Self Sacrifice

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS

Present Day:

The night was crystal clear; hardly a cloud in sight but the moon was slowly moving its way towards the horizon. Dawn was very near. The large group of vampire hunters stood in a circle around two figures, one wrapped in so many chains that she could not move, and the other with his wrists shackled and guarded by two burly hunters. The girl seemed almost lifeless. If it were not for muttering softly to herself, the boy would have thought she'd be dead. All night they had been standing out here, the moment of judgment was near.

"You're holding up nicely, Li," said Captain Chedek, "You haven't struggled once since we came here."

"You leave me no choice," he replied with an icy edge. His wrists were hurting badly but it was nothing that she went through nor would he give Captain Chedek the pleasure of seeing him suffer.

"I thought you would at least fight for her." Captain Chedek walked up to the chained girl and found an opening. He kicked her hard, causing Syaoran to burst out.

"Haven't you done enough?"

"What do you mean? Yes let everyone here know why you're chained up. They don't know, why don't you tell them?" Chedek sneered evilly. Syaoran knew there was no fighting it, he loved her and he would not hide from it even if that meant his death.

"I love her." Gasps resounded from everyone. Many shook their heads hoping that it wasn't true. Others cried because they knew what would happen now. Chedek ordered his men to release Syaoran.

"Everyone knows your good at swordplay, well so am I," Chedek said as he pulled his sword out of its sheaf. One of the burly hunters handed Syaoran a sword.

"Wait!" that got people's attention. Everyone turned to the speaker. "Please Syaoran, tell us why? How could you betray us?" Syaoran looked hard at her but then closed his eyes and looked down at the one he loved. She still muttered incoherently.

"None of you would understand. There's no point."

"But Syaoran, let us understand. Was it seduction? Was it mind manipulation?"

"What does it matter Tomoyo? I love her," Syaoran said his eyes softening when the girl finally noticed and looked at him. Her muttering stopped and she seemed lost in her own thoughts but she would not take her eyes off of him. Everyone observed the exchange and then someone else spoke out.

"Even if you love her, can a vampire love back? Can she even be considered non-lethal?"

"She is a wonderful creature. She is not like the others," said Syaoran, once started he couldn't stop the words from flowing. The girl was hanging on to every one of them. "When I met her she was a wonderful person, she was disguised then as a human. She worked in the Mammoth Mine Inn which we all know is underground. It was a strange place for anyone to live, but we all thought that we would find plenty of vampires there. There were no strange occurrences and Eriol never felt any strange anomalies amongst the people. We heard strange reports that when a vampire showed up another creature appeared and stopped the vampires from attacking. It was like a vampire hunting its own. This is she, my beloved. She hunted the old covenant because she had grown to like the people within the Mammoth Mine Inn and within Mammoth Mines and its underground colony. She told me that there are two covenants, at one time there was only one. She's not sure what caused the division but when there existed two different types of vampires so did the two different covenants. The old covenant was filled with creatures of untamed nature; they were vile and did things on a whim. But the new covenant thought for itself. They took the time to get to know their victims before they attacked. Sakura was one of the first. For 2 thousand years she has lived this world looking for some explanation as to why there was such a difference. She has searched for answers to why a human can become a vampire but not the other way around. :Many mummers in the background: Yes, it is her dearest wish to become human. "

Chedek practically ignored Syaoran's speech and took the advantage to attack; Syaoran looked up and saw Chedek pelting at him at full speed the sword going for the gut. Sakura realized what was happening even before Syaoran. The world slowed and eventually stopped. Sakura looked around confused. She had not felt this presence in almost 2 thousand years; she would never forget it and she knew what she had to do. The chains melted off of her and she staggered to her feat. Every inch of her body protested in pain. Captain Chedek had beaten her silly only a night before. Sakura moved as fast as she could, time was starting to unfold. She braced herself for the impact that came only moments later. It struck her and she was so shocked that she couldn't even scream out. Shock registered on Captain Chedek's face and he let go of the sword handle. Sakura fell to her knees tears in her eyes. Syaoran ran to her side and pulled her towards him.

"Sakura why? Why'd you do it?" he blubberd, tears stung his eyes.

"I had to save you," she said weakly, her energy was sweeping away. A normal sword wound wouldn't kill her but she was a vampire and everything the vampire hunters used was dipped in Holy water. "I have always loved you Syaoran, and I always will."

"You can't leave me, you just can't," he said, the tears started to flow and he didn't care.

"You'll be alright, it's ok. I … I will see you … again someday … maybe I … I'll be re … reborn …"

"Sakura! SAKURA!"

They say your life flashes before you before you die. For Sakura that seemed to becoming true. She felt like her life was slipping away but was that what was happening? It was hard to tell. She felt herself drifting from the place where she was now and drawn back into those blessed memories. Well sometimes they were not so blessed. Sometimes they were heartbreaking. But they were the memories that made her what she is. Every last one of them. She thought about her friends, Tomoyo, Eriol, Yamazaki, and many others. Eriol had been there since the beginning. Wait a minute … since the beginning? Eriol must have been reborn, so must have the others. Was Sakura stuck in some sort of time loop? Were they all destined to be reborn till the wrong was put right again? That couldn't be what it was, could it? Maybe she was just thinking too much….

2 thousand years earlier…

Sakura found herself looking down the hillside off of the shore. She loved to watch the wave's crash against the rocky beach. The sun fell upon her and her friends as they sat around in lazy silence.

"Sakura you look rather put out," stated Tomoyo with concern. She was working on embroidery to a new dress that she had apparently been working on even in her sleep.

"Maybe," she replied.

"What's this? The bride is sad?" asked a shocked Chiharu. "That cannot be allowed!"

"No Chiharu, I'm not sad," said Sakura shaking her head.

"Then what's got you so beat?" asked Naoko.

"Maybe its cold feet or something, I'm not sure." Her friends looked at one another hoping to find answers before they turned back to Sakura.

"Talk to us. Maybe we can help," said Rika.

"Alright, I'm the bridesmaid for this task!" exclaimed an excited Naoko. Everyone turned to her a little apprehensive at her excitement. "Let's play a little game I like to call, 'To many questions'."

"Oh Naoko! Not this again!" said a terrified Sakura, "Remember what happened the last time?"

"What?" Naoko looked confused. Then it dawned on her and she started laughing. "You're scared of this game aren't you?"

"Of course I am! The last time you got ghosts involved not to mention a story about Eriol that I'll never forget and not in a good way!"

"Oh Sakura, it will not be like that this time, I promise," replied Naoko smiling. Sakura was very wary of Naoko but agreed to go along with the game. The other girls moved closer so they sat in a circle with Sakura at its head.

"I'll go first," said Tomoyo, "Is it about your father?"

"No."

"Is it about your brother?" asked Naoko.

"No."

"Is it about your long lost mother?" asked Chiharu.

"Nope."

"Is it about your Fiancé?" asked Rika.

"Sort of."

"It's got to be about Li," said Chiharu, nodding almost making up Sakura's mind for her.

"Is it about his hair?" asked Tomoyo.

"Lord no, I love it!" exclaimed Sakura.

"How about those intense eyes?" asked Rika.

"No definitely not! I love those deep pools of amber; they just suck you in to sweet bliss." Sakura seemed to be lost for a moment in her thoughts.

"How he dresses?" asked Naoko.

"No."

"How about his job?" asked Chiharu. Sakura merely nodded.

"What's got you upset about his job?" asked Tomoyo.

"I do not know what he does, and it worries me."

"Is it the long times that he's away?" asked Chiharu

"That and others."

"Please elaborate," said Naoko with a thoughtful expression.

"Well I…" Sakura blushed a deep crimson, "I've seen him topless…" Everyone gasped and Sakura's friends started giggling.

"What is he like?"

"Is he well muscled?"

"Is he too hairy?"

"Or not enough hair?"

"Please stop!" cried Sakura blushing even more. "He's perfect ok!"

"But Sakura what has his job got to do with his torso?" asked a confused Chiharu.

"I've seen scares, lots of them."

"What do you mean?" asked Tomoyo.

"He has these scares that I know are not from a whip or anything like that. They have to be battle scares." Sakura seemed to be lost in thought again.

"I still don't understand where would he get them?" asked Rika.

"That's what has me so upset! He has them and I have asked about it but he won't tell me."

"Maybe he's trying to protect you," said Chiharu.

"Whatever it is we can work through it, I know we can," replied Sakura passionately.

"Sakura if Li is trying to protect you, shouldn't you just leave it be?"

"I can't Rika, I have to know."

"Sakura, sometimes you have to trust your significant other, even if they don't tell you everything," said Tomoyo putting a reassuring hand on Sakura's.

"Sakura the best pillars of marriage are trust and respect. Trust him and one day he will feel free to trust in you," said Chiharu with a reassuring smile.

"I guess," replied Sakura a little uncertain. Her friends continued to reassure her that he was only hiding things from her to protect her. After awhile they collected their things and headed back into town. Sakura resolved to trust in Syaoran, even if he didn't trust her enough to tell her what it was he did for a living. She hoped that one day she would find out what it was he did, and she hoped that his job was not too incredibly dangerous.

The town was very close to the shore, it was only far enough away so that you couldn't hear anything from it while sitting on the hill side. The group of girls talked about wedding arrangements as they came closer to their destination. Sakura had to say good-bye to Rika and Chiharu who had Fiancé's of their own to attend to. Sakura, Tomoyo, and Naoko headed into the town's main and very large inn. Hill Copper Inn could house more than 600 residents and supplied a hearty meal for its residents every night as well as moonlighting as a pub to local residents of the town itself. The three girls headed back into the employee's quarters to grab their aprons, and check their reflections. Sakura wore a white and pink tavern dress with a white short sleeved chemise top and a deep pink cincher at the waist. Her apron was black and had pockets embroidered with pink flowers. Her auburn hair was tied back in a light but neat bun with a couple of strands falling loose. Tomoyo and Naoko wore similar outfits to Sakura. Tomoyo had a deep purple half-length sleeved tavern dress which wasn't cut to low and a light purple cincher. Her apron was plain black. Tomoyo wore her raven colored hair in a braid down the back of her head but she wore it so that it hung over her shoulder. Naoko wore a striped blue and white tavern skirt with a blue bell-shaped sleeve chemise top. Her cincher was black and so was her apron. Her hair was too shore to be put up but she clipped her brown hair back so it would not get in her way.

"Naoko," said Sakura before Naoko left the room, "you forgot your glasses again." Naoko smiled meekly and took them before they both headed out to work with Tomoyo behind them.

To Be Continued

AN:

I am looking forward to writing this fanfication. I hope you all enjoy this ride as much as I am. For those loyal readers of mine, I'm sorry that I'm droping the old stories. I'm starting over and I'm finally rewriting a story from back in 2004. Back than it was called the "Queen of Hell" very dark and very depressing I think. I know Vampiric stories aren't exactly friendly stories, but I'm not so much focusing on the description but rather the story line, which is what it should be right?

This storyline has many moments that might jerk you around, so don't say I didn't warn you.

Enjoy and please review!

Evern