Yo! It's me! I just wrote this one right now, and I'd actually like to dedicate it to some reviewers. Don't worry, you'll all get your spot up here, as long as you keep on reading and reviewing! First off, I'd like to dedticate this chapter to my friend Margaret. She's been really encouraging...sort of. And second, I'd like to dedicate this to IceQueen987, for giving me constructive critism. Thirdly, I'd like to dedicate it to OMG-its-a-pen, for actually writing to me about random stuff!

Ok, so this chapter's kinda boring, but it reveals hints about Izumi's true self. READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!! I MEAN IT!!!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa or any of its characters other than my own. All rights belong to CLAMP and other respective rightholders

"Who is that?" A man's voice seemed to pop out of nowhere. I was standing in yet another black ocean. The voice was rough, as though it belonged to a middle-aged man. It seemed oddly familiar, but though I strained to remember who it belonged to, there was nothing. This room seemed to block out memories, as I could not remember who exactly I was, and what I was doing there. I felt slightly less developed, a little bit more childish, as if I was younger than I was supposed to be. What was even more surprising was that I didn't have any magic at all. Astounding. It almost made me feel…empty.

It seemed like an eternity passed before someone spoke again. This time, it was a female, whose voice was even more familiar. "This young one is not a complete human. She is not supposed to be here at all." I knew that voice. I just couldn't remember who it belonged to in the least. There were little tiny images of some people, but they didn't stay in my brain long enough for me to know who they were.

"So what shall we do with her?" Asked the man again. It was only then that I realized that I was not standing, but I was lying down. I couldn't be lying in a bed; the surface was far too hard for that. A table, maybe. My arms and legs were numbed, so that I couldn't move. It was almost as if someone had purposely numbed them. They were a tangled mess, and I forgot how to control them. When I tried to lift my arm, pain swept through my entire body. It was impossible. "She is not a newborn, is she?" The man almost sounded…upset in a way.

The woman cleared her throat. "No. She is not a baby. She is about five, I should say." Though I could see nobody, I could feel an elegant hand rest upon my forehead. She drew it back sharply. "She is awake! She can hear us!" I wouldn't say that I was awake, but I could hear them, yes. Somewhere deep in my consciousness, I could hear.

Another hand felt my forehead. It was calloused and the skin was tough, so I guessed that it was the man's hand. "I don't think she will be able to remember this when she awakens. Her sleep is so deep." The man announced. "No, I don't think she will remember at all." He moved his hand from my forehead and lifted up my right arm to feel for my pulse. I could just barely feel him press against my vein; I was so insensitive. "Her pulse… Her heart beat…It's almost as though she has not even been born. She is too dormant to remember."

The woman snatched my wrist from the man and felt my pulse. She sighed. "I suppose you are right. But she will be a tricky one to keep track of. Supposing that she can hear us and will remember, she will find us, and we will be exposed." The woman's voice was filled with worry.

"There is nothing you should worry about. She is merely a glitch in time and space. Her existence is only the outcome of that wish." The man seemed very confident. Too confident. He must have seen something in the woman's eyes. "However," he added quickly, "We can put obstacles and distractions in her way to keep her from ever finding out. It's that simple."

"And how would we do that?" The woman asked, fascinated now. "Do you have anything in mind? If she manages to get past the obstacle, then there is no hope for us. And a series of obstacles is difficult to maneuver." The woman stated matter-of-factly. "Using too much magic can be dangerous, and can alter the boundaries of time."

I smelled smoke. The man had lit a pipe. I let out a little cough, but neither of the two paid any attention. "It is not as difficult to maneuver as you think it may be. It's actually rather straightforward. We give her only one obstacle, one that would be sure to trigger a series of difficulties. And there you go; the series of obstacles are there for you, even though you barely lifted a finger." The man said.

"You are a clever one, aren't you? Sly as well." The woman agreed. "But it seems as though you are thinking of one obstacle in particular. What is it you are trying to get at?" She asked suspiciously. "Tell me, and I will see if it fits her."

I could almost hear the arrogant smile in the man's voice. "We put a curse on her, one that will make everyone hate her. It fits her perfectly." The man laughed, his voice echoing from the walls. So it was a room. "And we will do it…" The man placed his hand over my heart, and suddenly, I could feel so much magic rush into my veins. It was the black magic, the one I had been forced to live with for the entire span of my life. The emptiness was suddenly gone, replaced by the magic. I liked it better when it was empty. "…Just like so."

"You beast!" The woman yelled, and I could hear a smack as she slapped him. "You cannot go around cursing innocent young girls! Lift the curse now! Now!" She screeched.

"Calm down." The man said. "It wasn't so bad a curse, anyways." The man laughed. "I simply cursed her so that the magic in any of her given names will be of no use at all. She will forever be without the magic of a real name."

The woman held my hand in hers, stroking it lightly with her fingertips. "This girl…she was born with a gift. She has an amazing amount of magic in her, and it is a magic so strong that it rivals even mine. A given name activates her magic, and she can use it to her own free will." Her voice became mangled with anger. "But you…you cursed her so that she will never have a name, you made it so that her magic will control her, rather than the other way around. You ruined everything."

Some part of my brain stirred, and I opened my eyes. There was so much light that I was almost blinded, but not before I caught a glimpse of the two people in the room. I knew who they were, but I could not remember.

The woman looked at me, and gasped in horror. "Look what you've done! She is awake! She will remember!" The woman pointed at me. "What was the point of cursing her if she will find out anyways?! How are you going to erase her memory?"

"We start by doing this." The man put his hand on my forehead again, and then everything went black. Even blacker than the dragon. Even blacker than my blood.

My neck hurt. I must have been sleeping weird. I turned my head to one side, but found that it still hurt, so I turned it to the other. I had a headache so bad that I was sure something was inside my head, clawing my brains out. I had to make sure none of it was dripping from my ears. Good thing nothing was. I let out a small yawn before opening my eyes. At first I thought I was blind, because I couldn't see a thing. My vision cleared, and I glanced up and saw Fai, who was sitting on the other end of the mat and staring at the wall, as if in a trance. His eyes were just the slightest bit bloodshot, and I could see streaks of water stain his cheeks. Is he… crying? I wondered. I stretched my arms to get his attention, and he immediately looked right at me. His eyes widened as though he had just seen a ghost, and we sat like that, staring at each other for a long time. Suddenly, he swooped his arms underneath me and held me close to him, and at that moment, he cried. His shoulders shook, and he tightened his grip. I was sure that I would suffocate.

"…Fai?" I touched his arm tentatively. "Are you alright?" The room we were in was the one that we had landed in. It was strange, because I had no idea what had happened. "What happened? Fai?"

Fai loosened his grip, and I listened as his sobs slowly came to an end. "I…I thought you were dead." He let out another choked sob. "Masayoshi-kun told me that you would die because you had been too long without a kudan." Fai tried to smile through his tears, but it only resulted in more crying. "Arashi told me to use some of your magic to heal, so that maybe you could go without one. I tried, but then you stopped breathing, so I thought that I killed you."

"What?!" I asked, shoving him away from me lightly. "Some of my magic? What magic?" My mind was a wild frenzy of questions. Yuko took away my magic, didn't she? No, but Arashi said that she would not have completely taken my magic away. But then Yuko didn't grant my wish, right? So what does that mean?

Fai grabbed my shoulders to calm me down. "Shh…" He lay me back down on the mat. "I'll tell you about it later. Get some more rest. We'll have to leave soon, so you should recover before we do." He stood up, and headed for the door. "I'll give you some time to rest. Just try to sleep, ok?"

"But—" I protested, but he had already closed the door behind him as he left. I folded my arms and sighed angrily. I had a right to know about my own magic! I sat like that on the mat for twenty minutes, but eventually got bored and lay down. I stared at the ceiling so hard that it was almost as if I would be able to find a piece of my past in it. When nothing happened, I took a strand of hair and began wrapping it around my finger goofily. It was funny how much more sophisticated I was when with company.

I heard a voice in the hallway, Fai's. "…Yes, she's in the room. She should be sleeping." He said. Someone was following him, and their footsteps got closer.

"Are you sure she's asleep?" It was Arashi who spoke. It sounded almost as if she was hoping desperately that I was. I heard the knob turn, and quickly closed my eyes and pretended that I was asleep. I made sure my eyes were the tiniest bit open so that I could see what would happen.

"Yes, I'm sure." Fai said as he pushed the door open. His voice was unsure, but even so, Arashi did not speak again. The two of them walked into the room. "See, she's fast asleep." He pointed to me, and smiled happily. His face grew serious as he turned to Arashi. "Now," He said sullenly, "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

She glared at him, almost accusingly. "Do you know what her name is?" She asked him, her voice seething with, well, not so much anger as it was demand. "Her name…if it is not a true sorceress's name, then she cannot control her magic. That would be an explanation as to why her magic caused such great despair in her life."

My heart jolted excitedly. So my name had something to do with my magic? If only I could remember… Fai spoke sadly. "No, I don't know what her name is. And it is yet to be discovered if she even knows what her name is." Fai sighed.

Arashi ran her fingers through her hair. "Her name…Yuko took it from her and replaced it with another name. 'Izumi' is a name that is easily controllable, yet that dark kudan came to her anyways…It's a very strange phenomenon."

Fai sat down beside me, stroking my cheek gently. "I know there is something about her..." He said, deep in thought. "It's so strange…I can feel a very powerful magic in her soul, but something tells me she can't use it on her own…" He leaned in closer, as if he could find an answer in my face. I shut my eyes, so that he wouldn't know I was eavesdropping.

"You…are attracted to this girl?" Arashi asked. I expected Fai's expression to be one of shock, because mine definitely would have been, if was allowed to show any emotion at all. Arashi added, "You seem very concerned about her, and about her personal life. And it seems she can open up to you more than she can with Syaoran-kun or Kurogane-san. Did you know her from before?"

Fai stood up again, and I opened my eyes a crack. He looked down sheepishly, with a very childish expression on his face. It almost made me giggle. "I…well…Ever since I first met her not long ago, I've felt a very strange connection to her. I've felt very…protective of her. It feels like I've known her from somewhere, but I can't be sure now… It's almost as though my memory slipped out of my reach…" He looked back up, a new sparkle in his eyes. "I feel like it is my duty to protect her from any danger that threatens her, even though I've realized that she's very good at protecting herself." He chuckled. So he cares about me… I thought. But why? Why would he care about me? I'm worthless. I'm a bad omen.

Arashi nodded knowingly. "She's a bright one, she is. To be able to somehow separate herself from her own kudan is very unheard of, indeed. My first impression of her was that she is a little more connected to the world than the rest of us are. Connected to who we really are meant to be." I didn't know what that meant at all, but still, I found it quite flattering.

Fai sighed sadly. "I know. But I wish she could use her magic under her own command. I believe she can do amazing things with her talent. She just needs to find a way to get past all the obstacles put in her path. There will be many, and she will have to work hard to earn her control back, but if she can use her intelligence to help, like she did with her kudan, she can overcome anything. I just wish there was something I could do to help." His voice sounded choked, as if he was crying again. He laughed half-heartedly. "See, I can't even explain why I'm crying for her. I don't know why I care so much about what she can do with her magic."

Arashi grunted in agreement, although I knew she had something more to say. She just wasn't sure if she should say it. "Come," she said instead. "Let's go downstairs before she wakes up."

They didn't know I was already awake.

They didn't know I had heard.

I was haunted by a million questions, and I was sure at that moment that I would never be able to sleep in my life again.