Daybreak
by SMYGO4EVA

Everything was relatively silent. The only noise to be heard was the rustling of leaves and, occasionally, the low crackling of the fireplace. Kurogane sat on the sofa and studied his trusted blade, making sure every battle-earned nick and scrape was where it should be.

From every battle, the magician had fought alongside him, when magic could not be summoned. It was a long time ago, and the dangers had passed, but he couldn't help but to wonder. If it was true, what the magician had made, long before they met.

"Hey, magician?"

"Yes, Kurogane?" Fai said, putting his books down and moving towards the sofa in the middle of the room. "I take it you have something dire to ask of me." He assumed, as he joined the warrior on the sofa. "You have that tone of voice." He shifted in his seat, his eyes gazing upon the other man. "We know that one too well by now."

Kurogane made a soft grunting noise, nodding begrudgingly. The magician was too damn perceptive for him at times. He set down his blade upon the table and turned to face the man next to him. "Have you ever wanted to use your magic when you knew you couldn't? In any single one moment of those worlds we visited, did you want to?" He asked harshly.

Fai let out a wavering breath, almost as if he had wanted Kurogane to ask that one question. It was inevitable he would ask such a thing, looking back at the times that were dire.

He winced, twisting his hands in his lap and lowered his voice. "I-yes, I suppose I have wanted to." The magician began tentatively. "But I knew that even if I wanted to, I couldn't."

"Even when our lives were at stake, you couldn't, because of your past." Kurogane countered. "Of what seal you placed upon yourself, you couldn't use your magic?"

"It's true, because of the contract I placed on myself. I had thought you all would never find out." Fai was firm in his statement; he was exhausted. More than that, he knew that the scars from his time in Celes would still be there, no matter how much time had passed. "But the truth came out, and I realized that I could trust you all, especially you, Kurogane."

Kurogane regarded Fai with a stern expression. He then sighed, his features softening, "Well, good to know," he said, rather tiredly. "All the better, I guess…"

"That I can trust you?" Fai asked, looking at him with a careful expression.

Kurogane nodded.

The magician then smiled, putting his hand on the warrior's hand between them. "To be honest, I always have."

"Always trusted me?"

A nod.

"Yes."

"Good to know, Fai."