Welcome Home (Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle) *Fai/OC*

02. Sore Thumb of the Farmland

Viola quickly learnt that this new country - or new world, more like - wasn't just made up of farmland, even if there was a wide expanse of it. She'd soon stumbled upon a small, yet rather bustling village. There were either too many people fitted into this small town or everyone was just giving across the image of busy crowds by rushing about their daily lives. Viola couldn't decide which.

Everybody definitely seemed to be working, however. Everyone that she passed was either carrying milk or food produce, dragging carts and farming tools or trying to catch the odd curly-haired, golden creature that had clearly strayed in from the farmlands. Everyone she passed also followed her with strange looks, staring after her in curiosity.

As soon as Viola realised, she felt uncomfortable. Back in Illuvere, she'd used her glamouring magic to try and stand out. But standing out had never made her feel like she was... well, strange before. Now people were looking at her like she was completely alien to them. She guessed in a way that was true - she did come from a different world after all - but how would they have known that? Pulling the collar of her turquoise jacket up to conceal her face, she quickened her pace. She needed to find this Mokona creature sooner rather than later.

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, she found herself looking towards a lone townsperson, who was stood outside the door of a small rundown shop, as if her gaze had purposely been drawn in that direction. He was quite tall and slimly built with hair the colour of sunlight. Colour had always been important in Viola's life - particularly with her glamouring magic - so it was something she'd always romanticised.

But the thing that drew Viola's gaze even more was the creature he was holding. It was downy white with long ears and a ruby jewel in the centre of its head. It was an opposing double of Yuko's Mokona.

Did that mean it wasn't the one Viola was meant to be searching for? She'd been told to seek out a creature like Mokona. This one was definitely similar, but the colours weren't alike. Yuko hadn't mentioned anything about that. Viola guessed that there wasn't a number of creatures that looked like this one, but then she had already seen several animals in this world that she'd never seen before. So who could say? She wished that the dimensional witch had given her a bit more detail.

The blonde carrying the creature had noticed her looking and was now staring back questioningly. Viola shifted uncertainly. Now what was she supposed to do? Did she just go up to him and ask if his fluffy friend had magical powers? But then Yuko's Mokona had also said that the one she was searching for was travelling with a group. Yet this one was clearly only with one person. Viola didn't know what to do.

She was distracted by her conundrum as she noticed a man with untidy, olive hair stride past out of the corner of her eye. She turned and stared, forgetting everything else entirely as the encounter caught her off guard. She then ran after the man without hesitation.

"Rome! Wait!" she shouted.

The man turned, his expression shifting to startled as he took in her appearance. "Err, do I know..."

"What are you doing here?" Viola cut across him, still astonished. How had Tayenn's brother gotten to this world too?

"Sorry, but who are you?" he asked. "And how do you know my name?"

Viola's mouth dropped open. "What are you talking about? It's me; Viola!"

"I don't know a Viola!"

Viola gaped even more. She didn't understand. Had he really forgotten her somehow or was he faking? But why? Why would he have come to this world? Why would he have left his guard duty at the castle? Had Tayenn maybe sent him to keep an eye on her? Viola had no idea about any of it.