Disclaimer: Been a long time since I tried to make a funny disclaimer.
Pssh, I'll try next time. As usual, it's not mine.
Author's note(s): Heh heh. . . No need to hit me. . . I'm a good author. . . ^-^;; And I'm updating. . . aren't you happy?
Winged Guardian- Pssh, as though I don't get enough of your evilness in my emails, now you're reviewing to my story? I might have to start wearing a raincoat all the time. ^-~ All sillyness aside, thanks for reading, I'm glad you liked it. You're always welcome. . . as long as you leave the tomatoes home. ^_^
****
A groan escaped her lips; she didn't bother trying to sit up. Now that she was awake, every part of her body rushed to welcome her-with aches. Another groan escaped her.
"Sometimes I wish I could ask Yue to go easier on me," she muttered drowsily.
The flood of memories rushed back to her and she gasped. Her eyes flew open, taking in the guest room she had been deposited in last night. She growled when she remembered how easily he had put her to sleep.
"Why is it every time I see the prince of pompous I always wake up with my body screaming in pain?"
She pushed aside the memories and concentrated instead on using her muscles. Lightly, she lifted her right hand and planted it closer to her head. She then slowly began to use it for leverage. Though a few muscles responded violently to the sudden movement, she was happy to find the pain was mostly just leftover from the day before.
She managed to struggle into a seated position before she rested. After taking a few deep breaths, she lowered her feet to the ground. Bracing herself, she placed her weight on her legs.
Her head went reeling and she grabbed the side of the bed to brace herself. She spared a glance at the little bronze piece that was causing her so much trouble.
'I wonder if it lets me use magic,' she mused silently. 'There's only one way to test it.'
She drew a tiny spiral from inside of her and watched as it blackened a tiny corner of the blanket. She waited but felt no pain. With a sigh of relief, she drew more magic and spread it around herself; within seconds most her muscles had relaxed. Thanking her magic, she rounded the unused bit back inside of her.
Moments like this made her thankful she had magic.
She now began testing her muscles. Quickly she passed through the simple stretches, making sure the magic had healed them. Once these were done, she reached for her sword, intent upon practicing, when she realized her weapons were gone.
Her blood boiling, she set about, searching the room with anger. She flung the wardrobe's contents onto the floor and overturned the chairs. Fury filling her when she found nothing, she raced to the door that connected her room to Syaoran's. It was locked.
She sent a large bolt of magic at the lock, carefully ignoring how scorched the knob looked. Turning, she sent the door flying off its hinges with a kick. Doing so sent her staggering, but she righted herself hurriedly and raced into his room.
Soon his room was in the same state as hers. Unfortunately, her search was just as futile as it had been in her room. She cursed and threw a couple things before a thought suddenly entered her head. She felt her blood drain, leaving behind only fear.
Her fingers flew to her belt, fighting to get the rectangular flap open. Once it was finally opened, she threw her hand in, groping for her Cards. When they met with nothing, she felt the air from her lungs drain out. She collapsed onto the floor, her head in her hands.
'I'm stuck in an enemy country with something that keeps me from both running away and hitting people. I have no weapons; my cards are gone. And I'm practically roommates with my biggest enemy.'
The realization numbed her senses. What could she do?
Sakura let herself slip into a sort of trance. Her mind heaved a contented sigh, happy to leave behind all the awful thoughts that had been plaguing her for years. It had been long since she had just. . .given up. And her mind needed the rest.
She was perfectly still, perfectly happy.
'She's just a girl, highness. What can she do?' broke in a thought.
Sakura ignored it. The voice wasn't loud; her brain overpowered it. She sank back into the carefree trance.
'She can do it. The Seer said she would be able to do it,' answered a familiar voice. This voice was louder; it triggered emotion within her. Still the ignored it.
'I believe in her,' yelled another voice, this time angry. Recognition dawned upon her-Kero. Her brain worked hard to push it back. The trance still clutched her.
A last bit threw her from the trance. 'As do I,' came the voice, tinted somehow with the moon.
She pushed herself from the floor, surprised. She hadn't let herself shut down like that in years. She was a bit shaken to find her resolve so easily overcome. She chalked it up to exhaustion, not feeling the bit of sapphire magic that was embedded into her shirt.
****
Einar choked back a cough when he saw the girl stand up.
"B-but Lisha! Why isn't she still in a trance?"
The sapphire-eyed woman leaned closer to the image swimming in the mirror. She sighed when she saw he was right; she had beaten back the trance.
A frown took over her features, but she wasn't too surprised. She had left the magic on her clothes as a test; she had not expected her to allow her body to shut down on the very first day.
'No, the magic will have time to work,' she mused. 'Her mind cannot continue to save her. Soon she will be too tired to keep herself awake.'
She waved a hand at the mirror and it vanished.
When Einar looked up with surprise, she smiled. "Do not worry about her health, love. I will take care of her," she said, pulling a black bag from her robe before dropping it into his lap. "These cannot stay here. She will be able to track them. You must get rid of them."
The advisor nodded, accepting the assignment easily. He raised his gaze to meet her own and smiled wearily. "The queen will recover within the week."
Lisha nodded. "A week should be long enough to take care of Sakura. Syaoran will be too busy worrying over his mother to notice as his enemy loses everything."
Her voice was matter-of-fact. She felt no regret in taking all the things Sakura valued-her Cards, her freedom, even her mind. The girl was Champion of Alexandria. Marked by the Grand Seer's words. She was now the only one left who could stop her from killing the king.
'The king,' she thought, disgusted. 'He does not deserve to be alive. Not after what he did to me.'
The advisor coughed, gaining her attention. She smiled weakly at him before reaching into her robes and pulling out a vial.
She tossed it to Einar, who caught it without surprise. He had already delivered one of her vials to the queen. While this one might serve a different purpose, he already knew who would be receiving it.
"Make sure the girl gets a glass of it every night, Einar. She must fall if I am to win."
Einar nodded, watching as she disappeared. His rooms now empty, he let out a sigh. Things were so close.
****
After gulping down a glass of water, Sakura had let herself fall back on her bed. She'd long ago given up finding anything; it would not be found until Syaoran let her find it.
She couldn't help feeling helpless. She still had no idea what had happened at the pass although she doubted the Elite had succeeded. She carefully avoided thinking about the massacre that must've occurred. She could only pray they had gotten a safe retreat.
'Now is the time they need me the most,' she realized bitterly. 'I am the Champion and I was kidnapped in the middle of a war.'
She was still lying on her bed when she realized something.
'The bracelet only keeps me within the castle walls,' she thought rapidly, sitting up even as she thought. 'If I can break through the locks, I can get of the room.'
Smiling, she crossed the floor to the door Syaoran had locked the night before. She tried unlocking it with careful accuracy, only to have it backfire. Angry, she threw a large bolt at it. The reaction was the same as the first lock.
It would not do to bust her door down. Too much attention would be drawn to her. Grinning widely, she grabbed a piece of fabric off the bed. After binding her hand, she used it to grasp the burning hot handle. The heat was still strong; she bit her lip in concentration. Quickly, she turned the handle and pulled the door backwards.
She let the fabric drop, stepping through the door eagerly.
The hallway was empty. She chastised herself for expecting trumpets to announce her newly found freedom.
Hurrying, she stumbled down the corridor. She continued down the hall, following its many twist and turns. Her legs were feeling weak, but she simply poured more magic into them.
She had no idea where she was going, but she knew she had to test the bracelet again. She needed to test the boundaries he had set.
'He may not have lied about the physical pain, but perhaps he's lying about me being confined,' she thought hopefully.
Though it was a long shot, she knew she had to try. Her country needed her to try.
So she continued to walk down the passageways, ignoring the occasional servants she came upon. The servants seemed to accept her as a noble. Only once did she pass someone who looked as though he had a rank. He nodded politely and she returned the gesture, hoping it wasn't too strange to see a woman dressed in breeches here. Sakura was careful to keep her wrist hidden, just in case.
Just when her legs were about to need another magical boost, she came upon an open hallway. Breathing in the fresh air, she felt relieved. Pumping her legs, she threw herself through the last door and into a courtyard.
Bright sunshine hit her in full force. The smell of nature sent a content sigh through her. For a moment she felt as though she was a flower; the sun seemed to be feeding her.
Pushing the luxurious thoughts from her mind, she took a step forward, waiting to see how her body would react. When no pain hit her, she felt her hope soar. She took a second step. A third. Soon she was halfway through the courtyard.
Her joy came crashing down, however, when she heard a shout. Turning, she saw a soldier running towards her. She cursed before she began to run.
****
Syaoran bowed his head, working the kinks out of his shoulders. He shifted uncomfortable in the wooden chair. Shutting his eyes, he let out a short sigh.
He had been at his mother's bed all night. Though he could feel her health was strong, it made him nervous. He could feel magic in his mother's system and knew this sudden illness was not innocent. Someone was behind it.
The problem was it wasn't Einar's magic, as he had expected it to be. Which meant Einar either had someone employed to do it for him. . . or he was working for someone.
He let out another sigh. He hadn't wanted to be bothered with this war. All he'd wanted was to be left alone. So he hadn't put a stop to the mind control.
"'Let Einar get what he wants,'" he said bitterly, remembering his words from before. "'Why should I care if a country is destroyed?' What an idiot I was. It's my fault my mother is in pain."
With a growl, he stifled the urge to kick himself. Hurting himself would do no good.
A sound to his left caught his attention. Happy for the excuse to stand, he approached the window.
His eyes narrowed on the three guards who were chasing a single man. Narrowing them further, he realized who it was. With a curse, he realized she was headed towards the gates.
'She'll kill herself trying to get out.'
The door opened behind him and he whirled, happy to find the healer had returned from her break. With a quick greeting, he disappeared, praying she wouldn't kill herself before he could stop her.
****
Sakura's breath was coming hard; her legs were wobbly under her weight. Still, she ran on. The gates were steadily becoming closer. She had long since spotted the door near the base, long since seen the guard half-dozing in front of it. She knew she could pass though.
All she had to do was get there.
She felt magic gathering in front of her and gasped. Still she ran on; she couldn't afford to stop now. Not if she wanted to be free.
A body appeared a few yards in front of her. She recognized him instantly, but she wouldn't give up. She couldn't fight him; the bracelet would see to that. So she had to get over him.
She threw herself headfirst into a flip. When her hands hit the ground, she quickly pushed magic through her palms, using the burst to push her. She sailed over his head, landing lightly. Without wasting another moment, she began pumping her legs again.
She heard his curses and couldn't resist congratulating herself. Now he was stuck chasing her as the soldiers had.
The guard in front of the door seemed to have finally woken up. He stared at her, eyes wide, as she neared.
She could hear Syaoran's footsteps. He was closing in on her. She couldn't waste time.
Shooting magic at a nearby barrel, she made it crash on top of him. She was happy to find the bracelet did not punish her for such an act. With a last burst of speed, she reached the door.
She wrenched it open, pausing to slam it shut behind her. She realized she was now in a storeroom of some kind. Spotting a door on the other side of the room, she crossed it quickly and flung this door open. Her eyes took in a large city.
Smiling, she realized with one step she would be free of this awful palace.
So she took the step.
And instantly fell backwards in pain.
The pain she had felt when trying to attack Syaoran had increased in the tenfold; she half-wished her body would just fall away, as it seemed to be the source of the pain. She screamed without realizing, cried without feeling the wet. Her hands tore at her clothes, fighting to rid herself of the awful feeling. She hardly felt arms wrap around her as she fought to keep herself conscious.
Slowly she realized the pain was dulling; soon all she could feel was the leftover pain. Combined with what she had felt yesterday, it took a great effort not to let sleep overcome her.
After what felt like an eternity, she dared to open her eyes. Immediately worried amber eyes came into her vision. She finally realized his arms were around her, holding her close to him. Though her hate for him burned in her, she was glad for the support. She absently noted they were alone.
She focused on his eyes, thankful to have something other than the pain to focus on. Feeling as though she was looking for a secret, she tried to see what he was thinking. Though the worry was strong, she also detected another intense emotion. It took a moment to recognize it, but recognize it she did. It was scorn. He thought her stupid.
She wrenched himself from his gaze, freeing herself quickly from his arms. She almost collapsed when suddenly forced to support her own weight. Still, she managed to right herself. She drew back from him, her eyes burning with rage.
'This fool thinks I'm stupid?!'
Her gaze lingered on the city.
'Freedom,' she thought. 'I must get out. I must help my country. I can't leave them.'
Her thoughts were now desperate. Despite all the pain she had gone through before, she took a step toward the door.
An arm caught her, pulling her back. She tried angrily to shake it off, but she was too weak. Instead, she turned to face him.
"What are you doing? Are you insane?" he demanded. "You almost kill yourself testing the bracelet and now you're going to try it again?"
She clenched her teeth together, plotting his death many times in her head. At the same time, she managed to spit, "That's my country that yours is at war with! I'm their Champion! I can't just sit here! I have to go!"
She managed to break free from his grasp, and immediately ran to the door. She barely had a foot over the threshold when the pain started. Biting her lip until she drew blood, she forced herself to take another step. The next shot drove her to her knees. Whimpering, she tried to crawl forward.
Through all this, she missed Syaoran's reaction. Behind her, he was standing, his mouth open wide and gaping, as he watched the girl fighting the pain. He was amazed.
'She's a woman. And weak,' he told himself. 'How can she have such willpower?'
And yet, as he watched her, she never stopped. He heard her painful cries and saw the tears streaming down her face. Still she pressed on. He was in awe; she had taken five steps. That was more than enough to make a seasoned soldier cry for mercy.
'If she will go this far for her country, I should too,' he thought suddenly. 'I've been hiding in my room, trying to avoid this war, and yet here this girl is. . . and she's nearly killing herself just to get out.'
When he saw her drop to her elbows, he jumped forward. Grabbing her, he pulled her into his arms, amazed at how light she was. He cradled her close in his arms, soothing her in her pain. She was crying freely now, though he knew she would be ashamed she had done so later.
He carried her back to his room, ignoring the looks people gave them. All he could concentrate on was her.
He could feel her slipping into unconsciousness; he was surprised she had lasted this long.
He sat her down lightly on the bed, watching as she slept. He couldn't help but feel a great load of pride in her.
'Maybe she isn't so pathetic after all,' he thought.
****
Sakura slipped in and out of consciousness throughout the night. She remembered waking only once. When her eyes had met the darkness, she had cried out, thinking herself alone.
She was surprised to hear soft footsteps. She looked up into amber eyes. They held her gaze, engulfing her eyes in kindness.
"You are willing to kill yourself for your country?" he asked, his tone serious.
Without thinking, she answered, her voice hoarse. "Yes."
He nodded, his eyes never leaving her. "Then we will fight this together."
She barely remembered nodding before the darkness engulfed her again.
****
Author's Note2: So. How was it? Typos- sorry. ^_^ Uh. . . hope you enjoyed it. This one was rather fun to write, though I'm not sure how great it is. . . anyway! Enjoy!
Author's note(s): Heh heh. . . No need to hit me. . . I'm a good author. . . ^-^;; And I'm updating. . . aren't you happy?
Winged Guardian- Pssh, as though I don't get enough of your evilness in my emails, now you're reviewing to my story? I might have to start wearing a raincoat all the time. ^-~ All sillyness aside, thanks for reading, I'm glad you liked it. You're always welcome. . . as long as you leave the tomatoes home. ^_^
****
A groan escaped her lips; she didn't bother trying to sit up. Now that she was awake, every part of her body rushed to welcome her-with aches. Another groan escaped her.
"Sometimes I wish I could ask Yue to go easier on me," she muttered drowsily.
The flood of memories rushed back to her and she gasped. Her eyes flew open, taking in the guest room she had been deposited in last night. She growled when she remembered how easily he had put her to sleep.
"Why is it every time I see the prince of pompous I always wake up with my body screaming in pain?"
She pushed aside the memories and concentrated instead on using her muscles. Lightly, she lifted her right hand and planted it closer to her head. She then slowly began to use it for leverage. Though a few muscles responded violently to the sudden movement, she was happy to find the pain was mostly just leftover from the day before.
She managed to struggle into a seated position before she rested. After taking a few deep breaths, she lowered her feet to the ground. Bracing herself, she placed her weight on her legs.
Her head went reeling and she grabbed the side of the bed to brace herself. She spared a glance at the little bronze piece that was causing her so much trouble.
'I wonder if it lets me use magic,' she mused silently. 'There's only one way to test it.'
She drew a tiny spiral from inside of her and watched as it blackened a tiny corner of the blanket. She waited but felt no pain. With a sigh of relief, she drew more magic and spread it around herself; within seconds most her muscles had relaxed. Thanking her magic, she rounded the unused bit back inside of her.
Moments like this made her thankful she had magic.
She now began testing her muscles. Quickly she passed through the simple stretches, making sure the magic had healed them. Once these were done, she reached for her sword, intent upon practicing, when she realized her weapons were gone.
Her blood boiling, she set about, searching the room with anger. She flung the wardrobe's contents onto the floor and overturned the chairs. Fury filling her when she found nothing, she raced to the door that connected her room to Syaoran's. It was locked.
She sent a large bolt of magic at the lock, carefully ignoring how scorched the knob looked. Turning, she sent the door flying off its hinges with a kick. Doing so sent her staggering, but she righted herself hurriedly and raced into his room.
Soon his room was in the same state as hers. Unfortunately, her search was just as futile as it had been in her room. She cursed and threw a couple things before a thought suddenly entered her head. She felt her blood drain, leaving behind only fear.
Her fingers flew to her belt, fighting to get the rectangular flap open. Once it was finally opened, she threw her hand in, groping for her Cards. When they met with nothing, she felt the air from her lungs drain out. She collapsed onto the floor, her head in her hands.
'I'm stuck in an enemy country with something that keeps me from both running away and hitting people. I have no weapons; my cards are gone. And I'm practically roommates with my biggest enemy.'
The realization numbed her senses. What could she do?
Sakura let herself slip into a sort of trance. Her mind heaved a contented sigh, happy to leave behind all the awful thoughts that had been plaguing her for years. It had been long since she had just. . .given up. And her mind needed the rest.
She was perfectly still, perfectly happy.
'She's just a girl, highness. What can she do?' broke in a thought.
Sakura ignored it. The voice wasn't loud; her brain overpowered it. She sank back into the carefree trance.
'She can do it. The Seer said she would be able to do it,' answered a familiar voice. This voice was louder; it triggered emotion within her. Still the ignored it.
'I believe in her,' yelled another voice, this time angry. Recognition dawned upon her-Kero. Her brain worked hard to push it back. The trance still clutched her.
A last bit threw her from the trance. 'As do I,' came the voice, tinted somehow with the moon.
She pushed herself from the floor, surprised. She hadn't let herself shut down like that in years. She was a bit shaken to find her resolve so easily overcome. She chalked it up to exhaustion, not feeling the bit of sapphire magic that was embedded into her shirt.
****
Einar choked back a cough when he saw the girl stand up.
"B-but Lisha! Why isn't she still in a trance?"
The sapphire-eyed woman leaned closer to the image swimming in the mirror. She sighed when she saw he was right; she had beaten back the trance.
A frown took over her features, but she wasn't too surprised. She had left the magic on her clothes as a test; she had not expected her to allow her body to shut down on the very first day.
'No, the magic will have time to work,' she mused. 'Her mind cannot continue to save her. Soon she will be too tired to keep herself awake.'
She waved a hand at the mirror and it vanished.
When Einar looked up with surprise, she smiled. "Do not worry about her health, love. I will take care of her," she said, pulling a black bag from her robe before dropping it into his lap. "These cannot stay here. She will be able to track them. You must get rid of them."
The advisor nodded, accepting the assignment easily. He raised his gaze to meet her own and smiled wearily. "The queen will recover within the week."
Lisha nodded. "A week should be long enough to take care of Sakura. Syaoran will be too busy worrying over his mother to notice as his enemy loses everything."
Her voice was matter-of-fact. She felt no regret in taking all the things Sakura valued-her Cards, her freedom, even her mind. The girl was Champion of Alexandria. Marked by the Grand Seer's words. She was now the only one left who could stop her from killing the king.
'The king,' she thought, disgusted. 'He does not deserve to be alive. Not after what he did to me.'
The advisor coughed, gaining her attention. She smiled weakly at him before reaching into her robes and pulling out a vial.
She tossed it to Einar, who caught it without surprise. He had already delivered one of her vials to the queen. While this one might serve a different purpose, he already knew who would be receiving it.
"Make sure the girl gets a glass of it every night, Einar. She must fall if I am to win."
Einar nodded, watching as she disappeared. His rooms now empty, he let out a sigh. Things were so close.
****
After gulping down a glass of water, Sakura had let herself fall back on her bed. She'd long ago given up finding anything; it would not be found until Syaoran let her find it.
She couldn't help feeling helpless. She still had no idea what had happened at the pass although she doubted the Elite had succeeded. She carefully avoided thinking about the massacre that must've occurred. She could only pray they had gotten a safe retreat.
'Now is the time they need me the most,' she realized bitterly. 'I am the Champion and I was kidnapped in the middle of a war.'
She was still lying on her bed when she realized something.
'The bracelet only keeps me within the castle walls,' she thought rapidly, sitting up even as she thought. 'If I can break through the locks, I can get of the room.'
Smiling, she crossed the floor to the door Syaoran had locked the night before. She tried unlocking it with careful accuracy, only to have it backfire. Angry, she threw a large bolt at it. The reaction was the same as the first lock.
It would not do to bust her door down. Too much attention would be drawn to her. Grinning widely, she grabbed a piece of fabric off the bed. After binding her hand, she used it to grasp the burning hot handle. The heat was still strong; she bit her lip in concentration. Quickly, she turned the handle and pulled the door backwards.
She let the fabric drop, stepping through the door eagerly.
The hallway was empty. She chastised herself for expecting trumpets to announce her newly found freedom.
Hurrying, she stumbled down the corridor. She continued down the hall, following its many twist and turns. Her legs were feeling weak, but she simply poured more magic into them.
She had no idea where she was going, but she knew she had to test the bracelet again. She needed to test the boundaries he had set.
'He may not have lied about the physical pain, but perhaps he's lying about me being confined,' she thought hopefully.
Though it was a long shot, she knew she had to try. Her country needed her to try.
So she continued to walk down the passageways, ignoring the occasional servants she came upon. The servants seemed to accept her as a noble. Only once did she pass someone who looked as though he had a rank. He nodded politely and she returned the gesture, hoping it wasn't too strange to see a woman dressed in breeches here. Sakura was careful to keep her wrist hidden, just in case.
Just when her legs were about to need another magical boost, she came upon an open hallway. Breathing in the fresh air, she felt relieved. Pumping her legs, she threw herself through the last door and into a courtyard.
Bright sunshine hit her in full force. The smell of nature sent a content sigh through her. For a moment she felt as though she was a flower; the sun seemed to be feeding her.
Pushing the luxurious thoughts from her mind, she took a step forward, waiting to see how her body would react. When no pain hit her, she felt her hope soar. She took a second step. A third. Soon she was halfway through the courtyard.
Her joy came crashing down, however, when she heard a shout. Turning, she saw a soldier running towards her. She cursed before she began to run.
****
Syaoran bowed his head, working the kinks out of his shoulders. He shifted uncomfortable in the wooden chair. Shutting his eyes, he let out a short sigh.
He had been at his mother's bed all night. Though he could feel her health was strong, it made him nervous. He could feel magic in his mother's system and knew this sudden illness was not innocent. Someone was behind it.
The problem was it wasn't Einar's magic, as he had expected it to be. Which meant Einar either had someone employed to do it for him. . . or he was working for someone.
He let out another sigh. He hadn't wanted to be bothered with this war. All he'd wanted was to be left alone. So he hadn't put a stop to the mind control.
"'Let Einar get what he wants,'" he said bitterly, remembering his words from before. "'Why should I care if a country is destroyed?' What an idiot I was. It's my fault my mother is in pain."
With a growl, he stifled the urge to kick himself. Hurting himself would do no good.
A sound to his left caught his attention. Happy for the excuse to stand, he approached the window.
His eyes narrowed on the three guards who were chasing a single man. Narrowing them further, he realized who it was. With a curse, he realized she was headed towards the gates.
'She'll kill herself trying to get out.'
The door opened behind him and he whirled, happy to find the healer had returned from her break. With a quick greeting, he disappeared, praying she wouldn't kill herself before he could stop her.
****
Sakura's breath was coming hard; her legs were wobbly under her weight. Still, she ran on. The gates were steadily becoming closer. She had long since spotted the door near the base, long since seen the guard half-dozing in front of it. She knew she could pass though.
All she had to do was get there.
She felt magic gathering in front of her and gasped. Still she ran on; she couldn't afford to stop now. Not if she wanted to be free.
A body appeared a few yards in front of her. She recognized him instantly, but she wouldn't give up. She couldn't fight him; the bracelet would see to that. So she had to get over him.
She threw herself headfirst into a flip. When her hands hit the ground, she quickly pushed magic through her palms, using the burst to push her. She sailed over his head, landing lightly. Without wasting another moment, she began pumping her legs again.
She heard his curses and couldn't resist congratulating herself. Now he was stuck chasing her as the soldiers had.
The guard in front of the door seemed to have finally woken up. He stared at her, eyes wide, as she neared.
She could hear Syaoran's footsteps. He was closing in on her. She couldn't waste time.
Shooting magic at a nearby barrel, she made it crash on top of him. She was happy to find the bracelet did not punish her for such an act. With a last burst of speed, she reached the door.
She wrenched it open, pausing to slam it shut behind her. She realized she was now in a storeroom of some kind. Spotting a door on the other side of the room, she crossed it quickly and flung this door open. Her eyes took in a large city.
Smiling, she realized with one step she would be free of this awful palace.
So she took the step.
And instantly fell backwards in pain.
The pain she had felt when trying to attack Syaoran had increased in the tenfold; she half-wished her body would just fall away, as it seemed to be the source of the pain. She screamed without realizing, cried without feeling the wet. Her hands tore at her clothes, fighting to rid herself of the awful feeling. She hardly felt arms wrap around her as she fought to keep herself conscious.
Slowly she realized the pain was dulling; soon all she could feel was the leftover pain. Combined with what she had felt yesterday, it took a great effort not to let sleep overcome her.
After what felt like an eternity, she dared to open her eyes. Immediately worried amber eyes came into her vision. She finally realized his arms were around her, holding her close to him. Though her hate for him burned in her, she was glad for the support. She absently noted they were alone.
She focused on his eyes, thankful to have something other than the pain to focus on. Feeling as though she was looking for a secret, she tried to see what he was thinking. Though the worry was strong, she also detected another intense emotion. It took a moment to recognize it, but recognize it she did. It was scorn. He thought her stupid.
She wrenched himself from his gaze, freeing herself quickly from his arms. She almost collapsed when suddenly forced to support her own weight. Still, she managed to right herself. She drew back from him, her eyes burning with rage.
'This fool thinks I'm stupid?!'
Her gaze lingered on the city.
'Freedom,' she thought. 'I must get out. I must help my country. I can't leave them.'
Her thoughts were now desperate. Despite all the pain she had gone through before, she took a step toward the door.
An arm caught her, pulling her back. She tried angrily to shake it off, but she was too weak. Instead, she turned to face him.
"What are you doing? Are you insane?" he demanded. "You almost kill yourself testing the bracelet and now you're going to try it again?"
She clenched her teeth together, plotting his death many times in her head. At the same time, she managed to spit, "That's my country that yours is at war with! I'm their Champion! I can't just sit here! I have to go!"
She managed to break free from his grasp, and immediately ran to the door. She barely had a foot over the threshold when the pain started. Biting her lip until she drew blood, she forced herself to take another step. The next shot drove her to her knees. Whimpering, she tried to crawl forward.
Through all this, she missed Syaoran's reaction. Behind her, he was standing, his mouth open wide and gaping, as he watched the girl fighting the pain. He was amazed.
'She's a woman. And weak,' he told himself. 'How can she have such willpower?'
And yet, as he watched her, she never stopped. He heard her painful cries and saw the tears streaming down her face. Still she pressed on. He was in awe; she had taken five steps. That was more than enough to make a seasoned soldier cry for mercy.
'If she will go this far for her country, I should too,' he thought suddenly. 'I've been hiding in my room, trying to avoid this war, and yet here this girl is. . . and she's nearly killing herself just to get out.'
When he saw her drop to her elbows, he jumped forward. Grabbing her, he pulled her into his arms, amazed at how light she was. He cradled her close in his arms, soothing her in her pain. She was crying freely now, though he knew she would be ashamed she had done so later.
He carried her back to his room, ignoring the looks people gave them. All he could concentrate on was her.
He could feel her slipping into unconsciousness; he was surprised she had lasted this long.
He sat her down lightly on the bed, watching as she slept. He couldn't help but feel a great load of pride in her.
'Maybe she isn't so pathetic after all,' he thought.
****
Sakura slipped in and out of consciousness throughout the night. She remembered waking only once. When her eyes had met the darkness, she had cried out, thinking herself alone.
She was surprised to hear soft footsteps. She looked up into amber eyes. They held her gaze, engulfing her eyes in kindness.
"You are willing to kill yourself for your country?" he asked, his tone serious.
Without thinking, she answered, her voice hoarse. "Yes."
He nodded, his eyes never leaving her. "Then we will fight this together."
She barely remembered nodding before the darkness engulfed her again.
****
Author's Note2: So. How was it? Typos- sorry. ^_^ Uh. . . hope you enjoyed it. This one was rather fun to write, though I'm not sure how great it is. . . anyway! Enjoy!