Essence of Blood
He had met girls throughout his life but never had he met a woman as unique as her. Not only did she defy him in an erratic way but her blood held an essence that differed from everyone else. Her blood was special... her blood made her, his.
Chapter Twenty Eight
Essence of Takashi
.xx.
-Sakura-
August 9th, 2001 – 1:25 pm
I was cooking up a storm with my stir-fry! Pans were flying, knives were chopping, steam was—well… evaporating (what else could steam do?) and my mouth was watering. I really am a good cook, I just don't like cooking often. And as such, my friends are under the impression that I am, actually, not a good cook.
Exhibit A: "What are you trying to cook?"
I glared at Chiharu as soon as the words came out of her mouth and Tomoyo laughed.
"I can cook," I spat, bitterly.
"You can make stuff that's edible," I heard Tomoyo say, "but you sure as hell can't cook."
"Shut up, Daidouji," I told her. Again, the three of us erupted into laughter. I turned my attention back to the stir-fry I was making; I was awaiting the return of Xiao Lang and the others—they had gone out for gangly duties and were due to arrive home any moment. Needless to say, I miss that dumb guardian of mine and couldn't wait to hold him and kiss him and… smell him.
Creepiness not intended.
I cracked an egg and the second it hit the frying pan, I heard a stomach grumble. Snickering, I turned around and saw Tomoyo blushing in embarrassment.
"Can't cook, eh?"
Lamely, my cousin responded with: "You'd have to have no arms to not be able to cook eggs." In which Chiharu coughed inconspicuously.
Oh yeah, she can't cook.
We bantered a bit longer before I turned my undivided attention back to my cooking—did I add the salt or no? I moved to taste a bit of the food when I heard Chiharu said: "Smell of grease sooths the savage beast?" and I turned around to see my knight in shining armour.
My heart leapt into my throat.
"Hey!" I was so excited. They were back! Like liquid, Xiao Lang approached me and kissed my cheek—slightly disappointed, I was hoping for a lip-smooch.
"Hey, beautiful." Okay, fine. He called me beautiful… non-lip-smooching is forgiven. "What're you making?"
"Chicken stir-fry," I mumbled and… he lip-smooched me. Yep, good day so far. Good. Day. It was a lengthy kiss, which felt awkward after the first five seconds because we were in public but… it was an amazing kiss. Gosh, I felt so lucky.
As Xiao Lang pulled back from the kiss, I heard Tomoyo ask the boys if they were done murdering the innocent. Both he and I smiled and he wrapped an arm around my waist, both of us facing the oven as I continued preparing the stir-fry.
"Yeah," I heard Clow respond. Xiao Lang kissed my cheek and I smiled up at him again.
I missed you, he mouthed to me and I smiled.
Me too, I mouthed back.
"And look who decided to drop in!"
I frowned as I looked at Xiao Lang before turning around to see two guys I hadn't seen in a long time: Ryu Ling and Takashi Yamazaki. Evidently, my cousin as just as excited as I was because she called out their names rather gleefully. Chiharu, however, seemed less than excite for some reason.
"Chi?" Tomoyo voiced. I left my stir fry and quickly ran over to my friend. "What's going on?"
I followed Chiharu's line of vision to see that she was staring at Yamazaki. He, too, didn't seem too pleased and looked away. This was strange—does Chiharu know Yamazaki?
"It's… it's you…"
Well, that answered my question. She does know him—but that just made so many more questions come to mind: from where, how, and for how long? Within a few moments, Chiharu made a mad dash to her room and Takashi walked away. Xiao Lang told Tomoyo and I to go check on Chiharu and we didn't need to be told twice. We raced up the steps, and I ran into Chiharu's room first, then Tomoyo.
"Chi?" I called as I quickly made it over to the bed and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
"What happened?" Tomoyo whispered and I shrugged. We both looked back at Chiharu and waited for her to cry out the pain she was feeling—something about Yamazaki had trigged memories for her; memories that Tomoyo and I were unaware of. The most we could do was be understanding and help her during her time of need.
Because I fully understood the position she was in. Perhaps she didn't go through the same experiences that I had , but the feeling of pain and not wanting to divulge the details was something that I was fully comfortable and aware of. Tomoyo got off of the bed and retrieved a box of facial tissues. I pulled two out of the box and gently nudged Chiharu, handing it to her.
Sniffing, she thanked me before blowing her nose.
"You okay?" Tomoyo asked softly.
Chiharu shrugged. "… I guess?"
"You wanna talk about it?" I whispered and Chiharu shook her head.
"Not really. Sorry guys, can I just be alone right now?"
Tomoyo and I exchanged worried looks but heeded our friend's request. I kissed her cheek and told her that if she needed us, to call. We'd be in the living room with the rest of the gang members. Chiharu nodded and thanked us once more before we left her room. As soon as I shut the door behind me, Tomoyo's expression changed from worried to extremely pissed off.
"I'm gonna kill Takashi," she snarled and I nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. I bet this has to do when she lived with her grandparents a few years ago."
We hadn't always known Chiharu. We were close, yes, but we weren't exactly the dictionary definition of childhood friends. Chiharu lived with her grandparents for a long time before she moved back in with her parents—we never really knew why, but Chiharu always told us that her parents didn't have the financial means to support her so they kept her with her grandparents until they were established. That was normal, I suppose.
We were also aware that Chiharu was engaged and one point. The details of that were always a mystery, and Chiharu never told us what exactly happened. The only thing we were aware of was that it never worked out and she broke it off before she moved back with her parents just short of two years ago. It was then that Tomoyo and I had met her, mid-way through high school.
I never understood how she was engaged at such a young age but to each his own, right? Chiharu never wanted to explain the details and we never pushed her.
"It could be." Tomoyo nodded. "But why Takashi?"
"Only those two know," I murmured. "I bet you Xiao Lang is gonna beat it out of him."
Tomoyo snorted and rolled her eyes. "Li can beat anything out of anybody. Can we go watch?"
My eyebrow twitched.
Only my cousin…
.xx.
August 9th, 2001 – 2:29 pm
Indeed, as we had predicted, Xiao Lang was interrogating Yamazaki. They were sitting in the living room with a small audience and Xiao Lang was turning red— Oh yeah, he was angry. Tomoyo stood beside Feimei and I took the empty spot beside Clow on the loveseat. He handed me a cushion before ceremoniously plopping his head down on my lap. Rolling my eyes, I playfully hit his arm but let him remain.
"So?"
"So what?" I saw Yamazaki defend. "That's it!"
"Can we backtrack?" I called out. "I kind of want to know what you did to my friend."
Yamazaki looked at me pleadingly but Xiao Lang glowered at him.
"You heard Sakura. Tell her."
Everybody watched him expectantly and I almost felt bad for him.
Almost.
Yamazaki inhaled deeply and I stared at him, stone-faced. He needed to speak, and he needed to speak quick. As if sensing my impatience, Xiao Lang shot a dirty look at Yamazaki. "Will you hurry it up? We aren't getting any younger, Takashi."
"I… well… we were once… engaged…"
I was shocked; it rippled to my core and thankfully Clow got up. I stared at Yamazaki for a moment and glanced at Tomoyo—she seemed to be in the same state that I was. I got off of the sofa and walked towards Yamazaki. Xiao Lang took a step to the side as I approached the bastard that was wallowing in self-pity.
"That was you?" I whispered.
Before he could even answer, I slapped him across the face. The noise of the impact echoed, but nobody flinched.
Nobody except Yamazaki.
"You were the asshole that broke her heart? You were the reason for all of her grief?" I was hysterical. "Why did you do it? What fucking reason did you have?"
I felt Xiao Lang wrap an arm around my shoulder. He pressed his lips close to my ears and whispered: "Relax, beautiful."
I pushed him off of me. "Relax? You expect me to relax?" I whirled back to Yamazaki. "Why did you do it? What reason did you have?"
Finally, he stood up with a fierce look in his eyes. "Everybody always makes me look like the bad guy," he said strongly. "Nobody knows why. Dammit, if you fucking knew." He took a step towards me and the motion made Tomoyo stand up and Xiao Lang take a step towards us.
"You live the danger we're used to now." He looked at Tomoyo. "Every day is a mystery whether somebody lives or not."
Everybody watched him speak.
"Chiharu and I were engaged because of our parents." Takashi gulped. "They were childhood friends—it was your typical Romeo Juliet love story, minus the familial warfare." I watched him curiously; his guard was dropping and his defences were going down. It was as if he was entering a world that nobody knew of but him.
"But by then I joined the Bloodhounds," he choked. "I love her. I always did, I still do. But her life was in fucking danger because of me and I couldn't live with knowing that I could be the reason she could be hurt." He looked away from us. "So I told her I loved somebody else and… ended it."
Silence.
That was it?
Really?
"You…" My breathing was ragged. "Told her… you loved somebody else… because you feared for her safety?"
Why does that sound so ridiculous to me?
"Yes…"
I couldn't take it anymore. I turned to Xiao Lang: "Just… take me away from here… before I knock him out cold."
Obliging instantly, he pulled me into his arms and poofed from the vicinity—Yamazaki's excuse was pathetic.
.xx.
August 9th, 2001 – 3:42 pm
Xiao Lang had us appear in the park where I had told him I loved him. The memory was still fresh in my head but I couldn't revel in the sensation of it—I was seething in anger over what Takashi had told me. Xiao Lang sensed my anger and, for some reason, poked my cheek.
"I could punch him right now," I muttered and he laughed.
"Ying Fa." He wrapped an arm around my waist and guided me towards a park bench. "You need to relax. His logic makes some sense."
I raised an eyebrow at him. "Tomoyo and I are in constant danger all the time. Are you telling me that you'd claim to be in love with somebody else just to protect me?"
"Not everybody is me."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, not everybody is a bajillion year old guardian that's out to destroy Satan."
Xiao Lang threw his head back and laughed. Admittedly, the sound of it was melodic and made my heart race. But I was still angry as hell. He shook his head and crossed his arms in front of him, slouching down on the bench slightly. "No, not everybody is willing to risk their life over and over again to be with the one woman they love."
His statement made a shiver run up my spin.
"Well," I mumbled, "not everybody is Li Syaoran."
"Amen."
"You think he really cares about her?" I glanced at him and Xiao Lang looked over at me.
"I'm not sure. I was aware that there was a girl at one point but Takashi never really gave us details about her. All I know is that when he became very involved with the gang, he told us that he left her for," he paused slightly before saying, "for personal reasons."
"My ass."
"You're really riled up."
"She was crying hysterically when Tomoyo and I went up to her room," I said. "It doesn't make me feel like the greatest friend when I don't even know why she's upset."
"Did you ask her?"
"She didn't want to talk and I for one understand what that feels like." Oh life. How thou sucketh.
"Ying Fa," Xiao Lang sat up straight and stared at me intently. Again, the butterflies begin flying around in my stomach and my heart beats uncontrollably. I always feel like that when I'm around him. "She has you and Tomoyo. I doubt Chiharu will be upset for long. And besides, I've never really seen Takashi with any woman since he's been with the gang." Xiao Lang playfully winked at me. "Maybe he really does love her."
I snorted. "Oh trust me, we'll find that out very soon."
"You're beginning to talk like me."
"Is that bad?"
He laughed and kissed my temple. "I find it highly attractive."
"I find you highly attractive."
He raised an eyebrow. "Really? How attract—" Before he finished talking, he stood up and stood in front of me, fisting his hand.
"Xiao La—" I was interrupted when a force of energy blasted our way. Xiao Lang stood his ground and I covered my face with my arms, shrieking slightly. I felt a strong energy radiating from Xiao Lang and a heat began warming in the pit of my stomach—it was a very unfamiliar feeling.
"Hello, Xiao Lang…"
Akuma.
The heat in my body began to get stronger but I knew it wasn't going to be unbearable. I looked around us and saw that we were encased in an alabaster dome—time had stopped. I peeked out from behind Xiao Lang and, indeed, Akuma stood just a few feet away from him.
But he had a limp Fanran in his arms.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Xiao Lang cracked his left knuckled before making the motion that he was holding a sword. Immediately, a green ball glowed in the center of his hand before a long sword appeared.
"Can't I say hi to an old friend?"
I tried to stand up but the energy that was being thrown around in the dome prevented me from doing so. My vision was beginning to blur as the heat in my core was reaching to the ends of my fingers and toes— What's happening to me?
"Cut to the chase," Xiao Lang growled. "What the fuck do you want? What the hell is wrong with my sister?"
I saw Akuma smirk before precariously throwing Fanran to the side. I wanted to jump up and run to her…
But I couldn't move.
"I want little miss God behind you," Akuma sneered, "and I will have what I want." Glancing down at Fanran, Akuma looked back up at Xiao Lang. "And you can keep this bitch you call your sister." In a swift moment, Akuma grabbed Fanran by her shirt and threw her at Xiao Lang. As soon as the throw was made, a blast of energy came from him and the dome that encased us shattered—
Akuma disappeared.
The heat and finally reached the point of it being unbearable. My world was spinning around me and I could faintly hear the blood pounding in my ears.
"Fanran!" Xiao Lang urgently shook his sister.
My eyes were closing—he couldn't see me, his back was to me.
"Xiao—" Before I succumbed to unconsciousness, I saw Xiao Lang fiercely turn around. In my last waking moments of consciousness, I saw him beginning to run towards me.
.xx.
Essence of Continuation~
As the story unfolds, many tasks need to be undertaken. Sakura's blood begins to awaken after a brief encounter with Satan. Memories of her past will recollect but she must first awaken her dormant consciousness. Though her body was defiled, she has managed to break past the uncertainties and learned to rely on her guardian.
On her love.
She must learn to reawaken her old instincts, and harness her powers as the protégée of God Almighty. Without doing so, her and Xiao Lang will never be able to put the beast to sleep.
Though Satan cannot be destroyed, he can most certainly be defeated…
.xx.
Unknown place, unknown date – 11:28 pm
"Xiao Lang," Ying Fa trailed her fingers down his cheek as they lay by the river's edge underneath the twinkling stars. "What limits would you go for me?"
Xiao Lang turned his head to look at her. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."
Ying Fa smiled and turned back to look at the sky. "Will we always be like this? Happy? You and I?"
"Even if we aren't, I'll try my damndest to make it happen."
Ying Fa was silent for a moment. Crickets were chirping somewhere in the distance and far, far away, a wolf howled. "Can we hope that it'll never reach that stage? Where… you'd have to fight for me?"
Xiao Lang smiled sadly. "With the power you command, my love, you can't be too sure. But I'll always be there for you, no matter what, no matter where, and no matter what day and age."
"Promise?"
"I promise." And it was sealed with a kiss.
.xx.
Slowly updating all of my fanfics. What do you think? Chiharu and Takashi's story is being unveiled and Sakura and Syaoran's story is progressing.
Special thanks to my beta-editor, Sakura-chan Master of the Clow
Edited/Updated: June 8, 2012
Re-edited: February 09, 2013
