Note: Chapter 5! Some people might be wondering how long will I keep dragging on the same story in the same world… Um, I guess for another 2 chapters? I'm trying to follow the anime, see? Normally, Syaoran and co. will linger on in one world for about 6 or 7 episodes… Give the world and characters more depth, you know…
Disclaimer: You must be getting bored on reading this… but I really do not own anything here…
TSUBASA RESERVOIR CHRONICLES
SEARCHING FOR THE LIGHT
CHAPTER 5: CONFRONTATION
"Why don't we climb up?" Mokona suggested, pointing upwards.
"Up? Why?" Syaoran asks from his position amongst the tree branches.
"You know… We fell from up there, right? So… if we climb high enough, maybe we can reach the city?" speculated Mokona as it rocked on its feet.
That exchange was the cause of Syaoran beginning his hours-long climb up the tree and thus triggered another event later on…
Fai was sitting a short distance away from the 'hole' with Sakura asleep beside him. When he witnessed both Syaoran and Kurogane fall through the hole, he intended to follow them also but he realized that Sakura would then be alone in this foreign place...
He tried to reassure her of their comrades' safety and found out that Sakura doesn't understand him. Looking around to locate their guide/translator, he finally realized that it too was missing. Probably jumped after Syaoran and Kuro-rin… he tells himself and settled himself and the princess a discreet distance away from the area.
Although Sakura-chan would probably not understand a word he says, he talked to her reassuringly in his own language. Sakura at first looked questioningly at him but after some time she smiled knowingly. She must have understood his intentions of telling her not to worry… he muses quietly.
When night falls, he gestured towards the city, wanting her to rest up before returning the next day but she slowly shook her head. Drawing her cloak (cape?) around her more tightly to ward off the cold air, she slowly nodded off to sleep. Fai smiled at that.
Even though she has lost her memories of Syaoran, she still worries about him greatly. Fai had noticed the worried expression she often wore when Syaoran left to accomplish something, mostly dangerous, on his own. She often hides her worries for Syaoran with a smile though… because Sakura-chan doesn't want Syaoran to have any doubts when he goes off, Fai added, smiling.
Anyone could see the depth of their feelings for each other… Perhaps Yuuko would see this too and let them be together…
"There it is! The clouds are just further up! Go Syaoran-san! Go Syaoran-san!" Mokona cheered as the white mass above them draw ever closer.
"Just… another… few… steps… more…"
The sky grew brighter as a new day approaches. Fai watched as Sakura stirred from her sleep and woke up, blinking her eyes to clear her vision. Smiling brightly, he greeted her:
"Good morning, Sakura-chan!"
"Hn? Ah, good morning Fai-san. Is it morning already?" she replied, looking around her to remember where she was.
Eh? Did we just—
"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura suddenly cried out and ran towards the hole.
Fai followed her and when they neared the hole where Syaoran had fell through, Fai saw said person sitting next to it and panting. Mokona was perched happily on his shoulder and leapt towards Sakura as she neared them.
"Syaoran-kun… Are you alright?" Sakura asked concerned as she kneeled near him with Mokona snuggling happily in her arms.
Syaoran turned towards her and nodded, still exhausted after his long climb up the tree. He withdrew something from his cloak and showed it to Sakura, smiling.
"My feather!" she gasped and looks at Syaoran admiringly.
"Syaoran-kun… where's Kuro-wan?" Fai interrupted as he saw no sign of the ninja anywhere.
"Gah! Don't they understand anything! Damn it all!" Kurogane was hollering as the old man he was talking to gave him puzzled looks as he tried to tell him about his search for his companions.
"Okay, one more time… If this doesn't work then… they can't blame me for not trying…" he muttered to himself and took a deep breath to calm himself.
As he opened his mouth to explain his motives once again, the group of people suddenly whispered among themselves and parted to let a middle-aged woman pass through. The old man saluted her in their language and whispered something into her ear, pointing occasionally at Kurogane.
The woman approached him and cocked her head to one side. When Kurogane returned her look with a glare, she laughed loudly.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! They mistook you for an animal! Oh, that is so funny!" she said while attempting to stifle her laughter.
His eyebrows twitched.
"Ah, I mean um… ahem!" she stopped laughing when she noticed his not-too-friendly look. "The elder here told me you're looking for your friends?" she continued in a more subdued voice.
The ninja nodded silently.
"Ah… could it be a young man with this sword?" she asked, holding out a very familiar-looking sword towards Kurogane.
He got up quickly and peered closely at it. It was definitely Syaoran's. The woman must have seen his surprised face as he recognized the sword and she hands it over to him.
"That boy escaped not long ago with another of your friend… the white thing," she continued smiling.
Turning around, she dismissed the group behind her and when the place has been emptied, she sat down before Kurogane.
"Am I wrong in assuming that you are sent by my ambitious husband?" she sighed, looking sadly at him.
"Anyway, let's return to the palace and report this to the king," Syaoran finished after he spent some time explaining what had happened to him to Fai and Sakura.
"Yes. Then maybe… the king would send some of his people to search for Kurogane-san," Sakura agreed.
"Kuro-wan will be fine, Sakura-chan! Don't worry!" Mokona adds jumping up and down on Sakura's shoulder.
"Yes, that right. Kuro-rin is so hard that even millions of sharp pointy things won't attach themselves to his thick skin…" Fai said humorously causing Sakura to giggle.
Meanwhile, said ninja sneezed.
"Are you sick?" the woman asked concernedly.
"No, I'm fine," he replied, trudging right behind her. Someone's talking about me… he muttered softly to himself and without bidding, the image of Fai's silly grin invaded his thoughts.
"ARGH! Stay out of my head!"
"You've returned!" the king greeted them excitedly as they met him in his study.
"Have you found it? The God's gift?" he asked rapidly, his eyes gleaming eerily.
Syaoran somehow felt a little uneasy about handing the feather to the king. He heard some sort of commotion going on outside of the study and was growing suspicious but when Sakura tugged at his cloak and looked imploringly at him, he gave in and pulled out the orb-encased feather out of his cloak.
The king let out a great whoop and made a grab for the orb. At that moment, the door of the study crashed and Kurogane rushed in with his sword (katana?) unsheathed. Behind him was a middle-aged woman.
"Don't give him the orb!" she shouted as she saw Syaoran handing said object to the king.
But it was already too late for the king managed to swipe the object and gave a hysterical laugh.
"Now, all men will fear my powers! Not even the gods can stop me now!"
Kurogane dashed forward and swung the sheath of his sword (maybe katana is more suitable, hm?) in an attempt to knock the orb out of the king's hands but a wall of unseen energy hit him hard and he was thrown into the wall.
Laughing madly all the while, the king made off with the orb towards the adjoining room.
"We must stop him before he destroys the people on the land!" the woman warned and ran after the king.
"Ugh… the woman's right… He'll use the feather's powers to destroy the people on the land," Kurogane said as he staggered to his feet.
"What-" Syaoran began when he was stopped by Kurogane shaking his head.
"Let's go after them. I'll explain later," he said and ran after the disappearing woman and the crazed king.
FLASHBACK
"That man… he wanted to misuse the power of the heaven-sent gift… When he first realized its limitless power; he was so absorbed in it and began experimenting on various things…
"At first it was just little things like making it rain when it the kingdom was experiencing a time of drought. Then he started to get even bolder by causing it to rain cold white stuff (snow, loves, snow… if you still haven't figured it out)… The people were terrified at the sudden change but quickly adapted to it, thinking it was a gift from the gods.
"Then one day, I overheard him mumbling about trying to become a god himself! He was attempting to raise the whole kingdom into the skies just to prove that he was equal to the gods! I am unable to stop him so I ran from the palace with all the women and children and some of the men that are willing to follow… in hopes that he will rethink his decision.
"But I didn't expect him to really elevate the kingdom… So, I gather a few of the people here and climbed the great tree (the one that Syaoran climbed earlier) and caused some disturbance in the city. While the guards were distracted, I made my way into the inner chambers of the palace and took the God's gift.
"A few days later, the scouts that I placed to watch the city reported that some strangers appeared suddenly in the skies, in the city outskirts… Those people must have been you and your friends, correct?"
Kurogane repeated her with another nod and she continued:
"At first they thought you were gods that were sent to destroy the city and they tried to stop you from approaching the city, due to my orders… Even though he has become selfish, he is still my husband… But they were shot at; they retreated and reported to me.
"When the scouts who were watching the city saw you and your friends leaving the city the next morning, I managed to guess that you were not one of the gods and thus was tricked into helping my husband to retrieve the God's gift…
"Your young friend unexpectedly dropped onto the priests who were offering prayers to the gods to beg their forgiveness and he was carried to our hideout. Before we could have the chance to explain the situation to him, he took the God's gift and ran away…"
"How do I know that you could be trusted?" Kurogane asked, staring at her intently with his arms crossed. "The king informed us that you would try to confuse us with another story…"
"Well, if you want to know the truth then you should follow us to the palace," the woman countered smiling.
END OF FLASHBACK
"So… Kuro-wan… However did you get back up? Syaoran-kun here climbed all the way…" Fai remarks as the group ran after the royal couple.
"There's a strange box-like thing some distance away from the tree… We went into it and the door shuts. Later when it opens, we were at the city," Kurogane replies.
"Box-like thing?" Sakura asks.
"It's an elevator! Mokona knows because Yuuko showed it to Mokona once! It goes up and down, up and down, up and do—"
"Shut up!" Kurogane yelled.
Note: Whew! All done. So, tell me… was this kind of storyline expected? I think it's kind of predictable since the second chapter… Anyone suspects this to turn out?
Well, after all's been said and done, reviews! Oh, and if you're still confused, the thing in the brackets ( ), are author's notes… Not the character's thoughts…