AN: Hello! I'm Inferna and well, here is my second fic! My first was an
InuYasha fic called 'Cold Winters Night' and got a pretty big response for
any of you who like our loveable dog demon. Check it out if you like! But
anyways, please let me know if I should continue, cuz I won't if I don't
get at least 10 reviews. That's not much, so please review! I love to hear
from you all!
AN#2: One thing u need to know and understand before you read this, there are social classes in this fic, and the social classes are based on how powerful your magical aura is. Or in this case, the king would have the most powerful aura, or be able to cast the most powerful spells, whereas a peasant would have no magical powers at all. Commoners tend to have a little, if any, while the royalty has the most. Here's a social ladder incase you didn't get it. The ones closest to the top have the most powerful magical abilities.
King/Royal family
Nobleman
Castle Guards
People who work at the castle
Commoners
Peasants
Disclaimer: I own one CCS viz comic and my memories of all the CCS episodes and my visits to internet sites on CCS. But other than that, I don't own anything CCS. HINT!!! *COUx-masGH*
The Lone Little Wolf and the Cherry Blossom By Inferna
Chapter 1: The Wolf finds a Lost Flower
A chestnut lock of hair fell into the teenager's eyes. A bored look in his amber eyes, he blew it out of his face, his head resting propped up by his arm. Lazily, he moved his right index finger back and forth as the toothbrush followed his movement by itself, the only indication of magic was that the toothbrush glowed a slight green.
Li Syaoran sighed as he smelled the fresh spring air drifting in from the windows. How he wished to be outside on such a beautiful day! But no, as always, he was trapped. Trapped inside this prison he called home with his mother and stepsisters, they were the guards holding the keys.
"Syaoran!! Aren't you done YET?!" Speak of the devil... "Get down here this instant! You've had more than enough time to finish washing the floor!" Actually, he was only given one hour to scrub a 5 meter wide/long room with only a toothbrush. "Get down here and cook dinner NOW!!!!" The walls shook slightly, as if fearing her and wanting to run themselves.
"Yes, step-mother." Syaoran sighed, exasperated. How he hated that woman. Though it was nothing compared to how she hated him. Why she hated him, he had no idea. He didn't think it had anything to do with something he may have done to make her hate him so much. Well... there was that one time... He chuckled as he remembered the experience. Although at the time, it had been anything but funny.
***Flashback***
The young boy at around 8 years old quietly peaked into, and then sneaked into the hallway. His arms spread out wide and walking on his tip- toes, he snuck down the corridor in his black suit. He didn't care why his mother forbid him to go to the funeral. She had said he didn't have any right to be there for it. He thought otherwise. True, the man wasn't his real father, but he had treated Syaoran like a son, and that was good enough for Syaoran.
Quietly, he snuck into the room where the funeral was. He slipped into the back row and listened to his mother's speech about her late husband. As he listened to her, and looked at his stepfather, his young emotions began to get the better of him. As such he didn't notice the few noblemen in the row in front of him. Otherwise he may have hid his aura more. But he didn't, consequently.
The three noblemen came to a start. They felt an aura, other than themselves, in the room, and more importantly, a powerful aura. They immediately thought what noble would come to a commoner's, alright a very influential businessman's, funeral other than them selves, and one so powerful? They searched the room with their eyes until they realized the aura was right behind them. They turned, fearing the noble's wrath at being caught in the presence of such common folk.
They sweatdropped when they realized the aura came from the small boy behind them. But then, who was this boy with his strong green aura, they wondered as they glanced at each other and decided to find out.
"Young master, may we inquire your name?" asked the eldest noble, who seemed to be the leader, after they got up and approached the young and emotional Syaoran. They were surprised to see tears on his face. Tears? For a commoner?
Syaoran came to a start when he realized they were talking to him. -Did they just call me 'young master?'- "Li.... Li Syaoran." He answered. He looked at the podium up front where his mother stood. She had stopped her speech and was glaring at him. Syaoran's eyes went wide with terror as she began to walk up to him. The noblemen, however, didn't notice this as they continued to question him.
"A Li? But then your mother is..." He glanced at the woman walking towards them, "Who is your father Syaoran?"
Syaoran panicked as he saw his mother approach him. Quickly he bowed to the noblemen and said "I'm very sorry! But I must leave." Taking one last look at his fuming mother, his hair briefly stood on end and his eyes widened with terror, he turned and bolted through the door and down the hallway, seeming to be attempting to break the sound barrier. "Li Syaoran! You get back here this instant!" she yelled, furiously, at her son. "Li Syaoran! Get back here, now!!"
Syaoran ran as if his life depended on it, which it probably did. He jumped out the window and ran towards his pony, which he had prepared in case he needed to escape. He hopped on, and speed down the street like a bat out of hell.
***end flashback***
He sighed. That day he had returned home and magically (unknown to him) sealed himself in his small room. But the seal didn't hold out when he went to sleep. The next day he had been severely punished and was told to slave after his sisters. He remembered that day as being the worst day in his entire life. And the beginning of this new and horrible one.
"Syaoran!!!" he sighed and ran towards the kitchen. He couldn't wait for school the next day. School was his only escape from his so-called family.
________________________________________________________________________
It was dark, nighttime, with a full moon. Li Syaoran blinked many times to adjust his eyes. -Where... Where am I?- he thought. He was on top of a very high wall overlooking the castle. -What am I doing here?- he looked out towards the cherry blossom garden in full bloom. - I feel... something, no someone, is coming. But who?- he thought.
Then in the midst of the sakura trees, he saw a figure walking stealthily through the trees towards him. He began to panic. What if he was caught? No commoner was allowed inside the castle grounds! And no commoner had ever dared to try. Despite his panic attacks and urge to run, he stayed and watched as the person walked closer and closer to him. By now he could tell it was a young woman. He still couldn't see her face however, it was too dark. She reached the wall where he was standing. She looked up at him. She had shoulder length auburn hair, and she wore a commoner's dress. He still couldn't see her face. Then, she glowed a slight pink and gently floated up towards him. His feet still refused to move. Despite his inner panic, his face remained calm, much to his surprise. When she was level with is eyes, he could finally see her face. She had the most beautiful emerald eyes he had ever seen, and had never seen before. She seemed to look straight through him. The she floated closer to him, and closer, and closer until he realized she had floated through him without even noticing him. Shocked, he turned around to watch her float back down to the ground, her head constantly moving back and forth, obviously looking for anyone to see her.
Syaoran decided to follow her. As soon as her feet reached the ground, she broke out into a run. He jumped down to follow her and run after her. But as soon as his feet touched the ground, his eyes snapped open and he awoke standing and listening to the sounds and smells of something burning. He realized then that what he saw as another vision while he was cooking dinner. He mentally cursed himself as he heard his mother ask his sister, Fuutie, if she would check up on him. He knew what would happen too if she found out he burned the food. Not that it was his fault, but they always blamed him for everything anyway.
There wasn't any time. Syaoran turned around and bolted through the door as he heard his sister yell down to his mother about the status of dinner and the whereabouts of the cook. He cursed again as he ran away from home for the... Wait, he lost count of how many times he ran away and was force back home. He just ran and ran, not really caring where. After all the times he ran way before, he knew how to survive on the streets. This time would be no different. Actually, he had no idea how different. He had no idea that his destiny was right around the next corner.
Literally. As he ran down the next street, he knew these streets by heart, he noticed that the full moon was out tonight. But as he turned and speed down the street, something speed into him, or rather, someone. He hit the ground hard, the person falling with him, and the person fell on top of him. As such when he fell, his head hit the hard ground and he felt dizzy.
"Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" a pleasant, young, feminine voice said.
"Uh, yeah, I guess." Said Syaoran, rubbing his aching head. "I'm alright. What about..." he said as he turned to look at her. "YOU!" he said when he saw her face. She had shoulder length auburn hair, which clung to her face in sweat, and the brightest green eyes he'd ever seen. There was no doubt in his mind, this was the girl in his vision that he had only minutes ago.
"Uh... I'm alright!" she said with a smile. She held out a hand to help him up. Which he saw, but didn't take as he stood up and glared at her. -There's more to this girl than meets the eye. I can tell. But what makes her so special?- he thought as he glared at her. -Hooeeee... What is with this guy? Why is he staring at me? His stare... I feel as though he is looking right into my soul. Oh no... Does he suspect anything? Cuz if he does, I'm in big trouble.- thought the girl.
Suddenly, Syaoran jerked his head away and looked some distance behind her. He listened intently.
"Hey, um..." she started to bring up a conversation. But he quickly put his hand over her mouth, his eyes never leaving that spot in the distance. Then, faster than lightning, he shoved her into the bushes with him, still holding her mouth. He helped her up then put his finger in front of his lips to tell her to be quiet. When he was sure she wouldn't say anything, he removed his hand and looked out past the bushes they were hiding in towards the road. Then they heard it. Hoof beats of many horses pounded the ground. They stopped on the intersection of the two roads (right by where Syaoran and the girl were hiding). Then they heard the voices of the guards.
"Which way did she go?"
"She was here. We saw her."
"Where is the Princess?"
"Why would a princess run away, anyway?"
"She came this way."
"We'll split up into two groups and follow both roads." Ordered the Captain of the Guard. He pointed to about half his royal guards. "You take the left path. The rest of us will take the right path. Move out!" Then the royal guardsmen separated and went down their assigned paths.
When they were out of sight, Syaoran turned toward the girl and grabbed her hand and pulled/dragged her to a nearby tree and told her to climb up.
"What? Why?" she said.
"Well, Princess, the guards will come back when they realize you never went that way. The tree is a much better hiding spot than that bush."
"What?! How did you know I was the princess?!?"
"It was easy, they said she came this way and you obviously don't know your way around and you were just blindly running when we bumped into each other. Besides, you don't know a thing about survival on the streets. Also you're more powerful than you look, your aura, you're hiding it. I can tell." said Syaoran. She sighed.
"That easy, huh? Some disguise. You know, I ran away to get away from that title."
"What title, Princess?"
"That title."
"Oh. Well, come on. They'll be back any minute. Can you climb up?"
"Yeah, I think though I might need a boost."
They both walked up to the cherry blossom tree. Syaoran linked his hands, bracing himself for the extra weight, and she put her foot into his linked hands and with his help, reached the lowest branch. She pulled herself up and moved over so he could get up. He easily jumped up and landed on the branch in the spot she had left for him. Then he said "We need to go higher. They'll be able to see us from here."
"Hooeeee!? Higher??"
"Yeah. Come on." She took a look down at the ground and, without noticing, quickly grabbed a tight hold on his strong arm. His hair stood on end as he turned red as a tomato. "Hooeeee!? We're that high up?!" She held on tighter, cutting off his circulation in his arm.
"Princess!! Would you please let go of my arm and climb to a higher branch?"
"Would you PLEASE stop calling me that?"
"The guards will be here soon! We NEED to move higher!!! Unless you WANT to get caught?"
"Fine, fine." - Just don't look down. Hey, if you can fly, you can do this Sakura.- (no she's not being sarcastic) She let go of his arm as she climbed up. He climbed up after her.
The air was filled with the smell of cherry blossoms as they watched and waited in silence for the guards to return. Finally, she couldn't take the silence any longer. She wanted to know more about this guy who had saved her. "So, um, ..."
He put his hand over her mouth and put a finger in front of his own to signal her to be quiet. He took his hand away and pointed down towards the road. Just as he did so, four horsemen on horseback galloped at full speed in the direction of the castle. When they were gone Syaoran said "They're going to the castle to report to the King that they haven't found any sign of you. The rest have probably split up in all directions still looking. It's going to be harder than ever for you to be able to keep avoiding them without my help."
"I don't need your help!"
"No. You're gonna need me if you wanna survive on the streets."
"I can defend myself! I don't need you! I've taken defense lessons!"
"Maybe. But you haven't ever been outside the palace walls before, PRINCESS, I have. And besides, you don't want to get caught by the guards, now do you? I thought you ran away to get away from that title?"
"..." With that, he jumped down out of the tree. "Hey! Where are you going?"
"Well, we can't stay in the tree forever. Where did you plan on staying after you ran away?"
"My friend Madison's house. It's past this forest." She pointed to the forest behind them.
"Is this Madison person trustworthy?"
"Yes, her sister, Tomoyo, was my personal servant at the castle. I've always trusted them both. I trust them with my life."
"All right then jump down and let's go."
"But that's ... really far..."
"Don't be such a wuss! You want to be stuck up there the rest of your life?"
"No!"
"Then come down!"
"But..."
"Look. Just jump down and I'll catch you, okay? I promise nothing will happen to you, alright?"
"You... you do?"
"Yes. Nothing will happen to you."
"Alright then." She jumps and he catches her but he loses his balance and then they fall. Sakura on top of him again. "Oh! Uh... heheh...Sorry." She says while blushing and helps up a very red Syaoran. He sighs. "Oh, don't worry about it... But now we have to move before they come back and find us."
Then he grabbed her hand and ran with her into the forest with what seemed to her was demonic speed. Though it was anything but that. As she desperately tried to keep up, she was also trying to hold up her dress so it would not get caught and damaged on the branches they were speeding by. But this also slowed her down and as such she stumbled quite a lot. He soon noticed this and stopped and turned towards her. Because of her haste, she fails to notice this and runs right into him.
"You seem to be doing that a lot. Are you really this much of a klutz?"
"Huh? Oh... No. It's just my dress..."
"Oh. Yeah. You're going to make a really convincing commoner. No one will ever guess you were the princess." He said sarcastically.
With that, she tore her dress off a little above the knees and said, "well, let's go then."
At that, Syaoran was surprised. Never in his wildest dreams would he imagine a princess would do such a thing. He stared at her as she smoothly and calmly walked by. Immediately he thought, this was no ordinary princess. Not the typical snobby princess.
"You were the one who said I didn't know my way around and don't know a thing about survival on the streets, so why are you just standing there staring? Lead the way." She said, densely. He shook his head to clear it then easily leaped over her and ran through the forest again. She quickly followed and ran after him.
Now about an hour after nonstop all-out running, Princess Sakura was beginning to get tired (pretty darn good for a princess, especially w/all that running before while trying to hold up her dress). Syaoran noticed this and stopped. She ran up to him and panted, leaning both hands on her knees, when she finally reached him. "At the rate you're going the guards will surely catch us." Syaoran said, knowing full well they weren't going fast enough despite her speed.
"Oh. Well. Excuse me for having the need to breath! Unless you have a better ideaAAAHHH!" she started to reply but he cut her off when he, in one swift and smooth motion, he lifted her up off her feet and carried her while running off again at full speed towards Madison's house on the other side of the forest. In her surprise, she threw her arms around his neck as he began to dash through the trees, causing him to blush. But he just shook it off and kept running. Princess Sakura didn't dare say anything as she feared he voice, being the position she was in. During the ride, she blushed many times, usually when Syaoran had to re-adjust her position, every time pulling her closer to him sin some fashion or another. Little did she know, he blushed at these times as well. Time seemed to be flying by as fast as Syaoran was running.
Sakura became disappointed as she noticed the woods beginning to clear up. Then she saw a relatively medium sized house where she assumed Madison lived with her family.
"This is where I leave you princess." He said, with her still in his arms. He slowly walked up to the house. Sakura sighed as he let her down by the front doors of Madison's house. -Oh, I could stay in those arms forever.. Wait, did I just think that?-
"I'll.. uh... See you around, I guess."
"Yeah, I better go." Syaoran said.
As he turned to go, she grabbed his hand. "Wait!" he stopped and turned back towards her, surprised. "I don't know you're name." He smiled his first smile in years.
"Li Syaoran."
"Syaoran, you may call me Sakura." They shook hands, and when they were done, their hands lingered, still linked together, neither one wanting to break the connection. They reluctantly let go.
"You should change your name somehow. Someone might recognize it."
"Yeah, you're right. I'll do that. Thanks Syaoran!" with that, she hugged him, surprising him. "And I mean that, thanks for everything! If not for you, I'd have been caught! You didn't have to help me but you did without even being asked to! And what if you were caught with me? You could have been killed! Thank you so much for everything! You're the best!" By now she had buried her head in his chest. And by now, Syaoran's face couldn't be redder.
"Uh, you're... welcome?" said the tomato-red Syaoran.
Reluctantly, she let go. "I'll see you again, Syaoran. I will repay my debt to you. I promise you that."
With that, he nodded and turned and walked away.
AN#2: One thing u need to know and understand before you read this, there are social classes in this fic, and the social classes are based on how powerful your magical aura is. Or in this case, the king would have the most powerful aura, or be able to cast the most powerful spells, whereas a peasant would have no magical powers at all. Commoners tend to have a little, if any, while the royalty has the most. Here's a social ladder incase you didn't get it. The ones closest to the top have the most powerful magical abilities.
King/Royal family
Nobleman
Castle Guards
People who work at the castle
Commoners
Peasants
Disclaimer: I own one CCS viz comic and my memories of all the CCS episodes and my visits to internet sites on CCS. But other than that, I don't own anything CCS. HINT!!! *COUx-masGH*
The Lone Little Wolf and the Cherry Blossom By Inferna
Chapter 1: The Wolf finds a Lost Flower
A chestnut lock of hair fell into the teenager's eyes. A bored look in his amber eyes, he blew it out of his face, his head resting propped up by his arm. Lazily, he moved his right index finger back and forth as the toothbrush followed his movement by itself, the only indication of magic was that the toothbrush glowed a slight green.
Li Syaoran sighed as he smelled the fresh spring air drifting in from the windows. How he wished to be outside on such a beautiful day! But no, as always, he was trapped. Trapped inside this prison he called home with his mother and stepsisters, they were the guards holding the keys.
"Syaoran!! Aren't you done YET?!" Speak of the devil... "Get down here this instant! You've had more than enough time to finish washing the floor!" Actually, he was only given one hour to scrub a 5 meter wide/long room with only a toothbrush. "Get down here and cook dinner NOW!!!!" The walls shook slightly, as if fearing her and wanting to run themselves.
"Yes, step-mother." Syaoran sighed, exasperated. How he hated that woman. Though it was nothing compared to how she hated him. Why she hated him, he had no idea. He didn't think it had anything to do with something he may have done to make her hate him so much. Well... there was that one time... He chuckled as he remembered the experience. Although at the time, it had been anything but funny.
***Flashback***
The young boy at around 8 years old quietly peaked into, and then sneaked into the hallway. His arms spread out wide and walking on his tip- toes, he snuck down the corridor in his black suit. He didn't care why his mother forbid him to go to the funeral. She had said he didn't have any right to be there for it. He thought otherwise. True, the man wasn't his real father, but he had treated Syaoran like a son, and that was good enough for Syaoran.
Quietly, he snuck into the room where the funeral was. He slipped into the back row and listened to his mother's speech about her late husband. As he listened to her, and looked at his stepfather, his young emotions began to get the better of him. As such he didn't notice the few noblemen in the row in front of him. Otherwise he may have hid his aura more. But he didn't, consequently.
The three noblemen came to a start. They felt an aura, other than themselves, in the room, and more importantly, a powerful aura. They immediately thought what noble would come to a commoner's, alright a very influential businessman's, funeral other than them selves, and one so powerful? They searched the room with their eyes until they realized the aura was right behind them. They turned, fearing the noble's wrath at being caught in the presence of such common folk.
They sweatdropped when they realized the aura came from the small boy behind them. But then, who was this boy with his strong green aura, they wondered as they glanced at each other and decided to find out.
"Young master, may we inquire your name?" asked the eldest noble, who seemed to be the leader, after they got up and approached the young and emotional Syaoran. They were surprised to see tears on his face. Tears? For a commoner?
Syaoran came to a start when he realized they were talking to him. -Did they just call me 'young master?'- "Li.... Li Syaoran." He answered. He looked at the podium up front where his mother stood. She had stopped her speech and was glaring at him. Syaoran's eyes went wide with terror as she began to walk up to him. The noblemen, however, didn't notice this as they continued to question him.
"A Li? But then your mother is..." He glanced at the woman walking towards them, "Who is your father Syaoran?"
Syaoran panicked as he saw his mother approach him. Quickly he bowed to the noblemen and said "I'm very sorry! But I must leave." Taking one last look at his fuming mother, his hair briefly stood on end and his eyes widened with terror, he turned and bolted through the door and down the hallway, seeming to be attempting to break the sound barrier. "Li Syaoran! You get back here this instant!" she yelled, furiously, at her son. "Li Syaoran! Get back here, now!!"
Syaoran ran as if his life depended on it, which it probably did. He jumped out the window and ran towards his pony, which he had prepared in case he needed to escape. He hopped on, and speed down the street like a bat out of hell.
***end flashback***
He sighed. That day he had returned home and magically (unknown to him) sealed himself in his small room. But the seal didn't hold out when he went to sleep. The next day he had been severely punished and was told to slave after his sisters. He remembered that day as being the worst day in his entire life. And the beginning of this new and horrible one.
"Syaoran!!!" he sighed and ran towards the kitchen. He couldn't wait for school the next day. School was his only escape from his so-called family.
________________________________________________________________________
It was dark, nighttime, with a full moon. Li Syaoran blinked many times to adjust his eyes. -Where... Where am I?- he thought. He was on top of a very high wall overlooking the castle. -What am I doing here?- he looked out towards the cherry blossom garden in full bloom. - I feel... something, no someone, is coming. But who?- he thought.
Then in the midst of the sakura trees, he saw a figure walking stealthily through the trees towards him. He began to panic. What if he was caught? No commoner was allowed inside the castle grounds! And no commoner had ever dared to try. Despite his panic attacks and urge to run, he stayed and watched as the person walked closer and closer to him. By now he could tell it was a young woman. He still couldn't see her face however, it was too dark. She reached the wall where he was standing. She looked up at him. She had shoulder length auburn hair, and she wore a commoner's dress. He still couldn't see her face. Then, she glowed a slight pink and gently floated up towards him. His feet still refused to move. Despite his inner panic, his face remained calm, much to his surprise. When she was level with is eyes, he could finally see her face. She had the most beautiful emerald eyes he had ever seen, and had never seen before. She seemed to look straight through him. The she floated closer to him, and closer, and closer until he realized she had floated through him without even noticing him. Shocked, he turned around to watch her float back down to the ground, her head constantly moving back and forth, obviously looking for anyone to see her.
Syaoran decided to follow her. As soon as her feet reached the ground, she broke out into a run. He jumped down to follow her and run after her. But as soon as his feet touched the ground, his eyes snapped open and he awoke standing and listening to the sounds and smells of something burning. He realized then that what he saw as another vision while he was cooking dinner. He mentally cursed himself as he heard his mother ask his sister, Fuutie, if she would check up on him. He knew what would happen too if she found out he burned the food. Not that it was his fault, but they always blamed him for everything anyway.
There wasn't any time. Syaoran turned around and bolted through the door as he heard his sister yell down to his mother about the status of dinner and the whereabouts of the cook. He cursed again as he ran away from home for the... Wait, he lost count of how many times he ran away and was force back home. He just ran and ran, not really caring where. After all the times he ran way before, he knew how to survive on the streets. This time would be no different. Actually, he had no idea how different. He had no idea that his destiny was right around the next corner.
Literally. As he ran down the next street, he knew these streets by heart, he noticed that the full moon was out tonight. But as he turned and speed down the street, something speed into him, or rather, someone. He hit the ground hard, the person falling with him, and the person fell on top of him. As such when he fell, his head hit the hard ground and he felt dizzy.
"Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" a pleasant, young, feminine voice said.
"Uh, yeah, I guess." Said Syaoran, rubbing his aching head. "I'm alright. What about..." he said as he turned to look at her. "YOU!" he said when he saw her face. She had shoulder length auburn hair, which clung to her face in sweat, and the brightest green eyes he'd ever seen. There was no doubt in his mind, this was the girl in his vision that he had only minutes ago.
"Uh... I'm alright!" she said with a smile. She held out a hand to help him up. Which he saw, but didn't take as he stood up and glared at her. -There's more to this girl than meets the eye. I can tell. But what makes her so special?- he thought as he glared at her. -Hooeeee... What is with this guy? Why is he staring at me? His stare... I feel as though he is looking right into my soul. Oh no... Does he suspect anything? Cuz if he does, I'm in big trouble.- thought the girl.
Suddenly, Syaoran jerked his head away and looked some distance behind her. He listened intently.
"Hey, um..." she started to bring up a conversation. But he quickly put his hand over her mouth, his eyes never leaving that spot in the distance. Then, faster than lightning, he shoved her into the bushes with him, still holding her mouth. He helped her up then put his finger in front of his lips to tell her to be quiet. When he was sure she wouldn't say anything, he removed his hand and looked out past the bushes they were hiding in towards the road. Then they heard it. Hoof beats of many horses pounded the ground. They stopped on the intersection of the two roads (right by where Syaoran and the girl were hiding). Then they heard the voices of the guards.
"Which way did she go?"
"She was here. We saw her."
"Where is the Princess?"
"Why would a princess run away, anyway?"
"She came this way."
"We'll split up into two groups and follow both roads." Ordered the Captain of the Guard. He pointed to about half his royal guards. "You take the left path. The rest of us will take the right path. Move out!" Then the royal guardsmen separated and went down their assigned paths.
When they were out of sight, Syaoran turned toward the girl and grabbed her hand and pulled/dragged her to a nearby tree and told her to climb up.
"What? Why?" she said.
"Well, Princess, the guards will come back when they realize you never went that way. The tree is a much better hiding spot than that bush."
"What?! How did you know I was the princess?!?"
"It was easy, they said she came this way and you obviously don't know your way around and you were just blindly running when we bumped into each other. Besides, you don't know a thing about survival on the streets. Also you're more powerful than you look, your aura, you're hiding it. I can tell." said Syaoran. She sighed.
"That easy, huh? Some disguise. You know, I ran away to get away from that title."
"What title, Princess?"
"That title."
"Oh. Well, come on. They'll be back any minute. Can you climb up?"
"Yeah, I think though I might need a boost."
They both walked up to the cherry blossom tree. Syaoran linked his hands, bracing himself for the extra weight, and she put her foot into his linked hands and with his help, reached the lowest branch. She pulled herself up and moved over so he could get up. He easily jumped up and landed on the branch in the spot she had left for him. Then he said "We need to go higher. They'll be able to see us from here."
"Hooeeee!? Higher??"
"Yeah. Come on." She took a look down at the ground and, without noticing, quickly grabbed a tight hold on his strong arm. His hair stood on end as he turned red as a tomato. "Hooeeee!? We're that high up?!" She held on tighter, cutting off his circulation in his arm.
"Princess!! Would you please let go of my arm and climb to a higher branch?"
"Would you PLEASE stop calling me that?"
"The guards will be here soon! We NEED to move higher!!! Unless you WANT to get caught?"
"Fine, fine." - Just don't look down. Hey, if you can fly, you can do this Sakura.- (no she's not being sarcastic) She let go of his arm as she climbed up. He climbed up after her.
The air was filled with the smell of cherry blossoms as they watched and waited in silence for the guards to return. Finally, she couldn't take the silence any longer. She wanted to know more about this guy who had saved her. "So, um, ..."
He put his hand over her mouth and put a finger in front of his own to signal her to be quiet. He took his hand away and pointed down towards the road. Just as he did so, four horsemen on horseback galloped at full speed in the direction of the castle. When they were gone Syaoran said "They're going to the castle to report to the King that they haven't found any sign of you. The rest have probably split up in all directions still looking. It's going to be harder than ever for you to be able to keep avoiding them without my help."
"I don't need your help!"
"No. You're gonna need me if you wanna survive on the streets."
"I can defend myself! I don't need you! I've taken defense lessons!"
"Maybe. But you haven't ever been outside the palace walls before, PRINCESS, I have. And besides, you don't want to get caught by the guards, now do you? I thought you ran away to get away from that title?"
"..." With that, he jumped down out of the tree. "Hey! Where are you going?"
"Well, we can't stay in the tree forever. Where did you plan on staying after you ran away?"
"My friend Madison's house. It's past this forest." She pointed to the forest behind them.
"Is this Madison person trustworthy?"
"Yes, her sister, Tomoyo, was my personal servant at the castle. I've always trusted them both. I trust them with my life."
"All right then jump down and let's go."
"But that's ... really far..."
"Don't be such a wuss! You want to be stuck up there the rest of your life?"
"No!"
"Then come down!"
"But..."
"Look. Just jump down and I'll catch you, okay? I promise nothing will happen to you, alright?"
"You... you do?"
"Yes. Nothing will happen to you."
"Alright then." She jumps and he catches her but he loses his balance and then they fall. Sakura on top of him again. "Oh! Uh... heheh...Sorry." She says while blushing and helps up a very red Syaoran. He sighs. "Oh, don't worry about it... But now we have to move before they come back and find us."
Then he grabbed her hand and ran with her into the forest with what seemed to her was demonic speed. Though it was anything but that. As she desperately tried to keep up, she was also trying to hold up her dress so it would not get caught and damaged on the branches they were speeding by. But this also slowed her down and as such she stumbled quite a lot. He soon noticed this and stopped and turned towards her. Because of her haste, she fails to notice this and runs right into him.
"You seem to be doing that a lot. Are you really this much of a klutz?"
"Huh? Oh... No. It's just my dress..."
"Oh. Yeah. You're going to make a really convincing commoner. No one will ever guess you were the princess." He said sarcastically.
With that, she tore her dress off a little above the knees and said, "well, let's go then."
At that, Syaoran was surprised. Never in his wildest dreams would he imagine a princess would do such a thing. He stared at her as she smoothly and calmly walked by. Immediately he thought, this was no ordinary princess. Not the typical snobby princess.
"You were the one who said I didn't know my way around and don't know a thing about survival on the streets, so why are you just standing there staring? Lead the way." She said, densely. He shook his head to clear it then easily leaped over her and ran through the forest again. She quickly followed and ran after him.
Now about an hour after nonstop all-out running, Princess Sakura was beginning to get tired (pretty darn good for a princess, especially w/all that running before while trying to hold up her dress). Syaoran noticed this and stopped. She ran up to him and panted, leaning both hands on her knees, when she finally reached him. "At the rate you're going the guards will surely catch us." Syaoran said, knowing full well they weren't going fast enough despite her speed.
"Oh. Well. Excuse me for having the need to breath! Unless you have a better ideaAAAHHH!" she started to reply but he cut her off when he, in one swift and smooth motion, he lifted her up off her feet and carried her while running off again at full speed towards Madison's house on the other side of the forest. In her surprise, she threw her arms around his neck as he began to dash through the trees, causing him to blush. But he just shook it off and kept running. Princess Sakura didn't dare say anything as she feared he voice, being the position she was in. During the ride, she blushed many times, usually when Syaoran had to re-adjust her position, every time pulling her closer to him sin some fashion or another. Little did she know, he blushed at these times as well. Time seemed to be flying by as fast as Syaoran was running.
Sakura became disappointed as she noticed the woods beginning to clear up. Then she saw a relatively medium sized house where she assumed Madison lived with her family.
"This is where I leave you princess." He said, with her still in his arms. He slowly walked up to the house. Sakura sighed as he let her down by the front doors of Madison's house. -Oh, I could stay in those arms forever.. Wait, did I just think that?-
"I'll.. uh... See you around, I guess."
"Yeah, I better go." Syaoran said.
As he turned to go, she grabbed his hand. "Wait!" he stopped and turned back towards her, surprised. "I don't know you're name." He smiled his first smile in years.
"Li Syaoran."
"Syaoran, you may call me Sakura." They shook hands, and when they were done, their hands lingered, still linked together, neither one wanting to break the connection. They reluctantly let go.
"You should change your name somehow. Someone might recognize it."
"Yeah, you're right. I'll do that. Thanks Syaoran!" with that, she hugged him, surprising him. "And I mean that, thanks for everything! If not for you, I'd have been caught! You didn't have to help me but you did without even being asked to! And what if you were caught with me? You could have been killed! Thank you so much for everything! You're the best!" By now she had buried her head in his chest. And by now, Syaoran's face couldn't be redder.
"Uh, you're... welcome?" said the tomato-red Syaoran.
Reluctantly, she let go. "I'll see you again, Syaoran. I will repay my debt to you. I promise you that."
With that, he nodded and turned and walked away.