A/N: This is an experiment. I'm going to try to write this same story from everyone's point of view. Each chapter will be one person. The first one here is Kurogane. I'm not sure who to do next. Thanks for your patience.

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Kurogane POV

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If that stupid white manjuu were here right now, I would… Argh!

This is the third world in a row now that it's dropped us into separated. I hope that at least the mage and the kids are together. I'm not sure who needs watching more, him or them. They'll manage between them anyway.

This world is dirty, with squat buildings divided by twisting and turning streets and alleyways. I'm in a longer stretch of alleyway, lit by dimly glowing lamps at the far ends, and the cloud-obscured sun above. This would not be a good place to pick a fight as a stranger, especially not with someone who knows the area.

I'm not going anywhere right now. The sun is setting soon, and I don't want to leave here and get lost in the dark. It looks like this is home for the night. Not much, but I've coped with worse.

Right after I've settled myself sitting against the wall in one of the darker areas of the alley, I hear footsteps.

As they get closer, I can hear ragged breathing accompanying their harsh beat. Someone is running this way. Behind them the faint clack of hooves is perceivable, but not nearly as loud or as fast approaching as the footsteps.

The runner passes by the end of the alleyway, then slows. The only part of him visible when he had passed under the lamp at the end was a mop of blond hair streaked by soot. He returns to the end of the alley, this time avoiding the light and trying to sneak. He only gets about halfway between the light and myself before sinking down into a sprawled sitting position.

Minutes pass, and he seems to be building up the strength to stand again. If only he would, then I would get a clear view of him.

The hoovebeats grow nearer, not even going past the alley, but turning straight in. Even as the horse and its rider step into view under the light, the man in the alley stiffens with resolve and stands.

The rider of the horse is pale white, with long, black hair carrying a gun in one hand and the reins in the other. He looks at the man he has been chasing with cold amber eyes. Shifting my gaze to the blonde now facing the man on the horse, he looks familiar for a moment. He stands in a loose way, seemingly unbalanced, with his hands on his hips. Even with the seemingly careless gesture, any warrior would be able to tell him for a man tensed and ready to strike.

Then it hits me full force. A lanky, blonde man running from someone. Looking at him with new eyes, I can see now that it could only be the mage. Even without his coat, and with his back turned, I can see that now. That could only make the man on the horse that person. The one that makes Fai run.

The man on the horse says something softly to Fai. I'm too far to hear, so I creep closer, sticking to the shadows.

"But you know it has to be like this." Fai says, with his regular careless abandon, his unseen smile reflecting in his voice.

"But it doesn't. You can come back with me. This will never have happened." The rider says in a whispery tone. He drops the reins for a moment to hold out his hand to Fai. "Please, come back before it's too late Fai."

"Don't you see, it is already too late… Ashura…" Fai is speaking, for once, in a serious tone, tinged by sadness and regret.

Just as I get as close as I can come to them, without them seeing me, Fai makes his move.

He's got more of those silly darts and goes charging at Ashura, tossing them at him one at a time. Ashura simply knocks them out of the air casually with his gun.

Fai pulls a thin, curving dagger out of his sleeve as he launches himself at Ashura. There is no time to dodge or parry, and one of them is going to die now.

I watch all this with a detached view. All my emotions have disappeared, save for this towering battle rage mounting inside me. It's all I can do to hold it back. The mage can take care of himself, I don't need to get involved in his battles. Anyway, this one is going to be over in seconds.

A shattering boom pulls me back into the moment. I pass a second in confusion before realizing that it was the gun. I had forgotten the gun that Ashura held, but Ashura defiantly had not.

He froze a moment with the barrel of his gun smoking. Looking down in sorrow and rage and horror at the bloody form on the ground before him. He did not even get off his horse to check if Fai still lived. This image of Ashura over Fai's body I will not ever forget.

Before I can make a single move to stop him, Ashura has whirled his horse around and galloped away. There is no way I could catch him on foot. There are more pressing matters anyway.

I rush over to Fai's side in the fading light. He lies in a dark pool of blood, ever widening. The bullet went into his chest and all the way out the other side. He's lost do much blood that it's a surprise to me that he can still speak.

"Thank you…" He whispers to no one in particular. Not anyone here anyway.

I tear of several bandages from my cloak, and wrap them around him. I try not to move him much, but I have to get the bandages around the other side to stop the bleeding there too.

He looks at me for the first time after I lean him up. He looks like he's seen a ghost when he focuses on my face.

"I… I missed you…" He says in a voice so faint, that I would not have heard it if I was even an inch further from him. Then he collapses, and I know it is pointless.

He is gone. The fool that could not die had just slipped away between my fingers. The moment is unreal, and I can feel myself slipping into a more primitive rage.

Before I am completely consumed, I let out one cry of anguish.

Voices approach swiftly. Night has fallen completely, and I cannot see them until they come under the light. I pull out Souhi, and prepare to do battle with whoever it is. My rage is no longer containable.

"I swear it came from this direction!" Yells a voice, coming closer to my location. In a past life I might have recognized it as Syaoran's but there is no reason in this life. Only loss, and fighting.

The past-life Syaoran-boy and past-life Sakura-girl come into the light. They cannot see me, but the boy hears the rasping of my sword against its sheath. He reacts instantly, pushing the girl out of the light and drawing his blade at the same time.

I am on him in a flash. He is prepared, and blocks my first strike, but I move without pause to a second, a third, a fourth. He only has time and energy to block my attacks as they come with increasing frequency. Then I hear another voice.

"What's Kuro-wan doing? Syaoran-kun's going to need those arms you're trying so hard to chop off." The sound comes from outside the other side of the light.

I turn to face the voice, sword at the ready. Then he steps into the light.

Fai.

He's standing there, in his huge coat with that silly smile of his. That infuriating smile.

My sword falls from my hands with a clatter. I sink to my knees, and my mind has gone absolutely numb and uncomprehending.

"Kuro-rin, did I say something wrong?" He asks. I can't answer, my voice has fled.

He looks over in the direction of the corpse, at what I can only assume is the trickle of blood seeping into the ring of light. He sends Syaoran out to the street on the pretence of tending to his princess.

"Kuro-mu… What happened?" He asks in a wondering voice, while already heading towards the corpse in the shadows. I don't know what he was expecting, but the look on his face when he drags his lifeless body into the light to get a good look at the face says that this wasn't it.

"Kuro…" He stares uncomprehendingly into the face exactly like his. My voice comes back.

"I thought… It was that person, Ashura. I thought he had caught you." I say, getting to my feet and collecting my sword. Fai looks up at me.

"No. No, this Fai is free where he doesn't have to run anymore…" Fai whispers, in a tone much to close to the other Fai's for comfort.

"Don't say stupid things like that." I growl. He only looks at me for a moment before returning the dead Fai to the shadows. He stands up proper.

"Why not? No one would care." He says in a joking tone.

"Idiot, you've got four people that would care a whole damn lot if you just went off and got yourself killed. Stop trying to lie to yourself." I say before turning away to leave.

"And you said you don't like to say pretty things. So what do we tell the kids?" Fai asks.

"The truth. That I was simply testing the boy's skills under realistic conditions. Nothing more." I tell him. He laughs.

"Ahhh, Kuro-rin is getting good at this lying too." Fai says before following me out of the light.