Chapter 9 - Crossed Paths

"Zack."

A voice as smooth as a mother's lullaby spoke throughout the room, and Zack flinched. He wore a worried smile as he turned towards his Majesty.

"Stop scaring the guests."

"Apologies, Your Majesty. They are a fun lot."

The Queen entered the room with such presence that everyone felt tense. Even her five trusted soldiers stood erect as they had their eyes only on their Queen. Her Majesty wore a school uniform, oddly enough, with a maroon necktie tucked tightly under her black vest, her checkered pleated skirt was as red as her eyes. She walked through the room, and stopped short, just beside where Neil was seated.

"Syaoran."

A bit taken aback, he stuttered. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Drop the formalities," her mouth slightly smiled. "Do you remember the last world you and your companions where in, before you came here?"

"Michal!"

"Lily!"

"Yes. New York."

"Stop! Don't touch my sister!" He struggled, his double edged sword slashing through his enemies that were in his way.

"Anything particular that happened there? Anything odd? Out of place?"

Arrows shot through the air as a pink-haired girl ran through the army of men trying to drag away her brother. Blood was spilled everywhere. Chaos merely beginning.

"When we arrived at New York, nothing was out of the ordinary. It was a peaceful city, we were the only ones who looked odd, with our clothing and how we arrived there. We spent three weeks, helping a detective with his case, despite his tendency to get drunk."

"Get out of here! You guys aren't safe here! Move, quickly!" A man with a wild look in his eyes sobered up, his hair a mess as he fired a shot at an incoming soldier. "Syaoran! Leave!"

"This man, despite his alcoholic tendencies, was a good man. He helped us even though he was clearly enraged at us for helping him. Eventually, he finally opened up a bit and didn't mind that we were helping him."

Kuro tsk-ed while Syaoran was telling the story. The said man ticked Kurogane off until now. Their adventures with him wasn't stellar as he had hoped before he met him.

"Nothing particular happened till the last day. We went on a short trip outside New York city. Investigating a homicide crime until we heard something blow up not far from where we are."

"Michal! We have to go back! The portal, it's loosing control!"

"We tried to investigate what blew up, when suddenly an army of soldiers appeared. It didn't even look like they belonged there."

"They're not local soldiers." Monina spoke matter-of-factly.

Syaoran nodded, "They were heading towards us. Towards the building we were investigating. We didn't know the reason why, but we knew we couldn't stay there any longer. They were too large a number."

"I was already looking for a way to get us out of there, since Mokona was back at DeWitt's office. As I went to the other side of the building, there was another strange pair running and jumping inside the building." Kurogane wrinkled his brow in deep thought. "They were definitely not from New York city, and definitely not with the army as well."

"We have to report this, Michal."

"I know, Lily. Stranger things have been occurring. This world and the other worlds too. Shit. What the hell is happening?"

Yuui spoke next. "The soldiers were incredibly fast, and they almost reached us before we could even think of where to escape. I thought of using my magic but I forgot I lost them already."

Fye's eye twitched.

"They were shouting, screaming words we couldn't understand. A foreign language. Since Mokona wasn't there."

"Είναι οι δολοφόνοι?" shouted one soldier.

"Πάρτε τους!"

"Get out of here! You guys aren't safe here! Move, quickly!" A man with a wild look in his eyes sobered up, his hair a mess as he fired a shot at an incoming soldier. "Syaoran! Leave!"

"We can't just leave you!"

"Stop talking back to me and run!"

"I remember running as fast as we can, and we saw the strange pair approached the army head on," Kurogane continued. "Now that I think about it, the way they were dressed, they seemed like they were of royalty. One shot every soldier by using a bow and couple of arrows, the other tearing the large army in two, wielding two swords."

"We heard cries of helpless and innocent getting murdered simply because they couldn't escape quickly enough." Syaoran clenched his jaw. "It was awful. The way they killed them mercilessly."

"The pair," Monina began. "What was the color of their hair?"

Yuui answered, "A boy with blond hair, and a girl with pink hair tied into two ponytails."

Five men in the room grew restless.

"Go on."

Yuui glanced down in deep thought, "We were about to fight too, despite DeWitt's extreme protests. Before we could even attack, flash of white light suddenly blinded us, and without knowing, we were being transported."

"The weird thing was that we were being transported for a long time. If I'm right, we stayed between dimensions for at least three days before finally arriving here."

Neil's brows arched high. "You guys were stuck for three days?"

Syaoran nodded, "At least, that's what we believe."

"Impossible." Lelouch rebuked. "Three days travelling between two dimensions?"

White Mokona jumped from Doumeki's shoulder to Lelouch's shoulder. "Yeah! I was tired!"

Watanuki, who stayed silent, read the Queen's expression. Her face remained blank, her eyes turning sharper every time she acquired information from Syaoran's last journey. Despite the indifference, he knew that the Queen knew what happened.

Silence fell upon the room. Syaoran looked expectantly at her Majesty.

"You will find your answers in the next town, the neighbor of Madison Moore Town." The Queen glanced at Fye. "Show them the way tomorrow. Look for Kun Ling Reed."

Watanuki and Syaoran both shocked to what they have heard. "Kun Ling..Reed?"

"You will meet Booker there as well."

"Booker? But I thought.." Kurogane trailed off, his eyes wide at the realization. "DeWitt didn't, did he?" Booker DeWitt wasn't a man he wanted dead, despite his rotten personality when they met him.

"He died in a different way." Zack spoke up. "Promise ya, he isn't the same man you think he was when you met him back in his world."

After lunch time, having their stomachs filled with delicious meals that Fye cooked for them together with Watanuki, they soon start to prepare leaving the mansion, bringing their weapons and staff, and necessities needed for their travel.

"Kimihiro." A voice called.

Watanuki turned around as the Queen came nearer to his side.

"Time is divergent here in this world." Her dull red eyes shone slightly, as if sharing a secret with him.

Watanuki simply nodded. He understood.

...

It was already five o'clock in the afternoon when they barely arrived at Tinderclock Town. They were held up back in Madison Moore Town when the Mokona pair, Doumeki and Yuui had simply ran off when they found out the town was celebrating a festival, much to Kurogane's dismay. They could have arrived at Tinderclock much earlier, but Syaoran knew the group needed to relax and have a little bit of fun to release their stress.

Stepping into Tinderclock Town was a bit different than Madison Moore. While Madison Moore celebrated, the Tinderclock Town held a gloomy air surrounding it.

"Look," Kurogane nodded at the town's billboard. Everyone got closer and saw a poster of the Dark Prince, together with the Light Queen who sat on her throne, whilst the prince stood elegantly beside her. "It's the guy we saw the other day."

"Dark," Fye eyed the poster coldly. "Her Majesty's brother."