I have no excuse for not updating. All I can say is that I've lost interested in writing fanfiction. What I have posted up here is a chapter I wrote two years ago, months after chapter 1 was posted. My beta reader never replied, so this is pretty raw. XD Remember guys: I don't write S/S. I always write Eriol/Sakura. If you're hoping for miracles, well, I don't believe in them, so don't expect any from me.
Invisible Yu: Syaoran will be there soon. Don't worry.
Xelena: Thanks.
Forbidden Secrets: Sorry that it took so long. Well, here's chapter two.
Angel of Hell1: Oo Uh...
Moon Smurf: HEY, BETA READER! XD What happened to the chapters I sent you?
Miko no Igirisu: My apologies. I'm glad you feel that it's written well. Here's the next chappie.
Anon: Thanks!
:) : I've continued. o
Anon: Updated, updated, updated.
Anon: Continued.
Gigicerisier: Hmmm... I hate giving plots away. You'll see. =)
Queen of the Storms: Thank yewwww! I thought a Cinderella plot was interesting, too, so here I am, attempting one.
Cecelia: Read on!! We shall find out who the Fairy Godmother is, together. XD
Mindy: Oh, I know what you mean. XD I'm very stubborn about it, and lookit me: I'm doing what every author-who-doesn't-update do: I don't update. laughs
Lil Moon Witch: Awww... You read TNTB? TT Me so happy. I love writing E/S. Rest assured that whenever you see a CCS fic, it'll contain that couple.
Shy-Lil-Dreamer: No offense taken. It's true; I update slowly. But at least you enjoy my fics. Thank you. =)
Anon: I've updated. No never, see?
Cookies: Because I lost confidence in this fic and in my writing skills. I really wanted to build them back up before I updated another chapter. But it's been over a year or two, and I wanted to put this up. Thanks for reading!
Otakugirl: Yeah... I stopped updating for a while. At least here's another chapter!
Chapter Two: An Artist's Vision
The man standing at the front door shook his head. For a split second, Sakura tilted her head to the side, feeling a sense of recognition go through her, and it left just as quickly as it came. But even as she continued to stare at him, her sense of recognition acted up, though she could not place her finger on it. "I'm not the artist; my name is Touya, the apprentice, and I am here to watch my teacher work." The male then gestured to another person who was walking up to the front door. "He is the artist, Yue." He then moved away, letting the man come through. He looked to be of the same age as the one named Touya, except with a more ethereal disposition, with silver-long hair tied together loosely, and mystic eyes that showed nothing.
Sakura watched as he entered the house and his apprentice following along. Then, realizing that she had not finished most of the housework, Sakura quickly ran off complete the rest of the tasks around the house, though she did it close enough to watch as Sonomi talked joyfully with the artist.
"Ah, yes. I wish for their portraits to be praised whenever guests arrive to our household. It would give me such pride to see their beauty enhanced so much more. So just let me call them in, and I shall- ah!" Sakura then heard a crash inside the room, but decided to just do her job and stay out of the way. "Oh, dear me. How extremely clumsy of me to knock that over. This must be cleaned up. Cinders! Cinders!"
Sighing, Sakura quickly grabbed a cloth and slowly entered the dining room. "Yes, stepmother?" she asked.
Touya's eyes widened at those words. "Stepmother? THIS is your stepdaughter? Why, she looks like a servant girl."
Biting her lip, Sakura cringed when she saw the infuriating expression on her stepmother's face, knowing that she was going to be in deep trouble soon enough. No doubt later on she would be blamed for this humiliation that Sonomi was going through. She nervously clenched the cloth in her hand, waiting for her stepmother to come up with a good explanation for this. "Ah, well, you see," she laughed. "My stepdaughter loves to pretend to be a servant girl, so she does it often enough. She enjoys this entire charade, and we let her do so. Do we not, stepdaughter?"
Sakura meekly nodded her head, trying her best to not look into any of their eyes as she agreed. She was an awful liar. "Yes, stepmother," she answered softly, now not looking up at the artist and his apprentice.
"Well, do you wish for her to be painted as well?" Yue asked.
Sonomi's eyes widened, as if she could not even think of such a thing happening. "Oh, no," she laughed once more, the falseness dripping in each word she said. "Why, my stepdaughter despises such things. Right, stepdaughter?"
"Yes, stepmother," Sakura repeated the two words emotionlessly. To be portrayed! Who would NOT wish for that?!
"Ah..." Yue whispered, as if something caught his eyes. Suddenly, Sakura felt a hand on her chin, and it lifted her face up to meet with those mystic eyes. "So much dirt on your face, maiden," he said, yet his unreadable expression did not change one bit. "Yet the filth does not hide your obvious beauty. Tell me, is your name truly Cinders?" Now Sakura can tell that there was a very small slight tone of humor in his voice.
Turning to look up at her stepmother, she saw the red anger in her eyes, and quickly averted her eyes away. "Yes," she finally said in a bit of a haste. "My name is Cinders. It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Yue." She curtsied slightly.
"Is it really now?" He then turned to Sonomi with a question on his mind. "If I may ask, I wish to paint your stepdaughter as well? I think that I would find it to be an enjoyable thing to do, along with your assignment, of course. It would not take too long. Maybe a sketch or two after I finish your daughters."
"I am sorry, sir," Sonomi replied almost immediately. "But I am not willing to pay for something that I had not-"
"You will not have to," he said evenly, motioning for Touya to set things up. "And you will not even have to keep them, either, unless you desire. The sketches, I mean. All I truly ask for is to spend a bit more time at your household in order to do so after I complete my work." He then took Sakura's face into his hands. To Sakura, it seemed as if he was inspecting them. "Yes, all you really have to do is to cleanse you image, of course. Take this so-called 'charade' off and wait for me to finish."
Feeling a sense of doubt, Sakura uncertainly turned to look at Sonomi. Seeing her stepmother glare at her, Sakura closed her eyes for a second, then opened them again, still looking only at her stepmother. Sonomi gave a short nod.
That was all the encouragement that Sakura needed, and she gave the artist a small smile. "My stepmother consents to what you wish for. Though I am unworthy of such treatments, thank you." Feeling a surge of happiness, Sakura walked off, hoping to find a pond for her to wash up. It would take Sir Yue a while to portray Meiling and Rika, so I should be able to rest a while as well. Stepmother would want to watch as the artist is at work. That means I am free for a small interval!
Running off after she made sure her stepmother could not see her, Sakura peered around, whispering, "Cerberus! Cerberus, where are you?!" Seconds later, she felt something brush against her leg, and Sakura pet the animal on the face. "Come on, Cerberus. Let's go to the lake just right by the forest. I believe I should take a nice bath before I go back. And since Meiling and stepmother would probably not let me use their bathing pool, I truly believe I should not do so."
Then, turning to the animal, she grinned, and poked him playfully on the nose. "Help me get some clean clothes, Cerberus, and meet me by the lake, would you please?" Nodding, the animal ran off, back into the house. After she watched it leave, Sakura turned and walked to the forests behind the mansion, where she went before. Suddenly, stopping, she slumped over in disappointment once she looked around. Still standing there minutes later, she heard Cerberus come back, and Sakura kneeled down to wrap her arms around his warm fur.
"Forget it, Cerberus," she mumbled, digging her face into her animal friend. "I forgot that it's winter. If I wish to cleanse in the lake, then I wish for my skin to turn bluer than the ocean itself. I suppose that I could get water from the well, instead of wishing such a good treatment for myself. I will just wipe myself with a cloth instead. Let us go back into the house, Cerberus. I desire not to stare at the white blanket of frost."
Then, before she walked off, she recalled a conversation she had not too long ago. But even though it is wonderful, I must contradict some of the lovely images that you wrote. This snow, it can also be deadly in other ways as well. Sakura nodded her head. Cruel and mean as well! she sulked. Taking a bucket from the kitchen, Sakura then heaved it outside to a well by a small portion of the plains which laid between the forests and the back of the house.
Looping it through a rope, she then leveled it down, and waited for the tones of splashing water. But when she did, the sound was a bit peculiar, so she peered down. Her eyes widening, Sakura found herself staring at, well, yes, there was water. There was plenty of water, but there was also small pieces of ice in there as well. Cringing, Sakura realized how she was going to have to wait a bit longer for the water to heat up now. I truly cannot believe how my luck is faring so far.
As Sakura walked off, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, causing Cerberus to accidentally bump into the back of her legs. "Oh!" she gasped, suddenly remembering something. But even though it is wonderful, I must contradict... "That boy!" Sakura frowned. "I told him my na--Well, maybe not my true name, but I did tell him a name. Yet he never gave me his." Turning, she looked at Cerberus. "And he was such an interesting boy, Cerberus. I wonder if I'll see him again." Then, she shook her head. "But never mind! I really must wash myself up. Come, friend. Bring my clothes along with you, please." Then, the pair walked off, looking as if they were a sorceress with her familiar.
Closing the door behind her, Sakura filled some of the water into a pot, and washed it clean first. Casting the used liquid out by draining it by the ground outside of the door, Sakura then walked back in and placed the pot above the stove. She poured the rest of the freezing water into the container, and lit the fire back up again. Poking at it, she watched as it gradually burned, and waited for it warm the water. Smiling in satisfaction, Sakura sat on the cold ground next to Cerberus, and watched as the kindle ignited slowly.
Sighing, she thought back to when she was gone from the house, and when she was knocked out by that boy. She unconsciously reached her hand out to touch her arm, and felt a light bruise there. Shrugging, Sakura decided that she did not have to tend to it, for it would probably go away, given time. Blinking, she got up, and found the cloak that he had given her was lying on the ground. Hastily picking it back up, Sakura found that the garment was freezing cold and wet to the touch.
Deciding that she should not treat such a gift that way, Sakura placed it next to her by the fire, waiting for it to dry. I shall see him again one day, she determined stubbornly. Then I shall give it back to him, smiling. And maybe we shall speak more as well, of other things. Maybe of life, and of other beauties all over the world. He said my words were beautiful... What a flatterer. Yet still, I do dare to dream of catching a glance of him one day. Maybe he will be by the fields again, with his horse.
Sakura began to remember his deep blue hair and deep-colored eyes . She tilted her head to one side, wondering how he was able to get such a good quality cloak, when he wore a commoner's garment underneath. Yet as common as the clothing were, they still looked even more suitable than mine. Looking at her sleeve, Sakura saw some stitches to be out of place and others that needed to be stitched. The brown texture were covered with dirt, some parts molding in with each other. How she wished for a new set of clothing once in a while. Ever since her father died when she was seven, nine years ago, Sakura had only been able to alter the size by sewing. The leggings she wore were too big, though, for they belonged to her father. To compromise, she had cut them apart to make a skirt.
"Why do they hate me so much, Cerberus?" Sakura asked her friend, hugging him as she watched the fire. "Did I wrong them in some way when I was young? That can't be, though, for Meiling and Rika are of my age, and we hardly acknowledged each other when we were young. Stepmother hardly gave a care for me when she first came in. I still remember it... The very first step she took into the house. Mother had died when I was three, and I do not remember much of that time. Three years later after that, father brought stepmother, Meiling, and Rika to the house. I thought I would be happy."
Lifting her head up, Sakura stared around her. She had not always lived like this. She used to sleep in a bedroom, not in the kitchen. She would cook, though. But that was because she wanted to learn from the servants. Sonomi had dismissed them all shortly after her father's passing. There was one left, though. But he did not reside with her family. Instead, once every few days, he would bring food and such to their doorstep, and just left it in her hands to tend to. Sakura had not always done the chores by herself. She was not always treated so poorly. She was once loved. She would once a long time ago wake up to her father's warm, smiling face.
"I was wrong, Cerberus. I was dreadfully wrong," she whispered, leaning in to him again. "I am not happy at all."
Sakura waited about fifteen more minutes, the silence dragging during that time, and the ashes once more flying onto her face. It did not matter, for she would wash them off now that she wanted to do so.
Once the fifteen minutes were over, Sakura took the pot off the fire, and placed it on the floor. Taking a cloth, she dipped it into the boiling water, and waited for it to cool a bit. Slowly, she wiped her arms, and legs. Sakura would quickly clean her body and upper legs, for taking off her clothes meant that she would be exposed to cold weather, even if the fire was so close by. A while later, Sakura got up, and took a small mirror into her hands. She stared at it as she placed the cloth into the water, and picked it back up. Wiping half of her face, she found herself staring at a strange sight and reflection.
She had never dreamed that her skin would be so pale underneath. Then again, as she was washing her hands and legs, she found herself taking off a layer of dirt as well then. Still, this surprised her a bit, to see such a change. Sakura had gotten so used to the soot that she soon believed that it was a part of her face. And now, now that she was cleansing herself, and to see such a sight, Sakura just gaped into the mirror for a while. She had no clue what she wished to believe. Instead, Sakura just quickly wiped the rest of her face, left the cloth in the pot afterwards, and placed the mirror back onto a table.
Sakura then put on the clothes that Cerberus had given her. The most she had was probably three sets of clothes, all of which she has kept and used over the years. I wonder what stepmother would think, Sakura pondered staring at herself. What would she do once her eyes lay on my face? My body? She already knew the answer. Stepmother would not be glad. She would never be proud of me for my image, my work, or anything of mine. With that thought, Sakura grimaced at the sadness.
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Frowning, she started to doubt whether she should do it or not, even with Sonomi's consent. "Because the artist was there, that was the only reason stepmother would even let me be sketched by him. If he were not in there, she would have yelled at me to leave it all alone." She then turned to Cerberus, and scratched behind his ear. "Do you think that maybe I should not go, Cerberus? I do not wish to anger stepmother more that she already is with me. It would not do me good."
In response, Cerberus lifted his head up and brushed it against Sakura's cheeks, licking her once in a while. "Aww, stop it, Cerberus," she protested lightly. "I washed myself, remember? I desire not to do it again." Glancing around, Sakura then got up, and walked over to a small cabinet by a corner. She reached up, and opened it, to pull out a small music box. Then, Sakura moved to sit back down next to Cerberus by the warm fire.
"This is all I have left of my father, my real family," Sakura whispered, telling her animal friend, even though he has lived with her long before she was born in their household. Opening it, Sakura reached in, and pulled out a necklace. It consisted of a long, yet extremely thin, glittering chain of gold, connected to a sparkling star no bigger than inch or so. The star was silver-colored, shimmering when touched by light. "Father said that there used to be two of these, but he lost one long ago. It is a real shame that he did." Looking up, Sakura quickly slipped the necklace back into the box, and put it away.
"I believe that it would be time to see if they are done yet. Just stay here, Cerberus, okay?" she smiled. Hearing it whimper, Sakura sighed. "I'll be back, and you know that. Hmm... But I best be careful. I shall bring tea for them to drink," she decided happily. "Stepmother would be slightly pleased to see me do that, yes she would."
Walking out, Sakura smiled as she entered the dining room, where her stepsisters' portraits were being drawn. "Would you all like some tea- AH!!!" Sakura shrieked as she tripped on something, and felt the plate of cups and teapot slip from her grasp. Almost in slow motion, Sakura watched as she fell while the four of the cups dropped harmlessly onto the carpet floor, along with the teapot, though the tea itself was seeping into the floor covering. Unfortunately, the fifth cup did not land so luckily, and Sakura could only stare as it landed on Meiling's head, pouring the tea out before it clattered to the ground.
Shrieking, Meiling jumped up from her seat, running around the room without silence. Clumsily getting up, Sakura took out a cloth. "Please, Meiling," she tried, running up to her stepsister. "Let me help-"
Meiling stopped and angrily glared at her, slapping her hand away from her view. "Cinders! You purposely came to ruin my portrait! How dare you do such a thing! Mother, I want her punished! I want it done now!"
Biting her lip, Sakura turned away from her stepsister, who had tea dripping from her hair down to her face, to look at her stepmother slowly, and found herself staring into eyes filled with contempt and loathe. "Cinders," Sonomi said in a dangerously soft and wavering voice. "You shall sit by the window, and you shall not move until Rika's own portrait is done. I will take Meiling to change, and you--YOU!--will not have a single line drawn at all! Do not say a word! Not a peep from you. Come, Meiling. Let us go right now." She then turned to Yue. "Please, I apologize deeply for the disturbance."
"Actually," he said, looking at her with his emotionless face. "I should apologize. Your stepdaughter had only wish to bring us tea, and unfortunately, she tripped over my items, including an extra canvas that I had brought along. I should not have left them in such a place. Do not scold her. Moreover, I still wish for to draw a small bit on-"
"I go against your request," Sonomi replied through clenched teeth sharply. She then took in a deep breath, and drew herself to an amazing height, staring at them through eyes angry enough with emotion to kill, if wanted to. "I will do as I wish with those who desire to live in this household, and I may ask of you to not interfere with the way people are treated here. I am a just and fair person. Those who make mistakes are punished, and that is that." Sonomi turned and left.
The happiness in her eyes faded away even more as Sakura walked to the opposite wall in the dining room, dragging a chair with her. Sitting down, she watched as it started to snow again. Sakura stared at it as she sat up straighter, not wanting to let her stepmother know how much this has fazed her. She then closed her eyes for a while, grieving for herself once more.
But even though it is wonderful... I do not wish for you to catch a cold any easier than it already is... Sakura's eyes widened after she repeated that last sentence in her head. I do not wish for you to catch a cold... That entire statement she drank up once more, smiling as she did. Someone cared for me, for my health, she realized. That boy, he gave me his cloak so that I would not become ill later on. And he watched over me after he accidentally knocked into me. That was the very first time when someone showed me compassion and concern in quite a while. Well, others have as well, but... that was very good.
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A hour or so later, Sakura watched as Yue and Touya packed up their things, ready to leave. Yet still, she had sat there after Meiling returned with Sonomi, watching as they talked with Yue as if Sakura was not even there, and none of the previous things had happened. Unable to bear it, Sakura just stared outside and watched people pass by, the snow drifting down as slowly as it could. She watched as the streets were covered with another white sheet of snow. And she watched.
"Let me see you out. Thank you so much..." Sakura could hear her stepmother say as they walked out of the dining room. Finally turning back around, Sakura's eyes met with soft, kind ones. Rika was looking at her with a small, sad smile on her face. Sakura jerked her head away, and was about to get up when she heard loud, thundering steps running towards her.
"Cinders!!!" Sakura heard her stepmother shriek. Cringing, Sakura watched as Sonomi stormed up to her, thinking if her eyes were bright red with hate. "You big idiot! Did you enjoy watching as I was humiliated as such?! Give me a reason as to why I should continue to house you under my house?! Tonight, you shall not eat! You will not serve us! You will not take one step into the kitchen! Cinders, instead you shall go to the cellar, and stay there! I do not wish to see your face at all!"
Sakura's eyes widened at her words. Getting up, she protested with a cry, "But stepmother-"
"And do not call me stepmother!" Sonomi screamed, her eyes wide with furious passion. "You shall never call me stepmother again! From now on, whenever others come to our household, you are just a servant. You are not-"
"Your stepdaughter," Sakura finished loudly. She stared at her stepmother, not cringing anymore.
"You shall not look at me in such a way," Sonomi whispered fiercely. "If I could, I would throw you in the streets, never giving a second thought. You shall stay in the cellar for seven days, and think about what you have done. That should be more than enough time for you to contemplate your mistakes. The lack of food, after all, can sometimes be the right incentive."
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Curling, Sakura closed her eyes, shivering. Sonomi had truly left her with no food. But also, other than that, her stepmother did not give her blankets, or any source of heat at all. The only thing close to heat was the small bit of light that came from a tiny window shaft. "I-I-If I truly could le-leave," she whispered, "then I mos-most definitely wo-would! I hardly even ne-need her to thro-throw me away!" This was the third day, and Sakura was beginning to see gray dots in the air.
She quickly closed her eyes, and took in deep breaths. How am I suppose to last for four more days?! Sakura wondered, torturing herself with the fact that there were four more days. Her head started to swirl, and Sakura moaned as she curled up into a ball even more. "Oh..." she whimpered.
Suddenly, Sakura heard a scratching sound by the window shaft, and she slowly looked up. Seeing that it was Cerberus, Sakura quickly got up, and ended up with more gray dots, along with a dizzying headache. Staggering a bit, she gained control of herself a few seconds later. She found a small chair when she looked around and used it to get up to the window shaft. "Oh, Cerberus..." Sakura said softly, seeing her friend poking against the window. "I can't play with you now."
Cerberus gave the window one last poke, and abruptly, Sakura found herself breathing in some dust. Coughing, she waved her hand around as she closed her eyes, trying to clear the air. But after the dust, she took in another breath, and a breeze of freezing cold came to her senses. Opening her eyes back, Sakura saw that the small window as open. Gasping, she fingered the terrain outside, feeling the ice. Cerberus was already jumping around, as if telling her that she should come out.
Shaking her head, Sakura smiled sadly at the animal. "I mustn't," Sakura whispered. "If I do, there is not a place for me to go anyway. I might as well just wait for the rest of the seven days to be over. Now I will close the window, Cerberus. Leave me be and try to stay patient for a while, will you not?" But just as she was about to pull the window back down, Sakura felt something gnaw at her sleeve softly. Seeing Cerberus' face so close to hers, and practically feeling his sadness for her radiating strongly, Sakura slowly and finally nodded her head.
"Back up slightly, Cerberus," Sakura told him. After he did, Sakura winced as she started to squeeze through. Stopping for a second, with the gray spots starting to come back, Sakura held her head, taking a breather. After that, she started again, and forced herself to squirm out of the window, the skin on her hands scraping against the snow raw. She could feel the headache increasing, pulsating within her mind. Gulping in a large, clear breath, Sakura closed her eyes, and laid there for a while. Feeling Cerberus poke her again, Sakura tiredly wave her hand. "Let me be for a while, Cerberus. Let me be."
Trying to stay awake, Sakura ignored how the snow under her was numbing her body. Shivering, she felt Cerberus poke her again, trying to get her to stand up. Sakura groaned as she grabbed onto his body, and reveled in the heat he gave off. "I... I-I'm so... hungry..." she whispered, forcing herself to keep her eyes open. Getting to her knees, Cerberus jabbed her softly again, and she finally stood on her feet, her legs quivering slightly. Sakura managed to look about and take in that she was standing in the back of the house. But once she did get up, Cerberus ran off, past the plains through the forests.
"Such speed for such an animal in this environment," Sakura mused for a second, feeling dizzy. Slowly, she followed behind him, taking each step carefully at a time. She soon felt the cold wind blow against her and realized that no matter how refreshing it was before, it no longer felt comfortable to her. Recoiling, Sakura grasped her hands together, and desired for pockets at a time like this.
Sakura swayed as her clothes started to snatch on twigs and branches, trying her best to catch up to Cerberus. She had not a notion as to how long she stumbled through the woods, but it seemed as if it were hours. Her hands were frozen, a minuscule amount of blood seeping through wounds from scraping against the snow to escape from the cellar. Finally seeing a clearing, Sakura felt herself falter, clutching her head as she winced. Before the gray spots filled her entire vision, she remember catching a blurry glance of Cerberus running up to her. "Cer... Cerberus..." she whispered, falling to the ground, drained of the little energy she had left in her.
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End of chapter 2. I won't make guarantees on how long it'll take the next chapter to come out. I had the 3rd one written and half of the fourth over a year ago. The plot didn't die yet, but my will to write definitely has. Especially after SAT II scores came in. ( 630!! Weak shit, man.) Maybe I'll just post up what I have up to now and attempt to continue it when I feel like it. Anyway, I promise I won't leave this here just by itself. T'would be idiotic of me. Please review. I would like to know who's read chapter 1 and is still keeping up with this ficcie.
Invisible Yu: Syaoran will be there soon. Don't worry.
Xelena: Thanks.
Forbidden Secrets: Sorry that it took so long. Well, here's chapter two.
Angel of Hell1: Oo Uh...
Moon Smurf: HEY, BETA READER! XD What happened to the chapters I sent you?
Miko no Igirisu: My apologies. I'm glad you feel that it's written well. Here's the next chappie.
Anon: Thanks!
:) : I've continued. o
Anon: Updated, updated, updated.
Anon: Continued.
Gigicerisier: Hmmm... I hate giving plots away. You'll see. =)
Queen of the Storms: Thank yewwww! I thought a Cinderella plot was interesting, too, so here I am, attempting one.
Cecelia: Read on!! We shall find out who the Fairy Godmother is, together. XD
Mindy: Oh, I know what you mean. XD I'm very stubborn about it, and lookit me: I'm doing what every author-who-doesn't-update do: I don't update. laughs
Lil Moon Witch: Awww... You read TNTB? TT Me so happy. I love writing E/S. Rest assured that whenever you see a CCS fic, it'll contain that couple.
Shy-Lil-Dreamer: No offense taken. It's true; I update slowly. But at least you enjoy my fics. Thank you. =)
Anon: I've updated. No never, see?
Cookies: Because I lost confidence in this fic and in my writing skills. I really wanted to build them back up before I updated another chapter. But it's been over a year or two, and I wanted to put this up. Thanks for reading!
Otakugirl: Yeah... I stopped updating for a while. At least here's another chapter!
Chapter Two: An Artist's Vision
The man standing at the front door shook his head. For a split second, Sakura tilted her head to the side, feeling a sense of recognition go through her, and it left just as quickly as it came. But even as she continued to stare at him, her sense of recognition acted up, though she could not place her finger on it. "I'm not the artist; my name is Touya, the apprentice, and I am here to watch my teacher work." The male then gestured to another person who was walking up to the front door. "He is the artist, Yue." He then moved away, letting the man come through. He looked to be of the same age as the one named Touya, except with a more ethereal disposition, with silver-long hair tied together loosely, and mystic eyes that showed nothing.
Sakura watched as he entered the house and his apprentice following along. Then, realizing that she had not finished most of the housework, Sakura quickly ran off complete the rest of the tasks around the house, though she did it close enough to watch as Sonomi talked joyfully with the artist.
"Ah, yes. I wish for their portraits to be praised whenever guests arrive to our household. It would give me such pride to see their beauty enhanced so much more. So just let me call them in, and I shall- ah!" Sakura then heard a crash inside the room, but decided to just do her job and stay out of the way. "Oh, dear me. How extremely clumsy of me to knock that over. This must be cleaned up. Cinders! Cinders!"
Sighing, Sakura quickly grabbed a cloth and slowly entered the dining room. "Yes, stepmother?" she asked.
Touya's eyes widened at those words. "Stepmother? THIS is your stepdaughter? Why, she looks like a servant girl."
Biting her lip, Sakura cringed when she saw the infuriating expression on her stepmother's face, knowing that she was going to be in deep trouble soon enough. No doubt later on she would be blamed for this humiliation that Sonomi was going through. She nervously clenched the cloth in her hand, waiting for her stepmother to come up with a good explanation for this. "Ah, well, you see," she laughed. "My stepdaughter loves to pretend to be a servant girl, so she does it often enough. She enjoys this entire charade, and we let her do so. Do we not, stepdaughter?"
Sakura meekly nodded her head, trying her best to not look into any of their eyes as she agreed. She was an awful liar. "Yes, stepmother," she answered softly, now not looking up at the artist and his apprentice.
"Well, do you wish for her to be painted as well?" Yue asked.
Sonomi's eyes widened, as if she could not even think of such a thing happening. "Oh, no," she laughed once more, the falseness dripping in each word she said. "Why, my stepdaughter despises such things. Right, stepdaughter?"
"Yes, stepmother," Sakura repeated the two words emotionlessly. To be portrayed! Who would NOT wish for that?!
"Ah..." Yue whispered, as if something caught his eyes. Suddenly, Sakura felt a hand on her chin, and it lifted her face up to meet with those mystic eyes. "So much dirt on your face, maiden," he said, yet his unreadable expression did not change one bit. "Yet the filth does not hide your obvious beauty. Tell me, is your name truly Cinders?" Now Sakura can tell that there was a very small slight tone of humor in his voice.
Turning to look up at her stepmother, she saw the red anger in her eyes, and quickly averted her eyes away. "Yes," she finally said in a bit of a haste. "My name is Cinders. It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Yue." She curtsied slightly.
"Is it really now?" He then turned to Sonomi with a question on his mind. "If I may ask, I wish to paint your stepdaughter as well? I think that I would find it to be an enjoyable thing to do, along with your assignment, of course. It would not take too long. Maybe a sketch or two after I finish your daughters."
"I am sorry, sir," Sonomi replied almost immediately. "But I am not willing to pay for something that I had not-"
"You will not have to," he said evenly, motioning for Touya to set things up. "And you will not even have to keep them, either, unless you desire. The sketches, I mean. All I truly ask for is to spend a bit more time at your household in order to do so after I complete my work." He then took Sakura's face into his hands. To Sakura, it seemed as if he was inspecting them. "Yes, all you really have to do is to cleanse you image, of course. Take this so-called 'charade' off and wait for me to finish."
Feeling a sense of doubt, Sakura uncertainly turned to look at Sonomi. Seeing her stepmother glare at her, Sakura closed her eyes for a second, then opened them again, still looking only at her stepmother. Sonomi gave a short nod.
That was all the encouragement that Sakura needed, and she gave the artist a small smile. "My stepmother consents to what you wish for. Though I am unworthy of such treatments, thank you." Feeling a surge of happiness, Sakura walked off, hoping to find a pond for her to wash up. It would take Sir Yue a while to portray Meiling and Rika, so I should be able to rest a while as well. Stepmother would want to watch as the artist is at work. That means I am free for a small interval!
Running off after she made sure her stepmother could not see her, Sakura peered around, whispering, "Cerberus! Cerberus, where are you?!" Seconds later, she felt something brush against her leg, and Sakura pet the animal on the face. "Come on, Cerberus. Let's go to the lake just right by the forest. I believe I should take a nice bath before I go back. And since Meiling and stepmother would probably not let me use their bathing pool, I truly believe I should not do so."
Then, turning to the animal, she grinned, and poked him playfully on the nose. "Help me get some clean clothes, Cerberus, and meet me by the lake, would you please?" Nodding, the animal ran off, back into the house. After she watched it leave, Sakura turned and walked to the forests behind the mansion, where she went before. Suddenly, stopping, she slumped over in disappointment once she looked around. Still standing there minutes later, she heard Cerberus come back, and Sakura kneeled down to wrap her arms around his warm fur.
"Forget it, Cerberus," she mumbled, digging her face into her animal friend. "I forgot that it's winter. If I wish to cleanse in the lake, then I wish for my skin to turn bluer than the ocean itself. I suppose that I could get water from the well, instead of wishing such a good treatment for myself. I will just wipe myself with a cloth instead. Let us go back into the house, Cerberus. I desire not to stare at the white blanket of frost."
Then, before she walked off, she recalled a conversation she had not too long ago. But even though it is wonderful, I must contradict some of the lovely images that you wrote. This snow, it can also be deadly in other ways as well. Sakura nodded her head. Cruel and mean as well! she sulked. Taking a bucket from the kitchen, Sakura then heaved it outside to a well by a small portion of the plains which laid between the forests and the back of the house.
Looping it through a rope, she then leveled it down, and waited for the tones of splashing water. But when she did, the sound was a bit peculiar, so she peered down. Her eyes widening, Sakura found herself staring at, well, yes, there was water. There was plenty of water, but there was also small pieces of ice in there as well. Cringing, Sakura realized how she was going to have to wait a bit longer for the water to heat up now. I truly cannot believe how my luck is faring so far.
As Sakura walked off, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, causing Cerberus to accidentally bump into the back of her legs. "Oh!" she gasped, suddenly remembering something. But even though it is wonderful, I must contradict... "That boy!" Sakura frowned. "I told him my na--Well, maybe not my true name, but I did tell him a name. Yet he never gave me his." Turning, she looked at Cerberus. "And he was such an interesting boy, Cerberus. I wonder if I'll see him again." Then, she shook her head. "But never mind! I really must wash myself up. Come, friend. Bring my clothes along with you, please." Then, the pair walked off, looking as if they were a sorceress with her familiar.
Closing the door behind her, Sakura filled some of the water into a pot, and washed it clean first. Casting the used liquid out by draining it by the ground outside of the door, Sakura then walked back in and placed the pot above the stove. She poured the rest of the freezing water into the container, and lit the fire back up again. Poking at it, she watched as it gradually burned, and waited for it warm the water. Smiling in satisfaction, Sakura sat on the cold ground next to Cerberus, and watched as the kindle ignited slowly.
Sighing, she thought back to when she was gone from the house, and when she was knocked out by that boy. She unconsciously reached her hand out to touch her arm, and felt a light bruise there. Shrugging, Sakura decided that she did not have to tend to it, for it would probably go away, given time. Blinking, she got up, and found the cloak that he had given her was lying on the ground. Hastily picking it back up, Sakura found that the garment was freezing cold and wet to the touch.
Deciding that she should not treat such a gift that way, Sakura placed it next to her by the fire, waiting for it to dry. I shall see him again one day, she determined stubbornly. Then I shall give it back to him, smiling. And maybe we shall speak more as well, of other things. Maybe of life, and of other beauties all over the world. He said my words were beautiful... What a flatterer. Yet still, I do dare to dream of catching a glance of him one day. Maybe he will be by the fields again, with his horse.
Sakura began to remember his deep blue hair and deep-colored eyes . She tilted her head to one side, wondering how he was able to get such a good quality cloak, when he wore a commoner's garment underneath. Yet as common as the clothing were, they still looked even more suitable than mine. Looking at her sleeve, Sakura saw some stitches to be out of place and others that needed to be stitched. The brown texture were covered with dirt, some parts molding in with each other. How she wished for a new set of clothing once in a while. Ever since her father died when she was seven, nine years ago, Sakura had only been able to alter the size by sewing. The leggings she wore were too big, though, for they belonged to her father. To compromise, she had cut them apart to make a skirt.
"Why do they hate me so much, Cerberus?" Sakura asked her friend, hugging him as she watched the fire. "Did I wrong them in some way when I was young? That can't be, though, for Meiling and Rika are of my age, and we hardly acknowledged each other when we were young. Stepmother hardly gave a care for me when she first came in. I still remember it... The very first step she took into the house. Mother had died when I was three, and I do not remember much of that time. Three years later after that, father brought stepmother, Meiling, and Rika to the house. I thought I would be happy."
Lifting her head up, Sakura stared around her. She had not always lived like this. She used to sleep in a bedroom, not in the kitchen. She would cook, though. But that was because she wanted to learn from the servants. Sonomi had dismissed them all shortly after her father's passing. There was one left, though. But he did not reside with her family. Instead, once every few days, he would bring food and such to their doorstep, and just left it in her hands to tend to. Sakura had not always done the chores by herself. She was not always treated so poorly. She was once loved. She would once a long time ago wake up to her father's warm, smiling face.
"I was wrong, Cerberus. I was dreadfully wrong," she whispered, leaning in to him again. "I am not happy at all."
Sakura waited about fifteen more minutes, the silence dragging during that time, and the ashes once more flying onto her face. It did not matter, for she would wash them off now that she wanted to do so.
Once the fifteen minutes were over, Sakura took the pot off the fire, and placed it on the floor. Taking a cloth, she dipped it into the boiling water, and waited for it to cool a bit. Slowly, she wiped her arms, and legs. Sakura would quickly clean her body and upper legs, for taking off her clothes meant that she would be exposed to cold weather, even if the fire was so close by. A while later, Sakura got up, and took a small mirror into her hands. She stared at it as she placed the cloth into the water, and picked it back up. Wiping half of her face, she found herself staring at a strange sight and reflection.
She had never dreamed that her skin would be so pale underneath. Then again, as she was washing her hands and legs, she found herself taking off a layer of dirt as well then. Still, this surprised her a bit, to see such a change. Sakura had gotten so used to the soot that she soon believed that it was a part of her face. And now, now that she was cleansing herself, and to see such a sight, Sakura just gaped into the mirror for a while. She had no clue what she wished to believe. Instead, Sakura just quickly wiped the rest of her face, left the cloth in the pot afterwards, and placed the mirror back onto a table.
Sakura then put on the clothes that Cerberus had given her. The most she had was probably three sets of clothes, all of which she has kept and used over the years. I wonder what stepmother would think, Sakura pondered staring at herself. What would she do once her eyes lay on my face? My body? She already knew the answer. Stepmother would not be glad. She would never be proud of me for my image, my work, or anything of mine. With that thought, Sakura grimaced at the sadness.
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Frowning, she started to doubt whether she should do it or not, even with Sonomi's consent. "Because the artist was there, that was the only reason stepmother would even let me be sketched by him. If he were not in there, she would have yelled at me to leave it all alone." She then turned to Cerberus, and scratched behind his ear. "Do you think that maybe I should not go, Cerberus? I do not wish to anger stepmother more that she already is with me. It would not do me good."
In response, Cerberus lifted his head up and brushed it against Sakura's cheeks, licking her once in a while. "Aww, stop it, Cerberus," she protested lightly. "I washed myself, remember? I desire not to do it again." Glancing around, Sakura then got up, and walked over to a small cabinet by a corner. She reached up, and opened it, to pull out a small music box. Then, Sakura moved to sit back down next to Cerberus by the warm fire.
"This is all I have left of my father, my real family," Sakura whispered, telling her animal friend, even though he has lived with her long before she was born in their household. Opening it, Sakura reached in, and pulled out a necklace. It consisted of a long, yet extremely thin, glittering chain of gold, connected to a sparkling star no bigger than inch or so. The star was silver-colored, shimmering when touched by light. "Father said that there used to be two of these, but he lost one long ago. It is a real shame that he did." Looking up, Sakura quickly slipped the necklace back into the box, and put it away.
"I believe that it would be time to see if they are done yet. Just stay here, Cerberus, okay?" she smiled. Hearing it whimper, Sakura sighed. "I'll be back, and you know that. Hmm... But I best be careful. I shall bring tea for them to drink," she decided happily. "Stepmother would be slightly pleased to see me do that, yes she would."
Walking out, Sakura smiled as she entered the dining room, where her stepsisters' portraits were being drawn. "Would you all like some tea- AH!!!" Sakura shrieked as she tripped on something, and felt the plate of cups and teapot slip from her grasp. Almost in slow motion, Sakura watched as she fell while the four of the cups dropped harmlessly onto the carpet floor, along with the teapot, though the tea itself was seeping into the floor covering. Unfortunately, the fifth cup did not land so luckily, and Sakura could only stare as it landed on Meiling's head, pouring the tea out before it clattered to the ground.
Shrieking, Meiling jumped up from her seat, running around the room without silence. Clumsily getting up, Sakura took out a cloth. "Please, Meiling," she tried, running up to her stepsister. "Let me help-"
Meiling stopped and angrily glared at her, slapping her hand away from her view. "Cinders! You purposely came to ruin my portrait! How dare you do such a thing! Mother, I want her punished! I want it done now!"
Biting her lip, Sakura turned away from her stepsister, who had tea dripping from her hair down to her face, to look at her stepmother slowly, and found herself staring into eyes filled with contempt and loathe. "Cinders," Sonomi said in a dangerously soft and wavering voice. "You shall sit by the window, and you shall not move until Rika's own portrait is done. I will take Meiling to change, and you--YOU!--will not have a single line drawn at all! Do not say a word! Not a peep from you. Come, Meiling. Let us go right now." She then turned to Yue. "Please, I apologize deeply for the disturbance."
"Actually," he said, looking at her with his emotionless face. "I should apologize. Your stepdaughter had only wish to bring us tea, and unfortunately, she tripped over my items, including an extra canvas that I had brought along. I should not have left them in such a place. Do not scold her. Moreover, I still wish for to draw a small bit on-"
"I go against your request," Sonomi replied through clenched teeth sharply. She then took in a deep breath, and drew herself to an amazing height, staring at them through eyes angry enough with emotion to kill, if wanted to. "I will do as I wish with those who desire to live in this household, and I may ask of you to not interfere with the way people are treated here. I am a just and fair person. Those who make mistakes are punished, and that is that." Sonomi turned and left.
The happiness in her eyes faded away even more as Sakura walked to the opposite wall in the dining room, dragging a chair with her. Sitting down, she watched as it started to snow again. Sakura stared at it as she sat up straighter, not wanting to let her stepmother know how much this has fazed her. She then closed her eyes for a while, grieving for herself once more.
But even though it is wonderful... I do not wish for you to catch a cold any easier than it already is... Sakura's eyes widened after she repeated that last sentence in her head. I do not wish for you to catch a cold... That entire statement she drank up once more, smiling as she did. Someone cared for me, for my health, she realized. That boy, he gave me his cloak so that I would not become ill later on. And he watched over me after he accidentally knocked into me. That was the very first time when someone showed me compassion and concern in quite a while. Well, others have as well, but... that was very good.
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A hour or so later, Sakura watched as Yue and Touya packed up their things, ready to leave. Yet still, she had sat there after Meiling returned with Sonomi, watching as they talked with Yue as if Sakura was not even there, and none of the previous things had happened. Unable to bear it, Sakura just stared outside and watched people pass by, the snow drifting down as slowly as it could. She watched as the streets were covered with another white sheet of snow. And she watched.
"Let me see you out. Thank you so much..." Sakura could hear her stepmother say as they walked out of the dining room. Finally turning back around, Sakura's eyes met with soft, kind ones. Rika was looking at her with a small, sad smile on her face. Sakura jerked her head away, and was about to get up when she heard loud, thundering steps running towards her.
"Cinders!!!" Sakura heard her stepmother shriek. Cringing, Sakura watched as Sonomi stormed up to her, thinking if her eyes were bright red with hate. "You big idiot! Did you enjoy watching as I was humiliated as such?! Give me a reason as to why I should continue to house you under my house?! Tonight, you shall not eat! You will not serve us! You will not take one step into the kitchen! Cinders, instead you shall go to the cellar, and stay there! I do not wish to see your face at all!"
Sakura's eyes widened at her words. Getting up, she protested with a cry, "But stepmother-"
"And do not call me stepmother!" Sonomi screamed, her eyes wide with furious passion. "You shall never call me stepmother again! From now on, whenever others come to our household, you are just a servant. You are not-"
"Your stepdaughter," Sakura finished loudly. She stared at her stepmother, not cringing anymore.
"You shall not look at me in such a way," Sonomi whispered fiercely. "If I could, I would throw you in the streets, never giving a second thought. You shall stay in the cellar for seven days, and think about what you have done. That should be more than enough time for you to contemplate your mistakes. The lack of food, after all, can sometimes be the right incentive."
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Curling, Sakura closed her eyes, shivering. Sonomi had truly left her with no food. But also, other than that, her stepmother did not give her blankets, or any source of heat at all. The only thing close to heat was the small bit of light that came from a tiny window shaft. "I-I-If I truly could le-leave," she whispered, "then I mos-most definitely wo-would! I hardly even ne-need her to thro-throw me away!" This was the third day, and Sakura was beginning to see gray dots in the air.
She quickly closed her eyes, and took in deep breaths. How am I suppose to last for four more days?! Sakura wondered, torturing herself with the fact that there were four more days. Her head started to swirl, and Sakura moaned as she curled up into a ball even more. "Oh..." she whimpered.
Suddenly, Sakura heard a scratching sound by the window shaft, and she slowly looked up. Seeing that it was Cerberus, Sakura quickly got up, and ended up with more gray dots, along with a dizzying headache. Staggering a bit, she gained control of herself a few seconds later. She found a small chair when she looked around and used it to get up to the window shaft. "Oh, Cerberus..." Sakura said softly, seeing her friend poking against the window. "I can't play with you now."
Cerberus gave the window one last poke, and abruptly, Sakura found herself breathing in some dust. Coughing, she waved her hand around as she closed her eyes, trying to clear the air. But after the dust, she took in another breath, and a breeze of freezing cold came to her senses. Opening her eyes back, Sakura saw that the small window as open. Gasping, she fingered the terrain outside, feeling the ice. Cerberus was already jumping around, as if telling her that she should come out.
Shaking her head, Sakura smiled sadly at the animal. "I mustn't," Sakura whispered. "If I do, there is not a place for me to go anyway. I might as well just wait for the rest of the seven days to be over. Now I will close the window, Cerberus. Leave me be and try to stay patient for a while, will you not?" But just as she was about to pull the window back down, Sakura felt something gnaw at her sleeve softly. Seeing Cerberus' face so close to hers, and practically feeling his sadness for her radiating strongly, Sakura slowly and finally nodded her head.
"Back up slightly, Cerberus," Sakura told him. After he did, Sakura winced as she started to squeeze through. Stopping for a second, with the gray spots starting to come back, Sakura held her head, taking a breather. After that, she started again, and forced herself to squirm out of the window, the skin on her hands scraping against the snow raw. She could feel the headache increasing, pulsating within her mind. Gulping in a large, clear breath, Sakura closed her eyes, and laid there for a while. Feeling Cerberus poke her again, Sakura tiredly wave her hand. "Let me be for a while, Cerberus. Let me be."
Trying to stay awake, Sakura ignored how the snow under her was numbing her body. Shivering, she felt Cerberus poke her again, trying to get her to stand up. Sakura groaned as she grabbed onto his body, and reveled in the heat he gave off. "I... I-I'm so... hungry..." she whispered, forcing herself to keep her eyes open. Getting to her knees, Cerberus jabbed her softly again, and she finally stood on her feet, her legs quivering slightly. Sakura managed to look about and take in that she was standing in the back of the house. But once she did get up, Cerberus ran off, past the plains through the forests.
"Such speed for such an animal in this environment," Sakura mused for a second, feeling dizzy. Slowly, she followed behind him, taking each step carefully at a time. She soon felt the cold wind blow against her and realized that no matter how refreshing it was before, it no longer felt comfortable to her. Recoiling, Sakura grasped her hands together, and desired for pockets at a time like this.
Sakura swayed as her clothes started to snatch on twigs and branches, trying her best to catch up to Cerberus. She had not a notion as to how long she stumbled through the woods, but it seemed as if it were hours. Her hands were frozen, a minuscule amount of blood seeping through wounds from scraping against the snow to escape from the cellar. Finally seeing a clearing, Sakura felt herself falter, clutching her head as she winced. Before the gray spots filled her entire vision, she remember catching a blurry glance of Cerberus running up to her. "Cer... Cerberus..." she whispered, falling to the ground, drained of the little energy she had left in her.
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End of chapter 2. I won't make guarantees on how long it'll take the next chapter to come out. I had the 3rd one written and half of the fourth over a year ago. The plot didn't die yet, but my will to write definitely has. Especially after SAT II scores came in. ( 630!! Weak shit, man.) Maybe I'll just post up what I have up to now and attempt to continue it when I feel like it. Anyway, I promise I won't leave this here just by itself. T'would be idiotic of me. Please review. I would like to know who's read chapter 1 and is still keeping up with this ficcie.