AN: I've noticed that nobody really likes Mokona. Sad. I feel sorry for the little guy. Especially since bloodytwistedangel stomped it half to death in her review. Oh well.

Disclaimer: I'VE HEARD THAT SHOUTING HELPS YOU REMEMBER THINGS SO I'M GOING TO SHOUT ALL THIS OUT! I DO NOT OWN TSUBASA RESERVOIR CHRONICLES! IF I DID THE WORLD WOULD BE MINE MUAHAHAHAAAA! XD

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The last time we saw Kurogane and Fai, the twosome couple were fighting. Or, to be more exact, Kurogane was chasing Fai with his creepy long sword for pinching him while Fai was running away smiling benignly and shouting taunts while secretly harboring "special feelings" for the dark ninja, (or so we all hope). The two running through the streets bought many stares from the pedestrians walking by. Though not too many. This was Hollywood.

"Damn you!" hollered Kurogane. "I'm going to slice you limb from limb!"

"Aw," squealed Fai. "I made Kuro-pipi mad!"

"Grrr… YOU DIE NOW!" Kurogane swung his sword at the magician. Fai dodged, grinning, and ducked away into a nearby alleyway.

"Now Kuro-tan's really angry!" cried Fai. But just as he was about to turn the corner, a grocery cart slammed into him with elephant-al force. The alleyway was too narrow to duck away.

WHAM!

"Oof!" cried Fai, falling comically to the ground.

"Yes!" cried Kurogane, running in for the kill.

"DAMN!" A boot shot out from behind the grocery cart, making solid connection with Fai's head. From behind the cart emerged a teenage girl, with waist-length straight black hair bombarded in highlights of blue, green, red, and gold. She wore a bizarre arrangement of black leather and chains that wraped around her body. Her face was livid.

"You BASTARD!" screamed the gothic-wannabe girl while pounding Fai's head repeatedly with her boot. "YOU RUINED MY MERCHANDISE!"

Fai attempted to apologize. "Yes, but- (kick) I'm sorry we intruded- (kick) Would you please stop- (kick)." Fai smoothly grabbed the girl's boot in mid-swing and stood up. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said, his voice filled with firmness and reassurance. "But it's very rude to kick someone, even if they've ruined your… merchandise." He glanced at the cart.

The cart was filled with… things. There's no other way to describe it. Fai and Kurogane certainly wouldn't be able to. It held… things. Things that were very un-CLAMPish. Jars of white powder, packets of mysterious substances marked with odd writings, bizarre implements of curious purposes. All of it was coated with a certain grime and oldness you could only find in Hollywood.

The girl glared at Fai. "You owe me for ruining my goods. Pay me back."

"Wait a minute!" cried Kurogane, barging into the conversation. "This guy didn't do anything! It's your own fault the cart crashed into him! You should be apologizing instead!"

"Don't you tell me who's fault it is!" screamed the girl. "I've lost valuable merchandise, and I'm demand to be reimbursed!"

"You sell these?" asked Fai suddenly.

"Yes," grumbled the girl. "They're my goods."

"Would that mean you know a lot of people?"

The girl glared at Fai. "Why ask?"

Fai shrugged. "It's just that I and Mr. Black here are looking for something."

The girl blinked. A slow grin began to spread across her face. "You mean… you need my services?" A strange glint lit her eyes.

"I have a bad feeling about this," thought Kurogane, watching as the girl stroked her chin theatrically in thought.

"Tell you what," said the girl slowly. "You work for me and pay off what you owe, and I ask around for whatever you're looking for. Sound fair?"

"But we don't even owe you any-"

"Now Kurogane," soothed Fai gently. "We are partly responsible for this young lady's trouble." Kurogane growled, but settled down his hurt pride.

"Since we're going to be working together," said the girl slowly, "we'll need to know each other's names. You are?"

"I am Fai D. Flowright!" cried Fai cheerfully. "And this is Kuro-tan!"

"I am not Kuro-tan! I'm Kurogane!" screamed the ninja.

"Call me Missy," said the girl. Her grin widened menacingly. "We're going to have so much fun."

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Back at the alley…

He fidgeted.

He squirmed.

Idly he rubbed his right arm, pursing his lips in deep concentration.

Gurgle gurgle gurgle pop.

Syaoran stared sadly at his stomach, thin from hunger. When was the last time he ate? Half a day? A day? Time had passed slowly in the alleyway that was their current hiding place. With such sluggish time, who knew how long they'd been in there?

Syaoran frowned in his thoughts. He wasn't the type to sit around and do nothing. He should be out in the streets, looking for Sakura's feather, not sitting behind a reeking dumpster hiding from screaming girls.

"Syaoran-kun?"

The brown-haired boy turned to his princess.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?"

"Do you think… we should be staying here?" she asked.

Syaoran thought. "I want to find your feather," he said. "But I thought running for so long would tire you too much."

"Oh." Sakura looked sadly at the ground. Her eyes turned bright. "I'm sorry for being such a burden to you," she said, her hands clenching tightly. "You try so hard to bring back my feathers, but I can't do anything to help."

Syaoran stared dumbfounded at Sakura. Was that how she really felt? What should he do? For a moment he felt numb with shock, but slowly a river of guilt streamed in. He crept closer and tucked his cloak firmly around the princess.

"I'm sorry," said Syaoran. "It's my fault. I'm supposed to bring your feathers back for you." She shouldn't have to feel this way, he thought.

With that, resolution filled his body.

"Sakura-chan. Do you think you can run a little bit more?"

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There is absolutely no way to escape a fangirl's radar.

If you tried to run, they'd immediately pick you out from the walking crowd. If you tried to walk and blend in with the crowd, your face, posted on so many young girl's bedroom walls and more memorized than a brainiac's textbook, would stand out like Hollywood lights. If you walked in disguise, they'd smell you out.(1)

Which was why two figures dressed in foreign costumes, one with the face of a celebrity, were instantly pursued.

"WE LOVE YOU, SYAORAN-KUN!" screamed the fangirls. Their footsteps made a thunderous roar.

"Come on, Sakura!" yelled Syaoran, his hand pulling firmly at Sakura. "We can make it!" As they turned around a corner, another mob of fangirls rushed up to meet them. The two quickly turned back and ran the opposite direction, now with double the girls at their feet. Sakura gasped with effort.

I have to try! thought Sakura, her feet pounding on the pavement. I have to do my best for Syaoran! She gave an extra burst of speed.

Up ahead was a fenced off street, with vans and trailers parked at the side. People with looks of extreme boredom milled around. A few film cameras lay idly at the center of the area, where a group of men talked animatedly in loud voices. To many Hollywood tenants, it was nothing more than an average movie set.

This information would've been lost on Syaoran, whose vocabulary discluded the words "movie" and "film". Hoping to lose the fan girls in the maze of trailers and cars, Syaoran dashed into the fenced off area. But as soon as Syaoran passed the yellow "Do Not Enter" tape, a group of large men wearing tuxedos and sunglasses surrounded him.

"Welcome, young master," said the men in unison.

"What?" Syaoran stared at the men in confusion.

The men glanced at the oncoming fan girls. "Do not worry, young master," they said. "We will take care of this." Quickly they arranged themselves into a defensive formation, forming a human wall between Syaoran and the fan girls. The bulk of the men held up to the onslaught of the crowd. The fan girls still persisted however, reaching through the wall's gaps with outstretched hands while crying at top volume the name of their idol.

Syaoran breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he thought. We've escaped. He turned to Sakura.

Who wasn't there.

"Sakura!" panicked Syaoran. "Where are you!" He wheeled around, searching franticly for his princess. On the other side of the human wall he glimpsed a set of panicking emerald eyes. But before he could run to Sakura, a firm, unrelenting hand gripped his shoulder and spun him around. Syaoran was met with an image of a middle-age man, wearing sunglasses, a topless hat, and a wide grin.

"Syaoran, baby!" cried the man enthusiastically. "Good to see you! You're looking great today! How was your plane trip? Do you like it here in Hollywood? Yes? No? Or no, you just got here! Never mind! Let's do lunch sometime! How 'bout Thursday? Yes? No? Don't know? Oh well, time's money, as they say. Let's roll! We have a movie to make!" The man steered Syaoran to the core of the movie set. Syaoran could only watch in bewilderment as he was forced away from the fan girls, the men in black, and, to his utter dismay, Sakura.

AN: PLEASE DON'T KILL ME, KURO AND FAI FANS! I'm so sorry, but I had to do it! I didn't know what else to do! I couldn't make them stunt doubles, 'cause they wouldn't have any reason to. Making them slaves to a Goth girl was all I could think up of. Again, gomen-sai! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter!

Next chapter: Syaoran and Syaoran meet! Mokona's whereabouts revealed! Sakura finds a new friend! What will happen next? Find out in the next chapter of Tsubasa Stars! COMING SOON! (hopefully)