Wings
By Yuki
Rating: M-ish. Some swearing.
Pairing: mainly S+S
Summary: Touya dreams about feathers (yeah... that does kind of sound dumb, doesn't it? LOL)
Notes: I started this before the whole Tokyo-arc thingie (I don't even know the title of the story arc - geez!) I haven't read it either and honestly, I have no idea as to what is happening to TRC now... so this is as AU as you can get. I apologize for such late update. I have no excuse other than: life happened. I will try to update as often as I can. I hope that this chapter does not disappoint. I apologize for the massive OOC-ness. Please let me know what you guys think. I really appreciate it. Thanks!

Chapter 7

As soon as they were all inside the house with Kurogane still threatening to tear Fai-san limb from limb and Fai looking quite nonplussed as to why Kurogane would resort to such violence, Mokona made a startling announcement that effectively silenced Kurogane's death threats: "I felt a feather!"

Tomoyo who by now was in near tears stared up at Kurogane and Fai-san in confusion, "Feather?" she asked in a strangled sort of voice.

Fai looked at her, smiling gently, "There, there now." He said, patting her head almost in a fatherly-like manner. "You made her cry." He said, turning to look at Kurogane smiling ever so ebulliently as the Black Ninja scowled, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "Shame on you Kuro-minmin." Fai continued, sitting down next to Tomoyo and getting the pink and white straps off Mokona so he could talk to the manju.

Kurogane was left looking like a fish out of the water as he opened and closed his mouth. He growled deep in his throat and raised his hand directly adjacent to Fai's delicate neck, as though he was really going to strangle the blonde. "I did not… I wasn't…" he began but was cut short as Tomoyo sniffed softly, shook her head and delicately wiped her nose.

"It wasn't your fault, Kurogane-san, I just don't like you and Fai-san arguing, that's all."

Kurogane 'hmped' and crossed his arms against his chest, still glaring at the magician. "Well tell him to keep his hands away from me!"

"If I hadn't you would've upset the older brother." Fai then ever so slightly angled his face, so that Kurogane could only barely see his bangs-covered blue eyes, "Really, Kuro-pinpin, I've never heard you be so talkative before, it isn't like you at all." Fai commented in a rather sly tone. Kurogane sputtered unintelligibly but Fai had already turned his attention at a yawning Mokona. "Now, Mokona, was it really a feather or something else?"

"Feather?"

"We'll explain later, Tomoyo-chan." Fai said patiently, gently squeezing Tomoyo's hand. He returned his attention back to Mokona. "Are you sure it's a feather and nothing else?"

"So you felt it too?" Kurogane asked, raising his eyebrows.

Fai nodded his head. "In the park."

"Yeah. A strong ki."

"Old magic." Fai murmured in agreement.

"Mokona sensed a feather in the park!"

"We were in the park the whole day, manju. It was a big park." Kurogane said, "Would it hurt to be more specific?"

Mokona squinted his already squinty little eyes, concentrating hard. "Hmmm. I'm thinking, I'm thinking!"

Kurogane's eyebrows rose in surprise, "The manju can think?"

"Now, Kuro-mon, don't be mean." Fai advised him, chuckling softly.

"Kami, I swear, if you don't stop with the stupid nicknames…" Kurogane muttered in a threatening voice, glaring at Fai.

The magician discreetly, smilingly pointed at Tomoyo who was holding the white "backpack" murmuring gentle encouragements to Mokona. Kurogane frowned and growled in defeat.

Mokona gravely nodded his head. "I felt a feather and then I winked at it."

"You winked at it?" Fai asked smiling at Mokona, "And did it wink back, Moko-chan?"

Mokona sadly shook his head. "It looked at Mokona really mean, like this." And his eyes shifted to look like a slightly familiar looking glare: slanted eyed and so utterly distrustful.

Tomoyo tilted her head and bit her lips. Mokona's eyes looked almost exactly as Touya-kun's. Well, not as the same as Sakura's older brother, Touya certainly did not have sparkly lavender eyes but she'd seen Touya send Syaoran countless death-glares to be familiar with the look. But Touya-kun does not have any feather. Yue-san has.

Could Mokona mean Yukito-san's other form? Frowning, Tomyo wondered if she should mention this to them. It might help them. "What about the feathers?"

"They're memories, Tomoyo-chan." Fai explained to her. "You see, the Princess memories are in the form of feathers and they all flew away, to different worlds and dimensions. We're are all helping Syaoran-kun to find them and give them back to Sakura-chan."

"Memories?" Tomoyo scrunched up her face in confusion. "Princess Sakura has lost her memories?"

Mokona and Fai somberly nooded their head.

"Oh, that is so sad and horrible!" Tomoyo said with a gasp. She couldn't imagine how it would be like if she had lost all her memories. Granted that she could just probably watch all of her video tapes - and see! she knew video-taping had a higher, more noble reason!

"It makes Mokona sad too."

Tomoyo cradled Mokona, hugging him close to her chest. "So, it's just the feathers that you are looking for?" She asked, looking at Fai and at Kurogane.

"That's right, Tomoyo-chan. Mokona has special powers and he knows if there's a feather nearby."

"Mokona felt it and Mokona winked at it!" Mokona repeated in the same jovial manner, as though suddenly forgetting the tradegy of Sakura's lost memories.

Kurogane, who had remained silent during the whole conversation, was not amused. "You felt a feather and you winked at it?!" He asked enraged.

Mokona pouted, looking put-off. "Mokona was told to keep quiet! Mokona can't go all: MEKYO!"

The imitated glare, the feathers, Yue, everything completed forgotten, Tomoyo brought Mokona close to her eyes, rubbing her nose against him. "Oh! How cute!" She squealed in utter delight as Mokono's eyes grew in size, brilliant and sparkling.

"Mokona has a point." Fai deadpanned, raising his eyebrows at Kurogane as though challenging him.

The little manju is only too happy to agree. "Mokona follows instructions. That's why he's everyone's idol. Mokona is not like Kuro-monmon who makes Tomoyo-chan cry!"

"Why you little…"

Touya turned to another corner, the sound of rubber wheels crunching against the pavement reaching his ears. He let out a small smile. Not one of those self-satisfied smirks he was quite known for. A real, honest to goodness smile.

He loved going out during this time of the day, when the sun wasn't so hot any more and the sky is just about to turn blue-black. It helped him relax. Clear his mind off all those unnecessary head-clutter. Everything slowly falling away. There is only silence. Peaceful and calm.

He had just finished with the grocery and for the first time in weeks, he felt a little cheerful. Doing household chores was so mundane and normal, which is why he liked doing them. Besides, these were the little things he could do for his family and he was more than glad that he could do it for them. Of course, it would be more fun if he had his family with him. But it wouldn't be long. By next week, everyone would be home. His dad. His sister. And hopefully, by that time, those silly dreams would have faded away.

Touya knew it had something to do with Sakura being so far away. Maybe that was what those wings or feathers meant. Flying. Like, maybe, his subconsciousness was tryting to bridge the distance between them.

He rather liked this explanation and so he stuck with it. No sense in trying to be so negative about it.

Smirking, Touya had a sudden flash of inspiration. He'd tell Sakura all about the dream. He'd make it a bit scarier, though. He'd add demon-monster, with red glaring eyes, swooping down and dropping black feathers everywhere. Yeah, that sounded good.

Heh. Sakura would really freak out.

It had been a while since he had scared her real good. And when she'd start looking all pale and terrified, he'd distract her with his famous strawberry cake. They'd share a plate and stay up late. Just like the old days. He'd ask her about her trip to China and tease her when she tells him about doing all those girly-shopping stuff. Of course, he'd have to pretend that she wasn't with the Gaki. And if she happened to mention his name, he'd chew real loudly so he wouldn't have to listen to any story involving the brat.

His lips curling up in a bigger smile, he glanced down at the white plastic bag he was holding on his free hand. Strawberries. Lots and lots of fresh red strawberries. His little Kaiju would love it. He'd have to make sure though that there's enough strawberry cake for everyone. The stupid plushie toy could eat like it was some sort of demon God and the utterly annoying Hong Kong kid had an appetite for sweets as well. He snorted loudly; his sister was such a magnet for stupid, annoying… things.

Touya turned to a sharp corner and he really was going to hit the brakes but when he saw her – Sakura? - he just lost his mind and his control over the bike, effectively colliding with… Syaoran?

The impact was enough to throw him off balance and as he fell down the ground, taking the bike with him, his legs a tangled mess in between the pedals, he watched at the corner of his eyes as Syaoran lay sprawled on the ground. Unmoving.

What in God's name are those two doing here when they were supposed to be in China! He squinted his eyes, shook his head for a few seconds, as though clearing his thoughts but the image remained the same.

Touya frowned. Never mind what they were doing here, what in the world is the brat wearing?

He was sure that is was summertime, Halloween months and months away and yet there was the gaki wearing a strange costume of heavy green cloak. He knew the kid was strange, but not this strange. And then there was his sister who was kneeling beside Syaoran and…

"What the hell?" Touya muttered darkly, his eyes slanting dangerously. He noticed the mid-riff bearing shirt (or is it a blouse?) and the pointy little shoes. He wondered almost immediately if this is another card capturing game that they were playing but that could not be, since he knew that all of the cards had been captured and there had never been any incident over the years. And even if there was something going on, Yukito or Yue would have told him about it. Heck Sakura would have told him about it. After the whole thing with The Void, he had made Sakura promise him to tell him anything and everything relating to those cards.

And then as though to further confuse him, Touya heard the oddest thing: "Princess! Are you ok?"

Princess? Touya rolled his eyes. Of all the lamest, utterly juvenile, sickeningly-sweet…

"Syaoran-kun, are you hurt anywhere?"

He must have hit his head in the pavement, Touya thought. Like real hard. He was in a coma and is now being punished by visions of his sister groping the brat's shoulder, her hands deftly moving down to the brat's chest and then to his stomach and good God, if Sakura's hand had gotten anywhere lower, he was going to have a heart attack.

While in a coma.

How stupid is that?

Touya moved to pinch his arms, wincing at the pain. So okay, maybe he wasn't exactly in a coma. Although if Sakura doesn't stop fawning at the Syaoran, someone is going to be rushed to the hospital. Someone named Li Syaoran.

"I bet the brat is more than just fine." He muttered to himself, squeezing his eyes shut. He couldn't believe how Sakura was completely ignoring him – her very own brother – as he lay sprawled in the ground, the scent of strawberries surrounding him.

He glanced at the strawberries, now lying useless and squished on the pavement and felt a surge of annoyance. "You!" he said, in an accusing voice, sitting up and pointing a finger at the Brat who also, Touya quickly realized, wasn't The Brat. "You've grown taller!" He said, frowning. How could've Syaoran grown that much tall and what does his brain meant when it recognize the brat as not being The Brat?

Oh Kami. Concussion. That would explain why his brain wasn't functioning properly.

The brat who is also not The Brat ogled at him for a few seconds, his jaws hanging open in disbelief. "Your highness?"

Touya blinked, not sure if he heard the brat right. "My what?" Touya watched as the Syaoran-looking gaki sidled up to Sakura's side, his stance almost protective.

"He recognizes us, hime." He heard Syaoran mumble in a soft almost soothing voice.

Touya growled deep in his throat. "Ne, Gaki you better not be on drugs or I'm going to really kick your ass."

Syaoran looked startled as soon as the word Gaki escaped his mouth and so did Sakura who looked just as surprised. "Ano, Syaoran, this has never happened before." She said, in that still low, restrained voice, a knowing look passing between them.

Annoyed, Touya silently huffed. "I can both hear ya fine." He grumbled, irritably rubbing his face.

Sakura took a small step forward, her green eyes huge, familiar. "Touya 'ni-sama?" She asked in a reluctant voice. "O-onii-sama?"

"Sa-sakura?" Touya ask backed and he almost lied down again as his vision blurred, his head throbbing painfully. He squinted his eyes and started at the girl who looked uncannily so much like Sakura. But he knew that it can't be her, unless she just got back from China, but then again, what's with the weird dress-pants?

Utterly confused, he finally stood up, deciding that them looking down at him was not the best vantage point. At least with his height advantage… whoa! He glared at the boy, "Hey!" He sputtered, beyond confused now. "You're supposed to be this short!" He indicated a small space in between his thumb and forefinger before turning his attention back to the girl, "and you don't look like a Kaiju at all!" he said this with an almost sad note in his voice.

The impossibly taller Syaoran gasped, looked at him in a completely stricken manner. "Your highness!"

"Would you stop calling me that?" He glared at him. "Go shrink back to your original height, little twerp!"

"The Time Witch said…" Sakura started, looking back and forth from Syaoran to Touya, her gentle face twisting up in confusion.

Something cold snaked up to Touya's heart. He took a step towards them, snarling. "Who are you? You're not the Gaki and… and you're… you're…"

You're not my sister.

But he couldn't say it. He couldn't say it not with her staring at him quietly with those large green eyes. Their mother's eyes. How could she not be his sister? This girl with the same smile, the same hair… but he knew it in his heart, knew it for certain that she wasn't… and yet… something about her tugged at his very soul, it was so familiar. She was so familiar. But still, not his sister. Not his Sakura.

"You're not…" he tried once more, determined to be loyal to his Kaiju, who currently, or at least he hoped, was a thousand miles away from him, unaware that someone who has her face was also in Tomodea. Balling up his hands into tight fits, he walked towards her, suddenly towering above her. "You're not…"

From the corner of his eyes he could see the Gaki making a move, as though to block him from Sakura. He mentally rolled his eyes. Like what could the kid do? But Sakura had also stepped closer up to him and in a heart-rendering gentle voice, she uttered the words stuck in Touya's throat: "You're… not my oni-chan."

That she said it first… it felt like a thousand blows to his chest. He knew that she wasn't his sister, but to have to hear her say that, with that same sad, small voice, something in him, something small but important, it shriveled up and died. "Of course I… you… you're," He paused, choking on the word. "You're not my immotou."

She sadly shook her head, her green eyes apologetic. "No. I don't think so. I mean, I know I'm not. I'm sorry. But my name is Sakura. And your name is Touya too, right?"

Touya nodded wordlessly. The whole world had flipped over. And we are, ladies and gentlemen, now rolling into madness. Enjoy the ride.

He took a deep breath, tried to calm his madly beating heart. He didn't sense anything alarming about the two. Of course, the fact that he was standing and talking to a seemingly aged carbon-copies of his sister and the Gaki was alarming enough, but there is nothing menacing about them. Nothing... well, evil.

Touya didn't have the same power as before, but he could sense that they posed no threat. But there must be something going on. Something important. Something that involved his sister. He opened his mouth about the same time his phone started ringing.

Great. Talk about ridiculous timing. Touya snapped his mouth shut, grumbling and promising death on whoever was calling him. He fished out his phone, keeping his eyes glued at the two doppelgangers. The startled look Syoaran and Sakura were giving him was unnerving.

"It's a pretty sound." Sakura murmured. "Kind of like singing."

"It's not singing. It's just... you know, ringing." Touya answered, waving his phone in the air, surprised that he's trying to explain a cell phone to Sakura. Sakura who is never without this annoying device. Who insisted that he had one and that she'd have her very own special ringtone, so that he'd know if she was calling him. The little memory struck a chord inside his heart and he suddenly wished he had his sister beside him. His real sister.

His eyes darted from their curious faces to the name flashing on the phone. The ringtone is not familiar. It's not Sakura calling. But he knows who it is. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand, the same feeling of coldness from earlier sweeping up inside his chest.

"Fuck me." This, of course, he made sure was said low enough for Sakura not to hear and then in a louder, angrier voice, he announced. "I should have known."

Touya angrily flipped his phone open and took a deep breath before calmly stating: "Eriol, guess what, I am going to England to kick your ass back to Japan. How does that sound to you?"

"It sounds like you've met our visitors, Touya."

-tbc-