Author's Note: This fanfiction takes place after the events of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and therefore contains spoilers. Please also note that this story assumes that Fai remained a vampire, despite having received back his eye and magic, for reasons that shall be explained later.

Chapter 1

Hours dragged on as the travelers trudged through the gloom. Though, none of the four was sure of exactly how many hours. They hadn't seen even a glimpse of the sun since arriving in this world. A tangle of ancient tree limbs wove a canopy that blocked all but a dim filtering of grey-green light. Draped with lichen and tangled in ivy, the woods stretched on impossibly. The air hung thick and stale. Oak leaves layered the ground, damply muffling their footsteps. It was too quiet. The whole forest seemed hushed, as though waiting with bated breath.

Kurogane found himself feeling uneasy. Vague flashes of paranoia nipped at the edges of his awareness. This was no normal forest. He sensed a malignant presence hiding in these woods. It was muted, dampened by the hazy atmosphere that lay tangled among the trees, but it was there. He tried to focus, to hone in on this unseen enemy, but every time he sought to pin it down, it slipped away, leaving nothing but a foggy feeling of confusion. His mind seemed to be slowing. Grogginess crept in and he shook his head to clear it.

"You feel it too, don't you?" Kurogane was almost startled to hear Fai's voice breaking the heavy silence. "This forest… it's sick." The wizard spoke slowly, as though the dreary air weighed down his words. Cradling an unusually quiet Mokona in his arms, Fai stepped forward to examine a particularly gnarled bole. "And…" He shuddered as though struck by a sudden chill.

"Hey, you okay?" Kurogane reached out to touch the other man's shoulder. However, his hand landed instead upon a knotted oak branch. He turned to find Fai standing two paces to his right. "What…"

"This place is enchanted, Kuro-buro," Fai responded. "I suspect that won't be the last time you find your senses bewitched. And it's not the fun, friendly kind of enchantment either. No, this is something dark. We had best be on our guard. We don't want to end up separated in a place like this."

Kurogane nodded. They would have to take extra precautions. "Maybe we should all hold hands," Fai suggested brightly, a ridiculous grin spread across his face. Kurogane rolled his eyes. Those were not the kind of precautions he had in mind.

"Fai, Kurogane, come look at this," Syaoran called from a short distance ahead. They caught up and crouched down on the ground beside him. "There's a path here," the young man said, pushing away moss to reveal a wide, flat paving stone. "That means there have got to be people in this world. Or at least there were at some point in recent history. In a forest environment like this, I'd expect the stones to be a lot more covered if they were left untended for too long. If we follow this, we're bound to come across civilization sooner or later."

"Nice work, kid." Kurogane stood back up and tried again to peer through the thick veil of branches and leaves. Sooner would definitely be better than later. The light seemed to be growing dimmer.

"Well then, Syaoran," Fai said. "Lead on."

They continued their march through the woods for several more hours, walking in a single file line. Syaoran led the way, his eyes roving over the forest floor, always searching for the next flagstone. He was closely followed by Fai. The magician still carried Mokona and would occasionally glance down at the small creature with a look of concern crossing his face. Kurogane took up the rear. His feeling of uneasiness had not abated.

As twilight darkened into a foggy dusk, Kurogane called a halt. "It's no use traveling through the night," he said. "We'd lose the path. Best to make camp here."

"Whatever you say, Kurgy," Fai chimed. "I'll go gather some wood for the fire."

"No, stay here," Kurogane stopped him. "There'll be no fire." He waited for the others to protest, but no one questioned his decision. They knew by now that they were safest trusting in the warrior's instincts. "We'll take turns keeping watch," he instructed.

Spreading their cloaks beneath them, the four companions settled down on the ground to wait out the night. Fai kept Mokona held close to him even as he lay down. Kurogane thought he saw the creature shivering. "Hey, creampuff, you doing okay over there?" he asked.

Mokona shook her small head slowly. "Mokona feels icky," she said.

"I'm afraid the strange magics of this forest are having an ill effect on the poor thing," Fai supplied, since Mokona did not seem inclined to elaborate. "But she'll be fine once we get out of its influence and she has a chance to rest."

Kurogane furrowed his brow. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?" he growled at the mage.

Mokona answered him. "Mokona didn't want to worry everyone. Everybody was already worried about the big scary forest. And like Fai says, Mokona will be fine."

Syaoran eyed the small creature with concern. "Oh, Mokona, we're your friends. We care about you. Next time, tell us if you don't feel good, okay?" He reached out and softly stroked her rabbit-like ears. Then he looked to Fai. "Last time Mokona was sick, she was unable to transport us from world to world. What if our time in this dimension runs out, and she's still not feeling well? It could take us days to get out of this forest. Are you sure she's going to be all right?"

"Her condition improved a bit when we found this road," Fai answered. "It has a different sort of energy from the rest of the forest. If we can keep following this path, I think she'll be just fine."

"Can't you put some kind of magical barrier around her?" Kurogane asked. "Filter out the bad stuff that's making her sick?"

"In theory, that would be fine. However…" Fai paused to stare out into the fast darkening night. "I'd rather not use any magic here if we can avoid it."

"Why not?"

"Well, it's for the same reason you didn't want us to light a fire, Kuro-tan: to avoid detection. I'm not sure what the source of this dark enchantment is, but I am sure that we don't want it finding us. Now," he said, brightening his voice back to its usual cheery tone, "why don't we all try and get some sleep?"

Kurogane took the first watch. Within the hour, everything was pitch-dark. He closed his eyes and allowed his other senses to take over. The forest remained unreasonably quiet, even at night. No breeze broke the stagnant air, and he could hear clearly the slow, even breathing of his resting companions. Other noises broke through occasionally – the rustles of small creatures sneaking through the undergrowth or creeping along an overhead branch. But none of these were concerning, and time slipped by uneventfully.

It wasn't until he was about to wake Fai for the next watch that Kurogane felt it: that feeling in his gut he always got before a battle. Drawing his sword, he extended his senses outward into the darkness, probing for the enemy he knew must be approaching. Syaoran and Fai had awoken to the sound of his sword being drawn and were now standing beside him. Syaoran produced his own sword, while Fai carefully tucked Mokona into an inner pocket of his jacket. Kurogane found what he was searching for: a large presence, still a fair distance away, but coming with speed.

"There," he motioned in the direction from which he sensed the presence.

"No." Fai pointed in another direction. "It's that way, and coming from above."

"The enchantment in this forest must still be throwing off our senses," Syaoran reasoned. "We have to be ready on all sides." The three took up a triangular position, each facing outward, and waited. Soon, tree limbs began to creak around them, accompanied by a sinister clacking sound.

The attack came from above, as Fai had predicted, but from four directions, not one. Four monstrous beasts descended upon them with fangs bared and long, hairy legs splayed. The three travelers leapt into action. Kurogane saw a flash of golden eyes as Fai dispatched the first of the giant spiders. The thin blond shook a slime of dark blood off the curved claws that now extended from his hands before jumping after the next attacker. Kurogane easily split his own foe in two with a swing of his long sword while Syaoran stabbed the final beast through one of its multiple eyes. The creature writhed, screeching for a long moment before its curled limbs at last fell still.

"If there are others nearby, they will surely have heard that," Fai stated, landing quietly beside the other two. "We have no choice now but to keep moving. Kuro-buro?"

Kurogane glared down at the contorted arachnid lying at his feet. Four of them. How was it that he couldn't sense that? "All right," he said. "But stay close together."

They traveled as fast as the darkness would allow, careful not to stray from the path. Once lost, there was no telling whether they would be able to find it again. Twice more they were ambushed by small packs of spiders. They ended the skirmishes as quickly as they were able and hurried along their way.

Suddenly, Syaoran stopped. "What's wrong, kid?" Kurogane asked.

"I can't find it – the next stone. The path is gone!"

"We can't delay," Fai hissed. "They're still coming. More of them this time."

Kurogane shook his head. "If we don't get out of this forest soon, Mokona's only going to get worse. The path is our best chance. Besides," he scoffed, "you should know by now that a few bugs won't be able to stop me."

"It's not just the spiders I'm worried about, Kuro," Fai argued. "There's something else in this forest, something far worse. We have to keep moving."

But they did not get the chance to decide, for the spiders were upon them again. This time there were too many to count in the gloom, coming from all angles. While a portion of them attacked from the ground, others stayed aloft, casting down pale, sticky ropes in hopes of entangling their prey. Kurogane burst forward, taking out several foes in his first strike. The travelers took down spider after spider, but the onslaught seemed unending.

"Syaoran!" Fai cried out. Kurogane turned to see the young man stagger. One of the spiders had managed to strike him with its stinger. Syaoran slew the beast, but the damage had been done. He sank to his knees as the poison took hold. Fai and Kurogane rushed to his side, fending off the jubilant spiders who thought this was their chance to steal him away. The fury of the two men's retaliation caused the remaining spiders to hesitate, allowing them a brief lull from the fight. Fai knelt beside the now barely conscious Syaoran.

Kurogane remained standing, sword still raised, ready should the spiders decide to attack again. "How is he?" he asked the wizard.

"The venom isn't lethal, but it will be a while before he's able to stand again," Fai diagnosed. "These spiders don't seem like they're going to give up anytime soon. Things are looking rather grim for us, Kurgs. Now that Syaoran is unable to fight…"

"I'll take them all out myself if I have to," Kurogane growled. "I told you, no bugs are going to stop me." He shifted his stance in preparation. "Look after the kid and the meat-bun."

"Kuro, wait!" But Kurogane ignored the wizard's protest. Lunging toward the nearest spider, he drew back his sword to strike. A sharp whirring noise ended in a muffled thump, and the monster fell dead before Kurogane could land his blow. A feathered shaft protruded from its bulbous head. More arrows began to fall, dropping spiders all around the travelers. Soon the surviving monsters were retreating, scurrying through the tree tops.

Kurogane drew back to the others, but he did not resheathe his sword; the enemy of one's enemies is not always one's friend. One by one, the archers appeared out of the misty darkness, encircling the travelers. They surrounded them with arrows nocked and threateningly aimed.

"Surrender your weapons," demanded a female who appeared to be their leader.

Kurogane glowered at her. "And if I don't?"

"Now, now, Kuro-puu," Fai admonished. He placed a hand on Kurogane's arm while raising the other in a gesture of surrender. "Is that any way to speak to our rescuers?"

"Rescuers? I could have –" But Kurogane caught the warning look in Fai's eyes. "Fine," he grumbled, returning his sword to its sheath. "Here." He handed it over to the long-haired woman standing before them. The act carried an irritating sense of déjà vu.

Taking the sword, the woman handed it off to another archer. "Search them," she commanded. Kurogane scowled, about to protest. But Fai tightened the grip on his arm, and Kurogane held his tongue. They needed to get out of this forest, and the people surrounding them now were likely the best way to do that. Kurogane hated to admit it, but they could use the help.

"Excuse me, madam," Fai said. He now held both arms outstretched as two of the archers began patting him down in search of concealed weapons. "I'm sorry to trouble you, but two of our companions are unwell. I was wondering if…"

"What manner of creature is this?" exclaimed one of the searchers, extracting a groggy Mokona from Fai's pocket.

"Oh, please, be careful with her," Fai implored. "She's not well. And poor Syaoran here was stung by one of those spiders. I'm worried he's…"

"Do not fear for the boy," the female archer interrupted. "The spider's poison won't kill him, and we shall treat his wound when we return to the stronghold. As for this…" She took Mokona gently into her hands. "I know not what ails her, but our healers may be able to help. Elvish medicine is the most advanced of all the races."

"Ah, so you are elves then?" Fai asked.

The woman looked at him quizzically. "Of course. What else should we be? Surely, you did not mistake us for dwarves, human?"

After searching the travelers, the elves insisted on binding Fai and Kurogane's hands and blindfolding them before they would lead them through the woods to their home. Though he found it humiliating to submit to such treatment, Kurogane did not resist. For Syaoran and Mokona's sake, it was better if they could move this along quickly. The elves guided them carefully through the forest, taking circuitous routes that may have been meant to disorient their captives – a most unnecessary precaution in this case.

The group marched in silence for a long while before arriving at their destination. Kurogane heard the rushing of a deep river as they passed over a bridge. Then behind them came the heavy sound of great stone doors closing. Shortly after, the blindfolds were removed, though Kurogane and Fai remained bound. They found themselves standing inside a large cavern. Lit by lanterns, the walls were ornately carved with branching trees and trailing vines.

The elf woman who had captured them stood before Fai and Kurogane. "Your friends have been taken to our healers for treatment," she explained. "The two of you will be brought to the king for questioning. It is not often that we find strangers in our lands, and he will surely wish to know your reason for trespassing."

"Trespassing?" Fai assumed an expression that was meant to convey innocence, though to Kurogane it just made the magician look like an idiot. "I assure you, my lady, we had no intention of committing such a crime. You see, we arrived here by accident. We had no idea that that forest belonged to your king. In fact, we were just trying to leave when your archers came along to assist us. And we are quite grateful for that, of course. I must say, if it wasn't for them…"

The woman raised her hand, cutting off Fai's rambling. "The king will decide whether to believe your story. Follow me." With that, she turned and led them on through the winding halls. Several of her company followed behind as guard. They passed through narrow passages and in and out of large chambers, past small underground waterways, and up and down staircases.

Finally, they entered the great hall of the king. Tree-like pillars held a high arched ceiling. Though by now they were deep underground, the wide gallery possessed an airy feeling. Light filtered down from hanging lamps, bathing the smooth stonework in a bright but gentle glow. The music of a single harp echoed from a distance to accompany the whispering stream that wound its way through culverts and under bridges around the hall. On a raised dais in the center of the room, stood a tall wooden throne. There upon it waited the elven king.

Robed in silver, with a mantle of green, he watched with cold eyes as Fai and Kurogane came to stand before him. Light glimmered off his crown of emerald leaves as he tilted his head to look at each of them appraisingly. His gaze seemed to linger longest on Fai.

"You may unbind their hands, Tauriel," the king said to the woman. "Even if they meant me harm, men such as these would not be hindered by mere ropes." His tone was casual, conversational, but his voice carried the weight of power. Kurogane regarded him with narrowed eyes. Behind this serene and ageless face, there hid a quick and calculating mind capable of gauging the strength of his captives at first glance. Kurogane would not have been surprised if the king held some magic ability that allowed him to easily see beyond outward appearances. The cold eyes seemed to stare straight through to his core. This elf could prove dangerous.

Once unbound, Fai bowed gracefully before the king. "Your Majesty," he began reverently. "Please accept our most humble apologies for intruding upon your realm, as well as our deep gratitude for your aid in our hour of need."

"You would have had no need of aid had you not entered my kingdom uninvited," the king replied. "Tell me, who are you, and what business brings you to my land?"

"My name is Fai Flourite," the mage answered with another deep bow. "My companions and I are wanderers. We travel from land to land with no particular business other than to continue our journey. I assure you, our arrival in your kingdom was not by our design. Indeed, we hadn't even known the forest was inhabited until we happened upon the path."

"What fools wander blindly with neither map nor any knowledge of the lands they traverse?" Tauriel questioned him. Fai merely shrugged and smiled at her.

The king regarded Fai thoughtfully. "Understand this, travelers, you will gain nothing by hiding the truth from me. Regardless of what you might claim, it is clear that you are no simple vagabonds, and your journey is not truly without purpose."

"Your Majesty, I see that very little slips past your notice," Fai conceded. "There is indeed a reason for our journey, but I cannot tell you what it is. You see, that reason belongs to our young friend Syaoran, the one the spider poisoned. It would be wrong of me to reveal such a thing without his consent."

Kurogane thought the king might grow angry at Fai's direct refusal to give him the information for which he had asked, perhaps even demand an answer with threats. But the elf did none of this. Instead, to their surprise, he laughed.

"Your loyalty does you great credit," the king said to Fai, a slight smile now turning up the corners of his mouth. "I would like to meet this young man, your friend who inspires such devotion. I shall send for you again when he is well. Then perhaps this tale will be unraveled. Until that time, you shall remain my guests. Tauriel." He spoke now to the woman.

"Yes, my lord?"

"These men are no longer to be treated as prisoners. See to it that all their needs are met."

"Yes, my lord." And though she obeyed her king's orders, Kurogane noted that the elf woman still kept a close watch on him and the magician, mistrust evident in her wary green eyes.