I do not own Tsubasa, Clamp does. ^_^. I do however own Kyoki, Yume (technically she belongs to my cousin but I was given permission to use her, xD) Abel, Reo, Min and any other original character that is in here... unless I state otherwise that is.

Chapitre 17: Colors

The next morning Kurogane woke up before Kyoki and left to go to his room. So as Kyoki sat up thirty minutes later as she woke up, she began to wonder if what happened last night was just a dream. Kyoki had been so tired last night that she couldn't remember very much, just waking up to Kurogane in the same bed, then asking him to stay since she had a nightmare. She laughed as she realized that must have been a dream.

She crawled out of bed and went to where her clothes were to pick out what she was going to wear for the day. Right after she was finished, there was a knock at the door. She crossed the room and opened it as she smiled at her quest.

Reo came in, smiling back. "Hello, may I come in?"

"Ah, sure..." Kyoki replied, closing the door.

He walked over to the couch and sat down, while Kyoki sat down as well.

"Did anything happen last night?" Reo asked her.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Kyoki asked him.

"Then I guess nothing happened." He noticed the blank look on her face and decided to fill her in. "Last night Kurogane slept in this room. While you were both sleeping I moved him on to the bed. Did anything else happen?"

"T-that wasn't a dream?" Kyoki said, jumping to her feet. "I really asked him to stay after I had that dream? Oh no! What am I going to do now? It's going to be so awkward looking or talking to him now. He probably thinks that I will sleep in the same bed as anyone. Not that anything happened, we just slept, but... still... oh, I'm never going to get married now."

"Calm down." He reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back down onto the couch. "Settle down. He doesn't think any less of you. You were just having a bad dream, everyone has those and most people wouldn't want to be alone. So stop worrying so much."

She nodded. "You're right, my future is still ok."

"You've slept in the same room as him and the others right? Then what is so different about this? The only difference was that this time it was only you and him, right?"

She nodded again.

"Then stop worrying."

She nodded once more. "Hey, what has been going on with the Shadows? I've been meaning to ask you about them."

He sighed. "Why are all women the same; I say don't worry, and then they go off and worry about something else. Do your kind always have to be worried about something?"

"Hehe, I don't know..." She scratched the back of her head nervously. "So, what is going on?"

"Well, that is kinda what I came here to tell you. I am going to have a meeting with all of you later and update you on what has been going on while you've been here. I would tell you now, but I really hate to repeat myself a bunch of times, so I'm just going to tell you all in one group, all right?"

She nodded slowly.

"I was thinking for the time being before the meeting that we play some more Dance Dance Revolution so we can be ready when the time comes to get the feather. Is that all right?"

"Sure. I'll get it set up." Kyoki said as she rushed to the television and began to get everything hooked up.

"He's in there." Yume whispered to Fai who was standing next to her with his ear pressed to the door, just as she had hers to the door as well.

"Ready to do in now?" Fai asked her.

"Yes." Yume nodded and Fai placed his hand on the doorknob and turned. The two of them entered quickly before Kurogane could have the chance to lock the door on them. They entered without any incident and closed the door behind them too.

"Where is he?" Yume wondered, looking around the seemingly empty room.

"There." Fai said, pointing to the couch where Kurogane was sleeping.

"He's sleeping?" Yume said, surprised. "He really doesn't strike me as the type to sleep during the day."

"What really worries me that he hasn't gotten up to greet us. He's a ninja, so he must be a light sleeper." Fai commented as they moved slowly toward the sleeping man.

"Do you think he is sick?" Yume suggested.

"I don't know. We should feel his forehead." Fai said as he reached out to touch the ninja's forehead.

"I'm not sick." Kurogane said as he opened his eyes to look at them. "What do you want?"

"We... ah... were wondering if you knew what Kyoki and Reo are up too?" Yume asked him.

Kurogane sat up, which Fai and Yume took that as a sign to sit down. Yume sat on is right, while Fai took his left. Kurogane growled at this action, but remained where he was. "They are working on getting the feather."

"What does that have to do with playing Dance Dance Revolution?" Yume asked him

"I don't know. Why don't you go ask them?" He snapped.

"Maybe we will." Yume retorted.

"Kuro-pon, there is something that Yume and I need to tell Kyoki and yourself later." Fai said, smiling as usual.

Kurogane looked at the two of them, curious but not letting it show.

"Is that all right if we meet in here at eight?" Fai wondered.

"Fine." He told them.

"Good. Yume-chan, let's go so Kurogane can rest again."

"All righty. Thank you, Kurogane-san. I hope you feel better soon." She waved at him as she got up to leave.

"I'm not sick." Kurogane growled.

"Daddy needs to take more care of himself." Fai laughed as the two of them left.

Kurogane started to wonder what they would have to say. After a few minutes of thinking, he decided to stop and laid back down.

Around six o'clock that night everyone was gathered in the living room. Everyone was looking at Reo, all-waiting for him to debrief them.

"As you all know, the Shadows are looking for hosts. I have been sending Min down, and going down myself to try to slow them down. I can't stop them, but at least I can try to decelerate their productivity. Anyways, they are getting more hosts so more of them are now able to come out during the day and all of that. I've directed many of the citizens who were willing to hide a safe place to do. Others thing that the Shadows will either disappear soon on their own, or that I am working with the Shadows and taking the people to places where the Shadows will devour them or something like that."

"Have they been doing anything else other than claiming hosts?" Syaoran asked.

"Heheh. That is where things get... troublesome. They have slowly started to gather around the barrier around the castle and cave. I assure you, that there is nothing to worry about. There is no way for them to enter either place."

"Are you absolutely sure?" Kyoki said, looking at him with a serious intensity. "In movies they always say that the location is secure and that no enemies can come in. But later that night, when everyone is asleep, thinking they are safe, that is when the enemy breaks in."

"That may be the case in movies, books or games, but we are in reality, and we'll be safe, trust me. Nothing like that is going to happen to us." Reo assured her.

"I hope you're right." Kyoki told him.

Reo opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Abel running into the room.

Kyoki jumped to her feet. "Oh no! They have broken through, haven't they, Abel?"

Abel stared at her coldly. "You're stupid. Even though Reo is a smartass bastard, no enemies can get in. None."

"Then why did you run in so fast like that?" Yume asked him.

"I just realized what the time was and remembered that I had to take your orders for dinner. So what do you people want to eat?" He asked them.

Kyoki sat down as they all told him what they each wanted.

When that was over with, Abel left the room, but before leaving, he looked at Kyoki as he snorted and shook his head.

"As I was about to say before we were visited by my short little friend, I do not know why the Shadows have been gathering around here for, but I think it is because they are trying to get the feather to strengthen themselves. Or perhaps to kill me, seeing as am currently on the opposing side of them and is fighting back and so I won't be able to get to the feather to give it to Sakura-chan. But everything and everyone will be all right when we get this over with, so don't worry and enjoy yourselves for a few more days." Reo smiled at them all. "Does anyone have any questions?"

There were none.

Everyone then left the room to do whatever they desired to do at the time.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Yume cried out excitedly as she entered Kyoki's room. "Guess what I found and guess what Reo is letting us use. Water guns!"

Kyoki's eye twitched at the dozen guns that her cousin was currently in possession of. "Those are not loaded... are they?"

"No, not yet. I'm trying to get people to play, but no one seems up to it." Yume said sadly.

"Well, I am going to have to be like them and say 'no thank you'." Kyoki told her younger cousin.

"Awww, you're mean." Yume stuck out her tongue. "I'm going to go ask Kurogane-sensei then."

"I don't think he will want to either-" She started, but her cousin was not listening as she left the room. "Or not listen to me, you know, because why would you or anyone do that?" She ran out after her cousin and watched her cousin as she knocked on Kurogane's door.

Kurogane answered it. "What?"

"Would you like to go play water guns with me?" Yume said sweetly.

"No." Kurogane told her.

"Why not?" Yume whined.

"What's wrong?" Fai said as he came out of his room.

"No one will play with these water guns with me." Yume cried.

"I'll play."

"What? But when I asked you earlier you said that you had something else to do."

Fai nodded. "I did, but I'm done now. I told you it would only take a minute."

"Oh, I didn't hear that part..." Yume chuckled to herself. "Well, wanna go play while this boring people are bored."

"Of course." Fai said as Yume handed half of the guns to Fai.

"Oh, Kyoki-chan, Kurogane-kun. This is for you." Yume pointed one gun at Kyoki and the other at the tall man. Just as she was about to pull the triggers to send cold water at the two of them, Kurogane reached out, grabbed Kyoki's arm, and pulled her into his room as he slammed the door closed. The sound of water hitting the door could be heard in the room.

"Thank you. She told me that they were empty." Kyoki said.

"You can't trust her with a water gun, remember?" Kurogane told her.

"You know, I'm just going to wait here until you guys have to come out. I'm going to get you to play."

"Go play with Fai, Yume-chan." Kyoki called out.

"I am. And I'm waiting for you at the same time." Yume said as she ran down the hall.

Kyoki sighed. "Why does she turn into such a demon around water?" Kyoki wondered out loud to herself. "Would it be all right if I hung out in here until this mood of hers pass?"

"Do whatever." Kurogane said as he waved his hand and sat down.

She sat down on the opposite end of the couch. "Do you really think that no Shadows can get in here?"

"Yea." Kurogane told her.

"I think so too, but... I just have bad luck like that and I guess I'm a wee bit of a pessimist at times." Kyoki said this as she looked at the ground.

"That stupid guy and that cousin of yours want to talk to us at eight about something." Kurogane told her.

"What? Talk? About what?" Kyoki asked, rushing over to him and leaning forward, her face on the same level as his.

"How the hell should I know?" He snapped. "They just told me that they were going to come here at eight to tell me whatever it is they are going to tell us."

"Do you think they are going to continue with that... you know... speech of theirs?"

"I doubt it. It seems that phase is over now."

Kyoki nodded. "But do you think he is going to admit his feelings to you now?"

"I don't think so. It seemed like the two of them had something to say together. So it's probably something else."

"I hope so." Kyoki said, sitting down on the couch next to him. She looked at her watch. "It's seven thirty right now... Hopefully they will calm down with the water guns before then."

Thirty minutes past and the two of them were still sitting on the couch. Neither of them had spoken, both wondering what the blondes would have to tell them. There came a knock at the door. Without speaking, Kyoki got up and answered it to reveal

"Hey, Kyoki-chan." Yume said as she hugged the taller woman. "Did Kurogane-san tell you we have something to tell you two?"

"Yes." Kyoki turned after her cousin let her go and sat down back in her spot she had just left.

Fai closed the door behind him. He and Yume sat down on the couch opposite the others.

"As you know, there has been something that we have been meaning to tell the two of you." Yume said.

"Y-yes." Kyoki glanced from Fai to Kurogane to Yume. "And I am very curious as to what it is that it is that you need to tell us."

"We've been meaning to tell you two for so long. We wanted to tell you before we told Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun." Yume said.

"And then after Kurogane told me about the two of you, we decided to wait a few days and then tell you." Fai smiled, happily as he looked at Yume who looked right back at him and smiled.

Kyoki looked at Kurogane in hopes that he would know what was going on. He looked back at her with a clueless look like her own. They looked back at the two.

"... what is it already?" Kurogane broke the silence.

Kyoki grabbed her pop that had been on the table (she became thirsty through their whole non talking wait earlier and had gotten it from the small refrigerator in the room) and began to drink some.

Yume and Fai looked back at their friends.

"We're dating." They both said together at the same time.

Kyoki, not expecting this to be the big announcement, sprayed her pop out of her mouth; drenching Yume and Fai with her spit and pop. Some of it fell onto Kyoki's shirt and shorts.

Kurogane's eyebrow raised at this and at Kyoki's... reaction.

"D-dating? You two? For how long?" Kyoki asked.

"For a couple of months now." Fai told her.

"I'm so sorry we didn't tell you sooner. We so did, but we were unsure how everyone would take it." Yume said as she tried wiping off the sticky liquid with her shirtsleeve.

"OMG! I am so happy for you though!" Kyoki said as she placed her pop on the table and jumped forward and hugged her cousin. She stumbled over the table and landed on her cousin.

"Ouch!" Yume said as she laughed.

"You're not mad that I didn't tell you, are you, Kuro-pon?" Fai asked.

Kurogane shook his head.

"Well, that is good then." Fai sighed. "I was worried you would never want to talk to me again."

"I will do that if you keep calling me those stupid names."

"H-hey. So..." Kyoki stood up. "Ah... this may be embarrassing question to ask you... but... I really want to ask it so Yume-chan does not get hurt later down the road."

"Ask away." Yume and Fai both said together.

Kyoki shuddered at the eerily perfect timing. "Ah.... well.... Fai-san... are you... do you love Kurogane-sama?"

Yume's jaw dropped open, while Fai stared at her, waiting for the punch line to the joke. Kurogane put his hand to his and tried to think of a way to leave.

Moments went by in silence.

"I-Is that a serious question?" Yume asked.

"Y-yes. I don't want you getting hurt, Yume-chan."

Fai coughed. "No, I do not love Kurogane. Well, I do, but I love him as a friend, just like I love you, Mokona, Sakura and Syaoran as a friend. Or a family, actually." Fai told her.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Kyoki began to sit down, forgetting that she was not in front of the couch. She was relieved that Fai was not in love with Kurogane and happy that he liked Yume. She began to sit, but then remembered there was a table and stood back up. She leaned forward quickly and hugged her cousin. "Well, I'm going to go to my room and lock myself in the bathroom and tried to forget the embarrassing moment that I have forged into my mind with the act of spitting pop all over you and asking Fai-san a very personal question. Good night." She bowed and ran out of the room before anyone could say anything or stand to stop her.

"Do you think she is ok? Did we spring this on her at the wrong time?" Yume wondered, concern for her cousin.

"She's fine." Kurogane assured her. "Like she said, she just is going to go cool down after... well... that revelation."

Two hours later, after sitting in his room and wondering what Kyoki was doing since he expected her to run back in after Yume and Fai left to talk to him about what they said, he got up and went to her room. He knocked on the door at first, but didn't get an answer.

The second time he knocked the door came open a crack.

As the door slowly opened on it's own, a scream could be heard from near by.

He ran into the room, expecting Shadows to be surrounding Kyoki... only to find no one. He saw that the light to the bathroom was on so he began to make his way over there.

Fai heard the scream as well and thinking it was Yume, ran to her room and opened the door to her room and ran in.

"Yume-chan! Are you all ri-" He cut himself short when he found her lying on her bed, completely not in danger.

"Fai-kun, what's wrong?" Yume asked, sitting up.

"I thought I heard you screaming." Fai said.

She shook her head. "I didn't scream... Oh no! It might have been Sakura or Kyoki-chan. We have to go see." Yume said as she jumped off the bed.

I lied again, didn't I? I said that I was going to post the next chapter soon and I didn't. So this time I am not even going to say that since if I do then it'll be a really long time before I do. So if I don't say it, perhaps I will get the next one up in a few days. Yay!

I am so sorry for the cliffhanger. Perhaps this will make me post the next one sooner. Lol.

Just a few more chapters until part one is all over and they will be off to another world. xD

Anywho, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and sorry for the crappiness of this end note. Please let me know if you like it or not. xD

Well then, until next time, later!