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"Besides." interjected Kurogane. "What could you do? This is a fight with kudan and you don't have one, so how could you have possibly give Syaoran any help." Kyoya glared at him. "Oh sure, just rub it in. I don't have a kudan and guess what, I like it that way and I to could have helped. I could have given him encouragement or suggestions on how to beat Shogo. So there Mr. I-Have-A-Dragon-Kudan-And-A-Huge-Ass-Dragon-Sword-That-Can-Defeat-Anything-That-Stands-In-Its-Way…" His silent ranting died away as he watch Shogo and Syaoran stare each other down, neither blinking. The fight that everyone had been waiting for since that first day on the bridge was about to begin
~ Episode 6: Unshed Tears ~
The tension was so thick that one could cut it with a knife. Shogo and his water kudan stood on one side of the ditch while Syaoran and his fire kudan stood on the other side. Kyoya couldn't take his eyes off of the fighter and their kudan. As he watched a thought popped into his head. "Wait a minute…Syaoran's kudan is fire whereas Shogo's is water and water always puts out a fire…Oh No! Syaoran doesn't stand a chance; he'll be murdered or at least his kudan will. I've got to try to talk him out of this." Kyoya hadn't taken more then a few steps toward his brother when both kudans threw energy shots at each other. They collided in the middle of the ditch and caused a huge explosion, which threw Kyoya back the few steps he had taken. He would have been thrown farther if it hadn't been for Kurogane catching him. Kurogane set him back on his feet but he didn't release the hold he had on Kyoya's shoulders. Even thought he didn't know much about Kyoya, he knew for a fact that he would help his brother no matter what, even if it meant going into a battle with no weapon, and Kurogane wasn't going to let that happen. "This kid is foolish… brave, but foolish. Whether or not I like this kid, I'm not about to let him be killed." Fye must have thought the same thing cause he moved slightly in front of Kyoya to that he couldn't run forward. Kyoya knew what they were doing but as he watched the shots of energy flying through the air he knew that there was no way to get to Syaoran now, so he stayed where he was. All of a sudden Masayoshi yelled down to Syaoran from the roof. "Behind you!" Syaoran turned and saw that one of the shots had picked up a chunk of rock, which was now falling right at him. Syaoran jumped up to meet the rock and kicked out his right leg, breaking the rock into smaller pieces. He landed down in the ditch and his kudan lept down as well. "He's no amature that's for sure." said Fye.
"Well he's got enough brains not to let his guard down if that's what you mean." said Kurogane.
"From what I gather he hasn't had much of a warriors life. Where'd he learn moves like that?"
"Maybe he's a fast learner and picked up the basics from watching your fight with that singer girl."
"That's possible or perhaps he has a livelier past than we realize. Maybe he keeps some secrets." said Fye.
"Both Syaoran and I learned the basics of fighting from a guy who was passing through our country. He was a good teacher and taught us a lot in the few weeks that he stayed in Clow." said Kyoya without taking his eyes of the battlefield. On the battlefield Syaoran brought one arm in front of him, hand closed in a fist, and the other braced the arm at the elbow. A shot of energy flew from his fist as Shogo's kudan attacked as well. Both energies once again met in the middle but Syaoran's broke through and exploded right in front of Shogo. Shogo's kudan enveloped him in a water cocoon, saving him from any damage. Dropping out of the cocoon Shogo said, "Well done. I've been fighting ever since I could lace my own boots and I've never been thrown like that before. What makes you so strong? Tell me." But his question was answered with silence. "Don't want to give away your secret is that it."
"There's something important I promised I'd do." replied Syaoran.
"Is that so. Move back, to higher ground." said Shogo to his other gang members. Kyoya watched as the gang members jumped up to the next ground terrace. He felt a slight wave of fear wash over his body. "Whatever he's about to do can not be very good if he's sending his men back." The water kudan then turned into a ring of water and out of the center came a flood of water…right into the ditch where Syaoran was standing. The water filled the entire ditch completely submerging Syaoran. "Syaoran! Syaoran!" screamed Kyoya. He struggled to break free of Kurogane's hold but found that it was growing tighter. He looked up at Kurogane to tell him off but saw that his face was twisted with fear and awe. Kyoya knew that this was bad if he was afraid. "Syaoran!" he yelled again. "Please Syao. You can't die, Sakura needs you, I need you. So you better get your butt back up here." he thought then yelled. "Syaoran, you'd better get up here or you're gonna have to face me. Do you here me Syaoran. Get your butt up here NOW!" The water hit the sides of the ditch causing the ground to shake, but it was also weakening the foundation of the castle and it started to shake violently, making Primera, Masayoshi, and Mokona, who were still on the roof, hold on for dear life. "Shogo you big bonehead, you're gonna get us all killed and how can I put on an awesome concert if I'm dead." yelled Primera. Suddenly Masayoshi gave a terrified yelled as his grip was broken and he began sliding down the roof, but his kudan appeared and grabbed a hold of him, stopping his fall. Masayoshi looked at his kudan with fear in his eyes and then back down to the fight. "Syaoran could drown." he said. He looked over at Shogo and saw him looking smug, thinking that he had just won the battle. Then he saw Fye and Kurogane staring down anxiously into the now filled ditch and then he noticed Kyoya, who was straining against Kurogane's hold. Even from his distance, Masayoshi could see the look of absolute terror on his face, but he also noticed that a blue light was coming from his body. Masayoshi shoke rubbed his eyes and shook his head before looking back at Kyoya, but the blue light was gone. At that same moment an orange ball of energy burst from the water with Syaoran kneeling inside it. It floated over to Kurogane, Fye, and Kyoya where it landed and disappeared, leaving Syaoran and the fire kudan standing safely on solid ground. Kyoya felt his legs go weak from relief. Kurogane loosened his hold on him but Kyoya couldn't make his legs move. "He didn't die. He's alright. He's alright. He's alright." Kyoya thought over and over. Up on the roof Masayoshi said to himself. "He broke through. He can deal with anything. Syaoran's not even from this country, he's only had his kudan a few days, but he can already control it enough to fight the strongest guy in the whole city. He's so brave, fearless, and when he needs strength he just finds it. I want to be strong too, like him." The castle began to crumble due to the fact that its foundation was being eaten away by the water in the ditch. Every eye was on the castle and the three people up there. Primera screamed. "Somebody help! The castle's falling apart!"
"Primera!" yelled Shogo, the smug expression completely gone from his face. Masayoshi's kudan lifted him off the roof and began to float away. Masayoshi looked back at Mokona and Primera. "Help! No, no, no. Mokona's scared, Mokona's not laughing any more."
"Help!" screamed Primera.
"Yes, help. Scared, scared, scared." Masayoshi closed his eyes and summond all the courage he had. "No I can't run away this time; I can't just save myself. That's not what Syaoran would do." With that he jumped out of his kudan's arms back onto the roof and began to climb up toward Primera and Mokona. His kudan stared at him confused; he could feel the change that was coming over Masayoshi but was unsure about what to do. "I'll do what I have to and when I need strength I'll find it." continued to think Masayoshi. His kudan now understood, Masayoshi had the courage to save those in need and he could feel the power welling up inside of him. The kudan knew that it was time; time to show his true colors, his really power. Masayoshi climbed to the top of the roof and grabbed hold of Primera and Mokona. "You're going to be ok. Just stay close to me." The balcony above them began to fall forward. Everyone watched in horror, it seemed that there was no hope for Masayoshi, Mokona and Primera; they were going to be crushed. "Hang on." said Masayoshi closing his eyes. He knew that he really couldn't save them, there was no time, but he could be strong for them and give them some comfort. On the ground Kyoya looked away, he couldn't bare to watch them die. No matter how much they annoyed him at times they did not deserve to die. Suddenly a bright light near the temple caught his attention, it was coming from Masayoshi's kudan. "Look!" he yelled. The light engulfed the kudan and then stretched till it was taller than the castle itself, much taller. The giant kudan reached its hand hand and stopped the balcony from falling on Masayoshi. Masayoshi was surprised when he didn't feel the balcony fall on his back and looked up. He let out a shocked yell which caused Mokona and Primera to look up too. "You're kidding me." gasped Shogo.
"His…kudan." said Syaoran.
"No way." said Kyoya.
"What is that thing!" yelled Primera.
"Given water, sun, and soil a seed will grow." said Fye.
"I sure hope that's your way of saying you're surprised." said Kurogane. Suddenly Mokona jumped up and happily yelled down to Syaoran, his eyes wide open. "Syaoran! The feathers here, I'm sure, sure, sure of it. Inside the magic gaint boy. " As he said this he pointed to the symble on the front of the kudan's shirt, indicating that it was inside it.
"At last. We found it!" whispered Syaoran.
"So his kudan absorbed it, right under our noses.' said Fye.
"Okay, so now what." said Kurogane. His question went unanswered as the giant kudan reached down a hand and scooped up Masayoshi. Primera, now over the terror of almost being killed, started to beat the thick fingers yelling at the kudan to put Masayoshi down. "You freakish bully go pick on somebody your own sizes, like a mountain or something, just leave this kid alone!" The kudan looked down at her and something just snapped. His face no longer looked innocent but extremely angry and its eyes glowed orange. It opened its mouth and a huge energy ball formed in front of it, then the energy flew forward and exploded causing a very powerful wind to blow bits of earth through the air. The wind caught Primera and Mokona off guard and they were blown right off the roof. Primera screamed so loudly that no could hear if Mokona was even yelling, but before they were even 10 feet from the roof Shogo flew up on the back of his kudan and caught them. "Thank goodness, I was so scared." said Primera crying into Shogo's chest.
"There, there babe. You'll be okay now." said Shogo in a soothing tone.
"My turn, comfort Mokona."
"We're all goning to be fine runt as long as we stay on that thing's good side." said Shogo.
"I don't get it." said Kurogane. "I thought only a strong kudan could hold the feather and his was a class four."
"It seems Masayoshi's kudan was always this powerful and yet, from what we've learned, the kudan are linked to the hearts of the one they serve. It's actual strength must have been kept from surfacing by the boy's own belief he was a weakling." The giant kudan began to walk away from the castle and toward the city, shooting out energy every few steps. Masayoshi couldn't understand what was happening. He was trying to get his kudan to stop destroying the city, but the kudan wouldn't listen to him; he had lost control. "Stop! I want to protect the city not destroy it." he cried again and again in vain.
"His own kudan's ignoring him." said Kurogane.
"Looks like the power of that feather is taking its toll. It's to much for Masayoshi to control, it's making his kudan go haywire." They could here Masayoshi in the background screaming at his kudan to stop. Syaoran took a step toward Masayoshi and his kudan, but stopped when he felt a hand grab his arm. He turned and saw Kyoya. "Syaoran, what are we gonna do?" Syaoran looked into Kyoya's eyes and could almost hear his unspoken words. "What are you doing Syaoran? Where are you going? Please don't go after that thing, I don't want you to die. Please." thought Kyoya. Syaoran looked back to the giant kudan slowly moving into the city. "What's the plan kid?" asked Kurogane.
"I'm going to get Sakura's feather back." said Syaoran.
"Who knows how much damage a kudan like that can cause. Be smart or you'll get killed." said Kurogane. A smile spread across Syaoran's face and he turned back to Kyoya before speaking. "No, I won't die today." The worry from Kyoya's eyes faded a bit and he let go of Syaoran. "I have a purpose and I'm a long way from finishing it. I can't die yet. I'll see you soon. Kyoya I want you to stay here where it's safe." said Syaoran with a caring smile. "WHAT?" shouted Kyoya as Syaoran jumped onto the back of his kudan and flew off in the direction of the giant kudan. "Syaoran, you idiot, get back here! Syaoran!" screamed Kyoya. His eyes narrowed and he clentched his fists. "Like hell am I gonna stay here. Syaoran you jackass, I'm coming whether you want me to or not." He looked over at Fye and Kurogane and noticed that they were deep in conversation. "If I leave right now they won't even notice that I'm gone. It's now or never." Kyoya slowly backed away from them and then made a mad dash toward the city.
"Dumb kid." said Kurogane as he watched Syaoran fly away. "Didn't even ask for help. He just took off."
"Blazing forward on his given path with no hesitation. I'm beginning to understand why it was the kudan of fire that chose him as an ally." said Fye. Kurogane grunted in response. "Hey." he said look around. "Where's the other kid?"
"It seems that we have lost Kyoya, but if I had to guess…"
"Which you do." grunted Kurogane, who was becoming slightly irritated.
"He's mostly likely gone after Syaoran." continued Fye.
"Stupid kid. He's gonna get himself killed." said Kurogane.
"I don't know about that. Kyoya seems to be the kind of person who isn't wasy to kill; he's very resilient. So don't worry Kuro-pu."
"I told you, the name's Kurogane. Kurogane!" he shouted.
Meanwhile Kyoya had finally caught up to Syaoran and was now running underneath him. Before long they were just a few feet away from the giant kudan, who was still shooting balls of energy in the city, destroying many stores and making a shamble of the sidewalk. Kyoya could hear Masayoshi yelling himself hoarse. "Why won't you listen to me? Please Stop!" He looked up at Syaoran and saw that determined stare; he was going to do whatever he could to get that feather, even if it meant seriously hurting himself. Up in the giant kudan's arms, Masayoshi suddenly noticed a small white light coming from inside his kudan. "The feather." he said. "The one Syaoran's been looking this whole time!" He then caught sight of Syaoran, as did his kudan. "Hey Syaoran!" shouted Masayoshi. His kudan opened his mouth and began forming a massive ball of energy, intent on killing Syaoran; his enemy. Kyoya noticed this and ran for its feet. "Oh no you don't." he grunted as he jumped spinning his body around so that he'd have more force behind his kick. His kick landed right on the kudan's leg but didn't even leave an sort of mark except the bruise that was growing on Kyoya's leg. Although Kyoya didn't expect the kick to hurt the giant kudan, he just wanted to get its attention, which he did. The kudan closed his mouth and looked down at Kyoya. It opened its mouth and shot energy at Kyoya, who had to jump almost like a rabbit to escape not only the blast but the chunks of cement and building that were now in the air. Meanwhile Masayoshi and Syaoran began to talk. "I don't mean your kudan any harm and I promise I'll do my best not to hurt it, but there's something I need." said Syaoran.
"It's inside him." shouted Masayoshi pointing to the symbol on the front of the kudan's shirt.
"I know and I'm going to take it."
"Don't come closer! I don't want him to hurt you!" shouted Masayoshi, but Syaoran didn't listen. He jumped into the air and fell straight for the giant kudan's chest. As soon as he made contact his hand began to pierce through the kudan's body toward the feather itself. Kyoya looked up when he Syaoran give out yell. The place where Syaoran's hand was emitting a bright light and it was burning his hand. Kyoya looked up at Syaoran's determined face and saw a bit of pain there as well. "Syaoran!" he yelled. Masayoshi looked down at him and saw the blue light around his body. "I wasn't imagining it at the castle. A light was coming from Kyoya. He must have a kudan too!" thought Masayoshi. Kyoya, brought his right arm up and supported it with his left hand, just as he saw Syaoran do in his battle with Shogo. He concentrated all his thoughts on Syaoran and protecting him, suddenly a blue stream of energy burst from his right fist and flew up, engulfed Syaoran. Syaoran noticed the blue light around him and looked down at Kyoya. Kyoya locked eyes with him telling Syaoran all that he neede to know; he gave a thankful smile and nod. Masayoshi stared wide-eyed at the blue shield; to him it looked like a giant blue flame had surrounded Syaoran's body. Kyoya clentched his teeth together and put all his strength into the shield, he didn't even notice that Fye and Kuorgane were now standing only a few feet away standing on a cement look out point. "Well, well, well. It seems that Kyoya has a kudan after all. I'm sure he'll be happy that he wasn't left out." said Fye as he watched Kyoya. Kurogane didn't say anything; he only gave a slight nod and watched the scene before him. Syaoran continued to drive his fist deeper into the kudan, he could hear Masayoshi yelling things at him but he didn't paying any attention to them. All he was focused on was the feather that was slowly coming closer to his hand. Back on the ground Kyoya gritted his teeth as a wave of tiredness washed over him, but he wasn't going to give up. "That's Sakura's feather in there and she needs it or else she's going to die." he thought to himself and the thought of Sakura dying was what made Kyoya not give up. Both
Kyoya and Syaoran's attention was broken when they heard an agonizing yell come from Masayoshi. Masayoshi grabbed his chest at the same place that Syaoran's hand was pushing into the kudan. "It's burning!" cried Masayoshi.
"Masayoshi!" yelled Syaoran as he remembered that kudans are linked to their humans and whatever pain the kudan is feeling Masayoshi feels it too.
"I'm fine, just keep going." grunted Masayoshi.
"I can't do that."
"But I want you to Syaoran. That feather doesn't belong to my kudan. You need it and I want to give it back. It hurts, but you can't worry about me, I'll fight through it. Take it, now!" groaned Masayoshi, his voice filled with pain. Syaoran nodded and plundged his hand deeper into the kudan, his hand coming closer to the feather. Down on the street Kyoya felt his knees begin to buckle. He could feel the force of the giant kudan trying to push Syaoran out; the two kudan forces were magnets pushing away from each other. He let out a grunt and widened his stance intent on not giving up. Syaoran could also feel the giant kudan trying to push him out. The power of the two opposing kudans was causing, what Syaoran thought was something related to friction, but he couldn't be to sure. This "friction" was beginning to cause some problems, not only was he getting tried from trying to push though Masayoshi's kudan's power but he was getting really hot. The longer he pushed towards the feather the hotter he became. True, he was used to the heat, what with living in Clow; which is in the middle of a desert, but this heat was boarding on unbareable. Syaoran noticed that the feather once grazing his fingers tips, he was almost there. He gave a grunt and reached as far as he could. He winced, as his hand seemed to have caught fire. "The closer I get to the feather the hotter it gets. I guess this kudan really doesn't want to give up the feather so it's giving all it has to push me out as I move closer to the feather, which causes the 'friction' to become stronger making the heat more intense." he thought. His hand slowly moved till it was directly over the feather and with a final burst of energy Syaoran quickly closed his hand around it. His eyes widened as a bright light shone, making him have to close his eyes. On the ground, Kyoya immediately felt the opposing pressure disappear and knew that his brother had gotten the feather. He let out a sigh of relief and, finally giving into his weak legs, sank to the ground. He looked up at where Syaoran was but was surprised to see a bright white light, which quickly grew bigger until it encompassed everything with in 50 feet and made people shield their eyes. Kyoya didn't know how long the light shone for (his brain was so exhausted it was having trouble thinking), but when it did he could feel rain falling down on him. He looked up and saw Shogo's kudan hovering above the fight area and he could vaguely hear Shogo say something about how the rain stopping the fire from spreading. Kyoya then looked around the fight area. He saw Masayoshi laying face down and his kudan, which was now its normal, small size, was laying a few feet from him. "Masayoshi!" yelled Kyoya, worried that the boy was seriously wounded or worse. He wanted to run over to see if he could help but his legs didn't seem to be working; they were to weak to support his weight. His heart gave a leap as he saw Masayoshi begin to stir and push himself up into a kneeling position, signaling that he wasn't hurt too much. "Hey. You alright." Kyoya turned his head and saw Kurogane walking toward him with Fye and Mokona not to far behind. Kyoya nodded his head as Fye knelt down beside him.
"Well, that sure was exciting now wasn't it." he said with a smile. "That's some kudan you got there Kyoya. It sure came in handy, huh." Kyoya once again nodded.
"Hey. What about the kid?" asked Kurogane. Fye stood up and pointed over to his left. "Fear not Kuro-pu. Syaoran's safe over there." he said. Kurogane and Kyoya looked over to where Fye was point and was Syaoran kneeling on the ground clutching what they could only assume was the feather close to him. Kyoya, intent on getting over to his brother began to stand up but fell back down as his legs partially buckled under him. "Kyoya, are you alright?" asked a concerned Mokona, who was sitting in Fye's arms.
"Yeah, I'm ok. My legs are just tired that's all."
"Here, let me help you." said Fye reaching down and pulling Kyoya up onto his feet. "Thank you." said Kyoya as he leaned up against Fye, grateful for the support.
"Don't mention it." said Fye in his carefree voice and began to slow lead Kyoya over to Syaoran, which is where he sensed Kyoya wanted to go. Syaoran looked up as they approached and slowly got to his feet. "Kyoya, are you alright? You didn't get hurt did you?" he said as he hurried over to meet them halfway.
"I'm fine Syaoran. Are you ok?"
"Yes. I got it. I got the feather." He opened his hands and showed them the still glowing feather.
"Ohhhhh, it's pretty, pretty." happily chirpped Mokona, who was now on Fye's shoulder.
"The feather. We did it Syaoran. We got it." said Kyoya smiling ecstatically.
"Yes. We got it." affirmed Syaoran, "That's feather number two, another lost memory. You'll have it soon Sakura. I hope it's a happy one." he thought as they started to make their way back to the Arisugawa's home. By the time they reached the house Syaoran was almost out of strength and Kyoya, who's strength was spent, was being carried on Kurogane's back. When they entered the house they were greeted with a warm welcome from Sorata who started to jump around with joy when they told him that they had found the feather. Being extremely tired and wanting to get the feather to Sakura as quick as they could, they made their way up to the room. Syaoran immediately knelt down next to Sakura and placed the feather over her chest. Everyone let out a small gasp as it glowed (the feather had lost its glow from the fight on the walk back to the house) and melted into Sakrua. "This should give you some strength. Please wake up." whispered Syaoran. Kurogane put Kyoya down next to Syaoran and moved away, giving them some privacy. Kyoya stared anxiously down at Sakura. "Come on Sakura. You can do it. Please, please, please wake up." he silently pleaded. Syaoran took Sakura's hand into his own, remembering the time that she had been sick and told him, with a smile, that if she fell asleep while he was holding her hand he'd be the first thing she'd see when she woke up. Syaoran stared at her face and then at her hand. Kyoya could almost feel him willing Sakura to wake up through his hands, as if, by his touch alone, she would wake up. For a minute, which felt like an eternity for everyone in the room, nothing happened. They were about to give up hope when Sakura gave a soft moan and opened her eyes. "Sakura!" gasped Syaoran and Kyoya. She looked over at them both and a small smile graced her lips. "You're back." relief flooding Syaoran's tired voice.
"Thank God." said Kyoya, as he put his head on Syaoran's shoulder, feeling like a weight had been partially lifted, but the weight came crashing back down like a lead rock when Sakura spoke. "I'm sorry. Who are you?" Syaoran let out a terrified gasp and Kyoya jerked his head up. Both of their eyes were as big as saucers. They couldn't believe what they had just heard. Sakura, their childhood friend, whom they viewed closer than a sister, didn't know who they were. Kyoya felt his heart break and the tears come back even stronger then before, but he knew that he had to be strong of not only Sakura but for Syaoran as well. He looked into Syaoran's face and saw that his world and heart had also just shattered into a million pieces. Syaoran was numb; he couldn't feel anything; his mind didn't seem to be able to think. He let her hand slip from his. "Sakura…doesn't know me. Dear God, she doesn't know me. This isn't happening, it can't be happening." his thought. For a few minutes, no one moved, or in Syaoran and Kyoya's case, they didn't seem to be able to move. It was only when Sakura tried to sit up did Syaoran move to help her. He looked at Sakura, gave a deep sigh and, pushing his feeling aside, calmly began to explain things to her.
"I'm Syaoran and this is Kyoya and your name is Princess Sakura. I know you're confused so I'll try to explain." he said. "You're from the country Clow which exists in another world."
"How's that possible?" asked Sakura.
"Something happened and your memory was scattered across different dimensions. We're traveling to them one by one to get your memory back."
"Just us. We're alone." said Sakura as she looked from Syaoran and Kyoya and back again.
"Actually, three others joined up with us along the way." said Syaoran.
"You've been here, from the the start."
"We have." affirmed Syaoran.
"Even though we're strangers." Kyoya shut his eyes and turned his head away from Sakura and Syaoran even gave a small wince. To hear Sakura say that they were strangers to her caused them pain like they had never experienced, but Syaoran put a small smile on his face before continuing.
"That's right." he said. It was then that Fye walked back into the room (he, Mokona and Kurogane had left the room to give the others some privacy and were standing just outside the door). "Hello Princess. My name is Fye, Fye D. Flourite if you want to be formal." he said and put his hands on Syaoran and Kyoya's shoulders. "There brave young men are Syaoran and Kyoya and that black cloud over there is Kurgy."
"Kurogane." he interrupted, wanting the Sakura to know his really name and not the stupid ones that Fye and Mokona make up. Fye continued to talk as if he hadn't even heard Kurogane. "And rounding out the group is this cute ball of fuzz."
"Mokona Modoki or Mokona for short. You sleep too much silly now that you're awake we can be friends." he happily said. Syaoran stood up and made his way out the door as they continued talking. "Syaoran." whispered Kyoya, as he watched his brother leave. "Syaoran, wait." he softly called after him as he shakily got to his feet and hurried after his brother. Kurogane watched them as they past by him and if they had looked in his eyes they would have seen concern. Syaoran made his way outside where it had started to rain, vaguely aware that Kyoya was following him. Syaoran stopped walking when he saw the plain white feather that Sakura had found lying at his feet; Kyoya stopped a few feet behind him. For a few minutes they said nothing, they just stood there letting the rain thoroughly soak them, as if it was trying to wash away their pain. "Syaoran." finally said Kyoya, his voice just audible above the sound of the rain.
"Tomorrow we should head out as soon as possible for the next world. We can't afford to waste any time." he said without turning around to face Kyoya.
"But Syaoran…"
"We'll need to sock up on supplies. Maybe Sorata and Arashi have some spare food that we can take cause we don't know where Mokona will take us. We could end up in the middle of nowhere miles away from civilization." Syaoran continued to talk but Kyoya had stopped listening. He was getting mad. Syaoran was avoiding everything that had just happened, it was like he didn't even care that Sakura thought they were strangers. He clenched his fists at his sides and he ground his teeth together, trying to keep his temper in check, but to no avail, he exploded within seconds. "Just shut up will you! Just shut up!" he yelled. "How can you be talking about stuff like this when Sakura is up in that room and doesn't have any damn idea who we are! Don't you care at all!" Tears now mingling with the rain running down his face. A few minutes went by and Syaoran didn't respond, which made Kyoya even madder. "Answer me damit! Why won't you answer me!" he screamed.
"I do care Kyoya, but we can't stop just because of sad things like that, we have to keep moving forward. I have to find and return her feathers no matter what stands in my way. It's up to me…"
"Will you just shut the hell up and stop trying to make it sound like you're the only one that can save her. I'm here to help you too damit. We'll find the feathers together. You don't have to do this alone. It's not your fault that this has happened, it's no one's fault. Get that through your thick skull, got it! It's No One's Fault!" yelled Kyoya, his blood now well beyond its boiling point.
"But it is my fault."
"What?"
"It's my fault." said Syaoran, turing around to face his brother. "That night at the ruins, Sakura was being pulled into a stone carving on a wall in open middle of the ruins. I climbed up to save her, but I was unable to reach her, so I lept up and pulled her from the carving. When we hit the ground, the wings that had grown on her back broke into hundreds of feathers and blew away. So, it's my fault. I'm the one who caused all of Sakura's memories to leave her, and caused us to go on this journey, which made us make that deal with Yuko, which is way Sakura doesn't remember us and never will again. It's all my fault." Syaoran looked down at the ground, he could feel the tears in his eyes but he willed them not to fall.
Kyoya stared at his brother. "So that's why he's so determined to collect the feathers. He feels responsible and not only does he feel the weight of the journey and the need to keep me and Saukra safe, but he also has the weight of guilt on his heart. Oh, Syaoran." Kyoya sadly thought and his blood cooled down almost immediately. More tears came to his eyes as he said, "Syao, I'm sorry, I'm sorry that you feel that this is all your fault, but look at it this way, if you had let the carving suck Sakura up then she'd most likely be gone from our lives forever. So, even though you may have caused her memories to disappear, she's still here with us and, when you look at it that way, you actually saved her. As for you feeling guilty about the deal with Yuko, don't even worry about that. I'm positive no one holds it against you cause we all know that Yuko is a manipulating witch who likes to 'mess' with people's lives before she 'helps' them." Syaoran looked up at his younger brother with teary eyes and gave a genuine smile as he took in Kyoya's drentched form and red eyes from crying. He opened his arms wide knowing that his brother needed some comfort, as did he. Kyoya did have to be told twice, when he saw those arms open he ran into them and buried his face into Syaoran's chest and cried. Syaoran wrapped his arms protective around Kyoya and placed his head on Kyoya's shoulder and let his own tears finally mingle with the rain.
"Kyoya." said Syaoran. "Never forget that I care, even if I don't show it. I wish that this has never happened but it has and we can't be bogged down the sadness we feel. We have to keep moving forward, for that's the only way we get things back to the way they were, or at least close to it, and when we do that the sadness and pain with disappear. We just need to keep moving forward. Just move forward." Syaoran's voice got softer as he repeated 'just move forward' again and again. It was as if he was reminding himself and not just Kyoya. His voice shoke with unshown emotion and Kyoya tightened his grip around Syaoran, which Syaoran returned full force. They stayed that way for a while, both of them letting out their emotions so they could be able to move on. They finally were able to calm down but neither of them moved from the embrace. "Kyoya." Syaoran whispered again.
"Yes."
"Thank you. I couldn't do this without you." Kyoya gave a smile and tightened his loosening grip around Syaoran.
Up in the room Fye and Kurogane were staring out the window at the brothers. "Do you think they're ok? Poor guys. All of this for a girl who doesn't know them." said Fye.
"Yeah, well, fact is if they want to be a warrior they have to be strong. There's not a loss in any world that can make me weep." said Kurogane.
"No? Still, I think sometimes, it takes more strength to cry when you need to." answered Fye
Behind them Sakura lifted her left hand. "My hand feels warm. Like someone was holding it while I slept. Feels nice, imagining that." she said, bring her hand up to her cheek to feel the warmth.
- A room in another dimension -
"Another memory recovered. That's two already. Their progress is quick." said Xing.
"Yes, so far, but the tide is changing. Our naïve travelers will not find the rest of their journey so easy. I assure you the power to cross time and space will belong to me, no matter how much blood must be spilt to seize it." said Fei Wang Reed.
- The pancake shop in the town square of Hanshin-
The whole group including Masayoshi had decided to go to the pancake shop to celebrate their 'victory'. As Kyoya sat eating his pancake he looked around the table and was glad that Syaoran had decided not to leave as soon as the sun rose and everyone had slept in till about mid morning. Everyone looked so happy and content with the exception of Kurogane, who was ticked that Mokona had eaten a bit of his food. It was a wonder at what a good nights sleep could do to a person. Kyoya felt great, his legs were a bit sore, but he hardly noticed it, he felt awake and ready for a new adventure. His eyes fell on Sakura and he couldn't help the smile that came to his face. There she was, sitting up, eating, and talking. If you didn't know any better you'd say that there was nothing wrong with her. The smile that she had on her face seemed to be extremely infectious and Kyoya was certain that it was the cause of the cheerful attitude surrounding the table. Syaoran's voice to his left made him come out of his thinking. He look around Masayoshi, who was next to him at his brother. "I owe you one. Thank you Masayoshi."
"No, thank you. My kudan thanks you too."
"Don't sweat it Masayoshi. Happy to help." said Kyoya as he gave him a few pats on the back that caused Masayoshi to lurch forward with each one. Masayoshi looked over at Kyoya and smiled, then his eyes grew as he saw someone approach the table.
"Hey." said Shogo.
"Hi Shogo." said Masayoshi in awe. It didn't take much for everyone to see how much he admired Shogo.
"How'd you find us here?" asked Syaoran. Suddenly the restaurant was filled with members of his gang. Kyoya stared in amazement. "Have they all been here this whole time. I didn't even see them. It's like they appeared out of nowhere. That's way to cool." he thought.
"What can I say, my little spy network is pretty effective." Shogo pulled up a chair and sat at the end of the table, while the rest of his gang began shouting out food orders, calling the Toya of this dimension 'Your Majesty' and 'Your Grace'. Kyoya smiled. "That poor guy is never going to live that one down. He will be 'Your Majesty' for the rest of his life. Way to go Syaoran."
"I know how much you were looking forward to that battle Shogo, I'm sorry I had to cut it short." said Syaoran.
"You did what you had to, I know that, besides you had me beat it was just a matter of when."
"Right." said Syaoran.
"It's this young fighter here that I really need a word with." said Shogo as he gestured toward Masayoshi. Kurogane's eyes grew wide in disbelief as Shogo reached across the table and placed his goggles on top of Masayoshi's head, which were to big and slid down his face till it lay diagonally across his face. "What is he doing? He's not going to ask this shirmpy little kid to join his gang is he? No, that can't be it." he thought and nearly fell over when he heard Shogo say, "So how about it? You want to join the team?" Masayoshi seemed unable to speak, all he could do was stuttered, smile, and nod.
It was mid afternoon when they finally were ready to leave. Everyone stood outside Sorata and Arashi's house and said their good-byes to the friends that they had made. The group had switched back into the clothes that they had been where when they came to the Hanshin Republic. Kyoya took a deep breath and sighed, it felt good to be back in his own clothes. "You take care of yourself kid alright?" said Shogo as he extended his hand to Syaoran.
"Thanks Shogo. I will." said Syaoran as he took the out stretched hand and shook it.
"I know." replied Shogo.
"Sorry about the kidnappings. Next time you're here you should come to my concert. I'll get you the best seats in the house." said Primera looking at Kyoya.
"You got yourself a deal." said Kyoya, a smile on his face. "But it better be a good concert cause my head still hurts from when your goons clobbered me."
"Yeah, sorry about that too." said Primera giving him a goofy smile. "I'll be sure to make it the best concert I have ever performed."
"Sounds good." said Syaoran with a small laugh. He then reached his hand out toward Masayoshi, who took it and gave it a firm shake. Maybe it was just Kyoya's eyes, but it seemed to him that Masayoshi was no longer that little kid the met at the bridge. He now seemed bigger in some way, maybe he was more sure of himself, knew that he wasn't a weakling, or it could just be that he felt the need to look bigger now that he was a part of Shogo's gang. The mohawk gang was also there but standing in the back. "Wow, you look different. You're even, prettier," said Kunio as he stared at Sakura, who's face was overflowing with her smile. Fye, who was standing behind her, could tell that there was something a little bit off about her. He leaned down and whispered, "Feel ok."
"I'm fine. Just a little tired that's all." she replied. Syaoran who standing on the other side of her could hear what she had said and his face lost his smile as he began to rememeber everything that had happened to them in the last week. "Don't look back." suddenly said Kurogane. Syaoran spun around and looked at him. "There's to much to do to get slowed down. Only look ahead." Syaoran was struck by that statement and rememebered what he had told Kyoya the night before, 'Just keep moving forward.' He smiled gratefully at the reminder. "You're right. Alright Mokona, it's time." he said. As soon as he said that, Mokona leapt up into the air. "Mokona Modoki ready to go. Yahoo!" he shouted. The elegant circle appeared at their feet and the bright streams of light began to wrap themselves around the travelers. Wings grew from Mokona's back and he began to pull them into the circle, but before they completely disappeared, Syaoran yelled out to Sorata and Arashi. "Thanks for all your help. We'll make sure Yuko knows." It was then that the streams of light completely surrounded them and they were gone in a flash of light. "We'll say a prayer for your safe trip." said Sorata.
"And that you'll have the wisdom to find Sakura's feathers in the next world you come to." said Arashi.
"Ta-da!" shouted Mokona before he himself disappeared into the elegant circle. Then just as quickly as everything had appeared it all disappeared, leaving only a stunned group of Hanshin people behind.
As they traveled through the tunnel that would take them to a new world, Syaoran looked behind him and saw their kudans disappear back in the Hanshin Republic. He was sad to see them leave, but he knew that they could not come with them. They didn't belong one any other world besides Hanshin. "Thanks for the help." he said. He then felt a hand slip into his. He looked to the side and saw Sakura there. "I'm scared." she said. Syaoran smiled, happy that she still found some sort of comfort in him. "It'll be ok." he replied softly. "I'll always look out for you." Sakura gave a happy smile upon hearing this and the two of them looked head toward the new world that they were quickly approaching.