AU PAIR
*RATED M FOR MATURITY*
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Card Captor Sakura. However, this story is all mines down to its very last idea.
Chapter Thirty Five: Riot
—ONE MONTH LATER—
"…reports of the apprehended protestors have escaladed since the start of the war. It is uncertain about whether authority will try separate tactics to…" Sakura pressed mute on her television as she stared at the surrounding mail circulating her like leeches. Sitting cross-legged on her floor of her apartment, she all but leaned back in frustration. She'd stubbornly allowed bills to collect on her island counter, had ignored them in hopes they would go away with her decision to stop staying at her apartment. Wishful thinking, none of it went away when she opened the door and saw the pile of mail on her counter today.
A glance at her DVR clock told her she still had a few solid hours before responsibility kicked in and Lyri needed to be picked up from preschool. It also told her she needed to get her high-tail up and start doing what she needed to do. Bills needed to be paid with money she, in reality, didn't possess. Her medical bills were the worst of them all and she still had them flowing in. Naoko had helped her pay for the bill at Sudder Valley, including the fine for escaping the hospital without consent. Sakura's cheeks had been red for weeks in embarrassment every time she saw her novelist best friend. It was easier to pay back a friend then have mail come in constantly with reminders that it needed to be paid or face consequences. Sakura was on her own with the medical bill for her fractured bone, which had been replaced with a guard as her knuckles continued to heal. Her legs began to tingle as she continued to sit on them, papers fluttering to the floor as she shifted to get a better position. At one point she thought she had bills coming out of her ears the way the pink painted reminders beamed up from the rest. They had gotten to the point where things were starting to shut off one by one.
Her gas had been shut off two days prior, leaving her apartment with cold water and no heater access. The stove was out of the question, which didn't bother her since she hated cooking as much as the next person. Her cell phone bill was still waiting for its payment greedily, the white and green paper sitting next to her rent. Sakura stared at her credit card bill and wondered when she'd spent two hundred dollars. With the boys still overseas, her stress levels had escalated to gray hair status. Since she'd neglected to return home until the snow melted in the middle of January, she'd lost over a hundred dollars worth of food and needed to spring clean for ants that found their way into her fridge. It was odd to see ants come out after winter, but they'd been there eating her mold-infested cheese she'd forgot she had. She wasn't sure when she'd made the decision to stop returning to her apartment. It just happened. Now she was dealing with the hefty, gross, consequence of living with a three-year-old in a larger house. At least she managed to keep Syaoran's house in tip-top shape other than the recent plumber issue that put her back a week of no showering. More stress, more headaches—Sakura let out a frustrated sigh as she leaned back against her plush couch and wished it all would disappear.
Sakura also made another life-changing decision as she sat on her apartment floor. Since Rika's apartment lease had crept up on them and Sakura had foolishly placed a down-payment for another quarter to continue living, Sakura decided to let Rika have her apartment. Boxes littered her apartment, her belongings half-packed and wrapped up in waiting. Her decision to hand Rika her apartment had been more on the scale that she couldn't keep paying rent for a place she wasn't living in. Deep down she knew it had nothing to do with her relationship with Syaoran, but the fact that her money had somehow disappeared with the pile of bills she was paying for. The landlord had been all too happy to allow the switch, changing titles with a small down payment from Rika and a payment from Sakura regarding the freshly painted walls that wasn't part of the apartment agreement. No one touched on what would happen if Sakura's relationship crashed. Sakura had thought about it and knew it would be devastating if something like that happened, but she knew her friends—all of them—would take her in with open arms; they'd done it before.
Not wanting to relive horrid memories of her past failures, she glanced up to watch the silent television screen as the news showed the riot happening at the docks. The war had changed Middleton, turning the city completely around as more soldiers were deployed and none came home. The devastation of not having soldiers returning was harder on families and society than it was to have a war overseas. Chandise had called a number of times with offers to take on jobs and each time she had to turn her down in fear of getting Lyri taken from her custody. As a nanny, she wasn't allowed to risk her life. Her beliefs were shut down because of the rank Syaoran held in the military. Instead, Sakura took on menial protests the moment Lyri had returned to preschool. None of those protests were as horrendous as the ones on television. The riots had gone to dangerous zones and authorities were at a loss on what to do with weapon wielding citizens and powerful environmentalists that proved the military was in the wrong. The war itself wasn't even close to ending; everyone knew it. The riot that was currently on the television screen had placed newscasters in jeopardy as they tried to get front row seats and record every action, every move, and every shout. Tomoyo had removed herself professionally because she feared her own life at the riots and she was an Environmentalist News Reporter, it was her job to interview the riots.
Sakura got to her feet to shut off the screen. A tingling sensation running from her spine down as her sleeping limbs began to wake up. She couldn't take the riots anymore. She had other important things to deal with like cleaning. Flinching at the sight of her mess, she headed to the stereo system still set up next to her television, hooking in her iPod and setting up the speakers. Music blasting a moment later, she stuck the remote in her back pocket and scanned her kitchen. Everything was going to be either donated or stored; nothing was going to Syaoran's. It was a hard decision on donations, but money was needed and there were more than enough items she never needed. Walking over boxes and placing her bandaged hand on her stomach, she decided to start with the clutter on her fridge. Climbing on top of her counter, she stared at the dusty mess that was her fridge. One by one she began to wrap glass in newspapers and began to place them at her feet. Gingerly she managed to create a surrounding circle of wrapped glasses around the counter space. Absorbed in wiping down the fridge with a wet rag, she didn't hear the door until they began to pound on it. Mindless Self Indulgence continued to scream even as stared blankly at the door. The moment it registered that someone was on the other side, she pressed mute on the radio and called out.
"…It's Yukito," once again Sakura blinked. "I have the paperwork…we had an appointment…" he trailed off as his muffled voice barely came to her.
It took her a moment to register the appointment she agreed to have with him and flushed. "Oh yeah…umm…" glancing down at her red-painted toes and the stretch of counter, she caught her mistake easily. "I'm kind of stuck." She called out.
"What do you mean you're stuck?" disbelief was etched into his voice and her heart gave an extra thump in embarrassment.
"I started cleaning and well…" she sighed heavily as she moved her foot and stopped. There was no way around her wrapped glass, not unless she wanted them shattering on the floor. An idea popped into her head and she ran a hand over the fridge and cringed at the feeling of wet clumps of dirt, depleting the idea faster than the speed of light. "My door should be unlocked." She heard Yukito try the door, her wishful thinking dying in one breath as he said 'negative'. Her eyes went to her cell phone on the floor, meshing in with her pink plush furniture. "Rika lives underneath me in apartment 76."
"Okay," was all he got out and Sakura crossed her eyes.
"She has a spare key."
"Oh…oh! Be right back," as his audible footsteps came back to her, Sakura stared at her mess surrounding her. The counter wasn't large enough to scoot the glasses aside and walk the length. The shelving system protruded out far enough that her head hit the side of it even as she stood in place. Somehow in her cleaning expenditure she'd surrounded herself to the point of immobility. A laugh escaped her throat as she finished wiping off as much dust as she could reach with her soaked rag, her fingers barely reaching the other side of the fridge. "She wasn't home!" Yukito called out and Sakura's heart leaped. She hadn't even heard his knock.
"Of course not," she breathed out and stared at her bare feet. There was over a dozen glasses wrapped up and stacked on one another. Most of the glasses were trinkets from her travels and expeditions; she didn't even know where half the others came from. She didn't even know why she had so many on top of her fridge. Yukito knocked again, asking if she was still there. "My landlord lives at the south entrance bottom floor—,"
"I can't just break the door down?" he laughed and she glared daggers.
"No,"
"Fine. Be right back," Sakura was sure he thought she was a ditz for getting stuck on top of her counter. She sure thought she was one.
Bare hand pressed against the side of her stomach, a sudden tear of pain going from somewhere within to her abdomen. Taking slow, even breathes she regulated her stress levels before it got out of control and blew out. Stress and pregnancy was the top concern for everyone. Looking down Sakura let her lips curl up in a soft smile. After the snow and the harsh rain and then the idea that she was pregnant with Syaoran across the globe finally settled in, she was happy. It took long enough to finally appreciate what was happening, but it was there. Sakura was glowing. Her stomach was larger than most pregnant women at two months. She didn't mind, at least she looked pregnant and not fat. The door suddenly jiggled and opened, admitting to people in an instant. Sakura looked up, hand still pressed against her side as she ran a hand around the slight bulge.
"What in the name of—?" an elder woman blinked, head shaking as she glanced at Sakura's mess then up at her. Dark brown eyes sharpened in curiosity before crinkling around the edges in high amusement. "I don't even want to know." grey curls bounced as she turned to Yukito. "She's all yours,"
"Thank you," he bowed respectfully before turning his wide blue orbs on Sakura standing three feet above his six foot stature. "How'd you manage this?"
"Are you just going to stand there?" Sakura asked instead as she wiggled her knees to show him how dangerous it was to be on her counter. "Pregnant woman three feet in the air, plus the extra four feet of my height…" she trailed.
"Sorry, I'm just baffled at all of this." He waved his hand at the mass of wrapped glasses surrounding her space. One by one he moved the items to her island counter, giving her feet room to climb down safely. "Why do you have so many of these?" he asked a moment later.
"Hoarder in the making,"
"What…really?" Sakura could only stare at him until he flushed, embarrassed that he'd been doped. "Should I come back another time?"
"No, I need the distraction. What was it for again?" for the first time since Yukito entered her house, she noticed how worn down he appeared. Underneath his thick uniform and glasses, he looked as tired as she felt. Yukito's unique shade of silver-white hair was trimmed short, leaving longer strands on top of his head and brushed off to the side to keep out of his eyes. She never noticed how his hair made him look older and fairly impressionable. A faint blush rose on her cheeks when she remembered the school girl crush she had on him in the past as well.
"Well Sergeant Major Li had it set up that he recognizes you as the temporary custodial parent for Lyrianna and his beneficiary for the house that's under military jurisdiction." He showed her the folder and Sakura remained frozen, eyes wide. "Are you…okay?"
"Y-yeah," Sakura shook her head, sliding her fingers through her hair and tucking a strand behind her ear. "What does this all mean exactly?"
"Maybe you should sit down." it was more of a demand than a suggestion, one that sent chills down Sakura's spine. When she didn't budge, Yukito sighed. "He's not coming back for some time, Sakura."
"But he is still alive, right?" Yukito pushed his glasses up and frowned.
"Well yeah, what made you think he wasn't?"
"You know you kind of suck at subtlety." Sakura sighed heavily, hand against her small bump of a stomach and sat down on a bar stool. Opening the folder he handed her, her eyes scanned over the large words and military's way of pronouncing details that didn't matter. "I wasn't aware his house was under military jurisdiction. He deliberately bought a house outside Fort Middleton for that reason."
"It wasn't," Sakura looked up at that and Yukito sat down besides her, tugging on his uniforms jacket. "Due to the extremity of the war, military allegations need to be pushed through." she held up her hand to stop him from speaking.
"Simple terms, I don't need a migraine right now."
"Sorry," pushing up his glasses again he pointed at the folder in her hand. "Before deployment all soldiers need to sign waivers in regards to family and property and personal affairs…" Sakura stared at him warningly as he trailed. "Sergeant Major Li updated his will as protocol and added that you'd have sole custody of his daughter if something should happen to him." that took Sakura by surprise as she stared at him, eyes glossing over at the idea of something happening. "As I said, due to the extremities of the current war…things have shifted."
"What things?"
"He owns the house, the car, and has sudden custodial custody of a child that's under eighteen years."
"But…"
"No 'buts', I'm here as a representative of the military to make you aware that everything will go to you as a temporary holder until Sergeant Major Li returns from war." There was a long pause as Sakura stared at him but not, her emerald orbs seeing passed Yukito.
"What happens if..." Sakura paused, swallowing a sudden lump in her throat.
"If he dies?" Yukito's soft voice made her jerk. One long finger pushed a box away from him, giving him another inch of room on her cluttered counter. "Unfortunately since you are not his spouse, the military takes his property and Lyrianna goes to her mother." he licked dry lips as he tried to remain professional. "It won't come to this, Sakura."
"All this because he's still over there?" she said instead, ignoring his statement to try and ease the mood.
"It's February," he stated as if she wasn't aware. Placing a hand on her shoulder he gave her a weak smile to place her hopes up. "General Lauder and General Kinomoto have orders to keep them over there. Specialists or not, there's a war going on and we need all the hands we could afford." Sakura stared at nothing as her mind tried to process everything. "Sakura…it's his job, Sergeant Major—."
"I know," she cut him off, a single tear slipping down her face as she grabbed a pen and signed the papers. "Yukito…you will tell me if something happens to him and my friends, right?"
He took a moment to respond, taking in her emotions like an animal assessing the situation. His gaze went down to her stomach and back again when she handed him the papers, signed and closed. "Of course,"
…
…
…
"Juliette this is Romeo, what's your coordinates?"
"Oh Romeo, Romeo…where aren't thou Romeo?"
"Naru shut up…!"
"Juliette and Tango are currently in position CT 40 South, eight."
"All clear Juliette." There was a pause as static ended it out before, "And Naru I need you to keep singing clearly before I decide to take you on a date."
"Ah, but without my Romeo how will I stun my performance."
"By shoving it and keep low and silent, idiot."
"Love you too princess,"
Syaoran went cross-eyed as he ignored Haku and Lea bicker, bringing his arm up in command to continue their movement as Eriol gave them the all clear from above. General Knox wanted them to play by the rules with code names that had Haku enjoying his time on the ground and Lea ready to burst with anger from her current position. Private Lea wasn't pleased with the codename 'Princess', but General Knox was clear as to keeping it close to their names so they didn't get too confused. Syaoran had a feeling General Knox was a star wars fan and giving them code names had nothing to do with military or their job. Syaoran didn't think the names were needed at all, but he wasn't complaining. He was just happy they were no longer at Fort Braxton losing their minds. His headaches hadn't gone away, but they eased with the passing time. It was better than nothing in his book. Anything was better than staying at Fort Braxton with a headache, a nose bleed, and a loss of time.
Red dirt kicked up as they moved in formation underneath the guise of being part of land. They were trekking the desert, staying low and covered. Blending in with the earth was difficult once the snow melted, leaving muddy terrain and no shelter. They'd spent too long of time at Fort Braxton. The moment the sky stopped slamming them down with snow, they started their initial attack. Syaoran could hear the shallow sound of a fighter plane. It was a good distance away and slowly disappearing. Friend or foe crossed his mind as he held up his hand to stop the team he was in charge of. Two teams of five went out; two teams of five were expected to return. It was a tall order, but he intended on returning to Fort Braxton with each member of his team and fellow soldiers intact. Bringing his arm down, they continued to trek forward. Lea and Haku were still bickering in low mumbling voices in his ear. Syaoran knew it was Haku's way of coping with a mission. He just pitied Lea for being his victim. At least it wasn't him.
As they moved, following Lieutenant Rose and her team of five, Syaoran couldn't help but continue to think about the progress they weren't making. The snow took too long to melt away, turning into slushy black mud. They were leaving footprints as they bounded up hills and around ditches, hiding from the enemy. Footprints were a sure way of getting caught.
Even if the weather gave the soldiers at Fort Braxton enough time to recover from previous wounds, it wasn't enough to take on if they were suddenly ambushed. Lieutenant Rose raised her fist, stopping their progress as they came to another mile. Once again he heard the static noise as she communicated with Eriol up above, easing his mood. Air force SRT was flying high above the clouds, tracking their positions and making sure they weren't falling into an ambush. It was risky, but effective and Syaoran was glad that the military placed two SRT factions together. It meant they were becoming smarter than handed to them. It would make Sakura smile.
Syaoran's chest clenched when he realized he let Sakura enter his mind. Shaking it off, he watched carefully as Rose dropped her arm and waved for them to continue North East of Fort Braxton. They were heading to a city called Sybil. According to records it had been recently bombed by the enemy and marked as uncharted and un-territorial. Sybil had refused to join either side of the war. A wise decision, if it didn't mean placing the entire city in harms way as two opposing sides tried to kill each other. A gate had been put up surrounding the large city with enough chain-link to keep people in but not out. It was gate that had the desert laughing at them. During the snowy season of December and far into January, the enemy had taken precision strikes, giving Sybil a fair warning. It gave the soldiers of Middleton and Sudder a glimpse at the true intent: something was there. Parched and tired, his legs protesting at the constant stop and move motion they were doing, Syaoran kept his eyes on the red dirt and ears on his comrades.
A sudden click forced him to stop, frozen with time. Syaoran's eyes went wide as he stared down at his feet seeing only colored dirt. Removing his dust clad goggles he squinted against the sun and blinked slowly, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. No one moved as everyone assessed their situation, catching on that something happened. The click had been audible to only a few of them, sending a chill racing down their spines. Goose bumps running over his skin even underneath all the clothing, Syaoran slowly turned his head. Private Lea was closer to him with her medical bag, hands tightening around her weapon as she shook her head. He could see her olive-green orbs behind the thick lenses of her goggles, pupils pulsing with fear from the recognizable click. Passed her at a couple feet distance was Lieutenant Rose, own weapon pressed against the dirt as she searched a small gap around her feet. At her raised head and shake of limbs, Syaoran turned to the left. Haku stared at him, goggles hanging around his neck like a scarf. The other soldiers passed Haku in formation all shook their heads.
"That's a damn dirty trick," Haku breathed out calmly. Syaoran shifted his position as he started for his friend. Haku's finger lifted, barely moving away from his weapon as he slowly shook his head. "I wouldn't inch closer, landmine." The fear licked at him with the whistling breeze of desert.
"Tsukino…" Private Lea whispered as the wind whistled around them profusely. A sudden change in atmosphere made Syaoran grow uneasy as he looked from Haku over at the other soldiers. They were moving around him, breaking formation as he assessed the situation with eyes sharp. Lea fumbled for her radio, eyes remaining on Haku as he remained completely still. "Romeo this is Princess, we need a heat signature check at coordinates 42 South, eight; over." Her voice shook as her words echoed in everyone's ears, the static responding back to them. "Romeo this is Princess—,"
"Lea stop," Syaoran said and turned just as a jet flew over head. The thunderous sound rattled his bones as they flew too close to the ground. Friend or Foe? He watched the black creation come out of the shadows. It was the same jet that he heard before. He didn't recognize the plane as it swooped by and disappeared once again into the clouds. He didn't like the silence that fell in his mind, the microphones linking them all not responding.
The jet came out again circling dangerously. Guns came out, poised for a kill as the pilot flew over them in a brush of dust and debris. Lieutenant Rose shouted followed by another soldier growling something unheard of. In less than a minute bullets' pierced the dirt over the ditch, sending everyone down to the ground. Haku remained frozen as he stared at his foot placing. Syaoran's heart hammered in his chest as he crouched and aimed his weapon against his thigh. Haku couldn't move not unless he wanted to blow them all into smithereens. If what he stood upon was a landmine then death by bullet seemed kind. The jet circled around again, coming back for round two as they continued to stand there. Haku was swearing colorfully to himself, unable to move out of the way as the shower of bullets pierced the dirt. He couldn't move. The two options handed down to him had his anger boiling over, sharp blue eyes changing to icy blue as he stared at the enemy circling overhead and back again.
It was almost like the enemy knew they would make their move, leading a small team towards the gully and not around to the town. Syaoran had his weapon in hand as he roared out orders to keep formation, mirroring Lieutenant Rose as she barked out to get their weapons ready. They were to fight back whether they wanted to or not. Private Lea continued to yell into the walkie, using code to try and get Eriol to answer back, to get anyone of the air force members to answer back. Cocking his weapon, Syaoran turned his body and positioned it so his sniper was raised a fraction. Haku was a sitting duck as he stood still, fear of moving keeping him rooted to the ground without a muscle twitching. As the jet came back, missing them on purpose as the bullets hit the dirt surrounding them, Syaoran aimed and fired. Two bullets pierced the underbelly of the jet as they flew over. Dust kicked up around them in a tornado bowl, entering airways and making them cough. Lieutenant Rose called a position line as the soldiers shook with fright and aimed their weapons. As Syaoran got ready for a few more shots, trying to protect his comrade from getting a bullet through the head, his walkie talkie began to buzz to life.
"Tango this is Red, I believe you just walked into an ambush. Romeo's out of range, covering fifty feet away with five birds on his tail." Meilin's voice came in loudly, anger fueling her words. Someone swore and he was sure it was Rose as she barked out orders to aim and stay steady. No one wanted to move, not if landmines were hidden beneath the dirt.
Taking aim, Syaoran fired two more shots into the jet playing a game with them. That's all it was—a game. The pilot was most likely laughing at their attempts to penetrate the undercarriage of his titanium metal. Unless they were above him, aiming for the cockpit with a harsher weapon other than an AK and Sniper-rifle, they were useless. Pulling his walkie to his mouth, Syaoran moved out of the way just as bullets hit the dirt by his head. "Red, Naru is on top of a landmine." Syaoran roared into his walkie, staring at his friend as he stood stoic still. Bullets crazed the dirt around them, missing Haku by centimeters as he flinched. "We need that heat signature, now!"
"What!?" Meilin was thrown off as she swore under her breath. "I'm 5 clicks away, Naru don't get shot without permission; over." Her transmission was gone, leaving them in the silence of whistling wind and bullet pellets hitting the ground at their feet.
"Roger that." Haku mumbled and stared in horror as the enemy came around trying to spook them. Syaoran watched as the bullets went around them, aiming into the dirt in a bizarre signature. It took him a moment to comprehend the enemy pilot was trying to set off the landmine from the sidelines. Without knowing exactly where the landmine started and ended, everyone was a sitting duck. Haku caught on as well as he looked up at the jet circling around, a second one coming to its aide. "We don't happen to have a hundred-eighty pound object to put in my place, do we?" he asked out of spite.
"Oh yeah, I have a cheetah in my back pocket." Syaoran grumbled and ducked, just as the spray of bullets showered over them. Lieutenant Rose roared for them to fire back, getting the attention of the other five soldiers with them as they fumbled for their life. "Tsukino you're going to have to move!"
"To hell with that…!"
"Tsukino…!" Syaoran glared daggers at him. Haku threw his hands up a fraction and winced as he flipped Syaoran off instead.
Lea was still yelling at her walkie talkie, trying to get the help faster and calling for aide from the land. Her weapon was aimed at the second jet, her body shaking visibly as she fired. Her back hit the dirt from the pressure of her weapon and Lieutenant Rose yelled at her in turn. It was like everyone was lost; forgetting their training, forgetting that their top priority was to stay alive. Syaoran thought quickly staring at the dirt as the bullets placed holes into the ground. Tuning everything out he tried to come up with something, a plan, anything. He knew if he returned without Haku, Rika would personally kill him herself. He knew that Sakura would never speak to him again if he came home without her best friend, and that everyone would be lost in the transition to get over a death of a loved one.
Haku was chanting under his breath a verse from Thousand Foot Crutch, as he tried to stay still, not wanting to move his foot from the place he stepped on. His arms shifted as he kept his weapon at the ready. If he fired his weapon, the pressure of the shot would send him back an inch or add extra weight depending on Haku's hold. Syaoran squinted when he thought he heard Haku mention Private Farce. Their bomb specialist was lost to them, leaving them alone to deal with the war. Shaking his head as he tuned out Haku's voice mumbling incoherently, Syaoran shut his eyes. The headache came faster than the realization he knew what to do. Eyes flying open he stared at Haku, who in turn was watching him with wide blue orbs. Blood slipped down his nose in tendrils, rolling down his lip and chin, down his neck until the line was gone in his uniform. All at once he had his weapon against his leg as he patted down his uniform until he found the rope he needed. Bullets flew passed him, missing him by inches and centimeters. One grazed his arm as he remained in position, the sudden sting made him seethe as he unconsciously ran his hand across his face. Blood smeared and sweat replaced the tendrils of red. Tying rope around his waist securely, he looked at Haku and cracked a smile.
"You go down, I go down. Remember Tsukino…Nemo Relictus."
"Love you too Li, but come on. You're the one with a bun in the oven and another one waiting for your return."
"What, you want to die!?" Syaoran barked out in fury. "Weren't you telling me last month you were going to propose to Sasaki, when you returned?"
"Li think carefully about this. I move an inch this whole place goes boom, including you." For once Haku didn't argue as he pleaded with Syaoran with his gaze. "The enemy is shooting at us and we're arguing." He suddenly laughed as pellets showered around them. One of the soldiers yelled out in pain as a bullet grazed his leg.
"Tsukino I'm ordering you to catch this rope and tie it around your waist. I refuse to explain to Sasaki why you've perished in the line of duty."
"In the line of fire," he corrected. Something crossed over his face as he stared at Syaoran, body frozen as bullets pierced the dirt. Syaoran moved out of the way just as bullets pierced the ground he stood on, brown orbs darkening as he yelled at Haku. "Those headaches of yours come back?" it was a simple question, one that threw Syaoran off guard as he blinked. "Fine, give me the damn rope." Syaoran tossed him the other side of the line, getting his weapon poised as two more jets came overhead.
"Nemo relictus,"
"No man left behind," Lea repeated and Haku sighed, securing the rope around his waist and tugging on it. It happened quickly, Meilin's jet coming out of the clouds as she took fire above the two enemy jets. Whether it was because of her precise shot as she took down two of the five enemy jets or pure luck, a stray bullet hit a space right next to Haku. The explosion that came next sent Syaoran backwards like a rag doll, crashing into Lea as she tried to get out of the way, sending them both sailing through the air. The tug on the rope snapped harshly and pulled, his body reacting to Haku's weight as he brought the soldier with him as he flew.
A blossom of red and black rose for the sky in a tendril of hot heat, sending out waves to touch and lick at the faces of the soldiers on the ground. The heat scorching his face as he tumbled was like nothing he'd ever felt before. He anticipated the worst. Eyes tight, Syaoran held his breath, not wanting to breathe in the sulfur mix of the blast. It was the only reaction he could do, body flying feet away from his original position. His lungs hurt from the wave, his body burning up outside-in—someone screamed, another roared giving him the clue that the blast took out more than just the small vicinity. His body was still airborne as a second blast reacted to the first, giving them all a terrified reality-check. More than one landmine had been set up in the red dirt of the desert and more than one was going off in the worst reaction possible. Syaoran felt the rope around his waist catch, the weight of Haku's weight snapping it as the heat burnt it to a crisp. He hoped his plan worked, hoped that Haku was able to survive the blast, and hoped that they all managed to get out of the bullet zones alive.
The heat continued to eat away at his uniform, at his flesh until it was a dull ache that his body accepted. Something cracked as his body made contact with the dirt, skidding backwards in a solid line. He knew there would be a deep enough ditch from the impact of the blast. The force of the blast sent the soldiers a good ten feet away from their positions. A forced cough left Syaoran's lips as he remained still and sucked in enough air to cough harder. He could barely breathe. Eyes closed he sucked in air and coughed, repeating the action as he took in the harsh scent of burnt flesh and fabric. A body was next to him and he could hear them wheezing. Scenes flashed before his eyes, like a movie as his body tried desperately to shut down. A ringing sound was making his ears pulse, ranging from high-to-low before he could hear the whistles of bullets flying by. Shouts overpowered the blazing sounds of fire. He couldn't move and didn't want to, his body finally accepting the truth that he was done for. Unwanted scenes continued to flash before his eyelids; fire and darkness, faces and smiles, trees and the sun. Finally he settled on one thing he could accept and held it. The pat-pat-pat of a high-pressured gun continued to go off as jets fought over their heads but Syaoran ignored it all.
Image of Sakura's smiling face floated in his mind, soothing him into a lullaby of sleep. His body hurt from head to toe, blood oozing from open wounds that burned from the burnt skin. Sakura's emerald orbs blinked and smiled, ghost-white hand going out to touch Syaoran's face as he remained still and unmoving on the desert ground. The shouting continued nearby, penetrating his pulse and making his heart pick up speed. Gun shots continued to ring out as a battle raged on. He didn't care. The only thing he wanted was the feel her touch, to allow her to take him away, and to ease his pain. Lying there on the ground felt better and better as he continued to stay unmoving. Her hand stretched out, reaching for him in a magnetizing way. Finally reaching him, his heart sank. Sakura vanished in a gust of wind, reminding him that she was a figment of his imagination. The ringing sensation in his ears dulled out and died completely, replacing with the shouting of Lieutenant Rose and a few other soldiers as they swore and fought. Syaoran blinked slowly, white flash of hot sun beating him into a pulp before he chocked and rolled over. He was alive after all. Just that awakening of truth sent a god-awful pain straight through his bones as he shook and lifted onto one elbow.
Memories flashed, reminders ached behind his eyes, and he chocked out allowing blood to leave his parted lips before he sucked in a quick breath that tasted like heat and dirt. "Tsukino…?" he whispered, eyes moving but head remaining still. To his right the wheezing continued as Haku lay haphazardly next to him. The red dust of the earth settled on Haku's body like a second skin.
He was alive as he shook violently, wheezing and coughing into the dirt that was caked to his skin. Head slowly turning, helmet moving with his head at an odd angle, Haku blinked red dirt. "Remind me never to argue with you over my life." Haku got out and coughed, blood splattering the ground. Arm shaking to push his body up, he wiped the blood from his face and lifted his head weakly. Glancing at Syaoran his eyes sharpened to blue hues of ice. "Now it's your turn to stop messing with fate."
"I'll be fine," Syaoran knew he probably looked a lot worse than he felt. Blood dripped from his nose in a cool sensation, burning his skin where the heat had blistered parts of his dry skin. He didn't want to know what the rest of him looked like. "I'll be fine," he repeated more to himself than to reassure his friend.
"Bull shit." Haku spat again, a clump of blood marking the red dirt like a disease.
"Ladies if you're done arguing about blood spilt…" Lea pointed behind them. She was shaking as she dropped to her knees, unsure and shaking from the initial blast. Her weapon was slung awkwardly against her back, right arm hanging on her side uselessly—broken. Syaoran's attention went to the direction of her point and froze.
Ice ran down his spine at the sight of them. They had appeared out of nowhere, dressed in white garments. No, he realized as he blinked sweat and smut from his eyes, they came once the landmines were initiated. They looked like they were melting into the desert as if they were one of them, faces covered by gas masks as they took fire on the soldiers. Ambush had a new meaning. The whole time they trekked through the desert following along a path that hid them from the enemy on the ground and keeping their shadows at bay, the enemy had trekked along with them in the darkness of the ditch. They had happily walked right into a trap, thinking they had the upper hand. General Knox had allowed them to march the desert with a small reinforcement pattern. Fear dripped down his spine as he shivered at the prospect that something terrible went wrong, that they'd been led into a trap on purpose. Eriol was their eyes above, probably chased off when he got too close to uncovering the enemies signatures.
His neck was stiff and pulsing with a second heart beat. Slowly he got to his feet, the weapons aiming at them with a harsh snap. The enemy watched with black eyes as Syaoran sat on his knees and remained still. Lea and Haku followed suit, never reaching for their weapons as they remained calm and collected. Lea whispered something to him and Syaoran shook his head a bare inch. The fires from the explosions were hot against his flesh, blazing high and creating a black cloud above them. Bullets continued to echo the atmosphere as two jets went over head and circled around. Through the fire he could see a few bodies, unmoving. Ten soldiers had walked the line, he couldn't help but wonder how many still stood. Lieutenant Rose still yelled out orders from twenty or so feet away, her weapon going off as the soldiers with her fought off the enemy. Unable to move his head, Syaoran didn't know if they were foot soldiers she was defending off or if she was still trying to attack the air as jets flew over. Haku breathed under his breath that they couldn't attack, not without a bullet piercing them. It was ten percent chance of survival. The three of them against the dozen white-clad men, was not an option he wished to face.
Trying to come up with a plan as one of the white men started slowly towards them, Syaoran's ear buzzed life coming to form. He was mildly surprised the circuit still worked. The multiple blasts had rattled his bones enough; the circuits should have exploded as well. Making sure not to make any sudden movements, he listened intently to the buzzing before words were finally forming in his head. Meilin's voice was loud and clear as her aircraft flew over them, a second one on her tail. Haku barely lifted his head at the sight of the planes as a third dropped down from the smoky clouds and almost hit the second tailing behind Meilin. Eriol's voice was yelling through a moment later to try and take down the five jets coming their way. It was more than an ambush, it was a death sentence.
His body was shutting down, the blood still slipping down his nose. It wasn't as much as before, the trail becoming a slow descent as he kept his head leveled up-right. All Syaoran knew was that without the headaches, he was simply bleeding. Anyone that was sent flying and crashing against a hard surface would bleed. Private Lea had a broken arm by the way she was letting it hang uselessly at her side, a pinch in her brow from the pain. Haku was bleeding from a head wound, the trail of blood slipping down his brow and over his left eye. All of those were visible wounds. Syaoran knew they were a lot more damaged. Could they face the men slowly inching towards them and survive? No. He couldn't come up with a plan to survive, his mind drawing a darkness that only made his bones ache. He found a rhythm in the fighting, Meilin and Eriol fighting above as they flew over too low, Lieutenant Rose yelling as she fought for her life a distance away. He could hear the murmurs in his ear followed by the buzzing. Breathing fast, Syaoran shut his eyes and waited.
He didn't know what he was waiting for anymore. They were done for. He knew that as much as Haku knew that. He could hear his friend struggle to breath, the wheezing loud in his ear. Syaoran's skin burned as if it were on fire, blood drying up and caking to wounds that had been burned in the blast. With his eyes closed he could hear the rocks sliding away from footsteps as they enemy approached, could hear the groaning sounds of a soldier as he woke from a small coma. There was now four of them, but still outnumbered by the dozen men dressed in white. They were done for. Opening his eyes, Syaoran let the sun engulf him as he reached for his weapon strapped to his leg. Guns raised and bodies stopped. They were done for, but he refused to go down surrendering to them. I'm sorry Sakura, was all he could think of as he made his decision, as he made the plan to attack and move on from there. To wing it was to die, but to sit there was to die as well. Catching on easily, Haku did the same and grumbled that he hated last-minute details. Syaoran turned his head a fraction and looked at Lea, dirt and blood marking her usually pristine face of freckles.
A part of him wished he could have gotten to know the medical soldier and her fiery temper. Lea looked at him, olive-green orbs unwavering as she cracked a dull smile. She understood faster than light what needed to be done. Her red hair was flying in the wind from the jets, grimy and knotted up as tendrils of curls rose up and down. Turning back to the men standing there, speaking in a language he didn't understand, Syaoran locked his gaze on their weapons. A dozen of them against the four soldiers bruised and tired. It was almost like a nightmare come to life. The moment a plane crashed, the white-garbed rebels took fire upon them. Haku was the first to react, showering them with his bullets and yelling at the soldier that managed to waken from his stupor. Syaoran's legs brought him into a harsh run, dodging what he could as he found the ditch made by the blast.
It hurt to slide into the newly made hole, hurt to move and pull the trigger of a light-weight gun. It hurt to breathe. Lea was yelling at the top of her lungs as she took fire with her only good arm, moving in a slow motion to safety behind a boulder. Syaoran fired and coughed. A bullet pierced his flesh and he groaned, ignoring the pain quickly. A jet flew over head as he unloaded and reloaded his automatic. The underbelly was black and dented, bullets hitting it as the white-clad enemy tried to attack them and the Syaoran as well. Unsure if it was Meilin or Eriol flying overhead, Syaoran used the advantage and fired aimlessly. Two of the dozen enemies went down just as another bullet grazed his shoulder. Fabric tore, skin seared with a hot sensation, and his ears rang as he yelled.
"Damn-it all to hell," Syaoran heard Meilin swear as a plane circled. Nothing came from her jet and Syaoran knew then she was out of bullets. The second plane made a wide arch and fired upon the enemy, making Syaoran duck his head. Bringing his head up painfully a moment later, he squinted into the red and black smoke past the red dirt flying up in a tornado style. Two bullets flew, one landing on the enemy.
His blood ran cold at the sudden sound of a torpedo. Heads went up, watching the massive weapon fly for the black-painted aircraft that was still firing on another, trying desperately to bring him down. That's when Syaoran realized who the pilot was even before his mouth opened and his body tensed.
"Hiiragizawa…!" Syaoran and Meilin roared together as his plane went down, fire engulfing the entire back end of his jet. Meilin swore as she circled around getting a bullet to the wing as another round of rebels let their bullets fly. "Mei get out of here!" Syaoran ordered loudly, hoping his circuit was working.
"Sergeant Major Li…!" someone else screamed out.
"His plane…" Meilin whispered as the echo of her alarm sounded. Her aircraft was going down as well. "Lieutenant Hiiragizawa answer, are you there!?"
Syaoran tried to ignore his cousin sudden plea for her lieutenant to answer back, the gun becoming hot against his grip as he lay low and fired from his ditch. He couldn't think straight as another blast rocked the earth, shattering his peripheral vision with a gust of dark dust. It was when she sent out her message of emergency eject, Syaoran heard the whistle of a second torpedo flying over head. It happened quickly, blinding him as the torpedo hit her jet just as her right wing exploded from the pressure of a separate entity. Someone yelled out in a shrill voice, another blast rocking the earth and sending him somersaulting backwards. The heat of the second explosion brought tears to his eyes as he stared up at the gray sky, arms barely moving to cover his face from the third blast. All he could hear as the bombs landed was the shrill cry of Meilin calling for Eriol and someone shrilly yelling at him to move, move, move. I'm sorry Sakura. Then it all went black.
…
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…
Sakura openly shivered as she sat in Syaoran's mustang, staring at the red brake lights of the car in front of her. A frown marked her face as she watched the hairs on her arms rise from the random chill. The vents were blowing out warm air; the windows shut and locked up tight. P!nk was blasting soundly through the speakers as she sat in traffic heading over the bridge to Fort Middleton. There had been nothing that should have set off a sudden tendril of shivers. Confused, she aimed the main vent onto her body and watched as the goose bumps disappeared like the wave they came in. A spike of uncomfortable fear was silenced instantly by her confusion, her stomach crying out as time ticked by.
She'd skipped lunch out of spite and now she was regretting her action. Pushing the strange sensation of wrongness that has been following her around since Syaoran went on deployment, she leaned forward and breathed out in mild frustration as traffic trolled forward another few inches. It was becoming a ridiculous habit of forcing her mind to swing the other way, to avoid thinking too hard on her thoughts and feelings. Gut feeling or not, something was obviously wrong and she chose to ignore it. If the chills in a warm car were any indication, then something was indeed wrong. As the cars inched another round, Sakura leaned forward with her wrapped hand and shifted gears. The mustang was in disagreement with the traffic as much as she was. Wondering why she didn't just call a taxi cab and paid the fare to pick up Lyri and return home, she made sure the music was loud enough to drone out the honking vehicles angry with the traffic.
After speaking Yukito, she'd been unable to finish up cleaning her apartment. She spent the last few hours staring at the copies of her signature, at the words bulging out at her. It didn't don on her that it was time to pick up her charge until Tomoyo texted her that she had to cancel dinner. It was the third time Tomoyo canceled, her job keeping her away from a social life. It was understandable, with the riots and the protesting, but it hurt a girls pride to know her friends couldn't be social. January had past them all by without warning, drying up the snow and giving them rain and wind and more rain. As February started, the rain disappeared and left Middleton with a cold winter's end and more curve-balls than a baseball game. Nathan was stocked up with cars needing repairs now that the snow-covered grounds were gone, Naoko had been bombarded with her novel-tour around the state, Chiharu had started up on another art show, and Rika had been going in an out of her studio with a new season of fashion.
Sakura didn't know what to do with all her friends working. She was itching to scream, even now as the traffic let up enough for her to drive over the bridge and stop again. Body relaxing in the chair, she let her eyes trail over the Mazda in front of her, watching the driver yell out in profanity and hit her steering wheel. Head turning, Sakura watched a couple in the car next to her argue over something in private. The child in the backseat was making faces in the windows, fogging up the window as she breezed out from her nose. Head shaking, Sakura shifted and inched forward before stopping. Her lower back was beginning to ache from the seated position, her calves hurting from the clutch beneath the dash board. At least she finally got used to driving a stick-shift. Syaoran's old '65 mustang was finally agreeing with her way of driving, happy and sound until traffic hit. Traffic. Her mind seemed to leave and come back to what was right in front of her.
By time she was finally closer to the gates of Fort Middleton, Sakura was singing at the top of her lungs "Where did the beat go?" the cars were finally at a stand still, unmoving and sitting there. Horns blared and shouts ensued. Shutting off the music, Sakura blinked in surprise at the white poster boards raised high into the air. People were marching, walking into the road and yelling. Cars were honking as they tried to pass them, threatening to run over toes. No one cared. The riot the news was all about today was right at the doorsteps of Fort Middleton. Soldiers lined the gates like a barricade, trying to help cars go in and keeping out the uncharacteristic pedestrians. They weren't checking for identification at the main gate, the soldiers protecting the visitors from potential harm. Sakura could see another row of soldiers in Fort Middleton though, checking vehicles before admitting them inside. It was the best they could do in order to keep protestors from entering. It was understandable. She could hear the shouts from the people surrounding her car like a leech.
She stared at the pickets, listening to the shouts that entered the cars window. She didn't recognize anyone that was blocking the roads, her large eyes taking in the protestors with curiosity and fear. These people weren't about peace, but about making a ruckus to prove a point. A hand smashed against the hood of the mustang and she jumped, eyes rounding to saucers as a protestor yelled at her through the window. Most of the women holding signs looked to be mothers, older than middle-aged and younger than college students. Sakura knew then these were military wives angry with the military for the new deployment of men that weren't ready for war. It was obvious that the soldiers barricading the entrance of Fort Middleton that they could do no harm. One soldier was grim face as he ignored the spitting female in his face. Sakura only saw a handful of males in the protests, staying back and yelling out their shouts of protest. It was mostly military wives.
She pitied them. As she managed to get the mustang up to the barricade, waiting her turn before soldiers pushed and struggled to allow her vehicle through; Sakura heard the feral sound of a gunshot warning. She wished she hadn't, but it was there and her foot stepped on the gas pedal quickly. Mustang lurching she came to a stop and hyperventilated. The shouting continued behind her in a rumble of screams and arguments, words being repeated over and over again. This wasn't what people should be doing; it wasn't what the wives of military men should be doing or the husbands. Taking deep, shuddering breathes Sakura rolled the window down and gave her ID over.
"Everything alright ma'am…?" The soldier checking her ID asked, almost suspiciously. Sakura nodded numbly, realizing only then that her hand was on her bulge. "What's the purpose of your visit today?"
"Umm…p-picking up a child from the preschool center." She looked up at him finally and gave him a weak smile as she blew out air. The soldier was young with shaved brown hair. "I'm Sergeant Major Li's girlfriend and nanny."
That took him by surprise as he got the all clear from his comrades. Sunglasses reflected the sun as he tilted his head down at her. "Apologies in advance for the mess and thank you for not being a part of it, ma'am," Sakura blinked, trying hard to ignore the roaring sound of her heartbeat. "Good day,"
Still in shock, Sakura nodded and pushed through at a slow speed. The apology was a setback on her emotions as she drove carefully through Fort Middleton. Passing townhomes littered with trash and graffiti, Sakura realized that the protestors probably had managed to get inside of the base unless the military wives were doing it to their own homes. Pushing the surprise to the back of her mind, Sakura came up on the preschool and a handful of soldiers guarding the gates. They let her through with a cursory glance, the brand new security gate opening with a wave of an older soldier's hand. She hadn't gotten used to the new security nor had she gotten used to the hatred coming from the population of Fort Middleton. The recent call-to-arms had made everyone upset.
Parking the car Sakura watched a line of soldiers jogging at least a couple feet away from the preschool. They blended in with the pavement, shouting out words she couldn't understand. One individual caught her attention as he led the line and her heart leaped. He looked just liked him, down to the height and way he held his stature. Shaking her head, she got out of the car and averted her gaze before the tears came. Syaoran was still over seas, she knew that, the world knew that. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she placed sunglasses on her face and headed to the center. a few of the soldiers guarding the preschool watched her, making her uncomfortable as she strutted in black leggings and bright pink boots, her arms crossed over her gray jacket.
She was still uncomfortable as she entered the warm building, the noise slamming against her. A child was crying a battle in the far corner, one of the many young teachers crouched low to try and soothe the depressed child. Others were laughing loudly and running in circles around a rectangular table littered with jackets and bags. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Sakura realized the preschool should have been closed. Wondering if they were still open due to the high-traffic and protestors rioting at the gate, she quietly moved the sign-out sheet.
A head turned as she made a leap to avoid a little boy screaming bloody murder, his mother trying to wipe his face with a towel. "Good evening Miss Kinomoto," the red-haired teacher said brightly, all smiles as her gaze flickered to Sakura's stomach; always to her stomach. She didn't remember when they preschool found out that she was expecting, but they did and ever since then it was like a curious glance of surprise every time she walked in. Taking a deep breath Sakura returned the smile and ignored the look. "We were just discussing Lyrianna's progress here."
"Her progress…?" Sakura scanned the heads of children, finding Lyri easily as she played dress-up across the room.
"Conferences are coming, will you be…taking the role of…" the woman trailed as her voice softened. Sakura continued to smile, heart beating rapidly in her chest. Yukito's words echoed in her mind like a hot flame.
"Yes, I am. When will they be?"
Excitement crossed the woman's face. "We're sending out reminders tomorrow and the signup sheet will be displayed next week prior to the conferences."
"Thank you," Sakura moved to get Lyri's stuff and stopped seeing the board of balloons and names; birthdays. Her eyes lingered on the current month February, bulging at the sight of Lyri's name. Raking her brain, she realized too late that she never knew the child's birthday. All this time she'd been babysitting, entering her life in more ways than one, and she never knew her birthday. "Ah…"
"Oh that's new," the teacher interjected with a bright smile. "One of our student teachers suggested the balloons. We've been keeping track of the children's birthday using giraffes, but obviously not very well."
"There are no dates, just the month." Sakura practically whispered that, trying to hide her embarrassment of not knowing Lyri's birthday. The older woman blinked once, twice, before her lips shaped into a silent 'o' shape and a smile spread wider than ever on her pale face.
"Lyrianna is our valentine's child. Last year we have a Valentines Day parade-party, hosted by—.' she stopped her own words, smile fading slightly. "It must be hard for you, Miss Kinomoto. I understand the struggles, my husband is overseas as well." a shrill cry followed by a laugh sent chills down Sakura's spine as both of them turned. "Her birthdays on the fourteenth, however we have a new policy regarding parties here at the center, if you'd like I can…"
"No, it's alright. I can't top what she once had but I can give her something even more special."
"Of course," Lyri ran over to them at that moment, dressed down in a pirate outfit with construction goggles and a pink tutu.
"I apologize for being so late, I should have left the house sooner but I lost track of time." Sakura told the teacher as she hugged Lyri, giving her a sloppy kiss before releasing her. The red-haired woman didn't even bat an eye as she visibly sighed her irritation, not for Sakura being late but for half the class still inside the classroom.
"We have orders to remain open until the last child leaves. Unfortunately we have no idea when that will be. If those protestors keep it up we'll be serving dinner to the children to help parents take care of them." Sakura watched as Lyri stripped clumsily out of her borrowed costume, stepping on her own toes as she tried taking her shoes off.
"When did they start?"
"Saturday…?" her smile went to another parent entering the room in a wave of exhaustion. A chorus of hellos crowded the door as a set of twins made their way to their mother. "General Lauder has no idea what to do with them since they're women. A dozen or so have already been arrested for trespassing onto private property and another couple set flames to the Bases main building." Her head was shaking.
"There's no easy way out of here then." Sakura grumbled and shifted her weight, finding a new position for all of Lyri's artwork and bag. The child herself was walking slowly towards them, black hair messy and standing on end as she played with a doll she'd brought from home. "Well tomorrow's another day."
"Bye," the woman smiled, hand on Lyri's head as she walked quickly to help assist a child dying to use the restroom.
"Ready spaghetti…?" the moment the words left her lips, her stomach growled and she flinched. Skipping lunch was not a good idea. Taking Lyri's hand, the two marched out into the dying sun. The warmth and noise of the preschool died away quickly. A chill ran up Sakura's spine as an overhead light came to life. A mother carrying her child walked briskly down the walkway, stopping as she noticed Sakura only to turn away quickly and sped up on her progress towards the parking lot.
Sakura blinked in surprise at the woman, recognizing Alexis Tachibana. She was wearing her uniform, dark brown hair pinned up like a crown atop her head. It wasn't unusual to see Alexis at the preschool, but it was unusually for the woman to turn her head away like she'd done. Sakura had caught sight of Alexis' mascara-smeared face the moment the light had flooded the courtyard with a blaze. A new spike of fear raced through her, forcing her to think twice before conjuring up unwanted thoughts. Ignoring Tachibana's sudden action, her grip in Lyri's tightened. Moving towards the car she asked the simple question of 'how'd the day went?' then listened intently to Lyri's spiel about everything she could remember. It was heart-warming to hear her talking, trying to give Sakura a full on conversation that was mostly one-sided. As she opened the door and pushed aside the seat, Sakura heard the very words she didn't want to hear that had placed fear into her mind—someone asking if everything's alright. Lyri was still talking about school, oblivious to Sakura's attention disappearing.
Head snapping up, Sakura took in the sight of another soldier mother speaking with Alexis. They weren't paying attention to her, heads bowed together as Alexis wept loudly. Her child was already in the car, struggling to watch her mother through the window. It was her broken words as she spoke to the stranger, frightening Sakura to the core, numbing her until the goose flesh bounced against her skin. "My husband's been pronounced dead,"
Tears slid down Sakura's cheeks and she quickly ducked into the car before they realized she'd been snooping. She knew it was possible for death to come with the war, knew that people recognizable would find a fate that wasn't for them. It scared her more to think the reason for Syaoran being gone so long was because of that fate as well. Yukito had promised her he was fine, that they had no news regarding an accident. Syaoran and her friends were all fine. Swiping a finger across her cheek, she gave Lyri a false smile that was wide enough to spook a ghost. "What's for dinner?"
…
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…
His head bounced before lulling to the side and smacking against something else. Eyes fluttering open, he brought his head around straight and stopped at the pinch in his stiffening neck. Wheezing, he blinked and stared ahead. For a second his gaze was blurry, leaving him empty. Eyes shutting, he tried again and swore when his head smacked harshly against something behind him. When his vision came with the wheezing of his sore throat, he caught sight of the two bodies in front of him, awkwardly pressed against one another with their head lulling about like dolls. It took him a long moment to recognize Lea and Tsukino fast asleep and another moment to realize they were knocked out unconscious. The way their heads swayed with movement he knew they weren't just sleeping, but they weren't dead either. As his eyes adjusted to the dimly light surroundings, he took note of the ropes binding his friends together and the rope tethered to his own feet. They were almost hog-tied.
It didn't hit him until he recognized the sounds of a vehicle, the engine rumbling harshly as tires hit rocks and dirt. It hit him even harder when Syaoran calculated his wounds from burn marks down to rattled bone and ending with the bullet in his leg. He couldn't feel if he had any broken bones, but he could easily tell that he had a sprained ankle in the same leg the bullet was. The ropes were too tight for comfort. Opening his eyes wider he followed the line of brown wrapped around his wrists and arms, down to his ankles and over to attach to his fellow soldiers. His body was jostled as the vehicle hit a ditch. Lea's head went to the left as Haku's went forward, still unconscious. The blood marking Haku's face was still rich and fresh coming from a small gash in his hairline. It was only them, the three SRT members out of five soldiers that went out from Fort Braxton. Something caught his attention as he calculated his team's wounds', only then realizing what was going on. It was a slow reaction to an assessment when his vision took in two more bodies.
They'd been captured. Panic ensued and anger, his blood boiling as he shifted violently against the restraints. Someone tapped their foot, catching his attention and Syaoran brought his dull gaze to them. Frozen to the core he stared at the stranger trying to keep him quiet. Wrists bound by rope, blood caked onto his exposed flesh and biting into his skin even deeper, the man shook his head once and shifted his eyes to the front of the vehicle. Syaoran followed his gaze as best he could with his stiffening muscles and calculated two men with weapons and another two just outside the vehicle, hanging on the side. The stranger shook his head quietly a second time, warning him to be silent. Dark eyes quickly closed as the vehicle they were all in hit a dip and sent them an inch closer to the center. Syaoran grunted at the impact of his bound wrists against solid metal before biting his tongue. They'd been captured like animals.
At least they were alive—captured—but they were alive. He couldn't say the same about the rest of the soldiers since they weren't in the vehicle with him. The sounds coming from outside the vehicle told him there was another car driving, following either with more captives or the white-garbed rebels that ambushed them; he didn't know. In truth, he was too tired to even think about such possibilities. He was alive. Syaoran closed his eyes, suddenly exhausted to death. Meilin' and Eriol's planes had crashed, engulfed into flames. He wasn't sure if either of them had ejected before the inevitable explosion and he sure as hell hoped they did. His chest heaved as his lungs tried to work properly. In his mind he watched the incident, watched the flames take the left wing of Meilin's aircraft. He then watched the blackness take over, sleep capturing him once again. There was nothing he could do, but hope and wish that they were safe.
To be continued…
So I was just listening to "You and me," by P!nk and Dallas Green. Beautiful song and if you haven't figured out P!nk is one of my all time favorite musicians and inspirations for our favorite couple, Sakura and Syaoran. But this song…speaks to me in the sense that it works perfect for this story. The way that I have Sakura and Syaoran portrayed with him over seas and her currently pregnant and battling her emotions, this song is like the literal sense of a background theme. If you haven't heard it already, you should. It's beautiful.
Anyway, aside from that…the story is ending soon, if you couldn't tell already. It's always hard to close a story. It would have ended a couple chapters ago, as my notes suggested, but apparently I'm stubborn. And no the length of this chapter has nothing to do with my lagging. Thank you.