JustaFanGrell again!
My Editor-in-Chief Garnet Kitsune is mad at me and I think I may need to go and pout!
She said I sent someone OOC briefly in this chapter… I didn't think so!
But she is my 'TRC Expert'… Let me know if you thought I did!
Aaaand? The Chapter 4 'tidbits'?
'Someone' nailed them right off! Great job, Wolf1380!
(I shall call him 'Wolfie and he shall be mine, and he shall be my 'Wolfie'.)
One to the wonderful Hamlet, and two references to Aladdin!
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DEATH*

One Dark and Stormy Night

Ch. 6

It took a moment for Syaoran to shift Sakura enough in his arms so he could get up without jostling her too much. Fai quickly reached over and grabbed his elbow to help him up. "Thank you, Fai-san." he said as Fai re-arranged their cloaks to better keep the rain off of her. Mokona hopped up onto her limp body and snuggled close to her friend. "Mokona will make sure she's comfortable and keep her warm again!" she announced.

Syaoran couldn't help but chuckle. Mokona always tries her best to help out, even when there is really nothing much she can do. "Thank you… Are you settled in there ok, Mokona-chan? I'm going to put you in charge of her until we get to the shelter, ok?" Mokona puffed up with pride. "Mokona will not disappoint Syaoran–kun!" she replied. Syaoran looked to his samurai friend and said "I think we are ready, Kurogane-san. Let's get her safe."

Kurogane nodded his agreement and turned to lead them back the way he had come. Syaoran followed, easily carrying Sakura and Mokona, paying particular attention to the path so as to not stumble with his precious cargo. Fai brought up the rear, shifting his gaze from left to right while scanning the forest for danger. He still couldn't get over their encounter earlier, but at least he didn't have that nagging feeling of being watched at the moment. Maybe our luck is finally changing… he thought.

In a flash of blinding light and a deafening roar, lightning shattered a tree only meters away. They all instantly reacted, instinctively ducking down. "SHIT! That was too damn close! This freakish storm is gettin' even worse!" Kurogane shouted. Fai rushed to Syaoran's side, worried that Sakura may have slipped during Syaoran's reaction to the strike and to make sure they were unhurt.

"We're ok… oh- Thank you." Syaoran told Fai as Fai adjusted a cloak's hood that had slipped. "Are you certain?" Fai inquired. "Yes, we're fine. We should keep moving though… that was WAY too close!" Syaoran replied- relieved that the tree that it struck was far enough away that no one had been injured. "She didn't even flinch Fai-san… that can't be good, can it?" he worriedly asked Fai. "Well, the sooner we gain shelter, the better for us all." Fai replied, intentionally being somewhat vague. He tried his best to hide his concern from the boy as he wondered just how long this storm could go on… and how strong it might eventually get.

At the lead of their little party, Kurogane resumed fighting his way through the forest, trying his best to clear a path for his companions as he went. He didn't remember it taking this long to get BACK from the ruins, but he trusted his warrior sense of direction that had yet to fail him. Guess it's just having them taggin' along that's slowing us down. "The terrain stays fairly flat for a little while through here. You doin' ok back there, Kid?" he yelled over his shoulder as he broke yet another drenched branch out of the way for them to pass. "I'm alright, Kurogane-san… I'm just worried about Sakura-chan. Do you know how much farther?" he asked. "Not much more, should be just over this hill a bit." the samurai told him as he sloshed his way over the near-flooded ground. "Watch your step, Kid… it's a bit slick up ahead."

Syaoran carried his precious cargo as gingerly as possible, trying not to cause her any more discomfort than necessary. The clothes between their bodies had nearly dried from the heat of her fever, despite their continued drenching from the storm. Hang in there just a bit longer, Sakura… I'll have you warm and dry again very soon. He bent his head down, allowing his lips to barely brush her fevered forehead, stealing a gentle, but brief, kiss.

Through the deluge, Fai began to make out the edges of the ruins Kurogane had found to serve as their shelter. Low stone walls began to rise out of the foliage, their missing stones reminding him of parapets running along the top of tall walls. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought… memories began to resurface of an icy tower that brought nothing but pain and guilt. He tried unsuccessfully to shake off the cold feeling that was creeping into his thoughts. Death… so much death all around me. It is always there… and I am always dreaming of it, even when awake… it will never be finished. His gait slowed as he struggled with his memories, and he dropped a bit behind his friends.

For a moment, he was alone with just the storm and his thoughts. Why? What did we do to deserve such hate and scorn? What was so wrong with simply being born? The waves of guilt crashed over him and he struggled to keep his mind from forcing him to relive those memories again. He shook his head; hands at his temples, eyes squeezed shut, tears threatening to join the rain dripping from his blonde locks. NO! They have no power over me anymore! He took a deep and ragged breath, fighting with himself. After a few moments of internal struggle, he was able to finally force the images and memories back to where they came from. Panting from the mental struggle, he regained his strict discipline and wondered how he could have lost control so easily. He thought he had locked those painful memories securely away a long time ago, and wondered why they had been able to break free. He made a mental note to rebuild the walls that held them at bay as soon as circumstances allowed him the time and energy he would need to do so. Looking up, he realized he had fallen behind and hurried to catch up.

As they entered the outskirts of what appeared to have been a small village, Kurogane motioned towards a small cluster of dilapidated stone buildings. Large vines thicker than his arm grew up the walls and under their rooflines, only to sprout again through holes in what were once roofs. Moss and grasses had taken over the streets between structures. Broken limbs and torn leaves littering the ground bore witness to the storm's fury. The forest had done a good job of reclaiming the area in the time since the village had been abandoned. Loose stones lay in small groups here, there, and all around after having been dislodged at some point from various walls. Several large trees wore houses like skirts, their branches spreading out above them, reminding Fai of some of the extravagant coiffures he had seen in fashion on some of the worlds they had visited. Those ladies would have never been caught out in weather like this! Fai thought to himself.

They passed by several small structures that were missing large portions of walls or roofs before they stopped at what was once a door to someone's home. Now it was just an empty shell, cast aside by time like an old, broken toy. The little house faced a small expanse of grass at the edge of the village, ringed by another dilapidated stone wall. If it hadn't been for the drenching rain, they would have been able to see a nice view over that wall, through the trees, towards a small lake a short way off. But for now, they were only interested in getting warm and dry.