Chapter Eighty

"Syaoran's in this world?" Sakura cried, shooting to her feet. A dull ache sprouted in her leg, but she was too preoccupied to notice.

"One of them," Fai said quietly.

"Either way, he'll be headed toward the feather." Kurogane downed another spoonful of his food, tilting the bowl toward his lips to swallow as much as possible. "We've got to get there and head him off."

"And then what?" Fai asked.

"That'll depend on which one it is."

Sakura's body went numb. Depends on . . . But how? What are they going to do? "We can't hurt him," she whispered. "Neither one of him."

The others glanced at her, expressions grim. But when they turned away without responding, her whole body turned to ice. They're going to hurt him. They really are. Depending on which one we meet. Unless they mean to hurt both the clone and the original. But Kurogane-san said he hoped Syaoran would come back. He meant the real one, but . . . Her vision blurred.

Behind her, she heard the sound of the tent poles falling apart. Fai usually took down camp in the morning, but now they were both tearing it down in their haste to move forward.

If it's the Syaoran who started this journey with us . . . They consider him a threat after what happened in Tokyo. They might even kill him. But if it's the Syaoran who was imprisoned, they'll . . . What exactly? They clearly want him away from Seishirou, but then what? What if they label him a threat, too?

What if I lose both of them?

Panic constricted her lungs. A whimper rose from her throat.

No one seemed to notice. Steam rose from the fire pit with a hiss as Fai poured river water over it. Mokona swallowed a bundle of tent poles. Kurogane slung their traveling pack over his shoulders.

Sakura fainted.

The next thing she remembered was the feeling of blades of grass tickling her cheek as someone lifted her from the ground. "Come on, we've got to get going," Kurogane said, his voice surprisingly gentle.

"No."

"No?" That was Fai, peering over the ninja's shoulders.

"We can't hurt him!" She struggled to get free. The arms holding her up turned into restraints.

"Sakura-chan, we have to go."

"The mage is right."

Wow, this must really be serious if they're agreeing on something, she thought hazily. "You can't hurt him. Neither one."

There was a sigh. For a moment, it was quiet. Kurogane let her down.

"So?" she asked. "You're not going to hurt him, are you?"

"It depends on which one it is," the ninja repeated. "If it's the one who left us in Infinity, we'll try to reason with him. If it's the Other . . ."

She shuddered at the way he said the word. As if it was a title. Like her Syaoran wasn't good enough to have a real name.

She closed her eyes, then opened them again. "No."

"I'm going," Kurogane said. "If you're not going, you can stay here with the mage."

Fai opened his mouth to protest. A glare from the ninja made his reply stick in his throat.

It was the same in Infinity. Kurogane-san was set on going the minute he found out Syaoran had gone over to Seishirou. He didn't even consider staying put. And all I did was sit there, waiting for them to bring him back. I was weak and helpless, and I just let them take care of it.

And Syaoran didn't come back. She sniffed, an ache forming in her throat as she fought against the sobs.

"If it's the Other . . . You don't have to watch. We'll deal with it."

She shook her head. "Don't call him that."

"What the hell do you expect me to call him? We need some way to distinguish—"

"Don't call him that! His name is Syaoran! He was with us from the very beginning. He was—" A sob broke off her sentence, and she doubled over, pressing her hand tight to her mouth.

"I'll stay with her," Fai said quietly. Sakura glared at him.

"Good," the ninja said. "I'll be at the canyon until he shows up."

Well? part of her mind demanded. Crying didn't work. What are you going to do now? She let out another shaky sob. Fai rested one hand on her wrist and guided her into his arms. She shoved against his chest as hard as she could. The movement must've taken him by surprise, because he stumbled back, arms flailing as he tried to regain his balance.

She lifted her eyes, still moist with nascent tears, up to the ninja's face. "I'm coming with."

Kurogane looked at her for a long moment, gauging her sincerity, then gave a nod of approval. "Let's get going then."

The sun rose like a glowing sapphire on the horizon.

Syaoran watched it crawl up into the sky and turn yellow. It seemed that once it was past a certain point, the concentration of Mist in the atmosphere became insufficient to change its color. This might be the last time Sapphirine sees a sunrise like this, he thought, sighing.

"You're up early," a voice said. Syaoran stiffened, but didn't turn.

"I'm always up this early."

Seishirou sat down beside him, smiling at the sun as the last bit of blue faded from it. "This is the last world we'll be traveling together."

Syaoran looked up sharply, but said nothing.

"When I asked the witch to save my brother, she told me I would have to journey to a world where mist rises from a rift in the ground and shatters the sunrise. For a while, I thought she was talking nonsense. But I've seen a great variety of worlds in my life. Why should I scoff at something strange? It's rather hypocritical of me, when I'm telling you of worlds you've never seen and probably consider strange."

"My father said that every culture had subjects or events that were confusing or taboo to other cultures. People are all different, and so communities are different. The same goes for different worlds. You can't judge whether a world is strange or not, because to the people living in it, it's always been that way."

Seishirou looked at him for a long moment, the smile fading from his face. "Your father was a wise man. Even if he wasn't really your father." The older man turned his attention back to the sun. After a moment, he said, "I'm sorry I hit you."

Syaoran stiffened, one hand going unconsciously to his cheek. His gaze strayed to his feet. "It doesn't matter now. If this is the last world we'll be together, there's no sense in dwelling on it."

"I just wanted you to know, before . . . before we part."

Curiosity made him look up. His mentor had never spoken with such hesitance before.

"We have to bring Fuuma with us today. The prices will only work out if he's nearby. And I want to be close, when he wakes up . . ."

"The prices . . . Will you tell me what they are?"

The older man sighed. Maybe he really is sorry for last night, Syaoran thought. I've never seen him so solemn. "It will cost me very dearly," Seishirou said. "But I am willing to pay the price. Fuuma is human, and young. He has a long life to live. I will pay any price to ensure he lives it."

Syaoran nodded. He knew what that was like. Agreeing to a price without hesitation, without even considering what it was. The Other paid his price when he gave up his relationship with Sakura. And I gave up the same when I turned back time for her.

Seishirou spoke, still grave. "You truly are a remarkable student. You have honor, but you also know how to care for another person. You learn quickly. You don't complain. You're smart and resourceful, and you're able to face whatever the world throws at you without faltering." Seishirou rested a hand on his head and tousled his hair, just as he'd done in Infinity. "You are . . . an infinitely better person than I am. And wherever you go after this, I know you'll do the right thing."

He took a deep breath, trying to overcome his surprise. Honor? He thinks I'm a good person? "I . . . Thank you."

A new voice called out from the highest terrace. "Hey! Are we going to get going or what?"

Seishirou looked up at the farmer and stood. "I just have to grab my brother, and we'll be off."

This will be the last world we travel together, Syaoran thought, watching the man glide up the stepped fields. Wherever I land afterwards is up to fate.