I Love Her? I Love Her Not?
By: PnAiXr0sE8
Disclaimer: I don't own Card Captor Sakura.
~~~~~
Chapter 12: 'It's Shun!!'
Shun slowly walked towards the school leisurely. He had gotten up early and had left as soon as he could. In fact, Kozue was still snoozing.
He looked at his watch.
7:15
He had around 45 minutes before school started.
He sighed. Shun had no idea what to do about what the adults explained to them last night.
'Otou-san…you can't just do that to us!'
FLASHBACK
"Get ready, Shun. I'll be attacking for real this time," Syaoran said, holding out a blunt sword in front of him. He got into an attacking position.
An 8-year-old Shun nodded silently as he too got into position.
Syaoran and Shun had been training for an hour and were heavily drenched with sweat.
Without warning, his father attacked leaving barely any time for Shun to respond.
But Shun quickly ducked from his father's blunt sword.
Syaoran paused a few yards feet from him.
"Good job, Shun. Always be ready for surprise attacks like that and get ready for a counter attack," Syaoran praised slightly grinning in pride.
Then he attacked again, slashing the sword horizontally.
Shun blocked it with his sword.
Syaoran quickly recovered and swiftly maneuvered his sword and brought it to Shun's neck.
Shun's eyes quickly closed tightly, waiting for the impact from the blunt sword. Even though it was blunt, it would still hurt.
But the impact never came.
Instead he felt his father flick his nose with his fingers.
Shun opened his eyes.
"Why do you always do that whenever the elders or Yelen-sama aren't around?" Shun asked.
Syaoran sat on the grass, throwing his dull sword aside. Shun sat next to him.
"Well, my mother and the elders always want me to train you the hard way," Syaoran explained.
Shun blinked. "The hard way? You mean this isn't hard?"
Syaoran laughed. "Sorry if it's tough. But when I was young, it was even harder."
"Even harder? How?"
"Well, first of all, they started training me when I was 5. I started training you last year, when you were 7."
"FIVE?!" Shun asked in shock, looking up at his father's brown bangs.
Syaoran nodded. "And what's even worse, even though they used blunt swords, they always hit me. They didn't stop, like what I did to you just now.
"So basically, Yelan-sama and the Elders want you to train me as you were trained."
Syaoran nodded. "I admit that it worked…but it hurt too."
Shun blinked. "If it works and makes you become strong…then why don't you just hit me instead of just flicking me on the nose all the time?"
Syaoran gave a half grin. "Well…I don't want you to get hurt, and knowing that I was the one who hurt you would just make me feel bad."
"But I want to be just as strong as you, Otou-san! You can hurt me if it makes you stronger!" Shun announced.
Syaoran grinned but then frowned. "If I'm too hard on you, you'll someday turn out to be what I was before…"
"What were you before?"
"I was cold-hearted. I didn't care about anything or anybody."
Shun just blinked in bafflement.
Syaoran chuckled but sighed afterwards. "I'm afraid you're going to be that way anyway, Shun…"
"If cold-hearted is such a bad thing, why don't you protect me from it?"
"Well," Syaoran said quietly, "I won't be home much of the time…making it almost impossible for me to even talk to you…and you'll have to be trained by whoever Yelan-sama picks to train you. And that person would be very hard on you." Syaoran sighed and looked into his son's emerald eyes, "I'm sorry, I probably won't be there when you need me…I wish I myself could train you…"
Shun pouted. "You mean you won't train me anymore? But I like how you train me!!"
Syaoran laughed. "Thanks…but when you get older…I don't think I will be able to train you…I'll be really busy…"
"Is there a way to be cured by the cold-hearted disease?" Shun asked innocently.
Syaoran chuckled. "It's not a disease…it's just how someone is…"
"Oh."
"And yes, there is a way to be cured by it."
"How?"
Syaoran smiled. "You have to fall in love!"
"EWWWW!!!!!"
Suddenly, a 10-year-old girl with amber eyes appeared behind Shun.
"Aww!! But loving someone is so KAWAII, Shun!!!" Kozue exclaimed, her eyes glimmering.
Shun stuck out his tongue. "No it's not! Kero told me that loving someone and always being with them for the rest of your life is just plain gruesome, whatever that means…"
Sakura appeared from the house with Kero sitting on her shoulder. She was carrying a tray with a pitcher of cold iced tea and a couple of glasses. She also had two towels for Syaoran and Shun.
Sakura glared at Kero. "He said that? He said that being with the one you love is gruesome?"
She handed Shun and Syaoran the towels and they wiped themselves with it.
Shun nodded as Kero sweat dropped.
"Well, what do you think, Syaoran?" Sakura suddenly asked.
"Wh-Wha?! What are you talking about?"
"Do you think staying with the one you love is gruesome?" she said with a teasing voice that Syaoran didn't pick up.
"Of-Of course not!!!!" Syaoran suddenly got up and hugged her affectionately from behind.
Sakura giggled. "I was only teasing."
"See, Shun? Staying with the one you love isn't gruesome!" Kozue said happily, "Just look at Otou-san and Okaa-san!!! They love each other!!! If they didn't, we wouldn't have been born!!"
Shun blinked. "What do you mean, Kozue? How do kids get born anyway?"
Sakura and Syaoran sweat dropped.
"Kozue, don't teach your brother those things," Sakura said smiling.
Kozue nodded. "Hai, hai…"
"Well, let's have some iced tea!" Sakura said setting the tray down on the grass.
But then they saw that the iced tea was already half empty.
They all looked at a certain little yellow stuffed animal.
"KERO!!!!"
Kero just shrugged sheepishly as they all laughed.
END OF FLASHBACK
'Even though, it I feel so upset about it…why can't I just friggin cry?!'
"You were right, Otou-san," Shun said softly to himself, "I did turn out to be cold-hearted…but it's not your fault."
Since he was ten, Syaoran was forced to attend more and more meetings with Elders and other important people. Yelan eventually assigned the job of training Kozue and Shun to another man, who was just plain strict. Shun still had some scars to prove it.
Shun remembered that whenever Syaoran had rarely come home, he had always avoided him, thinking that it was his father's fault that the cold man had to train them.
'I have to talk to him later…I have to tell him that it's not his fault that I turned out to be cold-hearted…'
As he neared the school's open gate, he spotted someone on the school steps.
~~~~~
"Aren't you a little early, Shun?" Toji asked.
"Aren't you?"
Toji shook his head. "Nope I'm supposed to be cleaning the classroom."
"Why aren't you then?"
Toji sweat dropped.
'Shun is very blunt guy…jeez…always going right for the point…'
"Umm…let's just say I didn't think the classroom was dirty enough," Toji replied.
Shun grunted. "So you got up for nothing?"
"Actually I wanted to talk to you…and I knew you'd be early."
They were silent for a couple of minutes. Shun was dreading what Toji was about to say next. He knew Toji would ask about the whole 'Katana thing.'
"…You know I'll ask, right Shun?" Toji asked quietly.
Shun sighed. "Yeah."
"…How are you and Kozue doing since last night?" Toji said.
"Fine."
"That's good."
"Yeah."
Toji thought for awhile. "So what will you do about Katana?"
Shun was silent.
'What am I supposed to do?! Just let my father die?! Well what else can I do? There's only one other option…'
Shun looked at Toji straight in the eye. "…I'll t-take his place instead."
Toji's jaw dropped. "WHAT?! You're joking right?! I was expecting you to say, 'Oh let's find another way,' or something but not this!!! Do you know what you're saying?"
But Toji already knew that Shun was serious, just by the look in his eyes.
Shun nodded. "I've been thinking about it and-"
"Well think about it some more! You're just gonna die just like that? Remember what the adults said? Katana will just escape again?! What's the point?" Toji asked.
"The point is, I don't want my father to die," Shun said.
"Well, you're crazy!! Anyway, it's supposed to be the Li Clan Leader. And you're not the Leader just yet!"
Shun looked at him angrily. "Well I'm going to be whether I like it or not!!! So when I am the Leader, and Katana comes, I'll have to kill myself anyway. So it doesn't really matter."
Toji sighed. "You're impossible. What ever happened to 'We have to find another way!?'"
"I gave up on that idea. You heard them, there is no other way."
"Well, we are going to find another way!! UNDERSTAND?!" Toji said angrily starting to stand up.
He stood right in front of Shun.
Shun glared at him.
"THERE IS NO OTHER WAY!!!!!!!!!"
"THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER WAY!!!" Toji insisted, "Look, I can be as stubborn as you so just give up."
Shun scowled at him.
"Whatever. But if we find no other way, I'll be doing whatever I want, no matter what."
Toji frowned. "Fine. Go ahead and waste your life on some stupid Katana!"
Then he raced through the school door and went up to his classroom.
'Cousins are so annoying…'
~~~~~
"Great…just great…" Shun said silently to himself as he sat on the school steps.
'The day after we finally find out about Katana, my cousin/best friend and I have a fight. Great…just great…this day is just gonna be a blast isn't it?'
Shun sighed aloud.
"I don't want anyone to get hurt…so, I'll just do it myself…" Shun looked up at the blue sky, "Is that a good idea?…Well…either way…I have to tell Himiko about how I feel about her……tomorrow…I'll tell her tomorrow…for sure…"
He breathed in some air in nervousness.
~~~~~
"Ohayo Himiko…" Eriol and Tomoyo said as they saw their daughter emerging from her room, all dressed up for school already.
Eriol was busily trying to get all his stuff ready for a Li Clan meeting he was called to be at as Tomoyo carefully fixed lunches. She was also getting ready to go to the fashion studio, where she was the founder, and manager of.
(A/N: hehe of course Tomoyo's working in the fashion business!! It's Tomoyo, after all!! ^_^)
Himiko gave them a small smile. "Ohayo…"
Tomoyo looked at her daughter carefully. "Are you still worried about Shun and Kozue?"
Himiko nodded. "I hope they're all right with the …umm…news."
Tomoyo tapped Himiko's shoulder. "Don't worry. They're strong."
Himiko just nodded slowly. Then she saw her father looking at the morning paper.
"Umm…otou-san…is it possible to find another way?"
Eriol sighed wearily. "We've tried to find every single way…but…I'm sorry, we haven't found another way."
Himiko looked down at her school shoes.
"Well Himiko, here's your lunch," Tomoyo said handing her a lunch, "We have to go now. But hey, we're working on some new designs today. Hey maybe you can model them for me when I get home!"
Himiko smiled. She liked trying on different the new designs that her mother has made. If you look in her closet, you'll find about a hundred different kinds already. She often shared them with Kozue.
Himiko nodded. "Okay."
Tomoyo's eyes got starry. "Maybe you can get Kozue to come too! After all, she's Sakura-chan's daughter!!!" she squealed happily.
Himiko nodded while her father sweat dropped.
Tomoyo nodded. "So, make sure that when you come home, bring Kozue! Oh and bring that new girl, Kumei too! She's that pretty, smart, kawaii type!!!" Tomoyo added with glittery eyes.
Himiko nodded as she waved to her parents who left out the back door.
Himiko smiled to herself.
'Okaa-san did a pretty good job on cheering me up…'
Himiko smiled as she slowly began her way to school.
She pictured a certain boy in her mind as she walked.
'Shun…I hope you're all right…And I hope you aren't about to do anything crazy…'
~~~~~
Kozue woke up and looked at the clock.
7:30
She jumped from her bed and leaped in the air.
'I'm not late!!!!!!! I actually have 30 minutes before school starts!!'
Suddenly Kero flew in sleepily. "HEY! Stop with the noise!!!"
"Gomen…"
They stared at each other for awhile in silence.
At first Kozue was confused at why he was just looking at her but then it finally sank it; he was wondering if she was okay from last night.
Kozue sighed. "I'm fine, Kero!"
"Okay…okay…just wanted to make sure. Y-You were crying quite a lot…I was worried about you…"
"Thanks…But still," Kozue started as she undressed (Kero was facing the other way), "Don't you know even a single way to stop Otou-san from sacrificing himself?"
Kero let out a sigh. "Sorry Kozue. I know you and your brother really care for your father but there isn't a single thing we could think of. If we did we'd do it. You know how much Sakura loves him and how much his friends care for him. But we just can't figure out another way…"
Kozue finished dressing and was now combing her shoulder length hair.
"But isn't there something in Clow Reed's books? Some legend or something like that?"
"I'm sorry but there is no le-" suddenly Kero stopped in mid-sentence, "legend…….LEGEND!! THAT'S IT!!!!!!"
"Kero?" Kozue looked at the stuffed doll (author gets glare from Kero ^_^`), err…I mean guardian beast with a baffled expression.
Kero flew to Kozue face and hugged her. "THAT'S IT, KOZUE!!! THE LEGEND!!! THE LEGEND!!!!!!"
"What legend? What are you talking about?" Kozue asked.
"There was a legend long ago!! Meiling told us about it before! It went like this:
'The old evil will arise once again, bringing fear to those who know him.
As done several times before, a Li will fight him for the safety of the person he most cares about.
The boy, at age thirteen, will fight the evil one.
As done before, the boy will have to sacrifice his life.
But to the surprise of everyone, including his parents who had experienced this before, he vanquishes the evil, no harm done to him or anyone else.
The evil one is gone, for eternity, and the green-eyed boy will once again live in happiness with his love.'
But the boy in the legend wasn't Syaoran when he faced Katana!!! So the legend has to be talking about right now, right? It has to be!"
Kozue nodded, starting to understanding. "I see! But who else could it be?"
Kero brought his paw to his chin and sat in mid-air. "Let's go by the legend. I'm sure there has to be clues in it. Let's see... 'The old evil will arise once again, bringing fear to those who know him. As done several times before, a Li will fight him for the safety of the person he most cares about-'"
"Stop right there! It said 'a Li' so the boy is probably in the clan!" Kozue mused aloud.
Kero continued. "'The boy, at age thirteen, will fight the evil one'"
Kozue thought about the words. "The boy is thirteen years old…hmm…there are a lot of thirteen year olds in the clan. We need more information. Go on, Kero."
"'As done before the boy will have to sacrifice his life. But to the surprise of everyone, including his parents who had experienced this before, he vanquishes the evil, no harm done to him or anyone else.'" Kero said.
Kozue felt the color drain out of her face.
''parents who had experienced this before'…Mom and Dad have experienced fighting Katana…'
"G-Go on, Kero…" Kozue said softly.
" 'The evil one is gone, for eternity, and the green-eyed boy will once again live in happiness with his love'……….hmm……UGH!!! I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING, KOZUE!!!!" Kero shouted in frustration.
But Kozue's amber eyes just stared into the air.
Kero looked at her in confusion.
"Kozue?"
He waved his small yellow paw in front of her eyes.
"Kozue, you're really pale! Ah…stop! You're starting to freak me out!!!" Kero said.
Kozue breathed in. "Kero…I-I know who it is…"
Kero's eyes lit up. "WHO!?"
"It's........Shun…"
"WHA?!?!?! How-?"
"Don't you see? It's Shun! He's a Li…He's the son of the parents who have experienced facing Katana before…He's thirteen…and he has green eyes!!! Kero! It's Shun I tell you!!!" Kozue said in a panic.
Kero nodded his round yellow head. "Yeah…that's all true. But what about where it says; 'the green-eyed boy will once again live in happiness with his love'? Who is his love?"
"That's easy…that's Himiko of course!" Kozue exclaimed.
Kero thought carefully. "But…what about where it says… 'a Li will fight for the safety of the person he most cares about'?"
Kozue put a finger to her chin. "For the safety of the person he most cares about…." Her eyes widened in realization, "KERO, KATANA'S GONNA HURT HIMIKO!!!!!!!!!!"
TO BE CONTINUED…
~~~~~
A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger!!! ^__^' Please don't be mad!
Well, I'll be leaving for California probably pretty soon, so I wanted to update at least one more time. I hope you like this chapter!! It's just basically telling you that Kozue and Kero know about the legend which is from the prequel 'I Just Wanted a Normal Life'. Oh and now you know why Shun is really mean. Ehhh…not much love between anybody in this chapter…I promise I'll put some in the next chapter…Sorry!!! Oh and I'm really sorry if it's confusing!!! Well I'm tired so…see ya!
R+R PLEASE!
Comments welcome! Flames ignored!
~Pnaixr0se8
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[12:00am, July 17, 2003]