Chapter 11:

"It more than an Illusion…child." Kiishimu said from below to Mirihanna.

"It is a secret art…and it isn't just pretty." She said throwing a bubble of water into Syaoran. He protected himself with his arms but gasped at the sight of his clothes melting in front of his eyes.

"Careful!" Mirihanna said to them. The three men's face became more serious at the realization of the situation. Mirihanna carefully jumped to a closer pillar.

"Don't underestimate her. The damage she inflicts it's real." Kiishimu laughed at her with pleasure.

"Ahah…I do not know how you know so much about me, little insect…but then again…" The women looked straight into her green eyes. She could feel her gaze piercing her soul.

"…You do not look like a insect…" Mirihanna looked at her with sad eyes remembering her former tutor she adored. It was indeed the same mischievous charming lady, but with a different life.

"So in other words… if we get badly hurt…" Fai said placing the pieces together. Kiishimu raised her arms with her pointy long nails, ready for a fierce attack.

"You'll die…" She finished the though, throwing several bubbles of deadly water into all of them making them jump across the pillars. Mirihanna watched as the three men scattered around the place, avoiding the bubbles. She quietly maintained in her place, swiftly dodging every bubble with grace. She knew this too well. To her this was child play. She saw Syaoran step on the river water, making it slowly melt. He quickly jumped into the nearest pillar and cried in pain.

"Don't you see little vermin? Everything in my little shrine is real… The water droplets and the river have the same destructive power…if you fall into the pool, you'll melt!" Kiishimu said releasing even more bubbles.

Kurogane and Fai suddenly broke a light pillar and armed themselves. Mirihanna quickly jumped at them and crouched in the middle of them, protecting herself from danger.

"Hyuu, Kuro-Sama you're so cool!" Said Fai joking at Kurogane.

"Stop making whistling sounds with your mouth and concentrate!" He replied with much anger.

"Both of you, focus!" Mirihanna said with some annoyance while dodging bubbles.

"What about you?! You're just standing there doing nothing!" Mirihanna raised her eyebrow at the dark men and glared at him.

"Well, I guess there's no use in staying here playing with water." Said the mage swinging his broken pillar.

"Syaoran-Kun, Mia-Chan and Mokona. You'll go first." Syaoran's eyes widened.

"But you won't last here!" He insisted.

"Yeah…but there's no use on being trapped here either. Nothing will get done with all of us here. Syaoran-Kun as a very important task to be done." He said with a smile. Syaoran looked at him and gave a firm nod.

"And don't worry! Kuro-Pii will take care of the situation somehow!" Fai said patting Kurogane's back.

"Me again?! You got to be kidding me!" The man snapped and Mirihanna rolled her eyes at them. She gave a small cough gaining their attention.

"I'll stay with you." Fai's eyes opened and he looked at her with a worry face.

"Mia-Chan, are you sure?"

"Of course. You need me. I know her moves." Fai gave a small smile and nodded. He then revealed that the magic was weaker at the top of the ceiling. Kurogane nodded and launched Syaoran into the air. With his good foot, he kicked the ceiling and broke free from the illusion. Kiishimu grinned and looked at the ceiling.

"So one of the children escaped… I guess it couldn't be helped." Mirihanna could feel a great amount of bubbles gathering on top of them.

"I guess I'll have to teach a lesson to the remaining children." She waved her hand and the bubbles busted, making a deadly rainfall upon them, slowly melting their clothes. Mirihanna could feel her skin burn life fire from the raindrops.

"Looks like this is getting to be a pretty serious crisis." Fai said smoothly and Kurogane's grinned.

"Mia-Chan, are you okay?" He asked her glancing his eyes to the crouched girl.

"Just perfect." She said with her eyes closed. She raised her hands and the familiar green aura appeared weaving its way to Kurogane and Fai's body. Both men shivered at the fresh tickling sensation coming from her healing power. She made a small smile.

"Heh! I guess Mia-Chan really comes in handy! My skin is gradually felling better." Fai said with a big smile.

"Oy." The ninja said to the girl making her glance at him. "What's next?"

She looked down at the fair lady and examined her for a few seconds.

"She is not a patient women." She stood up in the middle of them. "She will strike harder next time…"

"Tsk… let her come." Kurogane said darkly.

"No, you fool." She said, making him angrily turn his head to her, ready to scream. Her body still projected the familiar green healing power to both tall men.

"She won't come. She's a ranged sorcerer. She needs space…" Mirihanna glanced once more below to see the woman's temper rise by the second.

"We'll need to go to her." She finished and heard Fai fake another whistle.

"Mia-Chan, you're so cool!" She glanced at him only to meet a pair of crystal blue eyes. Unfortunately, Kiishimu's patience had a limit and she raised her hand again to attack.

"You won't be able to escape the way that child did, little ones…" Mirihanna glared at her and a big shade started covering her head. An enormous bubble had gathered on top of them ready to fall. Fai swigged his improvised staff only to realize that it dodged his hit. The mage's eyes widened as the bubble exploded making huge droplets scatter on top of them. Mirihanna quickly jumped back, landing into another pillar but Fai froze. 'What is he doing?' She though in her mind. She had no doubt that he could avoid the hit. Kurogane had no second thoughts in his mind though. Before the fatal blow was made, she forcefully swooped his staff into the mage's torso, projecting him far away from the water. Fai coughed and safely landed on another pillar.

"Kuro-Min, you're so mean." He said with that charming smile of his.

"If I hadn't done it, you would be dead by now!" The man protested in his defense.

The bubbles were getting faster and were multiplying by the second. The three of them started having trouble avoiding them as they did in the beginning. Kurogane kept hitting, and hitting, and hitting without a single rest. He had the body and the training of a warrior. Fai mostly dodged and casually would hit the water. Mirihanna noticed that their strength lay in different fields. One with pure strength and the other with wisdom. She eventually got separated from them. She could no longer heal them. She dedicated on just staying alive for the moment. Jumping from pillar to pillar. She was unharmed, after all. The water came in front of her in many angles. She swiftly jumped in the middle of them, passing right through and landed on yet another pillar.

"She sure can handle herself." Fai said hitting the water in the air, next to Kurogane.

"Hmpf…it sure seems like it." Kurogane answered looking at the girl in the corner of his eyes. The blonde smiled at her.

"Although she seems very little and fragile… she is strong. And also agile. I'm impressed that she didn't get hit by now… She surely is not a damsel in distress, right Kuro-tan?" Kurogane ignored his ridiculous added nickname and kept looking at the girl gracefully jumping with no trouble, dodging every single droplet of water.

"The only person who was able to bear this long…" They all heard the woman speak. She slowed down the water, gaining their attention.

"…Was a Shiban from this country." She finished with a melancholic expression.

"You mean Chunhyang's mother?" Asked the blonde resting his staff on his shoulder. The woman smiled with sincerity.

"She had a child named like that…." Mirihanna noticed that she was trying to control her feelings. She raised her eyebrow in confusion and jumped back to the duo on a larger pillar.

"What this country truly needs…it's not the idiotic Ryan-Ban… it needs people like that Shiban and you children." Her last sentence caught them by surprise. Kiishimu looked down with a hint of shame.

"I cannot leave this place… I cannot reason and my spirit has been manipulated like a puppet. My own heart doesn't distinguish right from wrong." She confessed and made a small pause, debating with her heart once more.

"I regret us parting, little children. But soon it will be time to say farewell." A rumbling sound was now heard on a distance. Kiishimu raised both her arms evoking more power and a huge wave emerged from the river of deadly water.

Mirihanna gasped. There was no way they could avoid that. And even worst, there was no chance she could heal them all during such an attack. It was fatal.

"So this is what you would call the most dangerous crisis?" Fai mocked.

"Tsk. If we just stay put, we'll die."

"Well…" The mage started "That's a big problem to me. Since I don't want to die." He smiled sweetly.

"You don't want to die and yet you still don't you your magic…" Kurogane teased.

"Yup! Sorry!" Mirihanna looked at them like they were completely crazy. How could they be so calm during such a situation?

"I can't die either." Kurogane said. "I have to get back to my Japan." He said with a strong voice.

"How about…" Said Mirihanna with her hand up in defense "We all discuss our feelings after this crisis!" She calmly said, trying not to show her panic.

"Come on Mia-Chan you're no fun!" The waved slowly approached them.

"That stupid white manju won't leave this place until we find the princess's feather. We'll have to quickly find it and leave…" Kurogane continued and Mirihanna rolled her eyes once more.

"I don't really want to stay in one place for too long." Commented the blonde. Kurogane asked why and Fai sadly looked to the ground.

"Because if the person I'm avoiding in my world awakens, then I might get caught…" Mirihanna froze her gaze into his. It might have been the first time she truly witnessed Fai speaking freely, with no mask covering his emotions. She slowly frowned. She also knew what was like to be chased. Whatever his reason might be…

"That why I need to run all the worlds…" He finally said with a smile. She bit her lip. She had forgotten what was like to share feelings. She had been alone for such a long time, that she actually forgot what was like to share thoughts with friends.

'Friends…' She said in her mind. 'That's right…this is what friends do.' The journey, the people they were encountering and even the situations that they were put into, were making them more that just partners. It was creating bonds between them. Syaoran and Sakura. Fai with Kurogane…even Mokona with mostly everyone it met so far. They were all discovering themselves, trusting their lives. Depending on each other. But what was she to them? A stranger? A partner? Or a friend to be? Never she thought that she could be a friend with such people. In fact, for the past years, she avoided it.

The weights of people's lives were too heavy on her shoulders. That was why she wandered alone, among the shadows of her country. Avoiding danger to her and others. But this time was different. Either she liked or not, the group was stuck with her and eventually she had to open up to them and let them discover her the way she's discovering them. After the invasion, she became a colder person, almost lifeless. She had no hope or trust in anyone but herself. Eventually, as the years passed by, she learned the hard way that the better thing to do was to be alone. And loneliness breaks someone's spirit.

"Are you done with your last conversation?" Kiishimu asked politely. Fai gave a weak smile.

"Heh, what should we do?" Mirihanna woke up from her deeps thoughts and glanced at Kurogane. He seemed to have noticed her stare and gave a small nod, realizing what he had to do.

"We have to move closer." Mirihanna rested her hands on her hips and nodded in agreement.

The wave was getting closer and closer and Kiishimu could barely see the three of them. She forced the water to come faster but was amazed at seeing the blonde and the girl rapidly jumping in her direction. She smiled.

"Willing to rush your deaths?" She said preparing her long nails for a strike. But the lady underestimated them. Getting distracted by them, Kurogane jumped from behind and was aiming at her. Kiishimu defended herself at the same time and penetrated her long sharp nails into Kurogane's torso only to find a magazine protecting him.

"You're quite the schemer…" She said but was too late, Kurogane gave a mighty blow on her forehead and the room quickly returned to its normal shame, dissolving all the water. Mirihanna and Fai were back on the floor next to each other.

"Nice call, Mia-Chan!" He complimented her. She gave a small nod with a smile.

"If you do another strange move…I'll…" Kurogane couldn't finish his sentence since Kiishimu leaned in for a kiss in his cheek.

"You! What kind of spell did you put on me…." Said the ninja with an angry face.

"That was my thanks…" She replied stepping further from him. Fai and Mirihanna took this opportunity to come closer to them.

"I was controlled by that stone you just broke from the Ryan-Ban. Now… I am free." Kurogane crossed his arms, revealing his discomfort from the kiss. Kiishimu looked at the three of them with a smile.

"You children have a lot of spirit. Especially you, little one." She said lifting Mirihanna's chin with her long nails.

"I can sense that you are not like the others…I do not know how you were able to always predict my moves. But I'm sure that whoever taught you how to move like that, was truly a master." Mirihanna smiled at her in silence. It was truly her tutor from her world. Her spirit had the same kind soul.

"I'm sorry I've blocked your way… The Ryan-Ban is on the upper floor. I guess the other children got there first." Mirihanna turned to Kurogane.

"We should go and help Syaoran." The ninja firmly nodded.

"Be careful. They will resort to some cowardly, unfair trick again…" Kiishimu finally said and disappeared in the darkness. Mirihanna took a deep breath.

'May the Gods watch over you' she said to her in her mind with a smile.

Kurogane, Fai and Mirihanna were now finding their way into the Ryan-Ban. Once more, the halls were empty and were built like a labyrinth. The three walked in silence for a while but soon Fai rapidly ceased it.

"So, you knew that lady?" Fai said to Mirihanna who nodded.

"Who was she in your world?" He asked with a wide smile. She also smiled sweetly, thinking about Kiishimu.

"She was my tutor… She was the one who taught me how to fight and use magic." Fai noticed her change of heart while she spoke of her.

"She did say that you were different… I wonder why…" He said almost teasing an answer out of her. Kurogane glanced at her as well, gaining interest in the conversation. And she did answer. But not as expected.

"Maybe it's the hair color." She responded picking a long silvery white lock of hair and showing them. Fai let out a small laugh. He was not the only good one at avoiding conversation…

"You think fondly of her, right? She must be very special to you." He said changing her topic. Her smile vanished.

"She was." Kurogane and Fai both gazed at her. She kept walking with her rags of clothes, destroyed by the deadly rain.

"She was killed, many years ago by a man." Mirihanna's eyes were filled with sorrow. Fai's smile also broke as he looked at her. She looked at the ground, slightly hugging herself, trying to hide her feelings from them.

"It's funny…how our emotions trigger when we see the dead..." She joked with sad eyes. Fai's gaze never left her. He was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry for mentioning it, Mia-Chan." Kurogane let out a sight. The corridor walk was beginning to get uncomfortable. Her heart was filled with swirling memories. When she was capable of controlling her feelings, she finally looked straight and spoke once more.

"Back there…in the fight…" Her voice was crackling as she sensed their eyes lay upon her once more, heating the back of her ears. She took a deep breath, trying to ignore it.

"I… I can't die either. Not now…" Only her voice echoed in the long corridors along with their footsteps.

"As much as I hate to remember this…Lives depend on my shoulders." She released a final breath, very much relieved for letting it off her chest.

"Your people's lives…right?" Fai pushed once more but the girl did not spoke.

Her memories were far too painful for her to speak of them. She didn't want to be known as a martyr. She had to be strong. Even if it meant tricking herself into it. Something ticked inside her head. She noticed the growing interest of the men about her previous life…about her feelings…about her. She smiled in the corner of her eye. Not to long ago she was questioning herself about what she was in this merry group of travellers. Now she realized that she was more than just a stranger to them. Her bonds were weaving slowly into theirs.

She knew that once she was a lively girl, full of dreams and happiness. It saddened her that her path made her so dull and hopeless of life. But she had the same heart and soul, she was sure of it. She wished that she could be like how she was before it all happened. But the present proved to her that it would take time. But now, a small light of hope was filling her heart. She was with people who cared about her. Maybe it was time to finally take the opportunity to change for the better.

"I'm sorry." She said to them. Fai looked at her in confusion and asked why. She gave a weak smile and looked back at him.

"For being so reserved with you." Kurogane made a small 'Tsk' sound with his mouth.

"Everybody has their past and problems. You shouldn't apology." He told her.

"I know. But still. I am sorry…you seem to be very nice people." She said to him with sincerity.

"I've distrusted people so very long…that now it's hard to me to open myself to others." Kurogane was about to speak again, but she continued.

"And we are in this journey together. We are risking our lives for each other…We…I can't be a stranger forever." Fai smiled and rested his hand on her shoulder.

"You're no stranger to us! You're our lovely and sweet Mia-Chan…don't worry about such things." She looked deeply into his eyes and gave a small smile. She appreciated the support given to her.

"Now let's hurry and help Syaoran-kun!" He said, pushing her forward. The three of them kept walking in a hurry pace to find the younger boy and Mirihanna's smile never faded.

"Thank you." She said to them. It was indeed time to change.

Hi guys! Hope you liked this chapter! I promise that there will be more details and action about Mirihanna's powers. I just didn't want to reveal everything in one shot :) Now for a little tease: Next chapter, prepare to read more about Mirihanna's past!

Thank you for all you're support! You guys are the best.

Have a wonderful day!