Chapters: 1 - 2 - 3

When Worlds Collide
Chapter 1 - Unexpected Events

“AHHHHHH!”
The wind which was swirling about them abruptly ceased, and they fell with a dull thud onto a large pile of autumn leaves. Some leaves flew into the air by the force of their fall, and started drifting downwards onto their heads like snow.
“Phew! What a ride!” Fye giggled, as he tried to brush away some leaves which had gotten tangled in his shoulder-length blond hair.
Kurogane spat out some leaves which had gotten stuffed in his mouth and moaned, “Oh, no. Not another crazy world.”
“Tee hee! I’ve done it again!” Mokona exclaimed, jumping up and down in sheer joy.
Syaoran sluggishly stood on his feet. “Where are we?” He offered a hand to Sakura and helped her up.
“Beats me,” Fye said. “But we seem to be in some sort of private garden, right?”
And indeed, Fye’s observation rang true. A large building was situated just ten feet away from them, possibly some sort of residence, and they were surrounded by even smaller buildings, which were all somehow connected to the large mansion. The area was littered with trees evenly spaced between themselves, and orderly-trimmed hedges and flower bushes were scattered here and there about the well-kept enclosure. There was even a fountain with a statue, depicting a bird with massive wings outstretched in the center, as if ready to take off. Water gushed out of its open beak into the pool around it, the sound of the water running so making the place seem somewhat ethereal and unreal.
Kurogane gingerly got up and proceeded to rid his long cloak of the remaining leaves which refused to part with it, mumbling, “Fine mess we’re in. What if someone catches us here?”
“Who would catch us here?” Fye asked him with a large smile.
Kurogane snorted with contempt. “The people in that house for one. This is definitely a private compound. They’d think we were intruding, wouldn’t they? ”
“Kurogane-san does have a point,” Sakura commented. “They might regard us with more than an overdose of hostility.”
“So in other words: let’s go,” Fye grinned.
“Let’s go,” Mokona said, sounding just like Fye.
“Wai! I just love it when you imitate voices!” Fye laughed as he cuddled Mokona.
Sakura and Syaoran sweat-dropped uneasily, exchanging looks, and Kurogane slapped his forehead in exasperation, muttering, “What idiots.”
They exited through the garden gate (which was thankfully unlocked) and followed a small path, which led away from the mansion complex, and onto a worn-paved road. It was very wide, and went on for miles. Even by shading their eyes against the late sun they couldn’t make out the end of it.
The terrain was hilly, dotted here and there with a few sparse trees, and there were also many rice fields, which had just been harvested. In the distance, mountains could be discerned, but they were still too far to be clearly seen; they merely accepted the fact that a large mountain range was probably situated there.
“Wow! It looks so picturesque!” Sakura sighed happily.
“What does?” Syaoran asked her curiously.
“The whole setting,” Sakura said, then struggled to explain what she meant. “The hills, the fields, the mountains — everything. The whole area. It seems so peaceful, and… breath-taking.”
“Hmm… I see what you mean.” Fye smiled. “Nature sure can seem that way sometimes.”
“Yeah… ” Syaoran agreed. “I was always fascinated by nature; my tou-san and I used to travel to lots of different countries, and some of the sights we saw were simply beautiful.”
Mokona hopped up and down on Fye’s head. “Me too! Me too! Yuuko always takes us to wonderful parks with lakes and woods and everything!”
“Back in my world, we had huge mountains perpetually covered in snow. It was a very cold country… ” Fye’s voice trailed on as they continued walking along the road.
Kurogane frowned and crossed his arms. This discussion wasn’t taking a very good turn in his opinion. Nature and sights and that kind of stuff interested him not in the least. And Sakura’s comment on this world’s geography made him feel… homesick, though he didn’t want to admit it. The whole place reminded him of Japan, as it seemed to resemble this world very much. If this place was Japan, it would be autumn now, Kurogane silently thought. But he was brought out of his stupor upon hearing Syaoran’s voice.
“Do you feel Sakura-hime’s feather, Mokona?”
Mokona climbed down from Fye’s head and cocked his ears. “I feel strong vibes, but they’re far away,” he stated. “We need to follow this road.”
The five of them started along it once more, their shoes making the characteristic clopping sound against the paved stone. Or, the four of them would be a better term, for Mokona had climbed onto Syaoran’s head, and had started singing (much to Kurogane’s dismay).
After a while Fye paused. “This looks like a sort of highway,” he commented, tapping his foot against the stone. “But I don’t see any buildings. Just that mansion we came from in the first place.”
“It’s probably some kind of an estate, belonging to some wealthy daimyo or another,” Kurogane stated, after a long pause had followed Fye’s remark. “If that’s the case, then all the nearby lands are his.”
“And is this ‘daimyo’ an important title?” Syaoran asked him, longing to find out more (and feverently hoping that Kurogane would continue). He had always been fascinated by different cultures and civilizations.
“It depends,” Kurogane grunted. “Where I come from some daimyos are more important than others. Each daimyo holds land, and has warriors and retainers in his service. He is allowed to use them only in accordance with the Law, and only if the Princess approves that his actions are suitable.”
“And where do ninjas fit in?” Fye asked him slyly. “I mean, in your homeworld’s structure?”
Kurogane frowned, as if wondering how much he should say. “Ninjas work for the Princess. As the daimyos have private warriors, the Princess also has a Personal Guard, which consists of ninjas.”
“And what’s your job?” Sakura asked him. “What does the Personal Guard do?”
Kurogane paused. “Our main job is to protect Tomoyo-hime from spies, intruders and assassins,” he finally said.
“Hmm… but that still doesn’t really explain why she got rid of you,” Fye grinned. “You had said once that she had forced you to the Dimensional Witch’s place. You never said why.” Fye took on an innocent look (which didn’t look at all innocent). “How about you tell us?”
“Not likely,” Kurogane growled. He had no intention whatsoever of ever revealing that his killing-obsession was his downfall, which had miraculously lessened with the few years that had passed.
“Aw, come on! We’re supposedly one big happy family! We can’t have secrets between us!” He took on this sappy, honeyed look, and smiled at him.
Kurogane cringed with that description of their group. He shot a glance at Fye and shuddered at his expression. “Good grief; act your age, would you? You’re not some little girl.”
Fye quickly sobered up with this remark. “Aren’t you going to spill the beans already, Kuro-tan?” he asked him almost whimsically, after a few moments of silence.
Kurogane crossed his arms. “I’ll tell if you tell,” he said, glaring at Fye. He knew that Fye wouldn’t reveal anything, so he was perfectly all right; there would be no need to confess his past.
Fye’s mouth opened slightly in surprise. “Oh, you are tricky,” he chuckled abstractedly, and looked ahead, saying no more.
Syaoran frowned, as he looked from Kurogane to Fye. Now that he thought about it, he really didn’t know anything about their pasts. Only that Kurogane was a ninja, and that Fye was a wizard. How was it that he had come to trust total strangers? Just because they were traveling together? Because they were helping him to find Sakura’s feathers? Or was it for a different reason? He felt in the depths of his very being that he could trust them, although he couldn’t explain why, even if he tried.
As they continued along the road, they noticed that the sun cast even longer shadows with each passing minute, and that the temperature was slowly dropping. They had been walking for some time now, but had seen nothing that resembled a city, town, village, or at least an inn, to stay the night.
Sakura then sneezed.
“Bless you,” Mokona giggled.
“Thanks,” she sniffed. “I’m just a little cold, that’s all.”
“Hmm… she’s right,” Fye said as he came to an abrupt stop. “It’s nearing nightfall and here we are without shelter. What a fix we’re in,” he sighed.
“Maybe we can find a village or a city if we continue along the highway,” Syaoran suggested. “Or perhaps an inn.”
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Kurogane growled. “If that estate really did belong to some sort of a daimyo we aren’t likely to find anything like that.”
The group sat in silent thought for a few moments.
But just then the gloomy darkness was punctuated by a faint sound of hooves in the distance, from behind them; riders were approaching.
Kurogane bent to the ground and placed his ear against the road.
“Er… What are you doing?” Sakura asked him curiously, sweat-dropping.
“I’m trying to listen,” he grunted in response. After a few moments he got up. “They’re about twenty riders, and they must be armed because their mounts are weighed down. They’re rapidly nearing us.”
“Hyu! That trick is so cool!” Fye smiled. “Only a ninja would think of doing something like that!”
“Psh,” was Kurogane’s response. He longed to decapitate him, but thought better of it, for he would need his sword in top form soon enough, he believed. And anyway, he was tired, and feeling slightly drowsy. He furiously shook his head. Not now, he thought. There might be trouble. I need to be alert.
“But they might not want to cause us harm. They might be able to help us find shelter,” Sakura pointed out.
“So we wait,” Syaoran said. “And act when they act.”
Fye nodded in response, dropping his airy manner. They turned to meet the riders.
They finally saw the group of riders in the distance. The riders seemed tiny at first, but as they got closer, the group got bigger and bigger. Soon it was clear that Kurogane had been correct, for there were about twenty riders in total, on large horses, and although they wore long black cloaks which obscured the fact if they wore armor or not, it was plainly evident that they were at least armed, for long, bright blades were at their sides.
They reined up their mounts when they were about thirty feet from the travelers. The rider in the lead, whose face was obscured under their cloak’s large hood, took one look at them and, drawing their sword and pointing it at them, cried, “Attack!”
Then the riders charged at them.
Kurogane acted immediately. He unsheathed Souhi, took on a battle pose, and said to Syaoran, “Get her out of here. This could get ugly.” He indicated Sakura with a nod.
Syaoran quickly led her to a large rock near the road and told her to hide behind it and stay clear of the fighting. “You’ll be fine,” he added. “Mokona, stay with her.”
“I sure will,” Mokona said, but his tone of voice had also changed. It was anxious now, and sounded scared.
Then Syaoran returned to the others. Fye brandished a long stick as he spread his feet apart, ready to strike. Syaoran drew Hien. Please help me, he silently thought to the sword. Give me strength to protect Sakura.
Then the two opposing groups clashed.
Fye whipped out at the riders with his long pole, unhorsing some of them, then whacking at the ones who fell, trying to render them senseless.
Kurogane deftly parried with many of them, and threw most of them from their horses. He would then attack at them with Souhi, but he would never strike at them; instead he would knock them out with the hilt of his sword.
Syaoran wondered at that, but had no time to contemplate it, for he was being attacked on three sides at once. He raised his sword in defense, and then, as the warriors were about to lunge at him, Syaoran’s right eye seared painfully, and he felt that he had no control over his limbs. He swung Hien at them, and they fell back, surprise on their faces at this sudden display of power. Syaoran, unwillingly, lunged at the one nearest to him, and started violently parrying with him.
What’s going on?! Syaoran thought as he easily avoided his opponent’s thrust at him. I can’t control myself! He nimbly jumped out of the way of the sword swinging at him, and Hien clashed against it. Could it be Hien? Could my wish to protect Sakura cause the sword to take over? Or… He gasped silently. Could what Kurogane-san have said about being inexperienced with a sword be true? That if the user is inexperienced the sword will turn on the user? And the thing that the user wants to protect?! He slashed at his opponent violently. But what does it have to do with my eye? The opponent clumsily avoided Syaoran’s blow.
Kurogane shot a chance glance at Syaoran during the general melee. What the—? He silently exclaimed at the way Syaoran was battling. By sheer force, his swings hiding immeasurable power. Something’s not right—! He then abruptly turned as another warrior attacked him, forced to abandon his thoughts.
Fye also noticed this and frowned. That can’t be right, he thought as he saw Syaoran battle. I sense… someone… But he was not allowed any more thoughts as he defended himself against another attacker.
Syaoran still had not regained control over his limbs, and now was looming above his fallen opponent. The opponent’s eyes were wide with fear. Syaoran raised Hien.
NO! I don’t want to kill! Then his eye shot through with pain again, and he felt that he had complete control over himself again. Syaoran wavered. How…?
Then a triumphant yell pierced the air. “If you three don’t give yourselves up, I’ll kill her.”
Fye, Syaoran, and Kurogane turned as one. They saw that one of the riders — the lead rider — had Sakura. The rider held a fistful of Sakura’s hair in one hand, and the other hand was holding a long sword, its tip right at Sakura’s throat.
Syaoran made to move towards her but stopped for two reasons. One reason was because Fye had put his hand on his shoulder, restraining him, and the other was the rider themself, who said, “If you take one more step I’ll kill her.”
Syaoran froze. What was he to do?
“Do you give yourselves up?”
Kurogane and Fye exchanged nervous glances. This was indeed a sticky situation.
Fye then cleared his throat. “If we do, do you promise that no harm will come to the girl?”
The rider paused, as if considering Fye’s words. “For now,” they finally answered.
There was another pause, as the trio stood frozen in place, unsure of what to do.
“Alright,” Syaoran finally said heavily.
“Through down your weapons,” the rider ordered.
Kurogane and Syaoran sheathed their swords and tossed them at their feet. Fye also tossed his pole, although it wasn’t really a weapon relatively speaking.
“Restrain them,” the rider told two of the attackers.
They stepped forwards and tied the trio’s hands behind their backs with thick cords of ropes. They were very rough about it, and bound the ropes tightly, not caring if they cut their blood circulation, and pushed them down to their knees when they finished, before the leader.
The lead rider did likewise to Sakura and led her to the others, where she was also forced down on her knees. Sakura looked at Syaoran with a frightened expression on her face. Syaoran tried to smile assuringly at her, but it wouldn’t come out; he was well aware of the serious predicament they were in.
The lead rider dismounted and approached the four of them. They stood before them, their hands at their sides. “You four don’t seem to be from around here,” they said in a quiet voice, which carried however, for everyone was silent. “And I couldn’t help but notice that your fighting skills are superior to ours, yet you did not kill any of our warriors. Why is that?”
None of them answered.
“Don’t make it more difficult for you than it already is. All I want to know is where you’re from and what your intentions are.”
Again, silence.
“Speak!” the rider commanded, and slapped Sakura full in the face. Sakura’s expression was one of pain and shock; Syaoran’s was one of outrage.
“You said you wouldn’t hurt her!” Syaoran exclaimed in fury.
“I had said that I wouldn’t hurt her for now. But since you seem to have a soft spot for this girl, instead of trying to draw out answers from you by force, you will assuredly be more willing to speak if I threaten to harm her in any way.” The rider unsheathed their sword and pointed it at Sakura’s throat. “So… what will it be? The easy way or the hard way?”
Syaoran trembled with suppressed rage. How could he protect Sakura tied up? And even if he did speak they wouldn’t believe him; so either way Sakura would be… What was he to do?
Fye’s only evident reaction was a frown, but in reality he withheld the rest of his strong emotion of anger which was threatening to bubble to the surface. They had made a deal with the attacker, and they were going back on their words. Fye’s thoughts were exactly like Syaoran’s; either way Sakura would be hurt, for they wouldn’t believe a word they would say, and they couldn’t do anything restrained thus.
But it was Kurogane who made the first move. “And how do we know you’re telling the truth?” he asked, trying to control the tone of his voice; he also strongly felt that the rider’s treatment of Sakura after giving them their word they wouldn’t harm her was unjust. “If you had really wanted to kill her you would have done it by now.”
Fye sweat-dropped uneasily. What is he thinking of, trying to provoke the leader? He could get us in serious trouble!
Syaoran’s eyes widened. What is he doing?! He’s putting Sakura-hime’s life on the line!
Sakura gave a slight gasp. It’s all my fault; if I hadn’t been so frightened… Now Kurogane-san is going to be punished in my place!
The rider removed their sword-point from Sakura’s throat and pointed it at Kurogane’s instead. “Are you willing to risk that I won’t?” the leader asked him in a low voice.
“It’s obvious you have no such intention,” Kurogane replied smugly.
“What makes you say that?” The rider’s tone of voice was now more curious than menacing, in contrast with before.
“Because the way you bargained with us before was half-assed. When the kid over there took that one step towards you you should have killed the girl because of his unwillingness to give up.” Kurogane smiled maliciously. “So that’s why I say you have no real intention of killing her. If you had, you would have already done it by now.”
There was an extremely long pause. Then the rider said in a low voice, “Stand up.”
When Kurogane made no move to get up he was unceremoniously yanked to his feet by two of the attackers behind them.
The leader looked him up and down. “You sound familiar… ” They took a step towards Kurogane. “And you look familiar… ” The rider frowned, but the frown was unseen under their large hood. Another moment passed. “Kurogane?!” the leader then exclaimed.
Kurogane frowned, curiosity and confusion written plainly on his face.
The rider pulled back their hood.
It was a woman with shortly cut dark hair which reached her shoulders. She had green eyes, and her skin was dark. Around her forehead was a white band of cloth with a black crescent moon. She smiled.
Kurogane’s mouth dropped open in surprise as he started violently. “Souma?!” he gasped.

Credits
+ CLAMP takes credit for TRC; all characters respectfully belong to them.
+ What Kurogane says about daimyo, aka lords, is true; I researched it and they did have private warriors. But I've changed it slightly. I made out that the daimyo all answer to Tomoyo, and that they only use the warriors according to the Law; all me. And the Personal Guard is my idea, too.

Chapters: 1 - 2 - 3