Shiro Mokona: Konnichiwa!
Kuro Mokona: Konnichiwa!
Both: Welcome to the 37th chapter of White Phoenix, Blue Moon. We are your hosts for this chapter.
Shiro Mokona: Mokona is Mokona!
Kuro Mokona: And this Mokona is also Mokona!
Shiro: Today, we want to thank Kitse-san...
Kuro Mokona: AnonChan1-san...
Shiro Mokona: AnimeAwesomeness-san...
Kuro Mokona: ...and Senna Bluefire-san for reviewing!
Shiro Mokona: AnimeAwesomeness-san was the one who requested us.
Kuro Mokona: So please give her a hand, everybody!
(Claps)
Shiro Mokona: We don't have any questions to answer, right?
Kuro Mokona: I don't think so.
Shiro Mokona: But AnonChan1 wondered if Fai would be jealous of the invitation extended to Tsukiko...
Kuro Mokona: Does that count?
Shiro Mokona: I'm not sure...
Both: Hmm...
Kuro Mokona: Now that I think about it, the recent chapters seem short compared to the ones in 2013...
Shiro Mokona: Maybe Pure-chan doesn't know how to make them longer?
Kuro Mokona: *shrugs* Porbably.
Shiro Mokona: It will be Chinese New Years soon, right?
Kuro Mokona: Pure-chan said that she was going to do something special for Chinese New Years, but she hasn't told us what yet...
Shiro Mokona: Maybe a party with lots and lots of liquor?
Kuro Mokona: Good idea! We should tell her that!
Both: That was "Mokona's Corner"! Please come again! *waves*
I sway in scarlet crimson red
Fai appears on the right side of a pillar, sitting in the falling snow
Towards the end of my dream
Tsukiko appears on the left side of that same pillar
I cannot detach myself from you
The both of them stand on a magic circle, rotating, then the Tsubasa logo appears
For countless times, I give up my progress and kill off my emotions
Fai sits on a cliff with his staff as scenes of him and King Ashura appeared behind him
With no place to go, my emotions are slowly awakening
Tsukiko stands not too far away, reminiscing the happier days of their journey
I understand too well
Kurogane kneels down, head bowed and sword in hand, in front of Tomoyo-hime
That your unsullied smile
Syaoran bows to Princess Sakura, who is standing back to back with Tomoyo-hime
Is an entity too cruelly distant from me
Shiro Mokona jumps between the two princesses
Although my unhealing wounds
We zoom into Mokona's red jewel and see Kuro Mokona jumping
Keeps on gnawing away my heart,
Chan and Watanuki are sitting together, then we see Chii and the shadowed figure of her fiancé behind Yuuko
Even now
Fei Wang Reed appears
I cannot
Xing Huo appears
Completely
Kyle Londart appears
Suppress
The steward from Jade appears
My thoughts that dwell in the darkness
We see all of the villains in Fei Wang's hideout
I sway in scarlet crimson red,
Fai appears as a vampire in his clothes from Infinity
Towards the end of my dream
He drinks from Tsukiko's throat as she sheds a tear
The destiny of our encounter begins to turn
The tear falls down and turns into a blue dragon that stands protectively behind the couple
With this
Fai stands on one side of the mirror, wearing his old clothes as he looks at his shadowed reflection
secret
His "reflection" looks back at him, wearing a kimono
that no one else knows
The glass between the two men shatters, no longer separating the two
I keep falling deeper and deeper down
A six-year-old Tsukiko, dressed in ceremonial robes, tries to grasp a hand, but falls into the darkness
Without a doubt
Kurogane begins to walk away towards Tomoyo-hime
I cannot escape
Tsukiko painfully looks away from her companions
Even if I had to atone for my sins
Both Syaorans and Sakura stand back to back as red cherry blossoms fly into the sky.
"Syaoran-kun, do you have a moment?"
A blade brimming with magic of generations of mages...
"What is it, Tsukiko?"
"Good luck on today's match."
Black and white, dyed in red...
"Thank you."
"Please be careful, okay?"
A single strike is enough to cut the string of life.
"Oh… I will."
"Promise me."
The future is shattered...
"Uh… Yeah."
But will the one responsible be able to rearrange the shards?
"The final match, huh?" Tsukiko said as she looked at the board. "Give it your all, Sakura. It's all up to you now… whether you will be able to have your wish granted or not…"
"I hope you don't mind if you stayed here for today," Eagle said as he approached.
"It's fine. You are the final master after all," Tsukiko replied. "You won't be holding back, will you?"
"I believe you already know," Eagle smiled.
"I will not say "good luck" since I want Sakura to win this match, so I'll abstain from saying anything."
"Very well. Please enjoy the match, Miss Suwa."
"Will do."
"Your weapon… that's the weapon you're always using, correct?" Eagle asked Xiao Lang. "Why don't you use the weapon that suits you best? I give permission to use magic."
So he's finally decided to reveal himself.
"Of course," he added, "how much power you have depends on your master."
After exchanging a look with Sakura, Xiao Lang threw his double swords towards Kurogane before pulling out the Li clan's most treasured weapon, that sword that has been passed through the family through generations.
"Now, I'll place my piece on the board," Eagle declared.
Cords dangled from the ceiling and what seemed to be like a girl landed on the board.
"I don't imagine that you would find one of these in your world," Eagle commented. "An automata."
"That was made to battle multiple enemies! And now you're pitting it against a child!" Geo shouted.
"He may be a child, but he chose to fight of his own free will," Lantis argued. "If he fails this battle, he will never be able to overcome the yet higher wall he will face afterward."
"Lantis?"
"READY… GO!"
The automata started by attacking from higher ground. Xiao Lang avoided the hit by jumping backwards, but the automata was relentless. It jumped on Xiao Lang's sword, intending to have him injured by his own weapon. Thankfully, Xiao Lang had been able to make the automata retreat for a bit before going on the offensive. The automata was truly fast; some of her blows could have not been avoided by humans. It was a good thing that the boy was highly skilled at combat, or else…
The two charged again, but this time, Xiao Lang managed to land a hit, though it had little to no effect. The automata almost sent Xiao Lang over the edge after that. The boy was, however, smart enough to use his sword to not only return on the board and charge towards his opponent once more.
"…He called her an automata, huh?" Kurogane remembered. "…She can move like this because she doesn't feel pain, hmm?"
"She is a robot after all," Tsukiko said as she walked towards them.
"Tsukiko?"
"Tsuki-hime?"
"Eagle has invited Miss Suwa to watch the match," Lantis explained.
"And you came?" Kurogane asked.
"I needed to be here," Tsukiko looked at the screen anxiously.
Fai looked at her strangely before turning his eyes back on the screen.
The automata pulled Xiao Lang's shirt and pinned him on the ground before punching, though he barely avoided it, injuring his back in the process.
"Your eyes…" Xiao LAng said as he stood up. "Close… your eyes! You don't need to see me! Concentrate only on winning!"
The automata punched Xiao Lang on the chest, but he was able to avoid the next hit. However, the automata had another trick under her sleeves. With one shot of energy, an explosion covered the whole board.
"What was that?!" Kurogane asked.
"Don't go using that weapon!" Geo shouted. "The victim will come out worse than just being wounded!"
"Eagle thought over it before doing it," Lantis told him.
"Are you calling this pulling his punches?!"
"No, he's going all out."
"That's what I'm saying! Going all out will end in death!"
Xiao Lang was fine though, having protected himself with magic. That didn't mean the automata was going to let him go.
'Fai, can you hear me?'
I can hear you. Right now, the flow of time is different between the world I'm in and Celes. So I think we're still all right. But we're running out of time, aren't we? If I had stayed in the same world as him… and I met up with the awakened King Ashura… Then I…
"Fai?"
"…Tsuki-hime."
Tsukiko frowned, having guessed what was plaguing him. That really… wasn't good.
"With this next blow… the match will be decided!" Syaoran declared from the board.
Charging his sword with energy, he leap towards the automata.
"Raitei Shourai!"
The explosion that resulted from the colliding forces was much greater than anyone had anticipated. Even Eagle seemed to have lost his edge.
Smoke cleared, revealing the two pieces, still standing, but breathing hard.
"Are they still going at it?!" Geo demanded.
"No…" Tsukiko clasped her hands. "It's over."
The automata fell down, caught by Eagle.
"You are the winner," he stated.
Syaoran practically collapsed, falling to his knees.
"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura exclaimed as the chains got off. She hurried to Syaoran's side as fast as she could. "Thank you, Syaoran-kun! And…"
Lioght shone from the ceiling as a girl fell.
"Chii…?"
"Chii-senpai?!"
"«She» is the only automata in this country with the powers to traverse dimensions," Eagle explained. "And «she» will now guide you to a different dimension."
"I knew it!" Kurogane cursed as Chii landed near Sakura.
The princess let go of Syaoran and grasped the automata's hand. However, he wasn't about to let her go so easily.
"DON'T LET GO OF THE PRINCESS!" Kurogane shouted.
"What's going on here?!" Geo asked.
Lantis opened a small screen. "There's more than one path opening between dimensions…"
"Chii's seal has been broken…" Fai declared nervously.
"Three worlds are now connected together…" Tsukiko bit her lip.
"Are you trying to go to a different world alone?!" Syaoran asked.
"Let me go!"
"Is it because I'm here?!"
"No! This isn't your fault!" Sakura said frantically.
"Let her go, Syaoran-kun!" Tsukiko shouted from where she was. "Hurry! There's no time!"
Both Kurogane and Fai turned towards the girl between them.
"You knew about this?!"
"You can't mean… "
Both feathers were resonating, wanting to return to their rightful owner. It was then that…
"Wait!" Kurogane shouted at Fai who was using magic to transport himself to the board. Tsukiko quickly followed after him, even though she knew full well that she cannot break the curse upon him.
As Sakura simultaneously absorbed both feathers, she looked towards the mage who had Syaoran's sword at his feet. "Fai-san…"
Without a second thought, he ran the sword through Sakura's chest, realizing what he had done that very instant.
"Don't pull the sword out!" Kurogane shouted.
Fai was unable to comply.
"Sakura!" Syaoran called.
Sakura's soul separated from her body, drifting towards a kneeling Fai.
"I made it in time!" Sakura told him. "It's all right! My life is not yet lost. I still exist." She hugged him. "Never forget! Now we can change the future!" She turned towards Kurogane and Syaoran. "I'm sorry. Please take care of Fai-san, especially you, Tsukiko," she looked at her friend. "Until we meet again!"
Grief-stricken, Fai's magic went out of control, destroying the board as Sakura's body and soul were sent to different worlds. At the same time, as though shackles have fallen off her, Tsukiko's body suddenly emitted a huge quantity of power, before dwindling until it became a coat of protecting around her.
"Chii always wants to be with Yui!"
"Really? I don't see what you like so much about that blond lemur," Tsukiko shrugged.
"Who are you calling blond lemur, you squirt?" Yui appeared behind her.
"Why you…! I'll have you know that girls are naturally less tall compared to grown men, though you act younger than the students you teach," she replied with annoyance.
"I'll call you Thumbelina then."
"I'll show you tiny!" Tsukiko, enraged, began attacking Yui who dodged most of the attacks.
"Wow, Thumbelina has quite the temper," Yui smirked. "But that's no good. How will you find a husband in the future? Oh, you won't, since you'll became an old maid."
"Say that again!" Tsukiko managed to strike some pressure points. "Honestly, Chii, I don't know what you see in that idiot of a teacher and an excuse of a brother."
"I like her," Yui confessed. "I really do."
"Then propose, you idiot," Tsukiko said as she finished her assignment.
Yui blinked in surprise. "What have you done with Tsukiko-chan?"
"Do you want me to punch you, blond lemur?"
"Phew, I was a bit worried there," Yui teased.
"Idiot lemur…"
"Woah, stop, time out," a seven-year-old Tsukiko declared. "Did you just say… there are two of you?!"
"I do have a twin," Yui smiled.
Tsukiko gaped. "The apocalypse is coming. I just know it!"
"Come on, don't be such a spoilsport," Yui pouted. "He's much more vivacious than I."
"No, wait, you have to be kidding me," Tsukiko paced around the room. "It can't be. The world cannot survive two blond, idiot lemurs!"
"He's in another world and we're completely different."
As though his words turned a switch, Tsukiko stopped pacing and went to sit in front of Yui.
"Yui used to be his name, you know, but he goes by Fai now," the university student declared. "So my name has changed to Yui. Anyways, he liked to play tricks on people and is a prodigy at magic. But apparently, he's unable to heal."
Tsukiko frowned. "He must be sad."
"He doesn't know I'm alive."
"What?! But how – "
"It was part of my price," Yui told her.
"That's no fair!"
"But I can meet him again, one day," Yui reassured his surrogate little sister.
"…But that will be in a long time right? That day… I might not even be here anymore. And Yui-nii will be very sad, waiting for Fai to come," Tsukiko protested.
"I can only believe in Hitsuzen."
"Eh?! Will Fai really do that?" Tsukiko asked. She was doing her homework in Chan's room, since Yui was cooking downstairs.
"He will, but they'll be five in total, so it's not like he'll be lonely or anything," Chan shrugged. "Why do you care so much anyways?"
"Because he's Yui-nii's twin brother," Tsukiko turned the page. "Yui-nii is constantly worried about him too and he's always so sad…"
"There's nothing you can do about it," Chan told her.
"Maybe not now, but…" Tsukiko brightened in realization. "If I travel with them, I can make sure that Fai and Yui-nii meet again!"
"But traveling between dimensions requires you to pay something most precious to you," Chan objected.
"It doesn't matter. Yui-nii and Fai shouldn't have had to suffer like this. I vow to the Moon, I will make sure that they reunite!"
(Scene cut)
"Hello class. My name is Fluorite Yui and I will be your homeroom teacher this year," the man smiled brightly.
"I'm doomed…" Tsukiko banged her head on the table.
"Why are you our homeroom teacher?!" Tsukiko complained.
"Well, I don't want anyone undeserving to get your attention…"
"I just started middle school, you bloody lemur!"
"Ah, but last I heard, Syaoran and Sakura have been dating since… this morning."
"That's a special case, dammit!"
"A lady shouldn't swear," Yui shook his head in fake disappointment.
"I hate you…" Tsukiko groaned.
"I'm sure that we'll get along just fine… as teacher and student, that is."
"…"
Bang!
"Itai! What was that for?" Yui rubbed his poor head.
"For being the lemur you are!"
Tsukiko gasped as she remembered everything. She grew up with Fai's twin brother? The whirlwind of memories quickly exhausted her, stopping her from ranting about Yui. It was then that she noticed Fai lifting Xiao Lang's sword in the air, now that he remembered himself.
"Enough, Fai," Tsukiko put her hand on the sword, making him put it on the ground.
"Don't you dare wound anyone else with that sword!" Kurogane told him. "Not even yourself, hear me?!"
Looking at Xiao Lang, Fai's eye began to tear up. "I'm so… sorry…"
He fell in Tsukiko's arms, unconscious.
"What went on here?!" Geo asked as the floating pieces of the board fell back on the board.
"What of the future?" Eagle asked as he carried the automata towards his men.
"…It's changed. These four are still alive," Lantis replied.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Kurogane demanded.
"Hush, Aniki, you'll get an explanation from us and another person," Tsukiko said as she and Xiao Lang carried Fai.
"Everybody!" Mokona rushed in the room, distressed at the sight of her bloodied friends. "What's that blood from?!" She hopped to Xiao Lang's chest. "Are you hurt?!" Mokona then noticed someone's absence. "Sakura?! Where's Sakura?!"
The red stone on her forehead shone, making a hologram appear.
"Yuuko!"
"The princess is in here," the Dimensional Witch held up a tube of glass, separated in the middle.
"In there…?" Xiao Lang repeated uncertainly.
"That store is different from other places," Mokona explained.
"Correct," the group could see Yuuko standing in the storeroom, surrounded by the prices she has accumulated over the years. "This store is a very different place. It is a "dream" world. Princess Sakura's soul presently resides in Dreams." Xiao Lang and Kurogane's expressions were of shock. "That is what the Princess wished for."
"It seems that the Princess could see the future in her dreams," Eagle set down the automata on a couch. "Just as my man Lantis can."
"I saw the future," the black-haired man declared. "In the final chess battle, the princess was stabbed by him and died. Then he killed his other three companions. His actions broke him. And after that…"
"STOP IT!" Mokona cried out, with tears in her eyes. "It's too sad to even think about!"
"The princess tried to change what she saw in her dream. She risked her life doing it," Yuuko continued.
"Sakura hadn't wanted Fai to stab her," Tsukiko told her companions. "She saw what would happen if he did. However… it was a curse so powerful…" She gritted her teeth. "It couldn't have been avoided. That's why Sakura made her decision: "If I can't avoid that event, then I will change the future that comes after." And…"
Tsukiko kept her tears at bay as she continued to speak.
"She paid the price of her own good luck to make it to the world to which she wished to go. She paid another price, one that would keep us all from dying," the priestess finished.
"What price…?" Xiao Lang wanted to know.
"That… right leg of hers?" Kurogane guessed.
"Didn't Sakura lose the use of that leg because of the injury?!" Mokona cried.
"She might have been healed," Yuuko replied. "However, even if it meant that she could never use her leg again… she wanted to make sure that you all… and Fai as well… came out of this event alive. She was determined to break the curse laid upon him."
"I would have too, were I a suitable candidate," Tsukiko whispered. "But the seal…"
"…So she knew…" Fai sat up from the bed. "Sakura-chan knew… That I was… lying all this time…"
"Fai…" Tsukiko wanted to comfort him, but abstained herself. Did she have the right to do that? Even if Sakura left him in her care…
"I knew… that one of Sakura-chan's feathers is in my original world, the Country of Celes."
"Eh?!"
"Princess Sakura found out what she knew only after her power to foresee the future in dreams returned," Yuuko told the mage. "When her feather in Tokyo has returned to her."
"So the princess is a dream seer too?" Kurogane asked, arms crossed.
"A long time ago, a feather fell into Celes," Fai remembered it vividly. "And with its power, I made Chii. I met Syaoran and everyone else, except for Tsukiko at your place. It was there that they said what they were searching for… but I never said."
The mage turned towards Xiao Lang. "You have magical powers of your own. You should know about another lie, right?"
"…I saw it through the eye of the other me. At the time when the Princess's feathers had been scattered by the ruins in the Kingdom of Clow… the High Priest said something. He said, "All of the princess' memories have vanished. They are nowhere to be found on this world." But…" Xiao Lang turned to face Fai. "Right after that, when he sent us between worlds… "It was stuck on you. Only one though." If that were true, the High Priest would have known about it."
That must have happened before I joined up with them, Tsukiko concluded. I should have guessed that it was something like this. Sakura…
"Yes. I brought that feather with me at the very start," Fai confessed.
"Mokona… woke up at Yuuko's place and was always able to sense feathers, but…"
"But you never knew just who carried them," Fai completed for her. "You kept your distance from me," he added to Xiao Lang before turning to Yuuko. "And you knew about it too, didn't you? You knew about all the lies I was telling. The very first time I came to your shop, it was raining. But the rain never made you wet. At that time, your magic was even more powerful than mine, even though I had both my eyes. For that reason, you kept yourself in a different dimension, right?"
No, Fai, she didn't do it because she wanted to, but because she is in a different dimension, Tsukiko thought sadly.
"I was cursed to kill anyone who possessed magical power greater than mine," Fai stated monotonously. "And you knew I had that curse on me."
Yuuko only looked at him calmly as Kurogane had a more emotional reaction
Fai slumped. "You knew it all along."
"That's why you had my powers sealed, right?" Tsukiko asked Yuuko. "Because you did not want to risk my life on this journey. If I had retained my powers back then, Fai would have killed me… right after Syaoran ate his eye. That's also why… the seal's destruction was timed with the curse's breaking."
Surprised, Kurogane stared at Yuuko, as if he wanted to make sure whether his sister's words were true.
"Why?" Fai asked. "Why did you send me with them?"
"Because it was your wish."
"Even though I had this trap inside me?"
"Even so. You meet… You join with others… And what you do after… Is entirely up to you."
"Why's the princess living in that thing?" Kurogane asked.
"One of Sakura's feathers is in Dreams. It is one of the worlds after all," Tsukiko told him. "And, eventually, Little Wolf will go retrieve it."
"And Sakura saw it in a future dream?" Mokona asked.
"Yes."
"She plans on waiting for Syaoran's arrival there," Tsukiko revealed.
"It's too dangerous for Sakura to face Syaoran on her own!" Mokona protested.
"…If I see her again, I'm going to punch her lights out!" Kurogane grumbled.
"Eh?!" Xiao Lang looked at his other self's mentor with shock.
"No! Don't do that!" Mokona protested again. "If Kurogane punches Sakura, Sakura will be badly hurt!"
"… Yes, be sure to do it," the Witch smiled.
"Yuuko!"
"Then I suppose that means I'll be punched as well?" Tsukiko scratched her head. "Since I was in on everything and helped Sakura with her plan…"
BAM!
"Itai…"
"Her body and her soul… huh?" Kurogane thought as he pulled back his fist. "Her body is the biggest concern, right?"
"Even if we tried to go after Sakura… Mokona can't decide which country we go to next!"
"…I have a wish," Fai spoke. "Because the power I have now…isn't enough, right?"
"It requires a price," Yuuko reminded him.
"My right eye."
Tsukiko moved to slap Fai, but the mage easily caught her wrist.
"Fai!" Mokona exclaimed.
"I suppose I could gouge it out and hand it over…" he ignored the others, except the Witch. "It's the embodiment of my magic. And if I lost both eyes, I'd certainly die. But I can't die yet." Not if I want to grant my wish, or if… "So my price will be everything this eye sees."
"You will turn over the vision in your right eye?" Yuuko asked.
"Yes."
"And what do you expect for that price?"
"I want to go back… to Celes."
"Fai…" Tsukiko pleaded. "Are you really planning on charging in there without your vision? Do you even know what you're saying?! You'll never be able to see again!"
"It's the only thing I have left with enough value to pay the price…"
SLAP!
Fai wasn't able to stop her this time and the imprint of her hand was very visible against his pale face.
"You are the most idiotic person I have ever met!" Tsukiko fumed. "The only thing?! Have you forgotten those weapons I bought for you in Outo country?! Those should be enough. And not only that! Do you really think that you're going to go there alone?! This is something that concerns everyone here, not just you!"
"But…"
KRAAK!
Kurogane punched Fai on the head.
"Kurogane!"
"Tch. Up to now, I've pretty much let you and the princess do whatever the hell you liked!" the ninja reminded him. "So now, I'm going to do as I like!"
He turned around, facing the hologram. "Hey, Witch!"
"You've always been rude, and now you add an utter lack of sense in how you name people," Yuuko replied.
"To hell with that," Kurogane shrugged. "How's the princess' soul doing?"
"You can't chase after it now, even if you tried," she warned him. "Only souls can go to Dreams. Besides… It will take quite some time before the other Syaoran comes."
"Is Sakura lonely in that Dream world?" Mokona asked.
"The princess… isn't alone," Yuuko smiled. "She's met someone in Dreams, and that meeting will once again be the trigger that changes the future."
"You mean…" Tsukiko realized along with Xiao Lang.
"It is quite alright," Yuuko reassured them. "Watanuki will not vanish. And his future is changing as well."
"Who's that supposed to be?" Kurogane grumbled.
"Someone who, up to now, has nothing to do with you," Yuuko told him. "Up to now."
"You shouldn't worry, Syaoran-kun," Tsukiko told him. "Kimihiro-kun has many people who do not wish for him to disappear. Chan, Shizuka-kun, Himwari-chan, you, I… The other Mokona, Maru-chan, Moro-chan… Even Yuuko-san."
"Thanks," Xiao Lang smiled.
"Then?" Yuuko addressed the whole group.
"Then her body is the first priority," Kurogane decided.
"Mokona will go too!"
"Right," the ninja smiled. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to Celes," Xiao Lang replied. "The one who imprisoned me… sliced out the princess' memories and scattered them. If he now wants her body…. There's no telling what he'll do."
"I'm going too," Tsukiko declared. "There are some things I must do in Celes… and I can't let Fai face that alone." Not when…
"Tsukiko..." Why do you care so much?
Mokona jumped in Fai's chest.
"Fai, let's all go together!" she declared. "Fai and Tsukiko and Kurogane and Syaoran and Mokona! All five of us will pay one fifth of the price and go together! And we'll save Sakura!"
"But…"
"I knew all along, and I never said a word," Xiao Lang told him. "Sakura… Her Highness trusted you. You may have lied… but the princess placed her trust in the liar. The princess asked us to take care of you. So we're going to trust in you too."
"If Fai went off alone, Sakura would be even sadder," Mokona declared. "But when Sakura learns that all five went together, Sakura will be very happy."
Silently, Fai hugged Mokona, thanking her.
"Before we tell her, I'm going to punch her lights out!" Kurogane growled.
"Mokona said Kurogane can't do that!" Mokona huffed. "Kurogane is such a barbarian!"
"Didn't I tell you to shut up, white manjuu!" Kurogane said as Mokona jumped on his head.
"Some things never change…" Tsukiko smiled. "But that doesn't mean some things won't, Fai." She looked up to him. "You don't have to go through this alone… We're here for you."
"…Tsuki-hime…"
"There is still much we have to do, isn't there?" Your brother would be happy to know that you're getting better.
"Yes, we do."
"Yuuko-san," Tsukiko nodded in acknowledgment.
"How does it feel to have your powers back after so long?" Yuuko asked. She wore a long white dress with black fur, possibly a price she received from Celes or another cold country.
"It almost feels like I can take on the world," Tsukiko replied. "I'm glad that I paid a price to keep my powers stable. Especially now that I have my powers back."
"You should be careful though."
"I know," the priestess smiled. "I have a wish."
"You desire to pay it with your necklace, am I correct?" the Dimensional Witch guessed.
"I assume that Chan must have already sent that person to Celes, though the time of his arrival is still uncertain."
"That is correct," Yuuko nodded.
"Knowing Fai, he'll wish for the world after Celes to be a safe one. However, that will require all those involved to pay a price, unless he does it himself," Tsukiko declared. "The necklace should be enough… to pay for part of the price, no?"
"Though I have already received part of the payment, it still won't be enough," Yuuko warned.
"If Fai pays for part of the price as well, then it should be all right as it is," Tsukiko concluded. "So, if he doesn't, I'll add something else later."
"The bow and arrows you've procured him in Outo country."
"Pardon? But those are his…"
"But no proper exchange has been made. As such, they still "belong" to you," Yuuko pointed out. "If you pay with that, and the necklace, Fai will not need to pay as big of a price."
"If that's the case, will you take the throwing knives as well?"
"Why?"
Tsukiko grimaced. "I had a dream. If everything goes according to it, the throwing knives should be enough payment for a replacement."
Yuuko frowned. "You dream seer powers seem to have grown."
"I don't think so," Tsukiko shook her head. "When a dream seer near me (physically or spiritually) dreams of something, I will see that dream too. Because I am deeply connected to the Dream World. That's why you weren't able to take away my dream seer abilities completely, correct?"
"So you know that much already."
"I still haven't chosen what path I'll take beyond what you know. But the time is quickly approaching. For all of us."
"Whatever you do, you must remember," Yuuko warned. "Your burden is their burden as well."
"Not if I choose," Tsukiko replied. "…But I won't make that choice."
Yuuko only looked at her ward sadly before the hologram was dispelled.
"What could be so important that you actually use your own magic to speak with me?" Yuuko asked Fai after he cast the desired spell.
"Well, I've already used my magic a fair amount anyway," he smiled. "I can't think that we will be able to visit Celes without anything happening. I want you to ensure that the next world after Celes will be a safe one for them."
"…the world after Celes…" Yuuko mused. "You say "safe" but it can be interpreted in various ways."
"Somewhere where they can at least heal their injuries," the mage elaborated. "And rest a while. The price?"
"To change the destination for all of you… All of you must pay the price," Yuuko declared. Including that person as well.
"But, it is my wish…"
"And thus you will need to pay a further price above and beyond the prize you received for your victory in chess," Yuuko told him. "When you travel to Celes, you must use your own transportation magic."
"…All right."
"I have already received a part of the price," was all Yuuko told him before cutting the connection.
"Fai?" Tsukiko found him at last. "Come, we're all waiting for you."
Kurogane, Xiao Lang and Mokona returned to the room, now changed in winter apparel. Kurogane's black coat was long, with a pouch attached at his hip and white fur at the hems and collar. Xiao Lang's had a similar design, but gave him more freedom of movement. He also lacked the pouch, though he compensated in fur. As for Mokona, she wore a small black cape with white fur on the edge.
"Can we really have these clothes?" she asked Eagle.
"Yes, I've heard that the next world you go to is a rather cold one," Eagle smiled. "I apologize for keeping silent while being in full knowledge of your situation."
"And for having us shadowed?" Kurogane added disapprovingly.
"Ah, so you noticed." The smile didn't leave.
"But I think there were others besides you guys doing that."
That was when Fai and Tsukiko joined the group. Fai was wearing his original clothing, but unlike before, his expression became more guarded and sad. Tsukiko was wearing an outfit Eagle provided: a long black cape over a coat and a belt for Getsuryuu.
"Is Fai all right?" Mokona asked worriedly.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Everybody's ready!" Mokona announced as Yuuko's hologram appeared.
"Very well. I will now receive the price from the five of you," the Witch announced. "Hand over your entire winnings from the Chess Tournament. The princess wasn't the only one playing chess," she explained at the travelers' bewildered expression. "You all participated. You won through your own strength and that will be my price."
"…Mokona did not participate."
"That isn't true," Xiao Lang told her. "You played your part just as we did. Tsukiko too. We knew you would be waiting for us. And so we did our best to get back to you."
"Syaoran…"
"There are two more conditions," Yuuko declared. "When Mokona begins the transfer between worlds, Fai, you must cast world transport magic as well."
Fai bowed his head. "…Yes."
"…"
"Were I to muster all of my magical abilities, just getting from one world to another would take everything I can do."
"I'm sorry," Fai knew what Syaoran was thinking. "That was another lie I told."
"It doesn't matter…"
"Mokona, would you give me Souhi?" Fai asked.
"Eh?"
Mokona looked at Kurogane for approval before giving the sword to Fai. The mage took it with one hand and walked up to his traveling companion.
"Your hand, please."
"…"
Fai cast a spell on Kurogane's hand, one that sucked Souhi in it.
"Mokona won't always be by your side. And you wouldn't want to be without your sword," Fai explained. "It's the same magic he uses to draw a sword from his hand."
"Is this… really alright for you?"
Fai smiled at Tsukiko. "I've already used quite a lot… of my magic."
"I suppose so…" Her expression didn't change.
"There is also the second condition," Yuuko reminded them. "The weapons Fai has obtained in Outo country… I will receive them."
"Why?" Mokona asked.
"It's all right, Mokona," Tsukiko smiled. "Yuuko-san will just be keeping those for us and return them to Fai when we return from Celes."
"Tsukiko…"
The girl, no, woman looked at Fai knowingly. Just as you made another wish, I did as well.
Fai looked away from her, missing the sadness that appeared in her silver eyes.
"Mokona…" Yuuko said.
"Yes…"
Both Fai and Mokona casted word-transfer magic, ready to leave Infinity for their next destination.
"Go now… to Celes!"
"So they've left?" Chan asked as she joined her mother.
"They have."
"He has as well."
"Tsukiko-chan wished for me to join them in Celes?" the man asked, shocked.
"Yes, sensei," Chan confirmed. "According to her, she wanted you to stop Fai from «doing something stupid.»"
Yui shook his head. "But my price…"
"It has already been taken care of," Chan reassured her former housemate. "My job is to simply send you to Celes, where you will do what you have to do."
"…"
"It's all right," Chii reassured her fiancé. "Fai is someone important to you, right? If you want him to attend the wedding, you'll have to make sure that he can come here."
"I guess so…" Yui smiled at his most precious person. "Wait, Chanhua, are you going to send me as I am now?"
He was still dressed in his work clothes, not at all suited for the cold or the fight that awaited him in the Country his twin was raised in.
"You have magic powers," Chan shrugged. "I'm sure you'll be fine."
Chii moved out of the way with a smile, knowing what the girl meant.
"I thought that you were the reasonable cousin," Yui groaned. "Oh Kami…"
He suddenly realized that Chan has already casted world-transfer magic.
"You were serious, weren't you? Chanhua!"
Chan clapped his hands happily as her folklore sensei disappeared into the interdimensional tunnel. "Now with the pest gone, I suppose that we can finally talk about more urgent matters," she declared, facing Chii.
"I haven't seen him like that in a long time," the woman laughed.
"You do have pictures, don't you?"
"I must say, Chii's work is excellent," Yuuko browsed through the clips.
"Isn't it?" Chan smiled. "I can't wait to blackmail sensei with those?"
"Does Chii even let you do that?"
"It depends on how we proceed," the daughter explained. "Well, all we can do is wait, now."
"Indeed."
I hear a melody
Fai stands back to the moon as wind blew past him with Kurogane sitting on a rock, facing the moon
Created by an ocean breeze
Sitting near Fai, Sakura looks down sadly as Syaoran glanced at her with concern
A familiar tune that I've forgotten
Tsukiko stopped playing her flute with Mokona on her shoulder
Memories of the body, memories of the mind
Chan and Watanuki appear back to back
Neither is more important than the other
Yuuko and Clow's magic circles appear behind Chan and Watanuki respectively
How many did I gain, how many did I lose ever since
Sakura and Syaoran (clone) lay on the ground, both grasping the same feather
That day long ago; I cannot recall
We zoom into the feather, then it shatters and vanishes
I don't want to forget anything anymore
Yuuko stands in front of her shop, dressed in the butterfly kimono
I don't want to go through that again
She reaches out for something solemnly
In this awful dark abyss of nothingness
Fai appears at the base of a tower and accepts an offer
I do not want to let go of that hand
Tomoyo sees Kurogane in Dreams and quickly grabs his hand
Let snow melt into spring as we move towards the light
Snow is blown away, slowly replaced by cherry blossoms
With all of our precious people
Everyone stands on a mountain, watching the sun rise
Once more a phoenix and a dragon are flying around the moon
A white phoenix and a silver dragon fly around a blue moon
I wonder who they were waiting for as waves crashed against the shore
Tsukiko, scepter in hand, stood on a cliff above the raging sea
A snow flower falls into my hand as the phoenix flew above me
Snow and white petals fell from the sky as Fai came behind her with a fur coat
It was blown away as the dragon followed its friend
Tsukiko turns around, only to have Kurogane ruffle her hair
Kuro Mokona: Don't cry anymore, Mokona! I'm here for you!
Shiro Mokona: Ah, Mokona!
(Hug scene)
That was brought to you by: The Mokona Corner
Kuro Mokona: Konbanwa!
Shiro Mokona: Konbanwa!
Kuro Mokona: Now everyone is heading to Celes.
Shiro Mokona: Fai, "Syaoran", Tsukiko, Kurogane, Mokona... and another character!
Kuro Mokona: Yui Fluorite is a folklore teacher and Chan, Watanuki and Doumeki's homeroom teacher. He's very mature, but he always squabbles with Tsukiko.
Shiro Mokona: They like each other, they don't like each other...
Kuro Mokona: Yui is also engaged to one of his former students, Chii.
Shiro Mokona: Of course, it's the Chii from our world.
Kuro Mokona: But to know more about that...
Shiro Mokona: You'll have to read the prequel!
Kuro Mokona: Even though Pure-chan hasn't started writing it yet.
(In another room)
Tsukiko: Eh?! There'll be a prequel?!
Chan: It's not official yet, and Pure-chan probably hasn't thought about it either.
Watanuki: Well, we don't even know if she is going to do a side-story to "White Phoenix, Blue Moon" that centers around xxxHolic.
Doumeki: Or if she is going to do a sequel.
Tsukiko: You have got to be kidding me...
Chan: Mokona seem to be enjoying the rumors though.
Watanuki: ...Maybe a little too much *sweat drop*
(Back with Mokona)
Shiro Mokona: Everyone, please review!
Kuro Mokona: And follow!
Shiro Mokona: And favorite!
Both: And don't forget to request hosts! See you on January the 31st!