Chapter 2: Figures in the Night

Sakura slept soundlessly in the bed, snuggled up to Fye, Mokona lying in the space between their heads. The air was chilled, the familiarity of the climate of the desert made itself known in her subconscious. The young girl had shifted almost out of sight beneath the blankets Toshimi had given them.

Kurogane was still awake, glaring into space. 'Damn, if it wasn't so cold, I'd have been on the floor.' He had been convinced by Toshimi (although 'forced' would be a better way to describe it) to sleep in the second bed with Syaoran. Did that woman think he wasn't man enough to endure one cold night? He did not like her one bit.

But it wasn't so bad. At least Syaoran didn't toss and turn in his sleep, or even move for that matter. Curiosity made him want to check if the kid was still breathing. But he did not want to draw unnecessary attention to himself, or end up doing something awkward. He quickly forced it out of his mind that Syaoran might have died in his sleep. He should be glad the brunette slept like that. He certainly didn't need anything keeping him up at night. He didn't know how Fye could handle having that white thing practically sleeping on top of his head.

Kurogane blinked, realizing that he had been staring at Fye as his thoughts rambled on. The moonlight shining through the window cast a ghostly image on him, seeming to make the already pale wizard glow with an eerie radiance. He noticed that Fye wore a relaxed face, his lips no longer spreading into that forever smile. Kurogane almost preferred this soft, natural look.

'What the hell am I thinking?' He shook those thoughts of Fye from his mind. 'Don't start getting all poetic and start noticing thing like that! I've been hanging out with these people so long I've started going crazy!' He turned onto his back, glaring at the ceiling. The bed was already small, so his shoulder touched Syaoran's back (who was currently on his side). Hey, he was a man, he wasn't going to cuddle up to the kid like Fye and Sakura. 'For god's sake stop making reasons to think about him! Even the thought of him get on my nerves!'

Suddenly he heard footsteps… two sets. One was a long stride, the other was quick-paced, uneven, until he heard the person fall to the ground. Kurogane sat up, seeing that Syaoran was also awake and had heard it as well. Silently, they both moved to the window, keeping themselves hidden but still so they could see.

A balding man was squatted on the ground, tears pouring from his dull eyes as he clutched the end of a dark navy cloak, which was worn by a very tall figure (possibly Kurogane's height). A hood was cast over the person's face but you could tell he was watching the man with annoyance.

"Please!" The man pleaded. "Please don't take them away from me! They're all I have!"

"Do you want peace?" A deep, male voice came from beneath the hood. It was an icy tone, almost emotionless.

He looked up at the cloaked figure. "Yes, b-but-"

"If you cannot hand over your children to me by tomorrow, I will have no choice but to attack." Then came an amused laugh. "Do you really want your little resistance to dwindle and suffer because of your selfish needs? If you won't present the boy and the girl tomorrow, it will not be only you who suffers."

Kurogane and Syaoran watched as the figure pulled back his cloak from the man's hands and walk away into the darkness of the street. The man stayed squatted for a moment, suppressing his sobs until finally he stood and hobbled down the opposite end of the road.

The following morning….

"Hyuu! Kurorin is such a good detective!"

"GET THE HELL OFF ME!" Kurogane growled savagely as he tried to push Fye off of him. The gangly wizard refused to let go, however, and the hug became an all-out war. He and Syaoran had told Toshimi and Fye (Mokona too) once they had woken up about the incident, Sakura still in bed.

"We thought you might know something about it." Syaoran said to Toshimi, as his comrades were too busy dealing with each other.

The desert girl sighed, looking down at her feet. "Unfortunately," she said sadly, "I do." Kurogane and Fye stopped 'fighting' immediately to hear what she had to say. "I'm sorry I didn't explain before, but the general… To keep him at bay, the Lord offers him both beautiful women and men to serve him in his palace. Soon after this started, the general realized that he could make the resistance give him beautiful servants for a period of peace. We have no choice but to agree to this. Our forces grow smaller after every battle and we need time to gather more fighters."

"One question." Fye said, having let go of Kurogane. "If he likes cute girls, why hasn't he taken you yet?" His comment made Toshimi blush uncomfortably.

"Feh!" Kurogane snorted. "She looks more like a boy than a girl!"

"Oh shut up you blockhead!"

"Um, Toshimi?" Syaoran interrupted before the blockhead could retaliate. "What happens to the… offerings?"

She shook her head. "I'm not sure. No one who has been offered has ever come back."

She couldn't take it anymore! Sakura hurried through the doorway, taking Toshimi's hand, a pleading look in her eyes. "Please Toshimi-san! It's our fault this is happening! Let us be offered instead of innocent people!"

"Sakura-hime!" Syaoran, not expecting Sakura to suggest such a thing, or Sakura to even be eavesdropping!

Fye thought for a moment. "Actually, Sakura-chan might be right."

"What?" The brunette asked, a tad lost.

"Hey, maybe you're right!" The desert girl smiled. "If two of you posed as offerings, then you could get back the feather, or whatever it is that makes him powerful!" She looked to Sakura and Fye. " I'm sure you two will do a fine job."

"WHAT? But, Sakura-hime-"

"And why can't I go?" Kurogane glared at Toshimi, who in turn, glared back.

"Because the general likes pretty things. Fye and Sakura are pretty. You are NOT pretty! You are big, rugged, and rude! Do I need to repeat myself?"

"But-"

"You're not going!"

Syaoran frowned, clearly worried. "But…." His voice died down as Sakura turned to him and took his hands in her own. A light, almost unnoticeable blush formed over his face.

The princess smiled sweetly. "Don't worry, Syaoran-kun. I'll be alright. Fye-san will be with me incase anything bad happens."

Speaking of which, Fye and Mokona (who had stayed surprisingly quiet during the conversation) were watching their pouting puppy. "Kuro-pon looks really angry!" The white manjuu commented.

"You're right!' Fye smiled. "He must be worried about me, since I have to do such a dangerous thing!"

He shot them a look of pure malice, fire dancing in his glaring red eyes before chasing them around the room. "WHERE WOULD YOU GET AN IDEA LIKE THAT?"

(Sorry for the delay. I got writer's block in the middle of chapter three and started to neglect the story. And the episodes inspire me to write and YouTube hasn't been updating them as often as they should.

Reviews please.)