The old structure made of stone came into view. There was a grand archway just before the entrance sealed with two wooden doors. They had been informed that it was a public place and thus was open to anyone seeking information on the past. However, something told him that invitation didn't include them.
Syaoran still hadn't slipped from his deep thoughts. Which also meant he hadn't noticed the danger slowly closing in on them as they approached the structure. Fai sighed softly and attempted to draw Syaoran from his thoughts enough to notice.
"Syaoran-kun, you really enjoy these sorts of trips, don't you?" Fai observed.
"Oh, yes." He sounded startled for a moment, not expecting Fai to speak. He was usually left well enough alone with his own thoughts. "I've always enjoyed learning about the past."
"Then this should be very enjoyable for you." Fai continued, searching the boy's eyes for any form of realization or indication that he'd detected trouble as well.
"Un." Syaoran nodded and began to slip back into his thoughts.
Fai sighed once more. It really seemed as if Syaoran was completely oblivious. Gracefully the blonde side stepped behind the boy and attempted to scoot him just out of the way. Unfortunately, Fai's suspicious were not entirely correct. He knew the target had been Syaoran. He knew where the enemies were shooting from. What he didn't know was that the weapon was somewhat clumsy and the enemy's aim was off.
Syaoran heard the sound of a bow string snapping, releasing what he suspected was an arrow. At the same time, Fai had vanished behind him and gently shoved him. He turned to face the blonde in time to see an arrow pierce through the magician's back. Syaoran noticed the feather fletched to the end of the ancient arrow was one of Sakura's feathers. The boy could only stare wide eyed as the arrow seemed to vanish within Fai's body.
"Fai-san!"
It moved in slow motion. The tip touched the magician's back then the feather began to glow a vibrant blue. The arrow slid in slowly, as if magically, undamaging the skin as it passed. The length of the arrow should have shown through the mage's chest, however it didn't. It was as if the arrow had been shot into a different dimension.
Fai's eyes widened as the arrow entered his body, soon overwhelming him with magical power. Syaoran saw a red ringed glow line the outer edges of Fai's ice blue irises and pupil. Apart from the glow and the sudden almost ragdoll effect on Fai's body he appeared to be alive and well. Uninjured even.
"Fai-san?" Syaoran asked with no response whatsoever at first. Then the eyes slowly lifted to lock with his and the boy shivered. Something was wrong. The look in Fai's eyes wasn't Fai.
***
Tomoyo sat in a small wooden chair at a small wooden table. She raised her eyes when she heard her guests enter the room and smiled. But something seemed odd about her gaze. It was unfocused and blank. Kurogane was hesitant to move to her side. This was, of course, not his Tomoyo-hime.
"Welcome. But I'm afraid you have arrived too late…" Tomoyo said softly in their direction. Her hand felt along the table and she located the item she was looking for; a small book. She opened it to a marked page and held it up for the others to see. It was an old artist's rendering of Sakura appearing to be about ten years older in flowing dresses and wrapped in long elegant wings. Each feather in the wings bore the patter of Sakura's feathers. There was a caption at the bottom that they couldn't read.
Tomoyo smiled again. "Sakura-hime, you are our goddess. The first person to ever have the sight saw a vision of your face just before the feather appeared in our world. He painted this picture and, not having a name for you, called you the goddess. It was said that you granted the feather to us in our desperate time to free us. But he later found out through another vision that these feathers contain your precious memories and that you would surely return one day to retrieve it. Each of those with the sight have made sure to pass down the story from generation to generation so that one day the feather could be returned."
Shogo brought out a pot of tea and four cups to the table then sat down next to Tomoyo. He carefully poured tea into all four cups and slid them to the different seats before motioning for everyone to take a seat.
Kurogane watched as Tomoyo delicately slid her hand along the table's smooth surface until her hand bumped the cup. Her fingers fumbled up the side until they found the handle and she lifted it to her lips. His crimson eyes narrowed.
"What happened to your eyesight?" The ninja asked.
"Those with the sight lose their vision due to the curse." Shogo answered spitefully.
"The curse?" Sakura asked softly, clutching her tea cup in both hands.
"The king cast a curse on the land declaring that anyone with future sight would lose their eyesight because they are children of the Dark Deity. Those who have lost their eyesight are immediately arrested, never to be seen again." Shogo continued. "My Primera… She lost her sight in an accident and was caught. Tomoyo warned me but back then… I didn't believe in the conspiracy so I didn't listen. And because of that… I wasn't there to protect my Primera. They took her away." He growled. Tomoyo looked saddened and slid her free hand across the table to find Shogo's, holding it comfortingly.
The room fell silent. Kurogane even ignored the white fluff ball sucking down his tea. The Manjuu had been exceptionally quiet. Perhaps he knew when to keep his mouth closed, the ninja considered.
"If this is happening… do you think Fai-san and Syaoran-kun will be ok? They should know this too." Mokona piped up finally, sounding a little worried.
Before Kurogane could inwardly groan at the sound of Mokona's voice, he spotted something even more unsettling. Tomoyo-hime averted her sightless eyes and seemed to look even more mundane. Tomoyo knew something she wasn't telling them.
"What's going to happen to Fai and the kid?" Kurogane demanded keeping his line of sight trained on the sightseer. Sakura gasped softly and looked between Kurogane and Tomoyo.
Shogo jumped out of his chair, ready to defend the princess. He didn't like the ninja's threatening aura. Especially when it was aimed at Tomoyo.
Tomoyo kept a tight hold on Shogo's hand and shook her head. "It's ok, Shogo-san…" She lifted her blank gaze to Kurogane again. "They're in trouble. At this very moment, events are being set into motion that will determine the outcome of not only the future of this country but that of your friends as well. I have not been able to see beyond this point so I do not know how things will turn out…"
Kurogane stood quickly. "I'm going to find them."
***
"Fai-san…?" Syaoran asked again and took a step back. The red glow in his eyes wasn't the only indication that something was wrong. Syaoran could feel clashing auras. Fai showed no recognition to his own name. He didn't seem to be moving at all. Syaoran suspected it might have to do with the inner battle. Whatever it was had his body but couldn't completely subdue Fai's heart.
Four men armed with swords, clad in light armor stepped out of the thick brush behind Fai. One was cursing angrily about missing his target and something about 'that skinny idiot getting in the way'. Fai had been trying to protect him. He had been too busy buried in his thoughts to notice the ambush and because of that irresponsibility, Fai was now in trouble.
"Don't move kid. If we can't nail you with the arrow, we're going to have to take you by force." The guard from the temple announced and readied his sword. Syaoran took one more glance at Fai before settling into a battle stance. He would fight these men then take Fai somewhere safer until they could figure out how to save him.
The first man came at Syaoran and was easily evaded and taken down with a single kick. The second charged in and was also quickly dealt with. These men obviously weren't used to kicking techniques against their swords. They thought this would be an easy fight because there were four of them and Syaoran was unarmed. They had been wrong. The remaining two stared for a minute and decided to charge Syaoran at once. An explosion behind them sent the two men to the ground before they could even reach Syaoran.
The boy's eyes lifted to meet Fai's. The blonde magician was holding out two fingers as if he'd just cast a spell. The look of blind determination on his face unsettled the younger male. Silently, those fingers began drawing out a spell in the air once more. The boy took that as the sign to run. Fai wasn't in his right mind, that was obvious. Something was different though. The magic Fai was using didn't feel like his own.
***
From a distance as Kurogane, Sakura, Tomoyo, and Shogo ran through the woods towards the sacred grounds, they saw an explosion. Mokona was clinging tightly to Kurogane's cloak. He squeaked and his eyes popped open.
"Mekkyon!" Mokona chirped. "That was the feather's power!"
Kurogane cursed and picked up speed, leaving the others in the dust. "Oi, Manjuu! The kid's sword!" Kurogane called and the white fluff ball summoned Hien and spit it out. He drew his own sword, Souhi, and charged forward until he could see Fai and Syaoran surrounded by the unconscious guards. Crimson eyes widened as the kid narrowly dodged a blast of magic sent in his direction by Fai.
"Your friend… he's being controlled by the king using the powers of the feather." Tomoyo explained as she held tightly to Shogo who was carrying her in his arms.
Kurogane studied Syaoran. The boy had a bloodied up leg and what appeared to be a burn on his right arm. Just then, Syaoran tripped and fell to the ground as Fai finished a spell that launched in his direction.
"Che!" Kurogane rushed to intercept, leaving the fluff ball behind for safety. He drew his own sword and cut through the magic, with some difficulty. His path sent him towards the mage. His other arm continued the slashing motion with Hein, striking Fai in the side of the jaw with the sheathed sword. Kurogane hadn't actually expected the attack to land. Though, knowing that it did gave him an edge.
"Teme! Whoever you are, you aren't that mage! You may have his body but you can't use it like him." He growled and jumped back, tossing Hein to Syaoran. He sheathed Souhi and pulled the sword from his belt. "I won't even need the blade to defeat you." He added.
Fai righted himself once more and began drawing spells again. Kurogane and Syaoran jumped aside only to catch a spell right in the face, knocking Syaoran back.
"Stay back, kid. I'll take care of him. You just keep after the princess and make sure she isn't hit by a stray attack." Kurogane said confidently and held up the sheathed sword. Truthfully, the attacks were powerful, and he would like to use his sword if he could but he didn't want to kill Fai. After all, it wasn't his fault at the moment.
As the magician began writing another spell, Kurogane rushed him, dodging to the side from the attack then going in for an attack of his own. Unlike last time, this time Fai caught the sheathed sword. His reflexes were gradually increasing. He began drawing a spell mere inches from Kurogane's face. All the ninja could do was act or he would be in a world of pain. The sword slid from the sheath, the tip cutting the mage's cheek by accident. Using his grip on the sheath, he tried to pull the mage forward and off balance as he brought the hilt of the sword towards his stomach. He didn't want to do any serious damage but he wanted to knock the mage back a bit, or at the very least, survive this next attack.
The mage began to fall forward and the hilt in Kurogane's fist came close to colliding… Fai vanished. Kurogane had time to look up and catch himself as the attack plowed into his back.
"Kurogane!" Sakura cried out.
The ninja had to pick himself up off the ground, hearing the princess shriek his name out of worry. "I'll make you pay for that when I find the person pulling the strings…" He snarled. The sheath had been lost somewhere in the explosion but he kept a tight hold of Souhi.
***
The king stood before a large glass cylinder running from the ceiling to the floor in a dark room. The tube was light inside and scrolled over the glass in glowing red magic was the pattern of Sakura's feather. Inside the glass was a floating image of Fai, seemingly unconscious. Next to the cylinder was a large video screen displaying what Fai could see through his eyes. The king's eyes narrowed as Fai's vision shifted to the young princess shrieking her comrade's name as he fell to the ground. The king's gaze shifted from the screen to Fai.
"Who is she?" He demanded. His inquiry was met with silence. He slammed his staff down on the ground and the midnight blue stone began to glow. He tapped it against the glass, sending a magical charge through the tube, causing Fai obvious pain.
"I'll ask again. Who is she?"
"Sakura-hime…" The response by Fai sounded dazed and tired.
The king looked back at the screen. She looked like that crazy man's rendering of the goddess. Far too much like the goddess.
"What is she doing here?" He demanded once more.
"Gathering her feathers…" Fai replied. His eyes never opened. He was kept in a semi-conscious state.
"So, she is here to take my feather, is she?" The king mused.
"…not yours…" Fai struggled against the control gaining himself another magical shock.
"Kill her." He demanded and Fai's body reacted to the order.
***
Fai turned to Sakura, his eyes set on her as he began to draw his spell in the air. The blonde began rushing towards the princess while casting his spell leaving little time for anyone to think before they reacted. Sakura hugged Mokona tight, both staring in fear as their friend rushed towards them to kill them.
"Hime!" Syaoran panicked and drew his sword, running towards Fai. Acting on instinct, he would stop her attacker any way necessary to save his princess.
Sakura's eyes met Fai's and they connected for a moment. In that moment time stood still and fear vanished. Sakura's eyes filled with tears and she too ran forward to meet Fai's attack head on. There was a bright flash as everyone collided. The battle would end one way or another at this very moment…
As the dust and light cleared, Tomoyo and Shogo could see clearly how the events had played out. Kurogane had intercepted Syaoran's sword, blocking with his own and preventing the boy from harming Fai. Sakura's arms were thrown around Fai's neck, holding the magician in a tight hug with tears streaming down her cheeks. Fai's spell had been cut short, canceled in mid attack. Wide blue eyes slowly softened as the glowing red faded from them.
Sakura fell limp against Fai who caught her in his arms and held her before she could slip away to the ground. The lovely princess had fallen asleep. Kurogane silently sheathed his sword and turned away from the boy, not in the mood to explain his actions. He just had a feeling that things would turn out ok. Just a feeling… The ninja stared back at Tomoyo, who was smiling softly even though she couldn't see anything going on in before her. As he had suspected, she knew.
He left the little group and walked towards Tomoyo. "You knew how things would turn out." He wasn't blaming her. He understood that there were things the sightseers couldn't reveal until after it had happened, but he was curious as to what exactly had happened.
"Hai… I'm sorry for deceiving you." Tomoyo said softly. "However, I truthfully hadn't seen this outcome." She continued. "I saw a much graver one, but the end result had been the same. In the end Sakura-hime freed the magician of the king's control but only after many deaths leaving just the two of them."
"How did the princess do that, exactly?" Kurogane asked.
"Sakura-hime's embrace placed their bodies close enough that hers could draw out the fragment of the feather that was being used to control the magician. It is now safely stored inside Sakura's body, however she will not regain those memories or her consciousness until the rest of the feather is returned to her." Tomoyo explained.
"Why was this time different?" Kurogane asked, still full of so many questions.
"Because Sakura-hime wasn't there the first time. You, Mokona, and Sakura-hime were still in the diner when this happened. I hoped that, if Sakura could make it here in time, she might know what to do. But I had to wait until the feather was within your friend or you might never get it back."
Kurogane thought he understood and glanced back at the others to make sure everyone was all right. Sakura wouldn't be waking up soon but also, Fai hadn't hurt her. It was then that the ninja realized Sakura hadn't fallen asleep just yet. She was struggling.
"I… heard Fai…" She said softly up to the blonde who nodded. "I could hear you crying for help… but you weren't talking." She continued. "Did I… did I help Fai?" She asked, barely hanging on to her consciousness.
"Hai, Sakura-chan. You did." Fai answered and the princess smiled.
"Thank goodness…" She relaxed and finally slipped into slumber.
Mokona looked at the magician sadly. "Fai-san was trapped and Mokona couldn't help." The little puff ball said in a melancholy tone. Fai gently put a hand on Mokona's head.
"It's ok, Mokona. Sakura-chan knew exactly what to do." Fai replied.
Syaoran looked up for the first time since the fight. "It's because Sakura-hime has always been able to hear things no one else can. She can feel the emotions of things that cannot speak…"
Fai smiled. Their Sakura was a very special girl indeed. They all knew it even if she didn't believe it herself.
"Ano…" Tomoyo interjected timidly. "You've taken half of the king's feather. He will surely be seeking retribution now that his powerful weapon has been defeated. Even without the feather his magical powers are still great. You must stay on your guard."
Shogo nodded and stood tall. "I wasn't much help in this battle, but I will assist you against the king—"
"Iye." Kurogane cut him off. "Your job is to protect Tomoyo-hime."
"Demo—"
"I said no." Kurogane growled. "Leave the king to us."
Shogo remained silent after that, sticking close to Tomoyo's side. He would protect Tomoyo, the one who tried to save his beloved. He would not make the same mistake twice and lose another precious person.
Tomoyo gave them directions to the king's castle and the little team began their little trek to defeat the king. Kurogane and Fai scouted ahead as Syaoran carried the sleeping princess and Mokona. The boy had been pretty silent since the fight, obviously feeling guilty about the decision he almost made to harm Fai.
Kurogane fell back to walk with the boy as Fai continued on ahead. "Oi, kid… he doesn't blame you." The ninja attempted to consol the boy.
"But I—"
"Reacted on instinct to protect your Princess. He doesn't blame you."
"But… you knew he wouldn't hurt her… I should have known too." Syaoran said hanging his head slightly.
"I knew because I trusted Tomoyo-hime." Kurogane replied simply. "We all acted according to our instincts. Yours and mine are the same as Sakura's. We were all defending someone we care about. Sakura felt strongly that she could save that mage."
Syaoran nodded and took that to heart. He felt a bit better now, hearing the explanation from Kurogane. When the ninja felt his job was done, he moved back to the front with Fai.
"Hnn, Kuro-muh did his job as the caring father." Fai smirked.
"Che!" Kurogane glanced at Fai out of the corner of his eyes to keep tabs on what the mage's current expression in case anything managed to slip past his little mask. Upon occasion, it proved fruitful. "What about you?"
"What about me?" Fai asked coyly.
Kurogane growled. The magician was hiding something but he wasn't quite sure what it was, so he attempted to pry a bit. "That magic…"
"…wasn't mine." Fai completed. "It was all drawn from the feather."
"All of it?" Kurogane wasn't quite convinced.
"Hai. Every last spell. It was just delivered in the form my body is most comfortable with, making it appear to be mine, but in fact, it wasn't." Fai explained with a casual shrug. Then the blonde's expression softened and he put a hand on Kurogane's shoulder lightly. "It still hurts…" His tone almost sounded guilty.
"Che! I've had worse." He said and shrugged Fai's hand away.
"…gomen."
Kurogane looked up and noticed Fai was deliberately avoiding eye contact.
"Even if it wasn't my power and I couldn't control it, it was still my hands casting the spells…"
"Shut up." Kurogane replied gruffly. "You couldn't stop it so it wasn't your fault. There's no reason for you to feel guilty over something you had no power over. It's just stupid."
"Ah'ah! There you go again, Kuro-pon! Being the caring father." Fai chirped with false happiness, avoiding his own problems once more.
"Idiot." Kurogane growled. He hated when Fai avoided things.
Within no time at all they encountered an elite guard team with the intentions of stopping them. The commanding officer appeared before them holding out his hand to stop them.
"Halt!" He pointed a finger at Fai. "You are under arrest! Your crime is falling under the influence of the Dark Deity. You were observed using magical powers and will be punished for your crime determined by the nature of the offence." He announced. "If you resist arrest, we will be forced to use any means necessary to subdue you and your evil ways!"
"Che!" Kurogane unsheathed his weapon. "I'd like to see you try!" He snarled.
Fai put a hand up to stop Kurogane. "Can you tell, Syaoran?" The blonde asked the kid who had already fallen into an offensive stance in front of his princess who had been set gently on the ground.
"Un!" He agreed with a nod. Kurogane stared between them, utterly lost.
"They're magic users as well." Fai explained to the confused ninja. "If you had rushed headlong into them with just your sword, you could have been unnecessarily injured." The blonde thought this over for a moment and considered something.
"If I turn myself in without resistance, what will become of my traveling companions?" The magician asked the guards who seemed puzzled by his cooperation.
"W-well… they will not be harmed. You are the only one who has committed a crime here." The commander explained, still sounding a bit confused.
Fai smiled brightly and held his hands out to allow the guards to restrain him however they saw fit. "Then I surrender." He chirped happily.
Kurogane and Syaoran stared at him dumbfounded while Mokona seemed to have a little panic attack. "Fai! You mustn't!"
Fai smiled back at Mokona sweetly. "It will be ok, Mokona." The blonde reassured the little fluff ball and locked his gaze with Kurogane. There was a temporary silent exchange between the two that Syaoran noticed but couldn't quite read then the dark haired ninja sheathed his sword and relaxed. He closed his eyes without another word and acted as if he had nothing more to do with the situation leaving Syaoran torn.
The guard warily approached Fai, expecting this to be a trick, but the blonde didn't move to retaliate as the man approached and locked a pair of intricate cuffs to his wrists. Once both latches were locked, the cuffs seemed to hum with a slight dim glow. Immediately, Fai felt somewhat lightheaded and realized the cuffs were emitting a magic seal to prevent the wearer from using magical powers. He simply chuckled internally at how futile that was, not to mention the spell wasn't near strong enough for him.
He smiled brightly at the guard who seemed even more perplexed. It was painfully obvious that this man wasn't a normal spellcaster. Most lost consciousness under the spell of the sealing cuffs, however this man hardly even faltered. Perhaps this man was innocent…? The guard shook his head. No, that couldn't be. Their lord had specifically said this man was evil and dangerous. There was no mistaking it then.
The other three men accompanying their commander looked dismayed. They knew something was wrong as well when the blonde didn't topple over leaving them a little confused as to how to proceed. They'd never actually accompanied a conscious spellcaster back to the castle before. They had no idea what to expect.
Fai simply waited patiently for instructions from the guards who uneasily surrounded him to ensure he couldn't take off and escape, not that it appeared like he would. The blonde glanced over when he heard Kurogane shift uncomfortably, not approving of this idea. The magician just smiled as he was ushered away by the guards. The commander stayed back for a moment, shooting a look at the others.
"Please do not take any rash actions. I would hate to have to arrest the comrades of such a cooperative criminal. With his level of cooperation, I'm sure he will be reformed quickly and returned to you." The commander assured them, unsure if he could keep the promise, but surely hoping he could. From the looks of things, they sure needed a bright side to whatever nightmare they'd just been through. "Also… there is a medical facility on the eastern side of the village that you might want to visit." He mentioned just before turning and leaving.
Both Syaoran and Mokona turned their stares onto Kurogane, obviously wondering the same thing; why did you let them take Fai away? Kurogane let out an annoyed grunt in an attempt to brush off their accusatory looks but it didn't seem to deter them.
"What?" He demanded.
"Kuro-daddy let the mean men take Fai-mommy away." Mokona spoke sadly.
The ninja ignored the nicknames with an angry twitch but didn't quite feel like putting in the effort to clobber the Manjuu for saying such a ridiculous thing. "I didn't let them do anything. The idiot surrendered, or have you forgotten already?"
"It seemed as though you and Fai-san came to an understanding a moment ago…" Syaoran began quietly as he lifted Sakura back into his arms, holding her securely. "You two have something planned." It was a statement not a question.
Kurogane stared at him for a moment. The kid was observant, he'd give him that. "What about it?" The ninja shrugged, not quite ready to explain just yet.
"I want to help." Syaoran replied, not letting this drop. "Fai-san turned himself in knowing none of us were really in the condition to properly protect ourselves if he resisted arrest. Even if I don't like the idea, it was still the correct course of action to take in this situation."
"First, we need to treat our wounds and gather supplies. If all goes as planned, we won't need to do much at all for things to work in our favor now that Fai is inside."
The boy frowned. "When did you and Fai-san have time to plan this?"
"We didn't." Kurogane said simply with a shrug as he briskly began walking back to the village, hopefully with Mokona, Syaoran, and Sakura in tow.
***