A/N: For reference in Tsubasa, this adventure takes place between the worlds of Shara/Shura and Recourt. ToS history follows my previous story, "Awakening;" spoiler alert if you haven't read it! Enjoy ^-^
The Ties That Bind
"Marta, can you fetch some wood for the kitchen? The morning business has really burned through my supplies. Haha, burned!"
"Right away, Lieu!" She nodded to the guests as she set down the last plate of breakfast, flipped a long braid behind her, and headed out the service hallway. The small inn backed up to a wood on the fringe of Palmacosta. Just outside the treeline, a white-blonde boy steadily chopped firewood without a shirt on. Sweat glistened on his back despite the cool day. "Emil, I need wood for the kitchen."
As he turned around, Marta's eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the raised scar just below his ribs. The wound that caused it had nearly killed him mere months ago. Though only as long as the width of a sword blade, Emil's thin frame made the rough line look more drastic.
"Go ahead, take—Marta? Oh…" He dropped the ax to grab a homespun shirt.
"No, don't. It's okay, I just…well…"
"I understand, Marta. You don't have to pretend to ignore it," Emil assured her. "It's a hard memory to have."
Marta ventured to touch the scar through the shirt fabric. "Sometimes I can almost feel the pain you must have been in…"
"It doesn't hurt anymore, I promise."
They gazed at each other in silence for a moment. Then out of nowhere, a spike of pain shot through Emil's temples. He brought his hands up reflexively.
"What's wrong?"
"I…don't know. It's gone now. I've probably just been swinging the ax for too long. I could use something to eat, after I help you carry the wood up, of course."
"You're sure?"
"Yeah."
Far away, a small outcropping of rock surrounded by water began to shake. The glowing seal in the center pulsed slowly. The rumbling rose to a crescendo, and suddenly a ball of red light shot out of the middle. It came to rest just outside the seal.
"What in the name of the Giant Kharlan Tree…the outside world? How is this possible? The seal to the Gate should have been unreachable!"
"One would think that, wouldn't they? But this is no ordinary power, and now it's mine."
A lanky, bat-winged figure rose out of the seal. Its eyes burned fiery red, and tattooed around the right arm was the intricate design of a feather. Something about the presence of this figure radiated mental agony through the spirit of Ratatosk. He would have gaped in horror had he had a mouth to do so.
"The king of the Demons!"
"You should thank me. After all, didn't the pestilential races of this world, the same ones who destroyed your Great Tree, lock you away down there for all eternity?"
"Wretched though they might be for their crimes, they sought to care for the new Tree and this world. I cannot fault them for their courage, even if it bested me."
"You have grown soft in your captivity, Ratatosk. Where is the ruthless Summon Spirit who kept me out all these millennia?" The pointed face then smiled, if the gesture could be called a smile. Oh, but you no longer have a physical body, nor the strength of artes to create one, it seems. Has my appearance broken you at last? What a pity. I suppose I'll have to do without the pleasure of killing you. I'd hoped I would get to. Farewell, then. I must stretch myself in this world before I have the power to bring my armies through."
The king swooped into the air, and was gone. For the first time, Ratatosk was completely powerless. How had the Demon king come to possess the power to break the Ginunngagap? This was troubling news indeed. And while he was loathe to admit it, he knew of the few people who had any chance of stopping this grave crisis.
A lone seagull perched on a nearby rock. "That's it! Possession greatly shortens the life of the host body, but it's the only way to move any great distance in this world. Being stripped from my other half and sealed away has left me little power."
"Here we are, the next world!"
"And don't get us separated again, Cream Puff!"
"Humph! Kurogane's so mean sometimes!"
Syaoran shook his head, busying himself instead with helping Sakura dust off.
"Where do you think we are this time?" she asked.
"It doesn't look much different from Shura and Shara, does it? Lots of countryside, dotted with close-knit towns."
Fai studied their surroundings. "Except we don't seem to be close to any of them."
"There's salt on the air," Kurogane pointed out. "There has to be at least one settlement on the coast. Hmm…that way."
So they headed off in the direction he indicated. The weather at least was pleasant and warm. All the same, Syaoran couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right in this unbroken peace. True, they had yet to come upon anything that looked like a well-traveled road, but the absence of people was beginning to unsettle him.
"You sense it too?" Fai commented after about an hour's walk.
"I think I can sense a feather, very far away," chimed Mokona.
"You think?" echoed Kurogane.
"There's a funny kind of magic in this whole place. Mokona can only do so much!"
"Who goes there?"
All five of them jumped. Syaoran immediately stepped between Sakura and the direction of the voice. Four figures moved cautiously in the shadow of a clump of trees. The tallest was a man, blue-haired and muscular, though he wore a well-tailored suit. A woman and boy, who could be her son, both held defensive positions; neither of them looked old, yet they had stark white hair. And lastly, a slightly older boy with a red jacket and two thin swords glared the newcomers down.
"We mean no harm. We're peaceful travelers," said Fai holding his palms open.
"You're pretty stiffly armed for peaceful travelers," the woman countered.
"Anyone who travels unarmed is a fool," growled Kurogane. "I see you certainly haven't laid them aside."
"Please," Syaoran interrupted before an altercation could erupt, "we're searching for something important, something that casts magical effects. Are there any strange legends or occurrences that you've heard in this country?"
"That's what we're trying to find out," the blue-haired man replied.
"What's been going on?"
"Rumors have been spreading of possible…Demon activity. We're on our way to see a friend, who might be the only one who can do anything about it. The Demons reside in a separate world that is supposed to be sealed off. No artes known could break it. If they're here, then we have a grave problem."
"Artes?" asked Fai.
"Elemental-based magic powered by mana—life energy that supports the world," the woman explained, seeing the blank looks on their faces. "You really aren't from here, are you?"
"We're actually on a journey across worlds, trying to locate this young lady's scattered memories. They take the form of ornate feathers."
Mokona peeked out of hiding in Sakura's cloak. "Currents of magic flowing through the world would explain why Mokona can't pinpoint the feather."
"Have you seen anything that could be it?" Syaoran pressed hopefully.
"Not any out of the ordinary," shrugged the woman. The white-haired boy pushed his way forward to ogle at Mokona.
"Wow, what's that? It talks!"
"Mokona is Mokona!"
"Where are our manners?" sighed the big man. "I am Regal Bryant, president of the Lezareno Company in Altamira. These two sages are Raine and Genis, brother and sister, and the brooding young warrior there is Lloyd Irving."
Fai nodded to all of them. "Pleased to meet you. You've been introduced to Mokona already. I'm Fai D. Flourite, this lovable lug is Kuro-pii—"
"How many times do I have to tell you—!"
"—And our two young companions are Sakura and Syaoran. Would you mind if we tagged along? It sounds like your problem might be the result of one of the powerful feathers we're looking for."
"I don't mind. Do any of you? Raine?" Regal glanced around at his own companions.
She looked at him darkly. "You already know my opinion. Trust will be difficult to keep if there are Demons running free. But it seems we won't have much of a choice." Still glowering, she stalked off in the direction they must have been traveling.
Regal gestured for them to follow; Syaoran noticed that Lloyd kept his gaze steadily on him the entire time.