Daphne: "All right, I am going to start with answering a question that some
people asked. Is this an S+S, T+E fic? Well, I can assure you on the
S+S...but as for the T+E part...you will just have to wait and see! I can't
make any promises, and I warn you, don't get your hopes up...something bad
*will* happen to one of our most favorite characters, and they will...well,
read and find out! It won't be in this chapter, but it will be in the next
one, so beware!
~*~*~*~
Refuge
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 8.
"Tomoyo? What is it?" Sakura asked in alarm. Tomoyo opened her mouth as if to speak, but tears filled her eyes and she mouthed wordlessly, pointing into the front hall. In dismay, Sakura and Syaoran rushed into the room, only to find Syaoran's sisters, mother, and Meiling, standing beside the newly arrived soldiers, looking just as horrified as Tomoyo. It was then that Sakura saw what made them so upset.
"FATHER!!!!" She shrieked, her heart jumping in anguish. There lay her father, unconscious, bruised and beaten, on the floor. He was pale and thin, as if he hadn't eaten in ages, his hair had grown long and matted, and he looked as if he were in need of a bath.
"Father!" Sakura moaned, rushing over and slumping down next to her father, placing his head in her lap as she kissed his unconscious cheek over and over, tears pouring down her own pale cheeks. Then another voice that Sakura knew all too well, spoke up.
"We found him in the dungeons, Sakura. He had been there for the past few years, hidden in a special cell. The man who has been running the country is a fake ~ and a dangerous one at that. He started this war on purpose." Came Touya's shaken voice. Sakura looked up to see her brother, pale and looking no better than her father, standing next to her. She let out a sob and buried her head in her father's chest.
"Can we help him?" Yelan's voice came.
"Oh, he is mendable, but we are sure that the mental scars will not go away anytime soon. Plus, he will be horrified to know what has happened to his country. He had nothing to do with this, your majesty, please believe that." Yamazaki spoke up, as he gazed at his distraught friend. Poor Sakura was so overcome with horror and sorrow, that she could say nothing, and sat rocking her father's un-responding body back and forth. Tomoyo stood in the doorway, shaking as tears slipped down her cheeks, and for once, she welcomed Eriol's arm around her, and buried her head in his chest.
"Well, then, we shall prepare him a comfortable room." Yelan stated, as she motioned for several of the guards to carry Fujitaka to his new rooms. Sakura stuck to her father like glue, and when he was settled in his room, she sat in a chair beside his bed, and refused to leave his side for anything. Tomoyo too, took a chair by her side, and could be seen comforting her cousin with soft, soothing words. Touya thanked Yelan profoundly, and then joined his sister and cousin in his father's room.
"Mother, will they be all right?" Siefa asked anxiously, as she, Yelan, Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling went into one of the nearby sitting rooms.
"I believe so, dear. They just need some time to recuperate and then all will be well. But there is still the task of finding the man who posed as the king and Sakura's father for so long. He was doing it long before the war, and he even had Touya fooled." She commented thoughtfully. Syaoran suddenly started and then held out an envelope to his mother.
"Yamazaki said that he found this in the king's pocket when they found him. Perhaps it will give us some answers." He stated. She quickly opened the aged letter and read it, shock and horror filling her face. Her hand began to shake and Syaoran took the letter from her limp fingers and read it.
"WHAT?!?!" He shouted, his eyes bulging in shock. The letter was written in Fujitaka's own hand, informing them that he did not wish to start a war, but he could not possibly hand over the Clow Cards, because they no longer existed. Then he suggested that they come to the Kinomoto Kingdom, so they could discuss the matter in private. The date was from several years before, just before the Kinomoto kingdom declared war on the Li kingdom.
"So, he had this letter all ready to be sent to us, and then someone shut him in the dungeons, so he could not send it! He never wanted this war at all!" Syaoran yelped. He then read the letter outloud to Eriol and the rest of his family.
"Wait! The Clow Cards do not exist anymore? That is impossible!" Eriol boomed.
"No it's not." A small, sorrowful voice whispered from the doorway. They all turned in surprise to see Sakura standing there, her face streaked with tears, and her usually joyful eyes dulled with pain. She looked pale and fragile, almost like a china doll, and her sweet pink lips were drooping downwards. Just seeing her caused all in the room to feel horrible as well.
"What do you mean, Sakura dear?" Yelan asked gently, pulling Sakura into a motherly hug and then holding her there as Sakura clung to her weakly. Sakura had had a terrible time trying to sleep, so she had decided to take a stroll about the palace, but now exhaustion overwhelmed her.
"Ask the elders. They can explain it better than me." She whispered, burying her face in Yelan's shoulder. They all watched as Yelan sat down on one of the love-seats and began to rock Sakura back and forth. Just then, another presence made itself known in the room.
"Why is Sakura sad?" A little voice piped up. Siefa rushed over to the door and pulled young Junshi into a hug. After they had arrived back in the Li kingdom, Siefa had found that she couldn't be separated from the little boy who had won her heart, so she had pleaded with her mother to allow him to stay. Yelan, who had fallen in love with the little boy at first sight, readily agreed, and both Junshi and the baby girl, Akane, had been settled into the palace. Junshi had become quite close to Yelan and her family, as well as Sakura and Tomoyo, and baby Akane was adored by all.
"Sakura's real father has come here, Junshi, and he is hurt badly. She is upset." Yelan explained. Junshi's face fell.
"Mister Touya." He whimpered questioningly. Siefa's face lit up.
"He is here as well, Junshi! Perhaps we will see him tomorrow!" She exclaimed, much to the boy's delight. Syaoran, however growled at the use of the word, 'we'. It was obvious to him that Siefa's affection for the prince had only grown since she had last seen him, and having him here was like a dream to her.
"Shhh!" Yelan whispered, motioning to Sakura. The poor distraught girl had fallen asleep in her arms, her pale face flushed a bit with sleep.
"Xiaolang, won't you please carry her back up to your room. She will be more comfortable there, and you can explain things to her in the morning. I will go and speak with the Elders in the morning. Until then, I think that we should get some rest." Yelan suggested, getting up as Syaoran pulled Sakura into his arms. She moaned lightly, and then snuggled into his warmth, her head resting just under his chin. He turned quickly, before any of his family members could see the blush rising on his cheeks, and walked out of the room with the sleeping girl nestled in his arms.
As Syaoran walked, he couldn't help but stare at the angelic face below him. In the dim light of the hallway, she seemed to almost glow with an inner light. It was as he watched her, that Syaoran felt a tinge of something tightening in his chest, and almost a discomforting pain there as well.
"What are you doing to me?" He asked softly, his words almost inaudible. She simply stirred and turned her face into his chest, causing him to blush again.
'Damn it! First I hate her, and swear that I am going to kill her, and now ~ I don't know! What is happening to me?' One side of his conscious wondered. His other side snickered.
Listen to Eriol. It is what he has been telling you all along!
'What?! He keeps telling me that I am in *love* with her! Love? I don't even know the meaning of the word, therefore, I cannot feel it for...Kinomoto-san.' His first yelled. The second was now laughing like a maniac at him.
Yah right! You love your family, don't you? It asked slyly.
'Yes! But this is different! I mean ~'
Ha! There! You just admitted it! You love her, because loving your mother or sisters *is* different than loving Sakura! You love her like a wife but...
'Shut up! Just shut up, you! And don't call her by her first name! It sounds as if I were in love with her or something!'
YOU ARE IN LOVE WITH HER DAMN-IT!!!!!!!!!
"Ugh! Stupid conscious!" Syaoran growled, as he reached his bed-chamber. He quietly pushed open the door, and walked over to the bed, not even stopping to light a candle. He gently laid her down on the bed, and then made to turn away, but her whimpering moan stopped him. He turned to look at her shadowed form, lying on his bed, and saw that she was now shivering slightly. She moaned again, and choked on her breath, almost as though she were crying.
Alarmed, Syaoran quickly slipped his arms around her shaking body and laid down next to her. She sighed, her shaking ceased, and she burrowed her head in the groove of his neck; she stopped shivering and whimpering immediately after that. Her warm breath tickled his neck, which caused him to shiver in something close to delight. Gradually, he became comfortable with the idea of having her nestled in his arms and he relaxed, allowing his conscious to slip away into peaceful slumber.
~*~*~*~
*Meanwhile ~*
For the tenth time that night, Tomoyo shifted in the chair she had dubbed her bed for the night. Sakura had left a few hours ago and had never returned, which worried Tomoyo further. With a sigh of defeat, Tomoyo climbed off the chair and walked out into the long hallway where her uncle's room was situated.
"Perhaps I should go for a walk." She mussed softly, as she made her way to the nearest exit to the gardens. Once outside, she quickly took a path that she had never traveled before. The path was paved with flat, white stones that seemed to absorb and then reflect the moonlight, and it was bordered by hip-high bushes with little white flowers on them. Tomoyo, who had allowed her long raven-violet hair to drape down her back, seemed to fit right into the setting, with her silk white nightdress and floaty white over-gown. In fact, if you looked close enough, you could see her almost glowing with the light from the moon.
Slowly, Tomoyo calmly made her way down the path, becoming further and further from the palace, and deeper into the unknown beyond. This was a path that went around the side of the palace, and considering that she had never been outside the palace walls, she did not know where the path led. Though it was dark, the moonlight allowed her clear vision of what was in front of her, but only for about ten feet, so she had no idea beyond that, where she was headed. All at once, the path widened, and the bushes lining the path stopped at the start of a stretch of green grass. It was then that Tomoyo heard the sound of water hitting land.
Cautiously, she crept forward, her eyes flashing with curiosity. Then:
"OH!!!" Tomoyo gasped. She had just turned a corner, and directly in front of her lay a calm, serene lake! It was a rather large lake, and the moonlight shone of the water as though it was glass. There was a pier-like dock that stood out over the water, and it had a railing that came just up to her waist. Bordering the pier were tall willow trees, and some other types of trees. With batted breath, Tomoyo crept onto the dock, moving as if she were in the presence of something holy.
"How lovely!" Tomoyo breathed, as she finally rested her arms on the railing, and looked out over the sparkling lake. Something stirred behind her, and she felt dismay enter her. She may not have magic, but she was very perceptive, and she could tell just what...or *who* was behind her. What was said next, however, was far from what she expected.
"It is. I come here a lot to think." Came a deep, whispered voice. Tomoyo didn't turn around, trying to hide her annoyance.
"You? Think? About what?" She asked sarcastically. Eriol came up beside her and rested his arms on the railing as well.
"Just things. Why the world is like it is, why humans act the way they do. Why I ..."
"...betrayed people who thought they could trust you." Tomoyo hissed. Instead of getting his usual smirk-and-retaliation face on, he simply sighed and turned, his cerulean eyes capturing her amethyst ones in a trance-like stare.
"They need help, Daidouji-san. People are not meant to be objects of property. It is unjust and wrong. I should know. I have been the one managing my country for the last eight years, ever since my father passed away." He said softly. Tomoyo gaped and choked on her breath. She didn't even notice that he hadn't called her 'Tomoyo'.
"What?! YOU?! Your father was dead all this time, and you never told anyone?!" She shrieked, her eyes blazing. Eriol simply looked away and gazed out on the lake.
"Yes. When I turn twenty-one next week, I shall inherit the throne. But until then, my ruling the country is to be kept a secret. My country is the most prosperous of them all, and some kingdoms will stop at nothing to obtain it for themselves. But they all feared my father, so they did not dare. When he died, we realized that if they were to find out that he was gone, they would most likely invade. To prevent this, I agreed to rule the country in secret, just so I could prove that I am as strong as he was, and that I will not allow my country to be taken away from me." He commented. Her eyes widened in horror, and then she sank down on a bench, that was conveniently placed just beside her.
"I...I am sorry! I did not know." She whispered, burying her face in her hands. He sighed again and sank down next to her, as he gently slipped his arm around her waist in a comforting movement. Unlike the many times that he had done it just to annoy her, this was different. His touch was comforting, forgiving, and soothing, all at once. There was something else as well, but Tomoyo chose not to dwell on it. Instead, she pulled back and looked into his eyes.
"Since you were twelve! You have run your own country since you were twelve! How did you ever stand such a great burden, and still have enough energy to annoy me?" She joked dryly, causing him to smirk, a move that made her remember just who she was talking too.
With one swift movement, she pulled away and then got up, looking out over the water again. He stayed where he was this time, simply looking at her, unable to do anything. It was the full moon tonight, and the watery moonlight beamed down upon her like a cloak of radiance.
'She really is a goddess.' He thought, as he stared. He could do nothing else for a moment, but her soft *ahem* brought him back to earth.
"Perhaps I will tell you one day, how I managed it. Until then, you must promise me that you will tell no one, not even Sakura what I have told you." He stated. She looked at him for a moment, her amethyst eyes growing wider by the minute, and then she sat back down next to him.
"You are leaving, aren't you." It was a statement, not a question. He flinched visibly and then let out a dry chuckle.
"You *are* perceptive, Daidouji-san. Yes, I am leaving. I have to return home for the coronation. And I will have to appoint legal advisors and such, before I return." He commented, refusing to meet her gaze. If he had been looking, he would have seen a flash of desperation and dismay enter her eyes.
"How long will that take? When will you leave?" She questioned. He shrugged.
"Two months at the most; one month, if I am lucky. And tomorrow." He murmured, looking out over the water. Even though it was quite late, neither of them felt in the least bit tired. Both were lost in their own thoughts for some time, until Tomoyo finally shook herself.
"I will tell no one." She murmured, turning her head away. This should have made her happy, the prospect of not seeing him for such a long while, but...
'Why do I feel so desolate?' She wondered. Little did she know that her eyes were flashing with a pain that was equal to the pain Eriol was feeling in his heart. Then she perceived something else, something that made her blood run cold.
"You don't think that you will make it back, do you?" She asked, her voice panicky. She unconsciously reached out and gripped his shoulder with her small hand, in a desperate motion. He sighed.
"No, I don't. Someone has to do something about that impostor who nearly killed your uncle. Syaoran can't, for he is needed here. Fujitaka and Touya are in no fixed state to do it, so I must. That man who pretended to be the king is very powerful, and he has gained many supporters. Yamazaki and I have agreed that it is best if we go and return to Fujitaka what is rightfully his." Eriol said slowly. Tears began to rain down Tomoyo's face, for no apparent reason (at least to her!).
"You can't! You could die! Yamazaki could die, and that would absolutely kill Chiharu!" Tomoyo gasped. Over their acquaintance, Yamazaki's and Chiharu's friendship had evolved into full-fledged, passionate love. If Yamazaki were to die, Chiharu would never be able to cope.
"We have no choice, Daidouji-san. Someone has to do it, and this is a risk we are willing to take." Eriol almost snapped, his voice stern. This caused her tears to fall even faster. She tried to turn away, but his gentle hands griped her chin and forced her to look at him.
"Please understand, Princess. We *must* do this. Not only to save you and your family, but also to prove that I am not a King to be reckoned with." He whispered. Her eyes flashed with anger.
"That is what this is about then? Your pride? FINE! Go and get yourself killed. I won't miss you! No one will miss you!" She shrieked, pulling away from him and bolting away from the dock, her face in her hands.
Eriol's heart broke into a million pieces as he watched the woman he loved disappear into the darkness. Pain swelled over him, causing his stomach to lurch sickeningly, and despair reeled through him as her words repeated themselves in his mind, causing him to become sick with grief.
"I won't miss you-I won't miss you-I won't-"
~*~*~*~
~*THE NEXT MORNING*~
*Sakura's POV*
Warmth. Immense, wonderful warmth. Safety. The feeling that nothing in the world could hurt her. Comfort. All her problems had melted away into oblivion.
Slowly, Sakura regained consciousness and opened her eyes. Her first thought was that she was back in her own bed, and that at any moment, Kero would come barreling into the room, yelling at her to wake up. Then realization hit her. She was not in her room! She was not in her bed, and there were two arms wrapped around her waist! In panic, she froze up, afraid to move or breath. But then something else hit her. A calm feeling that left her weak and happy.
Slowly, Sakura gathered up her courage to look up and see who was giving her such comfort. She gasped as her eyes fell on the last person she would have expected to be here with. Prince Li Syaoran! Her breath caught as she noticed the definite softened expression on his face, and the peaceful grace of his mouth. Stray strands of chestnut hair fell across his forehead, giving him an overall cute and innocent look.
'Can this really be the same young man who acted so coldly to me in my kingdom?' She wondered. Then she remembered the day before, and the incident with the swing. Perhaps so...a small smile graced her lips as she hesitantly lifted a hand and brushed a strand of his hair away from his eyes. Suddenly, she knew that she had no need to fear him any longer. With that thought, she smilingly snuggled back into his arms and went back to sleep.
*Syaoran's POV*
The sweet smell of sakura blossoms and honey filtered through his senses, causing him to breath in deeply and allowing the wonderfully intoxicating smell to overwhelm him. A small smile came to his lips as his sub-conscious realized just where that smell was coming from. Or whom, to be exact.
Slowly, amber eyes opened to meet a heavenly picture below him. Watery sunlight danced across the sleeping girl's face, giving her an even more angelic look. Her auburn hair fell across his pillows like a sheet of silk threads, and her hand was tucked under her cheek. Her face was buried in his neck, and it gave him a strange trill of pure bliss to feel her warm breath fanning across his bare skin.
Slowly, without really wanting to, Syaoran's hand came up and gently brushed against her silky cheek, causing her to move her head a bit. Then, all at once, emerald eyes opened to meet intense amber.
Both Sakura and Syaoran blushed, seeing as Syaoran's hand was still hovering beside her cheek, but he immediately dropped it back at his side. To his shock, Sakura did not seem in the least surprised that she was in his bed, nor the fact that he was there as well. In fact, she seemed quite comfortable.
"Thank you." She breathed softly, as she began to play with a stray thread from his sheet. He looked confused.
"For what?" He asked, just as quietly. She smiled.
"For allowing me to stay with you. I must have been more tired than I thought. I really am sorry for putting you through all that trouble." She mumbled. Now it was his turn to smile.
"It was nothing. You have been through a tough time, with your father and all. You needed the sleep, and I don't mind." He said, blushing. She smiled sweetly, and then got up, and went over to one of his windows, flinging the curtains open. He smiled as even more sunlight streamed into the room, but he felt a strange sense of loss, when she had left his side...almost like...almost like loosing a part of himself.
'You are getting soft, you baka!' He shouted at himself mentally, but the feeling refused to leave. He couldn't help but admit that Sakura looked quite lovely and at-home with herself, as she stood in the bright sunlight, looking out the window and smiling. Suddenly, there came a soft cry from outside in the corridor, followed by a door being slammed open. Sakura jumped.
"That was Tomoyo!" She cried, racing over to the door and running out into the corridor, Syaoran close on her heals. There, leaning against one of the hallway walls, was a pale Tomoyo.
"Tomoyo! What has happened?!" Sakura yelped, hugging her friend. Tomoyo looked shaken.
"He's gone! Eriol's gone! He went to-" Suddenly, she stopped, and looked down at her hands. Something was horribly wrong, Syaoran could tell. It was not like Eriol to abandon his friends in their times of need, so it was quite strange that he had left like that. But before either Sakura, or Syaoran could say anything, Tomoyo had fled up another flight of stairs, and out of sight.
~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~
Refuge
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 8.
"Tomoyo? What is it?" Sakura asked in alarm. Tomoyo opened her mouth as if to speak, but tears filled her eyes and she mouthed wordlessly, pointing into the front hall. In dismay, Sakura and Syaoran rushed into the room, only to find Syaoran's sisters, mother, and Meiling, standing beside the newly arrived soldiers, looking just as horrified as Tomoyo. It was then that Sakura saw what made them so upset.
"FATHER!!!!" She shrieked, her heart jumping in anguish. There lay her father, unconscious, bruised and beaten, on the floor. He was pale and thin, as if he hadn't eaten in ages, his hair had grown long and matted, and he looked as if he were in need of a bath.
"Father!" Sakura moaned, rushing over and slumping down next to her father, placing his head in her lap as she kissed his unconscious cheek over and over, tears pouring down her own pale cheeks. Then another voice that Sakura knew all too well, spoke up.
"We found him in the dungeons, Sakura. He had been there for the past few years, hidden in a special cell. The man who has been running the country is a fake ~ and a dangerous one at that. He started this war on purpose." Came Touya's shaken voice. Sakura looked up to see her brother, pale and looking no better than her father, standing next to her. She let out a sob and buried her head in her father's chest.
"Can we help him?" Yelan's voice came.
"Oh, he is mendable, but we are sure that the mental scars will not go away anytime soon. Plus, he will be horrified to know what has happened to his country. He had nothing to do with this, your majesty, please believe that." Yamazaki spoke up, as he gazed at his distraught friend. Poor Sakura was so overcome with horror and sorrow, that she could say nothing, and sat rocking her father's un-responding body back and forth. Tomoyo stood in the doorway, shaking as tears slipped down her cheeks, and for once, she welcomed Eriol's arm around her, and buried her head in his chest.
"Well, then, we shall prepare him a comfortable room." Yelan stated, as she motioned for several of the guards to carry Fujitaka to his new rooms. Sakura stuck to her father like glue, and when he was settled in his room, she sat in a chair beside his bed, and refused to leave his side for anything. Tomoyo too, took a chair by her side, and could be seen comforting her cousin with soft, soothing words. Touya thanked Yelan profoundly, and then joined his sister and cousin in his father's room.
"Mother, will they be all right?" Siefa asked anxiously, as she, Yelan, Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling went into one of the nearby sitting rooms.
"I believe so, dear. They just need some time to recuperate and then all will be well. But there is still the task of finding the man who posed as the king and Sakura's father for so long. He was doing it long before the war, and he even had Touya fooled." She commented thoughtfully. Syaoran suddenly started and then held out an envelope to his mother.
"Yamazaki said that he found this in the king's pocket when they found him. Perhaps it will give us some answers." He stated. She quickly opened the aged letter and read it, shock and horror filling her face. Her hand began to shake and Syaoran took the letter from her limp fingers and read it.
"WHAT?!?!" He shouted, his eyes bulging in shock. The letter was written in Fujitaka's own hand, informing them that he did not wish to start a war, but he could not possibly hand over the Clow Cards, because they no longer existed. Then he suggested that they come to the Kinomoto Kingdom, so they could discuss the matter in private. The date was from several years before, just before the Kinomoto kingdom declared war on the Li kingdom.
"So, he had this letter all ready to be sent to us, and then someone shut him in the dungeons, so he could not send it! He never wanted this war at all!" Syaoran yelped. He then read the letter outloud to Eriol and the rest of his family.
"Wait! The Clow Cards do not exist anymore? That is impossible!" Eriol boomed.
"No it's not." A small, sorrowful voice whispered from the doorway. They all turned in surprise to see Sakura standing there, her face streaked with tears, and her usually joyful eyes dulled with pain. She looked pale and fragile, almost like a china doll, and her sweet pink lips were drooping downwards. Just seeing her caused all in the room to feel horrible as well.
"What do you mean, Sakura dear?" Yelan asked gently, pulling Sakura into a motherly hug and then holding her there as Sakura clung to her weakly. Sakura had had a terrible time trying to sleep, so she had decided to take a stroll about the palace, but now exhaustion overwhelmed her.
"Ask the elders. They can explain it better than me." She whispered, burying her face in Yelan's shoulder. They all watched as Yelan sat down on one of the love-seats and began to rock Sakura back and forth. Just then, another presence made itself known in the room.
"Why is Sakura sad?" A little voice piped up. Siefa rushed over to the door and pulled young Junshi into a hug. After they had arrived back in the Li kingdom, Siefa had found that she couldn't be separated from the little boy who had won her heart, so she had pleaded with her mother to allow him to stay. Yelan, who had fallen in love with the little boy at first sight, readily agreed, and both Junshi and the baby girl, Akane, had been settled into the palace. Junshi had become quite close to Yelan and her family, as well as Sakura and Tomoyo, and baby Akane was adored by all.
"Sakura's real father has come here, Junshi, and he is hurt badly. She is upset." Yelan explained. Junshi's face fell.
"Mister Touya." He whimpered questioningly. Siefa's face lit up.
"He is here as well, Junshi! Perhaps we will see him tomorrow!" She exclaimed, much to the boy's delight. Syaoran, however growled at the use of the word, 'we'. It was obvious to him that Siefa's affection for the prince had only grown since she had last seen him, and having him here was like a dream to her.
"Shhh!" Yelan whispered, motioning to Sakura. The poor distraught girl had fallen asleep in her arms, her pale face flushed a bit with sleep.
"Xiaolang, won't you please carry her back up to your room. She will be more comfortable there, and you can explain things to her in the morning. I will go and speak with the Elders in the morning. Until then, I think that we should get some rest." Yelan suggested, getting up as Syaoran pulled Sakura into his arms. She moaned lightly, and then snuggled into his warmth, her head resting just under his chin. He turned quickly, before any of his family members could see the blush rising on his cheeks, and walked out of the room with the sleeping girl nestled in his arms.
As Syaoran walked, he couldn't help but stare at the angelic face below him. In the dim light of the hallway, she seemed to almost glow with an inner light. It was as he watched her, that Syaoran felt a tinge of something tightening in his chest, and almost a discomforting pain there as well.
"What are you doing to me?" He asked softly, his words almost inaudible. She simply stirred and turned her face into his chest, causing him to blush again.
'Damn it! First I hate her, and swear that I am going to kill her, and now ~ I don't know! What is happening to me?' One side of his conscious wondered. His other side snickered.
Listen to Eriol. It is what he has been telling you all along!
'What?! He keeps telling me that I am in *love* with her! Love? I don't even know the meaning of the word, therefore, I cannot feel it for...Kinomoto-san.' His first yelled. The second was now laughing like a maniac at him.
Yah right! You love your family, don't you? It asked slyly.
'Yes! But this is different! I mean ~'
Ha! There! You just admitted it! You love her, because loving your mother or sisters *is* different than loving Sakura! You love her like a wife but...
'Shut up! Just shut up, you! And don't call her by her first name! It sounds as if I were in love with her or something!'
YOU ARE IN LOVE WITH HER DAMN-IT!!!!!!!!!
"Ugh! Stupid conscious!" Syaoran growled, as he reached his bed-chamber. He quietly pushed open the door, and walked over to the bed, not even stopping to light a candle. He gently laid her down on the bed, and then made to turn away, but her whimpering moan stopped him. He turned to look at her shadowed form, lying on his bed, and saw that she was now shivering slightly. She moaned again, and choked on her breath, almost as though she were crying.
Alarmed, Syaoran quickly slipped his arms around her shaking body and laid down next to her. She sighed, her shaking ceased, and she burrowed her head in the groove of his neck; she stopped shivering and whimpering immediately after that. Her warm breath tickled his neck, which caused him to shiver in something close to delight. Gradually, he became comfortable with the idea of having her nestled in his arms and he relaxed, allowing his conscious to slip away into peaceful slumber.
~*~*~*~
*Meanwhile ~*
For the tenth time that night, Tomoyo shifted in the chair she had dubbed her bed for the night. Sakura had left a few hours ago and had never returned, which worried Tomoyo further. With a sigh of defeat, Tomoyo climbed off the chair and walked out into the long hallway where her uncle's room was situated.
"Perhaps I should go for a walk." She mussed softly, as she made her way to the nearest exit to the gardens. Once outside, she quickly took a path that she had never traveled before. The path was paved with flat, white stones that seemed to absorb and then reflect the moonlight, and it was bordered by hip-high bushes with little white flowers on them. Tomoyo, who had allowed her long raven-violet hair to drape down her back, seemed to fit right into the setting, with her silk white nightdress and floaty white over-gown. In fact, if you looked close enough, you could see her almost glowing with the light from the moon.
Slowly, Tomoyo calmly made her way down the path, becoming further and further from the palace, and deeper into the unknown beyond. This was a path that went around the side of the palace, and considering that she had never been outside the palace walls, she did not know where the path led. Though it was dark, the moonlight allowed her clear vision of what was in front of her, but only for about ten feet, so she had no idea beyond that, where she was headed. All at once, the path widened, and the bushes lining the path stopped at the start of a stretch of green grass. It was then that Tomoyo heard the sound of water hitting land.
Cautiously, she crept forward, her eyes flashing with curiosity. Then:
"OH!!!" Tomoyo gasped. She had just turned a corner, and directly in front of her lay a calm, serene lake! It was a rather large lake, and the moonlight shone of the water as though it was glass. There was a pier-like dock that stood out over the water, and it had a railing that came just up to her waist. Bordering the pier were tall willow trees, and some other types of trees. With batted breath, Tomoyo crept onto the dock, moving as if she were in the presence of something holy.
"How lovely!" Tomoyo breathed, as she finally rested her arms on the railing, and looked out over the sparkling lake. Something stirred behind her, and she felt dismay enter her. She may not have magic, but she was very perceptive, and she could tell just what...or *who* was behind her. What was said next, however, was far from what she expected.
"It is. I come here a lot to think." Came a deep, whispered voice. Tomoyo didn't turn around, trying to hide her annoyance.
"You? Think? About what?" She asked sarcastically. Eriol came up beside her and rested his arms on the railing as well.
"Just things. Why the world is like it is, why humans act the way they do. Why I ..."
"...betrayed people who thought they could trust you." Tomoyo hissed. Instead of getting his usual smirk-and-retaliation face on, he simply sighed and turned, his cerulean eyes capturing her amethyst ones in a trance-like stare.
"They need help, Daidouji-san. People are not meant to be objects of property. It is unjust and wrong. I should know. I have been the one managing my country for the last eight years, ever since my father passed away." He said softly. Tomoyo gaped and choked on her breath. She didn't even notice that he hadn't called her 'Tomoyo'.
"What?! YOU?! Your father was dead all this time, and you never told anyone?!" She shrieked, her eyes blazing. Eriol simply looked away and gazed out on the lake.
"Yes. When I turn twenty-one next week, I shall inherit the throne. But until then, my ruling the country is to be kept a secret. My country is the most prosperous of them all, and some kingdoms will stop at nothing to obtain it for themselves. But they all feared my father, so they did not dare. When he died, we realized that if they were to find out that he was gone, they would most likely invade. To prevent this, I agreed to rule the country in secret, just so I could prove that I am as strong as he was, and that I will not allow my country to be taken away from me." He commented. Her eyes widened in horror, and then she sank down on a bench, that was conveniently placed just beside her.
"I...I am sorry! I did not know." She whispered, burying her face in her hands. He sighed again and sank down next to her, as he gently slipped his arm around her waist in a comforting movement. Unlike the many times that he had done it just to annoy her, this was different. His touch was comforting, forgiving, and soothing, all at once. There was something else as well, but Tomoyo chose not to dwell on it. Instead, she pulled back and looked into his eyes.
"Since you were twelve! You have run your own country since you were twelve! How did you ever stand such a great burden, and still have enough energy to annoy me?" She joked dryly, causing him to smirk, a move that made her remember just who she was talking too.
With one swift movement, she pulled away and then got up, looking out over the water again. He stayed where he was this time, simply looking at her, unable to do anything. It was the full moon tonight, and the watery moonlight beamed down upon her like a cloak of radiance.
'She really is a goddess.' He thought, as he stared. He could do nothing else for a moment, but her soft *ahem* brought him back to earth.
"Perhaps I will tell you one day, how I managed it. Until then, you must promise me that you will tell no one, not even Sakura what I have told you." He stated. She looked at him for a moment, her amethyst eyes growing wider by the minute, and then she sat back down next to him.
"You are leaving, aren't you." It was a statement, not a question. He flinched visibly and then let out a dry chuckle.
"You *are* perceptive, Daidouji-san. Yes, I am leaving. I have to return home for the coronation. And I will have to appoint legal advisors and such, before I return." He commented, refusing to meet her gaze. If he had been looking, he would have seen a flash of desperation and dismay enter her eyes.
"How long will that take? When will you leave?" She questioned. He shrugged.
"Two months at the most; one month, if I am lucky. And tomorrow." He murmured, looking out over the water. Even though it was quite late, neither of them felt in the least bit tired. Both were lost in their own thoughts for some time, until Tomoyo finally shook herself.
"I will tell no one." She murmured, turning her head away. This should have made her happy, the prospect of not seeing him for such a long while, but...
'Why do I feel so desolate?' She wondered. Little did she know that her eyes were flashing with a pain that was equal to the pain Eriol was feeling in his heart. Then she perceived something else, something that made her blood run cold.
"You don't think that you will make it back, do you?" She asked, her voice panicky. She unconsciously reached out and gripped his shoulder with her small hand, in a desperate motion. He sighed.
"No, I don't. Someone has to do something about that impostor who nearly killed your uncle. Syaoran can't, for he is needed here. Fujitaka and Touya are in no fixed state to do it, so I must. That man who pretended to be the king is very powerful, and he has gained many supporters. Yamazaki and I have agreed that it is best if we go and return to Fujitaka what is rightfully his." Eriol said slowly. Tears began to rain down Tomoyo's face, for no apparent reason (at least to her!).
"You can't! You could die! Yamazaki could die, and that would absolutely kill Chiharu!" Tomoyo gasped. Over their acquaintance, Yamazaki's and Chiharu's friendship had evolved into full-fledged, passionate love. If Yamazaki were to die, Chiharu would never be able to cope.
"We have no choice, Daidouji-san. Someone has to do it, and this is a risk we are willing to take." Eriol almost snapped, his voice stern. This caused her tears to fall even faster. She tried to turn away, but his gentle hands griped her chin and forced her to look at him.
"Please understand, Princess. We *must* do this. Not only to save you and your family, but also to prove that I am not a King to be reckoned with." He whispered. Her eyes flashed with anger.
"That is what this is about then? Your pride? FINE! Go and get yourself killed. I won't miss you! No one will miss you!" She shrieked, pulling away from him and bolting away from the dock, her face in her hands.
Eriol's heart broke into a million pieces as he watched the woman he loved disappear into the darkness. Pain swelled over him, causing his stomach to lurch sickeningly, and despair reeled through him as her words repeated themselves in his mind, causing him to become sick with grief.
"I won't miss you-I won't miss you-I won't-"
~*~*~*~
~*THE NEXT MORNING*~
*Sakura's POV*
Warmth. Immense, wonderful warmth. Safety. The feeling that nothing in the world could hurt her. Comfort. All her problems had melted away into oblivion.
Slowly, Sakura regained consciousness and opened her eyes. Her first thought was that she was back in her own bed, and that at any moment, Kero would come barreling into the room, yelling at her to wake up. Then realization hit her. She was not in her room! She was not in her bed, and there were two arms wrapped around her waist! In panic, she froze up, afraid to move or breath. But then something else hit her. A calm feeling that left her weak and happy.
Slowly, Sakura gathered up her courage to look up and see who was giving her such comfort. She gasped as her eyes fell on the last person she would have expected to be here with. Prince Li Syaoran! Her breath caught as she noticed the definite softened expression on his face, and the peaceful grace of his mouth. Stray strands of chestnut hair fell across his forehead, giving him an overall cute and innocent look.
'Can this really be the same young man who acted so coldly to me in my kingdom?' She wondered. Then she remembered the day before, and the incident with the swing. Perhaps so...a small smile graced her lips as she hesitantly lifted a hand and brushed a strand of his hair away from his eyes. Suddenly, she knew that she had no need to fear him any longer. With that thought, she smilingly snuggled back into his arms and went back to sleep.
*Syaoran's POV*
The sweet smell of sakura blossoms and honey filtered through his senses, causing him to breath in deeply and allowing the wonderfully intoxicating smell to overwhelm him. A small smile came to his lips as his sub-conscious realized just where that smell was coming from. Or whom, to be exact.
Slowly, amber eyes opened to meet a heavenly picture below him. Watery sunlight danced across the sleeping girl's face, giving her an even more angelic look. Her auburn hair fell across his pillows like a sheet of silk threads, and her hand was tucked under her cheek. Her face was buried in his neck, and it gave him a strange trill of pure bliss to feel her warm breath fanning across his bare skin.
Slowly, without really wanting to, Syaoran's hand came up and gently brushed against her silky cheek, causing her to move her head a bit. Then, all at once, emerald eyes opened to meet intense amber.
Both Sakura and Syaoran blushed, seeing as Syaoran's hand was still hovering beside her cheek, but he immediately dropped it back at his side. To his shock, Sakura did not seem in the least surprised that she was in his bed, nor the fact that he was there as well. In fact, she seemed quite comfortable.
"Thank you." She breathed softly, as she began to play with a stray thread from his sheet. He looked confused.
"For what?" He asked, just as quietly. She smiled.
"For allowing me to stay with you. I must have been more tired than I thought. I really am sorry for putting you through all that trouble." She mumbled. Now it was his turn to smile.
"It was nothing. You have been through a tough time, with your father and all. You needed the sleep, and I don't mind." He said, blushing. She smiled sweetly, and then got up, and went over to one of his windows, flinging the curtains open. He smiled as even more sunlight streamed into the room, but he felt a strange sense of loss, when she had left his side...almost like...almost like loosing a part of himself.
'You are getting soft, you baka!' He shouted at himself mentally, but the feeling refused to leave. He couldn't help but admit that Sakura looked quite lovely and at-home with herself, as she stood in the bright sunlight, looking out the window and smiling. Suddenly, there came a soft cry from outside in the corridor, followed by a door being slammed open. Sakura jumped.
"That was Tomoyo!" She cried, racing over to the door and running out into the corridor, Syaoran close on her heals. There, leaning against one of the hallway walls, was a pale Tomoyo.
"Tomoyo! What has happened?!" Sakura yelped, hugging her friend. Tomoyo looked shaken.
"He's gone! Eriol's gone! He went to-" Suddenly, she stopped, and looked down at her hands. Something was horribly wrong, Syaoran could tell. It was not like Eriol to abandon his friends in their times of need, so it was quite strange that he had left like that. But before either Sakura, or Syaoran could say anything, Tomoyo had fled up another flight of stairs, and out of sight.
~*~*~*~