…Withered Ties: Chapter Twenty-One
By: Sakura Kinomoto
Touya leaned back idly in his seat, his notes and scrolls strewn messily around his desk, and stared up at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. Doing homework was becoming such a bother that he didn't want to think about them right now. Out of the corner of his eyes, a figure's shadow passed by his paper screen door and he slowly brought his arms back down, tentatively resting them on his desk. With a mixture of boredom and curiosity, he got up to see who it was. At the end of the hallway, overlooking the flowers and ponds, stood a man with hair of a midnight blue hue. Although his back was to the Japanese prince, he had a nagging feeling that he should know who that person was, even if he couldn't recall him at that moment. When Touya stepped outside, the other man, sensing a new presence, turned around. His gaze was both cool and uninviting.
"Who are you and why are you here?" Touya demanded without hesitation. But as he asked him, he suddenly realized he knew exactly who the other person was. Those cold, unwavering amber eyes had not changed in the past six years. The latter bowed to the prince formally.
"I am just a mere guest at your home again," he spoke softly and politely. "I had only wanted a few moments alone and left my group of eunuchs behind in my quarters." He looked up at Touya again, a reserved smile on his lips. "I don't think we've ever properly met. I'm Li Shui Ken, a prince from China." He bowed once more. "Please treat me well."
The older man stared at him hard, looking to see if there was anything he ought to be suspicious about from his words. He wasn't entirely pleased, but he found nothing at all wrong with what the other said and could only bow grudgingly in return. "Yoroshiku," he echoed.
As Shui Ken was about to leave and continue his walk, he caught a glimpse of a girl practically skipping through the gardens and immediately stopped short, his eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat. Touya wondered at this strange behaviour and followed his train of vision, finally laying eyes on his sister, who was returning to her own room at the time. It dawned to him exactly what Shui Ken had set his sights on.
"You can just forget about it, kid," Touya growled in a low voice. "I'll never let you lay your filthy hands on her." Shui Ken turned back to look at him, a look of shock and hurt on his face.
"What do you mean by those cruel words?" he asked defensively, as if truly ignorant to what the other meant. His expression changed in a split second and he smiled calmly. "You really shouldn't underestimate me," he told him lightly. As Sakura was out of sight now, Shui Ken turned around and continued on his walk, leaving the Japanese prince feeling completely uneasy, unable to shake the sense of foreboding he felt from this Chinese boy.
The sun was shining, the sky was bluest of all blues, and Sakura was feeling her happiest. There was no particular reason for that happiness, aside from perhaps the fact that a certain grey-haired man with gentle brown eyes might be paying her a visit. She just felt that it was the kind of day where not a single cloud could dampen anyone's spirits.
With that attitude, she brought sunshine and light into her father's study as she came to tell him that breakfast was ready. As she entered the room, however, she felt the dark atmosphere keenly and found both her father and brother together by his desk, discussing something in hushed tones, worry mirrored on both their faces. They hadn't noticed her arrival at all. Pretending to clear her throat, the princess piped up, "Is there anything wrong?" As if magic, the darkness she felt fled and both of them turned to her with a smile.
"There's nothing the matter, monster," Touya said with a grin, to which Sakura replied by sticking her tongue out at him.
"Do you need something, Sakura-san?" asked the Emperor with a warm smile.
"I only need you two to hurry up and come eat breakfast with me," she said, giving her father an affectionate kiss on the cheek.
"We'll be down soon," Fujitaka replied, hugging her lightly in return. Sakura smiled at him and was on her way again. She wondered briefly, as she left the room, if she had imagined the troubled look on their faces… She dismissed it as nothing and skipped off. After all, this fifteen-year-old girl had much more important things to worry about, like how to suppress the 'hanyaan' feeling long enough so she could act just a little more naturally around a certain loved one.
When Sakura had closed the door behind her, the happy mask on both father and son slipped away. "Otousan," Touya said quietly, "there's no way of Sakura not knowing that China had declared war against us, but it would be much better if she doesn't find out she is the cause of it." Fujitaka held his head in his hands, looking older and more haggard than he ever did. He still couldn't believe the chain of events that happened only within the last few weeks.
When the Chinese prince, Shui Ken, had paid them a visit several weeks before, Fujitaka certainly did not expect to have to meet with his demands. After a few days of amiable companionship, the prince had contrived to ask the Japanese Emperor to entrust his daughter to him. Fujitaka, knowing that this particular prince already had several concubines, politely, but firmly, refused his request. Even if Shui Ken has no other concubines, it was still out of the question. He had no intention of just "giving" his daughter away to someone. He wanted her to find someone she loved, someone who felt the same mutual love and respect she did for them. He didn't say so, but he was certain she wouldn't find that in Shui Ken. Still, he did not tell Shui Ken his reasons for the refusal.
However, Shui Ken seemed stunned at the fact his request was turned down. He had gone there, to stay at this man's home, in full expectation of leaving with a bride. This did not suit him at all. After imploring with kind words and going nowhere, he lashed out at the Emperor, saying his daughter really could never do better than being married to a prince. Fujitaka's stance remained the same, refusing to give his daughter to this man. Shui Ken, still not really expecting such refusal, angrily declared that if the Emperor didn't give him Sakura, the Chinese army would lay waste to their city. He didn't think that the Emperor would call his bluff and continue to refuse him as he did. And when he was rebuffed again and again, with his defiant pride, Shui Ken hurried home and manipulated members of the army to help with this 'conquest', promising them great riches and rewards.
Fujitaka did wonder about his friend, Li Yuan Zen, for allowing his son's actions, but he never knew that the Chinese Emperor had mysteriously fallen ill at that time. And as Yuan Zen still had not created his will about an heir at that point, all his sons held nearly equal power and Shui Ken was able to use the army as he wished.
But to go to war for such reasons… Fujitaka was in complete agreement with his son. Sakura would feel the pressure enormously if she knew she was the cause and might do something rash if she knew she could prevent it. The Emperor was determined not to let her fall in the hands of that capable Chinese prince.
A few weeks had gone by since the Chinese prince had declared war on them. Ever since the war began, time had flown quickly, and yet, Sakura still found herself to be wasting time, staring listlessly out the window. What could he possibly want from them? She knew for a fact that he cared little for conquering their city – she had heard him say so to her father and brother in her father's study before she was ushered from the hallway by a few guards. For some reason, no one wanted her to know what was going on and why and it bothered her to no end. She disliked it when people treated her like a child that should be sheltered and hidden from the world and all its devices. At one time, she asked Yukito about it. His only response was to assure her that it was nothing very important and that the Chinese prince would soon realize how futile this war was for both sides. Finding such an answer dissatisfying, she confronted her brother more aggressively several times. Most of the time he pretended as if she had asked nothing and ignored the question, talking about everything with her except the war. Except for the last time a few days ago.
Touya studied the face of his kid sister in silence. Every line stressed the frustration she felt and there was a spark of anger in her eyes. She just wanted to know. He didn't really want to hurt her by keeping it from her, but he knew she must never find out why. "He just…wants something," he concluded lamely.
"Well, if he just wants something, just give it to him!" Sakura shot back impatiently, not realizing the irony of the situation. "After all, there really is nothing that we have that isn't expendable. Money, land; they can be given to appease him. If there's any way to stop this war, then we must! Even if that means giving in to his demands, whatever they are." The princess knew she was beginning to ramble and even whine a bit. However, she didn't care. The anger and irritation that was bottled up in her was threatening to burst. That and she was afraid. Afraid that the longer this war took, the greater the likelihood that both her brother and Yukito would join the battle. "Just give him what he wants so he can leave and let our lives go back to what it used to be! I don't want this war to continue anymore! I'm tired of being sick with worry about the outcome of every battle and wondering who will go next! Just make it stop!!"
Out of nowhere, Touya slapped her hard. Completely caught off guard, she turned to look back at her brother, mouth open with shock. She pressed the back of her right hand against her cheek as it was fast turning scarlet.
"Look," he began in a low voice, not facing her as he spoke, "no one wants this war. If there was something we could do to prevent it, we would have done so a long time ago. But what he asks from us is something that's impossible to give and something we would never give him, even if we could." Without another word, Touya stalked out of the room, leaving Sakura to nurse her red cheek alone.
Even after what Touya said, Sakura still couldn't understand what this prince from China had to gain from warring against her country though she no longer asked anyone else for the reason why, knowing full well that she would never get a decent answer. She was embarrassed to remember how shamelessly she had acted but she still felt that Touya shouldn't have slapped her. In the end, she had to admit, if not to him at least to herself, that the slap did knock some sense back into her. Still, neither sibling had spoken to each other since.
Someone quietly stepped into the room, as if to not disturb her. Having sensed their presence anyway, Sakura turned to face them. Her eyes lit up when she saw Yukito but immediately fell the instant she saw his clothes. He was all suited up to leave for battle. He approached her with a soft smile on his lips.
"How are you holding up, Sakura-san?" he asked her gently, taking her hands in his. Sakura shrugged carelessly and bit her lip. She didn't want to ask him why he dressed that way. She didn't want to know why he had to go, for she was certain he had a good reason to.
"Don't worry," Yukito said with a reassuring smile, "I'll take good care of that brother of yours and will make sure he comes back to you." He got up to leave but was stopped by a slight tug on his robes. He looked down to see Sakura still holding him back, her eyes downcast.
"Yukito-san…" she began slowly. She looked up at him, the unshed tears still in her eyes. "You have to come back to me, too!" The man was startled by her outburst. The surprise was soon replaced with a gentle smile.
"Sakura-san," he said, taking her hand in his. He deposited something in the palm of her hand and closed her fingers over it. "Keep this as a reminder of our promise," he told her softly. "When this war ends and if we both survive this war – which we will - let's get married right away. Promise?" The princess stared at him mutely, clearly not expecting to hear those words from him at this moment, and was taken aback.
"I…p-promise!" she managed to say, blushing profusely. Before he could say anything else, however, Touya entered the room. Both turned to see who it was and when Sakura recognized him, she watched him with imploring eyes. Her brother still refused to meet her gaze.
"It's time to go, Yuki," he said quietly, still looking away. Without another word, he turned on his heel and hurried out. The hurt was apparent in her expression and Sakura didn't bother disguising it. So Touya was still angry with her… She was unaware that Touya was actually afraid to look at her. For he knew if he saw her face, he would never be able to leave her side. Yukito gently kissed her on the forehead and after squeezing her hand for encouragement, he left and followed his friend, leaving her behind.
Sakura wanted nothing more at that moment than to run after them, to stop them, to tell them not to go. That cold and distant expression on Touya's face deterred her instead. It seemed he was still angry with her previous childishness, after all. But knowing he was purposely refusing to even look at her hurt her very much. The princess knew they felt they had to go. She just would have felt better knowing the reason why. And as she could never join their side in battle, she would pray and hope they would come back to her, safe and sound.
Everything that happened before the war began - every moment, every memory – felt as if they had occurred another lifetime ago. Sakura sat dully outside the throne room, wondering if laughter was something of the past. Her heart had been completely empty and devoid of feeling since the time she heard her brother had been killed during the last battle and Yukito was missing and presumed dead. There was currently a ceasefire between both sides but now it meant nothing to her. She had lost the people she loved most. She still did have her father, though the Emperor was only a shadow of his former self and seemed to age a great deal since the moment he heard the news of his son.
It was immediately after that battle that Shui Ken came to visit the Emperor again, to tell him that it was he that had killed his son. And though Fujitaka often warned his daughter to not stay near the throne room, she had been outside it that day and overheard what the Chinese prince had said. She had fainted straight away from shock and after she recovered, was forever filled with the constant regret that she had never made up with her brother before he died.
The ceasefire had been in existence for a fortnight by this point and Sakura knew her father still wasn't giving in to his demands. She knew that this Shui Ken had said he would give him two weeks to think it over however, even yet she had no idea what he wanted. With the two weeks finished, she waited outside the throne room, wanting to know once and for all just what Shui Ken wanted so badly.
After waiting for several hours, she nearly fell asleep and was woken by her reverie upon hearing a voice speak pleasantly to the Emperor. "So are we in agreement, Emperor Kinomoto?" Shui Ken asked him with a slight bow of acknowledgement to the older man. Sakura stood up and slowly peered through the doorway, hidden from the people inside. It was the first time she had ever seen this prince and thought grudgingly that if she didn't hate him so, she would have thought him rather handsome.
"No matter how many times you ask me," Fujitaka replied in a tired tone, "my answer will remain the same." Shui Ken's smile tightened.
"I'm afraid you misunderstood my reason for asking for her," he said amiably. "I only wanted to bring her back with me for a few months, to visit and learn about my home and country. After all, my brothers and I had learned so much those years ago we came and did the same. Our countries should really just co-exist in peace and prosperity. I only want to educate her, as I had thus been educated during my stay. It's not that I want her as a concubine or anything, just a friend." He paused for a moment and when Fujitaka said not a word, continued. "If you agree with me on this, I will immediately ask our army to withdraw. If not, they will continue as they are and I know you are well aware that this is a war you cannot win."
"I know that," Fujitaka said softly, "but my answer will never change. I will never let Sakura leave."
Shui Ken's expression hardened and he glared venomously at the Emperor. "Then you leave me no choice," he spat out. "I will just burn-"
"Wait!"
Both men turned to the source of the interruption. Fujitaka's face suddenly went ashen and a smile lit up Shui Ken's, no longer distorted by hatred. Sakura had run into the room without even thinking and it took her a moment to collect her thoughts. When she had heard them from outside, she had finally understood why everyone refused to tell her for what purpose this Chinese prince had come; because he had come for her. The thought of being with this man anywhere for whatever reason repulsed her right away. She couldn't bear the thought of him as it was. She hated him with all her might and regarded him as her brother's murderer…but should everyone else suffer just for her selfishness? If what he said was all he wanted (and he did say months and not forever) then mightn't she go?
"Prince Li," she spoke quietly, staring straight at him and not daring to glance at her father, "what if you were to change my visit from a few months to a few weeks instead? Because I could never bear to part from otousama for a very long time." The Chinese Prince suppressed a smile and bowed elegantly.
"I completely understand your feelings," he said as he straightened up again. "Then, Emperor Fujitaka," he added, turning to face her father, "we have nothing else left to discuss. I will withdraw my troops indefinitely and Princess Kinomoto Sakura will be sent for the day after tomorrow." The Emperor said not a word to him in response. And exercising greater control than he knew he possessed, Shui Ken turned and left.
If truth be told, Shui Ken had been aware of Sakura's presence since long before he spoke with Fujitaka. The moment he had entered the throne room, he had recognized Sakura's silhouette in the shadows outside and it took all his willpower to keep from running to see her. He had had a difficult time trying to pretend she wasn't there. Yet every word he said had really been directed at her, rather than the Emperor, and he believed that if she were the same girl he remembered, she would definitely agree to his terms, no matter what they were. Everything was finally coming together and Sakura would be his for keeps…
Sakura slowly trudged through the streets, keeping herself hidden and inconspicuous as possible, clutching her hood over her head. People were busy milling about, some occupied with their daily concerns, while others talked about the Chinese army's sudden withdrawal, and others still were setting to work fixing up their homes. No major battles actually occurred in Heian-kyo, but there had been the occasional looting and even a fire here and there and many were busy with repair or helping others rebuild. After months of living in war against a common enemy, the people were united and strived quickly to help each other during this moment's reprieve, lest the enemy returned to inflict more damage while they were unprepared.
Sakura sank back into the shadows as a group carrying food hurriedly ran by when she bumped into someone behind her, both hitting the ground, and her hood falling back. "Why you…" grumbled the man in an annoyed turn as he went to retrieve his supplies. Then his eyes widened when he saw who it was. "Himesama!" Everyone around them had stopped moving and turned to see who had suddenly cried out. The man flushed and quickly brought Sakura back to her feet, dusting off her clothes as he did. "I'm very sorry about all that," he apologized after she had helped him retrieve his supplies, despite his protest.
"It was only an accident," she replied with a smile, thinking nothing of it. He continued to stammer out his apologies and it was only then that they realized they had an audience. As Sakura looked around her, she could see children and their parents, the elderly, and even people her own age. All carried supplies of sorts, whether they were food or materials for repair. This war had affected everyone and excluded no one at any age. Without warning, she turned and bowed low to everyone, to their surprise. "I'm sorry for everything that's happened," she choked out, a deep welling in her throat and tears stinging her eyes. "I-"
An elderly woman immediately stepped forward and placed her wrinkled hands over Sakura's. "Say no more, Himesama," she told her gently, her eyes soft with kindness. "No one blames you for what happens."
"Yeah!" another man from the back piped up. "It's all the invaders' fault and no one else!"
"Himesama!" as yet another stepped forward. "You can't go! Don't give yourself up! You won't need to because we'll all stand together to keep you safe!"
More people came around, calling for their 'Himesama' and expressed their love and loyalty for the princess and her family. As the tears openly streamed down her cheeks, Sakura didn't know how she could have waited so long before doing something to help these people, the people that cared for her as she did for them.
Standing timidly outside her father's room, Sakura hesitated for a moment. The carriage had arrived to take her away and she wanted to say goodbye to Emperor Kinomoto first. However, at the same time, she didn't want to tell him goodbye, for it might feel to her that she would never return if she did… Her thoughts were interrupted when the door slid open and she looked up into the eyes of her father. She had never seen him looking this tired and there were dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep; but he still smiled when he saw her. After a morning greeting, Sakura stared down at the floor as she murmured quietly, and almost inaudibly, that the carriage had arrived. Fujitaka caught every word. Crouching down to her level, Fujitaka placed both hands on her shoulders and when she still refused to face him, lifted her chin so that she would look at him.
"Why are you doing this?" he demanded of her quietly. "Do you not realize what you're getting yourself into?" He didn't want to voice all his concerns, of what Shui Ken might do to his precious daughter… No matter what the Chinese prince said, he never believed a word of it.
Sakura bit her lip, trying not to show how much the prospect of leaving her father's side frightened her. I don't want to go, Sakura thought despairingly, I'm so scared about everything! But she swallowed those words inside her. No matter what, she would not back out. "Otousama," she said, fighting to keep the tremor out of her voice, "I have to go, not only for you, but for everyone that has fought so hard to protect our homes, our lives. If this is the only thing that Chinese prince wants, then so be it." With her head lowered, she tried to hide the tears welling up in her eyes. Still, two tears visibly made their way down Sakura's cheeks. "I don't want any more people to die!" Without another word, Fujitaka pulled his daughter close to him in a tight embrace.
She has the kindest heart, Fujitaka thought, and the purest. He knew that once Sakura set her mind to do something, she carried it through, stubbornly and determinedly. Reaching behind his neck, he unclasped a necklace he had worn since the time he met Nadeshiko, his wife. She had given it to him, telling him that this charmed trinket would always protect him. As he gazed down at the golden star encircled in pink, he knew now it was time to pass it on to someone else to protect. "Keep this," he told Sakura as he placed it around her neck, "to remember us and your home. It'll help you where you're going now." Sakura lifted the pendant to gaze upon it briefly and clung to her father as she burst into tears.
"I'll never forget you or anyone here," she choked out. "You can definitely count on that. And I'll return home as soon as I can." Fujitaka gently wiped away her tears and smiled rather sorrowfully.
"I wish you the best of luck," he said as he held her small form close to him. He didn't want to mention it now, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this was the last time he would ever see her…
"The princess has already departed the capital, Prince Li," the eunuch informed him from his crouched position on the floor. Shui Ken leisurely swirled his teacup, a bored expression on his face. "W-what would like us to do now?" the guard asked rather timidly, not wanting to disturb him. The prince's thoughts flew to Heian-kyo for a brief second. There was no hesitation for him.
"Burn it."
"No!!"
He had to get back home… He had to stop that city from burning… He had to…
Thrashing around in his bed, Touya realized that he was tangled in his bed sheets. He stopped struggling and sat up for a moment, panting heavily. What a dream, he thought, realizing his heart was still pounding wildly. For a moment, he really dreamed that Shui Ken had ordered his home to be burned to the ground. It was then that he noticed something else: he was still alive! His hand instinctively flew to his chest, remembering where Shui Ken has stabbed him. There was no wound at all… how could that even be possible? He could remember his last battle with Shui Ken to the last detail and when his enemy's sword has plunged into his chest, he was sure he was dead. Shui Ken had been certain as well for he had left him there to suffer and die. So why was he still alive… at that moment, he was beginning to doubt he was alive.
"You're most definitely alive," a voice informed him cheerfully from the opposite end of the room. Touya's head swivelled around and his eyes widened in surprise.
"Yuki!"
Yukito smiled brightly at him. "How are you feeling now, Toya?" he asked him with concern. "And what were you dreaming about? You kept mumbling in your sleep."
"I'm fine," Touya said slowly. He didn't answer him about the dream. "But where are we? And how did I get here? I really thought that that brat had…"
His friend nodded in response. "He nearly did, but I found you before you had died." He lifted his right hand to show him. It was glowing slightly. "I never did tell you," he continued, "never told anyone, that I possess some magic within me. Like you who can see ghosts, I can heal people with my powers. Though," he added ruefully, "trying to heal you almost killed me." A slight smile crept on Touya's lips as he shook his head with silent laughter.
"There's no point of you saving me if you aren't going to be alive, too," he said gruffly.
"I don't want you to die."
"Neither do I."
Both of them smiled at each other and said nothing. And then Yukito's expression turned sombre. "Although I'm really happy you're back with us now, Toya," he said, "it would have been so much better if you had been able to awaken sooner."
"How long have I been out of it?" Touya asked as he got up from the bed. He tilted his head to the side, and noticed how peacefully everything sounded outside; when the war was on, the sounds outside were anything but peaceful.
"A few weeks," Yukito told him bluntly. "I almost thought you would never wake up for you were hit pretty badly. Actually, everyone still thinks you're dead. As for the war," he gestured to the silence outside. "It's over and the Chinese army withdrew." Before Touya's eyes could light up further, he added, "For a price. Our side paid a high price for the war to end."
"High price?" Touya echoed his friend in confusion. Yukito nodded again, not meeting his eyes this time. "What was it?"
"I was so careless!" Yukito suddenly cried, getting up and pacing the room. "I thought that the best thing to do would have been to help you get completely better before returning to the capital. I did not even try to stop those rumours of your death (and enough people saw you 'die' to confirm it), even when I knew you were very well alive, even if not well yet. I thought… just thought that…" He fell silent.
"What was it?" Touya repeated, getting the feeling that he didn't want to know the answer at all.
"Your sister."
The battle both Touya and Shui Ken had taken part in and the battle that Touya was believed to have been killed in took place far away from the capital, farther than any battle had ever gone. The area they had been in was far even from some of the smallest villages. After the Chinese army had crushed the Japanese in that particular battle and left their remains where they were, they had moved on, edging closer and closer to Heian-kyo. Unbeknownst to anyone, a reclusive elderly couple that had settled far from any village had gone to the battlefield to at least bury those that had passed on, not wanting to leave any body disgraced in such a way as being left to rot. It was there they had come across an unconscious Yukito, who had used up nearly on of his powers to heal Touya, and the Japanese prince as well, who had not awoken since he fell near death. They had brought the two into their home and taken care of them and consented, at Yukito's request, that no one was to know where they were. Yukito had thought that if the Chinese army, especially Shui Ken, had believed Touya was dead, they might be a little more careless and certain of their victory. However, he had not counted on what Sakura had done, giving herself to Shui Ken. That news of their selfless princess spread like wildfire throughout the nation that even the couple, secluded as they were, heard of it. From that moment, Yukito hoped with all his might that Touya might awaken in time, to return to the capital and stop his sister. True, he was now awake, but he had not fully recovered yet, even if his wound had been sealed up. There was nothing anyone could do…
"Why did you do it, Sakura?" he murmured quietly, his head in his hands. He no longer knew what to do.
"Tsukishiro-san!" the mistress of the house cried, running to him. She was shaking all over and he had to hold her shoulders to keep her steady.
"What is it?" he asked with concern, bracing himself for more bad news.
"The capital…"she cried, "all the cities, everything… They're burning!"
Yukito's arms dropped to his side as he paled. It couldn't be, he thought wildly as he ran outside, he couldn't have… He stopped short. Even from far away, he could see the air above where the city and capital lay was thick with black smoke…
"We're going back."
Startled to find Touya next to him, Yukito noticed his jaw was set and his expression grim. "Toya," Yukito said with alarm, "you're still not fully re-"
"We're going back!" he insisted, his eyes blazing. And Yukito said no more to dissuade him.
The sight that greeted his eyes was one that Yukito wanted wiped from his mind forever. Upon their arrival in Heian-kyo, the city and its surrounding areas were still burning. People were running around desperately, some tries to put the fire out, children were crying… Touya had to tear his eyes away from the horror that met them and hurried back to his own home. Upon reaching it, he could automatically see that it was just like every other place he saw: completely up in flames. Before he could rush in, Yukito stopped him. There was no way anyone could enter and exit it safely now. Touya knew, but he felt just as desperate as the people he had seen earlier, wanting to do something to help, even if knowing his effort was futile.
"Oujisan! Tsukishiro-san!"
Both men turned to see who had called them and saw Chiharu nursing an injured Takashi. They recognized them as Sakura's friends and playmates. Takashi had a deep gash on his forehead, but aside from bruises, scratches, and being covered in soot, both seemed to be relatively well.
Chiharu threw her arms around Touya in a hug. "I can't believe you're still alive, Oujisan!" she cried. She pulled back to look up at him. "Everyone thought you had died months ago!" Touya patted her head a little rigidly, still unsure of what to do as he gazed back at the palace's former entrance. "Don't go in there right now," Chiharu said as she followed his gaze. "It's completely impassable. The roof collapsed just as Takashi and I left. The emperor…" she choked on her words for just a moment, her tears streaming down her cheeks, and Touya had turned his focus on her. "He's…gone… He helped Takashi and me get out, but he…" She could say no more, but Touya knew what she meant to say.
"Shui Ken double crossed us," Takashi said bitterly as he limped to their side and held Chiharu comfortingly as she cried. His eyes beheld a seriousness that was not seen often. "He said he wouldn't set fire to the city if Sakura would go with him." He swept his arm about him. "That man obviously would never keep his word once he got what he wanted."
Everyone… everything was gone… Not all, Touya reminded himself as he turned to look at his friends, but his father, his sister… The people that meant everything to him… Suddenly, something caught his attention and he turned his gaze far away, at something unseen by most people. Shui Ken and some of his men were on horseback, all carrying torches aside from the former, were watching the city ablaze with fire on a neighbouring cliffside. The Chinese prince had a pleased smirk on his face. At that moment, they all turned around and galloped away.
If it was the last thing he did, Touya would get his revenge.
Takashi was recovering quite nicely and Chiharu was happy that he'd be just fine. However, his being well meant that he was back to telling his "stories" and no matter how many times Chiharu tried to strangle him or stop him, he never gave up. Still, to herself, she didn't know what she would do if she lost him…
It had been over two weeks since Touya's return to Heian-kyo and the last remnants of the fire had only recently been put out. Their had been many casualties and homes lost but all the survivors worked hard together to try to rebuild their city. Everyone was also still in mourning for their deceased emperor. With Emperor Fujitaka gone, Touya had been named the new emperor. However, he often sat in a brooding silence for a long time and Yukito watched over him worriedly.
"Yuki," Touya had said suddenly one night, "we have to get Sakura back, no matter what. Until we do, I can't take up my duties as the emperor."
"I'll help you however I can," was Yukito's only response.
Now that he knew his next step, Touya went to see his father's – and now his – advisors, Terada Yoshiyuki and Hiiragizawa Eriol. Both of these men were good friends with Fujitaka, as well as loyal subjects. They would have lain their own lives for Fujitaka if they could have and would have done the same for Touya and Sakura. Yoshiyuki was a literary scholar and sometimes tutor and Eriol was a magician. Both had served their former emperor for many years and would continue to do the same for their new emperor.
Upon finding them, Touya bowed down low to both of them, and asked them to 'stand in' for him as he had to leave and take Sakura back from that backstabbing Chinese prince.
"Touya-san," Eriol reprimanded him immediately, "stand up right now. An emperor should never bow down to his subjects, no matter the circumstances."
"We'll do our best to help you until you return," Yoshiyuki told him softly. "For now, we wish you both a safe journey."
As Touya and Yukito sat on horseback on the outskirts of the city, they watched the people begin to rebuild in silence. Touya couldn't help feeling extremely guilty that he was not there to help them and was almost tempted to turn around and head back.
"You mustn't worry about us," Chiharu said suddenly, popping in. Takashi was with her. Touya, startled by their sudden arrival, could say nothing. "It's okay, Touya-sama," Chiharu said, "because everyone understands. We all love Sakura and that she was taken away like this answered everyone. We'll all do our best to help you, our emperor, until you return." He recognized the same words Yoshiyuki spoke the night before and his eyes flashed with determination again. "Here." Chiharu and Takashi had bowed low, each presenting a mask to Yukito and Touya respectively. "We made these masks for you to wear on your journey."
"Chiharu had made yours, Tsukishiro-san," Takashi told Yukito as she gave him the mask with the cheerful smile, "and I made yours, Emperor Touya." He pointed at the expression on the mask he made. "See?" he gestured with a bright smile. "I made it with a scowling face because you always have that scowling expression."
"Yamazaki…" Chiharu cried in indignation at the same time Touya began, "You…!" with irritation marks popping.
"But you only scowl when Sakura isn't with you," Takashi continued to say, "so you should hurry up and bring her back." Touya's expression softened and he nodded curtly, accepting the mask from him.
Both Takashi and Chiharu watched them ride off, everyone's hopes on their shoulders.
"You know what," Takashi said suddenly as the two of them began to walk back to the city, "ancient legend always said that if you gave your mask your own name and put it on, the mask would get stuck to you and you can never ever take it off. This whole village of people even tried to-"
"Yeah, yeah," Chiharu said, rolling her eyes as she dragged him away by the ear. Undeterred, Takashi still continued with his story. With a private smile, Chiharu knew that someday, everything would be as it was again.
Sometime later, Sakura stirred, feeling as if she had been asleep for days, rather than unconscious for a few hours. She wondered briefly if everything had been just a dream, seeing her brother and Yukito again… The sound of someone snickering drew her attention.
"Only a monster like you could faint dead away like that," Touya said with an impish grin as he limped toward her from the chair he was sitting a few paces away from her bed.
"I'm not a monster!" she cried out angrily, instantly reacting by stomping on his foot as she said it, an irritation mark popping up. But her face suddenly fell and she burst into tears. Touya gathered her in his arms and she cried into his chest. "I don't care!" she said through her tears. "You can call me 'monster' as much as you want!" Nothing else matters now that she knew oniisama was still alive.
Touya only continued to hold her tenderly and close to him and in the background, Yukito smiled contentedly at seeing the two siblings reunited again after so long. He was also happy that he had brought Touya back to her as he had promised…
He gets up to leave but someone grasps his sleeve, stopping him from moving any farther away. He turns around and sees that the hand belongs to Sakura, just like that time before. She holds her hand out to him and he takes her hand and she squeezes his gently, still having a hard time believing the two people she loved most were with her at that very moment.
In that one silent moment, Sakura's completely forgot about Xiao Lang and everything to do with him and China.
Author's Note: -nervous laugh- Um…um… This is directed to all those comments about "Sakura and the Chinese Prince" from the last chapter: go back and reread chapter twelve, now!! =) Actually, most of that part was written before, mostly from Shui Ken's point of view. The part from last chapter was just Sakura's side of the same story.
-bows- Sorry about the boring flashback chapters. They were necessary in their own right? But, yeah, we're back to "present time" next chapter.
Ah, about the use of "yoroshiku", Shui Ken technically used it when he said to "please treat me well". "Dozo yoroshiku" is often used after meeting/greeting a person for the first time and the general meaning of it can be "please treat me well" or "please take care of me".
And not that I find this entirely necessary to note, but I'll say it anyway. CCS is one of those series I completely, wholeheartedly adore. I also love each and every one of the canon couplings in this series (I support them like mad! XD). In reference to that, even if I were to go against canon for a while, who said it would always stay that way? I have nothing more to say about that matter as the end is not yet near.
Author's Note to SITA295: Actually, I just uploaded the entire site to another one of my subdomains. =) Haven't had time to go over the site thoroughly, to check for broken links and whatnot, since I had uploaded all of it in a rush, but I'll comb it with a fine tooth comb the next chance I get.
Author's Note to Hanna: Here's just me wondering: have you even read/watched CCS? Also, I hate you for finishing so fast. No, no, I do love you, but I hate everyone that ends before I do. XD -blames dang tofu for her late exam!!
Author's Note to lilqtazn35: Oh, it was only going to be two for both of them put together. =) (Originally supposed to just be one chapter, but the whole thing got a little too long to cram into one chapter.) We'll see you back in the "present" in the next chapter. =)
And thank you BabyWolfGurl, jenn, MimiGhost, Piccoleia Star, Red-Emerald, MoshiMoshiQueen, FuyuSarah, Linky-chan, cherrixwolf, Kit TayLor, AnG3L1c diVa-chan, Final Fantasy Princess, Umiko Morimoto, SakuraAyanami, Meinien, sally, Eternal Ice, SITA295, QTKawaii25, silverymare, Yukimi Yuki Takiro, The Crystally Water, Lost Dawg, fallenangel, Yaua, There-is-No-Time, fleur137, and rubygurl for your reviews-!!
-Sakura
--The Animé Archives