Vanilla Skies
Chapter Four: I'll Be Your Shadow
I was selfish.
Incredibly selfish. Stupid. Angry. Bitter. I could make the list go on and on. My selfishness was my greatest downfall back then. Long ago, I had thought that I was the only one suffering in the misery of the path Destiny had supposedly chosen for me and yet, I managed to hurt the one person that understood me the most.
That even gave a damn about caring about me.
That loved me the most.
She's changed in my eyes. Even I star sprouting Shakespeare's sonnets at random, it'll do her no justice. But her blue eyes, eyes that have shown me the world, were filled with the utmost sadness. Sadness I put there. Sadness by my own betrayal.
Usa-koi, I know I have no right to even speak your name. I want to help you. I want to love you. But if I am confined to the shadows to watch you, and I know you can sense me sometimes, then so be it. I am happy just to watch you and need for you will be repressed for now. I know you need to finish what you've set out do and accomplish.
But I don't know how long I can hold my feelings inside…
*=*=*=*
"It's been so long, chibi-hime."
A low growl escaped from Usagi's lips as she stepped into a protective stance in front of Nokoru. She barely noticed as the grocery bag slipped from her grasp. Her eyes narrowed as the taller man came into full view. His eyes were a piercing gray and his lips were curled into a cruel smirk. Large silver wings spread out to the fullest of their capability and his sliver locks blew against his body. But the irony of it all was that the fact that he still wore his guardian uniform from back in the Silver Millennium. She let a shaky breath.
"Something wrong?"
Instinctively, she stretched her out to stake her grounds. If it was a fight he wanted, she would give it to him. In Yue's eyes, she still remained the same child he had left behind when he followed Clow Reed.
"Not at all," she responded smoothly. "I'm just curious to why you find this amusing. I thought resorting to torment was against your honor code."
His body tensed and his expression darkened. She then knew she had hit a hard spot. He smiled again, but this time it didn't reach his eyes. In one fluid motion, Yue waved his arms sending a blast of energy towards her direction. She pushed Nokoru to the ground. She could hear the howling of the card coming at rapid pace towards her.
Windy. This must be the windy card, controlled by the powers of the moon.
She ducked behind the nearest tree and heard Yue chuckle. "I thought you were kawaii when you wanted to play these cat and mouse games. It's only fitting that we keep in tradition and you child get to play the mouse. And I believe, the little mouse is bleeding."
She hissed and rolled to her side, having to react to the returning pursuit of the wind card. Usagi glanced down at her hands and winced at the gash in the center of her palms. Damn it Goddamn it. She looked around, a glimmer of hope in her mind to see if Nokoru was safe. Mistake number one.
Windy threw her face forward into the ground. She pushed herself up with partial ease, the skin of her arms burning. She knew if she so much started to fight offensively, the course of the spiritual balance would be set off kilter and she would have to deal with one more problem.
So now she was stuck fighting the defensive end of things.
Imouto-chan, onegai…
*=*=*=*=*
Sakura shot up in her seat, the overbearing feeling of dread pounding in her subconscious. Eriol turned to her, expression revealing avid concern. It was getting harder and harder to breathe.
"Sakura-chan?"
She began to cough violently, falling to her knees. A feeling of foreboding swept through her body. The room began to spin quickly and she could barely make out the faces around. Eriol, Syaoran… Oh god, 'neechan…
"Help---Usa---need---"
She heard a sharp gasp and she looked up in furious movement. A top the desk where the head members of the Li Clan lay the Clow Key. Her Clow key and it was glowing with livid energy. Sakura pushed herself up to a shaky standing position. The key was reacting one of the guardians, she realized with a frown. And there was no way Kero instilled any form of fear in her memories.
Yue… Oneechan, hold on.
*=*=*=*=*
"I have to help her," he growled. Nokoru watched worriedly as Usagi effectively blocked another hit from the spirit or whatever it was. He glanced sadly at the young man next to him, who was in emotional turmoil with himself.
"I want to help her as much you do, Kamui. But we'll only be in the way. Besides I've never seen this type of magic before."
"It's completely out of our league," was the tired response. "We should have listened the first time…"
"But we didn't," Nokoru responded softly. "And we have to pay now. The only way we can help is if she asks us to. Otherwise we are still confined to the shadows."
Kamui's posture straightened and Nokoru could have sworn the air went dead.
"I'm tired of waiting in the shadows."
*=*=*=*
Author's Ramblings:
Thank you for the lovely reviews, I appreciate every single one of them. I'm very proud of this story. A couple notes and menial things, for you dear readers. There's a specific reason why I've decided to break this chapter into two parts. I didn't want this part to be totally action-oriented and overpowering the emotions of the story. The emotion is what drives it, mind you. And there was no way I was going to sacrifice it.
There will be more S+S moments in the next chapter as well as E+T, I promise. Think of this as a prologue to the chapter. If that made any sense. Review please!
Disclaimer: See the beginning. Too lazy. ^_^
Dedication: To my girls, Ani-chan, Oneechan, and Starlight-oneechan, I love you all!
Preview for next chapter:
I'll Be Your Shadow (part two)~
Sakura races to the vicious battle, pursed by both Eriol and Syaoran. Meanwhile, Usagi fights to hold control of her powers with Yue continuing to taunt her. Nokoru tries to restrain Kamui and Tomoyo vigil begins… Appearances by some new players that decide to join the game.
