Syaoran's POV
Chapter Six: The Float
"Did you miss me?" I asked Meiling playfully while she sat in the throne in a very grumpy mood.
She pouted. "You're spending all your time with that Kinomoto girl, you barely talk to me anymore."
"Jealous?"
"OF COURSE, you are MY fiancé. We were betrothed ever since we were just kids, but now this Kinomoto shows up, and I think you don't love me anymore!" Meiling complained, not hiding her feelings at all.
I grinned, "Sakura does have a nice body. Her face is extremely gorgeous too." I wanted to light the dynamite just for the fun of it.
Meiling got angry; she jumped out of her seat, and charged at me, but I grabbed her in for a hug before she could slap or punch me.
"Now now, don't get so violent on me, you wouldn't want a husband with missing body parts and bruises all over."
"Take back what you said about Sakura!"
"What if I don't want to?" I love it when Meiling's angry.
"Then I'll........ I'll......."
"You'll what? Kick me? Slap me? Threaten to not marry me?"
"I'll tell Sakura you are really the prince. Ha ha; then she'll never trust you again, and it's good-bye to your search of the clow mistress."
"Okay, I won't mind if you tell Sakura my identity, but I still won't take back what I said about her being the prettiest girl I've ever met."
"Then see if I'll ever talk to you again!" Meiling stomped, trying to release herself from my embrace.
I tightened my arms around Meiling. "Don't be jealous; I don't love Sakura, and I promise you, as soon as Eriol and I find out who is the real clow mistress, I'll ask mother for the permission to make you my bride." I said quietly, yet seriously.
Meiling nodded, accepting the fact that I have to be around another girl all of the time, pushing her jealously and possessive feelings aside, but that's what makes her so wonderful, Meiling can wait for me forever and put up with my stupid and stubborn attitudes. Sometimes, I wonder if I truly deserve to marry her or not; I have a feeling I might one day break Meiling's heart, and never succeed to be the perfect husband she wants me to be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sakura, what's up?"
The nomad smiled. "Oh I'm so jealous! Eriol told me the town is having a festival, and I can't attend."
"Sure you can, Tomoyo can bust you out." I suggested.
"Nah, that's kind of dangerous, but I REALLY NEED TO GO TO THAT FESTIVAL!!!" She said hyperly with stars twinkling in her eyes.
"What? Is being around me not enough, that you have to go away?" I joked.
Sakura pretended to think. "You're too boring, you don't got that thrilling, mischievous, mysterious, and shadowy part to you. All you are is black and white, noble and nice, DULLSVILLE. 'Of course' it's not enough being around you."
How dare she call the prince of China 'dullsville'? I show her that Syaoran Li isn't just a cheap goody good.
"Oh, Little Miss Cherry Blossom thinks the 'Wolf Cub' isn't exciting enough for her eh? Well then, follow me, I might have just the thing to change your mind." I happily skipped down to my private training spot, as Sakura tagged closely along wanting to see what I got in store for her.
The training ground is a circular garden sort of thing. In the middle of the ground stood a single Cherry Tree, then........ that one tree multiplied into three....... the three trees multiplied into nine........the trees kept on multiplying until Sakura and I were both trapped inside the circular training space with trees surrounding us.
I grinned at the stunned Sakura. "Liked that magic trick? Wait, there's more."
After my words, the cherry trees around us started to connect and blend back into one, until all the trees surrounding us were back into their real form, back into one insignificant tiny cherry tree.
"Wow! How did you do that?" Sakura dragged my sleeves, curious as a little child.
It's a special skill passed down the Li Clan using a combination of magic and organization to make the trees seem like one, but then seem like many, confusing enemies. I of course, did not tell Sakura this. "I found this place one day when I stumbled across it while working for Princess Meiling in the garden." I lied, not telling her this is my special 'Cherry Pitfall Trap' I invented with Eriol.
Sakura seemed extremely impressed. She started to walk towards the middle of the circle to get a better look at my cherry tree.
"Sakura come back, there a.........."
BANG!
Sakura fell into my nicely covered pitfall trap dug in the center of training grounds. "That trap is used to trap enemies and thieves in this palace." I explained to her.
"Well, glad I know what it's for, GET ME OUT!" She screamed at the bottom of my hole.
"Sure thing, just apologize for hurting my feelings, and admit I'm not as boring as you thought." I whistled, waving, standing right next to the hole.
Even though the hole was very deep that Sakura's face is covered with darkness, I could still see that flash of anger inside her emerald eyes perfectly. Obviously, she didn't like to apologize and admit that she was wrong.
"So what about it? Are you going to say sorry, or are you going to stay in that dark hole all day?" I grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it all down the hole to annoy her.
"Damn it, where's that Float Card when you need it?" She shouted to herself. "Fine, I'm sorry; you aren't boring Syaoran, now get me out of this trap!"
"Okay, so do you have a plan to get yourself out of the hole?" I asked.
"WHAT? YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET ME OUT OF HERE?"
"Who am I, Buddha? How am I supposed to know how to get you out of there?" I laughed silently to myself, enjoying her panicking expression.
"Then might I suggest you THINK OF SOMETHING? I'm stuck down at the bottom of a twenty-feet hole!"
I got enough laughter out of this, and decided to save her. I sprinted away; going back to Meiling's to get a rope.
"Syaoran Li, don't just leave me here! Hey, come back!" She banged and yelled, thinking I'm just abandoning her in my hole.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the time I came back to the hole, Sakura wasn't down there anymore. Hmm, did she use a clow card to get out? Oh well, I guess I have to find her before she gets lost in the garden again.
"SYAORAN!" I heard her screaming voice in the distance causing some resting birds on the cherry tree to fly away, disrupted.
"Sakura?" I heard her voice, but can't see her person. She sounded like she was in trouble, but what could've happened to her during the time I was gone to get the rope?
I ran towards the direction I heard her voice come from, but the palace gardens are so complicated with so many different paths and sidewalks, all leading to different places, that I'm not able to track her down.
At first, I didn't worry much. Sakura is a warrior, what kind of trouble can she get in? But as hours passed by, and Sakura still didn't come back to Meiling's palace, I started to get more and more suspicious.
I reached inside my pocket, and took out my lasin board. I've already seen Sakura use the Sword Card before, so if I can track down her clow cards, I can track her down too.
"Force, know my plight, release the light!" A green ray shot out of my lasin board, pointing straight ahead. I ran in the direction the light pointed to, and I ended up...........
inside of my mother's chamber.
Mother was sitting in her high and royal throne like always, and wearing a mad expression like always also. A whole room of people were all kneeling in front of her. Eriol and Meiling were also inside, kneeling. What has mother done now? Why are all these people kneeling again? She makes people kneel too often!
Then, I saw the reason why mother was angry. Sakura was in the front of the room, with whip marks all over her face, glaring at mother, and surprisingly; she was the only person in the room, not kneeling.
I slapped my forehead. Now I know what happened. Sakura was saved out of the hole by mother, but she probably showed lack of respect towards the queen with her warrior-tone-talking, so mother dragged her all the way back to her chamber to teach her some manners. (Mother's way of 'teaching' has always been 'whipping' for as long as I can remember. If someone disappoints her; they're not leaving her chamber without whip marks on their body.)
Mother was paying Sakura too much attention to notice I was even here, but Eriol and Meiling spotted me the moment I walked in. They gave me a where-have-you-been look, as I tried to ignore the ugly scars on Sakura's face. I felt as if a dagger just stabbed me in the heart. Damn, Sakura got hurt because of me!
I was about to step up and argue with mother, but then I might have to reveal to Sakura that I'm a prince, and my plan would be all screwed up. So all I could do is hide in the little corner, watching Sakura being whipped and Eriol and Meiling begging and asking mother to forgive Sakura.
Sakura, however, still did not talk, nor did she give in to mother's crackling whip. She just stood there, giving mother a look that could kill. Why can't she just act like a NORMAL servant, and bow down or something?
"Your majesty, if you leave Sakura to me, I'll make sure I'll teach her some manners, and she won't disappoint you ever again." Meiling said.
"I'll help Princess Meiling; please don't hurt Sakura any more, Queen Yelan." Added Eriol.
Mother gave another disapproving look. She pointed at Sakura. "This is the girl you begged me to free the other day?" She asked Eriol.
"Yes, your majesty"
Sakura was shocked. She gazed into Eriol's eyes; not believing Eriol would do such a thing for her. I felt another stab of the dagger. For some reason, I did not like the way Sakura was looking at Eriol. I started shouting to Sakura in my head that I would've done the same thing Eriol did for her, but at the moment, I can't do anything to help her; I can't let her know I'm the son of the horrible lady who just whipped her.
Mother finally let go of Sakura. "Fine, Eriol, you and Meiling train this girl well! I expect some improvement in her manners the next time I see this girl!" She barked and Eriol and Meiling got Sakura out of mother's sight before mother could change her mind.
After everyone left, I stepped out. I bowed in front of mother.
"Xiao Lang, where were you these days? I had trouble finding you yesterday." Mother's tone softened a little as she talked to me.
"I was........... At Meiling's" I didn't tell her why.
"Now now, my child, I know you love Meiling deeply, but I prefer that you live in your own chamber before you two get married."
"I didn't sleep with her." Huh? Where did that come from?
"You better not have been! Or else I would disown you immediately! You would've been a disgrace to our entire country! Xiao Lang, behave yourself, you are the next emperor of China, start acting more mature! "
"Mom, I am more mature than you think, can you please stop treating me like a little kid?"
"Hmp, ungrateful child."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sorry."
"Better be."
"Forgive me?"
"Hell no."
I sat on Sakura's bed, rubbing healing medicine on her bruises, as she sat there, blaming me for getting her in that hole in the first place.
I sighed. "The empress has a bad attitude, so just try not to take her beatings so seriously. The empress.......used to be a very generous and forgiving person believe it or not, but it seems like ever since our emperor died a few years ago, the queen's soul died along with him. She never laughed anymore, and whipped everyone who doesn't meet up to her high expectations. The most terrible part is, since the king died, one of his sons have to take over as the next ruler of China; all the princes wants the power, so they started to kill off each other to gain the throne for themselves. The empress didn't talk for a year when Xiao Long and Xiao Hu, her most beloved sons, both died in a martial arts battle against each other for the throne."
Sakura stared. "Oh, I had no idea what the empress went through; maybe I was kind of disobedient and rude. But how did you know all this?"
"News spread fast in the palace. I wouldn't be so surprised that by tomorrow, everyone in the palace will have heard that Sakura Kinomoto was whipped by the queen."
Sakura seemed to be in deep thought. "So, 'that's' how Eriol knew my name the first day I came to the palace." She smiled. "Eriol's so nice. I had no idea he asked the empress to set me free."
Ouch. That dagger stabbed me for the third time. Why do I feel so 'affected' when Sakura compliments Eriol?
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Lanturn: Yay! I'm finally done with this dumb chapter! Next chapter will be about Tomoyo's Light Festival from Eriol's point of view! (I'm so excited!!!!)
Review!
Chapter Six: The Float
"Did you miss me?" I asked Meiling playfully while she sat in the throne in a very grumpy mood.
She pouted. "You're spending all your time with that Kinomoto girl, you barely talk to me anymore."
"Jealous?"
"OF COURSE, you are MY fiancé. We were betrothed ever since we were just kids, but now this Kinomoto shows up, and I think you don't love me anymore!" Meiling complained, not hiding her feelings at all.
I grinned, "Sakura does have a nice body. Her face is extremely gorgeous too." I wanted to light the dynamite just for the fun of it.
Meiling got angry; she jumped out of her seat, and charged at me, but I grabbed her in for a hug before she could slap or punch me.
"Now now, don't get so violent on me, you wouldn't want a husband with missing body parts and bruises all over."
"Take back what you said about Sakura!"
"What if I don't want to?" I love it when Meiling's angry.
"Then I'll........ I'll......."
"You'll what? Kick me? Slap me? Threaten to not marry me?"
"I'll tell Sakura you are really the prince. Ha ha; then she'll never trust you again, and it's good-bye to your search of the clow mistress."
"Okay, I won't mind if you tell Sakura my identity, but I still won't take back what I said about her being the prettiest girl I've ever met."
"Then see if I'll ever talk to you again!" Meiling stomped, trying to release herself from my embrace.
I tightened my arms around Meiling. "Don't be jealous; I don't love Sakura, and I promise you, as soon as Eriol and I find out who is the real clow mistress, I'll ask mother for the permission to make you my bride." I said quietly, yet seriously.
Meiling nodded, accepting the fact that I have to be around another girl all of the time, pushing her jealously and possessive feelings aside, but that's what makes her so wonderful, Meiling can wait for me forever and put up with my stupid and stubborn attitudes. Sometimes, I wonder if I truly deserve to marry her or not; I have a feeling I might one day break Meiling's heart, and never succeed to be the perfect husband she wants me to be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sakura, what's up?"
The nomad smiled. "Oh I'm so jealous! Eriol told me the town is having a festival, and I can't attend."
"Sure you can, Tomoyo can bust you out." I suggested.
"Nah, that's kind of dangerous, but I REALLY NEED TO GO TO THAT FESTIVAL!!!" She said hyperly with stars twinkling in her eyes.
"What? Is being around me not enough, that you have to go away?" I joked.
Sakura pretended to think. "You're too boring, you don't got that thrilling, mischievous, mysterious, and shadowy part to you. All you are is black and white, noble and nice, DULLSVILLE. 'Of course' it's not enough being around you."
How dare she call the prince of China 'dullsville'? I show her that Syaoran Li isn't just a cheap goody good.
"Oh, Little Miss Cherry Blossom thinks the 'Wolf Cub' isn't exciting enough for her eh? Well then, follow me, I might have just the thing to change your mind." I happily skipped down to my private training spot, as Sakura tagged closely along wanting to see what I got in store for her.
The training ground is a circular garden sort of thing. In the middle of the ground stood a single Cherry Tree, then........ that one tree multiplied into three....... the three trees multiplied into nine........the trees kept on multiplying until Sakura and I were both trapped inside the circular training space with trees surrounding us.
I grinned at the stunned Sakura. "Liked that magic trick? Wait, there's more."
After my words, the cherry trees around us started to connect and blend back into one, until all the trees surrounding us were back into their real form, back into one insignificant tiny cherry tree.
"Wow! How did you do that?" Sakura dragged my sleeves, curious as a little child.
It's a special skill passed down the Li Clan using a combination of magic and organization to make the trees seem like one, but then seem like many, confusing enemies. I of course, did not tell Sakura this. "I found this place one day when I stumbled across it while working for Princess Meiling in the garden." I lied, not telling her this is my special 'Cherry Pitfall Trap' I invented with Eriol.
Sakura seemed extremely impressed. She started to walk towards the middle of the circle to get a better look at my cherry tree.
"Sakura come back, there a.........."
BANG!
Sakura fell into my nicely covered pitfall trap dug in the center of training grounds. "That trap is used to trap enemies and thieves in this palace." I explained to her.
"Well, glad I know what it's for, GET ME OUT!" She screamed at the bottom of my hole.
"Sure thing, just apologize for hurting my feelings, and admit I'm not as boring as you thought." I whistled, waving, standing right next to the hole.
Even though the hole was very deep that Sakura's face is covered with darkness, I could still see that flash of anger inside her emerald eyes perfectly. Obviously, she didn't like to apologize and admit that she was wrong.
"So what about it? Are you going to say sorry, or are you going to stay in that dark hole all day?" I grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it all down the hole to annoy her.
"Damn it, where's that Float Card when you need it?" She shouted to herself. "Fine, I'm sorry; you aren't boring Syaoran, now get me out of this trap!"
"Okay, so do you have a plan to get yourself out of the hole?" I asked.
"WHAT? YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET ME OUT OF HERE?"
"Who am I, Buddha? How am I supposed to know how to get you out of there?" I laughed silently to myself, enjoying her panicking expression.
"Then might I suggest you THINK OF SOMETHING? I'm stuck down at the bottom of a twenty-feet hole!"
I got enough laughter out of this, and decided to save her. I sprinted away; going back to Meiling's to get a rope.
"Syaoran Li, don't just leave me here! Hey, come back!" She banged and yelled, thinking I'm just abandoning her in my hole.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the time I came back to the hole, Sakura wasn't down there anymore. Hmm, did she use a clow card to get out? Oh well, I guess I have to find her before she gets lost in the garden again.
"SYAORAN!" I heard her screaming voice in the distance causing some resting birds on the cherry tree to fly away, disrupted.
"Sakura?" I heard her voice, but can't see her person. She sounded like she was in trouble, but what could've happened to her during the time I was gone to get the rope?
I ran towards the direction I heard her voice come from, but the palace gardens are so complicated with so many different paths and sidewalks, all leading to different places, that I'm not able to track her down.
At first, I didn't worry much. Sakura is a warrior, what kind of trouble can she get in? But as hours passed by, and Sakura still didn't come back to Meiling's palace, I started to get more and more suspicious.
I reached inside my pocket, and took out my lasin board. I've already seen Sakura use the Sword Card before, so if I can track down her clow cards, I can track her down too.
"Force, know my plight, release the light!" A green ray shot out of my lasin board, pointing straight ahead. I ran in the direction the light pointed to, and I ended up...........
inside of my mother's chamber.
Mother was sitting in her high and royal throne like always, and wearing a mad expression like always also. A whole room of people were all kneeling in front of her. Eriol and Meiling were also inside, kneeling. What has mother done now? Why are all these people kneeling again? She makes people kneel too often!
Then, I saw the reason why mother was angry. Sakura was in the front of the room, with whip marks all over her face, glaring at mother, and surprisingly; she was the only person in the room, not kneeling.
I slapped my forehead. Now I know what happened. Sakura was saved out of the hole by mother, but she probably showed lack of respect towards the queen with her warrior-tone-talking, so mother dragged her all the way back to her chamber to teach her some manners. (Mother's way of 'teaching' has always been 'whipping' for as long as I can remember. If someone disappoints her; they're not leaving her chamber without whip marks on their body.)
Mother was paying Sakura too much attention to notice I was even here, but Eriol and Meiling spotted me the moment I walked in. They gave me a where-have-you-been look, as I tried to ignore the ugly scars on Sakura's face. I felt as if a dagger just stabbed me in the heart. Damn, Sakura got hurt because of me!
I was about to step up and argue with mother, but then I might have to reveal to Sakura that I'm a prince, and my plan would be all screwed up. So all I could do is hide in the little corner, watching Sakura being whipped and Eriol and Meiling begging and asking mother to forgive Sakura.
Sakura, however, still did not talk, nor did she give in to mother's crackling whip. She just stood there, giving mother a look that could kill. Why can't she just act like a NORMAL servant, and bow down or something?
"Your majesty, if you leave Sakura to me, I'll make sure I'll teach her some manners, and she won't disappoint you ever again." Meiling said.
"I'll help Princess Meiling; please don't hurt Sakura any more, Queen Yelan." Added Eriol.
Mother gave another disapproving look. She pointed at Sakura. "This is the girl you begged me to free the other day?" She asked Eriol.
"Yes, your majesty"
Sakura was shocked. She gazed into Eriol's eyes; not believing Eriol would do such a thing for her. I felt another stab of the dagger. For some reason, I did not like the way Sakura was looking at Eriol. I started shouting to Sakura in my head that I would've done the same thing Eriol did for her, but at the moment, I can't do anything to help her; I can't let her know I'm the son of the horrible lady who just whipped her.
Mother finally let go of Sakura. "Fine, Eriol, you and Meiling train this girl well! I expect some improvement in her manners the next time I see this girl!" She barked and Eriol and Meiling got Sakura out of mother's sight before mother could change her mind.
After everyone left, I stepped out. I bowed in front of mother.
"Xiao Lang, where were you these days? I had trouble finding you yesterday." Mother's tone softened a little as she talked to me.
"I was........... At Meiling's" I didn't tell her why.
"Now now, my child, I know you love Meiling deeply, but I prefer that you live in your own chamber before you two get married."
"I didn't sleep with her." Huh? Where did that come from?
"You better not have been! Or else I would disown you immediately! You would've been a disgrace to our entire country! Xiao Lang, behave yourself, you are the next emperor of China, start acting more mature! "
"Mom, I am more mature than you think, can you please stop treating me like a little kid?"
"Hmp, ungrateful child."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sorry."
"Better be."
"Forgive me?"
"Hell no."
I sat on Sakura's bed, rubbing healing medicine on her bruises, as she sat there, blaming me for getting her in that hole in the first place.
I sighed. "The empress has a bad attitude, so just try not to take her beatings so seriously. The empress.......used to be a very generous and forgiving person believe it or not, but it seems like ever since our emperor died a few years ago, the queen's soul died along with him. She never laughed anymore, and whipped everyone who doesn't meet up to her high expectations. The most terrible part is, since the king died, one of his sons have to take over as the next ruler of China; all the princes wants the power, so they started to kill off each other to gain the throne for themselves. The empress didn't talk for a year when Xiao Long and Xiao Hu, her most beloved sons, both died in a martial arts battle against each other for the throne."
Sakura stared. "Oh, I had no idea what the empress went through; maybe I was kind of disobedient and rude. But how did you know all this?"
"News spread fast in the palace. I wouldn't be so surprised that by tomorrow, everyone in the palace will have heard that Sakura Kinomoto was whipped by the queen."
Sakura seemed to be in deep thought. "So, 'that's' how Eriol knew my name the first day I came to the palace." She smiled. "Eriol's so nice. I had no idea he asked the empress to set me free."
Ouch. That dagger stabbed me for the third time. Why do I feel so 'affected' when Sakura compliments Eriol?
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Lanturn: Yay! I'm finally done with this dumb chapter! Next chapter will be about Tomoyo's Light Festival from Eriol's point of view! (I'm so excited!!!!)
Review!