Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter!
Again, thanks to SasukeBlade for the world idea! And sleep deprivation for this twisted plot idea...I haven't slept in a week. Literally! Damn it all...ah well, I hope you enjoy this next chapter, the fruit of my labor! And I'm glad most of you seem to still find them as funny as the manga...it's pretty hard to write characters like this while still keeping them within the boundaries of BEING in character! Whew...And this chapter develops a little more on Kurogane's feelings. Don't worry, I won't rush things! But I've decided this willbe a Kurogane/Aea fic, unless someone else suggests Fai. Here's ta you, Ralf Jones!
Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.
"We're going in circles," Aea pointed out. "I've seen this same tree three times so far – I'm positive."
"You seem to have a point," Fai agreed, scratching his head, "Any ideas?"
"If I did, I would be gone by now," Kurogane muttered, and Mokona jumped onto his head happily.
"Kurogane would leave us!" he announced, and Aea sighed, hiding her face in her hand. Suddenly, a sharp pain ran through her body, and she froze for a moment.
"Are you all right?" Fai asked, noticing her stiffness.
"Y-yeah," she managed, slowly relaxing her muscles. "I guess whatever cut my power off is getting closer."
"Why aren't you affected?" Kurogane demanded, and Fai blinked.
"Probably because Yuko took my seal that boosted my magic," he laughed. "Without that, I'm not much use."
"I see," Aea sighed, leaning against a tree. "Whatever the hell it is, it's stronger than most seals I've encountered."
"You've had experience with magic before, then?" Fai asked in surprise. She waited a few seconds before straightening and following the two young men through the forest.
"Yeah," she nodded, but didn't elaborate. Kurogane grunted as Mokona smiled cheerfully, and Fai shrugged.
The group continued for several more hours, with the sun dimming slightly as it moved in the sky. Luckily, it didn't provide much warmth, so the humans didn't become exhausted from heat. Kurogane secretly kept a close eye on Aea as they walked, a fact which seemed to escape the happy-go-lucky Fai and Mokona. Without warning the young woman suddenly collapsed, her skin pale underneath the light tan. The ninja in black was the first one to reach her, to the surprise of the other two. Panting heavily, she had no choice but to let him help her stand, which he did much grumbling about.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded, supporting her weight. She grinned weakly and lifted her head slightly.
"It seems…that whatever blocked my magic…is affecting my strength as well."
"Why didn't Aea tell us sooner?" Mokona asked dejectedly, adding more weight by hopping onto Kurogane's head. She laughed quietly, but didn't answer. Kurogane looked as if he was considering something for a moment before straightening and dragging Aea with him.
"Well, let's get a move on," he said suddenly. "We don't have all day to waste. Mokona, are you sensing anything or not?"
"Nothing," Mokona shook his head – or body, whichever – and leaped back to Fai, who had an odd look as he glanced between the ninja and assassin.
"Figures. What good are you?" Kurogane muttered, wrapping his arm securely around Aea's waist and helping her walk. They hadn't taken more than a few steps before an arrow shot by, nicking Aea's cheek. "What the hell –!"
"Drop the girl and back away!" a man's voice commanded. "Or we won't miss with the next shot!"
"Just do it," Aea said softly. Kurogane shot her a look, but lowered her to the ground and backed off.
"What do you want? Who are you?" Fai asked, looking around at the trees as Mokona hid in his shirt.
"That's none of your business, traveler!" the voice barked, and a black-haired man emerged from the trees. His skin was a dark chocolate color, and his eyes were black as well. "What you need to tell us is why you are traveling with a witch!"
"A witch?" Fai repeated curiously, and then glanced toward Aea, who crouched on the ground with her head down. "Oh, you mean her?" he asked casually with a smile. "She's not a witch."
"If she wasn't a witch, she wouldn't react to the crystal!" the man informed them. More than a dozen people, all similar in appearance to the first man, appeared from the trees. One approached and stopped next to the man, holding what looked like a rock. As it moved closer to Aea it glowed brighter, and she groaned.
"It's not a feather," Mokona whispered, before Fai could ask. The magician nodded slightly and turned back to the odd people.
"This crystal senses a witch and her powers," the man, who seemed to be the leader, told them. "It saps her strength and magical abilities, weakening her. With time, she'll die." Kurogane's eyes narrowed at this news, and his hand moved to his sword. "Don't move, or we shall be forced to kill you as well!" he warned them. "We do not seek to harm innocent travelers, but we cannot let a witch go free."
"But she hasn't even done anything to you!" Fai protested calmly, and Kurogane wondered if anything would shake the man's calm exterior. "We haven't done anything to provoke you."
"The crystal sensed her as soon as your arrival into our world," the man said. "We have had many travelers from different worlds, don't look so surprised. Your clothes are self-explanatory."
"What if we just leave?" Fai suggested. "We won't go near your village."
"A witch must not be allowed to roam free, or her evil will spread throughout the land and infect our children and source of life," the man said firmly, gesturing toward the nearby river. "As chief of the tribes, I cannot allow her to go with you. You two, however, are free to leave."
"We can't leave without her, I'm afraid," Fai said, shifting his stance slightly. The people instantly readied their weapons, but the chief raised his hand to freeze them in place.
"Stop!" he shouted, and turned back to Fai. "It is against our ways to injure innocent travelers. Please leave, before blood must be split."
"Just…go," Aea whispered, her strength waning as the crystal grew nearer. "Sakura…and Syaoran…need you more…" Fai and Kurogane exchanged grim looks before Kurogane nodded, and Fai sighed in acceptance.
"All right. We'll go now, and leave her in your…care," Fai supplied, unable to think of a better word offhand. The chief bowed, and Fai returned the gesture.
"May you journey safely in this world of ours, and in the world to come," he said, and raised his body slightly as the two young men began to walk away. The people didn't relax until the men were well out of sight, and the chief then turned to a now-unconscious Aea. "Take the woman and bring her with us!" he ordered. "We will execute a fitting punishment in a tribal council!"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kurogane demanded. "We can't leave until this stupid pork-bun decides we can!" Mokona glared at the ninja, but didn't reply as he usually would – instead, he remained on top of Fai's head looking depressed.
"There was no point in arguing there," Fai pointed out.
"We could've taken 'em."
"That's not the point," he argued. "They might have killed Aea then and there, had we pushed the issue. This way, we can at least hope she stays alive a little longer until we figure out how to rescue her." Kurogane remained sullen and crossed his arms, his face expressionless.
"Mokona is able to sense her presence, so we can track her!" Mokona said, suddenly cheerful. Fai grinned as the white creature twirled on his palm, and Kurogane groaned.
"You'll remain here until the tribal council convenes to decide your fate, witch," the chief informed her, as she was tossed into a small, dark hut. She looked up, a little alert now, but groaned when the woman bearing the crystal entered the hut and knelt near the door. Curling up as far as she could away from it, Aea waited until the man left to look up again. The dark-skinned woman wore orange robes slashed with red, and her hair was chopped as short as a man's. Several gold hoops were in each ear, and her eyes seemed to glow with the light of crystal.
"What do you people have against magic, anyway?" Aea asked, gathering her strength to ask the question. The woman surveyed her for a long moment, and glanced down at the crystal, as if needing reassurance that Aea couldn't use her magic.
"Centuries ago, a witch entered our world," the woman began. "Her evil seeped into the land, and infected the crops and water. Our children died painful deaths, while the men grew weak and frail. Our chief, Khaleel, discovered this crystal resting in the waters of the Adanrim. He learned that it sapped the witch's powers from her body. With long enough exposure to its powers, she soon died. Ever since, we have guarded this world from witches like you and your powers. The crystal is able to sense magic from anywhere, and we travel to capture the witches."
"But…why?" Aea pressed, beginning to feel the stronger effects of the crystal. Suddenly, something clicked in her mind. "Wait…you mean Khaleel is the same chief that found that thing? Centuries ago?"
"Yes," the woman nodded. "Our people live long lives, untouched by evil powers and nourished by the Adanrim. And you are not entitled to learn more, witch. Be grateful I told you the reason you are to die – because you hold evil power."
Aea tried to protest, but the crystal seemed to wrap itself around her mind and squeeze. She cried out in pain before falling into the darkness, welcoming the accompanying numbness.
"There doesn't seem to be guards at all," Fai thought, but Kurogane snorted.
"If you think that, you're blind," he objected quietly. "Use your eyes. There are at least five in this area alone – they use the trees as cover. Mokona, where is Aea?"
"Near the center of the village," Mokona piped up. "And Mokona still doesn't sense that crystal-thing. Which means that it's not a feather, and it's natural."
"Natural?"
"Natural," Fai explained. "Some objects are created naturally, with different powers. Like this one, that obviously suppresses magic. And kills the magic-holder with prolonged exposure," he added, as an afterthought. Kurogane returned his attention to the seemingly-empty trees, and leapt into the branches without warning. After a few moments he landed lightly on his feet, brushing his hands off.
"That's a few down," he said in satisfaction, and looked at the village. People milled about, apparently unaware of the intruders' presence. "We can probably sneak in without the villagers knowing, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of them are sharper than they look."
"So what to do, Kuro-kun?" Fai asked, propping his chin in his palm. Kurogane gritted his teeth, but kept his mind focused on the task at hand.
"Since I'm apparently the only one who can sense these people, you take pork-bun there and go find Aea," Kurogane ordered. "Signal when you find her, and we'll bust out through whatever guards they send after us."
"Sounds like the best we've got," Fai agreed musingly, and the ninja muttered something under his breath before disappearing once more into the thickets. Fai and Mokona exchanged a grin before giving each other thumbs-up. "Ready, Mokona?"
"Ready, Fai!" Mokona cheered, and hid inside Fai's jacket as the magician crept into the village.
"You are certain her companions left?" one of the council members asked sternly. Khaleel nodded firmly, with a slight bow as well.
"Positive."
"Then she will face the fate of witches before her – she will hang instead of burn, since she has not committed a crime yet," another member announced. "Prepare the noose, Khaleel. It is better to be done with this matter as soon as possible."
"Of course," he nodded once more and backed out of the hut. Once outside he turned to another man with the orders, and strode to the hut where Aea was being held. "Is the witch awake?"
"I believe the crystal has sapped her of most of her strength," the woman replied, glancing at the unconscious stranger. "Is she to burn?"
"Hanging has been pronounced," Khaleel told her, and she wrinkled her nose in obvious disappointment.
"Too bad – they always put up such a good fight. Well, perhaps this one will regain some of her spirit as the noose is tightened."
"Come – she poses no threat for the moment. We must prepare for the execution," Khaleel ordered, after a sharp glance towards Aea and assuring himself that she was truly drained of any power. The two people left – moments later, Fai and Mokona skulked in, appearing to be enjoying their mission far too much.
"Aea? Aea…" Fai shook her gently, but there was no response. Frowning, he hoisted her up and sighed. "She probably needs a longer time to recover her strength, and be away from that thing."
"Mokona thinks we should go now," it whispered, and Fai nodded in agreement. Creeping as best as they could, they headed toward the trees, but a guard spotted them and sounded the alarm.
"Oops."
"You idiots!" Kurogane hissed, suddenly appearing in front of them. "Wake her up already so we can get out of here!"
"I'm not sure how to wake her up," Fai said apologetically, but tried shaking her again for good measure. To his surprise she stirred slightly, and her eyes flickered open.
"F-Fai…?"
"Can you walk?" he asked, helping her to stand. Her legs were certainly wobbly, but the influence of the crystal seemed to wane quickly once there was distance between them.
"Good – let's get out of here," Kurogane ordered, having held off several men already. They turned to the trees, but only met with more resistance deeper in the forest. Apparently, guards were posted further outside the village than they had expected. "Damn it!" the ninja swore, as Fai had to help Aea scramble along.
"Wait right there, witch!" Khaleel ordered, freezing them in their tracks. Turning around, they saw he held the crystal aloft in his hands, and Aea groaned slightly at the feeling. "We cannot allow the witch to escape – nor you, after you have attempted to help her escape punishment for her crimes!" he informed them. The crystal began to shine brightly, and they were trapped in a ring of warriors. Within seconds it was a blinding white – suddenly, a burst of energy shot towards them, blasting a hole in the ground as they jumped apart.
"It absorbs the magical energies!" Aea realized, "And he uses it against them!" Glancing around with Mokona in her arms, she saw Fai lying on his back and Kurogane crouched on the ground a few feet apart. "Fai? Kurogane? Are you all right?" she asked anxiously, struggling to her feet. She was unable to use her magic, but she wasn't going to stand by helpless while the two men who had come to help her were injured because of her.
"Just go…Aea…" Kurogane grunted, "We'll be fine. Go!"
She hesitated for a moment, but her instincts as an assassin took over as the warriors advanced toward her. With newfound strength she shot into the trees, Mokona clinging to her shirt, with the men chasing.
"That was a foolish move," Khaleel informed them, looming over the two men. "She will be returned in a matter of minutes – instead of a quick death by hanging, she will now burn to death because of this escape attempt."
"Go to hell," Kurogane muttered, but clutched his side when a pain shot through him. Fai appeared dazed but not unconscious, and sat up slowly rubbing his head. "Stupid idiot."
"Let go!" Aea demanded, as three men dragged her back to where Khaleel was waiting with Kurogane and Fai, now held securely. Mokona had hidden himself in her shirt to avoid further notice.
"You should feel a sense of accomplishment, witch," Khaleel informed her, and she shot him a glare. "You are the first one to ever escape our tribe. You will also be the first one to be executed in an entirely new way, thanks to your crimes. Instead of hanging or burning, you will be nailed in a coffin and slid into the river – to suffocate, drown, or be eaten, whichever comes first."
Aea paled visibly, the thoughts of being practically buried alive – claustrophobia one of her weak points, and the other deaths sounding equally unpleasant – never having been her favorite topic. She shrieked when they began to shove her inside the box, which had already been prepared, and Kurogane and Fai were helpless, as they both had spear points pressed against their throats. Suddenly, Mokona jumped out of her shirt and onto the ground, causing them to gasp.
"What kind of new magic is this?" Khaleel demanded, all obviously freaked out by Mokona. Even more so when he made a strange face already familiar to his companions, before opening his mouth to tremendous proportions and shooting something out of his mouth.
"What in the Six is that?" one of the men cried, already beginning to retreat. Khaleel didn't stand his ground much longer, and Mokona looked fairly smug.
"Yuko sent a reminder to send her something from new worlds," he reported. Kurogane, both understandingly aggravated and surprised, picked up a spear and aimed it at Mokona.
"Open up, pork-bun," he said grimly. Mokona obliged, and Aea gaped as the spear went right into the white creature's jaw without any apparent harm. "Are you all right?" Kurogane asked her suddenly, glancing toward her. She blinked and nodded, scrambling out of the box as fast as she could and scooping Mokona up as well.
"My savior," she cooed, snuggling Mokona who happily returned the favor – obviously, her claustrophobia was fairly extreme for her to publicly cuddle something while they were still in danger. Fai grinned, a little abashed. Kurogane merely grunted, appearing annoyed, before whirling around.
"Let's go," he barked, and Aea looked up from cuddling Mokona briefly. Fai began to turn around as well, but Mokona suddenly flew up into the air, the same strange look coming over his face.
"It seems Mokona's finally letting us leave," Fai commented mildly, and Aea sighed.
"We didn't even learn anything," she protested, but not too strongly. Bracing themselves, the three disappeared in a whirling cloud of dust, leaving only empty space for Khaleel and his tribe to find – once they returned, that is.
"Oh, Watanuki, look!" Yuko cried, examining the spear. "Such a prompt reply! Magnificent, isn't it?"
"I suppose," he said dubiously, eyeing the weapon. "Are you sure you should be handling that?"
"Why not?" she laughed, swinging it in a wide arch. Black Mokona laughed wildly as well, and Watanuki sighed.
"It figures. The time they decide to finally send something, it has to be a weapon when she's drunk again," he thought despondently.
Funny, ne? I've begun reading xxxHolic, and thought it would be a funny addition. I was trying not to copy too much from when Yuko sent them the White Day reminder, ya know? So, if ANYONE has ANY ideas for a world, no matter how stupid you think it sounds, lemme know! I'll give you credit, and I love (and need, to be honest...) ideas for new worlds. I have the plot in mind, but world ideas are another thing...ergh.
Please review!