Words: 2592
A/N: I have re-written this chapter and the fourth because the idea I had originally seemed not to work and now I'm trying a new approach. I sincerely apologise to all readers for the really slow progress, and I've decided I won't put up any more chapters until this whole story is finished. And I WILL finish it even if it's the last thing I do.

III

Kurogane didn't even glance at her way while flipping through the channels, and Lisa was getting more frustrated. Finally she grabbed the remote from him, which caused and angry glare send on her way.

"What do you want?" Kurogane asked. Why must everyone bugger him all the time.

"Don't get that tone with me," Lisa warned. "OK, what is between you and Fai?"

The ninja blinked. "There's nothing between me and that idiot," he said firmly. What had gotten into the woman?

Lisa narrowed her eyes. "There must be something. While at dinner Fai practically looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him, and you looked nervous. Fai didn't even speak or smile for that matter. He was so aloof."

Kurogane shrugged. "How should I know what goes in that blonde head of his. And why are you accusing me?" He crossed his arms over his chest defensively.

"Because, everything was alright before we went to the store. And Sakura told you two were arguing. Fai also looked like he had been crying. Didn't you notice that?" Lisa told him.

"He looked fine to me," Kurogane said nonchalantly.

Lisa pursed her lips at that. "Whatever you did," she raised her finger quickly when Kurogane was going to protest, "and I know you have something to do with Fai's resent mood. You are going to make it up for him. I don't want this tension to continue. It's even worrying the kids, especially Sakura." At that she looked hard at the ninja in the eyes, promising doom if he didn't do as she said.

Kurogane sighed resignedly. "Alright, if that makes you to leave me alone." He rose from the couch and walked out of the room.

Lisa smiled wickedly. So, there really was something going on. She just hoped that the drama the two men were having would clear out, though.

Sakura entered the living room and looked at their hostess questioningly when she saw her smiling weirdly.

"Lisa-san? Is something the matter?" She asked softly.

Lisa started, coming out of her thoughts. "Oh, Sakura. No, everything is alright. I had a little talk with Kurogane," she informed the girl.

"Kurogane-san? Is everything alright with him? There seemed to be something wrong between him and Fai-san…" She looked a little sad when saying this. She didn't want them to be mad at each other.

Lisa stood and went over to the princess. "Don't worry. I'm sure they'll solve whatever is going on with them," she assured. "Where is Syaoran by the way? I haven't seen him since dinner."

"He, Fai-san and Mokona went to the town to try and search for my feather. I would have liked to go with them but Syaoran said I should stay here to keep you company, as Kurogane isn't likely to do that," Sakura smiled a bit, as did Lisa. Kurogane sure wasn't the very social type.

"I bet," she chuckled. "Would you want to watch a sappy romance movie with me. I have some popcorn in the cupboard somewhere…"

Sakura nodded happily.

---

Syaoran glanced at Fai from time to time worriedly, while they were walking down the street. He was acting strangely, and for some odd reason Fai had requested they'd go without Kurogane this time. Something was up.

"Fai-san?" he asked but Fai seemed to be absorbed in his own thoughts, and didn't answer.

"Fai-san?" Syaoran asked again and laid a hand on the blonde's arm to get his attention. That caused Fai to jump and Syaoran watched him surprised, and of course more worried.

The mage looked at the boy like seeing him for the first time but then regained his composure. He bowed his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, Syaoran-san. I seemed to be in another world…"

Syaoran lifted an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

Fai forced a smile on his face. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You aren't like yourself. Does it have something to do with Kurogane-san?" Syaoran asked curiously.

Fai's eyes widened and he blushed. "N... No!" He stammered in deny, which caused Syaoran to glance at him suspiciously.

"Well, if you want to talk about it…" Syaoran offered.

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you Syaoran." Fai was glad that Syaoran didn't press the subject.

They continued walking in silence, until Mokona, who had been napping in Fai's coat hood, jumped in the air. Her eyes were wide, which indicated she had sensed a feather.

"Mokona can feel it! The feather! It's nearby!" The 'bunny' exclaimed.

"Where, Mokona?" Syaoran inquired eagerly.

Mokona pointed her little paw at a dark alley in the other side of the road. "It's there. We have to hurry! It's moving away!"

Syaoran dashed across the road, Fai and Mokona following suite. They ran along the alley but soon their advancing came to a stop. A dead end!

Syaoran looked at Mokona expectantly.

"It's strange… I can still sense the feather, but… It seems like it's in the other side of the wall!"

Syaoran blinked. "How's that possible? There isn't a door or any hole in it to get trough," he was confused. How could it be the feather was behind the wall?

"Wait, Syaoran. Look," Fai suddenly said. He pointed at the wall. "The surface looks like it's rippling."

"You are right!" Mokona went near the wall to see it closely. "It looks like some portal."

"The one who had the feather must have gone through it." Syaoran said and went to walk in the portal when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked at Fai quizzically.

"I don't think that would be wise. We don't even know where it leads." The mage warned and let go.

Syaoran sighed and nodded. "You're right. We have to find another way to find the feather..."

"Hey, look!" Mokona yelled suddenly. "The portal is shrinking, and the energy I'm sensing from the feather is getting weaker! What are we going to do now?"

"Well, it's late now to go through the portal, it's too small now to fit us." Fai concluded. "Mokona, can you tell us was it a dimensional portal or one to get in other places within this world."

"Mokona can! It definitely wasn't a dimensional portal," Mokona said.

Fai smiled. "So that means the feather is still in this world, so you might sense it again."

"Yes!" Mokona cried happily.

"Well, well… What do we have here?" A gruff voice suddenly said behind them "A couple of unfortunate souls. Say, what are you doing here?"

Syaoran, Fai and Mokona turned. A small gang of brute looking men were blocking the exit from the alley.

Syaoran narrowed his eyes. "That is none of your concern."

The man chuckled. "Oh, but it is! You are in our turf here. And we don't look nicely at trespassers…" The man said threateningly. "Get them boys!"

The group advanced on them. Syaoran went into a stance, as did Fai. Mokona hid behind a trash can nearby. She knew she wasn't any match for the men, and she was scared.

Mokona watched in horror as a man in a leather jacket tried to grab Syaoran. Luckily Syaoran managed to kick his attacker in the guts. Fai on the other hand was fighting with a large man. He looked to be having a bit difficulties defending himself. Every blow he tried to inflict seemed to make no harm to his opponent.

Damn. There's too many of them, Syaoran thought frustrated. He did a roundhouse kick at his attacker but the man was surprisingly quick and ducked. He didn't notice a second one creeping behind him until he was grabbed in a crushing bear hug.

"Hold 'im tight!"

A hard punch hit Syaoran in the face. Blood gushed from his nose and lip. The force was enough to make him dizzy.

"Syaoran!" Fai and Mokona shouted simultaneously. The mage rushed to his companion's aid. He didn't get far when someone tripped him and he fell hard on the ground.

"Grab him! Quick!" The leader of the group bellowed and Fai soon found two pairs of arms lifting him up roughly. He started to struggle and managed to free his other arm and elbow one of the men holding him.

"Don't make another move, if you think your friend's life dear."

Fai turned to where the demand came. His eyes widened in terror when he saw a man holding a knife against Syaoran's throat, the pressure already bringing blood.

"NO! Please…!"

"Then don't try anything." The knife man nodded his head and Fai was again in a tight hold.

What am I going to do? Fai thought desperately. He so wished Kurogane was here…

---

"Where the Hell is that mage?!" Kurogane muttered. He had searched the whole house for Fai but in vain. So typical… Just when Kurogane was seeking him out he had to go and disappear. And now that insufferable woman would pester him all evening if he didn't apologise to the blonde.

But despite all that, he actually really did feel guilty. Maybe he had been too mean to the blonde man. Fai wasn't so bad to be around, but the names he used while referring to Kurogane set the ninja off. He thought it to be rude and disrespectful. The mage wasn't that bad looking either… Wait! What?!

Kurogane stopped. Where had that thought come from? He didn't find the idiot attractive… Did he? He shook his head, pushing the thoughts from his mind – for now. He had to find the mage.

He went into the living room and spotted Lisa and Sakura sniffling on the couch, tissues covering the floor. They were watching some cartoon.

"Oh, *sniff* Kurogane-san… *sniff*" Sakura managed to speak between her sobbing, when she acknowledged the ninja's presence.

"Would… Would you like to *sniffle* join us? We're watching the Beauty and The Beast! Oh it's so romantic and sad!" Lisa wailed.

Kurogane wanted to gag. "No thank you," he said dryly.

"Was there something you wanted?" Lisa asked, not taking her eyes from the TV screen again.

"Do you know where the mage is? I can't find him anywhere."

"He… He went to the town with Syaoran-kun… *sniff* to look for my feather," Sakura informed him. "But I guess they should have come back by this time already…" She mused.

"I'll go look for them," he offered. The girl's just nodded their heads absent-mindedly.

Women and their sappy movies.

He went to the front door and out. Kurogane glanced at the sky; it was getting dark. The town wasn't a very safe place at night. All kinds of fishy people roamed the streets then…

The ninja walked through the front yard of the house and headed towards the town, hands in his pockets.

---

"What do you want from us?" Fai demanded. He only received laughing as an answer.

The leader of the group started to walk towards him. "Quite the pretty boy you are…" He purred ominously.

Fai gasped, shocked. Panic started to creep upon him on every step the disgusting man took. This couldn't be happening!

"Very pretty indeed," the man was now right in front of Fai, and stroked the side of Fai's face with his finger. Fai turned his head away from the touch.

"Don't touch me!" he growled.

"Feisty, are we. Well, that kind of attitude can easily be subdued…" The man promised and grabbed Fai's jaw hard.

Fai struggled hard when he felt lips press onto his roughly. A strong tongue forced his mouth open and plunged inside, and explored. Fai made an unhappy noise, and finally the mouth retreated.

"Hmm, tasty," the man said and attacked the blonde's neck this time.

"NO! Stop! Please!" Fai pleaded, when hands cast his coat aside and lifted his shirt. Rough palms stroked his sides. He couldn't fight, even if he wanted to. His violator's men were making sure of that with their vice grip.

The man stopped and his face twisted in annoyance. Mokona had come out from her hiding place and was desperately trying to get the man off of Fai.

"Leave Fai-san alone you brainless gorilla!" she yelled and hit him with her tiny paws.

"Damn rodent!" The man yelled and swiped his hand at Mokona. She was harshly slammed to the ground, unconscious.

"Mokona!" Fai cried. He struggled to get free with no succession. His violator fixed his attention to him again and Fai's eyes widened as the man's hand went downwards on his body and opened his trousers, slipping the hand inside.

He pleaded and screamed the man to stop, but he paid no heed and started to stroke him. After an agonizing moment the man pulled away.

"Put him on the ground," he ordered, while unbuckling his jeans.

Fai was lowered on the ground and positioned on his hands and knees. One of the men tugged his trousers down, uncovering his backside.

"Please, don't do this…" Fai sobbed pitifully.

The man positioned himself behind the mage and leaned to whisper in his ear. "Oh, don't be like that. You might even enjoy it…"

Suddenly there was blood. The man slumped against Fai's back and rolled on the ground next to him. The men holding Fai backed away in shock and fear.

Fai scrambled away from the body and looked up.

"I bet you didn't enjoy that as much as I," Kurogane said darkly. His hand was covered in blood.

"A.. A RED EYED DEMON!" one from the group yelled, and took flight. The rest followed his example, and the one holding the now unconscious Syaoran dropped the knife and the boy on the ground, running after his comrades.

Kurogane sneered after them.

"Ku… Kuro-pon?" Fai said in disbelieve, looking at the ninja with teary eyes.

Kurogane rushed over to him. "Are you alright? He… He didn't manage to…" he couldn't even say it.

Fai shook his head vigorously. He then started to cry uncontrollably.

"Oh, Kurogane!" Fai threw himself at the ninja and gripped his shirt tightly.

Kurogane was a little taken aback but wrapped his arms protectively around the blonde.

"It's OK now… You're safe. I won't let anything happen to you," he soothed and gave a little kiss on top of the mage's head.

Fai leaned back from the hug abruptly. "Syaoran! Mokona! They are injured! We have to get out of here!"

OK, calm down!" Kurogane looked around and noticed the boy laying on the ground a few metres away. He rose and went to check on him. "He's unconscious, and his nose and lip are bleeding. But nothing too serious," he informed the anxious mage. He lifted the boy into his arms.

Fai rose from ground and quickly lifted his trousers back up. He felt so dirty. He then went to where Mokona lied and lifted her gently. He examined her and noticed she only had a small lump on her head.

"Lets go..." Kurogane said.

Fai nodded and so they left the alley.

So, what do you think? Was it worse then the original? Or better?