REPUBLIC OF HANSHIN
"You three! There's no use in staying inside. If you want to find Saku-kun's feathers, why don't you go out and look around?" Sorata suggested.
Fai and Kurogane, being as tall as they were, ended up borrowing Sorata's clothes. Due to Fai's willowy height, the shirt was short in the hem and sleeves for her, and her belt was adjusted to the tightest setting. Whereas Kurogane filled out her own clothes much more due to her muscle. She had let down her usual topknot so that her hair fell past her waist. Fai had cooed in awe at it, forgoing her own usual plait in favor of letting her own hair loose to match.
"Alright," Fai smiled.
"Okay," Xiaolian nodded seriously.
Kurogane stayed quiet, already annoyed at having to tag along with the other two on a mission she wanted no part of.
Xiaolian, shorter than even Arashi, had ended up borrowing the latter's clothes. It was a simple collared blouse and, considering Arashi's preference of long skirts and Xiaolian's height, the girl had the skirt pulled up at her midriff so that it would reach her knees. Fai had ended up convincing her to let her hair down, so her hair was in a half-up and half-down style. Xiaolian couldn't remember the last time she'd worn her hair out of a ponytail except for sleeping.
"Ah! I have to leave now!" Sorata exclaimed after looking at his watch. He turned to look down at Xiaolian. "If you start exploring, I think you'll begin to find out what all this kudan talk is about." He advised.
"Okay," Xiaolian nodded. She couldn't help but turn to look at the hotel again, right at the room where Saku was sleeping.
"Don't worry," Arashi got Xiaolian's attention. "I'll take care of Saku-san."
"Thank you," Xiaolian relaxed a little.
"Do we have to bring that white thing with us?" Kurogane grumbled, staring at Mokona.
"Mokona is not 'that white thing!' Mokona is Mokona!" Mokona squealed, jumping and flying toward Kurogane's face.
Fai giggled and tickled Mokona. "If Mokona is shiro, then this lady is kuro, right?"
"Bring Mokona with you," Sorata advised. "Otherwise, you won't know if a feather is nearby. Don't worry though, no one will suspect Mokona. Things of these sorts are a normal sight around this town," he assured.
Xiaolian tilted her head. "Hm?"
"Right! Take this with you," Sorata took out a pouch in the shape of a frog and placed it in Xiaolian's palms. "There's money inside. You three go and eat lunch together and make some friends. Well, you can eat wherever you like, but you'll never find a meal better than the ones my honey makes." He added.
"Why did you give it to the kid?" Kurogane demanded.
Sorata stuck his tongue out and gave them a bright thumbs-up. "Because she looks the most trustworthy!"
Xiaolian blushed, Fai laughed, and Kurogane's irate button was switched on yet again.
"What the hell does that mean?"
The trio plus Mokona traversed the streets of the Republic of Hanshin, in awe of the city and the sights it had to offer.
"It's pretty crowded," Fai whistled.
"So many people!" Mokona chirped.
"Tall buildings bunched along with small buildings…" Xiaolian noted, eyes wide and gasping a little at the impressive architecture.
"Has Xiaolian-chan ever seen this kind of scenery?" Fai asked.
"No," Xiaolian shook her head.
"And how about Kuro-tan?" Fai swiveled her head around to look at the ninja, who was keeping a few paces behind them. She smiled innocently as she watched Kurogane bristle.
"No! And why do you have to call me by weirder and weirder names?"
Around them, people giggled and murmured. They were staring at Mokona who was riding atop Xiaolian's head, and the girl only blinked back at the passerbys, not understanding why they were getting so much attention.
"You're being laughed at," Kurogane smirked.
"Mokona is very popular~" Mokona giggled, blushing.
"You wish," Kurogane scoffed.
They soon passed a vendor who called out to them. "Yo! Welcome ladies, wanna buy some apples?" he held out the red fruit and Xiaolian gasped.
"Eh?" Xiaolian blinked, leaning forward to inspect it. "This is an apple?"
"An apple? Of course, it is," the vendor replied.
"Apples in Xiaolian-chan's world don't look like this?" Fai was curious, leaning down to be closer to her height.
"The shape is the same, but the color is more yellowish…" Xiaolian explained.
"That's a pear," Kurogane said.
Xiaolian looked up at her. "No, no, pears are redder with a stalk on top…"
"That's a laki fruit—" Fai chirped.
"Hey!" the vendor cut in. "Do you want to buy any or not?"
"Yes!" Mokona decided excitedly.
"Eh?" Xiaolian had forgotten Mokona was still on her head.
"Apples taste pretty good," Fai praised as she finished her bite. They had stopped on a bridge, leaning against a railing overlooking the river below.
"Yeah," Xiaolian agreed with a nod.
"But we really are from different worlds, considering the whole fruit mix-up." Fai laughed. "Ah, I haven't asked…" she realized, "how did you get to the Space-Time Witch's place? You said you don't know any magic."
"I was sent by the High Priestess of my country," Xiaolian explained as Mokona opened wide, still atop her head, and swallowed an apple whole.
"Ah, that priestess is really something then. It's not easy to transport a single person, yet she managed to send two people to another dimension at the same time." Fai praised before looking past Xiaolian. "How about Kuro-rin?" She asked, smiling blithely.
Kurogane grimaced. "Can you stop calling me stupid names?" she muttered before scowling. "I was sent unwillingly and with great force by the princess of my country."
"Oh~ You must have done something bad, so you were punished?" Fai giggled at Kurogane, and Mokona started dancing on Xiaolian's head singing, "punished~"
"You shut your mouth!" Kurogane hissed before biting out, "And what about you?"
"Me? I went there on my own," Fai replied simply and Kurogane double-taked.
"Then, you didn't have to ask the Space-Time Witch for help. You could've traveled between worlds by yourself," Kurogane accused.
"I can't," Fai smiled. "Even with all my power, I can only transport myself to another world once. The one who transported Xiaolian-chan and the one who transported Kuro-chin—"
"I told you not to call me that!" Kurogane barked, jolting with irritation and causing Mokona to fly off her shoulder.
"—both have very strong magical powers," Fai continued. "But even if they used all of their powers, I suppose they could only transport someone to another world once. That's why the High Priestess transported Xiaolian-chan to the Space-Time Witch." She explained and Xiaolian's eyes widened as she remembered the pained and determined look Yukiko had thrown Touyami before sending them to Yuuko. "In order to get back all of Saku-kun's feathers of memories, we have to travel to many different worlds. And the only one who has that power is the Space-Time Witch."
Xiaolian looked down at her apple, face falling as she recalled something from long ago.
flashback
"Xiaolian." Little Saku called, prompting little Xiaolian to hurry out of her house to greet the boy who was carrying a basketful of apples. "The townspeople brought over some apples to the castle. I saved some for you," Saku handed Xiaolian the basket. "They heard that I liked apples," he blushed as he held one. "I wonder why they'd go to the trouble…"
Xiaolian smiled at Saku, and Xiaolian's father watched with warmth at the scene.
"That's because all the people in this country like you a lot, ouji-sama." Xiaolian said kindly, and Saku flushed before letting out a happy giggle.
"Saku…" Xiaolian looked down at her apple.
"Ahhhhhh!"
The trio looked up sharply at the scream, seeing a group of people atop one of the roofs. They were all dressed in black shirts, light scarves, gloves, light pants, and goggles.
Below them, a group of people in jumpsuits were in defensive positions.
"We'll get you this time for sure! This territory belongs to us!" one of the jumpsuits yelled.
The goggled man with the long ponytail at the front of the rooftop group only smirked and simply thumbed them down.
"They're fighting for territories again!" someone beside them shouted.
"Ah, cool~" Fai whistled as she placed a hand above her eyes to block out the sun and see more clearly.
"Don't be so cocky just because you have a high level kudan!" one of the jumpsuits barked.
Kudan? Xiaolian gasped before she clutched at her chest, a sudden rush of heat thrumming under her skin. It feels hot?
The goggled gang jumped off the rooftop, and the trio watched in fascination as both gangs summoned strange creatures that immediately started firing off jets of light that created a wall upon meeting.
"Young people these days!" one of the crowd-goers huffed.
"Stop it, you brats!" another yelled.
"It's them again," someone sighed.
"So, that's a kudan?" Kurogane frowned.
"No wonder Mokona didn't scare anyone even though it can move around," Fai smiled.
Suddenly, one of the jumpsuits conjured a huge kudan, aiming for the leader of the goggles.
The leader only smirked, summoning a large manta ray that swirled up above him and sent huge jets of water flying directly at the enemy kudan. However, the water washed the crowd as well and Xiaolian watched in horror as a boy tripped in it. Another boy in a tasseled hat and long robes tried to move the fallen boy, both watching in horror as a knocked-over billboard hurtled toward them.
"Watch out!" Xiaolian cried. She ran forward, ducking protectively over both boys.
People watched in fascination and awe as huge bursts of flame erupted from above Xiaolian, burning the billboard to ash as her wolf kudan formed over her.
The leader of the goggled gang looked down at Xiaolian in interest, lips curving.
"Hm…you seem to have a special kudan, don't you?"