CHAPTER TWO

Akane's Scars

FAI couldn't sleep, even though the others probably were already. He poured a drink, then looked out one of the many windows and spied a familiar figure sitting on the hood of Syaoran's dragonfly, staring at the house in an almost wistful way.

Filling another glass with sake, he quietly opened the door. "Akane-Chan?" Said Fai, causing her to jump. "What are you still doing here?"

"Fai-San!" She exclaimed, a shocked look on her face. "Why are you still up at this hour?"

"I might ask you the same question." Said Fai. "Don't you have a home to go to?" She sighed. "No…." She said wistfully, looking back at the house. "Not since that day…."

Fai sat on the hood of the dragonfly with her and handed her a glass of sake. "Might you enlighten me?" He said kindly.

"To enlighten you would mean telling you my past." She looked back at Fai. "But then again, that may not be a bad idea. After all, he once told me reliving the past was the best way to heal it. Very well. I will you my story."

"I HAD a relatively good childhood 'till I was around ten. My parents were kind and I had plenty of food and books. For me back then, life couldn't get any better." Akane smiled. Then her smile darkened.

"It happened when I was shopping." She continued. "I was smiling until I reached my house. I saw it being engulfed by flames. I was too shocked to do cry, or do anything for that matter.

I just stared until my house that held every book I had ever loved, every warm memory I had ever shared was nothing more than ash. That was when the truth sank in: I was alone.

After that, all I remember until I was thirteen was a life of hell. Then I met him." Her eyes sparkled and a wide grin across her face.

"I was thirteen. I was running from some bastereds about one or two years older than me. Eventually, they cornered me. I shut my eyes, waiting for whatever was going to happen. I heard the sound of a fist connecting with a bone and several shouts of pain.

When I opened my eyes, the men were unconscious and standing in front of me was him." She smiled and looked at Fai. "You really do look like him, you know. In fact, the only difference is your eye color. Haru-Sama's eye color was a deep emerald green."

She smiled and, for a moment, looked truly happy. "He told me his name and then left. But I chased after him and begged him to take me with him. Even to this day, I'm not sure what potential he saw in me, but he agreed. He taught me everything I know.

He taught me how to fight and he even taught me to use the magic I never realized I had. Since his magic was powerful, we traveled to many different worlds. We met many different people and had many adventures. And one day, I fell in love with him.

I knew I loved him, because I knew for the first time since the fire, I was truly happy." Then her smile faded.

"We were on a crime filled world. We became bounty hunters. We saw a man who was killed 200 men in one week. He was worth 2 million siang. He seemed perfect for Haru-Sama and I. But what fools we were." Tears began to glisten in her eyes.

"He was even stronger than we were. He beat Haru-Sama half to death and then decided to do the same to me. Haru-Sama began to use his magic circle to save my life. 'No!' I had yelled. 'I won't leave you!'

He gave me one last smile and then I was swept away by the magic circle." Akane stopped for a moment to let the tears fall. It took her a moment for her to get in control.

She sniffed and the continued to speak. "When I woke up, I was here. I learned about dragonfly races, so I got a dragonfly and entered any race I could. It profited the money I needed to survive, but I needed more than food and water to truly live."

She looked up at the moon, a shaky smile on her face. "I know he's dead. Deep down in my heart, I know he died that day. But I can't allow myself to give up. I still search for him, even though I know I will never find him."

Fai looked at her. "You wish to see the one you love alive more than anything else?"

"Yes." She said quietly.

"Then I suppose we have more in common than I thought." Muttered Fai.

They finished their drinks in silence.