Series Title: One More Day
Author: Feit
Site: http://mezicolorism.net
E-Mail: mezicolorism@hotmail.com
Quote of the chapter:
"Love is not blind - it sees more, not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see less."
Rabbi Julius Gordon
Disclaimer: I don't own CSS.
!!! HOLLER OUT !!! To the one that owns animequest.net, I tried finding your e-mail again but GEEZ, I couldn't find it anywhere! Please e-mail me at mezicolorism@hotmail.com right away! Or if anyone knows the e-mail address, please tell me!
Syaoran: Is this the end?
Feit: Well; besides the epilogue... I think so.
Sakura: Wow. Such a long wait for two chapters?
Syaoran: Short ones, at that.
Feit: -_-; I know.. *slaps self*
Sakura: *gives Feit a lifetime of tea for the next fic she writes*
Feit: *squeals* Thank you ^o^
-- Chapter 12 - Final Verdict --
Sakura tightened her hug and buried her face against Syaoran's neck before pulling away. She looked about the room for the first time and saw Syaoran's sisters biting their lips to keep from exclaiming how cute that was. Syaoran's mother was just smiling softly; the Elders' look however, was the opposite. It was almost as if they hated her.
Instead, she looked at them with a stern, almost scornful look with a courage she didn't know she had. Syaoran's arm around her waist simply solified that courage.
"What, may I ask, entitled you to knock me out to bring me here? Asking me would have gotten the same results."
The Elders looked at each other - something they rarely did - before answering her.
"Card Mistress," They began, "We have brought you here because Master Li tried to go to you. We cannot have someone distracting Master Li from his current training, and we are forced to put an end to it."
"An end to it?" Syaoran said, his anger beginning to fuel at how they spoke as if Sakura was nothing. He didn't continue, however, because Sakura put her hand over the one gripping her waist to calm him.
Instead, Sakura continued. "How would you have put an end to me, if I may be so bold."
"You must die." They stated simply.
Sakura just laughed. "I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen. You see, you can't command my death anymore than you can command Syaoran's." Her eyes narrowed and she smiled. "And you know it."
Syaoran lifted an eyebrow at Sakura's new attitude. Silently he thanked the stars that she never met the Elders before; she didn't know the way they commanded everything in his place until he finished his current training. Her attitude and even her ignorance would shock the Elders at the very least.
And indeed, the Elders were silenced. For a moment. "Then you must prove yourself."
"As in fight some creature, you mean? Or fight one of you? Or just simply fight anything?"
"You will battle death itself."
Sakura just shook her head. "I refuse."
"You ~will~ fight." The Elders commanded.
"I will not. I don't have to prove anything to you. Definately not you."
"Then who would you have something to prove to?"
Sakura took a breath before answering. "If I have anything to prove to anyone, it is my love to Syaoran." She glanced at him before continuing. "When he left at your command, I lost my faith in him so quickly, and it took these weeks to realize the truth. I love him, and I feel I must prove to him I won't lose faith in him again. Ever."
Syaoran wrapped his other arm around her waist and hugged her as she leaned back into him.
But the Elders held their answer to her small speech. "Then you will fight. To prove yourself to Master Li."
Sakura nodded, silent for once.
Still, the Elders continued. "Without your cards."
"So be it."
"No."
Sakura left Syaoran's embrace to look at him quizzically. "No?"
"Sakura," He started, "You don't have to prove anything to me."
"But I do! I lost faith in you when I should have known you'd never have left without explaining why if you could. I thought you hated me, Syaoran, until Eriol and Meilin told me the truth. I should have known the truth to begin with." Tears blurred the lower ridge of her eyesight, but she did not cry.
Syaoran pulled her back into his embrace and kissed her forehead. "Everyone makes mistakes, Sakura. You don't have to prove anything to me."
"Yes I do," She persisted.
"No you don't." He stated. "Because I love you."
Sakura was right when she thought her heart would up and stop if she heard those words from him; it was an exhilarating feeling. It warmed her even though the stone room they were in had chilled her skin, it filled the area inside of her that felt despair when the doors thudded closed, and it lifted her from the burning eyes of the angry Elders. All she knew then was Syaoran gazing into her eyes, the feel of his arms around her and his body against hers. She felt secure.
"Oh that's so cute!"
"How sweet!"
"Our little brother's in love!"
"I can't believe it!"
Syaoran sighed at his sister's antics and started to look at the Elders to see ~their~ reaction, but Sakura distracted him from doing so. First he felt her hand on the back of his neck before he realized what she was doing.
His eyes closed instinctively and as their lips met all thought of his sisters' squealing and the reaction of the Elders slipped his mind. He felt his heartbeat pound against his chest, and he returned the kiss. One hand went to wrap around her waist as the other cupped her cheek, and Sakura tilted her head back to deepen the kiss.
It was also Sakura who pulled away. She leaned against Syaoran with her arms wrapped loosely around him.
Syaoran rested his chin on the top of her head and looked up at the Elders, who's faces were the epitome of a poker face. His ears picked up on the fact that his sisters were no longer giggling, and probably under the stern glare of their mother.
It became an odd, uncomfortable silence. The stone-built room they were in would echo a pin drop until everyone stared at the pin that had dared to fall. It seemed to echo thoughts and glares, glances and hopes. The single window was closed against the rising sun, and the room seemed to grow colder instead of warmer as the day advanced. Everyone was still, waiting for the Elders to continue this meeting that had begun to get out of their control.
When one of the Elders stirred, the sound of cloth rubbing against cloth sent a chill to the couple in the center of the room, and worry through the observers.
"Card Mistress," the one who moved called. "Will you still fight?"
Sakura turned in Syaoran's arms and once again he embraced her from behind, and would not remove his grip. Sighing in part fatigue, part exasperation and part exhilaration, she lifted her chin to the Elders and gave her response.
"I will."
"Why?" They asked.
"Because it seems I must prove myself worthy to you."
"Sakura..." Syaoran started, but he was hushed by his mother.
His mother stood and for the first time, confronted the Elders. "My son is happy with Sakura, and I will not let you force her to fight. Syaoran is capable of knowing who is worth everything you Elders tend to worry about, and I agree with his choice."
"As do I," as one sister stood.
The others quickly stood up, strongly stating that they agreed.
The Elders looked at each other and spoke their private conference in a way Syaoran, nor his sisters or mother, or Sakura, could decipher. Then they stood.
"We have come to the conclusion that the Card Mistress is allowed to stay," They said, but continued before anyone else could speak. "But only as long as Master Li continues his training without disturbance."
"Okay," Sakura nodded in agreement.
"So be it."
-- End of Chapter 12 - Final Verdict --
Gahh..... I REALLY wanted this to be a longer chapter, but I guess this truly is the best I can do. If I get enough responses to motivate me, I will write a (short) epilogue.
Sakura: *squeals* Yay! Happy ending!
Syaoran: It would seem all that planning and confusion in the last few chapters got diminished to a simple ending.
Feit: Yea -_-;; it would seem that way. But then again, some things require more effort in describing than to execute them.
Sakura: Hoe... Please stop being so technical!
Author: Feit
Site: http://mezicolorism.net
E-Mail: mezicolorism@hotmail.com
Quote of the chapter:
"Love is not blind - it sees more, not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see less."
Rabbi Julius Gordon
Disclaimer: I don't own CSS.
!!! HOLLER OUT !!! To the one that owns animequest.net, I tried finding your e-mail again but GEEZ, I couldn't find it anywhere! Please e-mail me at mezicolorism@hotmail.com right away! Or if anyone knows the e-mail address, please tell me!
Syaoran: Is this the end?
Feit: Well; besides the epilogue... I think so.
Sakura: Wow. Such a long wait for two chapters?
Syaoran: Short ones, at that.
Feit: -_-; I know.. *slaps self*
Sakura: *gives Feit a lifetime of tea for the next fic she writes*
Feit: *squeals* Thank you ^o^
-- Chapter 12 - Final Verdict --
Sakura tightened her hug and buried her face against Syaoran's neck before pulling away. She looked about the room for the first time and saw Syaoran's sisters biting their lips to keep from exclaiming how cute that was. Syaoran's mother was just smiling softly; the Elders' look however, was the opposite. It was almost as if they hated her.
Instead, she looked at them with a stern, almost scornful look with a courage she didn't know she had. Syaoran's arm around her waist simply solified that courage.
"What, may I ask, entitled you to knock me out to bring me here? Asking me would have gotten the same results."
The Elders looked at each other - something they rarely did - before answering her.
"Card Mistress," They began, "We have brought you here because Master Li tried to go to you. We cannot have someone distracting Master Li from his current training, and we are forced to put an end to it."
"An end to it?" Syaoran said, his anger beginning to fuel at how they spoke as if Sakura was nothing. He didn't continue, however, because Sakura put her hand over the one gripping her waist to calm him.
Instead, Sakura continued. "How would you have put an end to me, if I may be so bold."
"You must die." They stated simply.
Sakura just laughed. "I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen. You see, you can't command my death anymore than you can command Syaoran's." Her eyes narrowed and she smiled. "And you know it."
Syaoran lifted an eyebrow at Sakura's new attitude. Silently he thanked the stars that she never met the Elders before; she didn't know the way they commanded everything in his place until he finished his current training. Her attitude and even her ignorance would shock the Elders at the very least.
And indeed, the Elders were silenced. For a moment. "Then you must prove yourself."
"As in fight some creature, you mean? Or fight one of you? Or just simply fight anything?"
"You will battle death itself."
Sakura just shook her head. "I refuse."
"You ~will~ fight." The Elders commanded.
"I will not. I don't have to prove anything to you. Definately not you."
"Then who would you have something to prove to?"
Sakura took a breath before answering. "If I have anything to prove to anyone, it is my love to Syaoran." She glanced at him before continuing. "When he left at your command, I lost my faith in him so quickly, and it took these weeks to realize the truth. I love him, and I feel I must prove to him I won't lose faith in him again. Ever."
Syaoran wrapped his other arm around her waist and hugged her as she leaned back into him.
But the Elders held their answer to her small speech. "Then you will fight. To prove yourself to Master Li."
Sakura nodded, silent for once.
Still, the Elders continued. "Without your cards."
"So be it."
"No."
Sakura left Syaoran's embrace to look at him quizzically. "No?"
"Sakura," He started, "You don't have to prove anything to me."
"But I do! I lost faith in you when I should have known you'd never have left without explaining why if you could. I thought you hated me, Syaoran, until Eriol and Meilin told me the truth. I should have known the truth to begin with." Tears blurred the lower ridge of her eyesight, but she did not cry.
Syaoran pulled her back into his embrace and kissed her forehead. "Everyone makes mistakes, Sakura. You don't have to prove anything to me."
"Yes I do," She persisted.
"No you don't." He stated. "Because I love you."
Sakura was right when she thought her heart would up and stop if she heard those words from him; it was an exhilarating feeling. It warmed her even though the stone room they were in had chilled her skin, it filled the area inside of her that felt despair when the doors thudded closed, and it lifted her from the burning eyes of the angry Elders. All she knew then was Syaoran gazing into her eyes, the feel of his arms around her and his body against hers. She felt secure.
"Oh that's so cute!"
"How sweet!"
"Our little brother's in love!"
"I can't believe it!"
Syaoran sighed at his sister's antics and started to look at the Elders to see ~their~ reaction, but Sakura distracted him from doing so. First he felt her hand on the back of his neck before he realized what she was doing.
His eyes closed instinctively and as their lips met all thought of his sisters' squealing and the reaction of the Elders slipped his mind. He felt his heartbeat pound against his chest, and he returned the kiss. One hand went to wrap around her waist as the other cupped her cheek, and Sakura tilted her head back to deepen the kiss.
It was also Sakura who pulled away. She leaned against Syaoran with her arms wrapped loosely around him.
Syaoran rested his chin on the top of her head and looked up at the Elders, who's faces were the epitome of a poker face. His ears picked up on the fact that his sisters were no longer giggling, and probably under the stern glare of their mother.
It became an odd, uncomfortable silence. The stone-built room they were in would echo a pin drop until everyone stared at the pin that had dared to fall. It seemed to echo thoughts and glares, glances and hopes. The single window was closed against the rising sun, and the room seemed to grow colder instead of warmer as the day advanced. Everyone was still, waiting for the Elders to continue this meeting that had begun to get out of their control.
When one of the Elders stirred, the sound of cloth rubbing against cloth sent a chill to the couple in the center of the room, and worry through the observers.
"Card Mistress," the one who moved called. "Will you still fight?"
Sakura turned in Syaoran's arms and once again he embraced her from behind, and would not remove his grip. Sighing in part fatigue, part exasperation and part exhilaration, she lifted her chin to the Elders and gave her response.
"I will."
"Why?" They asked.
"Because it seems I must prove myself worthy to you."
"Sakura..." Syaoran started, but he was hushed by his mother.
His mother stood and for the first time, confronted the Elders. "My son is happy with Sakura, and I will not let you force her to fight. Syaoran is capable of knowing who is worth everything you Elders tend to worry about, and I agree with his choice."
"As do I," as one sister stood.
The others quickly stood up, strongly stating that they agreed.
The Elders looked at each other and spoke their private conference in a way Syaoran, nor his sisters or mother, or Sakura, could decipher. Then they stood.
"We have come to the conclusion that the Card Mistress is allowed to stay," They said, but continued before anyone else could speak. "But only as long as Master Li continues his training without disturbance."
"Okay," Sakura nodded in agreement.
"So be it."
-- End of Chapter 12 - Final Verdict --
Gahh..... I REALLY wanted this to be a longer chapter, but I guess this truly is the best I can do. If I get enough responses to motivate me, I will write a (short) epilogue.
Sakura: *squeals* Yay! Happy ending!
Syaoran: It would seem all that planning and confusion in the last few chapters got diminished to a simple ending.
Feit: Yea -_-;; it would seem that way. But then again, some things require more effort in describing than to execute them.
Sakura: Hoe... Please stop being so technical!