Nameless Face of Happiness

by Lune Nightingale

It seems everything has come to a tragic end. Or is it? Maybe things aren't as bad as Sakura and the others think, and Eriol won't have to feel so guilty....

5. Disrupting Confrontations

Title: Disrupting Confrontations (Chapter 5)

Genre: Card Captor Sakura fic

Rating: I'm sticking with PG-13 just to be sure.

Pairings: Tomoyo+Eriol, Sakura+Yue, Sidereal+Yukito, Nakuru+Touya (vague), Crinis+Suppi/Kero (undecided), Meiling+Syaoran

Warnings: Very strange pairings indeed. If you don't like them, don't flame, just don't read it. ^_^

Notes: I just can't seem to make a BAD guy. But I think Even and Eriol are alike in many ways. Don't y'all agree? But in any case, I'm trying my best to stay in character.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the CCS characters. It's such a depressing fact. *sobs* But I'll live. Crinis, Sidereal, and Even are all mine. ^_^

www.angelfire.com/tx2/andromedastar/ccsakura/EvenCrinisSidereal.JPG Check it out if you like. ^_^ It's

not great though… o.o;;

Every night and every morn

Some to misery are born

Every morn and every night

Some are born to sweet delight

Some are born to endless night.

~ William Blake

~*~

Flashing through the afternoon sun, the rapier brandished its silver hilt reflecting each golden ray that danced upon it. The one wielding the object brought it in an upward diagonal slash towards the chest and rested its side lightly upon her nose. Eyes of golden sunlight stared straight past the magnificent object into the bright afternoon never allowing the porcelain eyelids to shield them at any moment. With a flick of her wrist, the object thrust forward elegantly and remained stationary as one of her legs slid backward in the proper fencing position. Curling her free arm above her head, her fingertips narrowly brushed the high ponytail of sapphire blue that curled into a loose braid.

Lurching forward she raveled herself into her dance of swirling light blue and sparkling silver. Time seemed to stand still as her lithe form moved through the area never once missing a step. Her breath barely increased with her graceful movements and her eyes remained dead to the world about her. Off in the corner of the room, a pair of deep chestnut colored eyes watched in rapt amazement as slender finger wrapped about the hilt of yet another silver rapier.

Taking a timid step forward, the girl with dark brown hair second guessed her decision to interrupt the other that was deep into her dance of death. With a deep breath she closed her eyes and cleared her throat hoping for it to be enough. As her eyes opened, she realized the gesture went without being noticed. An angry scowl brushed over her face as she stomped forward and clenched her fists at her sides still holding onto the sharp French style sword. "Sidereal! Hello!"

Stopping in mid stride, Sidereal spun about blinking to take a look at the one calling her name. Golden eyes narrowed slightly as her vision cleared and came into focus for the first time since her dance had begun. "Oh, Nakuru-chan! How nice to see you. Did you need something?"

The brunette sighed heavily and shook her head causing her anger to fade away. "How do you remain so calm and peaceful? It's almost sickening." Crossing her arms over her chest, Nakuru fought the urge to start ranting at the taller female.

"It's as a lady should act Nakuru-chan. I'm sure you could do so as well if you tried hard enough." The soft words seeped into the other's head slowly causing a fire to start roaring in her eyes. Sidereal smiled placidly and brought the rapier blade to rest upon an open palm. "Would you care to duel with me? Best out of three?"

Nakuru nodded emphatically and brought her sword to ready forgetting the form that she was suppose to take. Sidereal laughed softly and slid gracefully into ready and raised her sword to meet the tip of hers. Frowning in disgust, Nakuru moved into a mirror pose and took a deep breath. "En guard!"

"Very well…" Tapping the blades together, the two girls began the elegant dance filled with the clanging of metal against metal. Every thrashing blow was parried and received showing no signs of defeat in either direction. Sidereal smiled as she watched Nakuru's face twist in concentration showing no signs of the relaxation that she herself was feeling.

The smile on the blue haired girl's face broadened as she brought the rapier into a horizontal slash, sending Nakuru a few yards back in fear of being caught by the blade. Pressing the hilt to her side, Sidereal flicked her wrist in order to point the blade at her opponent. With out hesitation she burst forward knocking the sword from the brunette's hand. Placing the sword horizontal to her neck, she leaned in closely to whisper into Nakuru's ear. "You really should relax. The first match goes to myself."

Stepping away, Sidereal slid her foot under the sword of her opponent and lifted it into the air and then into her hand. Smiling softly she tossed the sword into Nakuru's waiting hand. Rising to her feet, the sword began to tremble along with her frail form. "Fine! En guard!" Both girls instantly took their positions and faced each other off with calm repose.

"En guard…" Tapping the swords together with eloquent grace, the two females launched into battle again trying with all their might to gain ground on the other. Nakuru launched forward with strong velocity and caused Sidereal to stumbled backward onto her back. The tip of the brunette's blade brandished pointedly at her neck caused the girl on the ground to slip backward in near fear of the other. "Second match to you… Nakuru-chan…"

"Exactly. Glad you accept defeat." Nakuru smiled happily and spun about taking a few steps in the opposite direction. Turning back to face her, she watched Sidereal slip her slender hand about her rapier and rise to her feet with perfect elegance. "Are you ready?" The smirk grew as Nakuru felt the pride swell in her chest.

"Indeed. En guard!" Once more the routine happened again only with much more ferocity than normally would occur in a simple duel in a means of practicing. Nakuru began to breath heavily as Sidereal quickly moved upon her feet showing no signs of tiring. Things weren't looking good for the false form of Ruby Moon, and things weren't going to improve. Forcing her lithe form onward, Sidereal pinned Nakuru against the far wall with her opponent's sword some yards away from her. "The match is mine." Lowering the blade in her hand, she spun about and threw the rapier aside. With long strides she headed out of the gym with intent of going home.

As her figure disappeared through the double doors, Nakuru found her spirits falling at a drastic rate. Why couldn't she be that graceful? In a way she hated the elegant lady from the Ukraine, but also she admired her for her strength. In a stunned gait, she followed Sidereal out of the gym and was surprised to see her with her arms wrapped about another's neck.

Looking closely, she noticed a long ebony braid and startling violet eyes of a boy that was about two inches shorter than Sidereal. Blinking a few times, she found herself still heading towards them listening to the words exchanged between them. "Sidereal-chan… I hope you didn't hurt her. That isn't your purpose."

"Not at all Even-san. I would never. Besides, I have other things in mind for my dear little butterfly." Nakuru looked at them in shock as her mind registered what she had just heard. Thinking to herself on the subject, she found another fact ebbing into her mind that soon over came all thoughts on their prior exchange of words.

"Sidereal-san! I thought you were after Tsukishiro-san! And here I thought you were an elegant girl with more morals than that!" Both Even and Sidereal turned to face Nakuru with wide eyes that spoke of absolute fear. "And WHO may I ask, is this?" Pointing a finger at Even, Sidereal took on a look of complete bewilderment.

Taking a deep breath, Even tried his best to pry the long slender arms from about his neck as he introduced himself. "I am Starlet Even. Pleased to meet you…"

Nakuru looked even more shocked then previously as her mouth gaped. "You're married?!?! I think Tsukishiro-san has a right to know!"

Even felt his face grow warm and knew that he was fashioning a new shade of red. At that moment, Sidereal began to laugh uncontrollably while collapsing onto her knees. Gasping for air, she managed to choke out a few words while pointing at the boy next to her. "Married? To… Even?! You have got… to be… joking!"

"Well… then what are you?" Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked from one to the other trying to figure out what relationship they had to one another.

Tugging at his collar Even swallowed hard and shook his head. "You see… we're siblings… of sorts… You could say… that we were both adopted…" At his words, Nakuru instantly began to flush feeling the embarrassment grow.

"Ah… gomen ne…" Sidereal looked up at the softly spoken words and smiled at her gently. Rising to her feet, she once more draped over her master's shoulders and winked.

"Don't worry about it Nakuru-san… It's not a big deal. At least you gave me a good laugh. Though I don't think I could ever feel that way about Even-san…" The girl smiled brightly while rubbing the boy's head trying to prove her point.

"And what is that suppose to mean? Is there something wrong with me Sidereal-chan? That's fine. You can just forget about me paying for your archery and fencing lessons from now on." Instantly the girl's face fell as she began to plead with the ebony haired boy. Nakuru blinked a few times before a small smile began to etch over her face. The scene before her reminded her so much of the fights between her and Eriol. The fights were never truly serious, but they were a major part of their everyday lives.

Looking up at Even, she gave a soft smile and closed her eyes. "If it's any consolation to you Starlet-san, I think you are very good looking." Opening her deep brown eyes, she was just in time to see the dark red that swept persistently across his cheeks. At this sight, both she and Sidereal began to laugh. Not just any laugh, but the type of laugh that came from the heart. Where their confrontation hadn't started on such an upbeat note, it had found its way into a rather pleasant one indeed.

~*~

Deep sea blue eyes stared up at the blackboard lazily wishing for the bell to ring. Normally he wouldn't wish for such things, but lately had been the exception. Too many strange things had been occurring that had nothing to do with him, and yet, they were all aimed at him. He'd never been on the receiving end before. At least not in THIS lifetime. He had to admit that Clow had it rough when it came to opponents, but as Eriol, he had lived a rather simple and uneventful life. A yawn crept out of his form as a he turned his head to stare out the window. Instead of the window, he found that he was now locked eye to eye with Even whom was smiling brightly. He didn't like the smile. It spoke clearer than words and he swore that it said 'I know something you don't.' Quirking a brow, he gave the other boy a bored look in response to his statement that said 'Oh really?'.

With a small wink, Even continued to smile at him without flinching. Irritated, Eriol attempted to look away but soon found that he couldn't. Looking more deeply into the eyes of deep amethyst he noticed a dark lulling void that seemed to be calling his name, and soon, everything around him went black. Glancing about himself wildly, he tried to figure out what had happened. "Where am I?"

"You're… how shall I put it? On my turf now?" A gentle baritone called out to him causing his skin to crawl in reaction. Biting his lower lip, he stood up and closed his eyes trying to pinpoint the source of the magical space he now stood in. "It will do you no good… I promise you that…"

A loud snap echoed through the empty space, and soon Eriol saw a rather large fireplace crackling in the midst of the darkness. Silhouetted against the crimson flames was a young man in elegant garb of the English era during Clow Reed's lifetime. Shoulder length straight hair framed his head and slender arms shadowed in darkness were crossed over the man's chest. Walking toward him, he felt his feet grow heavier and soon would not move from the ground beneath them. "Who are you? Why did you bring me here?"

"Don't you recognize me Master Clow? No? Or shall I call you Eriol-san? It really is a shame to have to live in another person's shadow like you do." The almost sympathetic voice spoke softly as the person before him turned to look at the fire. "Though, maybe that isn't the case…"

"Why would you care? It's not your problem even if it is true…" Stopping short, he clapped a hand over his mouth. Had he really always felt that way? Hadn't he been content with people accidentally calling him Clow instead of Eriol? A cold icy like pain poured through his veins as he lowered his gaze to the ground. It hurt more than he lets himself even realize. He was Eriol, not Clow. Hiiragizawa Eriol, not Clow Reed. Shaking his head violently, he attempted to rid his thoughts of the horrible idea that Eriol didn't matter.

"You're right. I don't care." Looking up sharply, the person saw the pain written clearly on the English boy's face. Walking forward, he reached out a gentle hand to rest on Eriol's cheek while continuing to whisper softly. "Even if… you are Eriol. You are still Clow. And like Clow… you have never felt real pain or rejection. Have you ever stopped to wonder how much you hurt other people? Such as… Yue? Or Sakura? You just don't see it do you? You found the person you love, and that's all that matters… Just like Clow…. You aren't even human enough to care. And that's why…" Leaning closer, Eriol could feel the chilled breath slipping over his alabaster skin causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end. "I plan to make you hurt… to take everything you love away from you… And I'll do so… without causing them any pain at all… Suffer little Clow wannabe. Suffer."

Tears found their way down his cheeks as he struggled to back away from the silent person in front of him. The harder he tried, the more frozen he became. Was he really that cold? Did he not care about his friends like the other man said? How could this be? Tremors wracked his body as he fell to his knees and began to cry out in anguish. The tears knew no limit as they fell over his cheeks. If it were true… then… he deserved to suffer. "It… is it… true?"

The other lowered to one knee and shook his head slowly. "You know it is…" Reaching out, he pressed one finger to the spot just above Eriol's heart. "Doesn't your heart know it to be true? You're so careless… You don't even deserve to hide behind a name that isn't your own…"

This caused his heart to almost break in two. Did he really not deserve to be Eriol? Was he doomed to be in Clow's shadow, living and acting as his former self? Placing his hands over his face he tried to halt the tears that streamed from his eyes. "I… I… don't want this… I don't… want other's to hurt…"

Raising to his feet, the man walked back to the fire and clasped his hands behind his back while sighing softly. "No one ever does. But I must say you have a knack for making them hurt… It seems… that you have hurt Sakura twice now… Will she ever be your friend again? And poor Yue… You've hurt him deeply twice now. In two different lifetimes at that. You're very talented… What makes you think you can make Tomoyo happy? And when you created Ruby Moon… Did you ever consider how deeply hurt she is now when she watches how ladies with eloquence receive all of the attention, where she does not? It's all because of how you created her to be. And the poor misguided Spinal Sun… His devotion to you is so unreal. Do you really deserve such a gift?"

Closing his eyes tightly, Eriol knew that the other spoke truth in one way or the other. His blood chilled and goose bumps appeared on his arms and over most of his body. There was no will in him that was willing to stand up for himself any longer. "Please… just… leave me alone…"

"That's right… it's always about you. Very well…" Snapping his fingers, the scene before him faded away and he awoke to the sound of the bell ringing announcing the end of the school day. Looking about wildly, he tried to find the source of the magic that had captured his mind. His gaze soon stopped on Even and stayed there as the boy placed his books in his bag and carried a conversation with Sakura.

Shaking his head, a hand reached up to touch his smooth porcelain cheeks only to find them dry even though he'd been crying only moments ago. Sighing softly, he put his books in his bag and silently made his way toward the door not really noticing anything else around him. "Eriol-kun… Daijoubu? You look so sad…"

Looking up to meet the smoky violet eyes of Tomoyo, he fought the urge to run to her and hug her tightly to him. 'It's always about you…' The words hung in the air like a hangman's noose waiting for him to slip his head through it. "I'm fine Tomoyo-san…"

Blinking at the sound of his voice, she couldn't help but feel worried over its extremely soft tone. It wasn't like Eriol at all. "Are you sure? Can I walk you home? You look really pale…"

"I SAID I'M FINE!" Watching the look of shock wash over her gentle features, Eriol felt horror overcome him. Shaking his head violently he pushed past her while muttering soft words of apology. "Gomen nesai…"

Tomoyo brought a hand to her mouth trying to hide the quivering of her lips that were the result of his yelling at her. She never wanted anyone to be angry with her, and most of all, she never wanted people to see her become weak. It had been a promise to herself and her mother that she would never let someone have that type of power over her. But now, it seemed she had betrayed both her and her mother. As her eyes began to mist over, she didn't notice someone gently pulling her into a comforting hug. "Eriol-kun…"

Sakura watched her friend whimper softly as she curled unknowingly into her embrace while muttering out the name of the one she loved. The sight of seeing Eriol yell at Tomoyo had caused Sakura to see red. Why was he acting so strangely? He hadn't been like that before. He had always been kind and the perfect gentleman, now he was someone she no longer knew. Patting Tomoyo's long smoke black hair she closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

Looking over her shoulder, she noticed Even standing there with wide eyes of amethyst. Walking closer he spoke in a soft voice trying to calm the shorter girl down. Meeting Tomoyo eye to eye, he gently brushed her bangs from her eyes. "Shall I walk you home Daidouji-san? I don't think you should be alone right now…" Nodding to his question slowly, he wrapped his arm about her shoulders and gently led her out of the classroom. "Sakura-chan… Please be careful on your way home. I'll see you tomorrow."

Sakura blinked in surprise then nodded in response. She had been so shocked at his gentleness that she hadn't even realized what was going on. With the shake of her head, she grabbed her backpack and headed out of the classroom.

~*~

Walking out of the gates leading into her high school, Sakura felt eyes instantly glue onto her. Spinning around she was just in time to see the older girl flying at her and latching her arms about the shorter person's neck. "SAKURA-CHAN! You have just got to help me!"

Pulling back just enough so her pouting brown eyes could meet pools of emerald, Nakuru began to sniffle in her over exaggerated manner. This caused Sakura to giggle and then gently hug the female moon guardian. "You're so different from Yue-san… Of course I'll help you… Don't tell me…" Pulling away, the younger gave a small wink and lifted a finger into the air thoughtfully. "You want to know how to get my brother, ne?"

Nakuru nodded her head emphatically in response only causing the small card mistress to laugh softly. "I wonder if Eriol-san knew how much trouble he caused by making you the opposite of Yue-san… couldn't he of found something in between?" The girl spoke in a thoughtful manner that caused the guardian to fall into thought as well.

"Sakura-chan… You called him 'san' instead of 'kun'… Is something up between you and my master? I know he hasn't been himself lately…" The taller soon released the card mistress and folded her hands in front of her silently waiting for a response.

"Eriol-san… has been really cold… and silent lately… He won't let anyone near him. He's even cruel to Tomoyo-chan and that really makes me angry." Nakuru nodded slowly while allowing a melancholy gaze to spread over her face.

"Hai… He really has been different. He ignores both Suppi-chan and me by locking himself in his room as soon as he comes home. He won't receive calls or anything…" Letting out a long sigh, she began to nervously chew on her nails.

Sakura smiled lightly and grasped the other girl's wrist gently and tugged it away. "That's not a good habit Nakuru-san… Now… I need to cheer you up…" Once more she fell into a thoughtful pose then threw her finger up in excitement. "I know… Let's go talk about Onnichan over ice-cream!" At this, Nakuru clapped happily and nodded her head.

Where the walk to the ice cream parlor had been silent, the stay was anything but. The two girls giggled happily as they talked about some of the elder Kinomoto's quirks and ill temperaments. Sakura idly took bites of her strawberry ice cream, while Nakuru nervously stirred her coke float about. "Sakura-chan… What kind of girl does Touya-kun want?"

At this thought, Sakura began to giggle. "You mean what does onnichan want in a 'significant other'? Well… He dated Mizuki-sensei for I think a year, and she was really sweet and elegant. Smart and sophisticated… She was definitely a lady. On the other hand you have Yukito-san… He's kind and warm hearted. Very smart and good at everything you can think of! So… I suppose that onnichan likes people who are good at heart and helpful. Honestly though… if you want to get my brother's attention… Stop over acting. Be yourself and be calm. You never know what will happen." The small teen smiled brightly bringing up a smile on Nakuru's face as well.

"You think so? I've been trying to be calmer lately… Oh Sakura-chan! I really like Touya-kun!"

"I know you do Nakuru-san…" The two smiled serenely at one another before a deep voice broke the calm mood between them.

"What are you up to kaijuu? Getting into trouble as usual?" A large strong hand rested on her head and rubbed softly causing the hair on her head to stand up ever so slightly.

Jumping to her feet she attempted to stomp his foot, but missed as he moved to take her seat. "ONNICHAN! That's my seat!"

Watching her fume angrily, Touya felt a swell of pride. His work here was done. Looking up to the person with her for the first time, he was surprised to find Akizuki Nakuru. "Akizuki-san!" His deep brown eyes widened at the sight before him as her cheeks began to turn a light shade of red.

"Konnichiwa Touya-kun… Sumimasen…" Rising to her feet, she bowed to the siblings and began to walk away. "I'll leave you two alone…" As she was about to walk out of the parlor she froze then smiled brightly at Sakura. "Thanks Sakura-chan! See ya later To-ya!" With that she disappeared out of the door and then completely out of sight.

At that moment, Touya's jaw dropped in surprise. "Hey… Kaijuu… is it just me… or is that butterfly girl actually growing up?"

Sakura blinked a few times then smiled softly at her older brother. Looking at him carefully, she could tell that he was impressed by her now and could probably soon see her as more than just the annoying 'other guardian'. "She's truly maturing isn't she. Ne, Onnichan… Have you seen Yukito-san?"

Looking up from his daze, he gave a light shrug. From the look she was getting, she could tell that he wasn't happy at all. "He's with that new girl from the university, Starlet-san. As nice as she is… she really monopolizes his time…"

Grumbling softly, Touya grabbed Nakuru's almost untouched float and drank it quickly ignoring the snickers coming form his younger sister. "Poor onnichan…"

"Damn straight…" At this, the snickers broke out into full-blown laughter.

~*~

In the pale moonlight, Yue stood in the empty seclusion of the Tsukishiro estate. Near to twenty yards from him, a target was set up in order to practice Yukito's favorite hobby, archery. Long slender fingertips slid over the wooden bow in his grasp while cold eyes of icy blue violet followed their path. The cat like silvery eyes sparkled in the darkness, where they're feline appeal proved to be of an even greater importance. With the odd look came the ability to see with extreme clarity in the dark. How appropriate is it that the guardian of the moon be equipped with night vision?

Smirking lightly to himself, he lifted the bow and slipped a slender arrow into position. After a few solemn moments he drew the string back and locked his gaze upon the target before him. Within seconds the soft twang of the release echoed in his ear and the arrow was well on its way into the dead center of the circular target. It didn't surprise him, and it never had before. He'd never missed the mark in all his years of using the art of archery.

Lowering the bow, he turned to grab another arrow allowing his mind to wander from the present. Night seemed to be the only time he was able to be free from the depths of Tsukishiro's mind and he never once missed the chance to feel the air touching his skin. Letting out a long breath, he noticed that he had just released the arrow and once more it hit on the mark perfectly.

Where his accuracy wasn't lacking, his concentration was. Closing his eyes, Yue allowed the wind to slip through his silvery white hair and tug at his robes. Time seemed to stand still for him. Especially when he thought about two people in particular. As of late, he couldn't seem to quit comparing Sakura to his late master. And even more disturbing, Sakura was starting to put some ground between herself and Clow. What he didn't understand, was why he had allowed anyone to gain such a place in his heart again.

Shaking his head, his eyes fluttered open and his hand automatically grabbed another arrow from his quiver. As he placed it elegantly onto the string a small movement caught his eye. Nervously he looked about and thanked the heavens that he had been smart enough to lose his wings. "Who's there?"

Stepping out of the shadows, silvery moonlight bathed over the willowy figure highlighting a very feminine body. Looking closely, he noticed familiar translucent fairy wings spreading from her back and long silvery blue hair that reached her thin waist. "Do not fear me Yue-san. We have met before."

"I see. But I don't recall learning your name. Though, you seem to be familiar with mine." The girl giggled softly at the sound of his monotone voice before taking short cautious steps forward into the full light of the moon.

Gasping softly, Yue couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. Vivid gold feline eyes peered at him through long silky sapphire bangs that seemed to see straight through him. Her white Grecian dress reminded him of something out of mythology and the sparkling jewelry of silver held the likeness of English ivy. One loop of the silver vine was placed about her neck serving as both a necklace and the collar of her dress. He didn't know what to think first, that she was a Grecian goddess, or perhaps a fairy that was quite larger than fiction depicted them. "May I have the privilege of your name please?"

To her surprise, he showed no signs of the shock she had seen in his eyes, in his voice. Sighing lightly, she merely pasted on a bright smile and shook her head. "Not yet… just call me… hm… Luna. That will work just fine for now."

Arching a brow lightly, Yue wondered if there was a hidden meaning to the name that she chose for him to use and if she was trying to tell him something. Turning back to his bow, he lifted out another arrow placidly and went back to his previous activities. Sighing softly, she walked over to him and watched him release the object and send it flying into the dead center of the target. Smiling in delight, she tapped his shoulder and giggled. "Yue-san! May I join you? I do love archery."

Watching him shrug, she went straight to work. Yue turned to her in order to point at the garden shed for her to find a bow, but instead met up with an astonishing sight. From the palm of her left hand, silvery ivy vines curled and arched into a perfect bow then threaded itself with a thin string that was also made of silver. "How…?"

The fairy like being just smiled and closed her eyes. "It's magic Yue-san…" In the same manner, an arrow was sprouted from her right hand, replacing the normal tradition of feathers with ivy leaves. Pulling back the arrow, she allowed her eyes to quickly find their mark then released the silver arrow into a graceful flight. As it slammed into the center of the target next to Yue's, she turned to him and smiled. "Am I good enough to even practice with you?"

"I suppose. Tell me… why are you here? And please enlighten me on why you were following around Ruby Moon the other night…" The low icy monotone sent shivers down the girl's spine making her skin break out in chilled goose bumps.

"I came to find out why you seemed so troubled. And about Ruby Moon? Well… Let's just say I have plans for her. But don't worry, I mean no one any harm… Yue-san… why are you so ice like?" Curious eyes of gold looked up at him intently seeming not to notice the glare he gave in return.

"When you know how it feels to be abandoned by the one you love most twice… ask me that question again." With that statement left to hang in the air, he drew back another arrow and pretended not to care that she had touched upon the sorest place in his heart. "You don't know how it feels… Luna…"

Shaking her head, she hugged the silver bow against her chest tightly trying to hide the sadness she was beginning to feel. "Maybe I don't… but perhaps… if you'd share with others, it wouldn't be an issue. Besides Yue-san… you shouldn't live in the past. Who deserted you before obviously doesn't know what they are missing… But the girl of the present does. You just won't let her get close enough to love you the way you need to be loved."

Turning to her sharply, Yue felt his heart pound in his chest. Half of him was in shock while the other remained angry at the thought of this strange being telling him how he should live. Frowning slightly, the softer side of him won out. "And who do you speak of?"

"The Card Mistress Sakura-sama of course… Who else Yue-san?" Smiling softly, the girl with long blue hair began to back away. "I must ask my leave now… I'm sorry to be such a bother… But please… pay heed to my words Yue-san…"

With those words, the girl vanished into the backdrop of shadowy darkness. Feeling very cold and alone once more, Yue dropped the bow to the ground. "Sakura… Does she really notice me that much?" Sighing softly, he began he walk back into the house deep in thought. The more he pondered it, the more he felt it to be true. His heart was indeed falling for his mistress even though his mind begged it not to. But… A small voice in his head was whispering the soft words that seemed to hang in neon letters just behind his eyes. It wouldn't hurt Yue… to find out whether or not she feels the same. Better to do it now before his heart fell in too deep than later when he knew he wouldn't make it out alive.

~*~

TBC…