Chapter 6: Fighting to Realize Your Love
Syaoran quickly jumped off his horse and kicked its side. The horse in a frantic flee, giddied away to the hill. Syaoran on the ground face down pushed himself up picking up his dirt covered face to see Sakura. Syaoran possessed fear, as well as anger growing inside his fighting spirit. "Sakura?" he whispered, "I can't fight you, so stop playing!" Sakura had tears welling in her eyes, "I wish I could Syaoran," she said holding back, "But I fight for them now! They are my people! If you wish to harm them, then you must get through me first!"
Sakura bravely stood in front of all rebels gathering outside their tents. "Sakura I can't fight you!" Syaoran yelled in desperation to make them all stop. "I want you to come back, and if not, at least let me make peace with you!"
On the top of the hill, the soldiers saw people gathering outside their tents with weapons and throwing devices and approaching their captain. "It's a damn trap!" a soldier yelled, "I don't care what captain says, he's in trouble, CHARGE!"
"Listen, why would you want to make peace with us?" Touya yelled, "Besides, your definition of peace is further imprisonment and broken promises, like you said to my sister." Syaoran was speechless as he looked at all the people looking at him with distrust. He looked at the blind chief, the rebel leader, and finally, he rested his sights on a glassy eyed Sakura. "Have I really changed this much?" he thought, "So much that people begin to distrust me, so much that I have lost respect. Was all this captain promotion really necessary? No, it was not. I was selfish, I was corrupt, I wasn't me. Who was I?" Syaoran looked at Sakura. "Have I caused this much grief to Sakura? I keep on breaking our promises. Why do I do that?" Syaoran looked at his neck and saw Sakura's necklace, 'In the battlefield, you loved ones are no longer in consideration.' The infamous saying of Min, the lonely general, echoed in his head.
"You're wrong Min!" Syaoran defiantly began to realize his mistakes, "You don't kill unjust, but you do kill for the ones you love, so they will not bleed. Always putting yourself upon the lives of your loved ones, I don't want them to bleed, and surely, I will bleed for them. Especially Sakura, because without the shadow of the doubt, I love-" "YOU LIE!" a villager yelled snapping out Syaoran in his thinking, "Peace, with us? You were preparing for them, attack them my brothers!" Syaoran turned around and saw a whole line forming and running towards them. "What are they doing?" Syaoran shouted, "Men stop I COMMAND YOU!" "Shut up boy!" Touya said pulling up his machete, "You planned this all along, trying to think we would make peace and not expect an attack while you send one from behind." Syaoran shook his head. "That's not it!"
"Enough!" Touya snapped, "I have had enough of your lies!" Touya took a fighting stance and just before he sprung forward to attack Syaoran, Sakura held his arm back. "Allow me!" Sakura volunteered. Touya opened his eyes wide open, "Are you crazy?" he insulted, "This is the captain I am not letting you fight him alone!" Sakura insisted with the most determined face he had ever seen. "If you help me, then our people will die!" Sakura turned her head to the clashing armies, the rebel side was losing. "You see, they are in trouble already." Touya knew it was dangerous, but he had to help his men. "Sakura, I will help you as soon as possible." Touya ran off yelling the battle cry, creating a huge cloud of dust when he ran toward his enemies.
The dust soon cleared slowly, and finally, the two people stood at their respective places. Syaoran and Sakura, once best friends who gave slight intimations of their affection toward each other, now were locked into a battle that they couldn't avoid. Both feeling that they didn't want to, but they had two. The only difference between these two now, is that Sakura was willing to kill her former crush for the good of her people. "I've killed enough," Syaoran said in a low voice to Sakura, "Sakura, I'm tired, I can't kill anymore. Every time I kill, I imagine their faces in my dreams haunting me. Sakura, let's not do this, let's stop this right now. If my people won't stop I can help you, I can help you guys get out of here so you can seek salvation and safety from our cruel soldiers."
Sakura Narration
There is something different about Syaoran, NO! I can't think that, I must fight him! I must protect my people. But he does look kind again, like I can trust him again, but I know that's my imagination. As soon as I give in, he will take advantage of that, he was trained by them, by the Chinese, the ones who exiled my people in this desolate wasteland.
"Sakura, what do you say?" I can't think now, all I ever see now is him in my mind. It's a strange feeling before, I can't fight him. But I MUST! I don't care if I have to fight him, even though he's my friend, my brother, my lo-WHAT? What was I thinking? That's crazy we are only friends, I can't think of him like that. "Syaoran-kun, I will fight you, if you will not fight me, then I will fight you!" Time to get ready! (Sakura pulls out two Chinese papers) "Ikuyo!"
End Sakura Narration
Sakura shot fire at Syaoran. Syaoran quickly rolled to his side and unsheathed his sword. "This is no good!" he thought, "She is going to fight me, I have to make her believe that I will, I have to restrain her!" Syaoran pulled out a Chinese paper of his own, "Wind Gods," he called, striking his sword on the paper, "Create your binding gusts to capture those who attack!" Syaoran sent the spell towards Sakura. Sakura quickly countered, "Reverse flows of gusts!" she called out as the gust broke apart. "I'm not coming back Syaoran!"
Sakura pulled out another Chinese paper. "Water beast! Surround and twirl your currents." From the piece of paper, water sprayed out from all four sides and began to twist in the air. Syaoran jumped trying to get above her, but the water current hit him and sent him flying away. "Gods of thunder, shock him!" Sakura sent thunderbolts from another Chinese paper. Syaoran was hit directly in the air; he plummeted down to the ground having smoke come out of his body, like barbecue. Syaoran did a quick break fall to get back up with celerity. He rested on his sword with one eye open and a dirty bruised face. "Syaoran, surrender yourself now!" Sakura offered.
Syaoran didn't say anything; he just picked up his sword and dashed right towards Sakura. Sakura in a panic shot thunderbolts in desperation, trying to send him back once more. Syaoran dodged all the thunderbolts and was closing in on Sakura. Sakura pulled out two sheets and shot thunderbolts from both sheets. Syaoran miraculously dodged them all and finally, he was in tackle distance with Sakura. "Now's my chance!" Syaoran jumped into Sakura grabbing her wrists and bringing them both into a tent.
They both rolled on the ground before finally stopping and catching their breaths. Syaoran quickly got up with his sword in hand while Sakura was on her tush looking at Syaoran already up. Sakura finally admitted defeat. "Go ahead!" she commanded, "You have your sword, kill me!" Syaoran was taken back. "Sakura why would I kill you?" Sakura looked confused, "Listen Syaoran, I don't know what you're trying to pull but kill me; you said all rebels had to die." Syaoran threw his sword down right to Sakura's knees.
"You kill me!" Syaoran snapped back getting on his knees and looking at Sakura's eyes. "I deserve it for causing you so much pain!" Sakura got up picked up his sword and held it to his neck. Sakura hesitated whether or not to do it. Suddenly, Sakura dropped the sword and broke out in tears getting back on her knees. "I can't kill you Syaoran!" she said crying, "I'm too weak! I could never do what these rebels do. Even though they have a cause, I can't kill anyone or anything."
Syaoran caught Sakura as she dropped her head on her shoulders crying. "Listen Sakura," he patted her back, "There are mountains to the north. After the first peak, go to the first valley you see, there will be a man named Leng who owns a small food stand, he will give you refuge if you mention my name." Sakura picked up her head. "Why, why are you telling me this?" she asked confused. "Because I want you and your people to survive, because I want you to be unharmed, because I-I…" Syaoran was trying to bring it out, he mustered enough courage, "Sakura, I love you!"
Sakura Narration
(Sakura has her eyes wide open and is speechless)
Did he say what I think he said? Is that why I couldn't kill him? I felt this way with him before, but now that he's said it, what can I do? I don't know what to say or do to him. I can't even say it back to him even though I've always wanted to. What's wrong with me? He's staring at me with strong looks, he wants an answer but I can't give it to him yet. But, do I love him?
End Sakura Narration
Syaoran knew at this time, that Sakura was speechless. Her face was in awe, she couldn't move or look at him, and he was disappointed. "Go to the mountains," he said getting up and putting his sword back in his sheath, "I will come later to check on you!" Syaoran left the tent. Sakura was on her knees, still confused with a face in awe.
"Men retreat!" Syaoran shouted. The two clashing armies broke apart. Syaoran's army fled up the hill, while some rebels chased after them, eventually losing them. Syaoran mounted back upon his horse and looked at the tent one final time, he kicked the horse and it rode into the hill.
Sakura, still on her knees looked down at her clenched nervous fists. Blushing, she thought about what Syaoran said, "Do I love him in return?" Sakura felt something. She had something in her hand, it was hard and round. When she opened in, the glimmering light from it almost lit up the tent. She looked at the lucky ring Syaoran had slipped in her hand when she didn't notice. "Yes I do!" Sakura slipped the ring back on her finger. "Yes, I love you Syaoran!"
Character Bio
Fujitaka Kinomoto
Birthday: January 3
Zodiac sign: Pig
Occupation: Chief of the nomadic Village
Favorite Hobby: Giving advice
Least Favorite Hobby: Remembering the dreaded past
Favorite Foods: sweets and noodles
Least Favorite Food: None
Favorite Pastime: Teaching students weapon arts
Favorite Colors: white, brown, ivory
Favorite flowers: Sakuras, peach blossoms, nadeshikos
Something he can cook: nothing
Special Talent: remembers all too much
Wish List: to see his beloved again
My Comments: Okay, the first dramatic change in Fujitaka is definitely his blindness. Why did I make him blind? Well tell me you wouldn't blind yourself if your wife was being raped in front of you and there was nothing you could do about it. My point exactly, Fujitaka is a much more composed person in this story. The wise sage whom everyone seeks advice from, that is Fujitaka.