Rays of Midnight
Day-Time
"I have to go now, are you sure you'll be fine with Eriol?" Kero spoke, his tail waving back and forth, Sakura hugged him tightly and smiled, "Yes i'll be fine, this will give me a change to prepare for Tomoyo-kun's ceremony." She said in mild excitement, half tired.
"You better go before the sun turns you into a potato chip." Eriol said in his usual hollow tone, Kero narrowed his eyes and left, reluctantly. He jumped down and quickly dug under the soil of the Li cemetery, she had colorfully added flowers to Keros tomb stone, making sure she changed his flowers every day.
"You love him very much." Eriol said, Sakura turned and nodded. "Do you think he'll have a good rest?" She asked Eriol making him give her a face, "What?" Sakura asked, "Vampires don't sleep." He said turning around and walking off, Sakura followed after him, the cement graveyard had only a few holes in them where the vampires would come out of in the 'mornings' of their night, Sakura noticed it happen around the same time that Sakura came around.
Sakura then looked out beyond the yard, seeing the door there, it lay ajar, she heard the sounds of the outside. "Would you like ot go for a walk?" He asked seeing her hesitancy, Sakura immediately shook her head. "Why not?" He asked, "The Mistress says that I can't leave the castle."
Eriol cocked an eyebrow, "Oh really?" He said then looked around, the sun was slowly beginning to rise, parts of it creeping up and slowly chasing away the shadows. Sakura loved the sun rise, she felt it inside of her as life springing up further and further, she smiled slightly without knowing.
"Come take a walk with me?" Eriol spoke backing away from her, reaching his hand to her, back walking toward the open door. "I promise I wont tell." He said, she noticed his features unchanging but there, somewhere she noticed a certain warmth to him that wasn't menacing or crazy, he was a gentle human being. "One condition." She spoke seeing him nod in agreement, "and what might that be?"
"You have to eat something." She told him seeing his smile lower slightly, "I guess I shall have to make an exception. Now come on." He said coaxing her out further. Excitedly she followed him out, the sunlight was slowly getting stronger and stronger, her body felt like it was being rejuvenated slowly, like a gradual recharge.
Walking out further she noticed the difference in the colors from the castle. Everything in there seemed to have a bevy solid, solitary and hollow colors, but here, she noticed the lively flowers in the garden, noticed the unfamiliar sounds that tickled her ear. She felt the need to stretch and she did, her body aching but calming down at the same time. "So tell me." He asked seeing her glow from the rapture of stepping outside of the stone castle, "how did you and Yelan come to the Master/ pet agreement?" he asked seeing Sakura turn to him confused, "what do you mean?" She asked seeing Eriol look away and smile, as if laughing from a joke.
"Well, the ownership can't be something claimed, they can't claim you. You can either offer yourself to them and they accept, or you are offered as a gift by your parents." He spoke and looked up seeing the sun fully rise, making it more evident that Sakuras glow was actually a glow. "It could be something else," he said, Sakura sighed and thought about it for a moment, "Well I suppose that Yelan-li took me in, when she was weakening from lack of blood since she could not go out and hunt, I offered my blood to her when I was a child. She took it.. so I guess thats how it is." She spoke seeing Eriol pull up his sleeve, she noticed his bony arms.
"You should really eat something." Sakura spoke touching his hands, and then noticed something dark, "No you dolt. Look here." He said pointing the dark spot on his arm, "What is that?" She asked fingering it, "It's Meilins mark, her ownership to me." He said nonchalantly, "I offered myself to her, since at the time I was deeply in love with her."
Sakura gasped making him turn to her, "In love?" She asked interested suddenly, He smiled, "It was a very long time ago." He spoke and looked away, "Before I realized what monsters Vampires are."
"You're wrong." She spoke cutting him off, "Vampires aren't monsters." She said defiantly, making Eriol turn to her in an almost shocked stare, "After they have treated us you are willing to consider them civil?" he asked his voice slightly rising in anger, making Sakura flinch slightly. "I'm just saying that not all vampires are evil... Tomoyo-kun is really kind to me, and so is Kero-chan." She spoke her head lowering slightly, "Tomoyo?" Eriol asked half interested, or at least trying to seem that way.
"The pretty one?" He asked, making Sakura giggle, "They're all pretty."
"Oh nono, not all of them." He said, "But you call Meilin-Li pretty." Sakura mentioned earning a disgusted scoff from him, "I lie." Sakura felt herself laugh slightly, there it was again, that glow.
He made an effort to ignore it, " Tomoyo-san could be an acceptance to the monster thing-"
"And Kero-chan." Sakura interrupted, making Eriol smile, "And Kero..-chan." They continued to walk down the stone steps, coming closer and closer to the soil, Sakuras attention kept being taken away toward the soil, the ground, the grass, the trees the rocks, everything seemed fascinating. "Do you hear that?" She asked closing her eyes slightly, Eriol blinked in confusion.
"Hear what?" Eriol asked seeing her walk ahead, " THAT." She said, her smile wide as she pointed to the sky, he noticed the wind blowing slightly more on her end, as if it was a concentrated amount just focusing on her. "Sakura?" he asked looked at her, her eyes were closed, her skin was glowing, was she happy?
He noticed her feet step closer to the soil, and then suddenly, it was lifted. Her toes not touching the soil, blinking her eyes open she looked down, trying to move. "This is exactly what happened the night Li caught me!" Sakura shouted looking down, excited and slightly frightened. "Sakura... come down here, what if you keep floating up!"
"Dont' be silly." A voice said coming from behind them, both turned to the owner quickly, "W-Wei!" Sakura shouted trying to run away from the ground and back on to the stone cement. But no luck, she just stayed there, suspended. Wei merely stood there, crossing his arms after the first 30-seconds, waiting when she'd stop wiggling around trying to reach the stone floor.
Eriol laughed slightly seeing her attempts all fall in vain as the finally stood limp, giving out a defeated and tired sigh. "I'm sorry I came outside Wei, please don't tell the Mistress?" She begged putting both her hands together in a small prayer to Wei. Wei smiled his mustachy grin and shook his head, "You dont' have to worry about me saying anything to the Lady young one." He told her reaching a hand to her which she took gratefully. He pulled her out and her feet gently landed on the stone floor once more. She then noticed something odd, a type of sad energy rattled on the side of her minds eyes, turning in that direction she noticed the trees and bushed rattling with the sudden gust of wind.
"What is it Sakura?" Wei asked noticing her confusion, "N-no... it's nothing." She said trying to ignore that odd sinking feeling in her gut, the sun felt amazing, everything about being outside did, she felt like she could breathe, she wanted to go in those woods, and for some reason, she felt it. Everything around her, the bushes and the leaves, and it somehow felt sad, sad and... lonely.
Walking back inside she watched Wei closing the door, and it all seemed to happen in slow motion. When it closed, she had never known this feeling before, but it felt like she was in a cage, a giant, lifeless stone cage. She felt Wei touch her cheek slightly, making her flinch out of her trance, "Are you all right Sakura?" He asked in worry.
Sakura immediately smiled back, "O-Of course Wei! Why would you ask such a thing?" She said and then blinked again feeling something moist trail down her face, touching it she blinked in further confusion... Am I crying?
Shaking it off quickly she ran passed Wei and took hold of Eriols hand, "Come on, I'm going to feed you." She said pulling him hard, jolting him forward.
"I was wondering if you'd be ok with it, If I was able to share ownership with Meilin." She said in a small voice. Syaoran sighed and turned over, "Why would I care?" He barked at her trying to shut her up, he wanted to think in peace.
"Well you and I are betrothed, and you know that once we marry we can't have any pets.. just random feeding. I just wanted to know if it was ok.. to go out of tradition a little." Tomoyo spoke lightly scratching her temple, she had curled up around his back immediately after he turned away from her, as if his cold movements no longer affected her or hurt her feelings.
"Do whatever you want." He said earning an excited squeal from her. "One condition though..." He told her suddenly getting an idea, "Whatever!" She said hugging him tightly, too exited to care, "I want to have Sakura as my pet."
"WHAT!?"
"Achoo!"
"Are you catching cold?" Eriol asked Sakura, she quickly shook her head and went to wash her hands, she was currently chopping carrots. "I don't even feel sick.."
"I told you not to move around so much right after a feeding." He scolded, for some reason he couldn't keep his eyes off of the food. Sakura was very diligent in making the liver soup, and as much as he hated liver, the meal looked amazing. She was gathering plates and putting in rice and pieces of cooked fish, she was also busying herself with adding all sorts of veggies to the pot of boiling water, the smells consumed the kitchen and made Eriols stomach cry.
"Why don't you eat?" She asked putting down some rice for the time being, Eriol looked at it in disbelief, as if he was afriad if he'd reach for it, it would dissipate in a poof of smoke. "Meilin is always telling me on how I ate too much." He said looking up at the stone ceiling, avoiding the rice, "She said that a glutton's blood tastes is far more disgusting than malnutrition blood."
Sakura tsked at this, "Thats complete nonsense, you were probably just eating the wrong foods." She told him him putting some of the buttered fish with the rice and pushed it farther to him, eying him until he had to look down. "Eat or I'll make you eat." She told him in an almost angry voice.
Eriol swallowed feeling his mouth salivate, his eyes looking at the food. Sakura gave a sigh and picked up the chop sticks, expertly putting them in the food and getting a nice steamy bit, then she put it against his lips, Eriol gasped from the smell of it. In that moment she put the food in his mouth. She noticed his expression change, he slowly closed his mouth and chewed, closing his eyes. His breathing elevated, she noticed his chest heave, almost as if he was having a panic attack. "So?" She said after he had opened his eyes, fishing for compliments.
"It's delicious." He managed, then finally she handed him the chopsticks and pushed the plate forward, "Think you can handle it?" She asked with a serious look, her eyes smiling. Eriol nodded eagerly and took them, she had never seem someone eat like that before. He was so hungry...
"If she's so worried about you tasting bad from the foods you eat you can just eat what I eat." Sakura said stirring the soup slightly, it was starting to thicken in consistency, "Meiling wouldn't approve." Eriol spoke between mouthful's of rice, Sakura giggled serving him more. "I'll ask her tonight, I'm sure she'll approve when she tastes the difference in your blood." She said in a smile. To this he smiled back, Sakura was a very kind girl.
"What is it with you and that girl?" Meilin asked almost angry putting her hands on her hips. Syaoran shrugged not answering her, Meilin tsked in exasperation. She looked to Tomoyos withered form, she became possibly more angry, "You can't marry Tomoyo if you pick a bride, you know that." Meilin said sharply.
"Tomoyo would have Eriol aswel-"
"It's not the same!" Meilin Barked angrily, "Eriol is a male, Sakura is a female and you are a male, and you'd be drinking from her exclusively." She said in a dangerous tone, "Which would mean your mark on her would appear eventually."
"I wouldn't mark her, she belongs to my mother." He said looking away, "Your mother hasn't fed on her since your arrival." Meilin spoke with a wave of her hand, "Because of you."
"Enough."
Everyone quieted down. It was Yelan-Li, the Lady of the house. As she stepped in Syaoran felt a small pang of guilt as he noticed his mother, she looked deathly ill, malnourished. Her skin as a possible uneven pale, small deep dark circles began to form under her eyes, her lips were split at random parts. "I refuse your joint ownership. Sakura belongs to me and you will only guard her, because I order it." She told him, and then faced toward Tomoyo and Meilin. "You and her may have the joint ownership with Eriol-san, but he must become more nourished." She ordered, "His malnourished stench dizzies me."
Meilin blushed a red scarlet red and nodded quickly, "I'll see he's fed immediately." She spoke seeing Yelan smile and reach a hand to pet her pretty face. "No need, my ward should be attending his deficit as we speak." She said seeing surprised faces. "How do you-"
"Sakura is a soft hearted child." Kero spoke perching idly on Yelans shoulders, His nails digging into Yelans shoulder for support. Yelan didn't seem to mind this at all, "She's probably sharing her meal with him right now."
Syaoran grunted in annoyance, Yelan lifted a perfectly shaped eye brow. "Do you have any complains my son?" She asked almost menacing, Syaoran quickly shook his head with a sober expression, "No..." He said and then walked to Tomoyo, wrapping a stiff arm over her and pulling her close to him. She blinked and immediately warmed up to him , happy for his actions. Nuzzle into the crook of his neck she failed to see his unchanging pensive expression, lifeless.
Meilin frowned at this, Yelan smiled and reached a hand to pet Kero's small face.
Syaoran felt himself sigh and look toward the cat. He couldn't seem to get the face of hers out of his head, her small frame, her funny ears. It made him uncomfortable, and angry. He wanted to be by her again, he wanted her smell which was slowly fading from his clothes...