Title: A Sweet Blossoming
Author: Yih
Written: January 2002
Disclaimer: All rights of characters are exclusively Clamp.
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Yue watched Touya smile at him softly with understanding before walking away. He sighed slightly, wondering of what might have been then shaking his head firmly. That was definitely not meant to be, anymore than it looked like he was suppose to be with Sakura. He hated getting melancholy, but as much as he loved her innocence—it was extremely frustrating that she didn't quite comprehend his motives.
"Bravo!" called out a strangely familiar voice which was accompanied by a single, soft clap.
Yue twisted his head around, narrowing his eyes sharply wondering why he heard that particular voice. Especially considering the owner of that voice, he hadn't expected to see that person again so soon. In fact, he didn't want to see that person ever again if he could help it. Obviously, that was not going to be easy considering the circumstances that that person was actually here.
"Come out, I know you're here," he called out.
"Bravo! Really such great advice, Yue. I didn't know you have it in you.," exclaimed the voice mockingly, clapping twice as loud and as much as last time. "Here I was thinking you were just one of those isolated hermits that liked to keep to themselves. I guess, I was sadly mistaken on my assumptions. But," the voice perked up, "I'm back. So I can make even better suppositions to your new change in personalities."
"Where are you?" grumbled Yue in question.
"Bravo Yue!"
This time the thrice claps came like the sound of thunder bolts, and Yue could have sworn it came from behind him. He whirled around only to be confronted by nothing, well the scenery of Sakura's beautiful garden, but not what he was expecting to see. He had thought he'd see an animated object instead of just air, grass, and more green, green grass. His eyes narrowed even more as he focused his keen hearing on trying to figure out the location of the hidden person.
"Really Yue, you're getting slow," chastised the voice.
Now, he knew precisely where the voice was coming from. He turned around slowly, this time quite
sure the owner of the voice was going no where. He didn't know exactly who he was expecting, the tone of words
reminded him of who he thought it was--- and turned out to be, but the voice
had sounded different enough to make him second guess his judgment.
"Ruby! What are you doing here?"
"Well, what do you think?" she asked exasperatedly. "Eriol's here," she explained as she would explain to a simpleton, "of course, I'd be here as well. I'm his guardian after all. Or have you forgotten that in the idleness of what your life has become? I mean, you would have never have found me, Yue if I hadn't wanted you to find me. You knew it as well, taking your sweet time to turn around."
Yue clenched his fist, knowing all too well that his nemesis knew how to push his buttons in all the right ways. "Why did you come here?" he stressed on the final word. "Why did you come here at all? You know you presence isn't welcomed here."
"Aww… Yue," murmured Ruby silkily, "so harsh as usual." She sighed pleasantly, her arms thrown into the air with a gleeful smile on her lips. "You remind of the old times. You do remember, that you were my example… the one that I followed so diligently. The prime reminder of what I was suppose to be. Unfortunately, I outdid you, didn't I Yue? The proof is clearly there. We might have only been co-students for a short time, but Clow Reed did prepare us to be his next guardians, while you--- Yue and Kero, the first, but the perfected guardians were left to find a new, inferior Master."
Her words grated on his ears, the fury building up within the chambers of his heart. He grabbed Ruby by her throat and pushed her body up against the tree roughly, not caring if she suffered a bruise or even two. The chill in his voice, the undertone of being pushed too far was emphasized with each intonation he pronounced, "You have gone too far, Ruby. Clow Reed chose Sakura for his successor to the Clow Cards; she is in no way inferior to him. She is his equal in every level and every way. You and Spinel might have been Clow Reed's chosen guardians for his reincarnation, but that in no way indicates anything about Kero's and my abilities. Perhaps, we were chosen because we could handle the gravity of having a new master, unlike you."
Ruby started laughing, sharp and high pitched breaking through the stillness in the air after Yue's rather fierce exclamation. "Really Yue, if I didn't know better you are implying that Sakura is superior to Clow Reed, which you know isn't so. But I could expect no less when you harbor intentions of being together with you fair, fair mistress. Don't you want to be with in that way Yue? Of course, you had same feelings for Clow Reed. So it's only natural you would have those loving feelings for Sakura, isn't it? Everything follows a pattern, a circle, a rhythm."
He tightened his grip on her throat to shut her up as much as to stop her laughing, his own throat convulsing with his anger. "Be quiet, Ruby. You speak of things you cannot comprehend," he whispered harshly. "How could? You are just a vain, jealous, and insipid guardian. Even Kero is gifted with a caring and comforting nature, but you are just callous and cunning."
"And you would be cold and cynical. I'd say my faults are better than your flaws," Ruby replied smoothly, her eyebrow arching up with bemusement. "You can't deny that you were that. You were one that it wouldn't work, from all that Eriol has told us, has allowed to see. Oh Yue, you don't think that Eriol didn't know what going on in that judgment, did you? After all he sent Kaho there to personally secure Sakura's position as the new mistress of the Clow Cards. Poor Yue, you cannot even do your job right. Poor Yue, you were the discarded guardian."
"Ruby," he said menacing, nearly choking the other moon guardian, "you are pushing into a place you'd rather not be. You may be immortal, but choking you to death would still kill you. We are only gifted with the ability to stay eternal if we don't get ourselves killed."
"I—I'd think… twice about—doing what you're… doing," Ruby said in staggers of words. "Think--- think of… the consequences—the guilt… the guilt."
He loosened his hold on her neck enough that she drew a ragged breath into her aching lungs, giving her enough of a revival to smile sweetly at Yue. "You know if I'd known it only took making you mad to touch me, I'd do it a lot more. You know I like you, Yue."
The words were perfection on Ruby's cunning ability to judge scenarios, Yue dropped his hand from her throat as if he had just been burned by a scorching fire. He quickly stepped away from her, while she laughed and laughed away her wicked sense of amusement. He turned away from her and proceeded to walk toward the house when he felt Ruby's arms wrap around his waist in such a manner that made him freeze and feel internally sick inside.
"You know Yue," she whispered seemingly romantically into his ear, "my words were only a joke. But I can't help it. Especially when there's this absolutely delectable creature staring at us with her exquisite, vibrantly green saucer eyes. Yes, I can't help but do this when she's around because I know it positively infuriates you. And I do like making you mad, maddening because I like watching your coldness turn into such hot-temperedness. Really, you're much more interesting when you're being your normally moody and broody self, you know… Yue."
Yue whipped his long silvery hair around, hitting Ruby in the face, moving his face to the direction she was gazing at intently, meeting the confusion in Sakura's eyes. Their was a bewilderment and something fuzzy, like she was hurt seeing this scene. For a moment, Yue was fiercely glad that Sakura might be jealous at this scenario, but then he immediately damned his emotion. He didn't want to hurt Sakura no matter what. He hated to put her through anymore pain than she had already been through. Especially since he knew better than one what was causing her such unbearable pain. He had been, the voyeur, watching it all through clear lens.
"Yue?" asked Sakura, her eyes widening even more with shock. "Ruby? Why are you here? Why are two… together?" The astonishment and the faint tinge of a sad emotion was evident in her voice. But she suppressed the feeling, much as Yue always pushed down his feelings for her. "Tea's ready. Would you two like to come into the house?"
The way she said 'two' made Yue cringe mentally. He was sure that the smiling Ruby with her arms still wrapped around his waist was enjoying every minute of this torture. He wanted to squeeze his fellow moon guardian's neck once again, but much as Sakura was able to repress her emotions, he could at least try to be civil with Ruby. As soon as Sakura turned around, he jerked Ruby's arms off of him and pushed her aside, closing the distance between him and Sakura with his long strides. He grabbed by the wrist before she re-entered the house.
"Wait, Sakura… please," he begged, waiting for her to look at him before he continued, "It's not what it seems. She was just being Ruby," he explained. "She likes annoying the hell out of me, actually. Kero and Spinel could give you likewise stories on her infantile behavior. It wasn't anything. She doesn't mean anything to me."
"But she," began Sakura with insight, "might feel something for you? Didn't a wise woman once say that those that annoy you the must really love you? The words do seem to make sense. After all, I think I did impede the one who…" her voice trailed off while her throat closed itself to the sorrow gathering there.
"Sakura," whispered Yue, still holding her wrist, "I… I'll be there for you. No matter what, you know that don't you?"
She smiled that beautiful smile he loved so much about her. "I know. You're my guardian angel, aren't you?"
He released her arm. "Yes," he answered solemnly watching her disappear into the house. "Yes, I'm your guardian angel."
"Hmmm… and things just keep getting much more interesting," Ruby murmured to herself, staring at the broken moment with a soft, understanding, and contemplative smile. "Now, if you had only confessed… that would suited the situation far better. Oh Yue, you foolish, foolish man, you can't see what's so obvious to other eyes. She does feel something for, don't you see that? There was jealousy in her eyes; there was fear of what our relationship might be. She's drawing assumptions and guesses, and that makes things…"
"Ruby," called out a voice from above.
"Yes, Suppy?" she replied quickly, tilting her head up into the sky to see her partner descend from the air. "Ooh! Such a flashy entrance that I didn't think you were capable of. Isn't Master usually the one that goes for such theatrical antics? Are trying to copy his style? Such a pity, you can't pull it off."
Spinel grumbled and growled at Ruby, but said nothing about her nickname of him. He had tired of that argument long ago, and he already knew she was never going to change. "Master is coming soon. We must prepare for his return. Have you inspected the mansion yet?"
"Of course not," Ruby responded, "that's your job. Besides, I was too busy having a little bit of fun."
"Mischief is more like it," retorted Spinel.
"But it was mischief I ordered her to do," answered a voice for Ruby. "It was easier than doing it myself."
"Master!" cried out both of his guardians in unison. "We didn't think you were coming until later! You said you had things that you needed to retrieve from England and settle some business there before returning again, which is why you sent us here," said Ruby. "Have you changed your mind? You aren't sending us back are you? I did what you asked… though I might have taken some liberties. But it was all for a good--"
"No," Eriol said, interrupting her, "I'm not sending you back. You did very well Ruby. I've been watching you. And yes, there was some business that I had to settle but I've gotten Kaho to do it for me. She's better at it than I am anyways, being more organized and less magically inclined. And as you said to yourself, thinking that you were alone… things just keep getting much more interesting. How could I leave? Especially if I hope… for the impossible."
"It isn't impossible, Master," she declared loyally.
"Of course it isn't," agreed Spinel. "You are far superior than Yue."
"It isn't a matter of superiority," reproved Eriol. "It's a matter of Yue being there for her in her greatest need when the one she loved left her. It really is as simple as that. And I probably stayed away too long, far, far too long."
"With our help," Ruby stated confidently, "you will have Sakura for you own. I will stake my life on it."
"And mine as well."
"You two don't need to be as loyal as that," Eriol chided, smiling though with warmth after hearing their faithful words. "Though it indeed warms my heart. You two are not to interfere unless I ask of it. There's no other way to win Sakura's heart other than to… win it fair and square. You've done your duty Ruby with Yue, now I nee you and Spinel to prepare the mansion. We have some entertaining to do."
Ruby grinned. "I know exactly what you mean. Suppy!" she cried out, grabbing the sun guardian by the ear. "Let's get to work right now! I don't know how long it will take to clean up that mansion until it's sparkling and delightful as it ever was! And I'll need your brute strength to do it!"
Spinel sent a pained look toward Eriol who watched while Ruby dragged the poor guardian in the direction of his mansion. He glanced then to Sakura's house, a tender expression on his face. He sighed softly whispering to himself, "I've changed Sakura since the last time you saw me. But will being who I am prevent you from seeing me as something more? I've felt this emotion of love for you for the longest time. And I suppose there's only one way to find out how you feel about me, even if I'm the loser and the one more gravely hurt afterwards."
He bent his head down, smiling as he picked a wildflower from the field. He lifted his head and putting one foot in front of the other, walked toward the door of where behind it was the person that had the ability to determine his fate. All he had known up before was nothing and now he had everything to learn. Life, lessons, and love… all that have been taught and to be taught by one very special young woman.
"For the desired gain, there must be the dangerous risk."
Author's Note: I had the inspiration to write this from 5 to 6 than from 7 to 8 than from 9 to 10. It took 3 hours of going off and on and then coming up with the perfect ending for this chapter. It was longer than I expected. I've been aiming for 2,000 but this is about 2,600 and just a shade shorter than the previous chapter. But hey, the ending was just too good to pass up! Anyhow, please review… I really appreciate the feedback. Your comments are a great inspiration! Every little bit helps tremendously. Oooh, isn't Ruby just wicked? I used her in Eternity (my Eriol x Sakura fanfic) and I think I might be overdoing it… but her purpose really is important! ^_^;;