Wow, I'm really sorry that took so long, but you know how school can get;
one word (or phrase I guess) describes it all; Golden States. I've been
studying my a** for a month straight- I forgot my books this weekend when I
pack for my dads, so time to write! Yippe!
My apologies for getting OCC on Sakura- I didn't mean to make her so weakish (new word, he he…) I'll try better from now on, I promise. Enjoy this chapter!!!
"Kero-chan!!!" Sakura exclaimed joyously as the huge, winged lion descended near her. He rushed to his mistress' side and got between her and the Li's growling savagely at them all, including Syaoran. Once they had retreated to an acceptable distance, his eyes softened and he turned to her.
"Sakura-chan… I'm sorry." Kero said solemnly, "The one time you needed me most I wasn't there. I was…"
She smiled, a genuine smile, and hugged his neck, "Don't feel bad…"
"One thing's for sure, I'll make that brat and his clan for what they put you through."
"You don't understand, Kero. It wasn't Syaoran's fault, he…"
Kero shushed her, "Look."
Five men, very old and solemn looking had descended from the front doors of the mansion and were approaching swiftly. They then came to a stop a few feet from Sakura and Kero and regarded them coldly. The guardian beast wasted no time, jumping in front of his mistress and growling savagely at the group.
"At peace, Cerebos (AN: spelling?), we mean the card mistress no harm." The man at the head of the group spoke.
Kero didn't reply, but didn't move.
The men, who could be none other than the clan elders, turned their attention to Syaoran. "Xiao Lang, come with us." The same man spoke
Syaoran didn't move, "I will help our guest settle in."
"Your sisters can do as good of a job at that task as you. Come with us."
"No, elder." His face was sent with determination and the man before him nodded grimly.
"If that is your wish, Xiao Lang. We will summon you." And without another word, they turned and walked back to the house.
Kero watched them go, than turned on Syaoran. Without a second's warning, he pounced on him, knocking him to the ground. "Now to deal with you." Surprisingly, Syaoran didn't even struggle.
Sakura rushed over to help. "Leave him alone, Kero-chan. He didn't do anything! He's been helping me all along and if you give me a second I'll explain!"
Grudgingly, Kero released him with a threat. "If I find out you had anything to do with this, you'll wish you were never born."
Syaoran got to his feet, a worried look flirted over his face before being replace by a sober one. "Here Sakura, I'll show you where you're going to be staying.
**** Syaoran's POV****
As the driver brought in the bags, Syaoran led Sakura through the large entry hall and through a side door. Where would the safest place for her to be? He wondered, running through wings and secrete passageways. There really was no safe place, the elders knew every room in the entire house.
Finally, he decided on a room. It was near where he would be staying, so he would be close-by in case something happened. Unfortunately, this meant passing by the council room.
"Why did you stop, Syaoran-kun?" Sakura wondered.
He sighed, "We need to pass by the council room, I'm not sure if the elders are in there, but we need to be quiet."
She nodded in comprehension, but Kero wasn't quite so understanding. The guardian, now in his smaller form, popped from her pocket to hover near Syaoran's face. "Why do we need to be quiet?! I should go in there and give this baka clan of yours a piece of my mind!" He demanded, obviously very angry.
"Kero-chan, relaxe. Don't lose your head…"
But the little animal was already trasnforming into his larger form and crashing through the closed doors.
Sakura glanced from Syaoran to the now opened door and followed him quickly into the room. "Kero-chan! Stop it…" She exclaimed, but her tone faded quickly from anger to something else.
Syaoran stepped through after and found the reason. The council room beyond was not empty, as he had suspected, but filled with the elders and a few of the clan's more important adults, including his mother. He walked over to stand at Sakura's side, who had her hand on Kero's shoulder, restraining him. The guardian beast didn't look happy at all; had it not been for his mistress' obvious disapproval, the people in this room would be either dead or very badly maimed.
"Xiao Lang, thank-you for joining us." The voice of the head elder smirked.
Damn it, Damn it, Damn it. This wasn't supposed to be happening yet. Well, there was no avoiding it now so he might as well use it to his advantage.
Bowing to the group before him, he spoke. "Honorable elders, I present to you Kinomoto Sakura, mistress of the Sakura Cards."
Their gazes were now fixed solely on her; ten faces that mirrored his infamous 'death glare'. But he noticed with pride that she didn't even flinch, only stood there in what looked like an indifferent position.
One of the younger elders, Sung-shi (SOOn shi), examined her with an increasingly sinister look. Turning back to the rest of the group, but keeping one eye on Sakura, he stated meaningfully, "This conflicts with the reports given by Ping. Perhaps we should call him back to confirm the results?"
At that second, two things happened. Kero leapt forward onto the table, scattering items onto the floor. And Syaoran called out his sword, ready to strike down Sung-shi for that comment, for the intent of hurting *his* Sakura, regardless of his position of elder.
"Kero, Syaoran, Stop!" Sakura's voice rang out, surprisingly loud and forceful. They both looked to her in shock, then reluctantly redrew from their fighting positions. Looking to the others in the room, she said, with her green eyes hard, "I don't know what you were trying to prove, but it did not work." After a second's pause to scan the faces, she finished with, "Syaoran, will you show me where I will be staying?"
He nodded, bowing to elders before he left the room. It didn't make any sense to make them angrier that they were already.
Up a flight of steps and down a corridor, Syaoran finally found it safe to speak. "Are you alright?" He wondered and she nodded, "That wasn't supposed to happen. If the stuff animal would have kept it under control…"
Kero, once again in his smaller form, flew over to Syaoran, his fists up. "Give me one more chance and I'll rip those elders to shreds for what they did to my Sakura-chan!" He growled, "But you could care less what happens to her as long as the cards go to you, right?"
"Of course it matters! And I'd do the same," He exclaimed, glarring, "But you have to think of…"
"Stop it, both of you!" Sakura exclaimed in frustration, yanking back Kero and shoving him into her pocket.
"Little brother!" They looked up to see Fuutie running down the hall towards them, a vexed look on her face. "Little brother, the elders, they want to speak with you."
He glarred at her, "I'm not going, not until Sakura is…"
"They aren't happy with you at all, and the more time you waste, the more their moods will worsen."
Syaoran had some idea as to what his sister was hinting at, he was probably in for some big time punishment and the longer he delayed it would probably only make it worse. But Sakura…
"I can show her where she's going to be staying, go." Fuutie volunteered
His sister was usually right, and he looked to Sakura to make sure she was fine with this…
She was, "It's fine, Syaoran. I'd really like to talk with you sister."
That was strange, there was something going on that he didn't understand… but he could think about that later. Grudgingly he agreed and took off down the hall.
****Sakura's POV****
"I was impressed with your composure in front of elders." The older woman commented, "And I think my little brother was as well."
"How did you know, you weren't there, were you?"
She laughed, more like giggled. "Not there actually, but I saw what was going on."
Now that didn't make sense, but Sakura decided not to press the issue.
"I'm not really sure where Xiao Lang wanted you to stay, but I'll put you in the room close to him, is that okay with you?"
She nodded, "Li-san, the elder said…."
"Call me Fuutie, please."
"Hai, well, the elder said something about calling Ping back, will they?"
"Oh no, Sakura, I don't think they'll call him. Besides, you're perfectly safe here- Xiao Lang will protect you."
They reached the room and walked inside. Fuutie took a seat on the bed and gestured for Sakura to take a seat beside her. "There's something you wanted to ask me before my brother came back?"
"Oh, I almost forgot!" She exclaimed, "You were in my vision, weren't you?"
"I was."
"How did you… why?"
Fuutie sighed, "I'm a powerful magician, not so much so as you or Xiao Lang, but more so than my other sisters. That was how, through magic. And why… that's slightly more complicated. When Xiao Lang returned from Japan a few years ago, before his extensive training, he talked about you almost constantly. After the training… he changed so much… it was only around a week or so ago that I found out what their plan was for his task. So I went to the elders and threatened them, and they agreed to give me the power to… alter time I guess you could say. But if that was to happen they did want Syaoran back for good."
"I understand." Sakura replied, then added as an afterthought, "Syaoran was really angry with me after I refused. He said it shouldn't matter whether or not he comes back. He doesn't understand that I…" She stopped, realizing that she was about to spill out her heart to a complete or almost complete stranger.
"I understand." Fuutie replied sympathetically, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Like I told you before- just give him some time."
****Syaoran*****
"Elders, you wished to speak with me?" Syaoran wondered curtly, bowing to the people in the room.
"Indeed, we are not please with your performance. You are aware that you did not complete?"
His anger flared and he turned to glare at them. "That was not a test any one with morals could complete!! How could you order him to do…."
"Xiao Lang, you will respect your elders." Snapped an elder and Syaoran was forced to bite his tongue. "You are above morals and all that, you are the future leader of this clan…" His scolding went on for minutes, until the elder was interrupted by another.
"Your punishment will be twenty lashings and no medical treatment for twenty-four hours. You must start your training again as well." He narrated. "And the card mistress…"
"Will remain here. She has some issues to discuss with you." Syaoran replied firmly. Inside, his heart was sinking. He didn't mind the lashings, that kind of pain he could handle. But training would mean… he shook his head. He wouldn't let things get as bad between him and Sakura as they had been… that was for sure.
"Report to the room immediately. You are dismissed."
Syaoran got to his feet and bowed before heading down the hall to face his impending fate. The room he was walking solemnly to was one he knew the location of, but had rarely been inside. The first and only time he had been inside that room was at the age of five. His crime had been disrespect and his punishment was one his young mind would never let him forget- thirty lashes and no treatment for two days. Sitting in his own blood had had been more than enough to convince him to behave.
As he pulled open the heavy iron doors and stepped into the cool, stone room his mind was assaulted with images of terror from years ago, but he didn't flinch. Inside, the room was empty but for a stone pillar in the middle.
He was greeted by his punisher as soon as he stepped inside; a well muscled man he had never seen before. The man instructed him to remove his shirt and stand against facing the pillar. As the lashing began, it was all Syaoran could do to keep from crying out.
The punishment took less than fifteen minutes. After the sentence was carried out the man left the room and Syaoran sunk to the ground. His back was raw and so bloodied that the liquid was running down his back in streams. It took around an hour before he was able to regain his composure. He put his shirt back on and walked out of the room.
I hope Sakura will be all right for now, I can't let her see me like this…
Syaoran made his way to his room and once inside, stripped off his shirt and fell face first onto his bed. The logically part of his mind told him he should at least try to clean his wounds, but all he wanted to do right now was rest.
He was nearly asleep when his mind was jerked back into reality by a small scream.
-TBC-
Sorry, but my fingers are all but falling off and chapters come out oh so much quicker when I have a start. Any suggestions, comments, ect… hey, even flames are accepted. Or e-mail me; pikogio@yahoo.com !!!
My apologies for getting OCC on Sakura- I didn't mean to make her so weakish (new word, he he…) I'll try better from now on, I promise. Enjoy this chapter!!!
"Kero-chan!!!" Sakura exclaimed joyously as the huge, winged lion descended near her. He rushed to his mistress' side and got between her and the Li's growling savagely at them all, including Syaoran. Once they had retreated to an acceptable distance, his eyes softened and he turned to her.
"Sakura-chan… I'm sorry." Kero said solemnly, "The one time you needed me most I wasn't there. I was…"
She smiled, a genuine smile, and hugged his neck, "Don't feel bad…"
"One thing's for sure, I'll make that brat and his clan for what they put you through."
"You don't understand, Kero. It wasn't Syaoran's fault, he…"
Kero shushed her, "Look."
Five men, very old and solemn looking had descended from the front doors of the mansion and were approaching swiftly. They then came to a stop a few feet from Sakura and Kero and regarded them coldly. The guardian beast wasted no time, jumping in front of his mistress and growling savagely at the group.
"At peace, Cerebos (AN: spelling?), we mean the card mistress no harm." The man at the head of the group spoke.
Kero didn't reply, but didn't move.
The men, who could be none other than the clan elders, turned their attention to Syaoran. "Xiao Lang, come with us." The same man spoke
Syaoran didn't move, "I will help our guest settle in."
"Your sisters can do as good of a job at that task as you. Come with us."
"No, elder." His face was sent with determination and the man before him nodded grimly.
"If that is your wish, Xiao Lang. We will summon you." And without another word, they turned and walked back to the house.
Kero watched them go, than turned on Syaoran. Without a second's warning, he pounced on him, knocking him to the ground. "Now to deal with you." Surprisingly, Syaoran didn't even struggle.
Sakura rushed over to help. "Leave him alone, Kero-chan. He didn't do anything! He's been helping me all along and if you give me a second I'll explain!"
Grudgingly, Kero released him with a threat. "If I find out you had anything to do with this, you'll wish you were never born."
Syaoran got to his feet, a worried look flirted over his face before being replace by a sober one. "Here Sakura, I'll show you where you're going to be staying.
**** Syaoran's POV****
As the driver brought in the bags, Syaoran led Sakura through the large entry hall and through a side door. Where would the safest place for her to be? He wondered, running through wings and secrete passageways. There really was no safe place, the elders knew every room in the entire house.
Finally, he decided on a room. It was near where he would be staying, so he would be close-by in case something happened. Unfortunately, this meant passing by the council room.
"Why did you stop, Syaoran-kun?" Sakura wondered.
He sighed, "We need to pass by the council room, I'm not sure if the elders are in there, but we need to be quiet."
She nodded in comprehension, but Kero wasn't quite so understanding. The guardian, now in his smaller form, popped from her pocket to hover near Syaoran's face. "Why do we need to be quiet?! I should go in there and give this baka clan of yours a piece of my mind!" He demanded, obviously very angry.
"Kero-chan, relaxe. Don't lose your head…"
But the little animal was already trasnforming into his larger form and crashing through the closed doors.
Sakura glanced from Syaoran to the now opened door and followed him quickly into the room. "Kero-chan! Stop it…" She exclaimed, but her tone faded quickly from anger to something else.
Syaoran stepped through after and found the reason. The council room beyond was not empty, as he had suspected, but filled with the elders and a few of the clan's more important adults, including his mother. He walked over to stand at Sakura's side, who had her hand on Kero's shoulder, restraining him. The guardian beast didn't look happy at all; had it not been for his mistress' obvious disapproval, the people in this room would be either dead or very badly maimed.
"Xiao Lang, thank-you for joining us." The voice of the head elder smirked.
Damn it, Damn it, Damn it. This wasn't supposed to be happening yet. Well, there was no avoiding it now so he might as well use it to his advantage.
Bowing to the group before him, he spoke. "Honorable elders, I present to you Kinomoto Sakura, mistress of the Sakura Cards."
Their gazes were now fixed solely on her; ten faces that mirrored his infamous 'death glare'. But he noticed with pride that she didn't even flinch, only stood there in what looked like an indifferent position.
One of the younger elders, Sung-shi (SOOn shi), examined her with an increasingly sinister look. Turning back to the rest of the group, but keeping one eye on Sakura, he stated meaningfully, "This conflicts with the reports given by Ping. Perhaps we should call him back to confirm the results?"
At that second, two things happened. Kero leapt forward onto the table, scattering items onto the floor. And Syaoran called out his sword, ready to strike down Sung-shi for that comment, for the intent of hurting *his* Sakura, regardless of his position of elder.
"Kero, Syaoran, Stop!" Sakura's voice rang out, surprisingly loud and forceful. They both looked to her in shock, then reluctantly redrew from their fighting positions. Looking to the others in the room, she said, with her green eyes hard, "I don't know what you were trying to prove, but it did not work." After a second's pause to scan the faces, she finished with, "Syaoran, will you show me where I will be staying?"
He nodded, bowing to elders before he left the room. It didn't make any sense to make them angrier that they were already.
Up a flight of steps and down a corridor, Syaoran finally found it safe to speak. "Are you alright?" He wondered and she nodded, "That wasn't supposed to happen. If the stuff animal would have kept it under control…"
Kero, once again in his smaller form, flew over to Syaoran, his fists up. "Give me one more chance and I'll rip those elders to shreds for what they did to my Sakura-chan!" He growled, "But you could care less what happens to her as long as the cards go to you, right?"
"Of course it matters! And I'd do the same," He exclaimed, glarring, "But you have to think of…"
"Stop it, both of you!" Sakura exclaimed in frustration, yanking back Kero and shoving him into her pocket.
"Little brother!" They looked up to see Fuutie running down the hall towards them, a vexed look on her face. "Little brother, the elders, they want to speak with you."
He glarred at her, "I'm not going, not until Sakura is…"
"They aren't happy with you at all, and the more time you waste, the more their moods will worsen."
Syaoran had some idea as to what his sister was hinting at, he was probably in for some big time punishment and the longer he delayed it would probably only make it worse. But Sakura…
"I can show her where she's going to be staying, go." Fuutie volunteered
His sister was usually right, and he looked to Sakura to make sure she was fine with this…
She was, "It's fine, Syaoran. I'd really like to talk with you sister."
That was strange, there was something going on that he didn't understand… but he could think about that later. Grudgingly he agreed and took off down the hall.
****Sakura's POV****
"I was impressed with your composure in front of elders." The older woman commented, "And I think my little brother was as well."
"How did you know, you weren't there, were you?"
She laughed, more like giggled. "Not there actually, but I saw what was going on."
Now that didn't make sense, but Sakura decided not to press the issue.
"I'm not really sure where Xiao Lang wanted you to stay, but I'll put you in the room close to him, is that okay with you?"
She nodded, "Li-san, the elder said…."
"Call me Fuutie, please."
"Hai, well, the elder said something about calling Ping back, will they?"
"Oh no, Sakura, I don't think they'll call him. Besides, you're perfectly safe here- Xiao Lang will protect you."
They reached the room and walked inside. Fuutie took a seat on the bed and gestured for Sakura to take a seat beside her. "There's something you wanted to ask me before my brother came back?"
"Oh, I almost forgot!" She exclaimed, "You were in my vision, weren't you?"
"I was."
"How did you… why?"
Fuutie sighed, "I'm a powerful magician, not so much so as you or Xiao Lang, but more so than my other sisters. That was how, through magic. And why… that's slightly more complicated. When Xiao Lang returned from Japan a few years ago, before his extensive training, he talked about you almost constantly. After the training… he changed so much… it was only around a week or so ago that I found out what their plan was for his task. So I went to the elders and threatened them, and they agreed to give me the power to… alter time I guess you could say. But if that was to happen they did want Syaoran back for good."
"I understand." Sakura replied, then added as an afterthought, "Syaoran was really angry with me after I refused. He said it shouldn't matter whether or not he comes back. He doesn't understand that I…" She stopped, realizing that she was about to spill out her heart to a complete or almost complete stranger.
"I understand." Fuutie replied sympathetically, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Like I told you before- just give him some time."
****Syaoran*****
"Elders, you wished to speak with me?" Syaoran wondered curtly, bowing to the people in the room.
"Indeed, we are not please with your performance. You are aware that you did not complete?"
His anger flared and he turned to glare at them. "That was not a test any one with morals could complete!! How could you order him to do…."
"Xiao Lang, you will respect your elders." Snapped an elder and Syaoran was forced to bite his tongue. "You are above morals and all that, you are the future leader of this clan…" His scolding went on for minutes, until the elder was interrupted by another.
"Your punishment will be twenty lashings and no medical treatment for twenty-four hours. You must start your training again as well." He narrated. "And the card mistress…"
"Will remain here. She has some issues to discuss with you." Syaoran replied firmly. Inside, his heart was sinking. He didn't mind the lashings, that kind of pain he could handle. But training would mean… he shook his head. He wouldn't let things get as bad between him and Sakura as they had been… that was for sure.
"Report to the room immediately. You are dismissed."
Syaoran got to his feet and bowed before heading down the hall to face his impending fate. The room he was walking solemnly to was one he knew the location of, but had rarely been inside. The first and only time he had been inside that room was at the age of five. His crime had been disrespect and his punishment was one his young mind would never let him forget- thirty lashes and no treatment for two days. Sitting in his own blood had had been more than enough to convince him to behave.
As he pulled open the heavy iron doors and stepped into the cool, stone room his mind was assaulted with images of terror from years ago, but he didn't flinch. Inside, the room was empty but for a stone pillar in the middle.
He was greeted by his punisher as soon as he stepped inside; a well muscled man he had never seen before. The man instructed him to remove his shirt and stand against facing the pillar. As the lashing began, it was all Syaoran could do to keep from crying out.
The punishment took less than fifteen minutes. After the sentence was carried out the man left the room and Syaoran sunk to the ground. His back was raw and so bloodied that the liquid was running down his back in streams. It took around an hour before he was able to regain his composure. He put his shirt back on and walked out of the room.
I hope Sakura will be all right for now, I can't let her see me like this…
Syaoran made his way to his room and once inside, stripped off his shirt and fell face first onto his bed. The logically part of his mind told him he should at least try to clean his wounds, but all he wanted to do right now was rest.
He was nearly asleep when his mind was jerked back into reality by a small scream.
-TBC-
Sorry, but my fingers are all but falling off and chapters come out oh so much quicker when I have a start. Any suggestions, comments, ect… hey, even flames are accepted. Or e-mail me; pikogio@yahoo.com !!!