Thanks for the reviews; they're very inspirational. But there were
obviously some misunderstandings. Then thing about Li (sorry I misspelled
his name, I thought it didn't really matter about the spelling, I mean, it
sounds the same either way) having a sister, well, on that, I thought: hey,
this is fanfiction, so why not give him a sister. Besides, it all ties in
with my plot, as you all will see later on. Aside from that, everything
else seemed all right.
I see these done all the time, so lets make a review challenge. Lets see....how about 20 by October 17? Hope you guys make it...
The always-loved disclaimer: I don't own CCS. Never have; never will.
Chapter 3: Lost
" LET ME GO! " Sakura angrily scolded at the woman as she swung her over her broad shoulder. Chanting something under her breath, the woman firmed up her hold on Sakura. A silvery yellow glow appeared and surrounded them. It swiftly changed to blue, circular particles and swirled around them until everything blacked out for Sakura.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Somewhere else~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Two figures on a pair of white horses rode into the darkening horizon. The harsh winds beat against their cloaked bodies, trying to rip them off. Tree branches made tortured sounds as they scraped against small, wooden houses in the valley.
" So tell me, Li, who is this Sakura girl I keep hearing about?" Tiara asked, tightening her hold on the rains.
Li's eyes glanced up at the sky. Taking a deep breath, he began," She is someone I met not too long ago. She's great: smart, beautiful, easy to talk to.....everything...."
Tiara laughed. " Be careful, with all your daydreaming about her, you might fall off the horse or ride into a tree."
Li smiled slightly. He knew she was right. He thought way too much about Sakura, he knew it. Yet she was a wonderful thing to think about....just one glance at her and he was the happiest guy on the planet. The way her deep, brown hair shaped around her face....the way her gorgeous green eyes shimmered under sunlight....
" Um, Lee..did you hear what I said?" Tiara's annoyed voice entered his ears.
Quickly snapping out of his trance, he replied, " No."
Tiara rolled her eyes. She had to meet this Sakura her brother was so hung up on.
~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~
" Where are we? Why did you bring me here? Who are you?" Sakura demanded, folding her arms and glaring at the cloaked woman.
The woman walked over to the window in the small cottage she was now in. " This is not easy for me to say, girl. I brought you here to get some privacy, that's all. What you are about to hear is true." She paused. " My name is Aral. Don't take me as the bad guy in the picture. It is my duty to your dead mother to tell you this......." She explained further, slowly bringing up her hands and removing the cloak. Beautiful, black curls fell over her shoulders. Her brown eyes had a mysterious glare to them; as if they contained countless secrets within their mighty stare. Aral had pale white skin, with only a shimmer of rose on her high cheekbones.
Sakura had to gasp; she'd imagined this woman to be an old lady.
Aral's full lips turned into a smile. " I see my appearance surprised you. Not to worry though, I get that a lot these days." She leisurely strolled over to her, touching Sakura's hair. " You haven't changed much, you know. I see you just like you are now in my dreams...." Her eyes glittered in tears. " It's a shame.....your destiny was already picked for you and so was the day you draw in your last breath..."
Sakura snatched her hand away. " What are you talking about?"
Shutting her eyes, Aral's smile faded. " You must not develop feelings for him. Heed my warning, Princess. Stay away from him."
" Whom are you talking about?"
Aral ignored her question. " The closer you get to him, the closer you get to your death, Sakura. I do not know of any other way to say this....please listen and believe me. I realize you already do care for him and that's my fault. I should have told you sooner. For that I apologize."
Sakura turned her back towards Aral. Was she talking about.....about Li? The closer she gets to him the closer she gets to her death. What was that supposed to mean? Lee would never hurt her; she knew that. Somehow she just knew.
" There is going to be a great ball in your honor soon. Do not go. Your end lies there."
Sakura vigorously shook her head. " Stop it! Just stop! You are obviously crazy! I want to go back to my room....take me there, now!" She angrily ordered.
" I am not crazy. I have dreams....in them I see many things, most are bad...."
" What kind of things?" Sakura asked, trying to control her enraging temper.
Aral opened her eyes and folded her arms across her chest; inhaling. " I keep seeing you in complete darkness....crying. You look like you've lost everything dear to you, as if you have nothing left to live for. The one thing you keep repeating, it's unclear to me still. 'You mustn't leave me, please, I need you ' you keep saying through your rapid sobs. I do not know who you are talking about, yet I know exactly what happens next...." She hastily stopped.
" You are crazy....you're crazy....." Sakura whispered. She couldn't believe she was hearing this. This Aral obviously hit her head on something hard, and now she was suffering the side affects.
" I hear you scream. Then - "
" STOP! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THIS!" Sakura yelled, sharply turning towards her.
Aral continued. " Next everything blurs out, yet I still hear your last scream echoing though my ears. Whatever happens that night - you don't live though it, Sakura. Heed my warning and take into consideration what I have said here."
Sakura couldn't believe it. This strange woman was describing...her death? Why would she even bother warning her if it were true? And why was Sakura ' supposed to die '? How? When? Why? Endless questions rang though her head, scattering all of her thoughts in opposite directions from one another.
" Why are you telling me all this?"
Aral thought a moment. Walking over to a wooden table in the middle of the small room, she leaned against it.
" Is Li that guy I'm supposed to stay away from?" Sakura kept asking.
Silence.
" Well, if he is, let me tell you something; I will not do that. Do you know why? He is the only bright thing I have in my life right now. Whenever I'm with him.....I just feel so alive, so happy. Just one look at him takes all of my troubles away. I will not give that up because you say I have to." Sakura looked down and smiled. " And you know, even if what you say is true, I'd much rather die than not see him."
" I'm sorry you feel that way, Sakura, I really am...." Aral quietly whispered. " I now see what you mother meant; you're just as stubborn as she is. I can't say I didn't try to save you, I really did. You chose not to listen. Go then, go and be happy with him. Go towards your own destruction. I won't stop you."
Sakura hesitated. What if all this was true? What if she really should....no, she was letting Aral's superstitions get to her. There was just no way any of this could be true.
~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
" Madison, could you tell my daughter to come down and see me. There are some things I need to talk to her about." The king ordered to the girl kneeling below him.
Madison remained quiet. How could she say that Sakura was missing?
" What is it?" The king asked, narrowing his harsh eyes on her.
" Your majesty, there may be a little problem......Princess Sakura never showed up. When I came down to her quarters tonight, everything was untouched, as if she was never there....." She began, trembling.
The king shut his eyes. " Gather up a search party. I want these grounds searched form top to bottom. Find my daughter at once." He ordered.
" Yes, of course."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
How do I always get myself into these things, Sakura irritably thought, stepping over the rocks on the small, dirt road. She had no idea where she was or where she was heading. After she left that strange house, she realized she had no idea of where she was. From the looks of it, she was no longer near the palace. Everything looked so disserted; so old.
An eerie feeling grew inside her stomach. If she said everything she heard today didn't scare her, she'd be lying. It did; it scared her so much, she almost believed it. It's not every day some crazy woman kidnaps you just to tell you to stay away from the one person you want to be with.
Raising up her dress and stepping over the tree root, Sakura's feet tangled up in the dress, making her loose balance. Angrily she pulled herself up on her feet once more and with a single swipe of her arms, tore off half of the dress, making it shorter. Now that it was up to her knees, she continued walking deeper into the woods. It was already getting dark. The forest seemed to get darker and scarier with every step she took.
Sakura shuddered. The temperature rapidly dropped a few degrees. She could already see her exhausted breath. Glancing up at the tall, dark trees, she saw hundreds of yellow eyes following her; watching her every move. Ever since she was little she never liked owls and now they surrounded her. Inhaling deeply, she sighed. This was turning to be one hell of a birthday. She laughed at herself. Here was a princess, all dirty and messy, trying to find her way home, where she'd be even unhappier and lost.
" How pathetic." She whispered.
An owl hooted in the distance, making Sakura turn her attention to a large rock on the side of the road. She'd already passed it twice. She was lost, yet most importantly; she'd lost her will to keep going.
[ A/N - Wells, that's it for the third chappie. So Sakura is having a bad day, what else can go wrong? *Evil Smile* You have no idea.....I have an evil plot planned out and I'm sure by the end of the fic you're going to hate me....heh - heh.....
Wow, this chapter was 12 pages long.....
Please review and give me your input. I like constructive criticism, so please give me your full opinion.
Ja ne,
~ Angel ~
I see these done all the time, so lets make a review challenge. Lets see....how about 20 by October 17? Hope you guys make it...
The always-loved disclaimer: I don't own CCS. Never have; never will.
Chapter 3: Lost
" LET ME GO! " Sakura angrily scolded at the woman as she swung her over her broad shoulder. Chanting something under her breath, the woman firmed up her hold on Sakura. A silvery yellow glow appeared and surrounded them. It swiftly changed to blue, circular particles and swirled around them until everything blacked out for Sakura.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Somewhere else~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Two figures on a pair of white horses rode into the darkening horizon. The harsh winds beat against their cloaked bodies, trying to rip them off. Tree branches made tortured sounds as they scraped against small, wooden houses in the valley.
" So tell me, Li, who is this Sakura girl I keep hearing about?" Tiara asked, tightening her hold on the rains.
Li's eyes glanced up at the sky. Taking a deep breath, he began," She is someone I met not too long ago. She's great: smart, beautiful, easy to talk to.....everything...."
Tiara laughed. " Be careful, with all your daydreaming about her, you might fall off the horse or ride into a tree."
Li smiled slightly. He knew she was right. He thought way too much about Sakura, he knew it. Yet she was a wonderful thing to think about....just one glance at her and he was the happiest guy on the planet. The way her deep, brown hair shaped around her face....the way her gorgeous green eyes shimmered under sunlight....
" Um, Lee..did you hear what I said?" Tiara's annoyed voice entered his ears.
Quickly snapping out of his trance, he replied, " No."
Tiara rolled her eyes. She had to meet this Sakura her brother was so hung up on.
~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~
" Where are we? Why did you bring me here? Who are you?" Sakura demanded, folding her arms and glaring at the cloaked woman.
The woman walked over to the window in the small cottage she was now in. " This is not easy for me to say, girl. I brought you here to get some privacy, that's all. What you are about to hear is true." She paused. " My name is Aral. Don't take me as the bad guy in the picture. It is my duty to your dead mother to tell you this......." She explained further, slowly bringing up her hands and removing the cloak. Beautiful, black curls fell over her shoulders. Her brown eyes had a mysterious glare to them; as if they contained countless secrets within their mighty stare. Aral had pale white skin, with only a shimmer of rose on her high cheekbones.
Sakura had to gasp; she'd imagined this woman to be an old lady.
Aral's full lips turned into a smile. " I see my appearance surprised you. Not to worry though, I get that a lot these days." She leisurely strolled over to her, touching Sakura's hair. " You haven't changed much, you know. I see you just like you are now in my dreams...." Her eyes glittered in tears. " It's a shame.....your destiny was already picked for you and so was the day you draw in your last breath..."
Sakura snatched her hand away. " What are you talking about?"
Shutting her eyes, Aral's smile faded. " You must not develop feelings for him. Heed my warning, Princess. Stay away from him."
" Whom are you talking about?"
Aral ignored her question. " The closer you get to him, the closer you get to your death, Sakura. I do not know of any other way to say this....please listen and believe me. I realize you already do care for him and that's my fault. I should have told you sooner. For that I apologize."
Sakura turned her back towards Aral. Was she talking about.....about Li? The closer she gets to him the closer she gets to her death. What was that supposed to mean? Lee would never hurt her; she knew that. Somehow she just knew.
" There is going to be a great ball in your honor soon. Do not go. Your end lies there."
Sakura vigorously shook her head. " Stop it! Just stop! You are obviously crazy! I want to go back to my room....take me there, now!" She angrily ordered.
" I am not crazy. I have dreams....in them I see many things, most are bad...."
" What kind of things?" Sakura asked, trying to control her enraging temper.
Aral opened her eyes and folded her arms across her chest; inhaling. " I keep seeing you in complete darkness....crying. You look like you've lost everything dear to you, as if you have nothing left to live for. The one thing you keep repeating, it's unclear to me still. 'You mustn't leave me, please, I need you ' you keep saying through your rapid sobs. I do not know who you are talking about, yet I know exactly what happens next...." She hastily stopped.
" You are crazy....you're crazy....." Sakura whispered. She couldn't believe she was hearing this. This Aral obviously hit her head on something hard, and now she was suffering the side affects.
" I hear you scream. Then - "
" STOP! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THIS!" Sakura yelled, sharply turning towards her.
Aral continued. " Next everything blurs out, yet I still hear your last scream echoing though my ears. Whatever happens that night - you don't live though it, Sakura. Heed my warning and take into consideration what I have said here."
Sakura couldn't believe it. This strange woman was describing...her death? Why would she even bother warning her if it were true? And why was Sakura ' supposed to die '? How? When? Why? Endless questions rang though her head, scattering all of her thoughts in opposite directions from one another.
" Why are you telling me all this?"
Aral thought a moment. Walking over to a wooden table in the middle of the small room, she leaned against it.
" Is Li that guy I'm supposed to stay away from?" Sakura kept asking.
Silence.
" Well, if he is, let me tell you something; I will not do that. Do you know why? He is the only bright thing I have in my life right now. Whenever I'm with him.....I just feel so alive, so happy. Just one look at him takes all of my troubles away. I will not give that up because you say I have to." Sakura looked down and smiled. " And you know, even if what you say is true, I'd much rather die than not see him."
" I'm sorry you feel that way, Sakura, I really am...." Aral quietly whispered. " I now see what you mother meant; you're just as stubborn as she is. I can't say I didn't try to save you, I really did. You chose not to listen. Go then, go and be happy with him. Go towards your own destruction. I won't stop you."
Sakura hesitated. What if all this was true? What if she really should....no, she was letting Aral's superstitions get to her. There was just no way any of this could be true.
~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
" Madison, could you tell my daughter to come down and see me. There are some things I need to talk to her about." The king ordered to the girl kneeling below him.
Madison remained quiet. How could she say that Sakura was missing?
" What is it?" The king asked, narrowing his harsh eyes on her.
" Your majesty, there may be a little problem......Princess Sakura never showed up. When I came down to her quarters tonight, everything was untouched, as if she was never there....." She began, trembling.
The king shut his eyes. " Gather up a search party. I want these grounds searched form top to bottom. Find my daughter at once." He ordered.
" Yes, of course."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
How do I always get myself into these things, Sakura irritably thought, stepping over the rocks on the small, dirt road. She had no idea where she was or where she was heading. After she left that strange house, she realized she had no idea of where she was. From the looks of it, she was no longer near the palace. Everything looked so disserted; so old.
An eerie feeling grew inside her stomach. If she said everything she heard today didn't scare her, she'd be lying. It did; it scared her so much, she almost believed it. It's not every day some crazy woman kidnaps you just to tell you to stay away from the one person you want to be with.
Raising up her dress and stepping over the tree root, Sakura's feet tangled up in the dress, making her loose balance. Angrily she pulled herself up on her feet once more and with a single swipe of her arms, tore off half of the dress, making it shorter. Now that it was up to her knees, she continued walking deeper into the woods. It was already getting dark. The forest seemed to get darker and scarier with every step she took.
Sakura shuddered. The temperature rapidly dropped a few degrees. She could already see her exhausted breath. Glancing up at the tall, dark trees, she saw hundreds of yellow eyes following her; watching her every move. Ever since she was little she never liked owls and now they surrounded her. Inhaling deeply, she sighed. This was turning to be one hell of a birthday. She laughed at herself. Here was a princess, all dirty and messy, trying to find her way home, where she'd be even unhappier and lost.
" How pathetic." She whispered.
An owl hooted in the distance, making Sakura turn her attention to a large rock on the side of the road. She'd already passed it twice. She was lost, yet most importantly; she'd lost her will to keep going.
[ A/N - Wells, that's it for the third chappie. So Sakura is having a bad day, what else can go wrong? *Evil Smile* You have no idea.....I have an evil plot planned out and I'm sure by the end of the fic you're going to hate me....heh - heh.....
Wow, this chapter was 12 pages long.....
Please review and give me your input. I like constructive criticism, so please give me your full opinion.
Ja ne,
~ Angel ~