Author's note: Waaahhh! I'm so sorry for taking so long, but I finally managed to finish the chapter. Hehehe...no sleep for three days...
Thanks to cuenta for being my Beta reader; and to flamingpurplebunnies for her continuous support. I'd also like to thank Melissa Brite and Fai'swingedchronicles for their reviews. Every review no matter how small helps to give me idea and plotlines for the future. I would also like to thank the wonderful people who have subscribed or added the fic to their favourites. It makes me so happy when people do that! -^_^-
Sorry about my author's notes being so long. Feel free to skip them if you want.

This is a two part chapter so this author's note counts for both. Most of the fun is in part two, so yeah...more depressing stuff. Sorry about that. It's only a two-part chapter is because I promised people that this chapter would have a major plot reference for the rest of the fic, but unfortunately it took too long to write all in one lot and would have made the page too long. So two pages it is.

For all those who may have been distressed by the last chapter, I want you to know that this is a naturally dark story, so be prepared for horrible things to happen. I will do my best to make up for it by adding a number of fluffy and comedy scenes.

Sakura, Syaoran and Mokona are finally being introduced. Yay!

I ended up making Syaoran's introduction similar to the prologue.
I made it this way so that Syaoran and Fai might have a slightly stronger bond in the beginning of the fic than they do in the beginning of TRC. I had a lot of trouble deciding how to introduce Sakura and Mokona, but finally decided to go with what I had originally planned, so she and Syaoran can meet Kurogane and Fai as soon as possible. Such good little children!

Fai and Kurogane are both in this chapter but not until after Sakura and Syaoran get their turn. Kuro/Fai fans will have to be patient.

Yuko fans should try not to be too upset after this chapter. I could never, ever kill one of CLAMP's major characters, let alone Yuko.
Not in a million years. However the characters in the story don't know that, so please, don't tell them. It'll be our little secret. ^-^

At the end of each chapter there will be a new feature called the 'World list'. This list will include various things such as what different terms used by the characters mean, what type of magic everyone has and what the different countries in the fic look like. I'm not sure if this is a good idea but I want to put it in anyway. Please review and tell me if it works or not.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Clamp-related other than the mini-Fai doll I won at the Australian anime-festival this year and of course the plot for this fic. Now on with the fic!

Chapter 3: Travellers and their Reasons, part 1

The hidden colony of Fahren Rei-ten Castle

Syaoran looked up at the cold grey bars of the jail cell, and sighed silently as pale beautiful moonlight flooded through the thin slit of a window.

Only the morning before, he would have been allowed to bask in that wonderful light and replenish his magic. Now all he could do was gaze at it longingly. He shook his head of listless thoughts and glanced over at the guard.
The prison-guard's chair groaned underneath the man's weight as he snored loudly. Syaoran edged closer. Finally sure the man was asleep; he carefully pulled a stone-shaped key out his pocket and placed it against the prison cell's walls.
His eyes narrowed as the hidden doorway to the cell opened with a quiet thud.

If that woman had been his mother, then there would have been no chance for escape. She had known all about the hidden doorways and escape routes of the castle; in fact, she had been the one to teach him all of them. Syaoran felt his heart tighten. That could only mean that she was also dead. Just like Yuko.

He lent over slightly and entered the tunnel. He winced as the memories flooded back to him.

...

A large gapping sword wound surrounded by burns had pierced her chest, while the nearby walls had been dyed a deep crimson red.
Syaoran stood paralysed as medics and morticians rushed in and out of the room. Shouts and yells echoed all around him, but Syaoran could not hear a word. Numbly he clenched a hand to his chest and felt tears run down his face.
Yuko dead? Impossible. No one in the world was as amazing or as powerful as Yuko was! Even Gods had kneeled before her! Surely she couldn't just die like this?!
Syaoran wiped his eyes as the doors behind him burst open. Gigie, Syaoran's mother and now heir to the throne rushed into the room sobbing. Syaoran felt his heart ache for his mother. Despite the differences between them, Gigie and Yuko had been close friends and had often referred to each other as sisters. They were so close, that when Syaoran had turned 5 years old, Yuko had named Gigie's children as successors to her title.
He watched as tears ran across Gigie's face. Gently he placed a hand on her shoulder. Gigie looked up at him, then to Syaoran's complete surprise, knocked him away from her and glared at him in pure hatred. "This was your doing, wasn't it?!" She screamed as Syaoran fell backwards. Syaoran looked up at his mother in shock. What on earth..?
Gigie pulled out a blood-stained sword as the other people in the room gasped in shock.

"I found this outside!" Gigie held the sword out for all to see. Syaoran's eyes widened. Hien! The sword his father had given him! But why was his mother holding it out like that? Why were there blood stains on it?

"Your fire magic is all over it!" she screamed as she pointed towards Yuko's corpse, "You used your fire-magic to kill her didn't you?! That's why she's covered in burns, isn't it?!"

Syaoran stared at her in disbelief. 'She blamed him?!'

Immediately, Syaoran felt himself being pulled backwards. He looked up. Three mages glared down at him as a fourth held a dagger to his throat.
"Don't even think about escaping, you murderer!" One yelled into his ear as the others glared at him in disgust and anger.

"Wait a minute! I don't have anything to do with-"Syaoran blurted out, then blinked in shock as magic silenced him.

Then they had dragged him down to the dungeons and locked him up in chains.

...

After hearing of Yuko's death they had all turned on him to relieve themselves of their own pain and grief. The woman posing as his mother had played the crowd, and easily bent them to her will.

Syaoran frowned as he reached to end of the tunnel. Carefully he placed his ear to the passage's door. Satisfied no one was on the other side he pushed the door open and stepped out into the corridor, then closed the hidden passage's door behind him.

Even if he was considered a traitor, Syaoran wanted to avoid as much fighting as possible. Like any active magic-user, he knew the dangers of taking lives and even in a situation where killing might be necessary, the idea still made him feel sick.

Quietly he slinked to the side of the wall and made his way towards the west tower. Syaoran felt his breath quicken. His first priority would be to retrieve Hien. It was an old law, but in Fahren, any blade that been used to kill anyone outside of battle had to be melted down, never to be used again. While normally Syaoran wouldn't have cared, Hien was special.

Hien had been the last gift to him from his late father. But it had also saved his life once of its own accord. Because Hien still had a soul. At least that was what Watanuki had told him after the 'accident'.

Watanuki. Syaoran's heart gave a sudden lurch at the thought of his twin.

Just before all of this had happened Yuko had ordered Watanuki to go and get her something from a town near the border of Nihon. Despite all of his grumbling, Syaoran knew his twin had been excited at the thought of leaving the city as well as the thought that Yuko had trusted him with such an important task.

How would Watanuki react when he learnt Yuko was dead? Unlike Syaoran, who cared for his 'aunt' but wasn't particularly close, Watanuki had almost been like a son to her. A sudden painful thought crossed Syaoran's mind.
'Was Watanuki even still alive?'
He shook his head, angry with himself. Of course he was! The first thing he would do after getting Hien back would be to go and tell Watanuki what had happened. Then the two of them would find out what really happened and put a stop to it.

Sudden footsteps up ahead made the boy freeze. Quickly he flattened himself against the wall. Syaoran waited as the footsteps thudded past then ran up the nearby staircase.
Syaoran felt his pulse race as he reached the alchemy room. Quietly opening the door, he smiled in relief as he spotted Hien resting gently beside the melting-furnace. Quickly he rushed over and held the sword close to his heart.

Syaoran glanced around the room. If he was going to spend time outside of Fahren it wouldn't be smart to have nothing to trade for money. He carefully picked a few pricey-looking, but unloved daggers from the to-be-melted-down pile and stuffed them in his cloak. Suddenly an alarm rang through the room.

"ATTENTION! A CRIMINAL HAS ESCAPED FROM THE DUNGEONS! ALL CASTLE PERSONEL SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT, AS THE ESCAPEE IS SKILLED WITH MAGIC AND VERY DANGEROUS!"

Syaoran looked up in surprise and bit his lip to suppress his panic. He hadn't expected to be found out so soon. Loud shouts of castle soldiers from the corridor behind him instantly eliminated any thought of sneaking out the same way he had come in. Syaoran gulped deeply and jumped out the window.

*****************

Sakura giggled with excitement as she finished packing her bags.

Tomorrow was her 16th birthday, and like all other proud members of the eastern beast-tribe, she would be allowed to begin her coming-of-age ceremony. A huge part of the ceremony included a year's-worth of travelling outside of the village, and despite how much she was going to miss her family, Sakura couldn't suppress her excitement.

Finally she was going to see the big world out there! Maybe she would even make a bunch of new friends; with non-beast-tribe people! As well as new animal friends!
A small nudge to her arm made Sakura look down. A small rabbit-like creature looked up at her, smiling.

"Moko-chan? When did you get here? I thought you were still doing that thing you said you needed to do." Sakura said cheerfully as she picked Mokona up and held the fluffy creature to her chest.

Mokona lifted up her paws and gave her human a wicked grin. "Mokona already took care of it! Since Sakura and Mokona will be leaving tomorrow, Mokona thought Touya would appreciate a good-bye present!"

Sakura glanced at her animal companion as a trickle of sweat fell down the side of her face. "Moko-chan? Did you put something in Touya's room again?"

Before Mokona had a chance to answer, a loud shriek of surprise from her elder brother's room blasted through the cottage. Sakura blinked in shock then glared at Mokona angrily.
"Mokona! I thought I told you not to do things like that to Onii-chan!"

The white pork-bun flushed with embarrassment for a moment, then brightened.
"Sorry Sakura. But this way, Touya is sure not forget Mokona for a long time!"

Sakura looked at Mokona disapprovingly. "But you still shouldn't put bugs in Onii-chan's bed! It's mean to the bugs as well as Onii-chan."

Mokona flicked her ears back apologetically then snuggled into Sakura's bed, her white fur soft against Sakura's skin. "Sakura and Mokona have a big day ahead of them and should go to sleep soon!"

Sakura sighed, lay down and pulled the bed covers over her body. "Alright Moko-chan. But you owe Onee-chan an apology tomorrow morning!"
Not hearing a response Sakura glanced over. Mokona's eyes were tightly closed and light snores drifted up to Sakura's ears. Smiling the jade-eyed beauty stroked her furry friend's head and flicked off the light. "Good night Moko-chan."
She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep as her brother's outraged cries filled the night.

************

Syaoran panted with exhaustion as he lent against a good solid tree-trunk.
When he had made his escape from the window, he had failed to realise how many people had been looking up at the western tower and as a result had spent a large amount of time trying to lose his pursuers. In the end he had only lost them by jumping into the courtyard trees and remaining as still as he possibly could.

After waiting for the guards to search somewhere else, he had hopped down and made his way to the castle walls.
Syaoran sighed with relief as he glanced around. It seemed the perimeter guards had also joined the pursuit and had left the walls undefended.
Luckily for Fahren there wasn't much chance of an enemy attack; after all, who in their right mind would invade the one of the world's biggest colony of mages? Even without Yuko, the combined magic of over 300 sorcerers was nothing to be laughed about.

Syaoran smiled softly at his home one last time then turned to leave.
A quiet rustling noise made Syaoran turn. He glanced up in shock as a blade whistled down towards him. Immediately he drew Hien and flinched as the two swords crashed against each other. "It's about time you showed up, Little Doggie!" Bright-amber eyes widened in surprise as they glanced into emerald-green ones.

"Ryuoh?!"

Syaoran stepped back and held Hien in front of him uncertainly as Ryuoh stood smiling in front of him.

"You are a real pain in the butt to track, you know that?! If Ray-earth here hadn't sniffed you out, I never would have caught you." A huge, auburn-furred wolf made its way behind him and growled as Syaoran inched away.

Syaoran clutched Hien tightly.
Ryuoh. The two had met on the first day Ryuoh had entered Fahren almost 3 years ago and had since then had been inseparable.
Syaoran felt his heart ache again. Had Ryuoh been told that he had killed Yuko? Did Ryuoh hate him now? Even the idea of Ryuoh hating him hurt Syaoran more than he was willing to admit.
Silently Ryuoh raised his sword, the Ryuga and thrust it at Syaoran, stopping only centimetres away from his face.

"Did you really kill her, Syaoran?"Syaoran blinked in surprise as Ryuoh stared at him determinedly. "You promised a long time ago that you'd never lie to me. Even if you're a murderer I trust you enough to keep that promise. So if you try to lie to me right now, I swear I'll shove this sword right up your nose!"

Syaoran looked stunned for a moment then smiled. It was just like Ryuoh to come up with something so straightforward like that.

"I didn't kill Yuko." Syaoran answered softly as Ryuoh watched him calmly. "I'm sorry Ryuoh. I don't know what happened to Yuko-san or why I was framed but I promise you I will do everything I can to find out. I give you my word."

Syaoran tensed as Ryuoh looked at him thoughtfully. Suddenly the green-eyed boy smiled and lowered his sword to the ground. Ryuoh grinned as Syaoran blinked at him in surprise. "You believe me?"Syaoran stuttered in shock.
Ryuoh smiled at him cheerfully. "Of course I do. You almost never lie and besides, you really suck at it."

Syaoran flushed in embarrassment; Ryuoh was always so blunt. Ryuoh, seeing his face, walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. Ray-earth also padded over and licked Syaoran's hand in apology.

"I really didn't believe it when the others said you killed her, you know. I knew that sooner or later, you'd escape and that waiting in the kennels with the castle dogs would be my best bet. And it worked didn't it." Ryuoh laughed as he stroked the brightly-furred wolf on the head. "After all, Ray-earth here was the one that found you. You owe him a free feed for the next couple of weeks by the way."

Syaoran laughed. No matter what the conversation was about, Ryuoh always had a way of lightening the mood.

"I found him! He's over here! Aggghh-" The guard who had been yelling from the gate balcony, suddenly screamed and was cut off as Ray-earth leapt up and bit down onto the poor man's throat. Syaoran flinched at the sight of blood.

They had been discovered! And because of that man's yelling more guards were bound to show up. Damn. Things were definitely getting out of hand.

A tap on his shoulder made Syaoran jump. Ryuoh stepped forward and grinned, his sword held lopsidedly beside him.
"You should go on ahead Little Dog. I'm sure the Hissy Cat* needs your help. I'll stick around here for a while."
Syaoran looked at his friend and immediately shook his head.
"I'm not going without you, Ryuoh. I appreciate you trying to help, but-"
Syaoran's sentence was cut off as a hand covered his mouth. Ryuoh glared at him angrily for a moment then smiled.

"You're such a nice guy Little Dog. But, being nice won't save you or that brother of yours." Ryuoh's eyes narrowed. "I enjoy fights like this. They help remind you why you should get stronger in the first place. So if Little Dog really wants to help his friends, he should take my advice and run before they can catch him."
The brown-haired warrior reached inside his shirt pocket and held his hand out to a confused Syaoran.

"Take it." Out of Ryuoh's hand fell a single leather-cord necklace. Syaoran's eyes widened as he looked at it. A beautifully carved ivory sakura, hung in the middle of the necklace. He stared at it, amazed.
While Syaoran knew the beast-tribe often wore jewellery made from animal materials such as bone or fur and that many such items were kept in the castle's museum, this was the first time Syaoran had ever seen such a well made piece. The fact that it belonged to Ryuoh who had an open dislike of such things only made it more unusual. Syaoran stared at it for a moment then looked at Ryuoh confused.

Ryuoh smiled widely. "It's a gift from a precious friend. If you ever meet her, I want you to give it to her. I promised a long time ago I'd return it but I think it would be better if you held onto it for a while."
Seeing Syaoran was still bewildered he continued. "That necklace needs to be in good condition when I return it. Right now I want to enjoy this fight and so, as to avoid smashing it, I will entrust you to take care of it until I'm done."
Cheerfully he shoved the amber-eyed boy towards the forest. "Of course, in order for him to protect it, Little Dog needs to escape, doesn't he? Taking out a bunch of stuffy old soldiers is hardly problem, so I'll just beat them off for a while, while you get away. And don't worry; Ray-earth here has always had a good nose, so catching up with you will be a piece of cake!"

Ryuoh's grin left Syaoran no chance to argue. Syaoran sighed internally.

"You promise me you will catch up." He said determinedly, as he locked eyes with the green-eyed boy. "You won't get hurt or killed along the way, right?"

Ryuoh grinned and flashed him the victory sign. "Course not! What kind of person do you take me for? I'm stronger than that! You really ought to remember who you're talking to!" He gave Syaoran another shove. "Now get going! You've wasted too much time as it is."

Syaoran nodded and ran into the forest. Ryuoh looked towards the forest for a moment then turned back towards the gates as soldiers closed in.

**********

Smiling to himself he lifted up Ryuga and pointed it towards the enemy, while an angry Ray-earth bared his teeth.

It was at times like this that Ryuoh was glad Syaoran wasn't around. As good a fighter as he was, Syaoran was simply too gentle for battle.

Syaoran was too kind hearted. Unlike himself. It was good that Syaoran wasn't there. Ryuoh didn't want to lose him as a friend. He really doubted Syaoran would like finding out how he really fought.

He grinned as he and Ray-earth launched themselves forward and grinned wider as the screams of his enemies echoed through the woods.
As long as Syaoran wasn't around Ryuoh could go all-out.

This was going to be a lot of fun.

*************

Syaoran bit his lip worriedly as he ran through the forest's trees. He clenched his hand around the sakura-necklace and hugged it to his chest.

Please don't die, Ryuoh. Please. I've lost too many people already.

*************************

Kurogane sighed deeply and slowly glanced over at the clock. 1:43AM.
5 broken ribs, a cracked skull, multiple internal injuries and a fractured leg. Kurogane didn't have to be a doctor to know it was serious.

He glanced over at the small Chobit girl sitting beside him in the waiting room. The girl stared at the doors to the patient-room, eyes red from crying.

Luckily for the mage, they hadn't been too far away from the hospital so they had managed to get him to a doctor with healing magic right away. Even so the injuries were serious.

Kurogane glared at the waiting room clock and sighed. Even though he had killed the ringleader and a number of the group's thugs, Kurogane still felt useless. Despite his determination and overwhelming skill he had still failed to prevent a person in Nihon from being hurt.
Kurogane placed a hand on his head. This was stupid and he knew it and but failing to protect someone after only a few hours after promising Tomoyo he would was depressing.
He couldn't even go back out there to hunt for the rest of the bastards because a doctor had noticed a scratch on his arm and had immediately demanded he stay in the hospital until he recovered. From a scratch! Of all the stupid reasons...

Sudden warmth on his arm jolted Kurogane out of his depressing thoughts.

"Is Kurogane all right? Kurogane's face has a sad look. Chii is worried."Chii's amber eyes blinked up at him worriedly as her tiny hand rested on his arm.
Kurogane glanced at the Chobit girl in surprise and shook his head.

How had she learnt his name? Probably from that idiot Shogo who had rushed in to thank him for some stupid reason. That guy really did talk too much about his girlfriend.

Seeing his reaction, Chii sighed sadly and went back to staring at the wall.

In truth while the whole event had disturbed Kurogane in more ways than one, the thing that bothered the red-eyed warrior the most had been how the mage had looked at him before he had passed out.

(Flashback: Kurogane p.o.v)

Kurogane wiped his sword clean of blood on the back of the thug he had most recently killed and looked around the alley for more enemies. Finding none, he rushed over to the thug's victim. He glanced down.

"Oh crap..." Kurogane bit his lip and tried to avoid being sick.

Golden blond hair just barely flashed out from underneath a thick covering of thick red blood. Clothes that had once been pristine white, now more closely resembled rags that had used to clean up a murder scene. Wild, sparkling blue eyes stared unblinkingly into his own; no doubt due to shock.

Kurogane knelt down and placed a hand on the man's shoulder, silently praying that most of the blood had come from those men and not this 'Fai' person.

"Oi. It's alright now. Nothing is going to happen to you now."Kurogane said carefully as the blond girl who had followed him ran over and yelped in distress at seeing her friend's condition.

Kurogane looked at the man and felt his muscles tense. After an event like this, there was no way to predict how a person would react; one wrong move or word could shatter him to pieces.

The man stared at him for a moment then, to Kurogane's complete surprise, gave him the most delicate, heartfelt smile he had ever seen.
The man's rail-thin arms reached up and wrapped Kurogane's waist. Kurogane felt the blood rush to his face.

What the heck?!

Shining blue eyes stared up at him, which were then were hidden from view as the blond buried his head in Kurogane's coat.

"Thank you...Thank you...Thank you..." A voice Kurogane could only assume belonged to the blonde, whimpered breathlessly into the gruff warrior's coat.
Kurogane felt a sudden stab of pain in his chest. Instinctively he wrapped his arms around the small figure then flushed red in embarrassment.

Realising the man had lost conscious; he leapt to his feet and ran towards the hospital, the Chobit girl only a few metres behind him.

(End Flashback)

Those eyes...
There had been something so familiar about those eyes. Somehow beautiful and fragile like two rounded pieces of crystal. Except that they were blue. Like sapphires or rare kinds of jewels. Almost like Tomoyo's...

Kurogane whacked himself on the head and snarled at himself.

WHAT WAS HE THINKING?! He hadn't even spoken to the guy yet and he was comparing him to Tomoyo?! The blond was just some guy he had saved on the way back to the castle. Someone he met by pure chance.

Kurogane glared imaginary daggers towards the wall.

Is this what talking to an insane princess about love for three hours does to your brain?! No wonder his head hurt. It was all Tomoyo's fault!

Kurogane sighed as the Chobit girl curled up next to him and fell asleep.
Hopefully for the girl's sake the blond would recover quickly. Girls like that didn't deserve to cry. He glanced up one last time at the clock.

This was going to be a long night...

**********************************

Fai ran through the pitch-black darkness. Shadowy figures reached up and pleaded for him to help them, but Fai kept running.

He couldn't stop. If he did, they would catch him. But they needed his help...

A hand colder than ice grabbed his shoulder. Fai turned and looked up into eyes, golden with madness. A shocked whimper escaped Fai's lips.

"Why did you run away, Fai? Didn't you say you wanted to help me?"
The golden-eyed man looked at Fai disapprovingly as Fai inched away in terror. "You won't help me, will you?"

"Is that because of all those people in the way? Don't worry I'll get rid of them for you." Black hair swayed as the man pulled a long silver sword out of the sheath attached to his belt. Fai's eyes widened with horror as the man's sword slashed through a person's waist.

"No! Please stop Ashura! I don't want this to happen! I don't want everyone to disappear again!" Fai's mind screamed as he remained frozen to the spot.
Ashura's blade swung and another body fell to the ground. Fai watched in despair as more and more people fell to the ground.

There was nothing he could do. He couldn't even forfill Ashura's wish. He was a monster. A cowardly creature too weak to protect anything.
Fai tried to turn his head away from the carnage and felt tears run down his face as he failed.

"What's this?" Fai's eyes widened as Chii sat in front of Ashura, her face turned towards him. "A friend of yours? Oh well..." Ashura raised his sword over his head.

Fai closed his eyes in defeat as ragged sobs left his mouth.
No more...I can't bear to see any more...

"Nothing is going to happen to you now." A deep, gentle voice made Fai's eyes open with a shock. Bright red eyes full of concern looked down at him.
Red eyes... like blood. But somehow comforting and reassuring. Fai stared.

"Wake up. Or nothing will ever change."

Fai opened his mouth to speak, but instead found himself falling.

"WAKE UP NOW!"

...........................................

"WHO ARE YOU?!" Fai shouted as he shot upright pushing his bed covers aside.

"Excuse me?" Fai blinked in surprise as a feisty blue-haired girl turned and stared. "Amazing. Less than 24 hours in the emergency ward and he's already yapping."

Fai looked around in shock. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was...

'-Chii crying, men everywhere, pain, blood spattered all over the ground, sliver-lightening ripping through the air, glowing red eyes-'

Fai gasped as the memory pounded through his head. He glanced around confused.
Where was Chii? Was she alright? Where was he, anyway?

He turned back to the young woman and smiled cheerfully. "Umm, Miss, but where exactly am I? I'm sorry but I'm feeling rather confused at the moment so..."

The nurse smiled. "You're in the emergency ward of the Kyoto city hospital. You were taken here after you got injured. My name is Umi, by the way."

Umi reached over to a small side table next to Fai's bed and picked up a folder. "It really is amazing that you're awake already. With the injures you had, we weren't even sure you were going to make the night, let alone sit up and talk to people the very next day."

Fai gave the girl one of his 'perfect' smiles. "Well, putting a self-healing spell on myself probably helped a little."

Umi looked up at him surprised. "That must have been one hell of a spell you used." Fai nodded beaming. "Yes it was. I cast it about 2 months ago; the backlash was so bad I passed out for 3 days. I'm amazed it's still working though."

As Umi continued to stare in amazement, Fai breathed a sigh of relief. Too many questions about his state of health could lead to discoveries Fai really didn't want out in the open. Being a non-human had its advantages but being considered human by others was better in the long run.

"Well anyway, two people that were very worried about you have been in the waiting room since last night. Shall I go get them?"

It was Fai's turn to look surprised. "Two of them? Is one a Chobit? With long honey-colored hair?"

Umi nodded. "Yes, I think her name was Chii or something. I think the other one was a member of the Nihon Royal Guard. Very tall. Do you want to see them or not?"A hint of annoyance entered the girl's voice. Fai nodded, a smile still plastered on his face.

As Umi briskly walked out of the room, Fai felt his face light up in a grin.
Chii was alright, what a relief.

But... who was the other one?

**************************************************************************************

Bonus story: Chii's thoughts

Chii stared at the clock and sighed softly.
Despite the new dawn, Chii couldn't feel happy. Fai was still hurt and nobody knew if he would be alright or not. Chii felt sad. The only reason Fai had been hurt was because Chii had been there, and Chii knew it.

Sighing again, she looked up at the black-haired man next to her. Kurogane.

It had been Kurogane who had saved both her and Fai. Despite looking big and scary, Chii liked Kurogane a lot.

Kurogane was very kind. During the night when it had got all cold, Kurogane had lent Chii his coat as well as reassured her that Fai would be alright.
...Though Chii didn't really understand what he had meant when he had said that if Fai died he would kill him for making a girl cry.
(It was very confusing for Chii. Chii had even looked it up in her 'Nihon terms' guide-book, but it hadn't been in there. So strange.)

She looked at the tall man and smiled. Kurogane looked down at her and scowled.

"What are you looking at?" Red eyes glared at her. Chii's expression turned sad.

"Is Kurogane feeling sad...because Fai was hurt before Kurogane came?"

Kurogane stared at the Chobit girl in shock then glared. "Are you reading my mind or something?"

Chii tilted her head to the side. "Reading? Like in a book?"

Kurogane looked at her strangely then sighed. "You really don't know what I mean do you?"
Chii blinked in confusion. "No..."

Kurogane sighed again then leaned back on the chair and stared at the ceiling.

Chii was very confused; what had Kurogane meant and why hadn't he answered her question? Maybe he didn't know the answer.
Just like Fai. Fai always answered Chii's questions, but always lied to everyone else. Chii didn't know why Fai always lied but maybe Kurogane would know.

Chii opened her mouth to ask why, when a tall blue-haired nurse walked over and tapped Kurogane on the shoulder.

Chii blinked as Kurogane glared at the nurse coldly. He and Fai were a lot alike.
Both were so nice but disliked being talked to by people they didn't know.

"Excuse me, but the patient you two want to see is awake. He's in good enough condition for visitors, so if you want to see him, go now."

Chii's eyes widened in joy. Fai was awake! Instantly she jumped to her feet as Kurogane slowly lifted himself off his chair.

Chii smiled as the two walked towards Fai's room.

Fai had always been like an older brother to Chii. Now Kurogane, who was so much like and yet unlike Fai, was here too, Chii was very glad, Kurogane and Fai were sure to become close, maybe even friends, Chii was sure.

Maybe Chii would get another brother.

Character list. (Sorry about this being so long)

Chapter 3
(I'm going to write about everyone that comes from somewhere other than just TRC, so Syaoran and Sakura get a turn here too.)

Sakura: Originally from CardCaptorSakura, Sakura was a 10 year old girl who gets forced by the guardian beast Kerberos (a.k.a Kero) to collect the Clow cards after accidently releasing them from the book they had been sealed in. In this fic, Sakura is a member of the beast-tribe and has the same sort of family she did in CCS. She did however have a very close friend who went on a journey and never came back...Hehehe. Sorry can't say anymore without giving away spoilers.

Syaoran: Also from CardCaptorSakura, Syaoran starts off as Sakura's most bitter rival, then later a friend then finally the one she loves. CCS Syaoran was very rude to Sakura so I'm going to use the TRC personality more. In the fic, he has a very complicated family life. He has Watanuki as his twin, Gigie (RG Veda) as his mother, Yuko as his adopted aunty (which means he and Watanuki are next in line for the throne) and I have no idea who his dad is. His part of the fic twists and turns a bit, so sorry in advance.

Gigie: A character from RG Veda (it's Veda not 'Vega', sorry 'bout that). Gigie first appears in the series as the first major female character in the books, and becomes so close to the baby Ashura, that she proclaims herself his mother. Unfortunately it is this devotion to Ashura that gets her killed. I only read RG Veda a few days ago and I love Gigie. Since Gigie is such a wonderful mother figure, I thought her being Syaoran's mother would be perfect for the fic. Unfortunately Gigie is dead in the fic. It was necessary for the plot but it still made me sad to write it. She and Yuko were really good friends. She never appears in TRC.

Watanuki: The main hero of xxxholic, as well as a major character in TRC. In this fic Watanuki is Syaoran's twin as opposed to being Syaoran's other self. Where Syaoran is stronger physically, Watanuki has stronger magic. I'm thinking about writing a xxxholic version of this fic after I finish this one, so Watanuki may have a larger role in this fic than I first thought.

Yuko: Everyone's favorite witch from xxxholic as well as a major character in TRC. In this fic, Yuko is the 'queen' of a group of mages in the country of Fahren. Yuko is not dead, but her whereabouts will remain a secret for a while. Teehee.

Ryuoh: Originally from RG Veda, Ryuoh is bright, friendly and loves to test his skill against others. Is the first of the six-stars to die and is the only one to be killed by Ashura, himself. Waaahhh! It was so sad!! Ryuoh is surprisingly good at cooking and admires his mother more than anyone else in the world! In TRC, he befriends Syaoran in both the world of Oto and the world of Piffle. In the fic, he befriended Syaoran about 2 years ago and is the only person outside than Syaoran's family that gets along with Yuko as a friend. In part 2 of this chapter, there will be a bonus story about how he and Syaoran met. I love Ryuoh way too much...

Ray-earth: The god of fire in MagicKnightRayearth. Ray-earth takes the form of a giant, horned wolf with the talons of a bird, and serves the magic knight Hikaru. In TRC Ray-earth is Syaoran's kudan. In this fic, Ray-earth is just a regular wolf that serves as Ryuoh's animal companion. Ray-earth still likes Syaoran a lot though.

Touya: Sakura's older brother in both CCS and TRC. Is very protective of his little sister and because of that hates Syaoran's guts. Well maybe not that much, but they do argue quite often in CCS. In CCS he was able to see spirits until he gives his magic to Yukito so Yukito wouldn't disappear. In the fic he is still Sakura's brother and as one of the beast-tribe can summon and talk to birds. Mokona is the bane of his existence and often plays pranks on him.

Ashura (the elder): Originally from RG Veda. In RG Veda there are two Ashuras. Both appear in TRC and both are called Ashura. The only way to tell them apart is the ears. The younger Ashura, who shows up in the world of Shara, is the one with long elf-like ears where as the older Ashura is the one Fai knows. The only thing I'm able to write about Ashura in the fic without giving away spoilers is that Fai does not hate Ashura. I'm trying to follow the books as much, so it's more Fai afraid of Ashura having to be killed because of his madness. It's the same thing in RG Veda. Which is kind of sad because Ashura isn't evil just completely mad.

Umi Ryuuzaki: One of the three main characters of MagicalKnightRayearth. Umi has long straight blue hair, and is very honest and hot tempered. She is also very caring (sounds kind of like a certain red-eyed ninja doesn't it?). Umi controls the god of water, Celes, who takes the form of a giant blue dragon (yes, it is Kuro-puu's kudan). She never appears in TRC. In the fic I made her a nurse ...and I have no idea why... If I were one of the patients I think I would run away, but at the very least Fai is sure to be healthy before he leaves...

World list.
(This stuff may be obvious but I wanted to write it down just in case.)

Humans: All the people in the world of this fic have magic of some sort. The magic one has depends on a variety of factors, for example one family might have magic for flying, or maybe people who are born in a certain area develop a certain talent. Some magic is genetic and people with this type of 'natural' magic can sometimes use spell magic as well. Below is a list of the magic already in the fic.

Normal magic: The magic most people have. Usually very weak and uncontrollable. It's uses vary among who uses it, but is generally not very useful. Kurogane has the ability to 'feel' danger as well as emotions tied to some sort of physical object (the emotion has to be pretty strong for him to feel it, though).

Mages and Spell-magic: Spell-magic is magic that can cast using spells. Fai can use almost all types of magic except healing magic. Sakura can use weak healing spells and Syaoran has powerful fire-based magic but can't control it too well yet. People who can cast spells without being taught spells are called 'mages'. Mages generally have much longer life-spans than normal people.

The Beast-tribe: 'Natural' magic-users. Beast-tribesmen magic is carried through the blood and does not have to be taught to one who has it. The magic can manifest in one of two ways. In the 1st kind, a person may have animal characteristics such as feathers or furry ears. Those of the 2nd kind can talk to as well as summon certain animals. Ryuoh can summon any sort of dog, wolf, fox etc; while Sakura can summon just about anything. Touya can summon birds while Yukito has wings and a few feathers growing on his head. (Because I thought it would look cute. o///o)
All beast-tribesmen in the 2nd type have an animal companion that not only lives as long as the master but usually has some sort of extra ability it can use to protect its human.

Seer: Someone who can sense something that is happening far away or something that is about to happen as well as see things like spirits. Dream-seers are the most versatile as they can not only see and affect someone's dreams, but can attack someone's mind while they sleep. Tomoyo and Watanuki are both dream-seers.

Chobit-clansmen: 'Natural' magic-users. Chobits can control electric-powered devices as well as contact other Chobits through their minds. Unfortunately because a Chobit's mind is so similar to a computer, a Chobit can be easily brain washed and can even have his/her memories converted into data onto a computer screen. Those who have even a little Chobit blood are susceptible to this weakness.

So that's it for chapter 3, part1.
What do you think of the fic so far? Are the bonus features any good or are they annoying? Is there anything you want explained or added to the fic?
Please let me know by reviewing and telling me what you think.

It may take me a while to write part 2, as some of the most important storyline events are in part 2, so I want to make sure I get it written down just right. Not to mention I'll be posting a few other fics very soon, meaning I'll have to work on those as well and ....yeah, I'm feeling kind of overwhelmed at the moment. Sorry about that...

Thanks to anyone who reviews. This is Lil' White Raven signing out.