Anger. Fury. Loneliness.
Jealousy.
In all her life,
Timdes had never been exposed to any such feelings, but now, she felt them
for the first time. She stewed all night, brooding over her revenge. Then,
she found her opportunity. Syaoran, at the crack of dawn, had yielded to
sleep's caress. Timdes immediately snuck, slithered is more like it, towards
the two. It made her sick, the way that whore of a wench was sleeping on
her man's shoulder. Not for long.
" Love," She sneered
as she stroked Syaoran's face," Cannot save you."
Sakura opened her
eyes, only to find herself being gagged. She struggled out of it, and tried
to struggle, only to receive a thrust from the golden staff, now in Timdes'
possession! She stared at Timde's in puzzlement, only to receive another,
harder thrust, as well as a derisive laugh.
" Stay away from
my fiance!"
Fiance. The words
rang in Sakura's ears.
" Shocked? Well,
its been arranged for a while, and I'm surprised he never told you. Good
thing I did, or something awful may have happened."
Sakura gave her
a suspicious look. It said plainly ' Why are you here, fraud?'
" Don't give me
that, wench, you know very well why I'm here." Timdes was smiling at her
own victory. " You suspected me from the start, but poor, foolish little
Syaoran couldn't see past his own heart, the little idiot!"
Sakura rushed upon
Timdes, and succeeded in yanking out some of that wretched blond hair,
before being hurled into the marshy bogs. Timdes slogged after her, brandishing
her weapon.
" You don't know
how long I've waited to do this!" She once again lifted the staff, and
Sakura saw the horrible resemblance. Timdes face lit up in wicked delight."
Yes, you recognize me now, don't you?!!! Well, let it be the last memory
you ever see!!!"
She screamed, and
brought the staff down on Sakura. A crack echoed through the forest, as
Sakura lay bleeding and stunned on the floor. But, still alive.
" You may have survived
the first blow, but the second shall be your downfall!!! Long live, my
master, Prince Marckas!" her face twisted," Pity your fate will be such
a mystery!!!"
" That's what you
think!!!" Syaoran raced out of bogs, and knocked Timdes a good one on the
shoulder. The staff fell from her clutches, and Syaoran snatched it, retracting
it out of sight. She screeched, then, like the coward she was, she bolted.
" This isn't the
last you'll see me, you can count on it!"
" Curse you! Curse
you and that damned Prince!!!!" Syaoran was enfuriated.
" Oh, don't you
worry! You'll soon have the chance to tell him in person!"
" I'm giving you
three seconds to run," Syaoran snarled," BEFORE I TEAR YOU APART!"
She needed no more
persuasion. Turning with 'tail between her legs' she ran. And Syaoran watched
her go. As soon as she was away, he rushed to Sakura's side, and turned
her over. She was muddy, but even that didn't hide the huge wound on her
neck where she'd been struck. He shook her frantically.
" Sakura, please
wake up." He leaned close and listened for breathing - shallow, but there.
" Sakura, please,
wake up!!! WAKE UP!!!" He was angry, but his eyes betrayed his concern.
He picked her limp
body up, and hugged it close, as if in belief that his warmth would heal
her. Syaoran was shocked, and surprise to see tears trailing down his face.
He was afraid. Seriously afraid.
" Sakura, please
don't die," He whispered hopelessly," I've already lost one friend, please,
don't be the second."
" Sha..." Syaoran
looked up. What was that?
" Sho..." He looked
everywhere. Was Timdes' back?
" Syao-..." He
looked down...Sakura?
" Sakura?" She
nodded, then coughed, flecks of blood." You can...speak?"
" I..I..." She
winced, her throat hurt." I'm......sorry....."
" Ssssshhh..."
Syaoran hushed," There's nothing to be sorry for..."
" If....I hadn't....been
here....none of this would of-" She coughed and gasped, blood dripping
from her mouth.
" Ssssh...Sakura,
rest..." He stroked her hair,"...Go to sleep."
Sakura fell asleep
in Syaoran's arms, and he came to a very horrendous realization.
" That evil son
of a-" He seethed," He never removed her voice at all...he must have just
stopped it...that's what he meant by his doctors working miracles and bringing
her voice back. And that bird-brain Timdes must have fixed it somehow.
Perhaps, I should be grateful she is so such a brain-case..."
Sakura stirred restlessly,
and suddenly tried to bolt upright. This only aggravated her neck injury
more, and she let out a stifled sob; Syaoran came to her immediate rescue.
" Sakura, you have
to stop." She hugged him.
" Please...do me
a...favor..." She whispered. Her voice was sore, so she spoke brokenly.
" Anything..."
" Tell me...it
wasn't true..." Her eyes seemed hopeful.
" What wasn't true?"
" That...you...and...her...are.."
She bit back tears, but sobbed.
" Sssshh...Sakura..."
He cradled her," Sleep."
Her eyes remained
open, and she blinked, tears still flowing, leaving pale trails in the
dirt smudged face. Syaoran looked down at himself in disgrace, his blue
tunic was ripped, and almost indistinguishable from his pants, and his
boots looked like deer-hide more then black leather. Her clothes were even
worse. The white was now brown, the beautiful embroidery ruined, and her
hair was in a disarray, with eyes red and puffy from crying.
" I'm the one who
should be sorry," He said, rocking her slightly. " I was so damn stupid
to believe in that girl...I should have listened...I'll never let it happen
again...never..."
Her neck still bled,
and Syaoran gently helped her wrap it up. He continued to rock her, like
a small child, hushing her softly if tears fell, trying to get her to sleep.
But, too many things were on her mind, too many conflicts, too many traumas,
too much pain. Suddenly, it began to rain, as most bogs are usually plagued
by storm clouds, and they were drenched. Syaoran leaned over Sakura, protecting
her from the merciless downpour, reassuring her as well as he could.
" Don't worry, Sakura,
I'll always be there for you. No matter what." He repeated, receiving a
weak smile, cut short by another grimace of pain.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Well, until next time, this is your fav. author,
Hippoclymae saying, so long until next chapter! @^y^@
