Disclaimer: We don't own Tsubasa, meaning we don't own any of those familiar names and people and all that (that would be Sakura, Syaoran and Mokona, for those keeping score). We do, however, own everyone else. And, uh, the plot. Though the chapter title was also swiped from Tsubasa (It's a great song! You should listen to it!)
To Protect You
By: Hane no Miko (link no miko + Koorino Megumi)
Chapter 3: voices silently sing
It was after casting a glance back at the other woman in the group that Daeron gave his answer, reluctantly nodding his assent to Sakura. When Mei gave him a scathing look, he only shook his head helplessly. "She'll definitely be lost if she goes alone. It would be no different than killing her ourselves."
"But..."
"I'm not saying we're completely with her, though," he added on, and turned his attention to Sakura. "I'll help you into the village, and I'll show you where they might be keeping him. But... I'm sorry." He looked away. "I can't let myself get caught."
Sakura smiled sadly. "That's okay. I'm happy you're willing to help me. Mei-san?"
Mei scowled, turning away from Daeron, annoyance at the young man written all over her face. She didn't even glance at Sakura and simply stood for a moment as the princess waited. And then, abruptly, said, "Fine."
Sakura blinked, uncertain if the response really meant what she hoped it did, but Mei still kept her gaze averted, looking uncomfortable. That was enough of an answer for the girl, and she broke out in a smile. "Thank you."
Mei shrugged. "There's no reason to be so grateful. I'm not getting myself caught either, all right? We'll get you into town, but that's it. You're on your own from there, princess."
Sakura nodded, giving her a level look, though her smile did not fade. "I understand."
Mei blinked, then shook her head, expression softening just the tiniest bit. "All right then. How are we gonna do this? Daeron, do you have any bright ideas?"
Daeron smiled. "Not a one." He held up a hand to stop Mei when he noticed the piercing look she was giving him, however. "But I'm on it. It's late anyway, we should wait until morning. Trust me, I'll come up with something."
He turned to Sakura then and smiled again. "Well, little missy, guess that means Mei'll show you to a room. Sorry we can't offer you anything grand, but I think you'll be just fine."
Sakura nodded slowly before bowing her head. "Yes, thank you. I'll do whatever I can to help you out as thanks for all you've done."
Mokona perked up, bouncing from Sakura to Mei to Daeron again. "Mokona will help too! Mokona is a good helper!" The young girl giggled, and Daeron smiled. He thought he caught a hint of a smirk on Mei's face before she took the girl's arm in her hand to lead her away.
"All right, room's a pretty relative term around here, but a bed in the back isn't too bad for privacy," Mei commented as she led Sakura across the cavern to a row of cots lining its back wall.
Several of the small cots were occupied, but their inhabitants were either asleep or sitting quietly, eyeing Sakura but making no comment. Everyone was dressed in rags; Mei's clothing, though badly worn, seemed to be of the best material of anyone there. It made the girl's heart ache to see all these people living in such conditions when she had just seen the finery of some of those in the town. She gave a small smile to each person she passed, hoping that maybe it would at least bring a little light to such a dark place.
"It's not what you're used to, but it's all we've got." The voice drew Sakura's attention back to the woman leading her. Mei was gesturing exaggeratedly at an empty cot--small with a torn blue sheet draped across it. "Welcome to the presidential suite."
An old man on the cot beside it stirred in his sleep and was suddenly wracked with coughing. Mei frowned, though she changed the expression quickly, trying to sound nonchalant.
"He's not contagious. Oh, and Daeron's cot's right there, if you need him." She pointed to the cot on the other side of Sakura's.
The princess nodded, her heart going out to the sick old man. No thought of complaining about the conditions even passed through her mind, though it was obvious that Mei had expected her to. When Sakura did speak, she kept her voice low, so as not to disturb the man.
"And what about you?" she inquired politely.
Mei raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Me? Doesn't matter." And she waved a hand at the cot for Sakura to lie down as she turned away. "See you in the morning."
"Sleep well."
The princess watched Mei walk away before lying down on the cot that she knew to belong to the woman, thankful that she had managed to find such good friends on this new world.
She felt Mokona snuggle up beside her and smiled sadly, wrapping an arm around the creature and holding him close. One of Mokona's hands patted her cheek, and he whispered a very quiet, "Goodnight, Sakura." And as her eyes closed and she fell into sleep, she could just make out one last thing the small white manjuu said.
"Goodnight, Syaoran."
A distorted figure. Fog. Sakura looked around her, trying to find where she was. It was no place she'd ever seen before, and she was scared. When she went to hug Mokona protectively to her, she realized he was gone.
"Mokona...? Syaoran-kun...?" Her voice echoed hollowly, empty. Her fear peaking, she took a step forward, then another, crying out desperately for someone, anyone, to help her.
"--nd me..."
She stopped, footsteps echoing into the mist. "Who...?"
"...Find me...please..."
Sakura bit her lip, trying to find the source of the unfamiliar voice, chasing shadows in the fog. "Please, I don't--"
A different voice this time. Familiar. Achingly, heart-breakingly familiar.
"...Princess..."
"Syaoran-kun! Syaoran-kun, where are you?"
"Princess..." he said again, voice fading away as she ran through the grey mist, tears on her face. She had to find him, she had to! He couldn't go away, not now, please not now!
"Find me..." the first voice said again, and Sakura heard something like a sob in the words. "Please...Mei..."
And then the fog lifted, and the world spun away, and she was left in darkness.
"Morning, little missy!" Sakura blinked the sleep from her eyes, finding a face just inches from her nose. "Sleep well?"
The princess pulled back from the boy as he laughed. She sat up groggily, looking around her, feeling a bit disoriented. "I did," she responded automatically, even as her mind struggled to reconcile her memories and her current surroundings. Something was tugging at her consciousness, close but not quite within her grasp. "When can we go into the village?"
Daeron put up his hands, shaking his head and looking amused. "Whoa, hold your horses there. We've gotta get some food and talk about what we're going to do first. But I promise we'll be headed there in no time." He winked, offering her a hand and helping her up from the cot. "C'mon, Mei's getting us some stew. Bet you can't wait for more of that, huh?" He laughed again as he led her across the cavern, heedless of the many people who were still asleep around them.
Sakura smiled. Even through her worries and whatever was nagging at her mind, his pleasant attitude couldn't help but be contagious. Mokona glanced up at her from his place securely in her arms, smiling as well. "Mokona wants stew, too!"
The princess hugged him against her. "I'll make sure you get a bowl," she promised.
"Yaay Mokona gets a bowl of stew!"
Daeron laughed. "That you do, little guy, s'long as Mei doesn't eat it first."
"I heard that."
The long-eared boy just grinned.
"Good morning, Mei-san," Sakura said politely, followed by a happily chirped "Morning, Mei!" from Mokona. Sitting down beside the older woman, the young princess took a deep breath and smiled. "That smells just as good as it did last night."
Mei shrugged and handed her a bowl, then another as Mokona began to sing about eating stew. "Don't thank me, I didn't make it." Settling back herself, she took a few bites and then looked at their male companion out of the corner of her eyes. "So? What'll it be?"
He sputtered into his spoon as he eyed the blue-eyed woman. "Now? But I'm eating now." Mei stabbed her spoon into her bowl and Daeron smiled nervously. "Eh-heh...okay, now.
"So," he started, then took a quick bite before continuing, "the best--and only--way to go about this is to be sneaky little devils. Which is rather hard during the daylight, but I don't think the little missy wants to wait all that long."
Sakura shook her head no, that same nagging feeling she'd felt upon waking only intensifying. Something was waiting there in that village. Something important.
"So uh," Daeron continued. "That's the plan. I know some ways around on the far side of town that are low-key, and with luck we'll be in and out before nightfall."
"These will help you blend in," Mei added. She gestured to a set of clothing behind her. "They're going to be big on you, but they'll look better than what you're wearing."
Sakura nodded, sipping her stew as she listened so as not to waste any time. Mokona continued to sing, stopping intermittently to slurp down a bite.
"But what you want to do is not be seen at all," Daeron broke in around a full mouth, "Because nobody's going to recognize you, and uh...that would be a problem." He swallowed.
"Yeah. The clothes aren't going to do much for you." Mei set her bowl aside, rolling her eyes at Daeron's lack of manners. "But that's about all the advice we can give you. Except run and hide if anyone does see you."
"We'll try to hang around the outskirts and lead you back when you're done-" Daeron assured her.
"-but we're not waiting around all night." Mei's gaze was firm.
Sakura finished a bite and bowed her head. "Thank you so much for all you're doing for me. I don't know how to thank you."
"Don't die," Mei said quietly and then stood, taking her empty bowl to a large basin of water to set it in. Sakura watched her go, mouth open to say something, but Daeron put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.
"Let's go get ready, little missy. Today's gonna be a long day."
"Y-yes," Sakura said, finishing her stew quickly as Daeron also stood and joined Mei by the basin. When she was finished, Sakura hurried over to them, bowed again, and went where Mei directed for her to go to change.
It wasn't long before they set out on the road.
Sakura idly picked at her clothes as Daeron whispered to her while they crept through underbrush and around rocks. The brown shirt was a bit scratchy, and was definitely too big. Mei had had to help her find a way to keep it from falling off her shoulders, and while their solution of tying it with cord worked, it didn't help the comfort factor any. Her dark grey pants weren't any better.
"If you don't stop fidgeting, we'll be noticed," Mei hissed, and Sakura instantly dropped her hands, trying to stay as perfectly still as she could while following the two adults. Daeron just shook his head before signaling a halt and pointing to two rather run-down buildings.
"That's your target, Sakura. We're gonna get you in between those houses. They connect to a side street that's rarely used, but you have to be really careful. Once you're in there...you're on your own."
The girl nodded, expression determined. Nothing would stop her from finding Syaoran.
"All right. From there, just keep going. The town hall's going to be obvious," Mei continued, "If your friend is still there..." The princess's fist clenched in the grass. He will be. "...he'll be in one of the back rooms, but we can't tell you exactly where. Only the clergy go in those rooms. Which means you better not get seen back there. So...you ready?" Sakura nodded again. "Fine. I'll signal if it's clear." Mei turned and began to head through the brush away from them.
Daeron placed a hand on Sakura's arm as she left, and the girl frowned, wondering if he was afraid she was in such a hurry that she would just run off now.
I need to get to Syaoran-kun as soon as possible, but I won't ignore the help they're giving me. I have to make this up to them later, if I can.
But Daeron apparently had a different motive in mind. "Good luck, little missy," he said, "We'll be waiting for you here."
Sakura smiled, whispering a soft "thank you" before she turned to watch Mei continue through the brush, tense but patient. Something was still nagging at her mind, and she realized it wasn't just about the town. There was something about this young woman, as well.
But Mei raised a hand then, and Daeron released Sakura's arm, whispering an urgent, "Go!" Before she even knew what was happening, she had stood, and her legs were propelling her between the houses and to the overgrown dirt path beyond them. She didn't look back, trying to push her curiosity about the woman from her mind.
I'll find out later. Right now, the only thing that matters is finding Syaoran-kun.
The brush snagged at her oversized clothes and scratched her skin, but she ignored it all as she ran, Mokona hiding in her shirt, white head poking out through the collar. The little creature's eyesight was far better than hers, despite the fact it looked like its eyes were always closed, and so she listened to him whenever he warned her of something underfoot that could trip her.
She prayed Mei and Daeron would be safe, and silently repeated her promise to make it up to them for causing them so much trouble.
Surrounded by buildings that were of a strange design, Sakura ran on, nearly tripping a few times and taking a wrong turn every now and then. Her heart beat faster with every one of those false trails, and her back tingled with the feeling of being watched. No one chased her, though, and each time she was able to find her way back to the path.
But her breath was starting to come in gasps now, and her sides hurt. She wasn't exactly out of shape, but something like this wasn't normal for her. Running around trying to save someone, that's what Syaoran always did.
Syaoran-kun...
Her pace quickened, and she forced down the pain. I can't give up, I can't slow down. I'm going to help him this time!
"...Find me..."
Sakura skidded to a halt, the unfamiliar voice echoing in her mind. What...what was that?
"Please...Mei..."
The princess gasped, turning her head in the direction the voice was coming from.
I heard this before. This is it. This voice--it's the thing I have to find!
But she still hesitated before continuing. She knew where to go to follow the sound, but it was drawing her off of the path. Not far--it was close--but still...what if someone saw her? What if she couldn't find the path again? And...what about saving Syaoran?
"...Find me..."
Biting her lip, Sakura broke into a run again. Something in her mind told her that following this voice wasn't abandoning Syaoran. And she had made a promise to Daeron and Mei.
"Please...Mei..."
She wouldn't ignore it.
I'm coming, she called silently, wondering if her voice would reach the phantom calling to her. From the unnatural pause she suddenly felt, she was sure it had.
"...You...are not Mei..."
Sakura shook her head, then realized how utterly pointless such a move was. No. But I'm here to help.
The silence was almost deafening.
...Please...
Mokona looked up at her, expression sad. "Sakura..." But the girl only shook her head and kept running. Giving her one last look, Mokona turned back around and focused on the street ahead, forehead jewel glowing faintly.
Sakura continued forward, determined. Where are you? she called, trying hard to keep her path straight so she wouldn't lose where she was going, even if the phantom didn't respond again.
There was a long moment of silence before she heard the very timid response. "Here."
Thank you. I'll be there soon.
Ignoring the underbrush that tore at her legs and the fact that she was heading closer to the town, farther from the back road Daeron and Mei had brought her to, Sakura kept pushing ahead, Mokona keeping watch, though she could sense his unease.
"Please..."
Sakura finally stopped. She was standing just short of a house--a nicer one than the two huts she had started this journey between. It was very tidy, with neat patches of flowers out front and a clear dirt path to the front door. And, standing on that path, was the phantom.
He was a young man. Tall, but with an uncertainty to his posture that kept him from being daunting. His clothing was neat and seemed to be of the same quality as Mei's must have been at some point. He also had skin the same bronze hue as hers, though his hair was dark, hanging just barely long enough to obscure his eyes a bit. His expression was gentle, but his brown eyes did not seem to see the princess coming.
"I'm here," she whispered, stepping slowly up to him so as not to startle him.
His face snapped in her direction immediately. "Who are you?" he asked, and she realized he was afraid.
Sakura smiled sweetly. "I'm Sakura. May I ask your name?"
The man blinked, and while he was looking directly at her, Sakura had the feeling he couldn't see her. "...Fei..."
Her smile turned sad. "Fei-san. Please don't be afraid, we won't hurt you." From her shirt, Mokona made a noise of agreement, and the phantom man's gaze darted directly towards the white creature. Sakura frowned at the movement. Could he really not see them?
"Where is Mei?"
"She...she's not here. She's waiting for me to finish what I came to do."
Fei looked back up at her face as she spoke, barely blinking, and Sakura knew without a doubt that he really couldn't see. "I'm waiting... I-I've been waiting so long..."
Sakura nodded, wishing she could touch the man or show him in some way that she understood. "Mei is someone very important to you, isn't she?"
His response was choked with emotion, immediate. "Yes."
"I'm looking for someone very important to me, too," Sakura commented softly.
Fei was silent for a moment, but then, hopefully, he asked, "Will...will Mei come to see me now?"
The princess pursed her lips, knowing that, even if she were to bring Mei here, it was unlikely the other woman would be able to see the phantom.
"I'm sorry," she said sincerely, "But...maybe I can do something to help."
She hesitated before asking her next question. This phantom was clearly in a great amount of pain already, and she didn't want to hurt him further. But there was a reason he was here--and a reason Mei had acted the way she had when Sakura had wanted to go after Syaoran.
She's a little like Kurogane-san, isn't she? She acts angry and mean to hide her very deep feelings. Whatever happened to Fei-san...might be like what they were going to do to Syaoran-kun...
"What happened to you?"
Fei's blank brown eyes widened, but then they grew sad, and he lowered his gaze in shame. "I...let them use me," he whispered, his voice choked again, "I let them... And when I...when I finally realized what they were doing, it...it was too late, and I...couldn't get away anymore..."
The girl's eyes saddened, and the urge to comfort the phantom only grew. That feeling warred with the upsurge of fear in her chest. Were they right, about it being too late for Syaoran-kun...? "Wh-what did they do...? Please, I..." She bit her lip and clasped her hands, the fear finally showing in her eyes. "My friend, he was taken by them. I have to save him, but...I don't know where he is..."
The black-haired man tilted his head to the side and reached a hand towards her. "Don't cry..."
"I can't let him die."
The hand near her face fell slowly, and Fei stood there in silence for a moment as Sakura forced herself to calm down. Crying didn't help. Something warm patted her cheek, and she smiled down at Mokona.
"I can show you," Fei said suddenly, turning from her. "I can show you where he is."
Sakura's eyes widened. "Will you?" she asked, barely daring to believe that it was possible. Here was a phantom who had been waiting at this house, for how long, the princess couldn't know. And he was blind! But...
But he says he knows where Syaoran-kun is! I can't ignore this chance. Even the tiniest chance to save him I couldn't ignore. I won't let Syaoran-kun die!
"Please." The princess stepped closer to the phantom, hands still clasped before her. "It would mean very much to me."
"I can," Fei repeated, "If I can't find Mei, then...I can help you." She could hear the faint smile in those words, though pain still filled his voice. "This way!" And he started down the path, going directly toward town--a way that Sakura knew couldn't be wise to travel.
It doesn't matter. If he can bring me to Syaoran-kun, I'll follow him. Syaoran-kun...just wait a little longer. I'm coming! I'll save you; I promise!
The buildings slowly started closing in as they headed towards the center of town, but in the cloying space, all Sakura could feel was hope.
