Chapter two: Tonight
Sakura woke to the sound of a beautiful male voice singing. She very quickly dressed and ran down to the kitchen, where she found, to her great surprise, Yue. He was dressed in white trousers, a lavender shirt and white shoes. He was singing a gentle melody that she couldn't define. Looking up at Sakura, he smiled in a friendly way that reminded her of Yukito, before saying, "Good morning. Your father insisted I stay after I brought you home last night. How do you feel?"
Sakura smiled at Yue and hugged him; Yue's eyes went wide. "I feel fine, Yue."
He was caught in the flow of emotion coming from his young mistress: she seemed genuinely happy; not only that, she had either forgotten or deliberately omitted the 'chan' on the end of his name. He decided now was the right time to broach a very delicate subject.
"Sakura-chan . . . Yukito and I have decided to separate." He didn't give her time to react, rushing onwards. "Your father thinks that I can hide perfectly well if I dress like this and I am inclined to agree with him. Besides which, Yukito and I love different people. Your father has even gone as far as to offer me your brother's old room, so I can be near to you like Keroberos."
Sakura looked at him, concerned. "What would happen to Yukito-san?"
Yue's heart slumped: as ever his other self was at the forefront of her thoughts.
"Nothing. . ."
"It is not he who will bear the most pain by separating," came Eriol's voice as he walked into the living room.
"Eriol-kun . . When did you get here?" asked Sakura.
"I just arrived, I thought Yue might attempt this, so I decided I would come and see if I could help." He walked up to Yue and put his hand on the moon guardian's heart. As he did this, Eriol's eyes almost popped out of his head.
"Yue . . Things have certainly changed."
Yue looked down at the floor. "Actually, you can help. I'll need somewhere to do this other than this house. I don't think it would be wise for Sakura- chan to be near by when this happens."
Eriol nodded. "I agree. Come with me."
Fujitaka walked in and handed Yue a bag. "Clothes for after you separate, so you won't stand out too much."
"Thank you. . ." But Yue hesitated, looking at Sakura.
Fujitaka spotted the look. "I'll look after her whilst you're gone."
Yue smiled at him. "Thank you."
Everyone was treating this situation so seriously, and she didn't understand why. Then Sakura remembered what Eriol had said. "What did you mean, 'Yukito won't be in any pain'? . . . Don't answer that . . ."
Yue and Eriol looked at each other and then quickly left the house. Sakura made to run after them but her father stopped her. "No, he is protecting you for a reason . . Trust me, please."
Sakura looked up into his chestnut eyes, always so loving and concerned towards her, and nodded, though her heart was heavy. The day passed slowly for her, as if the hours had leaden feet. She even got Time out and asked if he was doing something, but the old man simply looked at her, and raised one eyebrow. This reminded Sakura so much of Yue that she hurriedly returned the card and busied herself with household chores. Finally, night came, and she turned in gladly, her throat sore with holding back tears of frustration and fear, her eyes itchy with unshed water.
That night when she went to bed, Kero floated out of his draw, over to the window. He looked at the new moon. An expression of pain crossed his face and he fell to the ground, the shape of the shadow changed to a man's and then returned to being that of a small winged lion.
Sakura was having a dream . . . In it, the Dream Card appeared and she struck it with her wand. Her heart trembled in foreboding as the dream unfolded, for even in the dream, Sakura knew she was seeing what could be, or what was happening somewhere else at the moment. That was the problem with the Dream Card: you never knew if you were seeing the present or the future.
She saw Yukito, standing by a bedside, looking down with his face pale and worried, apologising again and again in between screams of pain.
Suddenly Sakura saw who was screaming: Yue, his wings spread wide, shedding feathers, growing new longer ones, the whole wing expanding, growing larger. His braid had long fallen out, meaning that his mass of white hair was spread in a multitude of directions. His face was pale and beaded with sweat, his eyes were closed to the world, as if trapped in some sort of nightmare of his own.
Sakura woke with a scream. Seconds later, her father ran into her room. He sat down on the bed, and she threw her arms around him, bursting out with, "I had a dream, a horrible dream about Yue. ."
Sakura lifted up her hand and in it was the Dream Card.
"I have to go to him."
Her father looked at the card she was holding, and nodded.
Sakura hugged him hard, then called up the Fly Card. As her wings appeared, Fujitaka touched her arm.
"How will you find him?"
"I'll trust his magic to guide me."
Sakura flew up into the air and silenced her mind: she instantly located her moon guardian's magic and headed towards its location.
Soon Sakura arrived at a house on the outskirts of town, she carefully landed and her wings vanished. Sakura walked up to the house and rang the doorbell: after a few moments of waiting, Nakuru answered it.
"Sakura-chan?!"
Sakura barged past Nakuru into the hall. Another scream filled the house and she headed upstairs to its source. Light shone from under one door on the left. Sakura burst into the room, and saw Yukito and Eriol both standing beside the bed, blocking her view of Yue. One glance told Yukito how pale her face was, and he moved aside so that she could be close to her moon guardian.
"How is he, Eriol-kun?" Sakura demanded, hurrying to Yue's side and grabbing a limp, pale hand.
"Better since you just walked in the door, I think he has been waiting for you, for a long time. . ." With only these words to comfort Sakura, Eriol rose, and taking Yukito's arm, they left the room.
Sakura waited until the door was closed and then gently squeezed the hand she held in her own. "Yue-chan?" she whispered gently.
He opened his eyes, and look at her in shock.
"Sakura-chan . . why?" It was tentatively asked.
"I had to come and be with you, you needed me, and I need you, Yue-chan." At this answer Sakura felt the pain, distress and worry leave the white- haired angel, and she smiled in reaction.
Yue smiled back, then he closed his eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep.
Sakura contemplated leaving him to his rest, but then decided against it. Instead she climbed into the bed and draped Yue's arm over her waist. Yue turned over in his sleep and pulled Sakura close to him, and Sakura fell asleep with a satisfied smile on her face.
Sakura woke to the sound of a beautiful male voice singing. She very quickly dressed and ran down to the kitchen, where she found, to her great surprise, Yue. He was dressed in white trousers, a lavender shirt and white shoes. He was singing a gentle melody that she couldn't define. Looking up at Sakura, he smiled in a friendly way that reminded her of Yukito, before saying, "Good morning. Your father insisted I stay after I brought you home last night. How do you feel?"
Sakura smiled at Yue and hugged him; Yue's eyes went wide. "I feel fine, Yue."
He was caught in the flow of emotion coming from his young mistress: she seemed genuinely happy; not only that, she had either forgotten or deliberately omitted the 'chan' on the end of his name. He decided now was the right time to broach a very delicate subject.
"Sakura-chan . . . Yukito and I have decided to separate." He didn't give her time to react, rushing onwards. "Your father thinks that I can hide perfectly well if I dress like this and I am inclined to agree with him. Besides which, Yukito and I love different people. Your father has even gone as far as to offer me your brother's old room, so I can be near to you like Keroberos."
Sakura looked at him, concerned. "What would happen to Yukito-san?"
Yue's heart slumped: as ever his other self was at the forefront of her thoughts.
"Nothing. . ."
"It is not he who will bear the most pain by separating," came Eriol's voice as he walked into the living room.
"Eriol-kun . . When did you get here?" asked Sakura.
"I just arrived, I thought Yue might attempt this, so I decided I would come and see if I could help." He walked up to Yue and put his hand on the moon guardian's heart. As he did this, Eriol's eyes almost popped out of his head.
"Yue . . Things have certainly changed."
Yue looked down at the floor. "Actually, you can help. I'll need somewhere to do this other than this house. I don't think it would be wise for Sakura- chan to be near by when this happens."
Eriol nodded. "I agree. Come with me."
Fujitaka walked in and handed Yue a bag. "Clothes for after you separate, so you won't stand out too much."
"Thank you. . ." But Yue hesitated, looking at Sakura.
Fujitaka spotted the look. "I'll look after her whilst you're gone."
Yue smiled at him. "Thank you."
Everyone was treating this situation so seriously, and she didn't understand why. Then Sakura remembered what Eriol had said. "What did you mean, 'Yukito won't be in any pain'? . . . Don't answer that . . ."
Yue and Eriol looked at each other and then quickly left the house. Sakura made to run after them but her father stopped her. "No, he is protecting you for a reason . . Trust me, please."
Sakura looked up into his chestnut eyes, always so loving and concerned towards her, and nodded, though her heart was heavy. The day passed slowly for her, as if the hours had leaden feet. She even got Time out and asked if he was doing something, but the old man simply looked at her, and raised one eyebrow. This reminded Sakura so much of Yue that she hurriedly returned the card and busied herself with household chores. Finally, night came, and she turned in gladly, her throat sore with holding back tears of frustration and fear, her eyes itchy with unshed water.
That night when she went to bed, Kero floated out of his draw, over to the window. He looked at the new moon. An expression of pain crossed his face and he fell to the ground, the shape of the shadow changed to a man's and then returned to being that of a small winged lion.
Sakura was having a dream . . . In it, the Dream Card appeared and she struck it with her wand. Her heart trembled in foreboding as the dream unfolded, for even in the dream, Sakura knew she was seeing what could be, or what was happening somewhere else at the moment. That was the problem with the Dream Card: you never knew if you were seeing the present or the future.
She saw Yukito, standing by a bedside, looking down with his face pale and worried, apologising again and again in between screams of pain.
Suddenly Sakura saw who was screaming: Yue, his wings spread wide, shedding feathers, growing new longer ones, the whole wing expanding, growing larger. His braid had long fallen out, meaning that his mass of white hair was spread in a multitude of directions. His face was pale and beaded with sweat, his eyes were closed to the world, as if trapped in some sort of nightmare of his own.
Sakura woke with a scream. Seconds later, her father ran into her room. He sat down on the bed, and she threw her arms around him, bursting out with, "I had a dream, a horrible dream about Yue. ."
Sakura lifted up her hand and in it was the Dream Card.
"I have to go to him."
Her father looked at the card she was holding, and nodded.
Sakura hugged him hard, then called up the Fly Card. As her wings appeared, Fujitaka touched her arm.
"How will you find him?"
"I'll trust his magic to guide me."
Sakura flew up into the air and silenced her mind: she instantly located her moon guardian's magic and headed towards its location.
Soon Sakura arrived at a house on the outskirts of town, she carefully landed and her wings vanished. Sakura walked up to the house and rang the doorbell: after a few moments of waiting, Nakuru answered it.
"Sakura-chan?!"
Sakura barged past Nakuru into the hall. Another scream filled the house and she headed upstairs to its source. Light shone from under one door on the left. Sakura burst into the room, and saw Yukito and Eriol both standing beside the bed, blocking her view of Yue. One glance told Yukito how pale her face was, and he moved aside so that she could be close to her moon guardian.
"How is he, Eriol-kun?" Sakura demanded, hurrying to Yue's side and grabbing a limp, pale hand.
"Better since you just walked in the door, I think he has been waiting for you, for a long time. . ." With only these words to comfort Sakura, Eriol rose, and taking Yukito's arm, they left the room.
Sakura waited until the door was closed and then gently squeezed the hand she held in her own. "Yue-chan?" she whispered gently.
He opened his eyes, and look at her in shock.
"Sakura-chan . . why?" It was tentatively asked.
"I had to come and be with you, you needed me, and I need you, Yue-chan." At this answer Sakura felt the pain, distress and worry leave the white- haired angel, and she smiled in reaction.
Yue smiled back, then he closed his eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep.
Sakura contemplated leaving him to his rest, but then decided against it. Instead she climbed into the bed and draped Yue's arm over her waist. Yue turned over in his sleep and pulled Sakura close to him, and Sakura fell asleep with a satisfied smile on her face.