The sun was just beginning to set as Kurogane gruffly opened the door to his small desert house and removed his cloak. He closed the door and locked it, though CLow Country did not really have any thieves, it was a habit drilled into him from memories of countries much less peaceful.

Irritably, he shook the sand out of his hair and off his clothes with a grumble. A picture of his adopted father, Fujitaka, stared up at him and he cringed, hating the way his heart crumbled in his chest. The light of the setting sun caused a garish glare, so bright that he could not see the actual image, but he knew it by heart.

His adopted father was ruffling his hair while Kurogane swatted at the long fingers, his annoyance betrayed by a wide smile. It had been his father's dream to excavate the ruins, and now that he was gone Kurogane worked every day to accomplish that goal, hoping in some way that he could pay he could repay the man who had done so much for him.

"Kuro-wan" Kurogane turned quickly, accidentally bashing his arm against the table on which the picture sat. He reached out to try and grab it, but he wasn't quite quick enough and the frame fell to the floor with a large crack.

The glass shattered and the wooden frame cracked, leaving it ruined. It was the frame Fujitaka had given him. It was his only remaining picture of his father, and that idiot just had to come along and ruin it!

"You idiot!" Kurogane roared, glaring at the prince of his country, who was currently dangling halfway through one of the circular windows, chin resting on his arms.

"Oops! Kuro-tan shouldn't be so clumsy!" He wiggled the rest of the way through and grabbed a cloth to carefully gather the pieces together. "I'll by Kuro-pyon a new one tomorrow," he said, smiling up at his childhood friend.

Kurogane took a deep breath and released it slowly, trying to will his anger away along with the exhaled air. It was a technique Yukito, the kingdom's priest had shown him when he'd first arrived and was caught trying to throttle Fay (the little punk had called him 'Kuro-sama' upon their first meeting like it was the most natural thing in the world.)

That technique, mixed with the smile Fay gave him, the one that seemed reserved especially for him, fragile and sincere and totally unlike the fake ones he gave the courtiers and other guests, calmed him enough so that he didn't have the urge to kill pounding through his veins.

Nothing could stop him from being angry and just a little hurt though.

"Get out." He pushed Fay towards the door and slammed it shut after him, locking both it and the windows and ignoring the calls of Kuro-pi and wounded hyuus. He turned towards the broken glass and sighed, a surprisingly emasculate thing for him to do.

"Whatever," he'd deal with the broken glass and prince tomorrow.

After all, in the seven years since he'd come to this country, Fay had managed to weasel his way past Kurogane's defenses and settle himself comfortably in a spot somewhere between 'best friend' and a category Kurogane didn't want to touch yet, because it made his heart pound and his 15 year old body tingle.

Kurogane entered his small room, changed his clothes, and quickly fell asleep.

He awoke later that night to the sounds of somebody tiptoeing around his kitchen rather noisily (they'd bumped into the pots and pans and were cursing rather loudly at the moment.) Rolling his eyes, Kurogane got up and silently slipped out of the bedroom and into the small, functional kitchen.

"What are you doing here?" He asked the prince, who spun around guiltily, a finger stuck in his mouth as he sorted through Kurogane's belongings, apparently searching for something.

A jerk rushed through Kurogane's body as he saw Fay's finger in his mouth, though he didn't know why, and suddenly he felt extremely vulnerable standing there in nothing but his ratty sleeping pants. Fay paused too, his eyes traveling over Kurogane's chest in apparent fascination and a light pink color shading his cheeks.

"Maa, Kuro-sama," Fay popped his finger out of his mouth. "I came over early to clean the glass." A bit of blood streamed down his finger tip and Kurogane resisted the urge to rant, instead crossing his arms and pulling the first aid kit out of the cupboard over the oven.

"Come here," he told the blond prince, motioning over to the kitchen table.

Fay was silent as Kurogane wrapped his finger, though Kurogane wasn't as surprised as he would have been four years ago. Behind Fay's cheeriness lingered a startlingly intelligent mind and a seriousness that bordered on apathy.

"Hey, Kuro-sama," Fay's eyes were covering his hair. "I'm sorry about yesterday. Next time I'll knock."

"Che," Kurogane grumbled, trying to hide his blush. "It's fine."

Fay gave him a blinding smile before leaning forward, so far that Kurogane could feel Fay's breath on his face. "Kuro-nin, I want to tell you something."

Kurogane was aware that he was still holding on to Fay's hand, even though he was finished wrapping it. Their fingers had intertwined somehow; Fay's hands were cool and dry.

"W-what?" Kurogane asked, leaning forward and tilting his head slightly, so that his lips were almost touching Fay's.

"I really li-" Fay was cut off when the door swung open to reveal Fay's older brother, King Touya. He looked quite angry, even with Prince Yukito resting a calming hand on one arm.

"Why. Are. You. Out. So. Late. Fay?" Fay squeaked and he and Kurogane jumped apart quickly, both of them as red as tomatoes. Touya grabbed his younger brother by the ear and twisted it painfully, earning a yelp from the younger prince.

Then the king saw Fay's finger. "Brat," he snarled, turning towards Kurogane with eyes full of venom. He looked like one of the deadly snakes that slithered through the desert, hunting down its prey. "I should behead you for this! Feel lucky that I am such a kind and compassionate ruler, brat."

The king spat his words out like acid and left, dragging Fay with him. His friend smiled at him cheerily and waved before the door slammed shut behind him.

Was he going to say I really like you? Kurogane wondered, before shaking the thought off and stretching. That night he tried to go to sleep, but he kept tossing and turning restlessly, wondering how Fay would have finished his sentence and wondering why his heart was beating so heavily in his chest.

…………

Yukito waited patiently as Touya locked every single one of the thirty two assorted locks he had on Fay's door to keep him from sneaking out after curfew. Yukito laughed to himself, imagining what his 'friend' would say if he knew Fay had mastered climbing off the balcony and down the stone wall years ago. He wouldn't tell though. Fay deserved a bit of freedom, especially after everything that had happened with his twin.

Yukito tried to force his thoughts away from that moment, away from how, after everything had happened, the first one to get him to smile again hadn't been himself or Touya, it had been a raggedy traveling boy with red eyes and a temper problem.

"You can't keep them apart, you know," Yukito informed his king, a small smile on his face.

"I know, 'it's been preordained,'" Touya muttered, rolling his eyes. "I can't help it though. After mom lost her first child, we all thought she'd never live again." Touya's eyes were distant with remembrance. "Then she had those twins, and it was like she could finally die happy."

"Plus, I should have been able to protect Fay. Back then I wasn't strong enough, and I thought I'd lost them both when Yuui looked at me that way."

Touya plopped down onto his throne with none of the grace his position as king commanded, free to be himself with his childhood friend. Yukito sat across from him a comforting, kind look on his face.

"My king—Touya," he corrected himself when Touya glared at him, "we'll just have to trust that he's the one; the one who can save him. I see that they have lots of troubles ahead of them, and Fay's power is a power that will change the world in great and terrible ways."

………..

Fay smiled out at the stars from his position leaning out over the balcony. He wondered if it would be safe to go visit his precious Kuro-myon again. His heard ached for it… As well as other parts of his body. He could just imagine it, the dream he'd been harboring when a blushing Touya had sat him down on his thirteenth birthday and given him the painfully embarrassing but extremely useful 'talk.'

He would admit his feelings to Kurogane in the privacy of of Kurogane's quaint home. Kurogane would huff and then he lean forward and capture Fay's lips in a powerful kiss… And then…

Fay's grin looked rather predatory at that point, so he chose instead to stare out over the kingdom. It was an incredibly peaceful night; the stars were out and shining merrily, all the houses were darkened, their inhabitants sleeping peacefully.

His vision turned to the ruins, which seemed to be surrounded by a heavenly glow. Fay narrowed his eyes, slightly suspicious as he'd never seen them that way before. They seemed to leak power, the kind that made Fay want to fall to his knees.

Then Fay heard it. It was a pretty, relaxing sound that willed him to slide to the ground and release control of himself, allow himself to be carried. It sounded like it was coming from the ruins.

"It's calling me," and Fay dazed out, hypnotized by the relaxing sound, his body floating towards the ruins.

His memories flashed in front of his eyes. He could see the ruins, and a pattern like nothing else he'd seen before. And then there was Kurogane, growling and reaching out to him with a particularly embarrassed look on his face.

"Kuro-tan," Fay gazed around him. He was back on his feet, standing out over the balcony.

"I must be dreaming," he whispered worryingly, gazing around. "I should probably go to sleep."

As he walked back to his room, the ruins seemed to pulse with power.

………….

It was almost noon the next day when Kurogane saw it, a mysterious pattern in the ruins that he could liken to a pair of wings. He'd never seen anything else like it in Clow Country, or in any of the other countries he'd traveled to.

"Kuro-pu!" Kurogane rolled his eyes as Fay launched himself forward, enveloping the poor archeologist in a huge hug and hanging off his neck. Even though Fay had always been tall for his age, he was a head shorter than Kurogane, something Fay had seemed relatively annoyed with in his youth.

Grumbling as the boy nuzzled him (and holy shit Fay's lips just brushed over his collarbone!) he tried to push the other boy away. "Oi, the ground's not stable enough for this!" He complained, barely managing to pry the other boy off.

"I made Kuro-sama lunch—" Fay stopped abruptly as his eyes gazed down into the ruin. "I saw this." He said. " I saw it yesterday."

Fay dropped the lunch he had so carefully made and walked towards the ruins like a marionette propelled on invisible strings. Kurogane raced after him, trying to catch his sleeve, but it was like some unknown force was holding him back.

And then the symbol, the strange on Kurogane hadn't been able to place, opened underneath Fay's feet, and he sunk down, out of Kurogane's sight.

"Fay!" That idiot!

The earth trembled beneath him, and Kurogane lost his footing and had to scramble back to his feet.

Fay was raised against a pattern that looked exactly like the one on the ground, except it was black.

His eyes were muted and dull, as if there was no-one there anymore. There was no annoying boy to climb through his windows and smile at him, no energetic boy to run through the sand with, no caring boy to bring him lunch out at the ruins.

Kurogane ran to the wall and started to climb, desperate to get to the boy he loved with all of his heart. He wouldn't let Fay leave him, wouldn't let Fay do something so selfish!

Wings of glowing white suddenly sprouted from Fay's shoulders, and his head flopped forward listlessly. The wings curled around him, and just as it looked like he was going to fly away, Kurogane lunged, grabbing him around the waist and slamming them both down onto the ground.

He turned the limp Fay over in his grasp and shook him, screaming his name, but Fay didn't seem able to hear him. The wings on his back cracked and burst into feathers and soared through the air, going places far far away.

Fay's face was too pale. His skin felt cold, like a corpse. The ruins started to crumble around him, and Kurogane scooped his friend up, noting with dread how his head lolled backwards and his arms hung limply.

He was just outside the ruins when he saw Touya, exhausted, leaning against a ragged outcropping of stone. "Did you hurt him, Brat?"

He took a heaving, rattling breath, and then slumped over, unconscious. He looked younger in his state of helplessness, and with a pang, Kurogane realized that the fierce, proud king was nothing more than a kid himself, trying to watch over everyone while still growing up.

Yukito ran towards him and, before Kurogane could say anything, he reached a hand up to touch Kurogane's forehead.

"Those feathers were Fay's memories of everything," he intoned sadly. "He'll die without them, but none of them are left in this world anymore."

"What do you mean none of them are left?" Kurogane tightened his grip on Fay, holding the other boy close as if the heat of his anger and fear could seep into Fay's dying body and bring him back.

"If he doesn't have these memories," Yukito reached out to touch Fay's forehead, but seemed to think better of it as Kurogane pulled the prince closer. "He'll die."

"I'll send you to another place, where there is a woman who has powers like mine. She is called the witch of dimensions. Tell her everything and she will help you."

Yukito raised his elaborate staff, and the win cascaded around them, smelling of magic. Kurogane looked down at his friend. Fay's face was white. His light hair was being tossed by the wind, and his vibrant blue eyes were closed as if they'd never been open.

I will not let you die, he promised, before the desert vanished. He closed his eyes and held on tightly, burying his face in Fay's hair.

…………

Sakura bowed before her princess, Tomoyo, her silk kimono rustling around her. "What have you brought me here for, Tomoyo-hime?"

Tomoyo laughed lightly, but Sakura could see the pain in the rigid set of her jaw. "So abrupt Sakura-chan." Her eyes sparkled with fondness and sadness.

"I mean you no disrespect, hime," Sakura returned immediately. She would never mean any disrespect. In the years since her mother and father had been murdered, Tomoyo had been the one to care for her, the one to take her in despite other's complaints, the one to turn her over to Souma, who made her weak body strong. Now she was one of Tomoyo's top ninjas, the pride of the castle, and every step she took she took for only two reasons—to serve Tomoyo and to avenge her parents's deaths.

"Sakura, you have served me a long time, for which I am grateful, but I worry for you. Do you know what you yourself want? Have you ever considered how you will live your life once all of this is finished?"

Tomoyo smiled down at her dear friend. "Sakura, your father threw himself over you so that you could live, and yet I think you have been bound so far into duty that you have forgotten what living really is. Your heart is pained and has forgotten how to love, so in order for you to learn that lesson, I must send you away."

Sakura's head snapped up even as a magical circle appeared around her. "Tomoyo-hime!" She screamed, tears pouring down her face. Her princess smiled at her, and that smile was the last Sakura saw of her homeland. With a bowed head she decided she would do her best to learn her lesson and then she would return to her homeland to serve Tomoyo-hime, no matter what it took.

…………

Syaoran shivered as he climbed out of the freezing water, quickly drying himself up and pulling on his clothes lest the frigid winds turn him blue and black and dead. Chii sat beside him, a confused look on her face.

"I'm sorry Chii, but I must change your form," he told the girl he had created selfishly, long ago.

"Chii is okay with that, and Chii will change her form, because Syaoran is the one who created Chii."

Syaoran touched her cheek one last time before her form rearranged itself into a huge net, one which stretched over the pool of water Syaoran had climbed out of only minutes before. Syaoran's eyes glistened with tears.

"If he wakes, contact me," Syaoran commanded, before turning on his heel and walking away, past the corpses that littered the castle.

In a way, he knew this day would come, the day when he would leave Celes and meet his fellow travelers, and yet, he would have never guessed the circumstances under which his departure would take place.

"Ashura," his heart ached. "I wasn't strong enough to save you. I wasn't strong enough to save anyone. All I can do is let you rest."

Long ago, Fei Wong Reed had told him of a witch, a witch with the power to transport people across dimensions. He knew it was this witch that he must go see.

Without even a second glance at his destroyed homeland, he gathered his magic and willed himself away to a place called Tokyo.

…………

Kurogane's landing was abrupt, and if it hadn't been for his extremely tight grip on Fay, he was sure he might have dropped the other boy. The world he was in was filled with rain, and it pounded down on him and Fay, trailing down Fay's face like tears. The woman in front of him reeked of power, and as his red eyes met hers, he realized that despite the downpour, she was completely dry.

"Woman, are you the witch of dimensions?" The woman, who had previously had a miserable look on her face, smirked.

"I have been called that, though your way of addressing me is rude enough that I should've ignored you."

Kurogane growled, holding Fay out like an offering to a cannibalistic god. "Save him."

Kurogane's red eyes glowed. His face was crinkled into a fierce glare, and his body radiated anger.

"That child, what is his name?" The witch took a few steps forward, resting her long, thin fingers on Fay's forehead.

"Fay," Kurogane growled out like a foul curse.

"And yours?"

"Kurogane," he conceded, resisting the urge to snatch Fay away from her.

"Fay has lost something of great importance to him, and if he doesn't get them back he will die." The witch paused and turned her head.

"Watanuki!"

A tall, gangly boy with dark blue eyes who Kurogane hadn't noticed before nodded. "Y-yes," he stuttered.

"Go to the safe. There's something I need there."

The boy raced off, and The witch turned back to Kurogane. "Do you want to save him?" She asked, as if she already knew the answer.

"Of course. Why the Hell do you think I'm here?" Kurogane growled, shivering from the cold of the rain. Rain happened so rarely in Clow, and Fay loved the crystalline droplets. Whenever it rained Fay would grab Kurogane and force him to dance under the water falling from the sky. Sometimes Fay would open his mouth and catch the droplet on his tongue. Kurogane had always grumbled at him, but now he would do anything, anything, to be dancing in the rain with his prince.

"There is a price." The witch eyes narrowed as she observed the boy cradling his friend.

"I don't care. I already told you I want to save him." Kurogane's eyes were determined; energy flowed off him in waves. His heart was beating so hard he was surprised it didn't burst from his chest.

"They're coming," was all she said in return, before the wind swirled wildly and two people appeared, one on each side of Kurogane.

A woman, well muscled but still petite, with bright green eyes, landed to his left. A man with light brown hair and fierce amber eyes stood on his right.

"Who might you be?" the woman asked, while at the same time the man said, "you are the witch of dimensions." They turned and appraised each other, before the man bowed.

"Ladies first," he offered.

"My name is Sakura," she stood and Kurogane noticed a Katana among the folds of silk. "Where are we?" She asked.

"Japan," the woman nodded. Sakura's eyes widened as she looked around, but she said no more.

"You?" The woman asked of the man. Kurogane was beginning to feel angry. Didn't she see Fay dying in his arms?

"I am a magician from Celes. My name is Syaoran." He bowed respectively and kept his eyes averted, as if the Witch was royalty.

Kurogane opened his mouth to say something, but the wizard interrupted him. "We are in a shop that grants wishes…" He trailed off, his jaw tight.

The witch appraised the two newcomers. "What do you wish?"

"To return home!" Sakura answered while at the same time Syaoran said, "to never return home."

The two of them caught each other's eye. Sakura turned away.

"That's a hard wish to grant for…" She paused, "all three of you."

"Only if the three of you pay together can you afford the means to grant your wishes."

"The three of you have the same wish," Yuuko explained. "You," she gestured to Kurogane, "want to go from world to world to collect the feathers. Sakura, you would like to return home to your world, and you, Syaoran, would like to live in a world other than your own. If you each pay me, I can grant your wishes."

Kurogane watched in heart-pounding suspense as the ninja and the magician gave up a sword and tattoo respectively after a bit of arguing. Your most precious thing, he said. He didn't know what he could give up. He had never had many material objects. His most precious thing was probably Fay.

Then the witch turned to him. "Will you give me your most precious thing?" She asked.

Kurogane's jaw tightened. "I already told you yes!"

"Even before I tell you what your precious thing is, you're already—" Kurogane cut her off frustratedly.

"Yes! Stop wasting time!" Fay was so cold in his arms.

The boy from before appeared, holding two animals that looked like meat buns. One was white, the other was black.

"This is Mokona," the witch explained, pointing to the white creature, "mokona will take you to different dimensions."

Kurogane eyes the black one. "Can't you give the other two that one and give me the black one?" He complained.

The which smiled belittlingly. Kurogane had the odd feeling she was enjoying herself, which only made him angrier. "The black one can't travel from world to world," she explained in a patronizing tone. "He can only communicate."

"Mokona can take you to different worlds, but he can't choose where you land. Your journey depends on luck and strength of spirit." Kurogane had plenty of the latter, but none of the former. Fay had plenty of good luck though, at least when it came to cards. After their third game, Kurogane had sworn never to gamble with his friend, especially since they'd been playing strip poker and Kurogane had been down to his undergarments. Fay had been eyeing him like an especially hungry cat. Then of course, Touya had stormed the room, and if it hadn't been for Yukito he would've accused Kurogane of raping his younger brother.

"But there is no coincidence in the world, only hitsuzen. You all were fated to meet and travel with each other."

A wind whipped around the four of them as Mokona's mouth opened. As the world was shifting out of focus, the Wtich spoke to him.

"Kurogane, your price is your relationship with Fay." Kurogane blushed and opened his mouth to deny that there was any relationship between the two of them (though Kurogane wanted there to be one), but the Witch interrupted him.

"No matter how many feathers you collect, even if you collect them all, Fay will never remember you. He is your most important person, so that is your price."

The world faded away and Kurogane was cold and shivering. He could see the first he met Fay, the huge frown on the boy's face, followed by a wide smile and that ridiculous nickname. He could see them climbing over sand dunes, looking for scorpions and snakes and adventure. There was Fay, smiling at him on their shared birthday. There was Fay, leaning his head on Kurogane's shoulder in a rare moment of peace.

Would all that be lost?

He could feel Fay's solid weight in his arms.

It didn't matter, as long as Fay lived.

As Kurogane landed in the new world, his heart wept.