*incomplete* [fanfic] A Heart's Wish
A fanfic I started a long time ago. I had only read up to vol. 15 of Tsubasa at the time, so head's up for spoilers there. I don't think I'll be finishing. ^^"
A Heart’s Wish
“I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you’re faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.”
- Rascal Flatts, My Wish
Above the desert, the sky seemed to be bleached from the blazing sun. There were no clouds in the sky and the merciless sunbeams seemed to penetrate everywhere. This made it so that even if someone had been standing in the middle of the desert, they would never have been able to see a small glimmer of light that twinkled momentarily in that bleached sky. It was there for barely a second before it was gone and in its place, high, high above the ground, it left five travelers freefalling towards the earth.
The unlucky party had once again been thrown out of the inter-dimensional freeway and consequently out of Mokona’s mouth only to find that there wasn’t any ground below them. Of course, there really was ground below them but any sane person would agree that it was not within a comfortable landing distance. No matter how many times it happened- for it seemed that they were rarely lucky enough to actually land gently on the ground- the disconcerting feeling of suddenly being tossed from a inter-space dimension into a gravity-defined plane was continually terrifying. Which is why three of the five began either screaming or yelling as they began to fall.
Syaoran felt the air get pushed out of him in a gasp and gritted his teeth. Instinctively, he pulled on his grasp of Sakura’s wrist so that she was pulled into his arms. Though she continued to yell blindly, she tightened her hold on him and that trusting embrace filled Syaoran with determination. In the corner of his eye, he saw Kurogane tumble in a fury of fists and curses while Fai seemed almost relaxed, chuckling in the midst of the other’s fright. Mokona, of course, treated the whole thing as a ride and flapped its ears playfully.
Meanwhile, the ground was drifting closer at an alarming rate. This time there was no water to break their fall or even trees. They were also dropped at so high an attitude that Syaoran knew that hitting the ground like this would result in fatality. “Mokona,” he called, knowing that the small creature was their only hope, “Do something!”
“Right!” cried Mokona happily. “Mokona Secret Technique: Reverse Vacuum! Max Power!”
Opening its mouth as wide as it would go, Mokona blew out a giant gust of air. Though invisible, the four could feel the air force wrap itself around them as they began to slow. Mokona blew forth more and more air that continuously wrapped itself around the group forming a giant bubble. Syaoran figured that it was meant to act as barrier between them and the air rushing up at them so that by the time they reached the ground, they were lowered gently onto the sand. Mokona closed its mouth a short pop and a giggle.
Sagging with relief, the five lay still on the hot sand.
“That… sure felt close,” Sakura smiled shyly up at Syaoran.
“Yes,” he gave a short nod and a smile of his own.
“Stupid fluff ball,” Kurogane muttered, spitting out a mouthful of sand. “I swear it likes to do that just for fun.”
“Kurogane is such a meanie!” Mokona pretended to cry.
The ninja leapt up, making Fai’s legs- which had landed atop Kurogane’s back- fly back and over the magician’s head. His yelp of surprise went unnoticed by the murderous warrior. “You’re the one that tried to murder us, you sick little pork bun!” he made a grab at it. With a yip, Mokona hopped away so that Kurogane had to chase it around in a circle.
“Ah…” groaned Fai, lifting himself up. “It’s so hot!” He peered up at the blinding sun and felt more than ever the stifling heat of his white coat.
His statement seemed to make the others suddenly feel the heat. Sakura wiped the forming sweat off her brow and was grateful that her original garment was made for such a landscape. Just looking at Kurogane’s large mass of black made her feel over heated.
Syaoran stood and gently helped the princess to her feet. He could already feel his throat becoming parched and his mind immediately noted the lack of water. They were not well prepared to be stranded in the middle of a desert. Sakura seemed to have the same train of thought as she murmured, “We should find someplace to escape the heat.” She looked meaningfully toward their companions. Fai, now standing, seemed to be losing energy by the minute and though his smile remained planted firmly in place, he appeared to be tilting. Kurogane had by now given up his chase and was now squatting with a tense look on his face. “We may be dressed for the heat, but they’re not.”
The brown-haired boy nodded. “Even we won’t last long without water,” he agreed. He peered around their surroundings, desperately hoping for some sign of either an oasis or a town. It was almost too good to be true that he soon found what he was looking for.
It appeared to be a city, a decently large one at that. Still quite a distance away, it was perhaps a few hours of a journey. A town of that size was bound to have a water source of some kind.
He had to be sure it was not some kind of mirage. Pointing towards it, he called, “Do you see that?” His companions peered in the direction he was pointing.
“It looks like a city,” whistled Fai.
Kurogane huffed.
“Oh, thank goodness,” Sakura sighed in relief.
Syaoran nodded now, convinced. One more thing was left to be ascertained. In the general matter of things, they would have to reach the city anyway, but it wouldn’t hurt to be sure they were traveling in the right direction. “Mokona, do you sense anything?” he asked.
The white fluff ball hopped up onto his shoulder. “Hmm,” it concentrated, then slowly nodded. “Yes, Mokona feels a slight pulse of a feather. But it is hard to tell from this far away.”
“I guess that about settles which way we’re going,” Kurogane muttered.
“It only makes sense to head that way,” Syaoran soothed. Without thinking, he took Sakura’s hand as he began to lead the way. So focused was he that he was unable to see the blush that graced her cheeks as she shyly glanced down at their entwined hands.
“It’s true, Kuro-tan,” Fai teased, gaining some of his old energy back. “It would be counter-intuitive to head away from the feather now, wouldn’t it?”
“You’re starting to use such big words there,” Kurogane’s right eyebrow twitched. He walked past the magician in a steady pace behind the kids. Instinctively, he felt the white wizard prance along beside him, but he refused to look at him. “I’m surprised that you can use so many syllables with your brain being the size of nut.”
Fai just laughed in that boisterous way he always had. “Oh, Kuro-puu,” he tittered, “It’s so cute when you try to be witty.”
Kurogane almost bit a hole straight through his tongue.
- - - - - *
It always amazed Syaoran that no matter how many places they traveled to, each world was unique. The city reminded him vaguely of the capitol of Clow, though it definitely had its own style. The group of five had managed to stumble onto the streets which had somewhere back morphed from shifting sand to a hard ground. Buildings raised up high all around them, though nowhere near as tall as they had been in Piffle, but just as packed together. Though the walls, doors, and signs all showed signs of wear and tear, they were all in a good condition that showed they were being taken care of. The people they passed gave them odd looks, but all seemed to be in good physical condition and none seemed unduly suspicious. The sight of children playing outside, laughing freely, let Syaoran relax a bit more. It was conditions like these that revealed a world’s welfare and the less the people seemed to be suffering, the less likely they were to run into danger.
That was the theory anyway.
“I wonder what all these signs say,” Sakura marveled. She always appeared to be nearly overwhelmed with the new sights around her.
“They look almost like the kind of writing we had seen in Jade,” Fai noted, glancing lazily up at a sign.
Syaoran looked up around him and saw that Fai was right. The same type of lettering was used at least. He hoped that would make their visit a bit easier. His father had taught him that the ability to read was a powerful tool and he had learned just how true that was through out his journeys.
“Syaoran,” Mokona called softly from its place in Sakura’s arms, “Could we perhaps find some place to sit?”
They looked curiously over at Mokona. “Are you tired?” asked Sakura gently.
“How can it be tired?” Kurogane huffed. “It’s always being carried.”
“Mokona may not be tired,” the small creature admitted, “but Mokona also knows that no one will say when their own feet hurt after walking all this way. But no one will mind if Mokona says it.”
Everyone sort of fidgeted awkwardly. They had walked farther distances before and would never complain, but that did not make a rest sound any less desirable. Syaoran looked around and saw what appeared to be some sort of open bar, with empty seats placed around the outside. A man with a white apron and maroon cap stood on the other side, rubbing down a glass. There were other such places placed around the courtyard where they stood, but this one seemed to be the only one with enough empty seats. Syaoran peered up at the big green sign and slowly put together the letters.
“Drink… and… food,” he sounded out slowly. It sounded decent enough. He didn’t know if the place would accept the kind of currency they had, but at the least, the man might not begrudge them a place to sit. “How about over there?”
“Any place is as good as any,” Kurogane shrugged, which was basically assent so they walked over there together. Mokona instinctively stayed very still in Sakura’s arms.
“Excuse me?” Syaoran addressed the man behind the counter. “Do you mind if we sit here? We’ve just come in from the desert and we would like to rest our feet for a moment.”
The man replied, his bushy gray mustache rustling as he spoke, “Normally I would insist on you folks buying something first, but since business is slow right now,” he gestured toward the stools, “help yourself.”
“Thank you,” said Syaoran and the group settled themselves among the seats. He and Sakura sat down with soft noises of relief. It was simply wonderful to no longer have weight on their feet. Fai pretty much collapsed in his chair, settling his elbows upon the bar and nestling his head onto the crutch of entwined hands. Kurogane made sitting in a chair look as imposing as if he were still standing up. He crossed his arms and gave a bored glare to the bartender, who wisely turned his attention to the younger two.
“So what brings you to Lior?” the man asked conversationally. He continued to wipe down his glass though any smidgen of dirt had probably long since been extinguished.
Syaoran instantly filed the name away. He chose his next words carefully, “We are in need of something and we hope to find it here.” It was always so hard to determine from one world to the next what too much information was or what was too little. Still, better safe than sorry. He began to eye the menu as the glass in front of him continuously reminded him of his thirst. Unless they found the feather quickly- and it rarely seemed to turn out that way- they would need to find some way to obtain some of this world’s currency.
The manager seemed to beam with pride. “Ha ha! Well, Lior has gained quite a reputation after these past couple of years,” he chuckled. “I tell you, it’s nice to have come such a long way to become such a center of commerce.” He coughed. “Bah! But it’s only old fools like me that bother nowadays to remember times like that. Perhaps it’s better that way.” He seemed to be drifting out of his train of thought and began peering curiously at their style of garments. Syaoran and Sakura felt beads of sweat break out upon their necks and tried their hardest not to fidget, bracing themselves for the awkward questions.
However, before the man could continue to speak, Fai suddenly piped up, “Excuse me, sir, but do you mind telling me what the significance is of the human monument above your shop? I keep seeing the same guy over and over again. Is he your leader?”
The grey moustache seemed to quiver as a strange look came upon the manager’s face, a mix of thick exasperation and a tiny bit of disgust.
Sakura turned to look at Fai. “What man?” she asked, blinking. Even Syaoran didn’t know what he was talking about.
“Maa,” Fai smiled cattishly. “Perhaps you didn’t notice but there are many a portrayal of the same man- who, by the way, seems to have an excellent physique- through out the city. Mostly statues connected to the building in some way shape or another. There’s a giant one above this shop of the man flexing his muscles.”
“The building’s kind of worn down,” Kurogane’s voice seemed to come out of nowhere and the two from Clow jumped, “but if you look closely you can see that it clearly stands out from the surrounding buildings. The style is quite different…” It was kind of funny how Kurogane and Fai could list off such insights while simultaneously looking as though they were ready for a nap.
“That wasn’t my choice,” the storekeeper grumbled to himself.
Fai looked at Syaoran as though hearing the unvoiced question. “Syaoran probably only focused on the sign,” he explained with a kind smile. Then he laughed. “Syaoran can get so focused, muuu!”
Kurogane gritted his teeth.
The manager sighed bringing back everyone’s attention on him. “That man was Alex Armstrong, once known as the Strongarm Alchemist,” he lowered his hat respectfully. “May his soul rest his peace. Another character like him won’t be known for another time yet.”
“A great man?” Fai put forth tentatively.
“Hmm,” the man once more put the hat on his bald head. “Can’t say I knew him personally. He did this to my shop, mind you, years ago, but that was when he was first put in charge of this city to rebuild it. This city was worth lower than dirt before he came and it takes quite a man to put such a wreck back together, I’ll say that.” He gestured around him. “And look at us now! Not many people remember, but he’s the one that helped make Lior better than it ever was. Him and the Fuhrer, of course.” A light suddenly came into his eyes. “Ah, that’s right! Did you hear? The Fuhrer is coming on a visit today!”
The four blinked at him.
The man seemed content to continue speaking to himself, “They say it’s just a routine visit- just a routine checkup- but I ain’t falling for that!” He jabbed a thumb toward himself. “I may be old, but I figure I’ve not got instincts as to when things are going to happen.” He leaned in conspiratorially. Quietly, he confided, “And just between us, I think there’s something more to this visit. Perhaps he’s come to investigate these strange going-ons himself.”
His guests immediately perked up.
“Strange things?” Syaoran asked casually.
The man didn’t seem to hear him as he leaned back. “Been awhile since our ol’ Fuhrer had that kind of adventure,” he commented absently.
Fai cleared his throat, “You said something about strange things happening?”
“Gah! Stupid old man,” the owner berated himself. He scowled lightly. “This really isn’t the sort of thing one should discuss with tourists. It’s bad for business.”
A Heart’s Wish
“I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you’re faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.”
- Rascal Flatts, My Wish
Above the desert, the sky seemed to be bleached from the blazing sun. There were no clouds in the sky and the merciless sunbeams seemed to penetrate everywhere. This made it so that even if someone had been standing in the middle of the desert, they would never have been able to see a small glimmer of light that twinkled momentarily in that bleached sky. It was there for barely a second before it was gone and in its place, high, high above the ground, it left five travelers freefalling towards the earth.
The unlucky party had once again been thrown out of the inter-dimensional freeway and consequently out of Mokona’s mouth only to find that there wasn’t any ground below them. Of course, there really was ground below them but any sane person would agree that it was not within a comfortable landing distance. No matter how many times it happened- for it seemed that they were rarely lucky enough to actually land gently on the ground- the disconcerting feeling of suddenly being tossed from a inter-space dimension into a gravity-defined plane was continually terrifying. Which is why three of the five began either screaming or yelling as they began to fall.
Syaoran felt the air get pushed out of him in a gasp and gritted his teeth. Instinctively, he pulled on his grasp of Sakura’s wrist so that she was pulled into his arms. Though she continued to yell blindly, she tightened her hold on him and that trusting embrace filled Syaoran with determination. In the corner of his eye, he saw Kurogane tumble in a fury of fists and curses while Fai seemed almost relaxed, chuckling in the midst of the other’s fright. Mokona, of course, treated the whole thing as a ride and flapped its ears playfully.
Meanwhile, the ground was drifting closer at an alarming rate. This time there was no water to break their fall or even trees. They were also dropped at so high an attitude that Syaoran knew that hitting the ground like this would result in fatality. “Mokona,” he called, knowing that the small creature was their only hope, “Do something!”
“Right!” cried Mokona happily. “Mokona Secret Technique: Reverse Vacuum! Max Power!”
Opening its mouth as wide as it would go, Mokona blew out a giant gust of air. Though invisible, the four could feel the air force wrap itself around them as they began to slow. Mokona blew forth more and more air that continuously wrapped itself around the group forming a giant bubble. Syaoran figured that it was meant to act as barrier between them and the air rushing up at them so that by the time they reached the ground, they were lowered gently onto the sand. Mokona closed its mouth a short pop and a giggle.
Sagging with relief, the five lay still on the hot sand.
“That… sure felt close,” Sakura smiled shyly up at Syaoran.
“Yes,” he gave a short nod and a smile of his own.
“Stupid fluff ball,” Kurogane muttered, spitting out a mouthful of sand. “I swear it likes to do that just for fun.”
“Kurogane is such a meanie!” Mokona pretended to cry.
The ninja leapt up, making Fai’s legs- which had landed atop Kurogane’s back- fly back and over the magician’s head. His yelp of surprise went unnoticed by the murderous warrior. “You’re the one that tried to murder us, you sick little pork bun!” he made a grab at it. With a yip, Mokona hopped away so that Kurogane had to chase it around in a circle.
“Ah…” groaned Fai, lifting himself up. “It’s so hot!” He peered up at the blinding sun and felt more than ever the stifling heat of his white coat.
His statement seemed to make the others suddenly feel the heat. Sakura wiped the forming sweat off her brow and was grateful that her original garment was made for such a landscape. Just looking at Kurogane’s large mass of black made her feel over heated.
Syaoran stood and gently helped the princess to her feet. He could already feel his throat becoming parched and his mind immediately noted the lack of water. They were not well prepared to be stranded in the middle of a desert. Sakura seemed to have the same train of thought as she murmured, “We should find someplace to escape the heat.” She looked meaningfully toward their companions. Fai, now standing, seemed to be losing energy by the minute and though his smile remained planted firmly in place, he appeared to be tilting. Kurogane had by now given up his chase and was now squatting with a tense look on his face. “We may be dressed for the heat, but they’re not.”
The brown-haired boy nodded. “Even we won’t last long without water,” he agreed. He peered around their surroundings, desperately hoping for some sign of either an oasis or a town. It was almost too good to be true that he soon found what he was looking for.
It appeared to be a city, a decently large one at that. Still quite a distance away, it was perhaps a few hours of a journey. A town of that size was bound to have a water source of some kind.
He had to be sure it was not some kind of mirage. Pointing towards it, he called, “Do you see that?” His companions peered in the direction he was pointing.
“It looks like a city,” whistled Fai.
Kurogane huffed.
“Oh, thank goodness,” Sakura sighed in relief.
Syaoran nodded now, convinced. One more thing was left to be ascertained. In the general matter of things, they would have to reach the city anyway, but it wouldn’t hurt to be sure they were traveling in the right direction. “Mokona, do you sense anything?” he asked.
The white fluff ball hopped up onto his shoulder. “Hmm,” it concentrated, then slowly nodded. “Yes, Mokona feels a slight pulse of a feather. But it is hard to tell from this far away.”
“I guess that about settles which way we’re going,” Kurogane muttered.
“It only makes sense to head that way,” Syaoran soothed. Without thinking, he took Sakura’s hand as he began to lead the way. So focused was he that he was unable to see the blush that graced her cheeks as she shyly glanced down at their entwined hands.
“It’s true, Kuro-tan,” Fai teased, gaining some of his old energy back. “It would be counter-intuitive to head away from the feather now, wouldn’t it?”
“You’re starting to use such big words there,” Kurogane’s right eyebrow twitched. He walked past the magician in a steady pace behind the kids. Instinctively, he felt the white wizard prance along beside him, but he refused to look at him. “I’m surprised that you can use so many syllables with your brain being the size of nut.”
Fai just laughed in that boisterous way he always had. “Oh, Kuro-puu,” he tittered, “It’s so cute when you try to be witty.”
Kurogane almost bit a hole straight through his tongue.
- - - - - *
It always amazed Syaoran that no matter how many places they traveled to, each world was unique. The city reminded him vaguely of the capitol of Clow, though it definitely had its own style. The group of five had managed to stumble onto the streets which had somewhere back morphed from shifting sand to a hard ground. Buildings raised up high all around them, though nowhere near as tall as they had been in Piffle, but just as packed together. Though the walls, doors, and signs all showed signs of wear and tear, they were all in a good condition that showed they were being taken care of. The people they passed gave them odd looks, but all seemed to be in good physical condition and none seemed unduly suspicious. The sight of children playing outside, laughing freely, let Syaoran relax a bit more. It was conditions like these that revealed a world’s welfare and the less the people seemed to be suffering, the less likely they were to run into danger.
That was the theory anyway.
“I wonder what all these signs say,” Sakura marveled. She always appeared to be nearly overwhelmed with the new sights around her.
“They look almost like the kind of writing we had seen in Jade,” Fai noted, glancing lazily up at a sign.
Syaoran looked up around him and saw that Fai was right. The same type of lettering was used at least. He hoped that would make their visit a bit easier. His father had taught him that the ability to read was a powerful tool and he had learned just how true that was through out his journeys.
“Syaoran,” Mokona called softly from its place in Sakura’s arms, “Could we perhaps find some place to sit?”
They looked curiously over at Mokona. “Are you tired?” asked Sakura gently.
“How can it be tired?” Kurogane huffed. “It’s always being carried.”
“Mokona may not be tired,” the small creature admitted, “but Mokona also knows that no one will say when their own feet hurt after walking all this way. But no one will mind if Mokona says it.”
Everyone sort of fidgeted awkwardly. They had walked farther distances before and would never complain, but that did not make a rest sound any less desirable. Syaoran looked around and saw what appeared to be some sort of open bar, with empty seats placed around the outside. A man with a white apron and maroon cap stood on the other side, rubbing down a glass. There were other such places placed around the courtyard where they stood, but this one seemed to be the only one with enough empty seats. Syaoran peered up at the big green sign and slowly put together the letters.
“Drink… and… food,” he sounded out slowly. It sounded decent enough. He didn’t know if the place would accept the kind of currency they had, but at the least, the man might not begrudge them a place to sit. “How about over there?”
“Any place is as good as any,” Kurogane shrugged, which was basically assent so they walked over there together. Mokona instinctively stayed very still in Sakura’s arms.
“Excuse me?” Syaoran addressed the man behind the counter. “Do you mind if we sit here? We’ve just come in from the desert and we would like to rest our feet for a moment.”
The man replied, his bushy gray mustache rustling as he spoke, “Normally I would insist on you folks buying something first, but since business is slow right now,” he gestured toward the stools, “help yourself.”
“Thank you,” said Syaoran and the group settled themselves among the seats. He and Sakura sat down with soft noises of relief. It was simply wonderful to no longer have weight on their feet. Fai pretty much collapsed in his chair, settling his elbows upon the bar and nestling his head onto the crutch of entwined hands. Kurogane made sitting in a chair look as imposing as if he were still standing up. He crossed his arms and gave a bored glare to the bartender, who wisely turned his attention to the younger two.
“So what brings you to Lior?” the man asked conversationally. He continued to wipe down his glass though any smidgen of dirt had probably long since been extinguished.
Syaoran instantly filed the name away. He chose his next words carefully, “We are in need of something and we hope to find it here.” It was always so hard to determine from one world to the next what too much information was or what was too little. Still, better safe than sorry. He began to eye the menu as the glass in front of him continuously reminded him of his thirst. Unless they found the feather quickly- and it rarely seemed to turn out that way- they would need to find some way to obtain some of this world’s currency.
The manager seemed to beam with pride. “Ha ha! Well, Lior has gained quite a reputation after these past couple of years,” he chuckled. “I tell you, it’s nice to have come such a long way to become such a center of commerce.” He coughed. “Bah! But it’s only old fools like me that bother nowadays to remember times like that. Perhaps it’s better that way.” He seemed to be drifting out of his train of thought and began peering curiously at their style of garments. Syaoran and Sakura felt beads of sweat break out upon their necks and tried their hardest not to fidget, bracing themselves for the awkward questions.
However, before the man could continue to speak, Fai suddenly piped up, “Excuse me, sir, but do you mind telling me what the significance is of the human monument above your shop? I keep seeing the same guy over and over again. Is he your leader?”
The grey moustache seemed to quiver as a strange look came upon the manager’s face, a mix of thick exasperation and a tiny bit of disgust.
Sakura turned to look at Fai. “What man?” she asked, blinking. Even Syaoran didn’t know what he was talking about.
“Maa,” Fai smiled cattishly. “Perhaps you didn’t notice but there are many a portrayal of the same man- who, by the way, seems to have an excellent physique- through out the city. Mostly statues connected to the building in some way shape or another. There’s a giant one above this shop of the man flexing his muscles.”
“The building’s kind of worn down,” Kurogane’s voice seemed to come out of nowhere and the two from Clow jumped, “but if you look closely you can see that it clearly stands out from the surrounding buildings. The style is quite different…” It was kind of funny how Kurogane and Fai could list off such insights while simultaneously looking as though they were ready for a nap.
“That wasn’t my choice,” the storekeeper grumbled to himself.
Fai looked at Syaoran as though hearing the unvoiced question. “Syaoran probably only focused on the sign,” he explained with a kind smile. Then he laughed. “Syaoran can get so focused, muuu!”
Kurogane gritted his teeth.
The manager sighed bringing back everyone’s attention on him. “That man was Alex Armstrong, once known as the Strongarm Alchemist,” he lowered his hat respectfully. “May his soul rest his peace. Another character like him won’t be known for another time yet.”
“A great man?” Fai put forth tentatively.
“Hmm,” the man once more put the hat on his bald head. “Can’t say I knew him personally. He did this to my shop, mind you, years ago, but that was when he was first put in charge of this city to rebuild it. This city was worth lower than dirt before he came and it takes quite a man to put such a wreck back together, I’ll say that.” He gestured around him. “And look at us now! Not many people remember, but he’s the one that helped make Lior better than it ever was. Him and the Fuhrer, of course.” A light suddenly came into his eyes. “Ah, that’s right! Did you hear? The Fuhrer is coming on a visit today!”
The four blinked at him.
The man seemed content to continue speaking to himself, “They say it’s just a routine visit- just a routine checkup- but I ain’t falling for that!” He jabbed a thumb toward himself. “I may be old, but I figure I’ve not got instincts as to when things are going to happen.” He leaned in conspiratorially. Quietly, he confided, “And just between us, I think there’s something more to this visit. Perhaps he’s come to investigate these strange going-ons himself.”
His guests immediately perked up.
“Strange things?” Syaoran asked casually.
The man didn’t seem to hear him as he leaned back. “Been awhile since our ol’ Fuhrer had that kind of adventure,” he commented absently.
Fai cleared his throat, “You said something about strange things happening?”
“Gah! Stupid old man,” the owner berated himself. He scowled lightly. “This really isn’t the sort of thing one should discuss with tourists. It’s bad for business.”