Chapter 2
'oddity'
Pangs of hunger in his empty stomach finally woke Li, exhausted though he was. Blinking, he rolled over and sat up, then tried to comb his messy hair with his fingers. It was a lost cause, but he raked at it anyway while he tried to remember where he was. He was on a narrow and rather hard bed, which took up most of the room in the tiny bunk. Sitting up and putting his feet to the floor, he could feel the thrum of engines beneath his feet.
That was when everything came back, and in a rush he remembered his last minute decision to hitch a ride on this peculiar cargo ship. After their close call in space, Tomoyo had showed him into this bunk across the corridor. Though cramped, the sheets on the mattress were clean and fresh, and it was obvious the floor had been scrubbed recently. Li's stomach gurgled again and he climbed up the three rungs, then pressed on the hand panel. The small hatch door slid open, and he was back in the narrow corridor. All was quiet, save for the soothing hum of the ship. In the opposite direction of the cockpit, the passage split into left and right, the right hand way turning into steps that went down. Hearing a voice, Li opted to turn left and soon came in to what must be the common room of the ship. Galley ware lined the walls in one corner, and a fair-sized rectangular table stood bolted in the corner. Tomoyo and that other girl - Sakura - were there, scraps of material heaped between them. Tomoyo was brushing the other's hair back into a short ponytail, and both looked up at his entrance.
"Hello," Sakura greeted him, sweetly. It was so unnerving that Li actually took a step back. With her face in her hands, he hadn't gotten a very good look the first time. Now he could see her eyes were a bright and vivid green, unsettling in their sharp clarity.
"She talks?"
"Of course she talks." Tomoyo selected a thin pink ribbon from the pile and began tying a bow in Sakura's hair. "She's a regular chatterbox when she feels like it. She doesn't usually talk directly to strangers, though. She must like you."
"Great," he muttered, staring determinedly at the table and trying not to look. From the uncomfortable prickle in his skin, he could feel she was still watching him. Tomoyo tied the bow in place and patted Sakura's hair in delight.
"There! Isn't that cute?" Sakura smiled and nodded. "Did you want something?"
"Uh…" Li looked up again when he realized she was addressing him, painfully reminded by the rumble in his stomach. "Yeah. I was just wondering if there was anything to eat."
"Oh, I'm sorry. We usually snack during the day. I cook a meal in the evening; let me get you something to tide you over 'til then." She stood and started rummaging through the cupboards in the wall, each one snapping and locking shut to prevent food from flying out during turbulence. Li risked another glance up, then looked away hurriedly. She was still staring.
"Here you go."
"Thank you." He accepted the ration bar and bottle of water before seating himself at the far end of the table, as far as he could get from that piercing gaze. But he was too hungry to let it interfere with his appetite, and tore into the bar ravenously. Dried, nutrient-rich, and compact if somewhat bland, they were the meal of choice for travelers planetside and in space. He'd eaten plenty in the past couple years, and chewed and swallowed automatically without noticing the taste. Tomoyo was humming musically to fill the silence, concentrating as she pushed a needle in and out of the fabric in her hands.
"Hmm, what do you think, Sakura?"
Li sneaked another glance to see that she was still watching him.
"Green," she replied without breaking eye contact.
"Good idea. It'll look so cute with your eyes!" Tomoyo held up a swatch of green material, calculating the amount she would need for trim.
"What are you doing?" Li finally asked, curiosity overcoming hunger.
"I'm sewing, a new blouse for her."
"By hand?"
"Yes." She smiled at his raised eyebrows. "It used to be done this way all the time, until a few hundred years ago."
"Must take a while."
"It's good to keep busy. She likes to watch me." She certainly did, he realized. Sakura had ceased staring at him, finally, once Tomoyo began sewing. Now her attention was riveted on the needle. Up and down, her eyes never left it as Tomoyo pushed it through the material and then pulled the thread through.
"She had an accident."
"What?" Li realized he'd been staring and tore his gaze away from Sakura. Tomoyo looked up briefly, then back at her sewing.
"I know you wanted to ask. It happened when we were ten; she wasn't always like this. She was just like any other girl before, except maybe happier. She was always smiling."
Her voice faltered a little as she spoke, but her hand remained steady. Sakura didn't seem affected at all, eyes still on the needle.
"You knew her." She seemed so much younger than Tomoyo, but they must be the same age after all.
"Cousins. We grew up together." Tomoyo looked up, discreetly. He was staring at Sakura again, while Sakura watched the needle. It wasn't unusual for passengers to stare at her. They were usually fascinated in spite of their discomfort. What was odd was that Sakura was tolerating it. Normally she wouldn't even leave her bunk if there was a stranger on the ship.
She finished the trim around the collar and cut the thread before tying it off.
"Did you want to shower?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. If I can." He blushed slightly when he realized Tomoyo was looking at him watch Sakura again, and stared fiercely at the bottle in his hand.
"The bath unit is under the ladder to the cockpit. I'll get a clean towel out of my bunk for you. Be right back."
Before he knew what was happening, she'd jumped out of her chair and scurried down the corridor. The two of them were left alone at the table, and Sakura turned her bright green eyes back on him. Li concentrated on swallowing the last of his water, desperate to keep his eyes elsewhere. The galley was suddenly very quiet.
"You should get clean." He started violently at the unexpected sound of her voice, and looked up against his will. She wasn't just staring now, she was crouching on her chair and leaning across the table to face him, a slight frown of concern marring her expression. He leaned back in his seat.
"Y-yeah. I know. I'm going to." She didn't seem placated.
"The blood. It's all over your hands." To his horror, she tried to place her hand on his, and he jerked it back just in time. She was practically crawling on top of the table to get closer, and he pushed away so quickly that he fell right out of his chair and onto the cold floor. Sakura giggled, but briefly.
"Clumsy," she chided. "But you have to wash it off, there's so much of it."
Li scrambled backwards, and she slid gracefully to the floor to follow. Mesmerized by her crystal green gaze, he bumped into the wall behind him and froze. Sakura cocked her head to the side, examined his face, and reached to touch.
Just in time Touya snatched her wrist.
"Don't touch, Sakura." He threw a nasty look in Li's direction and pulled her to her feet. "You don't know where it's been." Sakura murmured a protest and wriggled half-heartedly, but with her brother holding on tightly she didn't seem inclined to try and touch him again. Li exhaled shakily and pushed himself to his feet.
"What the hell was she doing?"
"She gets curious. She doesn't know any better."
"I'll say," Li muttered under his breath. "Freak."
"We're headed for Crossworlds Spaceport to refuel," Touya continued, absentmindedly pushing Sakura's hands away from his face. "We should be there by tomorrow, standard time. I'm sure you'll be able to find a ship headed to D.C."
"Can't wait," Li assured him. He started to slide away toward the galley doorway, but the captain wasn't through yet.
"But in the meantime you're on my ship, and there's just a few rules you should know about. One, don't get in my way."
Happily done, thought Li, but didn't say anything aloud.
"Two, don't ask a lot of questions. And three, don't ever let me hear you call my sister a freak again."
Touya's black eyes flashed a warning, and Li lifted his chin slightly in challenge. Then he turned and marched away, snatching the towel from a surprised Tomoyo in the corridor. Touya grunted in relief, but it was Tomoyo that saw the way Sakura watched Li go.
Safely locked in the bath unit and under the running water, Li had to repress a shiver. She'd been too close, too near for his comfort. He couldn't even breathe, ensnared in that green gaze. Something was very wrong with that girl.
The blood.
He lifted his hands and clenched his fists, hot water squeezing out from between his fingers.
It's all over your hands.
- - - - - - -
He felt much better after showering, and spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the ship. It wasn't particularly attractive or interesting, or even big, but Li always made it a habit to know his territory. In the front, the two-chair cockpit straddled fore engines and some customized artillery. A hatch door and short ladder led to the familiar corridor with bunks, four in all. A left turn led one back to the galley and common room, right went down some steps to the cargo bay. The left passage stayed level, and he walked past the galley to find that it terminated in the noisy, steamy engine room. The pilot was there, panting a little as he tried to loosen a bolt with his wrench. He glanced up with a friendly grin.
"Hi there."
"Hi."
"Hello." Li almost jumped out of his skin when Sakura greeted him at his elbow. How could he have not noticed her? Yukito chuckled at Li's surprise and discomfiture.
"I'm just giving the engines a little tune-up. She likes to watch me." Li slid to the side before Sakura could try and touch him again, edging around her.
"She does a lot of that."
"I guess." Yukito shrugged, watching the way Li backed away from Sakura, eyeing her warily. "She had an accident," he added, firmly.
Li stopped moving for a moment and raised his eyebrows. "So I'm told."
Yukito went back to working on the engine and Sakura clasped her hands, watching him adoringly. The engine room opened out on this side, to overlook the lower cargo bay. Over the railing Li could see below: a few stacks of crates, probably supplies, the hatch doorway, and an escape pod near the back. "What kind of accident?"
"What?"
"What kind," Li repeated, "of accident?" Yukito stared at him blankly, then dropped his eyes and started tugging at the wrench again.
"Uh, it was some kind of vehicle crash... I don't really know much about it."
"You weren't there?"
"No." He pulled harder, but to no avail, the bolt wouldn't give. "I didn't know her when she was - when she was younger."
"Do you want a hand with that?" Li finally asked, but the other man shook his head.
"No, I got it. It's just stuck -" He gave a terrific yank and the bolt relinquished its grip. It was so unexpected that the wrench flew out of his hand and went spinning through the air, right at Sakura's face. He didn't even have time to cry out her name in warning before Li caught it mid-flight, just inches from her nose. Sakura didn't even blink.
Yukito's shoulders sagged in relief.
"Wow, good reflexes! You're not a sorcerer - are you?" Something in his tone made Li hesitate, and he flipped the heavy wrench casually in his hand.
"Would that be a problem?"
"Only if you don't mind walking the rest of the way," Yukito laughed. "The captain's not a big fan of magic."
"Uh-huh." Li eyed the girl seated at his feet, then tossed the wrench back to Yukito. "Me neither." He nodded courteously, backed away, and left Yukito and Sakura alone in the engine room again. Yukito waited a few moments, and then lowered his voice.
"What do you think of our new passenger, Sakura? Kind of quiet." She nodded in agreement. "He reminds me of your brother, a little." She laughed out loud at that, and he laughed too. "Just don't tell Toya I said that, okay?"
"Okay!"
"Good girl. Now hand me that screwdriver." Obediently she skipped over to the toolbox and found the desired object. Sakura loved helping him tune the engine, and she was curiously good at knowing exactly which tool he needed every time. She never had to ask.
Yukito was surprised to see his hand trembling slightly when he reached to accept it, though, and he had to take a deep breath. Sakura frowned and placed her hand on his, concern in her eyes.
"It's nothing, Sakura. I just got a little bit of a fright when that wrench nearly hit you. I'll have to be more careful, won't I?" She said nothing, only squeezing his hand in reply. "I promise that I'm fine. Now let's get back to work on this engine."
- - - - - - - -
"Here you are." Tomoyo set down a huge pot in the middle of the table with a thump, and Li inhaled the delectable aroma in anticipation. "Cooked grains with some fresh fruit from this morning, and some dried meat on the side. It's not very good," she offered apologetically, "but the spices do help."
"It's terrific," Yukito denied, helping himself enthusiastically. "Tomoyo does a great job with the food." Over and over again he ladled the hot mash into his bowl, until almost a quarter of the pot had been depleted.
"Hungry?" Li inquired.
"A little." He grinned broadly and passed the serving spoon to Li. "Help yourself, it's really quite tasty."
It was surprisingly good, for a ramshackle galley like this, and Li consumed it hungrily, trying to ignore the prickle in his skin that told him Sakura was watching him again. She was on the other side of the table, seated between Tomoyo and her brother, and he sneaked another glance. She didn't seem to have much of a problem eating on her own, but any time she came close to knocking something over or spilling something, Tomoyo's and Touya's hands would flash out to catch her wrist. They'd obviously been doing this for a while.
Touya cleared his throat loudly, and Li started when he realized he'd been caught staring again. Yukito jumped in before the captain could say anything too nasty.
"So, Li. Why're you headed to D.C?"
"Family," he replied without missing a beat. "And work."
"What do you do?"
"Data collection. It's pretty boring."
"Oh." Li polished off the last of the grains and reached for another strip of jerky, but his fork clashed with someone else's and he looked up to meet Touya's warning glare. After a moment's battle of wills, Li reluctantly gave way and withdrew his fork. Touya smirked in satisfaction.
"Want half, Yuki?"
"I'm fine. Go ahead." Touya hesitated, but Yukito shook his head firmly. Watching the interaction, it was a few seconds before Li noticed Tomoyo's struggles on the far side of the table.
"Come on, Sakura, pretty please? You know it helps you sleep better at night." Again Tomoyo tried to slip the tiny pill between Sakura's lips, but the other girl shut her mouth tightly and shook her head. "But you need to take it with food!"
"Sakura," Touya warned. "Don't make us do this the hard way." She wasn't persuaded, and again leaned back when Tomoyo tried to administer the medicine. Touya shifted in his seat to face her and wrapped her tightly in one arm, paying no attention to her meows of protest. Swiftly but gently he slid his finger into her mouth from the side, forcing her lips apart long enough for Tomoyo to push it in. Then just as quickly he covered her mouth so she couldn't spit it out.
Yukito didn't look up once during the entire performance, but Li couldn't tear his eyes away. There was something that didn't feel right about it, being ganged up on like that by family, at the dinner table, when she hadn't even done anything. He was almost disappointed when she finally gave up and swallowed. Tomoyo beamed.
"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" She squeezed Sakura's hand gratefully, then said something in what was presumably their native tongue. Yukito gulped the last of his food and stood with his bowl, walking around the end of the table on his way to the counter basin. His fingertips brushed delicately through Touya's black hair.
"Coming to bed?"
"In a minute. My turn for the dishes."
"You share a bunk?" Li blurted out, taken by surprise.
"Is that a problem?" Touya asked sharply, and Li shook his head hastily.
"No. No problem at all."
"Good."
"Come on, Sakura." Tomoyo pulled her friend to her feet and led her from the table. "Let's get ready for bed."
The two girls and Yukito left the galley, and Li found himself alone with the captain in a suddenly awkward silence.
Touya drummed his fingers lightly on the table, staring with the posture of one who was used to measuring up anything new and possibly dangerous. Li toyed carelessly with his spoon and returned the stare without flinching.
Seconds passed.
The stare evolved into something more like a glare. Li returned that too, starting to enjoy himself until some discomfort pestered him out of his concentration. The spoon felt hot in his hand and Li dropped it when he realized his animosity was manifesting itself magically. He'd begun to cook the traces of mash still left in his bowl.
"I think I'll turn in too," he said quickly, taking the other by surprise. He couldn't believe he'd almost lost control of himself like that, but then he'd never met anyone he disliked so intensely on the spot. The captain was already suspicious, he could tell, and watchful. It was a better idea to stay off his radar, and he stood to leave the galley.
"She had an -"
"Accident," Li finished without turning around. "I know."
- - - - - - - -
Yukito had changed and was reading on his bed when the door slid open, and Sakura jumped down. She was dressed for sleep too, in one of Touya's oversized shirts, and bounced across the bed to snuggle under his arm.
"Goodnight kiss!" she demanded, and he obediently pecked her on the forehead. She sighed contentedly and pushed her head under his chin.
"How're you feeling? I know this morning was a little scary, but I got us out of it as fast as I could." She didn't seem too bothered anymore, but plucked restlessly at his shirt.
"When are we going back?"
"I don't think we'll be going back to Tyrinthia for a while, sweetie. It's not very safe for us right now."
"No. When are we going back for him?"
"What? Who?" Sakura blew her wispy bangs out of her eyes, looking a little frustrated, but before she could get too worked up the door slid open again and her brother jumped down.
"I definitely do not like that kid." Yukito shut his book with a resigned air.
"Well, don't expect me to fall off the bed in surprise."
"I'm serious, Yuki, there's something not right about him." Distractedly his fingers moved to unbutton his shirt. "Did you see the way he kept staring at Sakura?"
"Every passenger stares at Sakura, you know that. They can't help it."
"It was more than that," Touya insisted. "He's just... well..."
"Yes?"
"I don't know." He wadded up his shirt and stuffed it viciously in the laundry bag. "But I don't like him. Why'd he have to get a ride with us?"
"You told Tomoyo to get a fare if she could. We're low on cash, as usual."
"Well, I didn't mean for her to get someone like that." Yukito shot Sakura a dry look, and she giggled. Touya stiffened. "Hey, none of that. There's nothing funny about this, Sakura. And what are you still doing up anyway? Time for you to go to bed."
Sakura's face fell and she reluctantly wriggled out of Yukito's arms, squeezing his hand experimentally.
"No more shaky," she affirmed, relieved. In the confines of the small bunk, Yukito could hear Touya's quick intake of breath and cringed. Blithely unaware of the sudden tension, she slid off the bed and paused expectantly in front of her brother.
"Goodnight kiss!"
"I know, I know." She stood up on her toes and he dropped a quick kiss on her forehead, then turned her back to the ladder. "Now scram, you little monster." He tapped her lightly on the rump, which made her laugh again and scramble up the rungs as quickly as she could. Both men waited until the hatch door slid closed.
"What was that about?"
"It's nothing," Yukito said at the same moment. Touya narrowed his eyes.
"Did something happen today?"
"No, nothing. I was tuning the turbines and I dropped the wrench. That's it."
"Because if you're sick -"
"I'm not sick. Tomoyo took my temperature and checked me out, remember? And I'm eating. I feel just fine."
"Tomoyo was studying psychology in school," Touya pointed out, still suspicious. "She's not an expert on this stuff."
"Toya," Yukito said firmly, "I'm all right. We didn't get much sleep last night and I'm tired, just like you are. We'll all feel better in the morning." Touya sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, still not convinced. Yukito extended his hand. "See?" There was no tremor, and Touya relaxed a little.
"You're right, I guess. I am tired, and a little edgy after what happened this morning. And with this new kid on board and everything..."
"I know. But don't worry, it's all gonna be fine." Yukito dropped his hand to rest on top of Touya's, and leaned in a little. "Now then. I've given Sakura her goodnight kiss, and you've given her a kiss, but I don't believe we've had a chance for each other yet. Hmm?"
Touya leaned in too, and brought his lips to his partner's for a gentle, comforting kiss. He could feel his muscles relaxing even before Yuki pulled away, and marveled again how one simple action could make him feel so much better so quickly. He was pushing him back against the sheets and rolling on top of him before he knew it, and Yuki responded with equal enthusiasm. His lips traced a light path up his jawline, and then he started licking and nibbling at Touya's ear.
"Mm... but are you sure you're not too tired?"
"It's worth it," Yukito murmured into his skin, and after that, Touya didn't need any more encouragement.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"...and with the condition the educational system is in, it really is obvious that the Senate needs to appropriate more funding this fiscal year..."
"...and all it would take is a meager two million siyong, to get the industry back on its feet. The government could easily afford it, and consider all the jobs it would create! It would be just the thing to get the economy going again and then..."
"...kids on that planet are working their fingers to the bone just to survive, and all the fat corporations get rich off it. The government doesn't even care, I think it's sickening. Why can't those Senators do something like..."
Eric downed the last of his third – fourth? – drink, and set the glass down on his table with a thump. No matter how much alcohol he consumed, it wasn't enough, he could still hear them. He wanted to cover his ears, block out all the conversation, make it go away. Didn't the people in this city ever stop talking about government, wouldn't they ever give it a rest? No wonder he had no friends here. No wonder he was so miserable, despite holding one of the highest offices in the system, and at the tender age of twenty-six.
He raised a hand and beckoned the waiter to bring him more of the same. Already anticipating a generous tip, the man nodded in a business-like manner before returning to the bar. Nothing less than business-like was expected from the service here at the Capital Lounge, in the shadow of the Senatorial Chambers, the most prestigious and high-class bar in the city. Everyone who was anyone in the game of politics gathered here, to see and be seen by the other players. The only reason Eric was there was because it was walking distance, and he felt too limp after a day in session to go anywhere else.
"...it's about the children, it really is. How can anyone feel safe, with all those sorcerers walking around with so much magic? When you think about it, there's really nothing to stop them from hurting whoever they like..."
"Idiot," Eric muttered under his breath. It wasn't the high prices, or the pretentious atmosphere that bothered him so much. He had known both since birth. It was trying not to listen to all the moronic statements around him and keeping his mouth shut. Some of the most powerful people in the system gathered in this bar, forming alliances and cutting deals that affected people on every one of their six inhabited planets. Yet not one person knew what they were talking about.
It was enough to drive a man to drink. Fortunately, the waiter returned with his liquor at that moment, so Eric was prepared for that. He raised the glass to his lips and paused, his attention arrested by the vision in gold walking toward him.
She was... stunning. No other way to describe it. She possessed an incredible body, not one inch of it left to the imagination by her shimmering gold minidress, which left her toned arms bare and exposed her long, elegant legs. In a room full of black suits and conservative hemlines, she glowed like a streaking comet. Every man and woman in the room turned to look, some sniffing in disdain, some simply staring. Eric could only watch, hypnotized, as she approached him and dropped gracefully into his lap. Without a word she took his chin in her hand, holding him steady, and attacked him with a kiss.
It was dizzyingly fast even for him, and Eric barely had time to set his drink clumsily on the table before he was swept away in the passion of it. She allowed him to part her lips with his tongue and explore lovingly, pressing her supple body against his and humming with pleasure. She was by far the most fantastic kisser he'd ever experienced, professional or otherwise, and Eric was panting for breath by the time they pulled apart.
She regarded him dispassionately, a slight flush visible on her dark cheeks but otherwise apparently unaffected. She had an exotic look about her, with a slightly golden complexion and high cheekbones, and thick black hair that fell like a curtain to her waist. She certainly wasn't native to this planet, but that didn't tell him much. Most here in D.C. had traveled from other planets, like him.
"Wow," he breathed. "Usually I at least have to buy the girl a drink first." A tiny smile curved her lips, and she held up a glass identical to his.
"Already have mine." Her voice was low-pitched but pleasant, and made her sound older than she looked. She raised it in cheers, then slid off his lap as easily as she had climbed on, and strode away. Only once did she look back, meeting Eric's transfixed gaze with her cool one, before she turned away and vanished in the crowd. Too drained to consider chasing after her, Eric simply collapsed back into his chair and drained his entire glass in one gulp.
Suddenly he felt a lot better. He winked at one of his fellow senators, still staring with an aghast expression, and dropped a 100 siyong note for the tab. The night wasn't going to get any better after that, and it was time to go.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
She woke up screaming.
Li bolted upright in his bed, heart pounding, the scream echoing in his mind and in the corridor outside. His head hurt with the noise, and with an impatient snarl he scrambled up the ladder and into the corridor. Tomoyo was just disappearing into Sakura's bunk, turning on the light, and across from him Touya was climbing out of his own with a sleepy but fearful expression.
"Now what?" Li demanded, raising his voice over the din. "Doesn't she ever shut up?"
"She gets nightmares. She's very sorry to have inconvenienced you." He brushed past Li with a scowl and jumped inside Sakura's bunk again. She was under her sheets this time, her knees pulled to her chest and her hands over her ears, green eyes wide with terror. Ignored, Tomoyo knelt by her side and pleaded for her to be calm. Hovering in the doorway, Li watched Touya crawl over the bed again and try to speak to her, but his words were completely lost in the scream.
"I thought you gave her a pill for this!"
"Are you still here?" Touya glanced over his shoulder with an irritated look. "Go back to bed, already."
"And sleep with that racket?"
"You're welcome to go outside!"
"Touya!" Tomoyo hissed. "Stop yelling, please, you're only making it worse. Sakura, can you hear me? It was just a dream, it's not real. Please calm down." Delicately she tried to cover Sakura's hand with her own and pull it away, but Sakura didn't even seem to notice her touch. Her face had gone nearly pure white with fear, and still she continued to scream.
Li's head ached so badly; he couldn't even keep track of his own thoughts now. With a slight moan of pain he slumped over on the cold metal grate of the corridor and rolled onto his back. The muted nighttime lights overhead throbbed in his vision, and he closed his eyes. There was nothing for it but to try a magical remedy. Trying to ignore the noise and the pain, Li took a few deep breaths, concentrating individually on each muscle in turn and forcing it to relax. When he had achieved an internal balance, he began to chant softly.
Sakura's scream faltered, renewed, then died away completely. Her raspy and frantic breathing still echoed in the bunk, but at least some of her color was returning. Touya and Tomoyo exchanged surprised looks.
"That was fast. It usually takes so much longer for her to calm down."
"Not that I'm complaining," Touya mumbled, swallowing a yawn. It was strange, but her eyes were starting to lose that terrified look, the one that made his stomach turn with fear and dread. She was returning, coming back to reality again.
Outside the bunk, Li was only dimly aware the noise had stopped, still concentrating on easing the pain in his mind. The words dropped off and he began to hum. Without the proper herbs, it wasn't possible to make the headache go away entirely, but it would be enough.
Tomoyo cocked her head to the side. "Do you hear something?"
"What?"
"Shh, listen." Tomoyo leaned in close, almost resting her ear on Sakura's neck. "She's humming."
Touya could hear a faint snatch of melody coming from his sister's throat, but barely.
"Is that one of your songs?"
"No. I've never heard it before."
Li was winding down, preparing to finish, when the hairs on the back of his neck prickled eerily. He wasn't alone, and the startling realization of that fact was enough to make him sit up straight again, breathing hard. No one else was in the corridor, and things were quiet in Sakura's bunk. The feeling left as quickly as it had come, but goose bumps still freckled his arms and he was sure he hadn't imagined it.
Sakura took a long, deep breath, and rested her head on Tomoyo's shoulder. Touya slumped in relief.
"That's it. She's back; she's okay."
"I think so. You can go back to bed if you like, Touya, I'll just sing her a lullaby to help her go to sleep."
Touya didn't put up much of a resistance. He was still exhausted from the day before, and he yawned again.
"Okay. Thanks for your help."
"It's what I'm here for." Gently she let Sakura down onto her pillows, and tucked the blanket under her chin. "Close your eyes, Sakura. I'm going to sing you a song, okay?"
Sakura said nothing, but closed her eyes compliantly. Tomoyo began a low, sweet song, and Touya climbed back out into the corridor. Li was still there, standing, and holding his palm to his forehead.
"What, got a headache?"
"No." Li pushed his bangs up, looking a little confused. "No, I don't."
"Damn. Then don't let me keep you up." He disappeared back inside his bunk, leaving Li alone to listen to Tomoyo's song. He couldn't understand it, it wasn't in Basic, but he imagined she must be trying to lull Sakura back to sleep. Li was anything but sleepy now; a peculiar feeling still lingered in his blood and he felt the need to burn a little energy. Back inside his bunk he pulled his shirt back on, not bothering to button it, and grabbed his pendant on the bedside shelf. When he heard Tomoyo return to her bunk and the whole ship become quiet again, he returned to the corridor. The metal grate was cold under his bare feet as he tread softly down the passage and to the right, taking the steps down to the floor of the darkened cargo bay.
The headache shouldn't have just disappeared like that. Not so quickly, not without him even trying very hard to heal it. It was as if... someone else had stepped in and done it for him. Touch was normally required for any healer to do that, and no one had been near.
Unsettling. Hopefully a few sword drills would help him to feel better, and then he could get some more sleep. His internal clock had been scrambled a long time ago, but he reckoned it must be somewhere in the early morning. He squeezed his fist and focused his thoughts, and the familiar rush of power shot down his arm and into the pendant. An elegant sword materialized in his hand, and he gave an experimental twirl before beginning his patterns.
Drilling with his family's heirloom sword, his most prized possession, always soothed Li. Here in the quiet of this strange ship, floating through space, he spun and slashed and stabbed the air. Forward Slice, Reverse Slice, High Block. Crescent Parry, spin, Reverse Thrust. Downward Strike.
"Downward Strike."
Li jumped a foot in the air and actually yelped in surprise. She was sitting on the bottom step, hugging her arms to her chest and watching him. How could he have not sensed her? Or even seen her!
Too late he hid the sword behind his back.
"I thought you'd gone back to sleep, you shouldn't be wandering around the ship at night." She fixed him with that unblinking gaze and did not reply. She didn't seem any more inclined to sleep than he was, and did not move from her position on the steps. He blushed a little when he realized his gaze was lingering on her mostly bare legs, and forced himself to keep his eyes on her face. "Anyway, I bet your brother wouldn't like you hanging out down here when you should be in bed. So go on, go back to -"
His mind finally caught up with him and he cut himself short.
"What did you say?"
She clasped her hands together and grinned. Hesitantly, Li held his sword out again and slashed it downward, stopping just short of a metallic clang against the floor.
"Downward strike," she chanted happily.
"That's right. How did you – how did you know that?"
She said nothing, waiting. Li thought a moment, then gripped the handle with both hands and stabbed forward.
"Straight thrust!" Again he changed his grip and sliced the air twice before assuming a new stance. "Slice, Reverse Slice, Middle Block." All fairly basic moves, and he decided to try something more complicated.
"Hooking Block, Inward Reverse Slice, spin, Slice, jump, High Vertical Block in x stance, elbow thrust, side kick, Low Thrust, back thrust with hilt, Straight Slice," she recited perfectly with every corresponding action. She beamed proudly at Li's awed expression.
"You're right; all of it, it was right. You didn't miss one. How could you know all that, no one studies the sword anymore."
She shrugged complacently. Mystified, Li drifted closer until he could kneel on the steps beside her and look directly into her eyes. There was no trace of the bloodcurdling terror that had been prevalent earlier, only a delighted twinkle.
"Sakura..." She dimpled at his first use of her name. "Don't, ah, don't mention this to anyone. Okay? Your brother can't know about this." In his hand the magical sword returned to pendant form. She giggled and placed a finger over her lips.
"Secret."
"That's right, secret. Touya no know, right?" She nodded quickly, and he exhaled with relief. "Are you ready to go back to bed now?"
She looked a trifle disappointed, but nodded again.
"Yes." For a moment he tensed up, afraid she might try to touch him, but she only stood and skipped up the stairs. Li was left alone in the dark, his sacred pendant dangling from one finger.
"Something," he murmured aloud to the ship, "is going on here."
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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters