"Oh no, what happened?" your stepmother asked. "Mayuna, where exactly did you take our guests? How were they injured?" your father demanded. "I took them underground into the passages of the old castle. Syaoran-san is very interested in archaeology, so I thought it would be a nice idea to show them the underground passages," you said, adding the suffix on purpose in front of your father. "Those passages are unsafe! There could be Kaijuu down there! And you know you aren't allowed down there anyways because of what happened last time!" your father shouted. You flinched. "There were Kaijuu...There's a nest underground. A big one. There were many Kaijuu down there, but only some of them attacked us," you said quietly. "A nest?" Your stepmother repeated, looking worried. "Tch. Of course. Haku!" your father shouted. The servant appeared at your father's side within seconds. "Inform General Mamoru about this nest. Tell him to take Magic Force One into the caverns and wipe it out. Immediately," your father ordered. "Hai!" Haku said. He left with his instructions and your father's attention returned to you. "I've told you time and time again, you are forbidden from entering those caverns. They are unstable and could collapse at any given time!" your father shouted. You flinched for a second time, feeling your father's rage. You were afraid that he might slap you again. "Ah, Your Highness! Please don't blame Mayuna-hime...We asked her to take us around. It's our fault..." Syaoran said, stepping to your side. Your father's face clouded with anger greater than before, and before you could stop him, his arm shot out and knocked Syaoran to the side. "Syaoran-kun!" "Kid!" Fai and Kurogane yelled, rushing to his side. "Father! What did you-" Your father slapped you harder than last time, and your reeled back and fell to the side. "What kind of travelers think that they can order a King's daughter around like a peasant!?" your father shouted at the others. He turned on you. "And what daughter of any noble King will humbly oblige and lead them where they want to go!?" he roared. "Mayuna, you will be confined to your room for a week! I will not have you gallivanting underground with travelers!" your father yelled, advancing on you. You cowered as he advanced, trembling and afraid. "Please stop!" someone yelled. You glanced to your left. "Please..." Syaoran repeated, getting up and standing unsteadily. "Don't hurt her...It was our entire fault. I'll take the punishment..." he said. "S-Syaoran...-san..." you said slowly, staring at him wide eyed. His cheek was taking a on dark hue: a bruise from your father. "Hn...I've decided," your father said. You looked back to him. "You will ALL remain in your rooms for the week! I will not have insolence and disobedience in my castle go unpunished!" your father shouted. "Wife! Princess Sakura seems to be ill. Take her away and put her to rest. Erisa, she will stay in your room tonight," your father dictated. "Yes, Your Highness," your step relatives said at once. "Guards!" your father called. Ten guards rushed into the room. "Take the travelers and my daughter to their rooms! They shall be confined there for the rest of the week," your father said. "Of course, King!" They saluted your father and stepped forward to carry out their orders. One guard pulled you off the ground and stood you up. The other nine surrounded Kurogane, Fai, Syaoran and Mokona. The five of you were lead away while your stepmother and stepsister remained with your father to tend to Sakura. This is my entire fault. I knew I wasn't allowed below...Syaoran-san, Fai-san, Kurogane-san...They were all injured because of me... you thought in despair. You didn't struggle against your guard as he dragged you to your room and shoved you inside. The others were pushed into their own rooms, and you heard the doors get locked from the outside. You crossed your room and collapsed on your bed. "Stupid..." you said. Your eyes grew hot, and tears gathered at the corners before tailing down your cheeks. You buried your face in your pillow. "I'm so stupid!" you whispered, crying into the pillow. You cried for several minutes before stopping, and felt drained of energy. Your cheek stung dully from both times your father slapped you. I'm a prisoner again... you thought. I'm imprisoned in my castle, and confined to my room...I'm even a Princess, but where is the Prince Charming who'll come and take me away? Your thoughts were sarcastic and sour as you wished the old fairy tale had any truth to it. You got off the bed and walked to your window, looking out. It only mid-afternoon; the townspeople outside the castle were already busy at the market. You could make out the masses of people moving around the tiny stalls. I wish that I could be as free...Maybe one day I'll be able to leave this country and travel through other worlds, just like those travelers... You thought, staring forlornly out the window. You sighed and hung your head. "But I guess that that's impossible..." you muttered aloud. Once they have the feather...they won't have any reason to stay here. They'll leave and move onto another world, and then another... you thought. The image of your father striking Syaoran flashed through your mind and you frowned as your brain made an immediate connection, strengthened by your sense of guilt. The travelers got hurt because of me...It was never their fault, yet they were punished because of me. Your mind was taking you down an optional path that could solve that problem. If they have the feather, they can take Sakura-san and leave this world. If I give them the feather, they won't have to be hurt anymore because of me. You shut your eyes and thought about your decision. You thought long and hard, but decided that it would be the best thing to do. "I'll have to do it tonight. Sakura-san will be in Erisa's room..." you said softly. You opened your eyes and glanced to the side at a picture of your mother before she fell sick. I'm sorry, Mother. I know you told me to never let anyone find out about the fan or the feather, but I couldn't help it. And...I know you would be disappointed in me if I let others get hurt when I could have done something to help them... you thought. You reached out and gently touched your fingers to the cool glass over the picture. A memory flashed through your mind as you touched the photo.
"Ne, ne! Can magic do anything, Okaa-san!?" a seven year old you had asked eagerly. Your mother placed a hand gently on your head. "Now, now. I'm sure that you know magic can't do EVERYTHING. It can't do a lot of things," she said. "Really? I thought it could do anything. That's why it's magic!" you replied. Your mom chuckled lightly. "That's not true. It can't bring the dead back to life...It can't make a new life. It cannot destroy or create a different world. There are many things that magic can't do. Everything has a limit after all," she commented wisely. You gave her a confused look and cocked your head. "Different...world?" you repeated. She blinked in surprise. "Oops! Did I say that?" she said, putting a hand over her mouth. You frowned slowly, your young mind processing that information. "Mayuna, please forget what I said," she asked. You ignored her and thought for a moment. "...Ne, Okaa-san?" you asked, looking up. "What is it?" she asked. "...Are there other worlds out there? This world isn't...the only one, is it?" you asked slowly. Your mother frowned. "Well, in theory, there are many worlds out there. Hundreds. There are different worlds, and different countries everywhere," she said. "...Okaa-san, do you believe that theory?" you asked, looking up at her seriously. "Well, yes, I do. I believe that there are many worlds out there. One day, someone might even discover a way to travel from world to world," she said. Your eyes widened. "Travel from world to world? Really, Okaa-san?!" you said. She gave you a startled look. "Okaa-san, do you think it would be possible to travel from world to world with magic?" you asked eagerly. Your mom frowned again. "Again, in theory, it's possible. It would take a great deal of magic to be able to travel to another world, and any such person would likely only be able to do it once," she told you. You stored that information away in your mind, and when you focused on your mother again, you knew she knew what you were thinking. "Oh, Mayuna. Please, please forget everything we just talked about," she requested. "If your father were to find out I've been teaching you about this kind of magic..." she trailed off, sounding incredibly worried. You realized what your mom was risking by teaching you about that type of magic, and realized the risk she was taking. Unless you were a priestess, magic was forbidden to woman. The penalty for using it was severe, and no woman dared to use it, whether they were born with it as you were or not. The only reason your mother knew what she did was because she was a priestess, and she was responsible for knowing that much. If you father discovered that she was teaching you about magic you were not legally allowed to know, your mother would no doubt be stripped of her status and forced out of the castle. You stared at the nervous woman a moment longer and smiled. "Alright, Okaa-san. I'll forget about it," you said. She smiled and sighed in relief.
You were still as the memory finished playing. "So I did forget...But now I remember," you said. You quickly recalled the dialogue. "Okaa-san said that if any one person were to try it, it could only be done once..." you muttered. "But those travelers...Mokona...That creature has a strange power. When it sleep-talked, it sounded as if it has taken those travelers to other worlds. The power to go to other worlds..." you trailed off. You glanced out the window again. Maybe...Just maybe...I could go with them... you thought. It was only a small hope, though, and probably a futile dream. You wondered if that was actually allowed, but you were afraid to belittle your chance. Your childhood desperation to break free and run away bubbled within you again. You knew it was because the only means to do so was now in front of you. And since you were the only one alive who knew the location of the feather, that power to escape was literally in your hands. I will hold onto the hope that I can leave this place one day...I will hope that it will be soon. You decided to prepare a small bag so that if you could escape and travel with the others, you wouldn't be totally helpless. You found a small canvas bag and wandered around your room, searching for useful things. You froze when you reached your closet, a dark notch in the wood in the corner catching your eye. "That's..." you mumbled. There was a secret compartment in the bottom of your closet, with a small mechanism fitted into the notch in the wood. You hit the switch and pulled the floorboard up. "The priestess cloak..." You said. You pulled the garment out. It was a full length black cloak with a hood. It belonged to your mother, and she secretly gave it to you for your birthday one year. You opened the cloak and looked at the two pockets inside. You stuck your hand in one pocket and pushed as far as you could, feeling your hand disappear. The cloak moved up to your shoulder, and you hadn't reached the bottom of the pocket. The magic pockets... You thought. Your mother explained that as the cloak was made, a lot of magic and spells were cast upon it. Two pockets were created on the inside with the goal to be bottomless. The cloak was for a priestess, and so that she could be prepared at all times, she would be able to carry all her necessities with her at all times. The magic of the cloak allowed her to do that, and what's more, anything could be put into those pockets and the cloak would never be heavier. A final high level spell ensured that only those to whom the cloak was rightfully given could put and remove things from the pocket, just as a security measure. You never believed your mother at first when she told you, but quickly learned that it was true. You hugged the cloak tightly. That's it...I can put things in the pockets and carry what I need with me. You smiled slightly. "Masakazu-sama's book can go in the cloak..." You muttered, thinking of several thick magic books you had 'permanantly borrowed without permission' from your country's High Priest. You studied from them secretly to increase your knowledge about magic and the like. You stuffed the textbooks into the pockets and felt it disappear. In the canvas bag, you placed a change of clothes, medical supplies, a small, personal dagger, and the picture of your mother. You stuffed the bag in one of the cloaks pockets and moved on to the larger things. You pulled a small wooden box out from the secret compartment. Mother's priestess things... you thought. You never opened the box, but knew you would need to at some point. You put the box in a pocket and pulled the final, largest object from the compartment. A canvas wrapped bundle consisting of two swords you smuggled out from your father's army and hid here. One was a longsword, and the other a regular katana. I may not be a fantastic swordsman, but I can fight if I need to... you knew. You stuffed the swords into the final pocket and lifted the cloak; it was light and weighed almost nothing. "Perfect..." you said. You glanced out the window once more. A few more hours... you thought. Just a few more hours to go... You started planning your escape. You would break the others out and then rescue Sakura. One of the others would have to carry her while you lead them underground to the feather. "And then we'll go..." you said, reaching the end of your train of thought. You waited five hours rethinking, planning and adding more things to your pockets before you decided it was time to move. "Okay...Time to do this," you whispered to yourself. You summoned your magic to your fingers and drew runes in the air. With your spell ready, you kicked the lock of the door and heard a scrape. You heard voices outside and kicked the lock again. It clicked. With one hand you twisted the door knob and pulled it open, hiding behind it. Two guards rushed into your room. You swung out from behind the door and tapped them in the chest with your spell. They grunted and collapsed under your forced sleep enchantment.
Fai POV
You, Kurogane, Syaoran and Mokona sat in your room. Syaoran sat noiselessly on his bed with his eyes closed because, after many attempts to see if he was okay, he protested and you left him alone. "I told you something wasn't right about this castle and that King," Kurogane muttered darkly. "Kuro-sama, you're so smart," you commented, trying to make light of the situation. "Shut up. See what happened? And that Princess? What kind of father would do that to his own child? I don't like it..." The ninja continued on with his rant, and you listened to him vent and protest. "Oh? Kuro-daddy, are those your paternal instincts speaking?" you asked in surprise with an undertone of teasing. "What the hell?!" the ninja shouted. You smiled coyly. "I see, I see. Kuro-daddy, you want to save Mayuna-chan and be a proper father to her," you concluded. "What? No way!" he denied. "Ah!? Kuro-run's blushing!" Mokona exclaimed, jumping on the ninja's shoulder in excitement. "Dammit, pork bun! Get off!" Kurogane growled, swiping at the creature that quickly jumped over to you. You caught him reflexively and let him stand in your lap. "Wah! Fai, Kurogane is so mean to me!" Mokona cried. "There, there. Kuro-sama is just embarrassed because we're right," you said, patting the magical creature's head. "No I'm not!" Kurogane snapped. You only smiled. "Mokona," Syaoran said, suddenly speaking up. "Huh?" Syaoran looked over to you and the magical creature. "Do you remember where you sensed the feather the strongest?" he asked. "Hey, kid. You're planning to break out of here and go get that feather?" Kurogane asked, looking up. "First we save Sakura," Syaoran reminded everyone. "Oh? And how will we get out of here?" you asked. Two loud bangs and shouts from the corridor interrupted your conversation. "What's happening?" Syaoran wondered. You heard footsteps heading towards your door. The guards that must have been posted outside your door shouted. The footsteps stopped and you heard grunting followed by several loud, but soft thumps. "Something's coming," Kurogane said, leaping off his own bed pressing his back against the wall. You and Syaoran both got up, ready to deal with whoever or whatever came through your door. The door jolted twice and something clicked. It swung open and to all of your surprise, Mayuna stood there in a black cloak. "Mayuna-hime!?" Syaoran exclaimed. What's going on? You stared at her curiously. "Shhhh! Not so loud!" she whispered. "What are you doing here? Weren't you locked in your room?" Kurogane asked. She glanced at him, and you noticed something different about her eyes. Before, she avoided your gazes, but you saw a deep sadness and submissiveness in them. Now, they had more of a shine in them, and you saw something of defiance flash. You smiled a little, but it faded when the light shifted and you noticed the darkening mark on her cheek from where her father hit her. "No time to explain. You're after a magic feather, correct?" she asked quickly, staring at Syaoran. You and the others were shocked. "How did you...?" Mokona trailed off. "Mokona, you spoke in your sleep and mentioned a feather. Are you looking for it or not?" Mayuna asked again. "We are," Syaoran confirmed. "Do you know anything about it?" he asked hopefully. The princess hesitated. "I do. I can take you to it, but first..." she said. "Sakura," Syaoran finished. "Right," Mayuna said. Was she thinking of escape the whole time? Something has changed, and not just in her eyes... you thought, studying the girl to see if you could figure it out. You came up with nothing. "Sakura-san is in my stepsister's room. This way," she said. She turned and quickly walked off. You and the others followed her. "Are all these guys dead?" Kurogane asked as you and the others stepped around the bodies in the hall. "......No. I put them to sleep," Mayuna replied. Something has definitely changed... You thought again, noticing her prolonged hesitation. She stopped outside of one door. "Quickly now," she whispered. Your eyes narrowed as she closed her eyes and scribbled symbols in the air. A sense of magic emanated from her, and you felt the focus point shift to her hand. Her palm glowed a light blue and she opened her eyes. "Okay," she said. She spun around in a tight circle and kicked the door before you could blink; something clicked in the lock, and she threw it open and jumped inside. Someone started to yell but when you stuck your head around the corner, Mayuna thrust her flat, glowing palm into Erisa's stomach and the girl keeled over and lay silent. "M-Mayuna-hime!?" Sakura's voice asked. "Sakura-san, don't worry. We're getting you out of here," Mayuna replied. "Sakura-hime," Syaoran said, stepping into the room. "Syaoran-kun!" Sakura exclaimed. "Fai-san! Kurogane-san!" she added, seeing you two. "Sakura!" Mokona said, jumping into the Clow Princess's arms. "Erisa is unconscious. Let's hurry, please," Mayuna said, hinting that you should hurry up the reunion pace. "Where are we going?" Sakura asked as Kurogane picked her up and held her against his chest. "To get your feather," Syaoran said. "Mayuna-hime will take us to it," you added. "Now let's go," said princess told you. She started off again, and you and the others followed close behind.
You followed her down hallways, and you vaguely recognized the path you took that afternoon only a few hours earlier. Back underground? You felt your shoulder sting for a spit second and remembered the monsters from the underground tunnels. What were those things...? Kuro-pon could hit them, but they kept coming back. And yet Mayuna-chan defeated them quickly, but how did she do it? The princess skidded to a halt. "Hey!" several voices shouted. She jumped forward, fingers flashing, and the guards dropped to the ground a moment later. "Quickly now!" she called. She ran faster, and you and the others picked up the pace. She led you to the door to the underground and ran in, skipping stairs as she ran down. You followed close behind as quickly as you could, but still trying to be careful since you couldn't see. How can she go so fast? I can barely see in front of me... you thought. Mayuna grabbed a torch at the bottom and struck the flint. The tacky end went up in flames and she lit every other torch before passing one to each of you. "Stay close behind me and keep to the walls," she ordered. She slowed to a walk and led you through pitch black tunnels and caverns. "It's much colder at night, but this is warm compared to my world," you commented. "The rock provides insulation, but the cold air from the collapsed tunnels is trapped in here," Mayuna said. She led you on for several minutes at a quck pace, but started to slow down. "We're coming to the oldest part of the castle. Be very careful," she warned you, stopping outside a niche in the wall. She held up her torch and you sucked in a breath. "Stairs?" Kurogane asked. "Syaoran! I feel the feather! It's coming from in there!" Mokona said from on top your head, pointing downs the stairs. "Let's go," Mayuna said. She started slowly down the stairs and you followed one by one. The stairs ended a moment later and after a long tunnel, it opened out into a small square cut room. "Where is this?" Syaoran asked, looking around. "This is the deepest part of the castle, and the deepest underground room," Mayuna explained. The room was bare except for a pillar in the center of the room. "What are these symbols?" Mokona asked, pointing to the side at something. You looked around. One single line of symbols ran around the three walls. "There's more on the pillar," Kurogane said. "What do they say?" you wondered aloud. The writing style was like nothing you had ever seen before.
"On my blood, I declare that this fan be sealed from further use. I fear that it will bring my country ruin, my people death, and my family suffering; may it be sealed forever," Mayuna said.
"What does that mean?" Sakura asked as Kurogane set her down. The Soshi Princess was silent. "That is what the runes around the wall say. The runes around the pillar are different, but they talk about the fan," Mayuna said. "Dammit, I still don't get it. What fan? Blood? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kurogane asked impatiently. "Like I told you earlier, my mother was a priestess, and she was responsible for ending the war eighteen years ago. Within that same time period, before I was born, my mother found a feather," Mayuna said. Everyone was silent, and you waited for her to continue. "She could sense that the feather had strange magical properties, and she thought that it was probably too powerful for any person to control. She had thought of a way to seal the feather, at least temporarily, and had an ornamental fan created for her. She sealed the feather to the fan in an attempt to seal its magic, but wasn't 100% successful. The ceremony practically sucked out all her power and she nearly died. She didn't, but she wasn't able to use magic again," Mayuna spoke tonelessly. You didn't know what to say, so you kept your mouth shut this time. "Okay, so we know what the wall says, how about this hunk a rock here?" Kurogane asked, rapping his knuckles against the pillar. Mayuna stepped over to examine it.
"If the need...arises for the power sealed in this stone, my blood on this rock will be the key...and may the on...worthy?...of this power come claim it. If one...unworthy...were to open the lock of this power...may God save us all." She read quietly, pausing every now and then to translate the symbols.
Your POV
Okaa-san, did you write this? You stared at the symbols you just translated. "So how do we get the feather out?" Mokona asked. 'May my blood upon this rock be key...' you repeated in your mind. I don't understand...Is this some kind of arcane riddle? 'My blood upon this rock...' What the hell does it want me to do, sacrifice something? This is so...confusing... you thought, studying the pillar. You walked around it and froze, eyes widening. 'Be key,' you finished your thought as you stared at an indentation on the back of the pillar. There was a small hole under one particular character you knew could be read as 'lock'. "Found it, I think," you said suddenly, and the others moved around to the back next to and behind you. "What is it?" Fai asked. "A hole?" Kurogane wondered. "The lock," you said, pointing the keyhole shaped indentation. "Okay, so where's the key?" the ninja asked. "My blood. The text says my mother's blood, but since I am her daughter, it's my blood as well," you declared. You reached into one of the cloak's pockets and fished out a small dagger. You slipped it out of its sheath and drew the tip of the blade across the tip of your middle finger. "Princess!?" Syaoran said. You pressed your bleeding finger into the keyhole as far as you could. You felt a shock similar to a static shock and pulled your finger out. A sharp crack shattered the silence and formed from the keyhole from floor to ceiling. The pillar started to crumble, and as it did so, something shone through the dust. It's the fan... you thought. A silver stand was partially revealed with a simple design. On top of the silver platform was a small glass dome, and within the dome there was a two pronged wire stand. A medium sized fan decorated with crimson, white and gold. A single white feather was fastened to the center of the fan. The pillar crumbled away and without its support, the silver stand fell to the ground, and the glass dome hit the dirt and shattered. "MEKYO!" Mokona shouted. "The feather!" Syaoran said. You bent over and picked up the fan, brushing a finger over the single plume. I can tell that the feather does have some kind of mysterious power... you thought. You studied the fan, seeing it up close. It was made of oiled mahogany wood, and simple designs were carved into the sides. The paper looked like high quality rice paper, and it was decorated with various colored inks, the most prominent being crimson, black and white. Gold filigree wove from side to side, and the feather sat in the middle of the open fan.
A small circle of black ink stretched from the base of the feather halfway up the fan, and in the center was a white feather with a purple heart pattern. You were about to pull the feather off when something exploded and tossed your group to the ground. "What the hell was that!?" Kurogane shouted, balancing himself. "The tunnel...It's collapsing! We need to get out of here!" you shouted. You grabbed stuffed the fan into a pocket just as a chunk of the ceiling crashed down behind you, sending flying to the ground. A large chunk of rock fell to your side and sprayed dust and gravel over you. "Let's go!" Syaoran yelled. Somebody grabbed your arm and hauled you up, and you both broke into a run for the stairs. You and the others fled up the stairs and ran as fast as you could, waving the torches in front of you to see what lay ahead. Something jumped out in front of you and you skidded to a stop. The creature roared savagely and smashed its arms at you. Your reflex kicked in and you sketched out a symbol in the air. You accidentally thrust a palm into the creature's neck and the Kaijuu let out an agonizing scream before bursting into rubble. "Hurry up!" Kurogane shouted. You ran off again, shooting down the halls with the others close behind. Even the reinforced tunnel you were in was collapsing. Sakura screamed when a chunk of the ceiling crashed and shattered in front of Kurogane. "We're almost to the stairs! Don't stop running!" you yelled. You and the others reached the bottom and flew up the stairs, skipping steps at a time. It seemed that he explosion woke everyone in the castle. Guards and others were screaming and shouting and running everywhere. Women pulled their children out of the barracks as parts of the floor collapsed beneath their feet. You pushed your way through the throng of people, heading towards an exit. You managed to make it through between several guards and veered off to the side. Syaoran and the others joined you a moment later. All of you suddenly froze as an absolutely enraged shout boomed across the castle. You paled and felt faint when you realized that that person was your father and what he said was your name.
"We need to keep running..." you said, forcing yourself to your feet. The others got up, but before you could take one step, a small troop of magicians, soldiers and the last person you wanted to see surrounded you and the others. "Mayuna..." your father said, seething in rage. "Exactly what do you think you are DOING?!" The big man roared. You cowered back. Nothing would calm you father down this time but your head on a silver platter. And he would put it there himself. "My castle is ruined! You have betrayed your country, your family and your King! I will kill you on the spot for all of this!" your father screamed, drawing a sword. "Mayuna-hime!" Syaoran yelled. One magician fired off a spell and blasted the others backwards. "You attacked your own family, girl. You will never inherit my kingdom!!" your father was shouting. "Kill her!" he screamed at the mages beside him. You turned terrified eyes on the magicians. They chanted and drew in the air with their fingers before sending spells and curses at you. You bolted. You shot off and away from the mages who chased you. A lightning bolt struck the ground in front of you and you felt it sear your cheek as it arched past. You whipped around and stared at the oncoming magicians. "I have no choice..." you said to yourself. You held your hands out in front of you and summoned your magic. You drew runes in the air and prepared yourself. The other magicians launched attacks at you. You side stepped and slammed both hands onto the ground. The earth below the magicians trembled and split. They didn't know what was coming and by the time they did it was too late and they were sucked into the ground as it closed up again. The soldiers and your father stared at you in shock at your display of magic that's supposed to be forbidden to women. "Men, kill her!" your father ordered; the soldiers charged. You drew out more symbols in the air for another spell. You hit the ground once with your palm and waited. The soldiers stopped their charge in anticipation of an attack. The ground in front of them ripped itself apart before mending itself. The soldiers resumed their attack, but the minute they stepped forward, your spell activated. The earth swelled and rolled under their feet, tossing them to the sides like rag dolls. They only remaining one was your father, and there you knew you were doomed. "Forbidden magic! Who do you think you are!? Women should NEVER use magic! How dare you!?" your father yelled. You were silent. As much as you didn't want to get any nearer to your angry father, Syaoran and the others were in that direction. You slowly drew closer until you got near to them. "Are you alright?" you asked them, keeping your eyes on your father. "Hyuu...That surprised me," Fai said, sitting up. "Dammit! I hated this world as soon as we got here...I knew it would turn out to be no good!" Kurogane growled. "Gomenasai..." you apologized. "What?" The ninja asked. "I'm sorry...about all of this. For all the trouble I've caused you. You were injured and treated badly because of me..." you said. "It's not your fault, Mayuna-hime," Syaoran said, getting up. He walked over to help Sakura up. "Protecting those travelers, Mayuna?" your father asked. You stepped to the side and in front of the others; you stood between them and you father. "I will. They did not deserve the treatment they received from you," you said, trying to stay strong. "Enough. I have had enough. You disobedience has reached its limit, and I will tolerate it no longer," your father said. He held his sword at the ready before running forward at full speed towards you. You froze, but the others were spurred to action. Someone jerked you to the side and held you close, and the others immediately jumped away. "That was dangerous..." Fai's voice said in your ear. He held you gently, but firmly, against him. "Damn it, what the hell do we do now?!" Kurogane demanded from somewhere to your left. "How are we supposed to win without any weapons?!"
Your father jumped forward and took a swing at Kurogane who leaned back, but was too slow. The tip of your dad's blade raked the ninja across the chest and drew blood. "Kurogane-san!" you shouted, squirming a little in Fai's grip. "Stay here. If you try to stop them, you'll only get hurt. Or worse, killed," Fai said, tightening his grasp. "My father will kill him!" you protested, struggling harder. "Damn it..." the ninja cursed, narrowly evading another attack. "Kurogane-san, I'll-" "Stay there! Protect the girl!" Kurogane snapped at Syaoran, who looked like he was ready to help. The ninja jumped and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a serious blow. "If only I had a sword! That damn witch...I'll get her for this!" Kurogane growled with a couple of swears. Your eyes snapped wide open. Sword... You knew what you could do to help. You twisted in Fai's arms and pulled off your cloak. "What are you-" "No time to explain," you snapped, cutting the magician off. You thrust your hand into one of the cloak's pockets, searching for the bundle you had shoved in there earlier. Your hand wrapped around something solid and you pulled it out with one smooth movement. Ignoring Fai's look of absolute astonishment, you ripped at the leather cords that held the fabric closed, and pulled the bag open. You grabbed one of the items in the bag and pulled it out: it was the longsword. "Kurogane-san!" you shouted, pushing Fai off of you and standing up. His attention flickered to you as he dodged again, and you noticed his eyes immediately go to the sword. With all you strength, you twirled around and flung the sword in his direction. He snatched it out of the air, unsheathed it, and blocked a swing from your father in an instant. "Heh. About time to turn things around," he said, smirking. Kurogane pushed your father back, and the two men jumped apart. They clashed several times, and you noticed that your father didn't seem to have an advantage anymore. Kurogane pushed the King back once more. "You're strong, boy," your father told the ninja. "So are you. It looks like this is a fight I'll be able to enjoy," Kurogane replied. They collided again and again, and you could do nothing but watch in amazement. Kurogane-san is on equal footing with Father...Amazing...Who are these people?
"Why do you stand in my way? Why do you protect a stranger you just met?" your father inquired, blocking another swing. "No reason....But you see, the kid there...That girl has something he wants for the Princess back there," Kurogane said. You blinked and turned your head to Syaoran and Sakura. The feather... you thought, putting a hand into the pocket of the cloak and wrapping your fingers around the folded fan. "And yet you'll still protect a complete stranger just to get this thing?" your father asked, swinging hard. Kurogane parried the attack. "Maybe I will," he replied. "Foolish!" your father cried. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a hidden dagger. "Kurogane-san!" you yelled, noticing the glint of light off the metal. Your father threw the dagger and it lodged itself in the ninja's arm. He lashed out with his sword and cut Kurogane on his left cheek. You were about to run over when Fai wrapped his arms around you from behind. "Let me go. Please, let me go!" you said, struggling. "It's too dangerous!" the magician replied, trying to hold you still. "Don't worry. Kuro-sama can handle it," Fai tried to reassure you. You ignored him and struggled harder. You broke free and took a few steps away and towards the swordsmen. You made a seal with your left hand and snapped your fingers. Shimmering runes traced themselves into the air. You muttered and incantation and started your spell. A harsh breeze picked up. I know I cannot kill my father, but I can force him away... you thought, sharpening your magic. When you reached the level you wanted, you pushed your hands out in front of you and made a target seal, aiming for your father. I will protect Syaoran and the others... you told yourself. Without another thought, you released the magic. Wind roared towards your father and circled around him. You saw his mouth open to shout something, but he couldn't be heard above the noise level. Aiming with both hands, you moved both arms out to one side. The wind picked up your father and he was hurled through the air and into the center of the collapsing castle. When the winds died out, you fell to your knees, panting for breath. You and the others went over to Kurogane who just pulled the dagger out of his arm. "Kurogane-san!" Sakura exclaimed. "It's fine!" the ninja replied. You stared up at him apologetically, blaming yourself for not acting fast enough. He glanced at you. "Don't look at me like that! And don't you dare say it was your fault!" he snarled at you. You gulped. "H-Hai," you said quickly. "Whew! That was tough! I was scared," Mokona said, popping out of Syaoran's shirt. "You hid the whole time, you pork bun!?" Kurogane yelled. "MEKYO!" Mokona exclaimed again, ignoring the ninja. "There! It's Sakura's feather!" The little creature said. The others stared at you now; there was an awkward silence. "Well, I said I would give it to you..." you said slowly, unfolding the fan and for the feather. "Really?" Syaoran asked hopefully. You hesitated, nodded, and pulled the feather off the fan. You stared at the feather in your hand. "I'll give it to you..." you said again, "On one condition."
Syaoran POV
A condition... you thought, starting to look serious. "What condition?" you asked. "Take me with you," Mayuna replied immediately. "That's completely out of the question!" Kurogane said. "We're only traveling because we have to! And the point is to find the feathers, not another brat to take care of!" He added. You saw Mayuna's face fall, but she wasn't ready to give up. "Please! Take me with you! I won't be a burden, I swear! I can't stay here...I can't stay here anymore!" she said. She was almost to the point of tears, and you noticed something in her eyes. Terror. She's terrified of being left here... you realized. "No way. No," Kurogane refused. "Hmm. I have to agree with Kuro-sama on this one. Besides, it will be dangerous to travel around with us," Fai said. "I don't care! I don't care how dangerous it is, I can't possibly stay here! My father...If my father finds me..." she trailed off. Mokona shifted on your shoulder and made a whining noise. "She's so scared..." it mumbled. You turned your head to look at the little creature. "She's scared of that King. She doesn't want to be alone anymore. She wants to be free," it whispered. "Mokona can feel it," it added, making another noise. "Mayuna-hime..." you said. Her eyes locked on yours, trusting, hopeful. Dammit...What do I do? You weighed the possibilities, the pros and cons, of having another companion if she paid the price. On the bright side, another companion meant you had a larger group and it would be easier to fight against larger numbers of people if anything happened. And she could use magic, something that Fai could, but wouldn't, use. On the dark side, you knew next to nothing about her; but you didn't know anything much about Kurogane or Fai either. She, like any of the others, could be injured or something. And on top of that, she doesn't have the power to cross worlds. "I don't know what to do..." you said. "Say yes!" she begged you. "Mokona?" you called, asking for help. "Mm...Mokona will ask Yuuko!" the creature said. It hopped off your shoulder and onto the ground. The jewel on its forehead glowed, and projected an image of the Witch of Dimensions. "Oh, Mokona? Is there something you need?" she asked. "Someone wants to travel with us..." Mokona said, pointing at Mayuna.
Your POV
You stared at the woman in the projection in awe. She had pale skin, long black hair tied in an elaborate style, and crimson eyes. You could see every detail, even though it was a projection. Something like this would be too advanced to even think about in your world. When Mokona pointed at you, the woman shifted her attention. "Oh? And who is this?" she asked you. "My name is Mayuna. Mayuna Ibaraki, of Soshi Country," you introduced. "She's a Princess!" Mokona interjected. "I see. Well, Princess of Soshi, Mayuna-hime...I am the Witch of Dimensions, but you may call me Yuuko," the woman said. "Yuuko...-san," you said, testing the name. "And? What is your wish?" the witch asked. "My...wish?" you asked. "Yuuko is the Witch of Dimensions. She can grant your wish, just tell her what it is!" Mokona said. "To leave. My wish is to leave this world and never return," you said quickly, staring at the witch. She was quiet, and you could tell she was studying you. "I cannot grant that wish," she said finally. "Why not!?" you demanded. "The price for that wish is too great, and you would be unable to pay it," the witch said. "A...A price?" you asked uncertainly. What kind of price? "For every wish, a price of equal value must be paid. That is the way things are. Your wish has a price that is too much for you to pay, so I cannot grant it," the witch said. You felt your hopes crashing as the possibility of escape vanished. "But..." the witch said. You looked up. "To be able to travel through worlds, many worlds, with Syaoran, Sakura and the others on a quest for feathers...If that was your wish, I could grant it. For a price," the Witch of Dimensions said. You felt the hope again. "Really?" you asked her. "Hey, come on now!" Kurogane said. "Well? What will you wish for?" Yuuko asked you. You looked at Syaoran. You couldn't discern anything from his expression. Sakura seemed to have mixed feelings. She looked worried, but also looked hopeful. Fai, you had no idea what he was thinking. He simply smiled. You didn't even have to look at Kurogane. You knew his opinion. "It may be selfish...but I..." you said. You looked back at the witch. "I want to travel with Syaoran and the others. I'll help them on their search for other feathers," you said. "Very well. And for your price, I shall take that pendant around your neck," Yuuko said. You froze, wide eyed. "Huh? What pendant?" Mokona asked, craning his neck to see if there was a chain. "There is...nothing else that would suffice?" you asked. "Nothing. The price for this wish is the thing that is most important to you. The others have already paid their price with their most important thing. If you want me to grant your wish, your pendant is my price," Yuuko said with a tone of finality. You raised a hand to your chest, feeling the hard lump between your breasts. Mother's heirloom... you thought sadly. "I..." you started to say. You hesitated. "...I accept. I will...I will pay this price," you said softly. You reached into your shirt and grabbed the object. You reached behind your neck and unclasped its chain and pulled it out for the others to see. A small, rice shaped sapphire two inches long hung from a silver chain. Delicate and intricate swirls of silver spiraled over the gem. It was your mother's heirloom, but even if it was a piece of string, it would still be your most precious thing. "Wow!" Fai exclaimed. "It's beautiful!" Sakura said. "Yuuko-san...Please take it," you said, holding it out. "Very well. Mokona," she said. The pendant slowly floated in the air and over to Mokona. It dropped into his open mouth and he swallowed it. A second later, Yuuko held it up in her hand for you to see. "The price has been paid. Now, when Mokona takes the others to a different world, you will go with them," Yuuko said. You were quiet for a moment. "Arigato...Yuuko-san. The pendant...Please keep it safe," you said. "Don't worry. I shall take good care of it. Good luck on your journey. Goodbye," Yuuko said. The hologram vanished, and you were alone with the others again. "Great..." Kurogane grumbled. "Well, what's done is done. It looks like Mayuna-hime will be traveling with us now," Fai said. "Please, call me Mayuna. I never really liked being a princess..." you said. "Well then, Mayuna-chan will be traveling with us," Fai corrected himself, smiling again. You smiled lightly back. "Ah, Sakura-san. Your feather," you said. You handed it to Syaoran who smiled at you. He held it to Sakura's chest and you watched as it was absorbed into her body. She slumped over and Syaoran caught her. "Don't worry. This will happen whenever Sakura-chan gets a feather back. They are her memories, so we're traveling through different worlds to get them back," Fai explained. "I see," you said. Mokona jumped into the air and you felt a surge of magic. Wings expanded and he flew in a small circle. A magic circle spread out beneath your feet. "Mokona Modoki is also excited!" it yelled. "Papuu!" it said, flying around. He took a deep breath. Swirls of magic surrounded you, and you felt a strong suction; you were sucked into Mokona's mouth, and the next thing you knew, you were falling slowly through a blue tube with yellow lights every several yards. You felt like you could swim. So this is traveling to a different world... you thought. You looked to your sides. Syaoran was holding Sakura and pulling her with him. Kurogane and Fai were on your other side. You kicked behind you and started swimming in the air. Sugoi... you thought in awe. You 'swam' ahead of the others happily. "Someone's having fun," someone said. You glanced behind you. Fai was smiling, and it looked like he was laughing at you. "This is amazing..." you said. You flipped around, and the magician chuckled. You and the others reached the end. With a flash of bright light, the next sensation you had was falling, and before you knew it, you were in the next world.
