Author's Note: Hi

Author's Note: Hi! Okay, you guys have wait long enough. Here's the next chapter. It's not that good. I don't like it very much, but what do you guys think?

*~*

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS.

*~*

*~* Chapter Thirteen *~*

A Promise of Help

Yukio pulled her into the hole in the wall and it closed behind them.

Sakura covered her face with her hands. "S-Syaoran . . ."

Yukio's face hardened. He grabbed her roughly and pulled her to him. "Forget him! You are mine now!"

Only fear pushed Sakura into silence. She forced back her tears and looked around at the bleak darkness. "Where are we?"

He ignored her and held out the jewel. As before, it floated out into the darkness and the black space split open. There was Sakura's room. He led her inside the room.

"I-is this real?" she gasped.

"This is your room. Now gather any personal items you want, for you shall not be returning here," said Yukio. "Don't bother with clothes- I'll provide you with some. And do not think about making any noise- no one will hear you."

Sakura swallowed. She had to pick her things carefully. Sakura went to her closet and pulled out a duffel bag. She placed a few pictures of her friends and family into it and then moved to her jewelry box. Sakura then opened the drawer to her desk and pulled out Nyoko's books. It was a risk but . . .

Yukio frowned. "What are those?"

"M-my diaries. I've been writing in them ever since I was a girl."

He watched her as she moved to her bed and picked up a teddy bear. Instead of putting it in her bag, she carried it with her.

Sakura held her chin up. "I'm ready to go."

Yukio took her arm and led her into the hole in the wall.

It closed behind them and once again, Sakura was surrounded by the cold darkness. She shivered.

Yukio opened another portal and Sakura saw nothing through this one.

"Where are we going?"

Yukio ignored her and pulled her closer to the hole. Sakura tried to squirm away from him, but felt a wave of fatigue wash over her. She closed her eyes and then fainted.

*~*

Sakura awoke in a strange room. The walls were composed of gray stone. There was a huge lit fireplace on one wall, a vanity and an armoire on another. There was also a desk. The dim light came from a few lit candles and the moonlight form the window.

She sat up, rubbed her head and looked around. Sakura was amazed at the size of the canopy bed in which she lay- it was bigger than a king sized one and high off the ground. It was so high, in fact, that there was a little set of steps leading down to the floor.

Something told Sakura that this had been Nyoko's room.

Sakura froze as the door to her room opened slightly.

"My lady?" A girl's head poked into the room thorough the crack. "A-are you awake?"

Sakura relaxed. "Yes. Come in."

The young girl scooted into the room and closed the door behind her.

Sakura climbed down from the bed.

"Who are you?" Sakura asked.

"I am Li Mai-Tai, your personal servant," she said.

Sakura stared at Mai-Tai. "Did you say Li? Is your name Chinese?"

"Yes and yes. My last name is Li because I work for Lord Yukio. All of his servants were forced to take the last name Li." When she saw Sakura's frown, the girl quickly continued. "Most consider having that last name an honor. And yes, my name is Chinese. All people under Yukio's govern were forced to take Chinese names."

"He made you do that? And the people still think he is a great leader?" She could not understand why they would give up their own name for another because their ruler said so. Such a childish law . . .

Mai-Tai nodded. "He has done so much for my people. We are civilized because of him. Lord Yukio is a wonderful man."

Sakura shook her head and assessed the girl. "How old are you? Where are your parents?"

"I'm fourteen, my lady. My parents are dead."

Sakura's eyes widened. The girl looked no older than ten! She was very thin and short. There were dark circles underneath her eyes. Her hair was limp and slightly greasy and her dirty dress was a drab brown. "I'm sorry to hear that about your parents." She paused. "When was the last time you ate?"

Mai-Tai flushed. "I-I . . ."

"You know, Mai-Tai, I'm quite hungry. Could you run down to the kitchen and get something for me to eat? And a lot of it, please."

Before the girl could leave, Sakura called to her. How could she have forgotten to ask such an important question? "Wait! How did I get here?"

Mai-Tai stopped and turned around. "My lord said that you fainted, probably form exhaust, when he brought you here. My friends and I took care of you."

Sakura bit her lip. "Thank you. Y-you can go now."

The younger girl nodded and went towards the door. "I shall bring some hot bath water up along with the food, my lady." Then she was gone.

Sakura sighed and slowly walked over to the window. On her way she grabbed Syaoran, the teddy bear her fiancé had given her long ago.

She leaned on the cool glass and let a tear slide down her cheek. She wanted to be in Syaoran's arms at that moment.

Oh, Syaoran . . .

She remembered the look on his face when Yukio carried her away. There was so much pain in his eyes that it nearly tore her heat apart. Sakura wondered if he was okay.

*~*

Mei-lin smiled behind her fan as Tomoyo announced that she was going to have to end the party because 'Sakura wasn't feeling well'. She knew it had happened. She had seen Wolfe-sensei slip from the ballroom. Syaoran could finally be hers!

As the crowd thinned, she approached Tomoyo. "Oh, is she okay?" asked Mei-lin in a sugarcoated voice. "I heard an awful scream earlier."

Tomoyo eyed Mei-lin for a while, then grabbed her arm. "Come on. I'll tell you what happened on the way to the library."

Mei-lin followed Tomoyo to the library and gasped at the sight of a battered and bruised Syaoran slumped over on a couch.

He wasn't supposed to get hurt! I'll get Yukio for this . . .

She rushed over to him. "Syaoran, are you okay?" She lifted her palm to touch Syaoran's cheek, but he turned his head away.

"Leave me alone."

Mei-lin frowned. She turned to Eriol. "What's wrong with him? Why's he acting this way?"

Eriol rolled his eyes. "Why do you think? His fiancée just got kidnapped!"

Damn that Kinomoto! Even when she's gone, she still has an effect on him!

"Well," Mei-lin said gently, "I'm here if you need me, Syaoran."

But Syaoran was not paying attention to one word she was saying. His mind was on how he could get to Chiyo-Takura. He was sure that that was where Yukio had taken her.

"Did you bring your books?" Syaoran suddenly asked Eriol, causing Mei-lin to shut up.

He nodded. "Why?"

Syaoran slowly stood up. "I want to look in them for a spell to transport me to Chiyo-Takura. I know Sakura is there."

"What about that spell that you used to transport Sakura there, Eriol"? Maybe we could use that one," suggested Tomoyo.

Eriol nodded. "But not tonight. Syaoran needs some rest."

"How can I rest when Sakura has been kidnapped?!" exploded Syaoran. "Damn it Eriol, let's do it NOW!"

Eriol shook his head. "Not in the state you're in, buddy. You won't be thinking clearly."

Syaoran's body began to shake. "Just do it . . ." growled Syaoran.

Bravely, Tomoyo stepped forward. She placed a hand on Syaoran's arm. "Syaoran, if you go now, the chances are that you'll be killed. And then you'll never have the chance to rescue Sakura. Is that what you want?"

His shoulders slumped in defeat. "You're right." He rubbed his hand over his face. "I'm just . . . out of it right now."

Tomoyo smile warily. "That's understandable. I miss her already, too. Why don't you stay here tonight?"

Syaoran nodded.

Sakura's best friend took his arm. "The invitation extends to you guys too. Come upstairs and I'll get you all settled in."

*~*

Sakura pushed away form the window when Mai-Tai and a few other servants came into the room. Mai-Tai was holding a large silver plate full of cheeses, fruits, bread and meat in one hand and a jug and a glass in the other.

Sakura took the tray from the young girl's hands and placed it on the desk.

The other servants were carrying a long, silver tub full of hot water. There was a bar of rose colored soap, a washcloth and a towel in the hand of one servant.

When the other servants had gone, Mai-Tai turned to Sakura after putting the jug next to the food. "Here's your food, my lady. And there is some bath water there for you."

Sakura took the tray and placed on the bed. She climbed up onto it. "Come up here, Mai-Tai."

The girl shook her head. "I-I don't want to ruin your pretty silk sheets, Lady Sakura. My dress is quite dirty."

"Nonsense!" Sakura patted the space on the bed next to her. "I order you to come up here."

The girl reluctantly climbed onto the bed.

Sakura slid the tray full of food toward the girl. "Here, eat. You need it."

Mai-Tai flushed. "I . . . that's for you."

"I'm not that hungry anymore. Eat all you want."

The younger girl stared at the tempting food and then began to wolf down some. Sakura smiled. "Slow down! I don't want you to choke."

Between bites, Mai-Tai looked up at Sakura. "You are too kind, my lady. Thank you."

Sakura shrugged. The girl needed the food more than Sakura did.

Soon, Mai-Tai stopped eating and placed a hand on her stomach. "I ate too much! More than I've ever eaten in my life!"

Sakura had another idea. "Why don't you use the bath water too? Go on."

Mai-Tai flushed. "Uh . . ."

"I'll turn around. I'm sure you'll enjoy a hot bath."

She nodded and began to undress.

True to her word, Sakura turned to face the other wall. There was still a lot of food left on the tray.

Sakura went over to the armoire and opened it. She shifted through the drawers at the bottom until she found what she'd been looking for. She pulled out a silk hanky and slid the left over food onto it. She tied a knot into it and placed it on the bed. Sakura would give it to Mai-tai before she left.

"I'm done," said the girl.

When Sakura turned around, she saw that the skinny girl was very beautiful. Her face and blond hair just needed a good washing. Her gray eyes shone with delight.

Sakura frowned. "You're still wearing that dress."

"Of course. I have nothing else to wear."

Well, that was one thing Sakura couldn't fix.

"Why don't you go down to bed now, Mai-Tai? I'm sure you're tired," said Sakura.

"But I have to help you get ready for bed," she protested.

Sakura shook her head and placed the silk hanky in the girl's hands, then maneuvered her out of the door. "Good night!"

Sakura herself was very tired. She stretched and wandered over to the armoire. Once again she opened it and shuffled through the clothes that were hanging up.

Sakura frowned at the skimpy see-through night things. Like she was ever going to wear them. She scooped them up and went over to the fireplace. She placed one into the flames. Sakura would, one by one, burn all of them.

To her surprise, there was a modest pajama set with silky pants and a thin shirt hidden in the back. She slipped into that one, quite happy with her choice.

She returned to the fire and threw another scrap of fabric into it. Sakura went to the bed and curled up on it. She clutched Syaoran to her chest and began to cry.

One by one, the candles in the room snuffed out, leaving Sakura with a tiny fire and the moonlight as her only source of light.

*~*

Sakura's eyes flew open when she heard the sound of someone humming softly. She bolted up out of the bed and looked around.

Where am I? Why am I in this funky bed?

Then the previous night's events flooded back into her mind. She moaned.

"Oh, my lady, you're awake!" gasped Mai-Tai. "I'm so sorry if I woke you."

Sakura placed a hand on her forehead. "No, it's okay. What time is it? Is it still night time?"

Mai-Tai giggled. "No, my lady. You must not be fully awake. Can't you see the light surrounding you?"

Sakura looked around. It was indeed daytime. "So what is the time?"

"Six am, my lady. I understand that the time here is the same as in your world."

"Oh." She yawned. "Why am I up so early?"

Mai-Tai placed a silk green gown on her bed. "Lord Yukio wants you at breakfast promptly at seven thirty. He doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"No, I'm sure he doesn't . . ." grumbled Sakura.

"Please do not be grouchy, my lady. Today, you are allowed to go out into the market! You'll like that," assured Mai-Tai. "I'll leave you to get dressed. Just open the door when you're done and I'll come in to do your hair."

"No," protested Sakura. "I will not go down for breakfast."

Mai-Tai paled. "Oh, no, my lady! You must or else the master will get very angry. Please!"

Sakura shook her head.

The girl sighed in defeat. "Well, when he asks where you are, I will have to tell him."

"You do that."

Mai-Tai eyed Sakura, then backed out of the room.

*~*

Yukio tapped his fingers on the large wooden table that sat in the dinning room. He glanced at the grandfather clock sitting in the corner. It was seven-fifty.

"Where is that woman?!" barked Yukio, slamming his fist down on the table. "Who is Sakura's maid?"

A butler spoke up. "M-Mai-Tai, my lord."

"Get her down here right away."

He only had to wait a few minutes before the young girl entered the room.

"Y-yes, my lord?"

"Where is Sakura?"

"She refused to come down for breakfast, my lord."

"Refused?" He jumped up out of his seat. "I don't have time for this." Yukio stalked out of the dinning room.

*~*

Sakura turned away from the window when the door to her room flew open. She gasped as an enraged Yukio stalked into the room.

"What are you doing here? Go away!" cried Sakura.

Yukio eyed her. "You're dressed for breakfast. Why aren't you downstairs?"

"I don't want to eat with you. You disgust me! I hate you!"

He grabbed her wrists and pulled her away from the window. "You'll do as I say or else . . ."

"Or else what?" Sakura spat, her eyes narrowing.

Yukio grinned evilly. "Or your little maid will be flogged."

Sakura frowned. "What's flogged?"

"Beaten, my dear. Whipped. Is that what you want?"

She shook her head. "Fine! Release me and I will go down with you!"

He roughly let go of her and waited for her to step out into the hall. She did with her head held high.

Yukio led her to the dinning room. "We will probably not see each other later on in the day. All I want is for us to spend some time together."

Sakura sighed in relief. She wouldn't have to be around him for the whole day.

Once seated in the dinning room, Sakura was served her breakfast. An old butler placed a bowl in front of her and smiled.

"I hope you find the food you your liking, my lady," said the butler, ten stepped away.

Sakura picked her spoon up and looked at the contents in the bowl. She wrinkled her nose. The bowl was full of a slimy green liquid that had chunks of some unidentifiable food in it.

She glanced at Yukio, who was tearing away at his bowl of gunk.

"What is this?" asked Sakura.

Yukio looked up. "Why, it's oatmeal."

She'd never seen any oatmeal like that before. She cleared her throat. "I . . . uh, I'm allergic to oatmeal. Can I have something else? Like pancakes?"

"Sure." Yukio waved a servant over and told him to fix her a plate of pancakes.

Sakura let out a sigh when the servant returned with a plate of hot pancakes. "Thank you."

She quickly polished off the food, anxious to get away from Yukio. Sakura spoke up. "I heard that I was allowed to go out to the marketplace today."

Yukio nodded and tossed a velvet pouch at her. "Here's some money." He stood. "Be back in the castle by dinner." Yukio nodded in parting and left the room.

Sakura let out a big sigh and stood up, too.

Mai-Tai came over to her, holding a clack and a basket. "Are you ready to go, my lady?"

Sakura nodded. Maybe she would have a chance to escape.

*~*

Yukio hopped into his carriage after leaving Sakura sitting in the dinning room. He ordered the driver to take him to the Majestic Inn. Rumor had it that a Li from Hong Kong had taken residence there.

He was concerned that this 'Li' was that Syaoran boy.

Several bodyguards were accompanying him, just in case.

Minutes later the carriage halted to a stop outside of the inn and Yukio stepped out. His bodyguards surrounded him as he pushed open the swinging doors of the inn and stepped inside.

The Majestic looked like every other inn in Chiyo-Takura. There were gambling stations set up, a stage for dancers and a bar for drinks. Smoke filled the air.

Yukio stepped up to one of the gambling tables and cleared his throat. The men surrounding the table looked up, then gasped.

"Y-your majesty! I-is there something we can help you with?" asked the dealer.

"Maybe. I've heard that there is an unusual Li living here. Would you mind pointing him out to me?"

The men pointed to the bar where a solitary man sat with his back to the crowd. He was slumped over a drink.

Yukio nodded his thanks to them and approached the man. He took the empty stool seat next to him and ordered a drink.

Yukio turned to observe the man who kept his gaze lowered and fixed on his half empty bottle. The man's brown hair covered his face.

"I hear you're a Li from Hong Kong," said Yukio.

"That's right." The man's head was still lowered and his gaze still on his bottle.

"You know magic?" Yukio asked. The bartender handed him his drink and he took a healthy swing.

The man nodded.

Yukio eyed the man. His clothes were new and very expensive, similar to those that he wore himself. His boots were a shiny black, his cape dirt free. There was a sword attached to his side.

"Do you have a job?"

The man shook his head.

"Would you like one?"

"Depends on the job."

Yukio could feel that man's power level. It nearly matched his own. "How would you like to be my second in command? I'm the ruler of this place, so I guess you could call me a king. As my second, you would take control of Chiyo- Takura if I must leave here. What do you say?"

The man finally looked up. Yukio almost shrank away from the stranger. His deep gray eyes were void of emotion. "Why not."

Yukio nodded and averted his gaze. "Gather your things and meet me out front by the carriage. By the way, what is your name?"

The man stepped away form the bar, then paused. "Li Alan."

*~*

Sakura had no hopes of escape. She noticed several guards scattered around every exit there could possibly be.

So instead, Sakura was just going to try to enjoy the market.

Sakura, with Mai-Tai at her side, slowly made her way through the crowded marketplace. She had never seen anything like it before.

There were children running all over the place, women searching for the best bargains and loud merchants shouting about their marketplace. The booths contained strange things that Sakura had never seen before. One man was selling a strange animal that looked like a cross between a chicken and a whale. Weird fruits and toys were being sold at other booths.

As she and Mai-Tai were walking along, an old woman drew Sakura's attention. The old lady was standing at an empty booth, but her gaze was locked on Sakura.

Sakura stopped, looking at the old woman. She approached the booth.

"My dear, you are very beautiful," rasped the old woman. "You must be the new princess everyone is talking about."

"I-I'm not a prin-"

"Nonsense!" The old lady took Sakura's hands. "I have some advice for you, girl!"

"What?"

She leaned closer to Sakura. "Your knight in shining armor will come, dear! Have faith!"

Sakura's eyes widened. Did she mean Syaoran?

"And help will come from the place you least expect. Keep those two bits of information in mind."

Sakura nodded. She reached for her purse. "Let me pay you for-"

When she turned around, the old woman was gone.

She turned to Mai-Tai. "Where did that woman go?"

Mai-Tai looked confused. "What woman? There was no one there."

"But . . . wasn't I talking to her?"

Mai-Tai shrugged her shoulders. "You were only standing there for a second, my lady."

Sakura pressed her hand to her forehead. "There must've been something in those pancakes . . ."

*~*

Li Alan stepped out of the carriage holding two small bags that contained the only possessions he had left in the world. He looked up at the huge stone monstrosity Yukio dared to call a castle. This would be his new home.

Li Alan no longer cared about anything. But that wasn't what he really wanted. Not really. As Sumitomo, Sakura had shown him what life could be like when you had friends. Now he wanted to get his life back on track. But first he needed something to care about.

That's why he had taken the job the idiot named Yukio had offered.

Yukio led him into the castle and to the room where he would be staying. "Wait until you meet my fiancée. She's quite a beauty, and powerful in the magic area."

Alan turned to Yukio. "I really don't want to hear about this girl of yours. Now, we should be discussing your strategies for conquering this world."

Yukio bristled. "Of course . . ."

*~*

Sakura and Mai-Tai returned to the castle around one in the afternoon. Sakura made her way to the garden, her purchases form the market in hand.

The garden was huge. She walked along a stone path, searching for a comfortable spot to sit and think. She saw the twisted roses in one area and kept walking. Sakura stopped in an area where some Sakura blossoms were growing and sat on a stone bench there.

She began to look over the things she'd bought: some jewels, a few stuffed animals, some fabric, a needle and thread and some strange fruit.

Sakura began to finger the soft fabric when a strong gust of wind blew, ripping the fabric form her hands. She got up and went after it.

The fabric went around the side of a tree. Sakura followed it.

She saw a man sitting there holding the fabric in his hands. He got to his feet.

"Oh, you got my fabric! Thank you so much!"

She gasped when the man looked up.

"A-Alan . . ."

"Sakura . . ."

Sakura took a deep breath. "W-what are you doing here? I-I thought you were dead!"

Alan smiled wistfully. "Don't worry- you have nothing to fear from me. I won't hurt you."

She looked him over. "I'm so confused."

"Syaoran really didn't kill me. But I was seriously hurt."

Sakura backed up form him. "I don't believe you! Y-you came after me, didn't you?"

"If I wanted to hurt you or something, I could have so long ago. I had so many chances," he replied.

"What?"

"Remember the party at the Li mansion in Tomoeda? And that time when Tomoyo was showing me all of the clothes she had designed for you?"

Sakura gasped. "Y-you're Sumitomo?"

He nodded.

She eyed him. "You two are so different? How . . . I mean why . . .?"

"How? Well, it took a very simple spell to change my looks. And why . . . I . . ." he flushed.

"Go on," smiled Sakura.

"I wanted to see you again. To see if Syaoran was making you happy."

Sakura gave him a huge hug. "That was so sweet! You don't have anything to worry about. We are . . . were . . ."

Alan frowned. "What are you doing here anyway? Where's Syaoran now?"

Sakura spilled the whole story to Alan. He swore under his breath, then took her hands in his.

"I will find a way to stop this, Sakura. There is a lot at stake. More than your relationship with Syaoran," he said.

"What?"

He took a deep breath and stood up. "Yukio is going to try to drain you of your magic, like he did with your brother and Syaoran's sister. With your power, he will be able to take over Earth and this one, maybe even the universe. Who knows what he will be capable of?"

Sakura gasped. "When does he plan to . . ."

"You're in luck. He cannot such a huge amount of power from someone under the age of seventeen. We have until April to get Syaoran here and defeat Yukio."

"How are we going to get him here? Maybe he'll try a transportation spell and-"

Alan shook his head. "Yukio has a . . . barrier around this place. He won't be able to get in unless Syaoran comes in the same way you did- with a portal opener."

Sakura nodded. "That diamond thing? So, he must have set the barrier up recently, since I transported here a while ago."

"That's how I got here."

Neither of them said anything for a while.

"But don't worry, Sakura. I'll find a way to get him here."

She looked up at Alan. "Why are you here?"

He looked down at Sakura, a small smile on his face. "That doesn't matter. I should be going."

Sakura nodded and stood up. "Be careful, Alan. And good luck."

His smile grew as he walked away. Yes, Sakura, I will do anything to get you and Syaoran back together. I want you to be happy.

Author's Note: So, what do you think?