The Clow
Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura. Its characters and affiliates are property of CLAMP.
Author's Note: Hello =) It's Yuuki again! Kyaaahhhh! Say what? Chapter 9? Say it isn't so! Hahaha! Yep, yep, chapter nine is out! I'm really starting to love writing nowadays. I found that this chapter was really fun to write too. It's a break from the usual *wink*wink* lol meaning it should be enjoyable! I want to thank the readers and especially the reviewers that have commented on this story thus far. Hopefully you all will stick it out with me until the long and epic end. I'm planning The Clow out right now and we're looking at around thirty chapters, so it should be epiiccccc lol yes, epic is the word of the day for me right now… Enjoy and don't forget to Read and Review! ^_^ Thanks!
I wanted to say thanks to my reviewers! So much! Thank you all!
The Clow
In a world where love and peace are long forgotten, two people, brought together in an entwined destiny, will stand and fight the evil force that threatens to consume all hope, including them…
This is the story of The Clow.
Chapter Nine:
Unwinding
It was a darkness as complete as night. The young woman slowly opened her eyes. Well, she was sure that she had opened her eyes, anyway. She could see nothing in front of her. There was only the pitch black surrounding her.
Jade colored orbs blinked rapidly in an attempt to accustom to the darkness but it did no good, giving the young woman the feeling that she had gone temporarily blind. And what was more, her legs began moving her body around in the deserted place with no real sense of direction, as though detached with a mind of their own.
Sakura stumbled about, her breath coming out raggedly and the realization that she was alone keeping her adrenaline running. She had gotten into this mysterious place somehow, but she could not recall how and instead focused on listening for the sounds of anyone or anything. She suddenly turned her head sharply. She had the strangest sensation that someone was watching her. But there was nothing in the darkness. Just more shadows. Sakura took deep, steady breaths, thinking about where to begin first. She would have to find a way out of here…
She walked a few more paces uncertainly. When the darkness overwhelmed her, she spoke for the first time since entering.
"Hello?" her voice rang out loud as it echoed throughout the empty space. "Is anyone there?" she called out, a little more desperation in her tone now.
"Hello?" she called out into the darkness again. There was no answer, only the ghost of her voice coming back as an echo, bouncing off the walls and Sakura hung her head in the silence that ensued. But suddenly- there! It was a strange murmuring at first. A low rumble in the far reaches of the darkness…
Sakura could not make out who it was or what it was saying but she moved forward eagerly. There was someone here! As she walked towards the noise the whispering grew louder. It sounded like a million voices, wailing in the wind like scratches on a door, and Sakura spoke again as she felt her feet move forward, hoping to reach the source of the sound.
"Hello? Who's there?" She asked with only a hint of trepidation.
The sound of the wailing grew louder and picked up at a crescendo until it rushed toward her in a whirling wind, bursting the silence and her ear drums, screaming at her. Sakura clenched her teeth and covered her ears in the darkness as the voices roared all around her, blowing her hair and clothes clinging to her body around her angrily.
As soon as it had come, it disappeared, leaving the young woman clutching her head and bent over, tears silently rolling down her cheeks. Her whole body shook as she tried to regain her composure and her sporadic breathing was caused by much more than fatigue. Sakura was scared. As she straightened up, another whisper of wind passed right behind her, sending shivers down her spine.
She could feel it; someone was standing and watching her from behind. Slowly, she turned around. In the darkness, a voice whispered so loud, it sounded right next to her ears.
"Sakura!" A woman breathed. The whooshing of a million voices cried out in her ear once more.
Kinomoto Sakura awoke with a start, clutching at her chest and breathing heavily. She blinked, surprised by the amount of sunshine around her and looked around the clearing that she was camped in. She could just make out the twinkling of the river as the rising sun reflected off its surface flowing downhill from the camp. Sakura untangled herself from the cluster of limbs and sheets, her forehead beaded with sweat.
'What had that dream been about?' she found herself asking. 'It had seemed so real…' Sakura wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and sighed, slowly standing up with shaking legs. Her vision was blurry. Her knees buckled and she collapsed onto the ground again, closing her eyes to focus on slowing her heart down. The only other time she had felt that way before was when she had dreamed of her brother back in Byul Town…
"Wow. It must be the end of the world if you're awake already," a deep and pleasant voice teased. Sakura quickly turned towards the source of the voice and felt a little light headed from the motion.
Syaoran stepped into the small clearing, brushing the debris off of his cloak. His dark, chocolate brown hair was its usual mess, his bangs falling casually over his deep amber eyes as they swept the clearing.
When there was no retort from the young woman, who was usually always full of biting remarks, his gaze landed on her. Syaoran lowered the basket onto a log next to the fire that he had started earlier and immediately hurried forward.
"What's wrong?" he asked seriously as he approached Sakura. She looked pale and sweaty, almost feverish, and her eyelashes were wet with moisture.
"Nothing, nothing," Sakura hastily mumbled, looking away as Syaoran stood over her, examining her carefully. He put a hand on top of her forehead and Sakura tried to pull away but Syaoran was too fast for her. He swiftly reached out and grabbed her arm and brought her to him again, placing a cool hand on her forehead. She felt cold and clammy.
"Syaoran, I'm alright…" she mumbled, her neck and cheeks growing hot. Syaoran acted as if he hadn't heard her.
"What happened?" he asked quietly. "You're feverish…" Sakura looked down embarrassedly.
"I told you it was nothing…" Syaoran just stared at her hard with one of his looks that said you better tell me or else… and Sakura sighed, defeated.
"A bad dream?" Syaoran repeated as he and Sakura sat finishing up their breakfast. They were eating dumpling porridge as she revealed why she had looked so startled earlier. Sakura nodded wearily.
"Yes, but it's no big deal, I get bad dreams occasionally," she said shrugging her shoulders as she picked at the remains of her porridge.
"Not necessarily," Syaoran said seriously, staring into the empty wood pit. Sakura turned to look at him.
"What do you mean?" she asked. He looked at her and seemed to hesitate a bit.
"People who have magic powers sometimes dream of futures or pasts that are somehow linked to them," Syaoran stated slowly. Sakura stared.
"Like that time in Byul Town when I dreamed about my brother?" Syaoran nodded.
"Yes, because you dreamed about your brother, you thought he was in town. He didn't arrive in Byul Town until the day after we left. You dreamed it, assumed he was in town, then acted recklessly," Syaoran said matter-of-factly. Sakura growled at him.
"And how do you know that?" she asked Syaoran.
"I'm the Resistance leader, Sakura, I have my sources," he replied smugly.
"So my dream in Byul Town…it happened, didn't it?" Sakura stated quietly. "My brother arrived in Byul Town the day after we left…" Syaoran nodded.
"Both him and Captain Tsukishiro were in town," he confirmed.
"Why? Why do these things happen to me?" Sakura asked, suddenly and completely bewildered. She looked weary and stressed, holding her head as she voiced her question.
"It's because you have magic powers," Syaoran explained simply and resumed finishing up his breakfast. Sakura stared at him and slowly removed her hands from her head. She was starting to become dizzy every time she moved around suddenly.
"You always say that," she said softly and Syaoran hid his grin behind his hand as he pretended to take a drink of water from his canteen. He should have known. Sakura was getting sharper by the day.
"Do I?" he asked, putting on a face of utmost unconcern but his eyes were laughing as he ate another spoonful of porridge. Sakura frowned.
"Yes, you do, Syaoran," she replied. "Why don't you tell me the real reason why I keep dreaming these weird dreams?" Syaoran sighed and looked Sakura in the eyes as he set his bowl down. "I mean, they can't just be coincidences! They feel…too real to be dreams…"
"I really can't tell you anything more, Sakura," he finally said quietly and Sakura's eyes widened. "All I know is that you have really strong magic…" Sakura looked surprised that, rather than arguing with her, he opted to answer her and she shivered slightly. The wind really was cold today.
"Maybe you're just starting to get used to your magic again. You did tell me that this was the first time you've used it in over eight years…" Syaoran offered. Sakura nodded. That made sense…
As Syaoran watched her, he couldn't help but feel a small pang of guilt. He knew exactly why these things were happening to Sakura. He hoped the fact that she was the Clow card mistress would reveal itself soon, because he was starting to run out of excuses, and Sakura, though often times gullible, wasn't an idiot ready to fall for the same trick over and over again.
"Hmm, Syaoran…if I have these dreams because I have magic, I should pay extra careful attention to them and try to remember them…they could have some special meaning to them," Sakura said and Syaoran nodded his head in agreement, quite impressed at Sakura's observation. She smiled triumphantly.
"See? I do know some stuff about magic too!" she pointed out smugly.
"You only know the real obvious things," he shot back, but his eyes were smiling. Sakura could see this and laughed, rubbing her cold arms.
"Even so, you must acknowledge me!"
"Well, little Sakura, when you can make me beg for mercy, I'll acknowledge you," Syaoran retorted, smirking.
"Oh is that all then?" she asked laughingly. "When that day comes, Li Syaoran, I will make you pay dearly! I will make you acknowledge me!"
"Is that a bet?" Syaoran asked with a mischievous smile on his face. He almost laughed out loud at Sakura's determination. It really was something to admire. Sakura stared at him. He seemed to have…bad intentions behind that smile.
"Yes of course!" she said laughing happily in agreement. Syaoran reached out a hand and Sakura stared down at it in confusion.
"Let's shake on it if you're so confident." Syaoran grinned at Sakura and stretched out his hand over the space between them.
"Oh? That I will make you beg for mercy? Okay, it's a deal," she said slyly. Syaoran chuckled lowly.
"You won't win, Sakura," he said, his eyes gleaming and Sakura giggled.
"We'll see about that…" She observed his outstretched hand before slowly taking it with hers. She was surprised by the warmth in his large, callused fingers. While she was noticing this, Syaoran was noticing a completely different feeling. Sakura's hands were cold as ice, even though it was a warm day with the hot sun and only a mild wind.
She looked pale and sweaty, her large, jade irises slightly glazed over. Sakura was about to release Syaoran's hands when she felt him tug her arm forward and she gasped lightly, her head beginning to spin again. Any sudden movement made her eyes unfocused.
"W-what are you doing?" she asked in a tired voice, trying to focus on fixing her dizzy vision. Syaoran looked into her eyes before he checked the pulse on her wrist and hurriedly placed a hand on her forehead. He looked down at her in alarm. It was just as he thought! Sakura's forehead was burning up. She was sick, and she had been hiding it this entire time.
"Sakura," he said in a hushed voice, "why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well?" She merely blinked at him, and wearily shook her head, her auburn locks flying around.
"I'm alright…" she mumbled, staring at the ground. 'Why is it getting so hard to sit upright?' she thought. She had really tried to sit up and follow the conversation with Syaoran but her strength seemed to be leaving her quickly and she did not have enough energy to argue with him as he crouched down in front of her.
"I'm alright, Syaoran," she protested, but Syaoran wasn't listening. He was already running his hand along the back of her neck. Goose bumps passed over Sakura's spine and she was sure it couldn't be attributed solely to the fact that she was cold…though now that she thought about it, it was freezing all of a sudden…
Syaoran was crouched in front of the young woman, who was sitting in a crisscross position on the ground. Her body posture was drooping slightly as he checked her temperature and her eyes, which kept blinking shut, though she tried hard to keep them open.
"Sakura, you're sick," he murmured. He noticed the goose bumps on her arms and neck. Suddenly, the card mistress fell forward into Syaoran's arms, her forehead hitting his collarbone as she went slightly limp. Syaoran looked down at her, surprised.
"Sakura—"
"Syaoran…" she mumbled. "Syaoran…it's cold…" he cradled Sakura to him and in one swift motion, lifted her up into his arms; his left one under her knees and his right one supporting her back. The young woman protested feebly, struggling in the strong arms, which didn't yield to her movements.
"What are you doing?" she asked in a weak voice. "Put me down… I said I'm alright…" Syaoran ignored her.
"You, little Sakura, have always had really poor judgment. You could make it easier for me by cooperating," he said as he moved towards the blankets with the petite young woman. "You're not very light as it is." He chuckled lowly when he saw Sakura's hands form into a fist and hit him lightly on the head. Even in her sickened state, she was still strong enough to inflict damage on him if she wished it.
Reaching the blankets, he carefully set her down and lay her head to rest upon a cloak as a makeshift pillow. Sakura didn't protest because she was busy shifting around uncomfortably while sweat beaded her forehead. He would need to get her temperature down but she was shaking now, her teeth chattering.
"Why's it so c-cold?" Sakura shivered, her eyes still closed. "It's c-cold…" she muttered. Syaoran wiped the sweat forming on her forehead onto his sleeve.
"I know, Sakura, I know. I'm going to get a towel to cool you down," he said to her as tucked the blanket around her slim figure. "Your temperature's too high right now." When she didn't respond, Syaoran moved away but stopped as he felt a tug on his cloak. He turned back around, surprised.
Sakura's small hands were tightly clenched on the hem of his cloak. Her emerald eyes were open and feverish as she stared at him.
"Syaoran…" she said slowly, voice barely audible, "I'm so cold…" Syaoran stared at her and nodded. Slowly, he moved towards her again. Sakura was laying on the blankets, her breathing uneven; her eyes moist with fever.
Syaoran removed his cloak, threw it near the trunk of a tree, and sat next to her. Slowly, he leaned himself over her until he had gently placed his forehead onto the burning one that was hers. Sakura lay absolutely still as she felt his magic slowly flow into her and closed her eyes. A warmth the color of green began ridding her of all the bad feelings that her body had been full of and relaxing the muscles in her neck, ceasing the throbbing headache. Sakura furrowed her eyebrows and tried to turn away as she felt a small stinging on the sides of her head but Syaoran wouldn't let her and, using his hands, cupped her face, turning her towards him again. Sakura gave up, too weak to fight, and allowed Syaoran to continue healing her. She knew he was healing her and could feel his aura as it surrounded her body. That's what was probably causing the aches in her temples…she didn't think anymore as she began to feel more and more tired, her body relaxed and her eyelids felt heavy. She should sleep…yes, sleep sounded good…and Sakura didn't think anymore.
After another minute, Syaoran finally released her, lifting his forehead from hers and moving back to wipe his forehead. Healing took a lot of magic and Sakura's fever did not help him concentrate any further. Her magic had also been slightly disturbed and healing magic took more time than just healing the sick. He glanced down at the young woman.
Sakura had already fallen into a deep sleep. Sighing lightly, Syaoran rearranged the blankets around the Clow card mistress. She was breathing with more regularity now and her temperature normal. Her cheeks were flushed a healthy pink tone as her honey colored locks lay spread out on the cloak that made her pillow. A single strand remained on her cheek from her fever earlier and without any hesitation, Syaoran picked it up and replaced it with the rest. He sat back and leaned against the trunk of a tree, stretching his limbs that had become sore while he leaned over the Clow card mistress to heal her, and watched the deep blue afternoon sky for a moment. Finally, he turned to look at the young woman sleeping in front of him.
He should have seen it coming sooner or later. After all that Sakura had been through in the last month and a half, it was no wonder that her body would become sick and exhausted. She was someone who was well traveled. Nor had she been exposed to so much of the world all at once before.
She had told him already that she had not left the estate in over ten years, and had laughingly joked that the most exciting thing that she had done was take a walk in the gardens every once in a while. Sakura had been sheltered her whole life, never experiencing anything for herself, never getting the chance to see the world that the Clow had turned into under the rule of Emperor Kimama. And in less than two months, Sakura had seen and experienced more than she could have hoped for outside of Tomoeda Village.
This, along with the stress accumulated from the last small village and including all the miles she had walked while journeying with Syaoran, had depleted Sakura's energy. Her body was not used to it, simply put, and her newly reawakened magic did not lighten the burden either. The small magic that she had been able to wield now drained her physically and mentally.
However, Sakura had surprised Syaoran greatly and had risen to the challenges herself. She was always eager to help out in any way she could, always worrying about others even when there was very little she knew she could do. Sakura acted on her feelings instead of thinking rationally first. This was something Syaoran both admired and found testing in his patience with her. Either she was extremely brave or stupid, but he knew one thing. Syaoran, in the month and a half that he had traveled with Sakura, found that he liked having her around. He actually enjoyed traveling with her, talking to her, laughing with her, and especially teasing her. There was something about her. Her presence, the quick flashes of her smile, and the way she was able to get Syaoran to completely relax. Few people had this effect on him, and he found it nerving. Sakura really was unpredictable. He glanced at the object of his thoughts for a second longer and shook his head, finally sitting up. Lately, staring seemed to be all that he did. Sighing, Syaoran rose to his feet. There was a lot to do.
Her eyelids felt heavy… as if there were weights on each one. Even moving them took effort. Sakura grimaced as she felt her fingertips shift lightly. Where was she? She moved her eyeballs around beneath her lids and she lifted a single finger to feel the fabric beneath her. She was lying on something warm…soft blankets. Why was she lying down? Was it night time already? Had she stopped to rest with Syaoran? Syaoran….Ahh…she remembered now. He had said that she was sick…said it to her before her body and her headache became too much to bear and she couldn't fight him anymore as he had carried her…and healed her…and took care of her…was he the one who took care of her?
Sakura's head pounded with the questions she asked herself and she furrowed her eyebrows. It hurt her head to think and she grimaced in response. How long had she been out? Her throat felt dry, caked with dust. It took almost all of her remaining strength to swallow and make a noise from the back of her dry throat.
"Mm…" It was a moan…well, more of a weird sound from her throat really, but she was surprised when she suddenly felt someone move over to her and lean down, putting a warm hand onto her forehead. With all the strength she could muster, Sakura's eyelids slowly creaked open. It wasn't very bright, she could tell. Darkness was already upon her. The only light in the clearing was coming from the bright fire sitting a couple of feet away from her. She blinked a couple of times, clearing away the blurriness and stared into a pair of deep brown amber eyes.
"Are you feeling alright?" Syaoran asked Sakura. She closed her eyes again and nodded wearily. She really felt too weak to say anything more. It was hard enough just to hide the flush that had appeared on her cheeks when she saw the young man. So he really had taken care of her… Syaoran moved his hand away from her forehead and walked over to the fire to pick up a small bowl and returned to Sakura's side.
"Here, Sakura. Drink this. It's medicine to make you feel better. I healed your fever earlier, but that doesn't mean your body still won't be weak. You're going to have to eat something," he said sternly to her. Sakura slowly opened her eyes again. Her lips felt chapped but she pressed them together and spoke. Her voice was a croak.
"Great. Just what I wanted…really…" Sakura said sarcastically. "A fever in early summer…"Syaoran grinned as he listened to the young woman.
"Umm…Syaoran?" he looked down at her again. Sakura was straining to get up, lifting her head from the cloak that made her blanket. Her muscles were still weak from lack of use. "Help me get up?" she asked sheepishly. She wanted to sit up and see what was going on. Her body seemed to be better, her headache was almost a thing of the past now. Besides she was tired of lying down already.
Syaoran obliged and put the bowl of medicine down. Holding onto her shoulders, he gently pulled her up while she pushed herself up from the ground with the palm of her hands into a sitting position.
"And where did all your usual brute strength go?" Syaoran murmured as he helped her.
"I'm saving it to kill you," Sakura growled and Syaoran laughed out loud at her remark.
"Don't be so hasty, little Sakura," he said. "You don't want to overwork yourself. You just got better and I think killing me would fall under the category of overworking one's self."
Syaoran really had been bored while Sakura was asleep without her usual chatter carrying him throughout the day.
"You make it very tempting." Sakura told him with a big smile that could only be described as evil.
Syaoran chuckled and picked up the bowl of medicine he had set down a moment ago.
"No killing for you. Drink this first. It'll make you feel better. And then if you really want a match to the death…" he trailed off, matching Sakura's grin with his. In this case, it carried even worse intentions and Sakura regretted causing him to flash that smile.
"Hmm…I'll drink this medicine…" she finally said and looked at the bowl. It carried water with clouds of murky brown in it. Taking it from Syaoran, she examined it closely.
"Syaoran, what is this?" she asked, sniffing the contents.
"It's your medicine. Now drink it," he said watching her. Sakura looked up at Syaoran doubtfully.
"It issafe, right?"
Syaoran pretended to be hurt by her question.
"You wound my pride, Sakura. I consider myself a very accomplished medicine maker. Of course it's safe, silly. Now drink it and it will make your headache go away," he said as if explaining it to a five year old, moving forward to tap her on her nose. Sakura glared at him before she stared down at the liquid again and sniffed. It was scentless. Shrugging, she lifted the bowl to her lips, drank a sip, and almost gagged. It was so bitter!
"I can't! I don't want to drink this!" she protested, moving the bowl away as Syaoran, who was expecting this, moved forward to push it towards her, the corners of his lips curving upwards.
"Oh no, Sakura, you're drinking it!" he said as he attempted to move the bowl towards her small pink lips. Sakura moved away, twisting her head sideways and making a face.
"No, Syaoran! It tastes awful! I can't! I'm not drinking it!" she was practically shouting now as Syaoran wrestled the cup from her strong grasp.
'This girl! Wasn't she just sick?' Syaoran pretended to look stern as he finally pulled the bowl free, careful not spill any and held it in front of the childish young woman sitting resolutely in front of him, her arms crossed. Really, Syaoran was amusing himself. He looked like someone who was thoroughly entertaining himself but was failing to hide it miserably. Only Sakura failed to notice how much fun Syaoran was having making her do something she didn't want to.
"You have to drink it. It'll make you feel better," he pointed out.
"Never!" She turned away and Syaoran sighed. God, the woman was stubborn sometimes…
"Drink up, Sakura. I didn't spend my time making this for nothing." Sakura unfolded her arms. He was right. Syaoran must have taken time to make it for her. And here she was being a brat, refusing to drink it…Sakura sighed, defeated.
"Fine…" she said holding her hands out for the bowl. Syaoran placed the bowl into her hands, knowing he had won.
"It's not that bad. Kind of sweet really," he said to her with a snicker and Sakura glared at him.
"Don't push it," she muttered, bringing the bowl to her lips again. Really, Sakura hated medicine! She took a moment to take a breath, then drank a large gulp of the liquid. She gagged and shuddered afterwards and Syaoran rolled his eyes.
"Don't be so dramatic Sakura," he said and she scrunched up her nose. It seemed as if the medicine did work. Already, her vision was starting to get clearer and her body was losing tension.
"Drink it all," he ordered when he noticed what was left in the bowl. She sighed and looked up at him childishly.
"Do I have to?" she asked in a small voice and Syaoran nodded solemnly.
"Yes. All of it," he said. Sakura pouted and brought the bowl up to her lips again and made another face as she finished the second drink. Syaoran chuckled. Sakura looked up, confused.
"What's so funny?" she asked and Syaoran looked at her, the light from the fire making his amber eyes twinkle with amusement.
"It's just that the look on your face after you drank that…it's the face that my two year old nephew makes when he's constipated." Sakura glared at Syaoran and he dodged the shoe that came flying his way, laughing. This was his cue to leave. From what he knew, Sakura's aim was deadly. Syaoran stood up and patted his pants down as Sakura watched.
"Where are you going?" she asked. He walked over to his pack to pick up his canteen.
"I have to go get more water down by the river," he said looking over at her. "Drink all of that before I get back and stay out of trouble." He had turned to go when he heard a sweet voice softly say his name.
"Syaoran." He stopped and turned around to look at the young woman. "Thank you," Sakura smiled sweetly at him and Syaoran blushed, swiveling around to descend the hill towards the river to hide the color in his cheeks.
"No problem…" he said gruffly and disappeared through the trees.
Sakura watched him go and smiled to herself.
Syaoran had just stooped over to fill his canteen with the clear water from the moon's light when he felt it. The presence of Youkai…a lot of them…
His feet had already started carrying him forward and he pressed the flats of his palms together as he ran, ripping them apart with a blinding flash of light.
"Youken!"
A green and gold hilted sword with a dangling braided red rope and onyx sphere appeared in his tightly clenched hands as he dashed back up the river and towards the hill and the camp.
Where he had felt the Youkai's presence, and where Sakura was.
Sakura had already closed her eyes again. The medicine really worked despite the bitter taste. She was feeling better, but her body she knew, was still weak. She would wait for Syaoran to get back and then go to sleep.
Sakura flushed lightly thinking of the Resistance leader's care for her while she was sick. He really did like to act like a cold heartless guy, but Syaoran really was kind. She knew this. Sakura smiled lightly.
There was a strange silence in the clearing. The distant sounds, which had been so loud just a second ago, were now gone replaced by a wave of energy that Sakura was eerily familiar with.
Her nose twitched as the air around her rippled and Sakura's eyes flew open. Standing behind the small fire were about a dozen small demons, watching her hungrily through the shadows in the trees. Sakura's eyes dilated in fear and a sigh of weariness escaped her.
'Not now…' she thought. 'Oh god, not now!' She clutched at her head as she felt the Youkai move in, eager that their prey was already weakened. A struggle for food would not be necessary…
The first one lunged, a long and ugly blue monster. Moving with a speed she didn't think was possible with her body in its current condition, Sakura dodged just in time, landing on the dirt a couple of feet away. The Youkai bit a mouthful of tree bark instead and spat it out angrily.
Sakura grimaced, clutching her head as she watched the rest of the Youkai from the corner of her eyes. 'What bad timing! I'm too weak to move again, let alone fight!' She struggled with herself, concentrating hard on making her muscles obey her that she didn't notice when the second demon decided to strike or when it disappeared in a blinding flash of light, cut down by a long silver sword. She only looked back up in alarm when a figure stood in front of her, panting slightly.
"Didn't I tell you to stay out of trouble?" Syaoran asked as he lunged forward to cut down the demons who decided to attack all at once. He sagged a little with relief. He had made it on time. Sakura was alright…
"Lord of lightning, lend me your strength! Lightning!" he shouted and drew an ofuda to press his sword against. A strong series of lightning bolts flashed from the sky, electrocuting the demons that had thrown themselves towards the young man and woman. In a few seconds, nothing remained of the group of Youkai that had decided to attack Sakura. Syaoran's sword disappeared in a flash of light and he turned to examine Sakura, who was slowly getting to her feet. She stumbled and Syaoran caught her arm.
"Are you alright?" he asked and Sakura nodded. She felt ashamed of herself. Really, was she so helpless that Syaoran always had to save her? She shook her head.
"I'm fine," she said with more irritation and anger in her voice than she had intended to and she roughly pulled her arm away from his grasp.
Sakura immediately felt guilty as the words left her mouth and she sat down in front of the fire again, sighing, too ashamed to look Syaoran in the face. She really was acting like a baby. First she had been unwilling to drink the medicine he had spent time preparing for her and now she was losing her temper with him because of her own shortcomings.
Syaoran was slightly surprised but didn't say anything as he took the seat opposite her. Instead he waited, studying her. Girls really did have mood swings… Knowing Sakura, an explanation would come up shortly. He was not disappointed as Sakura looked up, her eyes meeting his, obvious frustration in her emerald orbs.
"I'm sorry, Syaoran…" she said softly. "It's just that I…I feel useless because you're always saving me…always helping me…and I-well, I don't have anything that I can give you. There's nothing I can do for you…" she finished, looking at Syaoran with such obvious hurt in her eyes that he looked away.
"It's not for you," Syaoran finally answered shortly. Sakura blinked.
"Eh?"
"I said it's not for you," he repeated quietly. "You're the carrier of the Clow key, so I have to keep you safe. You carry a very important magical item and I have to protect it. I already told you that it was my job from the beginning." Sakura sat for a full minute, digesting this information in silence. Then she gave a shaky laugh.
"Oh! Ha ha. I see…Well, that makes sense!" she said rubbing the back of her head. Syaoran watched her silently. "Of course…I forgot about the Clow key…well that's a relief! I didn't know how to pay you back, but since it's your job, I guess I don't owe you anything!"
"You're very enthusiastic about not being in debt…" Syaoran noted and Sakura smiled sweetly at him.
"Ah! I wanted to ask you about the Clow cards!" Sakura suddenly said and Syaoran raised an eyebrow."I was just reminded of them again when I saw you use the Lightning just now. Where are the real Clow cards? Why can't you join the ofudas to the Clow cards now? Do you know where they are?"
Syaoran shook his head. "No. No one knows where Clow Reed-sama put them. Not even his son…the only things left to show their actual existence is this deck of ofudas," Syaoran said, holding out the slips of fine paper with strange Chinese characters and markings. Sakura nodded.
"I see…"
"They're out there somewhere, Sakura. Who knows? We may never find them. They say that only when the true Clow Card mistress arrives will the cards come out again…" Sakura was silent and nodded affirmatively at Syaoran's answer.
"Anything else you'd like to get out before we head to bed?" Syaoran asked sarcastically and Sakura laughed.
"Actually, there is one more thing…" she said.
"And what is that?" Syaoran asked.
"It's about your sword…" Sakura began slowly. "I mean, it must be a special kind of sword, isn't it? For one thing, it doesn't have a scabbard. You seem to pull it out of yourself and when you use it, it's only against Youkai. And it's strange that the Youkai you defeat with that sword don't die but seem to disappear into white light. Is your sword magical?" Sakura asked all in one breath. Syaoran chuckled.
"You're sharp," Syaoran said, impressed against his will. Sakura smiled arrogantly.
"Of course! It's in the Kinomoto genes!" She puffed out her chest proudly.
"No doubt…" Syaoran said softly then blew out a breath. "You're right, Sakura. This sword isn't a normal sword. It's magical. This sword is called the Demon Blade, though it has another name too... It was forged a long time ago by a Seeker named Kenteishu. This blade's purpose is to be used solely against Youkai. It sends them back to the Shinigami realm to be punished by the Death Gods for escaping instead of killing their living bodies here because, even if their bodies are destroyed, their souls aren't. Their souls wander the Clow and search for other demon souls. When enough demon souls collect in an area, that area is plagued by bad luck. Like the sudden rise of diseases. It's caused by the evil of the leftover spirits. It's better that the Youkai get sent back to the Shinigami realm because their souls follow them there…the Demon blade seems to be a key that opens a portal there."
"Wow." Sakura breathed. "Syaoran, that is really something! I've never heard of a sword like that before…it's amazing! How did you get it?" Syaoran interrupted abruptly.
"It's time for bed now, Sakura. It's getting late, and young women need their beauty rest," he teased as he stood and lightly pushed her towards her blankets. The moon was high up in the black sky now, nestled among the many stars of light. Sakura didn't even try to protest.
"How very true," Sakura agreed. "I am happy to have met a man who is so sensitive to a young woman's needs…" Syaoran grinned. Good, he had caused her to forget about the question she had just voiced earlier.
"When you have four sisters, you pick up a lot of things," he answered and Sakura giggled. "Besides, Sakura, you need all the beauty sleep you can get." Her answer was a pillow to his head and Syaoran chuckled as he went over to his own packs to retrieve his blankets. Tsukasa had gone off somewhere to graze for the night but he'd return again in the morning.
He glanced over at Sakura. She was already tucked into her blankets, her long auburn hair the only visible thing he could see. Syaoran settled with his back against a tree trunk and, folding his hands behind his head, closed his eyes.
"Syaoran?" he reopened his amber orbs and looked over at the young woman that had spoken his name so softly he wasn't sure if he had heard her.
"Yes, Sakura?" he asked the young woman. She was silent for a long time and Syaoran thought that she had fallen asleep but she spoke.
"Even if you only protect me because of the Clow key, for the past and for the future, I still want to say…thank you. Really, thank you…Syaoran…" her voice was soft and Syaoran couldn't tell what she was thinking by her tone. Instead, he said, "You're welcome, Sakura. Good night." There was no reply and he settled back down, less comfortable when he had been the first time.
Syaoran watched the stars slowly disappear in the sky, unable to sleep, a million thoughts running through his head at once. Was he only so protective of her because he knew she was the Clow card mistress? Was it because the fate of the Clow rested in his and her hands? Was it because that, without her, there would be no prophecy to fulfill? Yes, but a part of Syaoran disagreed. He did not only worry about her because she was the Clow card mistress. The feeling that Syaoran had felt when he saw her being taken away from him to be sacrificed in Lord Tohru's estate, it had made him feel…some form of hopelessness…some feeling of anger and fear all at once. And then there was today… He had rushed over to save her again, not pausing to plan or think rationally. He had feared something happening to her once more and it was not only because she was the Clow card mistress. Syaoran did not like watching her get hurt, seeing her tears, and he constantly worried about whether or not Sakura was happy.
Syaoran had told himself after he had rescued Sakura that his feelings of protectiveness were only natural. They had been pretending to be brother and sister for a month after all. There was a certain extent of care there as well. Syaoran sighed. Or maybe it was a combination of both. The fact that Sakura was the Clow card mistress and the mixed feelings of pretending to be her brother… 'Yes, that was it,' he thought and resettled himself on the tree trunk, determined to sleep. But a feeling, lying dormant in his chest, suddenly awoke and Syaoran opened his eyes. He didn't understand this new feeling, but one thing was clear: It was telling him that he was wrong about both.
Sakura shifted slightly. Her back was turned towards Syaoran but she was not sleeping. No, she was preoccupied, thinking about Syaoran and his declaration earlier. 'So he had been protecting the Clow Key all along…' Sakura grimaced. She could not say that she wasn't a little disappointed. She sighed. What had she been thinking and hoping for anyway? She was his captive to begin with. He had only become slightly more agreeable after he found out that she carried the Clow key with her. Sakura rubbed her face, peeved at herself. And here she thought that they could truly become best friends… Had Syaoran been lying when he said she was his friend? No, Syaoran was not like that. He never said things he didn't mean. He was not that kind of person. Sakura knew their relationship. They were good friends. They had come to an understanding at the last village. This was going to be a long and difficult journey and it seemed that Sakura had decided awhile back that she would make it with Syaoran. If Syaoran had truly protected her simply because of the Clow key then Sakura would just have to work harder so that Syaoran wouldn't have to. She was determined to learn how to protect herself. Even so, before sleep claimed her, Sakura couldn't help but wonder why she still felt a little disappointed.
Sakura woke up earlier than usual, taking her time to stretch her limbs before she climbed out of her blankets into the chilly morning air. The sun had just slightly risen and a light fog blanketed the grounds. Breathing in the cool breeze, Sakura smiled.
Today she was in a great mood and nothing could spoil it. Spotting the person she was looking for walking back into the campsite, Sakura bounced towards him.
"Good morning, Syaoran!" she chirped happily. Syaoran grunted in reply as he set the small bag he was carrying down on the logs in front of the fire. Sakura grinned. Syaoran always made the fire first thing in the morning.
"How was your sleep yesterday?" she asked as she curiously peered into the bag.
"Fine," Syaoran said wearily, stifling a yawn. Sakura looked up and laughed.
"Li Syaoran, the man of few words," she teased. Syaoran smirked.
"Kinomoto Sakura, the death of me," he retorted and Sakura made an ugly face at him. Suddenly a big red juicy apple was thrust in front of her nose. "Here, eat this for breakfast. You're going to need your energy today," he said, once more serious, and Sakura realized what must have been inside of the bag. She took it from him and examined it, then looked back at him.
"Why? What are we doing today?" she asked thickly as she took a bite. Syaoran, who was already walking towards the riverbank, looked back at her.
"We start your training."
"Sakura, pay attention," Syaoran tsked impatiently. They had finished cleaning up after breakfast and now sat near the edge of the river they had camped next to the previous night. The hot sun, coupled with the cold breeze from the water made it the perfect day to be outside, and Sakura was lost as she looked out, enjoying the feeling of the wind playing with her long hair and sweeping over her. She did not feel uncomfortable at all. In fact, she was the opposite of what she'd been the previous morning and just couldn't concentrate as Syaoran attempted to teach her how to "wreak havoc upon the enemy", as Sakura had deemed it. She turned to him.
"Hmm?" Syaoran sighed, exasperated. No matter what he tried, she always got that dreamy, faraway look in her jade eyes. Today she was in a good mood and Syaoran knew it. He scowled and Sakura immediately apologized, sighing.
"Gomen, Syaoran. I just can't concentrate today. It's just such a beautiful day!" Sakura cried spiritedly, looking around and gesturing. Syaoran sighed.
"Sakura, concentrate," he said patiently. "Didn't you say that you never wanted to see another person get hurt in front of you again?" he asked testily. Sakura's eyes widened and she nodded her head up and down fervently.
"Yes, I will concentrate now. I'm sorry," Sakura apologized and immediately straightened up. The corners of Syaoran's lips twitched upwards as he watched her. She was funny.
"Good," he said. "I want to teach you how to fight and have some level of control over your magic," he resumed. "We'll start with learning how to use weapons first, since you'll need to know how to when we deal with the Youkai. Our first lesson will be some basic sword and bow and arrow techniques." Sakura nodded hungrily as she watched Syaoran standing in front of her. Syaoran suddenly developed a feeling of immense doubt. Sakura's optimism was unnerving him.
"We should start with the-," he was interrupted as Sakura bounced up.
"Wait! Before we begin, can you teach me something else first?" she asked and Syaoran, startled, agreed. Sakura smiled.
"Okay, wait here!" she ordered enthusiastically as she ran over to her pack. Syaoran watched her take something out and carry it behind her back as she slowly approached.
"What is it?" he asked. Sakura was looking guilty. Suddenly she whipped the item out and stared at Syaoran with big green eyes.
"Teach me how to make this turn back!" she wailed as she waved the long Clow key staff into the air with her arm. The pink handle was glowing in the sunlight, the light bouncing off the gold end with the bird's head. Syaoran sweat dropped and fell over.
"You were carrying it with you the entire time?" Sakura nodded, whimpering.
"I didn't know how to turn it baackkk~~!" Sakura whined. Syaoran sighed, suddenly depressed. This was going to be harder than he thought…
Lesson #1: How to change the Clow staff back into the Clow key
Syaoran was getting slightly uncomfortable. He was staring at the staff, unsure what to do about it, while Sakura watched him like a hawk from a little ways away.
This was the first time he had experienced something like the Clow key before. The key itself had been lost for the last two hundred years, after all. He knew that it was an item of immense magic. The strongest magic seemed to be radiating from the red pearl eyes of the bird's head but Syaoran could not place it and he frowned.
"Well?" Sakura demanded from behind him. Syaoran's vein twitched. He cleared his throat.
"Come here, Sakura," he said finally turning around. Sakura came forward. Syaoran had an inkling about what needed to be done, but he wasn't sure if it would work on the Clow key. They would try it out. If it didn't work, he would need to think of another way. He watched as Sakura came next to him and picked the Clow staff up in her hands.
"I don't know how to work the Clow key itself, since this is my first time dealing with it, but if it works the way other magical objects work, you should be able to turn it back," he informed Sakura and she nodded in understanding.
"Okay, how do you do it?" she asked quietly. Syaoran paused before beginning.
"You'll need to hold the Clow staff tightly in your hands." Sakura obeyed and firmly grasped it between her hands, one planted over the other. She nodded to show that the step was accomplished.
"Now close your eyes and envision the Clow key in your mind," Syaoran instructed. Sakura blinked once, then did as she was told, imagining the Clow key as the original necklace she had first worn when she was given it. She heard Syaoran's voice give the next step from somewhere next to her. He was watching her and feeling for her pink aura.
"Now, reach deep inside of you, feel for your aura, and focus it onto the Clow staff in your hands," his voice cut through her thoughts.
"Right," Sakura said, nodding. She stood silently for a couple of minutes while Syaoran watched. When nothing happened, Syaoran raised an eyebrow.
"Erm, how do you do that?" Sakura asked in small voice and Syaoran sighed.
"Your aura runs through you. It's in your blood and it lives throughout your entire body, Sakura. When you have magic and you are in touch with it, you can feel it inside of you," Syaoran explained and Sakura's mouth opened in a small "O". Her eyes were still closed.
"Let's try it again," Syaoran said and Sakura nodded. "Relax and feel inside of you. Try to sense it, that warm feeling of power." Sakura heaved a deep breath and tried to relax as Syaoran had said, clearing all thought from her head, listening to the steady drumbeat of her heart and thinking of her mind and body as one. Ba-bump...Ba-bump... Ba-bump... there! A warm glow of power inside of her, the color of pink, near her heart, and as Sakura focused on it, she could feel it spread throughout her body, all the way to her toes and her fingertips. Concentrating, Sakura focused the aura of familiar pink towards the Clow staff and stood motionless in the clearing. She wasn't aware of it, but Syaoran was seeing everything, feeling what she was feeling. Her pink aura, faint at first, suddenly grew stronger and stronger until it emanated from her body, and he saw as it manifested itself towards the staff. His voice carried through the strong gust of wind that had suddenly picked up from nowhere.
"Now, Sakura! Imagine the Clow key now!"
Sakura didn't answer him at first, her lips in a tight line. Then she spoke in a strong voice, "Key that hides the power of darkness, return to your true form! Release!" The Clow staff glowed bright golden and then suddenly disappeared. Syaoran watched as the light slowly faded and Sakura stepped forward, smiling and holding the bird's head from the end of a familiar chain dangling around her neck.
"Look! Syaoran I did it!" she said triumphantly. Syaoran stared. She had really strong magic. Not for the first time, Syaoran wondered about her as she beamed and walked forward.
"How did you know what to say?" he inquired of her as she came over to stand next to him. Sakura looked a bit puzzled, playing with the necklace thoughtfully.
"I don't know, it was just that as soon as I imagined the Clow key in my head, the words just flowed out of my mouth," she said happily. Syaoran frowned but decided not to question her further. He wanted to test out the capabilities of her magical powers.
"Well, since we're already on magic, let's start from there," he said and Sakura's eyes lit up.
"Really?" she asked excitedly. Syaoran nodded, eyeing Sakura apprehensively. Why did he get the feeling that he was going to regret it later on?
"Yes," he agreed.
Lesson #2: How to Control your Magic Powers
"Watch, Sakura," Syaoran said as he glanced over at her. They were sitting crisscross on the soft grass beside the lake now, across from one another. Sakura nodded and watched intently as Syaoran held a small daisy in the palm of his hands. Closing his eyes, a green glow began to emerge from him and the daisy that sat in the middle of his palm began to open and close, the petals forming tightly to create a bud, and then spreading out again to become a daisy. Sakura gasped in delight as she watched and she felt Syaoran's green aura as it slowly faded. He opened his eyes and looked at the flower, then at Sakura.
"This teaches you to control the bursts of aura and magical power that you send out. You should be able to channel a certain amount to open and close this flower. Too little and nothing happens, too much and something unexpected happens, understand?" Sakura nodded.
"Yes, I understand," she said firmly. Syaoran dropped the daisy in Sakura's hand and smirked at her.
"Good, your turn," he said.
Sakura held the flower delicately in the palm of her hand and stared down at it, hard. Syaoran smothered a chuckle. It was quite a sight to see Sakura sitting crisscrossed and narrowing her eyes at a flower that innocently sat in her hands as if it had done her some great wrong.
"Use your magic, Sakura, your magic," Syaoran reminded her. "Not the power of your glare," he chuckled. "Though I'm sure it could kill some things…" Sakura growled at him, blushing pink.
"I knew that." Concentrating on the flower before her, Sakura once more focused on that familiar pink aura and willed it onto the palm of her hand. She was focusing so hard to force her aura onto the flower that she was inadvertently holding her breath, her cheeks flushing purple as a result.
"Mmph!" Sakura grunted.
B O O M !
Sakura sat up from a field of daisies, looking around bewilderedly. She had managed to produce a couple thousand replicas of the flower, flooding the grass that she and Syaoran had been sitting on. Some fell into the river to create a boat of white as the daisies floated along downstream. Sakura grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck apologetically as she watched Syaoran emerge from under the influx of white daisies, spitting one out of his mouth with a growl.
"Too much."
Lesson #3: The Bow and Arrow
"The bow and arrow are tricky to use," Syaoran explained and Sakura watched as he fitted an arrow into the noose of a sturdy bow. Syaoran had decided to switch to training Sakura in weapons after their disastrous magical training. "You must make sure to precisely aim at your target, draw the string back, and then release." As Syaoran instructed Sakura, he demonstrated each step and his arrow flew true, hitting a leaf that was beginning to float to the ground from a branch above and pinning it onto the tree behind it. Sakura gasped loudly, her emerald eyes as wide as saucers.
"Wow, Syaoran! You're amazing!" Sakura complimented. Syaoran blushed slightly and handed her the bow and arrow.
"Your turn," he said gruffly. Sakura nodded determinedly and seized the long-range weapon.
"I can do it!"she said, pumping her arms up and down. Syaoran watched her skeptically.
"Okay, fit it in," Sakura repeated softly to herself and she fit an arrow in the noose on the bow. "Aim at target." She pointed her bow at the large knot on the tree across from her. "Draw string back." She pulled the string back with all her might.
"Release," she said and let go. Her arm swung around, not ready for the power of the bow as she released and Sakura flew back, wildly attempting to not drop it. She fell back onto her bottom and looked up to see Syaoran, clutching at his heart as the arrow sat ingrained in the tree behind him, his right leg hanging in the air to avoid its path.
"What are you trying to do?"
Sakura smiled meekly. "Heh, heh."
"Don't slacken your hold on the bow after you release," Syaoran told Sakura and she nodded. She was giving the bow and arrow a second try as Syaoran examined from far, far…far away.
"Right," Sakura nodded.
"Aim for the apple on that tree," Syaoran said, motioning towards an overripe apple that sat nestled between the leaves and branches of the tree they were standing in front of.
"Okay."
Syaoran glanced at Sakura and she stared at the apple ahead with her familiar I-believe-I-can-do-anything look. She released the arrow, this time keeping a tight grip on the bow, and watched as it flew up into the branches of the tree. Sakura cried out with joy as it drew nearer to the fruit. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew and the arrow veered off course, hitting the thick branch behind the apple instead, and cleanly snapping in two. One end fell to the ground while the sharp half containing the arrow flew in a deadly arc to where Syaoran was standing. Syaoran gasped, his eyes popping out, and fell down onto the grass wheezing as the arrow hit the ground between his legs.
"Are you aiming for me on purpose?" Syaoran cried, brandishing his fist at her. Sakura sweat dropped.
Syaoran had gone off to find some food for lunch. Surely, Sakura could practice with the bow and arrow now without it somehow finding its way towards him. Sakura smiled evilly to herself. She would master the bow while he was away and surprise him with her prowess when he came back, muahahaha! She picked up the bow and fitted another arrow into its noose. Aiming for another large apple that grew on the same tree she had tried earlier, Sakura released. The arrow flew too low however and disappeared behind the tall grass that grew wildly beneath it instead. Sakura's face fell. Thwack! The arrow had hit something.
Maybe it was an animal! Sakura thought feverishly and she moved forward to investigate. At that moment, Syaoran emerged from the tall grass, holding a bucket of sloshing water and marching towards Sakura with a strange look on his face. He was limping as he approached, his two legs stiff, a glare aimed at Sakura. When he reached her, he stood absolutely still, legs apart, grasping the pail of water rigidly, his temple throbbing. Sakura's eyes widened.
"Syaoran, what's wrong?" she asked.
"There's an arrow in my ass," Syaoran said through gritted teeth, clenching his jaw in pain. Sakura gasped and looked down at the bow in her hand, immediately dropping it.
"Oops, heh, heh," she smiled sheepishly.
Lesson #4: The Sword
"You're hitting all wrong, Sakura," Syaoran scolded as he skillfully dodged Sakura's attack. She fell forward and to the side of him as the tip of her heavy sword hit the ground. Sakura turned back around, her auburn locks clinging to the sweat beaded on her forehead and glared at Syaoran, pulling the sword up with effort.
"Well, you're not teaching me how to do it right," Sakura retorted angrily. Syaoran sighed as Sakura attacked him again, shouting as she ran, holding the sword inexpertly above her head.
"If you hold your sword like that, you leave your chest wide open for an attack," he growled as he parried her sword once again and weaved behind her. Sakura made a vehement noise in her throat and turned around to narrow her eyes at Syaoran.
"Would you stop bossing me around?" Sakura muttered in agitation as she stood up straight to charge at Syaoran. Her sword met his with loud clangs atop the shaded grassy hill they were on. Syaoran watched the young woman while she struck. Her emerald eyes were flashing and she was biting her lower lip in frustration. He could tell that Sakura was irritated as he met each of her blows with a block because they were steadily becoming more reckless as they progressed.
Syaoran and Sakura had been training with the sword for the last hour now and Sakura's patience was beginning to wear thin. Out of their lessons, mastering the sword was the hardest and Syaoran had wanted to save it for last. She was using his other silver sword while he used his green hilted one with the braided red rope and dangling black sphere. The silver sword wasn't a sword for a woman, since it was heavier than normal, but they would have to make do with it for now. Sakura was tired and weak from all the training they'd been doing each time they'd stopped to rest in the past two weeks and Syaoran knew it. Her sword work was not bad but it certainly was not up to par either and Syaoran felt that with a little push, Sakura could easily become better. He decided he was going to test her a little more.
"Are you tired of training already?" he asked as she struck and he knocked her sword aside. Sakura's arms swung away with the sword and she almost lost her balance. She regained her footing and narrowed her eyes at him, growling.
"I'm tired of you telling me what to do all the time!" she shouted and attacked again. Syaoran snickered, which only seemed to incense Sakura further.
"Then maybe you should start following directions," he answered and Sakura widened her eyes in disbelief.
"What? Follow directions? I'm doing everything you've showed me so far! How am I not following instructions? Unless it's hurting you badly on purpose!" she huffed angrily as she continued hitting. Syaoran noticed that her hits were becoming stronger. He developed an amused gleam in his deep amber eyes as he watched her steadily become angrier and angrier. He had figured her out by now already. Just challenge her that she can't do something and she'll do it just to prove him wrong.
"You're the one who told me that you wanted to learn how to fight," Syaoran casually remarked as he jumped up to avoid a low blow from Sakura to his feet. Her change in tactics didn't work and Syaoran lightly flicked her forehead with his pointy finger as he jumped down. Sakura lost her balance and, flailing her arms wildly, toppled backwards, falling onto her bottom in the grass, her sword landing beside her. She furrowed her eyebrows up at Syaoran, who stood over her, arms crossed over his chest, the corners of his lips curving upwards.
"Maybe you should just give up on this whole learning how to fight thing," he said seriously as he observed her, his messy chestnut hair blowing in the wind. "Besides, in order to learn how to fight, you actually have to have some skill." He chuckled lowly as Sakura immediately rose up with a snarl and snatched the silver sword back up in her dainty hands. Syaoran suddenly found himself blocking a range of vicious attacks he didn't know could come from the slender young woman before him.
Her green eyes were glazed over with fury and Syaoran smiled playfully as he blocked her attacks. He was enjoying himself but suddenly blocking became more difficult as Sakura's cuts came down harder and more skillfully.
"I knew you didn't know how to fight, but I didn't think you'd be this bad!" Syaoran laughed outright at the look on Sakura's face and jumped back to dodge the thrust of her sword. Sakura growled and rushed forward to meet Syaoran, her long locks flying behind her, her cheeks and swollen lips flushed from the workout. 'Maybe I should stop,' Syaoran thought ruefully as he parried her attacks, hitting her sword away from him. But it seemed that each time he did, she brought it right back and Syaoran began to believe that Sakura could really beat him this time. The look in her eyes as she rushed forward was admirable. Alright, it was time to end this before she seriously hurt him with the sword. He didn't doubt her will to kill him with that look on her face.
Syaoran slid underneath Sakura's arm with his blade and with a flick of his wrist, sent the silver sword flying out of her hands and onto the other side of the grassy hilltop. Sakura blinked and looked down at her empty hands. Syaoran pointed the end of his sword towards Sakura, a cocky grin on his lips. She wasn't looking at him, but instead had her hands balled into fists, down by her side, staring at the ground and breathing hard, her burnt honey colored bangs hiding her eyes.
"Give up, little Sakura. You're beaten." When the young woman did not reply, Syaoran cocked his head to the side and observed her.
"You leave me no choice…" Sakura suddenly said quietly. Syaoran stared.
"What do you mean?" he asked a little too quickly. Sakura looked up, an evil smile on her lips, and Syaoran, recognizing the look, lowered his sword and stepped back.
"Oh, no, Sakura," he said darkly as he moved back. Sakura smiled wider and nodded her head up and down, a twinkle in her emerald green eyes as she stepped forward.
"Oh, yes, Syaoran," she responded quietly. "I told you that you left me with no choice…" Syaoran gulped and he raised both hands in surrender.
"What are you going to do? I give up, Sakura. Don't do this," he said hurriedly and Sakura laughed evilly.
"Muahahahaha. No way, you're gonna get it," she said softly and she stepped forward, raising her two hands. Syaoran stared, horror written all over his face.
"Tickle attack!" Sakura announced and lifted her two hands like claws. Syaoran gasped loudly and he looked into her eyes as he took a step back.
"Sakura," he said lowly, watching as she inched forward. "You wouldn't…"
Sakura gave a mirthful chuckle. "Oh yes I would!" With those last words, she pounced on top of Syaoran and he laughed as she tickled him mercilessly on the grass.
"Stop, Sakura, stop!" Syaoran gasped and Sakura laughed loudly.
"Beg for mercy, Syaoran, and I will stop!" Sakura replied as she attacked his sides and stomach with tickles. "Didn't you say this was the only way to make you acknowledge me?" she asked evilly. Syaoran was gasping for breath, tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. "Beg for mercy!"
"Oh, you wait, little Sakura, I will get my revenge for this!" Syaoran panted between laughs and Sakura sneered down at him.
"And how will you do that? By laughing at me, Syaoran? I clearly have the upper hand!" she announced triumphantly and indeed she was sitting on his chest, tickling him. Syaoran tried to reach for Sakura's sides but she moved away and laughed.
Sakura's eyes widened and she gasped as Syaoran suddenly switched tactics by grabbing onto her waist and flipping her over him in one motion. Now Sakura was the one being attacked as Syaoran sat on her legs and messed up her hair, tickling her sides and throwing handfuls of grass on her while she spluttered about.
"Syaoran!" Sakura gasped between giggles. "Syaoran, please stop!" She was laughing so hard, tears were falling from her eyes.
"Who's going to beg for mercy now?" Syaoran asked haughtily and a sob could be heard imbedded in Sakura's laughter. He chuckled evilly. "Beg for mercy, Sakura. I may have pity and spare you."
Sakura made a vehement noise in her throat and Syaoran leaned in closer and paused.
"What was that?" he asked playfully. "What did you say?"
"Never! I'll never beg for mercy!" Sakura cried out, giggling and Syaoran raised an eyebrow.
"That, little Sakura, will cost you." Sakura protested as Syaoran attacked her sides with tickles again.
They rolled downhill on the shaded grass, the wind blowing onto their faces, oblivious to everything as they playfully tackled one another. Syaoran and Sakura finally tumbled down to the bottom of the small sloping hill, in a tangle of limbs, dirt, and grass. Syaoran tossed Sakura's body over his own as they landed on a soft patch of green grass, pinning her down onto the ground by holding onto both her wrists.
"Got you," he said softly as he leaned over her. Sakura struggled for a bit, then finally gave up with a contented sigh, laughing. Her laughter died away slowly as she noticed Syaoran's deep amber colored orbs, staring at her strangely. She blushed light pink when she realized just how close they were, and in such an intimate position.
Syaoran stared down at the young woman in front of him and caught his breath. Sakura was very pretty indeed and as he motionlessly watching her, Syaoran realized, with a sinking feeling in his gut, that he was, beyond a doubt, attracted to her. She had a few petals from the wild flowers on the hill stuck in her long auburn locks and the ribbon that she had used to tie her hair back earlier was gone, her curls free to spread out on top of the green grass. Her lips were slightly swollen and parted as she matched his stare with her own alluring green irises. Her cheeks were flushed from all the exercise, and her eyes were moist beneath the long lashes framing them. And as Syaoran watched, a strange and exciting emotion slowly rose in his chest, the beating of his heart picked up and unconsciously, he began leaning forward.
"S-Syaoran?" Sakura watched Syaoran slowly get closer and closer. He was looking intently at her, his deep amber orbs burning into hers and Sakura lightly gasped, her cheeks growing warm. 'It's not fair that he's so good looking,' she thought as he drew nearer. The wind was blowing his messy chestnut hair around and she could feel the warmth of his chest as he leaned over her. He was drawing nearer and nearer now. 'Too close,' Sakura thought and she panicked, not knowing what to do, as she squeezed her eyes shut. When she reopened her eyelids after a moment, Syaoran had looked away from her, avoiding her gaze, and backed away, slowly sitting up off of her.
"We should get moving," he said quietly and stood up abruptly, his cheeks rather red as he walked over to where Tsukasa stood, eyeing the couple with interest. Sakura didn't notice this though, as she was too busy calming her rapidly beating heart down and the new feeling that had emerged inside of her in those few seconds that Syaoran had been so close to her. She was brought to again only when Syaoran began trekking back up the hill to the top and she sat up.
"Y-yes, we should get going," she agreed, embarrassed, and quickly got up to follow him. The walk back up the hill was silent and uneventful and as they reached camp, Sakura went to gather her things while Syaoran packed up.
Syaoran wrapped up the remaining fruits into a cloth bag and cursed himself, a million questions flying through his head with no possible means for an answer. What was wrong with him? What had he been about to do? And the question that troubled him most of all was why did he do it? Syaoran looked up and glanced at Sakura, who was now folding her blankets neatly into her pack and sighed, turning back to survey the hill they were on.
There was no way he could know if what he had been about to do would have been for the better or for worse. He just knew that if he hadn't come back to his senses and realized where he was, who he was, who she was right then, Syaoran would not have stopped.
As they resumed the path that they'd been traveling on, Sakura spoke first, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen.
"Where are we going next?" she asked.
"Probably some small village somewhere," Syaoran replied vaguely. He was back to studying his maps while walking and Sakura stuck her tongue out at him. Syaoran looked up at that exact moment and Sakura gasped, turning around to face the front again.
"You know if you keep making that face, it'll be stuck that way forever." Sakura blinked and Syaoran looked down at his maps again as he said, "If you prefer to look like road kill for the rest of your life, then be my guest."
Syaoran chuckled as an item hit his head. A small, well, no, a rather large rock landed on the ground after it made contact with his head. He looked up again, grinning, to face Sakura's wrath and like always, there was a retort ready on the tip of his tongue.
As the late afternoon wore on, the small incident on the hilltop earlier was pushed back, but not forgotten and it was only when they had stopped to sleep that Sakura was able to dwell on it again. Thinking back on how close Syaoran's handsome face had come to her own, it suddenly occurred to Sakura that, as Syaoran leaned in earlier, she had not turned away.
Lotus Valley
Province of Wind
11:29 PM
"Squad leader Yamato," a green cloaked figure bowed lowly in front of a tall young man with yellow blonde hair and bright sapphire eyes. "It is clear on the west side," the green clad figure informed him.
Yamato smiled grimly and looked down at the figure.
"Good. Check all movements on each side, Daichi. We can't afford a single mishap. If Binder is to be stolen, tonight will be the night to do it. Dragon-san is not in the village," he told Daichi and the figure nodded once to show his understanding.
"I will come back to report," Daichi answered curtly, and disappeared with the swish of his cloak. Yamato looked out into the darkness, running a hand through his long, blonde hair. There was no need to be nervous, he knew, but something was definitely out there tonight and it made him feel uneasy…
As Daichi passed another hooded man wearing a cloak of the same emerald green, the man gave Daichi a hand signal to show that all was well along the southern border. As soon as Daichi's cloak disappeared beyond the bend, an arrow silently hit the neck of the man, who went down with a small grunt. Several arrows quietly followed the first, all of great accuracy and strength. As more men stationed around the hill, sentries, went down with arrows stuck in them.
About a half a dozen men came hurrying forward out of the darkness to check that each sentry they had hit with their deadly rain of arrows had died. They then motioned for the rest of the squad to come out. The group moved forward, muffling any sounds that they made in the darkness.
The terrain was one that the men did not know well, but they would fight on it tonight regardless. Their mission was to steal the sword, Binder. As the men moved forward in organized lines, their leader moved ahead, his raven black hair flashing in the moonlight, giving hand signals that the men followed with ease. These hand signals had been given many times before.
The soldiers ran silently until they reached the entrance of a cave, the highest point on the hill, and stopped only to kill the eight guards stationed there without any deaths from their team, though some did get badly injured. A jagged, wide hole leading into darkness sat in front of them as they peered into it hesitantly. Their leader stepped forward and spoke in a low voice.
"I'm going inside to get Binder. Watch the terrain while I'm gone," he nodded at a man about the same height with silver-white hair. "I'll try not to be too long." The man slowly made his way into the crumbling hole.
"Touya." Kinomoto Touya stopped. "Be careful," Tsukishiro Yukito said to his best friend, his blue-grey eyes flashing in concern. Touya nodded once and turned to his squad. They saluted him.
"There's no need to worry about me," he replied and stepped forward.
It was dark and had a musty, almost tangy smell to it, and as Touya inched forward slowly, he put his hands out onto the walls, holding on and grasping stone as he followed the sloping tunnel. He could hear dripping water somewhere up ahead. It was a tall cave and it allowed Touya to stand to his full height. Even then, his head did not brush the cave wall, narrowly avoiding the stalagmites on the ceiling.
'If they're going to make a cave, they should have put some lights in at least,' he thought grumpily as he stumbled on a large rock that had blocked his path. Almost as though the cave had read his thoughts, a sudden fizzling sound was heard up ahead and Touya stopped. Instantly, light flooded the once dark tunnel as torches that lined the wall sparkled to life, showing the way forward. Touya gaped but shut his mouth again in a tight line as he continued.
Outside of the dark tunnel, Lieutenant Atobe watched the hills. It would be soon that the enemy would realize that some of their men were missing, and they would head towards the center of the hill where the two squads of the red imperial army were now located to investigate. Atobe narrowed his eyes. There out on the west, he saw movement! Carefully, he motioned to Corporal Lavi and passed the message on. In a few moments, Captain Tsukishiro had made his way forward through the cluster of silent men.
"What do you see?" he asked in a low murmur.
"Movement, out on the west, Captain," Atobe answered. "There's about five men I see in total so far." Captain Tsukishiro nodded.
"I see," he said. "They'll be on us soon." He turned away to address the men while Atobe watched the green hooded figures move below.
"Hurry up, Captain," he growled.
Just a couple more steps and Touya would reach the end. He could see it, a distinct, bright light coming from the corner and he could feel it, the magic of the sword, Binder. The sword that the emperor needed; the sword in the story of the slaves.
Touya rounded the bend and gasped unwillingly as he saw a large cavern lit with thousands of small magicked burning candles around a small pool of glowing water. In the middle of the water was a large, jagged crystal stone. Piercing the center of the stone was the golden hilt of a sword with a red sphere dangling at the end. The sword was engraved into the stone and the pure white colored blade seemed to vibrate slowly as Touya moved forward. There was old magic in this room. He could feel it. Magic that had been there before time itself. Touya slowly reached out a hand to grasp the golden handle, then hesitated. He did not know why, but he had the strangest feeling that he was supposed to end up here, in front of this sword, as though it were his destiny. Slowly he inched his hand back. Then he snorted as reasoning came forward. There was no such thing as destiny. This was something that needed to be done for the emperor and he would see it to the end. Without hesitation this time, Touya's fingers lunged forward recklessly and took hold of the handle. His hazel eyes widened as a light, bright enough to blind, erupted from the sword.
"Captain," Ryoga's drawl came from the entrance of the cavern and Captain Tsukishiro looked over to his lieutenant.
"What is it?" he asked. Ryoga smirked and turned around.
"We have guests, Captain." Yukito walked to the front of the two lines of men, peered forward, and cursed under his breath. Standing below the cliff of the cave, surrounding it, were about fifty men cloaked in green, their leader in the front. He had his hood off, his golden hair reflecting the moonlight as he watched Yukito and they all had their weapons out. Weapons of strength and power, Yukito knew.
"Archers," Yukito instructed sternly as his men came forward, carrying bows with quivers full of arrows slung over their backs. They drew their bows, fitting in arrows, and aimed down at the figures below.
"Ready, aim," Yukito called in a steady voice as they listened for the cue, "fire!" Arrows rained down onto the green cloaked men. Some arrows hit their marks and the men went down with cries of pain. The rest were either stopped by sword, staff, or other various weapons, sending the arrows flying into the darkness with a clang of metal. Yukito cursed again. Damn them and their indestructible weapons!
"Ready, aim, fire!" Yukito commanded again as his second line of archers stepped forward in unison. Yukito could hear the young man with the long, blonde hair shouting instructions to his men down below and he moved back into the cave. The second line of arrows was received like the first.
"Take out your swords and get ready to fight," he called out to the soldiers. The men obeyed and, as one, drew their swords, standing in two straight lines. Taking orders from their superiors in a fight was second nature.
"Attack only when necessary, don't waste your strength chasing after the enemy. Remember who we are dealing with. They are trained weapon wielders, raised to build and use only the finest swords, but we have experience that they don't. We must buy Captain Kinomoto time to get Binder. If any men resist you," Yukito ordered, his grey-blue eyes flashing, "kill them."
There was a shout and as the men from the red imperial army watched below, the figures cloaked in green began to run forward up the hill and towards the cave. With a shout of fury to match, Atobe led the charge down to meet them, Ryoga by his side, while Yukito followed in the rear on horseback.
The sides met in a clash of red and green as weapons flew and shrieks were heard. Yukito cut down a man that was attempting to mount his stallion and was about to stab another across the chest when a sword, strangely colored orange in the dappled moonlight, crossed his own, allowing the-would-be victim to dash towards a group of fighting soldiers. Yukito turned and his eyes met angry deep sapphire ones.
Yamato knocked Yukito off his horse with a hard blow to his chest, and both men landed on their feet, facing each other, swords drawn. Yukito smiled at Yamato and his eyes narrowed in distrust.
"You won't get away," he said lowly as Yukito and his sword met, blade with blade. Yukito continued smiling.
"We will get Binder," Yukito said softly. "It is our mission, given by the emperor, and it will be fulfilled." He moved forward to dodge Yamato's orange blade, slicing the squad leader on the leg of his trouser. It tore and Yamato moved back. He knew that Tsukishiro Yukito was skilled. Yamato found himself blocking and turning to the side to avoid Yukito's blade as he lunged forward, arm straight out in a stabbing motion.
"You have very good reflexes," Yukito complimented gently as he dashed towards Yamato with his sword out again. Yamato met him with a loud clang of metal.
"Thanks," he grunted. "You're not so bad yourself," he replied and pushed Yukito away with the strength in his arms. Yukito back flipped through the air and landed on his feet. He suddenly moved forward again, a lot faster this time, and hit Yamato with a series of blows. Yamato grimaced as he blocked each one. The hits were powerful and precise. If he hesitated, he would be sliced. Yamato growled when he realized he was being backed into a corner of the small hill between two overgrown trees. He roared as he struck, hitting the captain's oncoming sword with all of the might he could muster.
"Don't kid me!" he yelled and fiercely swung his orange colored blade again.
There was a loud vibration of metal and Yukito's eyes widened slightly as he watched the blade of his sword fly away in front of his eyes. It had been cleanly cut in two. He smiled softly when he realized this and turned his head upwards to watch Yamato, sword over his head, coming down from above the sky to attack. A figure moved in front of Yukito at the last second and Yamato skidded a few feet away, his green colored cloak flying in the wind, his right arm bleeding freely.
Yukito blinked, then a warm smile spread across his lips as he watched his best friend standing in front of him, a glowing sword, the color of a deep yellow attached to a golden hilt and encrusted with a red ruby, in his hands. He was pointing it at the blonde squad leader, who was looking at Touya with a strange mixture of awe and confusion on his face all at once.
"Yuki," Touya said lowly, using Yukito's nickname. "I think it's time to go." Yukito chuckled softly.
"You couldn't be more right, Touya," he responded and picked up the remains of his sword. He turned to Touya, who was still watching the squad leader with a look of intense dislike on his face. There was also a smugness there too and Yukito grinned.
"Let's go!" he called out. The red imperial army took a few seconds to finish the men that they had been fighting off and began to file down the hill, melting into the darkness with a small whoosh. The green cloaked men watched with hate and anger and attempted to follow only to rebound back. The noblemen soldiers were using their magical powers to conceal into the darkness and take that time to escape, bringing their friends without magic with them as well. The soldiers slowly disappeared into the night, leaving only their captains behind. The last soldier to evaporate into the darkness was Atobe, alongside corporal Lavi, smirking in triumph as the green cloaked figures moved forward in agitation, stabbing their weapons at nothingness. Yamato watched and glared at Kinomoto Touya.
"I don't know how you managed to get Binder in your hands without going insane," he growled. "But mark my words, it will be returned to its rightful place."
Touya smirked.
"It was easy," he replied and Yamato's hands clenched tightly to form fists. "Weak protection, feeble magical barriers, an even more gullible leader," Touya whispered and Yamato's eyes widened.
"You-," he began hotly. Touya chuckled dryly, cutting across Yamato, his hazel eyes flashing.
"Yes, it was me. Tell Ryuu I send him my regards," he said, a smile on the corner of his lips as he watched the squad leader maliciously. Yamato growled and moved forward, his sword raised, as the remaining figures in green moved in and, with a final salute, the two captains of the red imperial army faded into the darkness of the night, the yellow glow of Binder still in Touya's hands, disappearing with them. Yamato ran and cut at the place where they had been seconds before, shaking from his anger, but it was too late. The moon shone on the valley, revealing the bodies of the red imperial soldiers that had been defeated that night, lying next to the bodies of the green cloaked men. Yamato threw his sword down in frustration, screaming out a war cry into the darkness as the figures joined in. All who heard it around Lotus valley recognized it. It was a sign of defeat and promised revenge.
Binder was gone.
Middle of Nowhere
Province of Wind
12:17 PM
Sakura was waiting for Syaoran under the shade of a large oak tree by the side of the road as he spoke with a couple that was traveling in the other direction. Tsukasa stood next to her nudging her side occasionally as she stroked him absently.
"What did they say?" she immediately asked as Syaoran approached. The elderly couple had started moving down the road once more, speaking to one another.
"They said that we'd be reaching a small village in a day or more. There's one down the way," he said quietly. Sakura nodded at the information.
"What should we do?" she asked. She was always unsure about when they should stop to camp and rest because, while Sakura always jumped at every opportunity to rest, Syaoran never ceased to walk. Syaoran was thoughtful for a few moments.
"Let's rest for tonight next to the spring a few miles ahead. The couple said there was one. We'll reach the village by tomorrow afternoon," Syaoran finally decided and Sakura sighed.
"I knew you'd say that…" she grumbled. "It's always the same…we'll rest…after a few more miles!" Syaoran ignored her and began walking.
"I'm serious, Syaoran. You have to change this aspect of yours. Never resting! How does your body do it?" Sakura asked as she caught up to him with Tsukasa. Syaoran shrugged.
"I'm used to it. Besides, the pace that we're going at is slow considering my usual pace." Sakura gasped disbelievingly.
"What? You call this slow? Syaoran, we've rested twice in the last 48 hours!" she cried. Once more Syaoran acted as if he hadn't heard anything and Sakura fumed the rest of the way in silence.
By the time they reached the spring that the couple had told them about earlier, it was dusk and Syaoran followed the usual routine of starting the fire with his ofudas, while Sakura unpacked their supplies and made sure Tsukasa had found a good place to feed.
She led the black stallion next to the spring, a quiet stream of water running from a couple of large rocks a few feet behind some tall trees. She brushed Tsukasa's hair and made sure he was situated and then returned.
She found Syaoran moving about the fire, preparing to cook. Sakura didn't say anything, didn't bother to announce her presence but instead sat on a log, watching the young Resistance leader from behind as he chopped and prepared the vegetation that they had managed to gather over the last few weeks to cook. It still amazed Sakura how much Syaoran knew. He was the young leader of the Resistance, was brave and loyal to his friends, kind even (if he dare so say himself!), and one heck of a cook! Syaoran really was admirable.
"If you stare any harder your eyes will pop out," Syaoran remarked as he added green onions into the stew. Sakura flushed.
"Hmm…sorry, Syaoran. I was just thinking about how you are such a good cook. Did someone teach you?" she inquired of him, moving closer to the fire. Syaoran turned around and stirred the stew across from her. He shrugged.
"I had to learn. I was always traveling across the Clow by myself. It was either learn how to cook, or eat Yamazaki's cooking. When I travel with someone, I usually travel with him the most and trust me, Yamazaki's cooking…"Syaoran paused and Sakura prodded him on.
"Yamazaki's cooking…"
"Yamazaki's cooking…err…burns," he said and Sakura burst out laughing. A reluctant smile appeared on Syaoran's face as he watched her.
"Hey you try eating his cooking and see if it doesn't burn your stomach! The man adds enough peppers to kill any taste buds you have!" he retorted and Sakura laughed even harder.
"That's why you learned to cook?" Sakura giggled. "You are a very multi-talented guy, Syaoran!" she remarked as she wiped her tears. Syaoran pretended to look offended.
"Multi-talented? You wound me, Sakura. Why, I am the perfect guy, not merely multi-talented!" Sakura laughed.
"Oh, is that so you vain man?" she asked, hands on her hips. Syaoran, the corners of his lips turning upwards unconsciously, set the ladle down and walked over to where Sakura was.
"Of course, I am," he said with a cocky grin and Sakura tsked.
"And here I thought you were oh so modest, Li Syaoran!" Sakura teased.
"Modest? Never. If one is good at something, why try to hide it?" he asked arrogantly and ran a hand through his hair. Sakura laughed. Really, she was prettiest when she was smiling, Syaoran thought.
"At least I can cook, unlike someone here who almost killed us with her sad attempt at vegetable stew the other night," Syaoran said, giving Sakura a significant look. Sakura flushed.
"I was trying to be nice and give you a break from cooking!" she replied evenly and Syaoran smirked.
"Next time, Sakura, warn me with a big sign that says: "don't eat if you value your life."
"Syaoran!" Sakura growled.
Syaoran laughed as Sakura began chasing him around the opening. He was just holding her thin arms up as she grabbed him by his shirt, attempting to throttle him when he suddenly lifted his head into the air, sniffing it.
"Do you smell that?" he asked, once more serious. Sakura and Syaoran looked at each other.
"The stew!" they both yelled at the same time.
A few minutes later, the two sat eating stew, occasionally picking out pieces of burnt vegetables.
"Do you travel alone a lot being the leader of the Resistance?" Sakura asked Syaoran as they ate, remembering what he had said earlier. Syaoran nodded.
"There's always a town, city, or village needing help somewhere. And I can't stay in one place too long. I'm a wanted man after all."
"But it's not like they've seen your face, Syaoran." Sakura pointed out.
"True, but there's a piece you're missing. I have strong magic and it can be sensed if it lingers too long in one place by noblemen. I travel a lot because there are many things I need to see to and they need to be done in secret so that no one innocent is blamed. A slave rebellion here and hangings there, there is injustice all over the Clow for the slaves. There's only one of me and very few Resistance members compared to the red imperial army. There is not much we can do spread out all over the place," he answered, setting his bowl down and clenching his fists tightly. For once, Sakura could feel Syaoran's anger, his frustration at the injustice he was seeing but able to do very little about. She felt the same way.
"But that's all going to change…" Syaoran said quietly and Sakura looked up at him. "The peace that the slaves have been talking about so long is coming…"
"What are you planning?" Sakura asked softly and Syaoran looked up. His gaze, strong and steady, seemed to be calculating her, observing her and Sakura saw it, the trust in his deep amber eyes. He trusted her with what he was about to tell her and Sakura knew, a long time ago, that she too, trusted the man before her. They were in this journey together and after all that they'd been through together in the past two months, they both believed in one other.
"We're planning to attack the capital," Syaoran announced in a strong voice and Sakura felt a chill run down her spine.
"Attack the capital?" she repeated. It was three simple words yet it felt like a explosive to her. She just sat still, watching the crackling flames of the fire before her.
"How?" she asked. "Syaoran…this is…this is huge…I didn't know…I had no idea…" Sakura's mind was in a slight state of shock. This was really a big thing. She knew he was an ambitious leader, and a strong one at that, but she had no idea he was planning such a huge scale attack on the empire.
"We cannot wait anymore, Sakura. This is our last chance, the people's last chance. I'm the last of the Li Clan. No one has stronger magic or was trained as well as I was. This is it, I have to do it." Sakura sat in awe for a couple more minutes before she swallowed and nodded wearily.
"Syaoran, does part of your plan have anything to do with the prophecy?" she asked. "You are one of the heroes in the story of the slaves… and who's the other? Does this mean that the prophecy is coming true?" she asked.
"It has a lot to do with that. The prophecy is definitely coming true. That's why we have to strike now. The slaves have stayed like this for too long. Everyone is becoming impatient. We must end it," Syaoran answered quietly.
"Who is the other person in the prophecy?" Sakura reiterated. Syaoran's gaze shifted and he looked down.
"I don't know that, Sakura. But since I'm here, the other person will come."
"You're right. They'll come and this has to end, Syaoran. I will help you along the way any way I can," Sakura said and Syaoran looked over at her.
"You'll help me?" he asked and Sakura nodded.
"Yes, because we're friends, aren't we? I want to live side-by-side with the slaves as equals. I want that peaceful world for everyone too, so I will fight beside you. You're not going anywhere without me, understand?" she challenged Syaoran, who stared at her in shock. After a while, a smile lit his face. A nice one, not one of his usual smirks, and Sakura blushed, looking away, embarrassed. There were a million things running through her mind now. So much planning and so much still unknown. She looked up again as a thought struck her.
"You said there wasn't much that the Resistance could do spread so far apart…does that mean that you plan to get the men of the Resistance together?"
Syaoran nodded.
"Yes. That's what Yamazaki and Satoshi are doing right now. They're contacting the remaining head chiefs of the villages that work for the Resistance to come and meet up in Olympus City. It's there that we will hold our meeting. I've been traveling around myself since about four months ago, contacting Resistance members." Sakura's eyes widened.
"Are we going to meet up with them in Olympus City then, Syaoran?" she asked and he nodded in response.
"That's the plan." Sakura jumped up, excited. She would see her friends again!
"Syaoran, let's go! Let's go!" she cried, standing up and pulling on his arm. When he merely stared at her, she dropped his arm and stalked off into the trees, squealing as she went.
"I can't wait to get to Olympus City!" she cried.
"Sakura." She stopped and suddenly turned around to face the amber eyed young man watching her with a look of amusement on his face."Where are you going?" Sakura blinked and looked down shamefully, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.
"Umm…" was all she said and slowly walked back into the clearing. Syaoran chuckled.
"It's just like you to act like you know where you're going," he said ruefully, shaking his head. "We'll head out tomorrow morning, but if you're so eager, we could leave now…" he drifted off and raised an eyebrow.
"NO!" Sakura said shaking her head "No," she repeated more quietly. "I'm someone who can't control my emotions. I always act on them so in the end I always look like a fool..." she grumbled and Syaoran chuckled lowly as she looked up.
"I know you are," he simply said and Sakura smiled.
Two figures strode up the rocky terrain, one behind the other and quite breathless too as the sun barely hit the afternoon mark in the clear sky. It was almost noon when Syaoran stopped abruptly and Sakura bumped into his sturdy back from behind.
"What's wrong?" she immediately asked, peering around Tsukasa to look. Syaoran stood still, his eyes hard, watching the smoke rise from what looked like a small village below in the distance of the rocky floor.
"We've reached another village near the outskirts," he said quietly and Sakura gulped. He turned to look at her, his face serious once more as he studied her wide jade orbs, suddenly dilating with the fear of the unknown.
"Be ready, Sakura. We don't know what we may find down there." Sakura nodded swallowing hard.
Syaoran and Sakura stood, side-by-side, eyes wide, mouths hanging open in a gaping position while Tsukasa neighed merrily and pranced towards the very green grass that grew in front of the village gate.
The entrance to the village was decorated with a colorful sign that read: "Welcome to the Coolest Village Ever!" complete with multicolored ribbons and flowers of different shapes and sizes. Little Chinese lanterns, intricately painted, were hung all around the walls and gates of the village and there was a loud buzzing coming from the crowds and crowds of villagers that could be seen beyond the gates, laughing and singing and haggling away from inside. As Syaoran and Sakura slowly approached, fireworks sounded in the sky above their heads and a few firecrackers went off from behind the gates themselves. Syaoran and Sakura sweatdropped.
"HELLOOOOOO, and welcome to Wonderful Village!" They turned to see a woman in a blue and white kimono throwing rainbow colored confetti over their heads and they stared hard as she pranced around them, speaking excitedly in a high pitched voice. She was in her early twenties, with light brown hair tied in two buns, set on either side of her head near the base of her neck and finished off with colorful ribbons.
"OOhhhhh travelers! We haven't had any of those in awhile!" she giggled as she ran around. Syaoran watched her wearily but Sakura smiled warmly at her. The young woman noticed this and ran forward to grasp Sakura's two hands.
"Oh gosh! You are so gorgeous!" Sakura smiled bleakly. "I'm serious! I have never seen such a beautiful young lady before!" she exclaimed and Sakura murmured her thanks embarrassedly.
"Where are you traveling from?" the young lady inquired and Sakura opened her mouth to reply, but Syaoran cut in.
"We're traveling to Olympus City," he said, looking the young woman directly in the eyes. She stared up at him then squealed loudly, causing both Sakura and Syaoran to stagger back and wonder why someone would be so…friendly?
"You are sooooo handsome!" she squealed, her big brown eyes watering behind her hands. Syaoran was starting to find her voice a tad bit irritating…Suddenly the young lady was businesslike.
"Well, now that we've got that out of the way, let us begin!" She rushed forward and shook both Sakura and Syaoran's hands quickly.
"My name is Hanamori Ayumi, your tour guide and welcome wagon to Wonderful village!"
"I thought these kinds of villages didn't have names?" Sakura asked in confusion. Ayumi brushed it off, waving her hands in dismissal.
"Oh, they usually don't, but I thought of this one's name all by myself!" she said proudly.
"It's not very creative…"Syaoran muttered and tears immediately sprang into Ayumi's eyes.
"Well, I thought it was cool," she said in a small voice, sniffing. Sakura glared at Syaoran.
"Syaoran!" He looked at her, one eyebrow raised.
"It's okay, Ayumi-san! I think the name Wonderful Village is cool~!"
"Really?" Ayumi looked up and Sakura nodded fervently. Syaoran sweatdropped. 'O-kay….'
Ayumi resumed her normal position, cleared her throat, and began to speak in a learned-by-heart way again.
"For arriving today, we offer a special discount to travelers that need lodging, including food and bath all for…..FREE!" she exclaimed excitedly, throwing her hands up into the air as well as the remaining confetti she still held. Sakura squealed and jumped up, running towards Ayumi with an ecstatic expression.
"Did you say FREE?" she bellowed as the two women clasped hands, jumping and turning in circles.
"Yes! FREE!" Syaoran watched the two young women. 'What-the hell…?'
"Ying Fa, I need a word—," Syaoran said through gritted teeth as he dragged Sakura away by the arm, hinting with his eyes. Sakura was oblivious to it though and continued to ask questions about the rooming travelers would receive.
"Sakura, we need to think this-," Syaoran said quietly but Sakura pushed him off and smiled.
"Oh don't be such a killjoy, Syaoran," she said happily. "Besides, she said it was FRREEEEEE!" Syaoran sweatdropped again as he watched Sakura bounce back towards the village gate, following Ayumi like a puppy would its mother.
'She did not just squeal the word free…' he thought as he followed.
Ayumi was just showing Sakura through the small village among the crowd when she looked up to see Syaoran standing in front of them, his arms crossed over his muscled chest and a scowl on his handsome face. Ayumi stopped.
"Where is your landlord nobleman, Ayumi-san?" he asked bluntly as he stepped forward. Ayumi smiled.
"He's on a journey right now," she said vaguely and Syaoran waited for the rest, tapping his foot. Ayumi sighed. She knew she wasn't going to get away without giving an answer.
"The emperor sent him a message a couple of weeks ago. There is to be a meeting of landlords on Mori Mountain at the Hikari shrine and the landlord left, taking half of the town's soldiers with him." Syaoran frowned and nodded uneasily.
"How do you know this?" he inquired while Sakura watched the hustle and bustle of sellers and buyers with interest.
"I used to work for the landlord nobleman as a maid in his estate. I was the one who received the letter from the emperor's messenger and passed it on to the landlord nobleman himself," Ayumi calmly explained but Syaoran did not stop glowering. Instead, he seemed to tense up a little more.
"And where are the remaining soldiers that guard this village? There are too many people out to be normal for a village of this size," he stated and Ayumi smiled. He was very inquisitive and knowledgeable. She liked that.
"Oh, you mean those soldiers…" she drifted off.
Miles and miles underground, chains clinked as the roar of laughter filled the dungeon where about twenty men were shackled to the wall by their hands, sitting on the floor as children darted around the room and took it in turns to tickle their armpits with feathers. The soldier's shirt uniforms had been discarded as they sat straining at their chains and roaring their heads off.
"P-please stop!" they gasped as the feathers continued to move beneath their armpits and the little children giggled wildly. "I'm going to piss my pants!"
"Ooh, tickle this one, this one!" the children laughed as they stuck their tongues out at the laughing soldiers. "We're just getting started!" And the echo of hoots of laughter sounded from the wide dungeons.
"How cruel…" Syaoran said darkly. Ayumi laughed evilly as she finished retelling the story.
"Ho ho ho! Well, that explains the remaining soldiers. Don't worry, we'll take good care of them," she said grinning sadistically. "Plus, the landlord nobleman won't be around for a while, that's why all of us here in the village have decided to just relax and throw parties until he comes back!"Ayumi exclaimed, throwing her hands up into the air again. "It's been awhile since I've seen everyone so carefree!"
Syaoran looked around and true to Ayumi's words, villagers were walking around, the elderly, the young, all with smiles on their faces, free to do their shopping as they pleased and free of worry that the soldiers or landlord nobleman would stop them in their everyday lives. Syaoran sighed and drooped his shoulders in defeat. Well, it seemed safe for the time being. He and Sakura would rest here for awhile. It had been almost a month since they left the last village and he knew that Sakura was itching to take a real bath.
Syaoran watched as Sakura spoke excitedly to Ayumi, the pair already walking towards a small bed and breakfast. Syaoran followed, looking around. He was troubled. He would need to go do some investigating on his own later. He suddenly smirked as he entered the comfortable inn, Sakura's face flashing into his mind.
'The word 'free' is scary,' Syaoran thought and chuckled lowly as he remembered Sakura's reaction to it earlier. Who knew that one word could bring such emotion onto one person's face?
"Your boyfriend sure is serious," Ayumi noted brightly as she led Sakura into a small room. It was tiny with only one bed and a desk with a chair cramped into a corner. There was an open window that showed the small village outside sitting above the newly made bed lined with crisp white sheets and pillows. It looked comfortable. Sakura blushed light red and hastily answered.
"N-no, it's nothing like that! Li's um, he's my uh…" Ayumi smiled warmly at the flustered young woman.
"Don't worry, you don't have to tell me, Ying Fa," she said laughingly and Sakura relaxed. "Although I did get the impression that you two were boyfriend and girlfriend at first glance," she added and Sakura tensed up again.
"We're not!" she denied loudly and Ayumi giggled.
"Denial is the first stage," she teased and Sakura blushed harder.
"He's my friend," Sakura mumbled truthfully. Ayumi nodded and waited for the emerald eyed beauty to continue. Sakura didn't know why she was telling Ayumi the truth; there was just something about the mousy haired young woman that made Sakura feel at ease. Besides, there was nothing to hide from her in the first place.
"And he's not so serious all the time, he's just very careful about the things he does, especially if it concerns the lives of others …" Sakura drifted off. "We had an unpleasant experience at one village that we visited so I can understand why," she said, shuddering. And Ayumi watched Sakura with a mixture of sympathy and understanding.
"But he's always been serious and demanding like that! Grr, it infuriates me the way he goes on when he's right," Sakura muttered, flaring up as she remembered Syaoran's arrogant remarks.
Sakura stopped when she heard Ayumi laughing.
"You seem very close to Li-san," she remarked and Sakura sighed. She didn't know if that was really true, but she did know Syaoran pretty well. They had, after all, spent almost two months together; aside from his constant teasing and arrogance, Syaoran had a kind and caring side about him too. He liked to act cold, but behind those serious amber orbs, there was a purpose and warmth to everything Syaoran did.
"We can tolerate each other," she finally said ruefully and Ayumi chuckled.
"I'm glad that you have come to this village then," Ayumi continued. "This will be the perfect opportunity for you two to unwind after such a long and arduous journey," she finished, smiling warmly and Sakura nodded in agreement, her jade orbs twinkling.
"Hai!"
"Now, let's get you bathed and changed so we can go eat some lunch!" Ayumi cried happily, clasping her hands together. "I have an outfit that would look adorable on you!" Sakura, recognizing the look, cringed.
"Hooeeee….."
Sakura and Ayumi descended the stairs to the restaurant and bar downstairs to loud noises of customers and villagers, eating and drinking and laughing merrily away. Some greeted Ayumi familiarly as the two young women made their way through to an empty table. Unseen to Sakura, a few young men's mouths were open in awe at the beautiful young traveler that seemed to have just arrived in town.
"Let's wait for your brother here," Ayumi suggested as they reached an empty table near the bar where a young curvy woman was serving sake to the villagers. At Sakura's request, Ayumi would go along with the apparition of Sakura and Syaoran being brother and sister.
Sakura agreed and sat down, looking around at the happy villagers. She had not seen slaves party or celebrate like this before and it seemed that their positive joy channeled into her own. It was a good feeling being around all these people who were friendly and seemed very kind.
"Ayumi-neesan! Who is that pretty woman with you?" the bartender asked as she winked at Sakura. Sakura smiled back shyly. She was wearing a flowing pink dress that Ayumi had her change into. It was set over with lace and full sleeves while the dress fanned out around it. She had her hair in a braid to the side of her head with a few locks grazing her collarbones. Sakura felt elegant in the dress and when she told Ayumi so, the young woman had laughed and told her that the person made the dress, not the other way around.
"This is Ying Fa. She and her brother are traveling to Olympus City and stopped here to rest," Ayumi explained.
"It's nice to meet you," Sakura bowed her head.
The bartender, a red head with long dark locks, smiled at Sakura.
"Well, keep the guys away from her. I've already seen a couple looking her way. It will only be a couple of minutes before one of them has enough alcohol in him to walk up to her." Sakura blushed while Ayumi giggled. Sakura didn't think she'd have enough guts to approach someone she found to be attractive no matter how much alcohol she had in her.
"That's very true, Mai. But I don't think I have to worry about it. Her brother is very protective of her," Ayumi said. Mai looked genuinely interested.
"Really?" she asked as she leaned over the counter. "Maybe your brother would like to have a drink to loosen up?" she asked Sakura.
"Sorry, but I don't drink."
The three women looked up at the newcomer's voice as Syaoran casually walked over and sat down in a chair opposite Sakura.
"Wow," Mai breathed as she stared at Syaoran. And indeed, that was the only way to describe the scowling young man who was wearing a clean button down now, his messy chestnut hair slightly damp from his bath, with deep amber eyes to match.
Ayumi snickered at the look on Mai's face and, embarrassed, the bartender turned back to wipe glasses, occasionally sneaking a glance or two at the fine man sitting in front of her.
"What's the plan for today?" Sakura asked as the three finished the bowls of soup they'd ordered for lunch. "Are we going to look around the village, Syaoran?" Sakura asked excitedly as a waitress came to clear their things away.
"This is a small village, Ying Fa. There's something that I need to see to first," Syaoran replied as he looked over at Ayumi, who was pretending not to listen.
"Ayumi-san." She turned around and looked at Syaoran.
"Yes, Li-san?" she asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
"Can you take Ying Fa out for the afternoon and show her around?" Ayumi nodded.
"Sure! There's lots of things to see here!" she exclaimed turning to Sakura. Sakura hesitated, her eyes on Syaoran until he turned to meet her gaze.
"Where are you going?" she asked lowly.
Syaoran stood up. "Out," he answered vaguely and Sakura stood up too.
"Oh no, mister, you're not going anywhere without me!" she said and Syaoran immediately shook his head.
"No. You stay." Sakura pouted and turned to Ayumi.
"That's his favorite word. Stay," she remarked darkly and Ayumi laughed. Syaoran was already walking to the door when Ayumi called his attention, yelling so loud that the whole room turned to look at her.
"There's a festival tonight celebrating the two week absence of the Landlord nobleman! Don't miss it! It starts at nine! We'll meet you there!" Syaoran rolled his eyes thinking who the in world would celebrate such a thing but instead he turned back around and nodded at Sakura.
"That's fine. I'll pick you up here, Ying Fa." And he disappeared out the door. Sakura made a face and looked over at Ayumi who was cracking up in her seat. Then she heard someone behind her sigh dreamily.
"You don't suppose he'd want to go to the festival with me, do you?" Mai asked eagerly.
"This village is so peaceful," Sakura said as she breathed in a deep lungful of air. Ayumi smiled.
"Ying Fa, you really are a positive person, aren't you?" Sakura just laughed. The two young women were walking along the outskirts of the small village. They had already been through the inside. It really was very tiny. Now they were making their way towards a shrine that sat a little ways back into the woods.
Ayumi sighed. "Yes, well, the village never used to be this peaceful. Not for a long time. We've only been like this the last couple of weeks because the land lord Nobleman is gone. He brings his soldiers and they kill anyone who defies them. They take women in the middle of the night and aren't punished for it. This is the kind of life that we live when he's here, and this isn't including all the dangers that the Youkai bring…" Sakura was silent and waited for Ayumi to continue.
"It really was a nice change when the landlord nobleman left…I hope it stays that way for a while. The emperor doesn't care for the landlord noblemen on the outskirts, so he was able to do anything he wanted, really." Ayumi said angrily. "All our crops and food go to him…That's just how it works…" Sakura looked down, trying to control the rage that had seized her just then. The rage that sweet and hard working people like Ayumi had to bow down to someone who doesn't care whether she lives or dies. Whether the people fight to save their lives, or their children's lives, when otherwise they would never have taken up weapons at all…
"But that will change…" Sakura looked up, interrupted in her thoughts. Ayumi was speaking again, a faraway look in her eyes. "I just have this feeling that something is different in the air…it feels magical, almost like the most treasured feeling that a human can have…" Sakura stared.
"And what feeling is that?" she asked. Ayumi blinked and turned back to look at Sakura, smiling.
"You'll have to figure that out for yourself, Ying Fa," she said mysteriously and Sakura laughed.
"Alright, but please would you tell me where we're going?" Sakura asked and Ayumi obliged.
"We're going to the orphanage," she replied as the two women rounded the bend, "the orphanage where I grew up at." Sakura looked over at Ayumi, startled and the older woman turned to her.
"My parents died protecting me…they died when I was very young, fighting the Youkai that had come to attack the village. I wandered for days afterwards until I found that shrine over there," Ayumi pointed to a small temple, built of white stone and a dais. "It was there that I met Kohaku-sama and she took me in and raised me at the orphanage."Ayumi gestured to a small wooden house situated a little ways from the shrine where Sakura could see about a dozen kids, running around the front yard. Some were kicking an old ball around while the younger ones, it seemed, played in the sand and dirt. As the two young woman approached, the children ran to them. Ayumi, it seemed, was a regular.
"Ayumi nee-san!" They cried and ran to hug her knees or jump on top of her. She gladly accepted the hugs and returned them, speaking to them and ruffling their heads, her arms full of children. Some peered curiously at Sakura.
"How are you? Hiroko? Kei? Shinji? Miwa?" The children all responded to her.
"Who are you?" A little girl of about five asked curiously as she approached Sakura. Her dress was torn and tattered. She was missing a tooth and dirty all over but her eyes were bright. Sakura smiled down at the child, crouched down, and took hold of her small hand.
"My name is Ying Fa," she said and the little girl smiled.
"Onee-san is really pretty!" she gasped and Sakura laughed.
"Why thank you. You're very pretty too…" Sakura drifted off and the little girl piped up.
"Miso. My name is Miso!" she cried and Sakura smiled.
"It's nice to meet you, Miso!" And the little girl beamed up at Sakura. The other children, when they saw that Miso was conversing with Sakura, and quite happily too, one by one shyly came over and seated themselves next to the pretty young woman who told them stories that she'd heard from her very own nanny.
Ayumi leaned against a maple tree and listened and watched, giggling as Sakura bickered with the children over which story was better.
"I see you've found someone quite interesting." Ayumi turned to see Kohaku-sama limping over with her cane. Ayumi smiled and turned back to observe the young woman who was now in an all out tickle fight with the children.
"She's traveling through here with her brother. They're going to Olympus City," she explained. Kohaku-sama laughed and Ayumi turned to her, confused.
"Is that really all? I've been alive almost ninety years now and I know someone quite special when I see them. And that young woman is special. I can feel it in my bones and the power from the shrine is drawn to her. Perhaps her coming is meant to be…Listen to me, Ayumi-chan. That young woman will save this world…but she won't do it alone. She must realize that special feeling first and then, mark my words, young lady, magic will happen," Kohaku-sama said and with a wink, walked over to introduce herself to the cherry blossom. Ayumi stayed put for a few minutes longer, thinking about what Kohaku-sama had just said, but looked up as she heard a strange noise.
"Hoooeeeee….." the children were slowly walking towards Ying Fa with mud in their hands. Ayumi giggled and went over to stop them before Armageddon ensued. Yes, Ying Fa was definitely something else…
Wonderful Village
Province of Wind
9:07 PM
Syaoran ran a hand through his messy chestnut colored hair and glanced at the clock tower located at the center of the small village as he jogged towards the inn. He had lost track of time in his work and would now be a couple of minutes late to pick Sakura up to go to the festival that the town was holding tonight. Syaoran sighed.
As he reached the inn and made his way inside the doorway, he bumped into a very pretty young woman, clad in a green and white kimono on her way out.
"I'm sorry," he said quickly and started up the stairs to get Sakura down.
"Syaoran?"
Syaoran turned around to look at the pretty young woman he had bumped into earlier and did a double take. He blushed pink when he realized who it was. It was Sakura. She was wearing a green kimono with white lilies intricately embroidered on it. A white obi was wrapped around her waist and she wore dainty wooden sandals. Her hair was in an elegant bun, pinned down with a fancy leaf shaped clip, leaving behind her honey colored bangs and strands of hair to frame her face. Sakura held a small fan, on which a trinket dangled at the end as she walked towards Syaoran, smiling brilliantly. Syaoran's face grew warmer. He had not recognized her at first because she was dressed so differently. He had gotten used to Sakura dressed in her usual plain dress and cardigan, with her hair either up in a messy do or loose in the wind. Syaoran had forgotten that Sakura was a noblewoman and how beautiful she could truly be. But tonight was the result of that and Syaoran gaped in awe at the gorgeous young woman who stood in front of him.
"Syaoran?" Sakura said again for the fourth time, waving her hand in front of Syaoran's face. She leaned forward to inspect him, concerned. "Are you alright?"
He blinked rapidly as though he had been hit by lightning and nodded his head while looking down.
"Er, let's get going," he said gruffly and led the way out of the inn as Sakura followed, confused. Perhaps it was because of what she was wearing…Ayumi-san had purposely gotten Sakura back to the inn earlier so that she could change into her kimono. She had left before Syaoran had arrived too, saying she had a job down at the festival and had told Sakura that she regretted it and wanted to see the look on Li's face when he saw Sakura. If you can call spacing out a face…Sakura sighed. She had decided that whatever she wore, she always looked plain. There was just no helping it.
Syaoran was feeling underdressed as he strode ahead and looked down at his button down shirt regretfully as Sakura caught up. He glanced at her as she spoke animatedly. Kimonos really suited her.
They made their way into the center of the village where crowds of people had gathered. Small lamps, strung together with wires, hung around the village square as the nicely dressed villagers moved about, buying treats and talking loudly. Syaoran and Sakura made their way slowly through. Sakura pointed excitedly at every stall they passed. When she turned to Syaoran again, he was smirking and she raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you smiling?" she asked, amused, and Syaoran chuckled.
"It's just that you get excited about everything," he pointed out and Sakura laughed.
"It's because I never got to see any of this before!" she replied indignantly. "I didn't get to see Byul Town and I've never been out of the estate before this too," Sakura explained. Syaoran grinned.
"Then you'll be amazed when we reach Olympus City," he said. Sakura turned to him.
"Is it better than this?" she asked, gesturing to the vendors and buyers around her. Syaoran nodded.
"Your mouth will be open the entire time so big that a fly would be able to fly in," Syaoran said and Sakura giggled.
"I'll show you around the city when we get there," he promised and Sakura smiled, moving forward. This time, Syaoran had his pinky already held out, a smirk on the corner of his lips as Sakura linked hers with his.
"Promise?" she asked.
"Promise," he sealed and Sakura laughed, pulling him forward to examine a vendor selling hair pins and jewels.
"It looks like you two are having fun!" Sakura and Syaoran looked up.
"Ayumi-san!" Sakura cried happily and Syaoran even nodded his head in acknowledgement. Ayumi watched the couple with a twinkle in her eyes as she moved towards them looking lovely in a kimono of lavender and pink. Her hair was in two tight buns on top of her head, adorned with flowers. She smiled. They seemed like they were getting along well.
"Yes, we're having fun," Sakura answered her earlier question.
"There's going to be a few performances over at the stage in the center in a couple of minutes," Ayumi informed the pair, pointing excitedly. "I'm hosting it, so come and watch!" She hurried away, waving goodbye.
Sakura looked over where a crowd was beginning to form in front of a stage decorated with string lanterns and she hurried over, dragging Syaoran by the wrist enthusiastically."Come on, Syaoran, let's go get some good seats!"
"I've never seen a performance on stage before!" Sakura cried out a few minutes later. They had managed to find seats in the very front row and were now settling themselves down.
"Like I said, Sakura," Syaoran said chuckling, "you need to get out more." Sakura gave him a playful punch as the lights dimmed and the music began. There were fiddlers and violinists, singers and pianists and Sakura's eyes sparkled with joy and amusement as she watched. Syaoran could not deny it either. He was having fun, and seeing Sakura so happy seemed to make him giddy as well. Tonight, something was different, and Syaoran felt himself relax for the first time in a long while.
"Now, we will be having our first ever village festival celebration SINGING CONTEST!" Ayumi announced as she stepped up to the microphone after the last performance. A roar of agreement moved through the audience and Ayumi grinned.
"Who has the guts to come up here and sing? The crowd will choose the winner at the end!" Ayumi shouted and a few people from the crowd jumped up to join the cue that had already formed at the stage. As each contestant went on and sang, they were either booed or received very little applause from the audience. After a few minutes of this, Ayumi picked up the microphone and spoke into it again.
"Do we have anymore takers? Who here has hidden talent?" When there was no noise from the audience, Ayumi looked straight at Sakura, seated in the front row, and called out.
"Ying Fa, come onto the stage!" Sakura gasped and looked around as the people around her began to peer curiously at her.
"Really?" she asked pointing to herself and Ayumi shouted into the microphone.
"Really! Yes, come on up here!" Sakura's eyes twinkled and Syaoran, recognizing the look, pulled her wrist.
"Ying Fa, this may not be a good …" he drifted off as Sakura broke free and ran up the stage steps wildly in excitement. "idea…"
"And here she is, ladies and gentlemen, the beautiful traveler! Ying Fa is only here with us for one night! Can this beauty really sing?" The audience roared its approval and Sakura was given a round of applause.
She shyly walked onto the stage, stopping next to Ayumi, and heard a few whistles followed by catcalls. Sakura was suddenly feeling nervous.
"Maybe this isn't such a good idea after all…" Sakura said lowly to Ayumi in a small voice and Ayumi glanced at Sakura, smiling confidently.
"It's a great idea, Ying Fa! You'll do wonderful!" she encouraged Sakura reassuringly, passing the microphone over. Sakura didn't take it however and when she still looked hesitant, Ayumi hissed, "You'll do it or I'm charging you for the room and service fees!"
"I'll do it!"Sakura instantly grabbed the microphone, flashing a large smile at the audience, who was cheering loudly now and Syaoran sweatdropped as he watched from the crowd.
Sakura cleared her throat.
"Um, I will be singing-," she spoke lowly.
"Speak louder!" someone from the audience shouted and Sakura flushed. She cleared her throat again and spoke louder into the mic.
"I will be singing a song about a comet on a quiet night," Sakura announced and nodded at the band to start playing. As the music swept onto the stage and the crowd, Sakura blew out a deep breath to calm her nerves and began.
Yozora wo miage hitori houkiboshi ho mita no
(Looking up to the night sky alone, I saw a comet)
Anata no koto omou to mune ga itaku naru no
(In an instant it burst open, and disappeared)
Ima sugu aitai yo dakedo sora wa tobenai kara
(When I think of you, my heart aches)
Isshyun de hajikete wa kiete shimatta kedo
(I want to see you right now but I can't fly)
She started out quietly but as the music continued, Sakura found her voice and sang loudly though her head was still slightly bowed down. The crowd loved her. They were cheering for her; this girl with the sweet voice was capturing the hearts of the men in the audience. Sakura's emerald green orbs swept the sea of faces searchingly and then finally came to rest on a pair of deep amber ones in the front row. It was then that Sakura smiled widely and raised her chin up. Her eyes never leaving his, she began to sing with more confidence, her voice growing in the darkness of the night.
Moshi atashi ga houkiboshi ni nareta naraba
(If I could turn into a comet)
Sora kakenuke tonda iku
(I would run through the sky and fly)
Donna ashi-ta ga kite mo kono omoi wa tsuyoi
(No matter what tomorrow is like, these feelings are strong)
Dakara houkiboshi zutto kowarenai yo
(So this comet will never break open)
Syaoran couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was magnificent, glowing onstage. Her voice was melodic and sweet, and she hit all the right notes. He had always known she was a good singer, but seeing her onstage in her kimono brought out a new Sakura Syaoran didn't know existed. She was untouchable and beautiful and slowly, a smile formed on his lips as he watched her. And when her eyes found his, the only man she was looking at in the entire village, Syaoran's heart jumped. He was well aware of his emotions, confused at this new one that was emerging, as he watched Sakura slowly moving her body to the music as she sang… and he couldn't help but feel a small surge of pride.
Moshi atashi ga houkiboshi ni nareta naraba
(If I could turn into a comet)
Sora kakenuke tonde iku kitto
(I would surely run through the sky and fly)
Kanarazu todoku kono isshun no hikari de
(It will definitely reach you, in the light of this moment)
Anata no ima terashi sora wo megurou
(Your moment shines, bringing the sky around)
Atashi ga houkiboshi ni nareta naraba
(If I could turn into a comet)
Kitto soba ni ite ageru donna toki mo
(I would certainly be by your side, at any time)
Sakura finished to the loudest applause and cheer yet and she hung her head embarrassedly as Ayumi walked out.
"Well, the clear winner is Ying Fa! You win a free meal at the village inn and this stuffed teddy bear!" Ayumi announced, handing a large stuffed, black bear to Sakura who accepted it. The bear had a yellow ribbon tied around its neck. Her whole face was red from the cheering from the audience, which had yet to die down.
"I knew you'd do great," Ayumi whispered, squeezing Sakura's hand before releasing it and running off to redirect the stage. Sakura grinned at Ayumi and hurried back down towards the audience. Hugging the soft, black bear, Sakura was stopped as she descended by admirers and fans. She thanked them and, after a couple of minutes, made an excuse to push past into the audience. Sakura wanted to find him. She searched the crowd and tried to feel out that warm, green aura that she had gotten so used to.
There it was! Sakura ran ahead and suddenly fell forward, only to land into a pair of strong arms. She looked down at her feet. She had tripped on a wire and as she looked up, she met a pair of hazel-tinted amber eyes staring amusedly back into her own.
"You didn't look this clumsy on stage," Syaoran murmured so that only she could hear and Sakura glared up at him as she straightened up.
"That's because I-," her words were cut off as she felt a hand on her head. Syaoran had reached up and patted her head twice, ruffling her bangs on the last one. Sakura blushed as she felt his touch.
"Good job up there, Sakura," he said quietly, his cheeks lightly flushed. He grinned down at her once and cleared his throat, quickly blending into the crowd before she could say anything back. Sakura stood for a few more moments, savoring the feeling of a hard earned compliment from the ever serious Syaoran Li. She finally moved, laughing brightly as she once again followed Syaoran back down the main street to the inn where they would both peacefully rest that night, the large, ebony-colored bear trailing in her wake.
Ayumi was right; this had been the best way to unwind.
Wonderful Village
Next day
Province of Wind
11:34 AM
"Good bye, Ying Fa. Have a safe journey," Ayumi said and Sakura nodded happily.
"Thank you, Ayumi-san, for everything," she replied politely with a deep bow. Sakura and Syaoran were setting off again. Some of the villagers had come to the entrance to see the couple off.
"The pleasure was mine, Ying Fa," she said and Sakura beamed. Ayumi was so kind! Ayumi smiled to herself as she watched Sakura walk towards Syaoran, who was waiting with the mean looking black stallion.
"What are you looking at Ayumi-chan?" a villager asked as they passed her to head back into the village after bidding their farewells. Ayumi grinned, her eyes twinkling. "The beginning of something magical," she replied.
Sitting on Tsukasa, Syaoran waited patiently for Sakura as she approached after saying her goodbyes.
"You're not taking that with you," he pointed and Sakura pouted.
"B-but I won him!" she cried indignantly, pulling the overly large, stuffed teddy bear away from view and Syaoran sighed.
"Sakura, there's no room," he protested and Sakura looked at the large, shining, black eyes of the bear staring back at her woefully.
"I want to take him with me, Syaoran," she said softly. "It's the first thing I've ever earned by myself," she continued lowly while playing with his button nose. Syaoran made a noise of irritation in his throat and closed his eyes.
"Fine, we'll take it," he agreed and Sakura looked up happily.
"R-really?" she asked disbelievingly and Syaoran nodded.
"Yes, but first we have to make it small," he said and Sakura looked confused.
"Small? But how?" Syaoran drew a red ofuda from his pocket, uttering as he did.
Sakura gasped as she felt magic, his magic of a colorful green, passing through the small clearing and a powerful white glow surrounded the teddy bear. As the light faded, there sat in Sakura's arms, a miniature version of the black bear she had won. Sakura smiled as Syaoran replaced his ofuda.
"Thank you, Syaoran!" she cried happily as she stuffed the little animal into her pack. Syaoran grunted in reply and took hold of Sakura's arm to pull her up onto Tsukasa's saddle, seated in front of him.
"Was that The Small that you used?" Sakura asked inquisitively. Syaoran had taught her all of the Clow card names and their uses during their magical training.
"Yes," Syaoran answered. "I have to redo its magic in awhile though; The Small doesn't last long, just like the rest of the ofudas." Sakura nodded.
"Are you ready to go?" he asked as he swung Tsukasa around by the reins, looking down at Sakura. She smiled.
"Yes! I'm ready!" she answered and patted the stallion's back.
Syaoran smirked as they set off in the afternoon sunlight.
"To Olympus City!"
Chapter 9 End.
Author's Note:How was it? Thank you for reading! This is my longest chapter yet lol ^^ It had a lot of Syaoran and Sakura moments didn't it? Hope you guys liked it! I know I was going to have this up sooner but I ended up deleting a big portion and rewriting it because I wasn't satisfied with it. Don't worry I will have Chapter 10 up soon! Possibly by next week?
Preview: The title for chapter 10 is called "Olympus City"
Again, thanks to all my readers ^^
Edit: I forgot to mention the song I used in here. It's Houkiboushi (Comet) by Younha.
-Yuuki
