Iapetus

Fan Fiction: Bleach, Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts, Kyou Kara Maou, PotC, Saiyuki

2007-04-04T00:29:20Z

Just a small note: The LJ community springkink has started its posting for April, so this'll probably be the main source for my fic recs for the month. I got almost all of the ones you see since April 1st.

There are even more stories on the site, but I don't know all the fandoms, so I didn't read them all. But still! I hope you enjoy the stuff I found to be Awesome.

Contents:

- 2 Bleach
- 6 Final Fantasy VII
- 1 Kingdom Hearts
- 1 Kyou Kara Maou
- 1 Pirates of the Caribbean
- 2 Saiyuki

Bleach

...and put your hair down by meretricula
"Renji has a question. Byakuya may have an answer." Byakuya/Renji (Word count = 334, 1 chapter, complete, PG13)

Byakuya/Renji isn't usually my thing, but I have to say I can't resist reading about drunk!Renji. There is so much love for him.

Excerpt:

Renji stumbled over. His former associates from the eleventh division were gathered outside the bar where they must have entered into their drunken state, cat-calling and shouting encouragement. Byakuya refused to be intimidated by such riff-raff and stood his ground. That was the second.

"Yeah, taichou, so, y'see, it's kinda like this. Me'nthe guys, we was wonderin'. Ya know. So this is kinda a bet. Shit.Yeah, I didn't say that. Not allowed t' tell ya."

The One Where Keigo is Fifteen and Mizuiro is Not a Girl by misura
"In hindsight, Keigo decides he's always known about girls and cooties. Keigo/Mizuiro (Word Count = 800, 1 chapter, complete, PG)

Keigo/Mizuiro isn't a pairing I read very often, but then again they aren't written very often either. Here their voices are perfect, and it's almost heartbreaking if it wasn't for the ending. It's also nice to see "normal" life in a world like Bleach. There's no supernatural here - just two best friends who've known themselves since kindergarten.

Also, this story has one of the best uses of parenthesis that I've ever seen. Usually I hate them in prose, but here it makes the story.

Excerpt:

"I think that maybe I'm gay," Keigo confesses on the second day of Summer-vacation. He's seventeen by then, but he still feels like he's fifteen, with enough energy to spend a whole weekend in front of the TV in order not to miss a single minute of the 'Spontaneous Trips'-marathon ('Look, Mom, that's me!') or to finish that last level of Final Fantasy. "I mean, I'm seventeen and I still don't have a girlfriend. That's just not natural."

"Maybe you simply haven't met the right girl yet," Mizuiro says. He, too, is seventeen, feeling like he's fifteen, with enough energy to watch Keigo trying not to fall asleep while watching the 'Spotaneous Trips'-marathon ('Who's that girl with Ichigo? She's hot!') or to keep him awake while they're fighting their way through Final Fantasy.

Final Fantasy VII

As We Know It by ciceqi
"You can't go around worrying about the end of the world all the time." Rude/Reno (Word count = 1162, 1 chapter, complete, PG)

Only Turks can have sex and still have time to make it to the apocalypse. I love the banter between Rude and Reno here, as well as the portrayal of their relationship. If I say anything else, I think it might spoil the story.

Excerpt:

"I could go for Wutain," Rude said, cracking his knuckles, and the little riot melted away like rats from a searchlight, the looters staggering away with whatever they could carry.

Meteor shone above them, its sullen glare an open sore in the sky. The panicked exodus from Midgar had been bottlenecked for hours now, the city tearing itself apart.

"Beats the hell out of pizza," Reno said, thumbing the charge off on his stick, "admit it."

"Better beer at the pizza place," Rude reminded, shrugging, but Reno let that go. He and Rude didn't fight much when there were better things to do, and there were always better things to do.

There was still no sign of Strife or his growing band of sidekicks, but Reno knew they'd turn up sooner or later. Lately it seemed like they couldn't turn around without running into those guys, and face it: when the clock stopped ticking for good, where else was it going to happen? Damn straight. Right here, smack in the middle of the shittiest city on the Planet.

The silent vibration of his PHS made him scowl, but Reno dug it out of his jacket anyway, shrugging at Rude as he flipped it open. "What?"

"Make your way towards the train tunnels," Tseng said, without even a fucking hello. "Elena will meet you there."

"What's in the tunnels?" Reno asked, because soldiers were soldiers, but Turks were Turks; you didn't ask questions when the President gave you an order, but everyone else was fair game.

"AVALANCHE, eventually. Be sure you're ready."

Reno pulled the PHS away from his ear when it cut out abruptly, giving it a bemused look before turning betrayed eyes on his partner. "He hung up on me."

"Bad day."

"On me!" Reno grinned, sharp as malice. "Like hell we're inviting him to dinner tonight. The minute we clock out, I'm turning this thing off," he added, dropping the PHS back into his pocket.

Close Contact by emerald_emebers
"Momentum's an irresistable thing." Loz/Tifa (Word count = 604, 1 chapter, complete, R) THIS STORY HAS SEXUAL CONTENT IN IT

Nothing says love like beating the crap out of one another... right? Well, I don't usually go with that, but Loz/Tifa is a guilty pleasure of mine. So when I saw that there had been fics written for it on Spring Kink, I squeed.

This story highlights the fight in Aerith's church from the movie, as well as the concept that attraction isn't always rational.

Excerpt:

If asked, Tifa wouldn't know what she was doing because she couldn't consciously acknowledge her reasons for doing it. Good girls don't pick fights with boys. Even bad girls aren't meant to pick fights with boys.

Still, the moment she lost because the bastard cheated, she had to fight him once more. Just to see.

And despite being the big brother of a group who were clearly all batshit crazy, he'd agreed to a rematch, even putting aside that... thing he normally wore on his arm to make it a real match, black-gloved fists against black-gloved fists.

Domesitc Bliss by raisedbymoogles
"In which the Merry Threesome break in their new house. Alternaverse with no real continuity." Sephiroth/Zack/Cloud (Word count = 716, 1 chapter, complete, PG13)

The mental image of Cloud blowing up Sephiroth's kitchen on accident made me laugh for a good minute or so. I love it when Zack and Cloud argue in these stories - it's so adorable. And Sephiroth is made that much more awesome because of his constant need to go "wtf" at his lovers. I also love the author's Zack voice here, which was wonderful.

Also, Zack's idea of how a home gains character is hilarious. I fear to imagine all the repairs his parents had to have on the house in Gongaga.

Excerpt:

Sephiroth tumbled amid heat and shrapnel, his barrier spell barely holding against the force of the explosion that had taken him off his feet as well as destroyed half of the south kitchen wall. Tucking his head, the former General turned the tumble into a roll and came up with Blizzard-magic in hand to counterattack.

"See, Zax, I told you that you can't use a Fire spell to light the stove!"

"I told you to use a little fire, Cloud! Geez!"

Sephiroth paused, very seriously considering employing his Blizzard in a very unorthodox and quite painful method, then sighed and let the magic drain back into where it came from. Walking back into the carnage that was once their kitchen, Sephiroth stepped over the bracken to loom with perfect, icy composure over his two housemates. Cloud and Zax both stopped sniping at each other in midsentence as Sephiroth's shadow fell over them.

"You are both," he said evenly, with perfect calmness and poise, "in so much trouble."

"It was his fault!" they protested in unison, then glared at each other. Well, Cloud glared. Zax tried to glare, but within five seconds he'd broken up laughing. "Cloud blew up the kitchen!" he whooped.

Heart and Home by cleflink
"It was the perfect solution to the situation. No, really." Sephiroth/Zack/Cloud (Word count = 1,597, 1 chapter, complete, G)

This is another fic from the same prompt as "Domestic Bliss," so that's why the main concept is going to look familiar. I highly suggest that you read "Domestic Bliss" first and then this one, because that story unintentionally makes a joke in this story even better.

Wonderful Zack voice in this story, and I can't seem to get enough of Sephiroth's confusion to Zack Logic, especially in the beginning. And I have to admit, Zack Logic is something very special and it makes me crack up.

Excerpt:

“Alright.” Zack set down the box he was carrying and straightened with a satisfied nod. “That’s the last of ‘em.”

“My apologies for intruding on your sense of self-achievement,” a voice came from behind him, and Zack turned to see Sephiroth blinking at him bemusedly from just inside the doorway. “But would you mind explaining why you’re filling my apartment with cardboard boxes?”

Zack shrugged, rubbing his neck absently. “I’m moving in.”

One silver eyebrow arched gracefully. “Moving in,” Sephiroth stated. It came out as more of a question than was likely intended.

“Yep! Oh hey, could you pass me that box over there? No seriously,” he added, when Sephiroth gave him a look. “I’ve got some more space over here where I think it’ll fit.”

“Might I ask whose authority you used to get permission for this?” Sephiroth asked, dangerously calm even as he handed over the box in question.

Zack rolled his eyes. “Yours, of course.” He grinned ingenuously. “You don’t mind, right?”

Sephiroth didn’t seem to know quite how to respond to that. Zack continued on before he had a chance to try.

Liquid Animal Quickness by sister_coyote
"He's never seen anyone like her." Loz/Tifa (Word count = 300, 1 chapter, complete, PG)

Again with the Loz/Tifa. Now this one's from Loz' point of view, and again focusing on their fight in Aerith's church. I love this fic for Loz' voice, and the revelation, and the overall feel.

Excerpt:

He's never seen anyone like her

(before now he has known only his brothers, and the dreams of Mother, and of the Reunion-Sephiroth-silver-hair-dark-wings, but that doesn't make it any less true that he's never seen anyone like her)

with her long hair that is dark and not silver, black as water, and her body with its curves and her leather clothes that reveal her skin.

On Him by marmaladecat
"Sometimes it feels like all they're doing is chasing ghosts. Kadaj/Loz (Word count = 2,258, 1 chapter, complete, PG13)

One of my favorite parts of AC were the interactions between the brothers, and we got so little of that in the movie, really. Here I feel like I got what was missed, and I felt like I was watching a movie of it happening. The imagery is beautiful and not over the top, and Loz' voice is absolutely wonderful.

Excerpt:

One day, there's a fight.

It's a risky one and it comes at the worst possible time. They're just south of the mountains, stopped for the night in a circle of pines, and Loz is away hunting them dinner whilst Yazoo sleeps and Kadaj bathes in the nearby river. The great bull dragon and the female he is pursuing appear it seems out of nowhere and Kadaj's furious yell raises Yazoo out of sleep instantly. He rolls up and out of his blanket in one fluid motion, his gun already in hand and races down to the river to aid his brother. Loz, some distance to the south, drops the deer he has caught and sprints back to camp, following the sound of gunfire drifting down to him on the wind.

He arrives at the river to find the large female bleeding out into the water, her body stretched lifeless across the flow. Yazoo is stood on her flank shooting bullet after bullet into the face of the bull that still stands. Between the beast's legs he can see the flash of silver that is his youngest brother.

Between the three of them it is the work of mere minutes to finish the great beast off, and Loz is particularly proud of himself for striking the finishing blow. He remembers the lesson they had on the creatures during their training, recalls the weak spot behind the back of the skull and which vertebra to aim for. He remembers because the man doing the training went to great lengths to point out that the weakness had been discovered by Him during one of His patrols. According to the teacher, He had always made short work of the dragon's He'd encountered.

Kadaj is laughing, saying something about them not having to hunt for dinner anymore and Loz turns to him to remind him of the lesson.

"He took down three of these things single-handedly when He was on patrol," Loz says.

He stares into the sudden silence, startled by the flat expression that crosses Kadaj's face and the disgusted roll of Yazoo's eyes. There is a long, awkward pause as Loz looks from one brother to another, seeking some hint as to his mistake. Kadaj's open-handed slap catches him fully by surprise and sends him staggering gracelessly backwards, a hand clutched to his cheek. He stares in hurt incomprehension as his youngest brother snarls at him, eyes burning furiously, and then turns and stalks away.

Yazoo shakes his head mockingly and there is in his eyes the barest hard-edged tinge of genuine anger that stands out sharper than any one-upmanship that may be apparent. Loz stares after Yazoo as he turns to follow Kadaj and by the time his brother has taken ten paces he can no longer see to follow him through the haze of his tears.

Kingdom Hearts

Gravity by sister_coyote
"His job, he thinks, is to keep them sane." Xemnas/Xigbar/Xaldin (Word count = 400, 1 chapter, complete, R)

One of my favorite things about KHII was Organization XIII, but unlike the fandom they've developed, I often have trouble with fic for them since most of them have so little screentime. What drew me to this fic was that Xaldin and Xigbar were in it, and of all the Org XIII members, I probably had issues with their final fights the most. (God I hated those fights.) But here it works well, perhaps because it's short and leaves much to the imagination, but I love the dynamic here. And that it's Xigbar that helps keep them sane.

Excerpt:

"Without our powers," Xemnas intones, sonorous and overblown, "there would be less than nothing." The moonlight turns his hair to silver-gilt.

"Oh, fuck that," Xigbar says, cheerfully. "There's a lot left of us."

"Not hearts," Xaldin says.

"Nope," he says. "But bodies."

Kyou Kara Maou

Visitation by moshesque
'But now he was a solid, warm presence nearby - very close, in fact.' Conrad/Yuuri (Word count 1400 = , 1 chapter, complete, PG)

I got the privilege of betaing this little beauty, and now that it's been posted I can rec it to everyone. Conrad/Yuuri is my guilty-pleasure pairing of KKM, because I always feel bad about the idea of making Wolfram sad. But anyways.

The best thing about this story was the descriptions. They were beautiful, and some of the most creative I've ever seen. This fic also feels almost timeless, and could be taken from almost anywhere in the series.

Excerpt:

Now it was Conrad's turn to clear his throat. "Not at all." If the lights had been on, Conrad was sure he'd be able to see a blush rising in Yuuri's cheeks, like when he overexerted himself in baseball, or had been out riding for long spells. Maybe Yuuri would have been able to see the colour forming in Conrad's face, too.

Pirates of the Caribbean

More Peril, Less Profit by ponderosa121
"'Do the trick with your tongue,' Elizabeth said." Jack/Will/Elizabeth (Word count = 975, 1 chapter, complete, PG13)

I'm not sure if I can properly express my love for this story. Ever since I saw Dead Man's Chest, my love for this threesome was solidified. It's told from Will's point of view, but all of the characters voices are spot on. I also think that a drunk!Elizabeth is hilarious.

Excerpt:

It was not often that Elizabeth courted a drunken state. Will presumed this to be mostly on account of how like all her myriad pursuits, Elizabeth did not take to the task lightly. She was swift to learn that draining bottles with Jack resulted in the crew having quite the tales to tell.

However, Will noted as a giggle sounded from the bed behind him, 'not often' was a far cry from 'never'.

"Do the trick with your tongue," Elizabeth said. Her cheeks were rosy enough to pass for rouged, and her eyes shone like the pearls dripping from her ears. She was draped over Jack's bare chest, her hair piled atop her head and pinned by a pair of jewelled sticks that'd fetch a fine price if she was willing to be rid of them when they hit Tortuga.

"Which one?" Jack asked, narrowing an eye in suspicion.

"The one that I can't do!"

"There are a lot of those," Jack remarked slyly, and tossed a wink over her head to Will.

Saiyuki

Changes by pudingcat
"Gojyo watches Hakkai and wants more day by day." Gojyo/Hakkai (Word count = 1,475, 1 chapter, complete, R) THIS STORY HAS SEXUAL CONTENT IN IT

My biggest issue when hunting for Gojyo/Hakkai fic is that so many writers excuse the girl-chasing aspect of Gojyo for the Twu Luv, and it makes me gag. That isn't what I see - I see him not immediately falling in love and/or taking a while to admit it to himself and to act on it. Now this procedure can take place at any time in the series - I've read where they've gotten together pre-journey and it works fine, as well as in-journey, and then post-journey. In this story, the author remembers that Gojyo isn't going to latch on immediately to having sex with his best friend. Gojyo's progression is wonderful, and since that's always been the side of the pairing I liked seeing, it was fun for me as a reader. Also, the use of present tense was so natural that I didn't even notice until I went to hunt for an excerpt.

Excerpt:

Later, on the journey, he appreciates Hakkai's skills for more immediate reasons. In a welcome lull in the fighting, they're standing back to back when Hakkai runs a hand through his hair and catches his fingers in Gojyo's as well, they're so close. The unexpected tug jerks his attention to the smell of fresh sweat and the warmth behind him, so he laughs, tosses his hair and leans back to catch his friend's eye, raising an eyebrow (you ok?) and receiving a cheerful smile (but of course) in return.

Overbalance by aonekosama
"For prompt: neediness/begging – Hakkai doing the begging and Gojyo in a position of power. Gojyo/Hakkai (Word count = 451, 1 chapter, complete, PG13)

More often than not, Hakkai begging like he is in this fic isn't the sort of thing I like to read, as well as Gojyo's particular brand of pushiness featured here. However, I like the insight to Gojyo's character, especially in the piece from the excerpt.

Also, I find it hard to believe that Hakkai and Gojyo would agree not to have sex on the journey west, if they were indeed together before the manga started. That would last all of two days before they'd start looking for a place where they could be alone.

Excerpt:

"I know." There are things Hakkai has taught me without realizing it himself. One of them is, keep him busy and he won't have time to think good arguments. "But right now I need this and don't give a damn what we agreed." Another one is, honesty can throw him off guard.

Hakkai blinks and hesitates.

"You could have done it with someone from the bar. Why does it have to be me?"

"They could've said no." I slip my hand into his pants and Hakkai breathes in sharply.

Fan Fiction: 300, Harry Potter, Naruto, Pan's Labyrinth, Saiyuki

2007-03-31T03:03:31Z

I do apologize for the lateness. I originally wished to have these up by last Tuesday. But anyways.

Contents:

- 1 300
- 2 Harry Potter
- 1 Naruto
- 1 Pan's Labyrinth
- 3 Saiyuki

300 (The Motion Picture)

Yes, we have no more arrows today by Kit Thespian
"An alternate ending to the movie, with a pinch of spoof. The question is, what if the arrows missed? You've been warned." (Word count = 1,337, 1 chapter, complete, PG)

I found this story while not even looking for 300 fic. I didn't really have a desire to even read fic for this movie, but the summary intrigued me. I'm very glad I decided to read.

I'm fond of parodies, and a good parody is indeed rare. This one was spectacular, and I felt like this is what would have happened if Monty Python had gotten a hold of the end of the movie and redid it. I also had a difficult time figuring out what part to pick for the excerpt, because there were so many parts that I liked.

Excerpt:

The Captain yelled, “What do you mean you have no more arrows?”

“Just what we said, milord. We don’t have anymore arrows.”

“And why not?” the Captain asked.

“It seems that the majority of our budget was spent on importing the elephants (which fell off the cliff pretty quickly), the rhinoceros (which died pretty quickly after one spear), paying the magicians (who also died pretty quickly during the explosion), and his Majesty’s gold rings and demented women. Is it our fault that his High-and-Mightiness made a lot of bad investments?”

It was at this moment that something began to occur to Leonidas. Since Xerxes and his “divine presence” were gone this debate could last all day if the head archer could keep it up. And it also occurred to him that with a little sneaky-sneaky Spartan footwork, he could be home free. He slowly bent down to pick up his shield.

“Go back to the camp and get more arrows!” the Captain barked.

“I don’t know if we have arrows at the campsite, milord. You know how many arrows it takes to supply this army? It’ll be a lot easier if you just kill him now with the spears.”

“We should have you hanged for your impudence. And when I say ‘hang’ I don’t mean a little sissy rope hanging. I mean a real, authentic, Persian hanging where we skewer you alive on a wooden pole!”

“Don’t blame us for being impudent. When’s the last time you paid us?”

“Paid you! You’re slaves! You don’t get paid!”

“And you’re wondering why you’re not getting quality labor. All that extra money could have gone to getting more rations for us instead of bringing in useless huge animals and moronic magicians! And maybe if you had been a little more considerate, we may have sent you a memo that we were running out of arrows. But no…”

Harry Potter

Beyond the Veil by Robin4
"Sirius' epilogue, following the events of Chapter 35 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Reunions, unhealed wounds, and remembrances." (Word count = 920, 1 chapter, complete, PG)

I can't remember when I found this author, but this isn't the first story I've read of hers. I read this shortly after rereading chapter 35 of OotP, and this made me want to cry. It's beautiful, and shows how death is really the next step in the journey of existence (which is something I believe). This story is incredibly bittersweet, and I can't really say anything else about it that'd do it justice.

Pairings: None really, because while James and Lily are they're, they aren't doing anything romantic.

Excerpt:

He did not know how long passed before the dark receded, and gentle light took its place. He was standing, which he hadn’t been before. Sirius blinked in the sudden brightness, trying to reconcile it with the dark corridors of the Department of Mysteries that he had just left, and then he remembered. He had left. He had passed through the veil, felled by Bella’s spell. He’d been foolish, he’d been stupid, he’d been rash—just like he had been all his life. His life.

He was dead.

He blinked again and glanced down at himself. He still wore the same robes and his body looked the same, yet…he knew. This was the end, and the light was bright.

The abrupt whiteness occupied so much of his attention that he almost missed the two figures walking towards him. There was one witch and one wizard, both his own age. Both seemed solid and alive, but he knew they couldn’t be. They were smiling as they approached, seemingly confident and comfortable in this disturbingly white and featureless landscape.

The unruly black hair and glasses of the wizard made his heart shatter in his breast.

“James…?”

Never Turn Back by Harmony Slytherin
"Twisted. Two-faced. Traitor. Killing for the Dark Lord, spying for the Ministry. Assassin. Death Eater. Unspeakable...Ronald Weasley" (Word count = 56,992, 9 chapters, complete, PG-13)

This is one of my favorite Harry Potter fics ever. It's the first part of a trilogy, and I will admit I'm not too fond of the second or third installments. But the first is wonderful, and one of the primary reasons is because this is the story where the author focuses more on the canon Harry Potter cast and not her OCs. Now, to give her credit, her OCs are nice. I love Rayven, her main female OC. This is also one of the only times I've ever been able to tolerate Harry/Hermione.

Reading over the story again, I did notice how there were several parts I thought were rather corny. But at the same time, it's a story I hold close to my heart, and is an old favorite.

Please also take note that this was written before OotP came out, so it will, obviously, be AU.

Pairings: Ron/OC, Harry/Hermione, Draco/OC, Draco/Ginny, others.

Excerpt:

Wrong. This was all so very wrong. This was not what Ron's last night at Hogwarts was supposed to be like. He was supposed to be in the Gryffindor tower, remembering old times with Harry and Hermione. He was supposed to be saying goodbye to his teachers. He was supposed to be feeling sad and already missing the castle that had been his home for seven years. Hell, even hating his best friends, his teachers, the castle, and having a sleepless night of anticipation would've been so much better than this.

Not here. Ron was not supposed to be here, like this. This was not the way he had it planned. This was wrong...oh so very wrong.

Damn the Ministry! Damn them all! Damn them for giving him this opportunity. Opportunity...Ron sneered. Maybe that's the way he viewed it then, but not now. Not anymore.

He hated his life. Hated this cruel, mocking existence. He wanted nothing more than to end it, but no. He wouldn't. He was doing this for Harry and Hermione and Ginny. Not that they could ever know...they would never understand.

The pain in his left forearm was killing him. Ron cursed the Dark Lord. Cursed him...like he had cursed so many others. Behind the mask, his blue eyes were blazing.

Ronald Weasley, Death Eater.

Naruto

Art of Losing by Lady Cosmos
"Sakura's thinking and trying to hide." (Word count = 2,195, 1 chapter, complete, PG)

I'm not a fan of Sasuke/Naruto as a rule, and it really takes a lot for me to like a yaoi rival pairing that isn't canon. Perhaps part of the problem is that I always come across badfic, I don't know. But anyways, here's one of the times it was done well. It's not overt, but the realization is gradual as Sakura talks about how she figured it out. Everyone knows that truth hurts, but in this story, it feels like it stings. Another reason I hate Sasuke/Naruto fics is because Sakura often gets bastardized in some way/shape/form. This often results to me being upset, because she either comes out OOC or if she's actually IC, she'll be depressed because of the relationship development. I'm not a fan of reading angst all the time, and since that's always hanging in the back of my mind, I stay away from these sorts of stories.

Well, this story has Sakura IC, so she is depressed in regards to this issue. However, it's the way that the author handled it that's excellent.

Also, I have to say that this is one of the best Second-Person POV fics I've ever seen. Ironically, my favorite one is another Naruto fic from Sakura's POV and also has Sasuke/Naruto, but I can't find the link right now.

It should be noted that this fic was written before the last part of the Chuunin Exam, so the story does become AU for current canon.

Pairings: Sakura+Sasuke, Sasuke/Naruto.

Excerpt:

Being the analytical one sucked. There just wasn’t another way to put it. While other girls were still lost in their fantasies and daydreams, wondering if there was ever a chance, you knew the truth. Not only because you saw them every day, but because you were able to see past their facades.

“Sasuke-kun? Naruto?”

You were able to see past their rivalry and hatred of each other and see what their intense glares really meant.

“What is it?”

Those words, now directed at you, were no longer able to set your heart pounding because they merely acknowledged your presence, nothing more than that. And you notice that his gaze is still on Naruto, never moving for a moment.

“Kakashi-sensei says we’re done for the day.”

“Ah. Just give us a little longer.”

You know you’re nothing more than an interruption, because they won’t stop until they want to. They’ll train until neither can stand, then finally come back supporting one another, arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders and waists. That’s something you can’t ignore, no matter how hard you try because it’s what you’ve imagined happening to yourself many times; it’s exactly how you imagined it happening, down to the slight tightening of his fingers around your waist.

Except it’s not you that he’s holding, and you want nothing more than to deny what your mind keeps telling you. But you can’t, and you hate yourself for it.

Pan's Labyrinth

A Fairytale by Lady Erised
"...because there's no such thing as monsters, you should never trust a faun, and no fairytales ever really have a happily ever after." (Word count = 1,135, 1 chapter, incomplete, PG)

The only thing I have issue with in this fic is how the author broke up the paragraphs. But besides that, I loved the insight on Vidal. I don't like Vidal, but I did like how Del Toro made him a three-dimensional villain as opposed to a cookie-cutter villain. This fic helps to highlight that.

It says 'incomplete,' but it reads almost like a one-shot. Kinda.

Excerpt:

Captain Vidal would have shut his eyes to block out the pain if he could, but he was trapped in inaction and staring straight out at the retreating footsteps of his murderers. His son was crying. He was aware of that and compelled by the strong desire to comfort him. He could have. If there had been any strength left in his body; Vidal would have pushed himself up and reached out, grabbing for his son.

His son…

The boy would never know his father.

Like he always wished he hadn’t.

His brain was rejecting his body. Vidal had a vague understanding of this, but it really didn’t occur to him that he was dying. Perhaps if he gave his mind room to think of that: then he would have felt afraid. Then he would have panicked. Cried, if his brain would have allowed him to. Felt pain. Misery. Despair.

But something was wrong. Right behind his eyes, something cracked and popped like the grubs trapped inside burning wood. His father use to point out the sound to him when he was a boy. The sizzle, and bang as the damned little insects met their fate beneath the fire.

Saiyuki

Awakenings by Stitcher2Ficcer
"Amid sleepless nights and trying days, Goku comes of age and throws the relationships of the Sanzo-ikkou into chaos." (Word Count = 50,772, 16 chapters, complete, PG-13)

This story is still the main one I think of when I think about high-quality Saiyuki fan fiction. The author has a sense of style that fits in perfectly with the Saiyuki universe, and is able to take scenes that commonly happen (for example, being attacked by a group of youkai) and make it feel fresh and attention-gripping. This story is divided into three parts First Kiss: Goku I-III, First Kiss: Gojyo I-VIII and First Kiss: Sanzo I-V. It all fits into the greater arc of the whole story, and is all in all wonderful

Pairings: (in order of appearance) Goku/OC, Gojyo/Hakkai, Goku/Sanzo.

Excerpt:

Dusk was approaching, and they were already tired from the long day's ride and a battle with a small but fierce band of youkai earlier that afternoon, when Goku's repeated complaint of hunger died on his lips, his nerves tensing in response to the smell of blood and sounds of fighting the others couldn't yet perceive.

"Where?" Hakkai demanded as they all fell silent, acutely attuned to Goku's heightened senses, adrenalin already thrusting them into readiness.

Goku's arm shot out between Hakkai and Sanzo, in Hakuryuu's front seat, pointing toward the narrow, rutted track that veered to the left a few hundred feet ahead. By the time they reached the wye in the road, the screams of frightened villagers and the growling rumble of their attackers were beginning to reach the other three's ears.

The jeep hadn't yet come to a full stop when Sanzo's first shot rang through the clearing, exploding a hefty youkai's chest before his claws managed to gouge his next victim's throat. By the time Sanzo jumped from his seat and took aim again, Goku had already called Nyoibou into action, and Gojyo was already sprinting past them, swinging the shakujou in an arc that caught one youkai in the head, his falling body tripping another. The dying creature's blood spurted through Hakkai's blast of ki, tingeing the bright white glow a deadly pink. A second blast of ki exploded close behind the first, taking out the last of four attackers that had descended on a small clutch of terrified children.

Hakkai paused only long enough to see a small, hardened old woman shepherd the children toward a nearby cottage, Sanzo at his back covering an onslaught of several more blood-deranged creatures. His arm swung hard, fist smashing into the face of the youkai diving for him from the side as he turned to cover Sanzo while the monk reloaded his pistol. He had barely had time to recharge before throwing two more flashes of ki at the clawing monsters, while two more were taken out by the shakujou's blade. The weapon's chain was a blur as Gojyo pulled it back in and swung again in the other direction, so rapidly that his arms ached in rebellion.

Test of Rain by Stitcher2Ficcer
"The rainy season begins, and Sanzo gets the worst of a drenching day. Goku offers comfort." (Word count = 10,204, 2 chapters, complete, R)

This is the sequel to Awakenings, which is featured above. Because this is the sequel, I've listed this fic outside of alphabetical order to follow the story arc.

This shorter story takes place after Awakenings, when the Sanzo-ikkou gets caught in the rain. Amazingly enough, Sanzo and Hakkai don't shut themselves up and angst for the duration of the rain (like they do in most fan fiction), but go about their lives. Here, Sanzo is more annoyed of the rain itself than what it could possibly symbolize.

Please be warned that there is some mature content in here. While it isn't explicit, Sanzo and Goku do more than simply bathe when they're in the bathhouse, and it's implied that Gojyo and Hakkai have done something similar within that time frame even if that scene isn't explicit.

Pairings: Goku/Sanzo, Gojyo/Hakkai.

Excerpt:

As the jeep lurched out of the rut's muddy grasp, Gojyo fell onto his knees in its wake, and Goku was sent sprawling into the same muddy patch from which the car had emerged. "Son of a bitch," he shouted, picking himself up and shaking the muck from his hands and arms. Gojyo, swearing himself, couldn't stifle his snicker at the sight of the figure beside him, mud-covered from head to toe.

"You think it's funny, fucking kappa?!" Before Gojyo totally recovered his own feet, he found himself on his back in the mud puddle, the mud-soaked younger man astride him.

"You've had it, you filthy monkey!" the redhead hollered as he grasped the other's shoulders and heaved himself over. The two rolled through the mud-puddle only twice before they lost interest in the fight and emerged from the mire, two brown and slimy statues.

Hakkai had managed to keep his balance and jump free of the muddy patch. He now stared at his two companions, rainwater streaming off their limp hair and faces, marking cleaner rivulets through the mud slathered on their clothing. The healer at first made a mildly sympathetic noise, but had to turn and cover his mouth to hide the laughter that emerged at their outrageous appearance.

The two mud-statues glanced at each other, and their own faces broke into grins, their teeth gleaming white in their mud-streaked faces. Gojyo reached a mud-covered hand to Hakkai's face, tracing a wet brown line with his fingertips from the brunette's cheekbone, along his jaw to the corded muscle in his neck. "If you think it's so amusing, 'kai, I'd be happy to share the pleasure with you." With his other arm, he reached suddenly to pull the youkai into a muddy bear hug.

Hakkai anticipated him, and thrust his arms out to push him back. "No, thank you, Gojyo."

The redhead pouted. "You're no fun. What's a little mud between friends?"

The Honeymoon by Hth
"Deep down, Sanzo has a heart. We're reasonably sure." (Word count = 3,899, 1 chapter, complete, R)

This story gets up there with some of the most famous Saiyuki fics ever. This is one of the ones that everyone knows, or at least everyone I know knows of it who I've met in the fandom and I never had to tell them about it. It's on more Saiyuki archives than I can remember links to, and... yeah. I also think it was one of the first Saiyuki fics on ff.net.

Warning, this story contains male/male implications.

Pairings: Goku/Sanzo, Gojyo/Hakkai.

Excerpt:

On the first night, Sanzo could hardly believe it. He was wrapped peacefully in the edges of sleep when a squirming, jittery weight disturbed his bed, and that wretched, mewling voice whined "Saaaaan-*zo...*" into his ear.

"Baka," Sanzo muttered without opening his eyes, batting ineffectually in what he gauged to be the vicinity of Goku's head. "Go to bed. Leave me alone."

Goku's weight continued to shift until he settled rather uncomfortably inside Sanzo's personal space. Sanzo tried to dislodge him by rolling to his side, and found one of Goku's arms directly in the spot where he wanted to be. He rapped the hand lightly with the side of his fist, only to have the wrong one move -- and in the wrong direction. "Watch it," Sanzo growled, half-opening one eye. "Do you know where your hand is?"

By moonlight, Goku's face was not completely familiar; something in the peaceful, determined set of his features put Sanzo on edge. He'd seen that expression on Goku before, but only in battle. Eager and confident -- dangerous. "Yes," the boy said, for once refusing to flinch away under Sanzo's glare.

"Well, then move it." Few people dared to fly directly in the face of so clear an order from Genjo Sanzo. Least of all Goku.

His lips thinned slightly, and then he smiled pleasantly, with only the slightest moon-glitter of malice. "I will," he promised.

And then he did, without much technique, but with perfect confidence, a rough but unhurried touch that took Sanzo's breath away entirely, leaving him shuddering and mute with shock.

It only happened at all, the first night, because it took Sanzo so long to recover from his surprise that by the time he had his wits about him, he was already almost completely undone, every inch of his skin alive and roaring with the basest kind of thrill. The whole experience had such an air of unreality that afterwards, he could never remember details -- just the strange, exhilarating sense of broken rules and amazing discoveries.

By morning, when he woke on his stomach, with the sheets stuck to his body in more than one place and one arm thrown carelessly over Goku's chest as he snored, it already seemed to Sanzo as if he'd been possessed, or ensorcelled, or possibly cursed. He shoved Goku off the bed, and he hit the floor with a sound midway between grunt and whine. "Get out."

Fan Fiction: FFVII/Kingdom Hearts, Kyou Kara Maou, Saiyuki

2007-03-20T22:15:17Z

Contents:
- 1 FFVII/Kingdom Hearts
- 1 Kyou Kara Maou
- 1 Saiyuki

FFVII/Kingdom Hearts

But That Was In Another Country by Guardian1, or Spiderflower (depends on the site you read her stuff on)
"Sometimes the good guys don't win against unstoppable odds. Yuffie Kisaragi and the last stand: before Traverse Town, there was the Planet, and before Sora, there was AVALANCHE." (Word count = 22,333 words, 4 chapters, incomplete, PG-13)

This story is a slight AU to the explanation Square gives us in regards to the FFVII cast's presence in the game. I label it as a crossover because more knowledge is needed of FFVII than KH to really get the full impact of what's going on. From a gamer's POV as well as a fanfic reader, if I had to make the call I'd say that it'd be best to have played all of FFVII and only part of the first KH game to really understand what's going on.

This fic is post FFVII game with hints of AC, but AC is not canon here since it couldn't have taken place in this timeline. Characters we haven't seen (yet) in KH from the world are here and play an important role.

This story is also told in first person from Yuffie's POV. I was completely blown away by the author's command of Yuffie's voice, and I think that Yuffie is the only one who can really tell the story well of how the Planet fell to the Heartless. She's constantly cracking jokes, but the reader can tell that this is Yuffie's way of trying to deal with the horror that truly was there. And I must say, I'm never going to look at those Heartless the same way ever again. This fic got incredibly creepy in parts, and it wasn't always the Heartless that were creepy. This is one of the best KH-related fics that I have ever read.

Excerpt:

When she asks me 'what happened?' it's a dumb question, because a. there's too much to cover and b. I don't know. It's also a case of me trying to swallow the whole damn thing inside me like it was an organ I'd misplaced, or something, something red and internal - I mean, just look at Cid, he took to comfort food so quick when we got to Traverse Town you could hardly say fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches are not for eating!. I mean it. He started stuffing. I mean, I know he was trying to quit smoking, but boy did he ever jump All Aboard The Grease Train in the attempt. I think that his first option was to smoke himself dead but his lungs were already ninety-nine percent tar and absorbed arsenic to breathe, and then it was liquor but he knows that he's the meanest damn drunk Omni ever put breath into, so I think after that it was hot sex or food. Since nobody with a brain cell would ever sleep with Cid Highwind, he started on the bacon sandwiches and lard in his tea. (Well, not the lard, though Aerith kept on suggesting it, so he could be like that butterball Palmer.)

Okay. Okay. I'm already going off topic. I know it's hard being as charmingly ebullient as I am. (Ebullient is a great word, isn't it. I think it's my favourite word now. Ebullient ebullient ebullient. Ebullient ebullient ebullient. I think the charm is wearing off ebullient ebullient ebullient.)

Okay.

What happened.

I mean, she asks me that, and I'm kind of surprised, because if anyone should know what went on I thought it would be Aerith Gainsborough. One degree of separation from angels, that kind of shit. Previously expired. Ex-dead. Nearer my god to thee, you know the drill. The first time I started all falteringly going on about Sephiroth, ten million years of my young life lost fighting Tonberries in the Northern Crater, the long stupid laundry list of who died and who didn't, she bopped me on the nose very gently with one finger and said she knew all that stuff already. Which meant she wanted to know the other stuff, which just all-out sucked because I wasn't quite over that stuff yet and had hoped it'd been covered under the broad parasol of her omnipotence. I don't think I'll ever be quite over it. I don't think I'm ready.

Kyou Kara Maou

Nothing Is Certain But... by fujurpreux
"Shin Makoku's administration needs to raise the taxes, but the measure finds some strong opposition." (Word count = 12200+, 2 chapters, complete, PG-13)

The highest praise I can give this fic is that it feels exactly like an episode of KKM. I could see this being in the series without an issue, and it fits in very well just about anywhere before the shit hits the fan at the end of the series. So I say that it probably takes place after the Conrad arc and before the Ending arc.

There are the barest of hinting of pairings in the story, but it's more like a "blink and you'll miss" sort of thing.

Excerpt:

Conrad knew Yuuri would be safe for as long as he was with Wolfram and Günther, though he was aware Yuuri wasn't exactly comfortable with their methods. Conrad made a promise to himself to make it up for him—as soon as the danger was dispelled, of course.

Right now, nevertheless, he had received a note from Yozak asking for a meeting. Thus, covered with a cape and a hood, Conrad crossed the City avoiding to call attention upon himself.

He got to the Wriggling Pig uneventfully.

In a table near a dark corner there was a man, asleep and drunk. Following the custom, Conrad pushed him away to take his place. No soul batted an eye.

After a short while, he saw Yozak coming down from the second floor and going into the kitchen. Next, Yozak got out again with a pot on his hands. Right then, Yozak saw Conrad; he winked and grinned and raised the pot a little. All of that, translated, meant: "I'll be with you in a moment." Though the way Yozak had bent his head was part of the not-everything-is-as-good-as-we-would-want code.

Conrad began to feel—even more—unease.

In his time on Earth, Conrad had learnt about some laws supposedly proposed by a man named Murphy, and on his time as a whole, he had come to realize that they were, indeed, universal.

Conrad could feel it in his blood, anything could go wrong at anytime—if it wasn't going wrong already.

Finally, Yozak returned. As he walked by, some of the customers tried to grab his ass but he, skillfully and giggly, slapped their hands away.

"How are you today, handsome?" Yozak said, loudly, when he arrived to Conrad's table.

"I was free, so I thought of coming to see you, my pretty. D'you have any good kind of beer today?" Conrad said.

Yozak held up two fingers. "I have this many. You might find one of them somewhat bitter, though."

Here goes Murphy, Conrad thought.

"Do tell which one, m'dear!"

Yozak tapped his cheek with his finger. "It'll cost you a kiss!"

"Come 'ere, pretty!"

Yozak bent down and whispered, "The Maou and the Sage are upstairs."

It was a good thing Conrad was already sitting down.

"Are they—" Conrad interrupted himself and sighed deeply. He had just seen them both near the stairs, dressed up as servants and with a very weird hair color. "They're right there," he said, pointing discretely at them.

Saiyuki

Forever and a Day by veleda_k
No Summary given. This is a ficclet that I requested for a fanfic challenge called wishkisses. The fic is exactly 250 words and completely wonderful. For the pairing Homura/Rinrei, who don't get enough love. I can't really say more about it without giving it away, but "Come What May" from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack would be a good accompaymant to it.