Well, here's chapter four! Well, let's see. Some odd things have happened. As you can see, Sakura isn't as sweet and innocent as she used to be.
Starrie: *crosses her arms stubbornly* you're making her out of character!!! *sob*
Rob: *holds her* I'm sorry, but this is my vision.
Starrie: *glares* fine....but you better put some S+S moments in your fic soon!!! *winks at readers as if saying, i've got this all under control*
Rob: Yep, there'll definately be a S+S moment *laughs in a cryptic manner*
Starrie: *sighs* well....I tried. anywayz, *smiles at readers* on with the fic everyone!! don't forget to give this poor unfortunate soul some feedback!!
Chapter four
Kinomoto Household
Sakura had slept rather soundly for once. She felt at peace, calm. She remembered the past day's events and felt warm all over. She thought that perhaps he was the one that was meant for her, not Syaoran. Then she realized that if they were together, that she'd be living a lie, not letting him know who she really was. Besides, fate had destined Sakura and Syaoran to be together. Before she could deal with any of that though, she had to get to school on time!
"BEEEP BEEEP BEEEP" the alarm clock rang loudly, disturbing the image of beauty that lay in the bed close by. Suddenly, a pink staff swung from the bed and smashed the alarm to pieces, alarming a yellow, winged guardian.
"Well, at least she didn't blow it up. I hate it when I wake up to the sound of exploding alarm clocks!" Kero shuddered as he recalled the last time an explosion woke him up. He had jumped straight up, not realizing that his drawer was closed. Then, he had so much momentum that he bounced off the top, then bounced of the bottem, than hit the top again. This left a very dazed Kero, but I digress.
Suddenly Sakura sat bolt upright and looked at a surprised Kero. "I'm gonna be late!" She jumped out of bed and ran for the shower, grabbing a uniform that was folded neatly on a chair on the way. She emerged five minutes later fully dressed and clean. (I wish I were that fast. I take over 20 minutes to get ready in the morning.)
"Bye Kero!" she called she ran out the door.
Touya noticed a blur on the other side of the table, then noticed Sakura's empty plate. "She's got to be a kaijou..." he muttered after the wind of her wake hit him.
Road, on the way to school
Tomoyo and Sakura were on their way to school and talking about the previous day's occurances. Tomoyo kept asking questions about how she felt about Rob. Sakura kept on blushing.
"I cannot believe that you teased him with your fangs!" Tomoyo squealed.
"You think I can?" Sakura asked.
"I think you like him!"
"I might like him, but I love Syaoran."
"Speaking of Li-kun, he's been acting oddly lately, ne?" (for the slow folks, "ne" is something you attach to the end of sentence when you expect agreement)
"Yeah, I noticed. I'm a little worried about him. He seems so impulsive now."
"True. Hey, I wonder what he would do if I showed him the tape of you two."
"If I were Li and you were Rob," Sakura turns toward Tomoyo, takes Li's battle stance, and acts like she's using his sword,"Element, Thunder! And Fire! And Wind! And Water, too!"
Tomoyo giggled a bit. "So, you think he'll be alright with it?"
"Exactly," she rolled her eyes at her and chuckled.
Suddenly, the two girls felt hands and weight being put on their shoulders. "Hi ladies!" They both jumped and Sakura grabbed the arm and twisted it around behind the person who grabbed them.
"Ow! Jeez Sakura! Hmmm, have you been working out?" Rob said with an edge of pain in his voice.
Sakura sighed and turned him loose. Tomoyo was recovering from her mini-heart attack. "Don't EVER do that again!" Tomoyo almost yelled a him.
"Ok ok, next time I'll give you some warning" Rob assured.
"You're lucky that I didn't break your arm!" Sakura was a tad angry, though mostly because she didn't sense his approach.
"I wouldn't have let you break my arm" Rob informed.
"My, aren't we arrogant?" Tomoyo chided.
"Hey! Some say that it adds to my charm" Rob told them.
"Sure...." Sakura's sarcasm was thicker than mollasses in February.
"Where's Li and the friend he loves so much?" Rob inquired. (I'm runnin' out of synonyms! Ahh!)
Sakura chuckled softly, "Oh, I'm not sure, I think Syaoran must be doing something with the elders."
"What Elders? That's the second time that I've heard them mentioned." Rob queried.
Sakura chided herself for letting it slip, "You promise not to tell anyone?"
"On my honor."
"Well, you see, he's part of a Chinese clan. The Li clan, to be exact."
"Oh, I was wondering why his name sounded familiar. So he's a descendant of the great Clow Reed, eh?"
Sakura's eyes widened at the mention of Clow's name. "You know Clow-sama?"
"I know OF him. I'm quite interested in the magical arts as well as the martial arts. I find the complexity of Eastern magic to be fascinating. I've even studied it to a certain extent."
Sakura took note of this and reminded herself to be very careful with her magic around him. He may even have the ability to sense her aura if she weren't careful. She would also have to tell Eriol and Li about this.
Sakura walked the rest of the way in silence. Tomoyo and Rob took up most of the conversation at this point. Rob then made the mistake of asking her about her clothing designs.
"So, what other clothes do you design, besides Sakura's dresses... and costumes?" Rob smiled after saying that last part.
Tomoyo replied, with stars in her eyes, "No! I design all sorts of clothes! Dresses, suits, casual wear, bathing suits, even battle costumes for Syaoran and Sakura!"
Rob chuckled at her response. "Wow, you must have some great skill."
"Hey, do you want me to make YOU some kawaii clothing or a battle costume?" The stars in her eyes got bigger and brighter.
"Uh, well, I wouldn't want to impose..."
"You wouldn't be imposing! I'd be glad to do it. I haven't done men's clothing in a while."
"Perhaps I could come over sometime and give you a few pointers..."
"POINTERS?!" Tomoyo cut him off, obviously offended, "What pointers could YOU possibly give ME?"
"Whoa whoa! Calm down! I meant that I have a certain image and look I like to acheive with a battle suit. That's what I would like to have first. Is that alright?"
Tomoyo calmed down. "I'm sorry, I'm just a bit sure of my skills."
"No, I should have realized that I'd be insulting the master," he puts and arm on her shoulder, "forgive me?"
Tomoyo chuckled uncertainly, "Are you serious?"
"Yes, quite serious."
"Well, uh, sure I forgive you."
"Thanks." He patted her on the back then returned his arms to his sides. "So when do you wan't me over?"
"How about after school?"
"I'll be there!"
Sakura smiled to herself over the whole exchange. He was so sweet, and quick to apologize when he's at fault. It really surprised her how warmly he'd dealt with Tomoyo's temper. He's much nicer and warmer than Syaor... NO! She can't be thinking about him that way. She loves Syaoran, not him. They all continued to school.
School
Sakura and the gang were in English class with Ms. Mei, a new teacher. She was trying to teach the class about prepositions, but only Eriol and Rob understood. Eriol and Li had come to class about half an hour late and told Sakura and Tomoyo that they would explain later. Rob was trying desparately to help Mei teach, but English is a bit too difficult to expect someone to get prepositions in one class period. (I, by the way, have impeccable language skills.)
"This why I used to talk to myself..." Rob muttered to Sakura when he passed by. Sakura cracked a smile, but suppressed the giggle.
"Oh, Sakura! I have some great news." Li said to Sakura.
"Oh, what's that?" Sakura asked, her attention finally focused on something.
"I told Meiling about how that Rob guy beat up those jerks, so she's coming down this weekend to challenge him to a fight and stay for the holidays."
Sakura brightened immediately. "Meiling's coming!? Yay!" Sakura was practically squealling with joy. Robbie winced from across the room.
"What's wrong?" Sakura asked, walking over to him.
"Oh, don't worry about it. My right ear is just hypersensitive. It only bothers me when I'm surprised, so don't worry about it."
"I feel bad now."
"Well, you were obviously happy when you squealed, so what happened?"
"OH! I'm so happy! My friend Meiling is coming back from Chinese!"
"Meiling from China? How many Chinese friends do you have?" he kidded.
Sakura chuckled, "She's also Syaoran's second-cousin. She showed up shortly after he did six years ago."
"Ah, gotcha. Second question, why does Li always glare at me when I make you laugh or touch you?"
Sakura blushed slightly and Syaoran's glare increased in response. "Oh, uh, you see, before he went back to China, we got really close. You could say that we're together, though unofficially."
"Well, that proves that he's an idiot" Rob said after a moment's thought.
"Hoe?" (You need help if you don't know who said that)
"Well, if he was smart, he would have never left such a beautiful girl behind. He must be incredibly stupid if he left you here for six years before coming back." Rob's reasoning surprised Sakura.
"He didn't have a choice. He was ordered to return by the Elders."
"Then he's also a coward, afraid to go against the wishes of another, even if it means that he gives up the right to lead the Li clan." Someone called him over and he had to move away without waiting for a reply. Sakura was shocked by this line of reasoning. The last things that she'd call Syaoran were stupid and cowardly. She brushed off the comments, thinking that he was wrong, but the feeling that he could be right lingered on.
Lunch, my favorite time of the school day
Sakura, Rob, Li, Eriol, and Tomoyo were outside eating. It was a bit chilly, but it was warm enough to get by without becoming CCSicles. All started eating except for Rob.
"Not eating?" Tomoyo asked.
"No, I hate school lunches. I also happened to forget to pack one today." Rob explained as he sweatdropped.
"Here, you can have this." Tomoyo handed him a piece of cake. Rob tryed to refuse it, but he failed.
"You can have this too." Sakura offered him an extra container of soup that she had. Eriol also offered him some food. Rob tried to be a gentleman and refuse, but his stomach was qute convincing. He felt warm inside. He actually had friends that cared for him. It had been a great while since that had been true.
He thanked them thoroughly and noticing that he'd finished about 15 minutes early, he decided to go for a walk around the school. He asked to see if anyone would accompany him and Sakura perked up, having finished her lunch as well. Syaoran also wanted to come, though only after seeing Sakura get up to follow Rob.
Somewhere around the school
Syaoran had put his arm around Sakura after seeing her shiver. She held him back and Rob smiled at the sight. He figured that it really didn't matter if he had Sakura or not, as long as she was happy. He sensed that they should be alone so, while they were preoccupied with each other, he slipped away without being noticed.
(Note that only Syaoran and Sakura in this scene, so I won't bother to distinguish who says what unless I feel that it is somewhat unclear.)
"Sakura, I'm sorry that I've been acting so strangely lately."
"It's alright Syaoran, I'm sure that you're just under pressure or you've just changed since you left. I know I have."
"There's something that I have to tell you Sakura."
"Oh?"
"I'm not just here to see you. The Elders sent me here because they sensed that two dark energies had been building here."
"Two? I only sensed the one last Friday."
"I know, I haven't sensed the other aura either, but I trust the Elders' decision."
"So, does that mean that you'll leave me again once we've taken care of it?"
"Of course not. I'll be here as long as you want me here. I've done everything and made all of the arrangements to stay here indefinately, just to stay with you."
"Oh, relly?"
"I don't want you to feel pressured, though. I've also made plans on the possibility that I may have changed too much and you no longer love me."
Sakura stopped and turned Syaoran to face her, "Syaoran, I will never stop loving you. Got that?"
"Yes ma'am." They both chuckled at her sudden assertiveness.
"Bell's going to ring in about five minutes," said Syaoran, glancing at his watch.
"We should head back then."
They began to walk back, arm in arm. Just before they reentered the building, they held each other in a warm embrace, Sakura holding him under his jacket. They walked in holding hands and feeling warm toward each other.
Inside the school
Sakura had just taken her seat next to Tomoyo. Tomoyo had seen them holding hands as they walked in and felt happy, but concerned. Sakura definately liked Rob, but she loves Syaoran. One of them is going to get hurt, and Sakura will probably be hurt no matter what.
"Have fun?" Tomoyo asked her friend.
"Yeah, Syaoran and I are good now. I think that everything will turn out just right." Sakura leaned back and let out a content sigh.
"I certainly hope so."
Tomoyo's House
Tomoyo and Rob have been working diligently on his new Battle suit. Tomoyo told him that it would be ready by Thursday and that he could model it the following Friday, during a get-together. Rob dumbly agreed, having no idea what was in store for him.
"Tomoyo, I'm all measured out!"
"For it to look right, it has to be a bit form-fitting, now stop moving!"
"Alright, what are you going to measure next?"
"Uh, well, the distance from your belly button to the bottem of your back."
"Why so hesitant about that? It's no problem."
"Then spread your legs."
It finally hit Rob, "Oh, you mean THAT way between the two. Uh, well, just make it quick."
She quickly measured without incident.
"So, you like Sakura, don't you?"
Rob was taken aback by the sudden question. "Sure I do, she's charming, nice, and kawaii."
"No, I mean you reallllly like her."
"Oh, uh, well, I like her enough to want her to be happy. It seems like Li makes her happy, so I'm content to let them be together."
This was somewhat of a surprise to Tomoyo, she thought that he'd be a typical guy and be willing to fight to have her. She saw that there was something more to him, but pushed the thought away for the time being. (I promise that I'll stop making people sing my praises soon, really.)
She contiued to measure for a few minutes, then showed him the design that she'd sketched out for his battle costume. It was a black robe with a cloak that hung down to his ankles and had a large hood that he could use to completely conceal his face and give an eerie impression. The cloak was designed so that it could be quickly removed if needed. The outfit was loose at most of the joints, but tightened at the forearms and calves. This would allow him to move freely without worrying about hanging sleeves or pantlegs from getting caught. She was also planning an undershirt or vest to offer further protection. She had even special-ordered a bolt of Kevlar (that's a super dense material designed to stop bullets). An decently sharp sword would be able to get through it, but no normal arrow or bullet could. She had also designed a set of matching bands that could hold training weights, but those would be a surprise for him. All of the clothing would be black with dark green trim, the color scheme that he'd asked for.
"So, would you like a symbol or maybe some writing on the outfit?" Tomoyo asked.
"Hmmm, now that I think about it, yes."
"Oh, what would you like? 'Integrity', 'trust', 'power'?"
"Well, there is a specific nickname that I picked up back in the 'States with some Asian friends."
"And that would be..."
"Shinigami, the Shinto God of Death." (Remember, Sakura and Li didn't tell her much about the fight and she wasn't there)
"How did you pick up that nickname?"
"Oh, I used to wear black a lot, and I used to dress up as a character from Gundam Wing, an anime. I dressed up as Duo Maxwell on occasion, who also called himself the God of Death, Shinigami. Then I got good in the martial arts and I used the title as an intimidation technique. The name just sort of stuck."
"Oh, so it's a name you used to fight under. Cool."
"Thanks, most people just give me odd looks when I tell them my nickname. Oh, I also want to surprise the guys with it later, so can you make so that I can hide the mark until I want to show it to them?"
Tomoyo didn't understand why he wanted to hide it, but she complied telling him that she could sew a patch over it and use a wide stich so that he could undo it with a sword if need be.
He thanked her thoroughly for the time and effort that she put into the costume. She told him that it was her pleasure and bid him goodbye as he left. Rob left and started home. About thirty seconds after the door shut, Tomoyo ran outside to give him a book that he left. She ran out twice as far as he could have gon walking, but did not find him. She shrugged it off and went back inside, hoping that he didn't have homework out of that book.
She went to her room and pulled out her secret tape collection. She felt like watching a few videos of Sakura from the old days. She watched the odd Silent capture, the Final Judgement, and a few transformations, then decided to watch the tape of Sakura and Robbie that she'd made. She giggled at the footage she took after he left.
Sakura was giggling all over herself at Tomoyo's expression after recalling the vampire incident. Tomoyo also made a comment about it didn't look right for him to be wearing street clothes while she was in a beautiful dress. Sakura offhandedly mentioned that she should make him a nice tuxedo or matching suit. Tomoyo hadn't said much about it at the time. She turned the TV off, placed the tape back into the drawer, then headed to the closet. Once there, she found the tuxedo that she'd been making for Rob. It even matched Sakura's dress, which she modified to also incorporate Rob's favorite color scheme. She sighed and decided to take a nap.
Hiigirazawa Houshold, Japan
Sakura was telling Eriol and Syaoran about how Rob had mentioned his interest in Eastern magic. She also told them that he knew about the Li Clan and Clow Reed. The boys were surprised that an American would know about Clow. Sakura told them that she didn't know if he knew about the cards, but she suspected that he did.
"We need to watch him, make sure that he doesn't find out anything about us" Eriol spoke softly.
"I wouldn't mind beating him up if he did find out, to keep him quiet," he saw the glare that Sakura was giving him, "or I could try to convince him that he imagined the whole thing."
"Well, Rob is the least of our worries, tell Eriol about why you're here, Syaoran." Sakura told Syaoran. (duh)
"Yes, I was sent here because the Elders sensed two dark auras enter the area."
"And they sent you to save us all. How brave of you, my cute little descendant." Eriol smiled his odd smile, invoking a glare from Syaoran.
"It's been SIX years! Would you please stop calling me that!?"
"In a word, no. I might stop once you mature enough..."
Syaoran lunged at him, but Sakura barely managed to grab him in mid-air.
"Stop it you two! We have more important things to worry about than your stupid feud!" Both men stared at her sudden snappish statement.
"Sorry Sakura" Li apologized, but continued to glare at Eriol, who kept smiling at him.
"You two will never change..." Sakured sighed out.
Eriol's Kitchen
"Hey Suppi, you guys got any puddin'?"
"First, it's pudding. Second, no. Third, even if we had some, I wouldn't let you eat it all." Suppi glanced up from his book to smile at the small, angry guardian.
"Fine, then I'll have to eat everything else!"
"Here, try this" Suppi handed Kero a small jar of red liquid.
Being to hungry to check the label, Kero guzzled it down quickly.
Nakuru's Room
Nakuru is listening to her latest rock/pop CD and is dancing to her self in her room. She's even singing to herself.
"Oh yeah, I'm fine, I know it!" she says to herself as she shakes her booty. She pulls off her headphones and decides to head down for a snack. She started to head for the kitchen.
Living Room
Sakura, Eriol, and Li were still talking about Robbie, dark auras, and which restaurant had the best take out. Then, they heard a sequence of noises.
"AHHHHHH! IT'S HOT!!!! I NEED WATER NOW!"
"Ah! What? ITAIIII!"
Crash! CLANG! BANG BANG.
The sound of glass shattering was also heard as Nukuru burst through the door with a small fire on her head, followed by a fire-spewing Kero. Suppi-chan followed laughing at him.
"PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT!" both Nakuru and Kero screamed. Sakura quickly pulled out the watery card. Li pulled out the proper ofuda (the paper thingy that he uses to release elements). They both drenched one of the guardians. Li got Kero while Sakura soaked Nakuru. Eriol just chuckled over the whole scene.
Kero and Nakuru were both on the floor, soaked. Nakuru glad that she still had hair, Kero glad that he still had a stomach. Kero rose from the ground and flew back to the kitchen and Nakuru stared at him.
"I'm still hungry." he explained. Nakuru just sweatdropped and got up. She grabbed a towel from a nearby bathroom and began to towel herself off.
"Oh, uh, HI!" Nakuru said to them.
"Hi Nakuru." they all replied in unison.
"Hey Sakura, where's your brother?"
"With Yukito" they answered, again in unison.
"Are you guys trying to freak me out?"
"No, why would you think that?" they all answered in unison, again.
"uh, ok, bye!" Nakuru ran from the room genuinely creeped out by their behavior.
"Eh.." they all shugged and said in unison again before continuing their previous conversation.
Kinomoto Household, Midnight
She awoke to the sound of rustling. Having her own set of temporary wings, she knew the sound quite well. She walked to the window and opened it, seeing a figure start to fly away.
"Yue!" she yelled. That was the only person she knew who had a pair of white, feathered wings.
The figure turned, almost startled. She took a look at his face. The only feature she could distinguish was a pair of green eyes staring back at her.
"Green....?"
Fin Chapter Four
Well well well. We have some déjà vu going on. Wasn't that in Sakura's dream in the last chapter? I must be running out of ideas or something. Anywho, I hope you like it! I may also have an update tomorrow, but that's iffy at this point.
Oh, I think this story is running a bit long and boring, so I'm thinking of jumping directly to Christmas Vacation. Who agrees that I should? Remember that otherwise, it may be another ten chapters before I get there, and Meiling isn't going to be there until there. My grand finale includes Meiling so.... you get the idea. Review and tell me what you think!
Starrie: *crosses her arms stubbornly* you're making her out of character!!! *sob*
Rob: *holds her* I'm sorry, but this is my vision.
Starrie: *glares* fine....but you better put some S+S moments in your fic soon!!! *winks at readers as if saying, i've got this all under control*
Rob: Yep, there'll definately be a S+S moment *laughs in a cryptic manner*
Starrie: *sighs* well....I tried. anywayz, *smiles at readers* on with the fic everyone!! don't forget to give this poor unfortunate soul some feedback!!
Chapter four
Kinomoto Household
Sakura had slept rather soundly for once. She felt at peace, calm. She remembered the past day's events and felt warm all over. She thought that perhaps he was the one that was meant for her, not Syaoran. Then she realized that if they were together, that she'd be living a lie, not letting him know who she really was. Besides, fate had destined Sakura and Syaoran to be together. Before she could deal with any of that though, she had to get to school on time!
"BEEEP BEEEP BEEEP" the alarm clock rang loudly, disturbing the image of beauty that lay in the bed close by. Suddenly, a pink staff swung from the bed and smashed the alarm to pieces, alarming a yellow, winged guardian.
"Well, at least she didn't blow it up. I hate it when I wake up to the sound of exploding alarm clocks!" Kero shuddered as he recalled the last time an explosion woke him up. He had jumped straight up, not realizing that his drawer was closed. Then, he had so much momentum that he bounced off the top, then bounced of the bottem, than hit the top again. This left a very dazed Kero, but I digress.
Suddenly Sakura sat bolt upright and looked at a surprised Kero. "I'm gonna be late!" She jumped out of bed and ran for the shower, grabbing a uniform that was folded neatly on a chair on the way. She emerged five minutes later fully dressed and clean. (I wish I were that fast. I take over 20 minutes to get ready in the morning.)
"Bye Kero!" she called she ran out the door.
Touya noticed a blur on the other side of the table, then noticed Sakura's empty plate. "She's got to be a kaijou..." he muttered after the wind of her wake hit him.
Road, on the way to school
Tomoyo and Sakura were on their way to school and talking about the previous day's occurances. Tomoyo kept asking questions about how she felt about Rob. Sakura kept on blushing.
"I cannot believe that you teased him with your fangs!" Tomoyo squealed.
"You think I can?" Sakura asked.
"I think you like him!"
"I might like him, but I love Syaoran."
"Speaking of Li-kun, he's been acting oddly lately, ne?" (for the slow folks, "ne" is something you attach to the end of sentence when you expect agreement)
"Yeah, I noticed. I'm a little worried about him. He seems so impulsive now."
"True. Hey, I wonder what he would do if I showed him the tape of you two."
"If I were Li and you were Rob," Sakura turns toward Tomoyo, takes Li's battle stance, and acts like she's using his sword,"Element, Thunder! And Fire! And Wind! And Water, too!"
Tomoyo giggled a bit. "So, you think he'll be alright with it?"
"Exactly," she rolled her eyes at her and chuckled.
Suddenly, the two girls felt hands and weight being put on their shoulders. "Hi ladies!" They both jumped and Sakura grabbed the arm and twisted it around behind the person who grabbed them.
"Ow! Jeez Sakura! Hmmm, have you been working out?" Rob said with an edge of pain in his voice.
Sakura sighed and turned him loose. Tomoyo was recovering from her mini-heart attack. "Don't EVER do that again!" Tomoyo almost yelled a him.
"Ok ok, next time I'll give you some warning" Rob assured.
"You're lucky that I didn't break your arm!" Sakura was a tad angry, though mostly because she didn't sense his approach.
"I wouldn't have let you break my arm" Rob informed.
"My, aren't we arrogant?" Tomoyo chided.
"Hey! Some say that it adds to my charm" Rob told them.
"Sure...." Sakura's sarcasm was thicker than mollasses in February.
"Where's Li and the friend he loves so much?" Rob inquired. (I'm runnin' out of synonyms! Ahh!)
Sakura chuckled softly, "Oh, I'm not sure, I think Syaoran must be doing something with the elders."
"What Elders? That's the second time that I've heard them mentioned." Rob queried.
Sakura chided herself for letting it slip, "You promise not to tell anyone?"
"On my honor."
"Well, you see, he's part of a Chinese clan. The Li clan, to be exact."
"Oh, I was wondering why his name sounded familiar. So he's a descendant of the great Clow Reed, eh?"
Sakura's eyes widened at the mention of Clow's name. "You know Clow-sama?"
"I know OF him. I'm quite interested in the magical arts as well as the martial arts. I find the complexity of Eastern magic to be fascinating. I've even studied it to a certain extent."
Sakura took note of this and reminded herself to be very careful with her magic around him. He may even have the ability to sense her aura if she weren't careful. She would also have to tell Eriol and Li about this.
Sakura walked the rest of the way in silence. Tomoyo and Rob took up most of the conversation at this point. Rob then made the mistake of asking her about her clothing designs.
"So, what other clothes do you design, besides Sakura's dresses... and costumes?" Rob smiled after saying that last part.
Tomoyo replied, with stars in her eyes, "No! I design all sorts of clothes! Dresses, suits, casual wear, bathing suits, even battle costumes for Syaoran and Sakura!"
Rob chuckled at her response. "Wow, you must have some great skill."
"Hey, do you want me to make YOU some kawaii clothing or a battle costume?" The stars in her eyes got bigger and brighter.
"Uh, well, I wouldn't want to impose..."
"You wouldn't be imposing! I'd be glad to do it. I haven't done men's clothing in a while."
"Perhaps I could come over sometime and give you a few pointers..."
"POINTERS?!" Tomoyo cut him off, obviously offended, "What pointers could YOU possibly give ME?"
"Whoa whoa! Calm down! I meant that I have a certain image and look I like to acheive with a battle suit. That's what I would like to have first. Is that alright?"
Tomoyo calmed down. "I'm sorry, I'm just a bit sure of my skills."
"No, I should have realized that I'd be insulting the master," he puts and arm on her shoulder, "forgive me?"
Tomoyo chuckled uncertainly, "Are you serious?"
"Yes, quite serious."
"Well, uh, sure I forgive you."
"Thanks." He patted her on the back then returned his arms to his sides. "So when do you wan't me over?"
"How about after school?"
"I'll be there!"
Sakura smiled to herself over the whole exchange. He was so sweet, and quick to apologize when he's at fault. It really surprised her how warmly he'd dealt with Tomoyo's temper. He's much nicer and warmer than Syaor... NO! She can't be thinking about him that way. She loves Syaoran, not him. They all continued to school.
School
Sakura and the gang were in English class with Ms. Mei, a new teacher. She was trying to teach the class about prepositions, but only Eriol and Rob understood. Eriol and Li had come to class about half an hour late and told Sakura and Tomoyo that they would explain later. Rob was trying desparately to help Mei teach, but English is a bit too difficult to expect someone to get prepositions in one class period. (I, by the way, have impeccable language skills.)
"This why I used to talk to myself..." Rob muttered to Sakura when he passed by. Sakura cracked a smile, but suppressed the giggle.
"Oh, Sakura! I have some great news." Li said to Sakura.
"Oh, what's that?" Sakura asked, her attention finally focused on something.
"I told Meiling about how that Rob guy beat up those jerks, so she's coming down this weekend to challenge him to a fight and stay for the holidays."
Sakura brightened immediately. "Meiling's coming!? Yay!" Sakura was practically squealling with joy. Robbie winced from across the room.
"What's wrong?" Sakura asked, walking over to him.
"Oh, don't worry about it. My right ear is just hypersensitive. It only bothers me when I'm surprised, so don't worry about it."
"I feel bad now."
"Well, you were obviously happy when you squealed, so what happened?"
"OH! I'm so happy! My friend Meiling is coming back from Chinese!"
"Meiling from China? How many Chinese friends do you have?" he kidded.
Sakura chuckled, "She's also Syaoran's second-cousin. She showed up shortly after he did six years ago."
"Ah, gotcha. Second question, why does Li always glare at me when I make you laugh or touch you?"
Sakura blushed slightly and Syaoran's glare increased in response. "Oh, uh, you see, before he went back to China, we got really close. You could say that we're together, though unofficially."
"Well, that proves that he's an idiot" Rob said after a moment's thought.
"Hoe?" (You need help if you don't know who said that)
"Well, if he was smart, he would have never left such a beautiful girl behind. He must be incredibly stupid if he left you here for six years before coming back." Rob's reasoning surprised Sakura.
"He didn't have a choice. He was ordered to return by the Elders."
"Then he's also a coward, afraid to go against the wishes of another, even if it means that he gives up the right to lead the Li clan." Someone called him over and he had to move away without waiting for a reply. Sakura was shocked by this line of reasoning. The last things that she'd call Syaoran were stupid and cowardly. She brushed off the comments, thinking that he was wrong, but the feeling that he could be right lingered on.
Lunch, my favorite time of the school day
Sakura, Rob, Li, Eriol, and Tomoyo were outside eating. It was a bit chilly, but it was warm enough to get by without becoming CCSicles. All started eating except for Rob.
"Not eating?" Tomoyo asked.
"No, I hate school lunches. I also happened to forget to pack one today." Rob explained as he sweatdropped.
"Here, you can have this." Tomoyo handed him a piece of cake. Rob tryed to refuse it, but he failed.
"You can have this too." Sakura offered him an extra container of soup that she had. Eriol also offered him some food. Rob tried to be a gentleman and refuse, but his stomach was qute convincing. He felt warm inside. He actually had friends that cared for him. It had been a great while since that had been true.
He thanked them thoroughly and noticing that he'd finished about 15 minutes early, he decided to go for a walk around the school. He asked to see if anyone would accompany him and Sakura perked up, having finished her lunch as well. Syaoran also wanted to come, though only after seeing Sakura get up to follow Rob.
Somewhere around the school
Syaoran had put his arm around Sakura after seeing her shiver. She held him back and Rob smiled at the sight. He figured that it really didn't matter if he had Sakura or not, as long as she was happy. He sensed that they should be alone so, while they were preoccupied with each other, he slipped away without being noticed.
(Note that only Syaoran and Sakura in this scene, so I won't bother to distinguish who says what unless I feel that it is somewhat unclear.)
"Sakura, I'm sorry that I've been acting so strangely lately."
"It's alright Syaoran, I'm sure that you're just under pressure or you've just changed since you left. I know I have."
"There's something that I have to tell you Sakura."
"Oh?"
"I'm not just here to see you. The Elders sent me here because they sensed that two dark energies had been building here."
"Two? I only sensed the one last Friday."
"I know, I haven't sensed the other aura either, but I trust the Elders' decision."
"So, does that mean that you'll leave me again once we've taken care of it?"
"Of course not. I'll be here as long as you want me here. I've done everything and made all of the arrangements to stay here indefinately, just to stay with you."
"Oh, relly?"
"I don't want you to feel pressured, though. I've also made plans on the possibility that I may have changed too much and you no longer love me."
Sakura stopped and turned Syaoran to face her, "Syaoran, I will never stop loving you. Got that?"
"Yes ma'am." They both chuckled at her sudden assertiveness.
"Bell's going to ring in about five minutes," said Syaoran, glancing at his watch.
"We should head back then."
They began to walk back, arm in arm. Just before they reentered the building, they held each other in a warm embrace, Sakura holding him under his jacket. They walked in holding hands and feeling warm toward each other.
Inside the school
Sakura had just taken her seat next to Tomoyo. Tomoyo had seen them holding hands as they walked in and felt happy, but concerned. Sakura definately liked Rob, but she loves Syaoran. One of them is going to get hurt, and Sakura will probably be hurt no matter what.
"Have fun?" Tomoyo asked her friend.
"Yeah, Syaoran and I are good now. I think that everything will turn out just right." Sakura leaned back and let out a content sigh.
"I certainly hope so."
Tomoyo's House
Tomoyo and Rob have been working diligently on his new Battle suit. Tomoyo told him that it would be ready by Thursday and that he could model it the following Friday, during a get-together. Rob dumbly agreed, having no idea what was in store for him.
"Tomoyo, I'm all measured out!"
"For it to look right, it has to be a bit form-fitting, now stop moving!"
"Alright, what are you going to measure next?"
"Uh, well, the distance from your belly button to the bottem of your back."
"Why so hesitant about that? It's no problem."
"Then spread your legs."
It finally hit Rob, "Oh, you mean THAT way between the two. Uh, well, just make it quick."
She quickly measured without incident.
"So, you like Sakura, don't you?"
Rob was taken aback by the sudden question. "Sure I do, she's charming, nice, and kawaii."
"No, I mean you reallllly like her."
"Oh, uh, well, I like her enough to want her to be happy. It seems like Li makes her happy, so I'm content to let them be together."
This was somewhat of a surprise to Tomoyo, she thought that he'd be a typical guy and be willing to fight to have her. She saw that there was something more to him, but pushed the thought away for the time being. (I promise that I'll stop making people sing my praises soon, really.)
She contiued to measure for a few minutes, then showed him the design that she'd sketched out for his battle costume. It was a black robe with a cloak that hung down to his ankles and had a large hood that he could use to completely conceal his face and give an eerie impression. The cloak was designed so that it could be quickly removed if needed. The outfit was loose at most of the joints, but tightened at the forearms and calves. This would allow him to move freely without worrying about hanging sleeves or pantlegs from getting caught. She was also planning an undershirt or vest to offer further protection. She had even special-ordered a bolt of Kevlar (that's a super dense material designed to stop bullets). An decently sharp sword would be able to get through it, but no normal arrow or bullet could. She had also designed a set of matching bands that could hold training weights, but those would be a surprise for him. All of the clothing would be black with dark green trim, the color scheme that he'd asked for.
"So, would you like a symbol or maybe some writing on the outfit?" Tomoyo asked.
"Hmmm, now that I think about it, yes."
"Oh, what would you like? 'Integrity', 'trust', 'power'?"
"Well, there is a specific nickname that I picked up back in the 'States with some Asian friends."
"And that would be..."
"Shinigami, the Shinto God of Death." (Remember, Sakura and Li didn't tell her much about the fight and she wasn't there)
"How did you pick up that nickname?"
"Oh, I used to wear black a lot, and I used to dress up as a character from Gundam Wing, an anime. I dressed up as Duo Maxwell on occasion, who also called himself the God of Death, Shinigami. Then I got good in the martial arts and I used the title as an intimidation technique. The name just sort of stuck."
"Oh, so it's a name you used to fight under. Cool."
"Thanks, most people just give me odd looks when I tell them my nickname. Oh, I also want to surprise the guys with it later, so can you make so that I can hide the mark until I want to show it to them?"
Tomoyo didn't understand why he wanted to hide it, but she complied telling him that she could sew a patch over it and use a wide stich so that he could undo it with a sword if need be.
He thanked her thoroughly for the time and effort that she put into the costume. She told him that it was her pleasure and bid him goodbye as he left. Rob left and started home. About thirty seconds after the door shut, Tomoyo ran outside to give him a book that he left. She ran out twice as far as he could have gon walking, but did not find him. She shrugged it off and went back inside, hoping that he didn't have homework out of that book.
She went to her room and pulled out her secret tape collection. She felt like watching a few videos of Sakura from the old days. She watched the odd Silent capture, the Final Judgement, and a few transformations, then decided to watch the tape of Sakura and Robbie that she'd made. She giggled at the footage she took after he left.
Sakura was giggling all over herself at Tomoyo's expression after recalling the vampire incident. Tomoyo also made a comment about it didn't look right for him to be wearing street clothes while she was in a beautiful dress. Sakura offhandedly mentioned that she should make him a nice tuxedo or matching suit. Tomoyo hadn't said much about it at the time. She turned the TV off, placed the tape back into the drawer, then headed to the closet. Once there, she found the tuxedo that she'd been making for Rob. It even matched Sakura's dress, which she modified to also incorporate Rob's favorite color scheme. She sighed and decided to take a nap.
Hiigirazawa Houshold, Japan
Sakura was telling Eriol and Syaoran about how Rob had mentioned his interest in Eastern magic. She also told them that he knew about the Li Clan and Clow Reed. The boys were surprised that an American would know about Clow. Sakura told them that she didn't know if he knew about the cards, but she suspected that he did.
"We need to watch him, make sure that he doesn't find out anything about us" Eriol spoke softly.
"I wouldn't mind beating him up if he did find out, to keep him quiet," he saw the glare that Sakura was giving him, "or I could try to convince him that he imagined the whole thing."
"Well, Rob is the least of our worries, tell Eriol about why you're here, Syaoran." Sakura told Syaoran. (duh)
"Yes, I was sent here because the Elders sensed two dark auras enter the area."
"And they sent you to save us all. How brave of you, my cute little descendant." Eriol smiled his odd smile, invoking a glare from Syaoran.
"It's been SIX years! Would you please stop calling me that!?"
"In a word, no. I might stop once you mature enough..."
Syaoran lunged at him, but Sakura barely managed to grab him in mid-air.
"Stop it you two! We have more important things to worry about than your stupid feud!" Both men stared at her sudden snappish statement.
"Sorry Sakura" Li apologized, but continued to glare at Eriol, who kept smiling at him.
"You two will never change..." Sakured sighed out.
Eriol's Kitchen
"Hey Suppi, you guys got any puddin'?"
"First, it's pudding. Second, no. Third, even if we had some, I wouldn't let you eat it all." Suppi glanced up from his book to smile at the small, angry guardian.
"Fine, then I'll have to eat everything else!"
"Here, try this" Suppi handed Kero a small jar of red liquid.
Being to hungry to check the label, Kero guzzled it down quickly.
Nakuru's Room
Nakuru is listening to her latest rock/pop CD and is dancing to her self in her room. She's even singing to herself.
"Oh yeah, I'm fine, I know it!" she says to herself as she shakes her booty. She pulls off her headphones and decides to head down for a snack. She started to head for the kitchen.
Living Room
Sakura, Eriol, and Li were still talking about Robbie, dark auras, and which restaurant had the best take out. Then, they heard a sequence of noises.
"AHHHHHH! IT'S HOT!!!! I NEED WATER NOW!"
"Ah! What? ITAIIII!"
Crash! CLANG! BANG BANG.
The sound of glass shattering was also heard as Nukuru burst through the door with a small fire on her head, followed by a fire-spewing Kero. Suppi-chan followed laughing at him.
"PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT!" both Nakuru and Kero screamed. Sakura quickly pulled out the watery card. Li pulled out the proper ofuda (the paper thingy that he uses to release elements). They both drenched one of the guardians. Li got Kero while Sakura soaked Nakuru. Eriol just chuckled over the whole scene.
Kero and Nakuru were both on the floor, soaked. Nakuru glad that she still had hair, Kero glad that he still had a stomach. Kero rose from the ground and flew back to the kitchen and Nakuru stared at him.
"I'm still hungry." he explained. Nakuru just sweatdropped and got up. She grabbed a towel from a nearby bathroom and began to towel herself off.
"Oh, uh, HI!" Nakuru said to them.
"Hi Nakuru." they all replied in unison.
"Hey Sakura, where's your brother?"
"With Yukito" they answered, again in unison.
"Are you guys trying to freak me out?"
"No, why would you think that?" they all answered in unison, again.
"uh, ok, bye!" Nakuru ran from the room genuinely creeped out by their behavior.
"Eh.." they all shugged and said in unison again before continuing their previous conversation.
Kinomoto Household, Midnight
She awoke to the sound of rustling. Having her own set of temporary wings, she knew the sound quite well. She walked to the window and opened it, seeing a figure start to fly away.
"Yue!" she yelled. That was the only person she knew who had a pair of white, feathered wings.
The figure turned, almost startled. She took a look at his face. The only feature she could distinguish was a pair of green eyes staring back at her.
"Green....?"
Fin Chapter Four
Well well well. We have some déjà vu going on. Wasn't that in Sakura's dream in the last chapter? I must be running out of ideas or something. Anywho, I hope you like it! I may also have an update tomorrow, but that's iffy at this point.
Oh, I think this story is running a bit long and boring, so I'm thinking of jumping directly to Christmas Vacation. Who agrees that I should? Remember that otherwise, it may be another ten chapters before I get there, and Meiling isn't going to be there until there. My grand finale includes Meiling so.... you get the idea. Review and tell me what you think!