A/N: Sorry this took so long, I got disinspired partway through, so I set it aside and inspiration came back. I may do a different POV than Mokona's next chapter, another experment. I would also like your opinion on if I should do the alternate Fai/alternate Ashura POV. Thaks for sticking with me so far.

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Syaoran's POV

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I've barely hit the ground of this new world before I roll up onto my feet and look around. We've had so many bumpy landings that I'm beginning to get used to it.

Sakura-hime is sprawled on the street a few steps from me. I quickly close that distance, and lean down to check if she's alright. She looks up at me wonderingly before I help her into a sitting position and sit down myself.

I am in the process of checking her for injuries when she discovers the cut on my leg. I landed hard on a sharp stone a minute ago. I had been so preoccupied with Sakura-hime that I had not realized that it was bleeding until she pointed it out.

"I'll get it…" I mumble as I rip off another piece of my ragged cloak to bind the cut. Before I tie it on, however, Sakura gently tugs the fabric out of my hands. She folds it with much more care than I had, and ties it to my leg with her brand new ribbon.

"No, you shouldn't. It'll get ruined." I stammer, but she just smiles at me.

"I don't mind. Syaoran-kun needs it more than I do now. I can always get another." She says soothingly. I can feel myself smiling at her, a silly, distracted smile. I avert my eyes before any memories can overwhelm me, and that is how I see Fai-san approaching.

"Fai-san!" I call. Sakura twists around with her brow furrowed cutely to watch Fai-san's rapid approach.

"Syaoran-kun, Sakura-chan. Where's Mokona and Kuro-muu?" Fai-san asks with a characteristic mock-pout. Mokona springs out from between Sakura-hime and I.

"Mokona is here! Mokona senses a feather!" Mokona chirps with effervescent cheer.

"That's great! But no Kuro-tan?" Fai-san says, switching from enthusiasm to despondency at the drop of a hat. A far off sound sharply rings out, perhaps a gunshot in the distance. Not close enough to pose an immediate threat, anyway.

"Mokona, can you tell where the feather is?" I ask with well veiled enthusiasm. Mokona holds still and concentrates a moment before dropping his ears and slouching.

"No. There is one, but Mokona can't feel where it is." Mokona mutters deflatedly. I sigh. We'll have to do this the hard way, again. Sakura-hime picks up Mokona to comfort him.

"Don't worry Moko-chan, Syaoran-kun will find it." She says with a fresh smile. Again I get the feeling I have a foolish grin on my face right now. Sakura-hime gets up, but wobbles a little. I steady her with my hand on her arm, and she looks at me with a thank you in her eyes. For a moment I forget that my hand has not left her arm, but I don't forget that she doesn't seem to mind much. But then the moment flees, and I pull my hand away, slowly. If I know Fai-san, he'll be diligently not watching us right now, hiding a small smile. I begin to feel awkward again.

"We should get moving and find shelter, princess. You look asleep on your feet." I say with concern. She wouldn't last a couple miles down the road like this.

Really looking around for the first time since we arrived, I quickly notice that the buildings here have no discernable doors or windows. In fact, there seem to be no openings at all to the houses.

"Aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrraaaaaaaaaaaah!"

An agonized cry rends the air, shattering the silent peace. A single tear runs down the princess's face. I move to wipe it away, but stop myself. It's not proper.

"Kuro-pon!" Fai-san mouths, barely a whisper trace of voice leaving his lips. The echoes of the scream twist around and return several times. I close my eyes so I can focus on where it is really coming from. It takes a moment longer than usual to clear my worry-cluttered mind, but I eventually get a fix on Kurogane-san.

I take off running with Sakura-hime in tow. I should have paid attention to that gunshot earlier; it came from the same direction as Kurogane's scream. If only-

"Syaoran-kun, I'm scared." Sakura snaps me out of my reverie with her timid statement. It must have been the scream coupled with my sudden running and dragging her along that did it. I wasn't about to leave her alone back there, but I wasn't just going to leave Kurogane to fend for himself either.

I don't have time to tell her all this right now, so I settle for turning back to her with a reassuring smile and a promise in my eyes before picking up the pace again.

"Ne, Syaoran! Are you sure it's this way?" Fai-san calls from behind. He sounds drawn and worried, objecting more out of habit and routine rather than genuine misgivings.

There is a light up ahead, the first in several yards that is lit in the inky blackness that has descended upon the city.

"I swear it came from this direction!" I call back to Fai, while just passing into that light.

Steel rustles lightly against a sheath, and this time I just let my instincts take over. Next thing I know my sword is in my hand and Sakura-hime is stumbling out of the light in the general direction of Fai-san. None of this a moment too soon, as Kurogane is on me in an instant.

His Souhi clashes against my Hien with bright spark flares as he moves with increasing speed and force. He is everywhere at once, and there is no way I can keep blocking him. I would not be able to hit him, even if I wanted to, without him… The look in his eyes says that if an opening were offered, he would fill it with a fatal blow. My breathing begins to grow ragged, and I start to get sluggish when I can least afford it. This could be it…

No. This will not be the time, will not be the place. I am about to move to renew my efforts when I hear Fai-san's voice from the shadows.

"What's Kuro-wan doing? Syaoran-kun's going to need those arms you're trying so hard to chop off." He says slowly and foolishly.

Kurogane-san has stopped dead. I take the brief moment of respite to catch my breath, not dropping my guard. Fai-san makes his dramatic entrance into the light, still holding Kurogane-san's full attention.

At the mere sight of Fai-san, Kurogane-san seems to go into shock. Souhi drops from his grip, and he sinks to his knees. There is something strangely chilling about the sight of him like this, something deeply wrong or twisted. Watching this seems like a violation to Kurogane-san's privacy, again. Looking at it from that point of view, I can see now that he was in a death-rage moments ago, just like I saw before in his past. Something happened on this world that I doubt that any of us will ever get the full picture of or understand completely.

"Kuro-rin, did I say something wrong?" Fai-san asks with a foolish grin that cannot quite cover up the quick glance he made over my shoulder. As he walks over to me, I let Hien's flame go out. The danger that can be fought with swords is over.

Fai-san simply looks at me a moment.

"You should go check on Sakura-chan, she's probably worried sick by now. No need to keep her near here. We'll be with you in a few minutes. We'll be fine." He says quietly.

I am wary and uncertain. To leave Kurogane-san and Fai-san alone out here, especially when Kurogane-san is like this…

But I listen and will leave because Fai-san often speaks with the voice of reason, no matter how ludicrous he acts. His voice always gets soft spoken like this when he is saying, or pointedly not saying, important things. Any moment now, though, he will try to make it all unnoticeably silly and forgettable with something like 'Or so I think.' or 'Or something like that'

"Or- " He begins.

"Yes, Fai-san." I cut him off and smile before leaving.

Outside of the ring of light, I sheathe Hien with my dropped scabbard.

"Sakura-hime." I whisper, and suddenly she is by my side. "I'm sor-"

"Shhh." She says with equaling softness. "Don't apologize. You did a good thing."

I lead her out into the brightly lit street, wondering what precisely she meant by that.

Sakura-hime and I sit on the curb a few minutes before a man on a horse comes by. He is tall and pale, with lengthy black hair draping over his shoulders. A gun is slung over his back. He stops next to us, and I help Sakura-hime to her feet so we can converse more easily. We still have to find the feather in this world.

"Excuse me miss, but I have lost something precious to me in this area. I am offering a reward for its safe return." He says politely. He bears himself with the utmost dignity. His face is sad and distant.

"Yes?" Sakura replies, turning to face him.

"It is a delicate silver necklace with a charm on the end." He responds, the tracings of a smile not quite making their way onto his face.

"It belongs to someone very dear to you." She said, raising a necklace fitting the descriptions to glitter in the lamplight. The charm on the end is one I recognize, even though I have only seen it once before, at Yuuko's house. It is Fai-san's tattoo forged out of silver, shining with an inner radiance. Again I get the feeling that something is going on that I will never quite know about.

"Yes, it did." He watches it, captivated. He gently, tenderly takes the necklace from her hand. He looks about as though he is both overjoyed and disappointed. "I don't know what I could offer you as a reward."

At this point I spot a small tuft of white poking out of his pocket. If that is what I think-

"Excuse me sir, but is that a feather in your pocket?" I ask. The man looks at his pocket musingly for awhile before pulling it out.

"Yes, it looked so pretty, so delicate and powerful, it reminded me of someone. I was going to give it to them." He smiled sadly, nostalgically. "That isn't ever going to happen now." He looked up. "If you want it, it is yours."

"Yes, please." Sakura-hime says with barely suppressed eagerness. I take it upon myself to take the feather from the man. I do so with the utmost care and gentleness as I can. He looks me in the eye, and I look him in the eye, and I have the sensation of knowing that someone is saying something to you, without actually being able to hear or understand them. He breaks eye contact a moment later.

"Farewell, maybe we shall meet again someday." He says before riding off at a brisk trot, back to where he came from.

I stand there a minute, mulling over what just happened before snapping out of it. I hold out Sakura-hime's feather to her, but before she can grab it simply drifts out of my hand into her.

She lets out a small sigh and begins to fall, but I catch her. I hold her tightly and look at her sleeping face.

Once more I vow to keep her safe and happy, so long as I live.