Here's another chapter and my holidays are coming to an end-I want to cry.
I bought some garnet today! SO EXPENSIVE.
Sakura wandered through her dreams, shards with different possibilities of the future, shards of the past and shards of the present falling down around her, glowing in the darkness that surrounded her. She was heading towards a particular shard in front of her that was sort of just hovering there, waiting for her to enter its dream. She didn't stop in front of the shard to examine the dream like she usually would but instead walked straight through to the mist which slowly disappeared around her to reveal the royal castle of the Middle City.
She was standing in a garden of neatly cut hedges and colourful flowers. She turned around to find a woman sitting at a round marble table with a pot of tea and a couple of tea cups as well as a plate of sweets. The woman looked up, noticing Sakura's presence and smiled. The familiar long wavy brown hair and amber eyes caused Sakura to recall the queen she had met so many years ago when she was just a young child, the first time she had met Syaoran.
"You've grown into a fine young lady." She smiled.
"Sora…?" Sakura asked.
"That's my name, don't wear it out. Come have a seat." The beautiful woman gestured towards the empty chair at the table.
"Thank you." Sakura smiled and took her place at the table with Sora, looking around at her further surroundings.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Sora smiled.
"Yes, it is." Sakura agreed.
"So, how is my dearest son?" Sora asked gently as she poured Sakura a cup of tea.
"Syaoran is doing well; we're currently travelling with two others at the moment-Chii, and my personal royal guard, Fai." Sakura replied.
"Fai…do you by any chance mean Fai D. Fluorite?" She asked curiously.
"Yes…" Sakura answered.
"So Syaoran has finally met his uncle… I did want to introduce him when he was little, but Fai was always away or quite busy whenever we were over. Quite irritating actually. What has Syaoran been doing lately? I've been worried about him since Yuui told me he was banished from the castle." Sora said softly, stirring her own tea.
"I'm glad you're alive." Sakura smiled.
The queen smiled back at the princess, "My body is weak, but yes, I'm being kept alive-but only just. You believed I was alive though, didn't you?" Sora smirked.
"After he told me about how he thought you had died, and how there was no body present, the look on his father's face-it just didn't add up." Sakura replied.
Sora nodded, "I see. Yes, Yuui isn't the one behind starting the war, I can definitely tell you that much. He would never do something to put his family's life in jeopardy, or his own kind." Sora said sadly.
"That's what Fai said…" Sakura murmured.
"Where are you at the moment, just out of curiosity?" Sora asked.
The princess looked into her tea cup, her reflection staring back at her. "We're in the western city of the elves…well, it's underground. You asked earlier about what Syaoran has been up to; he's been protecting me in every way he can, and assisting me on my journey to find my people, anyone who may have survived, and answers behind the war and how we can stop it." Sakura smiled softly, the love for him showing on her face.
Relief flooded through Sora-her son was ok. "I wander through his dreams sometimes…they often aren't pleasant, or he's dreaming of you." Sora laughed at the end of her sentence. Sakura blushed.
"Oh…the dream is ending; our time together has come to an end." Sora pouted. "Will we meet again?" Sakura asked, watching as her surroundings began to fade.
"Naturally we will. Please, take care of my son." Sora said before she faded away.
Sakura woke to the sound of a violin playing and looked up at the clock hanging on Yuuko's wall; she'd slept for two hours. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, noticing the small bag on the table beside her. She picked it up and pulled out her locket which had been completely repaired and polished and cleaned to look new again. She opened the locket to look at the photo of her family that was inside. She closed it and put it away, heading for the place where the sound was coming from; pushing the curtains aside, Sakura stepped into the room to find her fiancé lying lazily on a couch skilfully playing the violin. She recognised the melody from a visit she had paid to Syaoran's kingdom when she was little; it was a song that a group of people were playing in the city and children and many others of all ages were dancing to its tune.
Syaoran stopped playing and sat up. "Hello sleepy head." He greeted.
"Hey…I didn't know you played." She smiled, sitting down beside him.
"Mum taught me-she'd hit me over the head sometimes, but only because I was a little shit. She chased dad around sometimes as well because he'd come out with a really bad joke." He laughed at the memory.
Sakura giggled. "I remember hearing the song from a time when I had come for a visit. There was a group of musicians playing the song together, and around them were children and teenagers and adults of all ages, dancing and watching-they were all having a great time." Sakura smiled.
"Mum composed the song actually. She made a couple of copies for anyone who had the guts to attempt learning such a fast paced and difficult song-she loved setting challenges for everyone." He said with a soft smile.
"How long did it take for you to learn the song?" Sakura asked curiously.
"About two months? Most musicians struggle with the type of music it is, but I hardly had anything to do in the castle except for practice." Syaoran answered.
Sakura laughed. "What happened to your lessons?" she asked, still laughing.
"I attended them, but when I didn't have anything else to do I was bored half to death." He muttered. Sakura laughed even more.
"What's so funny?" He asked.
"Nothing, just the thought of you working so hard on getting the song right and actually concentrating on your lessons for once." She laughed.
"Gee, thanks…" He muttered.
She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She smiled at him and he couldn't help but smile back, feeling amused himself.
"So…that locket of yours…did they fix it properly?" He asked as he put his arm around her shoulders.
"They did; it looks brand new as well." She said, pulling it back out for him to look at. It was in a heart shape, and there was a small round pink stone in the middle with a very intricate star engraved around it creating a radial pattern. Around the edge of the gold locket were vines engraved into the metal. The chain was weaved thinly together to give the illusion of a flexible rope.
"When did you get the locket?" Syaoran asked curiously.
"It belonged to my sister. She gave it to Fai before she came to find me that night…so that he could give it to me." Sakura answered with a sad smile.
"So she knew…?" he murmured more to himself than to Sakura.
"Syaoran, what are you thinking?" Sakura asked.
"You're sister was a dream seer too, right?" He asked.
"Yes…" she answered.
"It's possible she could have seen a more devastating future in her eyes; for example perhaps she saw you die and that's why she intervened when she did despite the consequences." Syaoran murmured.
"It could be why she was so sad for a while…" Sakura said.
"What's inside?" He asked, changing the topic back to the locket.
Sakura opened the locket to reveal the photo of her family; they were all wearing royal blue and black clothing, the queen and two princesses wearing beautiful blue velvet dresses with black lace along the neckline and hems of the sleeves, and black ribbon tied around their waists and in their braided hair. The prince and king wore black pants and shoes while they wore a blue coat over the top of a black shirt; the coat had gold embroidery along the hems and around the collar. They were all standing in the palace garden beneath the large cherry blossom tree, all smiling.
"You look just like your mother." Syaoran said as he examined the photo.
"Father made that comment a lot; I miss them so much…" Sakura smiled sadly.
"Your father was an interesting man; very wise and very kind. He also had a good sense of humour. I used to write to him when I couldn't speak to my parents for advice." Syaoran smiled.
"I didn't know…" Sakura said.
"If it was Rin who murdered your family Sakura, he will pay-I swear it to you on my life." He promised.
"Syaoran…don't die." She whispered.
He smiled. "It's ok; he's not skilled enough to kill me." He said.
"It's not that I'm worried about your skill-I have faith in you." She shook her head.
"Then what is it?" He asked, his smile fading. "I met with your mother in a dream. One dream seer can only meet with another dream seer if they are alive. She's waiting." Sakura whispered.
Syaoran was shocked. His shock turned to relief, and his relief to worry and stress.
"How is she? Is she alright?" He asked quickly.
"Sora told me that her body is weak, and they were keeping her alive but only just. She also told me that your father definitely wasn't behind starting the war." Sakura replied softly.
Syaoran looked away. "So it is blackmail…" he murmured.
"It's certainly pointing towards that." Sakura said sadly.
Syaoran sighed. He was glad that his mother was alive, but he was worried about what they were doing to her. His worry showed on his face and Sakura took his hands in hers, looking into his worried eyes.
"We'll save her." She smiled comfortingly.
"You already have a plan?" He asked.
"Yes, and part of the reason we are visiting an old friend of mine is because I've left something there that we'll need." She told him softly.
"I trust you." He whispered.
"I trust you too." She replied softly, "And I always will."
Syaoran pulled her into a tight hug and held on to her for a while, finding that he was the one in need of comfort. Sakura hugged him back, and she felt something drip onto her shoulder; she didn't say anything. She simply allowed him to cry silently into her shoulder as she held him.
Well now. SORA IS ALIIIIVE.
Review?