Chapter Sixty-One

The general consensus was that they'd leave at first light.

There wasn't much in the way of medical care in Cirrus; the lack of responsible adults meant there was no place where Sakura could get her leg brace repaired. They would leave, hoping to land in a more advanced world, where someone would be able to repair her brace, or even repair the damage to her leg. Until then, her limited mobility would keep them from seriously tracking down her feathers.

With Seishirou running around in this world, it was too dangerous to split up, or leave Sakura-chan alone.

Nonetheless, when Fai was sure Sakura-chan and Kurogane were both asleep, he crawled out of bed and slipped out the door, taking a card key with him so he could sneak back in before they woke. Fai swept down the stairs and crossed the lobby, not even pausing to look at the sleeping man behind the check-in desk. Cold air caressed his skin as he stepped outside, and for the first time in hours, he could breathe right again. This world had taken everything out of him the moment he had seen his brother's face, and the stress added by tonight's battle had worn him down to nothing.

I never expected Seishirou to turn Syaoran into a vampire, Fai thought as he crossed the street, though he knew the possibility should've crossed his mind. In Infinity, he'd learned that the dark-haired man was also a vampire. That was the only way to explain the supernatural speed and easy grace of the man's movements. Maybe he hadn't guessed because he wouldn't wish that fate on anyone, least of all someone he'd known personally. How is Syaoran-kun handling it? he wondered as he walked down the sidewalk. This late at night, the streets were clear. It was probably stupid to hope he'd run into the person he was looking for, but . . .

He kept walking, pushing the thoughts of this evening's fight out of his mind. He'd already replayed the events over and over in his head. He knew Syaoran's act of mercy hadn't been intentional. He'd seen the conflict raging in the brunette's eyes in the seconds before the others had arrived. No, he couldn't have known he would spare me until he backed off. Even so . . . I expected him to kill me.

Fai chuckled to himself. Funny. I always expect that, but no one ever tries. He wrapped his coat a little tighter around his body as a gust of wind pierced the soft folds. Cirrus was named for the wispy clouds born of ice crystals. Fai supposed the country took after its namesake well enough. Even in the summer, it is nearly as cold as Ceres. When winter comes, how do these people survive? They are as childish as me. They should not live in such a brutal climate.

It was a bit of a walk, but eventually, he made it to his destination. Cinnamon and other sweet spices floated through the air, mixing with the scent of fresh bread and cloying odor of sugar cookies. Fai turned the corner and faced the small bakery. The windows blazed with fluorescent lights—given the nature of baked goods, most bakeries functioned through the night so they could sell in the morning. He stepped inside, relieved to find that, despite the late hour, the front door was unlocked.

A voice came forth from the kitchens, muffled by the hum of refrigerators and freezers. "Cato, is that you? I need your help with the frosting." The speaker stepped out of the kitchen, a pan of muffins in his hands. When he saw Fai standing at the door, he froze. "You again."

Fai stepped toward his twin. "It's me," he confirmed. The blond man—an alternate version of the real Fai—retreated a step, his gloved hands tightening around the edges of the pan.

"You're . . . Who are you?"

He gave his twin a small smile. "Is there any way you can take the rest of the night off?"

The blond glanced back into the kitchen. Fai heard footsteps moving across the tiled floor, and pans of pastries scraping against ovens.

His twin set the pan of muffins aside. "Stay right there. I'll be back in a minute." He hurried off into the kitchen.

Fai took a seat on one of the stools and waited for his brother to return. Beyond the decorated wall, he heard the blond requesting the rest of the night off. A woman answered back, in a tone that reminded him of Kurogane's abrasive demeanor.

"Do you have to go right now?" the woman grumbled. "We have six birthday cakes we need done before the weekend."

"I know, but . . . Please, I have to go."

"I let you out last week so you could play Frisbee with your cousin. How much time off do you think you need?"

"Please, Rin. I can't explain, but this is important. I might never get a chance like this again."

There was a pause, then a sigh. "You can have the rest of the night off, but expect to be pulling a double shift at some point this week to make up for it."

"Thank you."

Quick footsteps across the kitchen preceded the rustle of a coat. A few quick goodbyes spilled over to his coworkers, along with thanks for picking up his shift. And then he was up front again, stepping around the counter. "I know a place where we can talk," he said, pushing his arms through his sleeves.

Fai nodded, following him out. As he did so, he catalogued details of his twin's appearance. It was much the same as his own, which he'd expected, but he could pick out some differences. His twin's hair was a shade darker than his own, unbleached by the sun. Traveling in search for Sakura-chan's feathers had afforded him more time in the sunlight than he'd ever experienced, causing painful sunburns and dying his hair a lighter shade of gold.

The other man also had two eyes, the same sapphire color as his single eye. Their features were identical, but Fai kept looking for signs of poor nutrition or sickness in his twin's features. This man was human, and likely unskilled in combat. There was a great number of things that could happen to him that could cause him to die prematurely. Not while I'm here, he thought, trying to smile as his twin glanced back at him. He looked uneasy, as if meeting him had opened up some door he was afraid to pass through.

I would be uneasy, too, if I saw a stranger who looked just like me.

His twin ducked under the eaves of a train station and pulled the door open. "We can talk in here. It's warm, and no one will give us weird looks."

Fai stepped inside, pushing through the cloud of compressed air. His twin passed him, then led him to a bench shoved up against a fountain. A few other people came and went, probably people working the late shift at whatever jobs they had here. Even if everyone in this country was treated as a child, there had to be at least some responsible adults working to keep it running smoothly.

"Who are you?" his twin asked, looking at him with unease.

Fai tried to be serious. "I am . . . a traveler. I visit many different countries, in search for these magical feathers."

The other man looked at him, as if he couldn't quite believe the words. He swallowed. "Where are you from?"

"From a place called Ceres." He waited to see if the name held any meaning for the baker, but the man gave no indication that he'd understood.

"I've never heard of it. Is it a small town?"

Fai smiled to himself. "No. Quite the opposite. Ceres is a country in and of itself, led by a monarch by the name of King Ashura."

"It's . . . a country? Then why have I never heard of it?"

"Because it's not a country of this world."

The man stared at him. "You're crazy," he whispered, standing up. Fai caught his forearm and pulled him back down into a sitting position, keeping his grip firm, but gentle enough that his twin would be able to slip away if he felt threatened.

"There are a great many things you don't understand," he said softly. "And a great many things you will never understand. But before you write me off as a schizophrenic lunatic, hear me out."

His twin looked up at him, eyes narrowed. "How did you know where to find me?" he demanded. "And why do you look just like me? Are you . . . You can't be any sort of clone. That's impossible. So, some long-lost twin, or just a doppelganger, or . . . Who are you?"

His smile was pained. "You can call me Yuui."