Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa Chronicles. Simple as that.

c-h-a-p-t-e-r-3

"Mokona, can you sense anything?" Syaoran repeated urgently. They had been walking around endless grassy plains for what seemed like forever, and still no trace of a feather. It was frustrating, to say the least.

The tiny manjuu bun concentrated hard once more, its ears sticking out in the air. There were several uncomfortable moments of silence between the weary travelers. Finally Mokona opened its eyes in defeat.

"No…"

Syaoran steeled himself and laid his burden on the ground. He placed a hand over Sakura's forehead and found it to be as hot as ever. Dipping a finger into the crystal clear bowl of water he had in his free hand, he traced his wet finger along Sakura's parched lips. Only when he was satisfied did he take a swig of water himself, quenching his thirst.

Around him, Fye was up to his usual prank of teasing Kurogane. Syaoran would not have been surprised to see steam bursting forth from the ninja. He looked angry enough to the boy.

Kurogane's mouth was pulled down into an angry snarl. He was inches away from slicing that irritating mage into microscopic pieces. His hand jerked instinctively towards his sword.

"I'm warning you, mage. One more word and -"

"Kuro-won!" Fye teased, smiling stupidly.

That did it. Souhi was out before Syaoran could blink, poised millimeters from Fye's pale neck. Still the mage did not flinch. Nor did he back away under the ninja's penetrating glare.

"Playing serious now, are we?"

"Do me a favour and shut up."

"Aww, Kuro-rin is no fun!" Fye pouted. Kurogane would have gladly thrust his sword up Fye's big mouth at the moment. As it is, cold steel had rested upon the mage's flesh, eager to dig into it and draw fresh blood from its prey.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Someone screamed, the loud sound shaking the three travelers to their very souls. It sounded more and more agonized as time dragged on, bringing more pain to the travelers' ears.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the scream ceased, leaving a ringing silence in its wake.

"Wow, mage," Kurogane grunted into the silence. "There's no need to scream that loud."

Contrary to what the ninja expected, Fye did not make a witty comeback. In fact, he was staring at something behind Kurogane, his cerulean blue eyes etched all over with concern.

"It wasn't me," he finally said, his voice a hoarse whisper.

"Then who was it?"

"Hime!" Syaoran cried, clutching Sakura's fragile-looking hand in his gloved ones.

"Does that answer your question, Kuro-won?"

….

Sakura hung limply from her binds, too weary to try to stay upright. She was exhausted beyond belief, too tired even to scream out in pain when another rush of electric-like jolt entered her blood stream. Her haggard breathing was the only indication of the agony she was undergoing.

The tears that had spilled down her cheeks had evaporated into thin air a long time ago, leaving messy streaks on Sakura's pale face. Her torso was totally drenched in her own perspiration. Her sweat formed a small pool just below her feet.

She hated the way her clothes clung onto her thin frame. It made her feel uncomfortable. And the fact that it was wet did not help at all.

But that was the least of her worries at the moment. Sakura felt as though she had stayed there forever. How long had it been since she had been plunged into this horrible place? Days? Months? Or mere hours? She did not know.

Either way, the excruciating pain was almost too much for her to bear. It coursed up her veins and shook her very bones to the point where Sakura was actually glad of the manacles and stone slabs that kept her stationary. She did not think she would be able to stand otherwise – if you could call hanging several inches over the floor 'standing', that is.

A gasp was all she could muster when she was fed another dose of the nasty shocks she had been receiving of late. She dimly sensed her body shutting down under the intense agony and welcomed the darkness that came along with it as a relief.

It appeared that nothing that brought her relief could last forever.

Her vision erupted into a flurry of twinkling stars, blinding her. Sakura was jerked unpleasantly out of her momentary bliss and forced to face harsh reality once more. Her aches and pains returned in full force, nearly knocking her back into peaceful oblivion.

Sadly, something kept her awake. And Sakura did not need to think to recognize the painfully familiar magic that was being cast…

Her captor was back.

One thin, tapered finger placed itself under her sweaty chin and pulled her face upwards so that her emerald orbs met his cold gaze. Sakura shivered upon contact with his clammy skin. It felt as though he were a corpse that had risen from the grave.

"Did you enjoy my surprise?" he said silkily, his finger never leaving her chin. Sakura spat right at his face, causing him to recoil and wipe off the saliva in evident disgust. The princess smiled despite herself, despite knowing that the price for her short moment of glory would probably be hefty. For now, it was worth it –

Sakura screamed anew, the single sound tearing at her throat and piercing the air in the musty room. A small amount of blood dribbled onto her soft – and wet – dress, staining it a bright crimson. She coughed up some more blood before closing her mouth and forcing herself to take deep breaths in a feeble attempt to dull the throbbing pain.

Her brown head hung down in defeat. A bead of sweat traveled down to the tip of her nose and fell to the floor with a soft 'drip' that seemed to echo around the room. Sakura could not hide the fact that she was shivering uncontrollably. The latest blast was far more powerful than those that had preceded it. She felt as though every organ in her body had burst into smithereens at the impact.

Yet she was still alive…perhaps, just perhaps, would it be better to die? Then she could leave all this suffering behind her…

Sakura pushed the appealing thought away firmly. No, she did not want to die. She wanted to live. That was the reason the four of them had stuck together as a team to find her missing feathers: to keep her alive. She would not let them down after all they have gone the hardships they had endured.

"Was that enjoyable?" the man mocked. Sakura shook off the remnants of blood and saliva before glaring at him. She would not give in to his threats. Kurogane-san, Fye-san and Syaoran-kun had fought hard to retrieve her feathers, and there was no way she was going to surrender them easily now.

Then again, this man had more tricks up his sleeve than a dog has fleas. Sakura could see that from his twisted smile and the glint in his eyes. The catch was in discovering what his hidden intentions were, if there were more than one.

"I think I'll keep it at that level and increase it every day until the flow of magic in your body is disrupted. Perhaps the chaos within will help you to spread your wings," he said, emphasizing on the last three words.

Spread your wings…Sakura thought in fear. A rush of images entered her mind then.

Something…something was calling to her…she teleported to the interior of some arch…a flash of bright golden light…and someone called her name…she dimly registered the hard impact of her body hitting the floor, and someone trying to shake her awake….

That voice…had sounded so familiar…it sounded like…sounded like Syaoran-kun's –

Sakura's head snapped up, her emerald eyes wide. S-Syaoran-kun? The chestnut haired boy appeared in her mind's eye for a short moment before vanishing into thin air. Then there was a loud clap that sounded like a crack of thunder before Sakura blacked out.

"Who…was that?" she muttered, her head drooping forwards to rest on her chest. "Ungh…."

Her captor growled with annoyance and administered a stronger shock upon Sakura, causing the limp figure to glow momentarily with crackling white light. Still the princess did not regain consciousness.

"Kuso!" he swore before turning away and disappearing into a portal, hair billowing wildly. Before going away he cast another blast of strong magic on Sakura, causing the unconscious girl to spit blood. Beads of sweat stood out on her brow ad dripped onto the floor.

Once again, Sakura was alone in the room, this time with magic crackling round her slim frame. Thankfully, she was blissfully oblivious to the pain the shocks would have caused, if only for the moment.

….

Sakura screamed again, head and arms thrashing wildly. She would have rolled off the huge rock slab she was laid upon if Syaoran had not been pinning her wrists down, half-hugging her.

Her cry of pure agony did not go unnoticed. Syaoran was distressed at her deteriorating condition. Her screams had not subsided, even after an hour of continuous cries tearing at her throat. In fact, it seemed to grow louder and more incessant.

Fye butted in and wiped Sakura's feverish brow with a piece of cloth. Sakura shivered, the beating of her heart uneven. Her intakes of air were haphazard and ragged. Yet another scream escaped her lips, echoing loudly in the distance.

Some crystalline tears squeezed out of her shut eyes, traveling down her sweat-stained cheeks. A single mother or pearl landed on Syaoran's hand, and he caressed her cheek in concern. His finger wiped off the rest of her tears, stopping to rest beside her closed right eye.

Her elegant eyebrows were knitted into a frown. She bit her lips, unconsciously or not, perhaps in an effort to stop whatever was causing her pain. Her arms that were pinned underneath Syaoran's warm body flailed a little as another scream tore at her throat.

"Hi-me!" Syaoran choked with difficulty. The princess's chest rose and fell, but not in a peaceful doze. Sakura moaned time and again, punctured by the occasional scream. Her hot breath traveled down his open shirt, making him writhe slightly with discomfort.

Sakura grunted, her already pale face drained of any trace of colour it had kept. Tears streaked down her face once more as she howled in excruciating pain. Her fingers curled around Syaoran's cloak and gripped it tightly. Syaoran allowed her to do it, as long as it could bring her relief.

"Syaoran-kun," Fye interjected, staring at the screaming princess in the boy's arms. Syaoran did not turn around but cradled Sakura's head in one hand, amber eyes searching her pale face for the cause of her agony.

The mage shoved a small vial towards him, causing the boy to look at it curiously without much enthusiasm. The glass vial contained a silvery white substance within that swirled about like a gas.

"What is this?" Syaoran asked, his eyes returning to Sakura's face.

"This…this is a simple sleeping potion I bought when at our last stop but one. Peaceful oblivion," Fye said softly. Syaoran's head snapped up at the word.

"O-Oblivion? You mean -"

"No, not put her to sleep. Just to calm her down."

Syaoran peered once more into the pale features of his beloved, her beautiful chestnut hair waving about when blown by the wind. Her face was contorted in pure agony, every muscle strained and tense.

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!" She screamed again, her breathing laboured. One hand closed on Syaoran's arm and gripped it hard. Syaoran grimaced and steeled himself against the pain. If he could not take the pain away, then let him share it with her.

Oh, but he could take it away, if only for a short while. Syaoran closed his eyes and made his decision.

"Okay."

"Three drops will suffice."

Syaoran nodded and reached out for the vial, observing the swirling mist with keen eyes. It seemed to taunt him, challenging him to pour it down his beloved's throat. His gaze traveled down to the weary princess, her head resting in the crook of his arm. She had gritted her teeth, fingers pulling on his shirt, threatening to rip it to shreds.

The cork came off with a small pop. A small amount of the silvery white gas escaped in the form of wisps of smoke, dancing in the air before vanishing with one last sparkle.

Carefully he tipped the vial so that the mouth rested on Sakura's lips. There was no need for him to force her mouth open, for Sakura had chosen that very moment to gasp for air. Quickly he shook three drops of the sleeping potion into her mouth. He then recapped the vial and watched anxiously as the potion started to take effect.

Sakura screamed again, tears streaming afresh from her tear ducts and down her pale cheeks. Then Syaoran did the only thing he thought could calm her – and him as well. He pulled her close and hugged her tight, her sweet scent mingling with his.

Sakura's cries slowly subsided to be replaced by soft moans, and finally…silence. Her body went slack in Syaoran's grip. Fingers uncurled themselves and fell down to the floor. The misery that had marred her face was currently replaced by a peaceful look as the princess slept in his arms, now blissfully unaware of the stabbing pain.

A stray lock of brown hair whipped wildly in the wind, the only source of sound among the otherwise silent travelers. The wind picked up and fell again, leaving the four of them behind in a trail of dust and sand.

Syaoran sighed and pressed a cheek against Sakura's face, ignoring the clammy feeling it gave him. Any trace of agony had been completely wiped off her face now, but it did not change the fact that she had been suffering. The sweat that pooled on the stone slab proved it. Even Syaoran's clothes were stained with her perspiration, something he disregarded right away. He was used to being drenched with sweat when he was excavating ruins anyway.

"Sakura…"

Fye and Kurogane exchanged glances, the mage unusually serious.

"Do you get the feeling that foul play is afoot?" he asked the ninja, one brow raised. Kurogane scrutinized him closely before choosing to reply.

"Definitely."

',',

Yay! Third chapter done! I hope you enjoyed it!

As usual, tell me if any of them are out of character, please. You're all welcome to point out my mistakes, in fact they are very much appreciated.

Arigato gozaimasu! Oh, and by the way, I accept flames ONLY with a reasonable, uh, reason?

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