Ohayo, all my wonderful readers! I'm back with chapter 9 of REAL LOVE IS
JUST A DREAM. I'm so sorry that it took me so long to update, but here it
is.
I always have so much fun writing fantasy like this. I hope you all enjoy reading it too.
BTW: on the last chapter, I kinda did the scene where Sakura asks everyone for help a little hastily, so I went back and rewrote it a little, but there really isn't a lot of difference, so don't worry about rereading it.
Okay, time to reward the revierwers.
White Blossoms - I LOVED your suggestions for the screenames! They were extremely creative and original, so I will definitely at least use one of them. Thanks a lot for sending them in. I'm glad that you like the story, and I hope you enjoy this update. Please review again when you're done, enjoy^^.
Sweet-captor -hehe, yeah, the last chapter was really wordy. I couldn't help it though, I had to explain a lot of things or else it would have been too confusing, not that it isn't confusing now, lol. Enjoy this chapter!
AnimeObsessionFantasy -thanks for all the constant reviews! I'm sorry it was so long, but I can never stop when I start writing this story, hehe. I'm so glad it was worth it, and I hope this one is too. Hope you like it! ^_^
White Fox 612 - Thanks for the compliment! I'm glad that it doesn't seem like I'm copying .Hack//Sign, just using the basis. I always hope that my stories are somewhat original. Don't worry, I don't plan on quitting any time soon. Thank you soo much for the praise on my writing skill, that means a lot to me. I'll email you too like you asked when I get this chapter uploaded...
Wezl - Thanks so much for the review! I hope you like this update. Enjoy!
Lilvietdevilgrl - I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL, oh, I mean, I DID I DID I DID. Here it is. Hope you like it ^_^
Thanks to all my loyal reviewers, I don't know what I would do without you.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the CCS characters. Certain ideas and basis settings were inspired by the anime .Hack//Sign. Other imagery ideas taken from Fushigi Yugi, Inuyasha, and Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. The rest of it is all mine!!!! MINE!!
This story is getting thoroughly complicated, and I love to give hints and bring them back later in my stories, but it confuses people, so here's a list of things to remember in this story, you may have to go back and reread some chapters: The jasper-eyed woman that Syaoran saw when he was little. His mom said that she was an 'Angel of the Light'. Remember that.
Six of Rayn's followers are dead, plus her and the man she loved. That leaves five followers. Three are oracles, one is Lady Luneya, and the other had disappeared. Also, remember that only four of her followers were human, including the man she loved.
Fujitaka obtained the Double-bladed Ran Kodachi's from the Angels of the Light and gave it to Sakura, without it's central blade, the Saotian Saber. She wants to sell it to pay for surgery to cure her. Also, remember, Fujitaka works for the mysterious 'administrators' of Ch'ien.
Star Blossom, (Masaya, Kiran's little sister) somehow knows Biret. Biret is a former bandit under a man named Kinoti. Also, and I doubt ANYBODY remembers this, in the first chapter, Sakura said that a band of renowned outlaws guards the Saotian Saber. Take note of that.
Sakura found out about her disease three years ago, the same time that
Mtayna, the priestess of water, disappeared.
Since there are a lot of things to remember, I'm gonna add a
character/story hint list to this story as chapter 10. I've already
written it, so I'll put it up after I get this chapter up. Sorry it's
not a new chapter, just sort of a guide to the story, I guess.
Oh, and to all my Abandoned readers, I'll have the new chapter of that
story up tomorrow, promise.
Okay, here we go with chapter 9. I hope ya all enjoy it.
.....................................
"DAMN ERUFU! Out of my way!"
Lyana was shoved roughly out of the servants way, sending her toppling to the ground.
(A/N: 'erufu' means 'elf' in Japanese. If you can't already tell, Lyana is an elf)
The servant lifted his chin disdainfully and stalked off toward the castle.
Lyana slowly managed to stand up again. "Ouch" she flinched when she felt the pain of a cut on her shoulder from the rose bush she had fallen into.
A tear threatened to escape Lyana's clear blue eyes. She hadn't been called an 'erufu' for a while.
'I guess it'll never end' she thought despondently. She settled her skirts around her and lifted her chin, determined not to let it affect her too much.
'I am a Temple Priestess in training, I cannot let others degrade me like that.' She thought proudly. Suddenly she remembered the reason for coming to the inner gardens.
"Right, I've got to find my sister, she's got to listen to me this time..." she muttered to herself, setting off in the direction of the grove in the middle of the maze of walkways, flowers, trees, and benches that made up the Royal Gardens.
Eventually, she came to a large, wooden archway that marked the exit to the gardens.
Lyana wanted to cry. She'd been walking around in circles! And for almost an hour! She clenched her fist, only glad that her instructor hadn't been there to scold her for her bad sense of direction.
She sighed, considering asking someone for help, when she heard voices approaching. Without thinking, Lyana immediately leaped behind one of the larger bushes and hid among the foliage, settling her breath as she watched a man and a woman approaching the gardens.
'Now what have I gotten myself into?.......'
.....................................
Syaoran and Sakura weren't talking. The two of them entered the gardens in mute silence, scanning the area for some kind of sign of life to ask where the Lady Luneya might be.
The eight of them had split up to try and find Lady Luneya to question her about the ultimate Rayna Weapon. Amiboshi's servants had no idea where she was, and the castle was a big place, so they'd decided to make better time by dividing areas of the castle.
Syaoran, Sakura, and Kero were assigned to the gardens.
The sound of the wind rustling the roses and the padding of Kero's paws against the soft grass was the only sound echoing through their ears, with the rush of thoughts in their heads accompanying it.
Syaoran was still desperately trying to deny the fact that Sakura might actually be dying in the real world. More importantly, he was trying to decide why he seemed to feel so strongly about it.
Sakura was doing almost the same thing, trying to figure out the intelligence of announcing her mortality to the group, and why she had felt so torn when Syaoran had said that he wanted to come with her.
The two were awfully familiar with the tension flowing between them, but neither of them had courage enough to speak, so the silence remained, with only an occasional whine from Kero.
As they approached the archway that led to the gardens, Syaoran suddenly felt a pair of eyes on them. His amber eyes scanned the area quickly, but found nothing. Syaoran shook his head softly, trying to get his mind to stop playing tricks on him.
'argghh. I can't think with all of this on my mind. I'm starting to see things. Better if I just ignore it all for now, and concentrate on something else.' He thought.
Meanwhile, Sakura had also thought that the feeling of being watched was only a figment of her imagination. She clenched her teeth. 'This is no good, I can't keep stressing over things like this, I'd better try and distract myself from it.'
Lyana watched the two people standing there, not saying a word meters in front of her. She frowned in confusion. What were these idiots doing? Just standing around, their eyes caught up in their own thoughts. Even the dog was quiet. It was almost tangible how awkward and tense the air around them was.
Finally, Syaoran and Sakura decided to try and end the silence at the same time.
"Do you think we're..." they both started out in unison, their voices fading as they realized they were both speaking.
"You first" Syaoran said.
Sakura shook her head, "No, that's okay, you go first"
The two of them were silent again. Lyana sweatdropped. These two were pathetic. It was PAINFULLY obvious that they liked each other. She hated it when people refused to see what was right in front of them.
Finally Syaoran swallowed his doubt for a minute. "I just get the feeling that we're being watched."
Sakura almost smiled at the final break in the silence. She nodded emphatically, eager for the both of them to forget the details of the earlier conversation.
"I do too, but I thought my mind was just playing tricks on me." Sakura replied.
Syaoran took another glance around them. "Well, I guess both of our minds are playing tricks, then. It doesn't seem like anyone's around." But Syaoran's wariness didn't ease.
Lyana bit her lip worriedly, hoping they wouldn't see her.
Sakura was still eager for conversation, so she went on. "Do you think this is the entrance to the gardens?"
Syaoran nodded. "looks like it. Tirak said that her handmaids were constantly seen in the groves in the middle of the Inner Gardens. If we can find one of them without alerting the guards, we might be able to find her. Amiboshi said that if the guards found us, then Lady Luneya would know we were looking for her, and we'd never be able to find her."
Lyana's apprehension grew immediately. Were they talking about her sister?
"I guess Tirak should know, he seems to get a lot of his information from her handmaids." Sakura continued.
Syaoran nodded, silent for a moment. Then, he continued. "Do you think that he was telling the truth? About the Kodachi's coming from the Angels of the Light?"
Sakura considered it. "Well, I at least believe that Tirak believes it's the truth. But, who knows, maybe the handmaids were misleading him on purpose." She took one of the Kodachi's out to inspect it for a moment. "Then again, I don't even know much about these things myself."
Syaoran studied the twin water dragon carving along the silver hilt. "You got these from your father, right?"
Sakura nodded. "Yeah, when I first found out that I could live in Ch'ien without..well, that I could live in Ch'ien, my father gave me these weapons. He told me that they'd 'give me the hope that I was missing'."
Syaoran sidestepped the awkward issue of Sakura not being able to really live in the real world. "How did your father get them?"
"That's just it, I honestly have no idea. He's always told me that he works for the Ch'ien administrators, though I don't exactly know what he does. Everytime I asked him about where he received the blades, he just smiled and wouldn't say anything. Finally I just stopped asking him, I guess."
Syaoran nodded. The silence returned between them, and they started forward again, following a small, dirt path that seemed to be deserted. Lyana silently followed them, slipping in among the shadows of the lush vegetation.
After a few minutes, Sakura smiled to herself and said to no one in particular, "My father has always been a mystery to me."
Syaoran looked at her, but said nothing, content just to keep on walking beside her and listen.
"Sometimes, when I was little," she went on, "I would spy on him, but he always knew I was there. He never let me know, though. Instead, he'd make it a game for me, and make me chase him all over the house." She said sadly, her eyes deep within her own memories.
"Every time I thought I'd found him, he was gone, but he'd leave me little presents around the house, like a scavenger hunt, until I'd found him. Then he'd always reward me and we'd go for ice cream." She kept on going, desperate to stop herself from talking, and yet unable to stop.
Syaoran was still silent, listening quietly.
"Even after..even after he found out about my..disease...he'd still try everything he could to cheer me up. He even brought me ice cream every day. I, .I felt so bad. My dad was always smiling, but I could tell that he was really sad, and it broke my heart that I was the one who caused it. Even my brother seemed to become miserable. I just couldn't take it anymore..That's why I came here, I guess." She finished, tears threatening to spill out, but they never did.
Syaoran refrained from the urge to put his hand around her waist comfortingly and instead looked up at the blue sky above them. He finally answered for Sakura's sake, though it was difficult to get the lump out of his throat.
"I used to think Ch'ien was stupid. I thought it was just a place for cowards to escape the harsh cruelty of reality. I never thought of it as an actual place, just as a distraction."
Sakura listened quietly, extremely grateful to him for talking, even if it was just for the comfort of the sound of his voice.
"But, Ch'ien's more than that, I guess. It's actually a home, for a lot of people, isn't it?" Syaoran observed.
Sakura nodded. "I've always thought of it as a second chance," she said quietly. "A second chance to rectify what was done to the real world. Here, we can create another world, but this time we can appreciate it. Everyone deserves a second chance, I think."
Syaoran looked at the small girl in front of him. This little, innocent girl who never cried, who had saved his life, who saw the good in everyone, and who never seemed to give up hope. Her strength was amazing to him. He almost was in awe of her, of what a beautiful person she was.
Not only that, but the bright sunlight above them caused dappled shadows from the trees above to play along the contours of her face. Her deep, emerald eyes were warm and inviting, and her small, pink lips were almost irresistible.
Syaoran didn't even bother shaking the thoughts from his head this time, knowing it was completely useless. Even he wasn't this stupid, he could tell that he was completely and head over heels in love with her.
Normally, he would have scolded himself for such feelings, but now, today, in the bright sunlight with her, it just seemed pointless to deny it, and all he wanted to do was to erase the distressing memories replaying through her thoughts from her mind.
Sakura watched Syaoran's amber eyes suddenly look at her with such feeling that she almost felt like fainting. Her whole body responded, and, abruptly, all of the self-pity that she had been wallowing in only seconds before was dashed away, replaced with a deep warmth in the bottom of her soul.
It was all she could do to keep from kissing him. She was immediately surprised at such thoughts coming from her, and a deep blush stained her cheeks.
Unaware of it, the two of them had slowly gotten closer to each other. Kero had wandered off, busily inspecting a large juniper bush and sniffing an unfamiliar smell. The two of them were too caught up in their own feelings to notice.
Lyana's cheeks were red as she realized what she might be witnessing, but soon her shame was replaced with panic as Kero suddenly discovered her location.
Surprisingly enough, though, Kero didn't bark, as he usually would have. Instead, he stuck his head behind the bush and butted her, eagerly sniffing the new scent.
Lyana smiled and scratched him quickly behind the ears. "ssshhh" she muttered quietly under her breath, lifting a finger to her mouth to signal him to be quiet.
She almost laughed at herself. 'As if he knows what that means' she thought.
Kero stayed quiet though, content to stay where he was and continue allowing Lyana to scratch him behind the ears.
Lyana's attention was suddenly drawn when she heard the crunch of a pair of boots along the path behind them. The guards! If they discovered the two of them just wandering around, they'd be questioned as to why they were here, and her sister would realize she was being searched for. Then she'd never find her sister! Her sister could never be found if she wanted it that way...
Sakura and Syaoran heard it too, but there was no place to hide. Sakura suddenly had an idea, but just the thought of it made her bite her lip and clench her fist. She desperately looked around them for a solution, but there was nothing.
She gulped. 'Here goes nothing.' She thought.
Syaoran was desperately trying to think of a solution when Sakura grabbed his arm and pulled him into the corner between two large birch trees.
"I'm sorry for this." She said quickly before pressing up against him and kissing him.
Syaoran's eyes widened, but he didn't pull away. After a moment his eyes closed.
.....................................
"Why over here?" he asked his partner.
His partner shrugged. "I thought I heard some people talking over here a few minutes ago. Let's just check it out, okay?"
The first man sighed. "Fine, alright."
The pair of them rounded a corner and were welcomed with the site of Syaoran and Sakura huddled in a corner, absorbed in each other.
The two men looked at each other and nodded, smiling. They turned around and left the way they had came.
"Told you there was nothing to worry about," the first man said, "just two young people trying to escape from prying eyes. You remember what that's like, eh Triet?" he winked.
Triet nodded and smiled. "Of course, I used to escape to the gardens all the time with Varuna when we were younger!" he winked back, and the two of them laughed, their voices fading as they left the area.
.....................................
A rush of warmth coursed through Sakura as she reveled in the kiss. Her tongue wound around his eagerly, despite the fact that the voices of the guards had long since disappeared.
Syaoran's hands had slipped to her waist, holding her to him. His mind was a blank, and he was only aware of savoring the feel of her lips against his.
(A/N: hehe, I don't want to get too graphic, lol, in case there's kids reading..)
After a few moments, Sakura slowly, achingly pulled away, only for lack of air. But as soon as their lips parted, the full implications of what they had just done hit the both of them.
The two of them remained close together, each breathing heavily as they just stared into each other's eyes, trying to figure out what had just happened.
Syaoran's hands remained around her waist. Sakura's pulse was racing, and she managed to whisper to him.
"I'm..sorry...about that."
Syaoran didn't answer, or rather, couldn't answer, his mind was racing too fast. The two of them just stood staring at each other.
The temptation was too much, and the both of them brushed their lips together a second time, this time deliberately.
Syaoran could scarcely believe how much he wanted her. The kiss sent sparks of pleasure through his veins, and he never wanted to stop.
Sakura eagerly pressed up against him, forgetting everything that had been on her mind only moments before. All that mattered was Syaoran's arms around her.
When the two of them pulled away this time, Sakura couldn't help it any longer. She smiled, one of her rare, true smiles at him.
Syaoran couldn't resist, and gave her another quick kiss, grinning.
Sakura leaned forward so that her forehead touched his, closing her eyes.
"Wow" she whispered.
Syaoran smiled. "That's all you can say?" he whispered back.
She bit back a laugh. "yes, that's all I can say."
"I've been waiting to do that ever since I first met you." Syaoran muttered.
Sakura grinned. "Liar."
"It's true, I swear." He said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.
Sakura leaned forward, resting her head up against his chest. She was about to reply, when suddenly her blood ran cold, and her eyes widened.
Syaoran immediately noticed the change in her. He pulled away a little to get a better look at her. "Sakura? What's wrong?"
(A/N: haha, they just kissed and they still don't even know each other in real life, lol)
Sakura looked up at him and tried to speak, but nothing came out. Suddenly, the world went dark and Sakura fainted. She would have fallen to the ground if not for Syaoran's arms around her.
"Sakura? Sakura?! Sakura, wake up! Wake up!" he yelled, shaking her shoulders gently as he held her.
But Sakura didn't wake up. Her thoughts flew away from her, and all the world around her suddenly became lost in shadow, Syaoran's voice fading from her mind.
.....................................
'Argghhh. My head..Where am I?'
As Sakura's eyes slowly adjusted to the light, she managed to sit up. After a few minutes her vision cleared, despite the aching headache she was suffering from. For a moment she was scared that she had woken up in K'un and was in her bed again, but there was no incessant beeping from the heart monitor.
Sakura lifted her head and was relieved to find that she still seemed to be in Ch'ien. But, she was no longer in the inner gardens with Syaoran.
She had woken up in a small grove of cherry blossoms. A large, stone tower peaked out from above the treetops. She could immediately tell that she wasn't even in Seiryu City anymore, the climate was too warm and tropic.
It was then that she noticed that she wasn't alone. A few feet from her, a woman who looked eerily familiar was standing with her back turned to her, her red hair waving out behind her in the wind.
The red-haired young woman was facing a man standing a little farther from them, across the grove. The man's jet black hair was covered in bits and pieces of leaves and twigs, and a big smile was on his face as he gazed lovingly at the red-haired woman.
The oddest part though, was that neither of them seemed to notice her.
Sakura managed to stand up, and was surprised to find that neither one of them looked at her. She even stepped up to touch the red-haired woman on the shoulder, but her hand passed right through her.
Shivers ran through Sakura as her mind immediately thought, "GHOST!!!"
'But,' she thought, 'I thought ghosts were supposed to look scarier than this. These two look just like ordinary people.'
'Oh no!! Maybe I'm a ghost!! Maybe I finally died...but,.how come I still feel so alive? And if I had died, wouldn't I be in heaven? Where are all the angels and things like that? Wait, what if I'm in the other place? But, then there'd be demons and things like that..so, then where the heck am I?'
Her thoughts were immediately interrupted when the red-haired woman grinned and spoke.
"You look like a kid whose just been chasing out game." She laughed, walking towards him.
His grin grew wider. "Ah, but you should know by now that I really am a kid in disguise."
She reached up and plucked a leaf out of his hair. "How am I supposed to present you at the banquet tonight with leaves in your hair?" she giggled.
The man threw his arms around her waist and lifted her up off of the ground, kissing her soundly. Sakura blushed, looking down. The two of them seemed completely oblivious to her presence.
When the man let her down, she lifted up her hand and stroked his cheek with her thumb softly.
"Am I acceptable now?" he asked playfully.
She smiled. "I don't know," she teased, "I think I'm going to have to check one more time."
He grinned. "Your wish is my command." and kissed her again.
Sakura's cheeks were burning red, but she smiled to herself. Whoever these two were, they seemed to love each other deeply.
The red-haired woman pulled away first, catching her breath. "C'mon, Ruko, we've got to get back to the tower. Felena will be waiting for us."
"They can wait." he said, bending his head back down to her lips.
The red-haired woman reluctantly pulled away again. "Ruko..don't tempt me like that." she laughed. "you know I can't resist you, but I have to get back there, they need me."
Ruko smiled. "Ah, c'mon Rayn.you won't be missed this soon.."
A jolt of realization hit Sakura like a ton of bricks.
'Did he just say 'Rayn'?' she thought. Suddenly, she realized why the woman looked so familiar. She was in every book, statue, and picture around in Ch'ien! But, this made no sense, Rayn was dead! Then again, nobody named their kids Rayn anymore in respect for her.so who else could it be?
Rayn pulled away from Ruko again. "Ruko.please" she started to plead.
Ruko sighed. "alright, you win. Let's go back then."
Rayn smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "We'll make up for it later, I promise."
He smiled. "Alright, but I always expect people to keep their promises, you know."
Rayn nodded, taking his hand and leading him towards a path that led out of the grove in the direction of the tower.
"I have something to give to you tonight anyway, something I've made for all of my disciples."
Ruko looked interested. "You mean you've finished the weapons already?"
Rayn nodded. Then, she hesitated a moment before pulling a large sheath out from beneath her cloak. The sheath itself was decorated with three dragons, two with water and one with fire.
Sakura almost fainted again when she realized what it was. It was the Saotian Saber and the Double-bladed Ran Kodachi's, combined!!!
"This one will be yours." She said confidentially. "It's different from the others, but I know you'll use it well." She smiled.
Ruko reached for the sheath eagerly, but Rayn pulled it out of his reach.
"Ah ah! Not yet, you've got to wait until tonight." She scolded playfully.
Ruko looked somewhat disappointed, but quickly covered it up with a grin. "I'm surprised you didn't put a snake on the sheath, just like you were always teasing me that you would."
Rayn grinned. "I thought about it, but I wouldn't be that mean.Hebi."
(A/N: 'Hebi' means snake in Japanese)
Ruko almost flinched. "C'mon Rayn, don't call me that."
She smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, I still haven't told anyone your real name. Now come on, we've already stalled too much, let's go."
The two of them left the grove, leaving a stunned Sakura in the grove. Sakura's heart was filled with such pity and compassion that she wished with all her heart she could tell Rayn who this man was.
Hebi Ruko. The snake. No one in her Ch'ien knew his name, but she always had. Her father had told her one day, the same day that he'd given her the Kodachi's. This was the man who would break Rayn's heart, who would become corrupted and end up trying to destroy everything and everyone that Rayn loved, and who would force Rayn to sacrifice her life just to save her own people.
Sakura had always felt an affinity for the fiery red-head who had created the beautiful world that Sakura cherished. The poor, brave girl!
'She looks about my age! And she had to die so young.it's not fair' she thought.
A blue glow from underneath her cloak caught her glance from the corner of her eyes. She lifted one of the Kodachi's out of it's sheath and was surprised to find that it's dragon carving was glowing blue.
Somehow, Sakura knew that Rayn had brought her here. Rayn was trying to show Sakura something, trying to tell her something. How she knew this, Sakura couldn't even guess, but her heart never lied.
'What? What is it you're trying to tell me? I don't know what you want me to do!' she thought.
There was no answer except for the rustle of the breeze in the trees. Suddenly, the world went dark again and Sakura fell to the ground.
.....................................
Sakura was awakened by a relentless moistness covering her face.
"Kero! Get off of her!" she heard Syaoran's voice as he pulled the gray mutt off of her.
"Syaoran? Is that you?" she mumbled, opening her eyes slowly.
Syaoran was immediately at her side. "Sakura! Are you okay? What happened?"
Sakura was stopped from answering when a young girl who looked to be about 14 years old kneeled down beside her. The strange thing, though, was that this girl had pointed ears!
"Here, drink this, it'll make your headache go away." She said, holding out a small vial of clear liquid.
Sakura was about to ask why she should trust her, but something in the girls eyes told her that she was sincere. She took the vial.
"Uh, thank you. I'm sorry, but, um, who are you?"
Lyana blushed and looked down at her lap. "Oh, no, I'm sorry. My name is Lyana. I'm a Temple Apprentice, basically a healer-in-training. I, uh, saw you when you fainted and came over to help."
Syaoran frowned and glared at the girl. "She was hiding behind the juniper bush with Kero when you fainted."
Sakura immediately blushed when she realized that this girl had most likely seen EVERYTHING that had gone on between the two of them.
Sakura uncorked the vial and slowly drank the small amount of liquid. After a few moments, her headache disappeared completely. She handed the empty vial back to the girl.
"Thank you, that feels much better. But how did you know I had a headache?"
Lyana smiled sheepishly. "All good healers know what their patients are feeling without even asking."
"You must be a very good healer then,"
Lyana shook her head almost immediately. "Oh, no, I'm really not. I'm always making mistakes, my instructors are always scolding me."
Sakura felt bad for this girl, she seemed like she was trying her best. She knew that Syaoran probably resented her for what she'd seen, and she could only imagine what had gone on while she was unconscious.
Suddenly, she remembered Amiboshi saying something about the fact that Lady Luneya wasn't EXACTLY human, but he wouldn't say anything more than that. Maybe this is what he meant.
"Um, excuse me, but, if you don't mind me asking, why are your ears pointed like that?"
Lyana blushed profusely, but she couldn't refuse to answer when she was so polite about it.
"Oh, well,.I'm not really a human. I'm an elf." She bit her lip shamefully.
Sakura could tell that it was an awkward subject, so she tried not to push it. Sakura sat up straighter, Syaoran's hand still holding her back.
"Well, actually, maybe you could help us. We're kind of looking for someone, who, well, might be an elf like you."
Lyana knew they were looking for her sister. She was reluctant to tell them about her, but, at the same time, these two people had been nicer to her than anyone had ever been to her. Even after the fact that she had told them she was an elf and after they'd found out that she'd been spying.
She had half expected to be kicked out of the city when she was discovered, but she couldn't help trying to help. And even though the man had been reluctant to forgive her, he was at least polite and civil when he found out that she was a healer.
There was something about these two that she could trust, she knew.
"Yes, I know who you're looking for." Lyana said.
"You do? But how?" Sakura asked.
Lyana blushed again, "well, I kinda over heard you talking about her. It's Lady Luneya, isn't it?"
Sakura and Syaoran nodded.
Lyana sighed before going on. "Lady Luneya is my older sister."
.....................................
Okay, well, that's it for chapter 9. I'm sorry that the entire chapter was about Sakura and Syaoran, but they finally kissed!!!! And that deserved an entire chapter, lol. Next chapter I'll get back to everyone else.
Anyway, what'd you all think? Was the whole kissing thing too hasty? Or was it done too little in detail? Too much in detail?
One of my weak points in writing is timing and generally, romance scenes. I love to read them but I'm not the best at writing them, so I'd appreciate some feedback here about whether or not it was done well or not. If not, I can always go back and rewrite it using your advice. So go review, please!!!!!!!!!!
Also, I'm going to add a Reader's Guide update as chapter 10 to this. It won't be an update, it'll just be a list of stuff to help the readers get through the story, and I'll add to it as the story progresses, so I hope that helps.
So go review and tell me what you think! I'll try to update as soon as possible. Ja ne!
~Vixie
I always have so much fun writing fantasy like this. I hope you all enjoy reading it too.
BTW: on the last chapter, I kinda did the scene where Sakura asks everyone for help a little hastily, so I went back and rewrote it a little, but there really isn't a lot of difference, so don't worry about rereading it.
Okay, time to reward the revierwers.
White Blossoms - I LOVED your suggestions for the screenames! They were extremely creative and original, so I will definitely at least use one of them. Thanks a lot for sending them in. I'm glad that you like the story, and I hope you enjoy this update. Please review again when you're done, enjoy^^.
Sweet-captor -hehe, yeah, the last chapter was really wordy. I couldn't help it though, I had to explain a lot of things or else it would have been too confusing, not that it isn't confusing now, lol. Enjoy this chapter!
AnimeObsessionFantasy -thanks for all the constant reviews! I'm sorry it was so long, but I can never stop when I start writing this story, hehe. I'm so glad it was worth it, and I hope this one is too. Hope you like it! ^_^
White Fox 612 - Thanks for the compliment! I'm glad that it doesn't seem like I'm copying .Hack//Sign, just using the basis. I always hope that my stories are somewhat original. Don't worry, I don't plan on quitting any time soon. Thank you soo much for the praise on my writing skill, that means a lot to me. I'll email you too like you asked when I get this chapter uploaded...
Wezl - Thanks so much for the review! I hope you like this update. Enjoy!
Lilvietdevilgrl - I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL I WILL, oh, I mean, I DID I DID I DID. Here it is. Hope you like it ^_^
Thanks to all my loyal reviewers, I don't know what I would do without you.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the CCS characters. Certain ideas and basis settings were inspired by the anime .Hack//Sign. Other imagery ideas taken from Fushigi Yugi, Inuyasha, and Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. The rest of it is all mine!!!! MINE!!
This story is getting thoroughly complicated, and I love to give hints and bring them back later in my stories, but it confuses people, so here's a list of things to remember in this story, you may have to go back and reread some chapters: The jasper-eyed woman that Syaoran saw when he was little. His mom said that she was an 'Angel of the Light'. Remember that.
Six of Rayn's followers are dead, plus her and the man she loved. That leaves five followers. Three are oracles, one is Lady Luneya, and the other had disappeared. Also, remember that only four of her followers were human, including the man she loved.
Fujitaka obtained the Double-bladed Ran Kodachi's from the Angels of the Light and gave it to Sakura, without it's central blade, the Saotian Saber. She wants to sell it to pay for surgery to cure her. Also, remember, Fujitaka works for the mysterious 'administrators' of Ch'ien.
Star Blossom, (Masaya, Kiran's little sister) somehow knows Biret. Biret is a former bandit under a man named Kinoti. Also, and I doubt ANYBODY remembers this, in the first chapter, Sakura said that a band of renowned outlaws guards the Saotian Saber. Take note of that.
Sakura found out about her disease three years ago, the same time that
Mtayna, the priestess of water, disappeared.
Since there are a lot of things to remember, I'm gonna add a
character/story hint list to this story as chapter 10. I've already
written it, so I'll put it up after I get this chapter up. Sorry it's
not a new chapter, just sort of a guide to the story, I guess.
Oh, and to all my Abandoned readers, I'll have the new chapter of that
story up tomorrow, promise.
Okay, here we go with chapter 9. I hope ya all enjoy it.
.....................................
"DAMN ERUFU! Out of my way!"
Lyana was shoved roughly out of the servants way, sending her toppling to the ground.
(A/N: 'erufu' means 'elf' in Japanese. If you can't already tell, Lyana is an elf)
The servant lifted his chin disdainfully and stalked off toward the castle.
Lyana slowly managed to stand up again. "Ouch" she flinched when she felt the pain of a cut on her shoulder from the rose bush she had fallen into.
A tear threatened to escape Lyana's clear blue eyes. She hadn't been called an 'erufu' for a while.
'I guess it'll never end' she thought despondently. She settled her skirts around her and lifted her chin, determined not to let it affect her too much.
'I am a Temple Priestess in training, I cannot let others degrade me like that.' She thought proudly. Suddenly she remembered the reason for coming to the inner gardens.
"Right, I've got to find my sister, she's got to listen to me this time..." she muttered to herself, setting off in the direction of the grove in the middle of the maze of walkways, flowers, trees, and benches that made up the Royal Gardens.
Eventually, she came to a large, wooden archway that marked the exit to the gardens.
Lyana wanted to cry. She'd been walking around in circles! And for almost an hour! She clenched her fist, only glad that her instructor hadn't been there to scold her for her bad sense of direction.
She sighed, considering asking someone for help, when she heard voices approaching. Without thinking, Lyana immediately leaped behind one of the larger bushes and hid among the foliage, settling her breath as she watched a man and a woman approaching the gardens.
'Now what have I gotten myself into?.......'
.....................................
Syaoran and Sakura weren't talking. The two of them entered the gardens in mute silence, scanning the area for some kind of sign of life to ask where the Lady Luneya might be.
The eight of them had split up to try and find Lady Luneya to question her about the ultimate Rayna Weapon. Amiboshi's servants had no idea where she was, and the castle was a big place, so they'd decided to make better time by dividing areas of the castle.
Syaoran, Sakura, and Kero were assigned to the gardens.
The sound of the wind rustling the roses and the padding of Kero's paws against the soft grass was the only sound echoing through their ears, with the rush of thoughts in their heads accompanying it.
Syaoran was still desperately trying to deny the fact that Sakura might actually be dying in the real world. More importantly, he was trying to decide why he seemed to feel so strongly about it.
Sakura was doing almost the same thing, trying to figure out the intelligence of announcing her mortality to the group, and why she had felt so torn when Syaoran had said that he wanted to come with her.
The two were awfully familiar with the tension flowing between them, but neither of them had courage enough to speak, so the silence remained, with only an occasional whine from Kero.
As they approached the archway that led to the gardens, Syaoran suddenly felt a pair of eyes on them. His amber eyes scanned the area quickly, but found nothing. Syaoran shook his head softly, trying to get his mind to stop playing tricks on him.
'argghh. I can't think with all of this on my mind. I'm starting to see things. Better if I just ignore it all for now, and concentrate on something else.' He thought.
Meanwhile, Sakura had also thought that the feeling of being watched was only a figment of her imagination. She clenched her teeth. 'This is no good, I can't keep stressing over things like this, I'd better try and distract myself from it.'
Lyana watched the two people standing there, not saying a word meters in front of her. She frowned in confusion. What were these idiots doing? Just standing around, their eyes caught up in their own thoughts. Even the dog was quiet. It was almost tangible how awkward and tense the air around them was.
Finally, Syaoran and Sakura decided to try and end the silence at the same time.
"Do you think we're..." they both started out in unison, their voices fading as they realized they were both speaking.
"You first" Syaoran said.
Sakura shook her head, "No, that's okay, you go first"
The two of them were silent again. Lyana sweatdropped. These two were pathetic. It was PAINFULLY obvious that they liked each other. She hated it when people refused to see what was right in front of them.
Finally Syaoran swallowed his doubt for a minute. "I just get the feeling that we're being watched."
Sakura almost smiled at the final break in the silence. She nodded emphatically, eager for the both of them to forget the details of the earlier conversation.
"I do too, but I thought my mind was just playing tricks on me." Sakura replied.
Syaoran took another glance around them. "Well, I guess both of our minds are playing tricks, then. It doesn't seem like anyone's around." But Syaoran's wariness didn't ease.
Lyana bit her lip worriedly, hoping they wouldn't see her.
Sakura was still eager for conversation, so she went on. "Do you think this is the entrance to the gardens?"
Syaoran nodded. "looks like it. Tirak said that her handmaids were constantly seen in the groves in the middle of the Inner Gardens. If we can find one of them without alerting the guards, we might be able to find her. Amiboshi said that if the guards found us, then Lady Luneya would know we were looking for her, and we'd never be able to find her."
Lyana's apprehension grew immediately. Were they talking about her sister?
"I guess Tirak should know, he seems to get a lot of his information from her handmaids." Sakura continued.
Syaoran nodded, silent for a moment. Then, he continued. "Do you think that he was telling the truth? About the Kodachi's coming from the Angels of the Light?"
Sakura considered it. "Well, I at least believe that Tirak believes it's the truth. But, who knows, maybe the handmaids were misleading him on purpose." She took one of the Kodachi's out to inspect it for a moment. "Then again, I don't even know much about these things myself."
Syaoran studied the twin water dragon carving along the silver hilt. "You got these from your father, right?"
Sakura nodded. "Yeah, when I first found out that I could live in Ch'ien without..well, that I could live in Ch'ien, my father gave me these weapons. He told me that they'd 'give me the hope that I was missing'."
Syaoran sidestepped the awkward issue of Sakura not being able to really live in the real world. "How did your father get them?"
"That's just it, I honestly have no idea. He's always told me that he works for the Ch'ien administrators, though I don't exactly know what he does. Everytime I asked him about where he received the blades, he just smiled and wouldn't say anything. Finally I just stopped asking him, I guess."
Syaoran nodded. The silence returned between them, and they started forward again, following a small, dirt path that seemed to be deserted. Lyana silently followed them, slipping in among the shadows of the lush vegetation.
After a few minutes, Sakura smiled to herself and said to no one in particular, "My father has always been a mystery to me."
Syaoran looked at her, but said nothing, content just to keep on walking beside her and listen.
"Sometimes, when I was little," she went on, "I would spy on him, but he always knew I was there. He never let me know, though. Instead, he'd make it a game for me, and make me chase him all over the house." She said sadly, her eyes deep within her own memories.
"Every time I thought I'd found him, he was gone, but he'd leave me little presents around the house, like a scavenger hunt, until I'd found him. Then he'd always reward me and we'd go for ice cream." She kept on going, desperate to stop herself from talking, and yet unable to stop.
Syaoran was still silent, listening quietly.
"Even after..even after he found out about my..disease...he'd still try everything he could to cheer me up. He even brought me ice cream every day. I, .I felt so bad. My dad was always smiling, but I could tell that he was really sad, and it broke my heart that I was the one who caused it. Even my brother seemed to become miserable. I just couldn't take it anymore..That's why I came here, I guess." She finished, tears threatening to spill out, but they never did.
Syaoran refrained from the urge to put his hand around her waist comfortingly and instead looked up at the blue sky above them. He finally answered for Sakura's sake, though it was difficult to get the lump out of his throat.
"I used to think Ch'ien was stupid. I thought it was just a place for cowards to escape the harsh cruelty of reality. I never thought of it as an actual place, just as a distraction."
Sakura listened quietly, extremely grateful to him for talking, even if it was just for the comfort of the sound of his voice.
"But, Ch'ien's more than that, I guess. It's actually a home, for a lot of people, isn't it?" Syaoran observed.
Sakura nodded. "I've always thought of it as a second chance," she said quietly. "A second chance to rectify what was done to the real world. Here, we can create another world, but this time we can appreciate it. Everyone deserves a second chance, I think."
Syaoran looked at the small girl in front of him. This little, innocent girl who never cried, who had saved his life, who saw the good in everyone, and who never seemed to give up hope. Her strength was amazing to him. He almost was in awe of her, of what a beautiful person she was.
Not only that, but the bright sunlight above them caused dappled shadows from the trees above to play along the contours of her face. Her deep, emerald eyes were warm and inviting, and her small, pink lips were almost irresistible.
Syaoran didn't even bother shaking the thoughts from his head this time, knowing it was completely useless. Even he wasn't this stupid, he could tell that he was completely and head over heels in love with her.
Normally, he would have scolded himself for such feelings, but now, today, in the bright sunlight with her, it just seemed pointless to deny it, and all he wanted to do was to erase the distressing memories replaying through her thoughts from her mind.
Sakura watched Syaoran's amber eyes suddenly look at her with such feeling that she almost felt like fainting. Her whole body responded, and, abruptly, all of the self-pity that she had been wallowing in only seconds before was dashed away, replaced with a deep warmth in the bottom of her soul.
It was all she could do to keep from kissing him. She was immediately surprised at such thoughts coming from her, and a deep blush stained her cheeks.
Unaware of it, the two of them had slowly gotten closer to each other. Kero had wandered off, busily inspecting a large juniper bush and sniffing an unfamiliar smell. The two of them were too caught up in their own feelings to notice.
Lyana's cheeks were red as she realized what she might be witnessing, but soon her shame was replaced with panic as Kero suddenly discovered her location.
Surprisingly enough, though, Kero didn't bark, as he usually would have. Instead, he stuck his head behind the bush and butted her, eagerly sniffing the new scent.
Lyana smiled and scratched him quickly behind the ears. "ssshhh" she muttered quietly under her breath, lifting a finger to her mouth to signal him to be quiet.
She almost laughed at herself. 'As if he knows what that means' she thought.
Kero stayed quiet though, content to stay where he was and continue allowing Lyana to scratch him behind the ears.
Lyana's attention was suddenly drawn when she heard the crunch of a pair of boots along the path behind them. The guards! If they discovered the two of them just wandering around, they'd be questioned as to why they were here, and her sister would realize she was being searched for. Then she'd never find her sister! Her sister could never be found if she wanted it that way...
Sakura and Syaoran heard it too, but there was no place to hide. Sakura suddenly had an idea, but just the thought of it made her bite her lip and clench her fist. She desperately looked around them for a solution, but there was nothing.
She gulped. 'Here goes nothing.' She thought.
Syaoran was desperately trying to think of a solution when Sakura grabbed his arm and pulled him into the corner between two large birch trees.
"I'm sorry for this." She said quickly before pressing up against him and kissing him.
Syaoran's eyes widened, but he didn't pull away. After a moment his eyes closed.
.....................................
"Why over here?" he asked his partner.
His partner shrugged. "I thought I heard some people talking over here a few minutes ago. Let's just check it out, okay?"
The first man sighed. "Fine, alright."
The pair of them rounded a corner and were welcomed with the site of Syaoran and Sakura huddled in a corner, absorbed in each other.
The two men looked at each other and nodded, smiling. They turned around and left the way they had came.
"Told you there was nothing to worry about," the first man said, "just two young people trying to escape from prying eyes. You remember what that's like, eh Triet?" he winked.
Triet nodded and smiled. "Of course, I used to escape to the gardens all the time with Varuna when we were younger!" he winked back, and the two of them laughed, their voices fading as they left the area.
.....................................
A rush of warmth coursed through Sakura as she reveled in the kiss. Her tongue wound around his eagerly, despite the fact that the voices of the guards had long since disappeared.
Syaoran's hands had slipped to her waist, holding her to him. His mind was a blank, and he was only aware of savoring the feel of her lips against his.
(A/N: hehe, I don't want to get too graphic, lol, in case there's kids reading..)
After a few moments, Sakura slowly, achingly pulled away, only for lack of air. But as soon as their lips parted, the full implications of what they had just done hit the both of them.
The two of them remained close together, each breathing heavily as they just stared into each other's eyes, trying to figure out what had just happened.
Syaoran's hands remained around her waist. Sakura's pulse was racing, and she managed to whisper to him.
"I'm..sorry...about that."
Syaoran didn't answer, or rather, couldn't answer, his mind was racing too fast. The two of them just stood staring at each other.
The temptation was too much, and the both of them brushed their lips together a second time, this time deliberately.
Syaoran could scarcely believe how much he wanted her. The kiss sent sparks of pleasure through his veins, and he never wanted to stop.
Sakura eagerly pressed up against him, forgetting everything that had been on her mind only moments before. All that mattered was Syaoran's arms around her.
When the two of them pulled away this time, Sakura couldn't help it any longer. She smiled, one of her rare, true smiles at him.
Syaoran couldn't resist, and gave her another quick kiss, grinning.
Sakura leaned forward so that her forehead touched his, closing her eyes.
"Wow" she whispered.
Syaoran smiled. "That's all you can say?" he whispered back.
She bit back a laugh. "yes, that's all I can say."
"I've been waiting to do that ever since I first met you." Syaoran muttered.
Sakura grinned. "Liar."
"It's true, I swear." He said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.
Sakura leaned forward, resting her head up against his chest. She was about to reply, when suddenly her blood ran cold, and her eyes widened.
Syaoran immediately noticed the change in her. He pulled away a little to get a better look at her. "Sakura? What's wrong?"
(A/N: haha, they just kissed and they still don't even know each other in real life, lol)
Sakura looked up at him and tried to speak, but nothing came out. Suddenly, the world went dark and Sakura fainted. She would have fallen to the ground if not for Syaoran's arms around her.
"Sakura? Sakura?! Sakura, wake up! Wake up!" he yelled, shaking her shoulders gently as he held her.
But Sakura didn't wake up. Her thoughts flew away from her, and all the world around her suddenly became lost in shadow, Syaoran's voice fading from her mind.
.....................................
'Argghhh. My head..Where am I?'
As Sakura's eyes slowly adjusted to the light, she managed to sit up. After a few minutes her vision cleared, despite the aching headache she was suffering from. For a moment she was scared that she had woken up in K'un and was in her bed again, but there was no incessant beeping from the heart monitor.
Sakura lifted her head and was relieved to find that she still seemed to be in Ch'ien. But, she was no longer in the inner gardens with Syaoran.
She had woken up in a small grove of cherry blossoms. A large, stone tower peaked out from above the treetops. She could immediately tell that she wasn't even in Seiryu City anymore, the climate was too warm and tropic.
It was then that she noticed that she wasn't alone. A few feet from her, a woman who looked eerily familiar was standing with her back turned to her, her red hair waving out behind her in the wind.
The red-haired young woman was facing a man standing a little farther from them, across the grove. The man's jet black hair was covered in bits and pieces of leaves and twigs, and a big smile was on his face as he gazed lovingly at the red-haired woman.
The oddest part though, was that neither of them seemed to notice her.
Sakura managed to stand up, and was surprised to find that neither one of them looked at her. She even stepped up to touch the red-haired woman on the shoulder, but her hand passed right through her.
Shivers ran through Sakura as her mind immediately thought, "GHOST!!!"
'But,' she thought, 'I thought ghosts were supposed to look scarier than this. These two look just like ordinary people.'
'Oh no!! Maybe I'm a ghost!! Maybe I finally died...but,.how come I still feel so alive? And if I had died, wouldn't I be in heaven? Where are all the angels and things like that? Wait, what if I'm in the other place? But, then there'd be demons and things like that..so, then where the heck am I?'
Her thoughts were immediately interrupted when the red-haired woman grinned and spoke.
"You look like a kid whose just been chasing out game." She laughed, walking towards him.
His grin grew wider. "Ah, but you should know by now that I really am a kid in disguise."
She reached up and plucked a leaf out of his hair. "How am I supposed to present you at the banquet tonight with leaves in your hair?" she giggled.
The man threw his arms around her waist and lifted her up off of the ground, kissing her soundly. Sakura blushed, looking down. The two of them seemed completely oblivious to her presence.
When the man let her down, she lifted up her hand and stroked his cheek with her thumb softly.
"Am I acceptable now?" he asked playfully.
She smiled. "I don't know," she teased, "I think I'm going to have to check one more time."
He grinned. "Your wish is my command." and kissed her again.
Sakura's cheeks were burning red, but she smiled to herself. Whoever these two were, they seemed to love each other deeply.
The red-haired woman pulled away first, catching her breath. "C'mon, Ruko, we've got to get back to the tower. Felena will be waiting for us."
"They can wait." he said, bending his head back down to her lips.
The red-haired woman reluctantly pulled away again. "Ruko..don't tempt me like that." she laughed. "you know I can't resist you, but I have to get back there, they need me."
Ruko smiled. "Ah, c'mon Rayn.you won't be missed this soon.."
A jolt of realization hit Sakura like a ton of bricks.
'Did he just say 'Rayn'?' she thought. Suddenly, she realized why the woman looked so familiar. She was in every book, statue, and picture around in Ch'ien! But, this made no sense, Rayn was dead! Then again, nobody named their kids Rayn anymore in respect for her.so who else could it be?
Rayn pulled away from Ruko again. "Ruko.please" she started to plead.
Ruko sighed. "alright, you win. Let's go back then."
Rayn smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "We'll make up for it later, I promise."
He smiled. "Alright, but I always expect people to keep their promises, you know."
Rayn nodded, taking his hand and leading him towards a path that led out of the grove in the direction of the tower.
"I have something to give to you tonight anyway, something I've made for all of my disciples."
Ruko looked interested. "You mean you've finished the weapons already?"
Rayn nodded. Then, she hesitated a moment before pulling a large sheath out from beneath her cloak. The sheath itself was decorated with three dragons, two with water and one with fire.
Sakura almost fainted again when she realized what it was. It was the Saotian Saber and the Double-bladed Ran Kodachi's, combined!!!
"This one will be yours." She said confidentially. "It's different from the others, but I know you'll use it well." She smiled.
Ruko reached for the sheath eagerly, but Rayn pulled it out of his reach.
"Ah ah! Not yet, you've got to wait until tonight." She scolded playfully.
Ruko looked somewhat disappointed, but quickly covered it up with a grin. "I'm surprised you didn't put a snake on the sheath, just like you were always teasing me that you would."
Rayn grinned. "I thought about it, but I wouldn't be that mean.Hebi."
(A/N: 'Hebi' means snake in Japanese)
Ruko almost flinched. "C'mon Rayn, don't call me that."
She smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, I still haven't told anyone your real name. Now come on, we've already stalled too much, let's go."
The two of them left the grove, leaving a stunned Sakura in the grove. Sakura's heart was filled with such pity and compassion that she wished with all her heart she could tell Rayn who this man was.
Hebi Ruko. The snake. No one in her Ch'ien knew his name, but she always had. Her father had told her one day, the same day that he'd given her the Kodachi's. This was the man who would break Rayn's heart, who would become corrupted and end up trying to destroy everything and everyone that Rayn loved, and who would force Rayn to sacrifice her life just to save her own people.
Sakura had always felt an affinity for the fiery red-head who had created the beautiful world that Sakura cherished. The poor, brave girl!
'She looks about my age! And she had to die so young.it's not fair' she thought.
A blue glow from underneath her cloak caught her glance from the corner of her eyes. She lifted one of the Kodachi's out of it's sheath and was surprised to find that it's dragon carving was glowing blue.
Somehow, Sakura knew that Rayn had brought her here. Rayn was trying to show Sakura something, trying to tell her something. How she knew this, Sakura couldn't even guess, but her heart never lied.
'What? What is it you're trying to tell me? I don't know what you want me to do!' she thought.
There was no answer except for the rustle of the breeze in the trees. Suddenly, the world went dark again and Sakura fell to the ground.
.....................................
Sakura was awakened by a relentless moistness covering her face.
"Kero! Get off of her!" she heard Syaoran's voice as he pulled the gray mutt off of her.
"Syaoran? Is that you?" she mumbled, opening her eyes slowly.
Syaoran was immediately at her side. "Sakura! Are you okay? What happened?"
Sakura was stopped from answering when a young girl who looked to be about 14 years old kneeled down beside her. The strange thing, though, was that this girl had pointed ears!
"Here, drink this, it'll make your headache go away." She said, holding out a small vial of clear liquid.
Sakura was about to ask why she should trust her, but something in the girls eyes told her that she was sincere. She took the vial.
"Uh, thank you. I'm sorry, but, um, who are you?"
Lyana blushed and looked down at her lap. "Oh, no, I'm sorry. My name is Lyana. I'm a Temple Apprentice, basically a healer-in-training. I, uh, saw you when you fainted and came over to help."
Syaoran frowned and glared at the girl. "She was hiding behind the juniper bush with Kero when you fainted."
Sakura immediately blushed when she realized that this girl had most likely seen EVERYTHING that had gone on between the two of them.
Sakura uncorked the vial and slowly drank the small amount of liquid. After a few moments, her headache disappeared completely. She handed the empty vial back to the girl.
"Thank you, that feels much better. But how did you know I had a headache?"
Lyana smiled sheepishly. "All good healers know what their patients are feeling without even asking."
"You must be a very good healer then,"
Lyana shook her head almost immediately. "Oh, no, I'm really not. I'm always making mistakes, my instructors are always scolding me."
Sakura felt bad for this girl, she seemed like she was trying her best. She knew that Syaoran probably resented her for what she'd seen, and she could only imagine what had gone on while she was unconscious.
Suddenly, she remembered Amiboshi saying something about the fact that Lady Luneya wasn't EXACTLY human, but he wouldn't say anything more than that. Maybe this is what he meant.
"Um, excuse me, but, if you don't mind me asking, why are your ears pointed like that?"
Lyana blushed profusely, but she couldn't refuse to answer when she was so polite about it.
"Oh, well,.I'm not really a human. I'm an elf." She bit her lip shamefully.
Sakura could tell that it was an awkward subject, so she tried not to push it. Sakura sat up straighter, Syaoran's hand still holding her back.
"Well, actually, maybe you could help us. We're kind of looking for someone, who, well, might be an elf like you."
Lyana knew they were looking for her sister. She was reluctant to tell them about her, but, at the same time, these two people had been nicer to her than anyone had ever been to her. Even after the fact that she had told them she was an elf and after they'd found out that she'd been spying.
She had half expected to be kicked out of the city when she was discovered, but she couldn't help trying to help. And even though the man had been reluctant to forgive her, he was at least polite and civil when he found out that she was a healer.
There was something about these two that she could trust, she knew.
"Yes, I know who you're looking for." Lyana said.
"You do? But how?" Sakura asked.
Lyana blushed again, "well, I kinda over heard you talking about her. It's Lady Luneya, isn't it?"
Sakura and Syaoran nodded.
Lyana sighed before going on. "Lady Luneya is my older sister."
.....................................
Okay, well, that's it for chapter 9. I'm sorry that the entire chapter was about Sakura and Syaoran, but they finally kissed!!!! And that deserved an entire chapter, lol. Next chapter I'll get back to everyone else.
Anyway, what'd you all think? Was the whole kissing thing too hasty? Or was it done too little in detail? Too much in detail?
One of my weak points in writing is timing and generally, romance scenes. I love to read them but I'm not the best at writing them, so I'd appreciate some feedback here about whether or not it was done well or not. If not, I can always go back and rewrite it using your advice. So go review, please!!!!!!!!!!
Also, I'm going to add a Reader's Guide update as chapter 10 to this. It won't be an update, it'll just be a list of stuff to help the readers get through the story, and I'll add to it as the story progresses, so I hope that helps.
So go review and tell me what you think! I'll try to update as soon as possible. Ja ne!
~Vixie
