Hi Everyone!
This is my first attempt at a Tsubasa Chronicles story so please be kind ok? I've seen the first season but haven't read the manga so if I am making mistakes please let me know ok? I love the story and wanted to try creating something of my own.
The rating on this story may change as it will get dark. As with my other stories though, I like bitter-sweet and happy endings which means this won't be a death fic. That's just too depressing. Hehe.
I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Tsubasa Chronicles
The Darkest Feather
Chapter #1: The Stranger
"It's getting cold," Fai muttered lightly, resting his head against a tree. The group had spread out their blankets around the fireplace and was anxiously waiting for Syaoran and Kurogane to start the fire. The sun was setting and if they didn't hurry, they would have little light, and more importantly, little warmth. This new world seemed to enjoy extremely cool temperatures at night.
"Hey Kuro-pon, are you getting anywhere with that?" Fai called, snuggling deeper beneath his blanket. "I would hate to freeze."
"If the stupid steam bun hadn't dumped us in the middle of this forsaken forest with no shelter in sight we wouldn't be having this problem would we?" Kurogane snapped back. Reaching back, he wiped the sweat from his brow before continuing to rub the stick he was holding against the one Syaoran had in his hand. "And this wood is damp."
"Wood is wood," Syaoran shot back from where he was sitting. "You sent me to find wood and I did."
"Now, now let's not argue," Fai pointed out to the other two and groaned, leaning back on the cool forest floor. "Keep working."
"And who made you the leader?" Kurogane muttered under his breath as he continued to carry on. They weren't even getting a spark.
The day had started out poorly and had only become worse. They had desperately searched for civilization but had had no success. Aside from that, everyone was hungry and tempers were beginning to fray as they found themselves tripping over one another.
"You are holding the wood wrong," Kurogane suddenly declared, shooting Syaoran an irritated glare. "No wonder we aren't getting anywhere."
Kneeling, his pants grubby with mud and ash, Syaoran's eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped. Angrily, he threw the stick to the ground and leapt to his feet. "Now how can there be a wrong way to hold wood!"
"You are supposed to hold it vertically, you are holding it at an angle," Kurogane pointed out and rolled his eyes. "Honestly, damp wood, poor help – can anybody do anything right here?"
Resting between Fai and Syaoran's blanket, Sakura sighed and shook her head. It had been three hours since Mokona had dropped them off in this strange world and they still were no better off than when they had started. Fighting, arguing and criticizing… she would have never guessed that this was the same group that she had been traveling with.
"You still haven't lit the fire, Kuro-kuro!" Fai sang out at Kurogane and Syaoran who were engaged in an argument in how stupid the other was being. "It's getting cold!"
"Well if you would help us then we'd probably have it lit by now!" Kurogane fired back. "And Syaoran isn't helping at all!"
"You can't blame me," Syaoran protested when all eyes turned on him. Throwing his arms up in defense, Syaoran shook his head. "I didn't do anything!"
"Maybe that is the problem," Kurogane hissed as he grabbed both sticks in his hands and began rubbing them against one another.
"Fine!" Syaoran stormed over next to Sakura and flopped down onto his blanket, pouting. "Obviously you don't need my help. You can do this yourself."
Kurogane mumbled something under his breath that wasn't comprehendible as glared daggers at the younger boy.
There was silence as everyone sat around the fire, watching with grim dissatisfaction as Kurogane continued to work away at the two sticks, desperately trying to get a spark.
Mokona whispered something to Fai who nodded and looked over at Syaoran, silently motioning towards the sky. Syaoran frowned and followed Fai's gaze to the dark gray clouds that seemed to be circling their camp from above, gradually closing in on them. A strong wind swept through the camp causing everyone to shiver as the cold sank its teeth into their bones.
Sakura unconsciously leaned up against Syaoran in an attempt to keep warm and it took all of his inner strength to keep himself from wrapping his arms around her as he so desperately wanted to. He couldn't. It wouldn't be as it should be. It would never be as he had once known it to be. His relationship with Sakura he had given freely in exchange to save her life. It was a sacrifice he would make again if he had to but that didn't change the fact that it didn't cease to pain him to no end.
"Voila!" Kurogane's loud cry pulled Syaoran's attention back to the fireplace just in time to see him create a flame. Straightening, Kurogane proudly held out the flaming branch for everyone to see, beaming. "Now who's incompetent hmmm?" He gloated as he focused on building the fire up.
Syaoran shrugged. He needn't say it for he knew the inevitable was about to happen. Fai and Mokona had been wise enough to keep silent but there was no stopping it when it happened.
A raindrop.
Fresh tears from the sky began to fall, the first few immediately extinguishing Kurogane's fire and glory. The group instantly sprang to life, grabbing their blankets and making a mad dash for the little shelter the nearby evergreen tree offered.
"Well this is just marvelous!" Kurogane grunted as he dropped to the sopping wet earth. "The steam bun just had to drop us in the middle of nowhere – again. In a world where it never stops raining no less!"
"Are you afraid of the rain?"
"Shut up," Kurogane grunted as Fai continued to chuckle softly behind him. "You're just as bad as he is."
"I wonder if anybody even lives in this world," Syaoran pondered out loud as his eyes scanned the vast forest that seemed to surround them for miles. He glanced over at Sakura who was once again at his side and smiled gently. "Don't worry," He told her as if reading her mind. "If there is a feather here, we will find it."
She nodded. "I know we will."
The heavens continued to cry upon them, soaking the earth beneath them and soiling their clothes. Syaoran raised his cloak over Sakura's head in an attempt to shelter her but it did little good. Mother Nature was proved to be a formidable foe and relentless in her assault.
"Hey!"
A faint cry in the distance caused Mokona's eyes to perk and he jumped from Fai's head down to the forest floor. Ears raised, the creature listened and bounced eagerly in the air. "Mokona sees someone! They are coming! I see!"
Sure enough, through the brambles appeared a young man, perhaps five or six years older than Syaoran. His dark hair hung over his emerald eyes as he sprinted towards them, waving a hand. "Hey!"
Syaoran raised an eyebrow but said nothing as the man approached. Immediately, Fai and Kurogane rose to their feet and stepped in front of the two younger members of their group while Syaoran shifted so that he could better protect Sakura.
"What are you guys doing in the rain?" The man asked and shook his head in disapproval as he motioned towards Sakura. "That poor girl will catch a cold if you keep her out here over night."
"We're not from the area," Fai explained innocently and cocked his head brightly. "Perhaps you could advice us as to where we could find more suitable accommodations?"
Syaoran watched with intense eyes as the man's gaze fixed itself upon Sakura. His eyes seemed to light up with recognition before they turned to Syaoran. Syaoran met the strangers gaze with his own, silently warning him to stay away from the princess.
The man's brow furrowed slightly as his eyes bored into the young girl. "You're in danger," He finally stated bluntly before turning back to Fai. "You all should come with me. My cabin is not far."
"Danger?" Syaoran wasn't convinced. "How is that possible?"
"Just come with me. I will explain it to you when we get to my home."
"Oh how kind!" Fai chirped and picked up his staff. "Let's go!"
Kurogane and Mokona immediately followed the mage as the stranger guided them towards his house. Sakura started to rise and made a move to tag along before she noticed that Syaoran wasn't moving. She frowned, suddenly unsure. "Syaoran?"
A shiver ran down his spin causing the youth to flinch inwardly. Something wasn't right. His senses were screaming that they should not go with this man. That they would somehow be better off in the rain alone and away from this stranger that so willing had offered them assistance. It was an unusual feeling that felt almost alien to him but when he looked at Sakura and saw the droplets of rain trailing her cheeks and her lips tainted blue from the cold he realized that it would be foolish to try to argue the point.
Forcing an uneasy smile to satisfy her, Syaoran simply nodded and trailed along after his friends.
By the time they reached the stranger's home, Syaoran had calmed himself a little after the initial scare that the newcomer had put into him and was now feeling a little embarrassed as well. The trip was quiet as Syaoran really didn't know what to say. Trailing alongside Sakura, he slumped as his weariness began to set in.
They entered a clearing and Syaoran could see smoke coming from the chimney of the wooden home. It was a comfortable looking house
"It is a very nice place you have here," Fai observed. "Where would you like us to stay?"
"Oh, just go straight in," the stranger replied and pointed to the open door of the log cabin. "To your left and up the stairs is a spare room. It's already furnished so just make yourself at home."
Fai nodded and shuffled off, dragging his bag of possessions with him with the others close behind. As Syaoran tagged along in the rear, he could hear the man muttering to himself though he could make no sense of his words. He vaguely was aware of the smell of sweet potatoes cooking on the stove in the other room as he made his way up the steps. The house was bigger than what he was used to and he was surprised to see that aside from the kitchen, the main floor also had a main room, a study and a dining room. As he trudged up the stairs, he felt strangely detached from the world around him. The house was cold and he found no comfort in the empty walls that seemed to be enclosing around him.
Nevertheless, he made it to the room that had been assigned to them. It was small but the man had been true to his word as it was furnished with a bed, a dresser and a small mirror that had been hammered onto the wall. With a low grunt, Syaoran halfheartedly tossed his bag on the bed. He coughed slightly as a cloud of dust rose up from beneath the bed but ignored it. It didn't take very long for the group to get their things unpacked since they really didn't own much of anything. A few blankets, his sword and they were finished.
"What's wrong?"
Syaoran jerked as Kurogane came up behind him, causing him to spin around. Syaoran blinked, confused. "What?"
"Something is bothering you."
"Oh," Syaoran dropped his gaze as he felt a blush creeping up from his neck to his cheeks. "I don't know. It's just something doesn't feel right about this."
"About what?" Fai asked, sitting down on the bed across from the boy as Sakura took a seat beside him.
"Him," Syaoran mumbled lowly. "He said we were in danger and yet took us in. Why?"
Before anyone could say anything they heard footsteps coming up behind them. Syaoran looked up and over his shoulder and nodded when he saw the stranger leaning in the doorway. He bit his lip and looked away, unsure what to say. Fortunately, Fai seemed to be able to find the words.
"We never thanked you properly," The mage cleared his throat and offered a slight bow. "My name is Fai and these are Kurogane, Syaoran, Sakura and Mokona."
"My name is Shinn," The stranger grunted, his eyes once again locked on Sakura. "You all really should not be here."
"Why not?" Syaoran demanded. "You said we were in danger – what did you mean by that?"
"You don't know of the prophecy?"
The group all shook their heads in unison and Shinn sighed, shaking his head in disapproval. "This world is ruled by a powerful man. A very powerful man named Lord Raetashi. For years he has predicted the coming of the Winged Goddess. A being that would strip him of his powers and bring about total chaos…"
His eyes shifted as he fired Sakura a harsh glare before a quick smile masked any deceit there may have been playing across his features. "The prophecy claimed that she would fall from the sky just as you have."
"Well," Fai swallowed and gave Mokona a curious look. "That is certainly a coincidence. We are but mere travelers."
Shinn shrugged. "That may be so but ever since our Lord was blessed with a feather from the heavens he has been extremely cautious. You had better remain here where you are safe."
"We are safe here?" Kurogane raised a skeptical eyebrow. "How so?"
"Because I do not believe in the prophecy," Shinn declared simply. "Anyone else could very well turn you in."
"A feather…" Sakura murmured softly and glanced over at Syaoran who nodded in reply.
"Yes, a feather," Shinn snorted. "Lord Raetashi will stop at nothing until he has destroyed the Winged Goddess," He paused and motioned towards Sakura. "I believe he would kill you. I do not wish to see that happen." Reaching out, he traced the side of Sakura's cheek with his rough fingers, amused when she shrank away from his touch.
"Thank you," Sakura somehow managed to get the words out. "We appreciate you helping us."
Unable to listen nor watch any longer, Syaoran rose from his feet and left. When Shinn had started speaking about the so-called prophecy of the Winged Goddess, he knew right away that it was referring to Sakura. Despite his desire to defend Sakura and renounce the Lord of his strange power, he could not. Not without making his group out to be suspicious.
Beyond the cabin was an orchard and he soon found himself much more relaxed as he dangled his feet from the high branches of the tree he had climbed. A feather. So there was a feather in this world. He unconsciously made a fist as he lifted his gaze to the darkened sky above, silently making an oath to retrieve it… and soon. Ever since they had arrived in this strange new world he felt terribly tense and the feeling only seemed to intensify in Shinn's presence.
As he sat listening to the rain for what seemed like hours, he heard the sound of soft footsteps approaching. Craning his head only slightly, he was able to see Shinn walking through the orchard beneath him, seemingly looking for something. The rain was still coming down lightly but it didn't seem to deter the man from strolling through the orchard. Knowing he couldn't relax with Shinn walking around below him, Syaoran decided to help him find what he was looking for.
"Are you searching for something?" Syaoran asked, loud enough to be heard clearly over the rain.
Shinn looked up and grinned.
"You actually. May I join you?" Shinn asked kindly.
Syaoran nodded and grabbed the branch above his head, "I will come down." He offered.
"Don't bother." Shinn began climbing the tree with great skill and was soon sitting on the branch next to Syaoran. The boy was surprised at his abilities, so much so that it was written on his face, "I have been climbing since I was young, it is a pastime of mine, as it must be yours."
"I see. Did you seek me out to discuss things we may have in common?" Syaoran asked, not really up for any sort of conversation.
"No, I wished to apologize." Shinn said, meeting Syaoran's gaze.
Feeling suddenly uncomfortable again, Syaoran looked away, into the night, "Why would you feel the need to apologize to me?"
"Sakura has gone to bed. I spoke to your friends and they told me of your plight," Shinn explained. "I'm sorry."
Syaoran eyed him carefully, finding no traces of sincere empathy on the man's face. "I don't need your pity." He growled. "Just leave me alone."
"To work so hard for something that you will never have… it must be very frustrating…"
"I don't know what you are talking about." Syaoran lied, not liking the way this man was prodding at him. He didn't like talking about his problems with Fai and Kurogane yet alone a stranger.
"They didn't tell me everything," Shinn admitted. "Just that you're a servant of Sakura's helping her retrieve her lost memories. In this world royalty and servants cannot share any sort of relationship and judging by the way Sakura looks at you I dare say it is the same where you are from."
A servant? Syaoran inwardly groaned. Only Fai could come up with something like that. Though, when he thought about it, there could be some truth behind it. Maybe in Sakura's eyes that was all he was. Just a servant, a mere peasant assigned to assist her. Tears threatened to fall as the realization of all that he had lost came crashing down on him.
"I seem to have upset you," Shinn observed and leaned closer. "You don't like me very much, do you?"
"I don't know you." Syaoran replied evenly, taken back by how easily the man had been able to read him.
"What is it I have done to merit such distrust?"
"It's getting late," Syaoran answered quickly and leapt down from the branch before Shinn could follow. He couldn't answer his question because from an outsider's point of view, the man really hadn't done anything wrong. If it wasn't for the nagging voice in his head screaming that there was something horribly wrong about the situation, he knew he should have put his trust and faith in the man. Still, uncertainty lingered. "I'm going to sleep."
Shinn watched from his perch as Syaoran hurried back into the cabin. The winds pulled at his dark hair as he sat there for a moment, thinking. "He suspects something. I haven't much time."
TBC
What did you think? Was the chapter long enough? I hope it wasn't too corny. It will get better I promise. Thank you so much for reading! If you found any errors, please let me know ok? Also, if you have any ideas on what should happen, (I know it is early) please let me know!
Thank you!
Until next time,
Krilyn