Standard Disclaimers Apply
A/N: An author's note before the chapter, please. This chapter is going to be a little short, like the previous one, but don't worry. I can guarantee that the fourth will be way longer than this one.
I just wanted to answer some questions from previous reviewers who have asked me if this is going to be a CardCaptor Sakura or CardCaptors fic, because I used the name Sakura Avalon yet also used Eriol instead of Eli. Please understand, I'm combining their English and Japanese names to suit the story, because there's going to be a twist further on in this fanfic.
To all those lovely people who have reviewed this fic, thanks so much! To all those who don't particularly like this story, you're welcome to flame me, if you want. Just please make sure you add a little constructive criticism with your flame. It never hurts to have some good advice and suggestions. Thanks again, everyone!
Chapter Three:
Eriol ignored the curious stares directed at him as he returned Sakura's look. Suddenly, he caught sight of Sakura's bleeding leg. There was a gash on her right leg from scraping against the rough ground when Chen had pushed her. Swearing softly, he walked quickly to her and knelt down beside her, eyes tender as he held her bruised arm in his hands and inspected her leg.
"I should have hurt him more," he muttered. From his pocket, he fetched a navy blue cotton handkerchief and began tying it securely around Sakura's leg. Despite her confusion, she couldn't help noting that his bandage was just right; not too tight that it would stop the blood circulation in her leg and not too sloppy either.
"W-what are you doing here?" She hissed at him as he tended to her leg.
"This is not an appropriate place for talking," he replied, not looking up as made a final knot with his handkerchief. "Okay, that should do it."
He stood up gracefully, extending a hand towards her. She only spared it a glance before she looked up again to his face. But if Sakura had hoped to guess what his intentions were by trying to read his eyes, she failed. His eyes were veiled once more and she could see nothing in them. Sakura remembered how it had been when he was an adolescent; nobody could guess what he was thinking, no one knew what he felt. They knew the Eriol with the mischievous smile and the laughing smile, the Eriol who had a ready answer to everything. Too bad they never knew the person he really was for he had opened up only to Sakura, his bestfriend.
But he had left.
Sakura warily took the offered hand, her eyes narrowed. She retrieved her backpack from the ground and dusted it a bit, hoping against hope that when she turned around, she wouldn't see Eriol. She wasn't prepared to see him yet, not when all her defences were down and she was still confused. The onlookers had long been gone, seeing that nothing exciting would be happening any more, so there was no one to stop Sakura as she walked briskly out the school gates, leaving Eriol in the courtyard staring after her.
Once she was out the gates, she took off, ignoring the throbbing pain of her wound. She didn't know why she was running. all she knew was that she should get away from him. She could not face him possibly like that, when all her thoughts were chaotic and her nerves were so high-strung.
Sakura was running past Penguin Park, the miniature park and playground of Tomoeda, when she almost fell flat on her face.
'What the-' Sakura thought wildly, trying to keep her balance even as she began feeling as if she couldn't take another step. 'I can't move!'
Her eyes narrowed when she felt the faintest hint of a dark blue, almost purple aura covering her body. Recognition struck her just as an expressionless voice spoke from behind her, "I'd be careful if I were you. You could overexert yourself, you know."
She whirled around slowly with a little difficulty, glaring at the person leaning casually on one of the cement posts of the entrance to Penguin Park, his arms crossed in front of him. "You!"
"Yes, me." He was smirking a little, and his smirk grew even wider when Sakura started struggling against the spell, trying to use her own magic to break his control. "Don't even try it. I taught you how to control your magic, remember? It's natural that I'm familiar with everything you can do. It's an advantage, in my favor."
"You-Let me go!" She barked out at him furiously, her aura sparking as she spread it out to try to outdo his. When he sensed that she was building up her energy for an attack, he quickly released more of his energy, covering hers easily and effectively.
After a few minutes, she stopped struggling, looking at him with weary, defeated eyes. "What do you want?"
Eriol resisted the urge to say 'you'. 'It's still too soon, Hiragizawa,' he told himself, walking closer to her. She squeaked when she suddenly found herself in his arms and being carried towards the car parked outside the park's gates. It was a black sports car, low slung and obviously very expensive. She glared at him as he rounded the car to go to the driver's side, the doors locking automatically as he closed his own door. He absently sent a small part of his magic to ensure that Sakura wouldn't be able to open the car's doors anytime soon. "
"Where are you taking me?" She asked, glaring at him.
He glanced at her, knowing that she had asked that question not out of fear of him but because she was just downright curious. 'Hm.maybe she trusts me even a little still.' He resisted the urge to smile at that thought. "To a café close to here. I told you we have to talk, and I don't think that we'll be able to do that with you running and me chasing after you."
"Now why would I want to talk with you?" she asked scornfully, one eyebrow arching up as she stared out the window, studiously avoiding his eyes.
"Because you want to know why I left four years ago." He replied quietly, the headlights from an approaching car on the other lane reflected in his glasses.
Sakura ignored the small twinge of pain in her chest at his reply. "I don't care about that anymore, Eriol. So you left, I couldn't have stopped you. It's a free world," Sakura replied, her emotionless words covering the bitterness underlying her tone.
The look on his face was pained as he parked abruptly on the side of the road, his eyes pleading at her to understand. "Look, Sakura. I-I know you're angry, but please, listen to me. I didn't want to leave without saying anything. but I had to. I'll explain it all to you, just not here. I'll understand if you don't want to be friends with me anymore, but could you just-listen?"
Her eyes were unreadable as she gave him a glance, but her face softened a little, though she still didn't smile. She nodded once, and Eriol let out the breath that he had unconsciously been holding.
"Arigatou, Sakura."
They had been driving only a few minutes but it was already getting dark. The stars were appearing, glittering brilliantly against the dark expanse of the night sky even as the small shops and houses that they passed began lighting up. Suddenly, Sakura's head shot up from the headrest with a start and she zipped her bag open, taking out her cell phone. Her fingers were already positioned on the keypad, ready to start dialing, when Eriol's voice stopped her.
"You don't have to bother calling your father, Sakura. I already dropped by your house before I went to your school. I've asked permission from your father and Touya to take you out to dinner," he told her, giving her a brilliant smile before he turned his attention back to driving.
Sakura gaped at him. "You did what?! How did you manage to pull that off?" Even as she spoke, her eyes were wide as her mind returned back to the way her older brother had always managed to frighten off all her suitors. He hadn't even liked Syaoran even if he was Sakura's boyfriend! Now Eriol was telling her that he had already told her onii-chan that he was going to take her out to dinner?
His smile held a hint of amusement as the glare from the stoplight reflected in his glasses. "You forget, your brother actually likes me."
She stared at him in disbelief for a few more moments before she saw the distinct upward curving of the corners of his mouth, belying his amusement. "Very funny, Eriol." She muttered, turning her head away from his glance.
A/N: An author's note before the chapter, please. This chapter is going to be a little short, like the previous one, but don't worry. I can guarantee that the fourth will be way longer than this one.
I just wanted to answer some questions from previous reviewers who have asked me if this is going to be a CardCaptor Sakura or CardCaptors fic, because I used the name Sakura Avalon yet also used Eriol instead of Eli. Please understand, I'm combining their English and Japanese names to suit the story, because there's going to be a twist further on in this fanfic.
To all those lovely people who have reviewed this fic, thanks so much! To all those who don't particularly like this story, you're welcome to flame me, if you want. Just please make sure you add a little constructive criticism with your flame. It never hurts to have some good advice and suggestions. Thanks again, everyone!
Chapter Three:
Eriol ignored the curious stares directed at him as he returned Sakura's look. Suddenly, he caught sight of Sakura's bleeding leg. There was a gash on her right leg from scraping against the rough ground when Chen had pushed her. Swearing softly, he walked quickly to her and knelt down beside her, eyes tender as he held her bruised arm in his hands and inspected her leg.
"I should have hurt him more," he muttered. From his pocket, he fetched a navy blue cotton handkerchief and began tying it securely around Sakura's leg. Despite her confusion, she couldn't help noting that his bandage was just right; not too tight that it would stop the blood circulation in her leg and not too sloppy either.
"W-what are you doing here?" She hissed at him as he tended to her leg.
"This is not an appropriate place for talking," he replied, not looking up as made a final knot with his handkerchief. "Okay, that should do it."
He stood up gracefully, extending a hand towards her. She only spared it a glance before she looked up again to his face. But if Sakura had hoped to guess what his intentions were by trying to read his eyes, she failed. His eyes were veiled once more and she could see nothing in them. Sakura remembered how it had been when he was an adolescent; nobody could guess what he was thinking, no one knew what he felt. They knew the Eriol with the mischievous smile and the laughing smile, the Eriol who had a ready answer to everything. Too bad they never knew the person he really was for he had opened up only to Sakura, his bestfriend.
But he had left.
Sakura warily took the offered hand, her eyes narrowed. She retrieved her backpack from the ground and dusted it a bit, hoping against hope that when she turned around, she wouldn't see Eriol. She wasn't prepared to see him yet, not when all her defences were down and she was still confused. The onlookers had long been gone, seeing that nothing exciting would be happening any more, so there was no one to stop Sakura as she walked briskly out the school gates, leaving Eriol in the courtyard staring after her.
Once she was out the gates, she took off, ignoring the throbbing pain of her wound. She didn't know why she was running. all she knew was that she should get away from him. She could not face him possibly like that, when all her thoughts were chaotic and her nerves were so high-strung.
Sakura was running past Penguin Park, the miniature park and playground of Tomoeda, when she almost fell flat on her face.
'What the-' Sakura thought wildly, trying to keep her balance even as she began feeling as if she couldn't take another step. 'I can't move!'
Her eyes narrowed when she felt the faintest hint of a dark blue, almost purple aura covering her body. Recognition struck her just as an expressionless voice spoke from behind her, "I'd be careful if I were you. You could overexert yourself, you know."
She whirled around slowly with a little difficulty, glaring at the person leaning casually on one of the cement posts of the entrance to Penguin Park, his arms crossed in front of him. "You!"
"Yes, me." He was smirking a little, and his smirk grew even wider when Sakura started struggling against the spell, trying to use her own magic to break his control. "Don't even try it. I taught you how to control your magic, remember? It's natural that I'm familiar with everything you can do. It's an advantage, in my favor."
"You-Let me go!" She barked out at him furiously, her aura sparking as she spread it out to try to outdo his. When he sensed that she was building up her energy for an attack, he quickly released more of his energy, covering hers easily and effectively.
After a few minutes, she stopped struggling, looking at him with weary, defeated eyes. "What do you want?"
Eriol resisted the urge to say 'you'. 'It's still too soon, Hiragizawa,' he told himself, walking closer to her. She squeaked when she suddenly found herself in his arms and being carried towards the car parked outside the park's gates. It was a black sports car, low slung and obviously very expensive. She glared at him as he rounded the car to go to the driver's side, the doors locking automatically as he closed his own door. He absently sent a small part of his magic to ensure that Sakura wouldn't be able to open the car's doors anytime soon. "
"Where are you taking me?" She asked, glaring at him.
He glanced at her, knowing that she had asked that question not out of fear of him but because she was just downright curious. 'Hm.maybe she trusts me even a little still.' He resisted the urge to smile at that thought. "To a café close to here. I told you we have to talk, and I don't think that we'll be able to do that with you running and me chasing after you."
"Now why would I want to talk with you?" she asked scornfully, one eyebrow arching up as she stared out the window, studiously avoiding his eyes.
"Because you want to know why I left four years ago." He replied quietly, the headlights from an approaching car on the other lane reflected in his glasses.
Sakura ignored the small twinge of pain in her chest at his reply. "I don't care about that anymore, Eriol. So you left, I couldn't have stopped you. It's a free world," Sakura replied, her emotionless words covering the bitterness underlying her tone.
The look on his face was pained as he parked abruptly on the side of the road, his eyes pleading at her to understand. "Look, Sakura. I-I know you're angry, but please, listen to me. I didn't want to leave without saying anything. but I had to. I'll explain it all to you, just not here. I'll understand if you don't want to be friends with me anymore, but could you just-listen?"
Her eyes were unreadable as she gave him a glance, but her face softened a little, though she still didn't smile. She nodded once, and Eriol let out the breath that he had unconsciously been holding.
"Arigatou, Sakura."
They had been driving only a few minutes but it was already getting dark. The stars were appearing, glittering brilliantly against the dark expanse of the night sky even as the small shops and houses that they passed began lighting up. Suddenly, Sakura's head shot up from the headrest with a start and she zipped her bag open, taking out her cell phone. Her fingers were already positioned on the keypad, ready to start dialing, when Eriol's voice stopped her.
"You don't have to bother calling your father, Sakura. I already dropped by your house before I went to your school. I've asked permission from your father and Touya to take you out to dinner," he told her, giving her a brilliant smile before he turned his attention back to driving.
Sakura gaped at him. "You did what?! How did you manage to pull that off?" Even as she spoke, her eyes were wide as her mind returned back to the way her older brother had always managed to frighten off all her suitors. He hadn't even liked Syaoran even if he was Sakura's boyfriend! Now Eriol was telling her that he had already told her onii-chan that he was going to take her out to dinner?
His smile held a hint of amusement as the glare from the stoplight reflected in his glasses. "You forget, your brother actually likes me."
She stared at him in disbelief for a few more moments before she saw the distinct upward curving of the corners of his mouth, belying his amusement. "Very funny, Eriol." She muttered, turning her head away from his glance.