Altered Destinies
by Zenin
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I am super girl
And I'm here to save the world
But I want to know,
Who's gonna save me?
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Syaoran took off his reading glasses and massaged his eyes. The clock on the office mantel clanged mournfully, reminding him of the late hour he was working. There was still one more web site to program, and then he would be free to leave. He sighed and glanced at the monitor. "I swear, if one more person makes me take apart their computer again…"
Syaoran left his sentence unfinished and hurriedly began typing. And hour later, he surveyed his work, a satisfied, yet totally exhausted look on his face. The dark eyed boy tousled his hair, making it even more unruly as he stood and grabbed his jacket. The latch clicked loudly as he locked the door and left, heading down Main St.
The town was silent, as was the norm for Tomeoda at 12:23am. A row of shops lined each side of the street. There was Mrs. Wang's bakery, the delicatessen, Sew Right crafts store, the Pak N' Pay grocery store, the gas station, Starbucks, T and M hardware store, the–
A small figure that was huddled against the side of Tomeoda Inn caught his eye. He stopped, a breeze whirling leaves around his feet as he gazed into the shadows.
"Who's there? No use hiding, I can see you."
The figure kept moving, sliding around the side of the building to escape. Syaoran's mouth twitched slightly. He knew what was on the other side. Vicious snarls sounded, and a sudden shriek rent the air as the figure hurtled back around the corner…and right into Syaoran. He swung the light figure behind him and confronted the source of the vicious barking. A large black dog with a brown patch over one eye trotted up, quieting when it saw Syaoran. It immediately sat, it's huge tail thumping enthusiastically on the ground. Syaoran grinned and patted its head.
"You're a great watchdog, Griffin. Good boy, here's your treat."
As a matter of ritual, whenever Syaoran saw Griffin, he'd give the dog a piece of biscuit. This made Syaoran one of the very few people in Tomeoda who could actually pass by the dog without being attacked. It also resulted in a good friendship. Griffin eagerly accepted it's treat, chomping the fluffy bread with obvious enjoyment. Finished, the dog gave Syaoran another thump of its tail, and left.
Syaoran turned, dark eyes curious as they fell upon the huddled form on the ground. "Every Tomeodan knows about Griffin's Corner. Who are you?"
The tousled head lifted, and Syaoran was only mildly surprised when he saw the large green eyes of Sakura. His face was serious as he glanced up at the sky to control his temper. "Let's see…middle of the night, a slinking shadow, more trouble…yes, it's definitely you, Li Sakura. What happened, another robbery attempt gone wrong?"
Sakura glared defiantly at him, but did not rise, not trusting her legs. "I am not a thief, Kinomoto Syaoran. And I was not trying to steal anything." Her eyes narrowed. "And what are you doing out at this time of night?"
He ignored her question. "I asked you first. And I expect an answer. No more of this slinking around like some eel."
"I am NOT an eel, Kinomoto!"
"Temper, temper. Answer my question."
Her eyes flashed. "Very well, then. I was not allowed my full stay at the 'illustrious' Tomeodan Inn. It turns out that whenever the mayor of Tomeoda wants to lodge, they let him choose whichever room he wants, which happened to be mine." she spat. "The inn is full, so I was trying to find another suitable lodging elsewhere. Satisfied?"
Syaoran was not sympathetic. "Somewhat. I have another question that requires answering. Why did you break into my house?"
Sakura straightened, looking for all the world like some regal queen seated on a cushion rather than hard concrete. "I cannot reveal that information to you," she said flatly.
Syaoran took a step towards her, then froze. Sakura likewise froze in similar attitude, staring down the direction where Syaoran had come. Voices could be heard…deep, sinister voices…coming from that side of the street.
"I saw her, I tell you. There's only one person who has those eyes. She was at the inn, eating supper when I saw her. I think she's staying the night there…"
Sakura leapt lightly to her feet and dashed down the street in the opposite direction that the voices came from. Syaoran snapped from his reverie and ran after her. "Sakura, no! Not that way!"
Three men came around the corner, right in front of Sakura. She skidded to a halt and stood, her head lifted high, but her eyes panicking. Syaoran slammed himself against the wall, concealing himself in the shadows before anyone took notice of him.
The men gawked, and a slow grin swept across the face of the "leader". He nudged the others into commission, and stepped forward, bowing mockingly. "Li Ying Fa, my sweet. I have missed seeing your loveliness at my dining table. Why did you leave?"
"A bird wearies of its gilded cage," Sakura replied evenly. "And I was informed that my mission lay elsewhere."
The leader's smile only grew. He reached a hand towards Sakura's hair, then let it drop. "But we have so many things to discuss, my dear. Your visit was too short…"
Sakura backed away a step. "I regret to say that being dragged in by ten guards is not exactly in The Conduct of a Host. Besides, I do not know who you are…it is passing strange that you seem to know me."
The leader's grin disappeared. "It is none of your business who we are." He said , his voice harshly grating. "You will find that out soon enough." With a flick of his hand, he motioned for his companions to grab the girl. They leapt forward…and missed.
Sakura pulled a slim dagger from its sheath strapped to her leg and slashed out. It gashed a man's shoulder, rendering the arm useless. The man roared with pain, momentarily distracted. The other man was easily knocked out by the knife's hilt, while the leader barreled forward drunkenly. Sakura stepped to the side, tripping him with her foot and booting him in the ribs. She sheathed her blade and sprinted down the street, leaping over a picket fence and down an alley.
Syaoran cursed softly. She was more trouble than she was worth, but it occurred to him that she was obviously not the bad guy in this situation. And Li Ying Fa, the ever-independent, was heading the wrong direction for a good getaway.
He raced through the shadows, his youth and athleticism aiding him in getting to Sakura faster than the men. He climbed up a chain link fence and lightly dropped to the ground, right in front of a trembling Sakura. The moment she saw him, she willed her trembling to cease.
I refuse to look like a coward.
He ignored the stubborn set of her chin and grabbed her arm, dragging her into an adjoining alley which was, surprisingly, dotted with embracing couples. Sakura's eyes widened as Syaoran pointed to a sign.
Lover's Lane.
She opened her mouth to object, when the rattling of the chain link fence announced the arrival of their adversaries. Sayoran shoved her in between two couples, wrapping his coat around the both of them.
Sakura craned her neck to look up at him accusingly. "This is all your fault." she whispered fiercely.
He glared at her. "Will you shut the heck up? I don't know who you are, or why you are here. I don't even know why I'm wasting my time on a spoiled little brat like you."
She poked him painfully in the ribs. "If you hadn't stopped me from finding my family's apartment, I could've–"
He gripped her tighter, crushing her arms to her sides as the voices of the men reached their ears.
"'Lover's Lane'? Li Ying Fa wouldn't be 'ere."
"I'll decide where she'd go, kuso. My lord put me in charge of this party, and I intend for it to remain that way."
"But Chief…"
There was a muffled cry of pain and the leader spoke again.
"Silence."
Syaoran pressed Sakura against the wall. His height was an advantage, and allowed him to bend his head over hers to hide the red glints of her hair. "You owe me, Sakura." he muttered resentfully against her hair.
Her face was pressed against his shirt. "Actually, you owe me."
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C'mon guys. You gotta admit, my muse is one heck of an inspiration for this fabulous chapter. I am fully satisfied with it. *Dreamy sigh* I love Syaoran… He's so grudging, yet good. Please review. It always pleases me. I'd so appreciate it.
© 2002 Zenin Industries