Disclaimer: I wonder... do people even read the disclaimer anymore? Like in general? -shrugs- Either way, not mine.

[This chapter was corrected and updated on April, 15, 2009. If you still find misspellings or other errors please don't hesitate to tell me. Enjoy.]


Fai's POV

They'd made another couple of miles since the 'incident' and finally the terrain was starting to change a bit. There were more pebbles and rocks mixed in with the sand than before and as they continued in a seemingly uphill fashion it was becoming increasingly easy for tired feet to trip or snag on said clusters of stone and fall over.

Fai had become obsessively careful about this since his last one. He leaned intently against his staff, falling behind every now and again but making up for it by remaining mostly upright. He kept his cloak firmly wrapped around his tired body as both protection from the sun's harsh rays and the ninja's ever constant scrutiny. No one had spoken since it happened but he could feel the children watching him just as closely.

The silence was getting to him and if he didn't do or say something soon it would only worry them more.

"Kuro-pon-pon..." He whined in a purposely childish voice. "...I'm bored."

He could almost hear the growl forming in the base of the other's throat but it seemed he too was too tired to rise to the bait or even complain about his name being butchered like usual. Instead the ninja just sighed gruffly. "Yeah, and what do you want me to do about it?"

He thought for a moment and then let loose one of his signature grins, well, the most he could muster while feeling like he was being cooked inside his own skin while the outside was rubbed raw at even the slightest movement. "I know! We should play a word game."

The ninja didn't turn but Fai had a nice mental picture, compiled from experience during their travels, that told him Kurogane's left eye was no doubt twitching as it tended to right before he started threatening and chasing him with Souhi. Alas, the threat, which would have proved a nice distraction and quite entertaining never came as Sakura spoke up effectively preventing any violence but still helping to promote his other, longer lasting, distraction and attempt to break the silence.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea Fai-chan." She squealed with delight, clearly just as weary from the monotony as he was. "What game do you want to play?"

The ninja mumbled something that sounded more than a little like a curse fallowed by "Oh for the love of Kami, it's too hot for this crap."

"Hmm..." Fai ignored him and put a finger to his lips as if deep in though and then held it up as one struck him. "How about I-Spy?" He smiled broadly already knowing the response this would generate.

"Uh, Fai-san..." Syaoran was the first to point it out gingerly. "There's nothing out here to spy but sand and sky, and well, us."

"Precisely." He replied excitedly. "That's why we have to be extra creative..." He stopped for a moment suddenly dizzy but shook it off and started forward again. This pause in speech was well noted by the ninja who just as swiftly looked away trying not to be noticed himself. "Here, I'll go first." Fai quickly rambled on, his need for a distraction growing. "I spy someone that growls a lot."

"Mage..." Said person warned, proving his point with a barely hidden growl. Fai smirked.

"I know! I know!" Chirped Mokona, finally poking his head up out of Sakura's hood where he'd been sleeping. "It's Kuro-woofie!"

"Damned Manju! I knew we should have traded you for food in the last world. Then at least I wouldn't have to listen to that idiotic..."

"Very good, Mokona. Now it's your turn." Fai interrupted and gently pretended to clap his hands for the small creature without letting his palms actually come together.

"Ah, Kuro-Daddy's so mean!" Mokona hopped around with joy and mock fear. "Oh, I spy something... something pretty!"

"Pretty huh?" Fai pretended to be deep in thought, fighting back the urge to do something really silly and life threatening.

"Mage, so help me, if you..."

"It's Syaoran!" Fai finally giggled ignoring the thankful but rolling eyes of the ninja and the suddenly very pink face of the poor boy he'd made victim to his antics.

"Uhm, no, no, no. That's- c-can't be... I mean... I-" He babbled and ran words quickly into one another for a minute or so before "Besides we all know that Sakura's the prettiest one here." He almost clamped his hands over his mouth clearly not meaning to say that aloud and turned, if possible, an even deeper shade of red.

"Yay, for Syaoran." Mokona clapped as Sakura blushed daintily and the two gave each other small but emotion filled glances at the mood his statement had caused before the talking rabbit ruined it. "Now it's your turn to I-Spy something!" It chirped.

Fai smiled gently. It was a real smile he knew because one: no one had seen it and two: it was sad in nature and pulled at his face in an odd way. He really did wish the best for those two. They had both found the one thing in life that he'd always wanted but could never ever have and then they'd lost it to the whims of fate. Nothing about their situation was fair.

The game continued back and forth and now with the distraction set into place, as even Kuro-silly played along abet against his will, the mage fell back into silence only speaking every few turns to prevent any undue attention. It just took too much energy to speak and banter constantly and he really was quite tired.

It felt like he'd stood in a shower with the water turned up too high but instead of burning him on the outside it burned mostly just under his skin and every movement caused painful chaffing- everywhere. Including places he'd rather not think about.

'The red will set in soon. I hope we make camp before then or else...'

His thoughts were interrupted as another wave of dizziness fallowed by tense nausea swept over him. He stopped walking, eyes shut tightly and both hands gripping his staff painfully as he tried to push it back.

Minutes passed and still he wasn't able to open his eyes without blackness seeping in at the edges of his vision threatening to drag him down into oblivion. Another minute passed and it occurred to him that the others had stopped talking. He could feel their eyes on him and apparently Kurogane had been saying something that he hadn't quite caught.

"What was that, Kuro-fluffy?"

"I asked..." He said enunciating each word slowly from very close behind Fai's tightly shut eyelids. "...are you going to die on us or do I have to kill you myself for not saying something sooner?" The words held a forced calm from between grit teeth.

"Saying something about what, Kuro-sweaty?" He opened his eyes brightly, the dizziness blissfully gone for this one precious and most timely moment. "Was it my turn?"

"You idiot." The ninja growled, real menace behind his words for once concealing all else. He was standing less than two feet away from the mage, his arms folded over hiding clenched fists, clearly suppressing the urge to hit the other man in the head for being so stupid. To the mage's surprise though the ninja tried another, far more useful and devious tactic to get him to feel some sort of remorse over not speaking up sooner. "Sakura almost cried when you didn't answer her the first few times." By the sound of his voice the ninja knew what he was doing.

Fai turned to look at Sakura and Syaoran who were also at his side. No doubt about it, her eyes were indeed misty though not a tear had been shed yet. The boy watched her carefully, equal amounts of worry for the both of them. Once again he'd managed to screw up, draw attention to himself, and stop whatever little progress they had been making towards getting off this cursed rock.

"Fai-san, are you sure you're alright?" Syaoran asked more for his princess than himself.

"I..." he started to say but stopped, smile falling from his face and confusion coming into sky blue eyes that had never outwardly shown such a thing before. "I'm not so sure..." He trailed off oddly and stared out beyond them.

This caught Kurogane's attention. No one had expected the mage to break that easily. His hopes rose that they might get some answers and make some progress as he asked "How can you not be sure?" only to have them fall again when the mage answered.

"Because I spy something green."


Author's Note: That's a decent cliff hanger, right? :D New chapter already in progress and this time I might actually have some plot bunnies mating in my mind. -shudders- Strike that, it's a nasty thought. Slightly shorter chapter than previous but not bad if I do say so myself. Keiyou is my beta.