A/N: Sorry for the delay. I was trying something new in this chapter. On a sidenote, it really is hard as I go on to more chapters to keep everything straight, and not contradict myself. Thanks for your patience. This is Sakura, Syaoran coming next.

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Sakura's POV

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Oh, we've had another rough landing in this world. I wonder if Moko-chan is ok. This makes three worlds in a row.

Before I can even look up from where I lay sprawled in the road, I feel a hand on my shoulder. Syaoran-kun is always looking out for me.

He sits down next to me as I pull myself into a sitting position. I give him a bright smile to show him I'm ok. I don't like it when he worries, especially about me.

He checks me over for injuries, even though I assure him I am fine. I look him over, and he seems relatively unharmed. His left knee is cut a little, and bleeds in tiny droplets onto the pavement when he moves his leg.

When I point it out, he tears off a bit of his cloak with the intent to bandage his leg himself, but I pull the fabric out of his hands. He is scrunching it up so that it would undoubtedly only cause more bleeding when he ties it on too tight, as he has a habit of doing. I carefully fold the fabric properly and tie it onto his leg with a ribbon I obtained in the last world.

He frets that he will ruin my ribbon with blood, but I tell him not to worry. The ribbon is replaceable. He smiles at me softly, as though far away.

He looks over my shoulder and calls out to Fai-san, who must have landed a short distance away. Fai-san is already moving towards us in a gait that seems rambling, but actually rapid.

When he gets close enough to speak in a regular talking tone, he addresses us, and asks about Moko-chan and Kurogane-san.

Speaking of Moko-chan, who was until recently sitting, probably obscured from view, between myself and Syaoran-kun, Mokona takes that exact moment to inform the world of his presence, and us of a feather in this world.

After the obligatory expression of cheerfulness over the feather, Fai-san expresses some lack of enthusiasm at the lack of Kurogane-san. Sometimes Fai-san spends as much time worrying as I do, especially at times when Syaoran-kun and Kurogane-san go off to fight by themselves. Times when all we can do is wait and hope and worry and try to entertain each other and hope even harder. Of course, he could just want to bother Kurogane-san some more. In the sport of making Kurogane-san lose his temper, Fai-san is the undisputed king. Not even Moko-chan can compare.

While I've drifted of into contemplative dreamland, Syaoran-kun is drilling Moko-chan about the feather, which seems to be giving Moko-chan some trouble. I pick up Moko-chan and reassure him that he really is appreciated, that Syaoran will find the feather no matter the obstacles. Not that anyone really needs any verbal reminder of that, a single look into Syaoran-kun's eyes would tell you the whole story.

Syaoran-kun's fretting over me again. I must look a little weary on my feet with the way I constantly slip into a mental world of my own. I try to give him a smile to show him I'm just fine, but a scream interrupts, carrying well in the still night air.

The scream is so full of agony and pain and indescribable emotion that a tear runs down my face. What could cause something like that?

Fai-san has perked up in a dreadfully serious way. He's gone white, and his eyes are wide with tiny, contracted pupils. He looks like when he's gotten a dreadful shock, so bad that he can't and doesn't even bother to try to disguise it. He whisper-exclaims Kurogane's name almost to himself.

I don't know how he could have recognized that almost inhuman scream as Kurogane-san's, but as I listen closer to the fading echoes, I realize that it is true. I am concerned, to say the least.

Syaoran-kun closes his eyes a moment and concentrates. He looks so serious. When his eyes snap open, and he grabs my hand while beginning to run, I am prepared and run slightly behind him.

I've never been much for covering up my feelings, so I tell Syaoran-kun how scared I am. He slows slightly as he turns around to face me for a moment. He doesn't even need to say a word, but just look at me with those expressive eyes of his, and I know I will be safe. We keep moving.

Fai-san frets about where we're going. The sound in this place is weird, echoed and distorted, constantly shifting. Finding a lone cry in the night has to be hard for even Syaoran-kun, but I believe in him. I know Fai-san does too, despite his fretting.

Syaoran-kun calls back affirmation to Fai-san right as he runs under a bright streetlamp and stops frozen, listening to something.

With a single swift movement he sends be reeling out of the light and draws Hien. Right before I stumble and begin to fall backwards I see Kurogane-san come charging out of the shadows at Syaoran-kun. Fai-san catches me before I can land on my bum, and steadies me until my feet are properly under me again.

I can hear the cold clash of steel against steel, so I force myself to look up at what is going on under the dazzling light. Kurogane-san is bashing at Syaoran-kun like a madman, not even a speck of reason or recognition showing in his flat eyes.

Fai-san watches them both with a sad and worried expression. He looks down at me, and I can feel him tense up as he steels himself to join the drama playing out. He tells me to stay here and places a hand on my shoulder. He looks back up resolutely and begins whatever role has been assigned him with a cheery nothing aimed at Kurogane-san.

Kurogane-san stops dead in his tracks, then slowly turns to face the direction of Fai-san's voice.

Fai-san fairly prances into the light, his eyes glued on Kurogane-san. Syaoran backs away from both a little, still holding Hien at the ready, blazing in flame.

Souhi drops to the cobblestones with a resounding clatter in the silence. Kurogane-san is suddenly on his knees, and Fai-san takes several unconscious steps towards him.

Fai-san ties another cheery nothing before noticing something out of my line of sight behind Kurogane-san. He makes brief conversation with Syaoran-kun, who then leaves the ring of light to come back over to me.

He starts with another I'm sorry, but I cut him off. I know he only had my best interests at heart, as always. He walks me back out to the brightly lit street, leaving Kurogane-san and Fai-san alone together.

We sit on the curb of the street, and something sparkling in a crack catches my eye. When I pick it up, I discover it to be a necklace made entirely of silver. It has a thin chain, dainty looking but durable. From the chain hangs a charm of worked silver, polished to such a brilliant luster that it seems to radiate light, rather than reflect it.

The charm is very intricately worked, and it reminds me of the designs on Fai-san's coat, or his absent minded doodlings on napkins.

I am just about to show it to Syaoran when a man on a horse approaches us. His skin is the palest white, and his long hair the darkest black contrast. His face is sad, but I can see memories of happier times playing across his eyes when he begins to speak.

He asks us about something precious that he lost, and offers a reward for finding it. I have a feeling of where this is going.

At my prompting, he tells us of his delicate silver necklace lost nearby. When I hold it up to the light his eyes shine with both regret and joy, and he ever so gently reaches down to relieve me of it.

I can tell that it belongs to someone precious to him, and say as much. He agrees, but with the past tense. He hesitates, uncertain of what reward to offer, and I get the feeling he hadn't thought much of this part before.

Syaoran-kun speaks up finally, asking about a silky tuft of white just barely poking out of the man's pocket. The man gets that nostalgic look again before answering. He pulls it out, and it really is one of my feathers.

He tells us that he was going to give it to someone precious, but that he couldn't now. He said that we could have it if we wanted. Syaoran-kun relieves the man of my feather in much the same gentle way as the man relieved me of his necklace.

The man gives us a sorrowful, and at the same time hopeful, farewell. I almost wish I could see him again, and get to know him better, but we will probably leave soon anyway.

Syaoran-kun reverently holds out my feather to me, and I absorb it. Just before I slip out of consciousness, I feel his arms catching me as I fall.

I snuggle into his warm, tight embrace feeling safe from all the world.