Disclaimer: Does CCS belong to me??
-Rubs the 8 Ball hopefully, then looks down and sighs-
"Not a chance"
Author's Note(s): Woohoo! 99 Reviews! Whoa! Can you believe this is chapter 15? Wow. I'm happy. I definitely like this story. I'm glad you guys like my leaf-man. It was one of my favorite ideas.
Hawaiikel-Well, I see you had many questions for me. Let's see. About the bodiless spirits? Well, as you can see, they play a lot on elements, particularly the wind. The wind was moving back and forth (carrying the spirit) between the two. He was moving. So I wanted Touya to move aside. Not only that, but it made his gesture for the spirit to continue a little more. . . obvious. Um, as for the names. I know that's slightly strange, I was hit by that too, but, you see, I have hardly seen the English version. (I've seen the Japanese kind with subtitles). Of the few names I HAVE seen, however, I hate them. So I kept the original Japanese names. And as for him being king of Britain, I went back and changed that a couple days ago. I decided I wanted him to just be king of a fictional place (I think I called it Aleka). So basically, I kept the names but placed them in a westernized culture. I'm sorry if there was any confusion. I will admit once, when I introduced Sakura, I used her name the way it would be read in Japanese culture, last before first. I haven't done that again. WHEW! Long explanation. ^_^
Oh, and as for Nireko? She's Nireko. Of course she doesn't fear the king's wrath.
Dacia- lol, I'm a softy though. I can't kill off my two favorite people. And neither Sekai nor Aditi can die b/c they're spirits. But if you want, I'll kill Sekai's dreams of Sakura? ^-^
Yuki Rabbit-Yes, there's something I definitely can't complain about. I love my reviewers. Especially considering I check out almost everyone who signs (look at their stories and such). Most of my reviewers are quite accomplished writers themselves, and it definitely feels good to have them compliment my own work. Which reminds me. I checked your profile (^-^). You're at Berkeley? Impressive.
Jbg- Thanks, I definitely liked that quote too.
Ah! Lots of shout outs! So here's a shout out to EVERYONE ELSE! Oh and one more thing. I finally did it. I started a third story. Only the first chapter is up, and I'm already in love with it. It's called Rivals. Check it out if you get time.
****
Syaoran bent down, using the grass to wipe his blade clean. He heard the others behind him doing the same. He remained still in that position for a moment, letting his thoughts wander to Sakura.
'She better be okay. If I find out Sekai has hurt her-' He let the angry thought hang in the air. Exhaling slowly, he let his head droop in self- anguish. A pitying thought escaped its tight confine.
'I can't lose her. I finally find love and it's taken away from me? I won't let it.'
The wind stirred near him. He felt a warm presence on his shoulder. She didn't speak right away, and yet her presence calmed him slightly.
A gasp came from the spirit. He looked up, alarmed. Her voice rang out, alerting all of the men in the clearing.
"Sekai's power has grown. He has taken a human-like form. Soon he will have a pure human form."
Syaoran's cursed. "Why is he so set upon her?" he grumbled to himself.
Aditi heard. "Because, little wolf, he sees something in her that reminds him of someone else."
Touya stepped forward, his scowl ever-present. "As much as I'd like to delve farther into this spirit's psyche, can't we just go get her now?"
Aditi sighed. "Patience. Tend to your new guest first."
Three pairs of eyes turned to face Yema. He nearly blushed under the sudden attention. Syaoran's eyes looked over him intently, searching for a wound. When his gaze fell across the man's arm, he gasped. Near the collarbone, there was a deep gash.
****
Yukito also noticed it. He hurriedly walked to his saddlebag, unzipping it and removing a two small green leaves. He beckoned Yema to him, and Yema came uncertainly. He stood in front of Yukito nervously.
Yukito bent down, grabbing the nearest rock. Quickly, he pounded the leaf until it was pulpy. Gingerly, Yukito pulled the man's shirt away. Ignoring the man's flinch, he placed the pulp atop the wound. The man jumped.
"Sorry, there's a bit of a sting," he said sheepishly.
Picking a leaf off a nearby tree, he placed it on the pulp to seal it. The man winced at the touch.
Yukito turned, addressing the other two men. "The next stream we find, we must stop and wash the wound, then reapply the Kireto leaves."
His highness looked at Yukito with wide eyes, obviously impressed. He couldn't help but blush slightly. He turned his head and caught Touya's small smile. He smiled back, causing Touya to widen his own. He loved the way he could make Touya smile.
The king turned to Yema. "The men that were chasing you-- did they have horses?"
Yema looked up, obviously still nervous to have the king speaking to him. Yukito felt pity for the man.
"Yes, they were camped out a little ways back. Their horses were tied up there." He pointed in the direction he had come from. The king scowled.
"We might as well go collect the horses. You'll be needing a horse if you are to come with us."
Yukito felt Aditi stir. He addressed her.
"My lady spirit, can you scout for the horses and tell us how far they are?"
He felt her warmth grow. She was pleased with his show of respect.
"As you wish, rabbit."
He felt her leave. She would be back soon.
****
'Finally a human who shows me the proper respect. I was beginning to think manners were wasted upon the whole species,' she thought happily as she flew over the forest.
Soon, she found the abandoned camp. She was turning to leave when she saw movement. Curiosity got the better of her and she swooped down to see.
When she arrived on the ground, she could see no one. Puzzled, she let her aura float around until it hit an obstruction. The obstruction laughed.
"What are you doing here, Aditi?"
She recognized the leaf-man. It was a form she herself used sometimes. She sent heat his way, stifling his laughter slightly. "I am cleaning up your mess, Sekai."
His laugh was now closer to a growl. "How many times do I have to tell you it is not your business?"
"You are holding a girl from her lover."
He snorted angrily. "He does not deserve her."
She threw magic at him, circling around him quickly. "She loves him, Sekai. You must let go. She no longer wants your protection."
He forced her magic back at her. "She does not know what she wants. She does not know what she needs. I am helping her."
"By kidnapping her?"
"By taking her somewhere safe."
Aditi was silent for a moment. She decided to take a different approach.
"The cherry blossom is not Nikia."
Sekai appeared stunned for a moment. "I told you not to bring her up, Aditi."
"You think she is Nikia."
"I do not."
She reprimanded herself for not seeing it before. "I was stupid. I should have known. I thought you only wanted to protect the cherry blossom from your mistake. I never thought you'd be stupid enough to believe you could make her your own Nikia."
Angrily, he punched the air where she hovering. She laughed at him. "You are the one with the body, Sekai. Your punches cannot hurt me."
He was growing more and more frustrated. Aditi could feel his anger building up.
"Sekai, let the girl go."
His eyes flashed. "She does not want to leave."
An image of the cave flashed. "Then why did you have to put a boulder in front of the cave?"
Sekai turned and started to walk away without a word. Angrily, Aditi flew forward.
"Let the girl go, now. I am tired of playing your games."
He swiped carelessly at her. "Go away, Aditi. I have more important business to attend to."
He left her seething in her anger.
****
"We must hurry," was the first thing Aditi said when she returned to the men. Syaoran nearly jumped in surprise. He had been so engulfed in his thoughts he hadn't heard her approach.
The men hurriedly mounted their horses, with Yema uncomfortably seated behind Yukito.
The spirit hovered near Syaoran's ear, speaking simple directions to him. Her warmth was now stifling. Syaoran clucked his tongue.
"You seem mad."
She let out a small sound that suspiciously resembled a growl. Syaoran fought to control his grin.
"You've been like that since you got back from the camp."
She was silent.
"What happened? Did a horse bite you or something?"
She made another sound. It was clearly a growl this time. Her anger erupted.
"Human, I suggest you quiet or I will arrange for a horse to bite your arrogant ass. And I'm not talking about a donkey."
In a fluster, she flew away. He chuckled to himself. The sound seemed almost foreign. It was the first time he had laughed since Sakura had left. He sighed, his thoughts returning once again to his lovely cherry blossom.
He was so preoccupied in his thoughts he didn't feel the spirit's presence until she spoke.
"We are almost to the camp."
He asked a question he had wanted to ask all day. "How long until we find Sakura?"
She was silent for a moment. "Once we get the horse, if we ride hard, we should reach her by tomorrow's nightfall."
He could hardly stifle his smile. His thoughts whirled and the excitement coursed through his vein at the thought of holding his beloved cherry blossom in his arms.
Aditi sighed, hearing his thoughts. "It won't be easy getting her back, little wolf."
He was surprised. "You are in control of the spirits. Can't you stop Sekai?"
"He is on a rampage," she said simply.
"But you can stop him," he said, hope cracking his voice.
She was quiet for a moment, causing Syaoran's worry to intensify. "I have dealt with rampaging spirits before. But you must understand. Sekai is in love with the cherry blossom."
Syaoran smirked. "How can he?"
Her anger was clear in her voice. "The same way you love her, little wolf. He has a right to love her too, you know."
He was quiet. Calming herself, she spoke. "He could love her that way. But he doesn't. He loves the person she reminds him of.
"You see, Sekai was in love with a beautiful woman named Nikia. She was in love with him too. For a little while. Because she was a human form, he made himself a human form also. The two lived together for a while until Nikia brought of his immunity. She was, after all, a human and would not live forever like Sekai would.
So Sekai set out to fix it. That little spirit bugged me daily until finally I promised to grant her immunity also. He rushed home to tell her the good news. And found her kissing a man. She had fallen in love. Unlike Sekai, the two had the promise of a normal life. So she left Sekai."
After a moment to digest it, he asked a question. "What happened to Nikia?"
"She died, just as all humans do."
He was silent for a little while. Aditi spoke up again. "He wants Sakura to be Nikia."
Syaoran's anger caused his eyes to flash bright amber. "He can't have her."
Aditi laughed lightly. "You'll have to tell him yourself."
Before he could answer, they had arrived at the camp.
While the others set about foraging in the supplies the men had left behind, Syaoran glanced at the sky. He cursed loudly. The sun was setting already.
'How will I ever find Sakura if we don't start moving faster? So far, we've spent most of this day fighting to save another man and finding him a horse. If we don't hurry, Sekai might hurt Sakura.'
His final thought sent anger coursing through his veins. Just the thought of Sekai alone with Sakura made him seethe. Yukito's voice broke through his thoughts.
"We should camp here, your highness."
Syaoran was growing desperate. "We must cover more ground."
Aditi joined the discussion. "Little wolf, the sun will set shortly. We must set camp. We'll leave before dawn."
She flew away, heading to help Touya light a fire, thus ending the discussion as quickly as she entered it. Syaoran sighed and set about helping with the duties.
****
Sakura opened her eyes, hearing him leave. She smiled, pleased with herself.
'The fake sleep thing may not have worked with the guards, but it worked this time.'
Hurriedly, she stood up and raced to the boulder, using her small hands to push it. She cursed. It wouldn't budge. Her memory suddenly flashed and she remembered when she saw the cave for the first time. She turned and raced in the other direction, trying to find the end of the cave.
She felt the little stream underneath her feet, trickling lightly. Sakura continued walking down the tunnel until she could no longer see the opening. There was no light where she was now. Her fear of ghosts began to take its toll, but she forced herself to continue.
She stubbed her toe numerous times, hit her head on the top of the cave a couple times, and just about scraped very inch of her skin twice. The curses were flowing freely when she ran headfirst into something. She started panicking, thinking it to be the wall of the cave.
Feeling around carefully, she found it to be more of a half wall. The top was solid. Bending down, she crawled through the bottom. Now the cave had turned really dark. She started to step forward when she was overcome by a strange feeling. It was light and cheery. A voice spoke, making her jump.
"Cherry blossom, you should return or Sekai will find you here and seal this end of the cave too." Its voice reminded her of the gentle trickle of the stream.
Sakura's eyes widened and she looked around her, feeling instantly stupid when she remembered she was in darkness.
"Wh. . .who are you?" she asked, her voice faltering.
A light chuckle escaped its lips and the trickle became louder. "I am Keir, spirit of the stream you are stepping in."
She jumped up, trying to find a dry spot to stand in. This only caused Keir to laugh more. "It doesn't hurt."
Sakura blushed. She was silent for a moment before finally crawling back into the tunnel and starting toward the mouth of the cave. She felt the spirit following her slowly.
Soon she could see the light. She spoke. "Why are you helping me?"
The trickle sounded again. "Because I can feel your sadness."
Before she could answer, she felt his presence nearing. She rushed forward, jumping atop the stone bed and feigning like she had just woken up. Sekai entered only moments later, carrying food.
He caught her gaze and smiled. Sakura swallowed, repulsed. She looked at him carefully, surprised to see his leaves had changed colors. They were slowly turning into a more peachy color. Something was familiar about their color. She looked closer and a gasp escaped her lips.
'It's the color of Syaoran's skin.'
He heard her thought and smiled again. This time Sakura noticed it was closer to Syaoran's own smile.
"You are trying to be Syaoran?"
He looked at her, letting out a small laugh. Sakura gulped. His lips never moved, though the laugh resounded throughout the cave.
"I am taking his appearance as it seems to please you so."
She was quiet for a moment before answering. "It pleases me on him."
He raised an eyebrow and the laugh continued. He did not seem to care. "You will like it on me too, my little cherry blossom."
She snorted, turning away. Her stomach growled and she realized how hungry she was. He heard it and smiled. Pulling out a bag from behind himself, he tossed it to Sakura. She looked down at it wearily before finally opening it. Inside were some pieces of bread and a couple berries. Hungrily, Sakura began to gulp them down.
Sekai frowned. "I'm sorry, my little cherry blossom. I will find you better food next time."
Sakura looked up at him, surprised. She quickly finished the rest of her food.
"Where did you find them, Sekai?" she asked curiously.
"Men were camping out near here. They were killed. I found this in their bags," he said simply.
She gagged, ready to throw up the food. "You don't know what's in it! It could be poisoned!" Another thought crept into her mind, making her pale. "Tell me you didn't pick it off their dead bodies."
Seeing her reaction, he laughed louder. "I saw them leave. It was in their camp. Don't worry. I would never feed you bad food, my little cherry blossom."
He moved closer to her, causing Sakura to gulp. She backed up quickly. He frowned, stopping.
"You still won't let me near you."
She looked at him, catching his eyes. The familiarity of them made her look away quickly. She still couldn't get used to those fake eyes. "I love Syaoran, Sekai. My heart belongs to him."
The spirit let an angry growl escape him. "You still love that fool?"
She glared at him. "You are the fool, Sekai, if you think I will grow to love you."
His anger got the better of him. Before either could react, he slapped her. Two pairs of eyes widened. She turned from him, hiding her head. The tears began to flow. The spirit snapped out of its paralysis and started towards her.
He placed a hand on her shoulder which she wordlessly shook off. Sadly, he disappeared, leaving the cave again.
****
The king could not sleep that night. He tried many tricks to induce sleep before finally deciding the sheep were just not worth counting anymore. Sighing, he sat up, staring blankly into the darkness.
'I will find you, Sakura. I love you. We will live a happy life if it kills me.' A lone tear dropped to the ground. He stared at it in shock. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried. Not since his parents had passed away.
He heard footsteps behind him. Quickly, he rid himself of all remnants of the tear. Touya settled down next to him, scowling fiercely.
"You could not sleep?"
Syaoran shook his head.
The two sat in silence, both caught up in their own thoughts. Finally Touya broke the silence.
"Gaki, do you love my sister?"
Syaoran was caught off-guard by the question. He looked up into the man's fierce eyes. They were lit now, examining every move Syaoran made. So he answered honestly.
"Yes, Touya. I really do."
Touya watched him for another minute before finally patting him awkwardly on the back.
"Then you have my blessing."
Leaving the king stunned, Sakura's brother stood up and left. Syaoran sat staring in the darkness again, digesting what Touya had said. A smile crept onto his face. He fell asleep with the smile still plastered there.
****
Author's Note2: Well, yeah, I know. This was not the most exciting chapter. But a couple things just had to be said. Next chapter should be better and much more exciting.
-Rubs the 8 Ball hopefully, then looks down and sighs-
"Not a chance"
Author's Note(s): Woohoo! 99 Reviews! Whoa! Can you believe this is chapter 15? Wow. I'm happy. I definitely like this story. I'm glad you guys like my leaf-man. It was one of my favorite ideas.
Hawaiikel-Well, I see you had many questions for me. Let's see. About the bodiless spirits? Well, as you can see, they play a lot on elements, particularly the wind. The wind was moving back and forth (carrying the spirit) between the two. He was moving. So I wanted Touya to move aside. Not only that, but it made his gesture for the spirit to continue a little more. . . obvious. Um, as for the names. I know that's slightly strange, I was hit by that too, but, you see, I have hardly seen the English version. (I've seen the Japanese kind with subtitles). Of the few names I HAVE seen, however, I hate them. So I kept the original Japanese names. And as for him being king of Britain, I went back and changed that a couple days ago. I decided I wanted him to just be king of a fictional place (I think I called it Aleka). So basically, I kept the names but placed them in a westernized culture. I'm sorry if there was any confusion. I will admit once, when I introduced Sakura, I used her name the way it would be read in Japanese culture, last before first. I haven't done that again. WHEW! Long explanation. ^_^
Oh, and as for Nireko? She's Nireko. Of course she doesn't fear the king's wrath.
Dacia- lol, I'm a softy though. I can't kill off my two favorite people. And neither Sekai nor Aditi can die b/c they're spirits. But if you want, I'll kill Sekai's dreams of Sakura? ^-^
Yuki Rabbit-Yes, there's something I definitely can't complain about. I love my reviewers. Especially considering I check out almost everyone who signs (look at their stories and such). Most of my reviewers are quite accomplished writers themselves, and it definitely feels good to have them compliment my own work. Which reminds me. I checked your profile (^-^). You're at Berkeley? Impressive.
Jbg- Thanks, I definitely liked that quote too.
Ah! Lots of shout outs! So here's a shout out to EVERYONE ELSE! Oh and one more thing. I finally did it. I started a third story. Only the first chapter is up, and I'm already in love with it. It's called Rivals. Check it out if you get time.
****
Syaoran bent down, using the grass to wipe his blade clean. He heard the others behind him doing the same. He remained still in that position for a moment, letting his thoughts wander to Sakura.
'She better be okay. If I find out Sekai has hurt her-' He let the angry thought hang in the air. Exhaling slowly, he let his head droop in self- anguish. A pitying thought escaped its tight confine.
'I can't lose her. I finally find love and it's taken away from me? I won't let it.'
The wind stirred near him. He felt a warm presence on his shoulder. She didn't speak right away, and yet her presence calmed him slightly.
A gasp came from the spirit. He looked up, alarmed. Her voice rang out, alerting all of the men in the clearing.
"Sekai's power has grown. He has taken a human-like form. Soon he will have a pure human form."
Syaoran's cursed. "Why is he so set upon her?" he grumbled to himself.
Aditi heard. "Because, little wolf, he sees something in her that reminds him of someone else."
Touya stepped forward, his scowl ever-present. "As much as I'd like to delve farther into this spirit's psyche, can't we just go get her now?"
Aditi sighed. "Patience. Tend to your new guest first."
Three pairs of eyes turned to face Yema. He nearly blushed under the sudden attention. Syaoran's eyes looked over him intently, searching for a wound. When his gaze fell across the man's arm, he gasped. Near the collarbone, there was a deep gash.
****
Yukito also noticed it. He hurriedly walked to his saddlebag, unzipping it and removing a two small green leaves. He beckoned Yema to him, and Yema came uncertainly. He stood in front of Yukito nervously.
Yukito bent down, grabbing the nearest rock. Quickly, he pounded the leaf until it was pulpy. Gingerly, Yukito pulled the man's shirt away. Ignoring the man's flinch, he placed the pulp atop the wound. The man jumped.
"Sorry, there's a bit of a sting," he said sheepishly.
Picking a leaf off a nearby tree, he placed it on the pulp to seal it. The man winced at the touch.
Yukito turned, addressing the other two men. "The next stream we find, we must stop and wash the wound, then reapply the Kireto leaves."
His highness looked at Yukito with wide eyes, obviously impressed. He couldn't help but blush slightly. He turned his head and caught Touya's small smile. He smiled back, causing Touya to widen his own. He loved the way he could make Touya smile.
The king turned to Yema. "The men that were chasing you-- did they have horses?"
Yema looked up, obviously still nervous to have the king speaking to him. Yukito felt pity for the man.
"Yes, they were camped out a little ways back. Their horses were tied up there." He pointed in the direction he had come from. The king scowled.
"We might as well go collect the horses. You'll be needing a horse if you are to come with us."
Yukito felt Aditi stir. He addressed her.
"My lady spirit, can you scout for the horses and tell us how far they are?"
He felt her warmth grow. She was pleased with his show of respect.
"As you wish, rabbit."
He felt her leave. She would be back soon.
****
'Finally a human who shows me the proper respect. I was beginning to think manners were wasted upon the whole species,' she thought happily as she flew over the forest.
Soon, she found the abandoned camp. She was turning to leave when she saw movement. Curiosity got the better of her and she swooped down to see.
When she arrived on the ground, she could see no one. Puzzled, she let her aura float around until it hit an obstruction. The obstruction laughed.
"What are you doing here, Aditi?"
She recognized the leaf-man. It was a form she herself used sometimes. She sent heat his way, stifling his laughter slightly. "I am cleaning up your mess, Sekai."
His laugh was now closer to a growl. "How many times do I have to tell you it is not your business?"
"You are holding a girl from her lover."
He snorted angrily. "He does not deserve her."
She threw magic at him, circling around him quickly. "She loves him, Sekai. You must let go. She no longer wants your protection."
He forced her magic back at her. "She does not know what she wants. She does not know what she needs. I am helping her."
"By kidnapping her?"
"By taking her somewhere safe."
Aditi was silent for a moment. She decided to take a different approach.
"The cherry blossom is not Nikia."
Sekai appeared stunned for a moment. "I told you not to bring her up, Aditi."
"You think she is Nikia."
"I do not."
She reprimanded herself for not seeing it before. "I was stupid. I should have known. I thought you only wanted to protect the cherry blossom from your mistake. I never thought you'd be stupid enough to believe you could make her your own Nikia."
Angrily, he punched the air where she hovering. She laughed at him. "You are the one with the body, Sekai. Your punches cannot hurt me."
He was growing more and more frustrated. Aditi could feel his anger building up.
"Sekai, let the girl go."
His eyes flashed. "She does not want to leave."
An image of the cave flashed. "Then why did you have to put a boulder in front of the cave?"
Sekai turned and started to walk away without a word. Angrily, Aditi flew forward.
"Let the girl go, now. I am tired of playing your games."
He swiped carelessly at her. "Go away, Aditi. I have more important business to attend to."
He left her seething in her anger.
****
"We must hurry," was the first thing Aditi said when she returned to the men. Syaoran nearly jumped in surprise. He had been so engulfed in his thoughts he hadn't heard her approach.
The men hurriedly mounted their horses, with Yema uncomfortably seated behind Yukito.
The spirit hovered near Syaoran's ear, speaking simple directions to him. Her warmth was now stifling. Syaoran clucked his tongue.
"You seem mad."
She let out a small sound that suspiciously resembled a growl. Syaoran fought to control his grin.
"You've been like that since you got back from the camp."
She was silent.
"What happened? Did a horse bite you or something?"
She made another sound. It was clearly a growl this time. Her anger erupted.
"Human, I suggest you quiet or I will arrange for a horse to bite your arrogant ass. And I'm not talking about a donkey."
In a fluster, she flew away. He chuckled to himself. The sound seemed almost foreign. It was the first time he had laughed since Sakura had left. He sighed, his thoughts returning once again to his lovely cherry blossom.
He was so preoccupied in his thoughts he didn't feel the spirit's presence until she spoke.
"We are almost to the camp."
He asked a question he had wanted to ask all day. "How long until we find Sakura?"
She was silent for a moment. "Once we get the horse, if we ride hard, we should reach her by tomorrow's nightfall."
He could hardly stifle his smile. His thoughts whirled and the excitement coursed through his vein at the thought of holding his beloved cherry blossom in his arms.
Aditi sighed, hearing his thoughts. "It won't be easy getting her back, little wolf."
He was surprised. "You are in control of the spirits. Can't you stop Sekai?"
"He is on a rampage," she said simply.
"But you can stop him," he said, hope cracking his voice.
She was quiet for a moment, causing Syaoran's worry to intensify. "I have dealt with rampaging spirits before. But you must understand. Sekai is in love with the cherry blossom."
Syaoran smirked. "How can he?"
Her anger was clear in her voice. "The same way you love her, little wolf. He has a right to love her too, you know."
He was quiet. Calming herself, she spoke. "He could love her that way. But he doesn't. He loves the person she reminds him of.
"You see, Sekai was in love with a beautiful woman named Nikia. She was in love with him too. For a little while. Because she was a human form, he made himself a human form also. The two lived together for a while until Nikia brought of his immunity. She was, after all, a human and would not live forever like Sekai would.
So Sekai set out to fix it. That little spirit bugged me daily until finally I promised to grant her immunity also. He rushed home to tell her the good news. And found her kissing a man. She had fallen in love. Unlike Sekai, the two had the promise of a normal life. So she left Sekai."
After a moment to digest it, he asked a question. "What happened to Nikia?"
"She died, just as all humans do."
He was silent for a little while. Aditi spoke up again. "He wants Sakura to be Nikia."
Syaoran's anger caused his eyes to flash bright amber. "He can't have her."
Aditi laughed lightly. "You'll have to tell him yourself."
Before he could answer, they had arrived at the camp.
While the others set about foraging in the supplies the men had left behind, Syaoran glanced at the sky. He cursed loudly. The sun was setting already.
'How will I ever find Sakura if we don't start moving faster? So far, we've spent most of this day fighting to save another man and finding him a horse. If we don't hurry, Sekai might hurt Sakura.'
His final thought sent anger coursing through his veins. Just the thought of Sekai alone with Sakura made him seethe. Yukito's voice broke through his thoughts.
"We should camp here, your highness."
Syaoran was growing desperate. "We must cover more ground."
Aditi joined the discussion. "Little wolf, the sun will set shortly. We must set camp. We'll leave before dawn."
She flew away, heading to help Touya light a fire, thus ending the discussion as quickly as she entered it. Syaoran sighed and set about helping with the duties.
****
Sakura opened her eyes, hearing him leave. She smiled, pleased with herself.
'The fake sleep thing may not have worked with the guards, but it worked this time.'
Hurriedly, she stood up and raced to the boulder, using her small hands to push it. She cursed. It wouldn't budge. Her memory suddenly flashed and she remembered when she saw the cave for the first time. She turned and raced in the other direction, trying to find the end of the cave.
She felt the little stream underneath her feet, trickling lightly. Sakura continued walking down the tunnel until she could no longer see the opening. There was no light where she was now. Her fear of ghosts began to take its toll, but she forced herself to continue.
She stubbed her toe numerous times, hit her head on the top of the cave a couple times, and just about scraped very inch of her skin twice. The curses were flowing freely when she ran headfirst into something. She started panicking, thinking it to be the wall of the cave.
Feeling around carefully, she found it to be more of a half wall. The top was solid. Bending down, she crawled through the bottom. Now the cave had turned really dark. She started to step forward when she was overcome by a strange feeling. It was light and cheery. A voice spoke, making her jump.
"Cherry blossom, you should return or Sekai will find you here and seal this end of the cave too." Its voice reminded her of the gentle trickle of the stream.
Sakura's eyes widened and she looked around her, feeling instantly stupid when she remembered she was in darkness.
"Wh. . .who are you?" she asked, her voice faltering.
A light chuckle escaped its lips and the trickle became louder. "I am Keir, spirit of the stream you are stepping in."
She jumped up, trying to find a dry spot to stand in. This only caused Keir to laugh more. "It doesn't hurt."
Sakura blushed. She was silent for a moment before finally crawling back into the tunnel and starting toward the mouth of the cave. She felt the spirit following her slowly.
Soon she could see the light. She spoke. "Why are you helping me?"
The trickle sounded again. "Because I can feel your sadness."
Before she could answer, she felt his presence nearing. She rushed forward, jumping atop the stone bed and feigning like she had just woken up. Sekai entered only moments later, carrying food.
He caught her gaze and smiled. Sakura swallowed, repulsed. She looked at him carefully, surprised to see his leaves had changed colors. They were slowly turning into a more peachy color. Something was familiar about their color. She looked closer and a gasp escaped her lips.
'It's the color of Syaoran's skin.'
He heard her thought and smiled again. This time Sakura noticed it was closer to Syaoran's own smile.
"You are trying to be Syaoran?"
He looked at her, letting out a small laugh. Sakura gulped. His lips never moved, though the laugh resounded throughout the cave.
"I am taking his appearance as it seems to please you so."
She was quiet for a moment before answering. "It pleases me on him."
He raised an eyebrow and the laugh continued. He did not seem to care. "You will like it on me too, my little cherry blossom."
She snorted, turning away. Her stomach growled and she realized how hungry she was. He heard it and smiled. Pulling out a bag from behind himself, he tossed it to Sakura. She looked down at it wearily before finally opening it. Inside were some pieces of bread and a couple berries. Hungrily, Sakura began to gulp them down.
Sekai frowned. "I'm sorry, my little cherry blossom. I will find you better food next time."
Sakura looked up at him, surprised. She quickly finished the rest of her food.
"Where did you find them, Sekai?" she asked curiously.
"Men were camping out near here. They were killed. I found this in their bags," he said simply.
She gagged, ready to throw up the food. "You don't know what's in it! It could be poisoned!" Another thought crept into her mind, making her pale. "Tell me you didn't pick it off their dead bodies."
Seeing her reaction, he laughed louder. "I saw them leave. It was in their camp. Don't worry. I would never feed you bad food, my little cherry blossom."
He moved closer to her, causing Sakura to gulp. She backed up quickly. He frowned, stopping.
"You still won't let me near you."
She looked at him, catching his eyes. The familiarity of them made her look away quickly. She still couldn't get used to those fake eyes. "I love Syaoran, Sekai. My heart belongs to him."
The spirit let an angry growl escape him. "You still love that fool?"
She glared at him. "You are the fool, Sekai, if you think I will grow to love you."
His anger got the better of him. Before either could react, he slapped her. Two pairs of eyes widened. She turned from him, hiding her head. The tears began to flow. The spirit snapped out of its paralysis and started towards her.
He placed a hand on her shoulder which she wordlessly shook off. Sadly, he disappeared, leaving the cave again.
****
The king could not sleep that night. He tried many tricks to induce sleep before finally deciding the sheep were just not worth counting anymore. Sighing, he sat up, staring blankly into the darkness.
'I will find you, Sakura. I love you. We will live a happy life if it kills me.' A lone tear dropped to the ground. He stared at it in shock. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried. Not since his parents had passed away.
He heard footsteps behind him. Quickly, he rid himself of all remnants of the tear. Touya settled down next to him, scowling fiercely.
"You could not sleep?"
Syaoran shook his head.
The two sat in silence, both caught up in their own thoughts. Finally Touya broke the silence.
"Gaki, do you love my sister?"
Syaoran was caught off-guard by the question. He looked up into the man's fierce eyes. They were lit now, examining every move Syaoran made. So he answered honestly.
"Yes, Touya. I really do."
Touya watched him for another minute before finally patting him awkwardly on the back.
"Then you have my blessing."
Leaving the king stunned, Sakura's brother stood up and left. Syaoran sat staring in the darkness again, digesting what Touya had said. A smile crept onto his face. He fell asleep with the smile still plastered there.
****
Author's Note2: Well, yeah, I know. This was not the most exciting chapter. But a couple things just had to be said. Next chapter should be better and much more exciting.
