Hi everyone! It's me, Vixie. (AN: Who else would it be?)
Anyway, apparently you all liked the last chapter. I'm very excited to finally have this chapter up. The last couple of chapters have just been leading up to Syao and Saku's meeting, but now we can actually get the story going. This chapter might be shorter than the last one, I'm not quite sure yet, it depends on how much of it I get done by the time our turkey for Thanksgiving dinner is ready. Then I have to go. Also, I know I said that I would try to get two chapters up this weekend, but it looks like this will be the only one I'll be able to post, apparently I'll be up in the mountains this weekend. So hopefully this chapter can last you guys at least a week. Plus in the next couple of weeks I've got to study for my mid- terms, but once winter break starts I'll be able to post every couple of days^^.
Hehe, I'm sitting here at my computer next to a cozy fire with a cup of hot cocoa (*got the idea from Star Cherry ^_~). It's freezing outside!! So, I decided to put off my homework today and just put up chapter 6 of Real Love is Just a Dream; A Winged Escape and the Journey Begins.
Here's my review replies;
Stargirl-rebels:
Don't kill yourself!! Then you'll never know what'll happen to Syao and Saku in Ch'ien^^. Don't worry about Fuutie's name, I got other suggestions. I updated, so now you have to keep up your end of the bargain and live so that I can get more reviews^^.
Star Cherry:
^^I got you on author alert too! We should definitely do a story together!
Hikaru Ayumi:
Thanks so much for the suggestions for Fuutie's name. You were the only one who sent me any ideas! So now I'm gonna use 'em.^^
Sweet-captor:
THANKIES^^
Anjuliet:
No problem! I'm glad somebody got some use out of that map. ^^and don't worry, Syao and Saku r going to get together within the couple of chapters, I hope. They just don't realize it at first. Oh, and just to warn ya, I'll probably have a lemon somewhere in the future in this story. Thanks for the review!
AnimeObsessionFantasy:
Thanks! I'm glad it's getting more and more exciting.
.......Okay, that's that. I might have another story coming out soon, I'm not quite sure yet..Oh, and like I told anjuliet, there will probably be a lemon in this story in the later chapters, just to warn you, although I'm not quite sure which chapter yet. Thanks for all the reviews. Please send me more!!! Reviews are what keep me going with this! I've decided that if I get less than 5 reviews for this chapter, I'm going to make the next chapter really really short! Myuahhahahahahaha*laughs evilly*. Sorry, it must be the cocoa.
Disclaimer: Oh, yeah. I don't own any of the CCS characters and certain ideas from this story were inspired by .Hack//Sign. But I swear the rest of it is all mine!^^
Here's Chapter 6 of Real Love is Just a Dream; A Winged Escape and the Journey Begins.
............Enjoy!
"GRROOOOOWWWWLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL"
Sakura blushed, covering her stomach with her hand. Halma grinned.
"A little hungry, are we?" Halma said, trying in vain not to laugh.
Sakura glared at her. Then turned to Biret, who was walking a few steps ahead of her with a gun still at Syaoran's back.
"It's not my fault that I haven't eaten lunch yet" she grunted.
Biret only glanced back briefly before turning back to the road ahead of them silently.
Sakura groaned. This is the way it had been ever since they'd left the pack of officials in the woods. They'd slowly trekked around the north side of the forest, going past Souta Village to the main road, where they'd agreed to escort Biret to the first traveler's checkpoint, which was about 2 miles out of town. The whole time Biret had walked out in front, with a gun pointed at the mysterious hostage's back, who hadn't spoken a word the entire time. Halma and Sakura walked a few steps behind them, and Kero trotted along, switching between leading the way and bringing up the rear. Now that they'd left the village behind, the silence of the rolling green hills was deafening, and Sakura couldn't take it anymore.
She decided to try to get the mysterious man to talk. She'd been watching him, and she still couldn't understand what intrigued her about him. He was like a puzzle just waiting to be solved. If only he would actually say something!
"So, what happens after we reach the checkpoint? You just going to let us go?"
Biret kept his sight on the road ahead while he answered. "I guess. I should be able to get far enough away from town that the officials won't be able to catch me once you go back and rat me out."
Sakura fumed. "Who ever said we were going to rat you out!!!?? I gave you my word that we wouldn't, and I told you, I never go back on my word!!" she defended.
Biret glanced back at her briefly and studied her eyes. Then he turned back to the road. "I never said that. I don't doubt at all that you'd keep your word. You seem like the kind of person who would. But it's her I'm worried about." He answered, gesturing toward a fuming Halma.
"What makes you think I'm a rat??!!!" she yelled, outraged.
Biret shrugged. "Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that you weren't even willing to make this deal in the first place. Remember? I think I recall you saying 'We're not stupid enough to go lying to the officials and letting a criminal get off..'. Forgive me if that makes me just a slight bit suspicious." He replied sarcastically.
Halma clenched her teeth angrily, clenching and unclenching her fists at her sides. She was about to start ranting about proper respect for someone who's just saved his hide when Sakura placed a hand calmly on her shoulder, motioning for her to let it go.
Halma grunted, grudgingly shutting her mouth and crossing her arms over her chest, deciding suddenly that the scenery around them was extremely interesting.
Sakura sighed. That had really worked well. She tried again. "So when we get to the checkpoint, you'll be releasing all three of us, right?"
Biret nodded. Syaoran just kept his vision on the road ahead, his thoughts keeping him distracted from the conversation.
Syaoran had long ago given up trying to think of something to say or a way to escape. What did it matter? If he did manage to escape, he wouldn't be able to find his way back anyway. Mei Lin would already be pissed off at him, so why not just put off seeing her for a little while longer. Besides, he wanted very badly to see where this man went. He vowed that he would get revenge on him somehow.
Reluctantly he admitted that the main reason he was still here was because of the emerald-eyed girl behind him. Apparently her name was Cherry Blossom, but he could have sworn he'd heard the blond-haired one call her Sakura. He still couldn't figure out what it was about her that had him watching her every chance he got. And, he figured, if he escaped now, the thief Biret would most likely just take it out on Sakura and the other girl. For some reason Syaoran found that he didn't want that to happen more than anything else.
All of this was going through Syaoran's head when suddenly a large, blunt object came hurtling through the air, hitting him squarely on the head.
"OUCHHHH! WHAT THE HELL?! WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR?!!!" he yelled, whirling around the face a frowning Sakura.
Sakura glared at him. "I asked you a question!!!! What are you, deaf?!!!"
Syaoran glared back at her, looking down at the ground to discover the rock that she'd thrown at him.
"Ever hear of tapping someone on the shoulder??!!" he growled, kicking the rock down the road.
Sakura just narrowed her eyes, glowering at him with her hands on her hips. For some odd reason her nerves were on edge when she talked to him. Usually she was known for dealing with situations calmly, and reasonably. She almost never yelled. But for some reason he managed to provoke her.
Sakura lengthened her stride to catch up with Syaoran. She turned to him once she managed to get next to him. "I asked you what your name was, that's all!!" she growled.
Syaoran grunted in response. Now he knew why she intrigued him, it was because she got on his nerves! Not even Mei Lin was this annoying!
Sakura's glower darkened to a fierce glare. Jeez this baka was frustrating!!! He wouldn't even answer her! "I SAID, WHAT'S YOUR NAME??!!!" she yelled into his ear.
Syaoran flinched. Her voice was louder than Mei Lin's too. He whipped his head around and stopped, surprising Sakura. "I heard you the first time!!!" he yelled.
Sakura's glare returned. "Then why didn't you answer me!?"
"Because I chose not to!!! Why is my name any of your business?!"
"Because I just saved your life you ungrateful idiot!"
"Saved my life!? In case you haven't noticed, I'VE GOT A GUN POINTED AT MY BACK BECAUSE OF YOU!"
"HOW IS THAT MY FAULT?!!"
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO MADE THAT STUPID COMPROMISE!" "HOW DO YOU THINK I MANAGED TO GET YOU DOWN FROMT THAT TREE??!!!"
"COULDN'T YOU THINK OF SOMETHING THAT WOULDN'T INVOLVE ME WITH A GUN AT MY BACK!!!???"
"WHAT, YOU HAD A BETTER IDEA??!!!"
"BOTH OF YOU, SHUT THE HELL UP!!!!!!!!!" Biret screamed in both of their ears. They both flinched, trying to get the ringing sound out of their ears.
Biret sighed. He'd picked the worst hostages in the world. At this rate the entire world of Ch'ien would be able to hear them.
Syaoran 'hmphed' and stalked off, with Biret trying vainly to keep the gun pointed at his back. (AN: Syaoran's hands are still tied behind his back, which is why he can't beat the crap out of Biret, lol)
Sakura crossed her arms across her chest, settling back next to Halma and matching her stride. Halma said nothing, still fuming from her conversation with Biret.
A couple of meters down the road, a little boy was playing with some sticks in the ground when he noticed a group of four people coming down the road. He stood up eagerly. He loved talking to the travelers who came through here. The little boy started to head toward them, but stopped when he saw them more clearly.
Leading the way were two older men, one with a fierce glare on his face, and the other with an exasperated groan. The two women following them were glowering at their backs. Following them was a large gray mutt, trotting at their heels silently.
The little boy turned back to his sticks. These travelers didn't look anything like group who had passed before them. He picked up a rock and started to draw, completely forgetting about the hard-faced group as he became immersed in his own imagination.
..........Tomoyo's POV
Tomoyo, Eriol, and Kiran ran down the hill as fast as they could. The broke into a dead run towards Kiran's cottage once they hit the bottom.
'Please don't let them catch them' Tomoyo pleaded. They had to warn Sakura and Halma that the officials were after them. Tomoyo felt like an idiot, she had completely blown whatever cover that Cherry Blossom and Crimson Heart were using, and now the administrators would be after them. Tomoyo didn't know what she would do if she was responsible for having Sakura kicked out of the only place where Sakura found happiness.
Tomoyo suddenly felt someone grab her hand. She looked up and saw Eriol gazing down at her reassuringly. He knew what she was thinking. Tomoyo smiled sadly, squeezing his hand and quickening her pace to catch up with Kiran, who was already lengths ahead of them as he raced toward the small stable across from the small community where he lived with his sister.
Star Blossom rushed out of the house as she watched the three of them hurriedly tacking up three of the nearest horses from the old stable.
"What's wrong?! What happened?! Is everything okay?!" she yelled worriedly.
Tomoyo only paused for a moment while she placed a saddle on the gray mare she was leading. "We have to find Cherry Blossom and Crimson Heart. Do you know where they could have gone?! Did you see them come out of the forest?!" she asked.
Star Blossom shook her head sadly. "No, I didn't see them. I'm sorry. Can I come with you?" she pleaded.
Kiran started to shake his head, but Eriol was already leading a smaller chestnut pony toward Star Blossom. "Get her tacked up and hurry."
Star Blossom nodded emphatically before rushing off.
Kiran glared slightly at Eriol. "What'd you do that for? She might slow us down! She might be in danger once we find them! I don't want my sister to become a fugitive of the Rayn Law." He growled angrily.
Eriol slipped a bridle onto his black stallion quickly. "We don't have a choice. You said you're sister knew this Biret guy. We may need her to deal with him. Remember, we don't know a thing about him except for that he works for Kinoti, which doesn't seem to be a good thing. Maybe we can use Star Blossom to work with him."
Kiran grunted reluctantly, admitting that he was right. Still, he didn't want to put his sister in danger.
Tomoyo glanced at him reassuringly. "Don't worry. Star Blossom can take care of herself, she's pretty tough for a fifteen year old."
Kiran just nodded. "yeah, I guess you're right.."
..........Official Mentok's POV
"They went up the road, that way" the little boy pointed with his stick, glaring at the official who had stepped on his drawing.
"Are you sure, kid?" Official Mentok asked. The kid nodded enthusiastically, eager for these big men to leave.
"Alright, thanks for the info, kid. Oh, uh, sorry about the drawing, anyway." He said dismissively, motioning for his men to follow him. He mounted the enormous roan stallion that was his ride for the day and urged him into a full gallop towards the traveler's checkpoint in the distance. He had a hunch that that was where his targets were headed.
"Just a little longer..."
...........Sakura & Co.
Sakura gazed up at the wooden watch tower that marked the first checkpoint, her anger forgotten for the moment. The watch tower was topped with three enormous flags, one that marked the Rayn's Knights emblem, one that marked the Traveler's Checkpoint, and, of course, the national Ch'ien flag with Rayn's eternal symbol emblazed on the bright red background.
"Well, we're here. Can we go now?!" Halma asked impatiently, her stomach still growling fiercely.
Biret shook his head. "Hold on a second,..." he said, cautiously approaching the watch tower as his eyes searched the area around them for some kind of trap.
Syaoran gazed around cautiously, catching sight of Sakura staring up at the flags waving in the cool afternoon breeze. The wind ruffled her auburn hair, letting it settle around her smooth face and sparkling emerald eyes.
'Even if she is a pain in the butt, she's definitely a sight for sore eyes.' He thought grudgingly.
Sakura suddenly felt someone's eyes on her and whipped her head around, catching a glimpse of Syaoran's amber eyes as he turned away, pretending to be interested in the tower ahead of them.
Sakura frowned. 'One minute he's yelling at me for asking a question, and the next minute he's looking at me like we're the only people on Earth.' She thought, determined to figure him out. She was throughly perplexed by him, and she hated it.
Sakura was about to try asking him his name again when a sound in the distance echoed in her ears. She cocked her head toward the road they had just come from.
"Hey guys..do you hear that?" she asked hesitantly, trying to place the sound in her mind.
Syaoran turned his head to the direction she was looking and listened for a moment before answering.
"Yeah, sounds like...horses. Lots of them."
Sakura nodded in agreement. Halma turned toward the road behind them. "But that doesn't make any sense. The big traveling groups never come around these parts in this heat." She said, deeply mystified.
Sakura nodded again. "I don't think it's a big traveling group, I don't hear any wagon wheels. Big groups with that many horses always have supply wagons with them." She said.
"Well then who else could it be?" Syaoran asked.
Biret had been listening quietly this entire time, and now he suddenly whipped his head up to look at them, a scared look on his face for the first time.
"It's the officials!! I can hear the sound of their sabers against the metal stirrups. They must have figured out we were lying somehow!"
Sakura's brow furrowed. "But how? There's no way that they could have figured it out." She said.
Biret shook his head helplessly, glancing around for a place to hide. "They must have. Unless I'm mistaken, a group that large doesn't come out to do routine checks of the traveler's checkpoints."
Suddenly Sakura was scared. If they found out they'd helped this thief escape, she could be kicked out of Ch'ien. She'd die before she let that happen! Ch'ien was her only escape, the only place she could live in freedom! It wasn't fair!!
Sakura's scared frown turned into a glare of desperate determination. "Okay, we're still not sure that it's us that they're after. We need to find out for sure that it's us they want."
Syaoran gestured with his foot (AN: since his hands are tied behind his back) toward a small clump of trees a few meters from them. "We can hide in there until they pass, or at least until we've found out that they're after us." Syaoran said. He couldn't believe his luck. The day he finally ends up coming into Ch'ien, and he gets kidnapped, threatened, and put on a most wanted list all in the period of a few hours. It only proved that nothing good could come out of this place.
Sakura nodded. "Good idea." She headed over to the large birch trees, with Halma, Biret, and Syaoran following. Kero trotted along next to Syaoran's heels, having no idea what was going on.
.........Official Mentok's POV
"Woah!"
Official Mentok slowed his horse until he came to a complete stop in front of the wooden watch tower that marked the traveler's checkpoint. The 20 men that were accompanying him slowed to a halt behind him, their horses stepping about restlessly. Mentok glanced around suspiciously, dismounting and slowly checking for any signs of the fugitives, unaware that their eyes were watching him warily from a few meters away.
Mentok cursed under his breath. He had been hoping that they would be able to catch them before they reached the checkpoint. And there weren't even any tracks to go on. It looks like they had walked here, there were no signs of horse tracks. The tracks of the four of them had abruptly stopped in front of the watch tower. (AN: Biret is a practiced thief, he knows what he's doing, so he covered their tracks that led to the forest.)
"Sir! What would you like us to do?" one of the officials asked.
Mentok glanced around, at a loss of what they could do. He glanced back at the group behind him. "I don't suppose any of you have any idea where they might have gone from here?"
Most of them shook their heads, but one of them raised his hand hesitantly.
Official Mentok recognized him as one of the new recruits, a man codenamed Kiryk.
"Yes, Kiryk, what do you have to say?"
Kiryk stepped forward hesitantly. "Well, sir, those people we talked to said that the two girls, Cherry Blossom and Crimson Heart, were woods guides, so I assume they know the lay of the land pretty well."
Sakura gasped when she heard her name from her place next to Syaoran behind a juniper bush. She heard Halma gasp as well from her hiding spot with Biret beneath the boughs of an old oak tree.
"Yes, go on" they heard Mentok say.
"Well, we obtained a map from one of the locals," Kiryk continued, slipping a map from his saddlebag, "and according to it, the area ahead is all rolling fields of dried grass for the next 5 miles at least. So, my guess is, that they're hiding somewhere around here. Two woods guides like them wouldn't be stupid enough to travel in the open like that, so I suggest we check all the possible hiding spots from where that little boy spotted them to this checkpoint." He concluded.
Mentok nodded approvingly. "Very good, Kiryk. Nice thinking, I like your idea." He turned his attention to all of the men. "Men! Spread and Search!"
The officials all dismounted, fanning out slowly to check the landscape.
..............Sakura's POV
Sakura bit her lip desperately as she watched an official approach their juniper bush. What now? She fingered the hilts of her kodachi's hesitantly. Biret had a gun, she had her kodachi's, and Halma had her daggers. They could take on a few of them, but 20 men? All with sabers, and 8 with handguns? All having years of training in combat? There was no way she'd be able to do that. And what about Syaoran? She thought. As much as she thought she'd like to leave him to the mercy of the officials, she couldn't let him rot in prison when none of this was his fault.
Suddenly Kero bounded out of the bush that he had been lying in and hurtled toward the official.
"Kero! NO!" Sakura tried to yell, but Syaoran's hand was covering her mouth. She wrestled helplessly, watching as Kero pushed the man to the ground, his arm in Kero's jaw.
............Syaoran's POV
Syaoran tried desperately to keep Sakura from being seen as he wrestled to keep her quiet. He'd managed to get his bonds undone with the silver dagger inside of his cloak once Biret wasn't pointing a gun at his back anymore.
Suddenly Sakura managed to get an arm free and grabbed one of the kodachi's from her belt, whipping it around to rest before Syaoran's throat.
"Let go of me" she said in a dangerously calm voice.
Syaoran overcame his surprise to respond. "What are you crazy? You'll get killed!"
Sakura didn't move. "I'd rather that than loose my freedom."
Syaoran didn't know what she meant, and was about to ask when a yelp from Kero ahead of them distracted him long enough for Sakura to wrestle out of his grip and lunge ahead, plunging her kodachi deep into the man's leg, whipping her hand out to cover the man's mouth to keep him from screaming. The man's eyes widened in agony as he sank to the ground, clutching at his now blood-covered pants. After a few moments the man mercilessly fell unconscious. Syaoran's jaw dropped. This girl could fight!
Sakura sighed, pulling Kero off of the man and wiping the blood off of her blade in the dirt. She slipped the kodachi back into its scabbard and started to drag the body back behind another bush, but he was too heavy. She clenched her teeth, digging her heels into the ground, but it wouldn't budge. Suddenly the body became lighter and lifted from the ground. Sakura opened her eyes to see Syaoran carrying the man's legs, helping her place the body far from sight.
Sakura nodded her thanks grudgingly, glancing back to find Biret and Halma. They appeared after a few moments, both with blood on their tunics.
"Run into the same problem?" Halma whispered.
Sakura and Syaoran nodded. "How are we going to escape?" Sakura whispered.
Syaoran glanced at the bodies, sighing before turning back to them. "I hate to rob a dead man, but I don't think we have a choice.."
.............Hours Later.Official Mentok's POV
"Sir! Sir! SIR!"
Mentok shook his head, clearing the daydreams from his mind as he gazed at the gathering darkness. He turned to see Official Kiryk looking nervous.
"What is it Kiryk? Did you find 'em?"
Kiryk shook his head, ringing his hands on his belt. "Well, sir, not exactly....they've escaped."
Mentok's awareness grew. "What? What do you mean they escaped?"
Kiryk bit his lip nervously. "Well, the two men somehow managed to capture two of our men and stole their uniforms. They apparently snuck over here under the pretense of getting some flashlights from the saddlebags. The next thing we knew, they had stolen four of our best horses, knocked out two more of our men, and were galloping towards that strand of trees over there. Our men tried to go after them, but most of them were far from their horses in the trees on the side of the road. A few men managed to give chase, but once they reached the trees, somebody unhorsed them and knocked them unconscious. By the time we reached the forest, there were six men on the ground and the four of them were gone."
Mentok cursed, throwing his hat down onto the ground in a rage. "Why hadn't you idiots found them by then!?"
Kiryk shrunk under the official's fierce glower. "They were hiding in the east area of that small forest. The two men we sent in that direction were the ones who were captured and used to provide the uniforms. Nobody heard them scream or anything."
Mentok stormed off towards his horse, roughly grabbing the radio from his saddlebag. He turned it on and yelled into the microphone.
"THIS IS OFFICIAL MENTOK OF THE 1ST DIVISION. WE HAVE TEN MEN DOWN ON THE SEARCH FOR THE FUGITIVES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BEATING OF MATAK'S GROUP. THEY HAVE ESCAPED AND ARE NOW ON THE RUN. I REPEAT, THEY ARE NOW ON THE RUN. I WANT AN ALL CALL OUT ON EVERY DIVISION FOR THE FUGITIVES; CHERRY BLOSSOM, CRIMSON HEART, AN UNIDENTIFIED TALL MAN WITH BROWN HAIR, AND A BANDIT ON THE RUN NAMED BIRET. I REPEAT, THESE CRIMINALS ARE WANTED, DEAD, OR ALIVE!"
.............Sakura & Co.
Sakura urged her horse onward as they galloped across the stretch of open fields, hoping to reach the cover of the nearby hills. After an hour, the four of them slowed the lathered horses to a stop behind a large outcropping of rock on one of the hills.
Sakura sank to the ground, despair written all over her face. Great, now she was a wanted criminal. If she was caught, she'd be fined and banned from Ch'ien forever, and she be forced to spend what few years were left of her life in a hospital bed as she wasted away. She had never felt so hopeless. She fingered the silver Chinese pendant at her neck that Ayna had given her for her birthday..
-Flashback-
"Happy Birthday Sakura!" Ayna yelled happily, jumping onto the bed with a small, wrapped package.
"Ah, is that for me? I love presents!" Sakura chirped, a fake smile on her face. Some birthday it had been. She'd found out that morning that the doctor thought she would never walk again. She had cried for hours. It all seemed so hopeless...
"Yep! Grandpa helped my buy it! So it's sorta from both of us, but I chose which one you would like!" she exclaimed proudly, holding the small red package out to her.
Sakura picked it up delicately, unwrapping it slowly as she enjoyed the excitement on Ayna's face. She slipped the wrapping off to find a small, green and pink box.
"What could this be?" she said, smiling at the look on Ayna's face.
"Open it! Open it!" she yelled.
Sakura obliged and opened the tiny box. There, on a small green cushion, lay a beautiful, simple, silver chain, from which hung a small silver pendant with a beautiful design emblazed on it in gold. "Ohhhh, Ayna, it's beautiful." Sakura exclaimed, picking it out of the box gently. She certainly hadn't been expecting this.
"It's a Hope pendant." Ayna chirped. "The pictures on it represent Hope. The store had lost of them, and Grandpa asked me which one you would like. They had courage, friendship, love. They had lots of them! But I picked hope 'cuz you're always saying we shouldn't give up hope, just like my mommy says! Auntie Sakura, why are you crying?" Ayna asked worriedly.
A tear rolled down Sakura's cheek. She quickly wiped it away, and truly smiled for the first time in years. "No reason, I just really really like it. Will you help me put it on?" Sakura managed to get out.
Ayna's smile returned. "Of course I will! Mommy showed me how to put my necklaces on last week, so I can show you how to do yours.."
Sakura listened to Ayna talk about everything and nothing at all, glancing at the silver pendant that she knew wasn't just a gift from Ayna. Her father had purposefully bought her this one, and she knew why. Another tear rolled down her cheek, this time unseen by Ayna.
-end of flashback-
Sakura smiled, remembering her family back home, and all they had done for her. She gripped the pendant at her chest, determination settling in. 'Well,' she thought, 'I guess I'm starting my journey for the Saotian Saber a little early. I'll find the saber, get my surgery, and take control of my life again!'
..............Syaoran's POV
Syaoran watched Sakura's emotions play on her face amusedly. At one point she looked like the world had ended, and now she looked like she was on a mission to end world hunger. He couldn't help but smile a little when the sparkle returned to her fiery gaze.
Now he was a fugitive on the run. Most likely Mei Lin was seriously angry with him and would most definitely tell his mother. His mother would punish him for this final straw by giving the company to his sisters, and the wedding would be take place even sooner. 'I'm sick of this!' he thought. 'Enough of that stupid life, I'm not going back there if that's the last thing I do!' . He was decided. No more Mei Lin, no more company, and no more K'un. As much as he hated Ch'ien, he discovered that he hated K'un even more! If he had to live as a fugitive in this world, so be it. At least he would be free from everything else.
..............Biret's POV
'Well, Kinoti would have found out by now that I escaped. Now he'll be after my hide to find out what the Angels of the Light said. I'm a dead man if I go back.' He thought. He smiled to himself. 'Looks like I'm on my own again. Sorry Kinoti'
.............Sakura & Co.
Biret dismounted and turned toward the three of them. "Look, now we're all fugitives. Soon, they'll have us wanted in the entire Pri Nuta Region. You all are free to do what you want, but I'm getting out of here."
Sakura stood. "I'm going too."
Halma's jaw dropped. "What!?"
Sakura turned to Halma, her jaw set. "I can't go back. You know what'll happen if I do."
Halma said nothing. She knew very well what Sakura was talking about.
Sakura continued, turning to Biret and Syaoran. "I was planning on going on a trip anyway. Guess I'll just get started early."
Syaoran looked at her questioningly. "What kind of trip?"
Sakura slipped her two kodachi's out of their scabbards, letting the design on the hilts catch the light of the receding sun.
Biret gasped. "Those are Rayna Weapons!!!"
Sakura shook her head. "Almost. They're missing a part. The original weapon had a third blade, the Saotian Saber. I'm going to find that saber and unite the three weapons."
Biret looked at her. "ARE YOU CRAZY!!!! You're going to recreate the ultimate Rayna Weapon?!!"
Sakura nodded, a dead serious look on her face.
Suddenly, Biret smiled and laughed. "Wow, a quest for the most powerful weapon in Ch'ien. I don't think I've heard of anything that sounded so much fun. What do you say we join forces? Mind if I tag along?"
Sakura studied him for a moment. Something about him told her that he was trustworthy. She nodded. "Alright. The two of us it is then." She turned to Syaoran before Halma could say something.
"What about you? What are you going to do?" she asked, studying him.
Syaoran shrugged. "Well, I don't exactly plan on going back to K'un. I was supposed to find Crimson Heart," Syaoran looked pointedly at Halma, "and have her lead me to a café called La Pajara to meet my cousin. To tell you the truth I'd rather stay a wanted criminal than deal with her."
Sakura smiled slightly. For some reason she had been hoping he would say something like that. "Why don't you come with us? You've got nothing else to do."
Syaoran studied her for a moment. Here was the girl, who just a little while ago, had yelled at him for not telling her his name, and who could get on his nerves with one word, and yet he could sit and stare at her for hours without figuring out one thing about her. She truly puzzled him. If nothing else, he would at least be able to try and figure out what it was about her that had him staring at her the first time they spotted each other.
Syaoran nodded. "Fine. I'll go with you. Although I can't promise I won't strangle him in his sleep" he growled, glaring at Biret.
Biret laughed. "Ah, come on, you can't still be mad at me for that whole kidnapping thing, can ya?"
Syaoran grunted. "You'd be surprised how long I can keep a grudge."
"HOLD ON! Doesn't anyone want to know what I think about this?!" Halma yelled, hands on her hips.
Before Syaoran and Biret could make a sarcastic remark, Sakura cut in. "You don't have to come with us, Crimson. I know you want to get back to SwordSoul."
Halma slightly flinched at the mention of Kiran, but quickly recovered, not before Sakura noticed though. "Oh, no you don't. You aren't going to get rid of me that easily. You know that Amethyst Blade planned on going with you on this trip, so if you insist on going now, the least I'm going to do is go in her place."
Sakura started to interrupt, but Halma held up her hand. "I'm going no matter what you say, Cherry. I owe Amethyst a favor anyway."
Sakura sighed. "Well, I guess this means we're all going."
"Do you have any idea where to start?" Biret asked.
Sakura nodded and yawned. The sun had dipped below the mountains, leaving the sky illuminated only by the moonlight. She wouldn't be returning home tonight. She hoped that her family would understand, somehow.
"I'll explain everything tomorrow morning. You all realize that if we do this, we'll be in Ch'ien for a long time. We won't be returning to K'un at all until it's over, even at night."
The three of them nodded.
"Well, then let's just go to sleep. I'm exhausted and I need some time to think. There should be some bedrolls in the saddlebags. I'll keep first watch."
Biret nodded. "Wake me up in a few hours for the next one, then."
Biret and Halma started towards their horses to set up camp for the night. Syaoran started to walk towards his stallion when Sakura's hand caught his arm. He turned around expectantly.
Sakura blushed, hoping it was too dark for him to notice. "Um.I'm sorry.but I still don't know your name."
Now Syaoran blushed slightly. "Little Wolf" he said.
Sakura nodded, smiling. She turned away and started walking towards the boulder she was going to use for her watch. "Good night, Little Wolf." She called.
"Night" he called back unconsciously. He slipped over to his horse and started to unroll his bedroll. He unwrapped the blankets and laid his head down on the saddle blanket he was using as a pillow, taking one last look at the girl on the boulder whose emerald eyes sparkled like the sun in the moonlight..
.............End Chapter 6
Yay! I finally finished this chapter! I'm soo excited! We're finally going to be getting into the story! So please review and tell me what you all thought^^. I'm extremely happy with this chapter, which is very rare, believe me.
The turkey's done so I'm going to go post this story and go eat! I'm so hungry I can just taste it! Lol, I'm such a pig...
Thanks for all the suggestions for screen names. For right now I don't have any more names I need, but that most likely will change as the story progresses.
*note: I made a mistake in chapter 5. In it, Tomoyo said that 'Cherry blossom doesn't have a brother.' But I forgot about Touya. What I meant was that Sakura didn't have a brother with spiky red hair and tawny colored eyes. I that didn't confuse anyone too much..
Please Review!!!!!! Just go and push that button right there at the bottom of the screen! PLEASE!
Ja Ne! ~Vixie P.S: Happy Thanksgiving!^^
Upcoming Chapter: The Clouded Following
Anyway, apparently you all liked the last chapter. I'm very excited to finally have this chapter up. The last couple of chapters have just been leading up to Syao and Saku's meeting, but now we can actually get the story going. This chapter might be shorter than the last one, I'm not quite sure yet, it depends on how much of it I get done by the time our turkey for Thanksgiving dinner is ready. Then I have to go. Also, I know I said that I would try to get two chapters up this weekend, but it looks like this will be the only one I'll be able to post, apparently I'll be up in the mountains this weekend. So hopefully this chapter can last you guys at least a week. Plus in the next couple of weeks I've got to study for my mid- terms, but once winter break starts I'll be able to post every couple of days^^.
Hehe, I'm sitting here at my computer next to a cozy fire with a cup of hot cocoa (*got the idea from Star Cherry ^_~). It's freezing outside!! So, I decided to put off my homework today and just put up chapter 6 of Real Love is Just a Dream; A Winged Escape and the Journey Begins.
Here's my review replies;
Stargirl-rebels:
Don't kill yourself!! Then you'll never know what'll happen to Syao and Saku in Ch'ien^^. Don't worry about Fuutie's name, I got other suggestions. I updated, so now you have to keep up your end of the bargain and live so that I can get more reviews^^.
Star Cherry:
^^I got you on author alert too! We should definitely do a story together!
Hikaru Ayumi:
Thanks so much for the suggestions for Fuutie's name. You were the only one who sent me any ideas! So now I'm gonna use 'em.^^
Sweet-captor:
THANKIES^^
Anjuliet:
No problem! I'm glad somebody got some use out of that map. ^^and don't worry, Syao and Saku r going to get together within the couple of chapters, I hope. They just don't realize it at first. Oh, and just to warn ya, I'll probably have a lemon somewhere in the future in this story. Thanks for the review!
AnimeObsessionFantasy:
Thanks! I'm glad it's getting more and more exciting.
.......Okay, that's that. I might have another story coming out soon, I'm not quite sure yet..Oh, and like I told anjuliet, there will probably be a lemon in this story in the later chapters, just to warn you, although I'm not quite sure which chapter yet. Thanks for all the reviews. Please send me more!!! Reviews are what keep me going with this! I've decided that if I get less than 5 reviews for this chapter, I'm going to make the next chapter really really short! Myuahhahahahahaha*laughs evilly*. Sorry, it must be the cocoa.
Disclaimer: Oh, yeah. I don't own any of the CCS characters and certain ideas from this story were inspired by .Hack//Sign. But I swear the rest of it is all mine!^^
Here's Chapter 6 of Real Love is Just a Dream; A Winged Escape and the Journey Begins.
............Enjoy!
"GRROOOOOWWWWLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL"
Sakura blushed, covering her stomach with her hand. Halma grinned.
"A little hungry, are we?" Halma said, trying in vain not to laugh.
Sakura glared at her. Then turned to Biret, who was walking a few steps ahead of her with a gun still at Syaoran's back.
"It's not my fault that I haven't eaten lunch yet" she grunted.
Biret only glanced back briefly before turning back to the road ahead of them silently.
Sakura groaned. This is the way it had been ever since they'd left the pack of officials in the woods. They'd slowly trekked around the north side of the forest, going past Souta Village to the main road, where they'd agreed to escort Biret to the first traveler's checkpoint, which was about 2 miles out of town. The whole time Biret had walked out in front, with a gun pointed at the mysterious hostage's back, who hadn't spoken a word the entire time. Halma and Sakura walked a few steps behind them, and Kero trotted along, switching between leading the way and bringing up the rear. Now that they'd left the village behind, the silence of the rolling green hills was deafening, and Sakura couldn't take it anymore.
She decided to try to get the mysterious man to talk. She'd been watching him, and she still couldn't understand what intrigued her about him. He was like a puzzle just waiting to be solved. If only he would actually say something!
"So, what happens after we reach the checkpoint? You just going to let us go?"
Biret kept his sight on the road ahead while he answered. "I guess. I should be able to get far enough away from town that the officials won't be able to catch me once you go back and rat me out."
Sakura fumed. "Who ever said we were going to rat you out!!!?? I gave you my word that we wouldn't, and I told you, I never go back on my word!!" she defended.
Biret glanced back at her briefly and studied her eyes. Then he turned back to the road. "I never said that. I don't doubt at all that you'd keep your word. You seem like the kind of person who would. But it's her I'm worried about." He answered, gesturing toward a fuming Halma.
"What makes you think I'm a rat??!!!" she yelled, outraged.
Biret shrugged. "Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that you weren't even willing to make this deal in the first place. Remember? I think I recall you saying 'We're not stupid enough to go lying to the officials and letting a criminal get off..'. Forgive me if that makes me just a slight bit suspicious." He replied sarcastically.
Halma clenched her teeth angrily, clenching and unclenching her fists at her sides. She was about to start ranting about proper respect for someone who's just saved his hide when Sakura placed a hand calmly on her shoulder, motioning for her to let it go.
Halma grunted, grudgingly shutting her mouth and crossing her arms over her chest, deciding suddenly that the scenery around them was extremely interesting.
Sakura sighed. That had really worked well. She tried again. "So when we get to the checkpoint, you'll be releasing all three of us, right?"
Biret nodded. Syaoran just kept his vision on the road ahead, his thoughts keeping him distracted from the conversation.
Syaoran had long ago given up trying to think of something to say or a way to escape. What did it matter? If he did manage to escape, he wouldn't be able to find his way back anyway. Mei Lin would already be pissed off at him, so why not just put off seeing her for a little while longer. Besides, he wanted very badly to see where this man went. He vowed that he would get revenge on him somehow.
Reluctantly he admitted that the main reason he was still here was because of the emerald-eyed girl behind him. Apparently her name was Cherry Blossom, but he could have sworn he'd heard the blond-haired one call her Sakura. He still couldn't figure out what it was about her that had him watching her every chance he got. And, he figured, if he escaped now, the thief Biret would most likely just take it out on Sakura and the other girl. For some reason Syaoran found that he didn't want that to happen more than anything else.
All of this was going through Syaoran's head when suddenly a large, blunt object came hurtling through the air, hitting him squarely on the head.
"OUCHHHH! WHAT THE HELL?! WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR?!!!" he yelled, whirling around the face a frowning Sakura.
Sakura glared at him. "I asked you a question!!!! What are you, deaf?!!!"
Syaoran glared back at her, looking down at the ground to discover the rock that she'd thrown at him.
"Ever hear of tapping someone on the shoulder??!!" he growled, kicking the rock down the road.
Sakura just narrowed her eyes, glowering at him with her hands on her hips. For some odd reason her nerves were on edge when she talked to him. Usually she was known for dealing with situations calmly, and reasonably. She almost never yelled. But for some reason he managed to provoke her.
Sakura lengthened her stride to catch up with Syaoran. She turned to him once she managed to get next to him. "I asked you what your name was, that's all!!" she growled.
Syaoran grunted in response. Now he knew why she intrigued him, it was because she got on his nerves! Not even Mei Lin was this annoying!
Sakura's glower darkened to a fierce glare. Jeez this baka was frustrating!!! He wouldn't even answer her! "I SAID, WHAT'S YOUR NAME??!!!" she yelled into his ear.
Syaoran flinched. Her voice was louder than Mei Lin's too. He whipped his head around and stopped, surprising Sakura. "I heard you the first time!!!" he yelled.
Sakura's glare returned. "Then why didn't you answer me!?"
"Because I chose not to!!! Why is my name any of your business?!"
"Because I just saved your life you ungrateful idiot!"
"Saved my life!? In case you haven't noticed, I'VE GOT A GUN POINTED AT MY BACK BECAUSE OF YOU!"
"HOW IS THAT MY FAULT?!!"
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO MADE THAT STUPID COMPROMISE!" "HOW DO YOU THINK I MANAGED TO GET YOU DOWN FROMT THAT TREE??!!!"
"COULDN'T YOU THINK OF SOMETHING THAT WOULDN'T INVOLVE ME WITH A GUN AT MY BACK!!!???"
"WHAT, YOU HAD A BETTER IDEA??!!!"
"BOTH OF YOU, SHUT THE HELL UP!!!!!!!!!" Biret screamed in both of their ears. They both flinched, trying to get the ringing sound out of their ears.
Biret sighed. He'd picked the worst hostages in the world. At this rate the entire world of Ch'ien would be able to hear them.
Syaoran 'hmphed' and stalked off, with Biret trying vainly to keep the gun pointed at his back. (AN: Syaoran's hands are still tied behind his back, which is why he can't beat the crap out of Biret, lol)
Sakura crossed her arms across her chest, settling back next to Halma and matching her stride. Halma said nothing, still fuming from her conversation with Biret.
A couple of meters down the road, a little boy was playing with some sticks in the ground when he noticed a group of four people coming down the road. He stood up eagerly. He loved talking to the travelers who came through here. The little boy started to head toward them, but stopped when he saw them more clearly.
Leading the way were two older men, one with a fierce glare on his face, and the other with an exasperated groan. The two women following them were glowering at their backs. Following them was a large gray mutt, trotting at their heels silently.
The little boy turned back to his sticks. These travelers didn't look anything like group who had passed before them. He picked up a rock and started to draw, completely forgetting about the hard-faced group as he became immersed in his own imagination.
..........Tomoyo's POV
Tomoyo, Eriol, and Kiran ran down the hill as fast as they could. The broke into a dead run towards Kiran's cottage once they hit the bottom.
'Please don't let them catch them' Tomoyo pleaded. They had to warn Sakura and Halma that the officials were after them. Tomoyo felt like an idiot, she had completely blown whatever cover that Cherry Blossom and Crimson Heart were using, and now the administrators would be after them. Tomoyo didn't know what she would do if she was responsible for having Sakura kicked out of the only place where Sakura found happiness.
Tomoyo suddenly felt someone grab her hand. She looked up and saw Eriol gazing down at her reassuringly. He knew what she was thinking. Tomoyo smiled sadly, squeezing his hand and quickening her pace to catch up with Kiran, who was already lengths ahead of them as he raced toward the small stable across from the small community where he lived with his sister.
Star Blossom rushed out of the house as she watched the three of them hurriedly tacking up three of the nearest horses from the old stable.
"What's wrong?! What happened?! Is everything okay?!" she yelled worriedly.
Tomoyo only paused for a moment while she placed a saddle on the gray mare she was leading. "We have to find Cherry Blossom and Crimson Heart. Do you know where they could have gone?! Did you see them come out of the forest?!" she asked.
Star Blossom shook her head sadly. "No, I didn't see them. I'm sorry. Can I come with you?" she pleaded.
Kiran started to shake his head, but Eriol was already leading a smaller chestnut pony toward Star Blossom. "Get her tacked up and hurry."
Star Blossom nodded emphatically before rushing off.
Kiran glared slightly at Eriol. "What'd you do that for? She might slow us down! She might be in danger once we find them! I don't want my sister to become a fugitive of the Rayn Law." He growled angrily.
Eriol slipped a bridle onto his black stallion quickly. "We don't have a choice. You said you're sister knew this Biret guy. We may need her to deal with him. Remember, we don't know a thing about him except for that he works for Kinoti, which doesn't seem to be a good thing. Maybe we can use Star Blossom to work with him."
Kiran grunted reluctantly, admitting that he was right. Still, he didn't want to put his sister in danger.
Tomoyo glanced at him reassuringly. "Don't worry. Star Blossom can take care of herself, she's pretty tough for a fifteen year old."
Kiran just nodded. "yeah, I guess you're right.."
..........Official Mentok's POV
"They went up the road, that way" the little boy pointed with his stick, glaring at the official who had stepped on his drawing.
"Are you sure, kid?" Official Mentok asked. The kid nodded enthusiastically, eager for these big men to leave.
"Alright, thanks for the info, kid. Oh, uh, sorry about the drawing, anyway." He said dismissively, motioning for his men to follow him. He mounted the enormous roan stallion that was his ride for the day and urged him into a full gallop towards the traveler's checkpoint in the distance. He had a hunch that that was where his targets were headed.
"Just a little longer..."
...........Sakura & Co.
Sakura gazed up at the wooden watch tower that marked the first checkpoint, her anger forgotten for the moment. The watch tower was topped with three enormous flags, one that marked the Rayn's Knights emblem, one that marked the Traveler's Checkpoint, and, of course, the national Ch'ien flag with Rayn's eternal symbol emblazed on the bright red background.
"Well, we're here. Can we go now?!" Halma asked impatiently, her stomach still growling fiercely.
Biret shook his head. "Hold on a second,..." he said, cautiously approaching the watch tower as his eyes searched the area around them for some kind of trap.
Syaoran gazed around cautiously, catching sight of Sakura staring up at the flags waving in the cool afternoon breeze. The wind ruffled her auburn hair, letting it settle around her smooth face and sparkling emerald eyes.
'Even if she is a pain in the butt, she's definitely a sight for sore eyes.' He thought grudgingly.
Sakura suddenly felt someone's eyes on her and whipped her head around, catching a glimpse of Syaoran's amber eyes as he turned away, pretending to be interested in the tower ahead of them.
Sakura frowned. 'One minute he's yelling at me for asking a question, and the next minute he's looking at me like we're the only people on Earth.' She thought, determined to figure him out. She was throughly perplexed by him, and she hated it.
Sakura was about to try asking him his name again when a sound in the distance echoed in her ears. She cocked her head toward the road they had just come from.
"Hey guys..do you hear that?" she asked hesitantly, trying to place the sound in her mind.
Syaoran turned his head to the direction she was looking and listened for a moment before answering.
"Yeah, sounds like...horses. Lots of them."
Sakura nodded in agreement. Halma turned toward the road behind them. "But that doesn't make any sense. The big traveling groups never come around these parts in this heat." She said, deeply mystified.
Sakura nodded again. "I don't think it's a big traveling group, I don't hear any wagon wheels. Big groups with that many horses always have supply wagons with them." She said.
"Well then who else could it be?" Syaoran asked.
Biret had been listening quietly this entire time, and now he suddenly whipped his head up to look at them, a scared look on his face for the first time.
"It's the officials!! I can hear the sound of their sabers against the metal stirrups. They must have figured out we were lying somehow!"
Sakura's brow furrowed. "But how? There's no way that they could have figured it out." She said.
Biret shook his head helplessly, glancing around for a place to hide. "They must have. Unless I'm mistaken, a group that large doesn't come out to do routine checks of the traveler's checkpoints."
Suddenly Sakura was scared. If they found out they'd helped this thief escape, she could be kicked out of Ch'ien. She'd die before she let that happen! Ch'ien was her only escape, the only place she could live in freedom! It wasn't fair!!
Sakura's scared frown turned into a glare of desperate determination. "Okay, we're still not sure that it's us that they're after. We need to find out for sure that it's us they want."
Syaoran gestured with his foot (AN: since his hands are tied behind his back) toward a small clump of trees a few meters from them. "We can hide in there until they pass, or at least until we've found out that they're after us." Syaoran said. He couldn't believe his luck. The day he finally ends up coming into Ch'ien, and he gets kidnapped, threatened, and put on a most wanted list all in the period of a few hours. It only proved that nothing good could come out of this place.
Sakura nodded. "Good idea." She headed over to the large birch trees, with Halma, Biret, and Syaoran following. Kero trotted along next to Syaoran's heels, having no idea what was going on.
.........Official Mentok's POV
"Woah!"
Official Mentok slowed his horse until he came to a complete stop in front of the wooden watch tower that marked the traveler's checkpoint. The 20 men that were accompanying him slowed to a halt behind him, their horses stepping about restlessly. Mentok glanced around suspiciously, dismounting and slowly checking for any signs of the fugitives, unaware that their eyes were watching him warily from a few meters away.
Mentok cursed under his breath. He had been hoping that they would be able to catch them before they reached the checkpoint. And there weren't even any tracks to go on. It looks like they had walked here, there were no signs of horse tracks. The tracks of the four of them had abruptly stopped in front of the watch tower. (AN: Biret is a practiced thief, he knows what he's doing, so he covered their tracks that led to the forest.)
"Sir! What would you like us to do?" one of the officials asked.
Mentok glanced around, at a loss of what they could do. He glanced back at the group behind him. "I don't suppose any of you have any idea where they might have gone from here?"
Most of them shook their heads, but one of them raised his hand hesitantly.
Official Mentok recognized him as one of the new recruits, a man codenamed Kiryk.
"Yes, Kiryk, what do you have to say?"
Kiryk stepped forward hesitantly. "Well, sir, those people we talked to said that the two girls, Cherry Blossom and Crimson Heart, were woods guides, so I assume they know the lay of the land pretty well."
Sakura gasped when she heard her name from her place next to Syaoran behind a juniper bush. She heard Halma gasp as well from her hiding spot with Biret beneath the boughs of an old oak tree.
"Yes, go on" they heard Mentok say.
"Well, we obtained a map from one of the locals," Kiryk continued, slipping a map from his saddlebag, "and according to it, the area ahead is all rolling fields of dried grass for the next 5 miles at least. So, my guess is, that they're hiding somewhere around here. Two woods guides like them wouldn't be stupid enough to travel in the open like that, so I suggest we check all the possible hiding spots from where that little boy spotted them to this checkpoint." He concluded.
Mentok nodded approvingly. "Very good, Kiryk. Nice thinking, I like your idea." He turned his attention to all of the men. "Men! Spread and Search!"
The officials all dismounted, fanning out slowly to check the landscape.
..............Sakura's POV
Sakura bit her lip desperately as she watched an official approach their juniper bush. What now? She fingered the hilts of her kodachi's hesitantly. Biret had a gun, she had her kodachi's, and Halma had her daggers. They could take on a few of them, but 20 men? All with sabers, and 8 with handguns? All having years of training in combat? There was no way she'd be able to do that. And what about Syaoran? She thought. As much as she thought she'd like to leave him to the mercy of the officials, she couldn't let him rot in prison when none of this was his fault.
Suddenly Kero bounded out of the bush that he had been lying in and hurtled toward the official.
"Kero! NO!" Sakura tried to yell, but Syaoran's hand was covering her mouth. She wrestled helplessly, watching as Kero pushed the man to the ground, his arm in Kero's jaw.
............Syaoran's POV
Syaoran tried desperately to keep Sakura from being seen as he wrestled to keep her quiet. He'd managed to get his bonds undone with the silver dagger inside of his cloak once Biret wasn't pointing a gun at his back anymore.
Suddenly Sakura managed to get an arm free and grabbed one of the kodachi's from her belt, whipping it around to rest before Syaoran's throat.
"Let go of me" she said in a dangerously calm voice.
Syaoran overcame his surprise to respond. "What are you crazy? You'll get killed!"
Sakura didn't move. "I'd rather that than loose my freedom."
Syaoran didn't know what she meant, and was about to ask when a yelp from Kero ahead of them distracted him long enough for Sakura to wrestle out of his grip and lunge ahead, plunging her kodachi deep into the man's leg, whipping her hand out to cover the man's mouth to keep him from screaming. The man's eyes widened in agony as he sank to the ground, clutching at his now blood-covered pants. After a few moments the man mercilessly fell unconscious. Syaoran's jaw dropped. This girl could fight!
Sakura sighed, pulling Kero off of the man and wiping the blood off of her blade in the dirt. She slipped the kodachi back into its scabbard and started to drag the body back behind another bush, but he was too heavy. She clenched her teeth, digging her heels into the ground, but it wouldn't budge. Suddenly the body became lighter and lifted from the ground. Sakura opened her eyes to see Syaoran carrying the man's legs, helping her place the body far from sight.
Sakura nodded her thanks grudgingly, glancing back to find Biret and Halma. They appeared after a few moments, both with blood on their tunics.
"Run into the same problem?" Halma whispered.
Sakura and Syaoran nodded. "How are we going to escape?" Sakura whispered.
Syaoran glanced at the bodies, sighing before turning back to them. "I hate to rob a dead man, but I don't think we have a choice.."
.............Hours Later.Official Mentok's POV
"Sir! Sir! SIR!"
Mentok shook his head, clearing the daydreams from his mind as he gazed at the gathering darkness. He turned to see Official Kiryk looking nervous.
"What is it Kiryk? Did you find 'em?"
Kiryk shook his head, ringing his hands on his belt. "Well, sir, not exactly....they've escaped."
Mentok's awareness grew. "What? What do you mean they escaped?"
Kiryk bit his lip nervously. "Well, the two men somehow managed to capture two of our men and stole their uniforms. They apparently snuck over here under the pretense of getting some flashlights from the saddlebags. The next thing we knew, they had stolen four of our best horses, knocked out two more of our men, and were galloping towards that strand of trees over there. Our men tried to go after them, but most of them were far from their horses in the trees on the side of the road. A few men managed to give chase, but once they reached the trees, somebody unhorsed them and knocked them unconscious. By the time we reached the forest, there were six men on the ground and the four of them were gone."
Mentok cursed, throwing his hat down onto the ground in a rage. "Why hadn't you idiots found them by then!?"
Kiryk shrunk under the official's fierce glower. "They were hiding in the east area of that small forest. The two men we sent in that direction were the ones who were captured and used to provide the uniforms. Nobody heard them scream or anything."
Mentok stormed off towards his horse, roughly grabbing the radio from his saddlebag. He turned it on and yelled into the microphone.
"THIS IS OFFICIAL MENTOK OF THE 1ST DIVISION. WE HAVE TEN MEN DOWN ON THE SEARCH FOR THE FUGITIVES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BEATING OF MATAK'S GROUP. THEY HAVE ESCAPED AND ARE NOW ON THE RUN. I REPEAT, THEY ARE NOW ON THE RUN. I WANT AN ALL CALL OUT ON EVERY DIVISION FOR THE FUGITIVES; CHERRY BLOSSOM, CRIMSON HEART, AN UNIDENTIFIED TALL MAN WITH BROWN HAIR, AND A BANDIT ON THE RUN NAMED BIRET. I REPEAT, THESE CRIMINALS ARE WANTED, DEAD, OR ALIVE!"
.............Sakura & Co.
Sakura urged her horse onward as they galloped across the stretch of open fields, hoping to reach the cover of the nearby hills. After an hour, the four of them slowed the lathered horses to a stop behind a large outcropping of rock on one of the hills.
Sakura sank to the ground, despair written all over her face. Great, now she was a wanted criminal. If she was caught, she'd be fined and banned from Ch'ien forever, and she be forced to spend what few years were left of her life in a hospital bed as she wasted away. She had never felt so hopeless. She fingered the silver Chinese pendant at her neck that Ayna had given her for her birthday..
-Flashback-
"Happy Birthday Sakura!" Ayna yelled happily, jumping onto the bed with a small, wrapped package.
"Ah, is that for me? I love presents!" Sakura chirped, a fake smile on her face. Some birthday it had been. She'd found out that morning that the doctor thought she would never walk again. She had cried for hours. It all seemed so hopeless...
"Yep! Grandpa helped my buy it! So it's sorta from both of us, but I chose which one you would like!" she exclaimed proudly, holding the small red package out to her.
Sakura picked it up delicately, unwrapping it slowly as she enjoyed the excitement on Ayna's face. She slipped the wrapping off to find a small, green and pink box.
"What could this be?" she said, smiling at the look on Ayna's face.
"Open it! Open it!" she yelled.
Sakura obliged and opened the tiny box. There, on a small green cushion, lay a beautiful, simple, silver chain, from which hung a small silver pendant with a beautiful design emblazed on it in gold. "Ohhhh, Ayna, it's beautiful." Sakura exclaimed, picking it out of the box gently. She certainly hadn't been expecting this.
"It's a Hope pendant." Ayna chirped. "The pictures on it represent Hope. The store had lost of them, and Grandpa asked me which one you would like. They had courage, friendship, love. They had lots of them! But I picked hope 'cuz you're always saying we shouldn't give up hope, just like my mommy says! Auntie Sakura, why are you crying?" Ayna asked worriedly.
A tear rolled down Sakura's cheek. She quickly wiped it away, and truly smiled for the first time in years. "No reason, I just really really like it. Will you help me put it on?" Sakura managed to get out.
Ayna's smile returned. "Of course I will! Mommy showed me how to put my necklaces on last week, so I can show you how to do yours.."
Sakura listened to Ayna talk about everything and nothing at all, glancing at the silver pendant that she knew wasn't just a gift from Ayna. Her father had purposefully bought her this one, and she knew why. Another tear rolled down her cheek, this time unseen by Ayna.
-end of flashback-
Sakura smiled, remembering her family back home, and all they had done for her. She gripped the pendant at her chest, determination settling in. 'Well,' she thought, 'I guess I'm starting my journey for the Saotian Saber a little early. I'll find the saber, get my surgery, and take control of my life again!'
..............Syaoran's POV
Syaoran watched Sakura's emotions play on her face amusedly. At one point she looked like the world had ended, and now she looked like she was on a mission to end world hunger. He couldn't help but smile a little when the sparkle returned to her fiery gaze.
Now he was a fugitive on the run. Most likely Mei Lin was seriously angry with him and would most definitely tell his mother. His mother would punish him for this final straw by giving the company to his sisters, and the wedding would be take place even sooner. 'I'm sick of this!' he thought. 'Enough of that stupid life, I'm not going back there if that's the last thing I do!' . He was decided. No more Mei Lin, no more company, and no more K'un. As much as he hated Ch'ien, he discovered that he hated K'un even more! If he had to live as a fugitive in this world, so be it. At least he would be free from everything else.
..............Biret's POV
'Well, Kinoti would have found out by now that I escaped. Now he'll be after my hide to find out what the Angels of the Light said. I'm a dead man if I go back.' He thought. He smiled to himself. 'Looks like I'm on my own again. Sorry Kinoti'
.............Sakura & Co.
Biret dismounted and turned toward the three of them. "Look, now we're all fugitives. Soon, they'll have us wanted in the entire Pri Nuta Region. You all are free to do what you want, but I'm getting out of here."
Sakura stood. "I'm going too."
Halma's jaw dropped. "What!?"
Sakura turned to Halma, her jaw set. "I can't go back. You know what'll happen if I do."
Halma said nothing. She knew very well what Sakura was talking about.
Sakura continued, turning to Biret and Syaoran. "I was planning on going on a trip anyway. Guess I'll just get started early."
Syaoran looked at her questioningly. "What kind of trip?"
Sakura slipped her two kodachi's out of their scabbards, letting the design on the hilts catch the light of the receding sun.
Biret gasped. "Those are Rayna Weapons!!!"
Sakura shook her head. "Almost. They're missing a part. The original weapon had a third blade, the Saotian Saber. I'm going to find that saber and unite the three weapons."
Biret looked at her. "ARE YOU CRAZY!!!! You're going to recreate the ultimate Rayna Weapon?!!"
Sakura nodded, a dead serious look on her face.
Suddenly, Biret smiled and laughed. "Wow, a quest for the most powerful weapon in Ch'ien. I don't think I've heard of anything that sounded so much fun. What do you say we join forces? Mind if I tag along?"
Sakura studied him for a moment. Something about him told her that he was trustworthy. She nodded. "Alright. The two of us it is then." She turned to Syaoran before Halma could say something.
"What about you? What are you going to do?" she asked, studying him.
Syaoran shrugged. "Well, I don't exactly plan on going back to K'un. I was supposed to find Crimson Heart," Syaoran looked pointedly at Halma, "and have her lead me to a café called La Pajara to meet my cousin. To tell you the truth I'd rather stay a wanted criminal than deal with her."
Sakura smiled slightly. For some reason she had been hoping he would say something like that. "Why don't you come with us? You've got nothing else to do."
Syaoran studied her for a moment. Here was the girl, who just a little while ago, had yelled at him for not telling her his name, and who could get on his nerves with one word, and yet he could sit and stare at her for hours without figuring out one thing about her. She truly puzzled him. If nothing else, he would at least be able to try and figure out what it was about her that had him staring at her the first time they spotted each other.
Syaoran nodded. "Fine. I'll go with you. Although I can't promise I won't strangle him in his sleep" he growled, glaring at Biret.
Biret laughed. "Ah, come on, you can't still be mad at me for that whole kidnapping thing, can ya?"
Syaoran grunted. "You'd be surprised how long I can keep a grudge."
"HOLD ON! Doesn't anyone want to know what I think about this?!" Halma yelled, hands on her hips.
Before Syaoran and Biret could make a sarcastic remark, Sakura cut in. "You don't have to come with us, Crimson. I know you want to get back to SwordSoul."
Halma slightly flinched at the mention of Kiran, but quickly recovered, not before Sakura noticed though. "Oh, no you don't. You aren't going to get rid of me that easily. You know that Amethyst Blade planned on going with you on this trip, so if you insist on going now, the least I'm going to do is go in her place."
Sakura started to interrupt, but Halma held up her hand. "I'm going no matter what you say, Cherry. I owe Amethyst a favor anyway."
Sakura sighed. "Well, I guess this means we're all going."
"Do you have any idea where to start?" Biret asked.
Sakura nodded and yawned. The sun had dipped below the mountains, leaving the sky illuminated only by the moonlight. She wouldn't be returning home tonight. She hoped that her family would understand, somehow.
"I'll explain everything tomorrow morning. You all realize that if we do this, we'll be in Ch'ien for a long time. We won't be returning to K'un at all until it's over, even at night."
The three of them nodded.
"Well, then let's just go to sleep. I'm exhausted and I need some time to think. There should be some bedrolls in the saddlebags. I'll keep first watch."
Biret nodded. "Wake me up in a few hours for the next one, then."
Biret and Halma started towards their horses to set up camp for the night. Syaoran started to walk towards his stallion when Sakura's hand caught his arm. He turned around expectantly.
Sakura blushed, hoping it was too dark for him to notice. "Um.I'm sorry.but I still don't know your name."
Now Syaoran blushed slightly. "Little Wolf" he said.
Sakura nodded, smiling. She turned away and started walking towards the boulder she was going to use for her watch. "Good night, Little Wolf." She called.
"Night" he called back unconsciously. He slipped over to his horse and started to unroll his bedroll. He unwrapped the blankets and laid his head down on the saddle blanket he was using as a pillow, taking one last look at the girl on the boulder whose emerald eyes sparkled like the sun in the moonlight..
.............End Chapter 6
Yay! I finally finished this chapter! I'm soo excited! We're finally going to be getting into the story! So please review and tell me what you all thought^^. I'm extremely happy with this chapter, which is very rare, believe me.
The turkey's done so I'm going to go post this story and go eat! I'm so hungry I can just taste it! Lol, I'm such a pig...
Thanks for all the suggestions for screen names. For right now I don't have any more names I need, but that most likely will change as the story progresses.
*note: I made a mistake in chapter 5. In it, Tomoyo said that 'Cherry blossom doesn't have a brother.' But I forgot about Touya. What I meant was that Sakura didn't have a brother with spiky red hair and tawny colored eyes. I that didn't confuse anyone too much..
Please Review!!!!!! Just go and push that button right there at the bottom of the screen! PLEASE!
Ja Ne! ~Vixie P.S: Happy Thanksgiving!^^
Upcoming Chapter: The Clouded Following
