This is my first Fic ever! Please read it and tell me what you think!
Elements
Chapter One: Rope, Chain and Bind
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Li Syaoran stood bare chested and barefoot in the cold morning light. He touched the black pendant that hung from his throat and it instantly transformed in his Clow Sword. He started practicing like any other morning, starting with his katas, each movement fluid and graceful. All the while thinking about certain emerald eyed, auburn haired beauty. He long ago had given up trying to get himself to stop thinking about her. Every thing he did ended up being related to the Card Mistress, no matter how hard he tried.
The dark forest green pants he was wearing at the moment were his favorites, for they allowed enough movement to do high kicks and quick thrusts. It was still very early in the morning, today he didn't have any classes due to a teacher meeting. Everything in Tomoeda was quiet and at peace. Everything except the youth he happened to live with.
"Syaoran!" Li Meiling called, her voice reverberating trough the apartment. Syaoran let out a sigh and stopped doing his katas. Meiling entered a second after. "Would you like to go to the park? I'm meeting Tomoyo there, I need some help with my history and since today we don't have any classes..." The warrior transformed his sword back in a pendant, and seemed to roll the question in his mind for a few seconds. It won't be that bad, I got to get out of this apartment, besides I will not be able to concentrate again, not after Meiling's shouts. He reasoned, touching the pendant in his throat with his right hand. "Okay, I'll go." He voiced, Meiling shouted her joy out. "Only let me get changed, I'll join you in the living room" He ordered, more than said, as he pushed her toward the door. Meiling just bounced around when she got out, truly happy.
The warrior let out another sigh, he took a quick shower and got changed. He chose dark blue jeans, a dark forest green T-shirt and a black, thin jacket over it. He was ready in hardly ten minutes. When he got out, Meiling had prepared a big breakfast. Syaoran didn't know why since he always got a light breakfast, and Meiling knew that perfectly well.
"What's with all the food?" Syaoran asked, trying to be polite. "It's for you! I thought you'd be hungry." She said, while sitting down in her own place and smiling from ear to ear. "But Meiling... I never take breakfast, not like this!" He started, still trying to be polite. "So you didn't like it?" Meiling asked, doing the puppy face. Unlucky for Meiling, she was doing puppy face to the wrong man, he just wouldn't fall for it. Maybe if it was Sakura... But she is not Sakura. He thought to himself. "I'm sorry Meiling, but I can't eat that much in the mornings." Meiling was in the verge of tears. Fake, pretended tears.
"Come on! Or we will be late" Syaoran urged, heading for the door, trying to get away from Meiling as fast as he could. "Fine!" She said, obviously mad.
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Daidouji Tomoyo smiled to herself. She was quite pleased with the results of the earlier conversation she had had with Meiling. They were going to meet at the park and she was bringing Li with her. Now the more difficult part of her plan was coming. She had to convince Sakura to wake up this early and meet her at the park. Tomoyo picked up her purple cell phone and punched Sakura's number in. It rang 7 times before Sakura picked up.
"Moshi moshi?" She asked drowsily, yawning too.
"Sakura?"
"Yeah, it's me. What is it?"
"Would you care to join me at the park in 30 minutes?"
"Hoe? Tomoyo! You now perfectly well that I never wake up early, how am I going to get to the park at this hour!?"
"Are you sure? I know that someone you would be very glad to see is coming too." Tomoyo stated slyly, knowing full well what her reaction was going to be.
"Wh...Who is coming, Tomoyo?" Sakura managed to stammer. Her mind full of images of certain amber eyed boy.
"Li of course!" Tomoyo said happily, a sly smile present in her lips.
"Hai, then I'm coming too!" Sakura's heart was doing somersaults, she never missed a chance to be with the strong Chinese warrior. "I'll meet you at Penguin Park, next to the slide in half an hour." Her voice was no longer drowsy.
"Okay, see you later, ja ne!"
"Ja ne!"
"That was easier than I thought." Tomoyo thought aloud, as she headed toward her door. She grabbed her V8 from her desk and went out of her mansion, heading to the park.
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Li Syaoran and Li Meiling stood side by side in the morning light, waiting for Tomoyo to appear. Meiling was , clinging to his arm, like always and babbling about something Syaoran was not paying attention to. Just when he was about to tell Meiling to shut up, Tomoyo appeared just around the corner, but she wasn't alone. Syaoran wondered for a second who was it before sensing Sakura's cheerful aura bouncing around, reaching out for his own. He instantly knew who it was. His heart skipped a beat, he didn't know she was coming too. Now he was glad he had come. His face didn't showed it, but his eyes were smiling.
Sakura skated at the same pace as Tomoyo was walking. She couldn't hide her joy. She had a broad smile from ear to ear, and her aura was bouncing around cheerfully as it always did when she was feeling as joyful as today. She was happy with a good reason. She was seeing the love of her life today. Even though he didn't know it yet. It was very difficult for her to say it, she couldn't bring herself to gather enough courage to tell him. She was too afraid of rejection, but for now she was happy just being one of his close friends.
Sakura and Tomoyo quickly reached where the Chinese teens were waiting.
"What are YOU doing here?" Meiling shouted viciously, pointing her finger to Sakura's face. Syaoran glared fiercely at Meiling. "It is a free country Meiling, Sakura can go wherever she wants." Meiling was taken aback by his fierce glare, it was the first time he had done something as such. The result: she shut up. Tomoyo saw this as a signal to talk to her.
"Meiling, I see you didn't bring your history stuff with you." Meiling squirmed. "Oh God! I forgot completely! Now what?" Tomoyo thought for a moment, all three stared at her. "Easy! We go for them!" All three sweatdropped. "Come on, let's go Meiling, you two stay here, we are not going to be gone long." Tomoyo said, already dragging the Chinese teen away. Tomoyo obviously had a plan, it mainly leaving Syaoran and Sakura alone, but Meiling managed to stop and protest.
"There is no way I'm leaving Syaoran alone with Kinomoto!" All three had expected that answer, so Tomoyo was prepared for it.
"Meiling you know perfectly fine that Li can take care of himself, so don't argue with me or I'm not helping you."
"But...but..."
"No buts, now come here" And she dragged her out of sight.
Sakura and Syaoran stood there, frozen, still processing what they had just seen. A gentle breeze blew their hair. Sakura stole a glance at Syaoran, who was still looking at the spot where, moments before, Meiling and Tomoyo stood. He turned slowly. Amber met emerald and locked. "So..." He spoke gently, never leaving her eyes. "What do we do now?" He asked timidly.
Sakura looked away from his eyes and looked around. Her eyes stopped on a big Sakura tree. "Come here." She said, grabbing his wrist in an urging move. "I know of a great spot I want to show you" She ran with him just at her heels, getting deeper into the park. She stopped at a beautiful Sakura tree in full bloom.
Syaoran stared in awe. It was the most beautiful tree he had ever see. All the cherry blossoms swayed gently in the wind, creating a rain of Sakura petals. "You like it?" Sakura asked just above a whisper, not daring to break the spell. "It's beautiful..." He breathed.
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Tomoyo dragged Meiling all the way to Syaoran's apartment. Meiling shouted kicked and protested, but Tomoyo was determined to do this. Sakura and Li are going to be alone, together, and there is nothing you can do about it. And I am going to record every kawaii moment! Ohohoho! Tomoyo thought, but in the outside she was smiling sweetly at Meiling, telling her that Li could take care of himself, Sakura wasn't such a bad girl, she was going to fail history if she didn't shut up and such. After many minutes of struggling with Meiling, they finally reached the floor where Syaoran's apartment was. Meiling, seeing they were so close to the apartment already, stopped struggling and gave up.
"You are going to pay for it!" Meiling repeated once and again.
"I'm just trying to help you Meiling." She smiled sweetly, too sweetly. "Why don't you go get your stuff?"
"Okay! There is nothing I can do now!" She went to her room, it was dark. The door closed suddenly. Meiling jumped and yelped a little, but she relaxed when she saw it was only the door. Maybe just the wind. When she was finished getting her things, she tried to open the door, but it was stuck. "Tomoyo! Help me! I can't open the door!" She shouted. No other sound could be heard inside the apartment.
Just outside, Tomoyo was talking to Kero by her purple cell phone. "Kero!? I need to ask you a favor." She said while running down the street, toward the park. Her V8 in her right hand. "Yes, you will have a prize, two puddings, a whole chocolate cake and a new video game. The favor? Could you guard Meiling, I need you to keep her an eye. She is in Li's apartment. Thank You sooooooo much, you will not regret it. Yes, it will be a very big cake. Ja ne, arigato Kero!"
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Sakura walked toward the big tree. She sat down in it's cool shadow and changed to her shoes. Seeing Syaoran hadn't stopped watching the tree, she waited till he was done. She had had exactly the same reaction when she had first seen the tree.
When he was done looking at the tree, he now looked at Sakura. She had her eyes closed and was leaning comfortably on the beautiful tree. He inspected her slowly, noticing how good she looked in tight black biker pants, a pink top and a thin open white shirt over it. She also had a pink and black backpack that now rested against her left thigh. The Card mistress opened her eyes suddenly, catching him in his contemplation, he blushed but didn't look away. Sakura patted the grass at her right side, motioning him to sit down next to her. He obeyed. There was a silence. Both of them closed their eyes, leaning on the tree and relaxing any tight muscles they might have, which were not many at the moment. Each enjoyed the other presence for a moment more before Sakura asked:
"Li?"
"Mmh?" He muttered not even bothering to open his mouth.
"Can I call you Syaoran?"
Syaoran was taken aback by the sudden question, he opened his eyes and looked directly at her eyes, not speaking for a moment.
Sakura continued now that she had his full attention. "We have been friends for 7 years now, we are partners and we do lot of things together, but I still call you Li and you rarely call me by my real name, I think we should change that" She ended in a hush, casting her eyes low, suddenly the grass at her feet seemed to be very interesting. Syaoran smiled.
"Tell you what? I was thinking the same thing."
"Really?" She asked looking directly at his incredible amber eyes again.
Syaoran just nodded. The Mistress of the Cards smiled from ear to ear, making him smile too. Her smile was just too addictive. There was another silence, both closing their eyes and leaning back on the broad tree. Both had a peaceful smile in their lips.
"Syaoran?"
He smiled inwardly, he liked how his named sounded on her lips. "Hai?"
"Do you like Tomoeda?"
"More than any place I have been." He responded quickly without thinking the answer. Then he asked: " Why?"
"Because... I had a dream..." Hearing this Syaoran opened his eyes and looked at her. She still had her eyes closed.
"Hai" He whispered to her for her to know he was listening.
"In the dream, you went away and you said it was because you didn't like this place... and then, a horrible beast appeared," Syaoran stiffened when he heard the part of the beast. "A vision?" He asked, concerned.
"No, it didn't feel like a vision." Sakura shook her head, Syaoran sighed a sigh of relief. She opened her emerald eyes and met his amber eyes. "But the worst part was that it attacked me! And I didn't know how to fight it, and you weren't there for me!" Syaoran chuckled. "What's so funny?" She asked, annoyed. "You don't have to worry, I'm not going anywhere." Sakura blushed, she hadn't realized she had dreamt about being completely desperate because he was not there. "And for the part where you didn't know how to fight, it can be easily fixed."
Sakura just stared at him, at his pendant mostly. After a moment of this, Syaoran asked.
"What?"
"May I see your pendant?" He seemed hesitant for a second, nobody besides him touched his pendant.
"Umm... sure, why not." The sorcerer took the black sphere from his throat and handed it to Sakura. She took it as if it was a precious treasure. He had to smile seeing she treated the little sphere with such care. When she finished examining it, she handed it to Syaoran, hanging it at the tip of her finger with the red string that he used as a necklace. Syaoran tried to reach it but, at the last moment, Sakura retrieved it. Syaoran looked at her, puzzled. She had a playful grin in her face.
"If you want it back, you will have to catch me first." She said playfully as she stood up. Syaoran looked at her for a moment more, before a slow smirk crossed his face. "You better start running." Sakura did as told, giggling while running, evading him and doing sharp turns, taunting him with the pendant once in a while. Syaoran was at her heels all the time, trying to catch her. Suddenly he saw her fall, she had tripped with a hose. Syaoran stopped running and kneeled beside her. She was panting.
"Daijoubu?" He asked, panting slightly. As an answer Sakura took the end of the hose and soaked all his upper body. Then she stood up and laughed hard, with the hose still in her hand.
"Mou! Sakura that was mean!" He complained chasing after her only to get drenched again. He discovered he was having a difficult time moving around with his soaked jacket ant T-shirt on, so he stripped of them and tossed it to the general direction of the Big Sakura Tree, they ended in a wet heap on the grass, right beside Sakura's backpack.
Sakura blushed when she him bare chested, he was so well built, toned muscles and a beautiful tan covering his soft skin, but she kept running and wetting him anyway. Just then, she felt a sudden tug at her magical senses, a tingling sensation at the back of her mind. Both stiffened at the same time. Clow Card!
The warrior had no time to dodge the attack of the card, a rope tied him hard, so he wouldn't move, squeezing him, the pressure almost unbearable. Sakura thought fast. She took out the bird-like key and closing her eyes for concentration, chanted.
"O Key of Clow,
Power of Magic, Power of Light
Surrender the Wand!
The Force Ignite!
REALEASE!"
The key transformed in a pink wand with the same bird-like head-shape at one side. Sakura twirled the wand in the air and took out a Clow Card.
"Sword, Release and dispel! Sword Card!" Arms of magical smoke covered the pink wand, then it disappeared leaving behind an elegant, slender and sharp sword. With one accurate thrust, the sorceress cut the rope that was imprisoning the warrior, then raising her wand above her head, she chanted, "Rope, Return to your power confined! Rope Card!" An invisible force sucked the magical rope inside the glowing rectangle, when finished, it stopped glowing and a tarot like card with the picture of a rope floated down to Sakura's hand.
"That was easy." She said flatly.
"Too easy." The warrior frowned.
"Here, better have you armed than weaponless." She said, throwing the pendant to his hand. He caught it expertly. Syaoran smiled a thanks before adding. "Don't you think it was all too easy?" Sakura nodded. "Besides, I still can feel the presence of a Clow Card." She nodded again. Both Card Captors stood on alert, looking for any sign of a Clow Card. Suddenly, a chain appeared from underground and attacked directly at Sakura, ignoring Syaoran. The chain tried to wrap itself around her, she dodged. She took a step backward, the card attacked again. Sakura tried to dodge, but she tripped... with the hose. She fell backwards. The Card Mistress covered her face with her hands, bracing herself for the attack.
It never came.
Syaoran had cut it in half in one mighty swipe of his Clow Sword.
"Quick! Sakura seal it!" The card was starting to regenerate itself. The sorceress did as told, she raised her wand again and chanted.
"Chain! Return to you power confined! Chain Card!" Again an invisible force sucked the chain inside a glowing rectangle. This time the card floated to Syaoran's hand, the picture of a chain in it.
"Another easy one."
"Hai, but I can still feel the presence of a card."
"Hai, I can feel it too." They waited for long moments for the card to appear, but it didn't.
"Why do you think two cards attacked us at the same time?" Sakura asked, Syaoran thought for a moment before answering: "They could have been sisters, usually sister cards attack together." She nodded. "They resemble each other a lot too." Syaoran nodded sitting down in the grass, again leaning on the same tree they were before all the mess started, his clothes were still soaked, so he had no other choice but to stay bare chested. Just then Sakura noticed the three parallel gashes Syaoran had in his abdomen as a result of the attack of the Rope Card, that card sure squeezed hard.
"Syaoran! You are hurt!" Syaoran hadn't even noticed that indeed he was hurt. Sakura neared him, brushing her hand with his. "Come here, let me see it."
"I'm okay Sakura, it doesn't hurt." Just then, he winced. It had begun to sting. The wince was very subtle, but Sakura noticed. "It doesn't hurt! Ha!" She said sarcastically. "Come on let me fix you." She tried to raise her hand, but discovered she couldn't. It was handcuffed to Syaoran's. Both looked at the handcuff with a blank look.
"Hoe!" Sakura said, raising her hand along with Syaoran's. "What's this?" She asked in despair.
"I... think... it is the Clow Card that we felt but didn't see, if you look closely, it has those wings all Clow Cards have." Sakura leaned in to take a closer look and discovered that it was true, the handcuffs were golden with wings where the short chain started, but no lock, she noticed.
"It has no lock..." Sakura started.
"No, it hasn't." Syaoran confirmed.
"If it hasn't a lock..."
"Then we will have to break it. Or stay like this forever."
"Just like the earlier two!"
Syaoran nodded. "It must be a sister of them too." He took out his sword again, and hit hard in the chain that kept both bounded. It happened nothing. Both looked at the chain incredulously. "Okay, don't panic, let me try it." Sakura said, even though she was the one that was beginning to panic. Sakura took the wand and the Sword Card and tried again, nothing happened, not even a tiny scratch. She panicked, but tried not to show it. "Now what?" She asked nervously.
Long moments passed before he spoke. "If one sword couldn't... maybe two can." He didn't seemed too sure about his idea but Sakura praised it anyway. "Okay, take out your sword." He said as told. "We have to do it at the same time." She nodded. "At the count of three."
""One..."" Both raised their swords.
""Two..."" Both took aim.
""Three!!!"" In perfect synchrony, both brought their swords down and hit the middle of the strong chain. It shattered on the ground, and just like Chain, it started to regenerate itself. "No, you won't." The Mistress of the Cards raised her wand for third time that day and sealed the card.
"Bind, Return to your power confined! Bind Card!" The card acknowledged them both as its masters. Syaoran instantly handed the card to Sakura. "You keep it."
"Mou! Syaoran! You keep it! It was your idea!" Syaoran still refused. At the end, the mighty warrior couldn't say no to all the pleadings of the Card Mistress to keep the Card. With that settled, both Card Captors leaned on the tree and relaxed. Suddenly Sakura remembered that Syaoran was hurt.
"Now I remember you are hurt!"
Syaoran looked at her. "And your point is...?"
"That I have to fix you, I have some stuff in my backpack that will help. Now you lay down on the grass. And no buts!"
"But I'm okay! Really!"
"I said no buts! Relax and let me do my job."
Just when Syaoran was about to open his mouth for another but, she saw him with a look that read: "If you open you mouth again, I'm tying you up with the Rope Card" So he decided it was better to keep his mouth shut. He laid down on the soft grass and chuckled, even though it hurt when he did. "What?" Sakura asked, while she cleaned the wounds.
"You are the only woman, that I can never say no to." He said in an amused tone.
Sakura blushed. "Really?"
"Well, maybe Mother, but she's scary, that's why I'd never tell her no." He sighed a contented sigh and closed his eyes, fully relaxing, a smile in his lips.
"You know? You should do that more frequently." She said, covering his wound with a gauze. Since she had become a Card Captor, she always carried the necessary items for a healing.
"What?"
"Smile, you look cuter when you smile." She blushed immediately after saying that, realizing she had said he was cute. Don't ask, don't ask. She begged repeatedly in her mind. No such luck.
"You think I'm cute?" He said, a smile in his voice and a blush on his face.
"Well... yeah... more like handsome." She ended in a hush, pleading to every deity she knew that he hadn't heard her.
"Well... I think you are beautiful." He said, looking away and blushing even more, if possible.
She looked at him for the first time since she had said he looked cute and smiled. "Why, thank you!" She knew for certain she was blushing. "I'm finished, you can sit down if you want to."
"Yes." He sat down next to her. "What do you think Tomoyo and Meiling are doing? They should have returned by now." Not that I want them back, he thought.
"Maybe Tomoyo convinced her of studying in your apartment." Who cares? she thought, as she leaned on his bare shoulder. He laid his head on top of hers. Syaoran closed his eyes and inhaled her intoxicating cherry blossom scent. What good thing I have done in my life to deserve this? He thought.
Sakura sighed, she felt so happy! So perfect! So right! She only felt like this when she was around the Little Wolf. Just then, a thought crossed her mind. She quickly lifted her left wrist and read the hour on her pink clock.
"Hoe! I had to meet Touya at noon at the mall and it is already 1:30! I can't believe it! He is going to kill me!" She shouted, yelped and jumped as she gathered all her stuff and stuffed it in her backpack. Syaoran had already stood up and was watching her do jumps and yelps. "I'm sorry Syaoran, but I really gotta go!" As she said this, she kissed him on his right cheek and ran toward the park exit, without waiting for an answer.
Syaoran stood there, frozen. Shock written all over his face. He slowly lifted his right hand and touched the spot where she had kissed him. A slow smiled appeared on his face. Life is sooooo good! He thought as he laid down again on the crispy, green grass.
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Li Meiling was not feeling good, in fact she was quite depressed, it had already been hours since she had gone out her room, but she understood when she was not wanted, that's why she hadn't left the apartment. She and Kero had eaten two bottles of Syaoran's favorite chocolate ice cream, she knew nobody touched his ice cream without his permission, but she was not feeling like following orders, and Kero had insisted so much she gave up without a fight.
She had had a very serious talk with the yellow, flying, stuffed animal. Kero had told her how deep in love Sakura was with Syaoran. At first she had been reluctant to accept the fact that Syaoran too, was in love with Sakura, just too afraid to tell. At the end, the teen had decided to return to Hong Kong, she was leaving on Monday, and there was no way she was going to back up. She had been thinking about it for a long time now, it was just a matter of time that she finally decided.
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When he opened his eyes she saw a smirking Tomoyo above his head. He yelped. "Tomoyo! What are you doing here?" He asked, as he stood up and backed away from her. That woman sure can be scary! "Oh, I don't now Li, I could have been wandering around a little, or I could have been recording with my V8 every moment since I arrived here, or I could have been creating a very good blackmail, I don't know." Tomoyo said, a little too innocent. Syaoran yelped and took another step backwards. "What do you want Tomoyo?" He asked regaining a little of his dignity. "Easy, I want you to take my Sakura to the Spring Ball next Friday!" Syaoran's brain took a moment to process that information. "WHAT?" He finally exclaimed. Tomoyo frowned. "Or you prefer to see Meiling in a fit after she sees this video?" Syaoran sighed. He really wanted to take Sakura to the ball, but he was too of a coward to ask her. "Okay, I'll ask her out, but you'll have to give me that video!"
"I will give it to you after Friday." She smiled. "Another thing, Sakura and I had planned to have a picnic right here, can you and Meiling come? I'm sure Sakura won't mind." Syaoran blushed when he caught the tone in which Tomoyo said the part Sakura wouldn't mind, and nodded dumbly. "Good!" See you tomorrow at noon, right here!" Tomoyo felt like laughing maniacally but abstained form doing it. It's so funny to play Cupid!
To be continued...
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End of Chapter One! I hope you liked it, if you did, please, please Review. Constructive criticism is always welcome. If you want me to continue then Review, if you don't I'll never ever write again. =*( So if you don't want to make me miserable for the rest of my life, Review!