Chapter Two:

Something sticky and warm moves from the tips of my toes to the top of my head-leaving a trail of sticky slime in its wake. I shudder and move away from it, grumbling, and another sticky warm muscle trailing along my other side.

Eyes snapping open, I sit up.

And scream loudly.

The huge canine head moves back several steps, bringing its two other canine heads back with it. Large jaws snapping shut, the three headed dog dips down and closes its three pairs of bright red eyes.

"We are here to serve you, Master." All three heads speak.

I grin wickedly.

The dream shatters.

Sighing softly, I roll over in my bed and curl up into a ball. My neck aches, the small burning sensation slowly building until it becomes unbearable, and my eyes snap open as I sit up abruptly, hissing.

"Saya-chan, are you alright?"

I look up and gasp, the blue eyed boy laughing lightly at my bewildered expression. I lean back away from him and blink several times, eyebrows furrowing together at the scene around me. The rusty haired boy stands a few meters away, a large flaming wolf curling around his body, and the ninja guy stands behind a short black haired nerd and an even stranger short nerd with a hat.

"Huh?" I blink.

Blondie simply smiles. Nerd number one gasps lightly and leans over, bending into a low bow. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Sayuri-sempai."

"Huh?" I repeat.

"It…it went inside me." Rusty turns back to us, no longer consumed by the fiery flames of his wolf.

"That was amazing, Syaoran-kun!" Blondie chirps, voice melted honey, "Did that come from you?"

Ninja scoffs softly, his voice gruff and thick. "That's a 'Kudan' huh?"

I frown, confusion swirling within me, and stand. My muscles are like confined jelly, making me stumble and fumble around. Grabbing onto the nearest thing for support, Blondie laughs lightly and winds his arms around my waist-holding me up.

"What's going on?" I ask, glaring up at him.

"We're traveling through different worlds." He smiles kindly, "To help Syaoran-kun find Sakura-chan's feathers. Right now, we're in a place called the Hanshin Republic, where people have spirit animals called Kudan."

I look around slowly. "Hey, where'd Nerd number two go?"

Nerd Number one blinks and then smiles sheepishly. Blondie laughs lightly, chest vibrating against mine, and the Syaoran one smiles lightly. He bends over into a formal bow. "It's good to see you awake, Saya-san."

"How do you know my name?" I ask, prodding his head with my finger.

Blondie carefully lets me go and steps back, poking my nose softly. "Mokona told us all about you, Saya-kun!" He coos happily.

I flash him a strange look and step back towards the ninja. He glances over as I near, red eyes bored. "I think we're the only normal ones here." I whisper-hiss to him, shielding the side of my mouth with my hand.

"Now," Blondie peers around, "Where could my 'almost Kudan' have gotten off to?"

Syaoran gasps and begins to look around frantically, "Mokona!"

I frown slightly, the pad of my index finger tapping against my chin as I think. I know that name from somewhere…but where?

"It probably got stepped on somewhere around here." Ninja's gruff voice floats through the air, and I flash him a dirty look. "Like a discarded pork bun."

"She." I snap at him. "She's a girl, not an it."

He flashes me a bored look. "Like I care."

Anger riles up. I clench my fists tightly, ready to punch his stupid red eyes out, and Blondie quickly intervenes-pointing to something to our right. "Look, the truth is quite different."

A crowd of squealing fangirls cluster around a small white little rabbit creature. Memory explodes inside my head, bringing a wide smile to my features. "Mokona is popular with the ladies!" Mokona squeals happily.

"MOKONA! You silly rice ball!" I call happily, grinning like an idiot.

Mokona's eyes pop open and she lets out a happy squeal, ducking and diving past all the fangirls to leap into my open arms. I hug her tightly to my chest.

"Saya-kun didn't try to eat Mokona this time!" Mokona chirps happily.

Blondie laughs lightly and shakes his head. "Mokona, where were you?"

"Mokona was on top of Kurogane's head! But then, Mokona fell off. Before that, though, Mokona went like this," Mokona's eyes grow really wide-her pupils expanding until they completely devour the clear circles around them, "But nobody paid attention."

Syaoran immediately jumps forward, "You mean one of Sakura's feathers were nearby?!"

"It was," Mokona slumps down in my arms dejectedly, "But Mokona doesn't feel it anymore."

"Did you figure out who had it?" Syaoran steps back slightly.

Mokona shakes her head, burying her little face into my chest. "Don't know."

I pat her head, trying to be somewhat reassuring, and stand there awkwardly. Syaoran's head drops slightly, a small defeated sigh escaping his lips. Then he smiles, nodding slightly. "That's alright. If you sense any more, let us know."

"Mokona will go all out!" Mokona mock salutes him and jumps onto my head.

"Even if we limit it to the people who were here, that'd still be a long search." Blondie muses quietly. "There were a lot of people here."

Syaoran nods, still smiling. "Still, we now know that someone close by has it. That's pretty good progress."

I smile and nod. "Sounds like it to me."

Mokona moves to Syaoran's head and I step forward, watching with silent amusement as Blondie teases Kurogane. "If Kuro-chi never dropped Mokona, this wouldn't have happened." He wiggles a finger in the ninja's face.

"What makes this my fault?! And will you stop calling me those stupid names?" Kurogane snaps at him.

Blondie turns his attention to me, a kind smile gracing his features, and says to Kurogane, "You shouldn't use such foul language like that in front of a lady, Kuro-wan-wan!"

"I'll show you foul language!" Kurogane snarls at him, making the blonde laugh.

But those cerulean eyes are still trained on my small form, and I can feel them sizing me up. Feeling uncomfortable, I shift slightly and rest my hands on the flare of my hips-skewering him with an icy glare. "Who are you?"

Blondie steps forward and holds out his hand. "Fai D. Flourite. But you may call me Fai."

Hesitantly, I take his hand. To my surprise, and pleasure, it's not wet and clammy like I thought it would be. I'd only experimented with the male race once, and all I can remember is his humid hands touching me. Fai's hand is soft, cool, and gentle.

"Sayuri Eve." I hear myself saying, "But most people call me Saya."

"Lilly." Fai translates my first name, laughing lightly. "Very pretty."

I smile. Looking into his eyes, I can see he has very thick shields up and can't help but think he's somewhat like me. Already, I can see that his smile is fake, his chirpy attitude is fake, and he's hiding a lot of pain behind that clear veil in his eyes. And already, I find myself wanting to help him in any means possible.

"Come on you two." Kurogane grunts as he strides past, "Looks like we're leaving."

At first, I thought having people that are even remotely like friends would be the best thing a girl like me could ask for.

But being squished between two large, grown males…well let's just say I'm having second thoughts.

"What..is?" Syaoran trails off, staring at the swirl of noodles, cabbage, and other meats and veggies that sizzles on the small silver top stove.

My back presses against the back of the booth, my feeble attempt to get as far away from the stove as possible. I don't do good with stoves and I have the scars all over my body to prove it. Fai glances over, lips twisted back into that permanent false smile, and asks if I've ever had this stuff before. I shake my head.

"Wait," I blink, coming to a sudden realization, "Aren't we missing someone?"

Fai laughs lightly. "Sakura-chan is back at the house sleeping."

"But why did you bring me? If I was still asleep?" I cast him a strange look. If we were both sleeping…wouldn't it have made more sense to just leave both of us at the house? Instead of lugging around my conked out self?

"Mokona made me." Fai giggles, pointing to the small rabbit that sits atop Kurogane's head-ears flapping wildly as she watches the food cook.

"Um, well…You see…Okonomiyaki is my favorite dish so…" Masayoshi trails off, trembling slightly.

"Okonomiyaki?" Fai repeats, toying with the word. "Is that what this is called?"

"Eh?" Masayoshi blinks, slightly surprised. "Okonomiyaki is a staple of the diet in the Hanshin Republic…if you don't know that then you must…that must mean…you come from outside the country?"

Fai smiles crookedly. "Outside? You could say that."

I lean over to Kurogane-who is staring intently at the food-and poke his shoulder. He grunts and casts me a long bored look, silently waiting for my question. "Kuro-nii? Is Fai-san always like this?"

He blinks. "Yeah. Get used to it, bozu."

"Do people always run roughshod around this district?" Fai is asking, hands cupping the sides of his face as he leans forward on his elbows. I flash him a strange look and then sink down in my seat, letting my head rest against the back of the booth. My eyes close, attention drifting, and I soon zone out.

I wonder what my Kudan would be? How did Syaoran know about his Kudan? How did he know to summon it?

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

A loud startled shriek bursts past my lips, eyes snapping open, and I clutch my chest-trying to calm my rapidly fluttering heartbeat. Kurogane is frozen, hand stretched up into the air, and looks as if he's gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Fai laughs lightly, blue hues trained in on my distorted face.

"Your majesty!" Syaoran shouts, eyes wide in surprise.

"Your majesty is nowhere near my name." The tall black haired waiter says, "You've got the wrong guy." He flashes me an apologetic smile. "Sorry Miss, didn't mean to scare you."

I sink down into my seat, face flushed with embarrassment.

"And mister," The waiter's eyes narrow at Kurogane, "We do the flipping around here. If you'd just leave it and wait, we'll be right there."

"Yes sir." Kurogane nods frantically.

"Were you sleeping, Lilly-kun?" Fai asks, honey voice sweet. "That must be very uncomfortable."

I yawn softly and shrug lightly, "I don't care."

"Why don't you lean on me?" Fai grins, "I'm probably softer than the chair."

Mokona jumps onto the table in front of me, smiling sweetly. "Fai-kun is so nice, Saya-dono! He's letting Saya sleep on him, even before the food is done."

I let out a small huff of a laugh. "That's sweet, you're right. But not entirely appropriate." I glance up at Fai. "No offense, it's just I hardly know you."

Fai flashes me a sweet smile. "It's alright. I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable."

Syaoran lets out a small sigh.

"Was he a king, back in your world Syaoran-kun?" Fai turns his attention to the dejected male. Syaoran nods slightly and stares at the food. Fai flashes me an amused look. "So then it's just like the space time witch said."

I cast him a strange look. Why is he looking at me like that?

"People you've met in your world, they've developed under completely different circumstances on other worlds." Fai quotes the space time witch, whoever that is, and chuckles softly. "Don't you think, Lilly-kun?"

"Sure." My head tilts to the side and I pat his head. "Let's go with that."

"You're saying that they're the same as the king and high priest of the kid's world?" Kurogane speaks up, lifting his gaze away from the sizzling food in front of him.

Fai's eyes lift, moving to Kurogane. "They're the same and yet not the same. The two on Syaoran's world lived a completely different life than these two. But when it comes down to it, at the very basic level, they are the same, I guess."

"Basic level?" Kurogane deadpans.

"The very root of their lives!" Fai forms a heart with his fingers and holds it up to so Kurogane can see and then lowers it to my face, smiling. "Their nature. Their heart."

"Soul." Kurogane rolls his eyes, "That's what you're saying, right?"

I poke Fai's fingers. He wiggles them dramatically and laughs lightly as the waiter sets plates down in front of us all and moves our food off the stove. I roll my eyes, his contagious laughter bringing a bubble of laughter past my own lips, and pick up my chopsticks.

Happily picking at my food, I glance over to watch Fai. He picks up his chopsticks and tries to mimic my movements. Each time he tries to lift the food, it falls out of his grasp and thumps back onto the plate noisily. I laugh as he puts the two sticks together and stabs the food.

He flashes me a cheeky smile.

"Need help?" I ask, snapping my chopsticks together.

I show him how to hold the sticks, trying not to laugh, and how to pick up the food. He smiles happily and picks up a fallen chunk of noodles and cabbage. Setting it on his tongue, he flashes me a thankful look and I snort softly as I finish off my own bite.

"Syaoran-san." I lightly kick him under the table, knocking him out of his small trance. "I'm sure Fai-chan would love to eat yours for you if you don't want it."

"Huh?" Syaoran blinks. His features lax into a warm smile and he nods, breaking his chopsticks so he can eat. "Okay."

"Down the hatch!" I hear Mokona say from my left. I turn to see Kurogane and Mokona fighting over the Okonomiyaki.

"Listen you," Kurogane growls, "This one's mine."

"Mokona," I smile as she turns around towards me. "Have some of mine."

"Okay!" Mokona chirps, using two spatulas to pick the Okonomiyaki up and gulp it down.

Fai smiles slightly and nudges me lightly with his shoulder. "Want some of mine, Lilly-kun?"

I shake my head. "S'okay. I'm not that hungry."

He smiles lightly and nods.

"Alright then."