First of all, sorry again for my lateness. But I can't believe you guys
actually want me to continue. Arigato nasai so much. Merci beau coup a ...
Cherry Dragon arigato for your ideas. I'll use them ^.^
Anonymous You're driving me mad. Who are you? Have we met? I don't have a prob with Aussi but you're... confusing me @.@ And for the upteenth time EMAIL ME!!! â¦ïº lol did I scare you? ^.^;;
I know you've all waited so long to hear it but we had to shift houses and then the phone connection came in late so I haven't even read all your reviews... You're tired of hearing my excuses, ne?
Well, on with the story!
Oh and ... P.S : I DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT OWN CCS OR CS OR CLAMP OR ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE JUNK IN MY ROOM A PAIR OF ROLLER BLADES AND THIS STORYLINE. PLUS MAYBE A PAIR OF ARMY BOOTS TO KICK SOMEONE'S ASS IF THEY COPY THIS STORY ! =o.O= Ano...Did I actually say that?!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Syaoran led Sakura along the unfamiliar passages and came to a halt outside a door carved with figures of ships, anchors and dead bodies in relief. Sakura who had been examining the viper fang closely walked straight into him and fell down with a thud. "Sixth time you tripped, I believe" Syaoran asked her.
"I didn't trip, sou? I bumped into you and fell" Sakura said from the floor.
"Such weakness I have never seen" Syaoran said, with a shake of his head.
"Just damare, will you?" she answered tiredly, getting up. After what seemed like eternity of just standing outside the door, Sakura asked "Did you knock?"
"No" came the reply. "Then how is Eriol supposed to know that we're here?! Oh, you are so-"and she leaned forward to knock. "No! Don't!" Syaoran yelped. But it was too late.
Her fist had touched the door. The door seemed to have turned into a slab of liquid and was sucking her fist in. The little carving had come alive and were tugging on her hand. "What the..." Sakura began and she tried to get her fist out but found that it was being further sucked in.
She gazed at Syaoran with a look of utmost terror. "What's happening?" she screamed. "I told you not to knock" he chided her coolly. "Li, get me out of here!" she yelled as the liquid door enveloped her full fist.
"You have elementals. Use them" he replied, staring at the ceiling as if doors swallowed people every day. "But..." she began as her eyes began to water. "And you better do it quickly. Once it gets up to your elbow, you're stuck in there for life" he said as if it were general knowledge.
Sakura thought for a moment before mumbling "Elemental fire, come to my aid!" From some where down the passage a fire erupted from thin air and made it way towards its caller.
"Come on. Come on" Sakura prayed. Syaoran leaned back indifferently and watched the girl struggle with his mother's magic. Suddenly, the fire spirit appeared at the end of the corridor. As there were two 'masters' in front of it, the spirit reduced itself into the size of a candle flame and hovered expectantly between them, waiting for a command.
"Help me get out of this door" Sakura said. The flame rose into its true form you know what Firey looks like, ne? and cascaded against the door. Sakura shrieked, afraid her hand would get burnt into ash by the time it was free. A few seconds later however, the Firey rose away from the door and shook its head in what was clearly a 'no can do' statement and disappeared, leaving the corridor darker than ever before.
"Wh...what happened?" Sakura asked shakily. She gave another fruitless tug of her right forelimb, which was still stuck in the structure made of high quality oakwood on a swinging metallic attachment that causes it to rotate about a point. This point is called the moment of the couple Physics ^.^;;. The oakwood structure is what ignorant homosapiens would call as a 'door'. Hears several hisses and a few low mumbles of "blasphemy!" and apologizes to her generation. ^.^;; Okay, I'll cut the I'm-from-a-more sophisticated-generation-than-you-are crap
"My mothers magic is too strong fo-"Syaoran began but Sakura uttered a shriek and cut across his words. "Wait! Don't tell me! You're mother hexed this door." Syaoran nodded mutely. She let out a small hopeless sob.
"Why does you mother want to kill off all the females on this ship? Is she that possessive over you? I can't see an-"
"Don't you dare have a go at my mother, Kinomoto" Syaoran hissed almost venomously nose to nose with her, his fiery amber eyes glaring into her frightened emerald ones. "Then why...?" Sakura asked.
"So that I'd help a girl and then start liking her and ... urgh" He sounded disgusted. "I don't even wanna think about it." "But then... you're gonna let me get sucked in?" Sakura asked in a whisper. "Yep" Syaoran seemed rather pleased that she'd understood this so quickly.
"You don't have to feel anything towards me. No Emotions. Nothing. But just let me go. I promise you, the first chance I get to leave this ship, I will. You can go on with your pirating and-" Sakura said feverishly. "Okay, okay. Cut out the emotional crap" Syaoran said, holding up his hands.
Taking out a scroll, he yelled ",Elemental fire, come to my aid!" With a burst of light, firey appeared again In this story, both Sakura and Syaoran's Elements are the same. They are free spirits. You just need the magic scrolls to call upon them.
It stared at him, arms akimbo, with a fierce gaze which, of course, our dear Syaoran returned. "Go on help her" he said none-too-happily. The spirit just stared at him before shaking its head in a clearly "no can do" way again before disappearing. Syaoran stamped his foot against the boards angrily, making it splinter slightly. "Dammit, mother's magic is too strong for firey. Great. Damn Firey, damn mother and DAMN YOU TOO KINOMOTO FOR GETTING ME INTO SUCH A FIX!!!"
"I...I-I" Sakura choked before wailing "I don't wanna diiieee-" She burst into tears anime style while Syaoran sweatdropped. "Don't cry you idiot!" Syaoran said, watching the growing puddle at his feet.
It was as if a light clicked in his head. "Of course..." he said to the ship at large before chanting
"Elements of Magic
Know my plight
Show me the sword
Release the light"
Gomen ne. I have absolutely no idea what the incantation is. Well... only a very rough one
A green chi bead he'd hidden inside his shirt came out into the open and transformed into an elegant ceremonial sword. Taking a firm hold of it, and with cold accuracy, Syaoran drove it into a point about a quarter of an inch away from Sakura's hand. Her eyes widened and she yelped. "What the hell were you thinking?! You were this close to sawing off-"
"Shut up and watch" Syaoran said sharply. The pair turned towards the door and saw the little carvings back away. With a loud reluctant slurp, Sakura's hand came free and the door became a door LOL!!. Sakura, back to her genki self, heaped thank-yous on Syaoran who ignored them totally. "Just don't expect me to help you again" he said coldly. At the same moment, the door opened and Eriol accompanied by Tomoyo greeted them.
"Oh hey Sakura. Glad to see you're still alive after being with Syaoran for so long" Eriol said cordially. "You mean Syaoran's a murderer?" Sakura asked. "No but he's close enough to being one."
Tomoyo on the other hand viewed the floor and said "Eriol, I thought you had Syaoran potty trained." All heads turned to the floor. At this Syaoran went red and yelled "I DID NOT DO WHAT YOU THINK I DID!!! THIS GIRL CRIED COS HER HAND GOT STUCK IN THE DOOR. IT'S NOT ... THAT, SOU?!" Onni-chan gave me this idea. He's got a really sick mind, ne? .
"Okay everyone. Come inside" Tomoyo said and they trooped into the room, Syaoran lagging behind. 'Great, I get invited into my own cabin. I swear this ship is corrupt with females.'
As the boys began making plans on the drawing board for the next day's battle, Tomoyo gossiped about the dress she'd made for Sakura. "You'll be so kawaii, Sakura-chan," she squealed, clasping her hands together. "Eriol's allowed me to make some for the boys too...oh this is going to be fabulous-"
"Tomoyo, we're stuck on a pirate's ship, not in a fashion club" Sakura whined. Tomoyo blinked. "Well, at least I get to design clothes" she replied.
"Okay done" Eriol's voice cut through her lecture. "Let's go have dinner on deck" Syaoran made after Eriol without a word and Sakura found this very suspicious. Usually, he'd ask her to follow him around like a poodle. Not that it mattered or anything...
The door swung closed behind them. Sakura was in no mood to get stuck in that devilish piece of wood again so she kept clear of the door. Tomoyo continued to rant. In the next half an hour, she had a splitting headache. She began to wish some one would get her out of this hell-hole...
~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~Sakura's POV~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I knew Tomoyo was trying to be nice and letting me in on all the latest fashion. But still, I'm not the kind of person who worries about trends. Who cares what people wear as long as they change it once a day? What matters is what's inside, right? Obviously not by worldly standards.
In the next thirty minutes I had a splitting headache and a dying wish that some one should kidnap me from Tomoyo. I started wishing one of the guys would come and get us. An obvious choice was to break that door and barge out but I was in NO mood to go near that murderous door again. I even started wishing that Syaoran would come and get us. Wait a minute, did I just think that?!
I think I'm going crazy. There is NO way I could have thought that. Unless I'm seriously ill. Which I could be. Because I know I did think what I thought I thought.
"This is not my day" I moaned.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Third Person POV MY POV ^-^ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tomoyo's non-invigorating talks were starting to drill into her brain.
Sakura gazed around the room and her wandering eyes fell on another door. Hoping very much it would be an exit, she excused herself from Tomoyo who viewed her friend's actions with deep interest.
Cautiously opening the door, she saw it was not an exit but a bedroom. Two single beds lay side by side separated by a night table. Likewise, two wardrobes stood facing eachother from opposite sides. Sakura stood there for a moment before heading straight for the night table. Perhaps there might be a key or some thing that could open that door...
Kneeling in front of it, she opened the first drawer. There was nothing there except a few quills, an inkpot and a fat notebook with the name 'Li Syaoran' embossed on the leather cover. Sakura smiled to herself and opened it. It seemed to be a diary.
Flipping through the pages, she found the latest entry which was about a few days ago.
Mother hasn't tried anything for almost three months. It's too good to be true. Maybe she gave up after I chucked the last girl over board and reported it to be a freak accident.
Unfortunately the girl could swim and hacked me half to death when she'd gotten on board again. Gosh that girl had strength... but she never showed it before.
Sakura laughed out loud at the thought of a girl throttling Syaoran. She continued to read
But at least now Mother will know I mean business when it comes to girls. After all what I did to her was...bad enough to get her transported into her own land and time almost immediately. It was a little more than the usual though. When she was asleep, I-
"So you like snooping through my stuff" Sakura turned around slowly and found Syaoran glaring at her, his arms hooked behind his back. "No" Sakura said quickly and hurriedly put the dairy back in the drawer and shut it. He sighed. "I sincerely hope you read it fully because something like that is going to happen to you"
"What?! You're gonna throw me overboard?!" Sakura yelped. "Oh no." he said softly. "Much worse than that. Much much worse..." he was gradually leaning forward as he spoke and unhooked his hands. As the distance between them closed up, Sakura could only wonder if he meant to do what she thought he was going to do...
"Syaoran" called a loud voice from the door which was followed by a shrill "Kaaawwwaaaaiiii !!" from Tomoyo. WHOOOOZZZ EEEVVVIIILLL HE HE HE ((( Sakura and Syaoran turned to face the speakers. Eriol was standing with a strange look on his face next to Tomoyo who had stars and hearts coming out of her eyes and filling the air like mad. Eriol took out a pin and started popping them.
"That was sooo romantic" she whispered looking from Sakura to Syaoran and back to Sakura. "Hoe?!" Sakura asked. "You were going to kiss her!" Tomoyo finished with a sigh. Sakura looked at Syaoran and he looked at her and they both looked back at Tomoyo with disbelieving expressions.
"No" Syaoran said blankly although his cheeks were turning pink again. "I was going to do this..." he bent down next to blushing Sakura and from his pocket, pulled out a large spider and placed it near her. Sakura took one look at the spider and yelled "HHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" before jumping onto Syaoran who caught her. Seeing what she'd done she screeched "HHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" before bolting for the door yelling "COOTIES!!!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I can't eat anything. I can't touch anything 'cos I'm contaminated with your DNA" Sakura yelled 15 minutes later from the shower cubicle where she was, according to Tomoyo, decontaminating herself of Syaoran's 'germs'. "Look," Syaoran yelled from the next cubicle where he was taking a bath. "I'm in a no better mood than you are. So will you quit ranting on how I contaminated you. It's more like you contaminated me. I'm gonna burn those clothes ... And what's a DNA?"
He heard some faint mumbling as he brushed his soaking hair out of his eyes. "Don't come out now. I'm getting out" he heard her say and groaned, turning around so the water fell more on his back than on his face. After what seemed like an hour he heard an "I'm going" shout. The footsteps faded and the door banged shut. He sighed again for the umpteenth time that day. Putting on his bathrobe he stepped out and changed.
Sakura who was in the adjoining room was being admired by Tomoyo. As usual, the dress was full length. It was peach with slightly puffy sleeves upto her elbows and a slit in the skirt, showing lighter material through it. Syaoran entered the room dressed in a fresh pair of dark green trousers and a very light green, very loose full-arms shirt with two buttons unnotched.
They both looked at each other and turned away slightly blushing; Sakura because the shirt showed too much of his chest to be comfortable with and Syaoran... who knows? ^.~
"You know" Syaoran started suddenly and angrily. "All this wouldn't have if SOMEONE hadn't gotten worried about you..." He glared fixedly at Eriol. "Do want them to starve, Syaoran?" Eriol asked smoothly. "Whatever"
Eriol turned to the girls. "I suppose that you are hungry so let's go and eat" He offered his arm to Tomoyo who took it. They both regally led the way. Sakura and Syaoran stared at each other. "Like I'm gonna offer my arm" Syaoran said. "Like I'm gonna take it" Sakura said at the same time. They glared at each other. "Hmph. At least we have one thing in common" he said as he went before Sakura. "Uh huh. We both dislike eachother" Sakura said following him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Dinner was eaten above deck where they had an extraordinary time fighting for food with seagulls the size of vultures. "There goes my casserole" Sakura sighed sadly while in the background Tomoyo was heaping curses on the birds.
"No self respecting bird better come near me or I'll kick your feathery butt all over deck till your girlfriend won't know which side's which when you're in bed-"
"Tomoyo!" Eriol said, amazed. "I didn't know you had such a dirty mouth!" Tomoyo sniffed and stuffed the last piece of her casserole in her mouth "Well, I always fight for my rights ..."
Sakura was trying to think of a way to befriend Syaoran. True to her soft nature, she could never hate or be angry with anyone for a long time. She remembered the light that'd shone from his eyes when battle was announced. It was almost enthusiastic... Well if he liked battles, then befriend him with battle talks...
Syaoran watched the scenario with his arms folded and one leg leaning against the mast. But his thought were elsewhere...thinking, planning of all the horrors he'd send upon Sakura. Suddenly he became aware of her standing in front of him with a benign smile. "What?!" he asked rudely. "Well, I was thinking that since you saved me-"she began, wanting to get to the subject slowly.
"No we cannot be friends" Syaoran said bluntly. Sakura looked taken aback for only a moment before plunging on "-and since I think you like fighting so much, then why don't we make plans that would include that door in the battle?" she ended unfazed.
Syaoran didn't expect this. But he had an answer for this statement too. "Girls don't make plans" he said quietly, after studying her for a moment. "Oh really" Sakura's hackles began to rise at the injustice of it all. "Just you wait" she hissed poking him on the shoulder.
Syaoran grabbed her finger tightly. Without breaking his gaze, he bent it backwards until she flinched and tried to draw away her hand but couldn't. He bent her finger more in the hope of actually breaking it. With immense force, Sakura snatched her hand away and retreated, glaring.
Syaoran ran a hand through his hair. What had just happened? Why did he do that for? Did he actually want to hurt her that bad? Syaoran looked around deck and saw the three of them leaving. Stretching his leg, he followed them back to his quarters.
By the time he'd reached the door, however, it was already closed. And he wasn't the only one locked out. too. Sakura was also waiting patiently to be let in. On catching sight of him, she chose to ignore him, with the air of one who had been severely wounded. Feeling uncomfortable with her silence, he started his 'apology'
"Erm... Kinomoto" Syaoran said making up his mind. "Gomen ne about what I did to your finger. I ... I didn't know how to hurt you and so I went physical and I guess ... a bit overboard." She turned to stare at him with unblinking eyes. "I shall be ... pleased if the whole issue was forgotten ..."
Sakura continued to stare at him. Syaoran felt his anger rise. "Look, it's not like I-" "No. It's not that. I've forgotten it totally" Sakura said smiling lightly. "Oh" "So... can we be friends? Onegai Syaoran?" She pleaded. "No" he stated firmly, wishing the door would open. "If you don't think of me as a friend, then why did you save me?" she asked shrewdly "Why did you help me?"
Syaoran stared at her. Why did he help her? "I don't know." he admitted. "So I wouldn't have that on my conscience. So I wouldn't have to listen to your friend's lectures. Or ..." he bent near her. "Maybe it's because I don't like to see weaklings in stress" he whispered and smirked.
"I am so not a weakling" she yelped indignantly. "Then prove it" he replied. She threw a punch at his chin but just before it could make contact, he blocked it with his palm. He closed his hand slowly over it and watched Sakura turn watermelon pink. He pulled her slightly towards him. Sakura gasped as he lowered his head and said softly "See? You are a weakling." Sakura snapped back a "damare" before he let go of her hand and she folded them in front of her, taking several steps back.
"How does Eriol know that we're here?" she asked, a while later. "He can sense my aura." Came the reply. Syaoran looked towards the door again and muttered some thing like "Maybe I should have let her get sucked in too"
But Sakura heard it and demanded "What do you mean 'too'?" "A lot of people have got stuck in the door" Syaoran replied simply. He took a deep breath as Sakura turned to face him. "My girl..." Syaoran hastily changed the sentence formation as her eyes grew twice as round. "A girl...who...ano, don't get angry or anything...but who I was attracted to was the reason this door was made. Mother didn't think she was the right one for me. So she charmed the door. We had an argument and Mother left my presence saying she'd find the right one for me."
Syaoran paused and looked at Sakura for the first time with calmness. "Then a few days after her...death, I knew the reason for my mother's dislike. She was, with her family, actively involved in the persecution of my father..." his voice trailed off and he looked towards the door again. "She's one of the carvings. She's not dead, nor alive. All of them wait for more to join them..." and he stretched his hand out towards the door, towards the particular figure of a rather haughty looking girl... Sakura watched him with fear. If he didn't stop, he would get stuck...
At that fateful moment, Eriol opened the door, looking distinctively serious. "Come in Syaoran, Sakura. We have some work to do..." Syaoran snapped out of his trance and went in. Sakura followed him.
Eriol whispered to Syaoran "You were thinking about her again, weren't you? She almost had you this time..." Of course, 'she'd almost had him' a lot of times. He just... sort of ... forgot about it since Sakura came. She occupied too much of his time... and perhaps his thoughts, too. "Come on. Stop thinking-" "I wasn't" Syaoran lied flatly.
"We need to check the weaponry and ammunition supplies" Tomoyo stated. "Very well, let us go. And Sakura..." Eriol turned to her "You stay here." Both she and Tomoyo cast him quizzical looks. "The weaponry isn't a place for girls" Syaoran said shaking his head. "But Tomoyo's going" Sakura blurted out. "JUST DO AS I TELL YOU, DAMMIT!" Syaoran yelled. Sakura stood there shocked and hurt as the others made their way out. As Syaoran closed the door, he felt slightly guilty for yelling at her
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Syaoran's POV~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Eriol, Daidouji and I made our way out of our quarters, I couldn't help but look back at that girl. She was just standing there as if she was petrified. I felt a little guilty for yelling at her. BUT SHE WOULDN'T LISTEN IF I TOLD HER NORMALLY! Wait a minute, did I say guilty?! Me? Syaoran? Guilty?! Normally, I would have laughed, not physically, but technically speaking. But I was too busy feeling guilty to even laugh technically.
It was just the way that girl was so genki usually and it sort of... ano...hurt me to see that I'd upset her so much. Dear God, I must be ill. Seriously ill. But still...
I am fighting a constant war with myself and I shall win, not my pathetic soul. Trying to control all my feelings, I led the way to the weaponry with Eriol looking horribly smug about something. I didn't like that look of his. And why did Daidouji have to come with us if Sa...I-I mean if Kinomoto couldn't?
It's not like I wanted her to. But if Daidouji could come, I reckon she should too. Dear God, I did not think that. I think I'm going insane. No, I know I am going insane. What is the world coming to?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Third Person POV~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sakura looked around the room and sat on a stool. After a few hours of thinking absolutely useless rubbish she gave the first sigh in days. Life was not easy for her. A beam of gold light suddenly blinded her for a moment. When the light died down, it revealed a Chinese woman standing there. Li Yelan.
"H-Hooeee?!" Sakura whispered. The woman came forward and bowed slightly. "I am Li Yelan, mother of Li Xiao Lang or Syaoran as you know him" The woman made it as if to sit down and an elegant, highbacked armchair appeared and she seated herself on it with her hands clasped in front of her neatly. Sakura didn't know what to say or what to do. So she just googled. "First of all, I must apologise for any inconvenience my son has rendered unto you." Yelan said formally. Sakura just stared although she knew she was being rude.
The woman raised her eyebrows. "You are Kinomoto Sakura, are you not?" she asked. Sakura nodded her head a million times a second. Yelan smiled at her. "I came here to explain why you are on board the SETS. My son, Syaoran, has..." she looked pained. "...since he lost that lady love of his, grown extremely cold. Not just in his social feelings but to the very core of his heart." She looked lost for a moment before speaking slightly sharply and desperately to Sakura.
"My dear, you are the one to help him, to persevere under his cold heart. He might have feelings, well hidden, for you. Or else why would he give you that silver hooded viper fang?" Yelan gave a tight little smile at the look of surprise on Sakura's face.
She got up and the chair melted into thin air. "I will be obliged if you do not mention my visit, Sakura" Yelan said. Sakura nodded numbly. Yelan stepped upto her and taking her chin with a single, white finger, whispered "And I wish you the very best of luck on this mission I have entrusted you." And she disappeared.
As soon as Sakura regained her senses, she heard footsteps and the door burst open. The trio had returned . Syaoran made a beeline to Sakura and began to speak when Tomoyo cut across his word and yelled "Can't you see she's still angry with you? Can't you leave her alone for a few moments?" Syaoran turned to Tomoyo and snarled "I am in no mood to apologise again." He turned back to Sakura. "Will you stop acting up so much?" "Look at yourself first and then look at others. You're the one whose acting up not me" Sakura replied with slight coldness. She marched away and Eriol followed her after giving him a Look. Tomoyo stayed behind to lecture him.
"Didn't Yelan speak to you?" Eriol asked once they were on deck. "Yes she did. But if I'm gonna make Syaoran feel anything, it won't be any time too soon" Sakura stated bluntly. Eriol shrugged as Syaoran ran onto the starboard side with his fingers plugged in his ears and Tomoyo screeching behind him.
"Oh for the love of God woman, SHUT UP!!" he yelled at last and she became quiet. Syaoran made his way over to Eriol and Sakura shouting "You-Kinomoto- are making my life a living hell!" "Don't tell me that life wasn't hard for you before this" Sakura retorted and stamped her foot angrily. For a moment, his hard lines softened as he looked at the girl standing in front of him. He knew that she was telling the truth...
Sakura threw her hands up in the air. "Why can't you leave me alone!?" Before Syaoran could contradict her, she yelled "LEAVE ME ALONE!!" once again and ran away. Syaoran stared after her. Leave her alone, she asked for it...
Sakura was not seen for the rest of the day. Even though Tomoyo pleaded him to look for her, he turned a deaf ear on her worries. Eriol tried to comfort Tomoyo. He didn't bother looking for Sakura... He knew somehow, somewhere, she'd be okay... Or else, some unlucky person would have to answer to Syaoran's wrath...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chibi Ijin here. I thought I'd stop here but just as a New Year Special and a gomen, I extended it. This will be the last chappie I can type until the end of May. But you guys will wait, won't you. Won't you?!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At dusk, Syaoran climbed the ladder to the crow's nest steadily. When he got there, he looked out into the never ending Horizon which had turned a brilliant pink with the dying sun. Moving a little to the other side, where they kept a few wooden barrels of some sort of liquid, he saw a very small black dot, near the coral pink end of the sea. The enemy ship! The very thought of a battle made him quiver with anticipation. Yes, he'd always loved fighting. Even back on land. As he shifted his leg, he kicked something soft which yelped and showed bright green eyes which glittered even in the semi darkness. "It's you." he said bluntly. She was okay?!
"Course it's me" Sakura said grumpily and he could feel the sadness in her voice. "Still mad are you?" he asked, off-handedly. "No" came the small reply. He returned to watching the ship in the distance. "Do you still have that fang?" he queried suddenly and was rewarded with a small nod. "Perfect day for battle" he mumbled. "Do you have many battles?" Sakura asked. "Some." "And how many have you won?"
Syaoran bent so close to her that his nose was practically touching hers. "I-I-"Sakura seemed to have lost the ability to talk. "Do I look like I've lost any battles?" Syaoran asked, his eyes boring intro hers. "No, but-" "Then why do you ask such a stupid question?" he continued. "Well..." Sakura fidgeted and looked down. It was hard for her to answer his questions when they were just inches apart.
"Well" she repeated. "You are such a sour loser that I thought that you may lose battles, too..." and half shrugged. Before she knew it, a knife was pressed dangerously hard against her throat. "Never call me a loser" Syaoran said quietly. Sakura's eyes widened. One moment they were teasing each other and the next, he was almost slitting her throat for calling him a loser. He was so serious! "I-I didn't mean to hurt you, Syaoran. I was just teasing-" Syaoran cut across Sakura's useless babble coolly "Teasing has gone far enough, sou?" Sakura numbly nodded and Syaoran, nodding, removed the blade and stuck it in his boot.
Sakura raised a hand to check for any damage but stopped mid way as he said. "I didn't hurt you. It was just a warning" Sakura flushed and quickly dropped her hand. There was silence.
"What's in these barrels?" Sakura asked out of the blue. "Sugar cane juice. Usually, sea-voyagers stock up on brandy. But we don't like it. Too much alcohol...Why do you ask?" he eyed her.
"Well, I sort of... drank some." Sakura said very quietly. He either didn't hear this or ignored it. After a few moments he turned to leave. "Come on Kinomoto. You can't stay here all night." "Yes I can" Sakura blurted indignantly. Syaoran raised an eye brow. "Really?" he asked slyly. "Yeah" Sakura stated defiantly. "You have to come down any way" Syaoran reasoned. "You can't make m-hooooeeee!!" Sakura shrieked as he hoisted her clear of the ground. She gazed at him half fearful and half total blushing. Yet Syaoran didn't seem to mind at all. Au contraire, he seemed to enjoy her position of discomfort.
"Can't I?" he said, smirking. Instead of heading for the ladder, he jumped straight off the crow's nest. "HHOOOEEEEEEEEEE! SYAORAN!"
Syaoran landed as soft as a cat on the deck and placed Sakura unceremoniously but quite gently, on her feet. She was shaking so badly she fell into a heap the moment she was on her own feet. Syaoran made an indistinct noise. "You are pretty clumsy, ya know" he said extending a hand. Without thinking, she took it and this time, Syaoran hauled her to her feet. Once again, she found herself too close to him for comfort. "Why are you like this?" she asked stepping away and squinting at him. His outline had definitely been blurry a minute ago. Temporary dizziness, she thought. Syaoran viewed her in confusions "Like wha-"
"Captain, sir!" Yumachi came running towars them and as he caught sight of Sakura, started cat-running. "Captain, sir, the ship is closing in at an alarming speed. At this rate the battle will take place by tomorrow morning" he said puffing up his chest and glancing frequently at the female member.
Sakura continued to stare beadily at the ground, not taking in what they were talking about. Strange thoughts were going through her mind...very strange thoughts...
"Very well" Syaoran waved a hand to dismiss him. "Your Highness-" Yumachi began after a pause. "I've told you not to call me that!" Syaoran exclaimed angrily. Yumachi fell to the floor in a ridiculously low and reverent bow before getting up. "May I...may I kiss you?" he asked looking rather surprised at his own daring. Syaoran paled at this but held out an unwilling hand. Yumachi quickly stepped up, kissed Syaoran's cheek and sped away whooping 'I kissed his highness' at the top of his lungs.
Syaoran glared after him while wiping his cheek with the back of his hand. Sakura was having a silent fit of laughter as he turned towards her. "What?!" "Is...is it o-okay if I don't kiss you?" she asked between gasps. " I-I could curstey if you want" "Oh shut up" Syaoran said embarrassed as Sakura snorted with laughter, the strange thoughts starting to take over her brain...
"Why the heck does that guy act so weird?" she asked after she'd finished snorting. "A. Kiwoka Yumachi is gay. B. He's still gay C. He'll always be gay and D. I'm the future leader of the Li Clan" Syaoran said moving over to the mast.
"The Li clan?"
"It's the royal family in China" Eriol supplied, stepping out of the shadows. "I thought you were keeping that other girl out of trouble" Syaoran said evasively. "I was" Eriol replied.
"You mean Syaoran is a prince?!" she asked to which Eriol bobbed his head. "Your highness" Sakura said, curtseying prettily. "I think your highness is the most charming, brave-""Flattery doesn't do much good" Syaoran muttered but the sides of his mouth twitched upwards for a second. "-sweet, not to mention sympathetic, handsome, angelic, clever, witty, artistic" Sakura raved on and on. "-patient, humble SELF CONCEITED HOT-HEADED FREAK I'VE EVER MET!!!"
Eriol began to chuckle at the look of utter surprise on his face while Sakura was having another sick wave of laughter. Tomoyo wandered on deck muttering under her breath about fluffy sleeves or something. She stopped as she heard a familiar voice. "Did you... did you see the look on his face, the great scumbag" Sakura squawked happily, pointing to the still recovering Syaoran.
Before any of them, could think of an answer or even do something, she let out a whoop and did several cartwheels. Eriol, Tomoyo and Syaoran closed their eyes and winched as they heard a sickening thud and the rip of material. "Oooppsssyyy. I think I just ripped my KKNNNNIIIICCCCKKKKEEEERRRRRRRSSSS" she wailed. "What's with her?" Tomoyo asked, bug-eyed. Syaoran looked thoughtful. "I think she drank some sugarcane juice." He paused. "And sugar and juice is saturated with..." "Sugar" the trio said grimly.
"Dear Lord, someone hold her still" Tomoyo said as they fanned out in different directions, ready to stop her before she did something drastic.
Sakura started waving her hands in the air and doing star jumps. She caught sight of Eriol who was closest to her "Hey. You, Boy! Come play with me. I know you want to." She dragged Eriol to a clear space, Sakura tried to make him do star jumps. But that plan failed miserably as he kept on standing stock still like some sort of statue of Napoleon while Sakura pranced around like a demented grasshopper. On the last resort, she tripped over him and fell face first on the floor, Eriol as well. Sakura sat bolt upright and saw Eriol on all fours. "Oh, so you wanna play horsey? Why didn't you tell me that, you numbskull?"
Tomoyo guffawed. Eriol grunted as she sat on his back and started bouncing up and down like a precocious two year old. "Giddy up, giddy up giddy up horsey. YYEEEEEEEEEEEE HHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"
But that was both boring and tiring after a few moments. Sakura sat down in deep thought next to a panting Eriol. "I know!" she said brightly, sticking a finger in the air. "We'll play imaginary games!"
Getting up at an alarming speed, she dragged Eriol, who was still on all fours, to Tomoyo who backed away slightly. "Tomoyo, you and Eriol are gonna get married, 'kay" Tomoyo turned pale at this. "Now get on your feet Eriol and stop acting like a moron" she heaved him to his feet and began the sermon.
"Do you, Daidouji Tomoyo, take Eriol as your son?" "Son?! You're supposed to say-""Good!" Sakura interrupted Tomoyo. "And do you Hiirogizawa Eriol take Tomoyo as your beloved wife?" she turned to Eriol who coughed and moaned "Sakura..."
Syaoran was enjoying himself immensely in the background. As long as he was not forced to do anything stupid, he was happy.
"Alrighty then. I now pronounce you female dog and ... what's the polite term for a bastard?" Skaura looked lost in thought for a moment before shrugging. "Well, who cares? Now you may kiss the bride" Sakura insisted. In the background, Syaoran yelled, "Go on Eriol, kiss the bride, you ninny!" Eriol shot him a glare and turned back to Sakura. Uh uh. He was not going to kiss Tomoyo. And even in her drunken state, Sakura realized that. But she was done fooling around. Sakura forced his head down by the scruff if his neck and his lips met Tomoyo's. For a first time, a pale pink rushed to his cheeks. As soon as Sakura released him, he apologized to Tomoyo and turned to find her trying to make Syaoran dance.
"It's really easy. Try now... heel and toe... heel and toe...then slide, slide ... I said SLIDE, you duck-billed wormhead!" She wacked his feet with a stout stick that she'd gotten form Kami-san knows where.
There was utmost silence for a moment. It was an unnerving silence. Even Sakura stood still. Yup, Sakura stood still and quiet, that is before rushing over to the edge and flinging herself into the sea. "Sakura! Syaoran, Eriol, HELP HER!" Tomoyo wailed. Syaoran was the first to kick off his boots and enter the water.
He rose to the surface, spraying out the salt water and turning in every direction for a sign of that drunken whore... "Syaoran! Bubbles on your right" he heard someone shout. "Bubbles?! What's Bubbles got to do with this?" he yelled back, scanning the area for the cutest and sweetest member of the Power Puff Girls. "SYAORAN!!! AIR BUBBLES!!!" Eriol and Tomoyo unisoned. "Oh, right" comprehension dawned on his face. He dived and found a mass of light pink pretty deep under the water. Taking hold of her waist, he swam upwards and broke to the surface. He took a look at her face. It was pale and almost looked lifeless. Trying not to lose his head, he began to swim back to the ship with steady strokes.
Once on board, with Tomoyo's help, he went through the necessary processes of CPR. After the third try, Sakura spluttered and proceeded to hack out the water she'd swallowed. "Sakura, don't ever do that again! I want you to live so I can tape the rest of your life!" Tomoyo squealed, hugging her friend. She nodded weakly and turned to look at Syaoran who, though as wet as her, was placing a warm towel around her shoulders. "Gomen ne" she inclined her head slightly. "I think he'd consider it an honour to save you" Eriol said jovially. He glared at him.
"Daijoubu?" Syaoran asked stiffly. Sakura blinked off the oncoming darkness and nodded. "Sure?" this time there was an undeniable bit of worry in his voice. Sakura tried to smile but barely managed it. Then she was out like a light. The last thing she heard was a few shouts of "Sakura!" and a mumbled "liar".
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ijin here. Sooo, how was it? Good? Bad? The worst? I'm hopeless...v.v oh yeah and I'm gonna update last day of normal life too. So don't be too mad. And you guys still have to tell me whether they should be shipwrecked or not. If you want this story to go the way you want, then you'll have to tell me, sou?
I'm currently having holidays so I managed to type the next chappie also but I won't post it till I get 20 reviews. I know you've all waited so long for this chappie and for that I'm really grateful- I made it extra long. The next one's even more longer. I'm so proud of myself. And I need you guys' help in something too. Since I don't understand relations very much and the girls in my class are idiots, I don't ask them T.T;; I'm confused about, well, about this guy... =^.^=. But, hey, I am so not gonna make a public issue out of my personal life. But if you email me, I could tell you. I need the advice, too ^.^;;
Until the next chapter, this is Chibi Ijin signing off. Ja matte! ^-^
Cherry Dragon arigato for your ideas. I'll use them ^.^
Anonymous You're driving me mad. Who are you? Have we met? I don't have a prob with Aussi but you're... confusing me @.@ And for the upteenth time EMAIL ME!!! â¦ïº lol did I scare you? ^.^;;
I know you've all waited so long to hear it but we had to shift houses and then the phone connection came in late so I haven't even read all your reviews... You're tired of hearing my excuses, ne?
Well, on with the story!
Oh and ... P.S : I DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT OWN CCS OR CS OR CLAMP OR ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE JUNK IN MY ROOM A PAIR OF ROLLER BLADES AND THIS STORYLINE. PLUS MAYBE A PAIR OF ARMY BOOTS TO KICK SOMEONE'S ASS IF THEY COPY THIS STORY ! =o.O= Ano...Did I actually say that?!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Syaoran led Sakura along the unfamiliar passages and came to a halt outside a door carved with figures of ships, anchors and dead bodies in relief. Sakura who had been examining the viper fang closely walked straight into him and fell down with a thud. "Sixth time you tripped, I believe" Syaoran asked her.
"I didn't trip, sou? I bumped into you and fell" Sakura said from the floor.
"Such weakness I have never seen" Syaoran said, with a shake of his head.
"Just damare, will you?" she answered tiredly, getting up. After what seemed like eternity of just standing outside the door, Sakura asked "Did you knock?"
"No" came the reply. "Then how is Eriol supposed to know that we're here?! Oh, you are so-"and she leaned forward to knock. "No! Don't!" Syaoran yelped. But it was too late.
Her fist had touched the door. The door seemed to have turned into a slab of liquid and was sucking her fist in. The little carving had come alive and were tugging on her hand. "What the..." Sakura began and she tried to get her fist out but found that it was being further sucked in.
She gazed at Syaoran with a look of utmost terror. "What's happening?" she screamed. "I told you not to knock" he chided her coolly. "Li, get me out of here!" she yelled as the liquid door enveloped her full fist.
"You have elementals. Use them" he replied, staring at the ceiling as if doors swallowed people every day. "But..." she began as her eyes began to water. "And you better do it quickly. Once it gets up to your elbow, you're stuck in there for life" he said as if it were general knowledge.
Sakura thought for a moment before mumbling "Elemental fire, come to my aid!" From some where down the passage a fire erupted from thin air and made it way towards its caller.
"Come on. Come on" Sakura prayed. Syaoran leaned back indifferently and watched the girl struggle with his mother's magic. Suddenly, the fire spirit appeared at the end of the corridor. As there were two 'masters' in front of it, the spirit reduced itself into the size of a candle flame and hovered expectantly between them, waiting for a command.
"Help me get out of this door" Sakura said. The flame rose into its true form you know what Firey looks like, ne? and cascaded against the door. Sakura shrieked, afraid her hand would get burnt into ash by the time it was free. A few seconds later however, the Firey rose away from the door and shook its head in what was clearly a 'no can do' statement and disappeared, leaving the corridor darker than ever before.
"Wh...what happened?" Sakura asked shakily. She gave another fruitless tug of her right forelimb, which was still stuck in the structure made of high quality oakwood on a swinging metallic attachment that causes it to rotate about a point. This point is called the moment of the couple Physics ^.^;;. The oakwood structure is what ignorant homosapiens would call as a 'door'. Hears several hisses and a few low mumbles of "blasphemy!" and apologizes to her generation. ^.^;; Okay, I'll cut the I'm-from-a-more sophisticated-generation-than-you-are crap
"My mothers magic is too strong fo-"Syaoran began but Sakura uttered a shriek and cut across his words. "Wait! Don't tell me! You're mother hexed this door." Syaoran nodded mutely. She let out a small hopeless sob.
"Why does you mother want to kill off all the females on this ship? Is she that possessive over you? I can't see an-"
"Don't you dare have a go at my mother, Kinomoto" Syaoran hissed almost venomously nose to nose with her, his fiery amber eyes glaring into her frightened emerald ones. "Then why...?" Sakura asked.
"So that I'd help a girl and then start liking her and ... urgh" He sounded disgusted. "I don't even wanna think about it." "But then... you're gonna let me get sucked in?" Sakura asked in a whisper. "Yep" Syaoran seemed rather pleased that she'd understood this so quickly.
"You don't have to feel anything towards me. No Emotions. Nothing. But just let me go. I promise you, the first chance I get to leave this ship, I will. You can go on with your pirating and-" Sakura said feverishly. "Okay, okay. Cut out the emotional crap" Syaoran said, holding up his hands.
Taking out a scroll, he yelled ",Elemental fire, come to my aid!" With a burst of light, firey appeared again In this story, both Sakura and Syaoran's Elements are the same. They are free spirits. You just need the magic scrolls to call upon them.
It stared at him, arms akimbo, with a fierce gaze which, of course, our dear Syaoran returned. "Go on help her" he said none-too-happily. The spirit just stared at him before shaking its head in a clearly "no can do" way again before disappearing. Syaoran stamped his foot against the boards angrily, making it splinter slightly. "Dammit, mother's magic is too strong for firey. Great. Damn Firey, damn mother and DAMN YOU TOO KINOMOTO FOR GETTING ME INTO SUCH A FIX!!!"
"I...I-I" Sakura choked before wailing "I don't wanna diiieee-" She burst into tears anime style while Syaoran sweatdropped. "Don't cry you idiot!" Syaoran said, watching the growing puddle at his feet.
It was as if a light clicked in his head. "Of course..." he said to the ship at large before chanting
"Elements of Magic
Know my plight
Show me the sword
Release the light"
Gomen ne. I have absolutely no idea what the incantation is. Well... only a very rough one
A green chi bead he'd hidden inside his shirt came out into the open and transformed into an elegant ceremonial sword. Taking a firm hold of it, and with cold accuracy, Syaoran drove it into a point about a quarter of an inch away from Sakura's hand. Her eyes widened and she yelped. "What the hell were you thinking?! You were this close to sawing off-"
"Shut up and watch" Syaoran said sharply. The pair turned towards the door and saw the little carvings back away. With a loud reluctant slurp, Sakura's hand came free and the door became a door LOL!!. Sakura, back to her genki self, heaped thank-yous on Syaoran who ignored them totally. "Just don't expect me to help you again" he said coldly. At the same moment, the door opened and Eriol accompanied by Tomoyo greeted them.
"Oh hey Sakura. Glad to see you're still alive after being with Syaoran for so long" Eriol said cordially. "You mean Syaoran's a murderer?" Sakura asked. "No but he's close enough to being one."
Tomoyo on the other hand viewed the floor and said "Eriol, I thought you had Syaoran potty trained." All heads turned to the floor. At this Syaoran went red and yelled "I DID NOT DO WHAT YOU THINK I DID!!! THIS GIRL CRIED COS HER HAND GOT STUCK IN THE DOOR. IT'S NOT ... THAT, SOU?!" Onni-chan gave me this idea. He's got a really sick mind, ne? .
"Okay everyone. Come inside" Tomoyo said and they trooped into the room, Syaoran lagging behind. 'Great, I get invited into my own cabin. I swear this ship is corrupt with females.'
As the boys began making plans on the drawing board for the next day's battle, Tomoyo gossiped about the dress she'd made for Sakura. "You'll be so kawaii, Sakura-chan," she squealed, clasping her hands together. "Eriol's allowed me to make some for the boys too...oh this is going to be fabulous-"
"Tomoyo, we're stuck on a pirate's ship, not in a fashion club" Sakura whined. Tomoyo blinked. "Well, at least I get to design clothes" she replied.
"Okay done" Eriol's voice cut through her lecture. "Let's go have dinner on deck" Syaoran made after Eriol without a word and Sakura found this very suspicious. Usually, he'd ask her to follow him around like a poodle. Not that it mattered or anything...
The door swung closed behind them. Sakura was in no mood to get stuck in that devilish piece of wood again so she kept clear of the door. Tomoyo continued to rant. In the next half an hour, she had a splitting headache. She began to wish some one would get her out of this hell-hole...
~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~Sakura's POV~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I knew Tomoyo was trying to be nice and letting me in on all the latest fashion. But still, I'm not the kind of person who worries about trends. Who cares what people wear as long as they change it once a day? What matters is what's inside, right? Obviously not by worldly standards.
In the next thirty minutes I had a splitting headache and a dying wish that some one should kidnap me from Tomoyo. I started wishing one of the guys would come and get us. An obvious choice was to break that door and barge out but I was in NO mood to go near that murderous door again. I even started wishing that Syaoran would come and get us. Wait a minute, did I just think that?!
I think I'm going crazy. There is NO way I could have thought that. Unless I'm seriously ill. Which I could be. Because I know I did think what I thought I thought.
"This is not my day" I moaned.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Third Person POV MY POV ^-^ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tomoyo's non-invigorating talks were starting to drill into her brain.
Sakura gazed around the room and her wandering eyes fell on another door. Hoping very much it would be an exit, she excused herself from Tomoyo who viewed her friend's actions with deep interest.
Cautiously opening the door, she saw it was not an exit but a bedroom. Two single beds lay side by side separated by a night table. Likewise, two wardrobes stood facing eachother from opposite sides. Sakura stood there for a moment before heading straight for the night table. Perhaps there might be a key or some thing that could open that door...
Kneeling in front of it, she opened the first drawer. There was nothing there except a few quills, an inkpot and a fat notebook with the name 'Li Syaoran' embossed on the leather cover. Sakura smiled to herself and opened it. It seemed to be a diary.
Flipping through the pages, she found the latest entry which was about a few days ago.
Mother hasn't tried anything for almost three months. It's too good to be true. Maybe she gave up after I chucked the last girl over board and reported it to be a freak accident.
Unfortunately the girl could swim and hacked me half to death when she'd gotten on board again. Gosh that girl had strength... but she never showed it before.
Sakura laughed out loud at the thought of a girl throttling Syaoran. She continued to read
But at least now Mother will know I mean business when it comes to girls. After all what I did to her was...bad enough to get her transported into her own land and time almost immediately. It was a little more than the usual though. When she was asleep, I-
"So you like snooping through my stuff" Sakura turned around slowly and found Syaoran glaring at her, his arms hooked behind his back. "No" Sakura said quickly and hurriedly put the dairy back in the drawer and shut it. He sighed. "I sincerely hope you read it fully because something like that is going to happen to you"
"What?! You're gonna throw me overboard?!" Sakura yelped. "Oh no." he said softly. "Much worse than that. Much much worse..." he was gradually leaning forward as he spoke and unhooked his hands. As the distance between them closed up, Sakura could only wonder if he meant to do what she thought he was going to do...
"Syaoran" called a loud voice from the door which was followed by a shrill "Kaaawwwaaaaiiii !!" from Tomoyo. WHOOOOZZZ EEEVVVIIILLL HE HE HE ((( Sakura and Syaoran turned to face the speakers. Eriol was standing with a strange look on his face next to Tomoyo who had stars and hearts coming out of her eyes and filling the air like mad. Eriol took out a pin and started popping them.
"That was sooo romantic" she whispered looking from Sakura to Syaoran and back to Sakura. "Hoe?!" Sakura asked. "You were going to kiss her!" Tomoyo finished with a sigh. Sakura looked at Syaoran and he looked at her and they both looked back at Tomoyo with disbelieving expressions.
"No" Syaoran said blankly although his cheeks were turning pink again. "I was going to do this..." he bent down next to blushing Sakura and from his pocket, pulled out a large spider and placed it near her. Sakura took one look at the spider and yelled "HHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" before jumping onto Syaoran who caught her. Seeing what she'd done she screeched "HHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" before bolting for the door yelling "COOTIES!!!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I can't eat anything. I can't touch anything 'cos I'm contaminated with your DNA" Sakura yelled 15 minutes later from the shower cubicle where she was, according to Tomoyo, decontaminating herself of Syaoran's 'germs'. "Look," Syaoran yelled from the next cubicle where he was taking a bath. "I'm in a no better mood than you are. So will you quit ranting on how I contaminated you. It's more like you contaminated me. I'm gonna burn those clothes ... And what's a DNA?"
He heard some faint mumbling as he brushed his soaking hair out of his eyes. "Don't come out now. I'm getting out" he heard her say and groaned, turning around so the water fell more on his back than on his face. After what seemed like an hour he heard an "I'm going" shout. The footsteps faded and the door banged shut. He sighed again for the umpteenth time that day. Putting on his bathrobe he stepped out and changed.
Sakura who was in the adjoining room was being admired by Tomoyo. As usual, the dress was full length. It was peach with slightly puffy sleeves upto her elbows and a slit in the skirt, showing lighter material through it. Syaoran entered the room dressed in a fresh pair of dark green trousers and a very light green, very loose full-arms shirt with two buttons unnotched.
They both looked at each other and turned away slightly blushing; Sakura because the shirt showed too much of his chest to be comfortable with and Syaoran... who knows? ^.~
"You know" Syaoran started suddenly and angrily. "All this wouldn't have if SOMEONE hadn't gotten worried about you..." He glared fixedly at Eriol. "Do want them to starve, Syaoran?" Eriol asked smoothly. "Whatever"
Eriol turned to the girls. "I suppose that you are hungry so let's go and eat" He offered his arm to Tomoyo who took it. They both regally led the way. Sakura and Syaoran stared at each other. "Like I'm gonna offer my arm" Syaoran said. "Like I'm gonna take it" Sakura said at the same time. They glared at each other. "Hmph. At least we have one thing in common" he said as he went before Sakura. "Uh huh. We both dislike eachother" Sakura said following him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Dinner was eaten above deck where they had an extraordinary time fighting for food with seagulls the size of vultures. "There goes my casserole" Sakura sighed sadly while in the background Tomoyo was heaping curses on the birds.
"No self respecting bird better come near me or I'll kick your feathery butt all over deck till your girlfriend won't know which side's which when you're in bed-"
"Tomoyo!" Eriol said, amazed. "I didn't know you had such a dirty mouth!" Tomoyo sniffed and stuffed the last piece of her casserole in her mouth "Well, I always fight for my rights ..."
Sakura was trying to think of a way to befriend Syaoran. True to her soft nature, she could never hate or be angry with anyone for a long time. She remembered the light that'd shone from his eyes when battle was announced. It was almost enthusiastic... Well if he liked battles, then befriend him with battle talks...
Syaoran watched the scenario with his arms folded and one leg leaning against the mast. But his thought were elsewhere...thinking, planning of all the horrors he'd send upon Sakura. Suddenly he became aware of her standing in front of him with a benign smile. "What?!" he asked rudely. "Well, I was thinking that since you saved me-"she began, wanting to get to the subject slowly.
"No we cannot be friends" Syaoran said bluntly. Sakura looked taken aback for only a moment before plunging on "-and since I think you like fighting so much, then why don't we make plans that would include that door in the battle?" she ended unfazed.
Syaoran didn't expect this. But he had an answer for this statement too. "Girls don't make plans" he said quietly, after studying her for a moment. "Oh really" Sakura's hackles began to rise at the injustice of it all. "Just you wait" she hissed poking him on the shoulder.
Syaoran grabbed her finger tightly. Without breaking his gaze, he bent it backwards until she flinched and tried to draw away her hand but couldn't. He bent her finger more in the hope of actually breaking it. With immense force, Sakura snatched her hand away and retreated, glaring.
Syaoran ran a hand through his hair. What had just happened? Why did he do that for? Did he actually want to hurt her that bad? Syaoran looked around deck and saw the three of them leaving. Stretching his leg, he followed them back to his quarters.
By the time he'd reached the door, however, it was already closed. And he wasn't the only one locked out. too. Sakura was also waiting patiently to be let in. On catching sight of him, she chose to ignore him, with the air of one who had been severely wounded. Feeling uncomfortable with her silence, he started his 'apology'
"Erm... Kinomoto" Syaoran said making up his mind. "Gomen ne about what I did to your finger. I ... I didn't know how to hurt you and so I went physical and I guess ... a bit overboard." She turned to stare at him with unblinking eyes. "I shall be ... pleased if the whole issue was forgotten ..."
Sakura continued to stare at him. Syaoran felt his anger rise. "Look, it's not like I-" "No. It's not that. I've forgotten it totally" Sakura said smiling lightly. "Oh" "So... can we be friends? Onegai Syaoran?" She pleaded. "No" he stated firmly, wishing the door would open. "If you don't think of me as a friend, then why did you save me?" she asked shrewdly "Why did you help me?"
Syaoran stared at her. Why did he help her? "I don't know." he admitted. "So I wouldn't have that on my conscience. So I wouldn't have to listen to your friend's lectures. Or ..." he bent near her. "Maybe it's because I don't like to see weaklings in stress" he whispered and smirked.
"I am so not a weakling" she yelped indignantly. "Then prove it" he replied. She threw a punch at his chin but just before it could make contact, he blocked it with his palm. He closed his hand slowly over it and watched Sakura turn watermelon pink. He pulled her slightly towards him. Sakura gasped as he lowered his head and said softly "See? You are a weakling." Sakura snapped back a "damare" before he let go of her hand and she folded them in front of her, taking several steps back.
"How does Eriol know that we're here?" she asked, a while later. "He can sense my aura." Came the reply. Syaoran looked towards the door again and muttered some thing like "Maybe I should have let her get sucked in too"
But Sakura heard it and demanded "What do you mean 'too'?" "A lot of people have got stuck in the door" Syaoran replied simply. He took a deep breath as Sakura turned to face him. "My girl..." Syaoran hastily changed the sentence formation as her eyes grew twice as round. "A girl...who...ano, don't get angry or anything...but who I was attracted to was the reason this door was made. Mother didn't think she was the right one for me. So she charmed the door. We had an argument and Mother left my presence saying she'd find the right one for me."
Syaoran paused and looked at Sakura for the first time with calmness. "Then a few days after her...death, I knew the reason for my mother's dislike. She was, with her family, actively involved in the persecution of my father..." his voice trailed off and he looked towards the door again. "She's one of the carvings. She's not dead, nor alive. All of them wait for more to join them..." and he stretched his hand out towards the door, towards the particular figure of a rather haughty looking girl... Sakura watched him with fear. If he didn't stop, he would get stuck...
At that fateful moment, Eriol opened the door, looking distinctively serious. "Come in Syaoran, Sakura. We have some work to do..." Syaoran snapped out of his trance and went in. Sakura followed him.
Eriol whispered to Syaoran "You were thinking about her again, weren't you? She almost had you this time..." Of course, 'she'd almost had him' a lot of times. He just... sort of ... forgot about it since Sakura came. She occupied too much of his time... and perhaps his thoughts, too. "Come on. Stop thinking-" "I wasn't" Syaoran lied flatly.
"We need to check the weaponry and ammunition supplies" Tomoyo stated. "Very well, let us go. And Sakura..." Eriol turned to her "You stay here." Both she and Tomoyo cast him quizzical looks. "The weaponry isn't a place for girls" Syaoran said shaking his head. "But Tomoyo's going" Sakura blurted out. "JUST DO AS I TELL YOU, DAMMIT!" Syaoran yelled. Sakura stood there shocked and hurt as the others made their way out. As Syaoran closed the door, he felt slightly guilty for yelling at her
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Syaoran's POV~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Eriol, Daidouji and I made our way out of our quarters, I couldn't help but look back at that girl. She was just standing there as if she was petrified. I felt a little guilty for yelling at her. BUT SHE WOULDN'T LISTEN IF I TOLD HER NORMALLY! Wait a minute, did I say guilty?! Me? Syaoran? Guilty?! Normally, I would have laughed, not physically, but technically speaking. But I was too busy feeling guilty to even laugh technically.
It was just the way that girl was so genki usually and it sort of... ano...hurt me to see that I'd upset her so much. Dear God, I must be ill. Seriously ill. But still...
I am fighting a constant war with myself and I shall win, not my pathetic soul. Trying to control all my feelings, I led the way to the weaponry with Eriol looking horribly smug about something. I didn't like that look of his. And why did Daidouji have to come with us if Sa...I-I mean if Kinomoto couldn't?
It's not like I wanted her to. But if Daidouji could come, I reckon she should too. Dear God, I did not think that. I think I'm going insane. No, I know I am going insane. What is the world coming to?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Third Person POV~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sakura looked around the room and sat on a stool. After a few hours of thinking absolutely useless rubbish she gave the first sigh in days. Life was not easy for her. A beam of gold light suddenly blinded her for a moment. When the light died down, it revealed a Chinese woman standing there. Li Yelan.
"H-Hooeee?!" Sakura whispered. The woman came forward and bowed slightly. "I am Li Yelan, mother of Li Xiao Lang or Syaoran as you know him" The woman made it as if to sit down and an elegant, highbacked armchair appeared and she seated herself on it with her hands clasped in front of her neatly. Sakura didn't know what to say or what to do. So she just googled. "First of all, I must apologise for any inconvenience my son has rendered unto you." Yelan said formally. Sakura just stared although she knew she was being rude.
The woman raised her eyebrows. "You are Kinomoto Sakura, are you not?" she asked. Sakura nodded her head a million times a second. Yelan smiled at her. "I came here to explain why you are on board the SETS. My son, Syaoran, has..." she looked pained. "...since he lost that lady love of his, grown extremely cold. Not just in his social feelings but to the very core of his heart." She looked lost for a moment before speaking slightly sharply and desperately to Sakura.
"My dear, you are the one to help him, to persevere under his cold heart. He might have feelings, well hidden, for you. Or else why would he give you that silver hooded viper fang?" Yelan gave a tight little smile at the look of surprise on Sakura's face.
She got up and the chair melted into thin air. "I will be obliged if you do not mention my visit, Sakura" Yelan said. Sakura nodded numbly. Yelan stepped upto her and taking her chin with a single, white finger, whispered "And I wish you the very best of luck on this mission I have entrusted you." And she disappeared.
As soon as Sakura regained her senses, she heard footsteps and the door burst open. The trio had returned . Syaoran made a beeline to Sakura and began to speak when Tomoyo cut across his word and yelled "Can't you see she's still angry with you? Can't you leave her alone for a few moments?" Syaoran turned to Tomoyo and snarled "I am in no mood to apologise again." He turned back to Sakura. "Will you stop acting up so much?" "Look at yourself first and then look at others. You're the one whose acting up not me" Sakura replied with slight coldness. She marched away and Eriol followed her after giving him a Look. Tomoyo stayed behind to lecture him.
"Didn't Yelan speak to you?" Eriol asked once they were on deck. "Yes she did. But if I'm gonna make Syaoran feel anything, it won't be any time too soon" Sakura stated bluntly. Eriol shrugged as Syaoran ran onto the starboard side with his fingers plugged in his ears and Tomoyo screeching behind him.
"Oh for the love of God woman, SHUT UP!!" he yelled at last and she became quiet. Syaoran made his way over to Eriol and Sakura shouting "You-Kinomoto- are making my life a living hell!" "Don't tell me that life wasn't hard for you before this" Sakura retorted and stamped her foot angrily. For a moment, his hard lines softened as he looked at the girl standing in front of him. He knew that she was telling the truth...
Sakura threw her hands up in the air. "Why can't you leave me alone!?" Before Syaoran could contradict her, she yelled "LEAVE ME ALONE!!" once again and ran away. Syaoran stared after her. Leave her alone, she asked for it...
Sakura was not seen for the rest of the day. Even though Tomoyo pleaded him to look for her, he turned a deaf ear on her worries. Eriol tried to comfort Tomoyo. He didn't bother looking for Sakura... He knew somehow, somewhere, she'd be okay... Or else, some unlucky person would have to answer to Syaoran's wrath...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chibi Ijin here. I thought I'd stop here but just as a New Year Special and a gomen, I extended it. This will be the last chappie I can type until the end of May. But you guys will wait, won't you. Won't you?!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At dusk, Syaoran climbed the ladder to the crow's nest steadily. When he got there, he looked out into the never ending Horizon which had turned a brilliant pink with the dying sun. Moving a little to the other side, where they kept a few wooden barrels of some sort of liquid, he saw a very small black dot, near the coral pink end of the sea. The enemy ship! The very thought of a battle made him quiver with anticipation. Yes, he'd always loved fighting. Even back on land. As he shifted his leg, he kicked something soft which yelped and showed bright green eyes which glittered even in the semi darkness. "It's you." he said bluntly. She was okay?!
"Course it's me" Sakura said grumpily and he could feel the sadness in her voice. "Still mad are you?" he asked, off-handedly. "No" came the small reply. He returned to watching the ship in the distance. "Do you still have that fang?" he queried suddenly and was rewarded with a small nod. "Perfect day for battle" he mumbled. "Do you have many battles?" Sakura asked. "Some." "And how many have you won?"
Syaoran bent so close to her that his nose was practically touching hers. "I-I-"Sakura seemed to have lost the ability to talk. "Do I look like I've lost any battles?" Syaoran asked, his eyes boring intro hers. "No, but-" "Then why do you ask such a stupid question?" he continued. "Well..." Sakura fidgeted and looked down. It was hard for her to answer his questions when they were just inches apart.
"Well" she repeated. "You are such a sour loser that I thought that you may lose battles, too..." and half shrugged. Before she knew it, a knife was pressed dangerously hard against her throat. "Never call me a loser" Syaoran said quietly. Sakura's eyes widened. One moment they were teasing each other and the next, he was almost slitting her throat for calling him a loser. He was so serious! "I-I didn't mean to hurt you, Syaoran. I was just teasing-" Syaoran cut across Sakura's useless babble coolly "Teasing has gone far enough, sou?" Sakura numbly nodded and Syaoran, nodding, removed the blade and stuck it in his boot.
Sakura raised a hand to check for any damage but stopped mid way as he said. "I didn't hurt you. It was just a warning" Sakura flushed and quickly dropped her hand. There was silence.
"What's in these barrels?" Sakura asked out of the blue. "Sugar cane juice. Usually, sea-voyagers stock up on brandy. But we don't like it. Too much alcohol...Why do you ask?" he eyed her.
"Well, I sort of... drank some." Sakura said very quietly. He either didn't hear this or ignored it. After a few moments he turned to leave. "Come on Kinomoto. You can't stay here all night." "Yes I can" Sakura blurted indignantly. Syaoran raised an eye brow. "Really?" he asked slyly. "Yeah" Sakura stated defiantly. "You have to come down any way" Syaoran reasoned. "You can't make m-hooooeeee!!" Sakura shrieked as he hoisted her clear of the ground. She gazed at him half fearful and half total blushing. Yet Syaoran didn't seem to mind at all. Au contraire, he seemed to enjoy her position of discomfort.
"Can't I?" he said, smirking. Instead of heading for the ladder, he jumped straight off the crow's nest. "HHOOOEEEEEEEEEE! SYAORAN!"
Syaoran landed as soft as a cat on the deck and placed Sakura unceremoniously but quite gently, on her feet. She was shaking so badly she fell into a heap the moment she was on her own feet. Syaoran made an indistinct noise. "You are pretty clumsy, ya know" he said extending a hand. Without thinking, she took it and this time, Syaoran hauled her to her feet. Once again, she found herself too close to him for comfort. "Why are you like this?" she asked stepping away and squinting at him. His outline had definitely been blurry a minute ago. Temporary dizziness, she thought. Syaoran viewed her in confusions "Like wha-"
"Captain, sir!" Yumachi came running towars them and as he caught sight of Sakura, started cat-running. "Captain, sir, the ship is closing in at an alarming speed. At this rate the battle will take place by tomorrow morning" he said puffing up his chest and glancing frequently at the female member.
Sakura continued to stare beadily at the ground, not taking in what they were talking about. Strange thoughts were going through her mind...very strange thoughts...
"Very well" Syaoran waved a hand to dismiss him. "Your Highness-" Yumachi began after a pause. "I've told you not to call me that!" Syaoran exclaimed angrily. Yumachi fell to the floor in a ridiculously low and reverent bow before getting up. "May I...may I kiss you?" he asked looking rather surprised at his own daring. Syaoran paled at this but held out an unwilling hand. Yumachi quickly stepped up, kissed Syaoran's cheek and sped away whooping 'I kissed his highness' at the top of his lungs.
Syaoran glared after him while wiping his cheek with the back of his hand. Sakura was having a silent fit of laughter as he turned towards her. "What?!" "Is...is it o-okay if I don't kiss you?" she asked between gasps. " I-I could curstey if you want" "Oh shut up" Syaoran said embarrassed as Sakura snorted with laughter, the strange thoughts starting to take over her brain...
"Why the heck does that guy act so weird?" she asked after she'd finished snorting. "A. Kiwoka Yumachi is gay. B. He's still gay C. He'll always be gay and D. I'm the future leader of the Li Clan" Syaoran said moving over to the mast.
"The Li clan?"
"It's the royal family in China" Eriol supplied, stepping out of the shadows. "I thought you were keeping that other girl out of trouble" Syaoran said evasively. "I was" Eriol replied.
"You mean Syaoran is a prince?!" she asked to which Eriol bobbed his head. "Your highness" Sakura said, curtseying prettily. "I think your highness is the most charming, brave-""Flattery doesn't do much good" Syaoran muttered but the sides of his mouth twitched upwards for a second. "-sweet, not to mention sympathetic, handsome, angelic, clever, witty, artistic" Sakura raved on and on. "-patient, humble SELF CONCEITED HOT-HEADED FREAK I'VE EVER MET!!!"
Eriol began to chuckle at the look of utter surprise on his face while Sakura was having another sick wave of laughter. Tomoyo wandered on deck muttering under her breath about fluffy sleeves or something. She stopped as she heard a familiar voice. "Did you... did you see the look on his face, the great scumbag" Sakura squawked happily, pointing to the still recovering Syaoran.
Before any of them, could think of an answer or even do something, she let out a whoop and did several cartwheels. Eriol, Tomoyo and Syaoran closed their eyes and winched as they heard a sickening thud and the rip of material. "Oooppsssyyy. I think I just ripped my KKNNNNIIIICCCCKKKKEEEERRRRRRRSSSS" she wailed. "What's with her?" Tomoyo asked, bug-eyed. Syaoran looked thoughtful. "I think she drank some sugarcane juice." He paused. "And sugar and juice is saturated with..." "Sugar" the trio said grimly.
"Dear Lord, someone hold her still" Tomoyo said as they fanned out in different directions, ready to stop her before she did something drastic.
Sakura started waving her hands in the air and doing star jumps. She caught sight of Eriol who was closest to her "Hey. You, Boy! Come play with me. I know you want to." She dragged Eriol to a clear space, Sakura tried to make him do star jumps. But that plan failed miserably as he kept on standing stock still like some sort of statue of Napoleon while Sakura pranced around like a demented grasshopper. On the last resort, she tripped over him and fell face first on the floor, Eriol as well. Sakura sat bolt upright and saw Eriol on all fours. "Oh, so you wanna play horsey? Why didn't you tell me that, you numbskull?"
Tomoyo guffawed. Eriol grunted as she sat on his back and started bouncing up and down like a precocious two year old. "Giddy up, giddy up giddy up horsey. YYEEEEEEEEEEEE HHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"
But that was both boring and tiring after a few moments. Sakura sat down in deep thought next to a panting Eriol. "I know!" she said brightly, sticking a finger in the air. "We'll play imaginary games!"
Getting up at an alarming speed, she dragged Eriol, who was still on all fours, to Tomoyo who backed away slightly. "Tomoyo, you and Eriol are gonna get married, 'kay" Tomoyo turned pale at this. "Now get on your feet Eriol and stop acting like a moron" she heaved him to his feet and began the sermon.
"Do you, Daidouji Tomoyo, take Eriol as your son?" "Son?! You're supposed to say-""Good!" Sakura interrupted Tomoyo. "And do you Hiirogizawa Eriol take Tomoyo as your beloved wife?" she turned to Eriol who coughed and moaned "Sakura..."
Syaoran was enjoying himself immensely in the background. As long as he was not forced to do anything stupid, he was happy.
"Alrighty then. I now pronounce you female dog and ... what's the polite term for a bastard?" Skaura looked lost in thought for a moment before shrugging. "Well, who cares? Now you may kiss the bride" Sakura insisted. In the background, Syaoran yelled, "Go on Eriol, kiss the bride, you ninny!" Eriol shot him a glare and turned back to Sakura. Uh uh. He was not going to kiss Tomoyo. And even in her drunken state, Sakura realized that. But she was done fooling around. Sakura forced his head down by the scruff if his neck and his lips met Tomoyo's. For a first time, a pale pink rushed to his cheeks. As soon as Sakura released him, he apologized to Tomoyo and turned to find her trying to make Syaoran dance.
"It's really easy. Try now... heel and toe... heel and toe...then slide, slide ... I said SLIDE, you duck-billed wormhead!" She wacked his feet with a stout stick that she'd gotten form Kami-san knows where.
There was utmost silence for a moment. It was an unnerving silence. Even Sakura stood still. Yup, Sakura stood still and quiet, that is before rushing over to the edge and flinging herself into the sea. "Sakura! Syaoran, Eriol, HELP HER!" Tomoyo wailed. Syaoran was the first to kick off his boots and enter the water.
He rose to the surface, spraying out the salt water and turning in every direction for a sign of that drunken whore... "Syaoran! Bubbles on your right" he heard someone shout. "Bubbles?! What's Bubbles got to do with this?" he yelled back, scanning the area for the cutest and sweetest member of the Power Puff Girls. "SYAORAN!!! AIR BUBBLES!!!" Eriol and Tomoyo unisoned. "Oh, right" comprehension dawned on his face. He dived and found a mass of light pink pretty deep under the water. Taking hold of her waist, he swam upwards and broke to the surface. He took a look at her face. It was pale and almost looked lifeless. Trying not to lose his head, he began to swim back to the ship with steady strokes.
Once on board, with Tomoyo's help, he went through the necessary processes of CPR. After the third try, Sakura spluttered and proceeded to hack out the water she'd swallowed. "Sakura, don't ever do that again! I want you to live so I can tape the rest of your life!" Tomoyo squealed, hugging her friend. She nodded weakly and turned to look at Syaoran who, though as wet as her, was placing a warm towel around her shoulders. "Gomen ne" she inclined her head slightly. "I think he'd consider it an honour to save you" Eriol said jovially. He glared at him.
"Daijoubu?" Syaoran asked stiffly. Sakura blinked off the oncoming darkness and nodded. "Sure?" this time there was an undeniable bit of worry in his voice. Sakura tried to smile but barely managed it. Then she was out like a light. The last thing she heard was a few shouts of "Sakura!" and a mumbled "liar".
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ijin here. Sooo, how was it? Good? Bad? The worst? I'm hopeless...v.v oh yeah and I'm gonna update last day of normal life too. So don't be too mad. And you guys still have to tell me whether they should be shipwrecked or not. If you want this story to go the way you want, then you'll have to tell me, sou?
I'm currently having holidays so I managed to type the next chappie also but I won't post it till I get 20 reviews. I know you've all waited so long for this chappie and for that I'm really grateful- I made it extra long. The next one's even more longer. I'm so proud of myself. And I need you guys' help in something too. Since I don't understand relations very much and the girls in my class are idiots, I don't ask them T.T;; I'm confused about, well, about this guy... =^.^=. But, hey, I am so not gonna make a public issue out of my personal life. But if you email me, I could tell you. I need the advice, too ^.^;;
Until the next chapter, this is Chibi Ijin signing off. Ja matte! ^-^