It was the middle of autumn; the trees were shedding their red and brown leaves which were found useful in the making of baskets and other things such as accessories. Clouds were moving in, but they had yet to cover the bright sun which was shining through the tall trees. "Wait up!" she laughed, running after the wolf. She had to hold the front of her cotton dress up so that she didn't trip over it. She followed him all the way into a small field of pink and white flowers, tripping over her own two feet. The wolf was nowhere to be seen, however a tall man with dark brown messy hair-the same colour as the wolf's- was staring into her deep green eyes with his amber ones, a soft smile on his lips. She smiled up at him, a slight blush crossing her cheeks. "Caught me again." She giggled. "You should be more careful, Sakura." He said softly. "Sorry…" small tears formed in her eyes, but he wiped them away. "Why do you cry?" he asked softly. "I'm causing problems for you again…" she murmured, feeling guilty. "No you aren't-I've told you before that you aren't a burden to me. I'll always protect you-I promised you that."
"I remember the first day we met-it was raining and you gave me your coat." She smiled. A rustling came from the tree's and out stepped a girl with the same colour hair and eyes as his. "Putting the moves on her so early in the day hmm?" she joked. "What do you want, Sora?" Syaoran asked irritably. "I just thought you should know that there's a group of villagers that are continuously hanging around near the edge of the forest-they seem to harbour some hostile intentions towards your dear wife." She replied. Syaoran rolled his eyes. "They just don't get the message, do they?" he muttered. Sakura looked away, "You should go…" she murmured. Sora looked to Syaoran for her orders. "Take Sakura home-I'll be back soon, I promise." He said before taking off in his wolf form.
-Eight Years Ago-
The rain was coming down hard, but that didn't stop the seventeen year old Sakura from staying on the top of her favourite hill looking out over the small village where she lived. It was the one place where she felt safe; no one came to bother her because they didn't know where she'd gone-at least, as far as she knew. Her dress was clinging to her wet body, but she didn't care-it wasn't like anyone else cared anyway. "Hey look, it's the freak." A male voice came from her right. She looked over to see a group around her age; five boys and three girls. "What do you want?" Sakura's voice shook with fear as she stood up, backing away from the group that were getting closer. "Hey look, she's shaking!" They laughed. She could sense hostility from them, and she had no way of escape. "She's always sitting on this hill that's closest to the forest-I bet she goes in there!" one of the girls accused. "She's always causing trouble for the village-I always knew that she'd be the one to break the pact." One of the other boys snickered. "No-I'd never!" she cried. "What a bunch of bullshit." The other girl spat. "Why don't we teach her a lesson?" the first boy said as he cracked his knuckles. "Please…no…" she whispered.
They closed in around her. The girls watched as the boys beat her, kicking and punching her until she was just barely conscious. They all walked away laughing, leaving her in the rain. Just before she lost consciousness, she saw a shadowy figure appear before the group.
He was about their age-at least his appearances showed that. Little did they know that he was the leader of the guardians that protected the forest and their village. "Who are you!?" the leader of the gang demanded. "You dare speak to me that way?" he glared at them, anger filling his eyes. The boys attacked him, but he just flipped them off with one move. "Ugh, let's go!" the gangs' leader said, getting up and running away. The rest followed behind quickly.
He walked over to where Sakura's unconscious body lay and knelt down beside her, pulling her into his arms. "You poor thing." He murmured, pulling off his black trench coat and wrapping it around her cold shivering body. Her eyes opened for a mere few seconds to see his amber eyes looking down at her, his hair dripping from the rain. "Thank…you…" she managed to get out before completely passing out. He picked her up and carried her back down to the village, receiving stares from many of the citizens as he carried her back to her house.
He opened the door to the small residence and walked over to the bed that was sitting in the corner of the small house. He placed her down on the bed gently and removed her wet clothes so that she wouldn't catch a cold and covered her with the warm blankets, leaving his coat over the top of her as well. He pulled up a chair beside the bed and picked up one of the books to read until she woke the next day.
Sakura woke up to the touch of the warm sun shining through her window. Her head throbbed and everything ached. "You shouldn't move yet; you were kicked in the head three times and you have a few wounds on your arms and legs which I bandaged for you while you were sleeping." He flicked the page. Her head turned quickly to find a man sitting in a chair beside her bed; she looked down at herself and realised that she wasn't wearing her clothes-or anything for that matter. "Don't worry, I didn't do anything to you." He said calmly, closing the book and looking up at her with a smile. "Who…are you?" she asked quietly, pulling up the sheets to cover her shoulders. "I'm the leader of the guardians, or gods, who protect the surrounding forest and your village. I'm known as Syaoran." He answered softly. "I never entered the forest-I swear!" she sat up quickly. Her head span as she held her hand to it. "I know. That's not why I'm here." He said reassuringly. "Oh…" she said. "The reason why I'm here is because I've noticed the increasing hostility towards a particular girl in the village." He answered her unspoken question. "I can't say I know what you're talking about." She lied. "May I ask your name dear?" he requested. "Uh…it's Sakura…" she replied quietly. "Hmm…that's a lovely name." he smiled. Her eyes widened-no one had ever given her a compliment. He stood up from his chair and placed the book down. "I'm afraid I must leave; I'll be watching over you for a while." He said before leaving. "Also, make sure to take care of yourself-don't stay out in the rain, you'll get sick." He warned. She watched as he left her home, leaving her with his coat.
She did what she always did; every day she'd get dressed, do some of her chores and then go to sit on the same hill every day. She took a straw basket and placed a few sewing items in it along with one of her dresses that needed her attention and left her house. She made her way through the crowds, gaining hostile stares from many around her.
The path up to the top of the hill was easy to walk along, but still very tiring. Once at the top, she found her usual spot and sat down to start her work on her garment.
She continued that routine, taking books to read and other things to entertain herself while she stayed up on the hill. The only thing that changed in her routine was the frequent visits from Syaoran, who would keep her company. For the first time in her life she was enjoying herself, laughing even. However, neither of them knew that they were being watched by a group of jealous villagers.
-A year after first meeting-
Of course, Sakura sat in her usual place. It was spring and the flowers were blooming, petals flying about in the soft breeze. She felt the soft fur of a wolf nuzzle against her hand, taking her attention away from the book she was reading. She smiled and pet him, but he noticed she was hiding her other arm from him. He walked around to her other side and nudged her arm; she winced in pain and looked away, feeling guilty. When she looked back she saw that he'd taken his human form; he was wearing what he always wore-a black coat, a t-shirt and black pants. "Someone hurt you again, didn't they?" he said, pulling back her sleeve to reveal her bandaged arm. "Yeah…" she replied. "They're getting worse-more frequent." He noticed. "I can't hide anything from you anymore." She smiled sadly. "I don't keep secrets from you either, Sakura." Syaoran smirked. "Tell me something…why do you care for me so much…?" she asked quietly. "I guess it's because something draws me to you-not just your personality. You're a kind girl, yet the village people turn a blind eye to your pain…They're heartless." His voice was cold as he spoke of the village's attitude. "You're the only one who's ever loved me…" she whispered, bringing her knees up to lean her head on. "Thank you." Tears of happiness fell down her face as she spoke. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss, locking lips with her. He'd placed his other hand on her cheek, catching the falling tears. They parted, and she looked up at him with want in her eyes. He wanted the same thing, but with the current situation at hand they couldn't do anything. Instead she lay down with her head on his lap, and as he stroked her hair softly beneath the sun she fell asleep. "My love, hopefully I can help you soon…" he murmured.
When Sakura woke she was back in her little house. She was used to this as she often fell asleep either beside him or with her head in his lap. As usual, Syaoran had left his coat over her again. She blushed as she remembered the kiss they had shared, and how they had both looked at each other afterwards. What was he thinking…? Oh god…did he think I was desperate? Her face had turned completely red with embarrassment. She ran her fingers over his coat, a sense of comfort flooding through her. She looked out her window; it was dark, so she must have slept a while. She lay back down and fell back to sleep, not waking till morning.
A few days later, as always, she was sitting in her usual spot. However, that day Syaoran could not make it. She wasn't sad though-she knew of his duties as the leader of the guardians. She looked up as she heard the angry footsteps of another gang lead by the same guy as always coming towards her. She quickly put her book away in her basket and stood up, turning to run. "After her!" he yelled. She ran as fast as she could, but it was no use. They were stronger, and therefore faster-it didn't take long for them to catch up to her and slam her down into the hard ground, pinning her there until the rest of the gang got there. "No-please! Stop!" she cried, begging for them to stop. "Shut up you filthy wench!" one of the guys spat, pushing her head harder into the ground. The rest of the group made a circle around her; she could see intense hatred in their eyes, and their intent to kill. She was frightened. She didn't want to die. "Go ahead-kill her. She's a curse on our village anyway-it won't be safe until she's dead!" he gave the order.
Sakura watched as they closed in on her, seeing weapons such as bats and small pocket knives in their hands. She screamed out in agony as she felt something sharp pierce the flesh in her back. A bat slammed hard into her leg, breaking the bone. "Please-Stop!" she pleaded. But they couldn't care less. "You're still talking?" one of the girls sighed, kicking her in the jaw. Everything was going dark-the pain was unbearable. 'Someone…please-save me!' "Syaoran!" She screamed.
Syaoran looked up at the sky-he could smell blood. "Syaoran-Sakura's in trouble!" his sister's voice came from the left. "I know-I can smell her blood." he should have gone to see her. "A group of angry villagers have attacked her-they're going to kill her!" she reported. "How many are there?" He asked, immediately setting foot towards the area which he had come to know so well. "At least fifteen." Sora replied. "Is anyone there right now?" he asked. "I'm sorry-I didn't know what I should do. I'm the only one who's seen the attack." She said sadly. "Will you help me?" he asked. "Yes." She replied, determined to help the girl. Syaoran changed into his wolf form, and Sora took the form of a white tiger. They ran swiftly through the forest, the trees nothing but a blur.
They made it there quickly, resuming their human forms. "STOP." The villagers looked over to see the two brunettes making their way over. "She's nothing but a curse!" One of the girls shouted. "She's an innocent girl!" He spat back. "She's a freak-she brought a dead bird back to life!" another person shouted-a boy. "You disgust me!" he hissed. The villagers foolishly attacked the two brunettes. Syaoran lunged forward and swiftly dealt with them, as did Sora. He looked over at Sakura's body; it was bloody and she was barely breathing. "You're disgusting." Sora muttered-how could anyone be so cruel? "Syaoran-do I get rid of them?" she asked as another villager attacked her. "Give them a taste of their own medicine." He smirked. And so she did. She killed the ones that had attempted to kill Sakura, as did Syaoran. The bystanders were sent running for their lives.
As soon as everyone disappeared, Syaoran made his way over to Sakura's body. "Is she too far gone for healing spells to work?" Sora asked, fearful for the loss of her brothers' lover. "No. Not if we act quickly." He replied. "What will we do?" Sora asked. "Just as the twelve of us discussed; she'll live with me." He said, picking her up and carrying her into the forest. Sora smiled, "Of course, my lord…and dearest brother."
The house that Sakura woke in was not hers; the walls were cleaner, and the furniture was different. The room she was in had a small fireplace that had a fire going-it was keeping the room warm and Sakura comfortable. There was a small desk in the corner with a bottle of ink and a quill sitting on top of it. A small chest of draws sat by the door and a bedside table with a candle lit lamp sat beside the bed she was in. She tried to move to sit up, but she couldn't. It was too painful. She was covered in bandages and was no longer wearing her own clothes. She heard footsteps and watched as the door opened; she saw a familiar face look up from the ground and lock eyes with hers. "You're awake." Syaoran smiled. "Where…am I?" she asked. "You're in my house." He replied, sitting down next to her on the bed. Memories of what happened flooded her mind. "How am I alive?" She asked softly. "Sora, my sister, told me what was happening and we came to your immediate rescue. The other guardians and I spoke about letting you stay in the forest-letting you stay with me. Will you stay here?" he asked softly. Tears began to flow down her face, unstoppable. "Shh, let it all out-it's alright." He whispered soft words of comfort to her.
She became exhausted from crying and fell asleep holding his hand. She knew she was finally safe from harm, especially when she was beside Syaoran. There was a soft knock at the door followed by a soft voice. "May I come in?" she asked. "Yes." He answered. Sora opened the door and entered, shutting it behind her. "How is she?" Sora asked quietly, careful not to wake the sleeping girl. "It's going to take a long time for her to recover." He answered softly. "Poor girl…she'll be happier here in the forest." Sora said. A sneaky smile crossed her face as she looked at her brother. "I bet you enjoy undressing her, don't you?" she smirked. "As if she'd be able to wear those clothes anymore; they're ripped and covered in blood." He retorted. "Excuses, excuses. I'm going to leave now, I'll catch you later." She said before leaving.
When Sakura woke, she found it odd that she was no longer in any physical pain. It was the middle of the night, and the moon was high in the sky. She heard the familiar sound of the turning of a page and looked over to find Syaoran reading a book as usual. "How are you feeling?" He asked, setting the book down beside him. "Why can't I feel any pain?" She asked. "Healing spells-you will need to take it easy for a few days though." Syaoran replied. "I see…" she mumbled, going to sit up. He stopped her by placing his arm over her, looking into her eyes. She was surprised by his sudden movement, and noticed the sadness in his eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked. "I'm sorry; I wasn't there for you to stop them from hurting you." He murmured. She shook her head. "Don't apologise…you saved me…" she whispered, another tear falling down her cheek.
He leant in and kissed her softly. Again, they pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes. She had the same look in her eyes as she had days earlier. He smiled, untying her dress and lifting it from her body. She blushed as he looked her over, going to cover her chest with her arm; he stopped her, holding her hands and leaning in to kiss her. She undid the buttons on his shirt, and slid the shirt off his shoulders. They continued to undress each other, their night filled with clumsiness amongst the sheets and tender warmth.
As he lay beside her with his arms around her, he noticed a presence around the edge of the forest. They're looking for her… His arms tightened around her protectively, and she looked up at him. "Is something wrong…?" She asked. "Nothing you need to worry about at the moment; try and get some sleep." He smiled, kissing her on the forehead. "Ok…" Sakura said, closing her eyes.
And just like that, Sakura was taken in by the leader of the guardians and his friends. A few months later they were married also. She'd become comfortable living in the forest, and Chii who was one of the other guardians often visited her. She taught her new techniques for sewing and had made several new dresses for Sakura to wear. Sakura buried her deep hatred towards the village, even though groups of village men and women lingered around the edge of the forest in hopes that she'd come stumbling out. But Syaoran never allowed that to happen.
-Present Day-
Sora skipped along humming a cheerful tune while Sakura slowly followed behind, fearing for her lovers' safety. "Come on, Sakura! Cheer up!" Sora beamed. "He wouldn't have to deal with the villagers if I'd never existed…" she murmured sadly. Sora's jaw practically dropped to the ground. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME WOMAN!? They can all eat shit for all I care-THEY'RE HORRIBLE PEOPLE." Sora exclaimed, over dramatizing everything. "But if I was never born-
"Stop that! You're the only girl Syaoran has ever fallen for-he does it because he loves you and he doesn't consider you a burden! In fact he probably thinks of you more as a sack of happiness…"
"Sora!" Sakura blushed madly upon hearing her last sentence.
"Come now-he said to take you home. RIDE ME HOME." Sora said, changing into her proper animal form-a unicorn. Sakura face-palmed, "You really need to work on your wording, Sora." She muttered. "Oh come on-it's not every day you get to ride a sexy talking unicorn!"
"That's exactly what I mean…" Sakura mumbled to herself, continuing to walk.
They reached the cottage and went inside; Sakura sat down at the small round table with Sora, but decided that making tea sounded good. "What kind of tea are you making today?" Sora asked curiously. "Lemon and honey…" Sakura replied-it was Sora's favourite kind. "Woo!" Sora shouted excitedly. The tea was just a distraction for Sakura-she was more worried about Syaoran. "You're stressing about him aren't you?" Sora spoke, still with a smile on her face. "Yeah." Sakura replied dully. "He never goes alone-he often takes Fai and Kurogane with him." She told Sakura. "I'm relieved, then." Sakura said, feeling that she could breathe a little easier knowing that he had company.
I've just added in a few things and edited the chapter.