Chapter 7.
At the sight of Chunhyan and the others, Fai stopped playing the board game he was playing with Kurogane and greeted them all. Realizing the gloomy atmosphere, the two knew instantly.
"Something happened?" Nazaiya asked, suddenly coming out of a nearby room. She looked fine albeit a little pale, and she had changed into clothes that are similar with what Sakura and Chunhyan were wearing; a hanbok.
Sitting down next to Fai, Nazaiya listened to their story. About them being attacked and all, by the tornado again said that Ryanban's castle was protected by a powerful magic that can't be penetrated, no matter how many times she and the villagers tried.
Nazaiya frowned. Something about people using magic to harm people annoyed the hell out of her.
"Hmm. How about taking the son as a hostage?" Fai suggested, his face making a happy smile.
"…You just suggested a crime happily." Kurogane said.
"Anyway," Fai continued, "they say Ryanban suddenly got their powers some years ago, right? Knowing that the time that flows between dimensions are different… Then it might be—"
"Sakura's feather…" Syaoran said,his eyes full of determination. "I will go get it."
"But Syaoran… aren't you hurt?" Sakura stopped him, although her eyes were tired and she was still in a daze.
"I'm not gonna stop you Syaoran," Fai said, "but Ryanban's powers aren't something you can easily overcome with physical powers alone. You have to at least break the 'seal' at the entrance."
"Then can't any of you two do anything?" Kurogane asked, looking at both Fai and Nazaiya.
"Nope, not at all~" Fai said happily, one of his hand stopping Nazaiya from saying anything.
Ignoring the angry Kurogane, Mokona suggested something.
"Let's ask Yuuko!" it sang.
Using the magical red thing on his head, Mokona called out for the dimensional witch.
"Ah, Mokona. What is it?" she asked.
After telling her the whole story, Yuuko nodded in understanding. "I see. But to break the spell, you don't even have to ask me. Fai, can you not use your powers?"
"But I gave you that tattoo, right?" Fai answered with a smile.
"That tattoo is just a seal, not your powers itself." Yuuko spoke.
"But I have rules to not use magic without it." The wizard answered with an excuse.
"Then what about Nazaiya?" the witch still won't back down.
"She can't use them as well." Fai defended in her place, before she could say anything. "Right, Nazaiya-chan?"
Her eyes widened in response, but he just winked at her, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.
Yuuko paused for a moment, as if she understood what he meant. "Fine. But I will need something as the price."
Before anyone could say anything, Nazaiya took Fai's magic wand voluntarily and showed it to Yuuko.
"This will do, right?" she said, not giving a care. It was as if she was paying her revenge.
Syaoran stopped her, "Is this okay? This is Fai-san's…"
"Ah, it's really okay. I planned to give it anyways." Fai said happily, before handing it over for Mokona to suck it in.
Before long, Mokona let out a little, powerful ball from his mouth. Syaoran caught it, and stared it for a moment.
"This thing..." Syaoran mumbled, "could break the spell..."
"No!" Chunhyan's voice rang through their ears. "Why can't I come along?!"
"It'll be very dangerous, and Ryanban's powers is—" Fai tried to calm her down.
"I know that already! I want to come too!" she fought back.
Fai glanced at Kurogane with a smile, but Kurogane looked away. "I'm not good with kids."
Nazaiya walked pass Kurogane and muttered, "I'm not good with kids as well, but that's not the case."
She went to kneel in front of Chunhyan and held each of her shoulders.
"Chunhyan, look at me." Nazaiya gently spoke, and Chunhyan did. "My mother died while protecting people, too. So I know how you feel. I know well how you wanted to avenge your mother."
Chunhyan wiped her tears. "You, too?"
"Yes." Nazaiya tilted her head with a smile. "But if you join us and get hurt in the process, and maybe even killed… Will your mother, in the other world, be happy? Do you not want her to be at peace?"
Everyone was quiet. They all understood what she was saying. After all, they had all lost a loved one... and loved ones.
"Be a good girl and stay with Sakura, alright? Protect her. Can you do that much for us?" she asked again.
The little girl was quiet.
Sakura managed to smile at Nazaiya, before hugging Chunhyan close.
"Very well then." Nazaiya stood up. "Let's go to the castle and get Sakura's feather."
Without many words, they all began to leave the house and stepped towards the castle.
Nazaiya was walking at the very back, her eyes looking down as she walked. Fai went close and walked beside her, waiting for her respond. Getting no feedback, Fai took Mokona in his hands and smiled.
"Mokona, can you go bother Kuro-mii for a bit? I want to walk with Nazaiya-chan." The blond said, and Mokona nodded in agreement.
The fluffy ball hopped its way to the ninja's head, earning a scolding from him.
"Fai asked me to stick with Kuro-mii!" Mokona voiced out happily. "He wanted to walk alone with Nazaiya-chan~".
"…Must be something to do with her magic." Kurogane said.
"Eh? Is there something wrong?" Mokona asked worriedly.
Syaoran looked up to Kurogane. Knowing that both of them know almost nothing about magic, they shrugged it off. "Everything's fine, Mokona." Syaoran said, though it wasn't very convincing.
"Why did you do it?" Nazaiya asked, the moment Fai was beside her.
"Were you mad that I didn't let you use your powers when Yuuko asked for it?" Fai answered with a question as well, teasing the girl with confusion.
"I won't be as mad if you tell me why." She was now looking up at the blond, wanting an answer. "I don't understand what's happening to me. Why do I fall weak after using them? I just don't get it."
"Hm~," Fai pretended to think, "I'm not sure, Nazaiya-chan. It does seem like you're weaker when you use them, that's why I told you not to. Can you promise me not to use them anymore, though?"
She was quiet for a second, blinking up at him with confusion, for asking something odd out of the blue.
"…I can't promise you that."
"Hm, very well then, Nazaiya-chan." Fai smiled. "Ah, looks like we have arrived!"
The way Fai shifted the topic away was obvious, but Nazaiya didn't push any further. She thought that Fai was just... another stranger to begin with, so he wouldn't have known anything about her, after all. Maybe it's just an advice from a fellow magic wielder, she thought. And so, she dropped the topic and looked up in front of her.
There were multiple entrance doors around the castle's gate wall, and there was one in front of them. Before Fai could say anything, Kurogane pushed the huge door open with all his strength. To their surprise, they could only see a floating castle above the clouds in front of them, with no way of breaking through.
"Kuro-min is very impatient! The castle is protected by spells, so of course it won't be easy to get in. And that is why!" Fai clapped his hands, "It is time for the ball to make its appearance!"
Syaoran hesitated as he held the ball. "But what do I do with it….?"
Mokona then hopped on to Syaoran's shoulder. "Throw it!" it said, "Throw it with all your strength! Throw it inside the castle!"
Syaoran then threw the ball slowly up in the air, before flipping to kick it with all his might towards the castle. The ball flew quickly and smashed the barrier that was protecting the castle, and the doors were opened as the barrier cracked and vanished into thin air.
Nazaiya watched in amazement, admiring the boy. "I thought Mokona told Syaoran to throw, but I guess a kick works too."
Entering the castle, they had to walk through a long, quiet hallway. Though they were walking for a while, they couldn't seem to find the way. Syaoran dropped something when they entered earlier, and after walking for a while, he ended up stepping on the thing he dropped earlier.
"We came back right where we started…" Syaoran said, sounding disappointed.
"Damn, we're just wasting our time then." Kurogane grunted.
"Mokona is tired!" the fluffy ball hopped on to Kurogane.
"You haven't walked at all!" the ninja scolded the playful Mokona.
Fai went to a nearby wall and put his right hand on it, as if to sense something.
"There's a strong power force here…" he muttered, sounding serious for once.
"Weren't you unable to use magic?" Kurogane asked suspiciously.
"This is not magic, this is intuition!" Fai said, back to his usual self. "I'm sure you all could sense it right?"
Syaoran looked at the wizard, before looking at the other girl who also yields magic.
"Well," she shrugged, "it is as 'Fai-sama' says."
Fai eyed her with a smile, and she let out a playful grin.
Without wasting time, Kurogane made his way to the wall. Before anything, he punched the wall with a strong force, resulting in a huge hole that became an entryway for all of them. Mokona cheered happily for Kurogane, and Nazaiya clapped her hands in amusement.
There was some sort of a resting place at the center of the room, and there was somebody there.
"Who's there?" Syaoran asked.
A female stood up, as if welcoming the group. She wore a pretty, royalty black dress and she had a pretty crown on. There was a round jewel on the crown, resembles Mokona's though slightly different. She was very beautiful, and though she was smiling, she doesn't open her mouth when speaking.
"You have finally arrived," she spoke, "you nameless wanderers."
Nazaiya looked at the lady intently. "This is not just a witch…" she whispered to herself. "This is a demonic being…. My kind."
To be continued…