Bye!
*BrocksBabe*
Illusional Truths and Lies
*BrocksBabe* (OurLifeCartoon@aol.com)
Sakura hurried to the bench, only to find Li not there. She frowned angrily, and sat down. She would wait out here all night if she had to but wait she would. About 30 minutes later, there was a rustling in the bushes and Li emerged.
"So how does it feel for YOU to be kept waiting?"
"What a greeting! Li, what's wrong? If anyone should be annoyed, its me! You stood me up after school today and you've been spreading rumors! Please kindly inform me when I 'get you some' so that we can both be up to date!"
"Well I don't know what YOUR talking about, Sakura, but all I know is that I waited for you before school and was even late because of you! Then I got detention!! Then, to complete the whole thing, I waited for you after detention because you said you were going to be there!"
"I said nothing of the kind!"
"Yeah, maybe you didn't say it to my face but Madison sure said it!"
"Why would Madison say it? I didn't say anything to her either! I didn't even know you GOT detention! That's why I waited for you after school!"
"And how dare you accuse me of lying? And of spreading rumors about you!"
"I didn't say one word about lyi-," Sakura started to shout, but stopped. "Li..."
"What Sakura?"
"Your not spreading rumors, right?"
"Right."
"And I didn't Madison to tell you to wait for me before school."
"You didn't?"
"No. And I don't suppose you told Madison to tell me to wait for you after school? When I didn't even know you had detention...?"
"No, I didn't say anything of the like to Madison."
"And I didn't tell Madison to tell you to wait for me after detention. Are you thinking what I am thinking?"
"Yes. Madison is trying to keep us apart!"
"No Li! Its the Lie card! It focuses on illusion, just like the Truth card! It must be Madison! Like the truth card appeared to me as you and to you as me!"
Li blinked a moment, fully assimilating the "you's" and "me's".
"I get it... I think."
The bushes shook again, but this time Madison emerged.
"So," she stated with a look of bland annoyance, "you found me out. Rather soon, too! I was looking FORWARD to having a few days fun with you two, but no! You have to go and talk together! You are very difficult!"
"What have you done with Madison," Sakura growled angrily.
"Oh she just thinks she's still asleep. I don't kill people! Not yet any ways!"
Sakura reached into her pocket looking for the truth card. No! It wasn't there!
"That's right, Card Captor Sakura, your cards aren't there! You left in such a hurry to meet this boy that you didn't even remember them! What will you do now?"
The card began to shift, not into its true form, but into a strange black bird.
"Sakura! Run while its changing! We have to get your cards!"
"Right!"
Sakura pulled off the key of Clow and quickly changed it into her wand.
"Get ready Li! FLY!"
She jumped on the wand and grabbed Lis arm and helped swing him up.
"Lets go!"
--
Kero yawned and licked some icing off his paws.
"Mmmm, chocolate!"
He looked over at the plate, but it was empty. He was just about to go look for more cake when Sakura, and that Li kid, burst through the window.
"Quick Kero! Where are my cards? The Lie card! Its after us!"
A strange shrieking noise was heard outside, and Kero hastened to get the cards. But he was too full!! He had eaten so much cake that he could hardly fly. Landing with a thump he gestured towards the desk draw.
"Over... *puff* there!"
"Thanks Kero!"
Sakura grabbed the cards and leaped back onto the wand.
"Quick! Before it vanishes Sakura!"
With that said, or more like shouted, Li and Sakura sped off towards the playground and benches with Kero is hot pursuit. Hot as in the fact that he was trying to run very fast. (He's still too full to fly!)
"That's... *gasp* the last time I eat... *grunt* 17 cupcakes... before bed!"
--
The black bird was circling around them, watching for an opening.
"Windy! Take down that bird!"
Windy sped out trying to encircle the huge bird but it outmaneuvered her and forced her away. Taking its opportunity, the bird sped up and knocked Sakura and Li off the wand. Windy caught Sakura and the wand, but Li fell off into some large thorn bushes.
"Li!"
"Ow...I... Get it Sakura! I'm, ow!, fine!"
She sped off toward the bird, and saw it land on the penguin. It screeched at her and sped into the woods. She followed cautiously, watching for an ambush. None came. Finally she landed.
"What? Afraid I might catch you now card?"
"Sakura! What are you doing talking to yourself?"
She started and turned around, wand held up defensively.
"Oh, Li... its just you! But I thought you were still stuck in the bushes?"
"No, I used my sword to get out. Come on Sakura, I think the card is farther in the forest."
Li took her hand and started to pull her towards the deeper, and darker part of the forest.
"Wait... shouldn't we..."
"SAKURA!"
Sakura turned around again and met face to face with... Li!
"Not again," she groaned.
She stepped away from the both of them and stared at them hard. They looked exactly the same! Each had expressions of grim determination on their faces. Each were dirty and scratched up from the thorns. Each was even holding their swords at the same defensive angle! She pulled out the Illusional Truth card. It would see through them. But... she had to pick which one to look at. And if she picked wrong... but wait!
"Which one of you is Li Showron?"
"I am," said the Li who had arrived first.
"I'm not," said the second Li, speaking very softly.
Sakura smiled. She knew exactly who to capture.
"ILLUSIONAL TRUTH CARD! IDENTIFY THAT BOY RIGHT THERE," shouted Sakura as she pointed the card towards... the first Li! The Li that had tried to get her deeper in the forest!
The Truth card swept out in all her silvery beauty and wrapped around the Lie card (previous Li #1) and with an agonized shriek, Li was torn apart to reveal a very tall woman, who looked very much like the Truth card. The differences were that her hair was a silvery maroon red. She had large purple eyes, but they didn't show the serene calm and happiness the Truth cards had, they showed despair and trickery. Her hair was not braided, but was extraordinarily long and flowing, as if like water, all around her. Her dress was a light gray color, with not ivy hanging off her shoulders and waist, but strands and strands of white Jasmine. The dress was fashioned the same way as the others, slightly low cut and long. On her forehead rested a tiny violet, with a small red flame showing through the inside. The Illusional Lie card was a beautiful as the Truth card!
Sakura could but stare at the card. Slowly the Truth card approached the Lie card. As she got closer, the contrast between the two showed even more.
"My sister."
"So my fun is over."
"Yes. Did it ever begin?"
The Lie card let out a hallow laugh and turned to Sakura.
"I am not longer able to defend myself. Why don't you capture me?"
"I... um..."
"Sakura! Capture it!"
But Sakura could just stare in the Lie cards eyes. She was powerless to move. She had thought the Lie card would be an ugly hag, or some monster. Not... not what she was! She was the Lie card, why didn't she look like it? Nothing was making sense. Sakura began to lower her ward, and the Lie card continued to stare into her eyes. A voice in her head seemed to be telling her to do so. Seemed to be telling her that she didn't want to capture the card. Just as she was about to drop the wand, Kero burst into the clearing. The Lie card turned in surprise and Sakura's paralysis lasted no more.
"Sakura! Quick! Before the Lie card looks at you again!"
"ILLUSIONAL LIE CARD, RETURN TO YOUR POWER, CONFINE! ILLUSIONAL LIE!"
In a swirl of purple and red, she was swept up into a whirlwind and formed into a card. Truth smiled, and returned to her own card. Sakura looked at the Lie card. Its head was not tilted, and it was facing outwards directly, but its eyes were cast down. Shifting her gaze to the Truth card she saw that the Truths cards eyes met hers. That was strange.
"Kero, why does the truth card look out at me, and the Lie card doesn't?"
"Because lies may be powerful, but they are easily broken. The Lie card can almost never look a person straight in the eyes or they would know she was lying."
"But she looked me in the eyes just now. And she sorta looked at me when she was Madison... well. Actually, she kept looking down, or at something else. It was very strange! I should have noticed! And just now, when she was Li, she kept her eyes on the forest or on my shoes, not my eyes."
"Exactly. She is only able to look at you in her natural form. Then she can cause you to do things and think things you wouldn't normally think or do. These are the most complex cards of them all. The Truth card can always beat the Lie card, but the Lie card is more powerful. She needs to be."
"Why?"
"Because Lies take work. They need to weaved, and the seeds of mistrust and anger planted before they can work. The card could not fool you with one lie, it has to create a whole bunch, like a story. But the truth card knows the simple, undeniable truth of a matter and it sees that instantly."
"Oh..."
"Don't worry kid. You'll understand it someday."
"Yes... I suppose I will. Kero... one more question."
"Yeah?"
"Why is she just as beautiful as the Truth card?"
"She looks beautiful. Lies often seem to be better, to be more right and proper. But when you look in her eyes there is nothing but despair, heartache, and suffering. There is no love or joy, as in the Truth card. The Truth card is open and so is very beautiful, but also natural. The Lie card is guarded and fake, with nothing but its eyes to show its true self."
--
(3 days later)
Sakura stood alone with Li by the benches where most everything started.
"I'm sorry I even thought you would spread rumors, Li."
"That's OK, Sakura. We both believed things we shouldn't have."
"I suppose we did..."
She smiled shyly at Li, and blushed.
"There's been something I've been meaning to do Sakura..."
"What's that?"
Li simply smiled, and moved closer to Sakura. He tilted his head, almost cautiously, and moved closer. Sakura closed her eyes and...
"Hey Sakura!... I... woops."
Li and Sakura broke apart faster than cake (to use Kero's illustration) and stood there staring at the ground blushing.
"Woah! Private moment, Sakura?"
"Well, it was."
"Um. Sorry, so you guys want to come over for cake?"
"Kero popped out of Sakura's bag.
"Cake? YEAH!"
"Sure," agreed Sakura.
"How about you Li," Madison asked smiling.
"I guess."
--
"Oh my goodness! I cannot believe I missed that whole capture cause I thought I was still asleep!! How STUPID!"
Sakura laughed.
"Oh Madison, forget it. You were there... in image, if not in spirit!"
"Ha, funny Sakura! I'll go get some more cake, seeing how Kero ate all of it. You want to come Kero?"
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Madison wink at Kero, and walk out with him, shutting the door firmly behind her. Finally, alone at last, Li turned to Sakura.
"Sakura?"
"Yes Li?"
"Ever notice how we never get to kiss?"
"Well, we've only tried 2 times."
"Watch."
Li shuffled over to Sakura, and wrapped an arm cautiously around her shoulders. They leaned closer to each other and...
"Hey Sakura," Kero shouted as he burst into the room, "what kinda cake do you want? Madison said I can't pick it cause then I'll eat all of... um, was this a special moment?"
Li turned back to Sakura and raised an eyebrow as Sakura giggled. "I'll take Vanilla cake, Kero."
"Hey! Vanilla!"
After Kero had shut the door, Li hurriedly leaned towards Sakura and their lips had almost touched, when Madison burst into the room.
"You did say vanilla right Sakura? Kero isn't lying to me is h... oh no! I'm sorry! Private moment!"
Sakura rolled her eyes.
"Yes, vanilla cake or whatever cake! I don't care!"
"Oh, OK. Well, what cake do you want Li?"
"Marshmallow."
"Ooh. I don't have any of that made... but me and Kero can make some."
"OK. You do that and take a looong time, I mean, take your time. Me and Sakura will go take a walk while you make it."
"Ohhhh. Gotcha!"
Madison winked and ran back down the stairs. Li grabbed Sakura's hand.
"Quick! Before they find us again!"
He ran down the stairs, dragging Sakura behind him. From the kitchen came a distant wail, "Kero! You ate all the already made cake!"... "Oops, sorry Madison."
--
They made it, panting, to the spot where Sakura had first seen Li standing on the night the Truth card revealed itself.
"Well, think they'll get us now Sakura?"
"I hope not... I also hope Kero doesn't eat all the cake. I'm kind of hungry."
"Hah, if Kero didn't eat all the cake I would be worried. I would say he would be the Lie card!"
Sakura laughed, as Li put his arms around her. She moved up close and laid her head against his shoulder.
"Still... I do like cake..."
Li snorted, and lifted her head so she was looking at him. He looked around suspiciously, stared intently into all shaded spot of the park and forest. Glanced at his watch, then turned back to look at Sakura. He bent down, and they got closer and closer.
*BRING! BRING!*
"What the..."
"Oh. Its my phone... Hello? Oh hi Rita! Um, listen, I can't talk right now, but I'll call you later, OK?"
Just then Li grabbed the phone from her and chucked it into the bushes. He began moving his hands all over her, and into all her pockets.
"Do you have any more 'communication devices' in here Sakura? Any strange chipmunks, weasels, or talking bugs?"
"No."
"Are you secretly aware that if I try to kiss you again Madison, or your brother, or Kero will show up? Because if you are, tell me now."
"No, no one that I know of."
"Is there supposed to be an extremely rare eclipse of the sun? Are the penguins flocking north yet?"
Sakura giggled, "Li!"
He sighed and shook his head.
"That's a no?"
"Of course!"
He smiled at her, and she realized just how cute he was, and how lucky she was to have a guy like him love her. She smiled back at him, and at that moment Li realized how incredibly lucky HE was, and how much she meant to him. He looked into her eyes, then bent his head closer... closer... closer... he opened one eye and looked around quick... closer... and... Li kissed Sakura. It wasn't a huge, passionate kiss like in the movies. But just a sweet, gentle kiss. There were no fireworks, but Sakura's heart was pounding enough to make as much noise as fireworks! They broke apart, both blushing. Then Li jumped around and shouted happily!
"Yes! I GOT SOME!"
Sakura blinked and Li stopped jumping around.
"Just kidding."
She laughed, "You better be!"
He took her hand in his and they walked back towards Madison's.
"Think we'll get any cake Li?"
"Probably not."
"Hmmm... well, it was worth missing the cake to be with you," she said looking up at Li as he smiled even more. "And that's the truth!"
The End!
Well... I finished it! Wow! Well, please review and remember... no "you sucks" or anything!!! Thanks for reading!