been here before, just had memories from the books.

Ohkura set him on a bed. Ryo looked around, the room seems familiar to him, and there is an illustration that was used for the cover of the first fairy book hanging on a wall.

"What is this place?" Ryo asks.

"My father's palace." Ohkura explained.

"Are we on earth?"

"Of course we are." Ohkura tells him. "This is the Kingdom of the fairies. Regular humans can't see this place."

"Then why can I?"

"You're special." Ohkura suddenly looked very sad.

"But the books," Ryo looked around the place. "The books were so much like the real place."

"What books?"

"The Land of the Fairies series, by Ishikawa Ryo." Ryo told him. "I was named after the author."

"You know of the books." Ohkura flinched and looked away from him.

"Your Highness, the human alert system went off! It says it came from your room." Just then, Maruyama came into the room. His eyes looked at Ryo suspiciously.

"Please, call off the alarm." Ohkura told him.

"I thought you weren't going to bring him here, Your Highness." Maruyama said. "After the last time...."

"He's changed, it's different this time." Ohkura stood between Ryo and Maruyama.

"How is it different?" Maruyama looked at Ryo warily. "He's still the self-centered bastard that he's always been."

"He loves me."

"Lies," Maruyama said simply. "How many times through history has that man lied to you? How many times in this body has he lied to you?"

"It's different," Ohkura insisted.

"He'll write another book about our kingdom." Maruyama told him. "It's his fault that humans look for our land."

"This isn’t' the time to talk about this." Ohkura told Maruyama. "I need to be here for Ryo."

"All right, but I'm going to tell your brother that you brought him here." Maruyama warned. "He wont' be pleased."

"Just because he wrote in his last life, doesn't mean he'll write in this one." Ohkura pointed out. "Everyone should have the chance to change."

"If you say so." He looked at his friends. "I must go turn off the alarm." Maruyama left the apartment.

"What was that all about?" Ryo asked.

"Never mind, it doesn't concern you." His friend sounded like his mind was on another planet.

"Is Maruyama a fairy?"

"Yes, he's my body guard." Ohkura admitted. "He joined Johnny's at the same time I did to protect me."

"From me?" Ryo guessed.

"Yes, from you." Ohkura admitted.

"The fairy books, did I write them?" Ryo asked.

"I don't want to talk about them." Ohkura suddenly looked very sad. "The books are what took you away from me that last time. I've been forbidden to be involved with you."

****************

Ryo looked down to himself, for the first time he realized he was nude. "I'm gross and I'm nude. Is there any way I could have something to wear?"

Ohkura went to the closet, he picked out a robe, and then he brought it to Ryo.

"Why don't you put this on?" His friend suggested

"Thank you," Ryo put the robe on. "It feels nice to be human again."

"What you said as a dragon, I won't hold it against you." Ohkura began.

"What do you mean?"

His friend looked away from him, as if he was afraid. "If you said that you loved me, so that I would turn you back....."

"I don't lie about my feelings!" Ryo snapped. "If you can't trust me to tell you the truth, make me forget."

"What?"

"Make me forget." Ryo's lip curled. "If you really don’t' think I actually love you. Make me forget. You fairies can do that."

"Yes, we can." Ohkura admitted.

"Well, are you?"

"Why should I?" Ohkura countered. "Why, do you not want to remember your feelings?"

"I just thought it might be easier for you." Ryo admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"Something happened that makes me not trusted." Ryo told him. "Perhaps it would be better for you if I was made to forget."

"That wouldn't make it better." Ohkura said. "They have got to stop holding your past life against you."

"The books?"

"That doesn't matter." Ohkura went to him. He reached out, putting his hand on Ryo's cheek. Then Ohkura kissed him, the kiss sad and passionate at the same time.

"In your last life, you used my brother's feelings against him." Shota said as he came into the room. "You seduced him into bringing you here. Then you betrayed us all. You wrote books about our secret kingdom. You let every human on earth know about us!"

"The books?" Ryo echoed.

"Don't tell him!' Ohkura warned. "It doesn't matter."

Shota glared at his brother, and then turned to Ryo. "My father ordered that you never be allowed to know about your past life. That if any fairy found you, they would erase your memories of your past life."

"Shota! that's enough!" Ohkura ordered.

"No it isn't enough!" Shota shot back. "If you love him, you'll be committing treason."

"It's my life, leave me alone!"

"I'm going to go tell father! I'll let him deal with you!" Shota stormed out of the room.

**********

After taking his shower, Ryo looked around the room. Ohkura was taking his, so he was alone. There was a desk in one corner. He went to the desk and looked at it.

There was a notebook. He was driven to open it. In Ohkura's familiar handwriting, there were notes for the next fairy book. One that had never been published. The story was about a human man who had loved the fairy prince so much that he gave up his own life for him. One that had taken the blame for writing stories about the fairy world. When in reality, it had been the prince who had written them.

Memories flooded through Ryo's mind. Of his last life, a writer who had encouraged his lover the fairy to write too. The fairy had written books that were brilliant. But he was afraid to publish them. So Ryo had let him use one of his pen names.

"What are you doing?" Ohkura asked coming into the room.

"Did you write the books?" Ryo asked.

"It no longer matters." Ohkura looked very depressed.

"Looking at your notes makes me remember what happened in the past." Ryo told him. 'You let me remember all my past lives except for this one. Why?"

"How could I admit I caused the death of the man I loved?" Ohkura asked. "That my writing was the only reason he was executed."

"No my love," Ryo suddenly felt as if he was that past life. He felt the remaining evil leave him. "I was happy when I died, because I had my love for you."

"You're really back with me." Tears fell down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry." He kissed Ohkura. The kiss felt so familiar, as if he had been kissed this way thousands of times before in the past. Then Ohkura led him to the bed, were he loved him for the first time.

*****************

Afterwards, Ryo lay in Ohkura's arms. His lover had gone back to being human after they had loved. Ryo was very happy; he suddenly knew what he was missing. This, his lover's arms.

"What's bothering you?" his friend asked.

"Will this be only one night?" Ryo asked.

"Of course not silly." Ohkura kissed him gently.

"I'm not sure I can be totally good," Ryo admitted.

"I don’t' expect you to be. I expect you to be Ryo." Ohkura said. "Ryo wouldn't be Ryo if he didn't have his dark side."

“What about your father?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Ohkura kissed him again. “I’ll take care of him.”

The door to the bedroom were flung open, Shota came in with the kings guards. Ryo watched helpless as Ohkura is pulled off of him. Shota punched him hard in the stomach. Ohkura doubled up in pain.


Ryo got up, to trying to help his lover, but he was restrained by other guards.

"You have committed treason!' Shota told Ohkura. "You know that father said you would die if you brought him back here!"

"If I agree to that, will you let Ryo go safely?" Ohkura demanded.

"No terms!" Shota slapped Ohkura hard across the face. "You will die."

"No! Don't kill him!" Ryo yelled.

Shota spun to face Ryo. He sneered at him. "How dare you speak, human."

"If you want to kill someone, kill me." Ryo said quickly. "It's my fault that he committed treason. I seduced him. I should be the one that dies!"

"You’ll get your wish. You too will die." Shota snapped his fingers.

"No!' Ohkura yelled.

"Please, beloved, you're a prince. Someday you'll be king." Ryo told him. "I'm just a human. My death won't be much of a loss."

Shota punched Ryo in the stomach and then the face. "Take this one away.'

Ryo didn't fight as he was taken away. He hoped beyond hope that his sacrifice would save his lover.

*****************

The trial of Ryo was being broadcast on the network of the Fairy Kingdom. Ohkura watched in his quarters, even though he knew the sentence had been determined before the trial.

"Do you have any last words before we pass judgment you?" the king asked Ryo.

Ryo was kneeling on the floor in front of the King of the Fairies. His hands were tied behind his back. He should have been acting guilty, instead he acted proud.

"I am here because I seduced Prince Ohkura. I beg you not to punish him for my sins." Ryo tells him. "He is completely innocent."

"I could make my son a normal human." The King offered.

"Being a fairy is everything to Prince Ohkura." Ryo told him. "I love him too much to make him give up his power. He is my beautiful angel that will some day be king. I would rather go into the eternal sleep of never being reincarnated again then seeing him became human."

"Do you really mean that?" The king asked. "Will you give up your powers to reincarnate and your memories of your past lives for my son?"

"Yes, I will." Ryo vowed. "I would die for him."

"My judgment is that you will be executed. Spells will be cast that will keep you from being reincarnated." The King pronounced. "Your execution will be tomorrow at first light."

Ohkura reached out, touching the TV. He wished that he could touch Ryo. He wanted to cry, but he had to stay strong. But his heart felt like it was being torn out of its chest.

Ohkura wasn't alone. Maruyama was with him. His body guard and friend. The only one that knew the truth about Ryo's other execution. "This is only the second time he'll be executed."

"This time is different," Tears stung his eyes. "He won't come back to me when he dies this time."

"Why did you let him lie for you?"

"What do you mean lie?"

"We both know he was a komodo dragon for two months. He was a dog for two months before that." Maruyama rolled his eyes. "Tell me, when did he have time to seduce you into bringing him here?"

"I just can't stand this anymore. All these lies." He admitted. "He is dying again because of my sins."

"Your sins?" Shota came into the room. He looked over his brother warily. "The only one who committed sins was Ryo."

"In his last life, Ryo was a writer." Ohkura said sadly. "I wanted to write too, but my stories weren't any good."

"Not everyone is talented." Shota reminded him gently

"Ryo told me to write about what I knew." Ohkura explained. "So I did. I wrote about the wonderful place I grew up in. The kingdom and its fairies."

"You wrote?" His brother gasped. "You wrote about the kingdom?"

"I was the one that wrote about the fairy kingdom, not him." Ohkura confessed.

"He confessed." Shota reminded him.

"I know that." Ohkura told him. "Ryo confessed, because he loved me. He wanted me to be king. Now he's going to die again because of my sins. I can't stand that."

"Do you have any proof that you wrote those stories?" Shota asked. "I don't think our father would just let you give yourself up without some proof."

Ohkura went to his desk; he took a notebook out of a drawer. He passed it to Shota. "This is my rough draft of the second book. Please, take it to father, tell him what I told you."

"If you do this, you might die too." Maruyama pointed out.

"My death means nothing if Ryo is saved." Ohkura vowed.

"I used to hate you because you where chosen over me to be the heir." Shota told him. "But this choice shows me that you'd make the best king." And with that, Shota left the room.

****************

The next hour was the longest Ohkura had ever lived. The waiting for his turn to talk to the king. If he confessed, he might die. But Ohkura couldn't let his lover die. Not this time.

Ohkura was finally taken to the King's office. His father was sitting at his desk, reading the draft. Ohkura held back, afraid.

"Come in, Ohkura. There's nothing to be afraid of." The King told him.

Shota gave Ohkura a little shove, and Ohkura walked to the desk. His eyes cast down.

"Is this your handwriting?" His father asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Ohkura admitted. "I am the one that wrote the fairy books."

"Why would you do such a thing? To betray our people?" The King sounded clearly puzzled.

"I wanted to be a writer like Ryo. He told me to write about something I knew. So I wrote about the home we all love." Ohkura couldn't look at his father. "I never thought that anyone would believe it."

"But why didn’t you use your own name?"

"I was afraid you would get angry." Ohkura admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth from the beginning?"

"It was Ryo's idea." Ohkura admitted. "We knew that Ryo would be reincarnated, but that I wouldn't."

"Do you really value the life of your husband that little?" The King demanded. "Reincarnation is always a gamble. You never know if you'll find him!"

"No! It was something he insisted on." Ohkura told him. "Suddenly Ryo is doing it again, and I had to try and stop it."

"We both know that a death penalty cannot be reversed. The guilty must be pronounced dead." The King told him. "But I will make his death as pain free as I can."

Tears stung Ohkura's eyes. "Please father, let me take his place. Let me die for him."

"You cannot do this, you are my heir." The King put the notebook down.

"Then I abdicate." Ohkura said quickly. "But please, I beg you, don't kill Ryo."

"It has to be done. I am sorry." He told him.

"Can I at least be allowed to say good bye to him?"

"Of course," The king smiled sadly. He pushed a button on his desk.

Shota came in to the room. He looked at his father, then at Ohkura puzzled. "I come as you call."

"You are the new crown prince," The King told him.

"You can't give up your title!" Shota told Ohkura firmly.

"No, you are the oldest, you should have been the crown prince all along," Ohkura told him. "When I fell in love with Ryo, I knew that I would be doomed for eternity."

"What are you doing to do to Ohkura?" Shota asked.

"We will have to banish him from our kingdom." The king thought for a moment. "I will arrange a marriage for him. He will be sent to that kingdom to live out the rest of his days."

"An arranged marriage?" Shota repeated.

"The trolls are looking for a husband for the crown princess. I'll send Ohkura to them." The king told him.

"At least give him time to greave for Ryo," Shota requested.

"He will have the traditional amount of time." The King told them.

*********

Ryo sat in the cell. He would be executed soon. He knew that. What kind of life did he have anyway? A formerly evil sorcerer that now was good. Who had spent time as a puppy and a komodo dragon. Ryo never had a good life. Ohkura would be king one day. Ryo knew there was only once choice. He had to do this, for Ohkura.

The door to the cell opened. It was time he realized. He got to his feet.

Ohkura was pushed into the cell. Then the cell door was slammed behind him and locked.

"Ohkura, what are you doing here?" Ryo gasped.

"I'm going to be allowed to tell you good bye." His eyes were red rimmed from crying. "Please Ryo; hold me just one more time."

Ryo went to him taking him into his arms. Ohkura's body was shaking.

"It's all right," Ryo told him. "I'm here."

"Oh Ryo, my love I messed everything up." Ohkura admitted.

"What do you mean, messed everything up?"

"I went to father, I told him the truth. I even abdicated my title." He confessed. "I thought they would let you go."

"The King’s punishing you too." Ryo realized.

"After you die, he's forcing me to get married." A tear rolled down his cheek. "Don't hate me, there's only you in my heart."

"I know," Ryo soothed. He didn't want Ohkura to know just how angry he was. Ryo's fate was a simple one, he would die, but his beloved Ohkura would have to spend the rest of his life married to someone he didn't love.

"I want to die," Ohkura said softly.

"No, you must live, for me. I'll wait for you in heaven." Ryo kissed Ohkura's lips.

The door to the cell opened. Shota came in. "I'm sorry, you have to leave Ohkura."

"Can't you see how much you're hurting him?" Ryo spat. His arms tightened around his lover. "How could you have turned us in?"

"At the time, I thought you were a traitor." Shota told him. "I had to protect my people."

"Your people? How the hell did they become your people?"

"I am now crown prince." Shota said. "Let's not fight. For my brother's sake. Please, Ryo."

Shota was right; Ryo had to think of his lover. He pulled away from him, putting his hand on his cheek. "I will always love you."

"I love you too." More tears.

Ryo felt tears sting his eyes. Then they kissed one final time.

************

Ohkura didn't want to see the execution. But he had been ordered to by the King. So he went, followed by Maruyama. They went to the gallery. There had been very few executions in the fairy kingdom. The place was so peaceful.

Ohkura sat in the royal box. His brother Shota on one side of him, Maruyama on the other. Ohkura had made up with his brother since he had visited Ryo the last time.

Shota put his hand on Ohkura’s shoulder. “He’ll be in heaven tonight. You have to believe that.”

“I want to die.” Ohkura admitted.

“You have to live, for him.” Shota looked near tears.

Ohkura could feel the cameras on him. Every TV channel in the kingdom would be showing the execution. The place was full of witnesses.

The doors to the chamber opened. Ryo was brought in by two guards. Even though Ryo had a chain around his neck, he acted defiant. He struggled against the guards.

Ryo stopped for a moment as he saw Ohkura. But then he was pushed to the table, where he was forced to lay down. But still, his eyes didn't leave his lover's.

Lethal injection was supposed to be quick and painless. That was what the king had told Ohkura. Just a shot to put Ryo asleep, then another shot that would kill him. The only pain would be the pin prick of a needle. It wouldn't be so painful like the last time, when Ryo had been drawn and quartered.

Ohkura had to be strong, for Ryo. His lover didn't flinch as the tourniquet was put on his arm. Then the first sets of chemicals were injected into his arm.

Ryo fought the chemicals, the ones that put him asleep. Ohkura could hear someone order more medicine. Ryo wasn't the type that cried, but he was crying. So was Ohkura.

Ohkura used his spirit to touch Ryo's cheek. Then he telepathed. "Sleep my love."

Finally after a painfully long time, Ryo's eyes flickered shut.

More chemicals were injected into Ryo's body. Soon the doctor in charge pronounced Ryo dead.

Grief overcame Ohkura. Ryo was dead, finally, forever. Ohkura no longer cared about the cameras. He sobbed for his lost love. The one he would never hold again. He felt Shota put his arm around him, trying to comfort him. But there would be no comfort for Ohkura. He had lost the only man he had ever loved. His heart felt shattered. All he wanted to do was join him in heaven.

 

***********************

 

***********

Ryo had been executed and there wasn't anything Ohkura could do about it. His heart had died when he saw his lover pronounced dead. The thing was; no one seemed particularly upset that Ryo was dead.

Ohkura wanted to die. That was a little problematic when no one would even let him go to the bathroom alone. It was either Shota or Maruyama who was always with him. Shota was the worst. He didn't trust his little brother.

Ohkura wished he was stronger. That his mother was still alive. She might have helped him. But when she married Ohkura's father, she had refused the eternal spells. She had only one very short life. So instead, he prayed to her.

"Mother, please help Ryo in heaven." he began to pray. But the tears began again.

Ohkura had lost Ryo countless times over three thousand years. Every time, Ryo would be reborn and find him. Then they would be back together. He had to live with the pain of loosing his husband almost a hundred times.

This time, Ryo would never come back. There would be no reincarnation this time.

Ohkura no longer wanted the endless cycle. The pain of his husband dying again and again. He wanted it to end. He was tired of his heart breaking every time Ryo died. The fairy wanted to be dead. He wanted to join the only man he ever loved in heaven.

A guard came to the door of Ohkura’s quarters and asked Shota a question. Shota stepped outside for a minute to talk to the guard.

Finally Ohkura was alone. He looked around the room desperately, trying to find something to end it with. There was a knife from dinner still on the table. Ohkura picked it up in his hand.

Ohkura closed his eyes. Then quickly with one stroke, he slit his wrist. The knife cutting as deep as the pain in his soul.

It hurt, damn it hurt. The pain matching the grief in his soul. Ohkura watched as his blood left his body. He fell to the floor, his blood staining the carpet. In the back of his mind, he could see his beloved calling for him.

Soon Shota was back in the room. "Ohkura!"

"Let me die." Ohkura gasped. "Let me go to heaven with Ryo."

Shota put his hand over Ohkura's cut and said a spell. Ohkura's arm healed. "Ryo wouldn’t' want you to die like this."

"I can't live like this anymore." Ohkura began to sob. "Please Shota, there's nothing else for me to live for. My love, my world is dead. He'll never return."

Ohkura closed his eyes and said his own spell. The wound reopened. The blood again began to run down his arm.

Maruyama ran into the room. "What happened?"

"He tried to kill himself. Call for the doctor." Shota ordered.

**************

Ohkura was now on constant watch. Two people stayed with him at all times. The doctor who had cared for him had been the same one who had killed Ryo. The pain in Ohkura's heart was even worse. No one, no one could ever understand what he was going through.

He kept wondering, why was there love, when at the end it hurt so much? His heart had broken to the point were he knew it would never mend.

Ohkura couldn’t even get away from his watchers when he took a nap. So he lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Your highness, I think you need to practice your troll." Maruyama suggested. "You don't know if your finance speaks fairy."

"I refuse." Ohkura didn't look up from his bed.

"You're getting married next week." Maruyama reminded him.

"So?" Ohkura snapped. "Once you get me to troll land, I will kill myself."

"Why do you want to die?" His friend asked for the thousandth time.

"I want to be with Ryo."

"That's crazy."

"We will be together in heaven." A tear rolled down his cheek. "The endless cycle will be gone. I will no longer have to look for him. I will always be at his side."

"That means a lot to you." Maruyama realized.

"It means everything to me." Ohkura looked at the scar on his wrist. "Father might marry me to some troll princess. But I will never love her."

"He's arranged for you to marry their prince." Maruyama corrected. "I've met him. He's a lot like Ryo. He even has an acid tongue."

"Then you marry him!" Ohkura closed his eyes and concentrated. The scar began to reopen.

"Stop that!" Maruyama slapped him hard across the face. "I won't let you die!"

*********

Shota ran to the King's quarters. He was seriously worried about Ohkura's mental state. If they didn't do something quick, his brother wouldn’t he alive for the wedding. He found his father working on paperwork at his desk.

"Your Majesty, we have to move up the ceremony." Shota told the King.

"Why is that?" The King asked.

"Ohkura is becoming unhinged in his grief. He wants to die." Shota admitted.

"We both know we can't do the ceremony until the full moon." The King said. "Not even I have the power to make the full moon full before it's time."

"What if he goes totally insane until then?" Shota persisted.

"He won't," The King told him. "After the ceremony, he'll be all right again."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I went through the same thing that he is going through." The King told him. "When your mother died, I too wanted to die."

"How can we help him?" Shota demanded. "Shouldn't we tell him the truth?"

"We don’t' know if it will work until the full moon." The King pointed out. "I will not have him hope for something that might never happen. What we have planned is very tricky."

**********

"Finally, the night of the full moon." Shota told Ohkura. He went to the window revealing a moon so full that it dominated the sky. “Your wedding is planned to happen when the sun comes up.”

"I refuse to marry." Ohkura said firmly. "I don't care what the king says, I wont' do it!"

"I think you need to meet your new husband." Shota said gently.

"It doesn't matter. I will never love him as much as I love Ryo." Ohkura spat. "You might force me to marry him, but I'll never love him!" Ohkura shouted. "Who the hell can love a damned troll?"

"Why won't you love me?" a familiar voice asked from behind Ohkura.

It was a full moon; the fairies always believed the newly departed visited on a full moon. Ohkura realized that Ryo's spirit had come to visit.

"Please Ryo; take me to heaven with you." He sank to the floor, grief overcoming everything. "I can't live without you."

Ohkura felt arms encircle him. Very familiar arms. "No one's going to heaven, not today."

"Then you must have gone to hell." More tears. "I won't mind, if it's with you."

"They found out the truth. That I gave my life up for you, not once, but twice." Ryo told him. "I've been reborn."

"No, they said you couldn't be reincarnated."

"It isn’t' reincarnation," Ryo's lips brushed Ohkura's tears. "It’s something much different, brought by the love between us. I will never leave your side."

"You're human, you will die." Even more tears. "I can't stand to loose you again."

"Look at me idiot." Ryo snapped.

For the first time, Ohkura looked at the being that was holding him. His skin a light-silver blue. His ears slightly pointed. He had wings, beautiful wings of indigo.

"Your father did this for me." He reached out, touching Ohkura's cheek. "He made me a fairy. I will never, ever leave your side again."

"You died, I saw you die." Ohkura reminded him.

"It was the beginning of the transformation spell." Ryo's words were gentle. "A spell that took until the full moon to complete."

"This isn't a dream?"

"I'm real Ohkura, please believe me."

"I have to, I love you so much."

"Oh my prince, I love you too." Then Ryo was kissing Ohkura. The kiss so gentle, so loving. But soon turning passionate, demanding, the way that Ryo's kisses always were.

The pain from Ryo's death left Ohura's heart, as if it had never been there. Ryo was alive. Ryo was like him, a fairy. He felt Ryo pick him up in his arms and carry him to the bed. Setting him down very gently. Then Ryo stretched out beside him and kissed him again.

**************************

There was still something that bothered Ohkura; he would be married in a few hours. But thoughts of his new marriage had left his mind as Ryo loved him.

"What's wrong?" Ryo asked Ohkura after they had loved.

"Ryo, I'm to be married tonight," He admitted. "To a prince of Troll land."

"Troll land? Sounds like an amusement park." Ryo's lips curled into a smile.

"I'm serious; this will be our only time together." Ohkura fought the tears that tried to take over everything.

Just then the door to Ohkura's bedroom opened. His brother Shota came in.

"I hate to interrupt you, but the king wants to know if you want to postpone the marriage ceremony until tomorrow night?" Shota asked.

"I'm supposed to marry the troll prince." Ohkura reminded him. "But I can't leave Ryo."

"You will marry the prince," Ryo told him. 'The king ordered it."

Shota took the photo that he had been trying to show Ohkura for past month. "Look at this, and you will see your prince."

"I won't marry him!" Ohkura said firmly.

"Come on, beloved, look." Ryo prompted.

Ohkura took the photo. His eyes got wide. The photo was of Ryo when he was about ten years old. He was wearing a tan cap pulled almost to his eyes. He looked like a little bitty troll.

"You look like a troll!" Ohkura told him.

"This is your fiancé, will you marry him?" Ryo asked.

"Yes, I will." Ohkura decided.

"Tell the King we will wait till tomorrow night to marry." Ryo ordered.

"I will," Shota left.

"What about the exile to your land?" Ohkura asked.

"My land is in Osaka." Then Ryo was kissing him yet again.

"Wait," Okura pulled away from him a bit. "Did you know about this before they executed you?"

"No, I didn't." Ryo said firmly. "I was in a coma until the full moon rose. When I woke, there was only one thought in my mind. To get to you."

"I tried to join you in heaven." Ohkura admitted. He showed Ryo the scar on his arm.

Ryo took Ohkura's hand in his and kissed the scar. It sealed up, as if it had never existed. Then his hand went to Ohkura's cheek.

"Could this be magic?" He whispered to his lover.

"What?"

"Spirit moves me, every time I'm near you." Ryo quoted. "Whirling like a cyclone in my mind. Baby I love you, come into my arms. Let me know the wonder of all of you. Baby I want you. Now and hold on fast."

"You're trying to cast a spell." Ohkura realized.

"No spell. Someone who was caring for me listened to a song over and over." Ryo admitted. "I just realized it showed all the feelings that I have for you."

"What feelings?"

"These," Ryo pulled Ohkura back into his arms.

Ryo and Ohkura loved again and again. Both knowing that the other would never be taken from the other. Their magic one stronger then sorcerery, one stronger then fairy magic. A magic created by two people who loved each other more then anything in the universe. A magic that defied death, defied time. A magic that would make sure that the two lovers would be together forever in happiness and love. Even if Ryo's smart mouth sometimes got in the way, he would always have his Ohkura to calm him down. Two parts of the same whole.