30 Prompts

AN: It is for a LJ community which I took the table from. The moderators are no longer frequently approving new claims so mine is pretty much dead at the moment. Hence why I'm here.

I am posting this on simply because I feel that these somewhat randomly lengthed drabbles might bring me out of a slump in relation to writing. I don't have problems writing this much-it comes naturally and hence why sometimes it may not flow because it's instantaneous. It's not edited whatsoever, beta, peer or self. Hope it's somewhat of a pleasant read though, but this really is more for my own satisfaction than otherwise. Sometimes it sticks to canon, other times I just felt like making up perspectives and of course events, because otherwise I probably couldn't write this at all. I hope you can catch on-maybe, I don't know what I'm hoping for here but thanks for taking a chance on this and reading this rambling paragraph that I can't seem to stop writing. Stop. Okay.

Title: Turning Point

Prompt:
Objective


The Li clan wasn't a family.

To young Syaoran, the only boy of the main family, it was always just the clan to him. No matter how many times the elders would repeat that the clan was linked together like a family, Syaoran knew that everyone had their ulterior motives. It was just a collection of pieces at their disposal, and he was born into one of the most important roles.

Of course he knew his duty, it was drilled into his head, molding him into the individual the clan was based upon. A figure with strong physical and mental capabilities, skilled in the elemental arts and the form of the sword. He was to command respect by his very presence, silence a room with nothing more than a look, and be the one with all the answers. Young Syaoran had abided by all their standards, studied the piles of text, worked himself to the limit and vigorously increased his workload until he was seen as ready in their eyes. The acknowledgement almost made him feel welcome, loved, part of their distinguished family as a person to invest their interest in.

But their interest lied in him because they were the providers.

The task itself wasn't complicated, it was almost common sense. Syaoran knew what he was gearing himself up for, and figured that whomever held the cards that he was seeking would be no match for his skills. His arrogance was prominent, far exceeding his need for success. So when he denied more help on the task due to his age, the elders shrugged it off and said to see what he could do.

So when he arrived in Tomoeda, with his compass geared up, he most certainly did not expect to find a girl of his age, innocently laughing with no care in the world. It was almost too easy to be true. He decided to go for diplomacy, asking for the cards initially. When she acted dumb, Syaoran switched to demand, then to pure physicality. Needless to say, he did not expect her brother, who would have been a good match for him, Syaoran thought at the moment.

There was something about that girl that annoyed him, especially she was the objective of his mission. He wasn't one for the 'getting close' tactic. He was straight forward and bold, and horribly competitive. The more she caught the cards, the more he despised her cheerful nature and the way her cheeks heated up at her friend's antics. How could a girl like her hope to keep these cards under careful control? They were all flukes, her captures were. She never thought anything through and she was sure to be no match for him.

Yet the cards flew to her like a flurry of wind. He had his fair share, sure, and he was forced to give some up to her because he was fair and could acknowledge her part in the capturing. Even so, she was his enemy, and how could he be sympathetic towards his enemy? But every time she was in danger, his heart skipped a beat in alert and he would immediately dash off to save her because, let's face it, she very well needed his help.

And Syaoran didn't know when he began to give up on the task altogether, going from a competitor to a sidekick of sorts. He wouldn't have called them friends, but she did. Her emerald eyes would twinkle when she called his name, radiating with too much light, and Syaoran had no heart to refuse her. He conceded the cards almost as easily as he did his heart. When he was forced to go, Syaoran left with his mission unaccomplished. She twisted his ideals effortlessly, stole his purpose without even a glimpse of malicious intent.

Thus when Li Syaoran arrived back at the Li Clan, head held high as he delivered his report of the card mistress and her triumphs, he caught bits of the elder's disapproval but his mother was slightly nodding non-commitedly. They've made their peace with their loss, and Syaoran had long accepted his failure, even so far as half way into his mission. He frankly didn't care. His family stood by his actions, so the elders were of no concern to him. They weren't bothered past his first words, when he indicated that he came back empty handed. But his mother had the last words.

"What is her name, Xiao-Lang?"
Syaoran had been waiting for this question; he had been referring to her as 'her' for far too long.
"Kinomoto Sakura, mother. Her name is Sakura."

"And she changed me."