Kurogane stood his eyes fixed on the crooked figure of the man kneeling before him. Emotions stirred in the ninja's carmine gaze as it travelled up to meet Fai's moist eye. It was frozen, like his body and expression, in a moment of pain and horror so complete it hurt Kurogane to search it. Kurogane who was trying to find something behind that constricted pupil that might mean he could reach Fai. That he might be able to connect in some way, anyway, to the man he use to know. Anything but the blank emptiness that currently resided behind that wide golden eye. He remembered the scream that had issued from Fai at the moment he realized what he had done. It seemed to pierce air, space and flesh with the terror in its pitch. It spoke of a lifetime of fear for that very moment. From below Kurogane and Syaoran had felt the screams full force as they looked on helplessly at the scene above. It had seemed unreal at the time but now as Kurogane drew a firm step closer the hysteria that caused it was palpable. Fai's hand was still griping Syaoran's sword, knuckles white with pressure. It reminded Kurogane of himself on the night his parents had died, the madness that had engulfed him. However while Kurogane had lashed out at others to slake his sorrow Fai had drawn inwards. Kurogane, suppressing his own anger and confusion, had come foreword to bring Fai back. He did not know exactly how he would do it but he knew for Fai's sake, for the Princess and to end his own concern he had to.

"Fai" the ninja's deep rough voice resonated around the two of them and Syaoran who was still standing shocked in the distance. Fai remained as he had been and Kurogane's gaze hardened.

"Fai!" he barked louder. The blond mages hair lifted in the wind and for a second Kurogane thought he saw Fai's head move but it was wistful thinking as no sound escaped his open mouth. Kurogane dropped to one knee, Fai staring vacantly through his chest.

"You think you cause a lot of trouble and prefer to suffer in silence" Kurogane said a harsh tone in his voice as though he were scolding a child "You don't want people to get involved with you because you might hurt them or they might come to hate you for your acts" despite his words and their importance there wasn't a flicker of recognition in Fai at all. Kurogane tipped his head to the side and wiped the blood from Fai's cheek with his thumb.

"You already hate yourself" he added in a softer tone then lifted Fai's chin with his fist so the mage looked up into his face "and maybe you are the kind of person I condemn" he continued thinking back to the night in Outo when Fai had hurt his ankle .

"But I don't despise you or hate you. I never have hated you and I still don't…"

It was subtle but Kurogane noticed it, he could almost sense it; a single tear that rolled down Fai's cheek. It travelled down his delicate jaw line to Kurogane's fist soon followed by another.

"Despite all you've done" Kurogane added almost as an after thought knowing it might actually be the thing to save Fai. He heard a clanging noise as Fai's fist unclenched letting the sword fall to the ground. Then slowly, tears running faster down his cheeks, Fai fell forwards into Kurogane's chest. After a few moments the ninja felt Fai's hands grip his shirt as he buried his face in it. Kurogane rested one hand on Fai's back as Fai began to shake and sob. His sobs grew louder and more mournful before Fai could manage any words.

"I'm sorry!" he cried his voice muffled by Kurogane's chest "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry" as Fai cried harder Kurogane put his other arm around him holding him closer.

"I'm sorry" Fai whispered over and over again like a mantra as if no amount would ever be enough to atone for what he had done "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry"

Kurogane knew Fai shouldn't be the one apologising for what had happened. From his reaction to Sakura's fatal injury and what the time space witch had mentioned while they were in Tokyo it seemed that Fai had also fallen prey to Fei Wong Reed. Perhaps he had suffered a similar painful past at the evil bastard's hands. Whatever the case was Kurogane was sure Fai never wanted any harm to come to Sakura.

"There is no need to ask for forgiveness, the princess seemed to know what fate was set out for her, perhaps she was even trying to escape to save you the sadness this event would cause" Kurogane said staring up to the place where she had disappeared "In any case she asked us to take care of you and so we shall" After a while Fai's sobs quietened down and he stopped shaking becoming still. Syaoran had moved closer a concerned look controlling his face.

"Is he ok?" Syaoran asked as Kurogane moved his arms. Fai's limp body rolled to the side a little so Syaoran saw his pale tear stained face.

"No, but he will be" Kurogane replied at Syaoran's saddened expression "He's just collapsed" Putting one arm under Fai's knee's and the other at his back Kurogane gently lifted Fai and with one last look at the sky turned away.

"Come on kid; let's go get the white manjuu. Maybe that witch can tell us what this is all about"

A/N: To releave the tention of waiting for the next chapter i worte this fic which i am quite proud of and could see myself contining if there were any point. Since there's only one or two weeks before the new chapter comes out i don't think i'll write any continuing chapters in this fic. This is not exactly what i think will happen, it is what i hope will happen particularly in regards to the kuroxfainess but i am fully expecting kurogane to smack fai one or two to knock some sense into him as well (in the real ch 150). I won't enjoy his anger if he is indeed angry but well that's just something i'll have to deal with like fai feeding from kuro's wrist instead of neck : P Anyway i hope you all like it cause i've also done a pic from it that i will probably submit to deviant art next week as i currently have no scaner, Lots of love S