Identity's Past
by AlterEthereal
Syaoran returned to find his princess, but discovered 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?
Oh yeeeess!!! Thank Heaven for snow days!!!!! Yeah, I know it's still really soon to be posting another chapter, but I already had parts of this written out (the cool fight scene... w00t!), mostly just so that I wouldn't forget what happened in the dream. Anyway, enjoy!!
Zuri: hey readers! Alter-chan is still knocked out from bashing her head against the wall last chapter, so i will be with you for the balance of the... however long it takes you to read this.
Alter-chan: x_x
So: yeah, i'll just be over there... *points to a random corner* ...playing with Anaru's sword.
Anaru: *gives her the Heero Yuy Death Glare*
So: *glares right back*
Zuri: anyway, who wants to do disclaimer?
*silence* *a cricket chirps*
Zuri: alright, mr. cricket! you can do disclaimer for me!!
cricket: chirp chirp chirp chirp.
*translation: DISCLAIMER: Alter-chan doesn't own CCS or anybody in this chapter. she just owns me and the rest of the AlterEthereal crew. Thank you.
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"What's your name?" A man in a yellow uniform inquired. She didn't respond, so he yanked her wrist toward the ominous building. "You're coming with me."
Though irritated, she followed the man, knowing full well what was going on. Yet she wasn't scared, not in the least.
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Chapter seven: Kindred
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The factory seemed to have two separate buildings--one for office work and another for production. She was led to the office building, most likely what they did with females. She entered the building to see a shiny, dark hall with black tiles on the walls. The front desk seemed deserted, but not abandoned, like whoever worked there had gone home for the day. He took her to a glassy elevator, extracted an ID card from his pocket, and ushered her inside. She walked slowly, almost defiantly into the cramped chamber. He took the opportunity to shove her fiercely inside.
The elevator was fast, and she was beginning to understand why the rest of the city was in shambles. When they reached some floor high above ground, they exited into a white-walled room filled with cubicles. They were cluttered together tightly, as if many people worked there.
"Know how to read and write, mute?" he asked harshly. Once again, he received no answer, so he turned around and grabbed her upper arm forcefully and pinned her against a hard, white wall. "I asked you a question."
She pulled herself away from him slyly, and when he attempted to regain control, she moved smoothly from his way. Now thoroughly angry, the man held back a fist, prepared to use violence to get her to cooperate. She dodged his weak assault gracefully, however, realizing how much she missed the excitement of a fight. She reached to her waist, as if looking for something, but then remembered that the cards were no longer in her possession. The man lunged at her, and with great effort, she leaned forward and extended a leg behind her, causing the man to lose his footing and fall to the floor. Not that he was finished--he took hold of her extended ankle and pulled her toward him, putting a hand to his belt. She caught a glimpse of a beating stick and immediately jabbed both her heels into the man's torso. She delivered the blow with practiced force, such that he was sent flying a short distance across the office. She remained almost entirely unscathed, with the exception of her ankle, which was slightly sore. When convinced he wouldn't attack her the same way again, she turned and began toward the elevator. The man took the opportunity to attack from behind, a fairly obvious move, and grabbed her around her collarbone with both hands. She almost mechanically spun around, bending to pick up force to throw him down over her back. She wasn't weak--he had to give her that. His back hit the office floor so hard that the cubicles to her right shook, and the wall of one even threatened to fall. The man lay on the ground, paralyzed momentarily from pain, but mostly shock. The sound of an open elevator echoed throughout the dark office space, and, from out of nowhere, the point of a sword hung less than an inch from the man's neck. A bit surprised, the girl turned to see fierce amber eyes directed with anger toward the submissive figure on the floor.
"Have you ever seen this girl before?" he asked it, resentment dripping from each syllable.
"N- No," the man muttered, eyes widened in fear and cowardice.
"Good." He withdrew the blade slowly, drawing it as closely to his throat as possible without piercing his skin. He and the girl walked to the elevator silently as he sheathed his sword.
They didn't speak again until far away from the factory. "I told you not to go in there."
"He didn't give me much of a choice. If I resisted while I was still outside, I took the risk of others coming to his aid."
"Smart choice."
"How did you know where I was?"
"I saw him escort you in."
"Then what took you so long?"
"I had to get Tory's card from the house."
There was a pause.
"Did he do anything to you?"
"No."
Another pause.
"I would've been fine."
"Right." They reached the meadow. "Where did you learn to fight?"
"Someone… taught me a while ago." She felt the need to sound natural, so she inquired about his sword, even though it wasn't truly necessary. He replied hesitantly, glancing toward his side where it's tasseled hilt glinted in the sunlight.
"I… used to be a kind of warrior. My quest has since ended, but I kept the sword for when it was needed." His tone had a somewhat defeated air to it, and she suddenly felt a bit sorry.
"Do you miss it?"
"Parts of it."
"Which parts?"
He paused a moment before answering. "It doesn't matter. It's over now."
She moved to be directly in his path. "Please tell me."
Syaoran wouldn't look into her eyes. He instead turned his to the ground beside him. "I had a very good partner. When we went our separate ways, she took a part of me with her."
"Could anyone ever fill the void?"
"No one could ever take her place."
"I'm sorry for you." She looked toward the ground, but was discreetly satisfied that she had left an imprint on him.
"It's alright. I'm not sad anymore."
Her eyes returned upward. "Why not?"
"Because I know she'll come back someday," he affected his gaze back toward her, then added, "if she hasn't already."
At first, she didn't know how to reply without sounding self-incriminating, but then decided to let her emotions speak for her, smiling brightly. "Then I'm happy for you." She walked back around to his side, in an almost dainty stride. His eyes followed her questioningly and a bit sarcastically.
"Happy? You?"
"Mhm…" upon her arrival, she put a hand on his neck and playfully jerked him toward her so she could whisper in his ear. "I'll tell you a secret… I went on a quest once. I also had a partner who stole my heart away, my kindred friend."
"Oh, is that so?"
"It is," she replied, casting him a small smile from the corner of her eye.
"And what happened?"
She sighed. "He left, and I went far away."
"How far?"
"Very far."
"Did you ever return?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"The place I knew had changed. It had become dank and dreary and I cried."
He replied after a short pause. "I'm sorry for you."
"It's alright. I'm not sad anymore."
"Why not?"
"Because I met a knight in shining armor who dried my tears."
So that was it then.
"Then I'm happy for you." His feet shifted and he pulled her closer, and she noted, with a slightly different air to his touch. It was gentler, more endearing...
She suddenly felt a bit weary, and lifted her emerald eyes to his amber ones. She saw in them compassion, reminiscence, inquisition, content, reassurance, and even desire. For what she wasn't sure, until he lifted her chin with asthenic fingers and pressed his lips softly to hers. Her body went limp.
~*~
Whether it was to relieve her pain or his own, he didn't know. Nor did he care. He let everything around him fall away until all that remained of reality was the sweet taste of a long-desired kiss and a pale girl resting in his arms. Not just any girl, however. His most sincere hopes had been fulfilled--the knight's princess had returned. Now all that was left was to fulfill her hopes; how he wasn't sure, but the thought crossed his mind that a kiss might be a start.
He suddenly felt her form stiffen, however, and released her questioningly. She opened her eyes almost reluctantly, and Syaoran was completely caught off guard by the pain he saw in them. Her cheeks were flushed, and her countenance seemed shaken irreparably. He tried to speak, to apologize, anything--but no words would form behind his tongue. Breath shortening and heart quickening, he forced his lips to shape a single word.
Sakura.
He heard the beginning of a quickly-stifled sob escape her throat, and saw her pain-filled eyes begin to glaze over with liquid. His brow loosened. He tried once again to find speech.
"Sa-..." he muttered, as the girl's expression slowly changed from anguish to fear. "Sakur--"
He was cut off abruptly by an icy touch to his mouth. The contrast was close to terrifying to him: his warm, steady lips to her cold, shaking finger. He couldn't help but notice how she allowed her hand to linger on his face for a few long moments before she turned away and began to run--out of his sight and out of his reach. Again.
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Zuri: whew! that was a long chapter. soooo? you liiiike?
Alter-chan: x_x
Anaru: *still staring at sword* hmm... maybe it says "don't look at me or i'll kill you"?
So: so shiny *.*
Zuri: um... o... k... since they're obviously not going to answer me, will you please review? you know you want to press the pretty purple button down there... ^_^
~AlterEthereal