One Year Ago:

Pain drew me back to consciousness. It radiated from my left hand up my arm and into my skull, but I was grateful for it. It forced me to think before I moved. I kept my eyes shut. I'd been shot with a TOR bolt. I remembered that now.

Best case scenario, I'd be in an infirmary in Elpedite. But I should be able to hear a heart monitor, and the hum of machinery, instead of this silence. It was oddly difficult to focus on my body without moving or being able to see it. It felt like I was sitting up in a chair, but there was pressure around my wrists, ankles, and chest. I was restrained.

I reached for The System and lights sparked in the darkness of my closed eyes as something like feedback whined in my ears. I struggled against the urge to press my ears into my shoulders and shut it off. The malfunctions stopped. The TOR bolt must have fried some of The System's major functions.

The bonds around my chest felt tighter. I wasn't sure if I'd kept a straight face or not, and without The System, I couldn't tell if someone else was in the room. Should I keep pretending to be unconscious, or should I check my surroundings? I couldn't escape if I didn't move, and I knew I needed to get out of here. After another minute of silence, I cracked an eye open.

Light pierced my retinas, making my head pound, but I didn't blink against it. I was in a plain metal chair, bound with ropes by my wrists, ankles, and chest. They looked secure. I raised my head.

I was in a tiny concrete room. Bare utility shelves lined the walls on either side of me, so this might have been a janitor's closet or something similar at some point. I faced a green door, the chipping paint revealing metal. A single light bulb hung from the ceiling. I eyed the room for a second before it all spun around me.

My head dropped back to my chest as blackness ate at the corners of my vision. My hair, plastered to my forehead and temple, crunched and flaked rust-colored dust onto my hand. I took deep slow breaths until I could focus my vision again.

I'd almost registered something was wrong with my hand, but the spinning room had distracted me. Now I could clearly see the black lines curling around my fingers and running up my wrist. The lines faded to brown as they got farther up my arm. Electrical burns.

I didn't want to move that arm yet, so I used my right hand to pull against the ropes. They creaked, but I couldn't lift my arm from the metal. I tried both legs and attempted to lean forward. I couldn't move, and when I'd leaned forward a sharp pain lit in my chest. I coughed.

I resisted the urge to panic and strain against the ropes again. This was bad. The same people who'd shot me probably had taken me here. Had the signal been a decoy, or had they panicked and taken me? Unfortunately, I suspected it was the first. They were probably trying to get me to a research center to see how I worked. If they could take me apart, they could recreate the weapon I supposedly was for themselves. Shit.

But I knew Adrian was tracking me somehow. There must be some function in The System that reported my location. I was expensive, so someone was coming to rescue me. Unless the tracker had been damaged by the TOR bolt. Had it been on my clothes, or implanted in me?

I couldn't let myself panic. What did I have to work with? My weapons were gone, but I had time. They wouldn't do anything until we reached a research center. They thought I was a robot. You couldn't torture a robot for information. I tried to move my left hand, one finger at a time. It hurt, badly, but I could move my thumb and the two fingers adjacent. But the last two wouldn't move. It felt like they weren't there anymore. I stomped down my shock. Later.

The only way I was getting out of here was if I got a hand free. I started to twist and pull against the ropes around my right wrist. Maybe if I worked at them long enough, they would come loose. It was my only option.

I'd developed an angry red rope burn and had to grit my teeth against the urge to stop, when the lock on the door clicked and it swung open. I'd forgotten I wouldn't be able to hear anyone coming. With a controlled motion, I stopped moving my arm and looked straight up.

A young man stood in the doorway. When he met my eyes he jumped back. "Damn it! Jasper, I thought you said it was broken!"

A woman pushed passed him and glared at me. "It shouldn't be running."

They both wore blue Yetz uniforms, but they were covered in dust and stains. They'd been in the field for a while. Both had TOR rifles hanging at their sides. The man remained by the door, staring at me with a nervous expression, fingering his rifle. But the woman walked straight for me. I fought down the urge to tense up or glare. Instead I watched her with an empty expression, only moving my eyes and neck.

As soon as she reached me she leaned down and gripped my head in both hands. My temple ached where she put pressure on it and the dried blood in my hair crackled. She tilted my head up and squinted. "It's lenses aren't on, but it can obviously see us." One of her hands left my head and a flashlight clicked on, pointed into my eyes. I nearly blinked, but fought it. I thought I'd seem more machine-like if I didn't.

"Its pupils are working." She hummed. "Maybe those are organic?" Her voice was quieter now. She must be talking to herself. "But still, it should be completely shut down."

"Why are you touching it?" the man asked, lip curled. "And what do you mean organic? It's a robot." He kept looking at me like I was an ugly spider he'd found in his shoe. I wanted to kick him.

She clicked off the flashlight and drew back, her hands on her hips as she regarded me. "It's a fusion of organic matter and metal. The body is like ours, but its brain is a computer. Why do you think it's bleeding? But it's similar to a regular body; if the brain is shut down it shouldn't be moving."

"Okay, whatever. It's creeping me out. Can't we just shoot it again?"

"We need it in decent condition. If we do that again, we could destroy it completely." She glanced at me and frowned. "Although, if some of its functions are running . . ." Then any tracker I had might be running, too. My blood froze. They were going to shoot me again. It was miraculous I'd survived the first one. This time, pinned to a chair and unable to raise my hands, it would kill me. Should I speak? What would I say? They couldn't torture a machine.

Jasper waved a hand. "Okay. Do it." She turned away. "And get ready to move. We'll have to change our location."

My hands were trembling, but they didn't seem to notice. The man reached for his rifle and my breath stuck. I couldn't look away from it. He hesitated. "Wait, I—" his voice wavered.

"What is it?"

"Fuck. It looks like a kid." His gun didn't move.

"They did that on purpose. And you shot it earlier, didn't you?"

"From a distance! I couldn't see its face."

Jasper sighed. When she spoke, her tone was sympathetic. "Fine. I'll do it."

She reached for her gun and I opened my mouth. I had to delay them. From somewhere beyond the door a storm of gunshots erupted. Someone shouted.

"Shit!" the man hissed throwing the door open and sprinting down the hall. Jasper flashed me a considering look and ran after him. They left the door slightly open. My relief that the immediate threat of death was gone was tempered by the hail of gunshots growing nearer. I wrenched against the restrains, agitating my burn, but I ignored the pain. The attack was most likely a team sent to retrieve me, but it wasn't certain.

The gunshots fell silent all at once. A moment later a thunder of footsteps took their place, increasing in volume as they approached. I watched the door.

The barrel of a rifle entered the doorway, pushing the door open further. A moment later a woman wearing black Elpedite gear met my eyes. "Target found. Room cleared." Other figures rushed passed her down the hall, but she remained.

Another figure stepped passed her into the room, and she turned to face the hall. He took his helmet off with one hand and reached for his hip with the other. It was Adrian. He knelt beside me, drew his knife, and set to work on my bindings. "Call the medic," he said over his shoulder. The woman nodded.

"Report, Alice," he said in the same tone he used every time. He'd cut all the ropes in seconds, and they fell to the floor. With my supports gone, I slumped forward. He caught me, letting my head rest on his shoulder. The room was spinning again and my head pounded.

"I think I have a concussion," I spoke slowly, my words fuzzy and far away. "Something is wrong with my left hand. I got hit by a TOR bolt." I tried to push away from him, but my left hand wouldn't rise past my stomach and my other hand shook too badly.

"You're all right," he said, patting my back. "You're safe." I hated the relief that broke over me at his words. Hated that I felt safe now that he was here. Hated the burning in my eyes. I hated him. I shouldn't feel relieved he was here. I couldn't stop shaking.

Adrian ran a hand through my hair. "You're safe.

"I'm here."

Present:

I brushed confetti from my hair with a scowl. How long were they going to be scattering this stuff? I elbowed past a man stepping backwards into me and sidestepped a group of laughing girls. Catching sight of Fai's jacket, I grabbed his arm.

"Ah, there you are." He smiled at me, ignoring the crowd around us. "Did you find it?"

"Yeah, its this way." I kept hold of Fai's arm and towed him through the sea of people to the main desk. A line wove back and forth in front of the sign up booths. The men and women behind the desks worked frantically, shuffling papers and yelling to each other to be heard over the crowd.

"You go finish your preparations," Fai said. "My dragonfly is ready to go."

"Thanks." I turned to the race track and began pushing through the crowd. We'd managed to get our dragonflies parked in lots close to each other, but ended up towards the back. I weaved through vehicles of every color and shape. Some were large with sweeping wings, others needle-shaped with small wings and big engines. I noticed some racers standing beside or in their dragonflies, posing for groups of photographers.

I passed by a young girl, who looked exactly like Chu'Nyan, hopping into her cockpit. A man who looked like James shut the hood of his craft. At least half the racers wore familiar faces.

I paused when I caught sight of another man. Kyle Rondart sat in his vehicle, watching the giant screen above us that displayed information for the race. I stared at him, and he turned and met my eyes.

He smiled, glanced away, then looked back with a wave. I nodded and gave one in return, continuing on my way. He wasn't the same Kyle. He might not be a great guy in this world, but I couldn't judge him for something he hadn't done. I adamantly hoped, however, that the Kyle of Jade had frozen to death in the castle. I still thought of those kids' frostbite-blackened fingers, sometimes.

I reached my dragonfly, parked between Fai's and Sakura's. It shone silver, with little pieces of confetti littered over it. The windscreen had been replaced and was crystal clear, and the cockpit's dials were all lit and functional. I took my seat and started the engine. The dragonfly roared to life beneath me. I checked each readout and gauge. The numbers were correct, and the needles pointed to the right readings. I hopped back out of the seat.

Sakura flitted over her dragonfly, rubbing at any invisible stains she saw and adjusting, then readjusting, her mirrors. I put a hand on her shoulder. "Relax. You worked hard on that thing. It's ready."

She flashed me a shy smile. "I know. I'm just . . . "

"Nervous," I said. "But you've been practicing. It'll be just like normal with a few more people around you. And we'll be looking out for you." She had been a disastrous pilot at the beginning, nearly crashing her dragonfly in our house, but she'd stuck with it and gotten to a decent level. I wasn't sure she could win, but she'd increase her chances if she stayed calm.

She clenched her hands, took a deep breath, and relaxed as she exhaled. "Right. I can do this." She nailed me with a stern look. It caught me a bit off guard. "But you have to do your best, too. Don't wait around for me!"

I blinked. "All right. I'll see you at the finish line, then."

"I'll beat you there."

I smiled. "We'll see."

Syaoran came to stand beside us. "Are you both ready to go? Do you need help with anything?" He glanced up at the countdown on the screen. We had seven minutes and nine seconds left.

"I'm ready," I said, not really feeling it. I wasn't too worried about the race itself, but the screen-time part of it. My natural instinct was to fade into the background. If people didn't notice me, I had the advantage. Now, I wanted all lenses and eyes on me. It would be strange.

"Me, too," Sakura said.

Syaoran glanced between us and back at the clock. "Erin-san, are we signed up yet?"

"Fai was on it."

A hand appeared between us, holding out three sheets of paper. "Three signed-up racers," Fai crowed. Next to him stood Kurogane, squinting at his own paper. We each took the one that had a picture of our dragonflies. I tucked mine into my racer's jacket pocket as everyone else did likewise.

"Okay, get ready," Kurogane said. "The race starts in five—" A horn blew across the pavement, sending people streaming for the stands and their dragonflies. We all gave each other a nod and broke apart.

I hauled myself into my seat and wrapped my hands around the throttle and cyclic. The leather of my gloves creaked. I propped my boots on the pedals. I checked the clock. Three minutes.

I glanced at Fai. He caught my eye and gave me a wave. I nodded and looked the other way. Sakura gave me a nervous smile. I smiled back and tapped my goggles. She started, pulling her own down from her forehead and over her eyes. Mokona, who was on her shoulder, gave her a pat on the cheek.

Another horn sounded, followed by a booming male voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, there's just one minute remaining until the start of the race! Racers, please direct your attention to the countdown. Once it hits zero, you may begin. Please remember that the race route will be displayed on your GPS screen. If you leave the track or start before zero, you will be disqualified. Thirty seconds left! Good luck racers!"

A map popped up on the screen of my dashboard, displaying a red line for the track, and a blue arrow for me. A beep sounded over the speakers. I looked up to see a red fifteen counting down with each beep.

I leaned forward. Took a breath. "Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three . . . "

I revved the engine. "Zero!" Every vehicle around me roared to life. I slammed my foot down on the right pedal. My dragonfly leapt into the air. Every racer flew up and away like a flock of birds above me. I stayed low, skimming the pavement and shooting past the racers swarming over head. In the corner of my vision I noticed other dragonflies using the same strategy, flying a few feet off the ground.

It wouldn't last long, but it would get me a head start. Seconds later, the ground disappeared beneath me and we were above the city. Ahead, about every quarter mile, were four floating signs in a square shape, marking the limits of the track. It was very wide, but when tens of hovercraft tried to cram through it, it would get tight fast.

A shadow made me look up. The underside of a dragonfly fell towards me. The System turned on, and I nudged the cyclic, hit the right peddle, and pushed the throttle. During my practice runs, I'd used The System to track the functions of my controls. It had taken a while, but like it could with any weapon, it found the patterns.

I swung out from beneath the other racer's vehicle and spun into the air above them, upside down. I craned my neck as I was above them. Below, a man who looked like the Ryanban's son gaped up at me. A moment later I righted myself and burst ahead.

I checked the air around me and found I had decent space between me and the other racers, so I risked glancing at my GPS. It seemed like I was in the front third of the racers. Some were falling behind, others pulling ahead, creating some elbow room.

"And they're off!" the announcer boomed. "Our regulars are in the lead, with fan favorite Ryuuo's Sky Chaser at the front."

I glanced back. Sakura and Syaoran weren't far behind. They were doing all right.

Ahead, the track took a dive almost straight down. I opened the throttle all the way and dived. Gravity pulled me down for a moment, then my engines pushed me faster. The wind roared in my ears. The aerodynamic shape of my dragonfly was my advantage here. The bulkier models had more drag and had to fight for perfect terminal velocity.

I spun through the spaces between craft, aimed towards the streets below. The System calculated the spaces between aircraft compared to my vehicle's dimensions and our relative velocity, telling me exactly which spaces I could slip through. The air hissed by other racer's dragonflies, and I felt the heat of their engines on my face.

The track made a U at the bottom. The System calculated my speed, the power of my engine, and my angle of descent. I lowered the throttle to half its capacity 3.2 seconds before the curve. At 0.8 seconds I angled the wings up and opened throttle.

Other craft flew down, some slowing to a crawl, I drifted so close to the track markers I could have reached out and touched one of them. The moment I cleared it, I shot up.

The announcer had been yelling the entire time, but now I heard what he said. "The Falcon-Go has taken the lead! But will she be able to stay there?"

I half-stood from the cockpit, the wind whipping my hair back. I knew the camera was on me now. For a moment, I slipped my goggles up onto my forehead and shook my bangs from my eyes. Then I pulled them back down and leaned forward. Now I had to win.

Kurogane's craft pulled level with mine. "Not bad, brat," he yelled over the wind. "But you'll have to do better." As the track leveled out, he pulled ahead.

"Don't be mean, Kuro-pun," Fai sang, whizzing past. I glared at both of them and gripped the throttle tighter. I wasn't truly mad at them. If they won, they increased our chances of claiming Sakura's feather. I couldn't ask or expect them to hold back to give me more screen time. So I'd just have to beat them fairly.

The track made a sharp left. The bigger vehicles like Kurogane's and Fai's had to slow down to make the turn. Once again, I let The System analyze the angle and calculate the best speed and position to take. Centrifugal force pressed me into my seat, and I fought against it to keep my head up. I gained on them, but hadn't managed to overtake them by the time the track straightened.

I checked my map. My throttle was open as far as it could go. If I was going to beat them, I needed more turns like that. From my quick glance, I counted six remaining. I hoped it was enough.

In my rearview mirror, something flashed. A young man was gaining on me. His craft was small and light like mine. His blonde hair whipped in the wind, and he grinned at me. I recalled see his face on a few posters. This must be a professional racer, and someone with a fan-base. I swung my dragonfly down to block his path. His smile didn't change, but he started a slow drift to my right side. I was stuck checking behind me and then in front constantly. If I looked back too long, I risked flying off track, and if I didn't watch behind, he'd dart around me.

"The Silver Rose is gaining! Can he pass the Falcon-Go?" I gritted my teeth, but, knowing the camera was on us, I straightened in my seat and slipped my goggles up once again.

We reached another turn and I was forced to devote my attention to gaining ground on Fai and Kurogane. I made up the distance they'd taken during the straight track and then some. They were only a hundred feet away now, but they'd be gaining distance until the next turn.

I checked my mirrors for the blonde man. An engine roared as a blur shot out from beneath my craft and ahead of me. "Damn it!" I snarled, crushing the urge to slam a hand on my dashboard.

As I glared the man half turned and gave me a wave. The announcer's voice boomed. "And the Silver Rose overtakes the Falcon-Go!"

I checked my map. There were only a few turns left before the end of the race, not enough to retake the lead. But I'd try.

Leaning forward, we dove. I craned my neck to see the Piffle Tower in the distance, marking the finish line. Another racer crept toward us, but I swung my dragonfly into their path, forcing them to brake.

The track leveled and I wrenched the cyclic up. My Falcon-Go shot upwards. Ahead, Kurogane had the lead, while Fai blocked the Silver Rose from advancing. It slowed the both of them down enough that I started gaining ground.

But I had to block the racer behind me again, slowing my advance. I glared at her through my mirror. The System flashed an alert in my vision as a distant bang reached my ears. 'Potential detonation detected,' an arrow indicated the source had come from behind me. I risked a look back and saw a plume of black smoke billowing over the track. The smoke was black, so it wasn't wood or paper burning, it had to be fuel or another chemical. Had a dragonfly crashed?

"There's been an explosion on the track!" the announcer cried. "Some pilots have been knocked form the race, but it appears there are no serious injuries." The racer behind me edged into my vision and I moved to block her. I'd find out what happened later. Now I had to focus on finishing the race.

Another turn, and Piffle Tower loomed ahead. As soon as the force of my turn dissipated, I opened the throttle fully. The track was a straight shot past the base of the tower, and a ribbon marked the finish line. I watched Kurogane fly across, the ribbon catching on his dragonfly's hood.

"The Kuro-Tan-Go crosses the finish line! We have our first winner!"

Seconds later, Fai and the Silver Rose followed. The racer behind me made one last duck to get around me and I blocked. I tore my goggles from my face and half stood the second before I flew across the finish line.

Fourth place. It wasn't terrible, but the coverage wouldn't focus much on me, with a fan favorite having beaten me and a pair of mysterious strangers having beaten him. I wouldn't even get the attention the person in last place might receive.

I followed the path my map indicated and parked my dragonfly at the base of the tower, next to the Silver Rose. Confetti rained down on my hair and cameras flashed all around me. I looked up to see the cameras focused on a beaming boy. The pilot of the Silver Rose leaned against his dragonfly and waved. I shoved my hands in my pockets and glared at him through my tinted goggles. His suit, smile, and glowing confidence made me think of Adrian.

Leaning back against my dragonfly, a horn sounded. The announcer's voice echoed over the lot. "And we have our winners! Twenty racers have crossed the finish line. Our winners are . . ." he read off the names of each racer as a photo of them crossing the finish line was displayed. My face was easily visible in my photo, which was better than nothing. I watched as a few strangers' photos were displayed, until Syaoran popped up in eleventh place. More racers flicked by, until the only position left was last place. I held my breath. Sakura's smile glowed in her photo as she crossed the finish line. She had made it.

I pushed off of my dragonfly and went to find them. I stepped past the few photographers that aimed their cameras my way before moving on. I stood on my toes and craned my neck to see where the others were, but all around I could only see unfamiliar faces and confetti.

A hand hooked my elbow. I tensed and looked up to see a grinning Fai. "Found her!" Before I could say anything, he'd dragged me into a cluster of photographers. At its center stood Kurogane. Fai set me between them started waving at the crowd.

Kurogane nudged me. "Take your goggles off, brat."

They'd pulled me into their spotlight. I yanked my goggles down around my neck as my checks grew hot. I wanted to look at the ground, but I forced my gaze into the lenses around me. "Thank you. Both of you."

"Happy to help," Fai said. Kurogane grunted, eyes on the screen stationed over the crowd.

Syaoran jogged out of the crowd to meet us, his attention fixed on the screens. "Did her highness make it?"

"She made twentieth place," I said.

He sighed in relief and redirected his attention to the crowd. After a few second he waved. "Over here!"

Sakura ducked around the photographers and joined the group. Mokona cheered and clapped atop her head.

"Well done, Sakura-chan!" Fai said.

Syaoran nodded. "Congratulations, you're Highness."

Sakura clasped her hands together and blushed. "Thank you." She bounced onto the tips of her toes. "We did it!"

I smiled. With the five of us in a race of twenty total, our chances of getting her feather back were much higher now.

More reporters swarmed around us, shoving microphones at Kurogane and Fai.

"Kurogane-san, care to tell the people of Piffle about yourself?"

"How does it feel to have won the preliminaries?"

"Are you on a team?"

"Can we expect a similar performance in the finals?"

Kurogane stared at the microphones in silent disgust as Fai did his best to wave away questions. I swatted away a mic as the woman holding it reached past my face to get closer to Kurogane.

Mokona leaned into one of the microphones near Sakura. "Sakura was amazing! And Mokona was flying!" The microphone was withdrawn.

The announcer's voice boomed over the chaos. "Racers, please make your way to the lobby of Piffle Tower. We have refreshments and celebrations prepared! Victors can receive information on the finals at the lobby desk."

Kurogane began elbowing his way past the reporters, and the rest of us filed behind him until we reached the lobby. There, reporters were held back by several security personnel. We all flashed out racer's pins and were allowed in.

A extensive buffet table full of fruits, cheeses, and other snacks was laid out on our left, with chairs and tables to our right. Straight ahead was the lobby desk, with a line of racers in front of it. Above them, a chart displayed the victors. I scanned through the list, recognizing several lookalikes. Kyle, Shougo, and Chu'Nyan had made it, along with a few new faces.

"Can we eat first?" Fai slumped against Kurogane. "After all that, I'm starving, and the line looks boring."

Kurogane shrugged him off with a grunt but turned towards the buffet. I was hungry too. We probably all were after the stress of the race. I grabbed a plate and pilled it with crackers and something that looked like orange blackberries. They tasted like grapes.

We sat at one of the tables. A white tablecloth draped across it, and ten chairs around it. We'd just taken as seat when a woman in a suit and sunglasses appeared behind Kurogane. I jerked upright, choking on one of the berries I'd inhaled. Syaoran patted me on the back as Kurogane turned to see what I'd been looking at. A second later I caught my breath. The woman didn't acknowledge any of this. "Please come with me," she said.

"Why?" Kurogane asked.

"I've been asked to retrieve you five." By Tomoyo was the unspoken addition. Saying her name here would draw attention to a relationship that was probably illegal, or would at least be viewed as cheating.

We rose, leaving our plates at the woman's direction, and followed her to a set of elevator doors. She drew an ID from her jacket, swiped it, then stepped to the side as the doors opened. Once we were all inside, she entered, pressed a button, and the doors shut.

"Why does Tomoyo want to speak with us?" I asked.

"She didn't say." The bodyguard remained facing the door. It was probably just to gush over Sakura, I reasoned. She'd won the preliminaries after all, so we could probably expect some excitement from her.

The doors opened and we stepped into a large tiled room. It was circular, the entire outer wall a window that wrapped around the space and looked out on the city. A single dining table was set up near the window on the wall opposite to the elevator.

"Wait here," the woman said. I turned to see her in the elevator just before the doors closed.

"This is much nicer," Fai said, stretching and heading for the table. "Far fewer reporters."

I nodded. For a moment, I thought it was strange Tomoyo wasn't here yet, but then I remembered she was hosting this race, so she probably had some business to attend to.

There was a platter of sandwiches on the table, cut into neat triangles. We sat immediately and started eating. I ate two sandwiches in minutes, but Kurogane ate each of his sandwiches in two bites. When he looked away, Mokona would swipe a sandwich from his plate, despite the platter of them in the center of the table.

"What caused the explosion?" I asked, once everyone was a bit less ravenous.

Syaoran perked up. "I was near it when it happened, but I'm not sure what happened. I didn't see anything strange. One second everyone was flying, then there was smoke everywhere."

"How many racers got caught in it?" Fai asked.

Syaoran considered the tablecloth. "Ten, maybe? The force of it nearly knocked me out of the air."

I glanced him over. He had some soot on his jacket and hair. "But you weren't injured?"

"No, I'm fine."

The elevator dinged and we looked up. A beaming Tomoyo stepped out, speaking to the person next to her—

I leapt from my chair, knocking it to the floor.

Nathaniel's eye met mine and widened in recognition. "Erin!" But it was him! His curly black hair, his eye-patch, his smile. He ran to me.

I caught him and realized I'd flown across the room to meet him without knowing I'd started running. His arms wrapped around my waist and squeezed. I hugged him back, clinging to him as tightly as I dared, and pressed my forehead into his hair. He was here. I'd found him.

"You're here," he said in a hoarse voice. "You found me."

"Of course," I said, realizing my voice matched. "I'm here." He was safe. Despite all the dangerous worlds he could have landed in, or the strange flow of time between them, I'd found him.

I gripped his shoulders and pushed him back a step, scanning him. "Are you hurt?" The System didn't find any signs of injury, aside from his eye. He wore Piffle clothes: a bright red jacket, jeans, and sneakers. I caught sight of him rolling his eye, but smiling.

He shook his head as I turned him around and inspected his back. "I'm okay. I'm okay." He faced me and looked at the ground. "I—what happened back home—I'm sorry."

I took a breath. We needed to talk about that. He'd appeared in the lab with what I now knew must have been magic. In Elpedite, where it wasn't supposed exist, but my brother had used it. I needed to know how. But we were far away from there, and for now I just wanted to be with him.

"We'll talk about that soon," I said, my expression firm. "But not now, okay?"

He gave me a smile. "Okay." We stepped away from each other, but Nathaniel's hand remained in mine.

I turned to the others. Sakura met my eyes with a glowing smile, her stare darting from me to my brother. Syaoran wore a similar look, if a bit more subdued. Fai grinned and gave me a thumbs up as Mokona applauded on his shoulder. And Kurogane gave me a small smile; then it was gone.

I gestured to them. "These are—These are my friends. I've been traveling with them, looking for you."

Nathaniel regarded them with wide eyes. "Really?" He was putting on a show of interest, but his free hand rubbed at his jeans.

"I trust them," I said. He looked up and met my eyes. He saw my expression and relaxed a little.

Tomoyo came to stand next to Nathaniel. "Sorry, Erin–san. I would have reunited you sooner, but I didn't know you were looking for each other."

Nathaniel jumped and pointed at her. "I can understand you!"

She smiled. "And I can you, it seems. Why don't we sit?" She gestured to the table. "I think we have a lot to talk about."

We took our seats. Nathaniel sat on my right, with Tomoyo next to him. I took plate and sandwich and set it in front of Nathaniel, mostly to have something to do with my nervous energy.

"How long have you been here?" I asked, trying to decide what I could ask without tipping off Tomoyo to our status as dimensional travelers.

"About three months, I think." He frowned. "It was a bit hard to keep track of time. But seriously, how can I understand Tomoyo now?"

"Mokona!" Mokona cried and sprang into my brother's lap. Nathaniel yelped and threw his hands up, staring at Mokona.

"This is Mokona," I said. "They can translate for us. They're also an endless source of energy and surprises." I left out the world-hopping detail. I'd explain that part later.

"Nathaniel has a very good sister," Mokona said, poking Nathaniel's chest.

"Yeah," he said, giving Mokona a tentative smile. "I do."

"So you've been staying with Tomoyo?" I asked. I'd assumed so because Nathaniel seemed at ease around her, so he'd probably spent some time with her.

He nodded. "I ended up in one of her factories. I think she was there on inspection?" He looked to Tomoyo and she nodded. "I couldn't understand what anyone was saying, but she took me to Piffle Tower. I've been staying in some rooms there."

"Why?" I asked, watching Tomoyo closely. I wasn't sure why she would give him a place to stay, instead of sending him to the police and letting them handle it.

"I had a feeling he needed help," she said. "Also, he was a young boy, speaking no known language, holding a mysterious power source, and not on any registry I could find. Something was odd."

"The power source being the feather?" I asked. Her reasoning was still off. The feather was obviously valuable, but I wasn't sure why she thought Nathaniel was worth her time. Maybe she'd just been curious. It would fit with her whimsical personality. But she hadn't asked where Nathaniel was from, despite the obvious question.

"Yes," Nathaniel said. "I brought the feather with me."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "Why is it being used as a prize for the race?" I asked, watching my brother and Tomoyo. Had she stolen it from him? Was she using him?

Tomoyo set down her glass and met my suspicious gaze. "After a while, Nathaniel managed to communicate that he was looking for someone, and that they would recognize the feather. I thought that by bringing attention to it, that person might find him. I would also benefit from the publicity of the event." She'd given me a reason why it was mutually beneficial for her, and I respected that.

"And I saw you on the news," Nathaniel said, grinning. "You won fourth place."

I crossed my arms and mocked offense. "I thought I did pretty good." I wanted to tell him about Sakura, and that the feather really belonged to her. But Tomoyo was still here. Her reasoning for helping Nathaniel had been calculated and mutually beneficial, which made her role in this more plausible, but I didn't want her any more involved than she was. Even after this conversation, Nathaniel and I would have a lot to talk about. He knew it, too. He hadn't mentioned Elpedite, or the circumstances of our separation.

I looked up at the others, who'd been watching in silence, and realized I hadn't introduced anyone.

"Oh, Nathaniel, this is Sakura, Syaoran, Fai, Kurogane, and you've met Mokona." I said, pointing to everyone in turn.

"Hi," Nathaniel offered in a small voice.

"It's nice to meet you," Fai said. Kurogane grunted what might have been agreement.

"Erin-san has been looking very hard for you," Syaoran said.

"She'd told us lots about you," Sakura said, leaning forward. "You play the piano, right?"

Nathaniel flashed a nervous glance at the floor, but nodded. "I do."

"Can you teach me how to play? Just a little bit?" she asked.

Nathaniel glanced at me. I smirked and shrugged. He looked back to her. "Sure. Okay."

Tomoyo rose. "Sorry everyone, but I have an interview I must get to. I take it Nathaniel will be going home with you?"

"Yes," Nathaniel and I said at the same time.

"Oh," he said, "I've got to get my stuff."

Tomoyo waved his concern away. "I'll have someone deliver it tomorrow."

"Thank you," he said, facing her fully. "For everything." He was still except for the nervous way he shifted closer to me.

Tomoyo smiled. "I was happy to help. And I'm glad we came to the best conclusion to your stay with us." She waved to everyone. "I'll drop in sometime tomorrow. Bye, everyone."

She left in the elevator, her guards following behind her.

"Maybe we should go too," Fai said. "It is getting a bit late."

I glanced out the window to see an orange sky. The burning light spilled through the windows and made the white of the tablecloth appear gold. Outside, the windows of office buildings and the speeding hovercraft flashed in the sun. We rose, Nathaniel staying by my side as we headed for the elevators. He held my hand with both of his, and as we stepped in, I smiled at him. He beamed back.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Nathaniel rode in my dragonfly and sat behind me in the cockpit. He was silent for the whole trip, watching the city lights fly past us. Every time I breathed, I felt him arms around my chest. I found myself smiling.

We landed on our rooftop seconds after the others. Nathaniel stood once I shut off my vehicle. "Is that the house?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "It's pretty big. I think you'll like it." I hopped out of the cockpit, and helped Nathaniel down. He followed me to the house, where the others had already filed inside.

As we entered the home, Fai called over his shoulder. "Welcome to our humble abode, Nathaniel-kun."

Nathaniel hummed in response, leaning around the doorway to see the kitchen. His face was neutral. I'd hoped for a little excitement from him, but he held his shoulders stiff and his hands stuffed in his pockets. He glanced at Fai, who'd moved on. He didn't trust them.

"Come on," I said, jerking my head in the direction of the living room. "We should talk."

He shuffled his feet before following me. I took a seat on the couch, and Nathaniel tucked himself in between me and the armrest. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," he sighed. "I'm fine now. I just . . . I thought I left you there." He glared at his knees. "I thought you'd be with me, but when I got here and you weren't . . . I thought you were still in Elpedite with Adrian. I really hoped you were here, but I was sure you weren't." He swiped at his eye.

I sighed. "I'm sorry it to me so long to get here."

Nathaniel shook his head. "It's not your fault. Where did you land?"

I frowned. "I think the world was called Japan? I wasn't there very long. It's where I met the others."

"Wait, you went to another world? Not here or Elpedite?"

"Yes. I've been traveling between worlds."

He looked up from his knees, a spark of interest in his eye. "Really? What were they like?"

I crossed my arms. "Annoying. Most didn't even have electricity. The first world had electricity, but they people there had magic creatures they would use to fight each other. The next world didn't even have plumbing and we had to help overthrow a king. In other worlds we rescued some kidnapped kids, landed in a virtual reality world, and met some talking rabbits. It's been crazy." I didn't mention how I'd nearly died fighting in a room of magic acid or how I'd thought The System was killing me in Outo. He didn't need to worry about it.

"Woah," he breathed. "Cool. But why'd you do all that?"

"We've been looking for Sakura's memories. That's what the feather is. It's hard to explain, and I don't understand it entirely, but she lost her memories and they took the form of feathers. They were scattered across worlds."

Nathaniel looked confused, but nodded slowly. "Okay."

"That's it?" I asked. "I was pretty confused about this when I first learned. You don't have to be embarrassed."

"I'm fine." Nathaniel eyed the doorway. "Who are they? How did you meet them?"

"They come from different worlds. When I landed in Japan, I met a woman, Yuuko, who gave us Mokona. Mokona can take us to different worlds. But we had to buy their help from Yuuko, and we had to pay together to afford it."

Nathaniel frowned. "What did you pay?"

I looked out the window. "Our parents' rings. Sorry." I'd wanted to give them to him, someday. Adrian had given them to me about a year after I'd had The System installed. He'd said it was a reward for good behavior, but I wondered if it was a joke. I'd thought of the rings as a reminder of my parents, and who I'd wanted to be.

Nathaniel shrugged. "It's okay. I think they meant more to you anyway." I supposed they did. Nathaniel couldn't remember our parents, so they were just jewelry to him. I'd wanted him to have a piece of them—something to help him get closer to them.

"They're strange," Nathaniel said. "Syaoran and Sakura seem okay."

"But?"

"The tall one's kinda scary. And I don't know how I feel about Fai."

I nodded. "I understand that. I felt similar when I first met them. But Kurogane's a good guy, even if he's intimidating. And Fai is, too."

"He smiles too much."

"Not for the same reasons as Adrian." I wasn't entirely sure about that. A little bit of doubt always nagged at me about Fai. No one was happy all the time, but Fai made a good show of it and it made me wonder what else he could conceal. But I got the feeling Fai smiled in a fake it till you make it sort of way. "I trust him. And you don't have to like them. You've been going through a lot, and we have time. We can go, and do, whatever we want." I didn't expect him to be comfortable around them. He'd grown up in isolation. Being around so many new people was bound to make him nervous.

A smile lit his face. "I guess we can, huh? I stayed hidden when I was with Tomoyo, but . . . can we go to a park tomorrow?"

"Sure," I grinned. "And anywhere else you want." We were free. We had to follow the law, of course, but the days of negotiating with Adrian for every little freedom were gone. We could go to any part of the city, get a regular job, talk to people, buy a house. Our lives were just starting again, and we had so many choices.

"I have a surprise!" Fai called, strolling into the room with a cardboard box in his arms. Syaoran and Sakura followed him, eyeing the box curiously. "Kuro-tan, come over here!"

"I'm not a dog," the man growled, stalking into the room.

Fai set the box on the coffee table and opened it. He withdrew two sparkling bottles with a grin. "It's time to celebrate!"

Mokona, perched on Syaoran's shoulder, cheered. Fai withdrew glasses from the box and began filling them. "Erin-san, are you having any?" he asked.

I eyed the alcohol. Last time I hadn't tried any because I'd thought The System was broken, and we were in a world of monsters. But this was a safer world, and I didn't think I was going to get a better opportunity to try. "Sure." I looked to Nathaniel. "Want to try some? You can only have a little though."

"Yeah," he said, watching Fai pour each glass with interest.

Kurogane groaned as Fai handed glasses to Sakura and Syaoran, but accepted his without comment. Fai handed me two glasses and I handed the nearly empty one to Nathaniel.

Fai held out his glass. "Congratulations on winning the prelims and finding Nathaniel-kun!"

"Congratulations," everyone echoed. Nathaniel blushed as we clinked our glasses together and took a sip.

I lowered my glass with a frown. It tasted a bit like rotten fruit, but I didn't dislike it. I looked to Nathaniel to see his face screwed up in disgust. I snickered at the reaction.

Fai laughed. "Never tried that before?"

Nathaniel shook his head and set the glass down on the coffee table.

Sakura giggled. "I made a similar face when your sister showed me coffee."

Nathaniel leaned forward. "It's gross, right?"

Sakura's expression turned grave as she nodded.

From there the night deteriorated into chaos. We all finished our first glasses fairly quickly, which was where I stopped. I wasn't risking getting drunk on Nathaniel's first night here. But everyone else had seconds, and thirds, and at some point I lost track.

Nathaniel leaned next to me. "Why is Sakura meowing?"

"Meow!" The girl in question appeared behind the couch, startling Nathaniel out of his seat. "Meow?"

I sat on the floor next to him, where he was staring at Sakura with something between amusement and terror. "It's a thing from one of the worlds we were in. Sakura went by the name Little Kitty while we were there."

"Why?"

"We had to register for a home and we let Fai pick the names. I was Rabbit." I hadn't thought much of the name at the time. It was just a temporary alias. But telling Nathaniel it suddenly seemed ridiculous.

Nathaniel stared at me blankly before bursting into giggles. "Rabbit? You?"

I shrugged, but found myself grinning.

Sakura plopped down next to me, red-faced. "That was so much fun."

"Scaring my brother?"

"The race! We were so high up and—and swooshing through the sky!" She stared intently at the window. "I should practice."

"No," I said, reaching across her and into her pockets for her dragonfly keys. I stared her down as I slipped them into my jacket.

She puffed out her cheeks. "Meanie."

"Uh-huh," I said, rising to find the other dragonfly keys. I found Fai's by the door, along with Kurogane's. I was less worried about them, but I didn't put it past Sakura to "borrow" them. I found Syaoran's jacket draped on a kitchen chair, his keys in the pocket.

Satisfied no one was going out for a midnight joy ride, I returned to the living room and stopped in the doorway.

Nathaniel sat in front of the couch, Mokona on his head, trying to braid his hair. Next to him, Syaoran sat cross-legged, staring red-faced at his feet as Sakura worked on his hair.

"What are you doing?" I spluttered.

"Braiding contest!" Mokona cried. "Mokona is winning!" Sakura glanced at my brother's hair, frowned, and returned her focus to Syaoran.

Fai examined their work. His eyes slid to Kurogane. They made eye contact.

"No," Kurogane said in a dead tone. "Absolutely not."

"Come on, Kuro-puu!" Fai said, creeping closer to him.

"No," Kurogane stood, edging away. "It's not even long enough to braid, you idiot!" And thus begun Fai's attempt to climb Kurogane and get to his hair. I quietly sat next to my brother, hoping to avoid both of their attention.

"Braid the brat's hair," Kurogane snapped, pointing to me as Fai dangled from his arm. Fai paused, looked to me. Something glinted in his eyes as they met mine.

I stood. "Bedtime," I said, pulling Nathaniel to his feet. Mokona clung to his hair, where four braids stuck out at odd angles. He had a dazed look on his face.

"Mokona wins!" Mokona cried.

"No fair," Sakura said, glancing from Nathaniel to Syaoran's three braids. "I swear I had five. Meow."

"Erin-san," Fai said. "Let me braid your hair."

"No," I said, wearing my most serious expression. "It's very late, and Nathaniel has to get to bed."

Next to me, Nathaniel nodded vigorously. "I'm very tired."

We ran up the stairs, ignoring Kurogane's shout. "Hey! Don't leave me with—hands off!"

We ran to my room and slammed the door shut, locking it. We glanced at each other as we leaned back against the door, panting. Nathaniel's braids stuck straight up and his face glowed red. We both burst into laughter.

"They're crazy!" Nathaniel said.

"Only sometimes," I said, unraveling the braids from his hair. The room was bare except for a bed and a cardboard box full of the clothes I owned. We were only staying here temporarily, after all. I paused in fixing Nathaniel's hair. It wasn't temporary, though. Nathaniel and I were staying here. I was going to get a job, and Nathaniel would go to school, and we would live here. And the others would move on. I shook the thought away, and the spike of pain it brought, before it could snowball. I'd worry about that tomorrow. "I've got some shorts and T-shirt you can use for tonight. Your stuff should be here tomorrow."

He changed and left to use the bathroom. I got into my own pajamas while he was gone. I found a second pillow in one of the hallway closets and threw it on the bed. When Nathaniel returned I hit the light, and we crawled into bed. He curled up next to me. Muffled shouts and thuds occasionally drifted up from downstairs, but otherwise it was quiet.

"I'm really glad you're here," Nathaniel whispered.

I smiled. "I'm glad you're here. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Soon, Nathaniel's breaths even out and he shifted closer to me. I shut my eyes and listened to him breathe, the last of my anxiety falling away. He was here, and I was done searching. We'd never go back to Elpedite and I was surprised how little I cared. It was the world I'd drown up in, but I was happy to see it go. I'd never see it, or Adrian, again. I thought of the future and smiled. I felt asleep soon after.