Thanks for holding on through the first chapter. Here's the second. ^_^
Disclaimer: Don't own it.
Links in a Chain
Chapter 2
Bleeding into Reality
Outside Sakura's window
What Syaoran saw through that window made him forget all about his injuries. Curled up tightly into a ball on her bed was a crying bleeding Sakura, some of the cuts that she had gotten from the dream seemed to have opened when she woke up quickly making her pink sheets riddled with blood.
Inside Sakura's room
Sakura woke up with a jolt from the horrible dream that she was having. Her clock above her bed indicated that it was nearly 1:00 am in the morning.
That was when images of Sakura's dream began to surface in her mind. People – no worse than people- they were touching her. Their hands roamed to places that she only wanted one certain Chinese Warrior to touch. (Even though she slightly blushed at the thought of even Syaoran touching her.) The nightmarish horror that took place in her mind seemed so vivid and real, the warning of possible new cards, the people in manacles and chains, those horrible men and laughing women at Sakura's pain, all of it was too much.
That was when Sakura felt the warm trickle of a liquid besides cold sweat run down her arm. Looking for the source, Sakura discovered the angry red welts and lashes that riddled her body and it seemed that when she had jolted up from sleep the wounds opened letting them trickle her crimson blood.
Upon the discovery of these wounds, each one seemed to ignite into a fire of their own. Sakura felt as if she were being poked with red-hot knives along every open wound, she gave off a cry of agony then curled up into a tight ball letting blood soak her pink sheets.
"Syaoran, where are you..!" she moaned.
These cries awoke a certain golden beast of the seal. "Sakura! What's wrong, what happened to you?" Kero did a 180 from sleepy to panic. Seeing that his Mistress was hurt so badly in her bed. He flew over and hovered above Sakura's crying body, easily sensing magic from the wounds.
'How'd this happen?' 'Why do they hurt so much?' 'Where is Syaoran!' Thoughts were running wild within Sakura's mind. Some comfort was offered in the form of Kero carefully patting her shoulder.
"Did this happen in your dream?" he asked quietly. She nodded quickly, the small floating beast cursed the dream that did this to her.
"Who in the dream did this to you?" Kero asked. Sakura took a breath and was able to squeak "Cards".
"Clow cards did this to you!" Sufficed to say, there was more than a little incredulity behind the outburst.
Sakura flinched nodded, continuing her rocking back and forth.
"Where is the brat when you need him?" sighed Kero. Although most of the time he hated Syaoran and like wise, there were times when he was useful for figuring out magical things. This was definitely one of those times.
Sakura was now on the brink of passing out; the hurt never seemed to dissipate it just kept the painful throbbing under her skin. Suddenly another feeling cut through the others like light in the dark, this was a magical feeling. Someone was reaching out to her aura, someone with a gentle green aura. 'Syaoran.' A slight calming relief spread through until her magical senses picked up a minor disturbance in his aura. 'Oh no! No, no, no, Syaoran was in my dream to! What if he is hurt as well?'
That alone made Sakura curl into a tighter ball and cry a few more tears. She was so occupied with her thoughts of her Chinese Warrior being hurt that she missed her window slowly being opened. And through it stepped a tall, tanned teenaged man with red patterns of lash marks across his exposed chest.
The sight of his beautiful angel body bleeding freely over her bed made Syaoran want to just drop to the bed, and hold Sakura in his arms until she stopped crying. "I'm so sorry Sakura." He mumbled.
'That voice, I know it!' Sakura turned around slowly to meet owner of the voice the voice almost afraid that she was imaging the man she loved standing in her room. To her great joy, Syaoran stood there in her room with his unruly chocolate hair, deep liquid amber eyes and toned body.
"Syaoran!" as quick as she could, Sakura tried to get to him but it strained a ragged red wound that lay across her chest. "Oooowwwww" A few tears leaked out. Seeing her pain up close was really tearing Syaoran up inside. The wounds he obtained in the dream were nothing compared to the marking that stained Sakura's body.
"You have got some explaining to do BRAT!" Snarled Kero from behind.
"Look you stuffed animal, Sakura and I got these wounds from the Clow cards in our dreams." Growled Syaoran, he made a move towards Sakura to comfort her. Kero saw this and flew straight in front of Syaoran.
"You are not touching Sakura until I know exactly why you didn't protect her from this!"
This time it was Sakura who spoke up, "He couldn't help me because both of us were tied up with chains." Sakura gave a small sniffle, "If Syaoran could have stopped them he would have. Kero, you don't actually think he would sit by and let those people do this to me?"
"I wouldn't put it past him," mumbled Kero. The fact was... Kero was already aware of the deep feelings that each ex-card captor harboured for the other. Just because he knew this, didn't mean he was going to make it easy for Syaoran to tell Sakura his feelings in any way. There were just some stubborn grudges he had to maintain.
Syaoran bristled at the accusation that he purposely let someone harm his little Cherry blossom. "I would never do that! Look at her, do think I would let anyone do this to her?"
"Oh yeah, well a couple of years back you wouldn't have had a problem with letting that happen." Kero said smugly.
"Kero that was out of line!" Sakura warned.
"I've heard enough of this!" Syaoran reached up swatted the stuffed animal looking guardian out of the way. Kero gave a cry of surprise before he toppled out the window.
Slowly Syaoran came up to the side of Sakura's soft pink-sheeted bed and sat lightly beside her curled figure. Sakura sighed gratefully at the welcomed weight of the man sitting next to her.
"Syaoran why do these cuts hurt more than yours?" she sniffled turning so that she could finally see Syaoran properly now. She shuddered slightly at the sight of the angry red welts making their way across his chest; they didn't seem to affect him that much. He was able to move without wincing, his wounds weren't even bleeding unlike the painful cuts that covered her body.
"What do you mean?" Syaoran kept his voice soft.
"Well look at you, you came all the way from your apartment and I can barely get out of my bed." Sakura knew that she probably sounded stupid and a bit whiny but it was true.
Syaoran felt a pang of guilt, he could move with little irritation from the cuts and she didn't have the luxury. "My training back home was much worse than these little cuts and..." Syaoran trailed off, letting his hand run gently up and down Sakura's back.
"What? And what?"
"And- well where they- they touched you. Those magical wounds you have must have an enchantment on them to make them hurt more." Syaoran mumbled almost ashamed that Sakura had to suffer more.
"Oh." The word came out defeated and dead. Both teens sat in silence for a few moments, with only Syaoran's hands moving over the soft pink fabric of the back of Sakura's night shirt. Out of the blue Sakura began to sob into her pillow.
"What's wrong Sakura!" Syaoran stopped his ministrations encase he touched a sore spot.
"Syaoran! I don't want (sob) I don't want to deal with this! (sob) (sniff) These cards are different from the cards (sob) we faced before, I-I can feel it...and someone is going to (sniff) someone is going to get hurt." Sakura looked up at Syaoran with her tear shinning emerald eyes. The last part of her sentence was hardly audible and Syaoran had to strain to hear her. "I don't want you to get hurt-Syaoran."
Something about the sincerity of her voice, and the deep concern for him that almost no one else showed really melted Syaoran's heart again like this cherry blossom angel has done so many times before.
Before Sakura new what was happening, strong arms wrapped around her curled body, being gentle enough not to hurt her. She felt her body slowly being lifted into Syaoran's lap, and being held so close to his bare chest that Sakura could feel his slightly quick heart beat through her thin nightshirt. Syaoran's warm breath just behind her ear sent shivers down her spine.
"Don't worry Sakura I won't get hurt, and I promise that I'll make sure you won't get hurt either." Just the feel of Syaoran being so close, holding her in his lap whispering in Sakura ear made her feel so warm like everything was alright. The feeling of them being like this was so right. Being so close to Syaoran even made Sakura forget about the painful sores that were marked all over her.
Sakura tilted her head up to look into Syaoran's gentle liquid amber eyes. "Do you promise? Promise that you and I won't get hurt?" She questioned, unknowingly pleading with her brilliantly emerald green eyes.
'Oh gods she is so beautiful, what ever I did to deserve her in my life, I'll do anything to protect her.' Syaoran nearly lost himself in Sakura's eyes but was able to reply softly in her ear "Of course I promise. No will get hurt." He took in a deep breath taking in Sakura's scent of cherry blossoms.
Now this would have been the most romantic moment they've had with each other; Sakura cuddled in Syaoran's lap breathing in his of autumn and sandalwood and Syaoran sitting with his strong arms wrapped protectively around Sakura's lithe form breathing in her scent of cherry blossoms. Perfect fluff moment if it wasn't for all the noise made earlier that woke up Toya. (Who was staying the night here instead of his apartment because there was a party next door that got too loud for his taste.) It took him a couple minutes to wake up but the second he heard a certain Chinese gaki's voice Toya bolted from his bed.
His footsteps coming down the hall didn't go unnoticed by the pair of magical teens.
"Oh no it's Toya, he woke up! If he sees me like this he'll go nuts, oh wait- if he sees you and me like this he'll go nuts and probably try to kill you!" Sakura gasped wide-eyed. She shot up from Syaoran's lap and collapsed back down because her wounds still protested to movement.
"Then, there is only one thing to do." Syaoran said in an abnormally calm voice.
"What?"
"Take you to my apartment." Syaoran could feel a slight blush creep over his face after he purposed such an idea. "We have to hurry if you are going to come."
Part of Sakura hesitated a bit at the thought of going to Syaoran's apartment in the middle of the night, the other part of her felt of thrill run through her at the thought of being at Syaoran's apartment in the middle of the night.
"Alright let's go to your place." Sakura gasped as Syaoran swiftly stood up and took Sakura into his arms again, carrying her bridal style.
Some where from outside Kero came flying in through the window like lighting blocking their only escape! Kero took one look at Sakura in Syaoran's arms and the determined look on Syaoran's face, and then heard Toya coming down the hall. In an act of almost out of character kindness Kero transformed into his true form Cerberus.
"You better take good care of her Brat!" He growled going to Sakura's door and leaning his weight against it. "Now hurry before Toya gets here."
"Thank you Cerberus!" Sakura praised. Syaoran nodded his thanks.
Toya just got to Sakura's door and tried to open it when he found it blocked. "SAKURA! You better open this door now, if I find the gaki in there you both are dead!" bellowed Toya through the door, shoving all his weight on the door.
Sakura couldn't take the insult on Syaoran, on impulse she shouted back, "Syaoran in not a GAKI!"
"I'll take that as a confession that he IS in there! I'm coming in right NOW!" Toya gave a mighty push on the door surprising Cerberus, and ramming the door open. All he was able to see was his little sister in the arms of a shirtless Chinese gaki leaping out the window.
Toya ran to the open window and stuck most of his body out able to see the silhouette of the two teens making their get away running over roof tops of houses. "You get back here this instant Sakura! I mean it if that gaki does anything to you I'll kill him!" Toya yelled into the night "I swear if you don't get back here now I won't let you back in this house!"
Feeling a little good of him, getting away unscathed Syaoran turned his head to shout a message "Sakura is welcome at my place for as long as she wants, so she doesn't have to come back here!"
"Yeah, and Toya you don't even live here anymore so you can't keep me out!" Added Sakura, suddenly not even the nasty magical cuts on her body felt bad enough to stop her from laughing. Toya was immediately shut up after the last statement.
He turned from the window with steam practically coming out his ears, so he missed Kero flying desperately back to his drawer to hide. 'I swear if that gaki does anything to Sakura I'll rip him limb from limb.' Toya continued with his violent string of thoughts until a speck of crimson on Sakura's pink bed caught his eye. Going closer to her bed, Toya felt the slight spark of magic there on then recognized the substance on Sakura's bed. It was blood.
Not just a drop like if you prick your finger, it was more like trails of it through her bed as if Sakura had cuts all over her body. By the dark feeling of the magic Toya knew it couldn't have been Syaoran, someone else wanted to hurt his sister. 'The Chinese gaki was probably trying to help.' Toya painfully admitted. 'You better take good care her!'
Back to the escaping duo...
The thrill of getting out of Sakura's house seemed to be wearing off slightly, as the even rising and falling of Syaoran's chest while he breathed lulled Sakura into a half sleep state. Without realizing it she turned towards his chest and snuggled closer to him taking in as much of his scent as possible, while trying to keep warm in the night air.
A vivid blush began to make its way on to Syaoran's face. What the hell did he think he was doing? First going to Sakura's house in the middle of the night, and holding her in his arms for comfort. Then sneaking Sakura out to take her to his apartment and saying she was welcome there as long as she wanted. And now here was his very own angel snuggling against him in his arms, this was probably the best day of his life. 'Now if only I had the courage to tell you that I love you.' Syaoran thought sadly. 'I know why, you are so beautiful you could have any guy why would you go for me?'
Unknown to him Sakura was thinking somewhere around the same line as him. Her emerald eyes stayed glued to his face while her cheeks tinted pink. What in the world was she doing in the arms of the man she loved, in ONLY a thin nightshirt? Sakura had dreamed of being whisked away in Syaoran's arms but she never thought of it happening. The way he was holding her so close but gently made Sakura only love him more and wish that he could feel the same way.
But finally they made it to Syaoran's apartment, landing gracefully on the balcony. Making his way inside Syaoran made a decision (a decision that caused another blush attack), Sakura would get his bed and he would sleep on the couch. Being the gentleman that he was Syaoran would never let Sakura sleep on his couch.
Of course Sakura had been here before, but at night Syaoran's apartment seemed different. She could see bits of all the furniture by the silvery light of the moon, enough to see that everything was green. Sakura began to blush as she thought, 'where am I going to stay?' That's when Syaoran began to move towards his bedroom.
"Where are you taking me?!" Sakura yelped then moaned because she jarred some of her bleeding cuts.
Syaoran saw the pain flash once again across Sakura's face and flinched, 'You wouldn't be in this pain if I had been able to help.' "Don't worry Sakura I'm just taking you to my room so you can be comfortable." Syaoran turned his head so Sakura wouldn't see him blush.
"Me, stay in your bed!" Sakura's face turned an un-natural shade of red due to blushing. "I can't take your bed Syaoran, I'll sleep on the couch."
"No way, you are hurt way worse than me and I'm making sure you are comfortable." Syaoran said forcefully.
"Fine I'll sleep in your bed." Sakura pouted. The look was too cute for Syaoran and he chuckled quietly. They made their way into Syaoran's bedroom and Syaoran flicked the overhead light on with his shoulder.
Sakura took a look around the room and saw nothing really out of place or messed up. The walls were light green, along the left side of the room was a large window and along the right wall there was a dark wood drawer. Beneath the window was a large forest green bed with the sheets slightly ruffled. There was also a bookshelf full of old leather bound magical books, they probably belonged to the Li clan.
Syaoran carefully placed Sakura in his ruffled bed and straightened up unsurely. That's when Sakura noticed something, "Syaoran my blood is to stain your bed."
"Don't worry about it." Syaoran shrugged and pulled the sheets up over Sakura's body. "I can always get new sheets. But it has been a while so shouldn't the bleeding have stopped?"
"Um I guess...Uh Syaoran can you turn around so I can check." Sakura asked nervously. Syaoran's cheeks heated up and he spun around.
Sakura blushed profusely as she rolled up her nightshirt to see that all the painful lashes had stopped bleeding, but left trails of blood down her chest and stains on her shirt. Painful reminders of where those men touched her. Wincing and pulling her shirt back down Sakura signalled it was all right for Syaoran to turn around.
"Did they stop bleeding?"
"Yeah but they still sting and will probably leave scars." Sakura mumbled.
"Wait! I read about a spell for healing wounds somewhere!" Syaoran offered, "If only I could remember what book it was in." he sighed.
As a silence between the two magical teens settled, but out of nowhere their magical senses were sparked. Another magical presence entered the room, completely invisible but extremely powerful they didn't seem to want to harm anyone. Sakura and Syaoran stayed completely silent and still as this new entity made it's way throughout the room.
"Syaoran do you hear something?" Sakura asked unsurely. She inched towards Syaoran keep a grip on the almost forgotten star key around her neck.
"Yeah, I think so, quiet so I can listen." Syaoran's eyes swept the room trying to pinpoint the source of the new intruders.
Sakura held her breath, and then she heard it. A slow rattling noise crossed the room; it sounded like eerie ghost chains that they drag around t frighten you. "Ghosts!" Sakura squeaked.
"It's not a ghost, it's something else." Syaoran whispered. They had heard this noise before recently, like in a dream or ...nightmare.
"Chains." Syaoran breathed the word.
It was like a flash almost superimposed onto reality; yards and yards of gold and silver chains were wrapped and twisted all through Syaoran's room like a horrid spider web. As if knowing they had been caught the chains withdrew, but not before the golden chain raised itself and knocked a single book from Syaoran's bookshelf. After that the chains disappeared.
"They were from our dream weren't they?" Sakura questioned.
"Yeah, let's see what they wanted." Syaoran walked up to the fallen book and skimmed the page. Sakura saw the ends of Syaoran's lips turn upward in a smirk and he shook his head. "I don't believe it."
