A School Excursion
Chapter 11
( All characters duly belong to CLAMP ! )
Author's notes :
Sorry about the LONG delay. I had to fly back to UK for my 2nd year of study and jet lag was in my system for quite sometime ! Anyway … here is the new episode straight from the oven. Hope you enjoy it !
~****~
Sakura peered at the angry Ming as she prepared to counterstrike any attacks which she might encounter. Although physically prepared, she wasn't actually willing to battle with the young Chinese girl although she was somewhat in another dimension. She knew how exactly agonising loving someone was and she went through it many years ago by waiting for her beloved Little Wolf to return from Hong Kong.
[ Dame, I cannot fight with a girl who is not totally at fault. Why should she be punished for loving someone dearly ?! ]
Syaoran noticed Sakura's willpower fading and he glanced anxiously over at her. Almost instantly, he could feel what she was feeling. It was almost as though they were telekinetically linked. He smiled almost to himself at Sakura's willingness to understand other people although this may somewhat put her at a disadvantage. However, he knew she'll make it through.
Eriol, on the other hand was holding Tomoyo's hand soundlessly. Tomoyo had not uttered a word throughout the commotion but both of them could feel each other's unwavering emotions.
" Clow Reed ! You and that shameless woman shall die here under my very own hands ! "
" WAIT !! "
The present Ming shouted authoritatively to her young self as she stepped forward. The younger Ming looked genuinely surprised and afraid as she faced this new character.
" Stop this Ming. Do not destroy yourself anymore. I am the result of your hatred and anger. Please look at me … do you see an empty shell ? This is you … I am you … "
The young Ming took this into contemplation for a while, her expression showing confusion. She could feel the aura of her own emitting from this woman … but could this be even possible ? Her own future self coming back to warn her ?
" Baka na … I won't be tricked. This must be Clow Reed's doing. "
She turned with renewed fury at Eriol who continued regarding her with an expressionless face. As she prepared to strike, Sakura called out to her.
" Do you love Clow Reed-sama ? "
The young Ming flicked her beautiful eyes to the Card Mistress and made an amused face.
" I thought it couldn't get any obvious. "
" If you do, then wouldn't you want him to be happy ? "
" He would be happy if he chose me. He PROMISED but he lied and fled off without me. If he had rejected me outright in the beginning, I wouldn't be half this angry. "
" Clow Reed-sama has passed on since ages ago. Surely you can sense that ? "
This being said by the present Ming, the younger one regarded her with some doubt in her eyes. However, she wasn't so fast in pointing out that Eriol was Clow Reed now.
" Please … don't let your fury consume your soul ! Please concentrate and analyse ! "
The young Ming closed her eyes and frowned very hard. She was getting tired of all this talk. Syaoran glared at her, knowing that she could very well strike any time at anyone now.
" ARGHHH ! Stop confusing me ! HE IS CLOW REED and I shall kill him ! "
A blue fireball swished out from her right hand and went straight for Eriol. He calmly waved his hand and it melted into nothing. Everyone looked on in silence at Eriol's gesture. It seemed almost … deadly and silent. Syaoran could see Eriol's original expression settling in. It had appeared when he had tried to test Sakura and her abilities when they were still in Elementary School. It seemed almost cold.
[ He's getting tired of this. If he's pissed off, then this Ming might actually … ]
Eriol closed his eyes and his golden staff reappeared in mid-air. He reached out to hold it almost in slow motion. Then his dark violet eyes narrowed and he gave a mighty swing towards his attacker's direction. Tomoyo cried out, knowing full well that this was done with deadly accuracy and anger.
" NO !! "
Before anyone could even count to 3, Sakura had already jumped into the space between the young Ming and the attack from Eriol's staff. Syaoran wasn't even prepared for such a change in events and everything was a blur all of a sudden.
" SHIELD !!! "
Sakura's shield appeared just as the impact almost reached her. However, she wasn't fast enough and she was flung backwards a little. Syaoran rushed up to her, worry was written clearly over his handsome face.
" Sakura ! Daijobu ?? "
" Um .. I'm fine .. I'm just a little dazed .. "
The young Ming stood speechless at the Card Mistress as she was helped up by the Chinese boy. It was clear that she was rendered helpless all of a sudden by such a gesture.
" W … why ? "
Sakura turned a tired smile at her and motioned to Syaoran that she could manage on her own. As Syaoran carefully released her, she walked slowly towards the young Ming and clasped her Sakura Staff towards her own chest.
" Because I understand how you feel. I battled with a similar woman in Hong Kong who had loved Clow Reed as well. However, I wasn't so sure of her feelings then. Now, I can totally relate to yours because I have been through the same torture and the long wait for true love. "
Syaoran turned a little red as Sakura made her speech. He knew very well what she was relating to. Even Tomoyo turned to him and giggled a little despite the atmosphere.
" However, Clow Reed-sama is dead and he will no longer return to this world. He was reincarnated as Eriol and my father. He will not come back anymore. There is absolutely no point in waiting. I am sure you will be able to sense SOME of Clow Reed-sama's aura in Eriol but surely if you loved him so much, you should be able to differentiate their auras isn't it ? "
The young Ming looked at Eriol and for the first time was able to regard him in a neutral way as the impact of Sakura's words finally sunk in. It was obvious that she was now concentrating on differentiating their auras.
After what seemed like forever, the young Ming shed tears of sorrow and slumped defeated to the ground. As she held her head and cried, Sakura warmly hugged her and patted her back, whispering comforting words. Syaoran had a sudden fleeting thought that she'll make a very loving mother and then blushed deep red after that. The young Ming looked up at Sakura with very thankful eyes and for the first time, everyone saw how beautiful her soul was when her fury had melted.
" Thank you Card Mistress. I can now see the facts placed before me clearly. I suppose I had been blinded by hatred and had directed my anger at this innocent man … Eriol-san … please accept my sincerest apologies. "
The young Ming stood up regally and the wind caressed her face and hair softly as she bowed low in apology. Eriol smiled almost politely and returned the bow. Tomoyo looked on in wonder, thinking how scary Eriol was a few moments ago.
The present Ming stepped out again and bowed in a similar fashion to the foursome.
" I am honoured to have met you Card Mistress. You are indeed worthy of Clow Reed's magical cards and I am pleased that he had made such a fine choice despite he being such an absolutely clueless jerk at times. "
This caused some laughter amongst them and the tension disappeared like a mist.
" And you Li Syaoran … I hope you do us proud in the Japanese arena and protect this beautiful lady as though she is part of your life. "
" She already is. "
Syaoran returned the bow and looked over to Sakura who was looking at the ground blushing.
" I hope I did not incur your wrath by attacking you or your loved one, Eriol-san. "
" All is forgotten. Forgiving someone is easier than hating. "
" You are indeed Clow Reed's reincarnation. You speak cryptically like him. "
They laughed again and bowed in a final goodbye gesture. With this, the young Ming started to fade away into the background along with the surrounding building.
" I guess it's time for us to return back to the present time. "
Everyone turned to Eriol who closed his eyes and proceeded to chant a spell loudly. There was a blinding white light emitting from his staff and all was blurry after that.
**
" SYAORAN !! "
" Huh ? "
" Get off me ! "
" Wha … ARGH !! Gomen gomen !! "
Syaoran scurried out in a very un-Syaoran fashion as he realised that he was directly pinning Sakura underneath him. He blushed deep red and even his ears were hot ! He sat in a very kawaii fashion wth his head bent down on the far corner of the bed. Sakura couldn't help but giggle at the sight. It was so un-Syaoran.
[ Where are we ? ]
Sakura surveyed the surroundings and then realised that this was their hotel room which Syaoran and her had stayed during their entire Kyoto outing. They had landed directly onto the bed after Eriol summoned them back.
[ Is this Eriol's doing ? That weird fellow … ]
Sakura smiled to herself as Syaoran was still steaming over his corner. She was sure Syaoran hadn't meant anything but it was just so endearing to tease him ever so often.
" Neh Syaoran … "
" Y … yeah ? "
" How did it feel to be on top of me ? "
" HUH ??? "
Steam was sprouting at full speed from Syaoran's head as he took in the question. He looked down again and mumbled something incoherent. Sakura giggled to herself again.
[ This is going to be interesting ! ]
**
" Eriol ? "
" Hmm ? "
" I do enjoy doing this … "
" Good. "
" But don't you think I need AIR ? "
Eriol looked at Tomoyo and immediately released her, smiling sheepishly. He had embraced her tightly as they were brought back to the present time but he was so engrossed that he forgot to release her even though they were already back for sometime.
" Gomen ne Tomoyo-chan. "
" Daijobu … it's not that I don't enjoy this. "
Tomoyo smiled shyly as she readjusted her uniform. Eriol took a look at his wristwatch and nodded in satisfaction.
" Good, we're just in time before Sensei announces that we're going back to Tomoeda. "
" Really ? "
" Yup. I always had good timing. "
" Eriol-chan, what happens to Ming-san ? The present one I mean … "
" She is free to go where she wants to now. She could remain in the time dimension or return to this present one and roam around. Purely up to her. "
" You know, I didn't know you could look so deadly when you were battling against the younger Ming. You really scared me back there. "
" Really ? Gomen ne … but if I don't do that … Sakura wouldn't have done what she did. "
" Huh ? … OH ! You purposely did that ?? "
" Hai. "
" Cunning. "
" I'd like to call that calculative and good planning. "
" Really ? "
" Hai. "
Eriol took Tomoyo into his arms again and breathed into her raven-black hair. His dark violet eyes turned almost loving as he wondered what he would do if he ever lost her.
" Eriol-chan ? I really love you a lot. After seeing what losing a loved one could do to a person, I'm starting to feel a little frightened. "
" I know. I'd try to lessen the scariness of it all. "
As Tomoyo basked in the warmness of their embrace, she noticed how broad Eriol's shoulders had become and how tall he had sprouted over the years.
" I heard from Miho-san that you had controlled your physical state for some time … that was why you remained as an elementary school student when you first arrived. "
" That had to do with some magic of course. But don't worry, I'm not any older as you."
" You're so full of mystery. "
" Of course, I inherited them from Clow Reed. "
**
Syaoran looked at Sakura as she was packing up her backpack before leaving Kyoto. He was so in love with her and he had been so scared witless when she had suddenly pounced out to counter-attack Eriol for the young Ming. Although it was hard to see Syaoran in a pure state of helplessness, he swore he felt it when she was almost hit. He had never felt his heart so wrenched in any way since he had been a kid. He did not even feel so bad when he was injured himself.
" Sakura … "
" Hai Syaoran ? "
" Will you promise me something ? "
" Uh huh ? "
" Will you never put yourself in unnecessary risks in the future ? "
" Why did you suddenly say that ? "
" You know very well what I meant. I never felt more guilty than ever before just now. "
There was some silence as Sakura pondered it for a while.
" But it was an instinct. I can't help it … besides … Eriol-kun planned it I suppose. "
" Planned ? "
" Hai, now that I come to think about it. He must have planned it … he would NEVER maliciously attack someone like that knowing fully well that the other party had no chance of survival. "
" Of course I know he wouldn't. But let's say it wasn't Eriol … it was just some other person. Would you have done the same thing ? "
Syaoran knew that Sakura's answer would still be yes. It was just so like her.
" Hai ! Of course Syaoran ! The young Ming wasn't at fault you know. She was led by her heart and it made her do irrational things … she wasn't evil to start with. "
Syaoran continued looking at her, his mind lost in some fog of thoughts.
" … Syaoran ? … are you angry ? I'm … I'm so sorry ! "
" No no … why should I ? You won't be Sakura if you said otherwise. "
" Syaoran, if I lose you, I'd probably go mad like Ming. "
" Huh ? "
Syaoran was caught unaware by Sakura's sudden confession. She embraced him passionately and indulged her senses with Syaoran's steady aura. Syaoran carefully embraced her back and smiled lovingly. They felt so comfortable in each other's presence.
" Ne .. Syaoran .. you've grown quite an awful lot. "
" Really ? "
" Hai .. you're so tall now. Your face is more sharper and your eyes look more mature. Hmm .. I think your hair looks pretty much the same though. Very messy but .. I like it .. "
Sakura smiled embarrassingly as she buried her face into Syaoran's chest.
" You've grown quite a lot yourself. "
"Really ? Where ? "
" Well, you've grown taller as well .. you're right up a little above my shouders which is very good for leaning onto me .. and you've lost those baby fats on your face .. you look more like a shoujo to be exact .. and .. erm .. you've gained very nice feminine curves .. BUT I'm not being hentai ! "
Sakura smiled happily as Syaoran started to blush again and averted his eyes upwards.
" Arigato Syaoran-chan. I really appreciate that … "
As they continued hugging each other in pure bliss, Syaoran's sharp eyes landed on something poking out of Sakura's backpack in the corner. As he narrowed his concentration down onto it, his face flared up to an even higher shade of red which Sakura had never witnessed before. He released her comically and went into robotic mode.
" Syaoran ?? What's wrong ? "
" I … I saw … something … "
" Where ? What ? "
" In … in … your … your … backpack … "
Sakura followed his direction towards her backpack and realising what he saw … she flushed red as well … but not THAT red !
" Oh … erm … hahaha … that was Chisato's idea. "
" Ch … Chi … Chis … "
" Hai hai, don't be so tongue-tied. It wasn't as though we were going to use it. "
This didn't make Syaoran's life any easier and Sakura realised it a little too late as he almost exploded into a burning red furnace.
" Well, she was just joking … since we were going on this fieldtrip and all of us had boyfriends. She received these free .. erm .. stuffs when she was shopping in Shinjuku and decided to give us one each before we left for Kyoto. I just stuffed it in my backpack and I forgot about it. We were just joking ! "
Syaoran clearly calmed down a lot as he listened to her explanation and he gave one final look at it before heaving a sigh of relief.
" I'm so sorry Syaoran ... I didn't know you'd had such a BIG reaction anyway. "
" No no .. I'm just very taken aback. It's not that I don't want to .. OH SHEESH .. forget it !! "
" Syaoran ! Hahaha … ahhh … so you want to ! "
" NO NO NOOOO ! Oh sheesh … this is very bad … I don't mean it the way I said it ! "
" Bad Syaoran … ecchi … hentai ! "
" OH NOOO … look Sakura … I don't make advances on girls I like. "
" So you make advances on those you don't … hmm … like … Meiling for example ? "
" NOOOOOO !! ARGH !! This is all so wrong !! "
" But anyway, Tomoyo has one condom with her too. "
" … really … ? "
" Yup ! It's just some keepsake … although I know it's VERY misleading. "
" It is. "
" So Syaoran-chan, what if I initiate it ? Would you go along with me ? "
" Err … I don't know … "
" Just say anything ! "
" Unless you want it bad enough. "
" HENTAI ! ECCHI !! "
" AAARRRGGGHHHH !!! "
That's it ! This is the concluding episode of my entire series. Phew … I hope this is satisfactory to most readers. I really like S+S … they're too kawaii to be spared !! Hence, I added some cheeky parts for the conclusion. Do review and let me know what I should improve on or carry on writing about ! 0_o v
