AN: I'm SO Sorry that this came out so late, but I've been so busy with
school that it's not even funny! Now, I know that's no excuse, but I hope
the length of this chapter will make up for the huge wait! (It's 9 pages on
MSWord!)
Please Enjoy!
Mystress Tate
Chapter Six: My Love
Sakura cuddled closer to Syaoran and sighed softly. She felt so safe in his arms. Though he was asleep, he held her tightly, and she never wanted to leave the security of his arms, though she knew she would have to soon enough. She turned her face up to look at Xiao Lang sleeping so peacefully like a child without a care in the world. She pulled her hand from his gently so as not to wake him, and placed it on his face, caressing his strong features.
Though her touch was soft, it was also cool. It brought Xiao Lang back to reality quickly, but not in such a way as to startle him. He slowly let his eyes open revealing the depth of his soul in golden brown and amber. He smiled at Sakura who seemed shocked that her touch had awakened him so easily. Once she regained her senses she immediately tried to pull her hand away, only to have it be caught by Xiao Lang in on fluid motion. She stared at their hands and followed their path as Syaoran brought them to his face. There he placed Sakura's palm on his cheek and covered her hand with his own, simultaneously closing his eyes to enjoy the moment.
"Aishiteru, Sakura..." whispered Syaoran, his voice like the morning sun shining gently down upon them. It made her feel so warm inside. She smiled back at her fiancée lovingly, feeling as though the entire world revolved around them, as if the whole world was at her fingertips, eager to do her bidding. Her response to him was simple. She turned her back to him and cuddled closer to him, never wanting to leave his side.
As she pulled his arm over her once more, she sighed, and said under her breath three simple words. "Aishiteru, my love..."
~***~In Sakura's bedroom at the Avalon cottage~***~
Sakura closed her eyes tighter as she felt the heat of the morning sun. She stretched, keeping her eyes shut, and put her feet on the floor. When she was in a sitting position on the edge of her bed, she thought about her dream from the previous night. She and Syaoran had exchanged vows, each promising to be with the other, and she would meet him in reality in three days.
She sighed and sank back down onto her bed, thinking, 'Yes...just three more days until...wait a minute!' She jerked herself up and immediately began pulling out clothes and preparing herself for a trip to the market. 'I have to meet him in three days! I have to get travel clothes and supplies, and I have to get stuff for Meilin too...Meilin! I have to tell her!' She rushed out into the kitchen, bumping into her mother in the hallway and the both fell backwards from the force of the impact.
Sakura closed her yes and tried to stand, but she was dazed from the fall. She had hit the back of her head on the sideboard and was slightly dazed, but soon she felt well enough to open her eyes. When she did, she saw a blur of skin in front of her face. She blinked, and the picture cleared enough for her to determine that it was her mother's hand.
"Are you alright, my dear? That was quite a nasty fall you took just there." Sakura's mother seemed quite upset, and though it seemed quite natural in appearance, Sakura knew it wasn't. When she thought about it, nothing had really been natural about her family life for the past few days.
'Kero arrived days ago, and I guess my mind's been occupied with so many other things that I hadn't noticed her. Come to think of it, she couldn't possibly have been here without finding out about Kero and the cards because he and I have not made any effort to keep ourselves quiet. I wonder where she's been...' Sakura cleared her throat. "I'm fine, mother, but where have you been? You've been gone for days! I've been worried sick!" The last part wasn't true; she hadn't even noticed her mother's unusual disappearance. Sakura felt slightly guilty for lying to her until she realized that her 'mother' had hidden the truth from her to her for the last eight years...her whole family had been for all she knew of the situation. The only person she knew with any certainty had lied was that her supposed mother, Avalon Melinda.
Sakura's question took Melinda by surprise. She had thought that her lord and master had dealt with her absence with a double, as usual, but perhaps not...she would have to answer as vaguely as she could.
Sakura could almost see her so-called mother's mind at work, trying to find a suitable answer to Sakura's question...a question she obviously hadn't expected, and an answer she evidently didn't have.
"I...well, I went out to the countryside for a bit/ The doctor...you know doctor Morin? Well he suggested I come out to the country for a little while...he thought it might improve my health..." Melinda coughed for effect, though it sounded fake, and lowered her head, hoping that Sakura would buy her story. She glance up as inconspicuously as she could, and from the look of suspicion she saw on the younger woman's face, Melinda assumed that she hadn't bought it. Hesitantly she lifted her head to see Sakura half-glaring - and half looking sympathetically - at her. She tried to smile brightly, hoping to relieve some of Sakura's doubt, but managed only a wan smile that went unreturned by her 'daughter.' "You don't believe me, do you?" She lowered her head again to hide her face from Sakura's unrelenting gaze.
"No I don't, and for good reason. Oh, and by the way, I'm leaving for the Kinomoto Kingdom.probably tomorrow. I hope that isn't a problem for you because you really don't have a choice in the matter. Oh, and Meilin is coming with me, so you don't have to worry about my being alone. Now, I'm going to need..."
Melinda stopped hearing what Sakura was saying soon after she started talking. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. First, her 'daughter' didn't believe her and second, she was going to the one place she had always forbidding her to go. She couldn't let this happen. Meanwhile, Sakura was still talking about all the things she would need to bring on her trip.
"...And I'll need to take a trip to the market. I have to get some other supplies that we don't have here, so I'll need some money." Sakura leaned back against the wall and smiled up at her 'mother' who stood in shock from all the things she had just said.
"You.you can't! I won't let you! You are still my daughter and while you live in my house you cannot do something against my wishes!" Melinda was desperate. If Sakura went back to the Kinomoto Kingdom and some soldier saw her and recognized her, who knew what could happen to their plan.
"Well then I'll leave. That way I won't live under your roof and you won't be able to push me around because there are things you don't want me to find out. You don't rule my life...you can't rule my life. I am a free woman...mother...or are you really my mother...hmm? And am I really your daughter?" Sakura stood up - forcing Melinda to take a step back - and put her hands on her hips. Though Sakura was petite, she was still taller than her plump guardian. "Well? I haven't got all day you know." Though Sakura seemed outwardly confident, inside she was very unsure of herself. 'What if she simply denies it? What if she's evil? What if Kero didn't want me to tell her yet?' While all of the 'what if's' ran through her mind her spirits dropped, but she stood her ground. She felt inclined simply to flee the room, dreading the answer her 'mother' would give her.
Melinda's head jerked up. "You know? How could you possibly know? I mean, we took all the necessary precautions to hide this from you, you stupid, naïve girl!" Now Melinda was mad. A mere child was flushing all her hard work down the toilet and it infuriated her...she had no right to ruin her plans in this manner.
Sakura's never-before-seen temper soon got the best of her, and though she tried to keep the situation calm, it overtook her sensibility and she started to yell at the older woman. "Oh, it was sooooooo easy! I had a little bit of help from a few friends of mine, but a lot of it was because of my skill and intelligence! You know, I thought you were better than this! I thought you actually cared, but you know what I found? I found that it was all a farce! A ploy! A charade! You baka gaki! Baka, baka, baka! That you didn't care at all! And I..." At this point, Sakura choked on her sobs, but she calmed herself enough to deal what would be - though she didn't know it - the fatal blow to her wannabe mother. She took a deep breath, swallowed, and continued on with her tirade, saying in the calmest voice she could muster, "...I hate you!" before turning on her heel and racing back to her bedroom with her tears flowing behind her, sparkling in the odd beam of sunlight.
Melinda simply stood there in shock, watching her beloved child run off down the corridor, but didn't do anything to stop her. As soon as she heard Sakura's door slam, however, she fell to the floor in sobs. She truly did love Sakura - like the daughter she never had - but obviously, she hadn't done a good enough job of showing it. So many thoughts ran through her head as she sobbed her heart out on the floor, but after only a few moments she fell unconscious, exhausted from her bout of crying.
Approximately five minutes later, Meilin entered the cottage fro her routine visit to Sakura. She came everyday to drop off and pick up Sakura's unfinished and completed homework because Kero wouldn't let her go to school. "Hello?" she called, but she received no response. She wasn't worried - Sakura was probably busy training - but when she saw Avalon Melinda slumped unconscious on the floor she knew that there had been a confrontation, and quickly hurried past the sleeping woman to Sakura's room.
~***~Sakura's bedroom in the Avalon cottage~***~
As she ran into the room with the tears streaming down her cheeks, all she could think of was the fact that the person she had looked up to and thought of as her mother for the past eight years had, in fact, betrayed her. Sakura fell onto her bed, curled herself into a ball, and tried to calm herself enough to explain to a very worried Kero what had happened.
Just as she thought she had her emotions under control, she heard a voice calling her name. "Sakura! SA-KU-RA! Where are you!?"
Meilin almost threw the door off its hinges as she burst into Sakura's bedroom, consequently causing chaos and throwing an overprotective and very worried Kero across the room. On his way, he made contact with Sakura's desk, and, while sliding across it, he inadvertently caused all of her papers to fly in every possible direction. He finally came to a stop against the wall, but the damage was as of yet incomplete. When Kero hit the wall, he hit rather hard and knocked a picture off the wall and it fell on top of him, punching a hole through it with his head.
"Kero! What are you doing?! I would have thought you would be worried about your mistress! I mean, look at her she's..." Meilin stopped when she saw Sakura.
Sakura lay face down on the mattress. Her hair was thrown every which way and was quite tangled. Her clothes were creased and lined. Her whole body shook with the force of her sobs as she had remembered the entire experience vividly as soon as Meilin had walked through the door. When Meilin stopped talking, she shifted a bit and sat on the edge of the bed, keeping her face hidden with her hair. Sakura took a shaky breath and stood, raised her head, and looked Meilin straight in the eye. The raven- haired girl was taken aback when she saw Sakura full on. Her hands were shaking as she reached up to try and pull her fingers through her hair in a desperate attempt to make herself look not as bad for her guest. Her face was streaked with tears and her eyes were red from crying. The look on her face was one of utter despair and sorrow. Though Meilin couldn't bear to see her friend in this state, she was frozen in place by Sakura's eyes. The sorrow and betrayal they portrayed was more than Meilin could handle. Without any warning, Sakura dropped to the floor in a heap of limbs covered with her long, now dull, hair.
"Oh Sakura!" The raven-haired girl quickly fell to her knees beside her friend and lifted her into her arms. She stood, shakily, and placed her emerald-eyed friend on the bed. Though she was unconscious and her beautiful eyes were hidden, tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. Meilin crawled behind her friend and propped Sakura up against her chest. She wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's waist and pulled her close, holding her tightly, but not so tight as to injure her. Meilin sat and held Sakura until she heard noises coming from the hallway. Frantically she shook Sakura to wake her. If it was her 'mother' stirring in the hallway then Sakura needed to be ready for another confrontation. Sakura opened her eyes slowly, as if coming from a trance. She was still unaware of the tears flowing down her face. They flowed slowly down her cheeks, but when she saw Meilin they flowed faster and faster until she was sobbing uncontrollably. Meilin put her arms around her friend again, trying to give her any consolation she could. As the smaller girl's tears slowed and finally stopped, she looked up at her best friend.
"Thank you," she whispered, overwhelmed with emotion. "A better friend I couldn't find, not if I searched the entire world thrice over."
Meilin simply smiled at her friend knowingly. They looked into each others eyes, the gaze of each saying to the other more than words ever could. Meilin was taken aback, however, when she saw a flicker of horror on Sakura's face. "Sakura-chan? Is something wrong?"
"Of course there is!" Meilin's face took on a worried expression, and hoping for Avalon-sama's sake that the older woman hadn't hurt her Sakura- chan too much. But the worried look disappeared when Sakura spoke her next few words. "I forgot about Xiao Lang!"
Meilin sweatdropped and smiled at her overly dense friend before asking, "What about Xiao Lang?"
Sakura stared at Meilin until she remembered that she hadn't told her the news. "Oh kami-sama! I can't believe I forgot to tell you about my news!" Sakura began bouncing up and down on her bed in excitement. "We...and I do mean we...are going to go and visit someone you know very well..." Sakura giggled at Meilin's bemused expression. "Come on, Meilin, I know you can guess it!"
Meilin studied Sakura's eager face but she didn't come to the conclusions. "Um...I have no clue...is it Akizuki-san? Or Kanbi-kun? Or is it Mizuki- sensei? Come on, Sakura, I need to know!" Meilin sounded frustrated, but Sakura just giggled again which made Meilin even more irritated.
"Well, it's none of those people...I'll give you another hint...it's a guy, and he's related to one of us..." She giggled again, thinking Meilin would never get it.
"Um...Touya! That's it! Touya!" Meilin shouted victoriously, jumping up and down in excitement because she believed that it was the correct answer.
Sakura giggled a third time, smiling inside at Meilin because she was so dense, almost as dense as Sakura herself, and because she was being so silly.
Finally, it dawned on Meilin who it must be. She smiled mischievously, hoping to embarrass her best friend thoroughly. "It's my cousin, isn't it?" said Meilin with a smirk. "I mean, that's the only person that I know and you know that doesn't live around here - other than Touya, of course - so it must be!" Meilin grinned as Sakura turned a brilliant shade of red.
Sakura swallowed, and quickly spoke up, hoping to distract Meilin from her embarrassment. "Well..." she cleared her throat, "...yes, it is, but..." She was cut off by a squeal of victory from the raven-haired girl beside her. "But..." Sakura continued in a firmer tone of voice, and Meilin shut up immediately. "...that does mean that we are going to have to be prepared. And that means a shopping trip. Down to the market. How does that sound?"
This time, Meilin's squeal could be heard throughout their quarter of town, she was so excited. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Let's GO!" Meilin pulled Sakura out the door, through the kitchen, and out the door. Sakura's mother had obviously picked herself up of the floor and moved to another location in the house - or maybe out of the house - because she wasn't there anymore. Meilin stopped her mad dash through the house only long enough to grab the pot of money from the cupboard and pull two cloaks, one red and one green, off the coat tree by the door.
~***~Downtown Capitol City~***~
Sakura was sure that Meilin must have been the world's fastest shopper. She knew exactly where to go, which products were good and bad, and she was wonderful with the money. They didn't have much to begin with, but the little they had was going a long way...a very long way.
After visiting a great many stalls and shops, Meilin pulled Sakura anxiously into yet another store, one that she promised would be the last. Meilin looked around with an expectant look on her face, as if waiting for someone, while Sakura simply stood puzzled. They appeared to be in a warehouse, if you could call it that. It was rundown, dark and damp, it smelled awful, and to top it all off, Sakura could hear rats scuttling around in the darker corners of the large room.
Sakura cleared her throat, now quite frightened. "Ano...Meilin? Where are we? And why are we here? Wherever here is...?" Sakura tried her best to keep her voice sounding calm and collected, but her fear obviously crept into her voice because Meilin turned to her friend and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Meilin smiled sympathetically. She remembered the first time she had come here, with her favourite cousin, years ago. Xiao Lang had dared her to come and stay here for an entire night, and, of course, she did. As a Li woman, she was taught never to fear. She had fallen asleep easily enough, and when she woke, it was to the kind face of an old man carrying a platter of sausages and eggs for the 'beautiful young lady' he had come across while doing his rounds. They had chatted for a while until Meilin had to go to her rendezvous. Before Meilin left, the old gentleman had told her that if she ever needed supplies for anything, that she was welcome to return.
After Sakura heard this story, she relaxed quite a bit, despite the creaking and the sounds of rats. Almost as soon as the story had ended, a shape formed in the gloom. Meilin squealed and ran towards it, her arms open wide. She enveloped the figure in a hug, then hurried him towards Sakura.
"Sakura? I would like you to meet Master Wei. He owns this warehouse, and he will be the one who will provide us with our camping equipment. Master Wei, this is Sakura, the soon-to-be wife of my arrogant cousin." At this statement, Sakura blushed, and opened her mouth to defend her love, but before she could make a sound, Master Wei lifted his hand, immediately silencing her.
"Before you say anything, Mistress of the Cards, I think you will want to know one thing," said Master Wei, without even a glimmer of emotion on his face.
Sakura gasped when he called her the cards mistress. 'How in the name of all that is good could he know?' though Sakura anxiously, and she opened her mouth to ask, but was silenced once again by his ever-present hand.
"Please. Allow me to continue. As I was saying, I believe you will want to know one thing. And that would be that your prince is, at the moment, parading through the streets on his way to the castle. If you would like to catch up with him, he is currently on the corner of Rosewood Avenue and Kent Street, and he will be following his usual route up to the castle." Sakura stood stunned, and Master Wei continued when she didn't make a single movement or sound. "I suggest you hurry if you would like to catch him. Lady Meilin here will catch up to you when our business is complete. Now, run along, child."
Sakura snapped out of her trance, and, nodding quickly at the Master, turned tail and raced out the door into the busy streets.
Master Wei chuckled watching her run off. "She really does love him, doesn't she?"
Meilin smiled. "Yes, she certainly does. With all of her heart and soul."
~***~In the streets of the Capitol~***~
Sakura dashed around the last corner, and finally came to a stop, just in front of the parade area. She waited anxiously, her stomach in knots, while the front set of guards and the gymnastics team and musicians passed. Then, finally, the royalty came. Sakura stood on her toes, trying to catch sight of Syaoran, and extremely glad she had worn her best dress. Finally she spotted him, though it was hard not to, with his distinct stature and messy chocolate coloured hair.
Sakura moved lithely through the crowds until she met the rope. She ducked underneath, and slid in between the semi-important officials until she finally reached the middle. She was so focused on reaching her goal, that she didn't even realize that she had guards on her tail until the grasped her arms and pinned them painfully behind her back.
The two brutal guards started to drag her off, but she refused to go easily, shouting and kicking the whole way. Finally, her handsome prince looked in her direction, and they locked eyes, the same way they always did, and she tried to put all her emotions into her gaze. Her love for him, her devotion to him, and all the pain she felt at being away from him for such a long time.
Finally, she could struggle no longer, the fight had been fought and she stood no chance of winning, but she still had one final play. She wrestled herself from the grips of the two soldiers, kicking both quickly in the groin, before turning towards her fiancée and shouted. As loudly as she could, before the guards could recover and recapture her, she shouted, "Xiao Lang! My love..."
MT: Ack! I forgot to do thank you's at the beginning! So I'll do them now!
Ice Wolf17 - I'm so happy you like my story! Sakura and Li are meeting in their dreams which are connected because they are destined to be married. I really hope this isn't reminding you TOO much of Cinderella, or any other story for that matter because I've tried my best to make it original. Your welcome for the review! Please review again!
Tainted Goddess - Yeah! I'm really good! I love your fic! Co-writing would be SOOOOOOOOO COOL! I'd love to do that sometime! After this story is finished? I hope you review again!
fleur - Yeah! Romance with a touch of magic...exactly what I was aiming for! I'm glad you approve!
dangerous-beans - Yeah! I love getting reviews that tell me my story is really good! Yes I have seen Princess Bride, but please don't tell me it's like that, cause it really isn't! And, I hope this is coming out soon enough for you!
sakura tenshi.AnGeL oF lOvE - Yes! Finally someone who tells me it's a new concept! Of course it is! I'll do my best, and thanks for your review in advance!
kawaiitenshisakura - Yeah! I'm so glad you like the dreams! I wasn't sure if they were a good thing or not...Yeah! I'm descriptive! Thanks for noticing!
MT: Well, thank you all for the reviews! I now have 21!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm hoping for at least a hundred by the time this story is over!
*crash!*
MT: What on earth...???
*crash* *bang* *crash* *thump*
Syaoran: *groan* *rolls onstage, battered and bruised*
MT: *worried* What happened to you! Oh Syaoran! Wake up! Please wake up! *suddenly furious* Who did this to you?!?!?
Syaoran: *weakly points offstage* *cough* Kero... *cough cough*
MT: KERO!!!!!! *vein popping out of forehead*
Kero: *whimper* S - sorry Mystress...
MT: You'd better be! *turns to Syaoran* Are you okay? Can you hear me? Say something, please?!
Syaoran: *groan* Thank you...*cough*...for reading...Mystress Tate's story...*groan* Please come back when we put up the next chapter...*cough* From everyone here at...*cough*...Mystress Tate Studios...*groan*...thank you...and...*groan*...goodnight... *collapses on floor*
MT: Syaoran? Syaoran! *pause* KERO!!! *glares*
Kero: AAAAAAHHH! BYE EVERYONE!!!! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! *runs offstage*
MT: You are sooooooo in trouble, ya stupid stuffed animal!!!!!!!!!! *runs after Kero*
Syaoran: *groan*
Chapter Six: My Love
Sakura cuddled closer to Syaoran and sighed softly. She felt so safe in his arms. Though he was asleep, he held her tightly, and she never wanted to leave the security of his arms, though she knew she would have to soon enough. She turned her face up to look at Xiao Lang sleeping so peacefully like a child without a care in the world. She pulled her hand from his gently so as not to wake him, and placed it on his face, caressing his strong features.
Though her touch was soft, it was also cool. It brought Xiao Lang back to reality quickly, but not in such a way as to startle him. He slowly let his eyes open revealing the depth of his soul in golden brown and amber. He smiled at Sakura who seemed shocked that her touch had awakened him so easily. Once she regained her senses she immediately tried to pull her hand away, only to have it be caught by Xiao Lang in on fluid motion. She stared at their hands and followed their path as Syaoran brought them to his face. There he placed Sakura's palm on his cheek and covered her hand with his own, simultaneously closing his eyes to enjoy the moment.
"Aishiteru, Sakura..." whispered Syaoran, his voice like the morning sun shining gently down upon them. It made her feel so warm inside. She smiled back at her fiancée lovingly, feeling as though the entire world revolved around them, as if the whole world was at her fingertips, eager to do her bidding. Her response to him was simple. She turned her back to him and cuddled closer to him, never wanting to leave his side.
As she pulled his arm over her once more, she sighed, and said under her breath three simple words. "Aishiteru, my love..."
~***~In Sakura's bedroom at the Avalon cottage~***~
Sakura closed her eyes tighter as she felt the heat of the morning sun. She stretched, keeping her eyes shut, and put her feet on the floor. When she was in a sitting position on the edge of her bed, she thought about her dream from the previous night. She and Syaoran had exchanged vows, each promising to be with the other, and she would meet him in reality in three days.
She sighed and sank back down onto her bed, thinking, 'Yes...just three more days until...wait a minute!' She jerked herself up and immediately began pulling out clothes and preparing herself for a trip to the market. 'I have to meet him in three days! I have to get travel clothes and supplies, and I have to get stuff for Meilin too...Meilin! I have to tell her!' She rushed out into the kitchen, bumping into her mother in the hallway and the both fell backwards from the force of the impact.
Sakura closed her yes and tried to stand, but she was dazed from the fall. She had hit the back of her head on the sideboard and was slightly dazed, but soon she felt well enough to open her eyes. When she did, she saw a blur of skin in front of her face. She blinked, and the picture cleared enough for her to determine that it was her mother's hand.
"Are you alright, my dear? That was quite a nasty fall you took just there." Sakura's mother seemed quite upset, and though it seemed quite natural in appearance, Sakura knew it wasn't. When she thought about it, nothing had really been natural about her family life for the past few days.
'Kero arrived days ago, and I guess my mind's been occupied with so many other things that I hadn't noticed her. Come to think of it, she couldn't possibly have been here without finding out about Kero and the cards because he and I have not made any effort to keep ourselves quiet. I wonder where she's been...' Sakura cleared her throat. "I'm fine, mother, but where have you been? You've been gone for days! I've been worried sick!" The last part wasn't true; she hadn't even noticed her mother's unusual disappearance. Sakura felt slightly guilty for lying to her until she realized that her 'mother' had hidden the truth from her to her for the last eight years...her whole family had been for all she knew of the situation. The only person she knew with any certainty had lied was that her supposed mother, Avalon Melinda.
Sakura's question took Melinda by surprise. She had thought that her lord and master had dealt with her absence with a double, as usual, but perhaps not...she would have to answer as vaguely as she could.
Sakura could almost see her so-called mother's mind at work, trying to find a suitable answer to Sakura's question...a question she obviously hadn't expected, and an answer she evidently didn't have.
"I...well, I went out to the countryside for a bit/ The doctor...you know doctor Morin? Well he suggested I come out to the country for a little while...he thought it might improve my health..." Melinda coughed for effect, though it sounded fake, and lowered her head, hoping that Sakura would buy her story. She glance up as inconspicuously as she could, and from the look of suspicion she saw on the younger woman's face, Melinda assumed that she hadn't bought it. Hesitantly she lifted her head to see Sakura half-glaring - and half looking sympathetically - at her. She tried to smile brightly, hoping to relieve some of Sakura's doubt, but managed only a wan smile that went unreturned by her 'daughter.' "You don't believe me, do you?" She lowered her head again to hide her face from Sakura's unrelenting gaze.
"No I don't, and for good reason. Oh, and by the way, I'm leaving for the Kinomoto Kingdom.probably tomorrow. I hope that isn't a problem for you because you really don't have a choice in the matter. Oh, and Meilin is coming with me, so you don't have to worry about my being alone. Now, I'm going to need..."
Melinda stopped hearing what Sakura was saying soon after she started talking. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. First, her 'daughter' didn't believe her and second, she was going to the one place she had always forbidding her to go. She couldn't let this happen. Meanwhile, Sakura was still talking about all the things she would need to bring on her trip.
"...And I'll need to take a trip to the market. I have to get some other supplies that we don't have here, so I'll need some money." Sakura leaned back against the wall and smiled up at her 'mother' who stood in shock from all the things she had just said.
"You.you can't! I won't let you! You are still my daughter and while you live in my house you cannot do something against my wishes!" Melinda was desperate. If Sakura went back to the Kinomoto Kingdom and some soldier saw her and recognized her, who knew what could happen to their plan.
"Well then I'll leave. That way I won't live under your roof and you won't be able to push me around because there are things you don't want me to find out. You don't rule my life...you can't rule my life. I am a free woman...mother...or are you really my mother...hmm? And am I really your daughter?" Sakura stood up - forcing Melinda to take a step back - and put her hands on her hips. Though Sakura was petite, she was still taller than her plump guardian. "Well? I haven't got all day you know." Though Sakura seemed outwardly confident, inside she was very unsure of herself. 'What if she simply denies it? What if she's evil? What if Kero didn't want me to tell her yet?' While all of the 'what if's' ran through her mind her spirits dropped, but she stood her ground. She felt inclined simply to flee the room, dreading the answer her 'mother' would give her.
Melinda's head jerked up. "You know? How could you possibly know? I mean, we took all the necessary precautions to hide this from you, you stupid, naïve girl!" Now Melinda was mad. A mere child was flushing all her hard work down the toilet and it infuriated her...she had no right to ruin her plans in this manner.
Sakura's never-before-seen temper soon got the best of her, and though she tried to keep the situation calm, it overtook her sensibility and she started to yell at the older woman. "Oh, it was sooooooo easy! I had a little bit of help from a few friends of mine, but a lot of it was because of my skill and intelligence! You know, I thought you were better than this! I thought you actually cared, but you know what I found? I found that it was all a farce! A ploy! A charade! You baka gaki! Baka, baka, baka! That you didn't care at all! And I..." At this point, Sakura choked on her sobs, but she calmed herself enough to deal what would be - though she didn't know it - the fatal blow to her wannabe mother. She took a deep breath, swallowed, and continued on with her tirade, saying in the calmest voice she could muster, "...I hate you!" before turning on her heel and racing back to her bedroom with her tears flowing behind her, sparkling in the odd beam of sunlight.
Melinda simply stood there in shock, watching her beloved child run off down the corridor, but didn't do anything to stop her. As soon as she heard Sakura's door slam, however, she fell to the floor in sobs. She truly did love Sakura - like the daughter she never had - but obviously, she hadn't done a good enough job of showing it. So many thoughts ran through her head as she sobbed her heart out on the floor, but after only a few moments she fell unconscious, exhausted from her bout of crying.
Approximately five minutes later, Meilin entered the cottage fro her routine visit to Sakura. She came everyday to drop off and pick up Sakura's unfinished and completed homework because Kero wouldn't let her go to school. "Hello?" she called, but she received no response. She wasn't worried - Sakura was probably busy training - but when she saw Avalon Melinda slumped unconscious on the floor she knew that there had been a confrontation, and quickly hurried past the sleeping woman to Sakura's room.
~***~Sakura's bedroom in the Avalon cottage~***~
As she ran into the room with the tears streaming down her cheeks, all she could think of was the fact that the person she had looked up to and thought of as her mother for the past eight years had, in fact, betrayed her. Sakura fell onto her bed, curled herself into a ball, and tried to calm herself enough to explain to a very worried Kero what had happened.
Just as she thought she had her emotions under control, she heard a voice calling her name. "Sakura! SA-KU-RA! Where are you!?"
Meilin almost threw the door off its hinges as she burst into Sakura's bedroom, consequently causing chaos and throwing an overprotective and very worried Kero across the room. On his way, he made contact with Sakura's desk, and, while sliding across it, he inadvertently caused all of her papers to fly in every possible direction. He finally came to a stop against the wall, but the damage was as of yet incomplete. When Kero hit the wall, he hit rather hard and knocked a picture off the wall and it fell on top of him, punching a hole through it with his head.
"Kero! What are you doing?! I would have thought you would be worried about your mistress! I mean, look at her she's..." Meilin stopped when she saw Sakura.
Sakura lay face down on the mattress. Her hair was thrown every which way and was quite tangled. Her clothes were creased and lined. Her whole body shook with the force of her sobs as she had remembered the entire experience vividly as soon as Meilin had walked through the door. When Meilin stopped talking, she shifted a bit and sat on the edge of the bed, keeping her face hidden with her hair. Sakura took a shaky breath and stood, raised her head, and looked Meilin straight in the eye. The raven- haired girl was taken aback when she saw Sakura full on. Her hands were shaking as she reached up to try and pull her fingers through her hair in a desperate attempt to make herself look not as bad for her guest. Her face was streaked with tears and her eyes were red from crying. The look on her face was one of utter despair and sorrow. Though Meilin couldn't bear to see her friend in this state, she was frozen in place by Sakura's eyes. The sorrow and betrayal they portrayed was more than Meilin could handle. Without any warning, Sakura dropped to the floor in a heap of limbs covered with her long, now dull, hair.
"Oh Sakura!" The raven-haired girl quickly fell to her knees beside her friend and lifted her into her arms. She stood, shakily, and placed her emerald-eyed friend on the bed. Though she was unconscious and her beautiful eyes were hidden, tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. Meilin crawled behind her friend and propped Sakura up against her chest. She wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's waist and pulled her close, holding her tightly, but not so tight as to injure her. Meilin sat and held Sakura until she heard noises coming from the hallway. Frantically she shook Sakura to wake her. If it was her 'mother' stirring in the hallway then Sakura needed to be ready for another confrontation. Sakura opened her eyes slowly, as if coming from a trance. She was still unaware of the tears flowing down her face. They flowed slowly down her cheeks, but when she saw Meilin they flowed faster and faster until she was sobbing uncontrollably. Meilin put her arms around her friend again, trying to give her any consolation she could. As the smaller girl's tears slowed and finally stopped, she looked up at her best friend.
"Thank you," she whispered, overwhelmed with emotion. "A better friend I couldn't find, not if I searched the entire world thrice over."
Meilin simply smiled at her friend knowingly. They looked into each others eyes, the gaze of each saying to the other more than words ever could. Meilin was taken aback, however, when she saw a flicker of horror on Sakura's face. "Sakura-chan? Is something wrong?"
"Of course there is!" Meilin's face took on a worried expression, and hoping for Avalon-sama's sake that the older woman hadn't hurt her Sakura- chan too much. But the worried look disappeared when Sakura spoke her next few words. "I forgot about Xiao Lang!"
Meilin sweatdropped and smiled at her overly dense friend before asking, "What about Xiao Lang?"
Sakura stared at Meilin until she remembered that she hadn't told her the news. "Oh kami-sama! I can't believe I forgot to tell you about my news!" Sakura began bouncing up and down on her bed in excitement. "We...and I do mean we...are going to go and visit someone you know very well..." Sakura giggled at Meilin's bemused expression. "Come on, Meilin, I know you can guess it!"
Meilin studied Sakura's eager face but she didn't come to the conclusions. "Um...I have no clue...is it Akizuki-san? Or Kanbi-kun? Or is it Mizuki- sensei? Come on, Sakura, I need to know!" Meilin sounded frustrated, but Sakura just giggled again which made Meilin even more irritated.
"Well, it's none of those people...I'll give you another hint...it's a guy, and he's related to one of us..." She giggled again, thinking Meilin would never get it.
"Um...Touya! That's it! Touya!" Meilin shouted victoriously, jumping up and down in excitement because she believed that it was the correct answer.
Sakura giggled a third time, smiling inside at Meilin because she was so dense, almost as dense as Sakura herself, and because she was being so silly.
Finally, it dawned on Meilin who it must be. She smiled mischievously, hoping to embarrass her best friend thoroughly. "It's my cousin, isn't it?" said Meilin with a smirk. "I mean, that's the only person that I know and you know that doesn't live around here - other than Touya, of course - so it must be!" Meilin grinned as Sakura turned a brilliant shade of red.
Sakura swallowed, and quickly spoke up, hoping to distract Meilin from her embarrassment. "Well..." she cleared her throat, "...yes, it is, but..." She was cut off by a squeal of victory from the raven-haired girl beside her. "But..." Sakura continued in a firmer tone of voice, and Meilin shut up immediately. "...that does mean that we are going to have to be prepared. And that means a shopping trip. Down to the market. How does that sound?"
This time, Meilin's squeal could be heard throughout their quarter of town, she was so excited. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Let's GO!" Meilin pulled Sakura out the door, through the kitchen, and out the door. Sakura's mother had obviously picked herself up of the floor and moved to another location in the house - or maybe out of the house - because she wasn't there anymore. Meilin stopped her mad dash through the house only long enough to grab the pot of money from the cupboard and pull two cloaks, one red and one green, off the coat tree by the door.
~***~Downtown Capitol City~***~
Sakura was sure that Meilin must have been the world's fastest shopper. She knew exactly where to go, which products were good and bad, and she was wonderful with the money. They didn't have much to begin with, but the little they had was going a long way...a very long way.
After visiting a great many stalls and shops, Meilin pulled Sakura anxiously into yet another store, one that she promised would be the last. Meilin looked around with an expectant look on her face, as if waiting for someone, while Sakura simply stood puzzled. They appeared to be in a warehouse, if you could call it that. It was rundown, dark and damp, it smelled awful, and to top it all off, Sakura could hear rats scuttling around in the darker corners of the large room.
Sakura cleared her throat, now quite frightened. "Ano...Meilin? Where are we? And why are we here? Wherever here is...?" Sakura tried her best to keep her voice sounding calm and collected, but her fear obviously crept into her voice because Meilin turned to her friend and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Meilin smiled sympathetically. She remembered the first time she had come here, with her favourite cousin, years ago. Xiao Lang had dared her to come and stay here for an entire night, and, of course, she did. As a Li woman, she was taught never to fear. She had fallen asleep easily enough, and when she woke, it was to the kind face of an old man carrying a platter of sausages and eggs for the 'beautiful young lady' he had come across while doing his rounds. They had chatted for a while until Meilin had to go to her rendezvous. Before Meilin left, the old gentleman had told her that if she ever needed supplies for anything, that she was welcome to return.
After Sakura heard this story, she relaxed quite a bit, despite the creaking and the sounds of rats. Almost as soon as the story had ended, a shape formed in the gloom. Meilin squealed and ran towards it, her arms open wide. She enveloped the figure in a hug, then hurried him towards Sakura.
"Sakura? I would like you to meet Master Wei. He owns this warehouse, and he will be the one who will provide us with our camping equipment. Master Wei, this is Sakura, the soon-to-be wife of my arrogant cousin." At this statement, Sakura blushed, and opened her mouth to defend her love, but before she could make a sound, Master Wei lifted his hand, immediately silencing her.
"Before you say anything, Mistress of the Cards, I think you will want to know one thing," said Master Wei, without even a glimmer of emotion on his face.
Sakura gasped when he called her the cards mistress. 'How in the name of all that is good could he know?' though Sakura anxiously, and she opened her mouth to ask, but was silenced once again by his ever-present hand.
"Please. Allow me to continue. As I was saying, I believe you will want to know one thing. And that would be that your prince is, at the moment, parading through the streets on his way to the castle. If you would like to catch up with him, he is currently on the corner of Rosewood Avenue and Kent Street, and he will be following his usual route up to the castle." Sakura stood stunned, and Master Wei continued when she didn't make a single movement or sound. "I suggest you hurry if you would like to catch him. Lady Meilin here will catch up to you when our business is complete. Now, run along, child."
Sakura snapped out of her trance, and, nodding quickly at the Master, turned tail and raced out the door into the busy streets.
Master Wei chuckled watching her run off. "She really does love him, doesn't she?"
Meilin smiled. "Yes, she certainly does. With all of her heart and soul."
~***~In the streets of the Capitol~***~
Sakura dashed around the last corner, and finally came to a stop, just in front of the parade area. She waited anxiously, her stomach in knots, while the front set of guards and the gymnastics team and musicians passed. Then, finally, the royalty came. Sakura stood on her toes, trying to catch sight of Syaoran, and extremely glad she had worn her best dress. Finally she spotted him, though it was hard not to, with his distinct stature and messy chocolate coloured hair.
Sakura moved lithely through the crowds until she met the rope. She ducked underneath, and slid in between the semi-important officials until she finally reached the middle. She was so focused on reaching her goal, that she didn't even realize that she had guards on her tail until the grasped her arms and pinned them painfully behind her back.
The two brutal guards started to drag her off, but she refused to go easily, shouting and kicking the whole way. Finally, her handsome prince looked in her direction, and they locked eyes, the same way they always did, and she tried to put all her emotions into her gaze. Her love for him, her devotion to him, and all the pain she felt at being away from him for such a long time.
Finally, she could struggle no longer, the fight had been fought and she stood no chance of winning, but she still had one final play. She wrestled herself from the grips of the two soldiers, kicking both quickly in the groin, before turning towards her fiancée and shouted. As loudly as she could, before the guards could recover and recapture her, she shouted, "Xiao Lang! My love..."
MT: Ack! I forgot to do thank you's at the beginning! So I'll do them now!
Ice Wolf17 - I'm so happy you like my story! Sakura and Li are meeting in their dreams which are connected because they are destined to be married. I really hope this isn't reminding you TOO much of Cinderella, or any other story for that matter because I've tried my best to make it original. Your welcome for the review! Please review again!
Tainted Goddess - Yeah! I'm really good! I love your fic! Co-writing would be SOOOOOOOOO COOL! I'd love to do that sometime! After this story is finished? I hope you review again!
fleur - Yeah! Romance with a touch of magic...exactly what I was aiming for! I'm glad you approve!
dangerous-beans - Yeah! I love getting reviews that tell me my story is really good! Yes I have seen Princess Bride, but please don't tell me it's like that, cause it really isn't! And, I hope this is coming out soon enough for you!
sakura tenshi.AnGeL oF lOvE - Yes! Finally someone who tells me it's a new concept! Of course it is! I'll do my best, and thanks for your review in advance!
kawaiitenshisakura - Yeah! I'm so glad you like the dreams! I wasn't sure if they were a good thing or not...Yeah! I'm descriptive! Thanks for noticing!
MT: Well, thank you all for the reviews! I now have 21!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm hoping for at least a hundred by the time this story is over!
*crash!*
MT: What on earth...???
*crash* *bang* *crash* *thump*
Syaoran: *groan* *rolls onstage, battered and bruised*
MT: *worried* What happened to you! Oh Syaoran! Wake up! Please wake up! *suddenly furious* Who did this to you?!?!?
Syaoran: *weakly points offstage* *cough* Kero... *cough cough*
MT: KERO!!!!!! *vein popping out of forehead*
Kero: *whimper* S - sorry Mystress...
MT: You'd better be! *turns to Syaoran* Are you okay? Can you hear me? Say something, please?!
Syaoran: *groan* Thank you...*cough*...for reading...Mystress Tate's story...*groan* Please come back when we put up the next chapter...*cough* From everyone here at...*cough*...Mystress Tate Studios...*groan*...thank you...and...*groan*...goodnight... *collapses on floor*
MT: Syaoran? Syaoran! *pause* KERO!!! *glares*
Kero: AAAAAAHHH! BYE EVERYONE!!!! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! *runs offstage*
MT: You are sooooooo in trouble, ya stupid stuffed animal!!!!!!!!!! *runs after Kero*
Syaoran: *groan*