Sigh, I tried again to break up the long paragraphs, hopefully more
successfully this time. Thank you for your advice Kelvin but, the current
issue with paragraphing is the fact that for some reason it's taking out
half of my return bar breaks. Hopefully this will work this time.
I'll probably repost the other chapters too if it does ^.^;
Thanks for the review!
*..* are various dream sequences
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS. But then I don't own a lot of things. Meh.
"Mistress was right! There are so many beautiful fabrics here Sakura! I think I'm going to buy some! I've been meaning to make something for you for some time now."
"Hoe? I can barely carry my bag as it is, Tomoyo. I don't need more clothes!"
"Not clothes. I want to make a bag, or two, about the size of oh.this," she said holding up her hands at what she thought were the approximate dimensions of the Cards.
Instantly Sakura understood. "That would be great actually. Could you make one that would match the clothes that I have to wear? That way it wouldn't look so special and out of place. It could blend in."
"Of course, Sakura, I'm going to make them match! What do you think of me?" Tomoyo rolled her eyes and proceeded to look at fabrics.
"While you look, I'm going to stop by in the book store for a moment. I might be able to find a gift for my father. You know how much he loves interesting books."
Tomoyo nodded absently. Sakura smiled and exited the shop, careful to keep her eyes lowered and her hood up. She was very grateful that the weather was so cool or else she would feel like she was walking in an oven all day. Also she would probably look a little out of place, which is exactly what Li didn't want.
Quietly she entered the stores and began perusing the titles. Normally she would ask the bookkeeper but that would mean making eye contact and again, she didn't want to do that. After a minute she became so preoccupied with scanning the titles that she bumped into a fellow shopper and turned quickly to apologize.
"I'm sor- Naoko!" she nearly shouted in surprise.
"Sakura!" Lady Naoko replied, as shocked as the princess.
The two girls hugged each other then separated again smiling. "I have been looking everywhere for you! When your father's died you just disappeared and no one heard from you again. We were so worried!"
The girl grew somber but soon smiled again. "I'm sorry, Sakura. But I just had to get away from court. Father was the one who really enjoyed being there the most and mom was so despondent. So I decided to leave the gentry life, or most of it, behind and set up shop as a writer in this village. The clerk," she said gesturing to the desk, "handles the printing and sells them in his very own store. I've made some money that way."
"Really? What do you write?"
"Ghost stories," she responded immediately. "And occasionally a fantasy story."
Sakura winced. "Figures. Sometime you have to write a book that I can read though, okay, Naoko."
"Sure thing Sakura." She smiled and then both girls just stopped to smile at each other and realize how much they had missed each other over the past couple years.
"Oh! You have to come eat with us! Tomoyo is here as well and would love to see and talk with you."
"Of course, but only if you tell me why you are here to begin with. Especially without your entourage, which I know is strictly forbidden by your brother."
"I know. As if he were my parent," Sakura laughed. "I'll tell you everything. In fact," she said glancing at the pendant she wore with a watch on it. "I'm late! Come on, Li and Tomoyo will be angry for me keeping them waiting. That is, if you are done looking?"
"All finished!" Naoko smiled. "Lead the way."
The girls wound their way through the town back to the small inn where Sakura briefly greeted the mistress before continuing in to meet with Li and Tomoyo. She threw the door of the dining room open and nearly shouted, "Tomoyo look who I found!"
"Naoko!" Tomoyo cried and raced over to hug her friend. "We were so worried about you!"
"I know, Sakura told me. She also promised me a good story so I followed her for lunch."
"But first, Naoko, this is Li Syaoran. Li this is Lady Yangisawa Naoko, who we call by her last name as well, for obvious reasons."
Li bowed and Naoko curtsied. They exchanged polite greetings but Naoko quickly gave a significant look to Tomoyo and Sakura who smiled mischievously. After they had sat down and eaten a bit, Naoko demanded to hear the tale of why they were in such a small town in the middle of nowhere without any of the other royals around.
So Sakura, Tomoyo and Li began the long tale, including Yue and Kero, who was currently asleep in the bedroom, and the Cards and a looming threat. Naoko soaked it up like a sponge and began to take notes.
"You have to promise me that when this is all over I can write this and get it published. I'll make a heap of gold!"
Sakura laughed but Li frowned. "You would endanger the princess' life so?"
"Li hush. She said specifically after it was all over. I'm sure by then there will be no danger of her making a story out of it. Besides it might be fun to have a way of making the danger seem less scary." Sakura shuddered. "Looming dangers, weird magic and the next thing you know there will be g-ghosts."
Li watched as the girl shuddered from her own word usage. "Only a little afraid are you?"
"Terrified. It's stupid but I can't help it." Sakura smiled gaily and Li paused yet again at this amazing girl who could laugh at her own fears. But then he had never seen her when she had been around a ghost and didn't know any better.
"Anyway, Naoko you can only write it if I illustrate it. I want to be the one who forever puts Sakura's likeness into history!" Tomoyo sighed dreamily and the others laughed a little tensely before letting the moment pass.
Naoko looked down at her watch and gasped. "Oh I'm sorry but I have to go! I'm also teaching at the local school and have to be there soon. Speaking of which, Ms. Mizuki teaches there too! She appeared quite randomly one day and comes and goes really but whenever she is in town she'll teach a class or two and the students really like her. If you aren't leaving tonight I'll send her this way." She looked at them questioningly as she finished her meal and rose.
"Of course, I'd love to see her again. We'll be here until early tomorrow morning so tell her to come by."
"Hmm, I think I heard her say that she was leaving tomorrow too. Maybe you are going in the same direction and can travel together."
"I hope so," Sakura smiled before she hugged her friend. "You have to promise, though, to come to my home if you want the rest of the story. Oh and, of course, don't tell anyone who asks that I was here. Or even what I look like!"
"Of course, Sakura, I don't want you hurt." She smiled and received a hug from Tomoyo and a polite bow from Li. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you again sometime soon. Stay safe!" She smiled and walked away, pulling out a book to read as she walked.
They stared after her for a moment before Li turned to the two girls and looked at them back and forth before turning to Sakura and saying, "You have very eccentric friends."
"What do you mean by that?" Sakura asked curiously and a little offended.
"Nothing. I need to get the rest of the supplies so I'll be out for awhile. I suggest you take a nap. You look a little strained and tired, princess. We can't have you fainting on the road. And I'm sure Tomoyo bought lots of fabric so she'll have something to do while you sleep."
Quietly he bowed to the two and left. They looked at each other and burst into laughter as they headed up the stairs. "And he calls us eccentric?"
When they reached the room, Sakura stretched out tiredly on the bed and was asleep in mere moments. Tomoyo watched her sadly for a moment before pulling out her fabric and retreating to the couch to work. A couple hours passed before Li returned and saw the princess still asleep, looking more tired in her sleep that she was awake. Tomoyo silently put a finger to her lips and then returned to her sewing.
Li nodded but looked at the sleeping beauty on the bed. She seemed so drained and drawn these past few days. The day before she had used three more Cards, totaling her use to not even a fifth of the deck and she already looked as if she hadn't slept in years. Unconsciously he stepped towards the bed, Tomoyo slyly looking on.
He hated to see the bags that were slowly forming beneath her beautiful eyes and wished that he could just wipe away all her troubles. The princess was a genuinely wonderful person and was the last person in the world who should have been dealt all these troubles. But she had been given them and she had bourn them well, smiling all the time and fussing over him as if he were the one having his Power sucked from him.
His fingers were almost caressing her face before he caught himself. As if he had touched fire, Li pulled his hand away and looked up and straight into the knowing eyes of Tomoyo. Silently he turned on his heel and left the room not knowing his thoughts but knowing that it was best he be alone in them rather than in company.
However he found himself denied when as soon as he stepped out of the door he came face to face with a tall auburn haired woman who seemed to be about the prince's age. She smiled at him.
"Li Xiao Lang, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Kaho Mizuki."
Li looked at this woman and in that moment knew that he couldn't trust her, but also knew in that same moment that the other two did and for better reason. "She's asleep and Tomoyo is sewing."
Kaho nodded vaguely. "I'm still going in."
Li grudgingly stepped aside, glaring at her the whole time. "Don't do anything stupid."
She smiled serenely and opened the door. It seemed that the small sound was all it took to wake Sakura who opened her sleep laden eyes and focused in on her old friend.
"Kaho!" she screamed, sitting up quickly and racing to embrace her long time friend. "I thought maybe Naoko was delusional. She sometimes gets lost in her own world you know."
"No, my dear friend, she wasn't lying. And I had a feeling you would be in town soon so I decided to come back. However I need to leave tomorrow morning and I heard you were too?"
Sakura nodded and led the older woman to the couch where Tomoyo greeted her.
"Ms. Mizuki, I haven't seen you in many years. Not since you and Touya went your separate ways."
The teacher smiled and took the mention of what could be a painful subject in stride. "I missed you very much Tomoyo. You were such a bright student. How have you been since I left? Are you still singing?"
"I would never stop that, Ms. Mizuki. But Sakura far surpasses me in talent now," her friend gushed.
Sakura blushed. "She's lying again, Kaho. I just don't know what to do with her. But which way are you going tomorrow?"
"East. There is a town two days up the road that I've been hired to teach at."
Sakura looked at Li pleadingly and he rolled his eyes but nodded. "Yay! Please, Kaho will you travel with us? We are headed that way too!"
"I'd love to, Sakura. When do you plan on leaving?" she asked looking at Li, the obvious decision maker.
"We need to leave early, so probably a half hour after sun up."
"I'll meet you here then. However, for now I must go. And you Sakura need to sleep well tonight before you waste away."
Sakura smiled. "I'm fine, never better actually. But I will cherish a warm soft bed for now. I can't wait for tomorrow though."
The group exchanged polite goodbye's before Kaho left and Li glared at the door behind her. Sakura noticed and frowned.
"Did I do wrong by inviting her, Li? Is there something the matter, I swear I wont tell her anything if you don't want me to!" She looked at him with such pleading eyes that he felt as if he were drowning.
"No, there is nothing wrong," he sighed. "I just don't know her yet. But I do suggest that you get some more sleep." Li looked at her worriedly, this time not stopping himself before he traced the bags under her eyes. "You look exhausted."
Sakura stared at him a moment before flushing and turning her head away. "Okay. I'll take another nap since I'm still tired. But if I sleep too much I won't sleep tonight."
For some reason everyone in the room doubted that statement, including Kero who had just woken up from his long nap at the tuggings of an unfamiliar Power. "Just sleep, Sakura. Then I'll show you some of the more interesting Card's when we ditch this teacher."
Sakura laughed and huddled into her pillow. It wasn't long before she fell asleep and continued to sleep long after Tomoyo and LI had retired for the night themselves.
? That night everyone in the small inn room dreamed. Normally it was not so unusual an occurrence, but this time there were two notable dreams. The dreams upset the dreamers so much that they tossed and turned, but then dreaming frequently does that to those gifted with the Power as Sakura soon realized.
? *Tomoyo found herself alone in her room at the castle. She was in a hurry, obviously preoccupied and humming to herself with a smile on her gentle features. Finally she was in the grand hall and bowed to the people who had gathered there as she quickly passed into the small room adjoining it. There she found Princess Sakura as she had never been seen before.
Sakura was adorned in the most beautiful white dress ever crafted. White satin cloaked in white chiffon, embroidered with little flowers at the hem in a dress that flowed into a full circle around the beautiful girl in it. Her hair was pinned up in braids with her namesake pinned around the tiara that sat lightly on her head.
Sakura smiled brilliantly at her friend, looking a little nervous, but Tomoyo could tell it was because of the people outside and not her decision to marry. Tomoyo helped with last minute adjustments and the adorning of the long white veil that was as long as the dress itself.
Quickly time was up and the princess walked to the door and smiled back at Tomoyo, who was quite faint with pleasure at the thought of her dearest friend looking her best in a dress she had made and how she wished she could capture the moment to save for all eternity.*
*In the distance Li could see a cherry blossom tree in full bloom. He walked towards it slowly, at ease for the first time that he could remember. As he grew closer he could make out a figure standing behind it facing away from him into the sun. She was rocking back and forth on her heels causing the long dress she wore to sway gently with her.
He quickened his pace, anxious to meet with her. His heart skipped a beat as she turned towards him and he could make out a smile in the shadow of her face. Soon he was running and she was running towards him as well. Finally they met each other and he hugged her tightly to himself as she laughed softly in glee.
Smiling Li raised the willowy girl up into the air with ease and twirled in circles until she was screaming with laughter. Then he stopped and let her slide slowly down his own body until they were eye to eye, her feet still a little off the ground. They both grew quiet and she closed her brilliantly green eyes before they kissed each other warmly..*
? *Kero found himself sitting on a regular table, but was miniscule compared to it. Mistress had used the Little Card on him and set him on the table to eat his fill of the gigantic feast now set before him. He cried out in pleasure before he began eating..*
?
? *I see blood. It slowly spreads across the marble floor until it starts to drip down the stairs. Quickly I glance up to see where the blood is coming from but the person is in shadow. But somehow I know it is someone I know, someone I care about. I race up the stairs, trying desperately not to set foot on the red streaked marble but it seems unavoidable. I try to reach them but before I can touch them, look and see what happened I hear maniacal laughter and spin around to face the person laughing. I can't see their face. They won't stop laughing. Light glimmers for a second and I see a long blade in their hand. Blood is dripping off of it, falling forever until it hits the white marble beneath and marring it forever. I scream at them and try to think but I can't and they are coming for me. I can't get away.!*
?
Li sat up in bed breathing heavily. He recognized those eyes in that dream. But that didn't matter so much that he recognized the feel of that dream. It was the dream he used to have all the time, the kind that always came true, at some point or another. He knew that it would happen. Or, was he just imagining things?
Warily he glanced over to the next bed, where Sakura slept alone since Tomoyo had taken the couch, and found the princess sleeping fitfully. He stared at her for a moment and realized that she was crying and obviously very afraid. As he started to get up, to wake her up, she woke up with a scream and sat up crying, looking around with terror filled eyes, trying to find her attacker.
Li approached her and touched her shoulder lightly. She quickly jerked away, fighting him off until he whispered to her. "Shhh, Sakura. It's just me, I won't hurt you." He began to rub her back gently until she stopped fighting and looked up at him with tear filled eyes.
"Li?" she asked. When he nodded she threw her arms around him and began sobbing. "It was horrible! There was blood everywhere and I couldn't tell who was hurt and he was going to hurt me too! He wanted to kill me and he wouldn't stop laughing. And I couldn't get away, I couldn't run!"
She started bawling so hard she couldn't talk and Li, growing up with four sisters, was used to crying women. Sitting beside her he wrapped his arms around her and swayed her back and forth until she calmed down.
"It's all right, Sakura. Calm down, you'll be fine, I promise. No one is here to get you. So please stop crying."
After a moment she grew quiet but still clutched him to her desperately, as if afraid that if she let go he would disappear and the person from her dream would return. So Li continued to hold her until finally she pulled away looking slightly sheepish.
"I'm sorry, Li. I shouldn't have cried on you like that."
"It's fine, princess. Just go back to sleep. You need your rest. Try to forget your dream, okay?"
She nodded and laid down again. Li stood and covered her with the blanket, absent mindedly brushing the hair from her face. She smiled up at him but then grew troubled again. "The only problem though, Li, is that I think this dream means something."
"Why do you say that, princess?" he asked knowing the answer.
"It felt like the dream I had right before I found the Key."
He sighed. She was dreaming the future and he knew it. But he knew that if she knew it that she wouldn't get any sleep now nor would she probably until she finally dropped from exhaustion. He couldn't have her doing that. So he turned to her again, as he sat in his own bed and smiled.
"Don't worry, princess. I don't think you need to worry about your dream right now. You are probably just upset. You have been under a lot of stress after all. So just go back to sleep and try to dream of happy things. Like Tomoyo over there."
They both glanced at Tomoyo, who blessedly had slept through Sakura's scream. She was obviously dreaming of something wonderful and was practically singing with glee in her sleep. The two chuckled softly as the glanced back at each other and then closed their eyes and tried to sleep.
But both found it almost impossible to, Sakura because of the horrible sight she had seen when she closed her eyes. And Li because he finally realized that he had called her Sakura twice without meaning to.
It was going to be a long night.
Thanks for the review!
*..* are various dream sequences
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS. But then I don't own a lot of things. Meh.
"Mistress was right! There are so many beautiful fabrics here Sakura! I think I'm going to buy some! I've been meaning to make something for you for some time now."
"Hoe? I can barely carry my bag as it is, Tomoyo. I don't need more clothes!"
"Not clothes. I want to make a bag, or two, about the size of oh.this," she said holding up her hands at what she thought were the approximate dimensions of the Cards.
Instantly Sakura understood. "That would be great actually. Could you make one that would match the clothes that I have to wear? That way it wouldn't look so special and out of place. It could blend in."
"Of course, Sakura, I'm going to make them match! What do you think of me?" Tomoyo rolled her eyes and proceeded to look at fabrics.
"While you look, I'm going to stop by in the book store for a moment. I might be able to find a gift for my father. You know how much he loves interesting books."
Tomoyo nodded absently. Sakura smiled and exited the shop, careful to keep her eyes lowered and her hood up. She was very grateful that the weather was so cool or else she would feel like she was walking in an oven all day. Also she would probably look a little out of place, which is exactly what Li didn't want.
Quietly she entered the stores and began perusing the titles. Normally she would ask the bookkeeper but that would mean making eye contact and again, she didn't want to do that. After a minute she became so preoccupied with scanning the titles that she bumped into a fellow shopper and turned quickly to apologize.
"I'm sor- Naoko!" she nearly shouted in surprise.
"Sakura!" Lady Naoko replied, as shocked as the princess.
The two girls hugged each other then separated again smiling. "I have been looking everywhere for you! When your father's died you just disappeared and no one heard from you again. We were so worried!"
The girl grew somber but soon smiled again. "I'm sorry, Sakura. But I just had to get away from court. Father was the one who really enjoyed being there the most and mom was so despondent. So I decided to leave the gentry life, or most of it, behind and set up shop as a writer in this village. The clerk," she said gesturing to the desk, "handles the printing and sells them in his very own store. I've made some money that way."
"Really? What do you write?"
"Ghost stories," she responded immediately. "And occasionally a fantasy story."
Sakura winced. "Figures. Sometime you have to write a book that I can read though, okay, Naoko."
"Sure thing Sakura." She smiled and then both girls just stopped to smile at each other and realize how much they had missed each other over the past couple years.
"Oh! You have to come eat with us! Tomoyo is here as well and would love to see and talk with you."
"Of course, but only if you tell me why you are here to begin with. Especially without your entourage, which I know is strictly forbidden by your brother."
"I know. As if he were my parent," Sakura laughed. "I'll tell you everything. In fact," she said glancing at the pendant she wore with a watch on it. "I'm late! Come on, Li and Tomoyo will be angry for me keeping them waiting. That is, if you are done looking?"
"All finished!" Naoko smiled. "Lead the way."
The girls wound their way through the town back to the small inn where Sakura briefly greeted the mistress before continuing in to meet with Li and Tomoyo. She threw the door of the dining room open and nearly shouted, "Tomoyo look who I found!"
"Naoko!" Tomoyo cried and raced over to hug her friend. "We were so worried about you!"
"I know, Sakura told me. She also promised me a good story so I followed her for lunch."
"But first, Naoko, this is Li Syaoran. Li this is Lady Yangisawa Naoko, who we call by her last name as well, for obvious reasons."
Li bowed and Naoko curtsied. They exchanged polite greetings but Naoko quickly gave a significant look to Tomoyo and Sakura who smiled mischievously. After they had sat down and eaten a bit, Naoko demanded to hear the tale of why they were in such a small town in the middle of nowhere without any of the other royals around.
So Sakura, Tomoyo and Li began the long tale, including Yue and Kero, who was currently asleep in the bedroom, and the Cards and a looming threat. Naoko soaked it up like a sponge and began to take notes.
"You have to promise me that when this is all over I can write this and get it published. I'll make a heap of gold!"
Sakura laughed but Li frowned. "You would endanger the princess' life so?"
"Li hush. She said specifically after it was all over. I'm sure by then there will be no danger of her making a story out of it. Besides it might be fun to have a way of making the danger seem less scary." Sakura shuddered. "Looming dangers, weird magic and the next thing you know there will be g-ghosts."
Li watched as the girl shuddered from her own word usage. "Only a little afraid are you?"
"Terrified. It's stupid but I can't help it." Sakura smiled gaily and Li paused yet again at this amazing girl who could laugh at her own fears. But then he had never seen her when she had been around a ghost and didn't know any better.
"Anyway, Naoko you can only write it if I illustrate it. I want to be the one who forever puts Sakura's likeness into history!" Tomoyo sighed dreamily and the others laughed a little tensely before letting the moment pass.
Naoko looked down at her watch and gasped. "Oh I'm sorry but I have to go! I'm also teaching at the local school and have to be there soon. Speaking of which, Ms. Mizuki teaches there too! She appeared quite randomly one day and comes and goes really but whenever she is in town she'll teach a class or two and the students really like her. If you aren't leaving tonight I'll send her this way." She looked at them questioningly as she finished her meal and rose.
"Of course, I'd love to see her again. We'll be here until early tomorrow morning so tell her to come by."
"Hmm, I think I heard her say that she was leaving tomorrow too. Maybe you are going in the same direction and can travel together."
"I hope so," Sakura smiled before she hugged her friend. "You have to promise, though, to come to my home if you want the rest of the story. Oh and, of course, don't tell anyone who asks that I was here. Or even what I look like!"
"Of course, Sakura, I don't want you hurt." She smiled and received a hug from Tomoyo and a polite bow from Li. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you again sometime soon. Stay safe!" She smiled and walked away, pulling out a book to read as she walked.
They stared after her for a moment before Li turned to the two girls and looked at them back and forth before turning to Sakura and saying, "You have very eccentric friends."
"What do you mean by that?" Sakura asked curiously and a little offended.
"Nothing. I need to get the rest of the supplies so I'll be out for awhile. I suggest you take a nap. You look a little strained and tired, princess. We can't have you fainting on the road. And I'm sure Tomoyo bought lots of fabric so she'll have something to do while you sleep."
Quietly he bowed to the two and left. They looked at each other and burst into laughter as they headed up the stairs. "And he calls us eccentric?"
When they reached the room, Sakura stretched out tiredly on the bed and was asleep in mere moments. Tomoyo watched her sadly for a moment before pulling out her fabric and retreating to the couch to work. A couple hours passed before Li returned and saw the princess still asleep, looking more tired in her sleep that she was awake. Tomoyo silently put a finger to her lips and then returned to her sewing.
Li nodded but looked at the sleeping beauty on the bed. She seemed so drained and drawn these past few days. The day before she had used three more Cards, totaling her use to not even a fifth of the deck and she already looked as if she hadn't slept in years. Unconsciously he stepped towards the bed, Tomoyo slyly looking on.
He hated to see the bags that were slowly forming beneath her beautiful eyes and wished that he could just wipe away all her troubles. The princess was a genuinely wonderful person and was the last person in the world who should have been dealt all these troubles. But she had been given them and she had bourn them well, smiling all the time and fussing over him as if he were the one having his Power sucked from him.
His fingers were almost caressing her face before he caught himself. As if he had touched fire, Li pulled his hand away and looked up and straight into the knowing eyes of Tomoyo. Silently he turned on his heel and left the room not knowing his thoughts but knowing that it was best he be alone in them rather than in company.
However he found himself denied when as soon as he stepped out of the door he came face to face with a tall auburn haired woman who seemed to be about the prince's age. She smiled at him.
"Li Xiao Lang, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Kaho Mizuki."
Li looked at this woman and in that moment knew that he couldn't trust her, but also knew in that same moment that the other two did and for better reason. "She's asleep and Tomoyo is sewing."
Kaho nodded vaguely. "I'm still going in."
Li grudgingly stepped aside, glaring at her the whole time. "Don't do anything stupid."
She smiled serenely and opened the door. It seemed that the small sound was all it took to wake Sakura who opened her sleep laden eyes and focused in on her old friend.
"Kaho!" she screamed, sitting up quickly and racing to embrace her long time friend. "I thought maybe Naoko was delusional. She sometimes gets lost in her own world you know."
"No, my dear friend, she wasn't lying. And I had a feeling you would be in town soon so I decided to come back. However I need to leave tomorrow morning and I heard you were too?"
Sakura nodded and led the older woman to the couch where Tomoyo greeted her.
"Ms. Mizuki, I haven't seen you in many years. Not since you and Touya went your separate ways."
The teacher smiled and took the mention of what could be a painful subject in stride. "I missed you very much Tomoyo. You were such a bright student. How have you been since I left? Are you still singing?"
"I would never stop that, Ms. Mizuki. But Sakura far surpasses me in talent now," her friend gushed.
Sakura blushed. "She's lying again, Kaho. I just don't know what to do with her. But which way are you going tomorrow?"
"East. There is a town two days up the road that I've been hired to teach at."
Sakura looked at Li pleadingly and he rolled his eyes but nodded. "Yay! Please, Kaho will you travel with us? We are headed that way too!"
"I'd love to, Sakura. When do you plan on leaving?" she asked looking at Li, the obvious decision maker.
"We need to leave early, so probably a half hour after sun up."
"I'll meet you here then. However, for now I must go. And you Sakura need to sleep well tonight before you waste away."
Sakura smiled. "I'm fine, never better actually. But I will cherish a warm soft bed for now. I can't wait for tomorrow though."
The group exchanged polite goodbye's before Kaho left and Li glared at the door behind her. Sakura noticed and frowned.
"Did I do wrong by inviting her, Li? Is there something the matter, I swear I wont tell her anything if you don't want me to!" She looked at him with such pleading eyes that he felt as if he were drowning.
"No, there is nothing wrong," he sighed. "I just don't know her yet. But I do suggest that you get some more sleep." Li looked at her worriedly, this time not stopping himself before he traced the bags under her eyes. "You look exhausted."
Sakura stared at him a moment before flushing and turning her head away. "Okay. I'll take another nap since I'm still tired. But if I sleep too much I won't sleep tonight."
For some reason everyone in the room doubted that statement, including Kero who had just woken up from his long nap at the tuggings of an unfamiliar Power. "Just sleep, Sakura. Then I'll show you some of the more interesting Card's when we ditch this teacher."
Sakura laughed and huddled into her pillow. It wasn't long before she fell asleep and continued to sleep long after Tomoyo and LI had retired for the night themselves.
? That night everyone in the small inn room dreamed. Normally it was not so unusual an occurrence, but this time there were two notable dreams. The dreams upset the dreamers so much that they tossed and turned, but then dreaming frequently does that to those gifted with the Power as Sakura soon realized.
? *Tomoyo found herself alone in her room at the castle. She was in a hurry, obviously preoccupied and humming to herself with a smile on her gentle features. Finally she was in the grand hall and bowed to the people who had gathered there as she quickly passed into the small room adjoining it. There she found Princess Sakura as she had never been seen before.
Sakura was adorned in the most beautiful white dress ever crafted. White satin cloaked in white chiffon, embroidered with little flowers at the hem in a dress that flowed into a full circle around the beautiful girl in it. Her hair was pinned up in braids with her namesake pinned around the tiara that sat lightly on her head.
Sakura smiled brilliantly at her friend, looking a little nervous, but Tomoyo could tell it was because of the people outside and not her decision to marry. Tomoyo helped with last minute adjustments and the adorning of the long white veil that was as long as the dress itself.
Quickly time was up and the princess walked to the door and smiled back at Tomoyo, who was quite faint with pleasure at the thought of her dearest friend looking her best in a dress she had made and how she wished she could capture the moment to save for all eternity.*
*In the distance Li could see a cherry blossom tree in full bloom. He walked towards it slowly, at ease for the first time that he could remember. As he grew closer he could make out a figure standing behind it facing away from him into the sun. She was rocking back and forth on her heels causing the long dress she wore to sway gently with her.
He quickened his pace, anxious to meet with her. His heart skipped a beat as she turned towards him and he could make out a smile in the shadow of her face. Soon he was running and she was running towards him as well. Finally they met each other and he hugged her tightly to himself as she laughed softly in glee.
Smiling Li raised the willowy girl up into the air with ease and twirled in circles until she was screaming with laughter. Then he stopped and let her slide slowly down his own body until they were eye to eye, her feet still a little off the ground. They both grew quiet and she closed her brilliantly green eyes before they kissed each other warmly..*
? *Kero found himself sitting on a regular table, but was miniscule compared to it. Mistress had used the Little Card on him and set him on the table to eat his fill of the gigantic feast now set before him. He cried out in pleasure before he began eating..*
?
? *I see blood. It slowly spreads across the marble floor until it starts to drip down the stairs. Quickly I glance up to see where the blood is coming from but the person is in shadow. But somehow I know it is someone I know, someone I care about. I race up the stairs, trying desperately not to set foot on the red streaked marble but it seems unavoidable. I try to reach them but before I can touch them, look and see what happened I hear maniacal laughter and spin around to face the person laughing. I can't see their face. They won't stop laughing. Light glimmers for a second and I see a long blade in their hand. Blood is dripping off of it, falling forever until it hits the white marble beneath and marring it forever. I scream at them and try to think but I can't and they are coming for me. I can't get away.!*
?
Li sat up in bed breathing heavily. He recognized those eyes in that dream. But that didn't matter so much that he recognized the feel of that dream. It was the dream he used to have all the time, the kind that always came true, at some point or another. He knew that it would happen. Or, was he just imagining things?
Warily he glanced over to the next bed, where Sakura slept alone since Tomoyo had taken the couch, and found the princess sleeping fitfully. He stared at her for a moment and realized that she was crying and obviously very afraid. As he started to get up, to wake her up, she woke up with a scream and sat up crying, looking around with terror filled eyes, trying to find her attacker.
Li approached her and touched her shoulder lightly. She quickly jerked away, fighting him off until he whispered to her. "Shhh, Sakura. It's just me, I won't hurt you." He began to rub her back gently until she stopped fighting and looked up at him with tear filled eyes.
"Li?" she asked. When he nodded she threw her arms around him and began sobbing. "It was horrible! There was blood everywhere and I couldn't tell who was hurt and he was going to hurt me too! He wanted to kill me and he wouldn't stop laughing. And I couldn't get away, I couldn't run!"
She started bawling so hard she couldn't talk and Li, growing up with four sisters, was used to crying women. Sitting beside her he wrapped his arms around her and swayed her back and forth until she calmed down.
"It's all right, Sakura. Calm down, you'll be fine, I promise. No one is here to get you. So please stop crying."
After a moment she grew quiet but still clutched him to her desperately, as if afraid that if she let go he would disappear and the person from her dream would return. So Li continued to hold her until finally she pulled away looking slightly sheepish.
"I'm sorry, Li. I shouldn't have cried on you like that."
"It's fine, princess. Just go back to sleep. You need your rest. Try to forget your dream, okay?"
She nodded and laid down again. Li stood and covered her with the blanket, absent mindedly brushing the hair from her face. She smiled up at him but then grew troubled again. "The only problem though, Li, is that I think this dream means something."
"Why do you say that, princess?" he asked knowing the answer.
"It felt like the dream I had right before I found the Key."
He sighed. She was dreaming the future and he knew it. But he knew that if she knew it that she wouldn't get any sleep now nor would she probably until she finally dropped from exhaustion. He couldn't have her doing that. So he turned to her again, as he sat in his own bed and smiled.
"Don't worry, princess. I don't think you need to worry about your dream right now. You are probably just upset. You have been under a lot of stress after all. So just go back to sleep and try to dream of happy things. Like Tomoyo over there."
They both glanced at Tomoyo, who blessedly had slept through Sakura's scream. She was obviously dreaming of something wonderful and was practically singing with glee in her sleep. The two chuckled softly as the glanced back at each other and then closed their eyes and tried to sleep.
But both found it almost impossible to, Sakura because of the horrible sight she had seen when she closed her eyes. And Li because he finally realized that he had called her Sakura twice without meaning to.
It was going to be a long night.