Hiya! Alright, so I've finally come out with this chapter. This one is basically when they meet Chunyan, and it's got a little surprise at the end, which I hope you like. DO NOT JUMP TO THE END, OR YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND ANYTHING! So, anyways, today's chapter is dedicated to my friend Margaret, again, who is very into this story. I would also like to dedicate it to WildfireDreams, who is a new reader and apparently likes my story so far. Thank you! The next dedication goes to FE Girl 1, who offers good praise and is also fun to talk to. And finally, I would like to dedicate this chapter to GundamGirlie456. I'm sorry I haven't responded to your request!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Tsubasa Chronicles. All rights belong to CLAMP and other respective rightholders. (except for Izumi, who's all mine, DUH)
Izumi: Yeah, I get it already. But I wanna know my name already! HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE?
Me: Just shut up already will you? You don't write the story, I do, so sit tight and read it, get it?!
Fai stood by my side as we walked silently down the street. Every once in a while, he would turn his head to look at me, but I would only stare straight forward, never looking back, never looking to the side. At last, he shattered the silence that smothered us. "You can sense the feather, can't you?" He asked me. I did not answer immediately. I kept on taking long strides towards the huge mass of magic I felt ahead. The feather was nearby. But though I concentrated on where the source of the magic was, I devoted most of my brain to thinking about Fai's actions. Ok…So first off, he 'feels like it is his duty to protect me'. What the heck is that supposed to mean?! It was a real brain teaser, trying to understand Fai while at the same time trying to find out about myself. And then, he says he feels a strange connection to me, like he's known me from before or whatever. I tried to fit the two thoughts together, like fitting two pieces of a puzzle together, but they didn't fit. There was a missing link, quite clearly. I divided up the thoughts in my mind into two piles; one pile for the thoughts that were Fai-related, and the other pile to thoughts that were me-related. So for me, Arashi said that even though I gave my name up to the dimension witch, the dark kudan still came to me, anyways. And Fai says that I cannot control my magic on my own. I was utterly, genuinely confused. That's what was so frustrating about it all.
"Izumi-san," Fai said suddenly, making me jump. I looked at him, upset that he had distracted me from thinking. I was getting sort of close… I turned to him, and listened as he continued. "Why don't you tell us that you know where the feathers are?" He asked me, striking a nerve. His cerulean eyes were dead serious.
"What do you mean?" I snarled. I sounded harsher than I meant to. I wasn't actually mad at him, I only wished I had some more time to myself. "How would you know that I know where the feathers are?" I asked, making it sound as though I didn't know where the feathers were, which was a lie.
"It's just…Take right now, for instance. You seem to know exactly where you're going, so if you can't sense the feathers, then I have no idea of how you know where Syaoran, Kuro-tan, and Sakura-chan are." He said. I processed his words in my mind. It was a challenge, for I hadn't realized what the ability to sense feathers meant before now. Wait…Why don't I tell them that I can sense the feathers? I wondered.
I shrugged. "I guess…I guess it's because I already know that it's Mokona's job. I'd feel guilty for telling them. Mokona might feel left out." I stated confidently.
A strange look crossed Fai's face. "Don't use Mokona as an excuse. There's more to it." Fai said, his voice on the brink of…not anger…something else. Embezzlement, maybe. Confusion, uncertainty, puzzlement. "Please tell me?" Fai asked, his eyes suddenly pleading me, though his body language was sullen as ever.
I crossed my arms and pouted. "Hmph. Should I?" I cooed mockingly. "Maybe I should. But then again, maybe I shouldn't." Fai looked upset and impatient, so I decided to be serious about it. I straightened my shirt and cleared my throat, speaking to him as I walked forward, turning to face him occasionally. "Look, I'll make a deal with you. If I tell you why I don't tell them, then you'll have to tell me why you gave up magic, whether I'm 'old enough' or not." I said, using what he told me back in the Hanshin Republic to my advantage. "Take it or leave it."
Fai shut up for the rest of the walk to the little cottage. He obviously didn't want to tell me anything, just as I didn't want to tell him anything. We continued to walk as we had before he had asked me the question: in complete, suffocating silence. I was actually rather happy that he didn't decide to trade secrets with me; I didn't even know why I didn't tell the group. Maybe it's because I wasn't really aware of the fact that I could sense the feathers in the first place.
"It's here." I said, walking up to the front door of a house. The house looked humble on the outside, as if the owner did not have much money. But then again, most of the houses there did not look very grand or magnificent. The only one that did was a castle that could be seen in the distance. I tapped on the door three times, and when nobody answered, I let myself in. It didn't occur to me that it might have been rude to do so.
The brave girl who had mocked the Ryanban's son, Chunyan, was kneeling on the floor, drilling Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan with questions. Fai and I arrived in the middle of their conversation. "…we just got here…and we've only just met you." Syaoran looked extremely nervous, while as Sakura-chan sat upright, not seeming to understand but at the same time acting perky.
"Are you sure?" Chunyan leaned in close to Syaoran, making him shift uncomfortably. She eyed him critically, as he tried to back away from her, twiddling with his thumbs anxiously.
"I can't…say that…I do." He said slowly and unsurely. He glanced around the room, and when he saw us sitting in the corner, he immediately turned back to Chunyan, as if to keep her from noticing us. Every once in a while, he would look in my direction, eying the very primitive cast on my arm.
"Now that I think about it…children like you couldn't be Amen'osa, could you?" Chunyan folded her arms. She still hadn't noticed Fai and I, and I didn't much care as to whether or not she ever did.
"What's Amen'osa?" Fai asked, completely blowing our cover. I smacked my hand over my forehead with one arm, elbowing him in the stomach with the other. "Hey, what was that for?" Fai whispered to me. I hushed him.
At first Chunyan jumped back at the sight of the two strangers in her house, but Syaoran let her know that we were with them. She relaxed a little, and her expression became skeptical, as if we were stupid idiots for not knowing what this 'Amen'osa' was. "Amen'osa is a small group of agents the government sends around the country." She informed us. All of us travelers listened intently; this was the kind of thing we liked to hear about. I liked to hear about, at least. Kurogane showed little interest. Chunyan continued. "They know that some of the Ryanban are acting in their own selfish interest in the regions they control…they know some of them are obsessed." Her eyes were fiery with a victory that was yet to be seen or heard of, like Amen'osa were her gods. "They travel around the country on a mission to right those wrongs."
Suddenly, Mokona jumped up, elated. "It's Mito-komon!" It exclaimed cheerfully. I yelped when it landed on my shoulder unexpectedly, and tried to swat it off. Man, that thing sticks like glue. Eventually, I picked it up and plopped it on the floor, gratefully watching as it skipped over to Syaoran, who picked it up.
"Mito?" Sakura's voice was tentative. I didn't completely understand what 'Mito-komon' was either, but I had a vague idea of it.
"I think it's the other…er…Mokona thing…You see, the witch who gave us Mokona keeps another one, which is our way of communicating with each other. That's why there's two of them." I explained. Sakura gave a gentle nod, though I knew she didn't fully understand me. I pointed to Mokona. "You'll get it soon."
Chunyan had a disgusted look on her face. "I've been wondering this for a while, but…what is that? Why would a white Manju bun speak?" She asked, poking Mokona. She pulled her hand back, revolted at the feeling of it.
Mokona gave his usual answer. "Mokona is Mokona!" It jumped up, startling all of us for a few moments. Chunyan's pretty features were distorted by repulsion.
Fai noticed this, and offered, "Think of Mokona as our mascot or idol." He turned his attention back to the original topic. "So you think we're this…Amen'osa…um…" He groped for words, searching his memory for her name.
"Chunyan." The girl stated, dusting the hem of her yukata and pushing her hair behind her ears. It flopped in her face again, so she tied it up, making sure the knot was tight this time.
"Chunyan-chan, huh?" Fai smiled cheerily, though he gave off a strange aura that was quite the opposite of cheer. "Well, my name's Fai." He poked his thumb at his chest, indicating he was talking about himself, as if we didn't already know. "This is Syaoran-kun." He gave a gesture to Syaoran. "We have Sakura-chan over there." He motioned towards Sakura-chan. "And this is Izumi-san." For a moment, his bright, sunny features were replaced by a darker side, his grin flipping around into a dissatisfied frown. But almost immediately, his joy came back to him. "Oh! And finally, Kuro-puu!" He pointed to Kurogane.
"That's 'Kurogane'!" The black-clad warrior shouted angrily. He humphed, and returned to his pout-mouthed expression.
I sensed something…strong. Very strong. It was not as powerful as Sakura's feather, no, but it had traces of its magic. Somebody had harnessed the feather's power, and was using it to his own will. Strangely, Mokona didn't seem to notice, and I argued with myself whether I should tell the group or not. Fai caught my troubled expression, and looked at me, nodding solemnly. His movements told me, No, you don't have to, but his eyes said otherwise. He was not very good at pretending.
Fai turned back to Chunyan when he was sure I wouldn't tell them. "In other words…for you to wish that this Amen'osa would come, that must mean you think this leader of yours is a bad man." He stated like he was suddenly the wise guy. Sometimes, I wasn't sure what to believe. He always acts innocent and kind and…well…dumb…but he knows much more than we think he does… I reasoned.
The magic was getting closer. It was so powerful that I knew that it was coming straight for us. I stood up, wanting to blurt out, There's something coming! And I almost did, but no words came. I stood and listened to Chunyan as she spoke. "He's the worst." Chunyan bit her lip nervously, as if fighting back tears. "He took my omoni, my mother, and—" The magic was right on top of us now. It came in the form of a harsh wind, and rattled the windowpanes. The shutters clattered against the glass windows, making everyone in the room stand up.
"Is that the wind?" Fai asked uncertainly. He seems to know what it is… and it's definitely not your average breeze. I thought.
Chunyan gasped in dread, and spun around on her heels, facing us. "Everybody, you can't go outside!" She yelled, and we all nodded, knowing that there would be more to come. I could still feel the strong magic in the air. That little gust of wind wasn't even the worst of it… I cringed in fear, feeling as the magic built to another strong point. Somewhere inside me, I felt as though I was adding to the strength of this magic, and guilt crashed upon my innards, making it difficult to breathe. I knew it wasn't true, though. The wind howled, and smashed into the roof, breaking a hole through it. The power was stronger now than it had been before, and it was only then that I realized how much of the magic from Sakura's feather was actually mixed in with it. There's a lot…somebody's got their hands on her feather, and is really taking advantage of its power. I could only guess who it was.
The wind pounded on the roof again, chipping away at it until there was barely anything left of it. Fai grabbed onto Mokona, holding it close to him protectively. Syaoran and Sakura huddled close to each other, leaving me with no protection but my own limbs. I did the dumbest thing possible, and measured up to the wind, squaring my shoulders and holding my chin high; as if I thought I could take it on. It seemed to see me as a threat, so it attacked me directly, swirling around my body fiercely. Though it was trying to attack me, something about it made me feel comfortable. It feels…warm… I closed my eyes, and spread my arms, wanting to cherish the moment. I felt so free.
"Izumi-san! Take cover!" Fai yelled at me, breaking my concentration for the second time that day. I looked in his direction, wondering what he was rambling about, and not taking notice to the huge gust of wind that had come straight for me. "Izumi-san! Watch out!" Fai and Kurogane yelled in unison. I turned back to face the wind, and it slammed me right in the face, knocking me backwards.
And then the most amazing thing happened. Something I could do when I was younger, when I still had my magic. The wind pushed me back, and I danced on it, flipping backwards and letting the silky smoothness of it all slide between my fingers. The world slowed down to my pace, a very slow speed. I was upside down, doing some sort of kung-fu move people see in old movies. The wind went away, as if it was frustrated that it couldn't beat me, and I completed the flip and landed on my feet. I didn't even realize what had happened, until Sakura-chan gasped, "How did you do that, Izumi-san?"
"What?" I asked, my mind fogged up, as if the wind had blown away my focus. "I…I don't know…" I hit the side of my head. "I thought it was just my imagination." Sakura shook her head.
Umm…My mind raced furiously. What just happened? What in the world just happened!? I…I was in the wind…like it was holding me, not killing me…But doesn't it require magic to do that?! Those were thoughts I pushed out of my mind for the moment; I would have to analyze them later.
Fai spoke softly, and his voice was ominous and dark. "That was no ordinary wind…" His attention was to the sky, which could be seen through the gaping hole in the middle of Chunyan's roof.
"It was the Ryanban." Chunyan said, her face shadowed, tears brimming her eyelids. She shouted up at the sky angrily. "He's the one who did it all!"
Chunyan had taken an immediate liking to me. She took me to bandage up my arm, so that it would heal properly. She told me that there was no way it was going to heal the way it was bandaged at the moment. She seemed to know what she was doing, but it hurt. First, she told me she would have to 'reset my arm'. I didn't understand what that meant until she took my arm and moved the broken bone back into place, and I was sure my arm would split open when she did it.
Her eyes were still filled with a deep sadness and hatred. Vengeance, too. I thought, noting that she obviously wanted to kill the Ryanban. I felt bad for her, so I struck up a conversation with her, and it became the beginning of a great friendship. She and I chatted until it was very late. We talked about random things. We told each other secrets about ourselves, like we were two old friends at a sleepover. Even though she was almost ten years younger than me, she was the best friend I had ever had. I was grateful for her existence.
When it was time for bed, she gave us rooms to sleep in, which was very kind and generous of her. Fai, Syaoran, and Kurogane were to sleep in the same room, which resulted in a very upset Kurogane. At first, she was going to have me sleep in the same room as Sakura, but I said, "I would love to, but I have a lot on my mind right now. Could I have some time alone?"
Chunyan replied, "Well…I don't know…" I got down on my knees and begged, giving her my best impression of a sweet, innocent little orphan girl. This wasn't hard, because I was one (at least the orphan part). A look of pity crossed her face, and she said, "Alright. Fine, just because I like you a lot. I'll let Sakura-chan sleep in my room, kay?" She asked.
I glomped her, hugging her so tight that she had difficulties breathing. "Oh, thank you so much! I really appreciate it!" I rocked her in my arms.
Chunyan peeled my arms off of her. "Yeah, yeah. But on one condition." I tilted my head in confusion. "You have to help with some housework tomorrow, get it?" She poked me.
"I promise!" I gave her a thumbs up, before heading up to the room.
I opened the sliding door, just as the lights in the house went out, and the others disappeared into their rooms. "Good night, Izumi-san." Fai said, allowing Syaoran and Kurogane to go into the room before closing the door behind them. I didn't get a chance to respond. Chunyan and Sakura giggled as they walked past me into their room, and I smiled as they did.
My room was a comfy tatami room, standard Japanese. In one corner, there was a mat, which looked soft enough. I flopped my knapsack on the bed and took out the large T-shirt and baggy sweatpants I slept in when we were in the Hanshin republic. I quickly threw them on, making sure nobody came into the room, and climbed into the bed. It was warm, and I knew I would not have much difficulty sleeping here tonight. A sleep without nightmares...I wasn't so sure. At last, I could think.
I stared up at the ceiling, putting my hands behind my head, questioning my theories, testing them out. None of them seemed to fit in my life, and none of it made sense to me. What if I never find out who I am? I wondered, as dark thoughts mobbed me. What if I'll always be just the worthless, stupid, cursed orphan I am? Tears spilled down my face. I closed my eyes and tried to visualize my real parents; maybe they'd open up some secrets about my past. Nothing. Nothing at all.
Frustrated and upset, I threw the blanket off of me and hurled the pillow into the opposite wall of the room. It landed with a surprisingly loud, thud. Apparently, I was a lot stronger than I thought I was when I was angry. I trudged to the other side of the room and bent over to pick it up. I looked at it for a good minute, before collapsing to the floor, crying my heart out into the pillow, hoping it would muffle my sobs. Why can't I just be a normal girl? One with a loving family and friends, one that actually remembers her past. One that knows her own name… I let out an anguished scream into the pillow, and luckily, nobody seemed to complain.
I dragged my feet over to the window, and propped myself up on the windowsill. I buried my face deep into the feathery comfort of the pillow, and continued to cry. If my parents loved me…they wouldn't have left me to a horrible life like this. I immediately felt guilty for thinking it. I hated my parents for dying. I hated myself for blaming them.
I had a choice to make. I can just kill myself now…or I can live through this misery, and find out about my past. If I have a past. I cursed my life, even though it was cursed enough already. I cursed my parents, even though they were dead. I swore at the sun and the moon, and I didn't even care about it all. Damn it all. I hate this stupid life! I screamed again, kicking my feet against the wall madly, this time not caring whether anybody heard or not. Nobody did.
I don't know how long I sat like that, crying and screaming and kicking. I didn't care much, either. At least it was still dark out when I finally looked up. It was only then that I realized how tired I was. I rolled off the windowsill and crawled carelessly to the mat, where I lay the pillow down and slumped into it. Damn sleep. Damn it all to hell. I roared in my mind.
A gentle knock came on the door. I refused to open the door for whoever wanted to come in. I lay still, ignoring the slight disturbance. I couldn't ignore it for long, as a voice, Fai's, spoke softly, "Izumi-san…can I talk to you?"
I hesitated, unsure as to whether or not I should let him in. I decided that I should, and let out a heavy sigh as I said, "Come in."
Fai walked into the room. He took one look at my face and concluded, "You're having a tough time. You're crying." He reached out to wipe the tears off my face, but I slapped his hand away with my good arm. "Izumi…It's alright now." He hugged me, and I let him. I buried my face in his chest, sobbing. "Izumi-san, you need to know something."
I looked up. "What's that?" I choked out.
He hugged me tighter as he said, "I…I've…" Fai had been speaking just fine earlier, but now, it seemed as though he was at a loss for words. He cleared his throat, rethinking his words, and started over. "Izumi-san, ever since I've met you…I've felt something…strange. You really are different from most girls I've met."
I snorted sarcastically. "Yeah, thanks for that." I mumbled into his chest. I was glad he couldn't see me; I was hiding a smile.
"No, that's definitely not what I mean…I know you've been through, well, a lot. I can really sympathize with you there. I've had my share of difficulties." He tilted my chin up so that I was looking at him. I shifted my eyes away to avoid looking into his eyes. That would be too awkward. "And it's because I know about how you feel, that I've felt strangely connected to you…like…"
I cut him off before he could finish his sentence. I knew what he had to say, and I wouldn't know how I would respond. "You have no idea of how much I know. Or I can guess, at least." I was referring to my dream, the one about him. I hadn't told him yet, but if I was ever planning to, this would be the time. "I…I know about you. I know about who you are, Yuuy."
Fai stiffened immediately. "What do you mean by that?" He pushed me away from him lightly holding my shoulders and looking straight at me. I avoided his gaze.
"A dream."
Fai looked at me curiously. "How much do you know?" He asked, his voice quivering slightly. "About…my past."
"A lot more than you'd think." I said guiltily. "It's not my fault, though. I told you, it was a dream. I saw…I know about your twin, Fai. I know how Fei Wong Reed freed you and killed your brother. And I know about how King Ashura came to save you. And I know where you hid Sakura's feather."
If I were him, I would have hated to hear that somebody knew about my secret past. But he relaxed for some reason, and held me closer to him again. "There's no hiding anything from you, is there?" He chuckled nervously. "Not at all."
I didn't want to dwell on the subject, so tried to think of something else to talk about. Anything else…I hate knowing about him! It makes me feel so…guilty. Like I'm a spy or something. "So what were you going to say? Before I cut you off…I mean." I blurted out, not realizing what topic I had brought back.
Fai looked down. "Oh." He said. "It's just…I feel like I know you from somewhere before…before I met you at the dimension witch's place. I don't know how, or where, for that matter, but it's as if…" He stopped. "I can't tell you. It'll make you feel weird."
"Say it." I urged. For some reason, even though I had been trying to avoid this conversation, I wanted him to tell me. Some part of me felt the same way.
"As if we…" He paused. I nudged him lightly to indicate that he should continue. "As if we were meant to be…together." He said. The words came out rushed, but I knew he meant it.
Even though I would never have admitted it, I was thrilled.