Daphne: "Alright, folks! Here is the sixth chapter! I hope you like it, and
will review lots! I need the support!
~*~*~*~
Refuge
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 6.
Watery sunlight glinted through a dark room, and landed on a sleeping figure. It brightened the pale face and caused sensitive eyelids to open drowsily. A dainty little hand reached up and swept a stray strand of auburn hair away from a soft cheek, and the eyelids blinked from the sudden light. Silence filled the room, it was a calm, serene silence, one that comforted, but also unsettled.
'Where am I? What has happened? I know that something is not right, but what?'
Bright emerald orbs closed and thoughts raced through an overloaded mind, causing chaos. A soft whimper filled the room, and a cloud of green erupted from the bed, and catapulted over to a nearby window.
"Where am I?"
~*~*~*~
"HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
A loud, frightened scream filled the palace, causing several people to wake up and others to look up from their work, startled and half-fearful. A certain cerulean eyed young man jumped out of the seat he was sitting in, and fled up to a tower room, where the scream had emitted from. He rushed up to the door and knocked. There was no sound from inside.
"Sakura, are you all right?" He called, looking half-anxious. There was a sniffle from inside the room.
"Go away. I hate you. I hate everyone. Leave me alone." A voice whimpered, so sad and shaken that it made his heart melt.
"Sakura, please open the door." He pleaded, as he tried the handle. It was locked. There was a shriek of anger from inside, and more sobs, louder this time, and more hysterical. No more words came. Eriol sighed and decided not to push it. Then he moved on the room next to Sakura's; he had designated this as Tomoyo's room.
"Tomoyo, are you awake?" He called.
"Go away, you monster." Came a monotone voice from inside. For some reason, Eriol's heart felt as though it had been punched.
"Tomoyo, please just let me explain.."
"What is there to explain, you fool? You have betrayed Sakura. You have betrayed our country. You have violated almost every law in the book. You are evil, sheer evil." Answered a cold voice back, then there was the sound of something breaking, as though she had thrown a vase or something. Eriol winced at her words, but anger rose to his chest as well.
"I would recommend that you cease to insult me, Princess Daidouji. I could have you executed, at any time I please." He threatened. There was a snort from inside the room.
"Oh, I wish you would. Then I wouldn't have to deal with your hideous presence anymore!" She hissed, as something was thrown against the door and shattered. Then silence.
"I would recommend you lay off them for a while, Eriol-sama." A soft voice called for the staircase. Eriol turned to see his guardian, Spinnel Sun, floating not far away. Eriol sighed and nodded, slowly making his way down the stairs.
"But they must see that this is for the best.." Eriol insisted, as he looked at Spinnel pleadingly. Spinnel sighed.
"You know exactly what they are thinking, master. You were supposed to be fighting for their side, and now they find that you weren't. They also do not understand why they were brought here in the first place. In fact, I do not believe that they even know they are in the Li kingdom, or that the whole royal family is actually alive!" Spinnel finished. Eriol groaned. He would have a lot of explaining to do when the girls felt like talking.
~*~*~*~
"How are they taking it?" Siefa asked hesitantly, as Eriol walked into the room. She, her sisters, Xiaolang, Meiling, and the Queen, Li Yelan, were all sitting in a small drawing room, on the ground floor. When they had returned home, the Li family had discovered that her mother was *not* dead, as they had thought, but in hiding, until her children came home. The reunion had been a happy one, but still, it had had some dampers on it. Siefa and Eriol had taken turns in explaining about Sakura and Tomoyo, and what they were like. Luckily, the Queen had agreed to allow them to stay in the towers, until they could decide what to do with the girls.
"Well.." Eriol hesitated, his face falling, "I wouldn't be surprised to find that every breakable thing in Princess Tomoyo's room is ruined by the end of the day. As for Sakura..I have never seen her this way. She used the word 'hate' in a sentence, for the first time in her life, and I am worried that she will work herself into hysterics. She is too frightened and there is something else. Something else wrong with her, but I can't put my finger on it." He murmured, looking thoughtful. Siefa's face dropped.
"They do not understand yet. Give them time." The queen said, patting her daughter's back. Xiaolang looked out the window. He hadn't said anything since he had entered the room. Eriol glanced at him, and noticed that the other boy's hand was clenching and unclenching as if he wished to strangle someone. Just then, some other people entered the room.
"Yamazaki and the other soldiers are on their way home." Chiharu said, half- sadly, sitting down next to Meiling.
"Very good, Lady Chiharu. Let us pray that they make it back safely." The queen murmured.
~*~*~*~
Why?
That was the only thought that Sakura could pull from her others. Why? Why had this happened? Why did her father take slaves in the first place? Why had Eriol betrayed them? Why had she and Tomoyo been kidnapped? Why was Eriol acting as though nothing had happened?!
"Sakura?" A soft voice called.
"HOE!!!!! Kero? What?! How did you get here..how did you know..oh, you have the cards!" Sakura exclaimed as she spotted the little yellow guardian floating through the window. Kero found himself crushed in a vice-like embrace and almost choked from loss of air.
"Sakura! Help!" He gasped, as she let go, sweatdropped, and apologized. He smiled, a sad little smile.
"And to answer your questions, I saw them take you, I followed you here, and yes, I brought the cards. I thought that you would need them." He said. She sighed.
"But I don't know if I can use them. Eriol put up a magical barrier so no magic can be used near, or inside the city boundaries. I overheard him talking to Yamazaki when the soldiers were getting ready to leave. Boy, that courtyard echoes something terrible! That is how I heard them." Sakura explained. Kero nodded.
"I know that, but try doing your magic in this room! He couldn't have put a barrier here, because the queen has forbidden it be used in the palace. By the way, I caught a glimpse of the royal family. You will never believe who they are!" Kero cried, floating above her as Sakura sat down on her bed.
"Kero, where are we?" She asked in a hollow voice. He frowned.
"We are in the Li kingdom, Sakura, and the whole royal family is alive! Your father didn't manage to kill them, it seems. But anyway, do you want to know who the royal prince and princesses are? Siefa, Fanren, Feimei, Fuutie and Xiaolang! They were royals all along!" Kero hissed, his eyes flashing at the thought of the cold amber-eyed boy. Sakura bowed her head in defeat.
"I should have realized when I sensed that aura from him. And Siefa was always so..regal, even when she was just a lowly slave for my brother. I have a hunch my brother knows, though. He always seemed so gentle around her, and undemanding. He is never like that, usually." She whispered. He nodded.
"Sakura..your father never told you what the war was really about, did he?" Kero asked hesitantly. Sakura frowned and shook her head. He sighed.
"The Li family are direct descendants of Clow Reed. They believe that the Clow Cards, and all their powers, rightfully belong to them. They do not understand that it was you, and not them, who was destined for the Cards. Therefore, they believed that your father was holding out on them, and they were willing to fight for it. Fortunately, your father refused to turn you, or the cards over to the Li's, and the Li's retaliated by starting the war. Your father kept this from you, so you would not believe that it was your fault. And it isn't. It is just one misunderstanding after another." Kero insisted, when he saw Sakura's face dropping radically.
"You ~ you mean that this whole thing ~ was because of me? Me and the cards? Why didn't he tell me? I could have helped! I could have done something!" Sakura shouted, her annoyance knowing no bounds. Kero glared at her.
"No! Sakura, that is the reason he kept you from knowing! He didn't want you to do anything rash!" Kero yelped. Sakura ignored him and began to pace the room.
"The Li's have advisors called the 'Elders', who help them make decisions, right? And their domain is in the temple, right next to the palace?" Sakura asked. Kero nodded. Sakura's face became determined and she nodded to herself. Then she went over to the door and used her magic to unlock it, making sure that Eriol would not be able to sense her.
"Sakura, where are you going?!" Kero hissed, changing into his true form. Sakura turned determined eyes to him.
"Where I should have gone years ago, Kero. Now, are you with me or not?" Sakura whispered. Kero sighed and followed her as she crept down the staircase and used her magic to find her way out of the palace and to the Elder's dwellings.
~*~*~*~
"You may enter." A voice boomed. Sakura had arrived at the temple, and had told a passing man what she wanted. He had immediately led her into a small room, and asked her to wait. Kero had agreed beforehand to wait outside, until Sakura called him in. After fifteen minutes of waiting, Sakura was finally allowed to enter into the Elders domain.
The first thing she saw was that the room was dim and a bit smoky. There were many men sitting on what looked to be little rugs that were positioned in a semi-circle around the room. In the very center was another rug, facing the oldest-looking man of them all. The men watched her as she entered the room, and stopped just inside the door, waiting for instructions.
"Sit." The old man said, motioning to the rug in front of him. She calmly walked over and did as he said. She was ready to face the consequences of her decision.
"Speak, Princess of the Kinomoto kingdom." He commanded. She gently placed the Cards Book in front of her, and then met his eyes calmly.
"I was only just now informed what the war between my kingdom and yours was really about." She began. Though she couldn't see it, many of the men looked at her strangely.
"I was also informed that you wished to have the Clow Cards because they 'rightfully' belonged to the Li clan. The Li's are descendants of Clow Reed, I believe, but may I have leave to inform you of something?" Sakura asked, politely. The old man waved his hand for her to continue.
"I must inform you that my father, Kinomoto Fujitaka is also the half- reincarnate of Clow Reed. I believe that this is one reason he refused to turn the book over to you. But there was another reason. If he *did* turn the book over to you, he knew that the cards and their powers would rebel, and try to return to their former master. He also knew that if they did return, you would probably demand the master, as well as the cards the next time, am I correct in saying so?" Sakura asked softly. Her announcement had started trails of private shock through all the men present.
"Yes. You are wise, Princess. But tell us, how do you know this, and why was Fujitaka so protective of the master of the cards?" Asked the old man harshly. Sakura sighed.
"Because, handing over the master would be like handing over a part of his life. You see, I am the master--or mistress, rather, of the 'Sakura Cards', the transformed version of the Clow Cards." Sakura said, her voice still soft, and half-wistful. Now the old man sat straight up and stared at the girl, his neutral face showing nothing.
"You are the Mistress? And the cards have been personalized? Then why did you dare come to us? What were you trying to prove?" He asked. Sakura worked hard to keep from crying.
"I came, because I want this to stop. It is wrong, and you and I both know it. War over power is futile. I want this to end, therefore, if you feel it necessary to have the cards here, I will not fight your judgment." She whispered, the pain of her decision all too evident in her eyes. Little did she know just how much of an affect she was having on the men in the room. Slowly, the book rose off the ground and traveled over to the old man. He took it, looked it over for a moment, and then, to Sakura's surprise, the book floated back over to her and rested at her side.
"This information shall not pass through these walls. Now, may we see the Guardian Beast of the Seal, Cards Mistress?" The man asked, a tone of pride in his voice. Sakura's heart jumped with joy. He had returned the book! They thought her worthy of having it! With a silent shout, Sakura used some of her power to call Kero into the room. When the lion entered, the men all bowed to him and then began to pound him with questions. Kero thought this to be quite funny, and answered them with a hint of humor in his voice. Sakura only sat and listened to the chatter of the men in silent contentment. Little did she know just how much her disappearance was noticed in the palace.
~*~*~*~
"Where is she? Where could she have gone?" Siefa cried, as she and the whole palace searched in vain for the missing Princess. Eriol had gone up to her room to plead for her to eat something, and that was when he had noticed her door wide open, and no one in the room.
"Tomoyo! Tomoyo open this door now! Sakura is missing!" Eriol shouted, after pounding on Tomoyo's door for five whole minutes.
"WHAT?!?! You clod! Where is she! What have you done with her?" Tomoyo shrieked, as her door flew open and she sprinted out of the room. He glared at her.
"I have done nothing, madam! She left on her own ~ I think." He said uncertainly, as she raced down the stairs in front of him, her raven-violet hair streaming out behind her. She was still wearing the dress she had been wearing when they had left the Kinomoto kingdom, and her hair was a bit mussed, not to mention she was pale and sickly-looking, having not eaten in three days.
"Have you checked in the gardens, the libraries, all her favorite places to go back *home*?" Tomoyo asked, emphasizing the 'home' part. Eriol winced, knowing what she was indicating. They hurried into the front hall, where the queen, Xiaolang, his sisters, Rika, Chiharu, and Naoko were waiting anxiously.
"Yes, yes, and yes! Everywhere. She is in none of them, but where could she have gone?!" Siefa asked, sounding panicky. There was a light giggle, and they all turned to see--
"Sakura! Where have you been?!" Tomoyo shrieked, as the girl came into the room. Sakura giggled again and shook her head.
"Nowhere in particular. Just..around. By the way, have you seen the temple yet? It is really quite lovely! Oh, hello Prince Syaoran. Hello Princess Siefa, my! Your dress is lovely!" Sakura chirped happily, as she skipped over to them. Everyone stared at her for a moment in confusion, and then Tomoyo broke down and hugged her tightly.
"Don't you ever do that again! You made me come down here and I had to see the psychopath, face to face." Tomoyo complained. Sakura looked confused, though her emerald eyes still sparkled with happiness.
"What?"
"A certain Prince Hiiragizawa." Tomoyo groaned, causing Sakura to laugh.
"Oh, really Tomoyo! He is not that bad, and you like him, admit it!" She crowed, as she began to walk up the nearby staircase, that happened to lead to the library. Tomoyo followed her, glowering.
"I do not! He is the scum of the earth, and I cannot see how you do not see it too? Besides, he is too..him. He is too much, and it gets to you after a while, just wait! By the way, where were you? You can tell me you know.." Tomoyo's voice trailed off as she and Sakura vanished from sight. Eriol growled and then turned to see Syaoran grinning at him.
"What?" Eriol snapped. Syaoran's grin grew wider.
"Finally! A woman who can resist the charming Prince Eriol!" Syaoran teased, as he chuckled a bit, something that was very unlike him to do. Eriol glared at him and then stalked out of the room, as Syaoran's and the other people's laughter followed him.
~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~
Refuge
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 6.
Watery sunlight glinted through a dark room, and landed on a sleeping figure. It brightened the pale face and caused sensitive eyelids to open drowsily. A dainty little hand reached up and swept a stray strand of auburn hair away from a soft cheek, and the eyelids blinked from the sudden light. Silence filled the room, it was a calm, serene silence, one that comforted, but also unsettled.
'Where am I? What has happened? I know that something is not right, but what?'
Bright emerald orbs closed and thoughts raced through an overloaded mind, causing chaos. A soft whimper filled the room, and a cloud of green erupted from the bed, and catapulted over to a nearby window.
"Where am I?"
~*~*~*~
"HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
A loud, frightened scream filled the palace, causing several people to wake up and others to look up from their work, startled and half-fearful. A certain cerulean eyed young man jumped out of the seat he was sitting in, and fled up to a tower room, where the scream had emitted from. He rushed up to the door and knocked. There was no sound from inside.
"Sakura, are you all right?" He called, looking half-anxious. There was a sniffle from inside the room.
"Go away. I hate you. I hate everyone. Leave me alone." A voice whimpered, so sad and shaken that it made his heart melt.
"Sakura, please open the door." He pleaded, as he tried the handle. It was locked. There was a shriek of anger from inside, and more sobs, louder this time, and more hysterical. No more words came. Eriol sighed and decided not to push it. Then he moved on the room next to Sakura's; he had designated this as Tomoyo's room.
"Tomoyo, are you awake?" He called.
"Go away, you monster." Came a monotone voice from inside. For some reason, Eriol's heart felt as though it had been punched.
"Tomoyo, please just let me explain.."
"What is there to explain, you fool? You have betrayed Sakura. You have betrayed our country. You have violated almost every law in the book. You are evil, sheer evil." Answered a cold voice back, then there was the sound of something breaking, as though she had thrown a vase or something. Eriol winced at her words, but anger rose to his chest as well.
"I would recommend that you cease to insult me, Princess Daidouji. I could have you executed, at any time I please." He threatened. There was a snort from inside the room.
"Oh, I wish you would. Then I wouldn't have to deal with your hideous presence anymore!" She hissed, as something was thrown against the door and shattered. Then silence.
"I would recommend you lay off them for a while, Eriol-sama." A soft voice called for the staircase. Eriol turned to see his guardian, Spinnel Sun, floating not far away. Eriol sighed and nodded, slowly making his way down the stairs.
"But they must see that this is for the best.." Eriol insisted, as he looked at Spinnel pleadingly. Spinnel sighed.
"You know exactly what they are thinking, master. You were supposed to be fighting for their side, and now they find that you weren't. They also do not understand why they were brought here in the first place. In fact, I do not believe that they even know they are in the Li kingdom, or that the whole royal family is actually alive!" Spinnel finished. Eriol groaned. He would have a lot of explaining to do when the girls felt like talking.
~*~*~*~
"How are they taking it?" Siefa asked hesitantly, as Eriol walked into the room. She, her sisters, Xiaolang, Meiling, and the Queen, Li Yelan, were all sitting in a small drawing room, on the ground floor. When they had returned home, the Li family had discovered that her mother was *not* dead, as they had thought, but in hiding, until her children came home. The reunion had been a happy one, but still, it had had some dampers on it. Siefa and Eriol had taken turns in explaining about Sakura and Tomoyo, and what they were like. Luckily, the Queen had agreed to allow them to stay in the towers, until they could decide what to do with the girls.
"Well.." Eriol hesitated, his face falling, "I wouldn't be surprised to find that every breakable thing in Princess Tomoyo's room is ruined by the end of the day. As for Sakura..I have never seen her this way. She used the word 'hate' in a sentence, for the first time in her life, and I am worried that she will work herself into hysterics. She is too frightened and there is something else. Something else wrong with her, but I can't put my finger on it." He murmured, looking thoughtful. Siefa's face dropped.
"They do not understand yet. Give them time." The queen said, patting her daughter's back. Xiaolang looked out the window. He hadn't said anything since he had entered the room. Eriol glanced at him, and noticed that the other boy's hand was clenching and unclenching as if he wished to strangle someone. Just then, some other people entered the room.
"Yamazaki and the other soldiers are on their way home." Chiharu said, half- sadly, sitting down next to Meiling.
"Very good, Lady Chiharu. Let us pray that they make it back safely." The queen murmured.
~*~*~*~
Why?
That was the only thought that Sakura could pull from her others. Why? Why had this happened? Why did her father take slaves in the first place? Why had Eriol betrayed them? Why had she and Tomoyo been kidnapped? Why was Eriol acting as though nothing had happened?!
"Sakura?" A soft voice called.
"HOE!!!!! Kero? What?! How did you get here..how did you know..oh, you have the cards!" Sakura exclaimed as she spotted the little yellow guardian floating through the window. Kero found himself crushed in a vice-like embrace and almost choked from loss of air.
"Sakura! Help!" He gasped, as she let go, sweatdropped, and apologized. He smiled, a sad little smile.
"And to answer your questions, I saw them take you, I followed you here, and yes, I brought the cards. I thought that you would need them." He said. She sighed.
"But I don't know if I can use them. Eriol put up a magical barrier so no magic can be used near, or inside the city boundaries. I overheard him talking to Yamazaki when the soldiers were getting ready to leave. Boy, that courtyard echoes something terrible! That is how I heard them." Sakura explained. Kero nodded.
"I know that, but try doing your magic in this room! He couldn't have put a barrier here, because the queen has forbidden it be used in the palace. By the way, I caught a glimpse of the royal family. You will never believe who they are!" Kero cried, floating above her as Sakura sat down on her bed.
"Kero, where are we?" She asked in a hollow voice. He frowned.
"We are in the Li kingdom, Sakura, and the whole royal family is alive! Your father didn't manage to kill them, it seems. But anyway, do you want to know who the royal prince and princesses are? Siefa, Fanren, Feimei, Fuutie and Xiaolang! They were royals all along!" Kero hissed, his eyes flashing at the thought of the cold amber-eyed boy. Sakura bowed her head in defeat.
"I should have realized when I sensed that aura from him. And Siefa was always so..regal, even when she was just a lowly slave for my brother. I have a hunch my brother knows, though. He always seemed so gentle around her, and undemanding. He is never like that, usually." She whispered. He nodded.
"Sakura..your father never told you what the war was really about, did he?" Kero asked hesitantly. Sakura frowned and shook her head. He sighed.
"The Li family are direct descendants of Clow Reed. They believe that the Clow Cards, and all their powers, rightfully belong to them. They do not understand that it was you, and not them, who was destined for the Cards. Therefore, they believed that your father was holding out on them, and they were willing to fight for it. Fortunately, your father refused to turn you, or the cards over to the Li's, and the Li's retaliated by starting the war. Your father kept this from you, so you would not believe that it was your fault. And it isn't. It is just one misunderstanding after another." Kero insisted, when he saw Sakura's face dropping radically.
"You ~ you mean that this whole thing ~ was because of me? Me and the cards? Why didn't he tell me? I could have helped! I could have done something!" Sakura shouted, her annoyance knowing no bounds. Kero glared at her.
"No! Sakura, that is the reason he kept you from knowing! He didn't want you to do anything rash!" Kero yelped. Sakura ignored him and began to pace the room.
"The Li's have advisors called the 'Elders', who help them make decisions, right? And their domain is in the temple, right next to the palace?" Sakura asked. Kero nodded. Sakura's face became determined and she nodded to herself. Then she went over to the door and used her magic to unlock it, making sure that Eriol would not be able to sense her.
"Sakura, where are you going?!" Kero hissed, changing into his true form. Sakura turned determined eyes to him.
"Where I should have gone years ago, Kero. Now, are you with me or not?" Sakura whispered. Kero sighed and followed her as she crept down the staircase and used her magic to find her way out of the palace and to the Elder's dwellings.
~*~*~*~
"You may enter." A voice boomed. Sakura had arrived at the temple, and had told a passing man what she wanted. He had immediately led her into a small room, and asked her to wait. Kero had agreed beforehand to wait outside, until Sakura called him in. After fifteen minutes of waiting, Sakura was finally allowed to enter into the Elders domain.
The first thing she saw was that the room was dim and a bit smoky. There were many men sitting on what looked to be little rugs that were positioned in a semi-circle around the room. In the very center was another rug, facing the oldest-looking man of them all. The men watched her as she entered the room, and stopped just inside the door, waiting for instructions.
"Sit." The old man said, motioning to the rug in front of him. She calmly walked over and did as he said. She was ready to face the consequences of her decision.
"Speak, Princess of the Kinomoto kingdom." He commanded. She gently placed the Cards Book in front of her, and then met his eyes calmly.
"I was only just now informed what the war between my kingdom and yours was really about." She began. Though she couldn't see it, many of the men looked at her strangely.
"I was also informed that you wished to have the Clow Cards because they 'rightfully' belonged to the Li clan. The Li's are descendants of Clow Reed, I believe, but may I have leave to inform you of something?" Sakura asked, politely. The old man waved his hand for her to continue.
"I must inform you that my father, Kinomoto Fujitaka is also the half- reincarnate of Clow Reed. I believe that this is one reason he refused to turn the book over to you. But there was another reason. If he *did* turn the book over to you, he knew that the cards and their powers would rebel, and try to return to their former master. He also knew that if they did return, you would probably demand the master, as well as the cards the next time, am I correct in saying so?" Sakura asked softly. Her announcement had started trails of private shock through all the men present.
"Yes. You are wise, Princess. But tell us, how do you know this, and why was Fujitaka so protective of the master of the cards?" Asked the old man harshly. Sakura sighed.
"Because, handing over the master would be like handing over a part of his life. You see, I am the master--or mistress, rather, of the 'Sakura Cards', the transformed version of the Clow Cards." Sakura said, her voice still soft, and half-wistful. Now the old man sat straight up and stared at the girl, his neutral face showing nothing.
"You are the Mistress? And the cards have been personalized? Then why did you dare come to us? What were you trying to prove?" He asked. Sakura worked hard to keep from crying.
"I came, because I want this to stop. It is wrong, and you and I both know it. War over power is futile. I want this to end, therefore, if you feel it necessary to have the cards here, I will not fight your judgment." She whispered, the pain of her decision all too evident in her eyes. Little did she know just how much of an affect she was having on the men in the room. Slowly, the book rose off the ground and traveled over to the old man. He took it, looked it over for a moment, and then, to Sakura's surprise, the book floated back over to her and rested at her side.
"This information shall not pass through these walls. Now, may we see the Guardian Beast of the Seal, Cards Mistress?" The man asked, a tone of pride in his voice. Sakura's heart jumped with joy. He had returned the book! They thought her worthy of having it! With a silent shout, Sakura used some of her power to call Kero into the room. When the lion entered, the men all bowed to him and then began to pound him with questions. Kero thought this to be quite funny, and answered them with a hint of humor in his voice. Sakura only sat and listened to the chatter of the men in silent contentment. Little did she know just how much her disappearance was noticed in the palace.
~*~*~*~
"Where is she? Where could she have gone?" Siefa cried, as she and the whole palace searched in vain for the missing Princess. Eriol had gone up to her room to plead for her to eat something, and that was when he had noticed her door wide open, and no one in the room.
"Tomoyo! Tomoyo open this door now! Sakura is missing!" Eriol shouted, after pounding on Tomoyo's door for five whole minutes.
"WHAT?!?! You clod! Where is she! What have you done with her?" Tomoyo shrieked, as her door flew open and she sprinted out of the room. He glared at her.
"I have done nothing, madam! She left on her own ~ I think." He said uncertainly, as she raced down the stairs in front of him, her raven-violet hair streaming out behind her. She was still wearing the dress she had been wearing when they had left the Kinomoto kingdom, and her hair was a bit mussed, not to mention she was pale and sickly-looking, having not eaten in three days.
"Have you checked in the gardens, the libraries, all her favorite places to go back *home*?" Tomoyo asked, emphasizing the 'home' part. Eriol winced, knowing what she was indicating. They hurried into the front hall, where the queen, Xiaolang, his sisters, Rika, Chiharu, and Naoko were waiting anxiously.
"Yes, yes, and yes! Everywhere. She is in none of them, but where could she have gone?!" Siefa asked, sounding panicky. There was a light giggle, and they all turned to see--
"Sakura! Where have you been?!" Tomoyo shrieked, as the girl came into the room. Sakura giggled again and shook her head.
"Nowhere in particular. Just..around. By the way, have you seen the temple yet? It is really quite lovely! Oh, hello Prince Syaoran. Hello Princess Siefa, my! Your dress is lovely!" Sakura chirped happily, as she skipped over to them. Everyone stared at her for a moment in confusion, and then Tomoyo broke down and hugged her tightly.
"Don't you ever do that again! You made me come down here and I had to see the psychopath, face to face." Tomoyo complained. Sakura looked confused, though her emerald eyes still sparkled with happiness.
"What?"
"A certain Prince Hiiragizawa." Tomoyo groaned, causing Sakura to laugh.
"Oh, really Tomoyo! He is not that bad, and you like him, admit it!" She crowed, as she began to walk up the nearby staircase, that happened to lead to the library. Tomoyo followed her, glowering.
"I do not! He is the scum of the earth, and I cannot see how you do not see it too? Besides, he is too..him. He is too much, and it gets to you after a while, just wait! By the way, where were you? You can tell me you know.." Tomoyo's voice trailed off as she and Sakura vanished from sight. Eriol growled and then turned to see Syaoran grinning at him.
"What?" Eriol snapped. Syaoran's grin grew wider.
"Finally! A woman who can resist the charming Prince Eriol!" Syaoran teased, as he chuckled a bit, something that was very unlike him to do. Eriol glared at him and then stalked out of the room, as Syaoran's and the other people's laughter followed him.
~*~*~*~