Stolen Moments
Witch-Mistress-Animaru
A/N: This happens three days after their narrow escape. Sakura has caught Fly, Windy, Shadow, Watery, Wood and Rain.
7: The Power to Lie
(Moving Forward)
Where was he? The question rose from his muddled mind as he stirred to life.
Voices — he was certain he was not alone. They were whispering in hushed tones, their accents barely decipherable from the rain.
Rain? What rain? There were two low thuds, as if something heavy was dropped to the ground.
Who were they? He tried to move, but every inch of his worn body screamed in protest.
He wanted to know who they were — whether they were friend or foe. Yet just trying to get up caused him excruciating pain.
Was he dying? He rolled over slightly, forcing his eyelids to open. For a moment, his eyes squinted from the dark until they adjusted. He could not see the face of his companions. They were mere shadows in the dark cave.
Cave? What was he doing there?
He could hear them much clearer now.
"Hush, oniichan, you'll wake him up." A sweet-sounding woman's voice spoke, clearly arguing with one of the others.
"Why the hell did you have to bring him with us?" The man who must be the girl's brother (he was oniichan, after all) grumbled. "He's caused us nothing but trouble from the three days we've been hauling his ass off with us."
"Oniichan! I'd rather you clean out the language, if you please!"
"Damn, who cares? I wish Yuki will hurry up with the food." The man said, straightening up.
"Don't be so hard on the man, oniichan — I mean, it's raining and it must be hard to sneak about the castle with..."
"Look, he's stirring." The man said quietly, suddenly alert.
He stood up at last, feeling his head swim slightly at the effort.
"You mustn't move much, please. I tried my best with your wounds, but they might still prove delicate." She moved closer to him and he gazed at her elusive face.
Eyes of brightest green set against a face that might have been an angel's. Her hair looked dull and unkempt but he knew they would look good once cared for.
The face was familiar and yet he could connect no name to it.
Now that he thought of it, he couldn't remember who he was.
Gazing to her eyes, he tried to speak, but his throat was dry. Finally, after a few moments of effort, he rasped, "Who are you?"
She looked confused at the question but brightened up immediately.
"You don't remember me. You forget so easily, don't you?" she stated with a bitter smile. He would have argued that hers was a face that he wouldn't have forgotten, but his voice failed him.
"Don't worry, I shall remind you."
She did not answer his question.
"Who — are you? Who am I?" He rasped out again, his throat dry and coarse.
"I am Sa — what do you mean, 'who are you'?" She frowned at him. "Are you sure you're quite fine?"
"Yes," he answered and spluttered loudly. She handed him a roughly carved wood which turned out to hold water. He drank it greedily, as if he had not drank water in centuries.
"Can't you really remember who you are?" She asked, peering closer at him. When he shook his head, not daring to speak any more than he had to, she pushed him lightly back to the lumpy pile of clothing he was lying on earlier. "Please lie back down; we can't have you bleeding to death again." Then she turned to talk to her brother, who was busy washing some roughly-fashioned utilities. "Oniichan, a moment please."
Why won't she answer me?
They turned away from him and huddled together, speaking in low, frantic tones.
Sakura's heart beat frantically in her chest, though she had no idea why.
The prince of Li Kingdom has lost his memories, it seems. She could feel pity well up inside her as she thought of his expression, rather like that of a little lost boy.
"Oniichan, he has lost his memories. He does not remember who he is, where he comes from, what he is."
"So?" He searched her face with dawning wonder. "Don't tell me you're..."
"But the truth may shock him, oniichan...He must not know the loss he's suffered until he's ready for it!"
"Would you like it if he lied to you? Put yourself on the poor man's shoes, Sakura," he whispered back.
"But... I don't think he's ready to accept it. We must let the memories flow, we better not rush things out."
"You're not intending to hide him away forever, are you?" Touya gazed intently at his sister and saw her cheeks redden. He felt a surge of jealousy at the thought of someone sharing his sister's affections. Someone who wasn't family.
"No, of course not, don't be ridiculous..."
"But you're planning to lie to him."
"It's...it's for his own good..."
"What about when he begins to remember things you hid from him? What when his memories return?"
Sakura did not answer.
"Or are you hoping his memories never return, so that he will never leave?"
"Of course not!"
"But you should know the dangers you will put yourself in when you do this..."
"You must understand it's for his own sake!"
"His or yours?" Touya tried to catch her eyes but they did not meet his. "I knew something was amiss when you insisted in bringing him. Have you met him before?"
Sakura did not answer anymore. Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears.
"Fine," he said, defeated. "Do what you want — but don't lie more than you have to."
"You're okay with it?" She asked, startled.
"Just remember I warned you when you have to answer to his questions and when you must pay for your actions."
She did not answer and he stood up, moving away from him.
"You must understand, oniichan," she whispered in an anguished tone. He froze. "He was one of the things I wanted — yes, perhaps, that's true. But I ask you, when in my whole life did I really get the things I wanted?"
Her voice broke and Touya knew she was crying. All his senses tell him he must stop her and her ridiculous schemes before she destroyed herself, but for the life of him he could not do so knowing it would break her heart.
"He's all I want now, oniichan, and I'm willing to take the risk. I know I most likely will end up without him, but I plan on taking what is offered until it lasts."
"Then you're a fool, squirt." He said softly. "I had the impression that you hated him before. You certainly did not bow to him, from what I have garnered."
"I...did not hate him. I hated what he represented and the arrogance his position instilled in him."
"And now?"
"Now he lost all trace of that..." Her voice was pleading. "Promise me you won't interfere with me, oniichan."
"As long as he keeps you happy." He said. "God knows you deserve it all. But you'll also deserve all disillusionments that might follow."
He walked back to where their guest was lying and saw that he was watching them curiously. He looked away from his searching glance.
"Where is she? Why is she crying?" He croaked out.
"If you can't see her, how do you know she's crying?" Touya snapped.
"I heard her sobs. Why are you angry? Did you hurt her?"
"No, damn it, I did not! I would never hurt my own sister —" Sakura stood up, wiping her eyes.
"No, Syaoran, he wouldn't hurt me," she said in a quivery voice.
"Syaoran? Is that my name?" He asked, frowning. He was trying to remember, Sakura knew, and she rushed on.
"Yes. You're Li Syaoran. I'm Sakura..."
"...I'm your fiancée." Touya's eyes flickered a bit at that statement but he tried to look as if it wasn't new to him.
"Is that true?"
"Y-yes," she nearly faltered, but she was determined to go on with it just the same.
"Why are you crying, Sakura?" He stopped. "I call you Sakura, don't I?"
The way he spoke her name was the sweetest thing she ever heard. She nearly cried again.
"O-of course, Syaoran, of course..."
"Why are..." he coughed a bit, drawing a concerned frown on her face. "...are you crying?"
"Nothing," she said, thinking fast. "It's...it just...pained me that...you can't remember me...yes, that's it. It's silly, really, seeing as you can't remember your own name..." Her tears fell again, but this time from the fear sown by lies.
Syaoran felt dread envelope his heart at his fiancée's statement and a sense of guilt feed at his insides. It must have been terrible — nursing him to health only to discover when he woke that he remembered her not?
"Come here," the words slipped out of his mouth. He wanted to comfort her, and she came... Dear me, she looked a bit too terrible after having cried — the stress was showing in her delicate features.
He smiled. He was lucky to have such a beautiful, caring woman for a fiancée.
He reached out to push a stray strand of hair from her tear-stained face (she started a bit) and pulled her towards him.
"Oi!" Touya spoke harshly and pulled his sister from him. He turned questioningly at the man who was Sakura's brother and saw him eyeing them both with anger — and something else.
"What's wrong? I merely wanted to soothe my girl," he said, not wavering as he glanced at Touya.
"You must understand my brother... Touya-niichan has this annoying protective instinct for me. Besides, he's worried for you as well. Your wounds are barely healed, after all." Touya snorted quite audibly, but Sakura's glare silenced him.
"I see. But you are okay?" He asked. She nodded with a watery smile.
"You must tell me more about us...about me, for instance...how did we meet?"
"Don't strain yourself, Syaoran..." She placed a calloused hand against his cheek — odd, they were rough and yet still soft and gentle against his skin. They were the hands of a working woman.
A woman he must love very much.
Or does he really? Why did he connect the notion of love with marriage and having a fiancée?
But he can't think of her in terms of cold-blooded manipulation. No, not this sweet girl, not his angel.
She did not tell him everything yet, but he knew it will all come in time.
In time. And he somehow felt they had all the time in the world in the next few days. Perhaps.
He was too busy contemplating the near future that he did not see the meaningful glances that the siblings exchanged around him.
TBC
