A Not Too Distant Somewhere

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KanbiAme: Well, I have to say that the fact that I am now not sleeping, is a good thing for everyone who is currently reading this. For lack of anything else to distract me in the early morning hours, I'm back at my computer to write! Yay! Tell me what you think! R+R!!

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS..But I DO own this plot!

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The two teen boys slowed their pace as they reached their street. Careful not to wake their parents, the boys slipped in through their open bedroom window.

Takashi sighed, "Barely even got to see her."

"Chill Tak," Syaoran said as he pulled off his brown boots, "I'd be more worried about what their father will say, and if he'll ever let you see her again. Even during the day. Face it, you lured a girl out in the middle of the night, he won't be happy."

"Yeah, well, I don't see why her sister had to run off like that."

"You didn't see?"

"See what? A tiny feminine voice asked from the window sill.

"Hoshi!" Syaoran turned to the figure who sat down with her legs draped over the edge of the sill, "Exactly the Pixie I needed to have a chat with!"

-

Chiharu and Sakura sat next to each other at a large, thick, round wooden table in their kitchen. Their mother in the seat to the right of Chiharu. Their father pacing before them.

"Girls, how could you go out like that? Does the fact that this land is at war mean nothing to you?" he growled. "anything could have happened! With the Dark Army out there you still went out! They don't hesitate on who they kill. This place is not safe any more!"

"Father, we are well aware of the Dark Army's presence. We're reminded everyday as one of our friends has to leave Maydena because their family had been killed while working out in the fields to harvest our crops! Why just yesterday, Rika.."

"Sakura, you know none of the seriousness of this matter!" Her father slammed his fist into the hard wood table, their mother's tea cup rattled in it's saucer. "With the recent fall of the Kinomoto Kingdom, well, I'll just say that if King Fujitaka and the Prince Touya aren't found soon, then, I'm afraid that Maydena will be lost to a hell demon."

"Girls," their mother began quietly, "we just want you to be careful. We don't want to lose you. Please, don't ever go out after dark without either of us."

"But," their father began more calmly, "Tomorrow is Sakura's 16th birthday, so, off to bed with you two. Tomorrow you spend with your friends."

The girls stood up and began walking to their room as Chiharu whispered under her breath, "What's left of them."

-

"A red light? A pixie?" Hoshi asked after Syaoran had explained his evening.

"I was right, wasn't I? It wasn't Zenko?" Syaoran asked.

"No, no." the Pixie replied, "Zenko is the color of the tree's leaves in spring, the grass in the farthest field from the village," She pointed to Syaoran, " The color of your shirt."

"What does it mean?" The amber eyed teen stood and began to pace between the two beds.

"THE GIRL!" Hoshi realized. Syaoran looked to his guardian, "Describe her again."

Syaoran closed his eyes to remember what the girl looked like. "I remember she was beautiful, at least I could tell in the only glace I got of her. But I remember she had long hair the color of honey, and eyes the shade of the finest emerald. She wore an old tattered gray cloak, over a pink dress I believe."

"Get some rest boys." Hoshi said, standing and facing out at the full moon. "Tomorrow will be a long day."

-

Sunlight filled the small house as dawn broke over Maydena. The three sleeping forms in the small room slowly woke as the sunlight blinded them from the open window, the breeze pushing the white curtains around as it slowly entered the room.

Chiharu shot up in bed, and got out of it quickly as she rushed past a still-waking Kero over to her sister's bed. "Happy Birthday Sakura!"

Sakura opened one eye at a time to face her sister, before she smiled and blushed. "Thank you Chiharu."

"Come! Let's see what Mother's making for Breakfast!

-

"What's this supposed to be?" Syaoran asked, looking questionably at his mother, then back down at the small crystal in his hand.

"It's a crystal, silly!" she replied, placing breakfast in front of the two boys and her husband.

"What for?" he asked again.

"You're birthday Syaoran."

"No. I mean, what's it for? What does it do?" he dangled the moon shaped crystal in front of his eyes as it shimmered in the early morning sunlight, the silver chain swaying in the light breeze that filled the kitchen.

There was a pause. "It doesn't do anything Syaoran. It's an heirloom. From your grandfather. He wanted you to have it." His father answered as he began eating his breakfast.

"He leaves Takashi his horse, and me a necklace with a crystal on it." he mumbled under his breath as he put the silver chain around his neck.

"Well, incase you've forgotten, the horse died after only a week! She was too old." Takashi replied, sipping his orange juice.

"Oh, Syaoran, you're other presents are in our room. You can have them later." his mother said softly as she stood behind him and tried to flatten his hair. "They aren't much.."

"I'm sure they're great." Syaoran replied, smiling for his mother's sake, while he thought, 'Why do I get the feeling they want to tell me something and won't.'

After a few more silent minutes of eating, the two teens stood up. "Well, it's off to work. We'll be back by sundown." Takashi said, grabbing his black jacket by the door, followed by Syaoran, who let out a low grumble that resembled 'Horses.'

-

"Mom! It's so pretty!" Sakura held a thin silver chain in the air above the kitchen table. The star crystal refracting the light into all the colors of the rainbow on her face. She giggled. "Thank you!"

"Happy Birthday Sakura!" her mother replied as Sakura stood up to hug her. "I'm sorry that you girls got called to help Mr. Conrad today. I know how much you were looking forward to being with your friends on Sakura's birthday."

"It's okay Mother, we can be with them another day." Chiharu said, smiling. "But, we should be going. He likes us to be to the market for him early so that all his food hasn't been sitting out in the sun all day."

"True." Sakura said, walking toward the door, grabbing a basket on her way. "We'll be back before Mid-day!"

-

A figure cloaked in dark robes walked down the soon-to-be-crowded street. His feet moving swiftly, as though he were gliding and not really walking. He couldn't risk being seen by some shop-keeper. He growled under his breath again and thought to himself 'How did I let them convince me to do this during broad daylight?'

As he came to the end of the street, the fences to the stable that was only meters from the street corner came into view. Along the fence there was a small patch of bushes, which were filled with the most ripe berries he'd seen all season. Surely it would be fortunate for him to hid behind these bushes, and wait for his best opportunity.

-

It was slowly nearing to noon. The sun was high, and the two sisters were just finished with their shopping. They went by Mr. Conrad's small house on the edge of town, and dropped by his food for the following week. The old man smiled thankfully as he stumbled into the kitchen, cane in hand.

"We have it Mr. Conrad. You should be sitting." Chiharu said as she pulled out a chair for him at his small 2 person kitchen table.

Soon, all the groceries were put away, and the girls received their small payment. They accepted reluctantly, then left the house, headed toward home. As they came to the edge of the market they came to the corner nearest the stables.

"Look! Chiharu! These berries are so ripe! We should pick some and make a pie!" Sakura said happily as she kneeled near the bush.

Chiharu nodded, and knelt down with her sister, putting all the raspberries into their baskets. A few seconds later Chiharu noticed a blackberry bush to her left, and went to pick some of them. Sakura stayed happily with the raspberries, until she saw unmistakably the glitter of glass at her eye level from behind the bush. She gave a short gasp and fell back from the bush. She rubbed her eyes. 'Was there an eye behind that glass?' she shook her head. 'Not possible. It's a fence dummy!' she thought, as she knelt back down beside the bush.

The curiosity over taking her, she slowly parted a few branches in the bush. And screamed as a face stared back at her. Quickly Chiharu came rushing back to her sister. But everything had happened so quickly. No sooner had Sakura screamed than the man behind the bush had stood up, rounded the bush, grabbed Sakura by the waist, and disappeared into the forest on the other side of the horse field.

Chiharu rubbed her eyes this time, 'How?' she thought before it suddenly sank in. She began screaming bloody murder, until she had all the horses in the field scared and running back to their barn.

-

A blood curling scream interrupted Takashi and Syaoran as they tended to the horses in the stable. They quickly dropped their brushes and blankets as they followed all the other attendants to the street. There in the middle of the road, on her knees and crying her eyes out, was a girl, around age 17 in a faded yellow dress. Takashi knew her immediately and ran to her.

"CHIHARU! CHIHARU WHAT'S WRONG??" he shouted as he pushed past the crowd and knelt down next to her. "What happened?"

But all Chiharu could get out was. "Dark..Took..On her birthday!.." she sobbed harder, if possible. Then screamed on the top of her lungs to her sister, before passing out into Takashi's arms.

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KanbiAme: Well..Whatcha think? I'll try to update soon! R+R! Thanks!

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