The first chapter to the sequel of "Avant ce soir…" and this story is called "それから夜明けは来る…" meaning "Then The Dawn Comes". The chapter names will be in Japanese new since Kurogane's original language is Japanese whilst Fai's is French, hence the story name last time. A lot was left unanswered last chapter and this time, the pair have to fight to save their relationship and the lives of one another and their friends. The search for Sakura's feathers continues but something happens that will change their lives forever…enjoy the first chapter. This chapter is called: "新しい世界、新しい初め…" meaning "A New World, A New Beginning".

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Fai's POV

The world we'd landed in this time was called Μάσκα and this world was a strange one…it wasn't just the fact that these people lived in a giant dome either. It wasn't due to the fact that many of them didn't even speak. None of the people here seemed to have expressions on their faces. The only person that we'd met so far that held a single emotion on their face was a young lady named Altofalante. She was our tour guide that had met us the moment we'd arrived into this world, although she told us plenty about the country's religion and origins, she never mentioned why no one else seemed to speak and why the streets were practically empty. Syaoran, Sakura, Kuro-puu and I weren't the only ones who raised eyebrows or exchanged perplexed glances. Mokona remained completely silent the entire way round, ears flat against his head. I held the little creature closer to my chest as if to comfort him but he didn't react to my embrace like he usually would. I had a feeling this world didn't hold a good atmosphere…

"You may stay here for the duration of your visit," Altofalante said as we paused outside a dark green painted building with dark brown wooden doors and windows. The place pretty much looked deserted. I felt Kuro's hand rest on my hip and I flashed him a quick smile. He was always protective of me, ever since I got hurt he's constantly holding onto me like Syaoran would for Sakura. It always made me smile. Whenever I was around him, it was like my heart was basking in the warmth of a sun, beaming down within me.

"If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to visit me at the gate," she added, returning a sheepish smile that Sakura gave her.

"The gate?" Syaoran asked, frowning a little.

"The place where we came into this world," I explained. "We'll be sure to do that, Altofalante, thank you for taking us here."

"No problem at all," she bowed briskly before walking away, leaving us staring after her.

Kuro-puu grunted. "This world is strange," he muttered, giving my hip a gentle squeeze. "I don't like it full stop. I say we search for the Princess' feather first thing tomorrow and leave as soon as we possibly can. This place just screams dangerous to me."

Syaoran nodded in agreement. He too seemed eager to get out of this place, to get Sakura away from this world and continue the search for her feathers. Ever since the incident with Ashura, we'd been slow on getting Sakura's feathers. It wasn't only Syaoran whom noticed that Sakura seemed a little chalky these days in her complexion and little more out of it. We'd been so slow getting the last one it would be better to get her feathers as quickly as possible to catch up. I could tell Syaoran was constantly worried, which shrouded his judgement and made him a little more distracted than usual. Kurogane, being the skilled fighter he was and of course Syaoran's trainer, kept grumbling that if he didn't get his act together the kid would become a hindrance. That I highly doubted considering how determined he was to protect Sakura with all he had.

"Now, Kurgs," I warned softly, tilting my head backwards to look up at him. "We just don't know a lot about this world. Maybe tomorrow we'll understand a little more why this place is so…um…"

"Freaky? Weird? Strange? Creepy? Unusual?" Kurogane smirked, throwing out all of these words which would be considered suitable for describing this world.

"It's just different," Syaoran said, looking around at the empty streets. "We better head inside and book a room. Will you and Fai-san be alright sharing a room together?" Kurogane raised his eyebrows. I flushed. Syaoran turned bright red. "Um, sorry I keep forgetting. Okay, that means Sakura, Mokona and I will share a room. Is that alright with you, Mokona?"

I looked down at the white creature in my arms to see its ears still pinned back, corners of its lips tilted downwards. Mokona looked up after a moment, realising everyone was staring at him in confusion.

"Uh…what did you say, Syaoran-kun?" he asked, looking around at all of us.

"Jeez, the little furball is quiet for once," Kurogane remarked, snorting a little as if the very idea of our furry little guide being quiet for this amount of time was ridiculous. Though it was kind of strange…even I didn't conceal my anxiety.

"Mokona-chan, are you alright?" Sakura said softly, touching the top of his head, her green eyes filled with concern.

"Mokona's just a little uneasy," Mokona admitted, looking down. "This world has a strange, strange energy and it doesn't feel right…"

"Is it Princess Sakura's feather?" Syaoran joined in, moving closer to him.

Mokona looked at a loss. "Mmm…I don't know…but it's strong and close by! Mokona can feel it!"

Syaoran appeared crestfallen for a moment but quickly replaced it with gratitude. "At least that's something," he said, as if reassuring himself rather than speaking to all of us. He took Mokona from my arms and we went inside the building. The waiting room was completely empty; the furniture fresh and new as if just purchased the very moment we stepped inside. The room smelled of fresh paint and the only person visible was a man at the counter.

I felt Kurogane tense beside me. Being a ninja, Kuro-puu was very sensitive about atmospheres almost as much as Mokona was. He knew when something was wrong and when something just wasn't right. It made me feel uneasy too. We booked our rooms, seeing as though we had a choice of the entire hotel. The place was nice so it was a mystery to why no one had booked a room yet. Our rooms were right across the hall from each other so if anything happened during the night we'd be nearby.

Kurogane didn't ease up, even when we stepped into our room. The room was so serene and pretty. The walls were painted a creamy white all around apart from the area around the double bed where it was painted a light pink. The bed was set up right next to a large window that looked down upon the town and the floors were white and tiled. The atmosphere was a little lighter in here but still, Kuro-puu's tense muscles didn't relax. I turned to face him, touching his cheek. He sighed and closed his eyes, touching my hand against his face.

"What's the matter, Big Dog?" I whispered, pressing my lips lightly to the tip of his nose. "You don't seem happy."

"I'm not, that's why," Kurogane growled, opening his eyes slowly as he kissed my palm.

"What's wrong?" I scanned his ruby eyes to see an emotion there I hadn't seen before.

"It's cold here," he said flatly.

I frowned quizzically. "What?" he'd completely lost me there.

He rolled his eyes, exhaling. "It's the same air that I felt when…" he trailed off. I was lost once more up until the point he touched my right arm, trailing up to the point on my forearm where I'd been stabbed, protecting him. A strange dull ache erupted there and I closed my eyes, knowing full well what he meant now. He was uneasy because he felt the same air…the air that was around Celes.

"Don't be worried, Kuro-bear," I breathed, kissing his lips gently. He kissed me back animatedly, remaining tense and lost in his thoughts. I moved my lips from his and down to the base of his throat, kissing along his collar bone.

"Big Dog worries too much," I murmured against his skin. I felt his body shudder and heard him inhale deeply, his hands snaking around my waist, holding me closer.

"And Big Cat likes sexually tormenting me," he groaned.

"You like it too, Kuro-perv," I purred. The atmosphere and the 'difference' of this world were forgotten almost instantly and we were lost in each other, our worries and doubts drowned out by our soft moans and exploring hands. I never felt this warm and comfortable in my life. It was times like this, when the sun that was beaming down so brightly on my heart, seemed to scorch and explode, shooting stars cutting through the sky like streaks of paint across a blank canvas…

* * *

I'd been sleeping soundly and well for the past few weeks; whether or not it was due to the fact I was sharing a bed with my lover with his arms wound tightly around my waist. But tonight, I felt clammy and like I was drowning rather than snuggling up into the warmth that was of my lover. I felt choked and I felt like I was struggling but my movements were restrained by a tight current, a pressure being applied to my limbs like a snake coiled tightly around me. I felt something wet leak down my cheeks and I felt like my voice was on mute as I opened my mouth to scream but nothing reached my ears. No oxygen was reaching my lungs and even if it did, it didn't help the raw pain there, it didn't refresh my organs and my dry mouth. I wasn't sure if my eyes were open or shut. Everything was just black. I felt something sharp against my back and I tried to cry out but once more my voice failed me. I saw something move and I saw two white dots. I wasn't sure what it was. I felt my body shaking violently.

"FAI!!!"

Darkness vanished almost immediately and I my eyes flew open, my chest rising and falling rapidly, the blood in my head pounding, my heart rocketing against my ribs like a nest of disturbed wasps. My eyes rolled back a little into my head before finally resting on a shadow of someone leaning over me. I realised hands gripping my shoulders. My skin was cold, the quilt and my hair plastered to my skin. I was panting heavily as if I'd just run a marathon or something, running for hundreds of miles without rest. I didn't struggle anymore as the voice slowly registered.

"Kuro…" I gulped the air, feeling the oxygen reach my tingling limbs. I was sitting right up in bed, Kurogane kneeling before me in nothing but his black boxers, his brows furrowed as he watched me slowly relax. I literally fell into his arms, pulling him close.

"You had a nightmare," Kurogane whispered, kissing my damp hair as if to reassure me. "You were screaming. You woke the kid, the princess and the fluff ball too. What the hell were you dreaming about?"

I opened my mouth to answer him but my words failed me. I frowned a little. I had absolutely no idea…

"I…I don't know…" I stammered, my chin shaking as I pulled away from him, searching my brain to get the faintest idea what had scared me so much. My heart was still hammering in my chest and I felt dizzy.

Kurogane gently kissed my cheek and laid be back down. "I'll go let the others know you're okay," he breathed.

He was about to walk away when I grabbed his wrist. "Do you really want to go out in your boxers, Kuro-puu?" I grinned as he turned vibrant red, scrambling for his shirt and some trousers.

I giggled. "You look great with them off too," I winked at him and he turned even redder, grumbling "shut up" as he walked out to the hall.

I could hear the muffled voices of Kurogane talking to the others. I smiled to myself as I felt my heart rate slow down to its regular rate. I turned over onto my side to resume sleep when I felt a small little sting on my lower back. I touched it. I felt something warm and wet. I brought it to my eyes to see my fingertips had patches of crimson liquid. I turned on the light and went to the bathroom, pulling Kurogane's black cloak around my naked body. I stared into the bathroom mirror, turning round to look at my back. A long scratch ran from my lower back to my left hip. At first glance, I assumed it was Kurogane being too rough but the cut was fresh. I remembered feeling something sharp against my back in my dream…it must've been a coincidence. I probably knocked it when I was tossing and turning or maybe it was when Kuro grabbed me to try to wake me up…the two more rational ideas just didn't seem to fit or make sense. I shook my head, turned out the bathroom light and returned to bed, being joined shortly by a very sleepy Kurogane.

* * * *

The next morning I didn't feel any better. I felt groggy and ill and I looked it too. My skin looked waxy as I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror, gently poking the red puffiness around my eyes with my fingertips. My eyes were so sore. My entire body was a little sore too but I knew that pain was just due to Kurogane's rough love. I felt like I was going to be sick. I splashed my face with icy cold water and waited, leaning over the sink, trembling. It must be down to the lack of sleep…it had to be. I heard a tender knock on the door.

"Wizard, let me in," Kurogane called. "I've seen it all before. You don't have to hide from me. I need to get ready. The kid wants to leave as soon as possible."

I couldn't help but blush at his comment. I shook my hair out and checked myself quickly in the mirror. I looked a little sleepy but not ill. That was good. I didn't feel that nauseated anymore. I took the moment and unlocked the door, skipping out to bounce right into Kurogane's arms.

He sleepily kissed my lips. He didn't sleep to well either I guessed. His eyes looked a little puffy too and he stifled a yawn as we broke the good morning kiss, stretching his arms upwards.

I popped my finger into his open yawning mouth, making him jump in surprise. "Sleepy head," I teased, taking my finger out of his mouth when he gently pressed his teeth to it.

I skipped out into the bedroom, making the bed swiftly. Sharing a bed with Kurogane was like sharing it with a teenage boy. It was never made and he always left his side of the room a complete mess. I felt like a mother, picking up his discarded clothes from yesterday and keeping a hold on his boxers. When his head reappeared around the door, toothbrush in hand, I threw the boxers so they landed on his head.

"Wizard!" He exclaimed, a wicked grin on his face as he ran into me, pushing me down onto the bed and climbing on top of me, trying to shove the boxers in my face. I laughed as I struggled to get him off of me, holding his wrists to restrain him. He seemed to give in after a moment, looking into my eyes as I gazed lovingly into his. He brushed his fingertips down my face and to the corner of my lips, touching his forehead to mine.

"You're childish," he sighed, his other hand intertwining with my left, his thumb stroking along the top of my hand.

"Me?" I echoed, acting hurt and shocked. "That's real convincing, considering that's coming from the one on top of me trying to shove his boxers in my face."

"You couldn't wait to get me out of them last night," he teased, raising one of his eyebrows suggestively. I turned pink, heat flooding to my cheeks at the memory.

"Kuro-perv," I retorted feebly as he stole my breath, kissing me deeply.

"Fai-puff," he breathed against my lips as we broke apart.

"Kuro-suc…" I realised hastily that we were being watched. I turned my head a little to see Sakura, Syaoran and Mokona standing in the doorway, all looking horrified by what they were hearing. I smiled sheepishly at them. Kurogane's eyes widened, clearing his throat as he jumped off of me, not looking up as he stormed into the bathroom, boxers still on his shoulder. I stole a quick glance at his face to see it was scarlet.

I couldn't restrain the chuckles.

"Sorry you had to see that children," I said between laughs, trying to sound bright and enthusiastic, sitting up. "So…um…let's go find that feather!!!"

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End of Part One to "それから夜明けは来る…"and I hope you all enjoyed it. The sequel to "Avant ce soir…" has begun and I hope you guys enjoy it as much as the first. I'm sorry for any spelling mistakes etc. I just wanted to introduce the world and what is actually happening to our beloved Fai D. Fluorite. A few song recommendations to listen to whilst reading: "Going Under by Evanescence", "Save Tonight by Eagle Eye Cherry", "It Never Begins For Us by Elisa" and "Don't Forget by Demi Lovato". Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think!!!

Notes:

The name of the world will be revealed in a later chapter.

Their guide's name is "Altofalante" which means "Speaker".

I realised I'd been spelling Mokona's name wrong. I spelled it Mokana. Sorry. So I'm spelling it right in this volume.

Next time…

Will it be explained why the air is so different and strange? Why is Mokona acting so strangely? And what was Fai's dream about? Is there a feather in this world?

To be continued in Chapter Two "何かはではない右…" which means "Something's Not Right".