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?
Me want thank reviewers!!! Me love you!! lol. Ok, so if anyone's been confused about when things happened (what year did Sakura leave home, exactly?), that stuff gets explained this chapter. I've been working ahead. ^_^ I already have about half the next chapter done *GO ALTER, GO!!* but I wanted to wait at least 4 or 5 days before I posted this one, that way I could give people time to review. Also, I've had enough physics homework to keep a team of U.S. nuclear scientists busy. -_-; Anyway, enjoy!
So: hi everyone! Anaru seems to have taken the sword away... T_T ...so i've come back so visit! now lets do disclaimer and get this show on the road!!
Alter-chan: x_X
So: Kaya?
Alter-chan: X_x
So: um... judging by this large mallet, i'd say Zuri was here. *sigh* ok, fine. DISCLAIMER: The twitching Alter-chan owns nothing. not even AlterEthereal. i own AlterEthereal.
Alter-chan: *suddenly waking up and punching So*
So: i mean, she owns everything. EVERYTHING DAMNIT!!
Alter-chan: i do NOT! are you trying to get me sued?!?!
So: *innocent, sheepish smile*
Alter-chan: -_-; REAL DISCLAIMER: The no-longer-twitching Alter-chan does not own CCS. but she DOES own AlterEthereal!! *glares at So*
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"Now can I ask you a question?" She pulled away slowly and met his eyes.
"It's only fair, isn't it?"
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Chapter 10: Promise
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"Who do you think I am?"
He paused for a short time, trying to find the right words to suit his answer.
"I think you're a woman; a woman who's holding back a lot of painful secrets." She turned her gaze to the ground. "But I'm in no rush. You can take all the time you want."
~*~
He didn't need to explain himself--she already knew what he meant. It was sweet of him to let her take her time, but she still wasn't satisfied. As nice as it was to hear those words, they only stated what she was. Her identity was a different matter.
"But you didn't answer my question."
"You want the truth?"
"Yes."
"I don't know who you are."
Now why was that so painful? That was what she was out to accomplish, right? He didn't know who she was. That should've been refreshing, but somehow, it just wasn't. She wanted him to know.
"But regardless," Syaoran added, "I want you to know something. I think I've fallen in love with you."
"That's just too bad…" she trailed off, almost completely unaware of her own statement.
"Why's that?"
She looked him directly in the eye, a firmness in her voice that she prayed she could keep in her heart. "Because I'm leaving. Very soon."
At first, he seemed rather shocked. After a moment of recovery, however, he asked the question she knew he would ask.
"To Hell," she replied, almost humorously. "Back to where I came from."
A small chuckle escaped him.
"Funny how an angel like you could come from Hell."
"I'm no angel. What if I'm a demon? And seduced you into romance 'til you confessed your love to me and I kill you tonight while you're sleeping?"
"Then I'd be delighted to go to Hell with you."
She hadn't expected that one.
She burst into casual, honest laughter for the first time in months, forgetting the tension she had felt only moments ago. She threw her arms around his neck, smiling as if nothing had changed since she was a child. She remembered being held in his arms like this once in her blissful past and wondered if he had felt the same way back then.
"I think I've fallen in love with you, too, Li. That's why," she stated, drawing away with a sweet smile to conceal her sadness, "I have to go."
He smiled warmly back at her with his brown-amber eyes. "Will you promise me something?"
"What?"
"Wait for me. Wait for me in Hell. I'll be waiting for you, too."
The words wouldn't have made sense to anyone but Sakura. He probably knew that, but she didn't really care anymore. She even enjoyed the way her destination had become something of an inside joke between them.
"Li…" she gazed steadily at him. "That much goes without saying."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
He once again smiled at her and took her hands into his gently, but then noticed her wince in pain. She hoped he wouldn't look down...
Too late. His face adopted a concerned expression as he gazed toward their tangled fingers.
"Um... what happened to your hand?"
~*~
He lay down with a new sense of comfort that night. The bed was softer and warmer than usual, and felt almost… crowded. He turned onto his side and propped himself up, his head resting on his palm and his elbow on his pillow.
There she was, next to him, hand bandaged and all. It seemed like a dream come true for him, just for her to be with him, and sleeping peacefully, no less. He blushed, knowing that all she wore beneath the covers were a pair of boxers and a button-up white shirt that was too big for her. Not surprising--the clothes were his. No women lived in the house any longer, and the clothes that once belonged in the room they slept in wouldn't fit her.
The room had once belonged to a little girl named Sakura Avalon. He used to be a good friend of hers, but they were forced to part ways when they were only 10 or so. He promised he would wait for her until they were able to meet again. When she had turned 12, she left the city she knew, beckoned by justice and wielding the power of the Star Cards, an ultimate force he had seen no one defeat.
Syaoran brushed a strand of messy, auburn hair from the girl's closed eyes.
When he was 15, his mother became ill. The family responsibilities were transferred to a more "able" clan, and shortly afterwards, she died. He then returned to Tomoeda, where he hoped to find the only other woman he could say he truly loved. When he arrived, however, Sakura Avalon was gone. Many, including her grief-stricken family, said that the young beauty had died in battle, though none of them could say for sure.
His thumb grazed her cheek, and her hot breath tickled his skin. "Sakura…" he whispered.
It was then that he had noticed her aura was gone, as well as the Star Cards. Even if she had been killed, the cards would still exist. For some reason, he felt only a small shred of their power left, as if all but one had vanished. He journeyed to find the cause, using his sense of magic as his guide, and returned with a card he had never seen before: The Hope. He asked Madison Taylor, an old friend of the girl, and she hesitantly told him the story of it's creation.
"Please, don't leave me again."
The boy wrapped an arm around the slumbering girl and pulled her close to him, relishing in the smooth reality of her skin against his.
"How will I ever say goodbye to you?"
~*~
She felt a cautious finger touch her face and remove a stray piece of hair.
He thinks I'm asleep…
His strong, but gentle hand rested on her cheek, and she felt secure, just knowing he was there with her. He whispered her name, though she still hadn't revealed her true identity to him. He still hadn't given up on her…
She heard him quietly mutter a desperate plea--one that she wished with all her heart she could fulfill. She felt an arm around her waist, then warm skin against hers. She blushed and hoped his eyes were closed so he couldn't see the newly-acquired red tint. He then asked a simple question, which she had been asking herself ever since she made up her mind about her mission.
"How will I ever say goodbye to you?"
Don't worry, you won't have to say goodbye. Don't worry…
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Alter-chan: *yelling* anyone know what she's got up her sleeve?
all: NO!!
Alter-chan: anyone want to find out?
all: NO!!
Alter-chan: *sweatdrops* anyone even paying attention?
all: NO!!
Alter-chan: o... k... well i guess anyone who cares should--
all: NO!!
Alter-chan: WOULD YOU GUYS SHUT UP ALREADY?!?!?! WE GET THE POINT!!!!
all: ....
Alter-chan: that's better. anyway, please review! the purple button down there is calling to you!! ^_^
~AlterEthereal