*Hi everyone, this is the third time I've typed this author's note, and I'm
honestly about to tear out my hair! My computer is broken to death, so it
might be forever until I update again. Let's just hope I get this done.
Have a good one!*
Reviewers: xiaoME0W, Black k, Cherry Jade, Bex Drake, sweet-captor, Lil Cherry Blossom Angel, Sakura Blossom161, Silver Wolf Gurl, angel-wings-131, erm, EcuaGirl, & alex
Rogue
The rain was falling when Sakura's plane landed in Tomoeda. It felt as if the clouds were mourning Sakura's broken heart as she stepped off the plane, still wearing her red dress. She gracefully walked through the terminal, the air from the airport rushing in her face and making strands of loose honey hair brush gently on her cheeks. She walked alone, through the crowded airport and past the happy people reuniting with their loved ones. Calling a cab, Sakura ran out into the rain as a yellow vehicle hovered over to her. She got in, casting a glance back at the airport.
He would be there soon; his flight left two hours after hers. Fortunately for Sakura, a woman had swapped tickets with her, and she didn't have to sit with Syaoran on the long flight from Hong Kong to Tomoeda. Shivering slightly, Sakura instructed the driver of her destination and felt the car jerk slightly as it took off into the rainy night air.
The hospital was quiet. A few nurses walked through the hallways, clipboards and status papers for patients in hand. The whole ward smelled like sterilized death. Sakura shuddered; she hated hospitals, and always had since she was a small child. Her mother had died in this very hospital when Sakura was barely old enough to remember. But the smell never left her memory, though the sights and sounds faded with time. Funny how some things stay fresh in the mind. . .
Eriol and Tomoyo's room door was closed, the white number staring Sakura in the face without emotion. Taking in a sharp breath, Sakura pushed open the door and walked in to find Eriol in a wheelchair, his legs in casts. His head was still bandaged, and one arm was still in a sling. He was sitting at Tomoyo's bedside, and Sakura felt her chest tighten at the sight of her friend.
There she lay, unconscious and still attached to the breathing machine. Her skin was more pale than usual; now it was a sickly gray color though. The steady beep of the heart monitor was the only reminder that life still dwelled in the small body. Otherwise no one would know whether or not the little frame of a person was still breathing or not. Hearing the door open, Eriol looked up and tried to smile at Sakura.
"They said you were here two weeks ago." Eriol whispered quietly, and Sakura nodded. The guilt rose up in her like a wave. Eriol looked so distressed, as if everything he ever had could float away in a second. Tomoyo was motionless; almost dead if not for the consistent beeping.
"I'm . . . so sorry Eriol. I caused you and Tomoyo so much pain." Sakura murmured as she knelt down on the other side of Tomoyo, facing Eriol as she stared into his soft gray eyes with her broken jade ones.
"You didn't know they were following you." Eriol reassured. Sakura nodded her head, but the guilt persisted; of course it was going to, she had practically invited those men to attack her and her friends.
"Where have you been for the past two weeks? She hasn't woken, but I've been awake for over a week and a half, and no one knew where you were." Eriol asked, his eyes moving from Sakura to Tomoyo and back.
"I was in Hong Kong." Sakura replied, watching Eriol flinch. She knew he had knowledge of Syaoran. She couldn't just go and say it though, it wasn't her place. Before Sakura could make a move, Eriol took notice of her face and knew she knew.
"I know you know about Syaoran and myself being brothers. You don't have to hide it. We don't even know each other." Eriol whispered, and Sakura let out a breath of pent up relief.
"He came with me to the hospital. He knows who you are." Sakura said quietly, making Eriol's eyes widen.
"Why isn't he here?"
"He and I. . . we . . . got involved. . . it was a mistake. He's engaged." Sakura replied, her voice quavering. Her heart felt like it was going to explode. She was in love and she knew it; but he wasn't hers to keep, he was someone else's man.
"I'm sorry."
"Me too. But he isn't important now. What's important is you and Tomoyo getting better, and me getting the men who did this to you. I've gotten some training, and I have a plan. I just need a place and a time to execute it." Sakura said, her eyes becoming determined and hard. Eriol shook his head.
"Don't go and do something stupid. You know you can't take those guys all alone." Eriol said, his voice taking on a scolding tone. Sakura shook her head angrily.
"You can stop me, Eriol. You can either help or not."
Eriol sighed heavily. He knew he was defeated, and that Sakura was going to go out there and do something that could get her killed. His eyes shifted from Sakura emerald green eyes blazing with a mixture of determination and anger to Tomoyo's still face.
"There's a charity ball tomorrow night. It's a masquerade. The nurses have been babbling about it for awhile now. It's being thrown by the police department, and one of the guests happens to be Etsuya Ishida." Eriol caved, giving Sakura the occasion she needed to take out the parasite eating away at her life. She smiled; it would be all too easy to dispatch the drug lord at the party. There would surely be aesthum there, considering the whole police force in Tomoeda was addicted to it. A small grin painted Sakura's face as she stood.
"I have to go, Eriol. I'll be back after tomorrow night, but I have some things to arrange. If Tomoyo wakes up, please give her my love." Sakura whispered, watching as Eriol nodded slowly, his bluish hair falling into his eyes.
"You know I don't like what you're doing."
Sakura nodded; how could she not know? It was a dangerous operation, and here she was going into it as an amateur with no experience whatsoever in anything dealing with drug lords or police. With a nod of understanding, Sakura took off out of the hospital and to the street, hailing a cab and jumping in. It was going to be one long night. . .
Syaoran jumped off his motor bike and ran into the hospital. His flight had been a few hours after Sakura's, and he was dismayed to find she had swapped out her ticket with another person. Jogging down the quiet halls, he stopped at Eriol's door, pushing it open with a quavering hand. He found his half brother lying in bed, his eyes half opened, as if he was awakened by the noise. He started to sit up when his eyes caught Syaoran's, and for a moment they stared at each other.
"Mr. Hiiragazawa, I-"Syaoran started.
"You know who I am. Call me Eriol." Eriol's quick reply came, cutting Syaoran off. Syaoran nodded somberly and approached his brother, who motioned for him to sit down and be quiet, as Tomoyo was still asleep.
"I want to start by saying I'm sorry. . . for not finding you sooner. I've known about you since I was eighteen." Syaoran began, watching Eriol carefully. He really looked nothing like him at all, with his bluish hair and light colored eyes. He and Syaoran seemed to be perfect opposites in all respects.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. I know how hard it is to learn that you have a brother by an unfaithful circumstance. I understand you." Eriol said quietly. Syaoran tried to smile but couldn't make himself do it. The desperation in his eyes, however, was a sign for Eriol.
"She was here a couple hours ago, if it's Sakura you were after." Eriol said, managing a weak chuckle as Syaoran's cheeks flared up in crimson.
"I have to find her. She's going after a very dangerous man, and I can't let her do it. I'm in love with her." Syaoran answered, and Eriol's eyebrows raised; Sakura hadn't mentioned he loved her.
"I'm afraid when Sakura's mind is set you can't offset it. She's going to the charity ball tomorrow night at the party house just around the corner from here. It's a masquerade if you're thinking about being in attendance." Eriol explained. Syaoran set his jaw and clenched his fist; she would never be able to take them alone, and even if she did, it was his revenge.
"Then I'm going too. I'm not losing everything in one night." Syaoran said, rising to his feet and moving toward the window. He parted the curtains and looked out over the well lit city spread before him like a treasure.
"You had better start working on a costume then, brother." Eriol reminded Syaoran, who nodded slowly. He turned around, facing Eriol and staring at him once again.
"Don't think this is over. We have far too much to talk about, you and I. I'll be back here after the ball." Syaoran said, his amber eyes softening at the thought of getting to know his own blood. Eriol nodded, a quiet smile on his face.
"You know I won't be going anywhere." He replied, and Syaoran managed a chuckle.
"Sleep well. I'll be thinking of you and Tomoyo until I see you next." Syaoran said quietly as he walked out of the hospital. As he jumped onto his bike and took off, he wondered where Sakura was. He knew her family was in Cairo, but did they have a home address here she could possibly be staying at? The only way he knew how to find out was by looking in the digital directory in the phone booth at the corner.
"Kinomoto . . . Kinomoto . . . Fujitaka. That must be her father. 1102 West Spring Lake Boulevard." Syaoran said to himself as he left the booth and rode toward the street where Sakura would be.
It was after eleven when Syaoran made it to Sakura's family's house. It was completely dark inside, and appeared as if no one had been in it for several months. Before Syaoran could knock on the door, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He whipped around to find an older man in his seventies glaring at him.
"If you're looking for Touya, he ain't here." The man growled. Syaoran could tell this man wasn't Sakura's father; he was much too old. Perhaps this man was a neighbor.
"I'm looking for either Fujitaka, Touya, or Sakura Kinomoto." Syaoran started. The old man's blue eyes took on a look of despair as he shook his head. Ten minutes later, Syaoran was on his way into the city once again.
'I wasn't the only one hiding things, Sakura.' Syaoran thought as he accelerated through the empty streets, a stone cold look in his dark amber eyes.
*Syaoran knows a secret, and what on earth could it be?! You're going to have to wait for the update, so hope my computer gets fixed! Thanks to those of you who reviewed, you are all AWESOME! Later!*
Reviewers: xiaoME0W, Black k, Cherry Jade, Bex Drake, sweet-captor, Lil Cherry Blossom Angel, Sakura Blossom161, Silver Wolf Gurl, angel-wings-131, erm, EcuaGirl, & alex
Rogue
The rain was falling when Sakura's plane landed in Tomoeda. It felt as if the clouds were mourning Sakura's broken heart as she stepped off the plane, still wearing her red dress. She gracefully walked through the terminal, the air from the airport rushing in her face and making strands of loose honey hair brush gently on her cheeks. She walked alone, through the crowded airport and past the happy people reuniting with their loved ones. Calling a cab, Sakura ran out into the rain as a yellow vehicle hovered over to her. She got in, casting a glance back at the airport.
He would be there soon; his flight left two hours after hers. Fortunately for Sakura, a woman had swapped tickets with her, and she didn't have to sit with Syaoran on the long flight from Hong Kong to Tomoeda. Shivering slightly, Sakura instructed the driver of her destination and felt the car jerk slightly as it took off into the rainy night air.
The hospital was quiet. A few nurses walked through the hallways, clipboards and status papers for patients in hand. The whole ward smelled like sterilized death. Sakura shuddered; she hated hospitals, and always had since she was a small child. Her mother had died in this very hospital when Sakura was barely old enough to remember. But the smell never left her memory, though the sights and sounds faded with time. Funny how some things stay fresh in the mind. . .
Eriol and Tomoyo's room door was closed, the white number staring Sakura in the face without emotion. Taking in a sharp breath, Sakura pushed open the door and walked in to find Eriol in a wheelchair, his legs in casts. His head was still bandaged, and one arm was still in a sling. He was sitting at Tomoyo's bedside, and Sakura felt her chest tighten at the sight of her friend.
There she lay, unconscious and still attached to the breathing machine. Her skin was more pale than usual; now it was a sickly gray color though. The steady beep of the heart monitor was the only reminder that life still dwelled in the small body. Otherwise no one would know whether or not the little frame of a person was still breathing or not. Hearing the door open, Eriol looked up and tried to smile at Sakura.
"They said you were here two weeks ago." Eriol whispered quietly, and Sakura nodded. The guilt rose up in her like a wave. Eriol looked so distressed, as if everything he ever had could float away in a second. Tomoyo was motionless; almost dead if not for the consistent beeping.
"I'm . . . so sorry Eriol. I caused you and Tomoyo so much pain." Sakura murmured as she knelt down on the other side of Tomoyo, facing Eriol as she stared into his soft gray eyes with her broken jade ones.
"You didn't know they were following you." Eriol reassured. Sakura nodded her head, but the guilt persisted; of course it was going to, she had practically invited those men to attack her and her friends.
"Where have you been for the past two weeks? She hasn't woken, but I've been awake for over a week and a half, and no one knew where you were." Eriol asked, his eyes moving from Sakura to Tomoyo and back.
"I was in Hong Kong." Sakura replied, watching Eriol flinch. She knew he had knowledge of Syaoran. She couldn't just go and say it though, it wasn't her place. Before Sakura could make a move, Eriol took notice of her face and knew she knew.
"I know you know about Syaoran and myself being brothers. You don't have to hide it. We don't even know each other." Eriol whispered, and Sakura let out a breath of pent up relief.
"He came with me to the hospital. He knows who you are." Sakura said quietly, making Eriol's eyes widen.
"Why isn't he here?"
"He and I. . . we . . . got involved. . . it was a mistake. He's engaged." Sakura replied, her voice quavering. Her heart felt like it was going to explode. She was in love and she knew it; but he wasn't hers to keep, he was someone else's man.
"I'm sorry."
"Me too. But he isn't important now. What's important is you and Tomoyo getting better, and me getting the men who did this to you. I've gotten some training, and I have a plan. I just need a place and a time to execute it." Sakura said, her eyes becoming determined and hard. Eriol shook his head.
"Don't go and do something stupid. You know you can't take those guys all alone." Eriol said, his voice taking on a scolding tone. Sakura shook her head angrily.
"You can stop me, Eriol. You can either help or not."
Eriol sighed heavily. He knew he was defeated, and that Sakura was going to go out there and do something that could get her killed. His eyes shifted from Sakura emerald green eyes blazing with a mixture of determination and anger to Tomoyo's still face.
"There's a charity ball tomorrow night. It's a masquerade. The nurses have been babbling about it for awhile now. It's being thrown by the police department, and one of the guests happens to be Etsuya Ishida." Eriol caved, giving Sakura the occasion she needed to take out the parasite eating away at her life. She smiled; it would be all too easy to dispatch the drug lord at the party. There would surely be aesthum there, considering the whole police force in Tomoeda was addicted to it. A small grin painted Sakura's face as she stood.
"I have to go, Eriol. I'll be back after tomorrow night, but I have some things to arrange. If Tomoyo wakes up, please give her my love." Sakura whispered, watching as Eriol nodded slowly, his bluish hair falling into his eyes.
"You know I don't like what you're doing."
Sakura nodded; how could she not know? It was a dangerous operation, and here she was going into it as an amateur with no experience whatsoever in anything dealing with drug lords or police. With a nod of understanding, Sakura took off out of the hospital and to the street, hailing a cab and jumping in. It was going to be one long night. . .
Syaoran jumped off his motor bike and ran into the hospital. His flight had been a few hours after Sakura's, and he was dismayed to find she had swapped out her ticket with another person. Jogging down the quiet halls, he stopped at Eriol's door, pushing it open with a quavering hand. He found his half brother lying in bed, his eyes half opened, as if he was awakened by the noise. He started to sit up when his eyes caught Syaoran's, and for a moment they stared at each other.
"Mr. Hiiragazawa, I-"Syaoran started.
"You know who I am. Call me Eriol." Eriol's quick reply came, cutting Syaoran off. Syaoran nodded somberly and approached his brother, who motioned for him to sit down and be quiet, as Tomoyo was still asleep.
"I want to start by saying I'm sorry. . . for not finding you sooner. I've known about you since I was eighteen." Syaoran began, watching Eriol carefully. He really looked nothing like him at all, with his bluish hair and light colored eyes. He and Syaoran seemed to be perfect opposites in all respects.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. I know how hard it is to learn that you have a brother by an unfaithful circumstance. I understand you." Eriol said quietly. Syaoran tried to smile but couldn't make himself do it. The desperation in his eyes, however, was a sign for Eriol.
"She was here a couple hours ago, if it's Sakura you were after." Eriol said, managing a weak chuckle as Syaoran's cheeks flared up in crimson.
"I have to find her. She's going after a very dangerous man, and I can't let her do it. I'm in love with her." Syaoran answered, and Eriol's eyebrows raised; Sakura hadn't mentioned he loved her.
"I'm afraid when Sakura's mind is set you can't offset it. She's going to the charity ball tomorrow night at the party house just around the corner from here. It's a masquerade if you're thinking about being in attendance." Eriol explained. Syaoran set his jaw and clenched his fist; she would never be able to take them alone, and even if she did, it was his revenge.
"Then I'm going too. I'm not losing everything in one night." Syaoran said, rising to his feet and moving toward the window. He parted the curtains and looked out over the well lit city spread before him like a treasure.
"You had better start working on a costume then, brother." Eriol reminded Syaoran, who nodded slowly. He turned around, facing Eriol and staring at him once again.
"Don't think this is over. We have far too much to talk about, you and I. I'll be back here after the ball." Syaoran said, his amber eyes softening at the thought of getting to know his own blood. Eriol nodded, a quiet smile on his face.
"You know I won't be going anywhere." He replied, and Syaoran managed a chuckle.
"Sleep well. I'll be thinking of you and Tomoyo until I see you next." Syaoran said quietly as he walked out of the hospital. As he jumped onto his bike and took off, he wondered where Sakura was. He knew her family was in Cairo, but did they have a home address here she could possibly be staying at? The only way he knew how to find out was by looking in the digital directory in the phone booth at the corner.
"Kinomoto . . . Kinomoto . . . Fujitaka. That must be her father. 1102 West Spring Lake Boulevard." Syaoran said to himself as he left the booth and rode toward the street where Sakura would be.
It was after eleven when Syaoran made it to Sakura's family's house. It was completely dark inside, and appeared as if no one had been in it for several months. Before Syaoran could knock on the door, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He whipped around to find an older man in his seventies glaring at him.
"If you're looking for Touya, he ain't here." The man growled. Syaoran could tell this man wasn't Sakura's father; he was much too old. Perhaps this man was a neighbor.
"I'm looking for either Fujitaka, Touya, or Sakura Kinomoto." Syaoran started. The old man's blue eyes took on a look of despair as he shook his head. Ten minutes later, Syaoran was on his way into the city once again.
'I wasn't the only one hiding things, Sakura.' Syaoran thought as he accelerated through the empty streets, a stone cold look in his dark amber eyes.
*Syaoran knows a secret, and what on earth could it be?! You're going to have to wait for the update, so hope my computer gets fixed! Thanks to those of you who reviewed, you are all AWESOME! Later!*