Chapter Nine:
Yue and Ruby Moon both gazed at Touya, the female Guardian now seeming a bit mournful. The air was suddenly colder, howling about them as the group stared in at each other. And as Sakura's eyes shifted from one person to another, she knew. No matter what happened and no matter on what terms they all ended up, they would all be tied to that moment, that event.
It frightened her.
"I will not ask it of you," Yue said to Touya, eyes sorrowful but head held high.
Touya stared right back, hand tight in his sister's grasp. "Even if I were to agree to it?" he asked quietly.
Eriol's eyebrows lifted the slightest bit, gaze flying toward his angel.
"I feel it, inside. The drain of your strength," Touya continued. "I feel it, when you fade away, when you sleep in class or at the job. I feel your need."
"It is my need," Yue said with a shake of his head.
"You share your hunger with Sakura You draw on her." Touya's dark eyes were stone hard. And as Yue looked up in alarm, "In the end you will fade away and you will take her with you."
The angel stared at him, stiff. And as Ruby Moon looked at him sorrowfully he whispered, "I know it…"
Sakura stood with Touya, uncertain as to how the conversation had suddenly fallen back to her.
"But you do not understand the consequences," Yue went on, face pale. "It would be you to sustain me, with your gift. And in giving the gift to me, there is much you would lose."
Touya nodded, had already been nodding even as Yue had warned him.
"Your mother," Yue said, the beginning edge of panic entering his tone. "You would give up the ability to see your mother, to hear her voice. And you will not be able to understand when Sakura is hurt. You will be oblivious now to all you have ever depended on."
Touya hesitated momentarily, turning to look down at his sister and as she met his eyes he nodded, smiling faintly just for her. "Then I place her in your care. I give her to you to guard and during the day I will care for her as if none of this had ever transpired."
"Oni-chan…" Sakura whispered, seeing the sweet sorrow on her brother's face and feeling her heart break.
"After this you will be strong again, Sakura-san. Your strength will be your own and your Guardian will be reborn." Eriol's eyes were tender, face peaceful. "No longer will your weakness be tied to Yue and no longer will you suffer for another."
"I do not suffer!" she cried frantically, not understanding but not wanting the inevitable sacrifice. "I can bear it, I will bear it-"
"You are not meant to," Eriol disagreed gently and though his voice was soft his words were firm. "What is written will be and all else will fall away. Past mistakes will be rectified to avoid future ones."
Sakura shook her head, feeling like a ten year old for some strange reason. She wanted to bow her head and weep the way only a child could. And she didn't want a change, didn't want sacrifices. Especially not on her behalf.
"In the end it will be for the better, kaijuu," Touya said with a small and strained hint of teasing in his voice. Anything to wipe away the desperation on his sister's face. He faltered a bit when she merely bowed her head and very slowly he knelt down before her, gazing up at her as she turned her head to hide her tears. "It was never fair anyway," he said, smiling faintly for her. "That I could see oka-san and you couldn't. It always hurt me that I had some memory of her and you didn't. Even now, seeing her smiling down at you and not being able to tell you and make you understand that she loves us still."
Sakura's shoulders shook but she remained silent.
"It's one thing to tell you that she loves us, but it's an entirely different thing to make you understand," Touya whispered. "With otou-san you see the love on his face, everyday. You do not question it. With oka-san I see the love on her face everyday and I do not question it but you can't see it. All you have are pictures but you don't hear her voice and you don't see her glow when you laugh. You don't see her cry her tears of joy when you wake up every morning and sleep every night. And it isn't fair that I should have clear memories of her and you should have a photo, not when she loves us both as much as she does."
His sister made a small whimpering sound lifting a hand and swiping it across her eyes clumsily.
"It will be better now, Sakura," Touya said with a nod. "We'll be on equal ground and you will have a powerful Guardian. And I will be your brother still, who will pick on you and call you a monster and Yue will be Yuki still, to defend you against my wrath." And he smiled mischievously, lifting a hand and also wiping her tears.
"I don't want it at that price," she sobbed, trembling.
Touya nodded. "But for your protection I will have it at any price." And he rose, holding out his hand once more and allowing her to take it silently. Once she had done so he looked toward Yue, nodding faintly.
"I place myself in your hands."
Yue gazed at him and for a moment he let himself believe there had been the shimmer of tears in the angel's eyes. But they were swept away with a slow blink and Yue nodded back.
"Leave us," Yue whispered to the group.
Short chapter I know but I kinda thought it sad.. =)
There are maybe two chapters left to this, just thought I should warn you all. But also, I wanted to drop a quick note mainly to Lord of the Rings fans (which has nothing to do with this group of readers at all but hey, some of y'all have to have liked the movie or the books, right?
Ho, ho, ho…*drool* Legolas…
*Clears throat* Anyways, my sister and I are working on this new fic for Lord of the Rings but I'm not sure if ppl have read it or even liked it because ppl upload stories there a LOT! Like at least a hundred a day I figure so I doubt anyone even noticed. But Cass and I are sharing a fic (Cass writes CCS also but…racier stuff…hee hee hee…) and yes, it is a Legolas fic for all the screaming Orli fans out there. I kinda love the plotline and we have been arguing a LOT over it:
Aeslinn: No, Legolas will NOT be naked in it!
Cassandra: Why the hell NOT???
But I'm writing this because I want you guys to check it out. We are each taking turns writing chapters and I think even though I'm a big romantic at heart, Cass is an even bigger one (Lol!!) so it should be cool. If you wanna check it out it's under Cass' profile so just look up by author: Cassandra Salvia and look for The Witch Child. Leave a review if you can because I would like to know if we should even continue. I probably won't if we get flamed but I have a feeling Cass doesn't give a leaping crap…and if I hand it over to her entirely she may have poor Legolas naked and strapped to a bed with chocolate syrup all over him by the end of the fic (did chocolate syrup exist in Middle Earth…?).
Anyways, now that I've rambled, I'm off to shower and leave the computer to Cass who…seems to be glaring evilly at me…
Laters! Hope ya liked the chapter!! Or at least cried with it. ;)
-Aes