A/N: And here is Chapter Eleven!

Astrid01: Happy (ultra super late) Birthday—even though I guess I already gave you a birthday present, hehe. ;) Yes; I originally had it so that there was some heavy "petting" between Syaoran and Sakura (nothing more), but I decided that it would be way too early, and it would make things start running too fast, not just between them but for the entire story. Plus, it forces our main couple to acknowledge that they have problems. Happy Birthday once again!

Icecat45: Thank you for reviewing! :D And for your perspectives. I've kind of always seen Fai as the voice of reason (if cold) in the group—which is why I gave him the ability to read minds—and so I tried to employ him to talk some sense to Syaoran. Also, I decided that the group needs to be more integrated—not just SyaoSaku and KuroFai (and Mokona), but a group of traveling companions who interact with one another and are actually pretty good friends, despite Kurogane's and Fai's aversions to connecting with people. HOWEVER! There will still be many, MANY cute little squeal-inducing scenes between our couples! (Sorry, I can't help myself—when I write those scenes, I'm just indulging in my fantasies… Shameful, I know.) About Syaoran and Sakura: Note that he didn't take the pain of the Fire—just her frustrations. Though it's an unorthodox analogy, think of it as the same sort of thing a pregnant woman giving birth does with squeezing the life out of someone's hand as she pushes. About Kurogane and Fai: PHEW! Oh, my gosh, I was SO worried I had either gotten them or was completely off-base. A lot of everyone's "battles" came to a front in chapter ten, and I hope that the (albeit ongoing) resolutions will please you as the previous chapters have. (Wow, I need to stop writing such long review responses.)

Louise: Thank you for reviewing! :) Hehe, I am glad that I can elicit such powerful reactions from you! :D And I hope that I can continue to do so.

And to all of you who reviewed during my, erm… absence… although it would take forever (and a lot of space) to thank each one of you personally, I will thank you as a group: THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING!

ATTENTION: Okay, I think I might need to make this clear once more as a precautionary measure: This fanfic, from the moment Sakura began to grow her wings and get powers, has deviated from the original path of Tsubasa Chronicle. It is NOT CANON. To be more clear: There will be absolutely no clones or anything like that, simply because I think that they make the story much, much too complicated. I'm telling everyone this because I don't want you to start getting confused—"Where are the clones?", and such. That said, I decided to take the "opposites" part of the Syaoran and Clone Syaoran thing and put it into this fic's Syaoran—that isn't to say that Syaoran has multiple personalities or is bipolar or anything, but it does mean that he "loses his control" sometimes, and does things that he normally wouldn't.

Pertaining to my absence: Wow. Has it really been this long? I started this chapter such a long time ago… I know I owe you all an explanation—which is in no way an excuse. Please see my profile page for a detailed explanation of my… absence as a writer.

I sincerely apologize for my lack of commitment to you, my wonderful (and hopefully forgiving) readers, and I promise to try harder.

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Tsubasa Chronicle.

Chapter 11: Progress

I am younger again, running through the halls of a gorgeous palace. Stop, turn, look. Smile at nothing. Again. It must be my imaginary friend, but I can't help feeling that this person—virtually my only friend in my childhood days, it seems—is real. I pause a moment, as if the other person is saying something, and then respond with an emphatic, "I'm glad you're my friend, too, -"

It's always like that. I say something to this imaginary friend, then I can't catch its name, even though I am the one saying it. Even though I created it. "Hey, do you wanna go play in the garden?"

Another pause, then I step forward and grab empty air—does this mean that my imaginary friend said "yes"? Run to the palace garden—it's beautiful, but from my other memories, I already know this.

I spend all day in the garden, spend all my time there having what I presume to be a one-sided conversation and playing with my presumed imaginary friend.

Then, I shift to another day in the growing store of memories in my mind—a dinner party. Then a banquet. A coronation. More playing with that imaginary friend. I tend to do that a lot. But, I'm older in one memory. Running through the streets, holding its hand. My heart is pounding loudly because of the connection—but how impossible? It's an imaginary friend, how can I have feelings for it? How is it that I can feel its hand holding mine?

There it is. That nagging sensation.

Cheated. There has to be something more to my memories. This friend, my only friend—I love it. Love. I love it the same way I love Syaoran—the exact same way. Why would I? Unless-

An electric shock, then darkness.

_SxS_

None of them, other than the princess and Mokona, could sleep. After bandaging Syaoran and placing Sakura in a large pallet by the fireplace they had uncovered, the three males sat together, huddled in front of it in an effort to keep warm. Without the suns, the heat had dissipated quickly, leaving room for the wind to chill everything.

Fai seemed more cheerful given the change in temperature, but Syaoran and Kurogane could not share his enthusiasm with the cold. However, the magician's spirit had been dampened considerably when he felt the effects of his earlier half-nakedness.

Syaoran looked at the red skin and found the urge to smile at the mage's silliness, though he was exhausted both physically and emotionally. "That looks like a nasty sunburn, Fai-san," he pointed out not unkindly.

Fai answering chuckle was prickled with the aches of having burned skin. "I should have listened to you. But I don't know how I'm going to manage being so hot."

For a moment, the only sound was that of the fire crackling. Syaoran turned to look at his princess; she had been tossing for some time now with a frustrated look on her face. 'They must not be making sense to her,' he thought, referring to her returned memories.

"They grew," observed Kurogane, following Syaoran's gaze. His companions looked at him as if he were insane, and then Syaoran became suspicious and narrowed his eyes. "I mean her wings, damn it-!"

"Shh!" Fai and Syaoran whispered simultaneously. The sight of the two of them, half kneeling, half standing with their forefingers to their lips, was enough to make the ninja crack a brief smile.

Once it was established that Kurogane would now be quiet, Fai answered to his previous statement. "I believe they grow every time she gets a feather, which would explain why the Fire comes to her when a feather is returned."

Syaoran looked at him with confusion. "But, how?"

"Well, think about it. With each feather that is returned to Sakura-chan, her wings grow about two inches in approximately five to ten minutes, correct? That's a lot of growing in such a short time."

"Are you saying that the Fire is her wings' growing pains?" Kurogane asked flatly.

The magician snickered a bit. "In a way, I suppose. I imagine that her bones have to adjust in order for the wings to grow. That, and the wings themselves must grow—the feathers, the bones, the skin. There is a lot that goes into such appendages, and it must take a healthy amount of energy to get everything to grow like that. Or, it may be that her feathers are putting her wings into a speeded aging process when they are returned—the cells die off and are replaced by new ones, more of them, only Sakura's body is not able to fund such frenzied regeneration. This is where the Fire comes in: Its primary purpose is to dramatically speed her body's restoration at the expense of the pain-center of her brain, correct? And that is why the Fire is required." He paused. "Of course, this is all speculation and I'm probably not right."

Kurogane's eyebrow twitched. "Then why'd you say anything at all, magician."

Syaoran opened his mouth, about to respond to Fai's musings, but the group was distracted by a scuffling noise under the floor of the building. Each man rose to a suspicious crouch, and Syaoran and Kurogane pulled out their blades swiftly and silently. The boy was loathe to wake his sleeping princess, so he decided to wait until the last possible moment.

There was another rustling noise across the room, still underground, and Fai—with his light step—floated over as silently as he could. The mage's smile, once they stood above the rustling noise, came more easily, and he visibly relaxed. He raised a hand to his companions in order to signal them to stand down, but both men only lowered their weapons and straightened slightly. Then, Fai knelt on the floor and knocked on a plank of wood hard. "Hello down there!" he cried in a loud, happy voice. "Care to join us?"

A small, startled scream and a few thumps were heard under the building, and Syaoran's eyebrow arched. His confusion and previous hostility were calmed soon, though, as a trap door was raised, revealing a face he knew all too well. 'Ryu-o!' Syaoran thought, and he immediately sheathed his sword.

Ryu-o emerged from the trapdoor warily, obviously just a bit embarrassed that he had been found out. "What are you all doing here?" the boy demanded, his long brown hair falling into his eyes despite the cloth tied around his forehead.

Syaoran spoke up first. "We don't mean any harm, really. We're just here to, em, collect data on the creatures of the desert."

The newcomer's eyes narrowed. "The village hasn't received any sort of confirmation of that. And there were representatives from Shimaiton just yesterday."

"We come from… farther away."

"Almost on a separate planet," Fai supplied as his companions gave him panicked looks.

Ryu-o was still suspicious to some extent, but he seemed to accept them for the most part. "Well, since I don't think you wanna kill us… I guess I'll show you to the village elder. He'll want to talk to you. Plus, we might be able to spare a room—the nights are pretty long here, and it's only gonna get colder and colder. You don't wanna be around when high moon kicks, if you know what I mean."

Kurogane's eyebrow twitched, and he muttered, too low for the boy to hear, "Actually, no, I don't know what you mean."

"That sounds great," Syaoran quickly said. "Thank you." Though he could not bring himself to smile after the ordeal he and his love had gone through, the boy felt his heart grow lighter upon seeing his friend. Or, at least this world's version of his friend.

Ryu-o seemed uncomfortable for a moment, but he swallowed it and turned around, gesturing at the hole he was standing in. "So, follow me, if you want."

"Hai, hai!" Fai said cheerily, his close-lipped smile widening. "Just give us a second to gather our things, if you would."

Ryu-o nodded and stood back, becoming a tad bit more at ease with Fai's amiable attitude.

Syaoran turned to Sakura, who still lay sleeping fitfully. Her face again held that look of discontent, of irritation, of restlessness, while her aura twisted in a tumult of blue and gray. He wondered what exactly was ruining her slumber, wondered how he could help. The amber-eyed boy knelt and gently, almost as if he was afraid he would break her, wrapped her up in the blankets—he wasn't sure if it would be wise to reveal her wings as of yet, so the blankets were a means to hide the white appendages. Well, that… and he didn't want her to get cold.

When she was firmly wrapped up in the blankets—'So cute,' thought Syaoran—the boy picked her up in his arms, being careful not to wake her. The effect on the girl was immediate; she visibly relaxed and curled her body to him, her aura glowing a much more tranquil pink. An almost smug smile tugged at Syaoran's lips as he witnessed the effect he had on her.

When he heard a rather loud and uncomfortable cough in the gruff tone of Kurogane, Syaoran turned to his companions and Ryu-o to find that they were all waiting for him, watching expectantly—though, when he caught Ryu-o's eye, the other boy turned away, blushing. Syaoran wondered what he had done. "Um, ready. Lead the way, Ry—er, you, that is."

With a brief quizzical glance in Syaoran's direction, Ryu-o began to lead his acquaintances down the stairs to the village after closing the trapdoor behind them.

_SxS_

The descent into the ground and towards Ryu-o's village was not a long one. It was a walk of ten, maybe fifteen minutes until the party saw lanterns decorating the otherwise dim streets. The air was still here—but that was to be expected of an underground cavern. Large pillars littered the town, rising up to the "sky" to hold the ground above. Every building and shop was brown and dusty, but the people that scurried about were some of the most colorful Syaoran had ever seen. They wore bright, fantastical clothes of every color, shape, and size, and they all flit about happily to tend to gardens and shops. A thought struck Syaoran.

"Um, isn't it nighttime? And still, so many people are out. And also, how can there be gardens without any sunlight? The fruits look like they're thriving…" Syaoran inquired.

Ryu-o laughed aloud at the sudden burst of questions. "Well, underground, it doesn't really matter if it's daytime or not—the lanterns stay on all the time, so people don't worry about the daily clock. Also, we gotta have a certain amount of people awake at any one time, to fend off attacks from the Sabakono."

"Sabakono?"

"Err, the massive beasts in the desert. You must have seen them before. Legend has it that they used to be ordinary creatures, but one day, there was this big light—brighter than the suns—and it transformed the creatures into huge monstrosities that were just bent on destruction. They caused the people of this country so much trouble that everyone had to move underground. What's worse is that they never died. But the Sabakono need heat to stay active, so they hibernate in the sand during the nighttime, when it gets real cold." His tone suddenly darkened. "Well, that's what usually happens…"

Fai spoke up. "But sometimes, they find this place. Because it's warm, right?"

Ryu-o nodded solemnly. "We haven't been attacked for a month now, but everyone's still kinda worried. They always are. When the Saba' come, it always means trouble. But you just wait—they won't stand a chance against me next time!" The boy raised a fist in determination, his green eyes sparkling. "And then everyone will see me as a great warrior like my father!"

Syaoran felt a smile tug at one corner of his mouth and succumbed to it. It was always refreshing to be around Ryu-o's bright energy, though at the same time, Syaoran found it quite exhausting. "I'm sure they will," he allowed sincerely.

Ryu-o felt his cheeks redden slightly in response. "Oh, and about the plants… Ours don't need the sun. I mean, sure we've got a special type of light that we shine on them sometimes to make sure they stay healthy, but otherwise, they just grow with fertilizer and water. They don't exactly taste very good, but they're filling, ya know?"

Syaoran nodded, and then Ryu-o fell silent. They continued to walk on the streets, amongst the people for a good ten more minutes. Sakura did not stir through the whole journey, and the group reached the center of town soon enough.

Upon a high throne sat what could only be described as a monarch. Though technically it was a man, the figure that reclined before them with its magnificent, flowing robes, piercing, wise eyes, strong chin, and slightly greying hair exuded so much regality and imminence even Kurogane felt the urge to bow before him. As the group approached him, this king regarded them with a calm expression, betraying no emotion.

Ryu-o sank to his knees at the base of the throne and bowed his head, setting an example that Kurogane, Fai, and Syaoran automatically followed. Silenced followed—even the people in the streets quieted to watch this spectacle. No one moved.

Syaoran tensed as the time drug on, slipping his gaze upward to regard the king calmly and determinedly, clutching his princess closer to him as if protecting her from anything the king might throw at them.

Minutes continued to tick by, marked only by the soft, sleeping breaths of Sakura as she dreamed. Tension mounted.

Kurogane was about to spring up and demand to know what the hell the king was waiting for and who exactly the king thought he was, making them all kneel like that—it was very uncomfortable—when a loud, booming voice echoed around the town square.

"WELCOME!" the king had shouted exuberantly, taking the group before him—all but Ryu-o, who had been expecting it—quite aback. Sakura awoke with a start and a small scream, her aura flashing an alarmed red and her heart and wings fluttering in fear until she felt Syaoran's warm arms around her. The boy gave her forehead a small kiss to comfort her.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH—" Kurogane was interrupted by the loud smack of Fai's hand over his mouth. Savagely, he tore away from the magician and turned towards the king, who was now beaming at them triumphantly.

"HA! I bet I had you scared, didn't I? Didn't expect such an old man to be so loud, did you, now?" The king laughed once more. "Now, what can I do for you? Ryu-o, who are your guests?"

Ryu-o spoke up in a strong, determined voice, suddenly formal in addressing this man. "Elder Jenno, these are travelers from a distant country. They are here to study the Sabakono, so I thought we might be of use to them. Can they stay in the village while they are in this area?"

'Oh, that's right,' thought Syaoran. 'He's an elder, isn't he. Not a king.' Immediately, Syaoran felt himself wondering why, then, this elder had a throne and clothing so magnificent.

"Ah, the desert creatures. Well, I suppose they can stay with us for a while, but I am not certain if our village will be of much use, other than a few old stories and beds to sleep on," the elder replied, standing from his throne. "What are your names, by the way?"

"My name is Fai D. Flourite. A pleasure to meet you, sir," said Fai with a grandiose bow.

Kurogane grunted his name with not much more than an angry twitch. Mokona, of course, piped up after Kurogane, dreamily stating that it loved rabbits and butter. Apparently, it was still suffering from the feather-induced delirium despite being underground.

"I am Syaoran, and this is Sakura," the boy said calmly, inclining his head toward said princess, who seemed too sleepy to speak. Her aura was a weak, dreamy lavender.

"My name is Elder Jenno. A pleasure to meet you. Now, Ryu-o, I have some business to attend to, but please show them to the inn. They all look like they could use a good night's sleep." And with a swift, decisive nod from the elder, Ryu-o and his guests were dismissed.

Sakura remained in a deep, exhausted sleep as the group meandered through the bright streets of the underground city. Ryu-o occasionally pointed out buildings of interest, including an expansive library in which all of the village's history was kept. Syaoran decided that the library would be his first stop after settling in the inn—which, as Ryu-o now pointed out, was coming up on their right.

It was nothing special—just a block carved out of the packed earth that made up most of the buildings here, with a sign above the door that read simply "Inn and Cafe." However, once the troupe entered it, Syaoran felt immediately at home with the peaceful, warm atmosphere. There was a fireplace on one end of the expansive common room, and lush sofas and living chairs were strung out everywhere, in a seemingly nonsensical arrangement. Colorful rugs overlapped here and there, again scattered almost aimlessly. There was a wide wooden staircase on the side opposite the fireplace. At the back, there was what seemed to be a dining area, where a woman—who seemed to be the keeper of this place, as Ryu-o immediately approached her—was giving a man his drink.

If he hadn't known Sakura, Syaoran could have sworn that this woman looked to be the sweetest person in the worlds. Surely, she was the oldest sweetest person in the worlds. Her eyes crinkled with a smile as she quietly, cheerfully went about her duties. Her guests offered thanks and greetings to her whenever she passed them or they passed her, and she replied with a gentle thanks of her own. When Ryu-o came up to her and gestured toward Syaoran and the others, she looked up, pleasantly surprised, until she saw Sakura in the boy's arms. Her brown hair (slightly graying, for she was nearing sixty), tied up in a loose bun low on her head, gently swayed as she approached Syaoran with a worried expression on her amiable face.

"I'm sorry I didn't greet you sooner; I didn't know you had an ill one with you. My name is Miss Maya," the woman said in a soft, peaceful voice. Syaoran introduced himself and Sakura, after which his companions all introduced themselves. Afterward, Miss Maya started toward the stairs, gesturing for them to follow. Ryu-o stayed downstairs to chat with the guests. "Here, let me show you to your rooms. Ryu-o, bless the boy, told me that you would need a few. Now, I can only spare two at the moment, but I hope they'll be enough for you."

"That will be fine, Miss Maya, thank you. We're grateful for anything you can give us," Fai replied in an equally amicable tone.

The woman went down a hallway and opened two doors at the end of it. She explained to them that only one room had a bathroom adjoined, but both rooms had two twin sized beds, a dresser, a mirror, and a map in case they needed it. She went on to tell them that the café was open from six a.m. to eight p.m., but they could call her anytime and she'd be up in a hurry, no matter day or night. Before she left them, she asked if there was anything she could get the young girl still sleeping in Syaoran's arms.

The boy smiled. "Maybe when she wakes up, but I don't think there's much we can do right now." Miss Maya nodded, then gave a soft farewell as she left them.

Kurogane harrumphed. "Too damn nice, these people."

Syaoran shrugged, then turned toward the bed that looked most comfy and gingerly lay Sakura upon it, taking care not to interrupt her slumber. However, when he tried to pull away, he found that he could not dislodge her grip on his shirt. She whimpered softly when he tried to pry her fingers off, then snuggled closer to him, unconsciously aching to be near him. Syaoran blushed, then sat beside her and stroked her hair.

"Well, I guess that settles our sleeping arrangements. Shall we move to the other room, Kuro-puppy?" Fai asked, and when the ninja stormed out, followed him, towing Mokona along with him. Just before he shut the door, he said to Syaoran, "You should get some rest, too. When Sakura-chan wakes up, I'm sure you'll want to discuss some things together, and you don't want to be exhausted for that. Kuro-tin and I will probably sleep a bit, then go out hunting again."

The boy nodded at Fai, who gave him a sympathetic smile as he closed and locked the door behind him.

Syaoran took a deep breath and swallowed thickly, looking at Sakura. There they were, alone together again. But this time, she was sleeping off the turmoil that his actions had ultimately put her through. He thought about lying with her, but the twin bed really was not big enough for the both of them, so he decided to push the two twin beds together. Again, he tried to remove his shirt from Sakura's surprisingly tenacious grip, and this time he succeeded. The princess immediately began to twist and turn in her sleep, clearly unsettled, so he worked as quickly as he could, and once both beds were pressed up against one another with the sheets on top, he made quick work of his outer clothing.

Careful not to jostle the bed, he lay down beside her. The girl snuggled close, immediately seeking the warmth and comfort that her unconscious brain knew lay just a few inches from her. Syaoran wrapped his arms around her and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling deeply. "I love you, my hime," he whispered. She murmured his name, sighing happily, before slurring a soft "I love you, too" in return.

He fell asleep within twenty seconds.

A/N: So, that was Chapter 11! Finally, right? Yeah, I know, I know. I really am sorry. I'll get Chapter 12 out there as soon as possible!