Daphne: All right! I finally got it done, after months of writers block,
getting the chapters lost, and trying to find them again! Anyway, please
forgive me for taking so long, and I hope that you enjoy this. It is a
*very* short chapter, but it holds a lot of hidden meanings, so watch
carefully! Have fun!
~*~*~*~
World Beyond the Mist
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 7.
"All right, then. Where do we start?" Chiharu taunted, as she, her group of friends, King Hiiragizawa and King Li entered the forest later that afternoon. The two kings turned and glared at her, daring her to say another word. Tory stood off to the side, watching Sakura closely. The girl's eyes were drooping, and it was obvious that she was already tired, even though the journey had not even begun.
"Perhaps we should just plan where to spend the night, first, then worry about where we are going tomorrow." He finally suggested. King Li glared at him.
"We have to make good time, before we sleep. We should attempt to make it at least an hour into the journey before we set up camp." He snapped. Tory glared at him.
"If you haven't noticed, these girls are exhausted. They hardly got any sleep at all last night!" He reminded them. Sakura shot him a thankful smile, but the king wasn't going to listen. Instead, he pushed them into a two-hour walk through the woods, trying to reach a place he deemed good enough for them to stay. By the time the two hours were up, Meiling was complaining loudly about her feet hurting, and the other girls were falling behind and stumbling, trying to keep their footing on the un-even forest floor.
"How much longer, Xiaolang?!" Meiling whined for the seventh time that hour. King Li growled, but said nothing. Behind him, Sakura was looking anxiously at the 'Queen', who had started to become weaker.
"Are you all right, Mirror?" Sakura whispered. Mirror's faced turned towards her, and through the veil, Sakura could just barely see the tired eyes beneath.
"I don't think that I will be able to hold this form much longer, Mistress." She answered back. Sakura could feel how desperately the card needed rest, and she felt horrible. But how to get rid of the 'Queen', without causing suspicion to rise?
"Tomoyo, Mirror is getting tired." Sakura whispered. Tomoyo frowned and looked discretely over her shoulder, at the exhausted card.
"The 'Queen' will have to escape, somehow. Tonight, when everyone is asleep, we will return her to her true form." Tomoyo suggested. Sakura nodded, but then frowned.
"But they are sure to put one of the men on guard duty. Perhaps if we wait until they put Tory on duty..." Sakura whispered. Tomoyo looked confused.
"Why Tory?"
"Just trust me." Sakura answered, turning back. She did not notice that King Hiiragizawa Eriol was standing quite near to them, smirking.
~*~*~*~
"Tory, you get first watch." Eriol stated, as they prepared to sleep. The girls looked at each other in happiness. What luck! King Li glared at Eriol, but the other young man paid him no mind, laying down and turning his back to them. Syaoran growled and then copied the other man, while Meiling snuggled up close to his back, much to his disgust.
Chiharu snuggled down into Yamazaki's arms, and fell asleep almost immediately, but Sakura and Tomoyo worked to stay awake long after they had all fallen to sleep. Taking Yamazaki's slight snores as a cue, both Tomoyo and Sakura raised their heads, looking at where Tory sat nearby. He was carving something into a piece of wood, and humming a song. The girls grinned at each other.
"Take Mirror out of sight, into the forest. I will distract Tory." Sakura whispered, her voice no more than a breath of air. Tomoyo nodded and got up, taking the 'Queen' with her. Sakura cautiously made her way over to Tory and sat down next to him. He smiled, but didn't look up.
"Father used to like to carve things for me in his spare time. He would make wonderful toys and such. When he disappeared, I took it up, making something for him once every year. This is for you, though." Tory said thoughtfully. Sakura leaned over, and saw that he was carving a lovely, decorative sakura blossom with vines in the background, into the wood. She gasped with delight and fingered the delicate design.
"It's lovely! I can't wait until it's done." She whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder. For someone she had never known, she sure got used to the fact he was her brother pretty quick. He smiled again and continued carving.
"You had better go meet Tomoyo. She will be getting impatient." He whispered, looking sly. Sakura gasped at his words, but stood up obediently and went to find her cousin.
"What took you so long? Poor Mirror has almost had it. We have to change it back fast." Tomoyo whispered, as she motioned to the card, which was now sitting on a stump, looking exhausted.
"Thank you, Mirror. We owe you so much. Now, how about a rest?" Sakura murmured, calling it back into it's card. Mirror smiled at her mistress, and then disappeared into her card.
"Sleep well." Sakura whispered to the card as she and Tomoyo quickly made their way back to the camp. They had to get some sleep. It was going to be bad enough when the King's found out about the missing 'Queen', so they might as well get a good nights sleep!
~*~*~*~
"Get up, you!"
Sakura moaned and opened her eyes, only to see a pair of cold amber ones staring right back.
"HOEEEEEEE!!!!" She shrieked, jumping backwards into Tomoyo, who woke up as well.
"Where is she?" Syaoran snapped, grabbing Sakura's wrist in a firm grip. Sakura yelped at his touch and pretended to play dumb.
"Where is who?" This did not make him any happier.
"The Queen! Where is she?" He hissed, tightening his grip. Sakura flinched and sighed.
"I suppose she escaped, just like she had been planning to do ever since she came here." Sakura answered finally. Syaoran growled.
"Then why did she leave you?"
"She can certainly get more maid-servants back at home! She didn't need us. We are just servants, after all." Sakura whispered. Behind her, Tomoyo flinched at her words. For the first time since they had met him, Syaoran seemed to be at a loss for words.
"She just left you here, even though she knew you might die?" Eriol asked softly, keeping his eyes on the nervous Tomoyo. Sakura nodded, but said nothing. Behind them, Tory/Touya was flexing his fists dangerously, looking venomously at King Li.
"Well then, we will continue this without her. She wouldn't dare to send an army on us, so we have nothing to fear. Besides. You must know where the room is, since you worked with her." Meiling sniffed. Tomoyo's patience snapped.
"Of course we know where the room is! Everyone who works for the queen knows where the room is, don't they Meiling? Therefore, you tell us where it is, since you are so smart! Oh, wait! I've forgotten. The queen didn't know, nor do we, so obviously, a snotty little traitor like you would either, would you? If we ever get out of this, I swear to the throne that I will see to it the queen beheads *you* first!" The raven haired girl screamed, her eyes flashing and her mouth quivering.
"Tomoyo..." Sakura breathed, but Tomoyo held up her hand.
"I am tired of your lies, Meiling. I thought we were friends. I thought that I could trust you. But I couldn't. None of us could. That is all you are Meiling. The Li's play-toy, their spy. You are nothing more, nothing less. They couldn't care less if you were a princess. In fact, I can almost promise you that they wouldn't even blink if you were to suddenly up and die. They would just find another spy, another that they could play with and make do their dirty work." By now, Tomoyo was crying softly, and she turned away quickly, striding away from them. Sakura whimpered and followed, intent on comforting her cousin. Eriol was smirking, while Syaoran simply looked shocked; Meiling, however, was sobbing softly, her head in her hands.
This was turning out to be the best trip in history, let me assure you.
~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~
World Beyond the Mist
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 7.
"All right, then. Where do we start?" Chiharu taunted, as she, her group of friends, King Hiiragizawa and King Li entered the forest later that afternoon. The two kings turned and glared at her, daring her to say another word. Tory stood off to the side, watching Sakura closely. The girl's eyes were drooping, and it was obvious that she was already tired, even though the journey had not even begun.
"Perhaps we should just plan where to spend the night, first, then worry about where we are going tomorrow." He finally suggested. King Li glared at him.
"We have to make good time, before we sleep. We should attempt to make it at least an hour into the journey before we set up camp." He snapped. Tory glared at him.
"If you haven't noticed, these girls are exhausted. They hardly got any sleep at all last night!" He reminded them. Sakura shot him a thankful smile, but the king wasn't going to listen. Instead, he pushed them into a two-hour walk through the woods, trying to reach a place he deemed good enough for them to stay. By the time the two hours were up, Meiling was complaining loudly about her feet hurting, and the other girls were falling behind and stumbling, trying to keep their footing on the un-even forest floor.
"How much longer, Xiaolang?!" Meiling whined for the seventh time that hour. King Li growled, but said nothing. Behind him, Sakura was looking anxiously at the 'Queen', who had started to become weaker.
"Are you all right, Mirror?" Sakura whispered. Mirror's faced turned towards her, and through the veil, Sakura could just barely see the tired eyes beneath.
"I don't think that I will be able to hold this form much longer, Mistress." She answered back. Sakura could feel how desperately the card needed rest, and she felt horrible. But how to get rid of the 'Queen', without causing suspicion to rise?
"Tomoyo, Mirror is getting tired." Sakura whispered. Tomoyo frowned and looked discretely over her shoulder, at the exhausted card.
"The 'Queen' will have to escape, somehow. Tonight, when everyone is asleep, we will return her to her true form." Tomoyo suggested. Sakura nodded, but then frowned.
"But they are sure to put one of the men on guard duty. Perhaps if we wait until they put Tory on duty..." Sakura whispered. Tomoyo looked confused.
"Why Tory?"
"Just trust me." Sakura answered, turning back. She did not notice that King Hiiragizawa Eriol was standing quite near to them, smirking.
~*~*~*~
"Tory, you get first watch." Eriol stated, as they prepared to sleep. The girls looked at each other in happiness. What luck! King Li glared at Eriol, but the other young man paid him no mind, laying down and turning his back to them. Syaoran growled and then copied the other man, while Meiling snuggled up close to his back, much to his disgust.
Chiharu snuggled down into Yamazaki's arms, and fell asleep almost immediately, but Sakura and Tomoyo worked to stay awake long after they had all fallen to sleep. Taking Yamazaki's slight snores as a cue, both Tomoyo and Sakura raised their heads, looking at where Tory sat nearby. He was carving something into a piece of wood, and humming a song. The girls grinned at each other.
"Take Mirror out of sight, into the forest. I will distract Tory." Sakura whispered, her voice no more than a breath of air. Tomoyo nodded and got up, taking the 'Queen' with her. Sakura cautiously made her way over to Tory and sat down next to him. He smiled, but didn't look up.
"Father used to like to carve things for me in his spare time. He would make wonderful toys and such. When he disappeared, I took it up, making something for him once every year. This is for you, though." Tory said thoughtfully. Sakura leaned over, and saw that he was carving a lovely, decorative sakura blossom with vines in the background, into the wood. She gasped with delight and fingered the delicate design.
"It's lovely! I can't wait until it's done." She whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder. For someone she had never known, she sure got used to the fact he was her brother pretty quick. He smiled again and continued carving.
"You had better go meet Tomoyo. She will be getting impatient." He whispered, looking sly. Sakura gasped at his words, but stood up obediently and went to find her cousin.
"What took you so long? Poor Mirror has almost had it. We have to change it back fast." Tomoyo whispered, as she motioned to the card, which was now sitting on a stump, looking exhausted.
"Thank you, Mirror. We owe you so much. Now, how about a rest?" Sakura murmured, calling it back into it's card. Mirror smiled at her mistress, and then disappeared into her card.
"Sleep well." Sakura whispered to the card as she and Tomoyo quickly made their way back to the camp. They had to get some sleep. It was going to be bad enough when the King's found out about the missing 'Queen', so they might as well get a good nights sleep!
~*~*~*~
"Get up, you!"
Sakura moaned and opened her eyes, only to see a pair of cold amber ones staring right back.
"HOEEEEEEE!!!!" She shrieked, jumping backwards into Tomoyo, who woke up as well.
"Where is she?" Syaoran snapped, grabbing Sakura's wrist in a firm grip. Sakura yelped at his touch and pretended to play dumb.
"Where is who?" This did not make him any happier.
"The Queen! Where is she?" He hissed, tightening his grip. Sakura flinched and sighed.
"I suppose she escaped, just like she had been planning to do ever since she came here." Sakura answered finally. Syaoran growled.
"Then why did she leave you?"
"She can certainly get more maid-servants back at home! She didn't need us. We are just servants, after all." Sakura whispered. Behind her, Tomoyo flinched at her words. For the first time since they had met him, Syaoran seemed to be at a loss for words.
"She just left you here, even though she knew you might die?" Eriol asked softly, keeping his eyes on the nervous Tomoyo. Sakura nodded, but said nothing. Behind them, Tory/Touya was flexing his fists dangerously, looking venomously at King Li.
"Well then, we will continue this without her. She wouldn't dare to send an army on us, so we have nothing to fear. Besides. You must know where the room is, since you worked with her." Meiling sniffed. Tomoyo's patience snapped.
"Of course we know where the room is! Everyone who works for the queen knows where the room is, don't they Meiling? Therefore, you tell us where it is, since you are so smart! Oh, wait! I've forgotten. The queen didn't know, nor do we, so obviously, a snotty little traitor like you would either, would you? If we ever get out of this, I swear to the throne that I will see to it the queen beheads *you* first!" The raven haired girl screamed, her eyes flashing and her mouth quivering.
"Tomoyo..." Sakura breathed, but Tomoyo held up her hand.
"I am tired of your lies, Meiling. I thought we were friends. I thought that I could trust you. But I couldn't. None of us could. That is all you are Meiling. The Li's play-toy, their spy. You are nothing more, nothing less. They couldn't care less if you were a princess. In fact, I can almost promise you that they wouldn't even blink if you were to suddenly up and die. They would just find another spy, another that they could play with and make do their dirty work." By now, Tomoyo was crying softly, and she turned away quickly, striding away from them. Sakura whimpered and followed, intent on comforting her cousin. Eriol was smirking, while Syaoran simply looked shocked; Meiling, however, was sobbing softly, her head in her hands.
This was turning out to be the best trip in history, let me assure you.
~*~*~*~