Disclaimer: Still waiting for CCS to come up on Ebay.
Author's Note: Enjoy. Thanks very much for the reviews, surprised you didn't all think I was dead.
Sakura felt the liquid sweeping over her body, and a smile broke free. She dove deeper, her eyes closed and enjoying the feeling. She let it wash away all the pain and anxiety she had been feeling the past days. Her thoughts centered on the feeling and nothing more.
She let the stream sweep her around, thinking nothing of directions. Only when her lungs felt like they were going to burst did she rise to the surface.
A shout immediately broke her serenity. She looked over, annoyed, to find Syaoran hovering at the edge of the bank.
"We cannot be out here for long, Sakura. If anyone spots you, it will ruin everything."
Sakura rolled her eyes and dove back underwater, swimming to the bottom. Her hands touched the soft dirt, and she sifted lightly through it, her thoughts elsewhere. Again, she rose to the surface to take a breath of air.
Her ears rang with his screams. "I don't know why I brought you out here, Sakura. You should be resting."
Ignoring him, she returned to the watery world she so loved. This time, she picked up a smooth rock from the bottom. Her hand clutched around it, enjoying the smoothness of its surface. She dropped it and picked up another one, exploring like a young child. She let her spirit wonder amongst the river's, and it brought joy to her heart.
Again, she rose to the surface to hear yelling. Now he was perched on a rock overlooking the water, glaring down at her. "Sakura! We must go!"
Groaning, Sakura swam to the rock, grasping its edge. "Syaoran, if you are so worried about being discovered, maybe you should stop yelling," she said, her teeth gritted, but her voice quiet. His mouth snapped shut, properly chastised. She decided to take it one farther. "I have just gotten here. I don't plan on leaving just yet."
He snorted and she eyed him carefully. "Why not come in and join me?" she said, deciding if he was in the water, he might let her be.
He frowned. "Someone needs to keep lookout," he said solemnly.
Sakura let part of her magic call to the forest. The trees swayed in the wind. This movement was enough to make Syaoran jerk.
"They will be our lookouts," she said simply.
Syaoran sighed. "Sakura, I'm not going to get in there with you."
Sakura frowned. "And why not?" Playfully, she splashed some water at the prince.
Syaoran glared. "I said I'm not coming in, and you should really get out."
Groaning inwardly, she jumped forward, grasping his hands. With a mischievous smile, she pulled him forward, sending him off balance. His eyes widened and he tried to throw himself backwards. Sakura called to the wind, and a large gust sent him reeling forward. He landed with a large splash, and Sakura erupted into laughter.
He rose to the surface, the glare already set on his face. He swam over to Sakura, and she knew he was going to yell. Rolling her eyes, she turned and dove beneath the surface, swimming in the opposite direction. She had no time to worry over his anger.
She felt movement behind her and turned. Her eyes widened when she saw the prince swimming after her; they got even larger when she realized he was moving quickly. Feeling her heart soar at the challenge, she pushed forward.
Her fingers trailed lightly through the dirt as she poured more of her magic into the stream. It answered, propelling her forward. She felt her joy kick up a notch at the freedom this movement provided. She felt her body change shape, and her movements became more fluid as the water passed over her halfway transformed figure. The water spirit was shaping her to better fit her need.
Behind her, she felt Syaoran's magic. Startled, she turned to find his shape had changed slightly too. Now they were both more lithe and slid through the water smoothly. She was alarmed to find how fast he was swimming now.
She turned set off at her fastest speed, her hands now removed from the sand and flattened on her side, her feet changing into a fin as she went. Soon enough, she felt the fin and thanked the spirit for the transformation. She had long since mastered the mermaid form, though she rarely used it.
She pumped her fin, concentrating on the long, deep stream ahead. Her eyes narrowed and she realized it forked to the right. She strained her memory, trying to figure out where it led. She cast about, trying to visualize a map from what she had seen when they'd arrived.
The silence of the river suddenly caught her attention, drawing it away from the map. She threw a nervous glance backward, and realized Syaoran was no where to be found. Immediately, she slowed her speed and drew close the bank.
She moved slowly toward the fork in the river. She bit her lip when she got to the fork, unsure of where it led. She refused to turn back, not wanting to give Syaoran the satisfaction of knowing she was lost. Indecision still controlling her, she jumped when she heard a noise coming toward her. Straining her eyes, she realized it was a boat, traveling quickly up the river.
Not having any more time to decide, she dove under and took the right fork, using her fin to propel her as fast as it could take her. She felt the river move with the boat's weight, and kept going, following the river's curve closely. She prayed it was taking the straight route and ignoring the fork.
Her heart lurched when she heard it turn in the same direction she had taken. Cursing madly which in turned filled her lungs with water, she shot forward, pumping her fin madly behind her. She heard the ship catching up and dove deeper, scraping her skin roughly against the river floor. A small trail of blood followed behind her, and she prayed it was not visible on the surface.
The shadow of the boat fell on her, and her eyes got huge. Desperately, she spurred herself forward, trying to avoid the bottom of the boat. Two hands grabbed her from nowhere and pulled her backwards. Instinctively, she fought to free herself, just barely remembering to flatten her body to avoid the boat. A hand was clamped across her mouth to keep her from making any sounds.
Magic from her captive surrounded her, warming her, and she stopped fighting when she recognized it. Syaoran removed his hand, and she bashfully swam forward, willing her gills away so she could breathe the fresh air. She heard Syaoran do the same behind her.
Slowly, she turned to him. He was looking at her funny. Her eyes locked on to his, and she was suddenly lost for words. A loud cracking in the nearby woods made her whirl, and as she eyed the sun, she realized they had stayed much longer than she had meant to stay.
She turned to see Syaoran swimming back the way they had come. Sighing, she set off after him, having the feeling she was going to regret today.
Syaoran threw his wet pack roughly into his room, cursing the girl for her foolishness. He didn't know what had possessed his mind to take her, but it was nothing more than stupidity. Angrily, he changed out of his village clothes and into something more palace-acceptable.
A knock on the door interrupted him, and he angrily crossed the room, throwing the door open to find a soldier standing there, flanked by Einar. Judging from Einar's nasty grin, he was about to tell him very bad news.
"We have to talk, Syaoran," he said simply, and the advisor let himself into Syaoran's room, settling comfortably in his chair.
"About what," Syaoran questioned angrily, more than ready to throw Einar out.
"The girl, and a certain servant named Toby," he answered, his voice cool.
She fingered the bracelet nervously, running her fingers over the scorch marks that still remained even after a week of their appearance. Her heart thumped in her chest, and her eyes were set on the doorknob, waiting for it to turn. She heard footsteps coming down the hall, and threw herself back on the bed, faking sleep.
The door creaked open, and Sakura turned a weary head, pretending to have just woken. She opened her mouth to ask Syaoran why dinner was so late today, but something in his eyes stopped her. His amber depths were glinting maliciously in the light, and she thought she noticed him shaking.
He crossed the floor in seconds, grabbing the front of her tunic and pulling her to her feet. Her eyes were huge as he pulled her off the bed and flung her to her feet.
"Did you intend to cause ruin to us all?" he yelled, loudly enough for Sakura to wince.
She placed her hand on top of his, squeezing it in a mild attempt to break his grip. The bracelet reminded her she was not allowed to cause pain to others. Gritting her teeth, she spoke.
"What are you talking about, Syaoran?"
He threw her across the room, and before she could get over the shock, he was on top of her, his face right in front of hers.
"I asked you for trust! I said we would do this together!"
Sakura blinked, unnerved by his closeness, but forced herself to answer. "I asked you what you were talking about, Syaoran. Stop babbling and tell me."
Syaoran fumbled in his pack and drew from it a necklace with a turtle pendant entwined. Then lunging forward, he grabbed her, pulling out a matching necklace from beneath her shirt.
Suddenly, Sakura found herself unable to speak. Syaoran shoved her up against the wall again, and she cringed as her back hit a particularly rough spot on the wall. His grip was cutting into her side, and she bit back a scream of pain. She was all too aware of his anger.
"Did you honestly think you could have an entire chain of messengers and we wouldn't figure it out, Sakura?! They have been watching you for ages! Einar has you marked for his plan—and marked deeply. He is very intent on finding something to use against you, and you, knowing this, plan your own little kitchen spy system?!"
Sakura cringed again, wishing fervently he would let her down from the wall.
"Now you have lost me the credibility that I put out there in saying you were harmless with this bracelet! If you thought the bondage of this little trinket was bad, just wait until they put you in the torture chamber! That's what they wanted to do, Sakura! They wanted to chain you in those machines and run you through it until you couldn't utter any words apart from your country's deepest secrets."
Sakura looked down, refusing to meet his eyes. She had always wondered why this wasn't happening yet.
Growling, Syaoran shoved her against the wall again, and she let out a gasp as she felt her rib shift uncomfortably.
Glaring wildly, she spoke. "Get your filthy hands off of me, prince, before I snap every single finger off your damn hands."
His eyes widened and narrowed with anger. He pulled her down from the wall and dangerously close to his face. She drew back from his angry gaze and was pulled back again. She had to settle on sending her own angry glare back.
"Listen to me, Sakura—"he started.
She interrupted loudly. "No, you listen, Syaoran. You have continued with this tirade simply because you knew I could do nothing to stop you, but I'm ruddy tired of it. Did you honestly think I wouldn't try to set something up? If you haven't noticed—those are my men on the line, the men I am in charge of protecting. Did you expect me to just sit here and trust some foreign prince I have only known as an enemy to keep my country safe?!"
"YES!" he yelled back. "I did!"
Sakura's mouth snapped shut, and she looked away. "Then I guess that's the difference between us, Syaoran," she said quietly. "I could never trust someone like that."
He dropped her back onto the floor and turned away, starting toward the door. Sakura rubbed her side tenderly, then called out in a hesitant voice.
"What happened to Toby, Syaoran?"
He turned slowly, his eyes pained. "They killed him."
Sakura watched him leave, then turned back to her bed and let the flurry of tears flow.
Author's Note: Yes, this is short. Will be longer next time—hopefully.
Author's Note: Enjoy. Thanks very much for the reviews, surprised you didn't all think I was dead.
Sakura felt the liquid sweeping over her body, and a smile broke free. She dove deeper, her eyes closed and enjoying the feeling. She let it wash away all the pain and anxiety she had been feeling the past days. Her thoughts centered on the feeling and nothing more.
She let the stream sweep her around, thinking nothing of directions. Only when her lungs felt like they were going to burst did she rise to the surface.
A shout immediately broke her serenity. She looked over, annoyed, to find Syaoran hovering at the edge of the bank.
"We cannot be out here for long, Sakura. If anyone spots you, it will ruin everything."
Sakura rolled her eyes and dove back underwater, swimming to the bottom. Her hands touched the soft dirt, and she sifted lightly through it, her thoughts elsewhere. Again, she rose to the surface to take a breath of air.
Her ears rang with his screams. "I don't know why I brought you out here, Sakura. You should be resting."
Ignoring him, she returned to the watery world she so loved. This time, she picked up a smooth rock from the bottom. Her hand clutched around it, enjoying the smoothness of its surface. She dropped it and picked up another one, exploring like a young child. She let her spirit wonder amongst the river's, and it brought joy to her heart.
Again, she rose to the surface to hear yelling. Now he was perched on a rock overlooking the water, glaring down at her. "Sakura! We must go!"
Groaning, Sakura swam to the rock, grasping its edge. "Syaoran, if you are so worried about being discovered, maybe you should stop yelling," she said, her teeth gritted, but her voice quiet. His mouth snapped shut, properly chastised. She decided to take it one farther. "I have just gotten here. I don't plan on leaving just yet."
He snorted and she eyed him carefully. "Why not come in and join me?" she said, deciding if he was in the water, he might let her be.
He frowned. "Someone needs to keep lookout," he said solemnly.
Sakura let part of her magic call to the forest. The trees swayed in the wind. This movement was enough to make Syaoran jerk.
"They will be our lookouts," she said simply.
Syaoran sighed. "Sakura, I'm not going to get in there with you."
Sakura frowned. "And why not?" Playfully, she splashed some water at the prince.
Syaoran glared. "I said I'm not coming in, and you should really get out."
Groaning inwardly, she jumped forward, grasping his hands. With a mischievous smile, she pulled him forward, sending him off balance. His eyes widened and he tried to throw himself backwards. Sakura called to the wind, and a large gust sent him reeling forward. He landed with a large splash, and Sakura erupted into laughter.
He rose to the surface, the glare already set on his face. He swam over to Sakura, and she knew he was going to yell. Rolling her eyes, she turned and dove beneath the surface, swimming in the opposite direction. She had no time to worry over his anger.
She felt movement behind her and turned. Her eyes widened when she saw the prince swimming after her; they got even larger when she realized he was moving quickly. Feeling her heart soar at the challenge, she pushed forward.
Her fingers trailed lightly through the dirt as she poured more of her magic into the stream. It answered, propelling her forward. She felt her joy kick up a notch at the freedom this movement provided. She felt her body change shape, and her movements became more fluid as the water passed over her halfway transformed figure. The water spirit was shaping her to better fit her need.
Behind her, she felt Syaoran's magic. Startled, she turned to find his shape had changed slightly too. Now they were both more lithe and slid through the water smoothly. She was alarmed to find how fast he was swimming now.
She turned set off at her fastest speed, her hands now removed from the sand and flattened on her side, her feet changing into a fin as she went. Soon enough, she felt the fin and thanked the spirit for the transformation. She had long since mastered the mermaid form, though she rarely used it.
She pumped her fin, concentrating on the long, deep stream ahead. Her eyes narrowed and she realized it forked to the right. She strained her memory, trying to figure out where it led. She cast about, trying to visualize a map from what she had seen when they'd arrived.
The silence of the river suddenly caught her attention, drawing it away from the map. She threw a nervous glance backward, and realized Syaoran was no where to be found. Immediately, she slowed her speed and drew close the bank.
She moved slowly toward the fork in the river. She bit her lip when she got to the fork, unsure of where it led. She refused to turn back, not wanting to give Syaoran the satisfaction of knowing she was lost. Indecision still controlling her, she jumped when she heard a noise coming toward her. Straining her eyes, she realized it was a boat, traveling quickly up the river.
Not having any more time to decide, she dove under and took the right fork, using her fin to propel her as fast as it could take her. She felt the river move with the boat's weight, and kept going, following the river's curve closely. She prayed it was taking the straight route and ignoring the fork.
Her heart lurched when she heard it turn in the same direction she had taken. Cursing madly which in turned filled her lungs with water, she shot forward, pumping her fin madly behind her. She heard the ship catching up and dove deeper, scraping her skin roughly against the river floor. A small trail of blood followed behind her, and she prayed it was not visible on the surface.
The shadow of the boat fell on her, and her eyes got huge. Desperately, she spurred herself forward, trying to avoid the bottom of the boat. Two hands grabbed her from nowhere and pulled her backwards. Instinctively, she fought to free herself, just barely remembering to flatten her body to avoid the boat. A hand was clamped across her mouth to keep her from making any sounds.
Magic from her captive surrounded her, warming her, and she stopped fighting when she recognized it. Syaoran removed his hand, and she bashfully swam forward, willing her gills away so she could breathe the fresh air. She heard Syaoran do the same behind her.
Slowly, she turned to him. He was looking at her funny. Her eyes locked on to his, and she was suddenly lost for words. A loud cracking in the nearby woods made her whirl, and as she eyed the sun, she realized they had stayed much longer than she had meant to stay.
She turned to see Syaoran swimming back the way they had come. Sighing, she set off after him, having the feeling she was going to regret today.
Syaoran threw his wet pack roughly into his room, cursing the girl for her foolishness. He didn't know what had possessed his mind to take her, but it was nothing more than stupidity. Angrily, he changed out of his village clothes and into something more palace-acceptable.
A knock on the door interrupted him, and he angrily crossed the room, throwing the door open to find a soldier standing there, flanked by Einar. Judging from Einar's nasty grin, he was about to tell him very bad news.
"We have to talk, Syaoran," he said simply, and the advisor let himself into Syaoran's room, settling comfortably in his chair.
"About what," Syaoran questioned angrily, more than ready to throw Einar out.
"The girl, and a certain servant named Toby," he answered, his voice cool.
She fingered the bracelet nervously, running her fingers over the scorch marks that still remained even after a week of their appearance. Her heart thumped in her chest, and her eyes were set on the doorknob, waiting for it to turn. She heard footsteps coming down the hall, and threw herself back on the bed, faking sleep.
The door creaked open, and Sakura turned a weary head, pretending to have just woken. She opened her mouth to ask Syaoran why dinner was so late today, but something in his eyes stopped her. His amber depths were glinting maliciously in the light, and she thought she noticed him shaking.
He crossed the floor in seconds, grabbing the front of her tunic and pulling her to her feet. Her eyes were huge as he pulled her off the bed and flung her to her feet.
"Did you intend to cause ruin to us all?" he yelled, loudly enough for Sakura to wince.
She placed her hand on top of his, squeezing it in a mild attempt to break his grip. The bracelet reminded her she was not allowed to cause pain to others. Gritting her teeth, she spoke.
"What are you talking about, Syaoran?"
He threw her across the room, and before she could get over the shock, he was on top of her, his face right in front of hers.
"I asked you for trust! I said we would do this together!"
Sakura blinked, unnerved by his closeness, but forced herself to answer. "I asked you what you were talking about, Syaoran. Stop babbling and tell me."
Syaoran fumbled in his pack and drew from it a necklace with a turtle pendant entwined. Then lunging forward, he grabbed her, pulling out a matching necklace from beneath her shirt.
Suddenly, Sakura found herself unable to speak. Syaoran shoved her up against the wall again, and she cringed as her back hit a particularly rough spot on the wall. His grip was cutting into her side, and she bit back a scream of pain. She was all too aware of his anger.
"Did you honestly think you could have an entire chain of messengers and we wouldn't figure it out, Sakura?! They have been watching you for ages! Einar has you marked for his plan—and marked deeply. He is very intent on finding something to use against you, and you, knowing this, plan your own little kitchen spy system?!"
Sakura cringed again, wishing fervently he would let her down from the wall.
"Now you have lost me the credibility that I put out there in saying you were harmless with this bracelet! If you thought the bondage of this little trinket was bad, just wait until they put you in the torture chamber! That's what they wanted to do, Sakura! They wanted to chain you in those machines and run you through it until you couldn't utter any words apart from your country's deepest secrets."
Sakura looked down, refusing to meet his eyes. She had always wondered why this wasn't happening yet.
Growling, Syaoran shoved her against the wall again, and she let out a gasp as she felt her rib shift uncomfortably.
Glaring wildly, she spoke. "Get your filthy hands off of me, prince, before I snap every single finger off your damn hands."
His eyes widened and narrowed with anger. He pulled her down from the wall and dangerously close to his face. She drew back from his angry gaze and was pulled back again. She had to settle on sending her own angry glare back.
"Listen to me, Sakura—"he started.
She interrupted loudly. "No, you listen, Syaoran. You have continued with this tirade simply because you knew I could do nothing to stop you, but I'm ruddy tired of it. Did you honestly think I wouldn't try to set something up? If you haven't noticed—those are my men on the line, the men I am in charge of protecting. Did you expect me to just sit here and trust some foreign prince I have only known as an enemy to keep my country safe?!"
"YES!" he yelled back. "I did!"
Sakura's mouth snapped shut, and she looked away. "Then I guess that's the difference between us, Syaoran," she said quietly. "I could never trust someone like that."
He dropped her back onto the floor and turned away, starting toward the door. Sakura rubbed her side tenderly, then called out in a hesitant voice.
"What happened to Toby, Syaoran?"
He turned slowly, his eyes pained. "They killed him."
Sakura watched him leave, then turned back to her bed and let the flurry of tears flow.
Author's Note: Yes, this is short. Will be longer next time—hopefully.