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 11 — Departure
By Mystic Dawn
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The morning was crisp and chill, as it had snowed for the better part of the night. Kurogane stood in the clearing before the castle's large entrance, his breath steaming in the cold air. His eyes rose to the sky and he shaded his eyes, protecting them from the sun's blinding glare. It would probably start snowing again tomorrow, sometime toward noon, he judged. He wrapped his cloak about him tighter to ward off the biting wind.
"I hope you'll reconsider this," Souma said as she trudged toward him, her boots crunching in the snow, leading three horses behind her. "I mean... you don't have to, you know."
Kurogane tied his pack to the saddle of the nearest one. The mount snorted and pawed its hoof in the snow, impatient to get going. That was pretty much how Kurogane was feeling, too. He patted the horse's flank reassuringly and the animal calmed. "I've already made my mind up," he said shortly.
She smirked. "You're as stubborn as a mule."
"What?" he growled dangerously.
"Well, you are," Souma said defensively. "Once you get something through that thick skull of yours, nothing changes your mind."
Kurogane fixed her with a glare. "This is hardly the time and place for jokes, Souma," he told her.
Souma shrugged and sighed. "You're right." She winked. "But I was telling the truth."
Kurogane muttered something unsavory under his breath.
Souma crossed her arms and tsked at his language. "Looks like I'm not welcome here," she muttered in a steely voice as she turned on her heel, trying to make her way through the snow as gracefully as possible.
Kurogane shook his head and inspected the horses' hooves. He had not slept well and he was in a very uncharitable mood. The sense of unease that had haunted him last night had followed him in his dreams. He had been urgently searching for something as he sped through dark tunnels, and had also been running from something, although he never found out what he had been seeking and what he had been fleeing from. He was feeling thoroughly irritated about it.
"Hey—!"
Kurogane turned at the voice. Fay was making his way through the snowdrift toward him. He was back in his warm winter clothing, his hood pulled back, and his eyes shone with excitement. "Hi, Kuro-pippi!" he greeted him with a cheery wave, his breath puffing out in small clouds. "And here I thought I'd be the first one here. You beat me again."
Kurogane rolled his eyes. "Quit it with those damn names," he grumbled.
"Touchy," Fay commented on the ninja's disposition with a small smile. "Is it because of the argument?"
Kurogane said nothing on the subject as he glared at him vehemently. "Where're the others?" he asked sourly.
"Sakura-chan, Syaoran-kun and Mokona are on their way." Fay closed one eye and formed one of his kittenish smiles. "You seem excessively cranky today. Care to share what's troubling you?"
"Nothing," he muttered as he turned to one of the horses, checking on the bridle and adjusting it slightly.
Fay arched an eyebrow. "You're lying," he told him frankly. "Come on, what's bugging you? It can't be because of your shouting match with your sister previously."
Kurogane crossed his arms and kicked lightly at some snow. "Just... I dunno... I'm feeling a bit uneasy, that's all," he muttered.
"As if something terrible's about to happen?" Fay asked.
Kurogane looked up, surprised. "Yeah."
"Me, too," Fay said with a nervous smile. His eyes fell upon the horses. "So it's a horse for you, a horse for me, and a horse for Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun?"
"I guess." Kurogane frowned at the wizard suddenly. "How's your side?"
"How nice of you to ask!" Fay grinned as he airily waved his hand. "It doesn't hurt in the slightest! Have you ever considered being a healer yourself? You most probably have the healing touch!"
Kurogane sniffed, ignoring Fay's blether, and put his hand to his chin in thought. "It might open when we're riding..." he mused.
"I never thought of that," he admitted. "I guess I'll have to be really careful, huh?"
"You bet your ass you're gonna," Kurogane growled. "'Cause I'm not gonna sew you up again."
Fay sighed. "So thoughtful, yet so ribald," he commented lightly. He plodded on, ignoring Kurogane's glare, saying, "So where do you plan to lead us?"
"Along my paths," Kurogane grunted. "Souma suggested that I take a small force of ninja with us, but that wouldn't work out well. Where we're going we're gonna need stealth, and a large number of us would only hinder our movements." He checked the girth and the stirrups before straightening and turning to him. "Which horse d'you want?"
"Does it matter?" Fay asked, grinning.
Kurogane regarded him with a flat gaze. "It does. I need to adjust the stirrups for your legs."
"Hmm..." he mused thoughtfully.
Fay made quite a show of choosing between the two remaining horses. He put his finger to his chin. He scratched his head. He then joined his hands together and started twiddling his thumbs. After about a minute of this, Kurogane found himself wondering why he even made these futile attempts to speak to Fay in a civilized manner. It was glaringly obvious that he would never grow up.
"Well?" Kurogane snapped. "Which horse?"
Fay grinned. "This one." He patted one of the horses fondly. The horse nuzzled him and nipped at his parka. "Hey!" He swatted at the horse's muzzle good-naturedly. "I'm not a tasty tidbit!"
Kurogane snorted and bent to adjust the stirrups.
"Helloooo!" Mokona squealed as it waved at them from Syaoran's hood. Sakura and Syaoran had been furnished with heavy winter cloaks, for their garments were too light to protect them during their journey to Sembia. The threesome made their way through the snow to them. "Is everybody ready?" it chirped.
"Nearly," Kurogane grunted as he straightened. He turned to Syaoran and took the packs from him. "So these're your stuff?" he asked.
"Mine and Sakura's," Syaoran replied.
Kurogane's brow furrowed slightly at Syaoran's change in addressing Sakura, but he said nothing as he tied the pack on the last horse. "Humph. We'll have to put the foodstuff on the wizard's horse." He threw the last pack onto Fay's mount and tied it securely in place. He then turned again to Syaoran's horse to adjust the stirrups. He stood back to survey his handiwork and shrugged. "I guess we're set."
"Oh, wait one moment, please," Sakura begged him. "Tomoyo-hime said she'd come out soon to bid us farewell."
Kurogane nodded and crossed his arms. "This'll be the last time you'll see her," he commented shortly. He rolled his eyes. "But we've already wasted practically half of the morning already..."
Fay winked at him. "Actually, you and Suzue-chan did. When we were gathering our stuff before, she stormed into the sitting room and started shouting her head off, demanding why you didn't say anything sooner about leaving. I found your argument highly amusing." He grinned. "Especially the part regarding—"
"Don't start," Kurogane warned him with a menacing growl. "I've got a sword and I'm not afraid to use it."
Fay doubled over, laughing. "It's not my fault... she started using my nicknames..." he managed to gasp between his laughter. "And now you... " He stood up and paused long enough to quote, "'I've got a sword and I'm not afraid to...' Pfff... AHAHAHA!" He collapsed onto the snow, laughing his head off.
Kurogane rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. Nope, Fay was definitely never going to grow up.
At that moment, they heard a blaring fanfare. Kurogane winced. He never cared much for those trumpets; they always set him on edge. He frowned. He had a faint suspicion that...
The large doors of Shirasagi Castle opened. Tomoyo passed the threshold and climbed down the stairs gracefully, wearing her imperial robes and her state crown. To her right was Souma as Lead Ninja, and trailing along behind her were (Kurogane groaned) his parents and his sister. Behind them were Tomoyo's handmaidens, after them were a number of courtiers and nobles, and then a small band of ninja who stationed themselves at various posts around the clearing.
"Oh, hell!" Kurogane swore as he slapped his forehead. "I knew it! She's gathered the entire court!"
Fay sniggered heartily as he got to his feet, and Syaoran's and Sakura's eyes had gone wide, large sweat-drops adorning their heads. Mokona giggled, "Awesome! Everyone's here to see us off!"
Souma cleared her throat. "Announcing her Imperial Highness, Princess Tomoyo, Ruler of Nihon and High Priestess of the Shinto Order."
"Bow," Kurogane hissed at them from the corner of his mouth as he bowed low. He hated to think of what the court would say if they—he—did otherwise. The others belatedly followed suit.
"Please, rise," Tomoyo told them. They stood to their feet, and she made her way to them, followed by Souma and Kurogane's family. Her handmaidens and the rest of the court remained huddled in the entrance, whispering amongst themselves.
"What the hell's all this?" Kurogane asked her in a low voice as soon as she was standing before them.
"We must keep up with conventions. It's only proper," she whispered back with a wink. It was obvious that she was enjoying all this.
Fay barely managed to suppress a fresh wave of giggles at Kurogane's stricken look.
"I, Princess Tomoyo," she said in a loud and clear voice, "have offered these travelers my aid and assistance in their important and vital mission. As a guide, Kurogane, our strongest ninja, shall lead them to their appointed destination." She paused for a dramatic effect, as her handmaidens and courtiers continued muttering. "But I must first address him with a question of utmost importance."
Kurogane looked up in surprise.
"I must know something in order for me to remove your curse." Her violet eyes surveyed him with a penetrating gaze. "Have you learned the true meaning of strength?"
The question hung ominously between them. Kurogane said nothing for a time. "I think I have," he finally replied quietly, after contemplating his response. He bowed his head for a moment, then looked up at her again. "Strength isn't something you achieve with the death of others. True strength derives from the heart and how strong the heart is." He paused, looking down at his feet. "I was strong before, but my heart wasn't. My heart was aware, but I had it closed and suppressed. But now"—he looked up and met her eyes squarely—"my heart has opened and I truly feel the difference. I am stronger because my heart is stronger."
Souma nodded at his reply. Indeed, her cousin had learned much on his 'little' journey. Suzue frowned slightly, not understanding the reason for this question and answer, but understanding that he had voiced something of great significance. Kurogane's mother, who was a very emotional woman, was trying her very hardest not to let her feelings get the better of her in public, even though she had no idea what they were discussing. Kurogane's father, on the other hand, continued to stare stonily at his son, his face a mask as to how he was feeling. The court's babble simply intensified, gossip at the maximum.
Tomoyo smiled, very pleased with his answer. "You have truly learned the meaning of strength." She waved her hands and the glittering shadow of an emblem appeared.
The same emblem appeared on Kurogane's helmet, upon the black crescent moon. He stepped back a pace, startled. The symbol upon his helmet glimmered with a bright purple-pink glow. He felt as if a great weight were upon him, as if he were being subject to a strange pressure that wouldn't allow him to breathe.
A shaft of the same purple-pink light joined the symbol upon his forehead with the symbol hovering before Tomoyo's hands. Then he felt as if something was being pulled—torn, actually—from him. He screwed his eyes shut as he felt the curse literally wrenched away from his body. He gasped in pain and surprise as the last shards of the magic left him and entered the emblem in Tomoyo's hands. He didn't recall it hurting when she had first put the curse on him.
Tomoyo waved her hands and the emblem dissolved into nothingness. "The curse has been removed." She looked up at him in concern. "How do you feel?"
He straightened, breathing heavily. He felt somewhat emancipated in a way. It was a liberating feeling, as if something heavy upon his conscious had gone. He was no longer compelled to control himself in killing. But then, he had no desire to kill. "As if something heavy left me," he replied. He tried to ignore the court's excited buzzing.
Tomoyo smiled and nodded knowingly. "Now, you are ready." She surveyed the four travelers. "It was an honor to meet you all. I wish you luck in finding what you seek. I only hope that you will not be in grave dangers. Remember your friendship and the bonds that join you together. It's the only way you'll be able to get through this ordeal."
She turned to Sakura and took her hands in hers. "Remember everything that I told you, Sakura-hime," she told her solemnly. "The outcome of this journey depends on your willpower alone."
Sakura nodded determinedly. "I'll try my very best."
"Good! That's the spirit," Tomoyo grinned at her encouragingly.
"Thank you for all of your help," she said sincerely, bowing. "I'll miss you."
"I was honored to be able to help you in some way." She sighed. "And I'll miss you, too, Sakura-hime."
Sakura hesitated slightly, then smiled. "We'll definitely meet again someday."
"Definitely," Tomoyo agreed with a warm chuckle.
She managed to climb up onto the horse with Syaoran's help. He turned to Tomoyo and bowed. "Thank you very much for your help and hospitality."
"Oh, nonsense," Tomoyo said with a small smile. "I was glad to be of service. Just don't forget to study the Prophecy."
"I won't." Syaoran bowed again in thanks and climbed onto the horse, seating himself behind Sakura.
Fay grinned as he bowed extravagantly. "Fare thee well, Princess," he said courteously. He scrambled up onto his horse with as much grace as he could manage. "Mayhap we shall meet anon."
Tomoyo giggled. "Your humor will get the better of you one day, Fay-kun. And your archaic speech needs refining." She winked mischievously.
"Well, we can't have everything in life," he laughed with a small wave.
"Take care of yourselves," Tomoyo warned them. "And try not to draw attention to yourselves in Sembia."
"We'll be careful," Syaoran assured her.
Only Kurogane hadn't mounted yet, as his family was busy cautioning him and giving him advice. Souma was telling him to beware brigands and cutthroats, Suzue was reminding him to mind his manners lest she box his ears upon his return (he wondered in passing if she could actually do that), his mother was fussing over him (as usual), but his father said nothing. Kurogane tried his very best not to lose his temper with their pampering and make a fool of himself, especially in front of the gossiping court, but he could stand it no longer. He held up his hands and said, "Hey, hey! Cut it out already! I'm twenty-nine and I've been on my own before, and on more dangerous missions than this one. Don't you think I can take care of myself and the others?"
But to Kurogane's astonishment, and to the surprise of everyone else, it was his father who spoke. "He's right, you know," he told them all. "He's no baby and he's perfectly capable of taking care of himself." His keen green eyes had lost none of their potency as they bored into Kurogane's crimson ones. He seemed on the verge of stopping, but he continued, saying, "You bring much honor to our House." He clapped Kurogane on the shoulder and actually cracked him a broad smile. "I'm very proud of you, son. More than you realize."
A stunned silence met his statement. Even Syaoran and the others didn't know what to say. After meeting Kurogane's father, Kumaso Ito, a couple of times while Kurogane had been recuperating, they had all believed that he held Kurogane in a peculiar sort of contempt. They had never understood why, and they had not pried since Kurogane had not told them anything on the subject, but Kumaso had appeared to openly dislike Kurogane, heavily contrasting with Suzue and Aya, Kurogane's mother. So the foursome was as shocked as everyone else.
Kurogane's eyes widened slightly. He nodded, swallowing. "Thank you, Father," he said, a small catch in his voice. "I thank you for that acknowledgement." Kumaso had never actually called him 'son' before straight to his face. "And I thank you for your belief in me."
Kumaso sniffed. "It was long overdue. But don't think you're off the hook yet, kid. You're still the most incorrigible person I know."
Aya burst into tears and sobbed on Suzue's shoulder, not being able to hold in her feelings any longer. Suzue also seemed close to crying herself. Her father had shown many times that he preferred her to Kurogane, although, logically thinking, it should have been the other way around. She was happy for Kurogane's sake, for he had finally received the recognition he had been striving for all of these years. Souma clasped her hand to her cheek, touched by the exchange between father and son.
Kurogane bowed to Kumaso gratefully, who still wore a smug I'm-not-over-with-you-yet smile, and turned to mount his horse. However, he paused when Tomoyo came to stand timidly before him.
She had wrung her hands together, seemingly torn between a need to embrace him and a need to regain her composure in front of her court. But her heart won her over in the end. She suddenly flung her arms around his shoulders and gripped him tightly (all who were assembled gasped audibly, even the highly-trained ninja). "Come back to me, my love," she whispered hoarsely. "Don't let anything happen to you."
Kurogane felt extremely self-conscious, aware that they were the complete center of attention, but frankly, he didn't care. Tomoyo mattered more. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "I will," he promised. "I'll return to you, without fail."
Tomoyo smiled weakly. "Just like you promised."
"Yeah," he said. "Just like then and just like now. I never break my promises."
"I know," said Tomoyo in a voice near tears as she looked up at him. Their eyes locked, ruby meeting amethyst. It was so hard for her to let go... so hard. But she knew that he spoke the truth. He would never let anything get between them. "Go quickly, Kurogane," she breathed, her heart in her eyes. "I don't want you to see me crying again."
He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand in farewell, knowing that to do anything more would make matters worse, then turned to mount. With one last look at her, he turned his horse, heading toward the ornate gold gateway, Fay, Sakura, Syaoran and Mokona following in his wake.
Tears streamed down Tomoyo's cheeks. Kurogane was her life and love. He was the only one for her. If anything happened to him... she would never be able to feel for anyone again. She knew his determinedness and strong will would be essential to see them through, but still, she hoped that the journey would be uneventful. However, deep, down in her heart, she new that it would not be so.
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Kurogane led them steadily at a trot for around two hours along the Highway, then turned southwest, away from it, leading them into a dense forest. The bare boughs of the trees were heavily laden with snow and the forest was deathly quiet.
"Isn't it a bit odd?" Syaoran asked Kurogane at one point.
"What's odd?" the ninja muttered abstractedly as he scanned the woody terrain.
"This forest. It's too quiet."
"That's normal in the wintertime," said Kurogane. "All the animals are hibernating. It's when you start hearing noises you should be suspicious. That means that something's disturbing the peace."
"Aren'twe doing something similar?" Fay asked, wincing slightly.
"No," he replied, "'cause you're with me. As long as you follow my lead, we should be okay." He pointed to the right, at a direction leading through the trees. "We go this way."
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After another hour they had cleared the forest, and Kurogane suggested that they take a break to stretch their legs and to eat lunch.
"We're going at a good pace," he informed them as he dismounted and patted his horse's muzzle. "We've already covered about fifteen to twenty miles, I judge."
"That's good news," Syaoran said as he climbed down his horse. "The sooner we get there, the better." He offered his hand to Sakura to dismount.
"If the weather doesn't change," she pointed out, gripping at his forearms for support.
"There's no worry of anything like that happening today," Kurogane said. "Most likely, it'll start snowing heavily tomorrow around noon."
"Hyu!" Fay whistled. "Everything seems much more convenient when on horseback!"
"Horsesdo make traveling easier," Kurogane noted. He eyed Fay critically. "Now get off of yours and strip to the waist."
"What?!" he demanded incredulously.
"I need to check out that gash of yours. I noticed your twitches and grimaces on the road. It's bugging you."
"Sometimes, I wish your eyesight wasn't as keen as it is," Fay muttered as he got off of his horse. He wasn't very graceful, as it was between a jump and a fall, and he failed to suppress another shudder. "Then again, when noticing trouble, I take it back immediately. Those eyes of yours come in handy, even though they are an intimidating color." He took off his heavy parka. "How is it that you have red eyes, actually? And pointy canine teeth? The only other person I've ever seen with red eyes is the Dimensional Witch, and believe me, I've seen a lot of people in my time!"
"Yup!" Mokona piped up. "Yuuko's the only one with red eyes I've ever seen!" It leapt onto Syaoran's head excitedly. "Except for Kurogane, of course!"
Kurogane narrowed his eyes dangerously. Being compared to that witch was not at all to his liking.
Fay raised his hands nervously and sweat-dropped. "I was just asking!" He undid his inner parka. "It's just, well, Suzue-chan has brown eyes. Souma-san has green eyes, and so does your dad. Your mom has brown eyes, too." He shrugged as he removed the blue parka. "I was just wondering."
Kurogane said nothing as he surveyed the area. In truth, he had wondered himself at times why his appearance contrasted greatly with his family's. His height surpassed even his father's, his hair was short and had the uncanny habit of not staying flat, and at times he had even felt somewhat apart from his family members. He couldn't rightly explain it, but he sometimes felt that he didn't belong. It was a feeling he did not like and was one of the reasons he didn't like staying with his family for too long. "I've wondered, too," he mumbled in an undertone.
Fay pulled off his long black gloves. "Are you going to examine me for long?" he asked Kurogane. "Because it's pretty chilly and I'll probably turn blue with the cold before long!"
Kurogane rolled his eyes. "I won't take long if you won't take long," he growled.
"Okay, okay, I can take a hint," Fay said as he unbuttoned his white undercoat. "You're too impatient, Kuro-rin. How cute!" He pulled it off, and was left with his black pants and boots. His pale torso was wrapped in the bandages Kurogane had tied him up in last night. Fay crossed his arms, his teeth chattering slightly. "Hurry, will you? I'm freezing!"
Kurogane undid the bandages and checked the stitches. They hadn't opened, and were doing a good job of healing. He wrapped Fay up again. "Okay. I bet you'll have healed enough by tomorrow night for me to remove the stitches. Now dress."
"You sure took your time," Fay muttered as he pulled on his clothes again. "I would've gotten a frostbite before long!"
"Quit exaggerating," Kurogane told him. "Aren't you supposedly from a cold country?"
"Well, it's been so long since I've been exposed to the brutal winter climate!" he complained as he wrapped himself up in his parkas. "Ah! Warm at last!"
Kurogane snorted and shook his head. "You're such a softie."
"And proud of it!" Fay winked with a thumbs-up, sending Sakura, Syaoran, and Mokona into peals of laughter.
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After another few hours of travel, Kurogane led them through a narrow ravine. The wind blew horribly in their faces, stinging their eyes and chilling them to the bone. But they plodded onward, trudging with difficulty through the snow, which swirled in their faces by the wind.
The invisible trails were unknown to all except to those who knew the land, and Kurogane was one of them. He continued on confidently, never wavering in taking this way or that way when coming across many paths. Sakura was amazed that Kurogane could recognize such subtle differences in the terrain, when all she saw was the same bleak environment.
It was about an hour and a half before nightfall when Kurogane halted and told them to dismount. "The road's tricky here, so we'll have to lead our horses." He gripped his mount's reins tightly and led them through a steep pass, which steadily went downhill. The footing was treacherous, and they had to take great care not to slip. It was difficult because of the dirty snow disguising various patches of dark ice; at one point, Sakura lost her footing and slid down on her backside for twelve feet before she managed to come to a halt.
"That was fun!" Mokona squealed from inside Sakura's hood. "Let's do it again!"
"Are you okay?" Syaoran asked her anxiously as soon as he had reached her side. He offered her his hand to get up, but ended up slipping himself, falling with a sharp hiss on his rump.
Fay sniggered heartily. "Why don't we just slide down the rest of the way? It'd save time," he suggested humorously.
"Do that and you'll get soaked through with all this slush," Kurogane told him as he grabbed Syaoran by his cloak at the scruff of the neck and hauled him to his feet. "But I bet it'd make one hell of a scene; a water-logged magician." He also helped Sakura up. "Hell, I could use a laugh," he added sardonically.
"What's this?" Fay chortled as he continued downward after the others. "Kuro-wan actually admitting, with a hint of sarcasm, that he can laugh? I must make a mental note to humiliate myself more often! If this is all it takes to make you joke, then—"
But Fay never finished his phrase, for he also lost his footing, and, with a surprised yelp, he let go of the reins of his mount and started skidding downward. But after sliding for a few feet, he landed at the bottom, into a rock-strewn basin about thirty feet in diameter. Fay remained sitting for a few moments, then burst into laughter. "Well, there you go, Kuro-puu! I made a fool of myself! And I didn't hear you laugh," he complained in an accusatory tone, looking up at the tall ninja who carefully stepped off of the steep rock face into the basin, leading Fay's horse as well as his own.
"I didn't really find it funny," Kurogane retorted dryly, quickly losing his patience. "Maybe you'll force a laugh outta me some other time." He shaded his eyes and surveyed the basin. He nodded. "We'll set up camp here for the night."
He gave them instructions on how to prepare the camp and they all set about the tasks he had assigned them. Syaoran took care of making a fire, careful to dig deep into the ground so as to hide the long flames from unfriendly eyes. Sakura and Fay attempted to set up the tent, which was quite amusing at first because it always kept collapsing upon itself, and Mokona was more a hindrance than a help. Kurogane tended to the horses, making sure that they were warm enough and that they had enough oats to eat. He then went to the merrily cracking fire to prepare their meal, telling Syaoran to 'go help those fun-loving jerks fix that damn tent already,' with an excessive use of vocal cords.
Finally, after the tent had been erected and all the necessary jobs taken care of, they settled around the pleasantly warm fire to eat their supper. It wasn't much because it was made with meager supplies, but it was filling.
"I could've made us something tasty if I only had the proper ingredients," Fay said wistfully as he chewed on the dry bread. "But we couldn't really afford to bring more supplies, could we?"
"Nope," Kurogane said. "And anyway, we won't be on the road much longer. Two more days at the most, and then we'll be in the capital. Tomorrow we'll pass the borders and descend into Semba."
Fay stared into the dancing flames, in deep thought. "In about eight days, we'll reach the Tower, right?" he said after a long pause.
"Mm," Kurogane grunted. "Hopefully, we'll have learned something more about that bastard by searching that tavern in Sembia."
Fay nodded. "And once we find out who the One Without Destiny meets, and why, we'll have to somehow take the feather from him."
"Yes," Syaoran said in a strong voice. "We'll definitely get it back."
"Thank you all so very, very much," said Sakura gratefully. "I don't know what I would've done without your help." She clenched her fist. "I promise that I'll put a stop to Fei Wang Reed."
"Wait a minute," Kurogane said as he sat up straighter. "I completely forgot that this One Without Destiny guy is gonna meet somebody at Solar Tower."
"So?" Mokona asked him as it leapt into his lap with a giggle. "Does it matter?"
"It actually does, you white manjuu," Kurogane snapped as he grabbed it by the ears and tossed it to Sakura. His scarlet eyes mirrored the flames of their campfire, giving him a rather sinister appearance. "D'you guys think it could be that Fei Wang?"
"I highly doubt that Fei Wang himself would make an appearance," Fay disagreed. "Most likely an underling, or a hologram of him or something. To appear in person would most likely jeopardize his plans."
"Someone we might have met before?" Syaoran suggested. "Since both the Prophecy and the Dimensional Witch said that we know the One Without Destiny, it only stands to reason that we might know the other person, too."
"Then who could the One Without Destiny be?" Sakura mused. "None of the people we've met would want to hurt us, would they?"
"There've definitely been some who did, Sakura-chan," Fay said bleakly. "Let's count our enemies, shall we? Let's see..."
They spent the better part of the evening discussing possible suspects. They didn't make much of a headway though, for all the mysterious happenings led back to Fei Wang. They couldn't for the life of them guess who the One Without Destiny could be.
Kurogane tilted his head back to survey the night sky. He stood up and brushed his pants and cloak free of snow. "We'll have to set up a watch. You never know what dangers there might be in the wilderness. We'll take turns so everyone'll have a chance to sleep, but we should do it in pairs. Just in case we get ambushed, one of us'll be able to hold our enemies off while the other'll wake the others up." He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "I'm up first. Who wants to keep watch with me?"
"I will," Sakura offered. "I want to help as much as I can."
Kurogane nodded. "I haven't got a problem." He turned to the others. "Now you two get to bed."
"Yes, Daddy!" Fay saluted smartly, then dove into the tent with a girlish shriek when Kurogane made a move to throttle him.
———————————————
The next morning dawned bright and sunny, but lacked anything resembling warmth. A considerable layer of frost covered the ground before them, and now that it was light enough, Syaoran could see that the rock face they had descended was of considerable height. He regarded the fire pit critically. He had been so engrossed in his discussion with Fay that he had let the flames die. He gathered some twigs and fallen limbs and proceeded to start the fire going again, as much for their meal as for bringing heat back into their bodies.
Fay offered to help Syaoran with the fire, and with their combined efforts, they soon managed to get it going. As soon as the fire was hot enough, Fay took it upon himself to prepare their breakfast, suggesting that Syaoran tend to their mounts.
Kurogane's boots crunched against the thin ice as he emerged from the tent with a huge yawn. He scratched at his chin absent-mindedly as he sniffed the air, catching the scent of meat being cooked. "What the hell're you doing?" he asked Fay, who was crouched before the fire.
"Good morning, Kuro-chan! Just fixing up breakfast," he answered cheerfully. "We couldn't let the bacon go bad before having a chance to eat some, could we? Oh! I'll cut up some of the cheese, too." He rummaged through the pack and produced a wax-covered ball of cheese. "And anyway, we can't let you do all the work, can we?"
Kurogane arched his eyebrows, surprised at Fay's eagerness to help. Maybe the wiry wizard was trying to make up for being such an ass yesterday with the tent. Though Kurogane highly doubted that all of Fay's intentions were honorable. "I guess I'll go check on the horses, then," he finally said.
"Already ahead of you, Kuro-bun! Syaoran-kun went to check up on them."
Kurogane frowned and crossed his arms. "What's with all the help?"
Fay looked up at him with a smile. "It's only fair that we help in some way, you know. You're our guide anyhow, and that's more than enough. Plus, you're the warrior, which means that you'll probably be doing most of the fighting if we chance across trouble. So that really doesn't leave the rest of us with many alternatives, does it?"
What Fay was saying made perfect sense, but years of experience still made Kurogane suspicious of all the help Fay was offering. Kurogane spread his cloak on the ground and sat before the fire. His eyes raised to the clouds overhead, which had turned the sky a dirty slate-gray. He sniffed at the air, and the chill, dusty odor of it heralded that it would start snowing soon.
Syaoran emerged from the small space behind the tent where they had picketed the horses. "Good morning, Kurogane-san," he greeted him as he held his hands before the fire for warmth. "I trust you slept well?"
Kurogane shrugged. "Okay enough. It's not like you'll ever get comfortable sleeping on the ground."
Syaoran shot a cursory glance at the tent. "Shouldn't we wake them up?"
"Probably," Fay muttered as he turned some slabs of bread over the fire. "But wait just a little for me to finish here."
After a few minutes had passed, Syaoran went to wake Sakura and Mokona, and the five of them ate their fill in silence. They struck camp and Kurogane erased any traces of their ever being there. He led them out of the basin and into rocky terrain. After traveling for a few hours, the clouds finally burst and snow started drifting downward steadily.
The wind, which had been a mere breeze tickling them at first, picked up and started nipping relentlessly at their exposed skin. The temperature seemed to drop even lower and it started snowing harder before long.
After a brief stop for lunch, they continued their trek at a brisk trot until they reached a broad plain, devoid of trees. It was more of a large valley, for on both sides Syaoran could see the outlines of small mountains when he shaded his eyes. "The armies of Nihon and Semba met here eleven years ago," Kurogane suddenly told them. "There used to be a forest over there, you see those trees in the distance?" he asked as he pointed out the direction he meant. "But all the wood was used to burn the dead." His voice sounded despondent, and he sighed heavily.
The desolate expanse continued on for miles, and although the wind was harsher and fiercer, Kurogane suggested that they could chance a canter, since the terrain was pretty smooth and there was no danger of their horses tripping. After traveling thus for a few miles, they heard a distinct whinnying in the distance.
Kurogane pulled hard on the reins, coming to an abrupt stop. His horse reared slightly and snorted. The others also reined up. "Are we being followed?" Sakura asked in a small voice as she looked around.
"There!" Mokona squeaked as it pointed behind them. "Riders!"
They turned their mounts to get a better look. A band of riders was galloping across the desolation, their mounts kicking up snow as they approached them rapidly. Blades in their hands glinted against the sunlight.
"They're definitely after us," Fay said in a low voice as he gripped at his horse's reins tightly.
"Damn it," Kurogane swore under his breath. It was obvious that he had led them poorly, right into the open. And the fact that he didn't cover up the tracks they had left in the snow was another mistake he made. He was becoming too careless, and it was something he couldn't afford. He could get them killed because of his stupidity! He had to correct his mistake. He pulled out Souhi with a steely hiss. "You guys go on towards the woods and wait for me there. I'll take care of these bastards."
"But, Kurogane-san..." Syaoran started to say.
"Go!" Kurogane barked. "There's nothing you guys can do. You'll only get in my way."
Fay nodded and indicated to Syaoran that they get going. They turned their mounts toward the woods and broke in a gallop, leaving Kurogane where he stood his ground, waiting.
Kurogane held Souhi tightly in his right fist. The sun shimmered against the steel, making the blade seem to shine. Kurogane narrowed his eyes, calculating the distance between him and their pursuers, which was rapidly closing. His breath steamed in the chill air as the wind continued to howl, whipping his cloak about him.
Without warning, Kurogane spurred his mount forward and charged at them. The riders halted, surprised at this sudden response. There were eight of them in total, and they all wore the same type of armor. Kurogane, however, seemed to hardly take note of this as he rode right at them, rapidly narrowing the space between them.
The warriors stood their ground, brandishing their swords menacingly. But when it became apparent that Kurogane had no intention of halting for any reason, the warriors before him scampered out of the way before he ran them over. He wheeled his horse and charged at them again.
This time, the riders decided to fight back. Three of them held their swords before them and slashed out at him as he passed. Two of the swords only ripped at his cloak, but the third sword bit into his left shoulder; however, it did not manage to pierce him as it got his armor-plate, which had been hidden under his cloak.
Kurogane spun his mount and lashed out, felling two of the riders from their saddles. His blade sheared effortlessly through their thin armor and blood spurted from their fatal wounds as they toppled from their horses. Kurogane turned his mount and blocked a blow aimed at his head, and, spinning his arm, he decapitated the offending warrior.
An arrow buzzed by him and his horse reared with a shriek of pain, the arrow protruding from its neck, throwing him from its back hard onto the ground. Kurogane quickly rolled out of the way of the falling animal. He leapt to his feet and grabbed onto the pommel of one of the stray horses whose rider he felled previously, hauling himself quickly up onto its back. He knew with a certainty that he would have had no chance against the remaining riders when on foot.
He ducked quickly from an overhand blow and thrust Souhi into the warrior's chest. The warrior's eyes widened as blood flowed from his gaping mouth. Kurogane kicked the body off his sword and whirled, rapidly blocking another blow at him.
Another arrow whizzed past him, missing his face by mere inches. After smoothly slicing open the rider fighting with him, he turned his mount and ran down the archer, who attempted to draw his sword when Kurogane closed in on him. With a grimace, he chopped him out of his saddle with a mighty stroke of his bloodied sword.
The two remaining riders took one look at Kurogane and decided that it was the perfect moment to make a hasty retreat. They turned their horses and ran from him. But Kurogane was not as easily discouraged. He urged his mount after them, and when he gained on them a few seconds later, he veered slightly to the left, plunging on past the attackers, then pulled his horse directly into their path.
With a terrified whinny, one of the horses bucked, throwing its rider to the ground. With a snort and a flick of its tail, it bolted. The other rider jerked his mount to a sudden stop and fumbled to reach the sword strapped at his side. Kurogane thrust his own sword into the rider, running him through.
Kurogane dismounted, and with a sure and steady stride, he made for the last warrior.
The warrior remained lying on his back, transfixed with fear as Kurogane neared him. He flinched when Kurogane pressed his red blade against his throat and wondered vaguely why he was still alive.
"Who are you?" Kurogane asked him in a cold voice.
The man swallowed hard, his breath coming out in quick rasps. "I-I'm a hired mercenary," he stammered in fear.
Kurogane regarded the trembling rider with an intimidating glare, his scarlet eyes drilling into him. "Liar," he spat. "Mercenaries don't wear matching armor."
The man licked at his dry lips, his wide eyes darting this way and that. "W-we were told to d-do so," he squeaked in a high-pitched voice. "And if a-anyone asked us who we were, we were to s-say that we were s-samurai."
Kurogane looked at him long and hard. "Who was your employer?"
"I d-don't know," he whimpered. "It was someone w-wearing a long c-cloak. Our l-leader handled the negotiations. H-he never mentioned his name."
"What d'you know about us?" Kurogane demanded.
The mercenary shook his head furiously. "Nothing! We were o-only told that we were to k-kill you and the blond one, and capture the t-two adolescents."
Kurogane frowned. What did they want with Syaoran and Sakura? "And if your plan succeeded, what would you have done with them?"
"I-I don't know! W-we weren't told in detail what was to h-happen! Only our l-leader knew!"
Kuroganetsked. The leader must've been one of the others he killed. "Which one's your leader?"
"Th-the archer," he replied quickly. His eyes grew round. "Please, don't kill me," he begged.
Kurogane's eyes glinted. He gripped the handle of his sword tightly. There was no point in killing him as he was a simple soldier, but then again, he might warn his fellows, if he had any, that they had survived. "Were there more of you?"
He shook his head in the negative. "I-It was just us!" His eyes grew as large as marbles at Kurogane's expression. "I swear!"
Kurogane bent low and grasped his throat in a vice-like grip. "You had better be telling the truth," he growled menacingly, "or else the next time we cross paths you'll be wishing I did kill you."
The mercenary gulped hard and nodded.
"Good," Kurogane said as he straightened. He kicked the man hard in the side. "Now get outta here before I change my mind about killing you."
Convinced that he had been saved by a miracle of some sort, the mercenary flung himself upon a horse and spurred the mount into action, galloping away.
Kurogane walked toward his fallen horse and retrieved his pack. Turning to the mount he had used in the skirmish, he tied his pack to its saddle. Kurogane then inspected the fallen warriors. They had each been paid five gold coins, and the archer was undoubtedly the leader, for he had twelve pieces of gold upon him. So the mercenary he had spared had been telling the truth. Kurogane took the archer's bow and arrows and gathered the gold. There was no point in wasting it. He cleaned the blood off his blade and mounted his newly-acquired horse.
As he approached the woods, he saw the others waiting for him. "Yay!" Mokona squealed. "Kurogane's okay!" It leapt onto his head. "We were so worried! For a moment there, it looked like you were swarmed under!"
Kurogane snorted. "Yeah, right." He told them what he had found out from the mercenary and handed the bow and arrows to Fay. "Here's something for you to fight with."
"Thanks," Fay said gratefully. "I was wondering what I'd do without weapons."
"What on earth would they want Syaoran and me for?" Sakura demanded.
"I dunno," Kurogane admitted. "But I bet that the employer was the One Without Destiny. So, for some reason or other, that Fei Wang wants you guys." He squared his shoulders. "We'd better move on. There may be more of them."
Syaoran nodded. "We didn't meet any dangers yesterday and I thought for a while that we wouldn't meet any."
"That was a mistake," Kurogane stated fiercely. "And I don't make the same mistakes twice. C'mon."
He spurred his mount into a trot and led them through the wood. Numerous thoughts were running through his head. He had felt a little strange killing again, but it had been necessary. They would have done the same to them, anyhow. Somehow, the thought cheered him little. He was still angry with himself that he had not taken care to hide their passage. But however easy it could have been to find them, someone was most definitely spying on them. For how else could the mercenaries have know where to find them?
He was not the only one troubled. Syaoran felt a cool detachment toward the outer world at that moment, and was fretting inside. It was quite logical for Fei Wang Reed to want Sakura, but what did he have to do with him? Somehow, Syaoran got the faint feeling that it may have something to do with his right eye and with the one who controlled him. His thoughts were still dark as they traveled deeper into the wood. He shivered. And not just from the cold.
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To Be Continued
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A/N: I know it sounds weird that Kurogane immediately killed the moment Tomoyo removed the curse (well, not immediately, but close enough). He does question his actions later. (Getting philosophical, aren't we?) But of course, we now know it wasn't really a curse, so I can't really complain. —shrugs and winks— True strength isn't just about physical strength. It's also about mental strength, and being willing to give up anything for the ones you care about. But you didn't need me to tell you that. XD
Tell me if you like it or tell me if you hate it. Please review!