Son of the Living Maiden

Chapter 2

Ever since Sakura found out Syaoran was ill she stayed by his side. The boy seemed to be in some kind of coma, and even Kurogane was beginning to show signs of distress.

Mokona had tried contacting Yuuko, but while they could see the witch, the witch seemed to be ignoring them. She had a blank look on her face, and stared at her hands like she had done something horribly wrong. Insults from Kurogane and pleading from Sakura yielded nothing; the witch seemed deaf to them.

Syaoran remained the same. His condition did not worsen, but it did not get better. This lasted for several days and nights. The vampire twins were helpless to do anything, and what with the clone on the loose, every second that passed seemed like a step to some kind of end.

" You think it might be the shock of getting his heart back?" Fye asked Kurogane.

" How should I know?"

" I don't know." Fye wanted to rub his eyes, but avoided doing that, remembering the cloth that covered his eye. " What I find most impressive is that even with only half a heart, the clone was so…admirable. It is hard to imagine what Syaoran is like, with his entire heart."

" Hmph." Kurogane clenched his teeth. He was wondering the same thing. He remembered the tears that Syaoran had shed for him the day he read the story of his childhood. " Sumimasen. Sumimasen. Sumimasen…"

Kurogane looked over to where Sakura knelt by Syaoran's side. The boy's color had faded into ghastly white. Other than the paleness, however, Syaoran was fine. His breathing was deep but normal, and he did not tremble or break into chills or fevers.

" He said that something big was coming." Fye interrupted his thoughts.

" What does he mean?"

" I don't know. But with this Syaoran, I'm inclined to trust his judgment. We don't know what kind of abilities this one has, and foresight might be one of them."

Syaoran suddenly screamed, shooting up, nearly knocking Sakura over. Kurogane and Fye instantly dashed to his side as the boy began to thrash. His eyes were wide open but they held a crazed look in them.

" Syaoran-kun!" Sakura sobbed, as Kurogane firmly grabbed the boy's wrists and pressed them down, tilting his head sideways to dodge a head butt. Syaoran was still screaming.

" Ugh, gaki! Stop struggling!" Kurogane growled. Suddenly, Syaoran's blank eyes stared up at him, and Kurogane sensed something was very wrong.

He barely had time to dodge the spell that shot straight at his face.

" Hyuu!" Fye exclaimed. " That's a new one!"

Kurogane let go of Syaoran, who jerked into the air. His thin arms swung forward and a ball of energy appeared. For a second he froze, and then the ball disappeared. The boy fell back down with a heavy thud, panting and sobbing.

" Syaoran-kun!" Sakura reached for him before either man could warn her otherwise, but Syaoran seemed awake. He was still weeping, but he was looking around in confusion and exhaustion.

" Huh?" He blinked more tears from his eyes, then reached up to wipe them away in amazement. " What happened?"

" You tell us." Kurogane let him go.

" You passed out." Sakura told him.

" And then went ballistic." Kurogane looked pointedly at the scar in the ceiling.

" Huh." Syaoran slouched, eyes blank as he tried to remember. He could recall soft music, a tender touch—his mother's? And then fear, fear that nearly choked him, and a wild despair. He had felt desperate when the clone was about to be released, but nothing like this. It was like his world was crashing down all around him, because someone—someone had abandoned him—someone was never coming back. Something happened before…wild magic, and something…

" Syaoran-kun?" Sakura blinked, looking at him worriedly.

" I…I'm fine." Syaoran got up. The world suddenly spun and his legs promptly folded under him.

" Syaoran-kun!" Sakura grabbed his shoulders to steady him. Syaoran felt his neck almost wobble as it tried to support his head, but his head leaned to the side and despite Sakura's efforts, hit the ground with a loud thud.

He suddenly felt so sick.

" Easy kid." Kurogane picked him up to put him back in bed. " Take it easy. What's wrong with him?" He snapped at Fye.

" I don't know." Fye looked slightly grim. " Is he hot?"

Sakura felt his forehead. " Iie."

Syaoran broke into tremors. Kurogane stepped back as Sakura pulled the covers over him.

" S-So cold," Syaoran could not help saying.

" I'll go get more blankets." Fye murmured.

" Are you sure?" Sakura asked. " You should take it easy also."

" I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Fye flashed her an easy smile.

Sakura turned back to Syaoran. " You'll be alright." She whispered to him. " Everything will be alright."

But Syaoran was no longer awake.

oO

Syaoran was floating.

He was not at ease though. Something was terribly wrong. He drifted down from the clouds and scanned the grasslands. There was a hooded figure in green, the green cloak flapping in the wind. In her hand floated a feather.

" That's Sakura's," Syaoran blinked. He floated closer. " Who are you?"

The figure did not turn around. Instead there was a swirl of light, and the figure was gone. Syaoran landed where it stood earlier, uneasy, but then he saw…

Yuuko?

" The Dimensional Witch…" Syaoran blinked. " What is she doing here?"

Yuuko did not heed him. Perhaps she did not even see him. Instead she was crouching in the grass and feeling the dirt with the palm of her hand.

" What are you looking for?" Syaoran asked, but again she did not answer. Instead she suddenly stood and pointed her hands in front of her at the ground, closing her eyes.

The ground began shaking. Syaorn floated back as a grave seemed to open. Heart in his throat, he poked his head forward to look in. There was a coffin.

With a wave of her hand, Yuuko lifted the cover. The wood blocked Syaoran's view of what lay underneath, and he waited for it to swing away, floating to the side to avoid it as it flew past. Then he cautiously tilted forward—

oO

" Mokona senses a feather!" Mokona suddenly cried.

" Oh?" Sakura blinked. " Where is it? Is it far?"

" Mokona's not sure. But Mokona can tell it's not moving, and it's radiating a powerful wave! Iie, matte! It's moving!"

" Where?" Sakura asked.

" Here!"

Kurogane shot to his feet. " You three stay here." He told Fye, Sakura, and Mokona. " Look after the kid."

" Are you going to confront it alone?" Fye asked.

" What else can I do?" Kurogane swung his sword over his shoulder. " Stay put, and don't do anything stupid."

" I'm coming with you." Fye stood up.

" Look after the kids." Kurogane growled, leaving Fye standing.

Fye sighed. " Let me check outside." He muttered.

" He'll be okay, right?" Sakura asked.

" He'll have to be." Fye replied.

Sakura brushed Syaoran's bangs out of his eyes tenderly. " Get better." She told him.

Syaoran was still under her hand.

oO

It was raining outside. Kurogane cursed. The sky was dark and unforgiving, and the entire place seemed cloaked in smoke. His senses told him something was approaching, but he could not gauge what it was.

A dark shape swirled in the darkness. Kurogane unsheathed his sword and pointed it in that direction. He could not tell if this shape had a feather, and the shape was not moving. He stood, senses alert, ready for anything.

" Peace," A voice called. " I mean you no harm."

" Who are you?" Kurogane demanded. The voice was that of a man's.

" My name is Qenrle." The figure glowed so that Kurogane could see his face. The face was that of a young man, with blonde hair and wise blue eyes. He seemed to be dressed in brown. " I mean you no harm." He repeated.

Kurogane lowered his sword, but did not sheath it. " What do you want?"

" I bring something of the Princess," The man held out his gloved hand and a feather swirled into existence. " I come to return it."

Kurogane hesitated. " Give it to me." He commanded. " I will take them to her." He did not want this man to follow him.

Qenrle hesitated as well. Slowly he allowed the feather to float to Kurogane's hand.

Satisfied, Kurogane turned around, then blanched as he saw Fye.

" What are you doing out here? I told you to look after them!"

Fye uttered a rather colorful curse, eyes wide. It looked like the eye affected him more than Kurogane had thought. Or perhaps it was Qenrle.

" What are you doing here?" The wizard gaped.

Qenrle blinked. " How did you recognize me?"

" Your attire!"

" Your world is not supposed to recognize me. But then Aralyn might have changed that." With that, he brushed past Kurogane toward the wizard. Kurogane almost grabbed him, but Qenrle was too fast.

" My name is Qenrle." He told Fye. " Are they in there?"

" Hai…" Fye looked at Kurogane. " You didn't…you didn't attack him, did you, Kurogane?"

" No, he did not attack me." Qenrle replied. " And we are not so unreasonable that we cannot forgive caution." He disappeared inside.

Fye looked at Kurogane. The ninja could see lingering fear in the other's eyes, and wondered what could be the cause of it. Surely this Qenrle could not be so dangerous? If he were, the wizard would have done something to prevent him from entering.

oO

" Puu." Mokona pouted. Qenrle looked at it. Its ears went up, and its eyes bulged, but otherwise it did not do anything.

Qenrle ignored it afterwards, but Mokona jumped onto Fye's shoulder and shuddered there. Fye stared at Qenrle in trepidation. The man ignored everyone and merely dropped down to inspect Syaoran.

Sakura opened her mouth, as if to ask who he was, but then asked instead, " Is he going to be okay?"

Qenrle did not answer her immediately. He looked up at Kurogane. " Well?"

" Well what?" Kurogane snapped, irritated."

Qenrle looked pointedly at the feather.

Flushing, Kurogane released the feather, which entered Sakura's chest.

" Stupid witch." Qenrle leaned back. " I swear, all witches are so annoying."

" What witch?" Fye asked.

" That Yuuko." Qenrle stood up. " Even the Dream Witch was better than her." He suddenly looked mournful. " Did he ever wake?"

" Hai." Sakura nodded. " Once, but then he had some kind of relapse."

Qenrle's lips thinned, and he grimly waved his hand over Syaoran's face. Syaoran heaved, eyes snapping open, and coughed. Sakura grabbed his hand.

" Are you alright?" She asked.

Syaoran nodded his head shakily. " H-Hai." He coughed again. He blinked owlishly at Qenrle. " Who are you?"

Qenrle tilted his head and introduced himself.

Syaoran blinked. There was something very familiar about that name, but he was too confused to dwell on that thought for long.

" How are you feeling?" Qenrle asked, despite the fact that Sakura had basically asked the same thing earlier.

" Alright, I guess." He blinked. " I had a strange dream about…Yuuko…"

Qenrle knelt by him. " You'll be fine." He assured.

Syaoran smiled. " Arigatou." He looked at the others. " What happened to…"

" The clone is dead." Qenrle leaned back.

Syaoran blinked. " Dead? How?"

" He has been taken care of."

" You killed him?" Fye blinked.

" No." Qenrle replied. " Someone else did."

Fye hesitated. " Why?"

" It was causing too much confusion."

" What do you mean, why?" Kurogane glared at Fye at the same time.

Fye swallowed, obviously nervous.

" Who is he?" Kurogane growled. " You better talk!"

Fye glanced anxiously at Qenrle, who merely looked on.

" He is an Amade." Fye replied. " He is one of the Amadi. The guardians of this universe."

Kurogane blinked.

" They patrol the universe." Fye elaborated uneasily. " They're as powerful as they come, Kurogane."

Kurogane clenched his jaw.

" Not really." Qenrle said to Fye. " There are two that are more powerful."

Fye blinked. " But they're dead."

Qenrle swallowed. Fye paled even more, if that was possible. " They're not!"

Qenrle looked at Syaoran. Fye suddenly collapsed, staring at Syaoran. " Iie." He shook his head. " There's no way—"

" Yes there is." Qenrle rose. " The princess still has about thirty more feathers to go before she is done."

Syaoran blinked. " Alright. What happened with Yuuko?" He asked.

" She had duties to fulfill." Qenrle replied. " Where is that little creature…Mokona Modoki?"

Mokona hopped to the table, ears twitching anxiously.

" Good. You should leave this world."

" Puu…" Mokona moaned, almost reluctant.

Fye blinked. " Why can't you take us?" He asked bravely.

" Because I am not coming with you." And with that, Qenrle disappeared.

Kurogane growled. " I don't care what kind of guardian he is, he's not—"

But Mokona had already sent them spinning into another dimension.