A/N: And I'm back with an update. I hope you guys enjoy it. And don't forget to leave a review at the end. Remember that reviews help the plot bunnies breed and mutate. ;)

Her taste lingered on Fai's lips even as Maddy rushed out the door, chasing after Mokona. Fai pushed off the covers off and swung his legs off the side of his bed to stand up. He swayed from an assault of vertigo, his head spinning as the world started to tilt, and he stumbled into the wall with a grunt. Darkness danced across his vision as a quiet ringing filled his ears. Fai muttered a curse. He leaned against the cool plaster as he closed his eyes and concentrated on the threads of magic woven into his blood. It had been necessary, when they had first arrived in this world, to convince Kurogane and Madiha of his reasons for choosing not to use magic. He had lied and told them using magic without his tattoo left him weak and exhausted. But it wouldn't have been convincing if they had not witnessed the effects for themselves. And so he had cast a delicate spell, one that would create the illusion of severe exhaustion for those not as well-versed in magic as himself.

It had been risky, but given the strength of the spells he had cast moments before that it had been necessary. Not only would it serve as proof of his claims, the new spell would mask the signal he had transmitted with his earlier spells in Rekourt. Hopefully, it would cut off the magical beacon he had projected before it could reach a point where Ashura-ou would see and use it to track him down when he awoke. There was a ninety percent chance of the spell going bad with the smallest of miscalculations, but Fai never miscalculated when it came to magic.

Magic was an intricate art, one which Fai had devoted countless years of practice. He was the youngest court magician to be the awarded the D rank, which was considered to be the highest honor for a Celesian Mage. He'd once overheard a conversation between Ashura-ou and a foreign dignitary with Ashura-ou bragging about Fai's skill. Fai had never known the king to brag, as it was unbecoming of his station, but when it came to him, Ashura-ou forgot all about that. In the king's own words, Fai had already surpassed his adoptive father in both skill and control. That was shortly before Ashura had started losing his mind and—

Puddles of blood on polished marble... torn limbs littering the ground... screams of terror echoing through the castle hallways...

Fai wrenched himself out of the waking nightmare, frowning at the ceiling in confusion. When had he fallen? The right side of his face throbbed, and a familiar tang of blood at the back of his throat let him know he had hit something on his way down. He swallowed to clear his throat and struggled into a sitting position. It had certainly not been a good idea to try and stand without canceling his spell first. Closing his eyes, Fai reached inwards and snipped off a few thread with his magic. He watched the spell unravel along those threads, already feeling better than he had when he first woke. He took care not to get rid of the complete spell since it wouldn't do much good to support his act if he were to magically recover from his exhaustion.

He could always claim it was a side-effect Madiha's kiss, but she had asked him not to tell anyone until she was ready. As entertaining as it would be to see her blush and sputter at that excuse, Fai respected her wishes. Though maybe he could still have some fun when they were alone. Clambering to his feet on unsteady legs, Fai used the wall for support as he approached the door and stepped out into the hallway. His room was the last in a narrow corridor that ended in a tall window overlooking a lush garden. The door right across from his was closed, and so was the one right next to his, but the one across from that was left slightly ajar, and neither Maddy nor Mokona were in sight. Fai could hear raised voices coming from inside the room with the partially closed door and he slowly approached it.

"—don't see why you have such a problem with this all of a sudden." Maddy's voice made him stop where he was. "Two weeks ago you were wishingthat something like this happened."

"Two weeks ago, you were acting appalled by the very idea," Xahra shot back, and Fai couldn't help but frown at her tone. Why were they arguing again? They'd only just gotten over their last fight. "Look, Maddy," she continued in a slightly calmer tone. "I'm not against the idea, I'm just worried about you."

"There's nothing for you to worry about, Xahra," Madiha argued. Another bout of dizziness rushed to his head. Fai glanced back towards his own room, but he doubted he would be able to reach it. He leaned against the wall, resting his head against the cool wallpaper as he closed his eyes, deciding he'd try when he was certain he wouldn't fall.

"Of course there is," Xahra insisted. "You're not the sort to jump headfirst into relationships. Hell, you're always telling me to get to know the guy first, and now Ihave to be the sensible one? He's not forcing you into anything, is he Maddy?"

"What?" Madiha yelped. "No, of course not. Why would you think that?"

"Well, he's good-looking, a complete flirt, and he's older," Xahra listed out and Fai heard Maddy begin to pace inside the room. "Andwe barely know him. I'm not trying to judge but he's really good with words and Kurogane seems suspicious of him, too. What's to say he won't turn out to be a complete jerk?"

"Relax, Xahra," Maddy laughed. Warmth fluttered in Fai's chest at the sound. "He hasn't forced me into anything. Wanted or unwanted. He's actually kind of sweet."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, although if it makes you feel better I promise I'll be careful, okay?" Maddy laughed again and Fai opened his eyes. He momentarily contemplated snipping off another thread of the spell but decided against it. Anymore than what he already had would constitute as unnaturally fast healing for a wizard with supposedly weakened magic. Even if Xahra was only just beginning to learn about magic, it would still draw attention to the fact that there was more to it than what he let on. He pushed away from the wall and slowly turned back towards his room.

"So tell me," Xahra began in a teasing tone and Fai paused halfway to his room."Is he a good kisser?"

"Xahra!" Maddy sputtered in indignation and Fai chuckled as he turned on his spot, deciding that it was time to stop eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Madiha, are you still here?" he called out, sparing her from having to rank his kissing prowess.

"Fai? What are you doing out of bed?" Maddy emerged from the room she had been occupying, Xahra close at her heels. "Oh my God, you're bleeding." She raced to his side, quickly grabbing him by the arm when the world began to swing on its axis around him. Xahra came to his other side, slinging his arm over her shoulders. Given that he was nearly a head taller than both girls, it was an awkward position, but they managed to get him back to his bed."Why the hell did you get out of bed?" Maddy frowned at him as she perched at the edge of the mattress and pushed back his bangs back to look at his temple.

"I was thirsty and thought I was well enough to get some water," he replied, the lie slipping past his lips with such practiced ease that neither Madiha nor Xahra, who had returned with a first aid box, had any reason to suspect him.

"You should have just called for me," Madiha said as her cold fingers probed at his injured head. He hissed through his teeth. Immediately, she pulled her hand back, looking guilty. "Sorry, did that hurt?"

"A little." He grinned when Xahra shot him a knowing look as she set down the first aid box next to Madiha.

"I'll go and get you another glass of water while Maddy looks at your cut," Xahra said as she left the way she had come.

Maddy busied herself with rummaging inside the box as Fai watched. Her cheeks were tinged with pink as she methodically withdrew a wad of cotton and a bottle of clear liquid from inside. The bold label printed on stuck to its front stated that it was an antiseptic liquid 'good for cuts, scrapes and broken skin'. Maddy uncapped the bottle and poured the liquid on to a piece of cotton she had torn from the wad.

"This may sting a bit," she warned as her fingers pushed back his hair once again. Just to see her reaction, Fai sucked in a sharp, noisy breath and Maddy hit his shoulder with a mock frown. "I haven't even touched it yet."

"Manhandling the injured, why Maddy, I had no idea you liked things so rough." Fai laughed, and Maddy looked at him in confusion momentarily before his implied meaning sunk in and her eyes widened to comic proportions.

"F-Fai!" she cried, hitting him on the shoulder for a second time even as she blushed a furious red. "Hold still," she instructed him with a scowl as he chuckled at her reaction.

"Just be gentle with me, Madiha."

"Fai, please, just shut up," she begged, not meeting his gaze as she started dabbing at his injured forehead. Just as she had warned, the antiseptic stung, but it wasn't the worst pain that he had felt, so Fai held in his complaints as he distracted himself, watching Maddy's face as she worked. She bit her lower lip, her brows furrowed in concentration as she carefully cleaned the wound before using the cotton to wipe the blood that had trickled down the side of his face. Her touch felt soothing against his flushed skin and he leaned into it, feeling a little disappointed when she drew away. She rummaged in the box and withdrew a strip of adhesive bandage. Arashi had called them Band-Aids when she had been tending to Syaoran's injuries in Hanshin. "The cut isn't very deep, so it shouldn't leave a mark once it's healed," Madiha said as she took off the protective film and plastered it on top of his injured forehead. "You're still recovering and the doctor said you need proper bed rest. You shouldn't have tried standing so soon."

Fai reached up to feel the edges of the Band-Aid, unused to the strange sensation of something sticking to his skin.

"Don't touch that, Fai," Maddy chided and he dropped his hand with a sheepish grin.

"I don't suppose you would want to continue from where left off when Mokona interrupted us?"

"And risk Xahra walking in on us?" She quirked a brow, unimpressed, and Fai laughed.

"But Maddy, your kiss made feel so much better," he said, draping his arms over her shoulders. "Don't you want me to help me get well faster?"

"Whoa! Easy there lovebirds. Wait till I'm gone before getting naughty," Xahra said as she marched into the room with a plastic jug filled with water. Setting it down on the bedside table, she retrieved the breakfast tray and shot the two a mischievous grin. "I'd close the door on my way out, but Kurogane wants you to meet him in the backyard, Maddy. Wear comfortable shoes; I think he's going to get you and Syaoran started with your sword training today."

"Looks like Kuro-meanie will be getting in the way of my recovery today," he said, giving a dramatic sigh as he unwrapped his arms and let Maddy go.

"Don't worry, Fai. If you want, I can make sure she comes right back to you once she's done with big brother's training," Xahra laughed, ignoring the glare Madiha shot in her direction.

"Oh Xahra-chan, you're a girl after my own heart."

"Nope, Maddy has already staked her claim on your heart. Although, if you happen to have an equally good-looking brother back home, I'm totally available," she said, throwing him a wink and Fai had to struggle to keep his smile on his face. A hollow pang reverberated in his chest, agonizing and painful as an old nightmare threatened to resurface.

Crimson stained snow spread out all around him. Blank accusing eyes staring right through him.

"I'm afraid you're out of luck in that case, Xahra-chan," he said, the tremor in his voice barely noticeable as he forcefully pushed the image away.

"Oh well, there's plenty of other fish in the sea." Xahra shrugged as she readjusted her grip on the tray and walked out of the room, Maddy following right behind her. Fai stared at the door as it swung close behind the girls, his thoughts whirring as unwanted memories swirled inside his head. Shaking them away, he lay back down, exhaustion creeping in on the edges of his awareness.

-0-

Kurogane watched as the kid and Madiha trudged out through the sliding doors. The kid avoided his gaze, staring down at his feet ever since Kurogane had pointed out the kid's partial blindness. Being a warrior himself, he had been observing the way his companions fought every time they got into a difficult situation. The mage chose to act the part of an incompetent idiot, preferring to be underestimated by his opponents, though he was a lot more skilled than he let on. His sister – and wasn't that a pleasant thought – was trained to the point where her moves appeared instinctive rather than just well-practiced. Kurogane wasn't sure when she could have gotten the chance to hone her skills when the world she had grown up in had been a relatively pleasant one. And according to Xahra herself, both she and Madiha had went to the same dojo to learn self-defense, though Madiha was the only one that had the skill of a beginner. Kurogane frowned as he pushed that thought to the side for later as he gestured for both his students to follow him. Their destination was an artificial pond in one of the corners of the backyard.

It was a shallow thing, more for show than serving any real purpose, but it was perfect for the training exercises Kurogane had in mind. He directed them over to the carved wooden posts in the middle of the pond with a series of spiraling stepping stones leading up to them. The boy was more skilled and had better reflexes than Madiha, but there was one thing about the boy that stood out above all others. His reflexes and reaction time varied depending on the direction of the attack. The kid had a sharp sixth sense, but it wasn't something he could rely on absolutely. At least not the way it was now. But Kurogane had the perfect idea on how to hone it.

Madiha, on the other hand, was quick on the uptake when she managed to stay on her feet for more than ten minutes. The biggest challenge with her would no doubt be to help her develop a better sense of balance.

"You're going to go all Master Miyagi on us?" Madiha said as she eyed the posts skeptically. "I really hope your training doesn't involve the whole wax on wax off spiel too."

"What the hell are you going on about?" Kurogane grunted, glaring at her as the kid hastened to obey his command.

"Oh right," Madiha said with a sheepish grin as she carefully set her foot down on the first stepping stone. "You guys don't have The Karate Kid. Never mind, ignore what I said. "

Kurogane did just that as he crossed his arms and watched her make her way to the wooden post on the kid's left. She clumsily climbed on top, struggling to balance on a surface barely wide enough for both feet. She swayed dangerously on top and Kurogane had no doubt the she would fall long before the kid.

"So what exactly will we doing today, Kuro-Miyagi?"

Kurogane grit his teeth in irritation at the nickname and leveled a glare in Madiha's direction. The effect was lost on her as she held out her arms and tried to adjust to her raised center of gravity.

"Kurogane-san?" the kid asked, nervously eyeing Madiha's flailing arms.

"You're both going to work on your balance today," he said. "You, kid, are much better than the klutz, but I want to see how long you fare up there. If both of you are still standing there in fifteen minutes, I'll explain the next part."

"You want us to stand here in the sun like idiots for fifteen minutes?" Madiha groaned.

"You won't last even five," Kurogane grunted and true to his prediction, Madiha lost her balance and fell into the pond with a loud yelp. "Get back up. If you want to complain, go do it inside. If you don't have the stomach for this, then don't waste my time."

Madiha growled under her breath but she swallowed her complaints and complied as she stood up. Water dripped steadily from her clothes, making the post slippery, but she climbed back on and tried to balance herself with a stubborn set to her jaw.

Kurogane reached into the shallow water and picked up a handful of rounded pebbles from the bed and tossed two in his hand. He flashed them a predatory grin that had Madiha looking decidedly nervous as she eyed the stones in his hands. Syaoran also looked a little worried, but he was better at hiding it.

"Why do I not like the look on your face?"

"Hold your position for as long as you can," Kurogane ordered, ignoring Maddy's question as he brought his arm back and let the stones fly at her.

"Kurogane, what the f—aaah!" With a scream and a splash, she fell back into the pond. She had tried dodging the first stone only to come straight in to the path of the second where the impact with her shoulder threw her backwards. Sputtering in indignation she sat up and glared at Kurogane, the effect ruined due to the fact that she resembled a drowned cat. Kurogane tossed the next set of stones at Syaoran.

Just as Kurogane has suspected, the kid reacted instinctively to the attack. He flipped off the post, spinning through the air to dodge the first stone, and lashed out with his leg to kick away the second stone. He landed on the post Madiha had fallen off of, with a slight wobble to hint at his momentary lapse of balance. Madiha stared between the two of them, her jaw hanging open in incredulity as she finally settled on glaring at Kurogane.

"There is no way in hell that you actually expect me to pull off what he just did," she said, pointing her finger at the kid in an almost accusing manner. As if the kid had done her some great injustice by avoiding Kurogane's throws where she had failed.

"Of course not," Kurogane snorted as he watched the girl pick herself up. "But we'll keep trying until you do."

Her eyes bugged out to comic proportions behind her spectacles as she stood up in knee deep water.

"Look, if you want to learn from me," Kurogane said to her in a serious tone, "we do things the way I tell you, and I don't hear questions or complaints. You can either muster up the guts to face it, or you can walk away right now. I'm not going to teach someone who'll quit halfway."

"I want to learn, Kurogane-san," the kid said, earnest like a little puppy eager to please its master. Kurogane nodded before quirking a brow at Madiha who looked at him before her gaze flickered to the café building behind him. To say he was disappointed would have been an understatement as she took the smallest of steps towards the café. But then, she took the very next steps towards the wooden post Syaoran had vacated and climbed back on.

"Bring it on, Kuro-Miyagi." She smirked, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "I'm not quitting."