Disclaimer: here's the follow up chap (smiles)
I wasn't really expecting any reviews for last chap because I was uploading another chapter too but thanks (smiles)
FlowerLover lol glad you think so too XD anyway here's the update (smiles)
lady-water-dragon you can say that lol well I'll have time for updating once again so don't worry I will update faster once again :D thank you (/no1)
Bold Eyes XD well I'd been absent for quite some time but I'm glad you liked it (smiles) anyway I have my time to update fast once more so hope you'll enjoy reading (/no1) thanks again :D
Kawaii Selene lol haha I realized that :P anyway you're right, it was something like that (smiles) oh and btw this chap is well... I don't know about you but I just had to do it. you'll understand what I'm talking once you finished reading this chap. Don't worry though, I'll start writing the next chap as soon as I get some sleep lol :P
Well enjoy reading! (smiles)
Chapter 28:
A Sign of a Storm
Rika stared at Sakura in confusion. They were both outside the convenient store inside the inn where Rika was working. She had just finished closing the store and Sakura had arrived and asked her a favor.
"You're not going to the feast with Ron-kun?" she asked her.
Sakura avoided her eyes. It was very hard to lie especially because Rika had been so nice to her. "Well, he said that he had some things that he should do. I guess its part of his work as a Palace Guard," she laughed uneasily.
"Well he did say that he's not interested. I guess father had told him to patrol," Rika said aloud. Sakura nodded her head, "Y-Yeah, maybe that's the reason."
Rika looked at her once again, "But he should have told you about it."
Sakura swallowed nervously. She really was bad at this.
Rika smiled at her, "I guess he didn't want you to worry about him and that you should have fun. I bet Tomoyo's in on it too."
Sakura sweat dropped. She wasn't expecting that Rika would be the one to find a reason with her own thoughts too. "Yes, I guess you're right," Sakura chimed in.
Rika beamed at her, "Ron-kun and Tomoyo-chan sure are very nice."
'You have no idea,' Sakura thought.
"Sure I can take you with me. If you don't have any dress for the Feast I could lend you one too," Rika told her. Sakura smiled. She hid the sigh of relief that had escaped her breath, from Rika. "Arigato Rika-chan," she thanked her.
"Not at all," Rika replied. "Come on, I think I know exactly what you should wear at the Feast!" Rika said excitedly.
Sakura couldn't help smiling. She remembered Tomoyo with Rika's enthusiasm. She smiled to herself and said, 'I'll be seeing Tomoyo-chan tonight at last. I just hope everything will go well.'
Eriol stared at the crystal orb at the center of his secret room. The orb was showing Tomoyo sitting on a chair beside the window. She was gazing up at the sky. He saw her placed a hand at the window as if to open it but an electrical barrier had surprised her that she backed away.
Eriol closed his eyes. He had placed a spell around the four corners of her room. He had the premonition of a storm coming that very day and he had to be prepared. 'Tonight my powers will be restored but not at its full length. If I'd get lucky and what I saw in my vision arrives when the sun was still up, I could easily overpower them,' he thought.
It was a very complicated situation for him. His powers were base from the sun and the moon. But if the moon were at its new moon phase, his powers were seize at night. His only chance was when the sun would be back up the sky where he could get his source for power. But the moon would be shining in the sky tonight although not as bright because of its phase.
Eriol opened his eyes once again and stared at the orb. It was showing Chiharu with Yamasaki, busily preparing with tonight's feast. 'Pathetic...' he thought as he stared at Chiharu. 'You're kindness would lead your kingdom to its doom.'
Sakura stared at Syaoran when he had put on his uniform. She hadn't given it a second look when they first met since he was all mess up, but now that his uniform were all cleaned up she saw how striking he looked in it. 'No matter what he wears and on what color it may be it fits him perfectly,' she thought distractedly.
"Remember that you mustn't be seen by her father or our cover will be—," he stopped abruptly upon seeing her looking at him. "Nani wo miteru no?" he snapped at her.
(A/N he said 'What are you staring at?' I know I should just type it down but it has always been my dream to write a scene that someone's going to say that in Japanese lol XD)
Sakura reddened, "Nothing!" she answered rather loudly than she intended to. Syaoran raised an eyebrow but didn't say a thing. He fixed the cuffs of his uniform and he looked back at her. "One more thing," he started.
Sakura looked at him expectantly, "Hai?"
Syaoran looked away. What he was about to say was something he couldn't say while looking at her straight in the eyes. "Just avoid getting too much attention," he said.
Sakura reddened even more if it could be possible, "Li-kun are you...?"
Syaoran looked at her, "It's not what you think. It would be difficult if you get a lot of attention. It's not like I don't want anyone get close to you or something!"
"Hoe?"
"Stick to the plan. I'm going, and remember to meet at the place at exactly 9:00 pm. Got that pea brain?"
"I am not a pea brain!"
Syaoran just shrugged and left without any more ado.
Sakura stared hard at the door. She just couldn't understand him. The way he acted, it's as if nothing had happened last night. Well not that something really did happen, almost anyway. She had almost expected that he'd be a lot nicer around her. Also, she did expect that he would change the way in which he talk to her. Okay maybe she thought that they'd be well... 'closer' after the incident at the Shrine and the 'almost-had-happened' part. Sakura pouted as she stared at the door.
'Li-kun no baka,' she thought. She knows why she was disappointed. She didn't need anyone to tell her that. She may be clueless most of the time but this time she's not that too clueless. She was beginning to like Li.
Syaoran sneaked inside the palace without leaving any suspicions. He acted as if he was on patrol and with the head covering he had on, it went out perfectly.
He pretended to patrol the corridors. As he was walking, he heard noises coming from the front hall. He took a quick glance at the hall and saw that the guests had already started to arrive. 'I better get going,' he thought. He still needed to find where they could be possibly hiding Kinomoto's friend before their meeting.
He started making his way to the second floor. He had stopped and turned on his left when he saw the true Palace Guard patrolling that part of castle going his direction. When he was sure that the guard was gone, he continued on his search.
"I'm right! You do look good with that dress Sakura-chan!" Rika exclaimed. She admired Sakura who was standing in front of her full-length mirror.
Sakura was dressed in a mild pink colored gown with three red linings designed at the ruffles of the gown. The top was off shoulder but a transparent fabric colored also in mild pink covered her shoulder up to her wrists. The headdress was simple but very elegant. It was a half headband on the same pattern as with the gown and it had laces on the ends that Rika had braided with her hair.
Sakura stared at her reflection on the mirror, "Rika-chan... I can't wear this—."
"Nonsense Sakura-chan. It looked perfect on you. I guessed that's the reason why I didn't get to dress it up. It wasn't meant for me," Rika said with a smile.
Sakura turned her head and looked at Rika beside her. "But Rika-chan," she started to protest.
"No buts Sakura, you want to make Ron-kun fall in love with you even more right?" Rika teased. Sakura turned bright red. Her heart had started pounding inside her chest. What Rika had said, was very bold. Deep inside she knew she wanted Li to acknowledge her and look at her not as a little girl but as a real woman.
'Fall in love...?' she flushed even more. Okay so maybe making him fall for her was not exactly what she had in mind. She likes him but it's not the same as being in love right? Thinking about it, she's not really sure if what she feels for him was similar to her feelings towards Yukito. "Rika-chan..." she started in a low voice.
Rika didn't hear her. She glanced at the clock at her desk and saw that it was already 6:35 in the evening. "Oh my, just wait for me here Sakura-chan okay? I'll just change," she told her and hurried out of the room.
Sakura tried to stop her but she failed. She took a deep breath and looked back at her reflection on the mirror. "Make Li-kun fall in love with me huh?" she shook her head at the thought. That was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard.
Yamazaki stared at Chiharu as he led her down the stairs to the great hall. "You don't look well Chiharu-chan," he observed.
Chiharu looked at him and suppressed a smile, "I'm fine, I guess I just lack some sleep. That's all, no need to fuss."
"Well if you didn't get enough sleep you should've just said something. You needed some rest," he told her. Chiharu shook her head, "I'm okay."
"But—."
"Let's hurry Yamazaki-kun," she interrupted him and started pulling him towards the great hall. "W-Wait!" Yamazaki protested.
Naoko stared at the great hall. This would be the second night for the feast. She glanced above the hall and admired the chandelier. It had a different decoration yesterday. She sighed. Just then, the door attendant announced Chiharu's arrival and everyone had bowed down in a curtsy. Naoko watched her as she and Yamazaki went to their table. 'So Yamazaki-sama is here,' she thought with a smile. Last night, Yamasaki was not present since he was in-charged with the celebration at the Shrine.
Naoko glanced at Chiharu's direction and saw that she's gotten worse than last night. It wasn't obvious, Naoko could just see right through Chiharu's smiles that she's actually very tired and troubled with something. 'Oh Chiharu-sama...' she thought very concerned. 'I hope she'd speak up or at least take a rest,' she added.
(A/N hmmm Chiharu's pretty beaten up, I wonder why... lol)
"Wake up."
Yukito heard a soothing voice of a woman spoke. "W-What...?" he slowly opened his eyes but his vision was still blurred.
"Arise, Son of Moon," the voice had said once again.
Yukito couldn't help sweat dropping upon hearing this. He wasn't some Frankenstein to be order to arise anyway. He sat up and finally he remembered what had happened. The three Guardians were chanting and after hours of waiting, the whole room lit and the next thing he knew he was knock out cold.
"Where are we?" Yukito blurted as soon as he realized that they weren't at the Daidouji's anymore. Well the temperature had gotten colder. It was also cold back at the Daidouji at this time of the year but the coldness in the air was different. And there weren't any pine trees growing at the Daidouji.
"To thy destination," Verdandi answered.
It was just then that he realized what he was looking at. Yukito stood up and stared at the view up ahead of him. Not far from where he and Verdandi were standing, stood the Palace of the Lottuse Clan.
It was already past 8:00 when Sakura and Rika arrived at the palace. The sun had already set and the moon was almost high above the clouds. That's right, there were still clouds visible in the night sky. It was as if a storm was coming.
Meanwhile as expected, even if Sakura tried her best to avoid it, she got a lot of attention. She was hard to miss. Her dress didn't stand out but her beauty and on how she carries herself, was the one that made her stand out among the rest.
Naoko stared admiringly at the beautiful auburn haired young woman sitting beside the daughter of the Head Palace Guard. She was very beautiful, simple yet very elegant.
Chiharu had her attention at the new girl too. It was the first time she saw her and she had to admit she was very beautiful with everything. She looked at Yamazaki who was busy talking to one of the men in their table. Well he was actually busy fooling them with his trivial talks. "Nee Yamazaki-kun," Chiharu started.
Yamazaki looked at her, "What is it?"
"Do you know that girl?" Chiharu asked gesturing him to look at the left were the beautiful young woman was sitting.
Yamazaki saw Rika and frowned at Chiharu, "She's Rika Sasaki, the Head Palace Guard's daugh—mmf!"
Chiharu stuffed a table napkin at his mouth. Everyone sweat dropped.
(A/N lol)
"I know that! What I meant was the girl beside her!" she snapped at him.
Yamazaki then saw the beautiful young woman dressed in mild pink gown and shook his head. "No," he answered. "Maybe she was Rika-san's cousin?" he added.
"Yeah maybe..." but Chiharu had the feeling that she wasn't from there.
Eriol left his secret room and started his way to the third floor where Tomoyo's room was. He had the sudden feeling that he had to check on her. His intuitions told him that something very interesting was waiting for him. He started to climb the stairs. He was on the west wing of the palace.
Syaoran just finished checking the rooms on the second floor. He hadn't felt or seen any suspicious room so he decided to move up one floor. He was at the east wing of the palace. He started making his way up the stairs.
Eriol was deep in thought. He reached the third floor and he started making his way to Tomoyo's room.
Syaoran had reached the top step to the third floor. He studied his surrounding for signs of anyone before he started on his search.
Eriol looked ahead of him and turned on his left.
Syaoran saw an intersection. He looked ahead of him, 'What now? Should I turn right or left?' He shrugged. 'It's not as if I'm not going to check every room anyway,' he thought as he turned to the right.
Eriol and Syaoran looked up ahead of them. Both of them were standing at both ends of the corridor.
Eriol just kept on walking.
Syaoran kept his cool and started walking as well. He saw two Palace Guards at one of the rooms at his right but he kept walking.
Eriol drew near the Syaoran.
Syaoran had stopped in his tracks and lowered his head for a curtsy. He didn't know who this man was but with his attire, he might be one of the guests for the Feast so he decided to act like a real Palace Guard.
Eriol walked passed Syaoran. He didn't even bothered looking at him. He went straight at the two Palace Guards at his left.
Syaoran had straightened up and was about to move when he heard the guards addressed the young man.
"Eriol-sama!" the two Guards saluted at him.
Syaoran froze. He felt as if time had slowed down around him.
He slowly spun around to have another look at the young man. He saw him gestured the guards to leave. Syaoran's vision started to blur. His mind, were clouded with his own emotions. That man was the one who led his clan's destruction. He was the reason for all his sufferings, his hardships and his loss. Without knowing what he was doing, he had taken out an amulet and he groped for his orb he had tied around his waist.
(A/N cliffhanger? sorry about that :P can't help it hehe
Rest assured that I'll start with the next chapter after I get some sleep lol XD
RR pls! and thank you very much everyone (smiles))
