Castles in the Sky
Note: Wow…once you get an idea stuck in your head (and not wanting to study for SATs-which were today *May 5th* for me) you have to keep writing. I didn't use nearly as much Japanese as I did in the first chapter (Sorry about that -_-) Please R&R
Disclaimer: CCS belongs to CLAMP and Kodansha.
"It's so insane, you've got me tethered and chained. I hear your name and I'm falling over." – Garbage/You look so fine.
-Chapter 2: Dreams
The yellow cab pulled up in front of Columbia University located in Manhattan, New York. From it stepped Sakura, who gazed around in undisguised awe. Ever since she left the airport she had had her face glued to the window, eagerly drinking up the sights. The ride from Long Island to the city had been quick, and once there, Sakura had been amazed at the height of the buildings. She had been to Tokyo before of course, but this was unlike anything she had ever experienced. And the university itself! It was wonderful.
"Hey! Are you going to stand there and gawk forever?" the impatient voice of the cab driver broke into her reverie.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Sakura fished through her bag for her wallet and counted out the amount of money she needed. Satisfied, the cab pulled away.
Picking up the two bags with most of her clothes she began to look for the administration building. Her others belongings had been shipped to the school a month earlier and was already at her dorm she just needed to sign in. Walking through a group of people about her age, she finally found a sign.
Sakura was smitten with New York by the time she stepped out of the Admin. Building. Everyone is so nice here, she thought happily, and I was able to have a conversation with someone quite easily. Still smiling she followed the directions to the dorm.
~*~*~
Ten minutes to go the clock stated. Sighing, J.P. Silva thrummed his fingers on the table. This was the less glorious part of being an R.A. he rationalized, being behind the desk on the first floor. In the first days of school there was nothing to do except help ignorant freshman find their rooms and help with luggage.
The sound of the door opening drew his attention. A very pretty girl was struggling with two bags and trying to open the door at the same time. He smiled, the day was getting better. Standing, J.P. walked over to her.
"Need a hand?" he smiled, showing his dimples. He caught his breath as a pair of the most wonderful green eyes stared back at him. He was wrong she wasn't just very pretty, she was beautiful.
"Hoe? A hand? But I've already got two." Sakura frowned trying to make sense of his words. She was even more confused when the boy started laughing. "Why are you laughing?"
"I'm sorry, I can tell by the accent you're not from around here. I asked if you wanted some help with your bags." She smiled gratefully at him.
"Thank you. Yes, I just arrived here from Japan. I'm Sakura Kinomoto. Pleased to meet you."
"John Paul Silva. Call me J.P." Japan, he thought. If every girl in Japan was as pretty as Sakura he'd be finding himself learning a foreign language very quickly. "You don't have to be so formal. What room are you in?"
"J.P." Sakura tested the foreign name. "I'm in room 24 B."
"Aren't you lucky? I just so happen to be R.A. of your floor." He flashed his dimples again and was sort of surprised that Sakura didn't seem to be affected by them, instead she smiled gratefully at him.
"R.A? What's that?"
"Well, I'm in charge of your floor. I make sure everything is going alright and stuff. So if you need anything, just come get me. I'm the first door on the left." He grabbed one of her bags and led her up the stairs to the second floor. He stopped outside of a brown door next to a bulletin board that was covered in papers. "Here we are. A single room?"
"My dad, how do you say…"she groped for the right phrase. "Pulled some strings? I prefer to have a room to myself." Sakura looked away hoping he would drop it, how could she explain to a complete stranger that it wasn't easy to describe a magical being that was also going to be staying with her in the room plus a book of magical cards? He'd think she was insane. She stepped into the room and drew in her breath. "Hoe…this room is bigger than I thought it would be."
J.P. peered around her and looked in. "You're lucky. This room is on demand every year. It's also got a walk in closet, plus a private bath." He looked at her suspiciously. "Your dad must be tight with someone high up on the College Board to get you this room, it's usually reserved for upperclassmen."
"Er, my dad can be very persuasive." She yawned hoping he'd get the hint.
"Oh, you must be pretty tired. Hey, would you maybe like for me to give you a tour of the city later?"
Blushing, Sakura slowly shook her head. "Um, thank you, but no…" she blushed slightly. Her first day and someone was already trying to hit on her. "I appreciate it but I don't want to have you think I'm flirting with you when all I offer is friendship."
Shot down, J.P. thought sadly. "A boyfriend back in Japan?" Something flashed in her eyes that made him think he had guessed right but she shook her head.
"It's not that. I'm just not looking for someone right now." She bit her lip against pent up emotions. "Again thank you very much J.P."
"No problem. Well, could we be friends at least? If I can't date you at least let me be the friend to one of the prettiest girls this side of New York." He grinned and was happy when she grinned back.
Laughing slightly Sakura closed the door on the rakish, handsome boy. "Ja ne J.P-kun."
"Hey wait! What does 'Ja ne' mean?" But the door was already closed. Oh well, he thought there was always tomorrow and with a whistle walked down to his room. To think a half-hour earlier he was bored out of his mind, now not only was a beautiful new girl staying in his dorm but just a few doors down. And if she did have a boyfriend in Japan, long distance relationships never work, he thought with a chuckle.
~*~*~
"I'm so sorry Kero-chan!" Sakura opened her bag and frowned as the pissed off guardian flew out.
"Oi, Sakura! You stay in a tiny little bag for close to 14 hours and you see how you like it." Cereburus growled. At first glance one could easily confuse him with a stuffed animal. But he only stayed in that form for half of the time, the other half he was a large winged lion true to his name.
"I'm sorry Kero-chan! I couldn't take you out on the plane and I had to get here didn't I?" Sakura consoled him. "I'll promise to get you a piece of cake to make up for it."
"Cake?! WAI!" And with the emotions of a child easily pacified, Kero forgave Sakura. "Ne, Sakura…who was that boy talking to you?"
"J.P-kun? He's the floor advisor I think. He was very nice." Sakura frowned. "Boys are very forward in America."
"Great, another gaki after the Card Mistress."
"Kero-chan! He's not a 'gaki'. I told you he was very nice, he just happened to ask me out very quickly. I told him no though."
"Fine, fine." Kero floated over to her. "You know Sakura, it would be alright though if you did date…"
Sakura blinked at him. Next to Touya, Kero-chan was her fiercest protector. Changing the subject she said, "I'm going to start unpacking."
Kero frowned as he watched his Sakura-chan begin unpacking her suitcases and boxes. It was like this every time someone asked her why she didn't date. She wouldn't admit it to anyone but Kero knew it was because she was holding onto that flimsy hope that the Gaki would contact her. Kero snorted, fat chance in hell! Only Sakura could go on believing what even the densest would easily figure out. He was never going to contact her, it had been 8 years since he left and 7 years since last they spoke, and Kero remembered reading the last letter he had given her. 'Dear Sakura, Things aren't going as planned. Until I can convince Okaa-san to see reason and get her to understand my feelings for you, I won't be able to contact you. I really don't want it to be that way but I need to be on my guard around Okaa-san and the Elders. Please wait for me. Love, Syaoran.' Kero snorted again. Sakura was doing a fine old job of waiting for the Gaki. Both Tomoyo and Eriol had tried to explain to Sakura that if she hadn't heard from him yet she was never going to, and Kero wondered if deep down Sakura knew she was never going to hear from him. But she still went on hoping one day there would be something from him. Poor kid, she deserved to have someone who loved her. Maybe she would finally move on.
~*~*~
Touya sat up in bed, sweat pouring down his brow. His heart thundered in his chest and he gasped for breath, still trying to throw the nightmare from his subconscious. Finally calming he gazed down at the sleeping figure beside him. Yukito still slept on, looking very innocent in sleep. Touya gently pushed the pale white hair off of his lover's face and got out of bed.
A full moon hung low in the sky, and as Touya walked over to the open window looked at the white clouds dotting the night sky. His eyes focused on one in particular that looked like a castle and remembered a tale his mother had told him long ago. Of how a beautiful princess lay trapped with in the walls of a castle in the sky. He hit his hand gently against the window angry at how everything was so peaceful out there and yet he was awake scared out of his mind.
It was the third time he had the dream since Sakura left. And every time it was the same. Sakura smiling at someone out of his vision as she shouted to him something Touya couldn't hear. She waved and walked to the person whom he couldn't see. As she walked a shadow swept across the ground racing for her. Touya would try to scream out to her to watch out but she didn't hear. The ground opened underneath her and a hand, pale like marble, reached up and grabbed at her. And like every other night the dream visited him, this was where it ended.
"To-ya?" Touya turned toward the sleepy voice and held his hand out to Yukito. "Daijobu ka?"
"Un, daijobu. It was the Dream again." Touya pulled the smaller man into his embrace. "I'm worried about Sakura-chan."
"To-ya…maybe the dream is your sister-complex invading your dreams. I know you worry about her, but she can handle her self. Give her a chance to prove that. And I'm sure if something was going to happen she'd have a prophetic dream of her own." Yukito turned around and kissed Touya lightly. "Besides my other half doesn't seem to think anything's the matter. Now, come back to bed."
Touya sighed but did as he was asked. Was it his sister-complex Yuki teased him of having? He didn't think so, but Yuki did have a point. If something wrong was going to happen at least that weird Hiiragizawa would know something, as would Yue.
~*~*~
Wind howled outside of the mansion as rain pitter-pattered against the glass. Shivering slightly Syaoran leafed through the legal documents in his hand and frowned. They didn't make any sense, nothing had since Kinomoto Touya called him. A knock sounded at the door and before he could answer, it opened. Syaoran sighed, only one person would do that.
"Yes, mother? What can I do for you this lovely day?" His mother's eyes took in everything about him in one quick sweep. He could probably picture what she saw, dark shadows under his brown eyes, his skin very pale and the way his whole body showed signs of exhaustion.
"Xiao Lang, you haven't been sleeping a lot lately." Li Ye-lan looked young for her age. That's what magic did to you, knocked off years by the decades. "Your sisters inform me you hardly eat. Shiefa especially says she's found you taking a drink of coffee and then sit there pushing the food around on your plate. Why?"
Syaoran shook his head. How to explain that Touya's words were causing him to have unnecessary nightmares? That as he closed his eyes a young girl's face, surely different by now, floated before his eyes and made sleep difficult. How guilt wracked his soul was as memory and longing pulled at him? She'd think he was insane. And he was. He realized that only all too clearly. "It's nothing Mother. It's just the time of the year when CEOs and the Elders like to gang up on me at once."
His mother's look told him she didn't buy one word of it. She walked closer to him and tilted his face up so he looked her in the eyes. "The Elders, son, tell me that your aura is pained. Something is bothering you and I don't think its Meiling. Tell me."
"Mother, nothing is wrong." The words were hard to his own ears. "What I don't need is for you and my sisters constantly checking up on me!"
"Listen to me, my little wolf. Something is bothering you, I am your mother and am concerned. Weakness like this is not tolerated in the Head of the Li Clan." She turned and walked towards the door, where she stopped and turned around. "Tell me, Xian Lang, why did the cherry blossom trees in the garden start to wilt suddenly?" And left as her son stared after her.
Was that all they cared about, how weak he appeared as Clan Leader? He sighed. He knew then that his Mother cared about him more than his role. Her last words had been carefully chosen, and that was the last time he was ever going to underestimate his mother. The trees planted when he arrived from Japan represented Sakura for him. He sighed, it didn't matter anyway.
~*~*~
Sakura stretched as she awoke, her eyes lighting on her clock. "Hoe?!" It was nearly ten a.m.! She had to go sign up for classes in an hour. It had taken her a long time to get everything unpacked and it had been late at night when she finally finished, with jet lag and exhaustion she had easily fallen asleep in her new bed.
Jumping from bed she shook a sleeping Kero awake. "O-haaa, Kero-chan!" and ran to the bathroom where she took the quickest shower she had ever had.
"Ohayo Sakura-chan." Kero yawned. "It figures, your first day and you slept in late." He watched as she brushed her long hair and dressed in a skirt and light pink tank top.
"Oh be quiet Kero-chan!" she laughed and waving ran from the room. If she hurried she might be able to sign up for some of the classes she wanted. Of course as luck would have it she ran into someone. "Gomen nasai!"
"Ah, good morning Sakura!" a friendly voice she recognized as J.P.'s registered in her mind. "Hmm, I take it 'Gomen Nasai' means something like 'I'm Sorry'?"
"Oh, J.P. good morning. Yes, it does mean that." She shook her hair over her shoulder, "I'm sorry but I must leave now…I have to sign up for classes! Bye!" and she ran off.
Twenty minutes later she arrived where she was supposed to be, and was happy she was able to sign up for at least two of the classes she wanted. She studied her card as she walked on not noticing the pair of eyes that peered at her from the bushes lining the path. "Hoe, I wish I could have gotten that class for Psychology but I guess Asian Lit, calculus, English, medieval history, forensics, and anthropology are good." She mumbled to her self.
As she passed the hedgerow the person attached to the eyes stepped out from behind the bushes and slowly smiled. How fortunate for them, the Card Mistress all alone…
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So how was that chapter? Sorry all S&S fans, your gonna have to wait a little longer. ^^ In case you can't guess I'm a big T&Y fan…plus E&T fan, but that's gonna wait a bit. Next chapter the plot will start to surface more. I'm also going to be introducing one more new character and then see where I'm going to go.
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Japanese & Chinese dictionary:
O-haaa: slang for Ohayo (If you know the band Smap, you'll recognize it)
Ohayo: G'morning (short for Ohayo Gozaimasu)
Okaa-san: mother
Ja ne: See you later
Daijobu ka: Are you alright?
Un, Daijobu: Yea, I'm fine.
