Identity's Past
by AlterEthereal
Syaoran returns to find his princess, but discovers she has been missing in action for years. Now, a mysterious, distant girl has arrived in the city... could his princess be right under his nose?
Hey people! This may be the last update for a while... got a lot of stuff going on in school, plus I have a skating competition to get ready for (if I would just stop hurting myself ¦ \.. ). Anyway, I'd also like to thank Shichinintai Jakotsu, Star Fighter Heart, and sweet-captor for their reviews!! They are not overlooked. I really like hearing from people, even if they think the story sucks and it wasn't worth their time reading it, so please do review! ^_^
Zuri: so... here we are again.
Leif: *has a collar on* unfortunately, Alter-chan cannot be with us today... she's bandaging all her wounds.
Althea: *is not attacking Leif* Kaya's hurt?!
Zuri and Leif: *spazzing* um... no, no! not at all! she's perfectly fine!!
Althea: *goes back to her normal, antisocial self*
Leif: that was too close...
Zuri: yeah.. don't want them reassimilating...
*they both shudder*
Zuri: anyway, on with the story. Leif, would you like to do disclaimer for me?
Leif: well... *Zuri bats her eyelashes seductively* alright then.
Zuri: *kisses Leif cheek**Leif blushes cutely* thank you!
Leif: DISCLAIMER: Kaya/AlterEthereal does not own CCS or any of it's cast. thank you.
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Chapter Three: Stranger
~~~~
It wasn't until a few minutes later that Syaoran finally realized what must've been happening. He walked around the area, but found himself wholly alone. He continued on traveling, however, searching for something he couldn't quite put his finger on.
After covering roughly a mile of meadow, he sighted a lake. As he approached, he was able to discern a dazzling shade of blue beside a nearby tree. The color began to stir, and Syaoran halted, asphyxiating his eyes on the figure. He glimpsed a radiant cinnamon color, and, moving closer, a hint of ivory. He stood atop a small crag looking down and wondering, his thoughts jumbled and tangled. A part of him wanted to believe that this was what he had been searching for, but the rest of him was beginning to question his sanity.
Whether he was sane or not, he decided, he would meet whatever was down there with readiness and uncertainty. He stumbled down the crag, making little noise, but enough for it to acknowledge a presence. As he walked cautiously toward it, the figure abruptly turned around, revealing slender curves and brilliant, though surprised, viridian eyes. It was a woman.
He was only slightly taken aback, having deep down expected, possibly knew, to find the presence of another. Nevertheless he quitted his advance.
They stared at each other from across their distance, questions blazing rapidly in their minds, burning holes in their gazes. When Syaoran could stand the questions no longer, and was thoroughly convinced she wouldn't take the first step, he resumed his path.
As he warily strode toward her, he took in her appearance. She wore interesting clothes: a white leotard tied with a small bow at the neckline, covered by a long, blue cape that left her shoulders bare. Her legs were covered from her toes up to her thighs by shiny blue boots, with just the slightest hint of elevation at the heels. Her hair went down to about the middle of her back, resting in reddish-brown waves against the cyanic cape. She was radiant, in a word, but the thing that struck him most was her complexion. Her skin was almost white; paler than even the moon, whose light illuminated it even further.
He didn't recognize her, but he had a sense of de ja vu when he dared to look at her face. Like she had been in a dream of his…
He tried to analyze her expression, but to no avail. Her eyes refused to tell him anything, staring mutely into his questioning countenance. For a moment, a spark seemed to form in them, and he almost saw the edge of her rosy lips raise. But then it disappeared.
"Who are you?" He asked timidly.
A few moments passed, and she looked up toward the sky and the moon, which seemed to smile in return. Her cold visage slowly melted away into a more human one.
"Artemis."
~*~
She didn't talk much.
The mysterious stranger merely nodded in reply to most things, only letting her soft voice seep through occasionally. This was mostly because any time it did she felt ashamed--she had never been one to keep a secret to herself as a child, and she wasn't prepared to start now. Her voice linked her to her identity, and tormented her in a way. She wanted to shout her secret from the rooftops and cry to anyone that would listen, but at the same time, couldn't bear to show her emotions.
She avoided the touch--for a touch was a bond, which she would have to break eventually. Or rather, she would want to break eventually. She was dramatically antisocial, shunning herself from all aspects of life, even him.
She hadn't expected to confront him, not here and not now. She was so close to everything that she had dreamed of; opportunity wrapped and enveloped her, and yet she couldn't touch it. She couldn't even reach out. What she really wanted was to run to his outstretched arms and deep brown eyes, and to hear his cool, unwavering voice tell her that everything was alright and that she didn't have to pretend anymore. What she really wanted… why did it matter when she couldn't have it? But she could, and it was tearing her apart inside. Every time she sighted him, her arms twitched in attempt not to let them throw themselves around his waiting neck.
And that was only the first few days. Things got worse.
~*~
She didn't talk much.
Which was fine, since he never had either. She reminded him of someone, though, someone he hadn't seen in a long while. He maintained all that he had left of her, tucked in his coat pocket. The only other who knew of its existence was Madison, who could only sigh in disbelief of Sakura's absence. She knew of how it was created and related the story as soon as he retrieved it. Syaoran was more embarrassed than flattered, construed by the red tint his face had acquired.
Knowing this, however, only made him more resolved in the decision that he had made before he came back. He remembered Meilin's words with a twinge of pain. She always had known his emotions better than he did.
"You haven't told her yet, have you? That you love her?"*
No. He hadn't told her. He was only a child at the time, not able to even fathom the meaning of such an emotion. But he had felt it, hadn't he? Why didn't he tell her before he left?
When he went home to Hong Kong, a piece of him stayed behind with her. He denied it endlessly, but regardless of what he said, the fact remained that there was an unhealing hole where she had been. And when she disappeared, it did as well.
It was true, Artemis reminded him of Sakura, but she was far colder and more distant than the girl who had managed to steal away the heart he never knew he had.
The possibility always remained of Artemis being more than just a resemblance, but what did he have to go on? She was just a woman--no Star Cards, not even a wand. The only thing he could do was test her, try to provoke a revelation of her identity.
"Follow me."
"Why?" A standard, one-word inquiry.
"Because," he stated frankly, "I'm asking you to." He turned his head to look at her with his stony eyes, only to see that hers mimicked his.
She didn't object, but didn't make an effort to keep up, either. She seemed completely lost and distant, away from everything and everyone else. And wanting to keep it that way. In the end, he was forced to stop and wait. He just stood, not turning around, for fear that she wasn't walking at all, but eventually noted her figure standing at his side.
"I don't want to."
"Wow, more than two syllables. That's got to be record for you." He retorted caustically. Reaching down slightly, he clasped her wrist firmly. Her skin was as cold as it was pale, and he felt an almost electric charge run though it at the touch. Holding it, though, her pulse made him feel secure.
He resumed walking.
As he approached a familiar city neighborhood, the passive girl took hold of the situation. She pulled her wrist from his hand and grasped his instead, and began pulling away from the town. Syaoran was a bit surprised, but didn't resist. She silently led him to the gate and into the meadow, where she abruptly released his arm. She then continued on without him.
He didn't worry about her destination--she'd come back eventually.
~~~~
* I'm not sure these were Meilin's exact words, but they were something along these lines.
~~~~
Alter-chan: *looks like a mummy* hey guys! i've returned from the pit of hell!!
Zuri, Leif, and Althea: o_O
Alter-chan: what?
*Althea drags her off mumbling something in her native tongue*
Zuri: well that was...
Leif: ...interesting...
Zuri: so… what was it that Syaoran had in his coat pocket? and where was he trying to take the girl? who IS the girl?
Leif: like we don't already know the answer to that last one…
Zuri: yeah, well…
Leif: *rolls eyes*
Zuri: wanna go get ice cream?
Leif: sure!
*Leif and Zuri skip off into the sunset toward the nearest ice cream parlor*
Alter-chan: *from the distance, still being dragged off* HEY!! I'LL BE BACK!!! AGAIN!! AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!!! THANX!! ^_^
~AlterEthereal