A/N: Thank you, wonderful readers for bothering to come this far. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
DISCLAIMER: Okay, seriously now. Do you really think I'd bother writing this if I owned them? No, more likely, I'd be happily married to Fay.D.Flourite, yes. XD
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World Stories by StarSparklez
Chapter One: The Black Cliffhanger.
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No feel of gravity, nor of temperature as they fly their way through tunnels of no spacio-temporal fixation.
What world awaits to surprise them this time?
Again, they do not know where they will land.
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Nor how they will land.
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That last thought crossed Kurogane's mind and he wondered again, with annoyance, just how they were going to land this time.
How as in 'how hard', 'how high from', 'how come it always ended up with him reduced to a pancake on the ground once everyone had safely landed on top of him' etc...
"Puu! We've landed!"(1)
"You call this a landing! Get off my head you stupid manjuu!
"Nyaah! Kurogane is being scary again!"
"I said get your little butt off my face!"
Seeing Kurogane's teeth grit so hard Mokona whined:
"Mou! Kurogane is trying to bite Mokona's tail off!"
"No I'm not! That's not even a tail! Stop jumping on my face!"
"Where do I jump to then?"
"Just get off damn it!-- I'm loosing my grip!"
Indeed, as if to prove his words, at that exact instant, the ninja dropped a few inches in his very vertical position against the wall of some really high rocky cliff, earning a few startled yell from his traveling companions.
Those companions included a handsome magician from the cold lands of Celes' country, a beautiful princess from the deserts of Clow country and an impressive young archeologist who wasn't really sure where he came from.
And as his luck would have it, while this one time Kurogane did not feel the totality of his companions' weight landing on top of him (as he had hoped he wouldn't), he did feel it clinging onto him instead.
Sometimes burdens are just too heavily attached to one for one to get rid of.
Kurogane chanced a look down below him and his grip on the out-sticking rocks loosened for a second before immediately re-tightening more forcefully. It didn't look like they would get to the bottom of this before a too-long fall. He could anticipate many meters of accelerated descend before thick fog that further faded into profound black.
Shifting view a bit but still looking under him, Kurogane was met by a blue-eyed face staring up at him with a grin only fools could wear in such a situation, or in any situation for that matter.
"Kuro-sama! Please reach the top of the cliff before you drop us off."(2)
How in all the worlds that stupid magician had guessed that the idea of just letting them all drop had crossed his mind, Kurogane did not want to know. He did know better however, than to grace the magician's imbecilic suggestion with an answer, instead he let his eyebrow twitch freely as minor sign of his worsening annoyance.
And who could blame him, in his situation.
Syaoran and Sakura were somehow facing each other, he had his right arm around her middle while she had hers around his neck. Both held each one of Kurogane's leg with the other arm to keep from falling. Yet, as Fay had noticed, it wasn't enough and they were slipping despite their efforts to keep hold of their human cliffhanger. So, the ever so thoughtful magician, who himself was having some difficulty keeping his hold with both arms around the ninja's waist, decided to offer the kids some extra support by wrapping his own legs around the young pair.
This, as you can imagine, resulted in quite an odd position which looked uncomfortable for everyone involved, except for Fay who still grinned like the law of gravity applied to everyone but him. Kurogane, being the only support for three and half living weights besides himself, was turning red from his efforts in trying not to lose his grip.
Syaoran and Sakura were also beat red, but were probably flushing deeper by the minute for different reasons than Kurogane's.
As difficult as it might have been to think, judging by his facial expression, Fay did not want to drop few thousand meters down to the pits of The Next World just yet. So he looked up at the white balloon that was their mean for dimension traveling and asked,
"Ne, doesn't little Mokona have a special skill he could use to help us out?"
Mokona, who had jumped off Kurogane's head to add weight around the latter's collar instead by pulling on the back of his black cape, jumped,
"Fay is right! I almost forgot! Special ability number 27!"
Mokona wasted no time to let suffocating Kurogane, curious Fay and expecting Syaoran and Sakura wonder about the nature of that ability as he clearly immediately prepared for a demonstration by loudly inhaling more air into him than could have been possible for the solidest balloon his size.
Silent but anxious anticipation followed in the next second or so, during which Mokona held his breath.
Then, a sound so loud it tempted even Kurogane to let go and use his hands to cover his ears instead, was heard when Mokona's lips parted.
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"Heawaalp! Oveuur heeeire!"
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It resonated and echoed all around, above and below them, surely loudly enough to re-awaken the dead from Miracle Temple country permanently.(3)
"What the hell was that!" managed Kurogane, once the gong rings in his ears had dulled enough and he trusted himself to yell.
"It's Mokona's Super-Mega-Giga-Voice-intensifying ability! I called 'help, over here'. Someone will have heard that," replied the manjuu proudly.
"No kidding," laughed Fay, "You're sure good with surprises Mokona."
Understanding, when the strangling pull on the cape around his neck eased, that the happily flattered white fur ball had jumped off his hood to probably cuddle the wizard squashing his middle, a nerve dangerously popped on Kurogane's temple.
"Can't you just use your magic to get us out of this mess?" he loudly suggested.
Fay looked up innocently,
"Hum? Who, me?"
Mokona was happily snuggling Fay's cheek.
"It's not like you haven't done it before."
"My, my Kuro-puu, you know that's not exactly how that--"
Fay stopped mid-sentence, his eyes suddenly shadowing. A second later, he was smiling again, although oddly also uttering the next words:
"I've got a bad feeling something isn't right."
Then, suddenly, a strange blue aura surrounded him. As if emanating from him, it then spread all around the rest of the gang.
Audible gasps of surprise were released as the next moment, they found themselves floating, as if being lifted from under by an unfelt, beneficent wind spirit.
"What's happening?"
"Syaoran-kun!"
"Hey, are you the one doing that?"
"Fay!"
The magician had his eyes shut as he calmly said,
"Maybe you should let go Kuro-sama. So we may go up."
"Huh?" Kurogane only then realized they were somehow, indeed, being pulled upwards and that his hold on the cliff wall rocks was the only thing keeping them at their current level. That understood, he reluctantly let go.
As soon as he did, the travelers were ascending along the steep rock walls, still engulfed in that odd blue light, seemingly without an effort being pulled from any of them.
But Fay kept that concentrated, thoughtful expression on his face all the way until they reached a flat edge to land on. Only once they were reassuringly feeling the ground beneath them did the aura of blue light outlining them subside then vanish.
They were on a path dug into the mountain, the kind that were often built to reach highly built castles.
After a few silent seconds, Syaoran spoke while helping his princess to her feet,
"I wonder what just happened. Fay-san?"
The man addressed just smiled as Syaoran turned to him. Before anymore words could be exchanged however, a voice behind them spoke.
"Are you all alright? Did someone get hurt?"
They turned around to face the speaker and Fay happily announced as the running familiar figure approached them,
"Well, there is our savior!"
"Heh! Sorata-san!"
The replica of the young man the travelers had been acquainted with in more than one world halted in his run towards them, surprised to have been recognized by strangers.
"You're the one who rescued us? Sorata-san?" asked Syaoran.
"Thank you, sir." Uttered a smiling Sakura while next to her,
"You can use magic?" Mokona asked too.
"Who… Who are you guys?" hesitated Sorata.
"Uh…"
"It's difficult to explain. And to believe too, believe me!" supplied Fay cheerfully.
Sorata regarded the magician for a minute before asking,
"You're a wizard, aren't you?"
"Yes, sir. Just like yourself. Except I couldn't use my magic down there. I'm sworn not to, you see."
Kurogane thought about whacking the so-said fair-haired wizard on the skull for he thought that was a stupidly blunt way of introducing their situation. But, oddly enough, Sorata seemed satisfied with that explanation and said smiling,
"In that case, don't worry. You can count your tale to us as we reach the top of the mount, there's still quite a long way to go. Besides, you owe all the thanks for saving you to my dear Arashi."
"Arashi?" asked Kurogane.
"My fiancée. She's the one who used her magic to retrieve you guys. I've also sworn not to use my magic, you see."
"Arashi-san is up there?" Said Sakura.
"Yes, just a little further up this path, waiting in our cart. We're traveling to Princess Hoshiko's castle, she offers all people of these magic lands protection."
"Protection? From what?" inquired Kurogane raising an eyebrow.
Sorata gave him back his dubious look,
"Don't tell me you don't know!" Then, "You look suspicious. And weird too."
This comment earned stifled giggles from the rest of the group and a teasing comment from Mokona,
"Huhu! Kurogane is weird!"
"I'm weird! What about them? Does that guy look normal to you?" He pointed at the group then at Fay.
Sorata himself looked amused,
"Proves my point. Haha! Let's just move and join Arashi. But I warn you Big Guy, you better not try flirting with my darling fiancée or else."
Kurogane looked outraged,
"What makes you think I'd do that?"
"Chill, dude! Chill! But I'm not kidding!"
"I'm not either!" Bellowed Kurogane.
Everyone laughed but the irked ninja, victim of their taunt, as they moved up the mountain path to join the waiting Arashi in her cart.
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And for a moment, somehow, even this completely new world felt a little something like home.
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A/N:
1-I choose to write this pretending I haven't read any of Volume 14's chapters. What happens next to those just twists the original plot to an extend I am completely clueless as to how to carry on living normally. So, timeline, somewhere in between, okay? None of it ever happened. :shudders:
2-Since no 'real' dub version has been issued yet and I fail to think of a proper translation for each of Kurogane's Japanese 'pet names' (courtesy of darling Fay and cuddly Mokona), we shall stick to the Japanese honorifics in this fic. Do let me know should you need any reference.
3-You know, the land in anime episode26and 30. Do give me the real name of that world if you know it.