Timeless
Chapter 3 : It's begun
Author : butter-fly
Domo arigato! I'm glad I have more reviews. Keep reviewing ne, I totally appreciate it and those who didn't review well thanks for reading but I'd really like to hear what you think.
Syaoran : Do it or I'll never hear the end of it.
Me : Shuddup! Or I'll make you less manly and start giving you gay partners instead of Sakura!
Syaoran : Never upset a crazy author... ;)
Uh..I just realized all this while I never bothered with a disclaimer. And I won't CCS doesn't belong to me and it probably never will unless I strike it rich with my lottery ticket.
The flutterer,
Butter-fly :)
* * *
The sunlight brought no comfort to creatures belonging to the dark. They shied away from sun light and took refuge in the shadows. Hoji stayed in the darkness of his pit, of what the vermins called the 'sewers'. It smelled of rotten things and excretion that clogged the nostrils and it took a while for him to get use to it. But there was something about the smell that excited him; it reeked of all things evil and dirty.
"Brother, did you enjoy yourself last night? Hmm.." she drawled.
"Of course, Yasha. I satisfied myself yesterday," he said in voice that purred.
"Good. Now we concentrate on increasing our powers. The veil between shadow and light are very thin in this world."
He sat up with interest, finally Yasha was going to do what he wanted all along. "Finally, Yasha. What do we do, more sacrifices?"
"Yes, we will need a girl, preferably a virgin. Tomorrow will be dark moon, it will be perfect for a sacrifice."
His eyes were shining with inner hunger. A hunger that burned deep within the pit of his stomach power and blood.
* * *
They were taking the girl to Li's apartment. Since they had no way of knowing her identity, they had no choice but to bring her home with them. Li still wasn't quite sure why he agreed to let her stay with him instead of Eriol or Mei Ling, even Tomoyo seemed like a better idea. He recalled what they said to him when he told them to offer their house as a place for her to stay,
Eriol had shrugged his arms nonchalantly and said mildly, "She hardly knows me, besides you were the one who hit her."
Mei Ling had actually wanted to offer her place but them she remembered she had no room, "I'd love to but some of my friends are staying over cause we need to work on our next campaign."
Tomoyo, well it was better not to even think about it. She was a workaholic, a fashion workaholic to be exact. And the fact that her own mansion had been turned into a fashion studio did nothing to help because she had people crawling over the place from daylight till midnight. It was no resting place for a sick girl.
So, he was stuck with her. Well, there was Wei-his man-servant who accompanied him almost everywhere. Wei would see to it that she was settled properly in his apartment.
"We'll see you later Li-kun," Eriol had said to him before he went inside the car. The girl was already tucked nicely inside and she was waving at Eriol.
As the car moved down the street, Li thought about what he should do about the girl. The first thing was to at least find out about her name, can't keep calling her, "hey you."
He turned his head to look across at her. She was staring at the other cars and sky scraper buildings with wonder.
He cleared his throat and it caught her attention. "Eh, we really need to know your name. Do you think you could write it or something?" he asked.
She shook her head at the same time making writing movements.
Oh, great she doesn't know how to write.
"What should we call you then? We can't keep calling you, girl."
She locked eyes with him for a moment before looking outside again. They passed by some Sakura trees which made her jump at her seat, startling him. She jabbed a finger furiously at the pink blossoms while smiling at him.
"Sakura?" he asked puzzled.
Then she placed a hand at herself and then pointed at the trees before they disappeared from view. She was trying to tell him that it was her name.
Understanding dawn upon him, "Your name is Sakura."
At this she bobbed her head and grinned happily. Well, at least they got that settled.
They reached the apartment after a while and he helped her to get down from the car while Wei went off to park the car. He couldn't help but wonder where she had come from, it was like she had never seen the modern world before. Her emerald eyes would widen with fascination and wonder every time she came across every mechanical thing. She wouldn't even enter the lift, she remained rooted to the spot and with somewhat of fear of the lift in her eyes.
"It's all right," he said, taking hold of her arm to lead her in.
She wouldn't budge and shook her head.
"It's just a lift. You don't need to be scared," he coaxed. She remained indignant and continued to shake her head.
This time it got to his nerves and he said loudly, impatience tinged deep in his voice, "Would you just get into the bloody lift?"
That got him a few stares and a mother was shaking her head with reproval and whispering something to her young son which made him more frustrated with Sakura. He glared at the onlookers and scowled at her, blaming her entirely for this and head for the stairs. They were now going to climb 10 stories because she was too afraid to step into the lift. His mood did not improve throughout the whole climb and it got worst when he had to carry her halfway. She was looking pale and not so well after a few stories so he decided to carry her in his arms. She didn't protest much mainly because she was too weak.
Eriol and Tomoyo were already in his apartment waiting for him and they looked a tad bit worried.
"What took you so long?" Eriol asked when Li came in with Sakura in his arms.
"What did you do to her?" Tomoyo exclaimed. She had noticed her pallor and how she wheezed while she breathed.
Li made a grimace, "She wouldn't get into the lift so we used the stairs."
"She just came out of the hospital, she shouldn't do any strenuous exercise," Eriol reprimanded.
"She was stubborn," Li bit out. He didn't deserve this, well perhaps he did after all it was he who ran her down.
"Where's your patience, Li-kun?" Tomoyo asked. She knew very well that Li wasn't a very patient man, being important and all his requests and orders were carried out immediately.
"I don't have one," he said in a bored voice. He didn't have to be patient for this.
"Well, miss just lie down and rest," Eriol said in his gentle-doctor's voice to her when Li laid her down on the sofa.
"Sakura."
"Nani?"
"Her name is Sakura."
"Sakura? That's beautiful. How did you find out her name?"
"She signed it to me or something like that," he answered, making gestures with his hand.
"At least that is settled," Eriol said.
Tomoyo who had been silent while the two talked had been watching Sakura thoughtfully. Her mind was shrewdly taking in the tumble of dark-honey hair, emerald colored eyes framed by thick lashes and finely arched eyebrows as well as the petite shape of her body. Suddenly, she found herself looking into those emerald orbs and her own dark violet eyes widened as she had been caught staring. She smiled generously at Sakura, extremely gleeful with her plan.
"Li-kun. You haven't forgotten about your promise to model for my autumn collection have you?" Tomoyo asked.
He gave her an amused look. "I haven't, have you?"
She grinned and said a loud, "Iie, demo I have a better idea. Rather than getting another girl model I could use Sakura here. She's perfect!"
"That's out of the question. She's not well," Eriol argued.
"I can wait for her to be well. I already have the clothes ready all I need is her size to make the adjustments."
"I don't think it's a good idea, Tomoyo-chan. Get someone else," Li cut in coldly.
"Why don't we ask Sakura what she thinks?" Tomoyo said, turning to look at her.
Sakura who had sat up didn't quite understand what they were saying actually but she understood that whatever that it was it was important to the one called Tomoyo. For some reason, she liked that girl and her friendly nature and it did seem like the guys were picking on her. She seemed trustable, why not? She nod her head once.
Tomoyo clapped her hands happily and a huge smile spread across her face. "Wonderful! I'll get everything ready, all you have to do is be there next week. I'll give you a call," she practically squeeled and with a sayonara, rushed off.
"Wonderful!" Li said sarcastically and turned to her, "Why'd you agree? Do you like being a model?"
She gave him a blank look and looked at Eriol for an explanation.
"I don't think she understands," Eriol said, interpreting the question in her eyes.
"Crap, of course she does. Who doesn't?"
Eriol felt he had nothing else to say or wouldn't say so he decided to leave but not before telling Li with an authoritive voice not to provoke Sakura and ordering her to take extra rest.
* * *
"Of all the bloody stupid things to do, you allowed her to-"
"That's quite enough Touya," the man with honey-brown hair and wise brown eyes said.
"Otou-san, give me your permission and I'll go fetch the baka back," Touya said, standing up from the chair he was sitting on.
His father mulled over his suggestion for a while, lines of concentration appearing on his forehead. "Which one of the worlds did she go to?" he asked.
The man creature with snowy-white wings answered, "The Forgotten lands."
Touya muttered a 'baka kaijuu' under his breath which his father ignored, too preoccupied with his own thoughts.
"She heard the rumor, didn't she?" he sighed.
Suddenly a small yellow winged creature flew in front of his face and burst out, "I SWEAR I don't know where she heard it from! I'll get her, Kinamoto-sensei don't you worry."
"You? You were probably the one who gave her that baka idea in the first place," Touya said in a frustratedly angry voice.
The creature was going to argue again, you can see it all over its face but the man creature with snowy-white wings intervened, "Keroberos, I think that is quite enough."
It threw him an unsatisfied look but settled down with a grunt, "All right Yue."
"How long has she gone?" Kinamoto-sensei asked.
Yue answered quickly, as if expecting that question long ago. "Half a day, Kinamoto-sensei."
Touya wondered what was going on his father's head. He was bloody calm for a man whose daughter had gone to another world where he didn't know what had happened to her. If it was up to him, he would have rushed to that world and drag her back immediately. Kami knows what might have happened to her.
"Kero-san, Yue-san. Be careful when you go search for her. It's a different world there, very very different," he said finally.
"What about me?" Touya asked.
"I need you here. I fear my magik alone will not be adequate to hold the barrier if there is an attack," he explained slowly to his son.
Touya gave a reluctant nod and stepped back. Keroberos and Yue were preparing to leave when he called them back, "There is one other thing. The forgotten lands...are a world where magik like ours hardly exists. Yue-san, how about taking your human form? Kero-san may keep your small form."
Yue's body shimmered and he was engulfed in a brilliant white light. The white light faded away to reveal a young man between the age of 19-20 with dusted gray hair and soft winsome gray eyes. He was Yue's human form, Tsukishiro Yukito.
"Yukito-san, I trust you know what the problem is. Do you think you will be able to blend in?" Kinamoto-sensei asked. Yukito or Yue's history was too complicated. He was a guardian who could shift to his human form and have another personality of his own. It was like two person in one body.
"Hai, Kinamoto-sensei. Yue has told me," Yukito said cheerfully.
"Once you find her, give this to her. It's important that she discovers her true magik," the sensei said in a low voice as he held out a pendent in the shape of a key.
* * *
Li raked a hand through his already tousled hair as he tried to wipe away the traces of sleep from his face. Wei had woken him up saying that Sakura wouldn't go to sleep and that she appeared worried about something. And there she was wide awake, her emerald eyes sharp with awareness. Bothersome, that's what she was. She just wouldn't go to sleep but remained on the couch looking at her hands and then sometimes at the fluttering drapes which covered the sliding glass.
Damn it and it was 12 something in the morning where every person with a right mind would be sleeping.
"Is something the matter, Sakura?" he inquired as he flopped into the couch in front of her.
She squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her arms around herself. Then she began to rock herself back and forth, seemingly trying to calm herself.
He leaned back against the couch with a frown. He may have been sleepy earlier but he sure was wide awake now and his senses were tingling. This didn't happen often and he wondered whether he should give Eriol a call. He didn't need to for Eriol seemed to have read his mind and appeared at his door step, ringing the doorbell.
"You felt it too then," Li spoke to him once Wei opened the door to let him in.
Eriol gave a brisk nod and strode towards the sliding glass. "I fear that it may be worse than I imagine it. Especially on such a night."
"What do you mean?"
Eriol threw him a troubled look and pulled the drapes away to reveal the moonless night. The sky was dark, dark as the abyss. "Dark of the moon," he said flatly.
Sakura who had been watching Eriol shuddered and closed her eyes once more.
"There have been many nights such as this before," Li said, his eyes never leaving Sakura. In fact they narrowed suspiciously when she shuddered.
"Hai, demo tonight there are malevolent spirits at work. I feel it, the darkness approaches. We must be on our guard," Eriol stated. His usually calm sapphire eyes were shadowed.
Silence and serenity reigned for a time. Then darkness shifted into action. Cold icy winds breathed upon them once Eriol threw open the slides to step out into the balcony. Li was up on his feet and was following Eriol closely. The hairs at the back of their neck stood and their bodies tensed preparing for action.
"There," Li said as he felt the dark aura flare at the small patch of forest that still remained after the urbanization of Tokyo. (actually I don't know whether there's such a 'patch' in Tokyo, so if it doesn't pretend it does, onegai?)
Eriol nodded and moved towards the door. "We're going out for a while. Watch her," Li said to Wei and trailed behind Eriol.
Once outside and out of sight, he willed his Chinese amulet to take its true form, a long sword while Eriol called out his sun shaped amulet to become his magic staff.
"Jump," Li commanded as the tip of his sword touch the tarot-card-like that had appeared before him. He leapt from the balcony and with the agileness of a cat landed smoothly on his two feet at a building 5 feet away. Eriol himself disappeared in a blink of an eye.
Li met up with Eriol at the edge of the forest. The dark aura flickered in and out, as if battling with itself. They moved stealthily, heading for the source of their uneasiness. And yet, the stillness and coldness of the night lingered not intending to remove itself at all. As they made their way through the forest further away from the city, there were no lamps to light their way and the time being dark of the moon, there was no moon. Eriol made his staff glowed, the bright golden light like beacon of light in the darkness.
They came to a clearing where blue candles formed a circle and a teenager's body lied in the middle. At first glance she appeared to be sleeping, but at closer inspection the look of terror etched deep in her features told of another story. Her heart had been ripped out and dark blood stained her school uniform and the ground.
"She's dead," Li said flatly. It was an unpleasant sight, and one he never hoped to see again.
"Of course she is," someone said with amusement.
Li swung around, searching for the source of the sound. The wind rustled the leaves and carried a hoarse mocking laughter with it. "Where are you? Show yourself!"
"She was delicious. She never complained, not even a single word when all she could do was scream."
"Who are you? Show yourself, coward!"
"Coward? Coward! I am no coward, I'll kill you-"
A sultry feline voice cut him off, "You deliberately disobeyed me brother,"
"Yasha, you never let me have any fun," he whined.
"We leave NOW," Yasha said coldly to him.
Still the darkness shrouded them, and still he and Eriol could not pin point the position of the person. However they now knew there were two involved. A male and a female.
"We'll meet again, I'm sure," the male one said playfully and the darkness that fell upon the area lifted.
They were gone.
"Shimatta, we've lost them," Li snarled.
"They were playing with us. How was it possible that two with such powers escape my notice all this while?"
Li snorted, "You've been lazy, Hiirazigawa."
"Well then, I'll have to go meditate now," Eriol said with a raised eyebrow and teleported himself back home.
"Bloody bloody hell," Li mumbled loudly as he stumbled on a root.
Sakura stood at the balcony, staring out at the dark patch of forest trees. She couldn't remember how long she stood there because she hadn't paid any attention to the time nor the chilly breeze that ruffled her night gown. They hadn't returned so she promised to herself to wait for them to do so. Only then, only then could she sleep.
* * *
To be continued…
Special thanks to:
Gigicerisier : Thanks luv! But truly I've actually decided on who Syaoran is pairing with and it's not Mei Ling sorry. Oh hai, definitely more blood. I looove blood! I'm a sadist *sigh*.
Animeann : Oh I'll definitely continue. Some of your questions have been answered in this chapter but some will unravel itself pretty soon. Cause if I tell you I'd have to kill you..hehh..jokin'. Would someone as sweet as me kill anyone? (Syaoran : Sweet? *snorts*) (Me : *raises fists*)
Tomoyo-chan : I'm typing I'm typing..*proves it by jabbing wildly on the key pad* I wonder whether you got my express mail.
Mei Yen : Have I told you how much I love you lately? *pounces and squeezes Mei Yen in a hug*
Starquestor : Oh *Syaoran clamps hand over mouth* mffmmf… (Syaoran : You can't blow all your secrets, baka!) *pouts*
sum1 : I'm so glad you feel that way! If I tell you the answers, where's the fun in that? I'm evil I like keeping people in suspense. (Syaoran : She's evil all right and I've scars to prove it) (Me : Eh, you trying to say you haven't had enough?!)
Misato Child : Hehh..there's a reason to why she can't talk yet. I so love torturing my characters. (Syaoran : See!) (Me : *glares*)
You guys are welcome to flame me or retaliate..on Syaoran of course in my defense! Hehh…