Chapter Two
Fai looked at the darkness that surrounded him. He had never felt so miserable in his life. Maybe when the Space Time Witch took away his source of power, but not this depressed. Fai looked up to see another man being sucked into this darkness that he now inhabited.
"Where are we?" the man asked. Fai could not see him very well but could tell that he was slightly shorter and not as thin as he is. Fai knew he had to say something but didn't know how to answer his question.
"I don't know." Fai answered with the only excuse he could come up with. "I'm Fai-san." Fai introduced himself and held out his hand. The man stared at his hand before taking it.
"I'm Ebisu, and I need to get out of here. Wherever we are." Ebisu stood up and looked around at the same darkness with Fai. "My wife and daughter are going to be worried about me. She told me not to go near the carriages when I'm alone. But it just sucked me in here!" Ebisu started to tell Fai about his life when a sudden burst of light lit the darkness. A man holding a candle came forward to Ebisu. He was dressed in a tight uniform with a top hat.
"The king will see you now." Ebisu got up to leave and so did Fai. The man turned to Fai "You must stay." The man pushed Fai down to the ground.
"Then, where am I?" Fai asked but Ebisu and the guard left him in the darkness. Ebisu did not return for many hours later.
"What happened?" Fai asked but Ebisu ignored him.
"Are we almost there Misaki-chan?" Kurogane grumbled. "We've been walking for over an hour!" Misaki sighed and turned to Kurogane-san.
"It took me two hours to walk to the entrance. It is why I am late. Everyone in this world walks because the roads are dangerous. But we are almost there." Misaki started to talk animatedly to Sakura as they continued to walk.
"It sure is a long way. Pity about all the carriages." Syaoran had taken to small talk with Kurogane-san. "At least no one here is calling you 'daddy'" Syaoran tried to be positive as he watched Sakura with Misaki-chan. Soon they started walking up to a small house. It looked like a small house from Kurogane's past in Japan, but he did not mention anything. A tall, beautiful woman stepped outside to greet them. Misaki ran up to her mother and embraced her in a hug before bowing. Syaoran, Sakura and Kurogane-san bowed to Ai. Ai was wearing a dark blue kimono with colourful flowers decorated on it and a gold trim.
"My name is Ai as I'm sure Misaki has told you. Please come inside." Ai turned and went through the front door. It looked like any other house Kurogane had been to. There was a small table with 5 small cups of tea. Ai took a seat and encouraged everyone else to follow.
"Ai-san, we would like to know everything about this world. Something sucked our friend into a black carriage on the streets." Syaoran told them about what happened before Misaki arrived.
"This is the world of Moni. There are many people in hiding from the carriages. No one knows exactly what drives them and this world is supposed to be magic free." Ai suddenly stopped and turned to Misaki. "When is father coming home?" Ai asked her daughter, but she looked dumb-struck.
"He should have been back by now. I hope he hasn't been sucked." Misaki turned away to hid her tears. Sakura moved to comfort Misaki.
"People in this world are suddenly depressed because it is so dark. We haven't seen the sun for 70 years. Ghosts haunt most of the houses but I was lucky to get a house that isn't haunted." Syaoran started thinking about the carriages on the road and the one that 'sucked' Fai in. Why couldn't he move?
"And the carriages. Do you know where our friend went to?" Syaoran asked but Ai suddenly looked sad.
"The carriages came 70 years ago. They all look the same, big, black with golden wheels. People get sucked into them and very rarely do they ever come back. Some say they died and went to hell but came back. Some say they went into another world and then, there are others who say they went to the King in the centre of town. I don't really know why or-" Ai's words were suddenly cut off when there was a loud impatient knocking on the door. Ai quickly stood up and answered the door. Outside stood a tall, pale man. He wore a flat hat, a dirty white top with a dirty brown jacket. He also wore baggy brown pants and looked out of place. Sakura prayed that those were not the normal clothes in this world.
"Ai! Thank god you're home! I was with Ebisu and he got sucked into a carriage. I tried to get him but I couldn't move my legs." The man cried on Ai's shoulder about what happened. Syaoran stood up and walked to Ai.
"The same happened to me when our friend Fai was sucked in. I wanted to help but I couldn't move." Syaoran looked pitifully upon Sakura and Kurogane.
"It is most likely that both of you had the power to bring them out but he would not let you. Our King is conniving like that." Ai brought the man inside. "Kano-san this is Syaoran-san, Sakura-chan and Kurogane-san. Their friend Fai-san was sucked into a carriage as well as Ebisu." Ai turned to Misaki who was crying on Ai's kimono. "Misaki-chan, why don't you go into your room and play?" Ai tried to usher her daughter away from the pain.
"I don't want to" Misaki cried, "I want Father!" Misaki continued to hold tightly onto Ai. Sakura got up and tried to talk to Misaki and calm her down. It seemed to work and Ai was grateful to her. Ai turned to Kano and told him to go home and stay away from the roads. As Kano left and Misaki went into her room with Sakura, Ai finally turned and started to cry for Ebisu.
Fai had long given up on trying to get Ebisu to talk so he took to sitting and remembering all his adventures with his friends.
"I met the king." Ebisu's voice suddenly filled the darkness. "Ai and Misaki have learned that I have been trapped here. I don't know where we are but it is possible to view the real world." Fai turned to look at Ebisu. He had never seen a man this depressed.
"Ebisu, we must get out of here." Fai was determined to escape and needed help to get back to Moni.
"Fai, you are young and don't know the ways of Moni, or our King. It is impossible to escape." Ebisu sighed and lay down in immediate resignation. Fai was growing irritated at Ebisu but couldn't let it show. He decided to make the situation amusing in a strange way.
"Sure if you have that attitude, you may as well build a summer home here." Ebisu stood up and held Fai against the wall before Fai had realised what he said.
"You don't have a wife and daughter worrying sick about you! You don't have a life here! You don't even have to be in Moni! Get out of here Fai-chan!" Ebisu let Fai go and they both fell to the ground. Fai groaned and rubbed his head.
"Look, Ebisu, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so…insensitive or condescending."
Ebisu remained silent and Fai lay down until he could think of something to do. No one seemed to be able to leave their cells or cellmates, regardless of whether you liked them or not. You could only leave when you were told to visit the King or if the King noticed something bad happening to your family. Ebisu had told him that the King had let one person leave, due to favouritism. Ever since, he has sworn to never do it again but everyone has tried to get on his good side to let them out. Fai was busy thinking of a way to escape from here that he didn't notice a guard had come in.
"Mr…Fai, something has happened. Ebisu you had better come too. The King wishes to see you both." The guard turned and waited for them to follow. Fai and Ebisu followed the guard down many, long, confusing, dark tunnels. Fai could see a light up ahead and assumed that this was where the King was. They came into a room with a large window, a large throne where a tall man with a crown on his head sat. Ebisu bowed and got to his knees and a guard kicked Fai down into a bowing position.
"Rise. Ebisu, your family is in trouble. There are strangers in your house planning murdering your wife and daughter." Ebisu remained calm and rose face to face with the King.
"Your majesty, I don't believe you. Ai would never let evil people into our home. Misaki's safety is her priority." Ebisu looked over at Fai and then the guard before letting his gaze return to the King. Fai looked up stealthily and beside the large window was a glass box with a shining feather in it. He looked over at the window and saw a small, beautiful Japanese girl.
"Is this Misaki? Your daughter?" Fai asked Ebisu. Ebisu nodded quietly.
"There are no murderers in Ebisu-san's house. That very girl greeted my friends when we arrived in Moni. My friends, Kurogane, Syaoran and Sakura are with Misaki and her mother." The King looked puzzled and suddenly apologised for startling them.
"Your majesty, may I please inquire about the…uh the feather?" The King stood and the guard once again knocked Fai down. Fai seemed depressed again but the King seemed angered.
"This feather is none of your business. Back to your cell! The both of you!" The King sat back down and waited for Fai and Ebisu to leave. Fai and Ebisu bowed but the guard picked them both up and kicked them in the way of their cells.
"What did you do that for you idiot?!" Ebisu whispered as tears started to fall down Fai's cheeks.