Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Things get wrapped up in this world, and a new one is presented. But it's a...what the hell? What's the future of the Hanshin Republic got to do with anything? I guess you'll just have to read to see. Thanks to SasukeBlade (sorry for misspelling your username last chapter!) and Aki-Shi-Kitsune's for their reviews and ideas.

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

"Where are they?" Aea wondered, stopping abruptly when Fai didn't reply to a question. "I thought they were right behind me this whole time!" Frowning, she thought back to the village, where she had begun to follow the man before they lost him. She had called out to them and she could have sworn they had followed her up till now. "It must have something to do with the village," she realized, and spun around when she saw the man had disappeared. "That figures."

Standing still so as not to attract unwanted attention, she calmly surveyed the area. She couldn't tell if she was in the village or forest, since the fog had grown so dense she could barely make out her feet. Suddenly something sounded through the fog, and she leapt aside just as something whizzed past her.

"Damn it!" she swore, rolling to the side and remaining on her stomach. "What the hell is going on here?" She kept her voice low, but cried out when something hit her in the side, piercing the skin. Looking down, she saw it was an arrow, and her eyes narrowed. "So, something can see in this fog – meaning I can't hide from it. Might as well face it." Surrounding herself by darkness, she used sound to try to track her attacker, but the fog somehow blocked her senses and she only received a headache for her troubles.

"Your magic isn't going to help here," a voice said mockingly, and she looked up as something hit the ground in front of her. Her heart sank when she realized the man from the village was looming over her, his eyes glowing his yellow. "You'll have to come with me and explain to Him why that thing was with you."

"So it was Mokona that triggered it," she nodded in satisfaction, and wrapped the man in darkness. To her surprise he merely walked through it and strode toward her. Thanks to her loss of control over light, she was hardly able to run away, and constantly tripped over something, Scooting on the ground away from the man, her mind raced as she tried to think of something to do when suddenly she was scooped up into blackness and felt her stomach drop. Knowing she was in the air she refrained from struggling until she felt her feet on solid ground.

"Get off me!" she demanded, still blinded by the dark material.

"Geez, so much for thank you," Kurogane grumbled, sweeping his cloak off her and she blinked in surprise. Fai grinned easily at her as Mokona jumped onto her head. Aea found a healing plant nearby and pressed it to the slight wound, shivering at the cold contact to her skin.

"Kurogane followed Aea's aura until we found her!" Mokona cried. "And then Kurogane grabbed Aea as Mokona surprise the man!"

"I see," she managed, and looked at Fai. "I could have sworn you guys were with me until I was completely lost."

"You were lured in, I believe," he nodded. "It seems when we become separated from Mokona the same thing affecting this area affects us as well. When Mokona and Kurogane left, I still was positive everyone was here and almost walked off until Mokona returned and led me back here."

"Where are we?"

"I moved forward," Kurogane informed her, "In the same direction Mokona told us to go, remember? I think something's up ahead – I'm getting an aura off it this time."

"Thanks," she said grudgingly, and he 'humphed' and looked away.

"Kuro-chan's blushing!" Fai said teasingly, seeing the ninja turn red.

"Yeah, right," he snorted, and turned away with a sweep of his cloak. "Let's go before she gets us lost again." Aea glared after the ninja's back as Mokona climbed into his cloak once more, and Fai suddenly took her hand. She jumped at the contact and he smiled at her.

"This way we won't get separated again," he explained, and she nodded silently as they followed the other two through the fog. She was aware that the magician's hand was warm against her icy skin, and wondered why he kept such a firm grip on it. "Are you cold?" he asked abruptly, and she blinked at him.

"Well, the fog is damp, but…"

"I noticed you aren't wearing heavy clothing," he commented. "Is it very warm were you came from?"

"It was," she nodded, and shivered inadvertently. Unlike those of her homeworld, the memories of her former world were still intact, and she would have gladly give them to Yuko as payment for something.

"Your hand is like ice," he said. "You feel like Sakura before we found her first feather."

"Well, I'm not looking to pick up the pieces of anything," she retorted, and he eyed her sideways. "What?" she demanded, but he remained silent and she stopped talked as well, taking a certain comfort in his presence. Fai smiled in satisfaction at Kurogane who happened to glance back. Mokona laughed and clapped happily and bounced over to sit on Aea's shoulder, while the ninja just grunted and continued his tracking, being the only one able to sense anything in the fog.

"Are we getting any closer?" Aea asked a while later. "It seems as though we're walking in place, with all this fog."

"Yeah," Kurogane nodded, and suddenly stopped. "It's right here."

"Phweet!" Fai said, and Kurogane's eye twitched. "Oh, sorry. This is pretty impressive."

"It looks almost like a temple," Aea thought, as they stared at the structure. Mokona suddenly bounced on her head impatiently.

"Mokona is sensing that thing again here!" he said urgently. "We have to hurry, or it'll go away again!"

"What do you mean?" Aea asked, but Mokona merely jumped to the ground and rushed off toward the building.

"I didn't even know he could run," Fai commented, before chasing after the white streak. Kurogane and Aea weren't far behind, and arrived out of breath at what appeared to be the center of the building, having followed Mokona blindly through the maze of halls and rooms.

"Mokona!" Aea shouted, seeing the creature trapped inside a round object.

"I heard of Yuko and this thing," a man laughed from behind them. "I prepared for your arrival just in case you came here through the gate."

"You know about Mokona?" Aea demanded, spinning around. The man's clothes looked like the ones from the village, but his aura was definitely there and more powerful than almost anybody Kurogane had sensed before.

"Of course," he nodded, and snapped his fingers. Fai flew into the air and was snapped against the stone wall, but remained silent.

"Fai!" Aea cried, but was tossed onto him in the next moment. Kurogane followed, and she found herself sandwiched between the two companions and almost unable to breath.

"I'm sure you guessed about the surrounding area, or else you wouldn't have come here," the man continued. "My name is Kazuryaun. I created this village after mine was destroyed several days ago by disease. It swept through the land, killing even the plants. I arrived shortly after from a journey and found myself the sold survivor. I decided to create this village so there would always be people here."

"That's stupid," Kurogane grunted, feeling a pressure on his chest that was pressing them together. Fai was barely able to get enough air to breath, and Aea realized it when she heard him gasping. Turning her head, she was barely able to look into his face, and she sucked air into her lungs. Squirming around, she breathed the air into Fai, and he filled his lungs with it eagerly.

"Stupid, is it?" Kazuryaun repeated. "It's stupid to create a village that can never die? A land that will never waste away, and will always be productive?"

"How did you get this power?" Aae asked briefly, before giving Fai more air as she took some for herself.

"Mokona is sensing the power coming from him!" it yelled.

"I received an amulet from another person who traveled through gates," he told them, and Aae's eyes narrowed.

"Another person? A young man?"

"Smart girl," he nodded. "Exactly. He warned me about Yuko, Mokona, and the travelers going into worlds, and gave me this to trap you, as well as increase my own power in order to create this village." Aae tuned him out and concentrated on the jewel that she now saw in his hand. Squinting, she mouthed several words, desperately wishing she had power over wind, and created a globe of darkness over his hand. It floated over to Mokona who watched it warily. Feeling a lessening of power Kurogane made a break for freedom, and found himself dropped to the ground. Aae and Fai immediately followed on top of him, and he crawled out from underneath them in annoyance.

"You have to deal with him," Aae said, supporting Fai. "He got the brunt of it and needs air."

"My pleasure," Kurogane grinned and turned to face the sorcerer. "I don't like being around copies, ya know. And your bragging is really getting on my nerves too. Let's see how powerful you are without your amulet!" He lunged toward the man, but was thrown to his back as a gate suddenly opened, and Mokona laughed.

"Yuko is going to trap him!" he explained, as the man was pulled into the gate. Suddenly Mokona stopped laughing and jumped to the ground, looking worried. "Wait! Mokona isn't sensing Yuko anymore – someone is taking over the gate!"

"What?" Kurogane demanded, but the gate had already closed, taking Kazuryaun with it. "Damn it!"

"I'm all right," Fai assured Aae. "I just needed some time to get air."

"Well, that place is gone too," Kurogane muttered, as they sat in the fog-free forest. "I guess that was an illusion too."

"What's the matter, Aae?" Mokona asked, seeing the young woman's expression. She looked up abruptly and shook her head with a small smile.

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing, Mokona. Do you know anyone with that kind of power?" she asked.

"Mokona doesn't know."

"Now what?" Kurogane demanded. "We didn't even accomplish anything!"

"We put the village's spirit at rest," Fai told them. "He was using their spirits to create the illusions. Now that he's gone they can rest."

They remained in uncomfortable silence for several minutes, Kurogane leaning on a tree with Mokona on his head, Fai sitting with a knee bent, and Aae sitting on her legs looking lost in her own thoughts. Suddenly, Mokona jumped up into the air and spread his wings, causing them to get to their feet.

"I guess we're finally going somewhere," Kurogane commented.

"If I may ask, Yuko, why did you change her payment so suddenly?" Watanuki asked. Yuko smiled mysteriously as she turned to him.

"I have placed a spell on her, Watanuki," she said simply. "As she journeys to worlds she will regain her memories of her past life. With these memories she will also become as powerful as she once was, recalling all the magic she once was taught and learned."

"I see," Watanuki said slowly. "So you intend to complete her training?" The time witch merely smiled again, and he nodded. "What about the boy and girl? Are they safe?"

"Of course," she nodded. "They were indeed kidnapped, but the perpetrator is closer than they think. They will accomplish many things at once as they travel – very convenient for all involved, wouldn't you say?"

"I suppose."

"Where in the world are we?" Aea wondered, looking around in confusion. "There's…a lot of buildings."

"I wonder if this is the Hanshin Republic again?" Fai thought, but Mokona shook his head while grinning.

"Nope! We've never been to this world, Mokona can tell!"

"How?" Fai asked.

"Look around," Kurogane pointed out. "We're still getting stares as usual."

"Then we better go buy some clothes to fit in!" Fai suggested with a grin. "I hope one of us can read the language, though. Kurogane?"

"Yeah," he nodded sullenly, and led the other two – with Mokona still in his clothes – down the street to where he thought was a store.

"Not bad," Fai thought, wearing a white long-sleeved shirt with pale blue pants and black shoes. "I wonder what this place is called. Kurogane, could you read the language?"

"Nope. Too bad we don't have Syaoran with us," he admitted. "That kid seemed to be able to read most stuff." The ninja wore all black as usual underneath a long trenchcoat. "What about you? Can you read any of this stuff?"

"A little," Aea peered at a window sign and shook her head. "Just enough to make out some words here and there, though." She wore high black boots, a light green top with white trim and a belt hanging off her hips, and snug dark tan pants that fit under her boots and matched the belt. "So, what do you guys usually do when you're in another world? Go off somewhere or what?"

"Well, usually trouble finds us," Fai told her sheepishly. "We seem to have a talent for that, you see."

"What a shock," she said dryly, and looked around. "Mokona, are you getting anything?"

"Mokona isn't sure, but he's sensing something," it admitted, squinting it's eyes shut. "But it's too far away for Mokona to know where."

"Figures," Kurogane commented. "So, anyone have any bright ideas?"

"We should probably try to learn something about this place," Aea thought. "Maybe we'll get lucky and Mokona will pick up something that can help us."

"Mokona will do his best!" it cheered, from atop Kurogane.

"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd swear we were in the Hanshin Republic," Fai said thoughtfully, as they began to walk down the street. The tall buildings rose high above the street, coupled with several little shorter ones, all varying in height since the city seemed to be built on nothing but hills. "I'm recognizing some things about it – like that place," he added, pointing out a building.

"Hey, yeah – that's where Syaoran mistook that kid for the king," Kurogane remembered, narrowing his eyes. "But people don't seem to like Mokona like they did last time."

"I noticed," Aea agreed, having seen the suspicious glares sent their way. "Mokona, maybe you shouldn't be seen out until we figure out what's going on. These people look like they're ready to attack us or something."

"Mokona hide," it agreed, and zoomed into Kurogane's clothes, earning a yell from the ninja.

"Thanks," he said sourly, and she shot him a sarcastic grin.

"No problem," she winked, and looked around. "Fai, what was the Hanshin Republic like anyway?"

"Well, there were things called 'kudans' that people used –" Fai stopped himself when someone spun around at the word 'kudan'.

"You're not allowed to talk about those!" he yelled. "You aren't from here, are you? Or you would know about them!"

"I thought we did –"

"Kudan are only used by sorcerers or freaks now," the man interrupted Fai with a glare. "Was that pork-bun thing your kudan? If so, you'll have to be reported for using one."

"Mokona is hardly a kudan," Kurogane said dryly, and Fai nodded with a grin.

"He's right. Why can't people use kudan anymore?"

"A few decades back, people used kudan too much and there was a huge territorial battle between several gangs," the man told them. "After that, kudan were outlawed, and anyone who used them were banished. Eventually no one had one anymore except a few people, who aren't allowed in society because they might cause trouble."

"I see," Fai nodded and turned away. "Well, things are certainly different here. Yuko was right – the time stream is completely different. How odd."

"Have there been any recent kudan trouble?" Aea asked suddenly, and the man nodded.

"A man with a black kudan appeared a few days ago and started causing trouble throughout the Republic. He made other people start using theirs, and they're terrorizing the Republic for whatever reason," he told them. "Some people say the man arrived through a dimensional gate, but that's just ridiculous. He's probably a freak that was banished years ago and now he just decided to come back to cause trouble."

"That's a rather simplistic idea," Fai thought, and shrugged. "Thanks for telling us."

"What was that all about?" Kurogane wondered, as they made their way to an empty spot in a nearby park. "People weren't like this before. I wonder if there's a feather involved? I thought we had gotten most of 'em by now, by the way Sakura was acting."

"Who knows?" Fai shrugged.

"Mokona isn't sensing any feather, but another power," Mokona supplied quietly from underneath Kurogane's jacket. "A power like the kudan from before – and something else, like in that temple place. Mokona doesn't like it."

"I wonder if it's that man – Kazuryaun," Aea said thoughtfully. "Or whoever it was that blocked the gate. After all, that person is certainly more powerful than Kazuryaun and from what you guys told me, it sounds like only people with a lot of power can bring out powerful kudan, much less have other people use them as well."

"There's only way we'll find out, I suppose," Fai said with a grin. "We'll have to lure him out."

"By destroying the city?" Kurogane asked, surprised by the look in the magician's eye. "That might be overkill. But whatever."

"No – just have our kudan appear. If this is the Hanshin Republic, even if it's their future, than we should still be able to wield our kudans," Fai suggested. "We'll just have them appear – that guy sounds like he'd come to check us out, even if we end up fighting."

"I don't have a problem with a fight," Kurogane smirked, cracking his knuckles. "It's been too quiet lately."

"Mokona will stay with Aea," it said suddenly, and sped from Kurogane to Aea, sitting beneath her hair.

"What am I supposed to do?" she demanded, "Just sit back and watch?"

"Sounds good," Kurogane nodded, "We don't need to risk you bringing out a weak kudan in the middle of a fight."

"I take offense to that."

"Tough."

"You can stay back and observe the crowd – see if anyone acts suspicious or looks familiar," Fai suggested. "If we need help you'll know."

"Fine," Aea folded her arms, obviously annoyed at being treated like a child, and stood up as the two men did.

"That looks like a good spot."

"Just what I was thinking," Kurogane nodded, and they took off toward a tall building near the edge of town. Aea shot after them, with Mokona clinging to her shirt.

Next chapter Sakura and Syaoran are brought into play, as well as new worlds and discoveries. Please review if you read!