Hey there! I know it took me such a long time to update. I'm really, really sorry. I ha d to prioritize my studies first and I thought that if I finished them by Friday, I'll be able to update. I was wrong because we were given a lot of assignments and had to review for quizzes. And there was also a time when I had no Internet card to use. It was such a bummer! Gomen for two months of no update. I've finished chapter 7 and here it is. It's not as long as the other chapters because I don't want you to wait any longer. But I promise I'll make the next update as soon as possible. I've already started chapter 8.
Chapter 7 Pot of Lies
Deeper into the night, after walking a few more hours, Shaoran finally decided to take a rest after noticing the tired Sakura.
They made a fire and laid the sleeping boy down. They placed him in Shaoran's sleeping bag.
After, Sakura sat in front of the fire while Shaoran gathered some firewood.
Sakura was quiet.
Shaoran could tell that there was something bothering her.
She didn't seem to notice him looking at her. She just glanced at the sleeping Kero and Seiki. She smiled a little and gazed up at the sky. She closed her eyes.
'Huh.I can't believe what happened to Seiki. He should have been spared. He's just a kid. But Shaoran's right.fate has its was of giving these kinds of things to us.' Sakura thought.
"Penny for your thought." Came Shaoran's voice.
Sakura opened her eyes and saw him looking down at her.
She smiled at him.
He sat next to her and asked, "Is there something the matter, Sakura?"
It was the first time she heard him speak so softly and gently.
She couldn't understand but her heart could have melted then and there.
As her smile faded a little, she turned to face the fire in front of her.
"Come on, Sakura. You know that after all that has happened, you can tell me anything. I know there's something wrong." He said.
"So, you've learned to read me. You remind me so much of Tomoyo."
"Tomoyo? Tsukihiro's sister?"
Sakura giggled a little.
"She's not his sister. They're not even related by blood. She's my second cousin. The reason why they're so close like siblings is that their parents are best of friends and so were my parents, even though Aunt Sonomi kinda hated father."
"Why did she hate your father?"
"Because he married my mother."
"Ok. That's a little too shallow, don't you think?"
Sakura giggled again and nodded.
"I can't believe you just evaded my question. Let's go back to the original subject, shall we?"
Sakura just smiled a little, not uttering a word.
They were silent for a while.
Sakura was watching the fire burn as Shaoran looked at her and then at the fire.
"You know." Sakura said after a while.
He looked at her again.
"There's really nothing wrong with me. I'm just overwhelmed with emotions right now."
"Do you want to talk about it? We don't have to if you don't like. I won't force you."
Sakura looked at him.
He could tell there was something different about her.
He could see it in her eyes that she had changed.
He felt himself entering a trance as he looked at her beautiful, emerald eyes.
"Thank you but I think I was silent long enough. I need to let go of this burden I carry. I trust you and I know you can help me." She said.
Shaoran couldn't explain what was the sudden change inside of him.
His heart was pounding heavily as he heard her words.
He smiled at her.
She didn't know that his smiles were rare but she had admitted it was beautiful.
"Um, I don't exactly know how to start telling you but I suppose I have to begin somewhere." Sakura said, shifting her gaze.
"I know I had let go of the past but it's harder than I thought. Learning what happened to Seiki and how we saw his grandfather die just made it worse. Images of the night when my family died came back to haunt me."
Sakura turned away from him as a few tears started to roll down her eyes.
But her attempt to hide her tears didn't escape Shaoran's knowing eye.
He held her chin and turned her to face him.
He looked straight into her eyes.
"Sakura…I don't exactly know what to say. I know it must be so hard for you right now. Your memory is still fresh of that night and we both heard what Seiki had gone through. We even witnessed something that you both shouldn't have at the moment. What I'm trying to say is...just let it all out. Cry it if you like to lessen what is currently inside of you."
"I don't know how. To tell you frankly, I'm kinda quite ashamed because for the past few days I've done nothing but cry."
"Yeah well, I've also noticed that every time you do, you stop yourself from shedding it all when you should have. The day after the incident, you stopped yourself from crying. When you did cry, you still kept it inside."
"I suppose. I just, you know…I'm afraid. I'm afraid to face Tomoyo and Yukito-san with pain so I try to hide it in my smile. I figures if I wear a mask now, maybe I'll get used to it and when I finally face them, I can assure them and tell them they need not worry about me."
Tears started to fall down her eyes.
Shaoran took out his handkerchief and wiped the tears away.
Sakura was startled a little and didn't show it.
"So, you thought that by wearing a mask, you could erase the pain? That's why I'm here you know. Tsukihiro and Kinomoto left you under my care. I promised both of them that not only would I protect you but also care for you."
As Sakura looked into his eyes, she could see that there was something different in him.
She saw something that wasn't there before but she decided that it was nothing and that she should think nothing of it.
Tears started to fall down her eyes again.
This time, it seemed it didn't stop rolling.
Shaoran then wrapped his arms around her and said, "That's right, Sakura. No more hiding. I'll just be here to comfort you."
That was when Sakura wrapped her arms around him.
She leaned her head against his chest.
"I may have lost my Onii-chan and the rest of my family but I'm glad I got the chance to know you." She whispered.
Shaoran's heartbeat became faster.
Sakura didn't know where the words came from.
She was even surprised that those words had actually come out of her mouth.
But she thought he needed to know.
She was sincere in her words and she knew that in her heart.
"I want you to know that if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, someone to listen to you or someone to talk to, you can expect that I will always be there for you." Shaoran whispered.
Sakura broke away and looked straight at him.
She smiled at him and said, "Thank you. I…I don't exactly know what to say or do to repay all the kindness you've shown me. But I can offer you my friendship."
Again, Shaoran gave her one of his most rare smiles. "Do you feel any better?"
She just nodded and smiled.
He then wiped her tears away and said, "That's good. No more tears, ok? I want you to be happy, always."
Sakura just smiled and gave a short giggle.
"It's wonderful to hear you laugh."
"Well, you'll hear more of it from now on. I promise. Thanks again, Shaoran. I'm glad to have a friend like you."
"I'm glad to have a friend like you too." He replied.
"Well, you better get some rest, Sakura. We have another long day tomorrow." He added.
Sakura just nodded but then said, "But where are you going to sleep? Seiki's using you sleeping bag and-"
Shaoran then placed a finger on her lips to silence her.
He smiled and said, "Don't worry about me, Sakura. I'm sure I can manage. I'm trained for the worse situations and I'm sure I will be alright through the night."
"Are you sure?" You can use mine if you like."
"Oh no you don't. I won't allow you to sleep without a sleeping bag in cold nights like this." Shaoran said.
"For a moment there you sounded like my brother." Sakura replied.
"Oh no…I guess I've spent too much time with Kinomoto that I've picked up some of his mannerisms." Shaoran said.
"Don't worry, you're still Shaoran." She joked back.
"Well, good night then." She added.
"Good night, Sakura." He said.
Early the next morning, just before dawn, Sakura woke up.
She saw Shaoran leaning at a nearby tree, still asleep.
She got out of her sleeping bag and opened its zipper fully.
She used it to cover Shaoran like a blanket.
Shaoran awoke as soon as it touched his skin.
Sakura smiled at him and whispered, "I'm sorry if I woke you. Please...go back to sleep and take a little more rest."
"Don't worry. I got all the rest I needed. How come you're awake this early?"
"Well, like you I already got my rest. Besides, I thought some tai chi would help clear my mind more. What better time to meditate than this early in the morning, right?"
"Yeah. So, you know the art of tai chi, huh?"
"Yeah. I learned it from my mom. So, would you care to join me?" Sakura replied.
Shaoran got up and followed her.
Then dawn had finally come, they had finished the routine.
They came back and saw neither Seiki nor Kero was awake.
Sakura couldn't help but smile just looking at them.
Shaoran noticed it and said, "What? Is there something?"
She looked at him and her smiled broadened.
"It's nothing. Nothing at all. I just couldn't help but realize how peaceful they look."
She then sat beside him by the fire.
She took out the letter her mother had left.
She looked at it for a long time and then tossed it at the fire.
Shaoran noticed and said, "I suppose you really had let them go."
Sakura looked at him straight in the eye and smiled.
She then said, "They will always be in my heart. After what happened yesterday, I decided to let fire consume the part of them that can't move on. We choose our own path and it's time to stand on my own feet and not depend on my mother's enchanted letter."
"I'm sure they are proud of what you did."
She just smiled.
"I hope so." She said under her breath.
They became silent as they watched the fire cook the soup.
After a moment or two, Sakura broke the silence.
"Um, Shaoran."
"What is it, Sakura?"
"Um…do you think…um, I am worthy to be the Card Mistress? I mean…right now…my emotions are still not that stable. After everything that happened…I thought I got over them until."
"Until what?"
"Until...what we saw last night…I know we talked last night but…I had this nightmare and…" Sakura was shaking and she held her knees in an attempt to hide it.
But Shaoran knew.
Shaoran held her shoulders and turned her to face him
He then said, "Sakura. Look at me."
She looked at him and met his eyes.
"Don't let that dream take over you. I know some dreams are not suppose to be taken lightly especially when you have a gift but don't let it overpower you."
"I know. I guess...things are just happening so fast and I'm having a hard time keeping up with it."
For minutes, they just looked at each other's eyes.
It seemed as if they were lost in each other's eyes.
They didn't need words.
They just understood each other.
They snapped back to reality when they heard Kero fly to them, half- asleep.
"Good morning, Kero. Sleep well?" Sakura greeted.
Kero yawned as he landed on Sakura's lap.
"Good morning. What's for breakfast, Sakura-chan?" Kero replied, giving a quick yawn.
Shaoran shrugged.
Sakura just smiled and said, "How does vegetable soup sound?"
Kero's face lit up.
"Sounds good to me. When do we eat?"
"When all of us are through, that's when you'll eat. If we let you eat with us, there will be none left for us to eat. You're such a bottomless pit." Shaoran said.
"What does that suppose to mean, Gaki?" Kero replied angrily.
Shaoran folded his arms in front of him.
He then replied," Do you really have to ask something, which you already know the answer? Maybe you just didn't hear me the first time. I said you're a bottomless pit."
As Kero and Shaoran argued, Sakura just gave a small smile, not knowing what to say.
Sakura then set Kero down and stood.
She then headed towards Seiki.
Kero didn't seem to notice.
Shaoran, on the other hand, watched her out of the corner of his eye.
"Seiki." Sakura spoke gently as she laid a hand on him.
Seiki didn't respond at any way.
"Seiki." Sakura called again.
Still, Seiki didn't budge.
Sakura then laid a hand over his forehead.
She was startled as she found out that he had a very high fever.
"Shaoran!" Sakura quickly called out.
"What is it?"
"He has a fever. A very high fever." Sakura answered.
"Let me." Shaoran said as he kneeled beside the boy.
He wasn't only trained in the fields of magic and martial arts but also a little about ailments.
He remembered the days when he was younger and his mother was teaching him. He hadn't paid much attention then and there were times when he wished he did. But he was thankful that at least he didn't forget what he knew. He might have not paid attention that much but at least he knew the importance of it.
But as he examined Seiki, he was baffled with the boy's aura.
It felt like it did the night before but his physical body suggests him otherwise.
'He has a high fever but he shows no signs to indicate his illness, only his aura. His physical body is not sick but his aura is. This is probably driven by his emotions.'
"What do you think we should do now?" He heard Sakura ask.
He looked up at her worried face.
He stood beside her and said, "So far there is nothing we could do. He is not ill but his aura is. We won't be able to do much."
Sakura just stood there looking at Seiki.
She finally said, "I suppose you're right. We won't be-" Sakura suddenly stopped and left it unfinished.
Shaoran suspected something was wrong.
Sakura knew what he was thinking.
She quickly told them, "Shaoran, Kero, did you happen to see where Seiki placed the dragon gem?"
There was a sense of urgency in her voice.
"Why?" Shaoran asked.
"It's important. Oh and if you find it, don't touch it." Sakura replied as she searched among Seiki's things.
"What are you talking about, Sakura-chan?" Kero asked.
He flew over to her.
"It may not be the Dragon gem after all." She replied.
Shaoran caught her arm and turned her to face him.
"What are you talking about?"
Sakura could see the seriousness in his eyes.
She knew he wanted an answer.
She took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry. I wasn't that attentive yesterday. But we both touched it and you felt its power. I had my suspicions at that moment but I didn't think of it at the time because I thought it was something that a person who came back from the dead would feel."
Shaoran let go of her arm and addressed her again, "Then what could it be?"
"It's the Eye of the Serpent. It amplifies your most dominant emotion at the moment. It is unpredictable and it can be a real traitor. What ever you do, don't touch it. At the moment, it has reached the peak of its power."
"Ok, tell me. What do you wish to accomplish when we see it?" Kero said.
"Return it to its true form. It was transformed to fool people into believing it was the Dragon gem. I'm not exactly sure why but as long as it's in that form, a lot of people will get hurt."
"Yukito-san, have you heard something about Sakura? Is she really?" Tomoyo asked as she met Yukito.
She was shaking slightly and was unable to control her tears.
Yukito gave her a reassuring smile.
"Tomoyo-chan, Sakura is alive. Li saved her that night. She was able to flee but was injured. Li and his family treated her. I wasn't able to see her because she had already left when I came by. But I sent Li after her. They should be here in a few days." Yukito explained.
Tomoyo gave a sign of relief.
"That's good. But are you sure it was wise idea to leave Sakura with Li? I mean, he's so stoic and Sakura's so frolic."
Yukito couldn't help but giggle.
"I know. But I also know he'll take good care of her. She's Touya's sister. Even though they seem to never get along, they respected each other very much." He said.
"I guess you're right. I should know that you'll not leave Sakura to someone you don't trust. You've been with Li more than I so I guess it's a right decision."
"Are you kidding? If Touya were alive and found out I left Sakura in his care, no matter how I trust Li, Touya will still freak out."
Tomoyo started laughing.
She knew exactly what Yukito meant.
Even though Touya always bullied Sakura, he cared greatly for his younger sister.
"Don't worry, Yukito-san. I'm sure Touya-san will respect the decision you made. You said so yourself, he respected Li even though they almost never got along." Tomoyo said reassuringly.
Before long, a messenger came and addressed them, "Tsukihiro-san, Lady Tomoyo, his majesty wishes to speak with you two. He is in the royal garden."
"Thank you." He addressed the messenger and then said to Tomoyo, "Shall we, Tomoyo-san?"
Being a true gentleman, Yukito offered her his hand.
Tomoyo gave him a small smile and nodded.
She then took his arm as they both headed to the garden.
At they made their way to the garden, they met up with Naoko and Rika.
Naoko was the Emperor's cousin while Rika was one of the scholars' daughters.
"Ah, Tomoyo-chan, Tsukihiro-san, good afternoon." They both chorused.
"Good afternoon, Naoko-chan, Rika-chan." Tomoyo greeted.
"Good afternoon, ladies. I'm sorry to leave in such haste but I need to speak with the Emperor. Please excuse me ladies." Yukito said as he bowed in respect.
"I'll follow you in a moment, Yukito-san."
"Take your time, Tomoyo-chan."
She just nodded as he left.
Emperor Rei stood tall in his royal robes.
He had cleared his mind at the moment.
He had become the Emperor about a year before when his father died.
He had also lost his mother a couple of years back when she gave birth to his sisters.
He was a very handsome young man. He just turned 18 about a month before but he was more than his age suggested.
Greatly built and he had broad shoulders.
He was also a skilled warrior.
He had deep, brown eyes and ebony hair.
His fair skin and perfect features were enough to make any girl fall in love with him.
But he was not arrogant nor had high regards of himself; he was very down to earth and humble.
Aside from these qualities, he was a very wise and just ruler.
That was why his people loved him dearly.
They were so devoted to him that they would willingly lay their lives on his behalf.
Rei had dreamed that one-day peace would be served in his kingdom.
He used this dream as a motivation to urge himself to deliver his people from the clutches of the Mulian army.
Rei had almost lost his determination.
When he heard about what happened to the Kinomotos, he was discouraged more because he had lost two of his most valuable and noble knights. But when he heard about Sakura, the only person who had survived the massacre, he felt hopes seep back into his heart.
He didn't want anything more to happen to her, not because she was a Kinomoto but because she might hold the key to everything. She was the one that gave their hope back.
At first he couldn't imagine that such a lady, a mere girl was able to survive and rattle the once thought impenetrable Mulian army.
No matter, what happened, no harm should fall on her.
"Excuse me, Your Highness." Came Yukito's voice.
"Tsukihiro-san." The Emperor greeted.
He eyes his surroundings and failed to see Tomoyo.
"Where's Tomoyo-chan?"
"She's with Rika-chan and Naoko-chan, Your Highness."
"That's ok. I need you now to report."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Yukito cleared his throat and gave his full report.
"That's good. I suppose we may expect them in a few days. You made a good choice, Tsukihiro-san. Li would indeed protect her with his life. All we could do now is wait until they arrive before we plan out next move."
"Yes, Your Highness."
(To be continued…)
I'm really sorry that it took me so long to post this chapter. I hope you understand my dilemma. Um, for my other stories, I won't promise much but I will promise to post them as soon as possible. Please bear with me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review.
Michiko