DISCLAIMER:
They had been on the surface of the planet for about a week. The people of Diaten feared the outsiders and immediatly took them to see Letith, the leader of their council of 10. The one who made the rules. Letith had immediately taken to them and once he assured the riotous crowds that the off-worlders were safe, Rika, Syaoran, Eriol, and the guardians had free roam of the capital city.
Letith had light orange hair and skin that was tinted green. Suppi, who was on a slight sugar high at the time of their first meeting, bluntly asked if he dyed all of his skin and hair. Letith blinked. "No. I was born like this," and then laughed, noticing Rika out of the corner of his eye.
It was market day in the city and Rika and Nakuru decided they wanted to go explore. Even though Nakuru was a guardian, Syaoran refused to let them go alone. Letith had made sure they all had money. "Go and experience the wonders of Diaten," he said laughing.
The three of them sat in a park at midday, resting their tired feet. "My goodness, I've never done so much walking in my life," Nakuru complained.
"That's because you have wings," Syaoran retorted.
"That's not the point."
"Rika, when are you going to ask Letith about the key?"
"I already did," she answered miserably, "but all he did was laugh and say he had to find it."
"I don't trust him," Syaoran glared off into space.
"Do you trust anyone?" Nakuru sarcastically asked.
"Yes, just not immediately. I mean, did you see the way he looked at her?" he said, defending his suspicions.
"Syaoran, you think everyone's suspicious."
"Just you wait. If anything happens, I'm blaming Letith."
While Nakuru admonished him, he watched the people in the crowd. There were so many different types of people. He was not just refering to skin color, he was looking at people with four arms or three legs or seven fingers. It was simply amazing. No one in the market even looked "normal". There was one girl in the crowd, though, with short brown hair and green eyes....He and Rika must have noticed her at the same time because right as he yelled out, she gasped and covered her mouth.
"What?" Nakuru asked, completely oblivious to who they had just seen.
Syaoran and Rika looked at each other. "You saw that didn't you?" she asked him.
He nodded. "I don't see her any more though, do you?" He sounded disappointed.
"Nope."
"See what?" Nakuru demanded.
"We have to get back and tell the others," Rika said.
Syaoran nodded in agreement. "Nakuru, can you fly the two of us back?"
"I'm not Suppi or Kero, I can do one of you but not both."
"Never mind then, let's just go."
Navigating through the ocean of people was a much harder task going back than coming. It seemed as if no one wanted to let them through. No matter how much they excused and pardoned themselves they constantly found themselved being scrutinized in an unfriendly fashion. Half an hour later, when they finally reached Letith's home, where they were staying, the trio was completely out of breath and more than completely exhausted.
Eriol saw them running up the front steps and as soon as they were in the door, quesitoned them. "What's the matter?"
The only thing any of them could do was pant and gesture. "Water," one of them demanded.
Eriol obligingly brought them some water. By the time they had sufficiently recovered to talk coherently, Yue, Kero, Suppi, and Letith had joined them. "Is something wrong?" Letith asked innocently.
"I wouldn't exactally say 'wrong', Letith, it's more of a 'if we're right, we can all breath easy' deal," Rika explained.
"So what is it? You have me on the edge of my seat," Kero asked.
"You aren't sitting," Nakuru pointed out, which was true. He was hovering.
"I meant figuratively."
"That's enough for now. Look, guys, how many people on this planet have you seen that look like us?" Syaoran asked.
"No one," Eriol and Suppi said at the same time.
"Exactally. Sakura...she's here...."
Yue's eyes widened. He looked around and could tell everyone was trying to restrain their emotions. "I think...I think we must speak of this privately, the seven of us," Yue suggested.
"Yes, excuse us please, Letith," Suppi added, flying up to the rooms Letith had so graciously let them use.
When they were completely alone, Eriol spelled the room so no one could hear what they were talking about. That was when everyone started yelling at each other. Kero flew up to Syaoran and knocked on his head. "Are you sure you aren't just love-sick?" he demanded.
"I know Sakura when I see her."
"It did look a lot like her," Rika added.
"Nakuru?" Eriol asked.
"Hey, I saw nothing. I wasn't paying attention at the people," she shuddered.
"Is there a way we can go look for her?" Yue asked.
"It could be a trap," Suppi suggested.
"YEAH? Well what if it's NOT a trap?" Syaoran retorted.
"We should take some kind of precaution though, in case it is a trap, Syaoran," Eriol reminded him.
"Sakura would understand if we did, Syaoran," Rika said
Syoaran started to mope. Eriol lost his temper. "Look, Syaoran. We're going to look for Sakura. That's been decided, but tell me, from all your training at home, and capturing cards with Sakura, haven't you learned any kind of caution??" he demanded.
Syaoran looked like he was about to speak. "Fine. Take all the necessary precautions."
"It would be awkward if we were all out asking for her. We don't exactally blend in," Yue pointed out.
"Maybe we could ask Letith to send soldiers looking for someone who looks like us," Suppi asked.
"Then there's me no risk to any of us," Nakuru added, pointing out the merit in that plan.
"I want to help look for her though," Syaoran said.
"Maybe it's better though, if we let others do it for us. I'm sure Mistress Sakura wouldn't want us to be captured by Sobek."
"I don't think so either."
"Then it's settled," Eriol said, relieved.
"No...no it's not," Syaoran objected again.
"Why?"
"I don't trust Letith."
The volume in the room once again grew louder, each trying to make his own voice heard. But Rika was the only successful one.
"QUIET!" she demanded.
Surprised, they all looked at her. Once again, the steely glint of determination sparkled in her eyes. She pursed her lips and waited until everyone was watching her, making sure they saw the change in her. "I'm the reason Syaoran doesn't trust Letith. We went through this at the market place. We need to take precautions against Letith too."
"If I hadn't listened to the conversation, Rika, I wouldn't know what the heck you were talking about, Rika," Nakuru was the only one brave enough at the moment, to speak up.
"Right now, it doesn't matter why Syaoran suspects Letith, it only matters that he suspect him. If we're going to do this right, we're gong to take precautions against Letith too," she went on, ignoring Nakuru.
"Rika, I think that might be asking too much, we can either risk ourselves, or risk Letith. I say we risk Letith," Eriol said soothingly.
"Fine, we trust Letith. This time. What do you say Syaoran?" Rika relented after a few minutes of thinking.
"Yes. I agree."
"Are we all good then?" Eriol asked. "Because I do believe there's someone outside the door."
"We probably should hold on a few seconds. To make it look like we were having a rational conversation," Suppi suggested.
"Are you suggesting our conversation wasn't rational, Suppi dearest?" Nakuru deviously asked.
"We've had more rational ones I'd say," he answered, completely oblivious to Nakuru's attitude.
"I think I heard someone decide that today was pick on Suppi day again."
Suppi's head jerked up. "I can sit on you!"
"I'd like to see you try!"
Eriol laughed. Everything was back to normal now. He took the spell off the door and opened it. Letith stood outside. He took in the scene that was playing in the room. Nakuru was chasing Spinel Sun around the room, Syaoran was ignoring the hubbub and looking out the window. Yue was flying around, trying to avoid Suppi and Nakuru. Yet through all that, Eriol was still able to smile graciously and open the door, and Rika was able to loung in an easy chair. Yes, he soaked it all in. Especially Rika. "Ooookkkayyyy," he commented, unaware that he made that.
"Would you look at that?" Eriol called out. "It's Letith!"
Syaoran turned around to look, but other than that, everyone else continued to do what they were doing.
"Letith, I'd ask you to come in and sit, but I don't know if you want to risk getting knocked over," Eriol joked.
"No, no, that's ok. I'll just stay here..."
"We have a favor to ask of you. We're not sure if you can do it though," Eriol began.
Letith looked around. Syaoran noticed his wandering gaze hover around Rika and stepped forward to block his view of her.
"We were wondering if you could help us find someone," Eriol went on.
"It's a girl. She looks a lot like us, pale skin, dark hair. She has green eyes," Syaoran added.
"I'll do what I can," Letith agreed. "Does this girl have a name?"
"Sakura," Eriol answered.
"We thought it might me easier if you just sent some people out looking instead of us. We don't exactally fit in here," Syaoran explained, further blocking his view of Rika.
Letith gave up trying to see her. "I'll send people out right now."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Eight days ago, Sobek had sent her to this stupid place where no one was normal.
The only thing Sakura looked forward to was stealing the real Sakura's boyfriend.
She had been looking for them. She hadn't found them yet, but she knew they were in the country. There were stories of funny looking people from the stars. Sakura looked down on them. They were the funny looking ones, not her. Not her.
Everywhere she went, she was mistaken as one of them, but she wasn't. Sakura was staying in the country side. Fewer questions were asked there. Every morning, she wandered into the city and everynight, she returned home, disappointed that she hadn't found them. Sobek had given her nothing to facilitate communication between the two. The annoying bauble appeared everyonce in a while, telling her that Sobek was nearby, in the shadows.
During one of her daily walks through the city though, she found herself surrounded all of a sudden by people in crisp, bright uniforms. "The head councilman is looking for someone like you," one of them said.
"Oh, really? Why?" she retorted.
"You really don't want to go against him," the same one said again. His uniform had more metal on it. Sakura assumed he was the leader.
"Fine then."
"We're supposed to escort you to him..."
"As long as you keep your hands off me...." Sakura allowed herself to be lead to the house of Letith.
