Old Names and New Faces

by OrigamiArrows

After magic is discovered in Alice's world of science and war, things go terribly wrong when someone uses it. She is separated from her younger brother and needs to find him quickly before their time runs out. But when she goes to the one woman that can help her, Alice finds she'll have to deal with the last thing she wanted; traveling companions.

3. Chapter 3

A/N: This is the updated version of chapter 3. 10/13/16

The walls were empty, the usual pictures and videos that would play on the glass walls of the living room blank and webbed with cracks.

Last time I was here, some of the pictures had still been visible past the static plaguing the glass, but now the damage was complete, not a single face or memory played on the walls. Dust coated the stained couches, draining away their once soft and inviting familiarity. Broken knickknacks and faded books decorated the dusty bookshelf. The lamp next to it shed no light, and it too had lost its warmth to the dust.

The windows were fogged, like a thick mist hung outside, and the dim light that seeped into the room only magnified the choking silence of the place.

There were three things I could do in this dream. I could climb the stairs, try the front door, or take the door in the back of the room. The stairs held no promise. I could climb them, but I knew I would have no hope of returning to what was at the top, so I never did.

The door in the back didn't exist in the real version of this this room. It was jarringly out of place between the bookshelf and the stairs. The door wasn't particularly menacing—it was a plain, white sliding door—but everything else in the room was either a warped copy of the real thing, or the same as I'd left it. This door didn't belong.

For a long time when I started having this dream, I would try the front door to find it fixed in place. It wasn't locked—the door or handles would have at least rattled—but it didn't budge in the slightest. It was the whole thing was a solid piece of stone.

I didn't bother with the front door. I turned away from the front door and walked to the door in the back, past the stairs, and gripped the handle of the sliding door.

It pulled open with a hiss and I was greeted by a stairway leading down. The shadows of the stairwell were darker than the light filtering in through the windows should have permitted, but nonetheless after five steps nothing more could be seen.

I started down the steps, my footfalls making no sound as I stepped through the doorway. Every time I had this dream I would make it a little farther down the stairs, and after so many repetitions it seemed like hours before I heard a faint voice behind me.

"Sis?"

I turned to see Nathaniel's silhouette in the distant block of light that the doorway had become. As usual I took a step back up the stairs, only to find that the steps had been disappearing behind me.

Then the door at the top of the stairs slammed shut and I was left in darkness with no way back.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"I guess that nobody has their kudan out while simply walking." Fai said as we made our way down the street. We'd gotten up early again to continue our search for the feather. After breakfast, Sorata and Arashi had given us all a new set of clothes to wear. I got jeans and a T-shirt and brought my sword again.

"Even if we do find out which kudan has taken the feather," Kurogane said, looking around, "I doubt they'll be willing to give it up."

"I think we should look for Shougo," I said. "He was the only person we know who specifically had his kudan out during that fight. If we can cross him off the list, we can move on to the rest of his gang. That's better than wandering around and hoping for it to just walk up to us."

"That could work." Syaoran said.

Without warning, a figure stepped out of the wall we were walking next to. Syaoran, who was the closest, jumped and yelled in surprise. The boy, still halfway in the wall, bowed to him without a word.

I took a step back before remembering who this boy was. He was Masayoshi's kudan, which would explain why half of him was sticking out of a wall.

"Syaoran-kun!" Masayoshi called as he came running around the corner.

"Masayoshi-kun," Syaoran greeted him.

When Masayoshi came to a stop in front of us, he bent over panting. His kudan vanished into his chest as he caught his breath. "Were you able to find what you were looking for?"

Syaoran sighed. "Not yet."

"Okay, then. How about I be your guide again today?"

"Are you sure it's okay?"

"Sure."

"I'm surprised you were able to find us," Fai said.

"My kudan can find anybody as long as he's met them once," Masayoshi explained.

"That's a handy ability," Syaoran said.

Masayoshi waved his hands. "But that's about all he can do. He's pretty weak."

"Would he be able to find Shougo?" I asked.

"Ah, there's an idea." Fai said.

Masayoshi shook his head. "Sorry, but I've never been close enough."

"Wouldn't be that easy, huh" Kurogane said.

I was distracted as a high whistling sound pierced the air. The others looked around, trying to find the origin of the sound. The System alerted me to source and I found it a half a second before the others did. An enormous bird was diving straight for us. The System drew a bright blue line across my vision, a prediction of its trajectory, straight to Masayoshi.

I grabbed Masayoshi by his sleeve, trying to pull him out of the way, but the second I got a grip on him, the gigantic bird kudan swooped down and grabbed him by the shirt collar, wrenching him out of my grip. He screamed as the bird rocketed into the sky. I was startled to see Mokona clinging to Masayoshi's shoulder, his eyes wide as they pair gained altitude.

"Mokona! Masayoshi-kun!" Syaoran shouted up at the retreating bird.

I reached for the holster on my hip where my gun would usually be, but as my hand closed on air, I remembered that I had lost them during the explosion at Adrian's facility.

An envelope fluttered down and landed at Syaoran's feet as the bird disappeared behind a skyscraper. He glanced down to the envelope, his brows furrowed. The envelope had music notes on a staff decorating the edges. Syaoran grabbed the envelope, tore it open, and read the note inside. He started, and I leaned over his shoulder to read it.

I'll be waiting at Hanshin Castle, curled across the page in long flowing script.

Syaoran turned to Fai and Kurogane and yelled in another language. Fai and Kurogane stared at him blankly as Syaoran continued and handed them the note.

I looked at Fai and Kurogane. "Did either of you understand that?" Kurogane and Fai gave me the same blank look as they gave Syaoran. I glanced back to Syaoran to see him wearing a matching expression. Fai and Kurogane began speaking other languages as well. Fai frowned and smacked the side of his head as Kurogane muttered under his breath.

"Well, this is fantastic," I said. Why are we all speaking nonsense? Things were fine until a minute ago. Something has to have changed.

"Mokona!" I said as the others said his name at the same time. We all nodded at each other in agreement. Syaoran looked around and ran over to a little shop on the street corner, and the rest of us looked at each other and followed. Syaoran was at the counter with the frog wallet Sorata had given us yesterday. He was glancing from the shop keeper to the wallet with a furrowed brow.

I walked to stand next to him, looking from the puzzled shop keeper to the item on the counter. It was a folded piece of paper. I picked it up and flicked it open, finding a web of lines. It was a map.

I set it back down and pointed to it, glancing at Syaoran with a raised eyebrow. He nodded, which I took as, yes, I do want to buy this.

I glanced at the register and pointed to the glowing green numbers on the screen facing us. Syaoran was from a desert country that was farther behind in technology than this one, so maybe he didn't know the price was displayed on the register.

His eyes widened and he nodded before digging around in the wallet and producing a few bills. The clerk nodded and swapped out the bills for change. Syaoran took the money with a small bow before taking the map off the counter.

He snapped open the map. After a few moments of pointing and babble we eventually found our location and after a few more minutes, Hanshin Castle. Syaoran went to run out of the store with the others but I put a hand on his shoulder, pulling him up short.

I pointed to the subway symbol on the map and he raised an eyebrow. I thought for a moment and then turned to Kurogane hoping he would remember our brief conversation about cars and that the new word wouldn't need translation.

"Car," I said while pretending to hold a steering wheel the way Sorata had.

His eyes lit up in understanding and he nodded. Syaoran and Fai frowned, glancing between us, but nodded in agreement.

A subway wasn't a car of course, but it was a faster mode of transport than walking, which was the priority.

We headed for the nearest subway and I soon saw a staircase leading under the street. I made a 'follow-me' gesture and ran down the stairs with the others behind me.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

When our train pulled to a stop at Hanshin Castle Station, we ran out of the train and up the steps. Syaoran got to the top of the steps and pointed to our left at a path to the castle and babbled something. Fai and Kurogane tried to say something back with no luck.

We started up the path to the castle when Syaoran stopped and cried, "Mokona! Masayoshi-kun!"

I followed his gaze and saw Masayoshi and Mokona tied by their waists to the very top of castle, dangling under a fish statue that served as the roof ornament. Masayoshi was crying, hanging limply in his restraints. Mokona, on the other hand, laughed and swung around.

"How'd you get up there?" Fai asked with a wave in their direction.

Kurogane put his hands behind his head. "You look like you're having fun. At least the white thing does."

"Oh good. The babbling is gone," I said, nodding towards Mokona.

"So you understand me now?" Kurogane asked, glancing at us.

"Yes," I said.

Fai nodded. "I understand."

"Me too," Syaoran said. "So it is Mokona that's doing it."

"Shall we, then?" Fai asked, pointing at the castle. Everyone nodded and we resumed our run towards the castle.

"Hey!" Kurogane said. "Does this mean that any time we get separated from it, we won't be able to communicate?"

"That's what it means." Fai said with a grin.

"What a pain!"

As we ran up the hill, a faint, steady rumble rose ahead of us, rising into a chaotic roar. When we crested the hill, we found the source. Hanshin castle loomed above a courtyard full of a sea of people. If you were looking from Hanshin castle, the hill we were on was to the right of the park.

They crowd stared up at us and rumbled among themselves. Black spectacles and bandanas adorned every member of the crowd.

What was it with the uniforms in this world?

"What's with these people?" Kurogane said.

Fai put a hand over his eyes to block the sun. "A lot of them, huh?"

Syaoran grabbed the note from his pocket, held it up above his head. "Who is the one who wrote this letter?"

"That would be me!" a female voice said to our left. We spun and saw a young woman with mint green pigtailed hair that fell down to her waist and round brown eyes. Little pink wings sprouted from the back of her pink dress. She leaned against a rail on one of the top floors of the castle.

The crowd of men below us erupted into chaos when she appeared. "Primera-chan!" they all said, waving their hands and beaming stupidly at the woman.

Kurogane grit his teeth. "Who is this woman?"

The crowd below us exploded in boos and hisses. Through their thundering I was able to make out a few things like: "You don't know Primera-chan? You must live under a rock! Primera-Chan is our idol! She sings! She models! She even has a morning talk show! More than that, she controls an incredible kudan!"

Syaoran ignored them and yelled up at the woman. "Please let Mokona and Masayoshi-kun down!"

Her eyebrows rose and her eyes widened. She pointed up to the swinging duo. "You mean that isn't Syaoran?"

"I am Syaoran," Syaoran shouted at her.

The woman spun on some men standing behind her and began beating them with a fan, "You idiots! You couldn't have been more wrong!"

Syaoran continued. "If you have any business, bring it to me. Let those two down right now."

She hopped down to the rooftop below the deck where she'd been standing. "Nope!" She winked, put one hand on her hip and pointed a finger at us with the other. "If you want them back, you're going to have to battle me for them."

After she'd struck her pose the crowd of men went into hysterics. "Primera-chan! She's so beautiful!"

"Shut up!" Kurogane snarled at the crowd of idiots.

Syaoran's gaze flicked up and down the castle. "We'll have to find a way up."

"I might be able to get up there," Fai said, pointing to himself.

"You know where the staircase is?"

"No, but I should be able to get there."

"Yeah?" Kurogane said. "How?"

Fai smirked. "My kudan may be willing to help." Fai took a step back just as an enormous, elegant bird appeared behind him with a roar of wind. Its lavender wings beat once, sending dirt flying into the air and wind ripping through my hair, before curling them around Fai as it faded away. In its place a sphere of wind curled around Fai, and he leapt into the air.

"He's flying!" Syaoran cried.

I kept my features schooled, but I was surprised. It hadn't occurred to me that kudan had abilities other than those of their manifested forms, or that they could enable flight.

Primera pouted and curled her hands into fists. "Man! He can fly? If I can't, he shouldn't be allowed to."

"This girl is already getting on my nerves." I said. Kurogane glanced over his shoulder, giving me a smirk.

Primera swept her right arm out and sang, "My kudan, come on!" A bulky microphone with speakers on the front swirled into her hand. "Now you'll see what kind of damage my kudan's attack can do." She winked and sung into the mic. "Is everyone... Having Fun?" The words literally sprang from the speakers, like giant block lettering barreling straight for Fai. He tried to dodge, I could see him drop a few feet, but he was too slow. The letters slammed into him, engulfing him in smoke with a resounding boom.

The System highlighted Fai's silhouette to help me keep track of him past the dust clouding the air. He got pushed back a few feet, but didn't seem badly injured.

"Fai-san!" Syaoran said.

"He's fine," I said.

"Eh?" Syaoran asked. He looked up and saw the smoke clear around Fai.

Fai smirked. "That was a surprise. This country is pretty amazing." Fai looked up to where Mokona was swinging. "You liked that attack, didn't you, Mokona?"

"Amazing! Amazing!" Mokona laughed, clapping.

Masayoshi's eyebrows furrowed as tears streamed down his face. "Primera-chan's kudan is special level! Be careful!"

"That makes me so frustrated," Primera said, waving her arms. "But, you won't beat me." More characters flew at Fai, but this time he swung out of the way.

Primera continued to scream more attacks, but every time, Fai dodged, flipping, twirling, and ducking away from her attacks.

Which meant my first assessment of Fai had been wrong.

At first, I thought Fai was just an average man. He didn't have the muscle mass of a fighter, and his clothes and speech implied a more scholarly background. His movements were always graceful, but he didn't have the muscle I usually associated with fighting, so I'd attributed his grace to dancing, swimming, or something of the like. What I hadn't taken into account was magic.

It was a simple concept now that I knew more about magic, but it hadn't occurred to me that magic didn't require muscle. With the exception of Kurogane's, all the kudan I had seen acted on their master's commands with the wave of an arm or a word. Taking that into consideration, and Fai's grace, it meant that the man could very well be fighter.

"Why? Why can't I hit you?" Primera said as Fai alighted on the roof below her.

"If I let you hit me, it might hurt." He shrugged.

"What are you planning?" Kurogane murmured, his gaze locked on Fai.

Syaoran shook his head. "We have to get to the top and get Masayoshi and Mokona down. We also have to help Fai-san."

Kurogane snorted. "You can leave him alone. He'll be fine."

Primera began yelling different tongue twisters and poems into her mic. "The sixth sheik's sicko's ship' sunk! A tutor who tooted a fruit tried to tutor two doodoos to toot!"

Kurogane's eyes flicked back and forth, following every detail of the fight. "I've fought with kudan, so I know. Even if your kudan is able to fly, your muscles are your body's normal muscles."

"You mean the ability to float and dodge like he's as light as paper is Fai-san's own ability?" Syaoran asked.

"Ah," Kurogane's eyes narrowed. "Look at that damn grin. That man is a combat veteran."

"I imagine so." Syaoran's even tone surprised me. I glanced over at him.

"That doesn't surprise you?" Kurogane asked.

"There's a clue in the casual way Fai-san carries himself and the look in his eyes just gives you that impression."

The look in his eyes huh? Maybe Syaoran was more perceptive than I'd thought.

Kurogane glanced at Syaoran from the corner of his eye. "Maybe you're not a complete fool."

"But even if Fai is a warrior, I'd still like to help him out if I can."

Kurogane smirked. "But I'm right about you being a naive kid!"

This fight was taking too long. I glanced at the entrance to the castle. I could try getting into the castle and taking her out from behind, or getting Masayoshi and Mokona so we could just leave. But all I had was my sword, if she spotted me before I got to her, I had no doubt that any wall I tried to hide behind would be destroyed. If I had a gun, I could end this—No. This girl was an idiot, but just an idiot. She didn't have any truly malicious motive. Besides Nathaniel had made me promise to keep a more level head in these situations. Regardless, I would need to get a gun at the earliest opportunity. Would this world even have guns?

Before I could make a decision, Primera briefly stopped her attacks. "You forced me into it. Change!" She held out her mic, and it started glowing "When my kudan-chan becomes a mic stand there's no running away."

The mic glowed and stretched, and when the light faded, she gripped a mic stand. She sang into the mic. "All the fans love me!" As she yelled, she swung the mic up and the characters shooting out of her kudan curved, following Fai as he tried to dodge.

A boom rippled the air as the letters found their mark. This explosion was bigger than the first and engulfed Fai in smoke. He fell from the air and into a tree, getting caught in the branches.

"Fai-san!" Syaoran said.

Syaoran ran over to the tree, but before he could do anything Fai waved him away. "I'm all right!" He stood up, singed and bruised but other than that he looked fine. Maybe the wind was acting as some kind of shield?

"I never expected it to change form." Fai's eyes narrowed as he smiled up at Primera. "And since this girl is fighting with her kudan, and Mokona isn't reacting it must mean that the girl isn't the one with the feather."

So that's why he was taking so long. Not only is he a fighter, he's a tactician. And he's been holding back this whole time.

Primera giggled. "Well? Do you surrender?"

"If I did, what would happen next?" Fai shouted, perching casually on the tree.

"Then I move on to defeat this 'Syaoran' guy!"

Fai put a hand on his hip. "We can't have that. Syaoran-kun has some important business to see through. I'd really rather that it ends with me."

"If so then I will just have to win!" A huge column of characters came rushing down towards Fai. He stood unmoving until the symbols were alarmingly close, then braced a hand on the column and launched himself upward, and sprinted up the column towards Primera.

Primera had time to gasp, and Fai came to a halt only inches away from her face.

He's fast. The System informed me that he had run 26 mph, although there was the potential that his kudan had helped with his speed.

Fai tackled her to the ground, holding her hand with the mic away from himself, angling it towards the roof above them. "I don't want to be the cause of injury to a beautiful young woman. Won't you stop?" His voice didn't hold any anger. In fact, it sounded polite.

"Amazing!" Mokona cried as he swung on his rope.

"Th-this is so not fair!" Primera cried into her mic. The characters flew out of her mic and away from Fai, up towards the roof.

We all saw her mistake as the letters flew up towards Masayoshi and Mokona.

"Watch out!" Syaoran cried.

The characters didn't make direct contact with them, but they did hit the statue they were tied to. The explosion sent them flying down towards the ground, Mokona laughing. Masayoshi's kudan appeared and grimaced with the effort of pulling Masayoshi up, but it barely slowed them down.

I started to run, but I only made it a few feet before a looming figure appeared beneath them, safely stopping their free fall. Shougo's stingray cushioned their fall, darting away from the falling debris once they'd landed. It flew back over to the roof once the air cleared and placed them next to Fai and Primera.

The System directed me to Shougo's location. I turned to see him and his gang standing on a wall opposite the castle. Shougo's eyes narrowed into slits and he put a hand on his hip. "What do you think you're doing, Primera?"

"Shougo-kun!" Primera whined as she sat up.

Shougo's annoyed expression didn't waver. "You've got work to do, right? Don't you have a concert to prepare for?"

Fai helped Primera up as she started yelling. "I did it because—because you never come to see me!"

He never comes to see her? We'd been running around all day wasting our time because a spoiled brat wanted attention? Was everyone in this world so shallow and destructive?

Primera swung her mic around and pouted. "Besides, there's plenty of time! The concerts at the Hanshin Dome right over there!" She pointed back behind her.

"Even if it is," Shougo called, "why are you destroying our cultural heritage?" He pointed at the smoking top of Hanshin Castle.

Fai left Primera, largely unnoticed, and began floating back down towards the rest of us. Primera continued her rant. "You break buildings all the time, Shougo-kun! Don't talk to me all high and mighty!"

"What are these two squabbling about?" Kurogane grumbled and I could see Syaoran looked lost, too.

"They're arguing about him not visiting her enough or something," I said.

The crowd below us had gotten louder during Shougo and Primera's exchange. Fai walked over to the edge and peered down at the crowd. "Hm? What are you all crying over?"

"Primera-Chan's in love with that team leader, there!" One man cried and pointed at Shogo, "But since he never comes to see her, she's lonely!"

"How do you know?"

All the men in the crowd pulled out thick magazines with a picture of Primera on the front. "Because Primera-chan made it official!"

"See for yourself!" One of the men threw his magazine at us.

The magazine flew at my head but I ducked. Kurogane, a few feet behind me, caught it and flicked it open. I raised an eyebrow at him, but he either didn't see or ignored me.

Shougo held out a black apron he'd had in his hand. "I don't know about you, but I'm supposed to go to school and help out with the family business. I was in the middle of a delivery!"

"But I'm lonely!" Primera pouted and pointed to Masayoshi. "So I asked this guy you like over to see me, hoping he would join the Primera fan club, and while you visited with him, you could see me too."

"You're so dumb!" Shougo said, running a hand down his face.

"Syaoran! Syaoran!" Mokona interrupted, jumping up and down and waving his paws. But what caught my attention more than his frantic waving were his eyes. They were wide, his signal for a nearby feather.

"Mokona! Your eyes!" Syaoran cried.

"It's here! The feather is real close by!"

"Where? Who has it?"

"Mokona doesn't know, but Mokona just felt a huge wave!"

I started recalibrating The System, setting the audio to inform me of any abnormal sounds waves, and the visual system to scan for any objects that fit the feather's criteria. Nothing abnormal came up in the visional scan, and the only noise the audio scan found was the usual buzz of human voices and any nearby machinery.

"So some kudan has taken it inside itself," Fai said.

Kurogane shut the magazine and looked around, crossing his arms. "But it gets stronger and then weaker. What is that supposed to mean?"

Syaoran put a hand to his mouth in thought as he looked around. "Sorata-san said that kudan protect their owners. So probably, the time that it puts out its greatest strength is when it's protecting its owner."

"And that means," Fai said, "the way to find the feather is through battle."

"I'm sorry that my words caused unexpected trouble for you, Syaoran," Shougo yelled, interrupting our conversation. "But I do like your style. You're strong. And by that, I don't mean you got muscles, I mean right here." He pointed a thumb at his heart. "So I wanted to try to take you on with your kudan."

"Shougo-kun, all you care about are your kudan battles," Primera shouted. "You retard!"

"Don't say 'retard'!" Shougo snapped.

"I understand," Syaoran said as he stepped forward. His kudan appeared, flames roaring up from the ground until the wolf stood alongside him. The glow from the flames flickered across Syaoran's face, accenting his determined expression. "I accept your challenge!"

Shougo pulled his goggles over his eyes and turned to the men behind him. "You guys, stay outta this, got me?" His gang whistled in response, pumping their fists and crowing encouragement. Syaoran looked at his kudan, letting his hand rest on the wolf's back. "Like I said in my dream, I want power. Power to protect Sakura. You'll fight alongside me?"

The wolf nodded once.

The System hadn't found anything matching the feather yet, so it was either hidden, or I wasn't capable of detecting it. I decided to focus on the fight for now. If Fai was right and battle was the only way to find it, I didn't want to miss a second.

Shougo's kudan rose up into the air. "Ready?" he cried.

"Go!"

Syaoran's wolf launched a spiraling column of fire at Shougo's kudan, rolling heat waves across Syaoran and the surrounding environment, warping them. The stingray opened its mouth and shot a jet of water to meet the incoming attack. The attacks met in the middle, hissing and spitting as steam boiled explosively into the air. The pressure of the air and water expanding so quickly sent a shock wave through the yard. That, and the stray jets of water and curls of fire blasting across the space, sent rocks flying into the air.

"Watch out!" Masayoshi screamed.

Syaoran's head snapped up and his eyes widened at the sight of a stone plummeting towards his head. He leaped, spun, and threw a kick at the descending rock, breaking it in two with a resounding crack.

I blinked. Syaoran had just broken a rock. With his foot. Syaoran either had some serious martial arts training or magic was once again interfering. Maybe a combination of both? And wasn't Syaoran an archeologist? Why would he have any training in combat?

"Syaoran-kun is pretty cool," Fai said, watching the fight with his hands tucked into his pockets.

"So he's more than just a pliable fool," Kurogane said, giving Fai a pointed look. "You both have faces that say, 'ignore me, I'm a fool!' But I see through it."

"Yeah," Fai said. "It seems like he's more than just an archeologist. He's still very young, but young people can come through their pain. And I believe he has. I'd say he's not much different from you, Alice." Fai turned to smile at me.

I flicked my gaze up from the fight to meet his. I didn't smile back. My eyes remained cold as I stared back at him. He was too perceptive, but I didn't care what any of them thought of me. As long as they didn't get too interested in Nathaniel.

Kurogane huffed and looked at me, too. "He's right. I haven't seen you in combat yet but you have a sword, and I see it in the way you walk and look at people." His eyes narrowed as he held my gaze. "You're always watching the crowd, but the white thing already said your brother isn't here. So what are you always looking for?"

I returned his stare in silence, letting a moment pass. My face betrayed nothing, and when I spoke my voice was neither cold nor welcoming. "When I can explain things to you all," I nodded at Syaoran, who had landed in a crouch next to his kudan, "I may let you know the answer to that question."

Kurogane glowered at me and held my gaze for a few seconds before huffing and turning back to the fight. Fai glanced between us before shrugging and turning away as well.

"Mokona!" Syaoran yelled. "Can you feel the feather's presence?"

"The feather is there, but Mokona doesn't know who has it!" Mokona cried from the roof.

Syaoran didn't reply, but he held out his left hand towards Shougo and gripped the elbow of the outstretched arm with his free hand, bracing it. Fire coiled around it and then exploded from his closed fist, flying directly at Shougo.

Shougo's kudan blasted a wall of water in an attempt to stop the oncoming fireball, but it was useless. The fireball punched through the wall of water unfaltering. Shougo started, but didn't have time to dodge the attack. The burst of flame burst feet in front Shougo and his kudan, exploding with a burning roar and knocked Shougo off his kudan and into the air.

"Shougo-kun!" Primera screamed.

The kudan recovered, darting under Shougo and turning to water to cushion his landing. The kudan lowered Shougo to the ground. He was drenched, but jumped down, uninjured. "Oh man!" he cried. "That was the first time I've ever been hit like that."

"Shougo-kun!" Primera said.

"I'm fine!" he snapped. "I told you to stop screaming my name."

"Wh-who ever said I cared what happens to you?" She shrieked, waving her arms. During the fight, Primera's fans had retreated from the courtyard and perched in the trees surrounding the castle. They held binoculars and watched her every move with giggles and gossip.

Shougo returned his attention to Syaoran and grinned. "You're a tough one."

Syaoran had his left arm held out towards Shougo, a determined look on his face as he waited for his opponent's next move.

"Kudan are controlled by the heart," Shougo said. "What is it that makes yours so strong?"

Syaoran's expression remained stoic. "I have something I must see through."

"That makes sense."

Shougo's hand shot up, his kudan darting to hover above him. "Ready?" he yelled. The kudan's mouth opened as on orb of water bloomed, suspended in its jaws. "Go!" The orb of water broke, sending a tsunami slamming into the courtyard. I glanced from the ocean drowning the courtyard to the orb of water suspended in the kudan's jaws. The amount of water pouring into the yard and slamming into the walls was far more than the size of the orb could have permitted.

The ground shook under the three of us as Syaoran disappeared beneath the churning waves. For a few seconds, all I could see was the violent waves crashing against the edge of the wall a few feet away from where we stood. But then steam rose from the place Syaoran had been, followed moments later by a fierce hissing as the sea boiled and spat.

When the torrent of water was reduced to a shallow puddle, it revealed Syaoran standing in the same place he'd vanished. He wasn't even wet.

A crack rang through the courtyard and I spun, looking up at the castle. The System highlighted the various angles of the structure, as a sentence appeared in the upper right hand corner of my vision, telling me what I'd already guessed. The top half of the castle had taken serious damage, and now the structure was collapsing. "Watch out!" Syaoran yelled, his voice nearly lost in the shudders of the collapsing building.

Masayoshi, Mokona and Primera stood stranded on the second lowest roof, with the top half of the castle folding on top of them.

"Primera, your Kudan! Destroy the debris!" I yelled. If she could divert the castle's collapse, or at least minimize the debris, they could escape.

Primera shrank into a ball, Mokona clutched in her arms, either unable to hear me or unwilling to act. Masayoshi gaped at the oncoming building, but pulled himself out of his stupor and threw himself over Primera and Mokona.

The snaps of the crumbling castle rose to a deafening thunder as the upper structure fell down onto them.

But before they could be crushed, the castle top halted, hanging suspended above their heads as silence replaced the building's groans.

The cluster of stone and wood hung suspended feet over Masayoshi and Primera's heads. Bits of lumber and rock clattered onto the roof around them.

Wind blew through the courtyard, tearing at my hair and pushing me back a step, originating from the looming figure that had appeared next to Hanshin Castle. A giant hand lifted the chunk of building and dropped it onto the ground. A resounding boom filled the air.

Masayoshi's kudan had grown taller than the castle and stood silent, staring down at him. Its blank face and empty eyes contrasted sharply against its usually warm features. The silence of the entire courtyard amplified its strange stillness.

Mokona jumped from Primera's arms. "Mokona found it! The feather. It's in that kudan!"

"Did I hear right? The feather's in that kudan?" Kurogane asked. I glanced down at Syaoran. He turned away from Shougo, his gaze fixed on the kudan.

Fai put his hands on his hips. "I think I understand. Even when he used his kudan to find us, Mokona didn't detect it. The time when it needs the most power is when it's protecting someone it cares about from a life-or-death situation. The last time Mokona detected it was also when Masayoshi was in a dangerous situation, when they were falling. Even now, it's trying to protect him from the crumbling castle."

The kudan bent down, scooping Masayoshi into its hands. Primera yelled and beat her fists against the hand the hand that was twice her height. The kudan stood straight, gazing blankly ahead for a few seconds before opening its mouth and taking a deep breath, the sound like wind howling through a forest. As the noised died down, a beam of light burst from its mouth, the kudan's eyes glowing as the beam flew over our heads. It scraped what remained of Hanshin Castle, sending flames curling up where the beam touched, and hurled Primera and Mokona off the roof.

Shougo's kudan shot over our heads, its master crouched low on its back. He dove beneath Primera, catching her and Mokona before shooting off, away from the beam of light.

The kudan's beam of light held strong continuing and humming as it started walking away. Masayoshi yelling at his kudan as it lumbered away into the forest, setting fire to the trees its attack touched.

Fai floated down to where Syaoran stood watching the retreating giant. Kurogane and I jumped down a moment later. "What's wrong with that kudan?" Kurogane asked.

"The feather had too much power for it," Fai explained. "That kudan has more power than Masayoshi can control."

Kurogane looked at Syaoran. "What'll you do now?"

Syaoran walked towards the rampaging kudan with his flaming wolf at his side. "I'm going to get Sakura's feather back."

"Yes, but how are you going to get to it? Unless you kudan can fly, you're stuck on the ground," I said crossing my arms.

Syaoran glanced down at his wolf who returned his gaze before nodding.

"Well, then," I muttered.

"How do you intend to fight something that big?" Kurogane said. "One slip up and you're dead."

"I still have something to see through. I can't die yet."

Syaoran and Kurogane stared at each other for a moment, something passing between them. Both of their stares held the weight of people who knew what it meant to have others depend on you. That kind of weight changed things. Sometimes it made the most terrifying challenge the easiest thing in the world. Sometimes it made easy, everyday tasks, impossible. I had a feeling Syaoran was using the first of the two.

"Mm. Count on Kuro-pi to handle things here. You go ahead," Fai said.

"What do you mean, me?" Kurogane said.

Syaoran smiled. "Then I'll see you later." He broke into a sprint with his kudan at his side.

Fai watched him run off. "Syaoran-kun has strength. In a lot of different ways. I get the feeling that I understand why that fire kudan came to him."

We watched silently as Masayoshi's kudan burned through the forest, its progress slow but steady.

A few moments later an explosion erupted from the rampaging kudan's feet. The giant lurched to a stop, its head turning to look around at the ground. There was a moment where all I could hear was the distant roar of the fire and the faint snaps of breaking trees.

A burst of fire shot into the air in front of the kudan. The curl of fire hovered in front of the kudan as the giant's eyes focused on it. A closer look revealed that the ball of flame was Syaoran cloaked in fire.

"Hey brat, can you hear what's going on?" Kurogane asked.

I glanced up at him before returning my gaze to the fight. "No. They're out of my range. But I can see. Syaoran is aiming for the kudan's chest. There's something shimmering there."

"That's probably the feather," Fai said. "He's going to have to get pretty close to get it."

Syaoran darted forward, closing the distance between himself and the kudan's chest. Fire erupted around Syaoran, a brighter red than his own. The flames seemed to war with each other, growing higher and brighter around Syaoran as the second ticked by.

Then there was a flash, and Masayoshi's kudan fell, shrinking back to his normal size. Syaoran held a bright light in his hand.

"He's got it." I said. Finally we can be done here.

The wolf darted under Masayoshi and his kudan, halting their fall as Syaoran floated back to earth with them. Shougo flew over and raised a hand, sending a deluge of rain to cover the burning park and street.

We ran to join Syaoran as he got to his feet and beamed down as his closed hand. Despite his singed skin and bruises, his face didn't hold a hint of pain.

"I was able to get one back for her." He muttered.

"Impressive, Syaoran-kun." Fai said.

Syaoran grinned at him before he started, turning to Masayoshi, who was standing by Syaoran's wolf a few feet away.

"Are you alright?" Syaoran asked.

Masayoshi nodded, his face crumpled and threatening tears. "I'm fine. Are you okay? I'm so sorry."

Syaoran gave him a warm smile. "Don't apologize. If you hadn't made that final push to help me get the feather, I might have lost. And we wouldn't have found it in the first place if it wasn't for you."

Although Syaoran's tone was warm and genuine, I noticed his free hand tapping the side of his leg. He was itching to leave.

"I still think I owe you an apology, but I can give it to you later. That's what you've been looking so hard for right?"

Syaoran nodded. "Would you mind if we…"

"No. Go on, I'll find you later. Don't let me hold you back."

"Thank you."

We picked up Mokona from Primera and made our way back to the subway, with Syaoran taking the lead. He ran all the way to the subway and twitching with energy as we waited to get to the right stop. The whole time he had the feather clutched protectively in both hands.

When we finally got off the subway, he sprinted off towards Sorata and Arashi's. We followed him, but he got there about thirty seconds before we did. We saw him give a hasty greeting and explanation to Sorata and Arashi, who were outside cleaning the front yard of the apartment building, before careening into the house. I heard him thundering up the stairs as Fai, Kurogane and I followed him.

We walked up the stairs and made it to the doorway to see Syaoran clutching Sakura's hand, his brows drawn together as he smiled down at her.

The feather was gone, so I assumed Syaoran must have returned it to her already. Sakura's skin was still pale, but as a few seconds passed, color crept across her cheeks and her breathing deepened slightly. Her heartbeat also picked up, beating a healthier pace.

Sakura's eyes fluttered open and she blinked, her eyes staring empty ahead. Syaoran's face lit up. "Sakura!"

She looked around the room slowly before her eyes settled on Syaoran, her gaze unfocused. "Who... are you?"

I heard Syaoran's breath catch. He closed his eyes for a moment, schooling his anguished features and setting her hand down.

"I'm called Syaoran," he said with a careful smile. "And you... are Her Highness, Princess Sakura. If you'd be so kind as to listen, I'll explain. You are a princess from another world."

"Another... world?"

Syaoran nodded. "And at the moment, you've lost your memories. You're traveling between worlds to find them."

"By myself?"

"No, you have traveling companions."

"Are you... one of those?"

"Yes."

Sakura tilted her head. "You're doing this for a total stranger?"

Syaoran's calm wavered for a second before he composed himself. "I am."

Fai stepped into the room and smiled at Sakura. "Princess Sakura," he said with a bow. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. Fai D. Fluorite, at you service." As he stepped past Syaoran, he touched his shoulder. Syaoran took the gesture and stepped out of the room as Kurogane followed Fai inside. "And may I present — "

Kurogane spoke up, giving Fai a pointed look. "I'm Kurogane."

I leaned against the doorway. "I'm Alice."

"And this cute, fluffy one is Mokona Modoki!" Fai held out a waving Mokona. "But you can just call him Mokona."

Sakura's eyes grew a little brighter as she spoke with Mokona. As they chatted, the rest of us stepped back out of the room and watched Syaoran step outside into the pouring rain. His back was to the house and shadows clung to him, hiding his eyes. The rain soaked him almost immediately, his shirt hung on him as water streamed down his shoulders and fell from the tips of his fingers.

We walked over to the window, Kurogane and Fai leaning on the wall to either side of it. I knew that the fact we were now out of Sakura's range of hearing wasn't an accident.

"At that moment," Fai said as we watched Syaoran from the window, "I was sure he would cry. It seems that Sakura-chan is the most important person in the world to Syaoran-kun. So when she said, 'Who are you?' I felt certain he would cry. I wonder if he's crying now."

"Don't know," Kurogane said. "But if he wants to keep from crying, he'll just have to get stronger. Strong enough so that he won't be the one crying in the end."

"Yeah..." Fai murmured. "But I also think there's a certain strength in being able to cry when you should."

Outside, a giant dragon and an equally giant bird silently faded into being, shielding Syaoran from the rain, while a wolf of flame stood beside him.

I stepped back into the shadows of the house. I turned the corner and sat against the wall in the hallway and just listened for a while, letting my gaze land against the wall opposite me.

So Sakura, my fourth traveling companion was awake. And Syaoran was devastated. I suppose I should've expected it, it was 'the thing he valued the most,' but I couldn't completely grasp his reaction. She was awake and alive wasn't she? The past might have been gone, but they had the future to rebuild some of it. Sure, there was something precious that could never be reclaimed, but that was life. You lose things, and you take the blow and stand back up, keep walking. Or you stay down and let life leave you behind. But maybe this was how Syaoran took the blow. Maybe this was how he got back up.

In the other room I heard Sakura's soft voice. "While I was sleeping, I wonder if someone was holding my hand, it felt so warm. It was nice."

And I heard another voice echoing from my own memories.

"You've made your choice. Now accept it fully and know you will never have the right to cry again."