Spring Princess, Winter Prince

Chapter III -The Guests and the Festival

by: Mel

E-mail: LightofFaeries@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: Don't own CCS. Story only for entertainment use.

Sakura and Tomoyo flew as fast as they could, their wings almost invisible as they rushed forward. As the last rays of the sun lit the sky, they finally saw a glimpse of the palace. It was hidden in a magnificent tree with teardrop leaves. A transparent, domed, white crystal staircase spiraled around the tree until it reached the castle. Sakura and Tomoyo landed at the foot of the staircase. Practically running up the staircase, they finally reached the castle, panting to a stop. The castle glowed golden in the dawn and shone rose-pink in the sunset. It had been built with the finest silver dewdrops, harvested at the moment of formation, like the facets of a gem.

Finally, Sakura and Tomoyo emerged from beneath the transparent dome. The air before them sparkled as if filled with tiny silver stars and Spring King Fujitaka materialized before them. Tomoyo and Sakura bowed. Tomoyo's a deep bow, bending from the waist, petitioner to sovereign. Sakura's a slight bow, just the dipping of her head, royalty to royalty. Fujitaka inclined his head slightly to the left and Sakura and Tomoyo unbent.

"Spring greetings Father," Sakura said, throwing her arms about him, smiling happily.

"Spring greetings, Daughter," he smiled softly in return. "How was your first tree? Was it all you had hoped for?"

For a split second, a shadow flitted across Sakura's face as she thought about the Green Tear. Tomoyo had told her to keep it a secret but Sakura always found it hard to keep anything from her father. Sakura smiled to cover up her lapse, "It was great! I could really feel the tree awakening. Grass just has a very vague feeling of awakening, nothing compared to the elation of tree awakening. The tree even parted with one of her leaves so we could ride down. I can't wait 'til next Awakening!"

Fujitaka laughed. "Well, I'll make sure you get a tree the next Awakening. Now how about getting ready for the Welcome Ball. We'll be having some special guest this year."

Sakura clapped her hands together, "Really? Yea!! But why?"

"There are matters that need to be discussed," Fujitaka said, picking his words carefully.

Sakura nodded, not overly concerned. "Come on Tomoyo! Let's go get ready!" Grabbing her friend's slender purple-glowing hand, Sakura ran to the castle. Sakura and Tomoyo had three more years before they could learn how to teleport from place to place.

Xiao Lang was practicing with his ice-sword when someone knocked on his door. His sword shimmered and disappeared and Xiao Lang allowed the faerie to enter. It was his mother, her features beautiful and sharply etched, like that of a statue. Xiao Lang bowed immediately.

"Mother," he said.

Yelan, Empress of Winter, entered the room. "How goes your training, my son?" she asked, her voice full of silent and icy authority.

"Well, Mother," Xiao Lang replied, "Wall of Ice is now under my command."

"Good." Silence hung in the air for a long minute. "We will be leaving soon."

Xiao Lang was caught off-guard, "Leaving?"

"Yes, leaving. For the palace of the Spring King Fujitaka," Yelan's face betrayed no emotion.

Xiao Lang caught himself from sputtering, "We're visiting Spring faeries?!"

"Yes, for an important meeting. I expect you to be on your best behavior. We will be leaving in ten icicle rotations." With that, Empress Yelan withdrew, leaving a confused and slightly angry Xiao Lang staring at the slowly rotating icicle in his room as if it were all its fault.

After one full icicle rotation, Xiao Lang began to get ready, putting everything he wanted in his sub-space pouch, all the while wondering what was going on. His mother disapproved of Spring Faeries. They were always so happy and cheerful and never very sensible. So why was his mother going to visit them? Questions chased through Xiao Lang head until the time came for him to leave. He stood in the center of his room, taking in everything and feeling the coldness wrap him in its embrace. He sighed, knowing that where he was going, the cold could not follow him. How Spring and Summer Faeries could live in such heat was a mystery to him.

Opening his door, Xiao Lang walked down the frozen hall, taking in the complete silence that he knew would soon vanish. Spring Faeries were noisy folk, forever laughing and singing. Xiao Lang sighed again, starting to descend the main staircase. How he was do live among such noise and not go crazy he did not know.

Finally, he arrived out on the main platform where his mother and four sisters were waiting for him. His four sisters were the most unlikely Winter faeries Xiao Lang had ever known. They were oftentimes loud and they laughed at things that were not even funny. A crowd had gathered to see the royal family off. They stood silent and unyielding upon the cloud of which was castle was built on. Xiao Lang felt slightly reassured seeing his people before them.

Yelan raised her hands above her head and a glittering light blue shield surrounded the royal family. Xiao Lang felt a strong pull that always happened whenever he teleported. The royal family vanished.

Sakura stood in front of her crystal mirror, waiting for Tomoyo to finish adjusting her dress. With a sigh, Tomoyo leaned back, gazing at her handiwork. "You're absolutely beautiful, Princess."

Sakura blushed, "Oh stop it Tomoyo, it's the dress."

Sakura wore a simple white dress spun from pure shimmering moonbeams. It draped pleasing over her figure, tapering at the waist and trailing on the floor. The sleeves were light and transparent, giving a floating effect. Tomoyo had strung small dew-beads in a circlet and nestled them in Sakura's honey-brown locks, letting the rest fall gently to her feet.

"Now, we're all set," Tomoyo said happily. She herself wore a dress made of pale lavender petals that overlapped each other. Her dark hair was braided into a crown around her head.

"I'm so excited!" Sakura cried, clasping her hands together enthusiastically. "I cannot wait anymore! I wonder what's taking so long for Father to announce the Ball officially opened. Everyone is pretty much here. I wonder what he's waiting for? Let's go ask him! Come on!"

Without waiting for a reply, Sakura grabbed Tomoyo's wrist and rushed out of her room. Running to her father's room, she knocked fervently on the golden door. When no answer was forthcoming, Sakura went hunting around the castle with Tomoyo in tow. Finally, one of the royal heralds informed Sakura that her father was outside, standing on the Platform. Thanking the herald, Sakura rushed outside.

Using her wings, Sakura managed to skid to a halt in front of her father who was standing beside her brother.

"You look wonderful Sakura," he said with a smile after the ritual bows were given.

Sakura laughed, "It's all Tomoyo's work, Father." Sakura looked out from over the Platform. No leaf went unadorned. The dancing stage was a huge, beautifully cultivated flower with softly glowing petals and a center that sparkled like a multi-facetted jewel with the musicians floating to one side. Food and drinks were placed on the petals of gLanthian flowers for they were the strongest of all flowers. Dew-beads were strung everywhere along with glow-globes that cast warm golden light. Many faeries had already arrived and the air constantly sparkled with teleportation spells. Faeries who were too young or too old to teleport, emerged from the domed white stairs.

Sakura looked at her father, "Father, when are you going to announce the Ball officially opened? The sun has almost set. Shouldn't we be starting?"

Fujitaka looked beyond Sakura, as if he was seeing something that only he could see. "We must wait for our guests."

"Our guests? Who are they?" Sakura asked curiously.

"You will see," was her father's only answer.

They stood silent for some moments. Then the air before them twinkled and winked dark blue. Sakura stepped back in surprise.

"Hoe?"

Two figures materialized out from amidst the sparkling dark blue atmosphere. One was an adult faerie with midnight black hair pulled back into a long ponytail. He stood towering over Sakura and yet his eyes twinkled kindly down at her. His wings were short, only half his body-size. A boy faerie, perhaps around Sakura's age, stood next to him. He was about half the adult faerie's size, yet he was almost an exact duplicate of the older faerie though the older faerie's features were more rounded and softened in the boy.

Before Sakura had time to finish observing them, the air around them began to fill with even more colors.

More faeries began appearing. A girl faerie with black hair and fiery eyes; an elegant adult faerie with blue wings; four laughing faeries.

"Hoe!" Sakura cried, becoming swirly eyed. Tomoyo laughed and gripped her hand to keep her from falling.

"Stand up straight Sakura," she whispered. "You're the Spring Princess."

Sakura nodded slightly before straightening her back. Suddenly, she saw someone she recognized. Instincts born from royalty, Sakura knew she could not call out or wave. Instead, she just smiled when he looked at her, glad to know at least one of the guests.

When Xiao Lang and his family had materialized, he found himself standing on a pure white slab, made of something he could not name. The air around him was so hideously warm that he found himself shaking before he adjusted to it. He felt someone's eyes on him and he whipped around, scowling. It was her! Xiao Lang was thrown off balance for a moment. She was beautiful in a long white dress that flowed all around her and her emerald eyes, like the gem itself, sparkled. She was smiling happily at him, absolutely radiant. Xiao Lang stared at her in disbelief. Why was she here of all faeries? Before he had time to contemplated further, a voice broke through his thoughts.

"Welcome, Rulers of all Seasons. It has been a very long time since we have all gathered together. Now, I have called us together again to discuss a matter that seriously threatens us all."

Sakura blinked. She had never heard her gentle father use that tone before. It was almost as if someone else was speaking. And the guests were from other Seasons! Sakura was so excited that she didn't hear the last sentence. She could barely keep from flying.

King Fujtaka kept talking, "I am King of Spring, Fujitaka. This is my son, Touya of Spring, my daughter, Sakura of Spring, and her friend, Tomoyo." Fujitaka gestured first to Touya, then to Sakura, and finally to Tomoyo. Sakura and Touya dipped their heads while Tomoyo bowed.

All the guests dipped their heads in return. An adult faerie spoke up, "I am the Magician of Summer, Clow Reed. This is my son, Eriol of Summer." Sakura realized they were the pair that she had seen first.

"I am Queen Yehua of Autumn. This is my daughter, Meiling of Autumn." This came from a middle-sized faerie with dark brown hair and piercing gray eyes. She had then pointed to a girl faerie with black hair and ruby red eyes. Sakura thought, 'Yea! Another girl faerie. Perhaps she'll be friends with Tomoyo and me.'

Finally, a tall, imposing yet elegant faerie spoke. Her black hair was swept back in an elaborate headdress and her brown eyes seemed to bore into Sakura. "I am of Winter, Empress Yelan. These are my four daughters, Feimei, Fanran, Fuutie, and Shiefa, all of Winter. This is my son, Xiao Lang of Winter."

Fujitaka nodded once the introductions were over. "Let us discuss everything after our Festival. Every Awakening, all Spring Faeries gather here to celebrate. Once the moon is past its zenith, the ball begins inside the castle. You are welcomed to join though Spring may not be your Season." Fujitaka then turned to the avidly listening Spring Faeries that had gather below the Platform, spread his wings, and lifted off the Platform. "Let the Festivities begin!"

Sakura was laughing as she whirled and twirled. She was the center of attention on the dance floor. She was the only one who had survived the fast and lively music and was still dancing. She wasn't known as "Swift Star" for nothing.

Xiao Lang was off in the shadow's watching with distaste the laughing and utterly uncomposed faeries. His eyes traveled to the dance floor. The faerie, who he now knew as Sakura, was the only one dancing and all the faeries around her clapped to the beat of the music.

He had never approved of dancing yet he found himself entranced by her graceful movements. The dance finally ended, but he was still watching her.

Sakura felt someone's eyes on her and she turned around. Her eyes met deep amber ones. It was Xiao Lang, from Winter. He had been off the side every since the festival had started. Sakura felt bad that not everyone was enjoying the celebration.

Without thinking, Sakura ran up to him and dragged him onto the dance floor as the musicians struck up another lively tune. Xiao Lang was too startled to respond. Laughing, Sakura led him around the dance floor. Other faeries had joined in the new dance.

Xiao Lang found himself stumbling. He couldn't remember a time that he had ever danced. Seeing this, Sakura switched her steps to simpler ones so he could catch up. He looked wonderingly at her. Sakura just smiled, her bright green eyes twinkling.

Author's Notes: Hi everyone! I'm sorry for taking so long. It's all my school's fault. I have so much homework that I go to bed at 12:00 with my parents yelling at me for going to bed so late, hehe ^_^' Even though now it's break, I STILL got two projects due. But it's still break so I got this chapter out (even though the chapter may seen a bit rushed). Thank you all SOOO much for reviewing, they made me keep typing when I was tired and just wanted to procrastinate this chapter. Anyway, please review! And some feedback or suggestions would also be appreciated.

A note about Festival: I've decided to split the celebration into two halves, the Festival and the Midnight Ball. The Festival is more unorganized and free than the ball. For the dances in the festival (like the one that Sakura and Syaoran danced to) picture olden village dances where everything is fast and there is a lot of clapping and jumping and laughing. The Ball is much more organized. Picture a king's ball, where all the ladies and gentlemen are decked out in glittering finery. There is no jumping or clapping. Pretty much all the dances are slow (it's really hard to move fast with a dress that's laden down with jewels and such).

Anyway, Sakura and Syaoran have finally officially met!! hehe, took me long enough. Again, I'm really sorry about the delay! And please review!

Thank you to Jesus Freak (refer to review in Resounding Ripples) for the names of Syaoran's sisters.

Thank yous to kawaiicat, SweetCard, Sakura, Trisscar Swordmaid, Ashley Li, Faoiltiama, blue demon160, firery, azurite angel, Spectro Chan (I'm really touched that you read this to your little cousin as a bed time story. That's so cute!), soph, shimi-mouse, and Danielle Ngo.