Disclaimer: Let's just cut through the chase…..
Thanks for the reviews minna!
crimsonangel still as dynamic as ever huh? Well this chap'll answer your questions (smiles)
Pinaygrrl glad you enjoyed it (grins)
MysticMoonEmpress thanx I was a bit worried back there that I'll bore you with the last chap
BitterSweetMel I'm glad you like it(smiles) thanx
donut sono tori! (smiles) thanks
lady-water-dragon oww that was really sweet of you onee-sama! Thank you very much! (smiles) yes Meiling will be in it but not till later on the story about Syaoran well, what do you think? Hehe
Here's the next chap!
Chapter 7:
Undeniable Feelings
Eriol looked at his crystal ball he was inside his dark room. He smiled as he saw the terrible state the Card Mistress of the Daidouji's is at.
"Trying to use your magic to protect your people even though you're already weak, that isn't a very good idea you know," he sniggered.
Suddenly, Nakuru, the lady he was with before appeared at his back. "Eriol-sama," she greeted.
"Did you get them?"
"Not all. I managed to get half of it though."
"Thank you, Nakuru." He raised his right arm and red violet colored cards appear and circled him. He smiled as he watched them circled him. "I wonder what that Card Mistress will do now that half of her cards are in my possession."
Nadeshiko took Fujitaka's hands on hers. She smiled warmly up at him. "Anata…. What's with the somber eyes?" she asked gently. She was lying at her bed and everyone is gathered around her. Touya had his head lowered as he stood silently beside his father. Tomoyo and Sonomi were seated at the upper left corner of the bed.
"Nadeshiko…. Ore wa…." But he couldn't seem to find his words. He just gazed into his wife's emerald eyes.
Nadeshiko smiled and touched Fujitaka's cheek. "Please let Sakura-chan continue with her training. We can't just stop her, right?"
"Nadeshiko-san, onegai…. Don't talk anymore. Just rest," Sonomi told her. She's on the verged of crying.
Nadeshiko looked at her cousin and smiled sweetly. "Sonomi-san," then she looked at Tomoyo whose also about to cry, "Tomoyo-chan. Please give Sakura all the love that I couldn't give her."
"Yamero! Stop it already mother! You're not going to die!" Touya blurted out, he couldn't seem to control his emotions any longer.
Nadeshiko laughed softly and looked at her son. She took his hands, "Ara…. Ara…. You're a big boy now Touya-kun. Don't cry," she said as she wiped her son's tears off his cheek.
"Okasan!" Touya wrapped his arms at his mother's waist. He is crying now.
Tomoyo couldn't seem to hold back her tears too so she faced her mother and hugged her.
"Touya-kun," she started then looked back at Fujitaka, "Anata…. Take care of our Little Cherry Blossom." She smiled again.
"Okasan!" Touya wailed.
Sonomi wiped the tears forming in her eyes.
Just then the door burst wide opened and Takka entered the room. "You're Majesty!"
Sonomi looked up at him and just shook her head.
Takka immediately approach them and saw Nadeshiko all weak lying in her bed.
"Nadeshiko-san…."
Nadeshiko looked up at him, "Sensei, how's my Little Cherry Blossom doing? I hope she's not mad about us not going to see her especially on her birthday."
"Please Nadeshiko-san, don't talk. I'll do everything that I can through my powers to—."
"It's alright, Sensei." Nadeshiko interrupted her.
"What?" Takka then saw the somber look on everyone's faces.
"Anata…. Help me," Nadeshiko asked her husband as she tried to sit up. "Hai," he replied quietly as he helped her up.
She looked at Takka and said, "I need your help with the ritual, Sensei."
"T-The Ritual? Are you talking about 'that' ritual?"
She smiled and nodded her head.
"I won't last for long Sensei so… onegai…."
Takka was silent for a while but then he nodded his head in agreement. "I understand," he said and looked at her. "Who's going to be the keeper?" he asked.
"My Little Cherry Blossom…." She answered.
Syaoran swore that he wouldn't tell Sakura about what he discovered. A day had already passed since Takka left. He tried to act like nothing happened but he couldn't help thinking about the information he read on the letter. It was news to him that Sakura was actually the daughter of the Card Mistress Sonomi had talked about at the meeting. He was also interested about what she wrote concerning the 'Trump Card' of the Lottuse's. 'Is she referring to the same person they talked about at the meeting?' he wondered the next day. It was already dark outside and he sat at the couch lost in his own thoughts.
'If he managed to do that to the Card Mistress…. Does that mean he is really that powerful? Or he just outwitted them?' he marveled in his mind when suddenly….
"OJI-SAMA!" Sakura screamed at his ears.
"EEH!" Syaoran yelped in surprised and was almost knocked out. He looked at sakura who was seated at his left. "What did you do that for!" he yelled at her.
"You were looking into space like an idiot," she told him.
"Well, it doesn't matter! You don't have to yell at me like that!"
"But I have to."
"And why's that?" he demanded.
"Because I wanted to know what we've got left for dinner," she answered as if she hadn't done anything wrong.
"Don't ask me, I'm not a refrigerator!" he snapped at her.
"But refrigerator doesn't always have dinner."
"What I meant is that leave me alone! You're such a pea brain."
"I'm not a pea brain!"
"Fine. Then airhead."
"Airhead? What is that?"
"Head full of air."
"But my heads not full of air. Inside my head I've got brain,"
"Oh just shut up." He snapped at her.
Sakura frowned at him, "You're saying that again."
"Argh!" he shouted and stood up. He went straight to his room and was about to slam his doors shut when she called back at him. "We don't have food left on the frig!"
Syaoran went back out, "Why didn't you just tell me!"
"But I tried and you won't listen."
"You're getting on my nerves!"
"Hoe?" she just stared at him, puzzled. Syaoran shook his head, "Oh forget it. I'm going to go get food."
"Where are you going?" she asked when he was about to leave.
Syaoran clenched his fist, "I already told you, pea brain."
"I am not—."
"Just shut it," he said as he clamped his right hand at Sakura's mouth. "I'll be back," he told her and was about to leave when Sakura yet again stopped him.
"Wait! You can't just leave a young lady alone here. A gentleman never leaves a lady behind."
Syaoran laughed at her, "You call yourself a lady?"
"And you? You call yourself a gentleman?" she retorted.
Veins are now popping out of Syaoran's forehead. "Argh! Fine! Come on!" he said and took Sakura's hand and left.
(A/N (chuckles) Sakura's being a bright girl again. She's clueless but very bright, poor Syaoran lol)
At the Daidouji Castle, Takka with the help of Fujitaka and Touya are preparing for the ritual. They are inside the sacred hall of the castle and were busily drafting a mark on the floor.
Takka looked at Fujitaka and Touya who were wordlessly drafting. He looked at the mark drawn on the book he was holding. It was a symbol where the sun and the moon are drawn side by side. Around it were ancient Egyptian and Chinese writing. He looked back the two and took a deep breath.
'I know it's hard for both of them now that Nadeshiko-san is….' He couldn't seem to finish his sentence. He tried to push all his thoughts at the back of his head and continue on his work.
"AAHHH!"
A screamed filled the now dimly lit forest. It was already dark and Syaoran with Sakura were out there trying to catch something for dinner. It was too late to go fishing and just in time for hunting.
Syaoran sweat dropped as Sakura hid behind him. He was about to catch a rabbit when she screamed because of a soft hoot coming from an owl. The rabbit got startled and run away. Syaoran was about to scold her when he saw how frighten she was. He sighed and just shook his head, 'Calm down Syaoran, she's just a little girl.' he took another deep breath, 'Patience Syaoran. Patience….' He told himself.
After an hour of searching they finally caught a rabbit and head back to the cottage. When they finished eating Syaoran was the one assigned for the dishes so Sakura got to bed early. And when she got to bed, she had a bad dream.
By midnight, Takka and the others are finished with the mark. Nadeshiko was informed about it and Fujitaka helped her to stand at the center of the circle. And so Takka and Nadeshiko started on the Ritual.
"Oh great Sorcerer of Ancient Time, heed our prayers. Reveal thy power in our presence and blessed thy keeper, Sakura Kinomoto with pure love of hurdle to conceal thy enemy's assault, CLOW REED!"
They chanted.
Syaoran was still preoccupied with his thoughts. The next morning when he and Sakura went out to gather fruits for their meal, Sakura being the one on top of the tree called down at him to catch the fruits, but when she started dropping the fruits, Syaoran got hit on the head really hard and almost fainted. Sakura kept on shouting her apologies but when Syaoran got back up he just stared into space again. She just stared at him with her own thoughts in mind.
That night, Sakura had another bad dream. She awoke with a start and was so shaken to go back to sleep so she went on the living room. She sat crossed legged on the floor and stared at the flames of the fireplace.
Syaoran heard muffled footsteps outside his room so he got up and went outside. He saw Sakura staring blankly at the fireplace.
"Why are you still up?" he asked her.
Sakura jolted up and looked at him. "It doesn't concern you," she said.
"Pea brain," Syaoran muttered under his breath but Sakura heard him.
"I'm not!" "Yes, you are." "Am not!" "Are too." "Am not!" "Are too."
"Ooh!" she surrendered and returned her attention on the fireplace.
Syaoran shook his head, "Girls" he said rather loudly.
"Boys!" Sakura retorted without looking.
Syaoran raised an eyebrow but didn't say a thing. He sat back on the couch and stared at the fireplace. He was lost in his thoughts again. He didn't know how or when but he fell asleep on the couch.
Sakura waited until she was sure that he had fallen asleep before looking at him. She stared at him for a while. She was really shaken by her dream earlier but without knowing the reason, she calmed down when he came out. He always gets on her nerves and yet he manages to make her feel at ease. Sakura leaned her cheek on the cushion where Syaoran had his head rested. She reached out her hand and started to stroke his hair.
At that very same time, very tragic news had come upon the Li and the Daidouji Kingdom. King Iruka, because of the crisis going on his kingdom had passed away. He had a heart attack and died momentarily.
Too bad, he hadn't made it until Nadeshiko and Takka finishes with the ritual.
The following morning, Syaoran had decided to train with his sword. As he was busy with his training outside, Sakura was secretly watching him from the living room. She had that distant look pure sadness and undefined anxieties were reflected through her emerald eyes.
Later that day inside the cottage, Syaoran watched Sakura as she busied herself at the kitchen. He can't ignore the feeling he had last night, the urge to tell her about the letter. 'No, you've already decided. She's too young for this,' he reminded himself.
"Oji-sama! What do you want for dinner?" Sakura asked him without even turning.
"Anything that's got no poison in it," he answered.
"Okay," she replied.
"Eeh?" he hadn't expected her to reply like that. Usually she'd tell him not to say things like that. "You better cook it good, pea brain," he told her.
"Okay," she answered.
Now there's got to be something wrong. "What's up with—?"
"I know why Sensei left."
'Huh?' Syaoran stared at her taken aback. She still got her back at Syaoran.
"I also know why you seem to think a lot than normal lately." Syaoran heard her stop from her work.
"It's about my mother, right?"
Syaoran stared at her for a moment then stammered, "I… I didn't know what—."
"You're no good in lying," she turned to look at him and stock out her tongue at him. Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "I'm not—! Huh?" he halted when he saw warm tears unexpectedly run down her cheeks. She was smiling though.
'What the….'
Sakura wiped off her tears and chuckled, "I dreamt about it." She lowered her gaze and Syaoran could see her shaking. "Hey," he started. He got up and approached her.
Sakura bended her knees and with her arms wrapped around her, she buried her face on her knees. "I know my mother is weak. She always smiles at us though. Making us happy with all the different magic she uses with her Cards," she was saying.
He saw her trembled frantically 'Oi….' He didn't know what to do.
"I just wish she's not suffering right now," she said. "I really wanted to see her…. I wanted to tell her how I look up on her, or that I really really love her."
"Hey, come on—."
She looked up at Syaoran who was standing just beside her, "You know, she loves to eat sweet foods. My father makes a lot of cakes or baked pie for us. Then my mother will always say, 'Your father always makes the sweetest foods, don't you agree my Little Cherry Blossom?'" Hot tears are streaming down her cheeks. She placed her hands at her chest and clutched her shirt tightly. "I…. I…." her voice trembled.
"It's so heavy right here," she said still clutching her chest. "I wanted to stop crying but it's so heavy right here…. I…. I wanted to do something but I can't, I…."
Syaoran kneeled down beside her and wrapped his right arm around her back. Sakura was surprised. She looked up at him and was even more surprised when he greeted him with a warm smile. She stared into those magnificent amber eyes and felt the gentleness in it, "Oji-sama…." It feels like it was the first time she had gazed into those gentle eyes of his or even sees him smile like that. The heavy sentiment she felt in her heart just grew and she didn't know why.
"Stop calling me that," he told Sakura, still smiling at her. His amber eyes full of tenderness and affection. "Come on, stop crying," he said and wiped tears off her cheek.
Sakura couldn't help blushing. "Hoe?"
"I understand. I understand perfectly well how you feel," he was saying.
"I…."
"No matter what happens, you'll always be your mother's little Cherry Blossom."
Fresh tears showed at the corner of her eyes but Syaoran just wiped it away. "Just like me being my mother's Little Wolf," he told her.
"L-Little Wolf?"
"That's the English term of my name Syaoran. And same goes for you, Sakura, Cherry Blossom."
"Oji—."
"Hey I already told you to stop calling me that. My name's Li Syaoran, so just call me…. Li or…. Well I'm not really used to people calling me by my name so— whoa!"
He was interrupted when Sakura jerked up and wrapped her arms around his neck while saying, "Li-kun!"
She was crying non-stop and she was trembling into his arms. "K-Kinomoto…." He whispered remembering her surname from the letter. 'Still a little girl….' He thought and held her closed to him. He lowered his head and just let her cry into his arms.
(A/N) how is it? Do you like this one! Well? What! Lol
Hope you enjoy reading this chap as much as I enjoy writing it (smiles)
Tell me what you think of this chap (smiles) RR please! hehe
