Blossom in a Gilded Cage Chapter 10: Punishment for the Innocent Part One, A False Summer
Author: swallowingtears
Disclaimer: No profit is being made off this fanfiction. No challenge is intended towards CLAMP, the rightful owners of the characters here save for Huang and Shuhuaku.
Warnings: Very mature content, including adult situations and violence. Sakura and Syaoran can be slightly OOC here.
Thank you to my teammates, butterfly. KISSU and YamiNoTomoyo, for helping me with this fic. Check out their stories!
Dedicated to halliwells for always patiently picking through the story and being both helpful and honest.
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(Two weeks after Sakura's disappearance)
Huang could not understand why Shuhuaku had not contacted her since she had left Sakura with him. It had been over a week, yet no word from Taiwan came to her. She smirked when she remembered him. Her half brother (they had different fathers, and Shuhuaku's father Kang Qi had claimed him, unlike hers, so she bore her mother's surname, Tai) had refused her insistence on sexual relations between them steadfastly, and it annoyed her no end. But he was useful—and there were other fish in the sea.
She was enjoying the attentions of Yukito Tsukishiro, Touya Kinomoto, and Eriol Hiiragizawa. She likened them to a buffet: who would be the tastiest in bed? Yukito Tsukishiro she knew little of, but she intended to find out more: he had the air of old money and breeding about him, and she liked variety in her conquests. Touya Kinomoto was an enigma, a sexy mass of muscle whom she wanted to seduce completely. Eriol Hiiragizawa was enigmatic but quite handsome; those eyes, Huang fantasized about seeing his eyes in bed. He was the wealthiest of the three, his fortune almost matching Syaoran's, but he seemed—shy around Huang. But speak of the devil, there he was in her doorway.
"May I come in?" Eriol Hiiragizawa came in with a tray of Royce chocolates; Huang gasped in pleasure—they were her favorites.
"How did you know?" She reached out for them greedily.
Putting on a carefully shy smile, Eriol handed them over. "I find you fascinating—so I paid attention to what you like." he said, as he adjusted his cellphone in his breast pocket to continue recording the conversation. His words were calculated to be as close to the truth as possible—they were the best way to elicit even more truth. And right now he was learning so much about Huang than he wanted to.
His words had the effect he wanted; Huang's eyes lit up. Bingo! she exulted. Hiiragizawa's shyness meant he desired her. How easy was it to seduce the man?
"I think you're very sweet," Huang said, touching Eriol's chin the way she knew men liked to be touched. Eriol repressed his disgust and pretended to close his eyes in pleasure.
Syaoran had volunteered to try and be the one to get answers out of Huang, but Eriol had stopped him, saying, "Beating her up will shut her up. She likes to be admired, to think she has men under her control."
"Then who…" Yukito began, then smiled at Eriol.
"Yes. Me." He grimaced. "She does not know me, and coming from you, Yukito, she might be suspicious."
"You have my condolences," Touya said, then he glanced at Syaoran.
"She was a mistake, alright?" Syaoran snarled, correctly interpreting his look.
Huang smiled; Eriol could not help but think she was like a beautiful snake. But now that she was off-guard—he could read in her expression that she was gloating about what she thought was her successful seduction of him—he decided to prod her about Sakura. Gloating made people overconfident—and more likely to spill important information.
"I'm so worried about Sakura-chan," Eriol said. "She's like a sister to me. She's been missing so long," he sighed, "I despair about the chances of finding her. And you're the only one-no, I could not impose." He turned away, both for the effect of sorrow and to hide the expression of disgust he knew he was making.
Quickly scenting what she thought was a rival, Huang asked, "Were you dating her?"
Eriol rolled his eyes before turning back to Huang. "No. She cannot compare to you," he said truthfully. After all, Sakura was sweetness, loveliness, and light; Huang was corrupt seduction, selfishness and greed under a beautiful façade which he was sure would show its true nature in a few years.
Huang's smile was nasty and she didn't conceal her gloating. "Oh, Hiiragizawa—can I call you Eriol?"
Certainly not—Eriol bit the response off and replaced it with a charming, "Of course a woman as attractive as you may do so."
Eager to win the rich young man over, Huang rubbed her temples. "I think I'm beginning to remember where Sakura might be."
Eriol kept his face carefully eager. This development showed up all of Huang's lies—although it did show that Huang believed Sakura was probably safe where she was. For how else would Huang be able to say she 'remembered' where Sakura was if she did not have a hand in the disappearance to begin with?
"Please, do not strain yourself," Eriol formed an eager yet compassionate expression on his face, one calculated to elicit an eagerness to please in Huang. "You shall tell me when you remember."
"I will. Only you," Huang said in a low, seductive voice. "Because you never looked down on me."
"Thank you for your trust," Eriol said as he pretended to shyly hold one of her hands prior to forcing himself to kiss it. He excused himself; a man could only act devoted to Huang for so long. Once outside the door, he took out his handkerchief and wiped his mouth. What the devil had Syaoran seen in that woman? Huang was a monumental mistake on Syaoran's part—but Eriol decided Syaoran already knew that.
The moment Eriol was gone, Huang's thoughts turned to her brother. Now Sakura was a commodity; if she turned the girl over to Eriol, she would earn Eriol's trust. Visions of becoming Mrs. Hiiragizawa floated through her head; she thought he was so infatuated with her, she could easily cuckold him on the side. Yes, Eriol was a better choice than that stupid bastard Syaoran. But she needed to "trace" Sakura in order to win Eriol over.
But it had been over a week now; she had malingered in the hospital for quite some time already, charming the doctors into believing she was too weak and frail to leave. Yukito Tsukishiro had been her ally in this, informing him that he, Touya and Eriol had set guards to "keep her safe from the threat of reprisal from Sakura's kidnappers." He had shouldered her hospital expenses when her insurance ran out, and the three of them had even had a security agency check her hospital room for booby traps and cameras. How sweet, she chuckled. They value me that much! She was flattered, and planned to repay each one of them the best way she knew how—in bed.
It never occurred to her that they had planted cameras and listening devices in her room and were lulling her into a false sense of security.
Tsukishiro was a potential lover, she thought, and she wanted to give them a sign of good faith. Sakura would be that price—and, given that the drug Sakura had been dosed with in large quantities tended to screw up memories, she could convince Sakura she was her best friend. Now if only she did know exactly where the girl was…
Why was Shuhuaku silent? She dialed his Taiwan apartment on her cellphone and got only his answering machine. His cellphone was on, though it routed to voice mail before he answered on her third try.
"Where the fuck are you?" she snapped.
"Like you care," Shuhuaku spat back. Huang started; since when had Shuhuaku been rude to her? "Why did you send Sakura to me? What do you really know about her molestation?"
He's angry, Huang realized. "Get rid of her—send her back to Tokyo and direct her to Eriol Hiiragizawa."
"Who?"
"The son of the owner of Hiiragizawa Industries, you idiot," Huang said. "I need you to send her back here. Don't book her on a big airline; get a budget airline where you can fake her name. It has to look like she was in Japan all the while."
"Just like that…" Shuhuaku murmured.
"Yes, just like that—what part don't you get, you retard?"
There was a short silence, then, "No."
"…What?"
"No. Never," Shuhuaku had never refused his sister before but now…Who was Hiiragizawa? Someone who was buying Sakura from Huang? Someone who would hurt her? No way in hell was he going to let it happen! I will protect her! he thought fiercely.
"You fucktard! God damn you to the deepest pits of hell!" Huang cursed. "I need her sent back to Japan, you fucking asshole! How dare you disobey me? I have to secure my future, don't you understand?"
"She is a person, not a bargaining chip," Shuhuaku said.
Huang swore in Chinese, an insult that had to do with useless turtle eggs, then remembered Shuhuaku's weakness. Oh fuck no, she moaned mentally. "You fell for her! I should have known! You're such a sentimental fucking sap when it comes to women—I should have let that thug take her to the brothel instead if you were gonna wind up fucking her anyway!" she screamed.
The effect on Shuhuaku was electric. "So you were involved in her near-rape," he said in a low voice. "You…you disgust me. I would never take her against her will—unlike you." Huang almost winced; she'd never heard such hate in his voice, ever. "And I'm never going to let you or that Hiiragizawa man ever come near her in my life. You're selling her to him, aren't you?"
Her voice frantic, Huang screamed, "No! You don't understand! She has to come back to Japan…"
"I will never listen to you ever again," Shuhuaku cut across her. "You are a queen of lies, and you probably sent Sakura here to get her away from someone you wanted to seduce. Now you want to sell her to the highest bidder?" He paused, then, "Goodbye, and this is the last time I will call you sister, because you…you are a monster to me."
"That's not it, listen to me! Hiiragizawa is…hello? Hello? HELLO!?" Huang stared at her cellphone. She dialed again and again—but he'd turned it off.
Shuhuaku had defied her, for the first time in his life.
All because of Sakura Kinomoto.
"I should have left that little bitch with that thug! I should have let her get raped, and then sent her to the brothel!" Huang stomped as she screamed; she was wild with anger; she threw her food tray across the room, her cellphone on the floor. Sakura was the cause of all this! And now—Sakura had somehow taken her brother's heart, just as she had taken Syaoran's. Hate flooded through Huang; the thought that she was to blame never ran through her thoughts. She regretted helping Sakura now, and now that Shuhuaku had decided to protect Sakura…
Wait.
There was her way out. Shuhuaku would not be able to resist Sakura. If she betrayed him to Eriol, Huang believed he would track Shuhuaku down and Sakura along with him. Her handsome brother would find it easy to seduce Sakura, and once that was discovered—Syaoran did not accept betrayal easily, that she knew.
Especially since Shuhuaku could have passed for Syaoran's brother.
She would point to Shuhuaku as the mastermind, sell him into jail in exchange for her revenge and freedom. Syaoran would never accept Sakura once he knew she had been in another man's arms—and that would be the end of them. Perfect.
It never occurred to Huang that she also needed to protect herself from Bel Shin and the other woman who had been plotting against Syaoran.
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"That…bitch…" Tomoyo said slowly, angered beyond her own limits. She and Eriol were reviewing the tapes of what had happened in Huang's room, and her conversation with someone on her cellphone. "She knows where Sakura is, and she won't tell us!"
"She wants me," Eriol said flatly.
Tomoyo simply shook in rage, and Eriol touched her shoulder gently to calm her down.
Eriol and Tomoyo had met up near Huang's hospital room, and had positioned themselves to watch her door in case anyone came near to threaten her. Working quickly, they reviewed Huang's cellphone records, which Tomoyo had gotten a computer-savvy friend, Naoko Yanisagawa, to hack into once Eriol gave her the number. From Syaoran they knew that Huang had a brother; from Huang's cellphone records, they found he had been in Tokyo at the time of Sakura's disappearance, and they were working on finding him as his phone was no longer active. The last call—they were working on tracing the cell site locations for each call, and that would take time.
Tomoyo was searching for the young man, while Eriol was interviewing the hospital's biochemists who had analyzed Huang's blood to find out the effects of drug which had been in Huang's system when she had been brought to the hospital. Huang had said the same drug used on Sakura was used on her; the van registered to the thug who had almost raped Sakura had yielded traces of Sakura's hair and the drug itself. But Eriol suspected Huang had used the drug herself to make her look like a victim.
Horror spread across his handsome features when he discovered how it killed initiative and distorted memories. He quickly shared the information with Tomoyo.
"Oh no," Tomoyo moaned. "Sakura—can someone 'rewire' her memories?
"Possibly," Eriol said, "depending on how much of the drug she was given and who she is with. Ideally she should be with family and friends because she may be so scared, she'll form an attachment to whoever has her. And…" he swallowed nervously as he adjusted his glasses, "she is vulnerable to anyone who wishes to ensnare her in their affections."
Quickly comprehending, Tomoyo paled. "You mean she might fall for the wrong person given her cloudy mental state?"
Eriol nodded.
"I hate that Huang woman and everyone working with her—that Bel Shin," Tomoyo said, her voice flat.
"And now that we might know who their third ally is," Eriol said quietly, watching her expression carefully, "how do you feel?"
Tomoyo took a deep, shaky breath. "I don't know," she said honestly. "But I know I'm safe now. With you."
Eriol took her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. "I do not make promises lightly. I protect what's mine."
"I am," she said softly.
"You are, beautiful one," Eriol reassured her. "Imagine my disgust when I had to pretend to like Huang to get the information out of her." He leaned over to kiss Tomoyo's lips. "Not when I have you."
Tomoyo smiled as Eriol touched the engagement ring on her left hand. Had it only been a day since they had made that arrangement?
Tomoyo had found Eriol in his office; wordlessly she had thrown herself into his arms to beg for his help. She had cried for a long time in his arms, unburdening herself of what she had seen and witnessed. Eriol had caressed her long curling black hair, savoring her closeness. If Syaoran had fallen for Sakura six years ago, Tomoyo had been his obsession for years; it had broken up his first marriage to Kaho Mizuki when Eriol had begun to take notice of the girl, whom he had seen at a voice recital when she was sixteen.
And so when she had come to his office to beg for his help, he was surprised; he hadn't expected her to go to him, but to Syaoran or Touya. He'd formally introduced himself to her only recently, though he had watched her for years.
"I know I don't have anything to pay you with," Tomoyo said through her tears, "but I beg you for your protection."
"Your mother isn't going to be amused to see you under my protection," Eriol said.
"Not if…" Tomoyo drew a deep breath, then, "…if I'm your wife."
He started, and Tomoyo misinterpreted his reaction. "Please! I'll do anything. I can work at your office, any position, I can be very useful…I…"
"I don't believe in false marriages," Eriol said in a hard voice.
"I will give myself to you," Tomoyo whispered, blushing hard. "I'm not ugly, I can sing well, and I promise to be a perfect wife to you. And…I'm still a…a virgin…" she played her trump card, or so she thought. It didn't hurt that she found Eriol highly attractive to begin with.
"Don't sell yourself to me," Eriol said harshly. Tomoyo backed off, and was about to turn to leave when she was pinned against the wall. "How dare you tempt me with what I want?"
"Wh…what?"
"You! I have always wanted you! And for you to come here, begging for my protection, begging me to marry you…" Eriol rasped. "Do you even know what you're doing? You could be exchanging one evil for another!" Because he had figured out what she was running from.
"Why else would I offer myself to you?" Tomoyo almost screamed.
"You want me?" Disbelieving.
"Ever since we met. Let me warn you of one thing: I'm not going to let you go," Eriol warned. "If I marry you…"
"Keep me safe. Help me save Sakura. Please!"
"You may regret this."
"I know I won't," Tomoyo said.
"Then," Eriol's face was now dangerously close to hers, "show me."
Tomoyo never hesitated before closing the gap between their lips, and Eriol quickly claimed her. That night, she was in his bed, being shown what pleasure existed between a man and a woman. Eriol was a passionate lover, insistent on giving her the pinnacle of joy, showing her how her body could be an instrument of pleasure for them both. He was her first, and she realized how sensual she was thanks to him.
The next morning, he had procured their engagement ring and their marriage license. He certainly moved fast—and she didn't mind. If it meant her nights would be as pleasurable as that first night…then let him claim her!
"Aha!" Tomoyo pointed at her laptop screen. "She has one relative, a half-brother in Taiwan named Shuhuaku Qi. Looks like his father acknowledged him, but not her."
"Somehow not surprised," Eriol mused
But when his photograph appeared on the screen, Eriol was unable to stop a gasp. Tomoyo understood, once she looked closer; he'd explained the effects of the drug, and if Sakura was with Shuhuaku, who knew what confusion would result given how closely Shuhuaku resembled Syaoran?
"We have got to find her immediately," Tomoyo went pale.
Eriol was already on his cellphone, calling up Touya Kinomoto. There was no avoiding it; their plan would have to be moved up very, very quickly.
How on earth were they going to tell Syaoran about this?
And it had been almost two weeks now. What could have happened to Sakura by now—especially if she were in the custody of someone who looked just like Syaoran?
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Syaoran was slowly realizing the depths of his aunt's betrayal with every bit of information he uncovered. Now that he knew which way to search, thanks to Eriol, he was discovering things—including the possibility that Bel Shin had a direct hand in the ruining of his family, not the Kinomotos. Theirs was, at best, collateral damage to his family. The betrayal, it was now clear, had partly come from within.
And so he sat in his aunt's living room, praying he would not betray his emotions to her. As a teen, he'd been criticized for having a transparent face; as he'd gotten older, he'd worked around it, learning how to make faces that were unreadable.
But this was Bel Shin, who knew him inside and out. And who possibly was the worst betrayer of them all.
She served him tea, and he was amazed at how charming and lovely she could be despite her age. But now he was watching her with new eyes, seeing with a different perspective. She talked down to him, like he was an idiot, while seeming to be motherly and kind.
Perhaps she was right, Syaoran thought. I was an idiot, a puppet who danced to her strings. He gave her the false information he had been coached by his new allies to bait her with.
"I seek your advice," he began respectfully. "You remember Huang Tai, the model?"
Bel Shin stiffened slightly. "What of her?"
Syaoran put on a blissful expression. "I've chosen to marry her."
"What?" The perfect façade cracked, and Bel Shin's anger came through. "You choose a lowborn woman for your bride?"
"She pleases me in bed," Syaoran smirked; how easy was it for him to fall back into his false faces? "Much better than Sakura Kinomoto."
No denying Bel Shin's interest. "Who is this Sakura you speak of?"
Liar, Syaoran thought. "I thought I'd need a little virgin to further my standing socially. But Huang is lovelier, and better in bed. Only thing is, I need your help to get rid of Kinomoto." How he hated saying those terrible words! But if it helped him get back Sakura—he would say anything. And if Bel Shin knew Sakura was with him—or worse, had been with him and was now gone—there was the undeniable proof of her treachery.
"You're trying to get rid of Kinomoto?" Bel Shin tried to keep her face straight—what was going on? Didn't Huang lure the girl away from Syaoran?
Syaoran watched her face, and the truth dawned on him—his aunt, his mother, the woman he trusted beyond all others—had had a hand in Sakura's disappearance. He wanted to kill her; his hand tightened in his pockets, but he willed himself to regain control.
"Dumb girl—the one her brother practically forced on me—won't let go," Syaoran baited. "I want her out of the picture so I can marry Huang. But Auntie, I know you dislike Huang. Why is this so?"
What? Bel Shin stared at Syaoran, who was telling the truth, in her estimation. She knew Sakura had escaped somehow, and her thug had been killed…What was going on? Had her other ally betrayed her? Had Sakura been planted? And how had Huang managed to ensnare a once-reluctant Syaoran?
She misinterpreted the cold look in Syaoran's eyes with dismay. He truly desires Huang! No! She betrayed me to get him!
Everything pointed to Huang shifting alliances to their third ally. Who had promised to take Huang out of the picture, leaving Syaoran to Bel Shin. And now Syaoran was marrying Huang? She was ready to kill the other woman—by betraying her to Syaoran in turn.
"She's…no, I cannot speak ill of your bride," Bel Shin began, knowing Syaoran would take her words seriously.
"I always trusted you, Auntie. Speak freely," Syaoran encouraged her, and she never noticed his use of past tense.
The truth is a weapon, Bel Shin thought, if you apply it judiciously. "I heard differently about you and Sakura," she said. "You were in love with her."
Syaoran, anticipating this, said, "I was." Yet earlier she was asking me who Sakura was. How clumsy! Her hate has made her stupid.
Bel Shin nodded; it computed so far. "Forgive me, Syaoran, but I have been investigating Huang because you seemed—affectionate of her. She was jealous when you took up with Sakura, and…she tracked your past and gave proof of it to Touya Kinomoto. Including a video of the two of you making love. And…" Bel Shin paused for effect, "I'm sorry, Syaoran. I do not wish to drive a wedge between you two." She had misinterpreted Syaoran's emotional reactions—clenching of fists and jaw, paling of face, darkening of eyes—as anger over her revelations regarding Huang. She never thought that it meant Syaoran was finally tearing the veils of trust that blinded him to Bel Shin. Her lies were finally unraveling, and it was rending Syaoran's faith in people into nothingness. Trust was a precious commodity for Syaoran, and now—only Sakura was left innocent in his eyes.
When Bel Shin paused, Syaoran looked down and said, "Thank you."
"You believe me?" Bel Shin prodded.
"I always trusted you," Syaoran said. "Yours is the word I always believed."
She hid a small smile. He is still mine, she thought.
"Then be careful, my darling little wolf," she said, playing on her childhood nickname for him to evoke his affections for her. "Huang has an ally, and you would do well to find out what her plans are first."
"Who?"
When Bel Shin betrayed her ally, Syaoran did not flinch, because he did not recognize the name.
"But why?"
"Your parents were collateral damage," Bel Shin said. "We were betrayed because we were remotely related to the Kinomotos." What she did not know though was that the woman's obsessions transferred her affections from one to another—and that the Lis were merely something trampled upon to set up the Kinomotos.
It was up to Syaoran to find out. But before he did, his faith in Sakura and his love for her would be tested in the worst possible way.
His phone rang as he was leaving Bel Shin; he took the call outside, not in his car, where no one could hear him.
"Taiwan?" His eyes widened in confusion.
"Hold your horses; I still have to make sure," Eriol said on the other end of the line. "We think Huang left Sakura with her brother, but he hasn't returned to Taiwan, according to immigration records. He may still be in Japan. And Syaoran," Eriol paused, then plunged, "The brother—he looks very much like you."
"Shit," Syaoran swore. "What did you find out about the effects of the drug used on Sakura?"
When Eriol told him, a cry of agony was ripped from Syaoran's throat. He spun around, intending to go back in and beat Bel Shin until she gave up Sakura's current location…but stopped himself in time. No. He needed to find out all the players before punishing them. He needed to confirm the treachery of the woman who was close to Touya Kinomoto.
Hate slowly seeped in where love for Bel Shin had been previously. And no one could ever accuse Syaoran of being a patient man when it came to his anger.
Inside her lavish home, Bel Shin gloated, still believing Syaoran was her pawn. She would poison Syaoran's mind about Huang—then when he came to her for comfort, she would finally have him where he belonged.
By her side, in her bed. She licked her lips at the prospect; Syaoran would be her lover, and her old husband be damned.
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Shuhuaku hung up and turned off his cellphone. Sakura was clearly in the middle of some kind of storm—and selfishly, he could not bring himself to give her back to where she belonged.
He had not returned to Taiwan as he'd told his sister. He and Sakura were now at an apartment he had rented in Osaka. It was quiet and serene there; he'd chosen a place near the bay, and Sakura loved walking on the beach in the morning, hand in hand with him. They had set up a comfortable domestic arrangement in the blissful weeks they had been together: he would work on his programming most mornings in the room he'd set up as his office. He'd helped her enroll in a grade school teaching program in the local school by giving her name as Sakura Qi, introducing her as his wife. His heart was in his mouth when he'd done that, but she accepted it happily; it had been easy for him to acquire false papers from Taiwan documenting her as a Taiwanese exchange student.
She handled P.E. from 9 in the morning to noon, then come home to have a late lunch with him. They spent afternoons in quiet company, Sakura studying the lesson plans given her, Shuhuaku testing the games he wrote codes for. It was hard for Shuhuaku to deal with his conscience, but Sakura seemed so happy with him, he couldn't bear to shatter her frail belief in him.
He was bothered by his conscience; should he try to figure out who Sakura was and where she belonged, and send her back to her life? Or could he create a paradise where only they could live, where he and she could love forever? It was too late for him to turn back; he'd already given his heart, and he knew he would slip and tell her soon.
She seemed to think he was someone important in her life, and it pained him to realize she trusted him because he resembled someone she had loved. Clenching his fists, he decided he did not want to know. Knowing was always a dangerous thing.
For that had always been his weakness; while Shuhuaku rarely was irrational, he became impulsive in love. He could not, would not let Sakura go. It was impossible for him anyway to send her away now that he knew what living with her was like.
And when she woke up, smiled, and snuggled into his arms, Shuhuaku thought that it was all worth it.
All that remained was for him to stake his claim on her.
"She is still a virgin," Dr. Toha had said.
Sakura turned up her face and reached out, asking him wordlessly for a kiss. He smiled, and obliged her; though kissing her in his lap was uncomfortable, he didn't care. It meant she wanted him too, and he was pleased by it. She had, in such a short time, become his world, and he would not
Stroking Sakura's hair gently, Shuhuaku decided that perhaps the time had come for him to take her, to make her completely his.
Before that someone else whom he resembled came to take her back.
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Notes: It was difficult to figure out where to separate this chapter from chapter 11, my apologies. But the chapter had grown into a monster, and so several scenes have been moved to 11, which is now halfway done. Remember this: Good memories come back first, and the bad come later.
Brief spasm of silliness: I so enjoyed writing Eriol here!
The drug I mentioned here does exist under various names; it is used by one Philippine white slavery ring to ensnare both young men and women, and yet it receives little publicity (no, not Ativan) when people should be warned about it. Typically the victim here is a provinciano or provinciana who goes to the city for the first time and then is drugged, then brainwashed into believing their captors are the only ones they can trust. THAT was what Bel Shin intended for Sakura--but now that she is in Shuhuaku's hands...who knows? Is she responding to him only because of the drug? Who knows? (evil smile) Since I can't just drop the results on you readers without development, the pace is a bit slower now.
To Esa MaRie, thank you for not hating me per se XD Close but not quite...I imagine though that what happens to poor Syaoran in the next chapter may make you want to kill me. But stay focused on this: Syaoran is learning who to trust, and when to forgive. Hee hee. And no, it won't be a tragedy--at least not for SxS. ^_^ LOL thanks for the idea re proxies! But let me explain. We have a LOT of Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece fans in the office who haunt FFN (we're a big company) and so the admin keeps blocking even proxies. Would you believe we got a memo about "not wasting time on fanfiction stories"? (As if!)
To xCrazyKindovWeirdx, Bullseye! As I said to Esa MaRie, Syaoran is going to have to move heaven and earth within himself to cope with what will happen. Can't answer your question except to say that it's been moved to the next chapter.
To halliwells, Um...wow thanks, although honestly I still do worry about the story. I've got it plotted out, and the framework is in place, but still--yes, Syaoran as I mentioned above has to learn very hard lessons for Sakura's sake. And finally, yes, he is finding out who Bel Shin really is. Re Tomoyo, I will say this: Has anyone seen her angry? Not in the series, yes? So I thought--what could she be capable of when finally pushed over her limits? Normally she is very sweet, so...As for Sakura, I can give this away: Syaoran has to realize that she IS the one who has suffered the most, and partly because of him. That guides my next chapter. And THANK YOU for noticing how little time has passed! Your points always help ^_^ and so this chapter is for you.
To Sixteen Candl3s, Are you kidding? Hello, I prefer to be told what needs to be fixed (just don't be like the reviewer who told one of my teammates that "limes are pukeworthy" WTF?) You and Saki were the first to notice that about Shuhuaku. Read my PM to answer another thing LOL, darn it, have you got to be so perceptive? Eeew re Bel Shin--nail on the head XD I love Touya too. Wouldn't you rather have him protect you? (If he weren't gay that is) You are not an $$ okay?
To DineyBlue, oh thank you. I often have internal debates as to why and how a character would act, and when I post I pray it works. Love your attitude; it is so sweet and kind, thanks! You were the third to worry about Shuhuaku ^_^ Oh go on and 'bore' me (like you can?) LOL thanks!
To mimichan88, aw, thanks but I do have help from friends, so they deserve the kudos too ^_^ To Twilight Kisses, blame the weirdness--kya, office servers and net administrators... To Daphne Lacrymosa, and well it should. He won't hurt her--but still... To Life's Dark Angel, oh trust me, this IS an SxS story. And I want them back together as well. To darkryubaby, Calm down, it's a joke, and it's just a story LOL. It IS an SxS story, so don't worry. To Moons-chan, LOL yeah, I felt good writing his death in. Not Ohgi--hint: looks like Syaoran...ahem? XD I like Ohgi as well. Blame it on absolutefluffiness, who infected the ECRS team with Code Geass-itis (darn). To Saki-Hime, YES! I was hoping someone would point that out. Therefore--what does that tell you about Shuhuaku? hehe. To mitsuko 310, thanks! I wanted to be sure it didn't come out as a handy wipe-her-memories-cheap-trick thing. Re Sakura: Notice how nothing is her fault here? Poor thing. To pApAw, hehe, you must be one of the few who is interested in that pairing. And indeed, this is an SxS story no matter what! To midnight blue08, You know, only you picked up on that--and the explanation is here. Good call ^_^ To , no, no, I KNOW how hard you can smack! Hello, why apologize for a late review? To HappyBlossom, please hang in there I promise it won't be too bad and it WILL led to something very good between SxS. Re the woman: THAT's the one they need to find and neutralize ^_^ To Tomoyo-chan, that's 'cos you KNOW what Tomoyo saw XDD To shika hiiragizawa, Huang is conceited, ne? I've always wanted those four to do a concerted effort to save Sakura :D To xSapphirexRosesxFanx, Syaoran's getting there! And since today is a holiday, I updated ASAP. Next update in a week--and I hope you stay for it!