TENSIONS IN THE AIR
"Well, I don't think it was a waste of time." Fai answered smoothly. "At least we got to know Cephiro and its beautiful lands."
"While you were looking around, I don't suppose you were by any chance trying to find the feather, were you?" Kurogane glared.
"The feather will reveal itself eventually, no need to get desperate about it, Kuro-woof."
"I'm not your pet!" Kurogane roared furiously, and was calmly dismissed by Fai's smile.
Fuu laughed softly. "Kurogane-kun sure is full of energy."
"Ah, yes." Syaoran answered easily. "He's very active all the time."
"Umi-chan and he really have the same opinion about Mokona, too." Fuu added, leaning a little forward to see the blue haired girl struggle with the white bun attached to her head.
Syaoran smiled gently. "Kurogane-kun is always fighting with Mokona. Mokona even steals his food when we eat, and they struggle to see who is going to eat it. It's amusing."
"Syaoran-kun you're very calm and collected!" Hikaru said blinking.
Syaoran blushed a little, smiling. "Um, it's because my father was so calm, I guess I took it from him."
"Oh, did your father… I'm so sorry, Syaoran-kun." Fuu said sadly.
Syaoran shook his head slowly. "No, it's alright. I miss him, but I know he's happy where he is. He always had a gentle smile and was very tender with me, and worried about me all the time, and that's why I try to be happy too, so he won't be sad."
"Of course." Fuu said kindly. "Because we are not alone, we must take care of ourselves, so the people we love won't be sad if we get hurt."
"Fuu-chan always says that" Umi said, finally catching up with them after successfully throwing Mokona away. "But she had curative powers anyway, so if we do get hurt, she can take care of us."
"You have curative powers?" Syaoran asked blinking.
"Ah, yes, because I can control wind." Fuu asked politely. "Umi-chan can control water, and Hikaru-chan can control fire."
"Really?" Syaoran asked, surprised. "The first world we were sent to was called Hanshin Republic, and in that place, Fai-kun, Kurogane-kun and I were given powers like those in the forms of Kudans that were with us all the time."
"Oh?" Fuu blinked.
"Yes, I had fire, Fai-kun wind and Kurogane-kun, water." Syaoran said.
"Oh, I see." Hikaru said thoughtfully. "Because Kurogane-kun is very similar to Umi-chan and Fai-kun is comparable to Fuu-chan."
"And Syaoran-kun and Hikaru-can have similar character attributes." Fuu completed raising a long thin finger.
"The Castle is in sight now." Umi said looking ahead, raising her head. She turned slightly to look at Lafarga, calmly walking besides Ferio, Princess Sakura serenely sleeping in his strong arms.
"She fell asleep halfway through the woods." Hikaru said. "It was too much of an effort for her. But Lafarga said she's as light as a feather."
"She sure looks that way." Umi muttered, looking at the fragile form of the young princess with a slight frown. "Maybe she should just stay in the Castle tomorrow, don't you think, Syaoran-kun?"
Syaoran looked thoughtful for a moment. "She won't like it. She's growing more and more worried about us lately, she tries to do her best all the time. If we tell her she can't come…"
"I'm sure she'll understand." Hikaru said gently.
"I can stay with her if she doesn't want to be alone." Fuu offered.
"She won't anyway" Umi replied. "Clef is there, and so are Gardina and Presea. And there's always town people around the Castle and in the gardens; she can't feel lonely."
"So, how many worlds have you visited until now, Syaoran-un?" Ascot asked, finally deciding to take a part in the conversation.
Behind the five of them, Ferio and Lafarga were listening to Fai's explanation of how magic worked to move the across worlds. Lantis and Kurogane silently closed the group at the back.
"Keep staring." Kurogane suddenly said low, glaring. Lantis' blue eyes, that had been fixed in the mage's back, turned to him. "He might do a trick."
Lantis remained silent.
"I know what you're thinking." Kurogane continued. "But I'm warning you, don't underestimate him. He can be treacherous."
"His powers are not the only thing he hides, though."
"No, they're not." Kurogane answered, but made no gesture as to inform Lantis of his estimation of the other things Fai D. Florite hid beneath a mask of cheerfulness and care freeness that fooled only those not looking to see behind it.
Kurogane had his own opinions about the mage's mask, but he wasn't willing to share them with someone he didn't trust in. While the three girls that were walking besides Syaoran seemed harmless and kind, Lantis and Lafarga presented danger, and Kurogane, distrustful to begin with, had learn as they traveled the worlds that he could not trust anyone with the ability of causing harm. And Lantis had that ability.
break+
Fuu walked across the hallways of the Castle alone. Sakura had just been put to bed and Fai had decided he would stay with her, and Hikaru-chan, Umi-chan, Ascot and Ferio were all going to go talk with Clef about the journey of the day. Lafarga had withdrawn with Gardina for the day.
It was still day outside, which was good. Fuu wanted to practice some archery before the ends of the day, just so she wouldn't loose practice. With all this time using her sword, she thought she was growing rusty. So she has asked Presea for a bow and arrows and was now heading towards the practice gardens.
She was passing the arches of the first gardens with springs when she spotted Lantis' tall, black form leaning against one of the arches. It was strange he wasn't with Hikaru or at Eagle's side, so Fuu figured she'd approach him and ask if something was wrong.
"Lantis-kun, is something…"
A very familiar sound interrupted her, so she turned slightly to see what Lantis was attentively watching. Kurogane and Syaoran were in the garden, fighting with their swords. Kurogane's blows came fast and continuously, and Syaoran was left only with defending himself and loosing ground as he recoiled at his friend's strength.
"Oh! But, why are they…?"
"Kurogane is training him." Lantis explained. "Apparently he's teaching him to use a sword."
"That's strange, Syaoran seems more than capable of this to me."
"Yet he uses his legs to attack rather than a sword." Lantis replied. "If he can, he will get in a close combat fight in set of requiring for a weapon. Kurogane on the other hand draws his sword at any strange movement. He is trying to teach that reflex to Syaoran."
"I see." Fuu muttered, her green eyes following the fight carefully.
She observed the tall black haired man had more than one opening he could've used to injure Syaoran; the boy was good, but not nearly as good as the teacher. Kurogane swiftly noticed the openings and slipped his sword into Syaoran's defense, breaking it; but he never once hurt him. His sword would even cut the thin material of the boy's clothes, never touching his skin and cutting it. It was magnificent how he moved as if the sword was a part of his own body, an extension of his hands.
"He is superb." She whispered, touching her soft lips with the tips of her fingers, awed.
Lantis nodded. "He has a remarkable self-control. He clearly knows very well what he is doing."
"So" Fuu said smiling kindly. "don't you think Kurogane-san treats Syaoran-kun just like his son, or maybe a little brother?"
"I suppose he is fatherly in some aspects." Lantis answered absently. "But it would seem to make sense. In the strange family they have formed, Kurogane is the only adult man competent to assume the role. The mage is too feminine."
Fuu blinked. She eyed him surprised. Lantis had never been so blatantly clear about something with her before. In the past few months they had spent time together, and they trusted each other, but to think Lantis would speak to her as freely as to Hikaru… However, Lantis HAD changed since Hikaru had destroyed the Pillar System. Perhaps the real Lantis under the cold mask was just as kind as the rest of Cephiro's inhabitants.
She sighed. "I see. You don't trust Fai-san either."
Lantis looked at her. "You mean you distrust him, as well."
"Not me." Fuu said. She smiled gently. "He's kind and cheerful, I like him. But Clef... he thinks Fai-san is dangerous."
Lantis didn't answer. There was a moment of silence before he straightened from the arch and turned around to leave, most likely to see Eagle.
"Just" he said surprisingly, without turning. "Don't let your guard down around them. There is more to them than what they show."
I know. Fuu thought as she watched him leave in silence. And yet, even if he didn't trust them, he hadn't been unkind to Princess Sakura, nor had he been cold towards Syaoran or Kurogane. Fai was a completely different matter. Nevertheless, Fuu had felt strange around the mage as well. Perhaps it had something to do with him having the ability of using wind magic just like her, that provoked her a certain type or weird affinity towards him, or maybe because he looked so much like something he probably wasn't. Happy.
"Fuu-chan!" Syaoran called for her. She turned and smiled at him, tilting her head.
"Hello Syaoran-kun. Good work at the training!"
"Thank you." Syaoran blushed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck in an embarrassed manner.
"You an archer?" Kurogane asked in his usual, cold, monotonous voice, leaning down a bit over Syaoran's shoulder. Fuu thought it was an overly protective stance, but she thought it was nice all the same. He cared for the boy.
"I am." She answered. "I was just on my way to practice when I stopped by to see you two. It was an impressive match."
"I'm still no counterpart for Kurogane-san." Syaoran replied shyly.
"The practice makes the master." Fuu smiled. Syaoran nodded, determination flaring up in his eyes.
Fuu blinked, surprised, when Kurogane ruffled Syaoran's brown hair with his big hand, the look in his eyes almost tender and soft, as he roughly ordered the kid to go and clean up, since he was sweaty. It was an astoundingly intimate, affectionate act; too fatherly for Kurogane's generally cold, distant attitude.
Fuu watched the boy run away with Mokona attached to his head, so full of energy it was difficult to believe he had just had a terrible spar with the strictest of teachers.
She turned back to Kurogane, and she discovered him eyeing her suspiciously. Blinking, she didn't try to smile at him; it would probably just irk him, judging by his reactions to Fai-san's sweet smiles. To her observations, Kurogane despised it when someone smiled at the lack of anything else to do. So she looked at him solemnly.
He stared at her for a moment, then shrugged and turned his back. He sat on a rock near the lake and placed his elbows on his knees, and leaned his chin against one of his big hands, studying her with his piercing red eyes.
Strange. They were the same color as Hikaur-chan's, though a deeper shade of red, and yet they were so terribly different. Filled with hardness and suspicion in set of love and happiness. The story behinds those eyes stroked Fuu as terribly painful.
"You seem to be the only one around here that is more than what it looks like."
Fuu blinked. "No, you are mistaken." She said slowly. "You never know how someone is at first look."
"I know the redhair's type. She's just like Syaoran." He said almost boringly. "Umi is probably more like me on the outside. All snaps and fire and a scorching attitude. You're like Fai" he continued coldly. "but a little different. The others are as simple as water. What you see is what you get."
"I believe you are too quick to judge." Fuu observed carefully.
"No, I'm not." Kurogane replied, getting up. "And tell that burnet guy to stop watching us. It's annoying and it'll get him killed."
And he strolled off without another glance, leaving Fuu uneasy as to who these people were. Perhaps the matter was more dangerous than it looked like. She would have to warn Hikaru and Umi to be careful. She looked at the sky, sighing, and she suddenly realized it was dark already.
She would have to leave the archery practice for some other time.
She was too troubled anyway.
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Ok. This chapter sucks. I AM aware of it. I don't really know what I was thinking when I wrote it. But It's been too long without an update here so I figured I'd just post it for you. Next chapter will be better. I promise. I mean… it's easy.
Loves!
Namariel, out!