Dull, grey clouds hung low in skies of Hanshin, toning down the general upbeat mood of the city. The citizens kept sending furtive glances to the heavens as they went about their business, different variants of the same thought running in their minds – it was going to rain soon. Well, almost everyone. The exception was a group of youngsters, who were dashing through the streets without giving the overcast sky a second thought.
Ayame struggled to keep up with Syaoran as they ran through the twisting lanes of the city. Using two different spells on the same day with her meagre magic source had really drained her, but adrenaline kept her going. Excitement pumped in her veins – they had found a feather and her precious little sister was, finally, going to wake up.
"Hey, Syaoran! You're back!" Sorata greeted the boy as he sprinted into the courtyard of the hotel.
Syaoran beamed at the man and hurried inside without a word.
"What's up you guys? Why the rush?" A confused Sorata asked Ayame, who was right on Syaoran's heels.
Ayame didn't stop either, but she answered "We found Sakura's feather"
"That's awesome!" she heard Sorata.
Ayame ran up the stairs, two at a time. When she reached Sakura's room, she quickly kicked off her ankle boots at the door and skidded to a stop near Syaoran. She kneeled down next to him. Syaoran gently dropped the feather on Sakura's chest. A soft light filled the room and the feather slowly sunk into the young girl.
Ayame's heart thumped madly as the light faded away, pushing more adrenaline into her system. Her eyes darted from Sakura's face to her arms, and then to her feet, looking for the slightest twitch, the tiniest of movement. Next to her, Syaoran held one of Sakura's hands in his, gently squeezing it.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Ayame saw movement under Sakura's eyes. Relief washed over her as the young girl's eyelids fluttered and she slowly opened her eyes.
"Oh thank the heavens!" Ayame let out the breath she had been unconsciously holding.
"Sakura!" Syaoran exclaimed.
Sakura blinked sluggishly and her eyes focused on Syaoran's relieved face.
"Who… are you?"
And suddenly, the entire world came to a standstill. Ayame tore her gaze from the innocently confused young girl and fixed it on Syaoran. The boy's eyes had widened in shock. Then, a painful understanding flickered through the amber depths as he slowly placed Sakura's hand down. The relief that had swam through Ayame's body was now mingled with despair. She felt so helpless.
Syaoran trembled slightly as emotions Ayame couldn't even begin to comprehend raked through him. Just when it looked like it was impossible for him to hold on anymore, the boy regained his composure. He gave Sakura a warm smile.
"I'm Syaoran. And you are Princess Sakura"
"Syaoran…kun…?"
Syaoran's breath hitched. Ayame knew why – it had been years since Sakura had addressed him formally. She bit the insides of her cheeks when she saw Syaoran clench his fists, trying hard not to let his true feelings show.
Silence stretched painfully, punctuated only by the soft pattering of the rain against the glass windows; the clouds of Hanshin had chosen to finally let go.
Ayame decided it was time for Syaoran to let go too. He didn't deserve to suffer like this. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. Syaoran's eyes snapped up to meet hers. Ayame gave him a small, meaningful nod. The boy got the message and stood up without further delay.
"Listen to me very carefully" Ayame said, pulling the dazed girl's attention from Syaoran, who was hurriedly leaving the room, "You are Princess Sakura. You come from a place called Clow Kingdom, which is in another world"
"Another… world…?"
Ayame's chest clenched painfully at the lack of energy in her sisters' voice. She steeled herself and continued, "I know this must be very confusing for you. That is because you have lost all your memories. We are in another world to recover them"
"Me alone!?"
"No! No!" Ayame said quickly and gave Sakura a reassuring smile. In the back of her mind, however, Ayame panicked just a little. How much of herself did her sister really get back?
"Syaoran and I, both are travelling with you" She gulped as she added, "My name is Ayame"
"A…ya…me…" Sakura rolled the word on her tongue as she nimbly propped herself up on her elbows.
For the second time in a matter of minutes, Ayame was holding her breath. All she could hear was the rush of blood pumping inside her head. Never had she been so terrified – she would rather take on twenty soldiers armed to the teeth than face the possibility that her baby sister might not remember her just yet.
Ayame felt she was going to pass out due to lack of oxygen when Sakura spoke again.
"Ayame… nee… chan?" she said slowly, recognition giving some light to the otherwise misty emerald eyes.
The older princess' body moved on its own accord. Her hands wrapped themselves around Sakura's shoulders and pulled them closer till the young girl's head rested on the crook of Ayame's neck.
"I remember" Sakura's sleepy voice came out a little muffled, "A palace in the desert… and… I live in the palace… with Touya-nii… and you… Nee-chan…"
"That's right" Ayame managed to say, her insides relaxing, relief and happiness filling her up till she felt light headed.
The joy was, however, sprinkled with a little shame. Ayame couldn't get Syaoran's heartbroken face out of her mind. But now that she had Sakura safe and sound in her arms she felt a small glimmer of hope; she would work something out. She will find a way to make both, Sakura and Syaoran, happy. No matter what.
"Don't forget about us you know!"
Fai walked into the room, grinning. Mokona was perched on his shoulder while Kurogane was a few paces behind him.
"These people here are also travelling with us" Ayame answered the unspoken question in Sakura's eyes.
"It's good to see that you are finally awake, Princess Sakura" Fai said, bowing, "My name is Fai D. Flowright"
He then pointed at Kurogane "This is –"
"Kurogane" the ninja cut in smoothly.
Mokona bounced into Sakura's lap and introduced herself, "I am Mokona Modoki! But you can call me Mokona"
Sakura immediately took a liking to Mokona. She smiled at the little creatures' squeaky giggles when she tickled her. After a minute or so, Sakura's eyes glazed over and she swayed a little, dropping Mokona, who landed with a small 'puu~'
Ayame caught Sakura before she could fall back heavily on her futon. She laid the girl down gently and tucked her coversheet under her chin.
"When I was sleeping… who held my hand…?" Sakura mumbled softly, "The hand felt so warm and caring…" She then drifted into a deep sleep.
Ayame got up and made her way to the window. Out there, in the pouring rain, stood the person whose hand had given the sleeping girl warmth.
"I thought he would start crying, right then" Fai was standing to her right, "When she asked 'Who are you?' I thought he would cry"
"He is crying right now…" Ayame whispered.
"Anyone who doesn't cry can't be strong" Kurogane had moved across the room and was standing to her left, "No matter what happens, after you cry, you can face the problem better"
"But…" Fai began uncertainly.
Ayame understood what Kurogane meant, though. "Crying when you need to cry is another way to show strength"
She then turned and started walking towards the door.
"Aya-chan, where are you going?"
"He has to cry, it's the only way to move forward, that is true" she answered without turning back, "But that doesn't mean he has to do it alone"
Before the two men could say anything else, Ayame walked out of the room. She didn't bother putting on her boots. She trudged down the stairs, her chest getting heavier with each step… the same stairs which she and Syaoran had raced up with excitement minutes ago. Ayame reached the front door and stepped out, into the pouring rain.
The heavy, cold drops of water hammered on her, drenching her to the bone in seconds. Her wet clothes stuck to her, sapping out every ounce of warmth, sending a shiver up her spine. She could feel the muddy water under her bare feet as she took a step towards Syaoran. But then Ayame stopped.
With what right was she going to comfort him? How could she even begin to understand his pain? She was not suffering the way he was right now. Sakura had remembered her; she had not looked at her like she was a stranger. The shame she had felt earlier came back with increased intensity, making her bite her lips. She had no right at all.
However, those thoughts flew out of her mind when she saw Syaoran's shoulders tremble and shake uncontrollably. Ayame knew that she could never understand his pain. But she realised that she didn't have to understand. All she had to do was let him know that she would always be there for him, always have his back.
Puddles splashed as she quickly covered the distance between them. Ayame draped her arms on Syaoran's shoulders from behind and placed her chin on top of his head. The boy didn't flinch at the contact, his shoulders continued to quiver and Ayame felt warm tears fall on her forearms mingled with the frigid rain.
A chilly breeze swept through the courtyard, and goosebumps erupted all over her arms and legs. But it didn't matter. Ayame would stand there as long as it took, as long as it took for the brave boy to cry out his pain.
XXX
Hair was dried using a fascinating electrical device, injuries were tended to. A steaming mug of coffee was forced into bruised, reluctant hands. After its contents had been emptied, the young boy had been tucked into bed with a strict request to get a good nights' sleep.
And through all this, Ayame struggled to keep herself conscious. Her vision had begun to go blurry and her joints buckled, but she kept going through sheer will power.
Ayame had underestimated how draining it would be to perform the spells, but she was happy that it went well, considering how long it had been since she did any magic. She was even more thankful for her eidetic memory, without which remembering those techniques she had read on dusty, crackled scrolls years ago would have been impossible.
She continued to keep up a brave front as she waved good night to Fai, Kurogane, Sorata, and Arashi and quickly made her way to her room. The moment she crossed the door frame, however, her body decided to give up. Stars swum in front of her eyes as she stumbled towards her futon, desperate to lie down before her roommates could walk in and notice her state. Her legs didn't cooperate though, they refused to hold her weight. Ayame's vision tilted. She felt the jarring impact of her shoulders slamming into the wooden floor and then, her eyelids fluttered shut.
"Aya-chan… you alright?" Fai asked, slowly stepping into the room, "I thought I heard -" His words were cut short when he saw Ayame lying on the wooden floor, one arm extended towards her still folded futon.
Fai quickly rushed to her side and rolled her onto her back. He first placed one hand on her forehead and then moved it over her nose. He sighed with relief – her temperature was normal and her breathing even.
"Looks like she fell asleep"
Fai got up, gathered Ayame's futon and arranged it near the window; the same spot she had picked the day before. He then scooped up the princess, laid her down on the futon and spread a coversheet over her.
"So that's the kind of person you are" Fai said to himself, "You look after everyone, but you don't let anyone look after you"
XXX
Kurogane kept his eyes closed as the initial sharp jab of pain from the rough landing slowly receded, leaving behind a dull throb. When he was sure that there was no injury, he opened his eyes. The sun was high up in the clear blue sky. From its position, he guessed it was some time just before noon. As he raised up one hand to shield his face from the blinding daylight, he sighed.
A talking rabbit who sprouted wings, swallowed them up and transported them into another world. Even if it happened another 200 times, he would never get used to it. Kurogane brushed a few potatoes off him and straightened himself up. The group had crash landed into a vegetable cart, right in the middle of a busy market. People were staring at them, pointing and whispering. Kurogane didn't blame them – if someone had fallen out of the sky in his hometown, he would have stared too.
"Where are we anyway?" he asked, taking in his surroundings.
At first glance, the place looked a lot like Nihon. However, he soon noticed the small, but significant differences – the clothes the people wore, the architecture of the castle that stood tall and mighty at the distance, was different from his home world. He clicked his tongue, irritated. Of course it was not going to be that easy.
Sound of heavy footsteps heading their way caught Kurogane's attention. He turned and saw that they belonged to a large, bullish man with a ridiculous hairdo. Behind him stood about twenty or so men, all wearing bandanas and carrying long sticks.
"Who the hell are you?" he roared, his tiny eyes looking at each of them one by one menacingly.
Kurogane tensed a little and saw Fai and Ayame do the same. Surprisingly, there was no reaction from Syaoran. No one answered him.
"Answer me! Where did you come from!?" This time, the man didn't just yell; he lunged forward and grabbed Sakura's arm roughly.
Now, it didn't take Syaoran even a second to respond. He jumped up and delivered a swift kick to the man's jaw. Syaoran stood protectively in front of Sakura as the man stumbled back in shock. Then, before the big bully could retaliate, Ayame pounced and her fist met his nose with a satisfying crunch, sending the man crashing into the ground.
"Served him right" Kurogane smirked. Fai and Mokona cheered.
The man staggered to his feet, nursing his bruised cheek and bleeding nose. "Do you realise who I am?"
"Stop right now!" A shout rang through the market place.
Kurogane quickly found the owner of the voice. A young girl with long, black hair tied into a ponytail was standing on the roof of one of the nearby houses. She was glaring at the large man, disgust etched on her face.
"Don't mess around with people you don't know, you dumbass"
"Chunhyang!" the man roared, veins in his forehead bulging out in taut chords, "WHO DID YOU JUST CALL DUMB?"
The girl looked around in mock surprise. "Is there another dumb person around here besides you?"
"How dare you!? He is the son of the Ryanban-sama, the ruler of Koryo" one of the bandana wearing men yelled.
The girl called Chunhyang huffed in reply, "Even if he is the Ryanban now, he was nothing more than a homeless magician a year ago"
The man quivered with anger. "How dare you talk about my Aboji like that!? Anyone who speaks against the Ryanban will pay a steep price. You should know that better than anyone, Chunhyang"
At this the girl clenched her fists and bit her lip. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes.
'Now I get what's going on…' realisation dawned on Kurogane. It was an altercation between a tyrannical ruler and the oppressed subjects. Kurogane had seen similar scenarios back in his world. And he also knew that mostly, the ruler always wins; unless a higher authority intervened. The common people can't really do anything about it.
Kurogane couldn't help but feel a little disappointed; he wouldn't get to throw a few punches after all.
"I will come back for revenge" the man threatened, "You better watch out!"
He then stomped away towards the castle. The bandana wearing men followed him swiftly. The rest of the crowd began dispersing too.
"Wow" Fai said, looking at everybody's retreating backs, "Just a moment ago, they all were looking at us"
"Typical town crowd" Ayame sighed. Then turning to an extremely sleepy looking Sakura she asked, "You alright?"
"I'm okay, Nee-chan" Sakura said softly. "You and Syaoran-kun kept me safe" she added, glancing at Syaoran, who was picking up all the strewn vegetables.
"Let's help him get things in order, shall we?" Ayame gave her sister an indulgent smile.
"Oh Kuro-pin!" Fai cooed, "You too help us pick these up!"
"MY NAME IS KUROGANE, YOU IDIOT!" he yelled, lunging to take a swing at the man. Fai ducked out of the way and loped off, giggling.
"Don't be so grumpy all the time" Ayame laughed.
Kurogane turned away with a huff and went about picking up the produce strewn around.
The next ten minutes were spent mostly in silence as he and his fellow travellers helped the shopkeepers get their things in order; well except for Sakura who mostly followed her older sister around. When they were almost done, Kurogane heard a comment directed at them.
"You look weird"
Chunhyang was looking pointedly at the group.
Fai laughed and poked Kurogane in the chest. "Weird! It's definitely you, Kuro-rin"
"IF I'M WEIRD THEN YOU'RE WEIRD TOO!"
The pointed look on Chunhyang's face had now turned into a mixture of shock and surprise.
"Come with me!" she said. She firmly took Ayame's and Sakura's hands in her own and started running, forcing the two princesses to run with her too.
"Hey, please wait!" Syaoran called out, running after them.
"We should go too" Fai said.
Of course they had to, they had no choice. And Kurogane hated that.
"I'm sick of this!" he yelled.
XXX
"I see" Fai said, "You thought we were the Amenosa… er…" He looked at the girl expectantly. Fai hadn't caught her name before.
"Chunhyang" the girl replied.
"Chunhyang is it? My name is Fai. And this is Syaoran" – the boy gave a small smile – "This is Sakura" – the young girl was rubbing her eyes. He then pointed at the ninja with a flourish, saying "That's Kuro-puu"
Kurogane, who was sitting a little away from them and reading the book he brought from Hanshin, yelled, "MY NAME IS KUROGANE!"
"And finally, this is Aya-chan" – he pointed at the princess, who was sitting next to Sakura – "Our groups' very own Warrior Princess"
That comment earned him a hard smack on the back of his head.
"That hurt, Aya-chan" Fai cried, but his tone gave away his amusement.
"The ruler of this place, the Ryanban, he is a tyrant. That's why the people are waiting for the Amenosa to show up?" Ayame asked Chunhyang, ignoring Fai's wailing.
"He is the worst!" Chunhyang replied, her lower lip trembling with frustration, "He… my Omoni…"
The girl was interrupted by a loud creak, which seemed to be coming from the roof. As they watched, the wooden beams began to sway and the creaking was now accompanied by the fervent rattling of the tiles.
"Is that… the wind?" Fai asked. But, he already knew that whatever was causing the whole house to tremble was not natural. There was an external force influencing the wind, he could feel it.
"Don't go outside!" Chunhyang warned.
The moment the girl uttered those words, the windows slammed open. The wind, which was shaking the house, entered with a roar. Fai quickly caught Mokona before she could fly away and planted his feet firmly on the floor as the currents threatened to swoop him up along with them. All around him, he could hear the shattering of glass, the snapping of breaking wood, the banging of doors as the wind ravaged the house. The roof was torn apart with a resounding crash and the wind left just as suddenly as it came. Fai's senses could feel magic trickling away slowly as the miniature storm dissipated with a soft whoosh. Everyone stared up at the gaping hole in the roof, too shaken to speak.
Fai broke the silence, "It wasn't the normal wind… was it?"
"Obviously" Ayame said, "There was magic involved"
"It's the Ryanban" Chunhyang said, her voice trembling with anger. She then threw her head back and yelled, "THAT GUY! HE DID IT!"
Ayame walked over to the girl and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Look at the bright side, no one is hurt"
Chunhyang calmed down under Ayame's gaze and finally gave a small smile. "Yeah"
"I'm sorry, Chunhyang-san" Syaoran said, bowing deeply, "If I hadn't kicked the Ryanban's son, they wouldn't have attacked your house"
"I'm sorry too" Ayame said, bowing down as well.
Fai was a little surprised by their gesture. Well, on second thought, it was completely expected of Syaoran to apologise, but he hadn't expected such behaviour from the princess. It was not usual for a royal to behave like that. But then again, it was not exactly normal for a princess to be the leader of the army, now was it?
"Please, don't do that!" Chunhyang said, a little embarrassed, "It was not your fault. That idiot shouldn't have attacked you the way he did" She then added, "You guys are travellers, right?"
"Yeah, we just got here" Syaoran replied.
"Have you decided on a place to stay yet?"
"We haven't exactly had time to think about that" Fai said.
"Then why don't you guys stay here? I have plenty of room" Chunhyang offered.
"Is it really alright if we stay here?" Sakura asked, her voice soft and timid.
"Of course! You all seem like really nice people" Chunhyang cast a glance at Kurogane and added in a small voice, "Well most of you at least"
Fai wasted no time. "See, Kuro-ne, everyone thinks you're scary"
"WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME!?" Kurogane raged.
"You scream and shout like that and you wonder why" Ayame quipped.
Kurogane scowled in response.
"So, why are you guys travelling?" Chunhyang asked.
"We are… looking for something…" Syaoran replied.
Chunhyang understood that there was a lot more than the boy was letting on, but she didn't push further. "Then you should go out into town. I'll show you around. And if you are planning to stay here for a while, you should probably think about buying some local clothes"
"I'll go" Syaoran said, an understanding passing between him and Ayame.
"I… I want to go too" Sakura said softly.
"Sakura, I don't think you should" Ayame said, her voice laced with concern.
Fai agreed. Sakura looked like she was going to fall asleep right where she stood.
"But…" Sakura said, her gaze lingering on Syaoran.
A flicker of understanding passed through Ayame's eyes. "Alright" she sighed, "But promise me you'll be careful, okay?"
"I promise" Sakura smiled.
XXX
And so, Syaoran, Sakura, Mokona, and Chunhyang went out into town, leaving Ayame, Fai, and a very grumpy Kurogane behind (Kurogane had wanted to go too, saying that they could find the Ryanban's men and beat them up for information or something. All those ideas were snuffed out by one sharp smack on his head).
Ayame placed her hands on her hips as she turned to look at Fai and Kurogane. "Alright! Let's make ourselves useful"
She only got blank stares in response.
"We are going to help fix up the house of course!"
"Okay!" Fai beamed. Seemed like the decent thing to do after all.
"Fai-san and I can sweep up this mess and put everything in order. Mr. Grouchy can start fixing the roof. Chunhyang told me that you will find whatever you need in the shed in the backyard"
"Hey, who are you calling Mr. Grouchy?" Kurogane snarled.
"You see what I mean" Ayame giggled.
"And why should I help anyway?" Kurogane asked.
"She is letting us live here, it's the least we can do, Kuro-chii" Fai replied.
Kurogane opened his mouth to protest, but Ayame interrupted him. "I'm counting on you" her tone dangerously flat.
The ninja shot daggers at Ayame before pulling off his hood and dumping it in one corner of the room. He then stomped his way to the afore mentioned shed, grumbling and muttering under his breath.
"One of these days, he's going to kill us" Fai laughed.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there" Ayame shook off her own cloak and stretched her arms "Let's get to work"
"Shouldn't you be resting till you get your full strength back?" Fai said, "We don't want you to collapse again now, do we?"
Ayame, who was picking the pieces of a broken vase, froze in mid-action. She set the shards on the table and slowly turned around to look at him, a deep red blush rising up from her neck and into her face.
"So I did collapse last night?" she asked sheepishly.
"Yup" Fai smiled.
"Oh, this is so embarrassing" Ayame hid her face with her hands, "My memory is kinda blurry… I thought I had fainted, but when I woke up, I was in bed… so I thought…"
"You had fainted when I found you" Fai grinned as the blush got deeper and deeper, "It would have been rude to leave you lying on the floor like that, so I tucked you into bed"
"I got the point!" Ayame wailed, "You don't have to rub it in my face"
"I can't help it. You look so adorable when you are embarrassed"
"Stop flirting, will you!" Ayame looked like she was ready to kick something. Fai couldn't stop laughing.
"But on a serious note, you still look tired, you should rest up" Fai said, his smile shortening a little.
Ayame waved off Fai's comment, "I'm perfectly alright" She then grasped a broom and began sweeping the floor.
Fai shook his head and grabbed another broom. He had been right, she really didn't let anyone look after her.
XXX
By the time the sun began tipping heavily towards the horizon, Fai and Ayame were mostly done cleaning the house. They had swept away the broken glass and ceramic, cleared bits of broken wood, set the tables, straightened out shelves and paintings, and together hoisted a massive iron cabinet back in place; the pace of their work set by the steady 'bang' of hammer hitting nail as Kurogane repaired the roof.
"Finally, it's all done" Ayame sighed.
"This house is so big, I thought it would take forever" Fai plopped down on the now clean floor.
"It's amazing that girl lives alone in this house" Kurogane said, adjusting a nail on the wooden plank he was hammering into place, "She's like, what, twelve?"
"Yeah" Fai replied, "She said her mother died"
"It must have been tough on her" Ayame said.
Although her voice was steady, Fai thought he saw the lilac of Ayame's eyes tinted with sadness. But it was there just for a fraction of a second. One blink, and it was gone. Maybe he imagined it.
"You know what, I think we deserve a small treat" Ayame said thoughtfully, "Would you two like some tea?"
"I would love some" Fai beamed. Kurogane simply shrugged.
Ayame skipped her way to the kitchen saying, "I'll be back soon"
The moment she disappeared from view, Kurogane leaned down and asked, "Hey, how long do you think we are going to stay here"
"You purposely waited till she left, didn't you?" Fai teased.
"Just answer the bloody question" Kurogane snapped.
"Well, the duration of our stay completely depends on Mokona… and Mokona won't leave till we retrieve the feather in this world. If there is a feather here that is"
Fai laughed as the ninja ferociously hammered away in irritation. "Why does that pork bun always side with that brat and the princess?"
"Don't be like that Kuro-pii. Syaoran, Sakura, and Mokona are out spying with Chunhyang. I'm sure we'll get some clue. Hopefully, they'll get us some presents too"
"But is it alright to let princess junior wander around like that?" Kurogane asked, a small crease forming between his brows, "All she does is eat and sleep"
"She's got only two feathers back, it's not enough to retrieve her personality" Fai said quietly as his usual smile slipped off his face, "She cannot really think for herself, like a small child"
"Then it wasn't a good idea to let her go out" Kurogane concluded.
"I agree, letting her go in her state probably wasn't the best idea"
Ayame had returned, carrying a tray holding a steaming pot of tea and three small cups. She set the tray down next to Fai and turned to look up at Kurogane.
"Princess junior? Really? What do you have against names?"
Kurogane's face flushed bright red. Fai couldn't help but think that he looked like a candy-stealing child caught red handed.
"So, you are the type who gets easily embarrassed" Ayame giggled.
"Whatever" Kurogane muttered.
"Aya-chan, you were eavesdropping" Fai gasped with mock horror.
"I really wasn't. I could hear you both loud and clear" Ayame clarified.
"So then, why did you let her go if you thought it was a bad idea" Kurogane pressed, eager to change the topic.
Ayame sat down heavily and sighed. "Sakura has always had this way of getting what she wants. She makes her eyes go all wide and cute… I just can't say no"
"What are you, a doting mother?" Kurogane smirked.
"Whatever" Ayame scowled.
She then continued, "It's not like I didn't think it through. This was the first time Sakura showed interest in something since she woke up. Fulfilling her curiosity will actually do her some good"
"I guess that makes sense" Kurogane jumped down and seated himself next to Fai and added, "I'm taking a break"
True, what Ayame had said made perfect sense. However, Fai guessed… no, he knew there was something more to the princess' decision.
"But that's not the only reason, right?" he said slowly.
"I don't know what you mean by that" Ayame replied smoothly, passing a steaming cup first to Fai, and then Kurogane. Her defensive tone gave Fai the proof he needed.
"You sent Sakura with Syaoran, so that they could spend more time together" Fai explained, "You are always looking out for those two children. That is so cute"
"That makes you the doting mother of two" Kurogane grinned.
"Shut up, Gloomy" came Ayame's retort.
"Stop that already!"
"Oh there's more where that came from, bone-idle knucklehead"
"Bone-idle… Who are you calling lazy!?"
"You, obviously. You haven't finished your work and you are sitting here, drinking tea"
"Well you and that mage were doing the same!"
"We finished our work, you didn't. Slowpoke!"
"I TOLD YOU TO STOP THAT!"
"Don't tell me, you started it"
Fai clutched his stomach and almost rolled on the floor, laughing, as Ayame and Kurogane continued to squabble. Just for a while, he forgot that he was not like the others who were on this journey, forgot about all the curses, promises, and wishes. Fai could get used to this; drinking sweet, warm tea with two of the most amusing people he had ever met.
"You both are acting so childish, get a hold of yourselves" Fai said, wiping tears from his eyes.
"You have no right to say that!" Ayame and Kurogane snapped.
XXX
A/N: Yo guys! Been a while since the last update. I hope you liked this chapter. I know, not a lot of action going on, but some good chit chatting is fun too, right?
I just wanted to say that the number of views that this story is getting is really amazing! The last chapter has got 100+ views. Thank you all for reading!
Do not forget to review. As I have probably said like a lot of times, I really look forward to reviews. It is very important for me to know what you guys feel about the story.
Until the next time :)
P.S: Any Fairy Tail fans here? I put up a story titled 'There is no such thing as chance encounters' in the Tsubasa Chronicle x Fairy Tail crossover section. It's two chapters and long and most importantly – COMPLETED. I had abandoned that fic for a while actually, so I am really happy that finished it. I would really appreciate it if you guys give it a read. Thank you! :D