Chapter Six

Teardrop of Twilight

Card Captor Sakura

~starjade~

Truth

Sakura could smell food sizzling on a fire as she came back from her bath , uncomfortably dressed in a fine silk dress. This dress wasn't suited for the wilderness , she thought angrily. Couldn't this guy at least bring her some cotton dresses....

Sakura smacked herself on the forehead. Okay , here she was , thinking that she was on a leisurely vacation. SHE WAS BEING HELD HOSTAGE , FOR GOODNESS SAKE!
But still...

Her footstep slowed down as it neared the campsite. She peered through the trees and spotted her kidnapper , crouched over a small fire , mixing something in a pot. Wow , he came prepared , she thought sarcastically.

Then she gave him a once over. He had changed already , into brown slacks , a white shirt and a white vest. His chestnut hair had been washed and now was shining , free of the sweat and grime of yesterday.

Sakura could feel her heart catch and quickly she scolded herself. She carefully began to walk into the clearing and the man jumped at the noise of the twigs that crackled under her foots. He turned around to her and she could feel his eyes appraising her before he whirled around and concentrated on the pot again.

Sakura felt the silence stretch on as the sun heated her back. She could see that the man had made some kind of a makeshift camp in the shade. She grimaced at the look of it. Two bedrolls , a blanket and a couple of boxes. Nothing for the wind or the rain.

Sakura wanted to punch herself again. Here she was , acting once more like the pampered idiot from before.

She bunched up her skirts as the man continued to not even speak a word.

" Um...Hello??" she finally said , wincing as her voice came out louder than she wanted it to. " What should I do?"

" Sit down."

Great. Sit down. Okay , she could do that....She grabbed a grimy log and grimaced as her beautiful silk skirts touched the log.

After she was settled , she watched him stir carefully. His eyes were hidden by his bangs as he bent over the slightly bent pot. Strangely , she didn't feel the fear that she should've been feeling. He was a kidnapper for god sakes...

And she felt like she was on some...adventure.

Shockingly , Sakura suddenly was given a flashback.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~***

She ran the rest of the way to her room , losing the calm dignified facade that she had showed to her father. She collapsed , trying to hold the tears back , willing herself not to cry. Crying did nothing to help her. She gazed out the window from her futile position and wished that someone would take her away from all this.

Suddenly something caught her eye. There was someone staring out the window in the hotel , a couple of yards away. The white lace curtains fluttered and Sakura gasped.

It was a boy , looking lonely as he stared out the window. All she could see was chestnut hair , as she peered at him curiously. The person tugged something deep in her heart , causing a warmth to go through her veins.

She knew staring was rude , but she couldn't help it......

~~~~~~~~~****

Sakura raised her hand to her mouth and let out a horrified squeak. She....she was the one to blame! She had wished for it....she had wished for this person to take her away..

The chestnut haired boy shot his head up and looked at her strangely. He didn't say a word but Sakura just smiled , shakily at him.

" I'm okay.." she whispered. The boy stared at her for a couple of seconds and then shook his head , looking at the pot once more , giving it one last careful stir.

~~~~~~****~~~~

Syaoran felt his heart pound in his chest. He could not believe it. He had actually done it. He had actually kidnapped a girl. And he succeeded....with a bullet in his arm to show for it.

The girl was pretty. Really really pretty, though she looked older than the portrait showed her to be.

Yet he knew it was the same girl. Even if the two different images looked different , he would've known. They had the same eyes..

The same emerald eyes...that held so much in those green depths it was amazing..

Which was why Syaoran never looked into her eyes.... He was afraid of what he might see....

He was shocked to see that this girl didn't protest at this whole kidnapping thing. She sure as hell protested the day he captured her....but for some reason , she seemed to...accept him.

She damn well saved his life too!

Why....why would she save the life of her kidnapper?

Syaoran glanced at the girl once more. She had a sad look in her eyes and Syaoran felt a jump in his heart. He shook his head quickly. Think clearly , Syaoran. It's not the time to go soft!

You have to deliver her soon...but how? Your injured , there's no way you can keep her on a saddle for that long without her getting suspicious! Right now she had the edge...and she was still sitting there! She could've escaped and he would've been helpless!

The soup was ready. He carefully poured it into two bowls and handed one to the girl without looking at her. He sensed her nod and smile.

Together , they ate in silence.

After they had eaten , Syaoran got up to start working on their bedding arrangements once more. Sakura's voice stopped him.

" What's your name?"

Syaoran halted. He could feel his shoulders tense but he remained silent.

" Please , at least tell me your name!"

Syaoran said not a word.

Suddenly Sakura walked over to him and stood in front of him , hands on her hips. Syaoran quickly turned his eyes downwards , determined not to look at her.

" Hello , my name is Sakura Kinomoto , daughter of Fujitaka and Nadeshiko Kinomoto. What is your name?" she asked , her voice gentle yet firm.

Syaoran sighed. There was no way of refusing her.

" Syaoran."

He turned to move away from her but she ran in front of him again. " Syaoran?? That's a nice name...what's your last name?"

Syaoran stared at the her dress. It really was too fancy to be in the wilderness with.

" Syaoran Li."

Sakura frowned as she let him walk away. Li...Li....wasn't there a prominent family in Hong Kong named Li? Something tragic happened to them...she remembered her father telling her something like this....but she couldn't remember...

~~~~~~****~~~~

The room was dark, and a low drumming was heard in the corner. Water dripped from the cold ceiling and a few cracks in the makeshift wall let in rays of dusty light that created shadows upon the grimy floor.

A single chair sat at the front of the room , decked in jewels. A cloaked man sat upon it , his eyes droopy and wrinkled with old age.

" He has gotten the girl , master," announced one of the boys , bending low before Delix.

Delix showed his decaying teeth as he smiled grimly. " Where is he?"

The boy shivered. " We are not sure of this. After he had captured the girl , we have reports that he was injured. He may be in the forest , recovering."

Delix frowned. " What?"

The boy shuddered again , fear clear in his blue eyes. " There is a possibility that he may be in the forest recovering-"

Delix's eyes flashed and a gnarled hand shot out from the folds of black moth eaten cloth and grabbed the boy by his hair. The boy shrieked in fear. He only appeared to be eight years old , or so and a look of horror rested in his huge blue eyes.

" I want Syaoran Li now! Understand me , filth?" Delix growled into his face , and the boy got a good look at Delix's face. He writhed , shaking back and forth in Delix's grip.

Delix smirked. " You got spunk , boy. Too bad it won't do good here...Take him away to the dungeons , no food for three weeks."

Two heavily clad warriors stepped forward and wrenched the howling boy away. Delix snickered. Right. This was what gave him so much pleasure n life..

But where was Syaoran? He had to be here....He had to! He would go through the royal initiation , rumoured to be worse than any torture the torturers in the dungeons could do.

" Guards!" Delix yelled. Four guards rose to attention , bowing down to their knees and then saluting Delix.

" I want Syaoran found NOW! Bring him back....with the girl..." Delix wheezed ,his voice filled with malice and a tone of insanity. The guards nodded and headed out. Delix leaned back in his chair.

Syaoran will be found...along with the girl...

~~~~~~***~~~~

" WE'VE GOT SOMETHING!"

The voice echoed through the walls and down the corridors of the mansion. It rang through the halls , the first excited voice to ever ring in these halls in a long time. Fujitaka hurried to the front parlour , as a short , stocky man ran through the door , pushing the door man out of the way in his haste. He held up a sheaf of papers in his hand.

Touya burst in gasping , his eyes alight with anticipation. " What? What have yu gotten?"

The short man bent over , gasping for breath. " Hold up for a bit."

Touya's eyes narrowed and he made a reach for the papers but the man held it out of reach , a gleam in his eyes.

" Nope , I get to tell it to you first!" The man said gleefully.

Fujitaka rolled his eyes , his heart thumping fast. " Just tell us now , short and quick. Did you find information about Sakura?"

Touya butted in , " And the low down , no good dirty pig ass kidnapper?"

Fujitaka elbowed his son. " Touya! Watch your mouth."

Touya grimaced. " That bastard deserves it..."

Fujitaka ignored him and nodded to the fidgety man. The man grinned as if he was in the spotlight.

" After the meeting , our advisors , detectives and all the police worked hard to find some clues , any clues to the kidnapping of your precious daughter , Fujitaka. She sure was a beautiful girl..."

" Get to the point , Mandel..." Touya growled , threateningly.

Mandel gulped. " Uh...well , we decided to search the area around yours more thoroughly. We found in the hotel next to yours these papers thrown out in the garbage that I'm sure will help you!"

Fujitaka's eyebrows scrunched up in concentration as he took the sheaf of papers from Mandel. Touya looked over his shoulder as Fujitaka saw a whole booklet on them....a map of their house , a key , even appointment times...

" Appointment times..." Fujitaka mumbled. His eyes widened. " This is for the foreign delegate...he was supposed to come today...."

The man nodded , eagerly. " We have suspicion the kidnapper was posing as the delegate..."

Fujitaka nodded , slowly. " That makes sense...what was his name again?"

He looked to Touya who shrugged , lost. Mandel looked crestfallen as this was a thing he did not know. Fujitaka searched the corners of his brain , trying to remember the delegate's name...

This was for his daughter...

" I think it was..." Fujitaka started , his forehead crinkled in concentration.

" I think it was something to do with Li..."

~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~

Syaoran stared at Sakura from the corner of his eye as they settled down to sleep. The stars were bright against the dark blue sky , and a shiny moon shone through with a dreamlike luminosity.

Sakura stared at the bed rolls and winced. " They're is only one blanket.." she whispered to herself as she lay self-consciously on the bed roll. It was uncomfortable and she could feel the rocks and pebbles and grass underneath poking into her back.

What do you expect? A feather bed?

Sakura groaned softly as the cold wind bit her arms causing goose bumps to run straight up and down her arms. She covered her arms with her hands and rubbed them up and down trying to produce some heat.

Syaoran was still straightening out the camp when he realized that there was only one blanket. He peered at Sakura who was shivering visibly. Syaoran looked where he had positioned his bed roll. Twenty feet away from her....

Great.

Just great....

Syaoran reluctantly picked up his blanket and trudged over to Sakura. Sakura didn't notice him as he spread the bed roll beside hers and laid down on it. He took the blanket and then covered both him and Sakura with it.

Of course , Sakura had to jump and shriek with surprise.

" Shhh!" Syaoran growled and Sakura blushed.

" Sorry...." she said , shrugging apologetically. She lay back down and was never more aware of his presence behind her. He was so close...he was sleeping beside her for goodness sake....

It would make it hard to escape , she thought.

The moonlight shined down on the two and a flash twinkled from Syaoran. Sakura suddenly remembered Syaoran's necklace. During the day , she had seen it so many times. It kept on slipping out of his shirt , and she found that it was a locket of some sort...

For some insane reason ,she wanted to see who was inside it....who did he keep a picture of? His girlfriend? His beloved or maybe even his....wife....

Sakura felt her heart clench at the thought and she frowned. What the hell...she must be getting sick!

Quickly she whirled around on the bed roll and nearly shrieked again when she saw Syaoran was awake. His amber eyes were staring straight at her and when she had turned around he had backed away in shock.

" Hey....Syaoran?"

Syaoran stared at her , confusedly. " Yes?"

" Can I see your necklace?"

" No."

" Please?"

" No."

" Pretty pretty please with a cherry on top?"

Syaoran , might I say , was very , very surprised. " Uh...noooo...."

Sakura pouted. " Please? Or I'll bug you all night!"

Syaoran's eyes widened. Okay , there. This girl must have a touch of insanity in her. Talking like this....to a kidnapper? He glared. " NO!"

Sakura seemed to shrink and Syaoran settled back , satisfied. Suddenly her hands crept around his head and yanked the necklace off.

" Hey!" he yelled and Sakura giggled , quickly opening the locket.

She raised it to the moon , wrenching it away from Syaoran's hands. She peered at it closer as the moon's rays hit the picture...

She gasped.

It wasn't a picture of his girlfriend , or his beloved or his wife...

It was a picture of a girl with auburn hair and emerald eyes...

It was a picture of her...

a/n: WHAT WHAT? WHO"S GOOD! WHO's GOOD! WHO UPDATES? WHO WHO WHO? WHO UPDATES!

THATS RIGHT!

IT"S STARRRRRRAJAAAAAAAAADE!

HAHAHAHAHA!

lol, really , hoped ya liked this chapter , send in suggestions , ideas , comments pleeeeeease! i need helpie , kelpie! So send them in and dont forget to ....

Whats the magic word?

REEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW!

hahahaha!

~starjade~