A/N:
Strangers
Chapter 3
Disclaimer: I don't own Syaoran, Sakura, or Kero. They're all characters from Card Captor Sakura…I think I own everyone else in the story, though…0.o;;;
Syaoran sat in the house. He stroked his chin with his hands as if deep in thought. His older sister strolled inside.
"Hey, bro." She sat down beside him. She elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to flinch uncomfortably. "Who's the girl I saw you with?"
"Just a girl." He replied.
"Just a girl?" She shook her head. "No no no…I saw you almost kiss her! She is definitely not 'just a girl'."
"Listen, Mari, I don't want to go into it right now." He sighed and stood up.
Mari stood up and walked in front of him. She stepped on his toe. "Fine. You can go into it later."
He rolled his eyes, pushed her out of the way, and pushed his way out the door.
"Oh, Syaoran, you can be such a stick-in-the-mud sometimes…" She muttered to herself. With that she sat back down on the raggedy chair and shook her head.
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"Sakura Kinomoto, I am so ashamed of you right now!" The queen shook her head in disbelief. "I just don't believe it. I just don't."
The queen paced back in forth. She was a middle-aged woman. She was always into being 'proper'. She took her place in life quite seriously. A little too seriously for Sakura's tastes. It was like they had to live in a bubble. Her mother's expectations for Sakura were so high it was like jumping off the moon trying to fulfill them.
"Listen, Mother, it wasn't like I tried to kill him, or eat him, or something barbaric like that! I merely tried to kiss him! I don't see the harm in that!" Sakura protested.
"Precisely. Darling, as heir to the thrown you must be able to separate the dos from the don'ts. You don't seem to understand that." She continued pacing the palace stairs.
"I understand! I just don't understand why it's so wrong to try to kiss a boy!" She crossed her arms.
"An ordinary boy. Not a prince or even a rich boy or a high-society boy! A simple, ordinary boy." Her mother shook her head in disgust.
"Oh, right. I understand now. I'm supposed to date snobs rather than kind, gentle, and loving-natured boys, is that right?" Sakura snapped at her mother.
"Don't use that tone with me, young lady."
"What 'tone'!?" Sakura growled. "This is insane!"
"Why is it so 'insane'?"
"I'm pushed so hard to fall in love with someone, and then, when it's possible that I might have, it's 'no no no, not him, him!'" She clenched her fists. "Why does royal life always have to be so complicated?!"
"You don't know the meaning of 'complicated'." The queen denied.
"THEN WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE MINE IS?!" Sakura felt tears spring to her eyes in frustration. "That's it. I don't have to take this." She ran up the steps toward her room.
The queen sat down on her throne. "What am I going to do?"
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Syaoran sat by the tree. The old tree that the princess had rested on yesterday. Where they had shared their thoughts. Where they had almost shared their first kiss.
"Why me why me why me?" Syaoran asked in solemn regret. "Why must I fall for a girl who I have no possible chance with?" He pounded his fist on the damp ground. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "How could I be so blind?"
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"Honestly, darling, I have to take Sakura's side on this one. Why is it so wrong for her to love an ordinary boy?" The king asked.
"She just doesn't get it. Neither do you." The queen had a hint of depression in her voice. "I just want what's best for her."
"And what's best for her is to marry a rich snob who only cares about himself and his money?" The king said being sarcastic.
"No."
"Then what's best for her, dear?"
"To marry the man she loves." She sighed in defeat. "I'll go talk to her." She gracefully walked up the stairs to the room of her daughter.
The king simply smiled and whispered, "Good luck, Sakura."
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"Sakura?" The queen's stood inside Sakura's room, her eyes darting from one side of the room to the other. Suddenly, the balcony of her daughter's room caught her attention. She trotted outside and found the rope kept there for emergencies gone. It was tied to one of the medium-sized pillars and thrust across the side. The queen looked over to see her daughter was gone, but the rope still moving swiftly back and forth.
She backed up and ran out of the princess's room.
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Syaoran still sat by the tree. He took in a deep breath and sighed. He put his hand on his knee and stood, leaning against the tree. The wind blew his bangs around his face causing him to gently brush them away.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone or something leapt onto his back, knocking him over onto his stomach. He gasped and was about to take a swing at whatever it was that was lying on top of him, but he heard familiar giggling.
"Sakura, aren't you in enough trouble as it is?" Syaoran sighed, shaking his head.
Sakura backed off of him and helped him sit up. She pouted. "You are such a stick-in-the-mud!"
He rolled his eyes. "As I'm told…"
She giggled and lay her head on his shoulder. He flinched and moved away from her. She blinked looking hurt.
"What…? Why…?"
"Listen, Sakura, this can't work." Syaoran turned around and walked in the other direction.
"But…!" Sakura started to protest.
"But no!" He walked back and stood right in front of the princess and put his hands on her shoulders. "You're royalty, Sakura. I'm…not. You have to understand…" He brought his face close to hers. "Both you and I could get into a lot of trouble. I don't want to put you in that sort of position because of me."
"Syaoran, no…" She felt tears well up in her eyes.
"You have to understand."
"But I don't!" The tears finally broke through and made their way down her cheeks. "I don't understand. I don't understand anything!" She quickly turned and ran.
"Sakura!" Syaoran sat down and growled at himself. Why me why me why me?! He thought silently, his regret deepening.
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Sakura sat down by a tree near the palace. She brought her knees to her chest and quietly sobbed into them. Why do I have to be a princess? Why why why? She thought through her sobbing.
She continued to sob until the sun disappeared over the horizon. She brought her head down to rest upon the scattered leaves. There she fell asleep.
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Back at the palace, the queen was panicking. She had sent the general and a few guards out on a search for the princess. She paced back and forth as they searched.
"Where is that lazy general? He should have been home with my daughter hours ago!" The queen cried.
"Sweetheart, no need to panic…" The king started.
"No need to panic?! There is need to panic! Our daughter is out there in the…wilderness! What if she's hurt? What if she's being held hostage by wild animals? What if she's…" The queen broke down into tears.
"All of these what ifs…" The king shook his head. "What if she's absolutely fine?"
"That's terribly unlikely, dear. She's been gone for hours, now." She wiped her eyes with the 'royal handkerchief'.
"You should know by now that you have an extraordinarily incredible daughter who can do just about anything she sets her mind to." The king put an arm around his wife. She quieted.
"You know…you're right. I must have faith in her." She surrendered.
The king smiled. "Of course."
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"Princess Sakura! Princess!" The general marched through the forest with the guards.
"General, maybe we should just turn back. The king and queen will understand." One of the guards said.
"Yeah." Another agreed.
"I agree." Said another.
"Fools! We can't go back to the palace without the princess!" The general yelled in frustration.
"Wouldn't it be easier to get a good night's sleep and then look for her? That way we'll be…sharper for the search?" One of the guards asked. The others nodded in agreement.
"Fine. I'll make a deal with you idiots. You go back and take the wrath from the queen and king, and I'll stay here and keep searching? How's that for you?" The general proposed.
"Yeah."
"Sure."
"Okay."
"Hold it! You two!" The general pointed to the strongest and worthiest two guards. "Come with me."
All the other guards turned around and started back to the castle. The general and his two accomplices continued to move on in the direction of a certain young man's house.
"It'll be easier without those idiots, anyhow." The general stated while the two young men agreed.
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Syaoran ran through the woods, searching every square inch for the young girl. It was the middle of the night and he couldn't see much, but he was still determined to find her.
"Sakura! Sakura!" He called out.
No answer.
He continued to call out to her, when suddenly he saw it. A small ball of white lying by a tree. He ran over to it and fell to his knees. He lifted the sleeping young girl into his arms and carefully studied her face. Her cheeks were red and puffy and he could bet her eyes were red as well.
He closed his arms around her and squeezed her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Sakura. I didn't know what kind of mistake I was making until I made it. I doubt you'll forgive me, but…"
"I forgive you." Her eyes fluttered opened.
Syaoran gasped. He wasn't expecting her to wake up. He loosened his grip on her so that he could look into her emerald-colored eyes.
"Excuse me?" He asked again.
"I forgive you, Syaoran." Indeed her eyes were red, but they were starting to clear now. Her small lips turned up into a smile. Syaoran laughed and hugged her again.
"Thank you." He sighed with relief and pulled back slowly, still holding her.
"Syaoran…I…well, I…" Sakura stuttered.
"Yes…?" His eyes widened.
"I think I…" Sakura fumbled for words. Her heart pounded almost painfully.
"I knew you were with him." A husky voice growled through the darkness.
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Okay, well…there ya have it. Chapter 3. Chapter 4 is done and I'll have it up before I leave to go to Europe next Thursday…Actually, I'll have the whole story up before I leave to go to Europe next Thursday. Of course, if you want the sequel, you're going to have to wait until I get back…about 2 weeks…eek…Sorry…-.-;;; Anyhow, see you with the next chapter soon! Bye bye!
~Chip