Castles in the Sky

Castles in the Sky

By Amer

x_x;; Gomen! I got caught up in schoolwork and I wanted to rewrite sections of this chapter. I'm sorry it's been such a long time. I want to send out my deepest condolences to all those affected by the attack on the World Trade Buildings and the Pentagon. I might do a side story for this story involving that…I'm not sure yet. In case you didn't know, I live in New York, Long Island to be exact, so I have seen the smoke from the WTC from my school and a lot of friends of mine have lost family and friends. It's a horrible time the USA is going through. Help out anyway you can. Also, I am looking for a new beta-reader, please contact me at IispundreamsII@aol.com if you are interested.

Please R&R do not archive without my permission.

Disclaimer: CCS belongs to CLAMP and Kodansha.

-Chapter 6: Pain

"Feeling I've been lost for years, you can never understand me unless you've seen those tears"– Four star Mary/Pain.

Eriol sat at the sidewalk café waiting impatiently for Tomoyo-san. Well, he tried to look like he wasn't waiting impatiently, but he knew that he was doing quite poorly. He smirked; it wasn't his fault really. Even after Tomoyo-san had said she had gotten over her 'Sakura-chan phase' he knew that the only reason she had 'gotten over' it was because she didn't want to ruin Sakura-san's happiness. But that was many years ago, and Eriol still was scared he could lose her at any second. And the fact that Tomoyo-san was 10 minutes and 43 seconds late wasn't helping; not that he was keeping count.

Finally after what seemed like hours he saw her hurrying up the sidewalk. He looked at her from underneath his lashes and felt a very smug self-satisfied smile appear on his face. Eriol admitted it to only a few people but this girl did to him what Sakura-san had done to his little cousin all those years ago. She caused him to light up, his heart start to flutter and a few improper thoughts to come into his mind. And she was his, after long last, his. Of course, it had only happened recently, a mere year ago. And though Tomoyo-san hadn't said those three special words yet, she had gone to Hong Kong with him to check up on his little cousin, and that counted for something.

"Ah, Tomoyo-san, I was beginning to worry." He greeted her and standing up, pulled a chair out for her. She dropped a quick kiss on his cheek and dropped into the chair.

"Hiiragizawa-kun you were not worried." She smiled charmingly at him. He smiled impishly back. "I'm sorry I was late, but I had to finish some paper work. I'll make it up to you I promise."

"Tomoyo-san, call me Eriol first of all. And secondly, you don't have to make up anything. It was only a few minutes." He had asked her to meet him for lunch because he needed to plot with her and he couldn't at the mansion because he'd have Nakuru hanging around singing "rabu rabu" every few minutes and Spinel Sun would eventually bother him with his knowing looks. "I received a very unusual phone call this morning…"

"Oh? Now, Eriol-kun, we wouldn't be thinking of doing anything…rash, would we?"

"You wound me Tomoyo-san, why is it that you think I have something 'rash' planned?" He ignored her smirk and continued on before she could butt-in. "Yes, it seems that Sakura-san's brother has been having nightmares, and last night's was deeply disturbing."

Tomoyo frowned. "Touya?"

"He said last night before he went to sleep that Sakura-san had sent him an e-mail, telling him that Xiao Lang and her had met up with each other."

"Really?" Tomoyo smiled and clapped her hands in childish glee. "I haven't gotten onto my computer yet to check my mail, I hope she sent me all the won-der-fuuuul details."

"Shh, let me continue. Of course Touya-san was upset; he never did like Xiao Lang. It seems that before Sakura-san left for school he had called Xiao Lang and asked him to protect his little sister, and now he is regretting it because as he said 'I don't trust that gaki as far as I can throw him'. Soon after he went to sleep and had his nightmare. He was even more concerned because in this one dream he actually saw a shadowed outline of the person after his sister. And saw her get pulled through the crevice in the floor."

"How horrible. Poor Touya, he really loves Sakura-chan a lot. It was hard for him to let her go. Did he say if he recognized the person?"

"No," Eriol frowned and noticed that Tomoyo was leaning close to him and the v-neck of her blouse had lowered a bit. He became entranced with the gentle swell of her chest for a moment and then snapped back into focus. "He said that he didn't recognize it but that it reminded him of someone related to someone he knows. Of course, you understand, poor Touya-kun was about to jump on the next plane to New York and drag back his little sister and wrap her up in cotton and place her on a shelf somewhere. I managed to talk him out of it on the promise that you and I would look into it."

"But Eriol, surely you could do this without me? Why do you need my help?" Tomoyo frowned and twirled her finger around the edge of her water glass. Eriol followed her finger with his eyes and briefly imagined her swirling that finger on his chest. He reached for his water and took a sip, this wasn't going well but it was always the same whenever she was near him.

"Dear, dear Tomoyo…" he left off the suffix, if she could do it then he could too. "Two diabolical minds are better than just one. Plus, you can call Sakura-san whenever you want and not be suspicious. And as for me, I can contact Xiao Lang. See what's going on…and if the need arises, what do you think of a little, er, trip to New York?"

"True, I can call Sakura-chan often…and I'm sure she won't think anything of it if I ask a lot of questions…" Tomoyo lowered her lashes and looked provocatively at him from under them. "But Eriol, why would you want me to come to New York with you?"

"Because, Tomoyo, you're much cuter to have around then Nakuru." He grinned to himself when he noticed the blush on Tomoyo's face. Yes, he thought, it was always nice to get such a reaction from her.

~*~*~

J.P sat stiffly across from Syaoran at the table in the restaurant. Sakura and Ryen had left for the bathroom a few minutes ago and an awkward silence had settled. J.P had been prepared to hate this Syaoran the second he met him, but he had watched the way Sakura seemed to glow around him and found himself liking him just for Sakura…but now that he was left alone with him, it was another story.

"So, um, you've known Sakura for a long time?" J.P asked trying to bring about some conversation.

"We went to school together in Japan." He smiled softly with remembrance. "Sakura was able to make me come alive."

"Oh." Too much info, he thought, I don't want to hear about your love life…or do I? If I can't have her at least I can be happy for her. "You're lucky you know, she waited for you. A lot of girls probably would have given up on you. But not Sakura."

"No, not Sakura." Syaoran agreed. J.P watched as he looked at the gold wedding band on his finger. "A friend once told me I didn't deserve her. He was right I think, she's too good for me."

"Well, what's done is done, make the best of it man." He glanced at his watch. "Why do girls have to go to the bathroom in pairs and then spend forever in there?"

"Make-up?" And J.P grinned. Syaoran wasn't so bad once the gruff exterior was broken.

~*~*~

"He what!?" Ryen squealed, lowering the mascara brush before she blinded her self.

"Syaoran kissed me." Sakura smiled again, and concentrating she could still feel the slight pressure he had put on her lips. "It was only a second before we were, um, interrupted." She finished lamely.

Ryen gave Sakura a knowing smile. "So you're going to fight for him right? You won't let him go back to dreary old China without you this time? Cause if you do Sakura I will personally drag you by that lovely head of hair of yours back to him."

"You're too sweet," Sakura laughed slightly. Ryen was very different from Tomoyo-chan but she was the closest thing she had. Sakura made a mental note to call Tomoyo that night and talk like old times. "But I can't keep him here against his will, he's um, an important person back in Hong Kong." Plus, she thought ruefully, I can give Tomoyo the whole report and not leave anything out.

"Well, if you say so. Come on lets go back out before they send a search team after us." And without another word pushed open the bathroom door and the two girls walked back to where they had left Syaoran and J.P.

Syaoran smiled as Sakura came back. So this is what it's like to be a college student, he thought, just spending some time with the person I care about and her friends. No Elders, no business meetings, no sacred duties. Just a good time. As Sakura sat down next to him and looked into his eyes he blushed slightly. It was just so good.

"So, Sakura how's your math tutor?" J.P lazily dragged a french fry through his ketchup. "You mentioned you got one earlier this week."

"Sam? She's ok, she has a way having it make sense. Syaoran it's too bad you can't go to Columbia, I know you'd be able to help me even more." She smiled at him with the smile J.P noticed was reserved only for Syaoran.

"Yea, Syaoran, why can't you transfer to school here? I mean can't your CEO take care of the business?" Ryen put in.

"I, um, well I can't. It's more…complicated then that." He looked away.

Sakura seeing the discomfort jumped in, "It's getting late. It's almost midnight, shouldn't we be going?"

"You're right." Ryen gathered up her stuff and stood along with everyone else. "I have an early class tomorrow at Julliard." Ryen was a dancer; she excelled at everything from ballet to Irish step dancing and took most of her classes at the famous school, and others at Columbia. She waved good-bye as she hailed a cab.

Syaoran's driver was waiting outside the building and before he got in he looked at Sakura who was smiling still. He didn't want to leave her with just J.P but the school was only a block away and he knew she was in good hands. What he wanted to do was kiss her again, to have one more sweet angelic kiss before he went back to the town house to face his mother. "Good night Sakura, I'll stop by your dorm tomorrow…maybe you can come over for dinner and say hello to my mother?"

"I'd like that Syaoran."

"Then, tomorrow. It was nice meeting you J.P, take care of her on the way home."

~*~*~

Sakura hummed a song under her breath as she took her shower before bed. I think I love him more than I did eight years ago, she thought happily. She had tried to call Tomoyo the second she had gotten to her room, but one of the Daidouji servants had said she was out with Hiiragizawa Eriol. Turning the water off she stepped out of the shower and wrapped her self in a fluffy towel.

As she was putting her nightclothes on, a soft sound came from behind her. Whirling, she gasped with relief, as it was just Kero-chan rolling over. Her relief was short lived as she felt a hand land on her shoulder, with a shriek she turned around only for a hand to cover her mouth.

Sakura looked with frightened eyes into an oddly familiar face. Except it was all wrong, cruel and chiseled she thought.

"I don't mean you harm tonight little one. Listen closely, who I am is of no importance…stay away from the head of the Li Clan. You are mine and mine only, I don't like to share." Sakura trembled. "You won't remember this moment, but the impression will be left on you. When the moment is right I plan on having you, your power and as an added bonus, the cards, and I won't let anyone stand in my way, not even you." Sakura seemed to recover at that.

Without thinking she lifted her knee and planned to slam it into the creep's manhood, but even as she did it the man swept her leg out from under her and both fell onto the bed. Sakura tried to struggle to at least alert Kero-chan, but before she could the man removed his hand and kissed her hard. Sakura stilled. As he lifted his head, the man placed his hand on her forehead. "Sleep and forget." And as Sakura's eyes closed the previous moment already vanishing from her mind she saw him fade into the shadows.

~*~*~

"I'm sorry mother, but I had something more important to see to then the meeting this morning." Despite being Clan Head, he held no power with his mother who still had a way of making him feel like a naughty schoolboy.

"Yes, and this something important of yours involved cherry blossoms, didn't it?" Ye-lan looked over her youngest child with a knowing eye. "I want you happy, my little wolf, but at the same time you cannot neglect your responsibilities. I received a rather important message from Ai Mei."

Syaoran's head snapped up. Ai Mei was one of the most prophetic Elders. Why would she have contacted them? What has happened, he wondered. "What did she have to say?"

"She said simply that William Reed, has left England."

"William Reed? Uncle to Clow Reed? Why is that a concern?" Syaoran frowned, trying to work it through his mind. The Li Clan had always welcomed William Reed for the past few centuries until a few decades ago when they had parted violently. Still, some of the older elders called him by Wei Liu, the Chinese name given to him. He never understood the reason's except that they had something to do with him wanting the Li's power. He had been sent to England where no word had come from him since.

"I don't know, son, I don't know. But it can't be good. No good ever can ever come from the Reed family. William's brother had taken one of our own away and then came Clow Reed."

"Mother, that's in the past…but I will try to find out what's going on."

"Yes, you do that. Oh, one more thing…Ai Mei mentioned that the darkness took the light. I don't understand it, but I will see if I can figure it out. Perhaps your sister's can help." She kissed Syaoran's forehead and left the study.

Syaoran stared out the window at the night sky. The darkness took the light, he thought. What can it mean? If there's one thing I can't stand about the Elders it's their damn cryptic messages. Darkness. Light. Darkness might mean Reed, but what is the light? Syaoran groaned then. "Who better to ask about Reed then a descendant of his. Particularly a reincarnated descendant named Hiiragizawa Eriol."

~*~*~

Sakura woke up with a migraine. She didn't remember getting into bed the previous night, but there she was. Something was tingling her sixth sense, a feeling of something that wasn't right. But the pain in her head made it hard for her to concentrate.

"Ohayo, Sakura!" Sakura closed her eyes against the onslaught of pain Kero-chan's cheerful voice brought on. "How was last night?"

"Ohayo, Kero-chan. It was fine."

Sakura noticed with interest as Kero-chan morphed into his full size and started growling. "Sakura, who was in here last night?"

"Hoe? No one…just me. Why is something wrong?"

"Yes. A powerful aura…I'm surprised you can't feel it, it's enough to make me want to torch the room."

"What? I can't feel anything above this head ache, Kero-chan. I'll open the window for you."

Kero shrunk back to his normal size and watched Sakura go into the bathroom. He wanted to know what had happened last night and why Sakura had an outline of the evil aura covering her. Especially on her lips. He was about to ask her again when the phone started ringing. Like any teenage girl, Sakura ran out of the bathroom and jumped for the phone.

"Hello?"

"Sakura-chan! It's Tomoyo. How are you?"

"I'm fine, just a head ache. I called you last night at 12:30, that's 2 p.m. Japan time, but your maid said you were out with Eriol-kun."

"Oh, we had a late lunch. I'm sorry I missed your phone call." Sakura could feel the concern over the phone. "I read your E-mail…how do you feel with Li-kun being in New York with you?"

Sakura smiled and twirled a piece of hair on her finger. "Strange. It's odd, I'm so happy that he's here after all this time…yet he's like a different Syaoran. It's almost like he's hurt down to the soul. He's young, only a few months older than me but the looks he gets in his eyes are those of an ancient man. I want to melt all that pain away from him."

"Well if anyone can do it you can Sakura-chan. I designed some new clothes for you, maybe they can help." Sakura bit her lip to keep from saying anything. "Anything unusual happening?"

"Hoe? Tomoyo-chan, what made you ask that? It's funny something unusual did happen yesterday. When Syaoran kissed me we were interrupted by this man, he called himself Conrad. He said more or less to stay away from Syaoran." Sakura frowned slightly, for a second she thought someone else had said to stay away from him too. "And that he was working for his Master. It's odd."

"Very strange. I'll ask Eriol if he knows anything. Be careful Sakura-chan…"

"I'll try my best, I have the cards and magic, what more do I need?"

"I don't know but I'm worried. Give my regards to Li-kun and your new friends."

"I will, say hello to Eriol-kun for me and your mother." Sakura smiled softly into the dead receiver. Tomoyo-chan is getting closer to Eriol-kun, I'm happy for her. She hung up the phone and looked for a clean pair of jeans and shirt for her morning classes. She wanted to see Syaoran again, soon.

~*~*~

"Hey guys!" Ryen waved franticly back and forth at a group of girls and guys. Sakura tapped her foot impatiently. She never got the chance to see Syaoran yesterday and she was planning on going over today, before he had a meeting. She didn't know how much longer she had left with him and she wanted to kiss him…er see him again.

"Hi, Ryen. Who's this?" A short girl smiled at Sakura.

"This is Sakura Kinomoto. Sakura, this is Lea. Sakura's from Japan, how cool is that? Anyway, I wanted to know…can you hook her up with a spot in Alpha Chi Omega? No pledging either, I want her in."

Sakura rolled her eyes. It had been both Ryen's and JP's idea to have her join a sorority and Ryen felt naturally she should join the one she belonged to. She didn't know, though, if this was the thing she wanted. She waited patiently for the two to finish and looked around.

"Nani?" she whispered. She had caught sight of one of the men in Ryen's sorority sisters group…and she could have sworn he looked just like that guy who had harassed her the other day with Syaoran.

"Oh, Sakura! I see you've spotted Connor. He's a cutie, isn't he? Hey, Connor come over here!" Lea motioned for the dark haired Connor. Sakura bit her lip. He looked just like Conrad, but…he wouldn't be that stupid to flaunt himself before her, would he?

"Lea, this is…Sakura?" Connor grinned and bent over Sakura's hand and kissed it. "It's an…honor to meet you, Mistress."

Sakura took a step back. It wasn't true, yet it was…this Connor really was Conrad…and he now knew she went to this school, if he didn't know that before. She closed her eyes and she had a memory of a dark person kissing her. She couldn't remember it though. What's happening to me, am I losing my mind? She trembled and opening her eyes glared at Connor. Try it, she willed him. Just try it.

"Well, Sakura, welcome to our Greek family." Lea smiled, oblivious to it all. Ryen had a concerned look on her face, but didn't bring anything up. Sakura needed to see Syaoran immediately.

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o_o;; this chapter is huge. Sorry for that ^^ I will try to have chapter seven out soon, but no promises…my own college planning is starting! Thank you so much everyone for your continual support.

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Dictionary:

rabu rabu: derived from the katakana spelling of love

Nani: what