Hello everybody! I'm back, and I'm so sorry about the long update last time. Hopefully this chapter will be out sooner. I really hope you like it. Well some things to tell you that I forgot the last time.
I know that school in Japan starts in April at the same time that cherry blossom trees bloom, but I had a problem on how I was going to have them at the same age without switching their birthdays. So the story takes place in mid-August. Plus the Void card hasn't appeared. I hope you like this chapter.
Oh yeah if you wondering where I got the names from, here goes: Michiko in kanji means 'child of beauty, the righteous way', and her last name Maiya means 'rice valley'. Tanjiro's name is kanji too, it means 'high value, second son', and Nikko means 'daylight'. Minako comes from Sailor Moon…I forgot but her name means, but her last name means 'meet at the fields'. The people I want to thank is…
DunkmoonX: Thank you.
Phoenix-dragonmoon: I'll try and make this chapter better.
Kammy: Thanks for the problem correction; I've been out of school for summer vacation.
Devilspet: Yay! Someone like my story
Moon: Well, I know that Syaoran is Cantonese, but I remember Touya always calling him a Chinese gaki. Oh, the language thing I'll change it next time and yes, there are three Mysterious figures. The TMF is the third one. Hey I made someone laugh. ^_^'
Little cherry Blossom: I made someone else laugh ^_^. Thanks.
LiLbRaTi!: Yes, I know people always do that. But I like putting in little twists. Oops I told a little too much.
Just so no one is confused:
Scene change ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Informing Readers of Where the Scene Changed to*
'Thinking'*Mind-to-mind talking*
"Talking" (if you needed to know that, you need some help)
Disclaimer:
Reporter #1: Anime Queen, how does it feel to own CCS?
Me: It feels great and the next season will have a lot of surprises.
Reporter #2: Well can you give us a sneak peek?
Me: No, sorry.
Random Person: Anime Queen, Anime Queen Wake up!!! (You honestly think I'm going to tell you my real name)
Man it was a dream. Oh well, here comes the real disclaimer
Disclaimer- I do not own CCS, SCC, or CC if I did I would have been rich. And if I did I wouldn't be write a fan fic. Hence the name a fan fiction.
Rivers or Lovers Chapter Three- The Arrival of MeilingLook here, I never asked for the cards, okay?" Sakura yelled
"Well then, since you don't want them, I'll be glad to take them off you hands," Syaoran shot back.
"They are not Clow Cards any more, no baka."
"What?! I'm surprised that you can tell the difference."
"Process this through that peanut you call a brain, get out of my face!"
"Here's something: rent out that empty space you call a head!"
"Baka, gaki, but I got to say he can be a nice person… at times." Sakura muttered to herself while walking away from the scene.
For their friends this was a common scene to see, but it was sometimes quite comedic
Even with all the Clow Cards captured, danger is still around. And 13 year olds Li Syaoran and Kinomoto Sakura say they hate each other but truly and deeply they are in love with each other. Of course, they just won't admit it. Because they are afraid that the other doesn't share their sentiment. And every time they have to say those three words, "I hate you," it's like turning a dagger in their hearts.
But little by little they are going away from being rivals and coming closer and closer to being lovers. What does fate have in store for them? Will they be able to face it? As always, zettai daijoubu, for where there is love there is hope.
Maybe, just maybe, there is hope for them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
*At an airport in Hong Kong*
"Bye Gu-mu Yelan, Fuutie, Xiefa, Fei Mei, Fanren," Meiling said.
"Take care of di di for us!" said Fanren.
"Yes, and help the Card Mistress and Xiao Lang too, Meiling. You might play a important part there," Yelan said.
"What does she mean about that?" Meiling thought.
"And don't forget to call us even if you have to fight Xiao Lang," Fei Mei said, winking.
"Don't worry, I will."
"And make sure he'll talk to us, too," Fuutie said.
"Okay," Meiling said, "That will make a funny home video," she mumbled.
"We're going to miss you, so have fun for us," Xiefa said hugging, ano, squeezing her.
"I will, don't worry." Meiling waved as all four of her cousins left, leaving her with her aunt.
"Flight 249 to Tokyo, Japan is now boarding, I repeat flight 249 to Tokyo, Japan is now boarding."
"You must go now, lest you miss your flight," Yelan said.
"Bai, I'll miss you."
"We'll miss you too. Goodbye, Meiling."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*On the airplane*
Well I wonder how Tomoeda will be like. Hopefully much better than this flight.
"Ohayo, what's your name?" A little boy asked.
"Li Meiling des. Onamae wa?" Meiling said
"My name is Makoto, I'm with my ojii-san."
"Ohayo, Makoto-kun. You came from Hong Kong, right? How was it?"
"It was alright."
"I hope he haven't been bothering you much." An elderly man walked over to her, apologizing.
"Oh, don't worry."
"Well, why are you going to Tokyo?" Makoto said.
"I'm not going to Tokyo, I'm going to Tomoeda." Meiling said
"Makoto! How rude! Oh, gomen I forgot to introduce myself, Tseuchi Kanji des," he stuck out his hand, smiling, and Meiling took it.
"Li Meiling des."
"I heard that last name before," Kanji said
"Who hasn't?" Meiling snorted.
"Why are you going to Tomoeda?" Makoto seemed insistent on getting his say.
"I'm staying with my cousin for a while."
"Oh, Well it seems like you know Japanese quite Well being from Hong Kong," Kanji watched his charge run up and down the aisles, then turning back to her.
"Because I was raised speaking Chinese, Cantonese, and Japanese."
"Quite a nice place – Tomoeda that is."
"Yes, it is."
"Meiling-san, we're going to Tokyo, to see my 'kaa-san," said Makoto
"That's neat. What you're going to do while you're there?"
"I don't know, stuff I guess."
"Well Makoto, Li-san seems to be tired. Li-san, I hope you enjoy your trip."
"I will, thank you." Meiling waved, yawning. Too bad the Li jet was in Panama…four hours was really a waste of her time…Meiling felt her eyes droop, and she told herself, just for a minute...
"Please fasten your seatbelts we are now landing, please fasten your seatbelt." The loudspeaker jolted her out of her nap, and she glanced at the clock. Almost four hours.
"Well, Li, it was nice talking to you. Ja ne," Kanji said, walking down the aisle.
"Yeah it was Tseuchi-san," Meiling said "I hope you enjoy your visit."
"Ja, Li-chan," Makoto said.
"Ja ne, I hope I see you again."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*In the airport*
"There's Meiling, her flight just got here!" Syaoran said looking at his watch.
"SYAORAN! How are you doing, is everything fine, gu-mu sends her blessings, and I MISSED YOU!," Meiling said, squeezing the living daylight out of him.
"Meiling, if you're so genki to see me, than let go so…can…breathe."
"Oh, sorry." Meiling said, releasing him and watching the colour slowly appear in his face.
"Don't worry about it."
"So Syaoran what happened while I was gone?"
"Nothing much."
"Well, I can't wait to see Tomoyo-chan and Sakura-chan."
"That makes one of us."
"Oh Syaoran, onegai, can't you take me there later?"
"You can go there, but not me."
"Onegai, nothing will happen."
He stared at her for a long moment. "Fine, hai," he said walking out the door and to the car.
"Arigato!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*At the Kinomoto house an hour later*
"Kaijuu, telephone, it's from that gaki's cousin."
"I am not a KAIJUU!" Sakura said stomping on Touya foot, "Moshi moshi, Meiling!"
"Moshi moshi, Kinomoto-chan, how've you been doing? And what's that howling noise?"
Sakura sweat dropped. "Oh…you know…you're here already!"
"Yeah, I know."
"Well, I'm fine."
"Hey Syaoran and I are coming over your house later, is that okay?"
"Does he have to?"
"Well, yes." Meiling said, "Ja."
"Matte! Meiling! Kami-sama…ja ne," Sakura said to the dial tone.
"Kaijuu, I'm about to go, don't destroy the house," Touya grabbed his jacket as he swept through the kitchen.
Sakura grabbed the remote and threw it at her brother, but he closed the door before it hit him. Today is not a good day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Thirty minutes later*
"Konban wa, Meiling," Sakura said, closing the door and leaving Syaoran outside.
"Aren't you going to let him in?" Meiling said, sweat dropping.
"Don't worry about it," Sakura said, stepping away.
"If you don't let me in now, I promise that I-" Syaoran stopped as he came face to face with Sakura.
"You promise to do what?"
"Blow your door down." Syaoran threatened, pulling out a wind ofuda and twirling it around casually.
"Oh yes, you're the big bad wolf. I'm so scared, I have to open the door now."
Syaoran started to walk in, and Sakura slammed the door in his face.
"Kinomoto, open it right now." Syaoran yelled.
"Gomen, you have to do better than that." Sakura teased
"I guess it wouldn't be right if they wasn't fighting." Meiling said to herself
"Well I guess I can go over Tomoyo-chan's house and get some embarrassing pictures of you and show it to everyone in school."
Now it wasn't common for to see those two to argue like that, but sometimes you couldn't tell whether they was bluffing or not.
'Let's see if she call my bluff,' Syaoran thought
'He could be lying, I mean, Tomoyo is my friend first and foremost. Or he could go through with it anyhow; Tomoyo loves to embarrass me. I just have to call it then.' "Okay do it then, but you're still isn't getting into here."
'Dang, she's called it.'
"I'll let you in, under one condition."
"What?" Syaoran said giving in to defeat.
"You can't be rude in any way, that mean NO insults."
"…hai…"
Sakura opened the door, frowning as he walked in and made his way to the kitchen. "Well, aren't we forgetting something?"
"Iie, nope, don't think so," Syaoran said pretending he didn't know what she was saying.
"Syaoran," Meiling said firmly.
"Hai, arigato gozaimasu," he said rolling his eyes
"Now what was it I was going to say…oh, now I remember, you're welcome," Sakura said a little too sweetly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meiling turned to Sakura, shaking her head, as the two girls walked up to Sakura's room. "You didn't have to do that to him."
"I know…demo, it was fun."
Meiling sweat dropped. "Well, tell me all the things that happened after I left!"
"Well, I changed all the cards into Sakura cards. And now something is attacking us. Tomoyo-chan and Eriol-kun are a couple. Nandemonai," Sakura said, not noting the look on Meiling's face that clearly said that she thought it was much more than 'nandemonai'.
At the top of the stairs, Sakura flinched as she knocked over a pile of books, creating a racket that was sure to-
"Hey, who woke me?"
"No one. Just me," Sakura said, hoping he didn't see Meiling.
"Oi! Gaki number two, what're ya doin' back here?"
"Who are you calling a gaki? You stuffed plushie," Meiling shot back.
"Stuffed plushie?" a vein threatened to pop out of his forehead, "now ya gonna pay."
"Bring it on." Meiling said, putting her hands up and motioning.
Sakura grabbed Kero and held him down. "Now…can't we get along, long enough to keep my room in one piece?" She smiled nervously, mentally yelling at herself for not cleaning up when she knew this would happen…
"Hai, hai. But only cause my room's here too, ya know," the look on his face dared anyone to think otherwise.
"Now, go downstairs," Sakura said.
"Demo, Saaaaakura-san…"
"No buts," she said firmly, a skill learnt after he had mastered the 'puppy-dog' face.
Kero mumbled all the way downstairs, nearly falling out of the air when he arrived.
"Oh great, two gajins."
"Stuffed animal." Syaoran mumbled on autopilot, "A stuffed 'kawaii!' toy. What're you're going to do to me?"
Kero eyed him for a moment, sorry that his other form took up so much room. *Crunch*
"Itai! Let go, let go, let go!" Syaoran finally flung Kero onto the floor, sticking his hand into his pocket. "How you like to be known as Kero brulée?"
"You wouldn't dare," Kero said, eyeing the ofuda, cursing the Li clan for not relying on Clow's magic, which he could stop.
"Better yet, squished. Sounds good to me," Syaoran said, only half-joking.
"Baka"
"You know, I have better things to do than staying here with this idiot. Meiling, let's go!"
"Will you wait?!" she yelled from upstairs.
"Iie!"
"Well, ja, Meiling-chan…Li…" Sakura eyed him as he made his way out of her house.
"Ja ne, Sakura-chan!" Meiling nudged her cousin in the ribs, hard, and he looked up grumbling.
"Ja, Kinomoto, and arigato for your gracious hospitality."
Sakura waved briefly to her friend, then smiled at him and slammed the door in his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Meiling, don't ever make me do that again," Syaoran said angrily.
"Why?" Meiling said.
"I got locked out, that baka stuffed animal bit me, oh, and that girl gets on my nerves." He ticked them off on his fingers, and Meiling knew that he had explained this many times before.
"You could always put him in between the couch cushions." Meiling joked.
"Yeah, I could…" Syaoran said, seriously considering it, "But that still doesn't do anything about Kinomoto."
"Demo, I think you're in love with her." Meiling said half-teasingly.
Syaoran blushed a little and Meiling's eyes widened. Kami-sama, he did!
"In love with who?"
Meiling snorted at her cousin's pathetic attempt at denial. "Ano, I think her name is, oh I don't know, Kinomoto Sakura?"
"Ano, why don't I give a call to China and the that boy, ano, Ryu."
"You know I can't stand him!"
"Sure…" he replied, sounding every bit like Eriol.
Meiling swatted him, satisfied that even with their bickering, Sakura had had a positive influence on him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*The next day*
"Sakura, wake up!" Touya sighed and threw a bucket of cold water onto her.
"'NII-CHAN! Why you did that?" Sakura screeched, instantly awake and shivering.
"Because you have just 10 minutes to get to school."
"I do? HOOOEEEEE!"
Her brother watched with fascination as she somehow managed to zip in and out of the bathroom in five minutes.
"Bye Kero-chan!" Sakura said, running out of her room and putting her socks on at the same time.
"Bye Sakura-san," he replied, still focused on bashing up Mega Boss…c'mon, spin kick, double smash, King Kong Earthquake Shatter…
"Matte, you woke up to play your stupid game and you didn't even think about waking me up?! Are you even listening?"
"I'll have chocolate pudding, thank you. Oh, what? Ano…y-you looked…peaceful! That's it, you looked so peaceful I didn't feel like waking you up."
"Oh, and you still thoughtfully left the volume on the highest setting? Are you even listening to me? Mou, I'll talk to you later." She rolled her eyes and ran downstairs, grabbing a piece of toast and eating it while jamming on her skates, much to the amusement of her father.
"Ma ne, mutu-man," Sakura said through her mouthful of toast. Swallowing, she tried again. "Ja ne, otou-san!"
"Ja, Sakura-san." Fujitaka said, strongly reminded of someone else who also could never manage to get anywhere on time. "Ne, Nadeshiko-san, I feel just as if you had helped me raise her." Chuckling, he started getting ready for work.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sakura whooshed off to school, breaking a few speed limits before she skidded to a stop in front of her locker, grabbed her books and shoes, and ran full speed towards her classroom, sinking down the minute she crossed the threshold.
"A perfect ten seconds, Sakura-chan!"
"Ohayo, Tomoyo-chan."
"Ohayo gozaimasu."
"Am I late?"
"Iie, sensei isn't here as yet."
"Or, in other words, you're very lucky that Maiya-sensei likes coffee." Syaoran said, walking over with a smirk on his face.
"Ohayo, although I wasn't talking to you." Sakura said.
"If that's not a reason for you to not talk, I don't see why it should be one for me"
Sakura was about to respond when Maiya-sensei, the homeroom teacher, walked in and set her books on the front desk.
"Ohayo class, please settle down. Before we begin, I'd like to announce our new transfer student, Li Meiling. She has just transferred here from Hong Kong, and your previous teacher notes that she's our Li's cousin, and that she's been here before. Li, you can sit…behind Kinomoto. Oh, that will be confusing. New Li, would you mind if I call you Meiling?"
Meiling smiled at the young teacher and nodded. "Hai."
"If it's any compensation, my first name is Michiko. Maiya Michiko."
"…hai." She walked to her seat, whispering as she went by Sakura, ""Seems like I'm behind you this time."
"Yep. Help me with my work, the person next to me isn't exactly my favourite person." She grimaced and glanced to her left, where Syaoran was staring out the window, bored to death.
"Class, please take out your science materials and flip to page 143 in the textbook. As you can see, we shall be studying electricity for the first part of the term – but if you remember, this is our independent study. You and your partners shall have time to come up with an experiment, which shall be presented-"
"Mou, two weeks in school and we're doing experiments already," Sakura pouted.
"It's not like you'll get a fuka with me here. Although with only half a brain, you might only get a fifty…" Syaoran had turned around, his 'Sakura-o-metre' sensing a gap for an insult.
"I don't know what worst, your mouth or your ego."
"-you can discuss what type of experiment you going to do later. Right now, I'd like you to talk about what you know about electricity." The teacher finished, sitting back and waiting for her students to speak. Not surprisingly, the first one to speak was-
"Hey, did you know that although most history books credit Ben Franklin for discovering electricity, it was actually the ancient Mesopotamians." Yamazaki stood up, the One Finger™ in the air.
"Honto?" Sakura and Syaoran both leant forward in their seats, the former eager for any help and the latter simply interested.
"Hai, you see, they had many computers running on electricity, they used them to invent the wheel," he continued, speaking as if he were talking about the back of his hand.
"Honto ne?"
"Aa. Why do you think they called it the cradle of civilization? Because they invented television, telephone, the seismograph, and a lot of other things."
"Matte…the seismograph was invented by the Chinese!" Syaoran sat up, suddenly aware that-
"LIES, LIES, ALL LIES!" Chiharu slapped him upside the head, dragging him away as he continued to ramble about the great volcanic eruption of 1900 BC when all life was exterminated and replaced by aliens.
"Mou, another one," Sakura said, sweat dropping.
"How many does he have by now?" Syaoran asked.
*30 minutes later*
"Right, now I'm going to partner you up. Group One will be Li Meiling, Imora Kaedeking, Iko Michuru, and Aino Kuzumi.
"Group Two, Li Syaoran, Kinomoto Sakura, Anda Minako, and Nikko Tanjiro."
"Great," Syaoran mumbled, turning around as the teacher continued to read off names.
"So, we're working together." Tanjiro said, walking over.
"Hai, so what are we going to work on?" Sakura asked, looking around.
"I'm thinking about electricity currents," Minako said, settling down.
"Sounds interesting. Hope no one gets shocked," Tanjiro looked worried, thinking off all the cases that were on the television of people getting shocked to death…
"How're we going to do it, get a potato alarm clock?" Sakura asked.
"Iie, we're going to see how many time you can shock someone before they develop brain cells." Syaoran shot back with sarcasm
"Well, we'll just do the opposite of what you tell us, cause whatever you did backfired."
"We'll get a lot more done if we don't just sit around insulting each other?" Minako interjected, "does anyone have any ideas on how we can find a project?"
"I don't know, maybe we can ask Maiya-sensei." Tanjiro said, raising his voice before calling out to the teacher, "Maiya-sensei, we don't know what experiment to do."
"Well you can see what materials currents can move though best. Like if you used steel instead of copper would it work better?"
"Probably," said Syaoran.
"Well, set up a hypothesis and then get to work!"
"Yeah, it sounds interesting enough," remarked Sakura.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At lunch after fourth period
"Well Meiling-chan why you came back?" Tomoyo asked
"What you not happy to see me?" Meiling said
"Of coarse I am." Tomoyo said
"Well, I don't know my own self."
"So I heard that you and Hiiragizawa-kun are a couple.
"Well you heard right."
"You know, I think Sakura-chan is going to get you back with all the time you taped her." Meiling said
"I don't even think she know how to use a camera." Tomoyo said
"Oi, Sorry I'm late I had to do something." Sakura said running toward them
"Sakura-chan, you're always late." Tomoyo said
"I know." Sakura said laughing nervously
"Oh Sakura-chan, I missed recording you in your fight the next time you fight I got a kawaii suit for you to wear. Ohohoho." Tomoyo said
"Okay, I'm afraid to even see what it is." Sakura said
"Trust me it'll look kawaii. On you, you can come to Meiling-chan." Tomoyo said
"I'm coming to see the latest creation." Meiling said
"What exactly is it anyway?" Sakura asked unsurely "Then again I'm afraid to ask." Sakura thought
"You'll see after school." Tomoyo said
Eriol and Syaoran walking towards him
"Hey there." Eriol said
"Hey Eriol-kun." Sakura said
"Hey Eriol and Li-kun." Tomoyo said
"Hey Hiiragizawa-kun and Syaoran-kun." Meiling said
"Hey." They said
"So a week without our little buddies showing up, what you think going on?" Eriol said
"I don't know, but they have to show their faces again." Syaoran said
"We don't even know who it is." Sakura said
"Well better the mystery, eh." Eriol said
"You can say the strangest things sometimes." Syaoran said
"Well…" Eriol started off
Bell rings
"Well lunch over." Sakura said
"Well see you at P.E." Sakura said
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*At 7th period (The end of the day)*
"I don't think we have sports today," Syaoran said, walking towards a tree.
Eriol, who was walking with him, nodded. "Koto-sensei told us to meet him here, and I don't think that they've finished painting the blacktop – what happened? I don't feel any magic…"
Syaoran shook his head, pointing. "One of two girls in the world who can get on my nerves is walking over here. Damn."
"Well Syao-kun will you consider my offer?" Arai Aya said as she came near the tree, pouting her lips in what she thought was a provocative manner.
"First of all, don't ever call me Syao-kun ever again, second of all read my lips, I do not EVER want to go out with YOU, did I make that clear?"
"Well you're going to give in eventually," she said, turning around and walking off, her ultra-super-pull down micro-mini folded over uniform skirt swaying dangerously while her ripped-cut-and-folded-to-death shirt bounced precariously enough to turn this story R in a hurry.
"If I do I have to be smoking something very strong," Syaoran mumbled while Eriol laughed.
"Well, kawaii descendent-chiibi, I never thought you could be so cruel."
"Do not call me that ever again, but honestly could even you go out with her?"
"And lose any inkling of reputation I have? I think not."
"Inkling? Come on, admit it man, the entire female population digs the two of us." Syaoran flexed his arm muscles (from a solid decade of sword fighting) and chuckled.
"Hai, and I think you dig a certain green-eyed brown-haired Card Mistress that goes to our school."
"I think you and Meiling would go great together, you both love torturing me."
"Maybe because you can't admit the truth."
"Maybe I should show Daidouji some baby pictures of you, I'm sure she would love it."
"Blackmail! What have you come to in pursuit of my daughter, my kawaii descendant-chiibi?" He clutched his heart, pretending to die in that way that only those who have actually died can.
"I do not! And don't call me that!" he yelled. It was then he noticed that it was very quiet outside…the whole class was staring at him.
"Ano, nothing to see, move along now." he said, chuckling nervously. Damn.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey Sakura-chan, I didn't know you still had P.E. class," Meiling said.
"Yeah, what luck."
"Oh, Sakura-chan, I can't wait till I show you my newest creation! Li-kun will faint when he sees you!"
Meiling paused for a moment and thought of a chiibi-Syaoran with a nosebleed on the ground.
"Tomoyo-chan be sure to bring your camera for that one," Meiling said laughing
"Do I ever forget it?" she said, holding up a mini camera (not to be released for another three years).
Sakura and Meiling sweat dropped.
"Mou, never," Sakura moaned, "and look at that expression on Koto-sensei's face. It's so happy, I know that something horrid is in the works."
"Well class, today we are going to have a scavenger hunt!" Koto-sensei said.
Class groans/"Oh, how kawaii! I can tape Sakura-chan!"
"You'll be getting three things if you do this: one, you'll learn more about your partners, two, you'll learn if you can trust them, and three, you will have an yu in P.E."
"A semester with at least one yu? That's enough motivation for me," Meiling said, remembering that first report card…
"Okay! Kinomoto, Li one group. If you'd come up as a group after I call your names…"
Are they plotting something against me, putting me with... Sakura was about to yell at The Powers That Be when someone interrupted.
*I don't think you should think mean thoughts if you can't guard your mind...who knows, the person you talk about might be listening 'accidentally' and get crushed.**You are so rude, don't read someone's thoughts without their permission.* She frowned at him, then crossed her eyes as he placed a finger on her forehead. "Hey…what the?"
"Just be quiet Kinomoto, maybe now you won't broadcast your thoughts on 98.4, Sakura FM." He walked off towards the teacher, taking a map and bringing it back.
Sakura studied it silently. "To get the next map, we have to go here."
A nod was her only reply.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I never knew that it was so dense in here," Sakura said, pushing away branches.
"Mmm. I think we should turn this way," Syaoran said, only half-listening.
"Are you sure?"
"Nani, you don't trust me?"
"I don't know," she replied, pretending to consider the thought.
"After all the times we've fought side by side, here I thought you trust me," Syaoran pouted, pretending to be hurt.
Sakura giggled. "How do I know you didn't purposely lead us off course?"
"Oh, woe is me, you figured out my evil plan to lead the fair damsel to a desolate forest path," his voice cracked, "so that I can pursue my dream of mental insanity. What, did you think I wanted to kiss you or something?"
"Maybe you had that in mind."
"Maybe I did."
Soon they just burst out laughing at their antics
"You were the only person I could joke around with like that," Syaoran said, a slightly wistful tone in his voice.
"Sometimes I miss that," Sakura replied. There was a pause as they continued walking, until she spoke again. "So, Marco Polo, where are we?"
"In the middle of the woods on school property."
"No, really? I know that, but where in the woods?"
"Right in front of the next clue."
"Oh, it's on the tree."
"Lets see what it says. Ano…you see me in the sky, but the ground is my home, I come from the smallest thing, but I grow into the biggest thing, figure out what I am, and you will find your next clue. U+M. Nani?"
Sakura sat down, dejected. "Anda-chan has it good, she got Eriol-kun."
"Yeah, and Daidouji is pretty good at riddles too."
"Oh, I know what it is now!"
"Nani?" Syaoran asked, slightly put out that she had figured it out first.
"You're pretty smart, I'm sure you know if you look around."
"Oh I see, only pretty smart."
"Let's see now where is it?" Sakura asked herself, walking around.
"You know, talking to yourself is a sign of insanity."
"The rest can be found if you look in a mirror."
"Oh, good one, Kinomoto."
"Ah, arigato, I know that true greatness shows results. There it is," she said, pointing to the base of an oak tree.
"…who would have thought a of a riddle for a tree?"
"Never mind that, here's the map for our last destination."
"On the other side of the spring. Well, let's go." He took off with all the surefootedness of a wolf.
Sakura eyed the roots with misgivings, trying to catch up to him. Come on, please please please... She felt her foot snag on a hidden bump just as she turned a small corner before the stream, and felt herself fall. A small shriek slipped out of her mouth as she fell towards the stream, with its rocks and twigs…
She closed her eyes, bracing for pain, as she fell onto a warm, firm surface. I didn't die already, did I? Opening her eyes slowly, she shrieked again as she met the bored amber eyes of Syaoran. She jumped up immediately, flinching as she slipped on a wet rock and plunged deeper into the ever-frigid water.
"You're pretty clumsy you know."
"And you're pretty dumb. Come on, get up." She held out her hand, shivering as he took it and came up right by her face, giving her a nice view of his rock-hard chest through his soaked shirt…Sakura no baka, what are you thinking?
"Well seems like I don't have to wash tonight."
"Iie," she smiled, "and arigato for saving me. Oh, I sound so melodramatic, don't I?" She paused as he brought his hand to her face, softly brushing back a strand of hair that had escaped and sending tingles through her cheek.
"Don't want explain to the nurse on how you got that lovely cut above you eye, now do you?"
Sakura shook her head slowly, making his finger rub against her cheek. She closed her eyes as he brought his hand over the cut, sighing as the warm glow of healing magic came through her closed eyelids. When she opened her eyes, he was already on the bank of the river, trying to dry his pants using an ofuda.
Sometimes he does look out for me, maybe that's on of the many reasons why I love him. Sakura hugged herself
"Princess Clumsy, ready to go?"
Sakura was brought back to earth with a crash. "Alright, Prince of the Dorks."
They walked, exchanging playful banter all the way until they came upon a clue.
"What do you know, we've been duped," Sakura said, with an anime sweat drop.
"I was lying, so you'd better work for those yu's," Syaoran read out loud.
"Mou, Koto-sensei is so mean!" Sakura kicked the ground.
"That dirty old hag, she had us doing all that, and for what? Nothing," Syaoran mumbled to himself.
"Now look whose the head case."
"Princess Clumsy, do want your escort back to school?" He extended his arm out, somehow bowing at the same time.
"Oh, gomen nasai, demo my otou-san says be careful of wet dirty boys; you may never know what they're up to," she replied, holding her hand to her heart.
"I knew I should have listened to my ma-ma. She said when you see someone who look like a kaijuu, run as fast as you can in the opposite direction!" He began running away, smiling over his shoulder.
"Mou, get back here! No-one calls me a kaijuu and gets away with it! You…gajin, get back here!" She shook her head, running after him.
"Might as well run back to school, huh?" he slowed down just a tad so that she could catch up, then both settled into a 'comfortable' pace (somewhere around breaking the sound barrier, for us normal folks).
"I'll get you later."
"Confucius say, when a kaijuu threatens you, run like crazy."
She slapped him upside the head.
"Oi! I thought you said you quit," Syaoran said, rubbing his head and running at the same time.
"I let the first one go, demo you should have stopped there." She paused at the entrance of the school to catch her breath, and felt him do the same.
"Clumsy-hime, you ready to go in?"
She smiled back. "With pleasure, Dork-kun."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Inside the school*
(Everybody turns and stares at Syaoran and Sakura as they walk into the building.)
"So, ano, Syaoran-kun, why are you wet?" Meiling asked.
"Well Miss Clumsy here tripped and brought me along with her."
Sakura glares at him. "Well, I didn't ask for a knight in shining armour to come rescue me, did I?"
"How do we know you didn't do more than that, hmm?" Eriol joined in.
"Tell me, how you related to me again?" Syaoran cracked his fist, noting with interest the slight fear in Eriol's eyes.
"Trust me, nothing happened. Matte, where's Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura asked, looking around.
"Ohohoho! I'm right here," Tomoyo said, walking up with her camera in her hand, "Sakura, don't we need to do something?"
"Ano, I need to go change? Meet you by the Penguin Park," Sakura said, confused.
Both boys nodded and walked off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*At Tomoyo's house*
"Sakura-chan, come out already," Tomoyo said, waiting by the curtain of her dressing room.
"Ano, aren't I just a little too young for this?" Sakura said.
"Since Tomoyo-chan made it, it's a good costume, but even still, Sakura-chan, it's not revealing," Meiling said.
"Hai, hai…I'll come out." She stepped out of the room shyly.
"Oh, Sakura-chan is so kawaii!" Tomoyo squealed.
Sakura spun around in front of the mirror, admiring the craftsmanship on the outfit she was wearing: a black tank top with a touch of pink on hem, and black pants that were slightly tight at the thigh, then flared out.
"I'd like to see Syaoran's face when he looks at you," Meiling said, giggling.
Tomoyo had barely started imaging the face when she burst out in peals of laughter. "Oh, yes I'm going to film that."
"Are you sure these are clothes I could wear to the mall? Or clothes that I could wear anywhere?" she eyed her reflection Or I could just put this all the way in the back of the closet for a couple of decades.
"Would you really refuse something I laboured hours over?" Tomoyo said with puppy dog eyes, pushing her automatic Magnetron 3003 sewing machine under her bed..
'Damn, not the puppy dog eyes...' Sakura thought, "Okay, hai, I'll do it." She was about to grab her coat when a familiar feeling of black magic enveloped her, sickening her. Oh please don't tell me it's that magic, great...
"Well, what that is?" Tomoyo asked.
"From the look of it, is that your new enemy?" Meiling asked
"Hai."
"Now I finally get to tape you!"
"Oh, let's just go."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Penguin Park*
"As Tomoeda's Card Mistress arrives at the hiding place of our enemy, all is calm… for now," Tomoyo said while circling Sakura with her camera.
"Tomoyo-chan, why do you have to do a voice-over?"
"It's my new hobby, journalism."
Sakura sweat dropped, still searching with all of her sixth sense for any sign of a demon. Around five minutes later, she threw her hands up in frustration. "There's nothing out here!"
"SAKURA! BEHIND YOU!" Tomoyo screamed, pointing at a raging fireball.
"TIME! JUMP!" Sakura jumped on top of the slide, surveying the scene quickly. Can't defeat it like this. Fireball means fire demon, counterattack with watery, maybe mist. Better call time back before I run out of energy. The scene unfroze itself, but she was ready.
"WATERY!" she paused for a breath as the fireball stopped mere metres from where they were standing. "Meiling-chan, come here. I need you."
"Nani?"
"I need you to freeze it, I know you can channel magic. I'll lure it over to you by being a decoy, hai?"
"Syaoran is going to have my neck if you get hurt."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Sakura-chan, you can be so dense sometimes."
"Well, what do you mean?"
"Talk later, kick some demon ass now. I'll be the decoy and you attack."
"…hai. You sure about this?"
Meiling didn't respond, already running up to the source of the fireball. Throwing up her bracelet, she yelled, "Oi! Demon! I command thee, show thyself!"
Sakura gasped as strands of silvery magic flew out and grabbed something, pulling it into the light. Something big, fat, and covered in flames. "Meiling! Get out of there!"
"Not until you do something with it!"
Sakura screamed as streams of fire began to fly against Meiling, who flipped and dived away from them.
"Sakura! Do it! NOW! ARG!"
Sakura screamed again as one stray beam hit her in the shoulder, hurling her into a tree, where she slumped and didn't get up. "Meiling! MEILING!"
Tomoyo shook her head. "Sakura, you have to do something! FAST!"
Sakura watched, as if in slow motion, as the demon noticed Tomoyo and casually flung a fireball her direction. Jamming her hand into her pocket, she picked out two cards with deadly accuracy and threw them in front of her.
"MIST! WATERY! I command you, bind together and become the chains that destroy!" she channelled raw magic through her body as the two cards screeched through the air towards the demon, slamming into him with a nauseating thud. It began to scream, high and piercingly, as the water ate away at its flesh like burning acid. Soon, all that was left of it was a small puddle of shimmering goo, which contracted and then exploded into oblivion. Sakura took a deep breath, and then ran towards the tree.
"Meiling! Meiling! Wake up, please!" Sakura shook her friend, tears spilling down her cheeks as her head lolled limply. "Iie! Meiling! IIE!"
"Stand aside."
Sakura sat back on her heels, sobbing, as Syaoran held his hands over the wound, which was beginning to turn a nasty brown colour. She watched as he sat down, closing his eyes to better concentrate. Tomoyo drew her away, a false smile on her face.
"Sakura-chan, you were great out there."
"I couldn't done it without Meiling-chan," she replied, a scared look on her face, "why is it taking him so long? He heals in an instant! Tomoyo, what if…what if he can't heal her?"
"Can't heal who?"
Sakura and Tomoyo whipped around to see Meiling sit up, looking around confusedly. "Where's the demon? I swear, there was a demon right there…Sakura…breathe…leggo…"
Sakura sat back, smiling widely. "You're okay!"
"Think you could knock me off that easily?"
Sakura shook her head, and then launched herself at Syaoran. "You did it! You did it!" She released him, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"It's okay…what the hell happened here?"
"Well, a little incident…heh heh…" Sakura raised her arm to push her hair back, forgetting she had a short shirt on…
"Ka-kami…s-sama…a-a-ano…"
"Hoeee, your nose is bleeding! Daijoubu?"
Tomoyo and Meiling cackled evilly as Sakura tried to help him stop his nosebleed by reaching up…raising the hem slightly higher…and increasing his blood pressure…
"Ano, w-w-well if-f n-n-nothing h-h-happens here I-I-I might as well go."
"Iie, stay a little while Syaoran-kun," Meiling said, still laughing.
"Sure, we don't mind if you stay," Tomoyo said, giggling.
"You two are evil. I came here to get away from evil females, and look what I got," Syaoran muttered.
"You didn't stutter that time because…"
"Meiling!" He yelled
"Um, minna, what are you laughing at?" Sakura asked.
"Well, just look in front of you," Tomoyo replied.
"HOOOEEE! I forgot I had this on. It's cold…"
"Here, you can borrow my jacket," he handed it to her, not looking until he was positive that it was securely in place.
"I is thinking that someone is thinking bad thoughts, I am," Meiling whispered, nudging her cousin in the ribs.
Syaoran just looked the other way as a response.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey there, I just wanted to finish this chapter on my last days of freedom. Would have been finish earlier, but I was too lazy to open it. By that I mean my last days of summer vacation. I finish this on the 13th, but you will see it later. Well you know where I said that they hate each other, I lied. It's much more complex that. Well I tried to make the end funny. Tried. Well the next chapter is going to have a little E+T in it. Those of you reading Pure and Simple, I got writer's block. Well gomen if this is a bad chapter. I'm a horrible writer. Only thing I go by is never good up on a story on matter how little reviews you get. But I'm a little tired of seeing author asking should they stop writing their story. Personally I think don't start a story if you just going to give up on. What if Shakespeare just gave up on his writing, then we would never read, A mid-night summer dream, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, or none of it. Let me end the little rant. Well until I update again.
Sincerely,
~Anime Queen~ aka Amazonian Anime Queen.
Betaed by wicherwill.
P.S. If you want me to e-mail you, put it in your review