"Princess Sakura… meaning Sakura!?" Mokona asked.
"The princess is the princess!" The young kid grinned. "She's super cute!"
"She really is a lovable princess." The mother added.
"When in Clow's timeline does this take place?" Kurogane muttered.
"The princess, what age will she be this year?" Syaoran asked.
"Um… after this birthday…" the child counted on his fingers trying to remember. "She'll be seven!"
"So this took place in Clow's past." I whispered.
"Even though it's already written, we can't know what to expect." Fai warned.
"Can we meet Sakura in the castle?" Mokona suggested.
"The princess isn't at the castle! Before her birthday, she's doing… what is it?" The kid asked his mom.
"Purification." She told him.
"Oh yeah! She's at the ruins!" He told us.
"Sakura… back then. I knew it." Syaoran muttered, looking defeated.
"Syaoran?" I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder and trying to get a read on what was happening in his head.
"Have you already decided on lodging for tonight?" Someone asked.
"You could stay with us!" The child cheered.
"Yes, certainly." His mother added. The moment the words left her mouth, her skin started to melt. I screamed out in shock as she split apart and collapsed into a puddle of nothingness. I heard Kurogane unsheath his sword as Fai pulled me close to him.
"That's great for you! You're in the middle of a journey…" the man didn't finish his sentence before he began to break apart as well. Everywhere we turned we saw villagers begin to melt.
"Besides, the nights in this country are incredibly cold. There's no way you could sleep outside." The boy continued to speak with a large smile on his face.
"Wh–what's going on? Why is this suddenly…? We haven't done anything!" Mokona cried from Syaoran's shoulder.
"No. We have changed things. We appeared among these people who are living in this isolated time, and we changed the course of events." Our friend explained.
"B–but for them to melt!"
"Is this why there are less people?" I wondered. We all stood facing different directions, taking in the horror that was unfolding. I heard Fai slip off his gloves as if preparing for a fight. I felt sparks dancing around my fingertips, my magic reminding me that it was there to protect me.
"They.. they're alive." Kurogane said.
"At least, they're not some sort of illusion." Fai added.
"I don't think that makes it better…" I whispered, trying not to cry while watching these innocent people die.
"You mean, our journeying here has caused this to happen to these people?" Mokona asked.
"Let's get to the ruins. Sakura is there." Syaoran said.
"That would be… which Sakura?" Fai asked.
"The Sakura that I met."
"You mean, through that eye?" Kurogane asked the kid.
"No." Syaoran answered simply. "The Sakura who was always with me, until I was captured." The original princess?
"Where are you all going!?" We heard the child from the market call after us as we started to run toward the ruins. "It's dangerous outside of town! Come stay with us!"
We turned back to look at him, a large smile still plastered on his innocent face while everyone melted around him.
"Come stay with us!" He repeated over and over again.
"Can these people not change back? Are they going to just die like this?" Mokona cried.
"Come stay with us, you guys! My mom's cooking is delicious!" I felt my heart break as the child's face began to melt along with the other villagers. Syaoran turned and walked to the boy, grabbing his hands.
"Living in stagnant time is like death itself. But that doesn't excuse what I plan to do." our friend said, wrapping his arms around the child in a tight hug. "I will go, in order to grant my wish. And I will shoulder all of the consequences myself." He released the kid and walked back toward us.
"She makes pies with apple filling! I bet you'll like them!" The kid continued to call after us. "Come stay with us! Come stay… with… us…" I watched as he finally disappeared before looking to Syaoran who had his hands tightened into fists. I gingerly moved to the boy and wrapped my hand around his.
"You'll hurt yourself." I said, trying to force a small smile to reassure him he wasn't alone.
"Living in a stagnant time like this is just like being dead." Kurogane said as we walked toward the desert. "Besides, if you're a sinner, then I am as well."
"Me too." Fai added.
"And me." I told him.
"Mokona, too!"
"Thank you." Syaoran said simply as we finally exited the town.