Ok. I know this took so long most of the people that read the first chapter has forgotten it. The fact is we were writing it together my friend Teresa and me. Teresa then had an accident and went into the hospital, and since I hadn't read or seen any of TRC, I couldn't keep on the story. Now that I've read the manga up to volume 12 I can do it! You have my most sincere apologies, and I can promise you it won't happen again.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
CHAPTER II
The incredibly tall, engraved doors opened together by magic and revealed a vast circular room. In the wall opposite to the doors, there was a small platform with three steps where stood, against the wall, a tall backed white throne where someone was sitting.
(Note: I'm using the OVA's Clef. Just because I think it's more coherent to his age, that's all.)
It was a young man, with white hair that fell over the right side of his face, and wearing a blue long sleeved robe over a white outfit. In his hand he held a long staff that reminded of some's creatures skull… tough it didn't seem to be… (geeze… this character ARE hard to describe…)
But he wasn't the only one in the room, as three girls and a man were with him. Syaoran looked at them, confused. The girls had strange costumes and also two of them had strange hair colors; red and blue. The man dressed in white had green hair and amber eyes.
The red haired girl turned and smiled full of joy. She had Mokona in her arms, and ran to them as they entered the room.
"Lantis!" she said stopping in front of him. The man returned a warm smile.
"Hikaru, welcome back." He said.
"Look! Mokona is back!" Hikaru showed him the little uh… thingy.
"Yes, I saw her earlier."
"I missed you." She smiled warmly.
"You only saw me last week… but I like to have you back."
"Please" Clef said standing. "Come on in. My name is Guru Clef and I am the Master Mage of Cephiro."
"I am Syaoran" the boy answered. "This is Sakura Hime from the Clow Kingdom, and this is Fai D. Florite."
"Welcome to Cephiro." Clef said, but he didn't smile. Not like he smiled a lot, Clef. "These are the magic Knights, Hikaru, Umi and Fuu. And this is Prince Ferio."
"Hey y'all." He answered.
"Thank you for welcoming us." Syaoran said. "Mokona brought us here. We don't know how long we will be staying, we are in the search of something."
"Really?" Hikaru asked smiling at Sakura Hime. She nodded smiling back. "We can help you! We know our way around Cephiro very well!"
"Thank you." Sakura Hime said.
"But we don't want to inconvenience you" Syaoran said. "We have no idea where it could be and until Mokona tells us it feels something we can't even be sure that it actually is here…"
"Oh, but they can be so helpful Syaoran-kun!" Fai laughed.
"It truly wouldn't be any inconvenience at all." Fuu said gently. "We ourselves needed a lot of help when we were on a quest through Cephiro."
"That's true!" Hikaru said. "We'd like to help you."
"So, what is it exactly that you're looking for?" Umi asked.
Syaoran sighed inwardly. "A few months back, Sakura Hime was trapped by some kind of spell that took away all her memories in the form of feathers. We are traveling through dimensions since then, trying to find them back."
"So" Hikaru said. "You're looking for the feathers so you can bring Sakura Hime's memories back?"
"Right." Syaoran nodded. "And Mokona leads the way through the dimensions. She also tells us when she feels a feather near."
"Tell you, huh?" Umi flashed a suspicious look at the rabbit-like animal.
"Yes…" Syaoran said unsure.
"Oh, you look exhausted." Fuu said with worry in her big green eyes. "You should rest! We will talk some more in the morning."
"Yes, Fuu is right." Ferio said. "I'll take y'all to rooms where you can see the night and in the morning we'll see this whole search matter."
"Oh you're coming?" Fuu asked surprised.
Ferio smiled. "Are you?"
"Well of course, I just offered my assistance…"
"Then so am I." Ferio said grabbing her hand. She smiled warmly. Ferio then looked at the newcomers. "C'mon, follow me."
Hikaru turned to Lantis and burst in a huge illuminating smile. "Let's go I want to show you something!" she said taking his hand and heading to the door.
Lantis smiled and followed her almost sheepishly. Syaoran blinked; he hadn't though of him as an easy coming person, he seemed so cold. Fai was running around with Mokona again.
Ferio guided them through maze-like corridors of high vaulted ceilings and doors in deep blue and silver engravings. It was truly a magnificent castle, very different from that of the Clow Kingdom, that was in contrary, simple and humble.
Syaoran followed them as Ferio spoke with Fai. Behind him, Umi and Fuu were walking with Sakura Hime, but he didn't want to hear them and be imprudent.
"So what do you remember?" Umi asked. "I mean how many feather have you recollected already?"
"Well, just over twenty now." Sakura said. "Syaoran and the others have helped me so much. Now I remember who I am and who my brother is, and where I came from and where that is. Also I have some fragmented memories of my father before he died and my Brother Touya took the throne."
"I see." Fuu said gently. "So, you now remember most of your childhood."
"Yes."
"And Syaoran and you were friends before?"
"No." sakura said. "Syaoran said Yukito and Onii-san asked him to help me recover my memories. I don't have any memories of him before the day I woke up with my heart lost."
"Well but maybe you knew him and still don't remember him." Umi said.
"He would have said something though." Fuu said.
"I think so too." Sakura looked at the boy's back. "He's so honest and kind to me."
Fuu smiled. "I'll talk to Ferio before going to bed for tonight, if you excuse me." She said. The three stopped and Fuu made an elegant Japanese bow to the Hime. "I will see you in the morning, Hime!"
"Yes, thank you!"
Fuu advanced towards Ferio and took his hand. The green haired boy turned to her smiling. Fai fell behind to Syaoran's side.
"Hey there. Watching stars tonight?"
She nodded with a warm smile.
"Everything okay?" Ferio asked. She looked at him with a quizzical expression in her eyes. He shrugged. "You have that thoughtful-sad expression in your face."
"Oh, you know me so well." Fuu laughed softly. "I am worried. I feel Syaoran-kun has left a lot of things outside his story."
"You mean he lied?"
"No. I think he just didn't tell us everything. If you think about it…"
"And that's what you do best…"
".. would a king leave her weakened little sister at the care of a young boy he doesn't even know? Hum."
"Hum." He imitated her thoughtful sigh.
"Ferio…"
"Hum?"
"Just pay attention to how he looks at Sakura Hime. Maybe she doesn't remember, but I know the first time they saw each other wasn't that day when she woke up in a different world."
The next morning+
Syaoran awoke when it was already day, though not too advanced. He sat up in the bed and looked around, recognizing the place as the events of the previous day fell in order in his memory.
Cephiro.
Alright, he'd been in strange places before, and he had managed to find the feather, right? He could do it again this time, specially with the Knight's help.
Then, that was what he repeated himself every morning. Sakura was coming along better every day. Though she held no memory whatsoever of ever meeting Syaoran, she was as kind and gentle-hearted with him as with anyone else. Syaoran was realizing that could come to be enough for him, as long as she remembered everything else. He wanted her to be who she was, it didn't matter anymore if she wasn't who she had been for him. It had never had any future anyway, that relationship. Princesses just don't marry commoners. Not any, not King Touya's little sister.
He got out of bed and got dressed. One good thing about Cephiro was he could pass along as anyone with his own clothes, not needing to borrow any. Everyone dressed in similar fashion anyway.
Syaoran sat in the bed to tie up his boots, when there was a knock on the door. He raised his eyes.
"Come in." he called.
Fai opened the door and Mokona bounced inside. "It's time for breakfast. Then we'll go out and start the search."
"Mokona will find the feather!" the little bouncing thing yelled with innocent joy jumping to Syaoran's lap.
"Good, Mokona." Syaoran smiled. He looked up at Fai. "What do you think of the people here, Fai-chan?"
"I think they're really cute." He answered smiling. Then he opened his eyes a little. "And very powerful, Syaoran-kun. Particularly three of them; Guru Clef, Hikaru and Lantis."
"Yes." Syaoran nodded. "I noticed how Kurogane-sama looked at him."
"Yeah, that's something to beware of." Fai commented. "We both know how Kurorin gets around strong people…"
"And you?"
"Me?"
"How you looked at Clef…"
"Oh, but he's a likable little fellow, Guru Clef!" Fai answered. "An interesting Mage in deed. So sad, as well. But that is hardly the matter. Let's go find that feather!"
"Yes!"
They both exited the room as Syaoran clasped his cape over his shoulders. Mokona led the way through the Castle's fantastic hallways. Anyone could get lost in there! It was nearly a maze of corridors and hallways that all looked the same. Syaoran was glad Fai and Mokona had gone looking for him, otherwise they might had have to organize a search party…
Then up on the hallway he saw a black figure that gave his back to them.
"Good morning, Kurotan!" Fai called.
And automatically Mokona started bouncing around, "Kurotan, Kurotan!" all around them. Kurogane caught him and glared a freezing gaze at it, then threw it back to Fai.
"How was the hunting yesterday?" Syaoran asked as Kurogane joined in walking at his side.
"Cool. The Lafarga guy is strong. We had some good monsters to get rid of."
While they were walking through one of the anonymous hallways in the castle, talking to each other, they suddenly heard a voice calling. They stopped in their tracks and turned towards a large door that opened up to a beautiful garden with a central water spring of white marble.
Hikaru, that was sitting in the edge of the spring, stood up and ran to them.
"We're having breakfast, why don't you come with us?"
Syaoran nodded smiling. "Thank you."
There was a round table where Clef, Umi and Fuu were sitting. Hikaru had been sitting in the edge of the spring with Lantis and a woman with pink hair tied up in a pony tail, with big golden earrings and a lack of clothes that made Syaoran blush.
"Isn't that Caldina from Outo country?" Kurogane asked arching an eyebrow.
"Well yes it is. Only here she is different. Remember." Fai answered.
Ascot and Lafarga were discussing something while Ferio, sitting in a chair, devoted himself to taking care of his sword's blade. Apparently they were already set to get out searching.
Fuu and Umi smiled at them.
"Good morning." Fuu said.
"Good morning." Syaoran answered smiling. "Where is Sakura Hime?"
"And here we go again." Kurogane rolled his eyes in irritation. "Look kid, wouldn't hurt you to stop thinking in her for a second."
"I'm supposed to protect her." Syaoran said softly, leaving Mokona in Umi's arms. "She isn't able to fend for herself when it comes to…"
"We're here!"
Sakura Hime entered the door followed by a tall thin woman with long golden hair tied up in a ponytail.
Syaoran sighed. Kurogane glared at him, annoyed, and Fai smiled sheepishly.
Fuu stood up. "Syaoran-kun, this is the Master Blacksmith, Presea. She said she would give Sakura Hime some kind of weapon to protect herself in any situation, that's why she wasn't here. Also we haven't introduced Caldina." She signaled to the pink-haired woman.
"Hi, kid." Caldina regarded smiling.
Syaoran and Fai sat down to the table with Sakura Hime while Kurogane took a piece of bread and a cup of tea and sat heavily on the edge of the sprint, a little upset by the fact that the conversation with Syaoran had been interrupted.
After a good hot breakfast and some conversation, Kurogane finally stood up. "So, are we getting this done already?"
Syaoran nodded and got up as well, followed by Sakura Hime. Umi and Fuu got up as well, while everyone got ready to leave.
Fai remained sitting, sipping off his tea cup and smiling in an indolent manner. "I think I'll stay here, you have so much help already…"
He didn't finish the phrase since Kurogane grabbed him by the collar and made him stand up and follow him. Fai only had time to get his coat while he followed him forcefully.
"We were thinking" Umi said. "Is there a way of knowing around where the feather would be?"
"No…" Syaoran said. "Mokona always tells us when there is one around. Also Sakura Hime seems to feel them, but other than that…"
"Well, when you have no idea what direction to take, you should walk forward." Hikaru said. "So maybe we should go through the town near the Castle and from there keep going forward.
"Until we hit the Sea? There must be a better way." Lantis said.
"There's so many of us, maybe we should split." Fai said.
Syaoran looked at the group, formed by himself, Kurogane, Sakura Hime, Fai, Umi, Fuu, Hikaru, Lantis, Lafarga, Ascot and Ferio. Surely such a large group would be very difficult to handle.
Finally they decided to split in three groups. Mokona took the initiative to put the groups together, and though Umi and Kurogane complained about it, at the end she fixed them up.
Syaoran, Sakura Hime, Lafarga and Hikaru were one. Fai, Umi, Ascot and Lantis were other, and the third was the rest, meaning Fuu, Ferio and Kurogane, and Mokona joining them too.
They split up and headed for different directions, convening in reuniting the large group at nightfall right there in order to head to the Castle and rest for another early start the next day in case they didn't success today.
Fuu's group headed towards the right, and before they left, Kurogane turned and glanced at Syaoran over his broad black clad shoulder.
"Kid, be careful how you use that sword." He eyed him icily. "And don't let your guard down, 'cause with all the different essences here it's gonna be tough to tell a presence from another. Got it?"
Syaoran nodded severely. "I understand."
Kurogane stared at him for a brief moment, as if he wanted to add something, but instead turned around and left quietly. Lantis followed him sharply with his deep eyes, and suddenly found himself staring right at the magician's cobalt blue eyes.
And suddenly he felt it, the raw power, the horribly dangerous intelligence beneath the carefully constructed façade. And just like that, it was gone, replaced by soothing calm in his eyes and a silly smile that, even if they knew each other for too short a time for him to completely understand it, didn't thoroughly fool him.
He felt a tug at his hand and turned hi eyes away and his head down.
"Something wrong?" Hikaru asked looking at him.
"No." he answered calmly. "Just a passing feeling. Be careful."
"You too!" Hikaru smiled brightly. She turned and caught up with Syaoran and the others, that were already going to the left. Lafarga fell behind to close the march and protect the three kids.
Lantis turned and found Umi standing beside him. It didn't take much brightness to see Umi wasn't quite happy with the arrangements Mokona had done. She was perfectly fine with Ascot; she liked Fai. But Lantis she didn't like. He wasn't sure why, but he suspected it had something to do with her being so protective of Hikaru, with him being Zagato's little brother and with Hikaru and him being so different, both in personalities and age.
Fuu didn't treat him as icily as Umi did. But Fuu was special in a way; she was polite and gentle and cared for Hikaru more than anything else. She had told him she trusted him because he would never let any harm come to Hikaru while he could stop it and he understood.
Umi on the other side still was suspicious of him, although he had a powerful feeling that it related directly with the part of herself that still hadn't come to accept what part she had taken in the end of his brother's story. It was no use to tell her he didn't blame her; she blamed herself. And while Hikaru and Fuu had grown to understand it hadn'0t actually been their faults… Umi still fought that feeling.
"You seem to think a lot." A soft voice took him from his somber thoughts. He looked at Fai, with his soft smile and half lidded eyes, now gentle and indolent.
"And you seem to be hiding something." He answered icily.
"Aren't we all?" Fai smiled. He laughed softly at Lantis' expression, and finally turned to smile at Umi while she and Ascot started walking.
With a quick glance at Hikaru's back, Lantis followed them.
TBC...
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Again I'm really sorry for what happened and I hope I can get a second chance!
Loves!
Namariel out!