At Your Side by Silver-MoonStar
Disclaimer: I no own CCS *WAAAA!*
A/N: Some of you were mad with me the last time, I dun't know but this chappie could make you mad again…=) Sry!
Chapter 9: Meeting with a Stranger
.:||Sakura||:.
It appeared that the powers remained for only a certain length of time. Sakura was quite glad about that fact as she was mad at the reality that she had problems on wondering how she should get down from the rooftop. Another memory trigger was pulled while she looked towards the mass of buildings in the West. The roof…she thought. Something about roofs made her remember a boy… a brown- haired boy and…cherry blossoms? Cherry blossoms…a sweet scented flower…there was something special about it…a ring of mist in her past, one she was trying to avoid… but she couldn't remember it.
Sakura decided to call herself Apple for the time being. If she really had any friends, they would recognize her right away. She looked over the ledge, the height made her slightly dizzy. She took a step back and studied the rooftop.
There were weird containers, covered with wire netting…and a certain sound was growing ever louder…a bird cry… She ran all over the area, her senses leading her. Without realizing it, she was warping from one spot to another in an incredible speed. The bird screech grew steadily louder, yet Sakura still couldn't find the source. The resonance grew desperate, as though the creature was hurt. She stopped to concentrate… but due to the warps, she tripped over her own long legs and landed on the ground flat, banging her shin. (A/N: Doing think the fall would make her memory come back?) A flash of her lost reminiscence came back…
.:||a.k.a Flashback||:.
"Oh wow! Daddy, it's a white falcon(A/N: I dun't knoe if there is such a thing though…)! It's so beautiful," a young Sakura said in an awed voice. On her shoulder perched the graceful bird of prey. It was nibbling gently on the tiny ponytail the girl had carelessly tied that morning. Aiden (A/N: I like the name better than Fujitaka. Sry! ^_^!) looked at her above the pair of spectacles resting on the bridge of his nose. His clear brown eyes shone behind the glass lenses, he was a spitting image of a short-, brown-haired Clow Reed.
"It's as free as when the wind blows, let it go Sakura-Chan," Aiden said gently. The mountainous terrain was peaceful and panoramic. Even though she was a mere five years, Sakura knew how dangerous it could be. It seemed that Skye, the name of the bird, wasn't fit for it. So she protested, "But Daddy, Skye won't ever survive out there." "It was made to survive," Aiden said again. Sakura reluctantly stood at the ridge. Skye took off, disappearing at the distance, "As free as the Wind that's how I want to be… one day," Sakura whispered.
~*~
"Sakura-Chan! Isn't that boy cute?" a dark- haired girl squealed into her ears. She pointed to the new boy. Sakura looked up and shrugged her shoulders. "__Chan, he is not…"
.:||End||:.
Sakura cursed while she rolled over to her back. Her mind had refused to reveal the girl's name. A sharp pain shot through her head while her eyes slowly unfastened themselves. And a shadow impended over her. "Ow…" Sakura rubbed the back of her head. The shadowy figure became clearer. A boy…was standing over her. "Who're you?" he immediately said, in a slight English accent. "Geez, do I even get a 'Can I help you?" Sakura helped herself up.
There was a girl. Both of them around her age, more or less. The boy ogled at her, while she stretched herself nonchalantly. She noticed their staring eyes, "What?"
.:||Eriol (His Words)||:.
Daidouji-San had bitten of my head the night before… *It's Daidouji to strangers*… does she take me as nothing more than a stranger? Not even a friend? Girls have never confused me as much as she had. And why am I feeling so neutral towards Kaho? I mean, Mizuki-Chan.
Kaho…Mizuki-Chan drew the Magic Ring manually while I looked through spell books. Words and symbols just flashed across my view. I wasn't really contemplating their usefulness, in whole I wasn't really researching any of the spells but using it as an excuse to settle down my thoughts. Daidouji-San, Daidouji-San, why was she everywhere to me? Inside my mind, inside the apartment, I seemed to strive to have a chance to talk to her nowadays, after that Blow Off, needed to know her opinion on nearly everything. But she was refusing my companionship. Literally ignoring me.
"Eriol…Eriol," Kaho…Mizuki-Chan was talking to me. "Yes?" I replied politely. By the look on her face, I knew she had been demanding my attention more than the one that shook me out of my reverie. She made no hint of it in her smooth voice though, "It's done, have you found the spell yet?" I blushed mentally but replied as cool as I could, "No, it could be in one of my scrolls." She paused and made eye contact, trying to read my expression. But I disguised it and quickly turned the conversation to something else, "I'm feeling thirsty, I think I'm going to get a drink." Again she stared at me as though I was a lost child in the middle of adults. "Really Eriol, what…" she began.
I shot out of the room as fast as I could go before uncomfortable questions popped out. The moment I stepped out, an aura of power swept over me. It was evil, evil magic. Voices emerged from the living room, Syaoran's and an unfamiliar girl's voice, two actually. Then there was the soft sweet pitch of Daidouji-San's. I headed for that area. The voices grew louder and one of the girls burst into absurd laughter, high and girlishly topped with a giggle. The hair on my arms stood up, I swear.
It seemed that we had visitors. Two black haired Chinese girls, one red- eyed, the other blue. Tomoyo… Daidouji-San was glaring at the two, Syaoran and the blue-eyed lass, who were apparently over each other. The aura of evil was hovering strongly around the girl. She was the One. "He…Hello," I greeted them. They looked up, stopping mid-way in their fun. The Blue-Eyed shot me a piercing gaze. Syaoran turned pink in the face. "Oh hi, Hiragizawa-San, this is Li Meilin and—um—Pei Fen," Tomoyo…Daidouji-San said. Damn! What is it with me having confuse with her calling name??? Meilin was the one with a hair knot and Pei Fen was Blue-Eyed. Pei Fen stood up and offered her hand. I could see the tint of blackness consume the limb. It was revolting. I didn't accept the handshake, who would to evil?
.:||Pei Fen (Her Words)||:.
The sorcerer didn't accept my handshake. I tried to look offended but my disappointment showed more I guess. But it doesn't matter, I hoped. My Little Wolf had fallen for me totally. The power was really working. If only this sorcerer would accept my hand gesture too…(A/N: Oops ^.^, spoiler. Anyway so now you guys know that 'electrical thingy' was magic)
.:||Tomoyo (Her Words)||:.
I saw Eriol taking a step back. I knew he would sense it too. I don't have magic but there was something about Pei Fen that made me suspicious. I just wonder why Syaoran couldn't resist her charms. Pei Fen had her looks and body to flaunt to help her scheming. Meilin looked at them both with pride as though she was a matchmaker who found the most fitting pair in the world. Poor her, she was so naïve under her own matchmaking business.
My attention turned back to Eriol. I wonder where puppy dog Kaho was. Probably in his room…on the bed…
I tried to shut out the thoughts. Dirty, polluting my mind… I turned to go into my room, mumbling that I had something to show the rest…
.:||Sakura (Her Words)||:.
I looked down and saw my exposed tummy. I turned redder than the setting sun. Even as I contracted, it showed some part of it. I felt uncomfortable. "I…I'm Apple," I remembered my alias. "Ya've got no clothes?" the girl approached me. She was a blo…blo…what's that word? Blonde…I think. Her eyes were navy blue, clear and wild. She looked like a yellow rose. The boy had just as untamed looks, wavy dark brown hair, close to black, and wicked heliotrope eyes, glinting green from certain angles. They were dressed in coats, patched up and worn out boots.
The girl stared at me intently, waiting for my answer. "Oh, m…my…I mean…I'm an orphan," I stammered. The two looked relaxed. "I'm Jynx and she's Ryce," the boy spoke up. "We're orphans too." Am I an orphan like I said anyway? If they found out I couldn't remember my past, they'd take advantage of me. And how could I explain my unruly powers? I stayed silent until Ryce finally said, "Have ya go' any clothes anyways? Ya look tied." My pants were raggedy and my shirt was stained and ripped. They probably thought I was…
A picture of a movie I watched a long time ago crept into my mind. The lead girl was wearing a long green coat and a purple cap (A/N: What was that cap that Anastasia wore? Besides you guys are viewing it in your mind now). The Wishing power was with me. The identical clothes fitted over my old ones. A cap rested on my red head. Ryce and Jynx gawked at me. "Ya've got powers too?" Jynx said slowly. He twirled his finger in the air and a cup of tea appeared. He drank it. Ryce sulked however. She pointed a finger upwards and fire shot out of the tip. "That's why we were orphaned," Ryce said huffily. I saw her sadness but Jynx was practically jumping like a jack rabbit.
"We're a triad! Streets of London beware!" he was yelling at the top of his voice. He seemed so happy, I didn't had the heart to tell him the truth. Ryce looked at me wearily, she reminded of a girl… who was always taking care of another boy whom I knew too…but I couldn't remember anymore. I hated these lost reminiscence. My mind turned back to the chirping of the bird. It was very low now and I could hardly hear it over Jynx's din. "Shut up! I hear something," I told him at last. Where did that came from? I knew I wasn't as hot-tempered before…was I?
Anyhow, the bird's cries returned to my ears. It was low and mournful…I tread slowly towards it's direction…one of the large containers. The sound of flapping wings lit my eyes up. I opened the entrance door. Ryce shook my shoulder, whispering what I was up to. I hushed her up with the 'shush'-ing gesture. The door opened silently, I gasped at the bird inside. Has a portal through my past has been opened?
.:||Syaoran||:.
As the morning progressed further, I couldn't even remember the girl that was in my mind earlier that morning. Pei Fen was just so overwhelming. She laughed at all my jokes even though they were damn lame. My mind couldn't tear away from her…okay so actually my eyes were the one that were stubborn. Her clear blue eyes shone with earnest. (A/N: Yeah…riiight…)
A glint of auburn hair laid in my memories…why was it so familiar? While I kept on drooling of Pei Fen, I saw her features melt in someone I knew and I yet don't. Her lavish black long hair shortened and lightened to red. The amazing blue darkened and a splash of yellow turned it green…a red-head, green-eyed girl…how magical was that? Just who was she??
Pei Fen was talking again. She wanted to go to London. Tourists.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: So Sakura is going to join some ragamuffins! I wonder how she will cope? But then, I'm the writer =P Syao and Sakura will meet in London!!! Will they recognize each other??? Any ideas how she can turn from a 'sweet' lass to some fiery gypsy-like girl? Mail me! Or write it in your reviews. I keep on bringing in new characters aren't I? Sometimes I even forget about dear Jessica… but don't worry, I won't ;) Lurve u guys! Thanx for the support Kan-Chan, Hana No Tenshi, Crystal and all the rest!!!
