Summary: After four years of travel, Kurogane and the others finally wind up in Nihon. To his horror, he finds that a lot has changed in his absence. From Tomoyo getting married, to a mysterious force infiltrating Nihon, getting Sakura's feather back isn't going to be easy. Especially when Kurogane is forced to come to grips with a startling revelation that will change his life forever...
Pairings: KuroganexTomoyo, SyaoranxSakura
Disclaimer: Do I even need to do this? You ought to know this already.
Note: This fan fic is based on the manga, with a few extra tidbits here and there from the anime. It was first published on July 28, 2005, therefore set before Chapitre 91. A lot of theories here will coincide with the actual events in TRC, either because I added them later (evident in latter chapters) or because of some good guessing (evident in the first chapters). I also decided to use the official spelling for Fay's name (and Fei Wang Reed's name).
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A/N: With the last chapter of the first part of this series, I decided to do a much-needed revamp concerning replacing a couple of phrases, some spelling mistakes, grammatical structures and misuses in punctuation, a phenomenon fairly evident in the first chapters, which are, in my honest opinion, horrible. They're short, crude, rough, and pretty boring. Thankfully, as time passed, my chapters became longer and much more elaborate in description. I still don't understand how the majority of my readers managed to stay interested enough to keep reading, but I'm grateful that they did. It was your encouragement that has made me what I am today!
It's been nearly two years since I started out as a fan fic writer and I can say without preamble that I've definitely matured. While writing my fan fic, I gained experience, so even though it was a laborious task rereading and editing it, I feel it was worth it so you could enjoy When Worlds Collide as it was meant to be. Constructive criticism is still greatly appreciated.
I hope you enjoy my fan fic!
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When Worlds Collide
Chapter 6 — The Death Of A Ninja
By Mystic Dawn
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It couldn't be possible. It couldn't be.
Souma sat with her head in her hands against the wall, her shoulders shaking.
She couldn't believe that it had happened. It was all her fault; she should have stationed more ninja. How could she have let something like that happen?
There had been two assassination attempts that month on Princess Tomoyo. It was so irresponsible of her not to realize that there would definitely be another on the Princess's wedding day. She had been too caught up with the preparations to even consider the possibilities. So irresponsible...
She was not worthy of holding the title of Lead Ninja.
Souma flinched. What would have happened if Princess Tomoyo had been hit? There was no one else to rule... not since she had disappeared... Souma would have been to blame for her death.
But what was to happen to Kurogane?
A shuddering gasp escaped from Souma's lips. Her dear cousin...
After the first arrow had been shot, she had ordered all the doors to be sealed. None in the throne room had had any time to escape. Then she and Syaoran had caught the assassin with her cape when Fay had shot him. She had ordered the other ninja to swarm over the assassin and to restrain him. And to their shock... it had been Kazuo! A ninja had tried to assassinate Princess Tomoyo! A ninja sworn to protect the Princess had tried to kill the Princess!
Souma had been rendered senseless for a few moments, but was brutally brought back to reality upon hearing Princess Tomoyo's shriek. Fearing the worst, she had rushed to the dais and had frozen before the sight that met her eyes...
Princess Tomoyo's robes were covered in Kurogane's blood as she clung to him, sobbing uncontrollably. Kurogane himself...
His face was as white as chalk and his breaths shallow. The first arrow had gotten him in the left area of the chest, and the blood was flowing freely from his wound like a river. The second arrow had lodged into his back, right below the right shoulder blade. A pool of sticky blood had seeped underneath him, and blood was trickling from out of a corner of his mouth.
Souma had realized at once that the wounds were fatal. She had tried to pry the Princess away from Kurogane, but she would not relent. She had demanded that healers remove the arrows immediately to save him. Ninja had come to take Kurogane to the healers, but their expressions showed what Souma herself had realized; that there would be no hope for him.
Souma regarded the closed doors across from where she sat and sighed heavily. Two healers, the Princess, and Kurogane had been in there for over two hours, and there was still no sign. No hint. Nothing.
Would he make it? It was highly unlikely.
"Lead Ninja?" said a small voice close-by.
Souma started and stood to her feet. It was a ninja-trainee. "Yes?"
"The... assassin... has decided to speak."
Souma took on a resolved expression. She would extract all the information she could from him. And then... Kazuo would not be able to escape her wrath. She would avenge her cousin. "Let's go."
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Syaoran frowned as he peered at the miniscule writing. A line appeared smudged, and he could not make out what was written underneath. And then the sentence continued talking about something totally irrelevant.
Syaoran leaned back and sighed as he rubbed furiously at his tired eyes. The Prophecy was no help whatsoever. He had found the part which talked about Nihon, and about Kurogane and some sort of a choice. Then the script read, "Henceforth wilt the Fellowship be stripped by the parting of the Reluctant One, or shalt it be the Reluctant One's desire to journey onward along with his companions? For—" and then the context was smeared and continued with, "—and they wilt be faced with a world giving unto Darkness, and the path..." Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera... it went on and on, describing the next world.
Syaoran slammed his palm on the table before him in frustration. How could he find out if Kurogane would survive if the Prophecy wasn't letting out any information? "Damn," he mumbled. There was no word yet as to how Kurogane fared. And it had been two hours already...
But he couldn't... there was no way he could possibly...
"Stop it," Syaoran muttered angrily to himself. "Kurogane-san is strong. He'll make it." He stood up and went to the window. He leaned upon the sill and let the air brush his face to cool him down.
The Prophecy was very vague. The way it stated the choice, it seemed as if it all hung on Kurogane surviving. There were specific words that continued to haunt Syaoran. "...wilt the Fellowship be stripped by the parting of the Reluctant One..."
Stripped? Could it mean that Kurogane would leave them? Not in body... but in spirit? And parting? His soul to part with his body?
Syaoran felt sick to his stomach. No matter what he told himself he continued to think dark thoughts.
Mokona regarded Syaoran seriously. It had not uttered a single word since the wedding, except an offer to translate the Prophecy for him if he met with difficulties, and the silence disturbed Syaoran somewhat. It was not at all like Mokona not to act hyper. It seemed that what had happened had shocked Mokona beyond words. It had shocked Syaoran himself, but in a different way.
Syaoran went to the door and opened it, peering out into the corridor. Silent and empty. No sign of either Fay or Sakura. What could be taking them so long?
He made to close the door, but he heard approaching footsteps. He looked out and saw Souma and a young ninja with the white band around his waist revealing him as a trainee. "Souma-san!" he called as he ran up to her, Mokona trailing behind.
Souma looked up.
Syaoran opened his mouth to ask her if there were any news regarding Kurogane, but found that he could only utter, "Is...?"
Souma lowered her face as it twisted slightly with pain. "Nothing yet," she said in a quiet voice. She then looked up abruptly, and a fire seemed to burn in her eyes. "I go now to question the assassin."
Syaoran caught his breath. "May I come with you?" he asked her in a serious voice, as Mokona clambered up to rest upon his shoulder.
Souma opened her mouth to object, but thought better of it. She nodded. "Come."
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Sakura and Fay were in the empty throne room. They had interrogated each and every person, to find out if anyone else had also taken part in the assassination attempt other than Kazuo, sensing them before deciding if they were innocent or not. Fay had the knowledge to do it, but had insisted on Sakura doing the actual sensing, for it was 'noisier' than intuition. He would not break his personal promise on not using his powers... even in such a situation.
So, with Fay's guidance, Sakura had undertaken an arduous task; sensing and separating truth from lie. At first, it had been slow going. Fay would ask each person a question and Sakura would try to sense if the answer was the truth or not. She had been shaky, and it had taken her several moments to decipher each answer. But after a while she had gotten better at it and the process had continued swifter.
Then she had come to sense Prince Dai. Although slightly fidgety, he had answered Fay's question without hesitation. Sakura would nod or shake her head each time someone told the truth or lied, but she had felt nothing with Prince Dai. Nothing whatsoever. "One moment," she had said, whispering to Fay that she could not sense him.
Fay had frowned and had told her to try again; she did, but she had still been unable to sense a thing. Fay had then narrowed his eyes. "It's time for some drastic measures," he had muttered.
He had taken hold of the front of Prince Dai's robes and had put his face very close to his, telling him something in a low voice that Sakura had not heard. But it had to have been something dreadful, for Prince Dai's face had visibly paled. But then he had flushed and snarled, "You dare threaten me?"
Fay had looked down at him as a superior would look down upon a servant. "I do," had been Fay's words as he ripped open Dai's shirt, where against his skin had rested a black medallion.
"What is that?" Sakura had asked Fay.
"It's a magical pendant which prevents people with magical abilities from sensing his feelings," Fay had said in a low voice. "This is how Princess Tomoyo was tricked."
Dai had had no chance to say or do anything in his defense as two ninja had swooped down on him and had restrained his futile efforts of escape. Fay had told them to take Dai to where they kept Kazuo, for questioning. They had obeyed him, for Souma had ordered them to do whatever Fay and Sakura told them to.
Then the King of Semba and his two sons had pushed forward with members of their guard, and had demanded that they release Dai. Fay had explained that they had found Dai guilty and that he would have to be questioned, and then asked them each a question. They had been flustered at first, but answered. Sakura had confirmed that they had no idea of the assassination, so they were allowed to pass. They had assured the King that after they had questioned Dai they would allow him to return home to Semba, with terms that Princess Tomoyo would decide. At first, the King had been outraged that they would actually suggest that there should also be terms, but Fay had contradicted him and had said that they were actually doing him a favor by agreeing not to kill Dai. This had silenced the King, and he had stormed out of the throne room, accompanied by his sons and guard. "I will be waiting at the Embassy," had been the King's last words.
Of all who had been questioned, only Dai had been found guilty, so they had released the others. And now, Sakura and Fay were examining the throne room for any signs of how Kazuo could have broken in and if he had laid any other traps without their knowledge.
Sakura turned toward the dais and stooped underneath it to see if anything was hidden there. She found nothing and stood up. Unwillingly, her eyes fell upon the pool of blood that had not been cleaned yet, and she could not suppress a choked sob as she sank to her knees.
Fay's head turned in alarm. "Sakura-chan?" He rushed to her side and knelt down beside her. "Are you all right?"
Sakura shook her head as tears threatened to come spilling from her eyes. "No..." she choked. "It's just..." She broke down in tears and grasped Fay's arm. "I can't believe it!" She continued to cry, tears streaming down her face. "He can't be..."
Fay did not really know what to do to comfort her. He was not good with comforting people much, other than with words. But Sakura's trembling form demanded that she needed physical comfort as well as mental. He awkwardly wrapped his arms around her shoulders and let her cry upon him. "Calm down, Sakura-chan," he said. "There's no point in crying about it. What will happen will happen."
"But what if... what if... he d-d-dies?!" she stammered. "H-he never did anything w-wrong! All he did was p-protect Tomoyo-hime!"
Fay did not know what to say to this. He knew from personal experience that Fate did not reward those who did good deeds and punish those who performed evil. It all depended on the actions of each individual. Fate had nothing to do with it. Evil people committed vile crimes, and they could be stopped only by people pure of heart and soul, but only if they were more powerful or more cunning than them. "I know..." he finally told Sakura softly. "I know..."
He let her cry for a while, and when she had finally quieted down, he said, "Get up now, come on. There's no point in dwelling on the past. We have a job to do, remember?" He tried to smile as he stood up and pulled her to her feet. "Just keep on looking ahead of you," he advised her, recalling that Kurogane had given Syaoran the exact same advice when they were leaving Hanshin. "Okay?"
Sakura nodded as she dried her eyes. "Yeah... thanks, Fay-san." She went on to examine the massive marble pillars, checking for any niches that Kazuo could have used to climb up to the windows.
Fay frowned. No matter how much he wanted to tell Sakura that Kurogane was going to be all right and not to worry, he couldn't bring himself to lie. Because he knew, deep down, that Kurogane's wounds were serious. And with all of that blood on the floor... there was no way he would survive...
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Souma stared stonily down at Kazuo. "I gave you a chance to tell me," she said in a low growl—quite unlike her usual quiet voice. "But you refused."
Kazuo stared at her defiantly. "I told you all that I desired to."
"You will tell me," she snarled as she stooped to look at him eye-to-eye.
"No," he said as he turned his head to avoid her penetrating gaze.
Souma reached down and grasped Kazuo's chin tightly, forcing him to look at her. "Why did you do it? You say that Dai-ouji paid you to... but I fail to see how a ninja could stoop so low."
Kazuo did not answer.
"Tell me, Kazuo-san," she almost purred. "Tell me how a ninja honor-bound to his Princess could agree to a plot to kill her?"
Kazuo breathed in deeply, but said nothing.
Souma straightened. "Recite the Three Pledges."
Kazuo started. "What?"
"You swore fealty to Princess Tomoyo last spring. There was an oath you had to repeat called the Three Pledges of the Ninja. Say it."
Kazuo looked pleadingly at her. "No..." he moaned.
"I, Souma, as Lead Ninja of Princess Tomoyo's Personal Guard, command you to recite the Three Pledges!" she thundered.
Kazuo shuddered. Almost as if an exterior force were compelling him, he said in a strangled voice, "I, Kazuo, son of Nabuo, swear to protect the Princess Tomoyo, Ruler of Nihon, and High Priestess of the Shinto Order, by my sword, by my life, and by my honor. Let there be witness that if I break my oath, I am to be rejected from the Personal Guard, despised by all, and utterly dishonored. And let there be witness that if I break my oath, I shall be as a defiled insect upon my family, my society, and my liege. So I pledge, swear, and vow to do, until my liege sees fit to release me." He slumped forward, the chains upon his wrists tying him to the stone wall supporting his weight.
Syaoran arched his eyebrows. "Is he...?"
"No," Souma said quietly. "He is not dead. But now he shall feel the full weight of his crime."
"How?"
"The Three Pledges create a magic bond between each ninja and the Princess. If a ninja breaks the oath of fealty, he is tried. And if he is found guilty, he has no choice but to speak the truth. For that is how the magic works."
Kazuo shuddered and emitted a low moan.
Souma squared her shoulders. "I thought as much." She bent over Kazuo and grasped a fistful of his hair. "Speak," she commanded him.
Kazuo trembled. He gazed up at Souma, a haunted look in his eyes. "There was no need for Dai to pay me," he croaked. "I would have done it willingly." His lips broke in a malicious smile. "Tomoyo is weak," he spat. "Dai tricked her without her even realizing it. She is not as powerful a mage as you simpletons believe."
One of the ninja laid her hand upon the hilt of her sword threateningly. Souma looked sternly at her and her hand dropped. Souma turned to Kazuo again. "And what does this have to do with the attempt on her life?"
Kazuo cackled. "Why, what better way to prove that her powers had failed her and Nihon than to kill her? She is incompetent, for she did not see Dai's true plans—"
At that moment, the door opened and two ninja came in, dragging Prince Dai, who was struggling as if his life depended on it. Souma beckoned to the ninja to chain him upon the wall as they had done to Kazuo.
She turned to Kazuo again. "And what are his true plans?"
Kazuo grinned malevolently. "The King knew nothing of his son's plans. Dai planned to put Nihon under the yoke of the Sembians without the King knowing; supposedly, his father would have been so proud that he would have bestowed the crown upon him rather than to his older brother."
"No...!" Dai screamed as he tried to free himself from the chains binding him. A ninja punched him hard in the face and he slumped forward, knocked out.
"And so, I end my tale," Kazuo said mockingly. "Now you know all."
Souma stared hard at him. "Kurogane could not have possibly survived," she said in an emotionless voice.
Syaoran held his breath, hoping beyond hope that Souma's words would prove false.
For the first time, Kazuo's face betrayed a human feeling; regret. "I didn't want to kill him," he said in a quiet voice. "He shouldn't have gotten in the way..."
"But he did!" Souma snapped. "And now you will have to face the consequences!"
This did not seem to move Kazuo anymore, as he took on a sinister expression again. "Then bring them on," he growled.
"You know what awaits you, do you not?" Souma asked him coolly.
"Yes," Kazuo slurred. "I will let death take me. In its clutches I will be freed of all bonds and restrictions imposed upon mortals. For the time is nearing."
Syaoran froze. The time is nearing...? He had heard that phrase in his previous dream. And... the assassin and the samurai! he suddenly remembered. They said the same thing! He turned to Souma. "May I ask him something as well?"
Souma turned abruptly to look at him. "What do you want to ask him?"
Syaoran drew a deep breath and looked at Kazuo evenly. "Do you have anything in common with the samurai and the assassin? The ones who tried to kill Princess Tomoyo this month?" he asked him slowly.
Kazuo's head snapped up, and the expression he wore was one of fear. As if a great weight were upon him, he choked, "Yes."
"What is the connection?" Then Syaoran gasped in realization. "Who do you truly serve? I don't think that Prince Dai was clever enough to come up with a plan like that."
Kazuo's eyes were so wide they were in danger of popping out. He struggled against his iron bonds. "We all had the same cause," he choked, the cords of his neck standing out with strain. "And we did not serve Dai... for Dai himself serves another..."
Souma arched her eyebrows. "And who does he serve?"
"His name is—" Kazuo suddenly screamed horribly, making the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end. He shuddered violently and sagged. Spit dribbled out of his open mouth.
Souma bent down and lifted his head. His eyes wore a blank expression, and his skin was clammy. "He's dead!" she gasped in surprise.
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"Fay-san!" Sakura called out to him.
Fay turned from examining an ornamental shield from the other side of the throne room and dashed to her side. "Did you find anything?"
"This," she said as she held up a red stone in the oval shape of an egg, hung upon a chain. "I found it right under the windows."
Fay took it from her and examined it. He pressed his palms against it and closed his eyes. "It's some sort of magical item..." He looked up at her. "It's time for you to start sensing life-forces," he said as he forced a smile.
"And what will that help us with?" Sakura asked him nervously. She was not too eager to learn how to do something else with her magic that day. Already, she felt drained from the effort she had exerted with telling apart truth from lie.
"We can then determine who this belonged to," Fay told her. "It could be Kazuo-san's, but we won't know until we make sure." He handed her the necklace. "First, clear your mind of all thoughts, save one in the form of a question: whose this is. Don't think of it as a question, though. Think of it as a command, like, 'Tell me who this belongs to.' You get me?"
Sakura nodded. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Did you clear your mind?"
"Yes," she said after a moment.
"Concentrate on finding out who it belongs to. Try to pass the message that you want to see a picture of him in your mind," he instructed her.
Sakura frowned as she concentrated hard. "I can't!" she said exasperatedly after several moments.
Fay shook his head. "You aren't trying hard enough."
"I am!" she said indignantly.
"No, you aren't," Fay sighed. "Do you want his murderer to walk free?" he asked her in a cold voice.
Sakura looked up sharply. "We don't know if he's dead yet..." she said weakly.
"Sakura-chan, wake up!" Fay snapped. "There's no way he could have survived! Those wounds were fatal! One arrow right next to the heart, the other probably hitting him in some organ or other..." He faltered, horrified. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I shouldn't have shouted like that..." He covered his face with his hand wearily. "It's just..." His emotions were threatening to overwhelm him, and it was something he was not used to. Even in Celes, he had never let his feelings get the better of him. He had always worn his mask of beguiling ease and acted frivolously to hide his true feelings and to achieve his ends.
But all this did not matter anymore... not if... No, he must be strong... he mustn't break down and cry...
Moments passed in silence.
He finally looked up at her helplessly, controlling the tears that wanted to come bursting out of him. "Face it, he's gone," he said softly. "What we have to do now is avenge him. Find the one who was behind this all. So you have to concentrate harder."
Sakura clenched her fist. Kurogane... gone? She had felt so close to the ninja these last few days... and she had never gotten the chance to tell him how much she valued him. He had been one of her best friends... practically like a brother to her...
She looked up at Fay again, and her gaze was steely. "For Kurogane-san," she said strongly and concentrated as hard as she could.
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Souma slammed her fist against the wall. "Damn it!"
Syaoran warily approached her fuming form. "Souma-san..." he tried to say.
"Let me be," she interrupted him in a constrained voice. "Kazuo-san died of his own accord, just like the others." She covered her face with one hand. "I wanted to kill him!" she cried.
Syaoran bit on his lower lip. He honestly had no idea what to do or say. But he had to try. "Souma-san... there was nothing you could do. It's obvious someone is interfering here. I'm positive that the one Kazuo-san worked for took his life away, so he would not reveal his name."
Souma continued to tremble with ill-suppressed rage, but she raised her head. "You're right," she said through clenched teeth. "There are mysterious forces at work here."
Syaoran averted his gaze. Souma seemed to have transformed into a relentless beast, eager to spill as much blood as she could. He understood that Kurogane's... state... had greatly shocked her. This was her way to battle with the confusion and the indignation she felt at it. And Syaoran's way to battle with it was to keep on hoping that there was a chance that Kurogane would make it.
He looked up at the sound of the doors opening and Fay and Sakura entered. "So...?" was all that he could ask them.
Fay surveyed him and Souma seriously. "We found this ruby amulet under the windows. It belonged to Kazuo-san. It was a magical ornament that hid his aura. That's how he managed to slip past the other ninja."
Souma took the pendant and examined it.
"Dai-ouji has a similar magical object, which hides his thoughts and feelings. That is how he tricked Princess Tomoyo," he continued.
Sakura turned to look at Kazuo. "Is he dead?"
Syaoran frowned slightly. Her voice had a hard edge to it, something that had not been there before the... incident. "Yes," he told her. "He died like the others."
"The others?" Sakura asked him sharply.
"The assassin and the samurai. They had a connection. They were working for the same person."
"Dai-ouji?"
"No. Dai-ouji himself is working for someone else," Syaoran explained.
"Who? Did you question him yet?" Fay asked.
"Not yet," Souma said grimly. She turned to Dai's slumped form and pulled back his shirt, ripping the black medallion away from him. She turned to the others. "You must tell Princess Tomoyo about these magical objects," she said as she handed Syaoran the medallion and the pendant. "I will wait for you to return with her. And then we can question him." Her voice was emotionless and cold as she regarded the empty space before her with a stony gaze.
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"It's been over two hours..." Syaoran said quietly as their footsteps echoed against the marble walls of the corridors. "I wonder how he's doing..."
Fay sighed heavily. "Don't get your hopes up. I highly doubt we'll enjoy the news," he said darkly.
"What do you mean...?" Syaoran asked him, fearing the worst.
Fay bit on his lower lip, not daring himself to answer. But it was getting more and more difficult to control the burning sensation in his throat.
"Kurogane-san lost a lot of blood, and he was hit in vital areas by two arrows," Sakura said seriously, her voice hoarse. "There's no way..." She faltered and wiped furiously at her eyes. "He's..."
Syaoran froze. "It can't be..." he said weakly.
Fay put his hand on his shoulder. "I know," he said quietly. "But it's been two hours... there can't..." He shuddered as the burning sensation had now also reached his eyes.
No, he would not cry, especially not in front of the others. No, no... He had to be strong for their sake. But Fay could hold himself back no longer. "We have to face it," he croaked as he wiped away his tears. "He's dead."
Mokona squirmed on Syaoran's other shoulder. It could not stand it anymore as it broke down and began to cry bitterly. Sakura lifted it up in her arms tenderly and tried to comfort it.
Syaoran's brain hardly registered these movements. Kurogane dead? It couldn't be... it couldn't...
But Fay and Sakura were both right. He had been too badly hurt for there to be any hope for him. This, Syaoran now realized. But it wasn't possible... it wasn't...
Kurogane had made it through tougher situations. He had battled his way out of numerous dangers and had managed to pass a number of obstacles. He couldn't let two measly arrows beat him... could he?
But before Syaoran knew it, they were in front of the doors. Beyond were the two healers, Tomoyo, and...
Fay tentatively rapped his knuckles on the door. "Tomoyo-hime?" he called her. "We have important information we need to share with you."
There was a sound of movement behind the doors, a shuffling, and the door opened. Tomoyo slipped out and closed it quietly behind her.
They didn't want to believe it. Somehow, there was still a small part in each of them that had been hoping beyond hope that Kurogane would make it.
But the wet tears upon Tomoyo's face obviously meant...
Kurogane was dead.
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To Be Continued
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A/N: Okaaaaay. A lot of OOC in this chapter, I think. No, I don't think it... I know it! Souma's nowhere near as vicious as I made her out to be! And Syaoran cursing? (Well, CCS!Syaoran would.) But as I was struggling more for emotion in this chapter, I believe it to be justified... to a certain extent. It's about time Kurogane gave some room to the others to breathe in this fic! Isn't it tedious to keep reading about the same character all the time? (Ouch, I didn't mean for it to sound like that! Poor Kurogane!) Just try to ignore that last line. It won't sound as horrible in the next chapter... really!
Tell me if you like it or tell me if you hate it. Please review!