Princess Cherry: chapter 1

Rating: M

Anime: Cardcaptor Sakura.

Summary: Sakura was just your average swan, nothing was really special about her, but she was always fascinated with the humans of the Li Kingdom, especially a particular one, but she was an animal, never to be able to communicate with the humans on a same level or so she thought until she found an unusual gem.

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS or any of the characters except for some you don't recognized from the series.

-«-Li Castle-»-

Music filled the wide spaced room as I watched through the old window. On the piano sat a young woman, maybe in her early twenties, playing a melody that I knew well, "Su Mei", "Morning Beauty". I watched the woman closely, her fingers moved with such life, her face held such joy, I don't think she minded the years she spent working for the Lis', she just enjoyed the time she had with those keys. My gaze turned to the other female in the room, she didn't appear too old, but like the saying goes, "Looks can be deceiving". Her gaze was hard and cold, she didn't tolerate for nonsence and was serious to the core, yet she did have her gently moments, over the years I have come to figure this out. At last, my gaze turned to the only male in the room, he danced to the music, but his movements were so dead... his spins, no life, his leaps, no life, every motion was without life. Unconsciously, both my wings lifted above my head as I watched him move and I soon began to follow, I might as well, I've been watching him do this for weeks and been watching him period ever since he was younger.

"That's enough," I turned to the cold voice that spoke and looked at Lady Yelan Li. Her voice made my feathers stand on end.

"B-but Lady Li, we've only yet begun to-" the pianist started but was cut off by a slender hand and deadly gaze, daring her to say anything more.

"Syoaran, let us le-" but the male was nowhere to be found.

I knew exactly where he was, the same place he went after every ballet lesson. I hopped into the water and started to swim to the other side of the lake where I knew he would be waiting for me. I always enjoyed the talks we had together, even if he was talking and I would just listen with no reply some of the times. He must think I'm stupid or something, wait, what am I talking about, they think all animals here are stupid. As I turned around the corner of the building I saw him in the dense fogleaning against the big willow tree staring blankly into the water. My emerald eyes lit as they always did when meeting with him and my silky white feathered wings made a small ruffling noise in the water as to tell him I've arrived. I saw his head shoot up and he smiled as he knelt closer to the water, arms opened wide for my. I swan faster to him and gently rubbed my feathered cheek against the skin of his cheek as his arms wrapped around my long neck and he began stroking my maroon tipped feathers.

"I've missed you," he said quietly as he let me go but continued to pet me.

I blinked and moved my wings around a bit as I gave him a questioning look. 'But you just saw me yesterday after last practice,' I thought.

He must have understood me because he chuckled lightly and tapped me on my beak, "Shush, okay? Just be glad I missed you."

I moved from out of the water and walked to somewhere near him then began to duplicate some of the moves that I coulddo from his lesson and heard him laughing.

"Ahh, so you saw that, huh? You never miss a lesson," he sighed as he looked up into the sky trying to find any sign of a blue up above. "Why does mother continually think that ballet is good for me?"

-«-Flashback-»-

"Syaoran, I've told you time and time again, you must take these lessons so that you may preform the dance once I have found you the perfect suiter. She must be beautiful, talented, healthy, but mostly," Lady Li turned to face her son in the moonlit room, "She must be a princess, a well mannered, high classed, young princess, no... slutty peasant from off of the streets."

He nodded his head in agreement, "Yes mother, I understand, I'm sure you would find me the perfect wife."

She smiled in the darkness, a smile that only she could be satisfied with, one that made Syaoran somewhat afraid of her, "Yes, I'm glad to hear that my son. But these lessons aren't just for your suiter and you, these lessons also teach you grace, balance, poise, beauty... and discipline most of all, do not forget that, Syaoran."

He nodded once again and turned to exit the study room with a sigh.

-«-End Flashback-»-

He scoffed as he shook his head, "Beauty? Grace? Why the hell would I need those?" He shifted his position so that now he was laying on his stomach and he gazed at his reflection in the water, "I swear she wanted another goddamn daughter, I don't need this." He slowly closed his eyes and was quiet for a while.

I tilted my head and blinked. What's wrong with a guy knowing such things? It would give him a better chance with other princesses I bet. I leaned forward and lightly tugged at his chestnut hair making him look up at me with a smile. He reached one of his hands up and began to gently stroked the side of my face, "I'll always have you, won't I, girl." I ruffled my feathers again in agreement. His eyelids lowered slightly as his amber eyes looked into my emerald ones, "You know, you are a very unusual bird, burgandy tipped feathers, emerald eyes, you even understand what I'm saying. Not many animals here can do that. One could wonder if you were magically turned into a swan by an evil force, but you once were a beautiful, wonderful princess... I wonder what you would have looked like as a true human female though, y'know?" I wonder as well...

Right then, both of our heads turned as we heard a rustling come from behind the bushes and out stepped a young female. Her violet hair was braided then twisted into a bun in the back of her head and had two smaller braids going across her forehead and her amythest eyes scanned the lake until they came across what they were looking for and she smiled, "Li-oujisama!" Her sleeveless pruple dress bellowed behind her as she ran towards us. "Li-oujisama, Li-oujisama, Li-kisakisamahas requested your pressence in the study room along with Li-oujasamafor the finding of your suiter, sir," she announced.

Syaoran nodded as he stood and dusted off the dirt from his dance outfit then headed towards the room, "Arigatou, Daidouji." (They mix Japanese with Chinese, but Yelan prefers Chinese)

I watched as she watched Syaoran disappear behind the bushes then she turned to me, "My, my, what an odd bird." What is she talking about, hasn't she seen me before? I 've been here for years. She must be new here I bet. She bent down and examined me closely thensmiled as she stroked my feathers, "Well anyway, I'm Tomoyo Daidouji, it's nice to meet you." I spread my wings slowly as to not scare her and hoped she understood that that was my greetings to her.

She smiled softly again and stood up then walked off behind the bushes into the building I guess. It was quiet as I looked around, not a soul in sight. I lowered my head as I stood on alert, the lake was never this quiet, but then again, we never had a fog as thick as this. I looked around me nervously, what the hell was going on? I suddenly stopped in the middle of the lake and looked upwards, I couldn't tell if it was night or day so I just had to relly on the color of the fogged sky. I squinted as I looked up, hints of red, hints of yellow, purpleishness, it was probably begining to turn into night already I guess.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a quick flash of something as I turned my head where I saw a shimmer and I swan over to it. Something was hidden in the tall grass of the lake so I used my beak to part the blades and revealed a diamond shaped stone, it had swirls of all sorts of shades of green, very beutiful it was. I carried in my beak and sat it at the bank of the lake and looked at it questioningly as if it were going to trasnform or something magical would happen or anything, but not a thing happened. I tapped it lightly with my beak, still nothing. I tapped it twice this time, nothing again. Okay, three times the charm, right? I struck it again. Why isn't anything happening! I finally got fed up with the idiotic thing, I know somethings suppose to happen, I just know! I can feel something about it makingmy feathers stand on end. I struck it once last final time with a hard blow then suddenly, the swirls began to move, hypnotizing me. Suddenly, I felt a tremendous burning in my bones, so painful! And then... black.

-«--»-

Music filled the air as I watched the two dance. Su Mei. The song to which Li-oujisama and his soon-to-be wife would dance to. There was a man, his feet set in a poised position as a woman rested in his arms, her arms wide apart, they both wearing the traditionaldress of the dance which were, in Li-oujisama's words, "Extravagantly designed ballet outfits". I couldn't make out their faces, only that the male hade unruly chestnut colored hair that seemed strongly familiar and that the female in his arms had auburn hair brushing against her shoulders. I was silenced as I watched the two move with elegance, his hands slid down her arms as I could tell even through the darkness they were looking at each other.

His hands moved to her slim waist as he hoisted her into the air swiftly and they remained like this for a while before her slowly set her down then watched as she spun in the other direction of him and he followed after her, upon catching up to her, placing an arm around her waist and behind her back as he dipped her backwards. They remained like this until he slowly brought her up then she spun into his arms and he wrapped them around her form, after a while, spinning her out as far as his arms would allow. He slowly advanced towards her as she began to lean back again, a leg outstretched this time as he moved a hand a behind her for support and he leaned with her, an arm wrapped around his neck. His face was hovering just above hers as he soon started to close the gap between them, now only a few inches apart he stopped, his gaze turning to me.

Li-oujisama!

-«--»-

"Li-oujisama!"

I sat up with a start. I looked around the unfamiliar room I was in. Everything was furnished in almost everything cherrywood, cheerywood bed with red silk sheets and pillows, cherrywood armoire, light red candles in the corner arranged in various hieghts on cherrywood poles. Nice. I looked around some more, the ceilings were a darkish red color, like blood, but a bit darker and the walls were a cream color with black linings at the top and bottom, and the floor was made of some dark cream colored material that was really soft looking. Where am I? I looked down at myself, holy shit! Feathers now replaced with skin, auburn hair barely brushing along my shoulders enhanced in beauty by the maroon highlights. I walked out of my bed on shakey legs then headed towards the mirror that was attached to the cheerrywood legs. I was wearing a pale pink dress without sleeves that was lined in something gold colored and my hair was set plain against my shoulders with two small pigtails atop my head, kawaii.

"So you are awake I see."

I turned around quickly to face the cherrywood door and there stood a young looking female, violet hair, amythest eyes. Tomoyo Daidouji.

She walked over to the bed I was preciously laying in and gave me a warm smile, "I'm glad to see you are awake, but first things first, do you have a name?"

I looked back at my reflection in the mirror then back at her, shaking my head slowly.

She had a thoughtful expression as she looked upwards then smiled again as she turned her gaze back at me, "All right, I'll just name you then. Marionette?"

I think she wanted me to tell her if she like it or not so I shook me head no. It was a pretty name, but it just didn't feel right.

"Jossaline?"

I shook my head.

"Yu Ai?"

Nice, but not for me, so I shook my head.

"Ahiru?"

I'm not a duck! I glared at her lightly and shook my head slowly.

She gave a nervous laugh then looked up again, "Unn... Sssssaaaa..." she tired to think of a nameby sounding it out, "Sakuuu...rrrr... Sakura. Sakura!"

I thought for a while and smiled at her, nodding my head happily. Sakura... nice.

She smiled at me warmly and nodded as well, "All right, Sakura. Where do you come from?"

Well, I couldn't tell her that I came from the lake, that would seem a little odd. So I lied and shook my head in a way of saying I didn't know.

"Ara, can you speak?"

I furrowed my brows in thought, well, I am human so that means I should be able to speak... right?

"...I can," I replied, quickly holding my throat as soon as the words ended. My voice was a bit... funny.

She smiled at me again and patted an empty space beside her on the bed. I took the hint and sat next to her.

"Mind if I ask you some questions?"

She shook her head, "Not at all."

"All right, where am I?"

"You're in the Li Castleusing one of the spare rooms,"

"I'm in the Li Castle?"

"Yup," she replied curtly.

"What am I doing here?"

"Well, I found you near the lake of the castle and I was worried about you for two resons. One," she started,holding upa finger, "you were unconscious and naked, so that would have been a problem for the guards and Two," she held up a second finger to join the first, "the guards, if one decided to tell Li-kisakisama, she would have had your head for trespassing."

I swallowed something that seemed to have gotten stuck in my throat and I held it one of my hands as she said this. I nodded slowly as I soon remembered something.

"Where's my stone!"

She blinked at me as if I were crazy at my sudden outburst, "Your stone?"

"Yeah, my stone, it's diamond shaped aith all sorts of green, have you seen it?"

"Oh yeah, of course, your jewel. You were holding it in your hand when I found you," she stated as she stood up and reached for something in one of her back pockets of her dress. After asecond or twoshe brought her hand back around and held up a necklace, it had beautiful thread, a black that shimmered wonderfully, and had a pointed black metal tip at the bottom. (think of the necklace Hitomi from Escaflowne wears)

I gingerly took the necklace and placed it around my neck giving Tomoyo a small smile and saying a quick thanks.

"You know, I never did give you my name, it's Tomoyo Daidouji," she said as she walked towards the door.

"I know,"

"What?" she stated in disbelief.

I closed my eyes and mentally cursed at myself for my quick tongue. I turned a round and smiled her thinking of something to say.

"Unn... you just... seem like a Tomoyo type of person. I guessed," I lied.

She looked at mein an unconvinced way and turned to open the door, "Follow me."

I followed after her without question from the room and started to walk down some spiraling stairs only to come to a room filled with seven doors each leading into seperate hallways. Tomoyo looked at each one slowly then choose the second door starting from our right then we continued our walk. After a few more minutes of walking up and down stairs and many doors well finally came acrosstwo large oakwood doors each a good 500 feet high and just stood there until the doors slowly started to open -I assume from two people behind the doors- and was greeted with nothing but a dimly lit room.

I looked around the room trying to figure out what was in there but could only come up with near blackness.

"Enter," said a voice that made me jump a bit, but Tomoyo just looked into the darkness not having any worries as she walked in.

I quickly followed her, accidentally bumping into her at her sudden halt and curtsy. "Li-oujasama, Li-kisakisama, Li-oujisama," she said in a monotonous tone unlike herself.

Li-oujisama...

"Daidouji, speak," came Lady Li's spine chilling voice.

"Li-kisakisama, I bring you Sakura..." she paused for a bit, "...Kinomoto, she wishes to be of some use to the Li Clan, maybe a servant as I, m'lady?"

"Kinomoto..." came a deep male voice in the darkness, I'm assuming was Master Li's. "All right Kinomoto, you shall become my son's personal servant seeing as how he really need one of his own, you will answer to him always, speak when spoken to,do as he says or it will be your head," he said coldly.

I swallowed roughly and nodded. I heard a rustling in the darkness followed by the sound of moving feet then out of the darkness stepped Li-oujisama. He headed towards my direction and upon reaching me, leaned unbelievably close to me which made melean back a bit as hetowered over me. I never realised he was so tall. His hand cupped his chin as he stared at my face for a moment slowly trailing down my body, stopping a bit at my chest area then continuing downwards. Soon he was upright again and smirking.

"Not bad, Daidouji, not bad at all."

"Thank you very much, Li-oujisama," she bowed her head respectfully.

He suddenlytook one of my wrists and held roughly in his large hand leaning in closely again, but this time I didn't back away.

"L-Li-ou-" I started to breathe his name, but was cut off by him using the index finger of his other hand and placing it over my lips.

"Speak only when spoken to," he said quietly which made me shiver visably as his warm breathe caressed my lips lightly.

He leaned in closer until our lips were only a few centimeters apart and I closed my eyes slowly, waiting to feel his lips upon. What am I doing? He's my friend, and that only! B-but I can't help it... I waited for a while but those lips never came. I opened my eyes to look at his smirking face and felt as he slowly let go of my wrist, letting my arm fall back down limply.

"Pathetic..." he muttered coldly and walked past me, out the doors.

My face turned red -in embarrassment, anger, bewilderment, I don't know- as I sank to my knees. I can't be-lieve him!
.
.
.

My first meetings with Li-oujisama as a human female...

And he's a complete ass.

-SL-: Heh, sorry, I was suppose to be working on Son of the Li Clan, but this was just something I was working on when I was without the internet, please don't be mad cause it's taking so long, I'm trying, just writers block again, but then this popped into my head so I just started working on this, and like my other fics, minimum of five reviews, maximum of... like hell I'd give a maximum. Thanks for giving this a chance and sorry to say, I'm not so sure that my other chapters will be as long as this.

-Vocabulary-

Li-oujisama - Prince Li

Li-kisakisama - Queen/Lady Li

Li-oujasama - King/Master Li

Unn - "Err...well,"

Ara- "Oh,"