If you are reading this, thank you for reading this far in my story. I
can't really think of anything else I need to say right now except PLEASE
REVIEW! I have been disappointed in how few of you guys have reviewed my
fic so far (but thank you to those who did!) Anyway, on with the fic!
Chapter 4: Penguins
Sakura walked with Syaoran through the festival. She was happy to be there with the one she loved, and he seemed happy that she was there with him. She was a little curious about this Seta Soujiro that Tomoyo had brought with her.
He had a strong sense of magic about him, she was sure Syaoran had sensed it as well. It's not that she didn't trust him (though she knew Syaoran didn't), but there seemed to be more to him than just a dark haired boy who smiled a lot. She wasn't sure, but his smiles were oddly emotionless. It was like whenever he smiled, he was just holding a paper mask in front of him. There was just something she sensed in him that contrasted sharply with the Seta Soujiro that he showed on the outside.
Tomoyo said that he had saved her from some bullies, but when she said that, the look on Seta-san's face seemed to say that there was more to it than that. Maybe she was just imagining things. She knew she wasn't exactly the most perceptive person in the world. The fact that she was the only one surprised when she found out Syaoran-kun loved her was proof enough for that. But still…
After they had started to walk to some of the booths, Sakura noticed that Seta-san looked, well, almost amazed by everything. When Syaoran stopped at a booth to catch her a goldfish, Tomoyo went to videotape him (since he was getting it for Sakura). They left her and Seta-san behind to watch. Sakura noticed how he was observing everyone at the booth with a smile on his face. A smile that looked real, the first one she had seen on him. He seemed like he could have just stood there and watched people catch goldfish the rest of the night.
"Did they have festivals like this when you were a child, Seta-san?" she asked him.
She wasn't sure, but she thought his smile faded a bit when she asked, "There were festivals, but I never went to one."
"Hoe...?"
"You see, my step-family was very strict, and they didn't like me very much at all. Whenever there was a festival, they all went to have fun, and left me to do chores." Sakura was amazed that even when he was recalling such a terrible memory, he still had a smile, though it seemed like it had become a hollow one now. His eyes had seemed to have turned to a dark, flat blue.
"I'm sorry..." she looked down a little.
He turned his head to her, "Why?"
"It was such a sad memory, I can tell. I didn't mean to ask you something that would make you sad."
"Don't worry, you couldn't have known. Anyway the past is the past, and you can't go back and fix things that are broken." She looked up to see him smiling, truly smiling again, even his eyes seemed like they had become a lighter hue, "Besides, if it weren't for Daidouji-san, I wouldn't have been able to come to my first festival. I want her and her friends to be happy."
Sakura smiled, and looked up in time to see Syaoran walking over, goldfish in bag, and Tomoyo in tow (camera rolling).
As they continued, they came across a strength test game. Syaoran gave it a try, but as he tried to pick up the mallet, his eyes got big. He strained to pick it up, and Sakura giggled a little as he almost fell backwards lifting it over his head. He swung downward with all his might, and Sakura was sure it would make it to the top, but the bell didn't ring, it stopped a few inches short. Sakura's shoulders went down a bit, but she was still proud of Syaoran for trying.
Then she noticed Seta-san walking over to Syaoran (who was still holding onto the giant mallet). Syaoran glared at him as he approached, but the young swordsman held up his hands, smiling slightly as he said something too quiet for Sakura to hear. They relaxed a bit as Seta-san said some things to Syaoran, who still scowled but listened. This went on for a few moments, and then Seta-san turned and walked back to Sakura and Tomoyo with his hands behind his back.
"What did you talk about?" Tomoyo asked.
He smiled, "Nothing. Be sure to cheer him on this time Kinomoto-san."
"He's trying again?" She looked back to see Syaoran paying the booth attendant and gripping the huge mallet again. She smiled, "I know you can do it, Syaoran-kun!"
He lifted the mallet over his head and held it there for a moment, then he let out a yell and brought the mallet down. Sakura watched as it soared up and laughed as the bell sounded. She ran over to the one she loved and hugged him, "I knew you could do it for me, Syaoran-kun!"
He blushed a little in her arms, "I hate to say it, but he told me a trick to help focus my energy. You should be thanking him."
She smiled lovingly, touching her forehead to his, "But you were the one who did it."
As Sakura and Syaoran walked back (Sakura with a pink stuffed rabbit), she turned to Seta-san, "You should try it, too!"
He looked a little surprised, and seemed like he was about to decline, when something Sakura didn't expect happened.
"She's right. You should give it a shot," Syaoran said. He wasn't scowling (at least not as much), but she knew he still didn't like the dark haired boy.
Seta-san definitely looked surprised then. Then he scratched the back of his head and laughed, "I suppose...if both of you think I should." He walked over to the attendant, looked at him a little odd, then turned and walked back.
Sakura was confused, "I thought you were going to try it, Seta-san?"
He stood there for a moment, then said, "I don't have any money!"
They all fell over.
"Here," Syaoran pulled out some money, "Is there anything else you forgot?"
"I don't think so," he took the money laughing a little, "Thank you. Wish me luck!"
He went back into the stable, paid the man, and went over to the mallet. He wrapped his fingers around the handle, and Sakura could feel his energy surge as he lifted it over his head. Then he brought it down with blinding speed. It almost seemed like the instant he struck, the bell sounded with a resounding 'clang'. Then they heard another, different sound. More like a 'bong'.
Tomoyo yelped as she ran into the booth, followed quickly after by Sakura and Syaoran. They found Seta-san, lying on his back, holding his head, with the bell lying next to him. "Seta-san? Are you all right? Say something!"
"Oro?"
They sweat dropped.
Tomoyo tried again, "Seta-san, are you alright?"
The attendant came over, "Hey do I need to call the doctor? Is he OK?"
"I'm fine, just a little bump," Seta-san sat up, rubbing his head gingerly, "It seems like I am acting more and more like Himura-san every day though." They all looked at him, confused.
"Are you sure you're ok?" Syaoran asked.
He smiled and nodded as he stood and dusted himself off. Turning to the attendant, "I'm sorry, sir. I seem to have broken your bell."
The attendant arched an eyebrow, "Uh...don't worry about it kid."
Seta-san looked at him strangely, like he was confused, "Kid???"
"I've never seen anyone do that before. Here kid," the man took out a large stuffed penguin.
Seta-san looked at it for a second, then he smiled, "Thank you, sir"
"It's nothing. You be sure to get that head checked." and he went back to pick up the bell. Looking back up at the top of the rail, where it should be, he slumped his shoulders and walked off, mumbling something about a ladder.
Seta-san turned back to the rest of them with a look on his face that Sakura didn't quite recognize. Was he dizzy? Was he in pain? Was he excited?
"What is this supposed to be?"
They all fell over.
"It looks like a cross between a bird and a bear?" He was staring quizzically at it, turning it sideways and upside down.
Tomoyo laughed, "It's a penguin! They live so far north that there is ice and snow all year long. And they don't fly, they swim!"
A knowing look came over his face, like he had figured out a puzzle, and he held it out to Tomoyo, "Here."
Tomoyo looked at him blankly.
"You know so much about an obscure animal like this...peng-uin?...you must like them." His smile was genuine. Like the one Sakura saw before when he was watching all the people at the goldfish game, when he was talking about making Tomoyo and her friends happy.
She blushed a very red color, and smiled sheepishly. "I do like it." She gently took the penguin from his hands and hugged it tightly.
Sakura smiled as she took Syaoran's arm and put her head on his shoulder. She felt so warm, but not just because the one she loved was near.
I know, it got kinda cheesy there at the end, but hey…cheese makes everything better, right? Anyway, review and let me know what you all think. I'll even listen to suggestions of what I should do later in the story! Just give me some ideas of what you guys are thinking about the story thus far.
Chapter 4: Penguins
Sakura walked with Syaoran through the festival. She was happy to be there with the one she loved, and he seemed happy that she was there with him. She was a little curious about this Seta Soujiro that Tomoyo had brought with her.
He had a strong sense of magic about him, she was sure Syaoran had sensed it as well. It's not that she didn't trust him (though she knew Syaoran didn't), but there seemed to be more to him than just a dark haired boy who smiled a lot. She wasn't sure, but his smiles were oddly emotionless. It was like whenever he smiled, he was just holding a paper mask in front of him. There was just something she sensed in him that contrasted sharply with the Seta Soujiro that he showed on the outside.
Tomoyo said that he had saved her from some bullies, but when she said that, the look on Seta-san's face seemed to say that there was more to it than that. Maybe she was just imagining things. She knew she wasn't exactly the most perceptive person in the world. The fact that she was the only one surprised when she found out Syaoran-kun loved her was proof enough for that. But still…
After they had started to walk to some of the booths, Sakura noticed that Seta-san looked, well, almost amazed by everything. When Syaoran stopped at a booth to catch her a goldfish, Tomoyo went to videotape him (since he was getting it for Sakura). They left her and Seta-san behind to watch. Sakura noticed how he was observing everyone at the booth with a smile on his face. A smile that looked real, the first one she had seen on him. He seemed like he could have just stood there and watched people catch goldfish the rest of the night.
"Did they have festivals like this when you were a child, Seta-san?" she asked him.
She wasn't sure, but she thought his smile faded a bit when she asked, "There were festivals, but I never went to one."
"Hoe...?"
"You see, my step-family was very strict, and they didn't like me very much at all. Whenever there was a festival, they all went to have fun, and left me to do chores." Sakura was amazed that even when he was recalling such a terrible memory, he still had a smile, though it seemed like it had become a hollow one now. His eyes had seemed to have turned to a dark, flat blue.
"I'm sorry..." she looked down a little.
He turned his head to her, "Why?"
"It was such a sad memory, I can tell. I didn't mean to ask you something that would make you sad."
"Don't worry, you couldn't have known. Anyway the past is the past, and you can't go back and fix things that are broken." She looked up to see him smiling, truly smiling again, even his eyes seemed like they had become a lighter hue, "Besides, if it weren't for Daidouji-san, I wouldn't have been able to come to my first festival. I want her and her friends to be happy."
Sakura smiled, and looked up in time to see Syaoran walking over, goldfish in bag, and Tomoyo in tow (camera rolling).
As they continued, they came across a strength test game. Syaoran gave it a try, but as he tried to pick up the mallet, his eyes got big. He strained to pick it up, and Sakura giggled a little as he almost fell backwards lifting it over his head. He swung downward with all his might, and Sakura was sure it would make it to the top, but the bell didn't ring, it stopped a few inches short. Sakura's shoulders went down a bit, but she was still proud of Syaoran for trying.
Then she noticed Seta-san walking over to Syaoran (who was still holding onto the giant mallet). Syaoran glared at him as he approached, but the young swordsman held up his hands, smiling slightly as he said something too quiet for Sakura to hear. They relaxed a bit as Seta-san said some things to Syaoran, who still scowled but listened. This went on for a few moments, and then Seta-san turned and walked back to Sakura and Tomoyo with his hands behind his back.
"What did you talk about?" Tomoyo asked.
He smiled, "Nothing. Be sure to cheer him on this time Kinomoto-san."
"He's trying again?" She looked back to see Syaoran paying the booth attendant and gripping the huge mallet again. She smiled, "I know you can do it, Syaoran-kun!"
He lifted the mallet over his head and held it there for a moment, then he let out a yell and brought the mallet down. Sakura watched as it soared up and laughed as the bell sounded. She ran over to the one she loved and hugged him, "I knew you could do it for me, Syaoran-kun!"
He blushed a little in her arms, "I hate to say it, but he told me a trick to help focus my energy. You should be thanking him."
She smiled lovingly, touching her forehead to his, "But you were the one who did it."
As Sakura and Syaoran walked back (Sakura with a pink stuffed rabbit), she turned to Seta-san, "You should try it, too!"
He looked a little surprised, and seemed like he was about to decline, when something Sakura didn't expect happened.
"She's right. You should give it a shot," Syaoran said. He wasn't scowling (at least not as much), but she knew he still didn't like the dark haired boy.
Seta-san definitely looked surprised then. Then he scratched the back of his head and laughed, "I suppose...if both of you think I should." He walked over to the attendant, looked at him a little odd, then turned and walked back.
Sakura was confused, "I thought you were going to try it, Seta-san?"
He stood there for a moment, then said, "I don't have any money!"
They all fell over.
"Here," Syaoran pulled out some money, "Is there anything else you forgot?"
"I don't think so," he took the money laughing a little, "Thank you. Wish me luck!"
He went back into the stable, paid the man, and went over to the mallet. He wrapped his fingers around the handle, and Sakura could feel his energy surge as he lifted it over his head. Then he brought it down with blinding speed. It almost seemed like the instant he struck, the bell sounded with a resounding 'clang'. Then they heard another, different sound. More like a 'bong'.
Tomoyo yelped as she ran into the booth, followed quickly after by Sakura and Syaoran. They found Seta-san, lying on his back, holding his head, with the bell lying next to him. "Seta-san? Are you all right? Say something!"
"Oro?"
They sweat dropped.
Tomoyo tried again, "Seta-san, are you alright?"
The attendant came over, "Hey do I need to call the doctor? Is he OK?"
"I'm fine, just a little bump," Seta-san sat up, rubbing his head gingerly, "It seems like I am acting more and more like Himura-san every day though." They all looked at him, confused.
"Are you sure you're ok?" Syaoran asked.
He smiled and nodded as he stood and dusted himself off. Turning to the attendant, "I'm sorry, sir. I seem to have broken your bell."
The attendant arched an eyebrow, "Uh...don't worry about it kid."
Seta-san looked at him strangely, like he was confused, "Kid???"
"I've never seen anyone do that before. Here kid," the man took out a large stuffed penguin.
Seta-san looked at it for a second, then he smiled, "Thank you, sir"
"It's nothing. You be sure to get that head checked." and he went back to pick up the bell. Looking back up at the top of the rail, where it should be, he slumped his shoulders and walked off, mumbling something about a ladder.
Seta-san turned back to the rest of them with a look on his face that Sakura didn't quite recognize. Was he dizzy? Was he in pain? Was he excited?
"What is this supposed to be?"
They all fell over.
"It looks like a cross between a bird and a bear?" He was staring quizzically at it, turning it sideways and upside down.
Tomoyo laughed, "It's a penguin! They live so far north that there is ice and snow all year long. And they don't fly, they swim!"
A knowing look came over his face, like he had figured out a puzzle, and he held it out to Tomoyo, "Here."
Tomoyo looked at him blankly.
"You know so much about an obscure animal like this...peng-uin?...you must like them." His smile was genuine. Like the one Sakura saw before when he was watching all the people at the goldfish game, when he was talking about making Tomoyo and her friends happy.
She blushed a very red color, and smiled sheepishly. "I do like it." She gently took the penguin from his hands and hugged it tightly.
Sakura smiled as she took Syaoran's arm and put her head on his shoulder. She felt so warm, but not just because the one she loved was near.
I know, it got kinda cheesy there at the end, but hey…cheese makes everything better, right? Anyway, review and let me know what you all think. I'll even listen to suggestions of what I should do later in the story! Just give me some ideas of what you guys are thinking about the story thus far.
