Fai tossed and turned, his head filled with memories playing themselves over and over again. The tower, long blond hair, falling, blood… Ashura. And suddenly they weren't memories anymore. Now he was watching events in real time. He watched as the water rippled and he watched as a hand first broke the surface of the water and then a head, full of long black hair. He watched as the one he loved and hated the most in all the known worlds awoke.

Kurogane lay in his cot, sleeping deeply. It was the first time he had slept soundly in lord knows how long, and he was enjoying a rather interesting dream. He dreamed of Fai. Pale skin, big blue eyes, light, soft hair. Yes he was rather enjoying it. But his pleasure was short lived as he was violently ripped from the dream world by a sudden blood curdling scream. Kurogane jerked awake and turned to the source of the awful sound, none other than the mage himself. Fai was sitting bolt upright in his bed, hands clawing at chest, choked sobs of pain ripping through his throat. His eyes were still closed and he seemed to still be under the clutches of a nightmare.

"Fai!" Kurogane shouted worriedly, springing from his bed and rushing over to the panicked mage, shaking him softly, and then more aggressively when no results were immediately displayed. Fai woke with a gasp, his pale eyes flying open.

"Fai!" Kurogane said again, slightly irritated. "Calm down. It was just a dream." Fai choked in large breathes to calm himself, all the while shaking his head and crying.

"No…" His voice was strained. "It's not… It's not just a dream." Fai choked out, staring at Kurogane with fear evident in his eyes. "It's Ashura. Oh god, it's Ashura." He closed his eyes and turned away sobbing into his hands. Kurogane stood there beside the bed, completely at a loss as to what to do, who this 'Ashura' was or why Fai was so upset about him. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Who's A-" he was cut off by the door to their room slamming open to reveal a pair of worried children.

"What's wrong?" Syaoran exclaimed, his eyes darting from Fai, trying desperately to calm his sobs, to an irritated Kurogane.

"Stupid mage, throwing a fit." Kurogane growled. "Probably just had a bad dream or something." He waved his hand in the direction of the sorcerer. Sakura moved past Syaoran, drifting to the bed that held the distressed Fai. She sat on the edge, and patted Fai on the back hushing him until his breathing grew steadier.

"Shhhh… Fai, it will be ok. Just a dream, don't worry." She repeated over and over again, rubbing circles in his back. Once he had regained his breath, he looked to Sakura, His sapphire eyes holding back tears.

"No, Sakura. It will not…" He cried, looking around the room at his fellow traveling companions. "Nothing will be ok. It wasn't a dream…" his voice tapered of toward the end, turning into another sob. Kurogane grunted, obviously over all the drama. He was about to tell the mage to calm the hell down when Mokona suddenly opened her mouth reveling a portal. The Dimensional Witch, stood outside her home, as usual, though something in her eyes was different. She spoke almost as soon as she was visible.

"Fai," she began quickly. "Are you aware?" she questioned, he voice thick with concern. Fai nodded silently, sadly. "Good. I came to warn you." She continued, "You will be leaving for Celes when the sun rises." Fai's eyes widened and his mouth moved, silently, like a fish trying to catch its breath on land. Coming to his senses he jerked forward, his face nearly entering the portal.

"No!" He shouted at Yuki. "Please! Not yet, give me a little more time!" he begged. The witch just shook her head sadly.

"I'm sorry Fai… You have until sunrise." The three other occupants of the small room were just about as confused as they could have been at this point, and Kurogane had had just about enough of it.

"What's going on?" He demanded, looking between Fai and Yuki. The two just looked at each other, then to Kurogane and back to each other, as if waiting for someone to say something first. Yuki sighed, turning her attention back to Fai.

"I believe you should tell them now." She said softly, and Fai nodded in utter defeat. "I must go. I wish you the best of luck," She paused for a moment before adding, "Good bye, Fai."