Disclamer: I DON'T OWN CCS…. Only a few broken DVDs…. '
Web of Fate
Chapter Seven
Everything was dark as the roof opened up into the night sky. Sakura felt as if she was floating, floating in space and freedom. She imagined herself flying high into the skies of the universe, laughing ecstatically as the stars twinkled around her, smiling with their steady pulsing light. Tiny glowing stars danced around her, running through her hair and into her outstretched hands.
Sakura giggled, 'Kirei….'
Little by little, the lights began to get stronger. The stars began to fade into the sea of marble, consuming the universe until their light became blinding. The universe disappeared, leaving only a room of whiteness. She suddenly stood unaccompanied and alone. There was nothing there to be seen, nothing to be heard.
Why did everything change so rapidly? Where did her paradise of stars go?
A warm comforting hand appeared on her shoulder. Somehow, she wasn't frightened and calmly turned around. She smiled gently at his presence, cool and soothing.
That boy.
It was always him. No matter what she dreamed of, no matter what her mind created, he was always there. Well, perhaps, the word 'always' would be a bit exaggerated, but this was the third time he'd been in her dreams. Sakura was beginning to doubt that he was just a creation of her imagination. No, he was definitely real, she was sure of it.
A thoughtful idea popped into her mind. Sakura felt amused, somewhere in this vast universe, this boy would also be asleep and dreaming. She imagined his face carrying an expression of peaceful slumber with his eyes closed lazily.
This was their world. It was a world where whatever they dreamed of would come true, only fading away when the morning sun peeked through their bedroom windows. But now, there was nothing – just whiteness.
"I'm sorry for taking it away," the boy smiled sincerely, "but I'm here to wake you up."
Sakura looked at him curiously, ignoring his comment for the time being, "Why is it that every time we meet, you're always wearing a mask?"
The boy laughed and shook his head, "It's not only me, you're wearing a mask as well." He pointed to the upper half of her face, with an understanding expression, "The masks, they're not really there until you notice them. I can never feel myself actually wearing it."
"Hoe!" Sakura's eyes widened and she raised her hands to her face nervously. Her fingers traced the familiar patterns of bird wings on the edge of the disguise. "I didn't even know it was there!"
"We're not meant to know each other's identities yet, that's why."
"What?"
The boy smirked and flicked her nose, "That means that I'm not allowed to know who you really are yet, my little dove. Quite unfortunate really."
"But why not?" Sakura argued. She didn't know whether her face flushed because she was frustrated, or because he just called her his dove.
He just waved her question away, "Don't worry, we'll find out eventually." He rubbed his hands together and gave her a small smile, "Now, as I was saying before you interrupted me –"
"Sorry." It was just a mere whisper.
He coughed politely, making her clamp her mouth shut immediately. "Before you interrupted me," he continued, "I'm here to wake you up."
"Why?"
He shrugged, "I actually have no idea why. The last thing I remember was that I was walking, and then suddenly I ended up here." He turned his head to look at their surroundings, "It's time for you to leave your dreams now, that's why everything has gone."
Sakura's eyes widened, "What time is it!"
"I wouldn't know," the boy shrugged, "In this world, there is no such thing as time."
"Then I better be going," Sakura thought, "There is somewhere where I have to be tonight." She curtsied towards him, "Thank you for coming to wake me."
The boy began to fade into the white-washed walls. He waved goodbye to her and turned around. As he walked away, the depths of black covered the whiteness of the room.
……………………...
Everything was blurry.
Her vision had a fuzzy glaze over it as she opened her eyes. Sakura found herself lying in a foreign surrounding. She sat up abruptly, "Where am I?" she asked frantically, detangling herself from the covers of the small bed she was on.
The soft glow of torches revealed a small room filled with bookshelves flooding with manuscripts and parchment. A small desk was crammed in the corner of the wall. The edges and corners of the wood were beginning to crack and split. Rolls of parchment were thrown onto the desk, sitting in a muddled pile of animal skin. A single roll of material was spread out in between all of the clutter as fresh black ink was painted on the top corner.
Sakura got up from the bed, carefully taking her time as her head began to spin and coloured spots appeared in her line of vision. She eyed slowly the words written across the top of the sheet, it was her name. Sakura's brow creased in wonder as she brushed the page away with her fingers. Old and crinkled sheets exposed themselves from behind the first sheet of animal skin.
More black ink.
"What is this?" Sakura frowned. The ink was obviously aging as it began to fade off of the page.
"Ki-no-mo-to Na-de-shi-ko…"
She deliberately read her mother's name slowly, syllable by syllable. She rubbed her eyes with her hands, surely she had read wrong…
Kinomoto Nadeshiko
Age: 27
Married
Number of children: two
Disease: unknown
Medication…..
Sakura cringed, what was this? Why was her mother's personal information all here? The list of medications her mother took was endless. Many of the herbs were crossed out with red ink, as bold letters were scribbled around the page: medication stopped.
Her mother… she had to suffer so much throughout her disease, and yet none of these medications were able to help. Sakura closed her eyes shut, bitter memories flooding back into her mind. It didn't matter how many remedies her mother tried, her condition only seemed to get worst.
Her eyes followed the black ink onto the next page. To her horror, a list of side effects appeared before her. The brush strokes of every character and symbol seemed to become more delicate and precise….
"I see you are awake, Kinomoto-sama"
A low melodic voice interrupted her thoughts and Sakura spun around shocked. A man stood at the doorway of the room. His long dark hair was tied back with a yellow ribbon. Somehow, his features looked strangely familiar - almost identical - to someone she was acquainted with.
In his hands rested a small teacup, with a vile smelling herb crushed inside of it. The man moved towards the desk and set the cup down. Sakura frantically tried to discreetly fix the pages of parchment behind her back. Maybe he wouldn't be able to see that she was looking through his files, after all, the room was quite dark.
"You've found your mother's medical list."
No such luck.
The man looked up at her and smiled, "I was the healer who tried to cure her." He fingered the pages away and stacked them back onto a shelf, "My name is Artemis."
Sakura stared at him wearily; he seemed kind enough.
"May I call you Sakura-san?" inquired the healer.
Sakura gave Artemis a smile, "Sure." Then she looked around the room, "Ano, Artemis-san, how did I get here?"
"You passed out in the hallway," Artemis answered simply, "You were with the princess when suddenly you fainted."
Sakura's face turned tomato red, "H-hoe… how embarrassing…."
The healer grinned inwardly. This girl was so gullible! In truth, he had found her walking with the princess to the grand hall. Artemis had noticed that Sakura was slightly tired, and being a person who held on to every chance he was offered, he put the girl to sleep. Aris was not the only child in the family who was able to play with magic and charms.
"Do you know how my mother was like? Can I ask you about her," Sakura's timid voice broke his train of thought, "Artemis-san?"
Artemis nodded at the sudden request, "Sure."
Sakura beamed, "Arigato! My father and onii-chan do not always have the time to tell me stories about her anymore."
"Your mother came down with her illness shortly after you were born, Sakura-san." Artemis scratched his chin as if he were thinking, "I was assigned to treat her."
The healer made the most sincere face he could muster as he lied through his teeth, "We tried everything – from traditional remedies to western techniques. Nothing worked."
Of course, Artemis casually left out the fact that every herb they tried was poison based.
"I see…" Sakura smiled sadly.
"Kinomoto-san was the most cheerful person I have ever treated," Artemis spoke. For once, what he said was true. Nadeshiko never gave him any trouble, "She never complained about her suffering."
"Okaa-san was a very strong person wasn't she?" Sakura's voice spoke tenderly.
"Indeed she was."
Sakura decided to change the subject, "Your name sounds… different and unique Artemis-san, are you from these lands?"
Artemis smirked, "No, I was born somewhere far, far away from this kingdom."
Sakura tilted her head, "Oh really? What was that village called?"
"It was a very old village. I'm sure, the name has already disappeared."
"Disappeared?"
"Yes, I doubt it still even exists after 1000 years." An air of darkness suddenly entered the room. The torches dimmed and the air grew colder. "I myself have lived through a dozen lifetimes."
Sakura stepped back confused, her thoughts raced in her mind. 1000 years? What did he mean by that? H-he was insane.
Artemis faced her, his eyes were hard and serious, "I have watched men grow and destroy each other throughout their senseless wars."
"Artemis-san, what are you talking about…"
"I know all the mysteries carried by your people from the past 200 years."
"Onegai, you're scaring me…"
"I have seen the beginning of time when the gods walked on this earth."
He walked closer to her and Sakura yelped in fright, "I am glad we are finally able to meet each other. You see, I have been wondering who exactly you were for a very long time." a shine of malice flashed through Artemis' eyes, and he took Sakura's chin within his hand. He stared at her with a look of utmost disgust, "I still don't understand why she has such an interest for you, Kinomoto Sakura."
That was it, something within Sakura's mind snapped. She wretched herself out of the healer's hand and backed away, terror filling her eyes. She fled out of the room, not daring to look back.
Artemis frightened her, but she didn't know why. His eyes held terrible secrets behind them, secrets that should have never even existed.
She didn't know where she was going. For once, the hallways seemed almost like a maze to her. Portraits of mysterious men and women glared down at her. From afar, the paintings looked beautiful as each person was dressed in finely designed gowns and suits. But as you went closer to each one, their expressions twisted and changed, their heavenly glow was replaced with a disturbing air of rage. Where was she? Surely she was hallucinating. This corridor, it held many things mysterious and unkind.
…………………………..
What is that pain I'm feeling? Ugh, my head hurts. It keeps throbbing in my ears.
It hurts. Make it stop.
Syaoran grunted as he painfully pushed himself up from the stone floor. Did he pass out? The servant shook his head violently. Suddenly a spasm of pain rushed through his mind.
Great, just what he needed. He shouldn't have done that.
Syaoran reached two fingers up to the back of his head, running them through his hair to find any cuts on his scalp. To his dismay, his fingers found a small trickle of blood on the side of his head.
"Damn." The servant hissed, he must have hit his head when he fell. Was saving the girl in his dreams really worth all this trouble? He looked over to his side and groaned, the water basin he had been carrying had spilled all over the floor. His clothes were already drenched and soggy. He would surely receive punishment for this unfortunate event.
He didn't waste any time to sit around and feel sorry for himself. Who knows how long he was unconscious for. Syaoran prayed that the towels he was also carrying remained dry. He got on his hands and knees and began mopping up the water off the floor.
…………………………….
She was running blindly through the endless maze of corridors. Sakura closed her eyes, she had to get away. In reality, she possessed nothing more than a childish fear of a shadowy man, but something about his eyes made her want to escape. She wanted to fly through the windows and go as far away as possible.
Sakura tried to take a deep calming breathe. It didn't work. She shut her eyes, squeezing out all of the scary thoughts.
Suddenly her feet collided into something hard and she felt the bottom of her legs become drenched in water. Sakura opened her eyes too late to see herself plunging towards the ground. The ground wasn't too soft as she hurtled into the stone with a shout. She must have tripped another person as she was falling because she felt dead weight fall across her legs.
"I-itai…" Sakura winced and began rubbing the place on her arms in which she used to absorb the pain. She looked over to see a mop of brown hair trying to lift himself up. His stomach landed right on the point of her feet.
Sakura gasped, "Daijoubu desu ka?" She pulled her feet away from the boy and rushed over to him. Her eyes widened with realization as his face turned towards her, "You're Suzuhara-ouji's servant!"
"H-hai." His hand clutched his stomach tightly. The shock of the pain would go away soon, but he felt his intestines clench into a tight ball.
Sakura raised a worried hand over his shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked softly.
The servant merely nodded and bowed his head, "Excuse me for making you fall my lady, please do not worry about this inferior servant. Did you suffer any injuries yourself?"
Sakura smiled and raised her hands, "Only minor scratches here and there."
The servant took out a roll of cloth from his jacket; he looked up to face her, "May I?"
"Huh?" Sakura blinked confusedly. Suddenly the servant took one of her hands and began wrapping the cloth around the cut on her hands.
Sakura smiled widely, "Thank you, you're very kind."
Syaoran felt heat rise up to his cheeks as Sakura smiled at him. His eyes widened in shock and he quickly turned his head away, hoping he didn't seem rude to one with a higher ranking.
Sakura didn't seem to notice at all. Instead she felt her petticoats and skirts suddenly feel damp. She jumped up in surprise and realized they were sitting in a puddle of water. A water basin was flipped upside down just beside them. The servant seemed already aware of this. He muttered something under his breath about having to wipe it up all over again and began re-soaking a white towel.
Sakura felt horrible, she was the one who made the mess, and now he would have to clean it all up!
"Let me help you!" Sakura offered impulsively as she picked up a spare towel. The servant appeared extremely stunned as he watched her with wide eyes. This was a servant's job, not one for a girl born of noble blood. Oh god. He was in deep trouble now.
Sakura noticed the servant staring and she giggled, she knew exactly what he was thinking. "Don't worry!" Sakura exclaimed, "It was my fault this happened, it's the least I can do!"
Syaoran nodded hesitantly, you never question your superiors.
Sakura wiped her hands off on her dress. There, all done. The servant helped her up and bowed deeply towards her. "Thank you for helping me my lady."
Sakura smiled, "It was my pleasure." She watched as the servant bent lower and then stood up straight. Sakura frowned, there was something red in his hair.
"Come here," Sakura motioned with her hands, "I think your head is bleeding."
Syaoran bit his lip and walked closer towards the girl; she made him bow his head down and brushed her fingers over his cut. Sakura nodded and then let the servant stand straight. Remembering her magic lessons with Eriol, she closed her eyes and gave the servant a small peck on the cheek.
Syaoran almost jumped away. She kissed him! He felt panic rise up inside of his chest as his cheeks turned a darker shade of red.
Magic flowed through her lips and into his body, as small blue dancing sparks seemed to bounce towards the side of his head. Suddenly, he didn't feel as dizzy anymore. His headache disappeared.
"There," Sakura beamed, "all better now."
Syaoran couldn't even say thank you to her. His mouth glued shut in a shocked expression, and he looked at her with large eyes. He was afraid that his voice would betray him to stutter if he said anything.
The girl waved goodbye, "I must go now," she said, "there is a banquet tonight you know." With that, Sakura turned and left. He stared quietly, watching her run down the rest of the hallway and turn a corner, disappearing out of his sight.
Syaoran gawked for a few moments before he raised a hand to his cheek.
Oh God.
………………………...
Tomoyo paced testily in front of Sakura's chambers. She shouldn't have let the healer take Sakura with him. Tomoyo began to grow nervous, what happened if Sakura's condition was worse than it appeared? She had to find her best friend as soon as possible, Sakura had to be okay. If something had happened to her best friend and she was not there to comfort her, she would never be able to forgive herself. The princess whispered hopefully into the air, "Sakura-chan…"
Perhaps she was being overly worried, but Tomoyo had promised herself that she would protect Sakura as long as they were together. This was no exception.
Tomoyo placed both of her hands to her heart and closed her eyes. There was no use waiting any longer without doing anything. A smiling aura filled her senses and Tomoyo looked up with surprise to see her best friend running towards her with a cheerful expression.
The princess almost started to cry with relief. Tomoyo raced up to her dearest friend and practically jumped on her.
"Sakura-chan! I was so worried about you!" Tomoyo wailed, "You scared me so much when you just fainted!" she hugged Sakura as if she would never let go.
She felt Sakura pat her head encouragingly, "I'm sorry for making you worried."
Tomoyo released Sakura from her hold, "Why do you feel so wet?"
Sakura practically fell from embarrassment, "I-I tripped over a bucket of water when I was coming here…"
The princess placed a hand on her forehead with an exasperated look, "Sakura-chan, this is the second dress tonight! You're going to have to change again."
"Hoeeee…"
"Luckily, I came prepared!" Tomoyo's expression practically cracked with delight, "I don't know what I am going to do with you, Sakura-chan!" She pushed Sakura into her room, shoving a small basket into her hands. "Here, I was saving it just in case."
"Hoeee…"
………………………………
"He has been gone for over twenty minutes!" Akira glared furiously, "Useless idiot, he can't even fetch hot water without taking a long time to do it!"
Stupid servant.
The prince banged his fist on the side table, the wood creaked and groaned. His expression twisted in aggravation, such insolence would not be tolerated! Tonight was an important night, and if he should arrive late and improperly presented, that servant will be whipped at least twenty times.
Dim-witted fool.
Akira stood abruptly, making the table flip over and bang on the floor. He flung open the door and stomped outside the room. Sure enough, the servant was running with a basin of hot water with a fresh towel in his hands. He froze in dread as he spotted the prince and lowered his head. Silently, he walked into the room and began to prepare the bath.
Retarded scum.
Akira waited for Syaoran to finish, his eyes set in a deadly stare. His soul felt an extreme need to vent his anger as his right hand twitched and clenched into a ball.
"Suzuhara-ouji, I have prepared – "
A searing pain tore through Syaoran's face as the prince harshly attached his palm to his cheek, throwing him to the ground. The stone seemed to be on the prince's side, as an uneven corner ripped through his sleeve and shallowly tore into his skin.
"Never," Akira hissed, "never again dare to make me wait in such a manner." He kicked Syaoran in the ribs, "I will not be so lenient the next time this happens, but I expect there will not be a next time."
The prince left him, lying on the floor and gasping with pain.
………………………
Jugglers danced on thin wires as they threw themselves into the air, grabbing onto invisible chains just before they fell. Their slender appearances made them look as if they were flying, flipping into midair and spinning over one another. Their white painted faces gave off expressions of laughter and joy, hiding the serious concentration that was truly underneath. Below them, ballerinas danced about in elaborate circles, tossing their coloured ribbons up and flaring their brightly made costumes. Their silk scarves gliding gently over everything they touched; creating illusions of coloured lights which sparkled on every turn.
Entertainment was certainly not a factor to be worried about as even rich tropical birds sang sweet melodies towards the crowd. The only thing was, none of it was real. The jugglers, the dancers, all of them were made of wood.
Nevertheless, the hall was lit with several hundred candles with silver ornamented stars hanging off of the ceiling. Unworldly draperies reflected the candlelight with their glassy translucent dyes; they swayed gently against the flooding music in the hall. Strings of red and gold wound themselves within the cloths, creating magical patterns and shapes. Underneath the yellow-gold material, young couples twirled around on the dance floor, forming giant rings and flowers within each other. Females smiled widely in their long satin gowns as they danced, and the men grinned respectfully in their delicate wear of velvet.
This was the ball everyone was waiting for, and certainly, it did not disappoint them. The splendor was magical and breathe-taking.
Trumpets rang out and soon everyone's attention was turned to face a grand staircase, layered heavily in polished wood and thick carpeting.
One by one, the royal families entered the hall. Their purposely lengthened strides elegantly displayed their finery as they walked down the stairway.
In all of his pride, the prince of Drejimn progressed slowly into the hall. He wore long coats of ocean blue fabric which almost reflected silver in the light. Akira felt the eyes of many gazing upon him, and he savored the feeling of being in the spotlight. He raised one of his arms as he took a deep bow, presenting himself for all to see. Akira laughed silently as he faced the crowd of discreditable on-lookers. Unlike them, he was the perfect example of class and dignified manners.
The prince's eyes scanned the ballroom, searching for his future wife; he gave a satisfied grin when he spotted her. There she was, dressed in a simple gown that made her glow like an angel. The butterfly design on the dress did not go unnoticed as matching ribbons curled with the hem of the skirts and ran along the back of the robe. Hair ribbons were braided into her honey brown locks and bounced lightly beside her face. Her bare, untouched wrists led to ivory hands, free of any jewelry or rings. Long white fingers contrasted the complexity of her robe. Akira's breathe was caught in his throat, yes, she would become his bride tonight.
Sonomi stood up grandly and spread her arms outward towards her guests. "Let us begin the feast!" she smiled and went to her seat, her dress swaying gently as she walked. The banquet table was very long, as it accommodated every guest at one seating. Its rich dark wood was covered in pearl cotton and painted glass china. One by one, people stopped dancing and went off of the dance floor. They followed their queen and sat down at the thick wooden table. They chatted excitedly; banquets of such splendor did not take place everyday. The music died down until it was just a soft string of melody.
Sakura almost pranced into her seat as she took a spot beside her father. "Otou-san! Good evening!" she greeted him with bright sea green eyes and a large smile. Sakura loved her father very much; Fujitaka Kinomoto was an archeologist and a very talented man. He could do almost anything – especially cooking and sewing. Sakura sighed inwardly; she wished she could cook as well as her father.
"Oi, Kaijuu, don't you have enough manners to greet your brother?"
Sakura jumped at the sight of suspicious and wicked eyes. Touya mocked glared at his sister, scrunching his face into a pout. His short black hair was neatly cropped back and it blended in gently with his tanned skin. He reached over to ruffle Sakura's hair, pulling many strands out of the braid, "I suppose kaijuus do not have enough time to be courteous though, they take too much time stomping around…."
Sakura's eyes widened and her expression turned into an evil, defiant stare, "I am not a monster!" She glowered at her brother as she kicked Touya as hard as she could under the table, "And I was not stomping! I was dancing!"
"Monsters sure are really violent these days..."
"Onii-chan!"
"What's that? I thought I heard growling just now." Touya cupped his hand over his ears and pretended to look around the grand hall, searching for a massive mound of fur.
Sakura wanted nothing more than to step on her brother that very instant, she imagined as tall as an ancient oak, her old and rich branches rasping softly as she squished Touya under her thick roots. She was about to hurl more insults at her sibling, but soon, the twinkling of bells was heard and servants filed into the hall carrying trays and platters of food.
Sakura immediately swung her attention from Touya and stared at the dishes of meat and wild vegetables. She almost cried when the platter of beef came around the table and settled in the center of the mass of food, its soft brown gravy sliding teasingly over the meat and falling into the platter. Appetizers of almond milk were set before each guest and Sakura took small sips from the bowl, but her eyes were elsewhere from her food. Surprisingly, she wasn't even looking at the steak. She was looking at something more friendly and human.
………………………
Akira winced as he sipped from the almond milk. It was simply disgusting; he would have to complain about it later. The milk wasn't smooth or creamy and its bitter taste rolled slowly down his throat. The almonds were not even finely grounded, and the prince felt the sandy texture on his tongue. He snapped his fingers impatiently to call his servant.
Syaoran stumbled quickly towards his master, and he couldn't help but wince at Akira's upset frown. What was the problem now? The prince had already sent back the dish two times, the first for being too chilled and the second for it being too sweet. Syaoran bowed his head down; his bangs hid the bruise that was starting to purple on his cheek. "Yes, master?"
"Bring this back." Akira ordered inflexibly, "I refuse to be a guinea pig for any more of this – this garbage." The prince did nothing to hide his dissatisfaction and he continued to grumble loudly, "Are the chiefs not paid to prepare a decent meal? If the appetizer is like this, then I might as well refuse to eat anything else that is served!"
Syaoran bowed and removed Akira's soup bowl from the table. He walked quickly out of the hall. Syaoran reached out to push the large double doors open, just as his fingers touched the wood, he took one small peek back at the feast. Someone was staring at him, and he felt goose bumps fly across his arms and around his neck. The girl who knocked over his basin of water was looking at him in curiosity as she gave him a small smile. Syaoran's heartbeat quickened with fear when he dared to smile back at her. Immediately, he pulled himself out of the room and leaned against the closed door in defeat. Just looking at her made him feel hot all over and blush.
He didn't even know her name and he felt nervous. How could just one girl affect him so much? For God's sake, he just met her – and it was only because she bumped into him.
Syaoran wished his mind could just escape and leave, away from this feeling and away from that girl – just somewhere where he wouldn't feel so intoxicated and nervous. He wanted her gone, he wanted her to disappear.
It would be better if she just went away.
…………………………
Tomoyo looked at Akira worriedly, she could feel his mood desperately changing into anger. She tugged on her mother's sleeve gently but urgently. Sonomi put down her spoon and looked at her daughter with a relaxed expression, "Yes, Tomoyo-chan?
"Mother," Tomoyo spoke quietly, "The prince does not seem to be happy, look at his eyes, they're starting to show irritation."
Sonomi followed Tomoyo's gaze and eyed the foreign prince. She saw him glaring at his servant and clicking his tongue in a nasty snarl. Immediately, her expression matched that of her daughter's in worry. The queen's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she tried quickly to think of a way to solve the problem. "Shall I call the main entertainment to begin? Perhaps that might distract his mind."
Tomoyo nodded her head with slight relief, "Yes, hopefully that might improve the prince's mood."
Sonomi turned her head and leaned towards her servant woman, "Call Aris, and tell her to begin." The woman nodded and quickly ran off out of the room through a side door, her footsteps disappearing slowly as she went further away. Sonomi tapped her wine glass and stood up in front of her guests, "Entertainment will be on soon, it should be quite enjoyable."
Sakura looked up from her food, and stared at the dance floor. Servants dimmed the torches and a hush went over the audiences. Suddenly an explosion of smoke burst from the floor, and the fog covered everything in sight. Many gasped were heard as people tried to wave the gas away, they couldn't see anything!
Sakura squinted her eyes and looked intently at the fog. There was something… small, dark figures twisting within the fog. Sakura widened her eyes at the sight, tiny wooden feet appeared, jumping and dancing across the lifting cloud, their smooth ankles ringing with charms and bells. Suddenly another pair of feet appeared; the two figures twisted and turned together in a small waltz. The fog was fading away now, every second revealing brightly painted costumes and ornaments.
Streamers of lights reflected from the figures and the lights ran across long invisible wires. Sakura could see it now, wires hung across the entire hall in a mass of confusion, all tied to the two dancing figures. She almost closed her eyes shut; the lights were appearing faster and flashed into her eyes.
An aura of black glowed around the two dancing dolls – to others, the dolls appeared as if they had a life of their own, moving on their own accord. Sakura sat frozen in her spot and she gapped at the feeling before her. It was the same feeling she felt when something had tried to choke her, and it was the numbness she felt when Artemis had spoken to her. Sakura couldn't help but feel isolated and alone, her heart almost burst in terror. She looked at every other guest in the room, why was nobody else scared of this presence? Even the princess smiled as she enjoyed the spectacle.
Suddenly the dolls stopped dancing and spun into a curtsy. They peered up into the audience, their opal eyes smiling insanely. Sakura wanted nothing more than to disappear at that moment. Those opal eyes were smiling at her.
The dolls giggled and skipped towards her seat. They twirled around her legs and tied the wires across her ankles and legs. Slowly they climbed onto the table and pranced in between the dishes of food, laughing childishly as they entertained everyone at the table. Sakura could only watch in complete shock as the dolls spun around goblets and danced on the edge of dishes.
The dolls looked up curiously and stopped in front of the prince of Drejimn, pausing to stare at him with lifeless eyes. They whispered among themselves and nodded in agreement. "He is the one." One of the puppets winked as the other presented him with a silver bell.
The dolls grinned wickedly before they jumped back to the floor and ran behind their mistress' legs. They giggled senselessly together with singsong voices, "We know his secret! We know his secret! What a naughty prince he is… a bad little prince indeed…." They buried their wooden faces into the folds of Aris' gown, muffling their high pitched laughter.
Aris raised her hands and smiled fondly at her creations before looking up towards the royal guests. "Welcome, royal family of Drejimn. The silver bell we have presented to you is a sign of our everlasting peace. Please take it as a gift." Aris lowered her hands, but her fingers remained stretched upright. Her fingers twitched and the dolls came back running into the center of attention as they danced to another song.
Sakura gritted her teeth and angrily wiped the sweat off her face. Those puppets had tied the thread around her legs, and she couldn't get it off.
Get off! Get off! Get off!
She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed back some of her tears. She was in a death trap. The queen's advisor and the castle's healer were both trying to kill her. She wanted to escape this horror; she just wanted to be left without fear. Sakura pulled at the threads again, they just had to come off. She would be as good as dead if they didn't.
…………………………………….
Author's notes:
Yes, chapter seven is finally posted! I actually had the chapter finished way back in March, but editing took a LONG time…
I feel quit proud of this chapter, it's my longest chapter yet!. I finally included a little bit of fluff in this chapter, so I hope everyone could give me a little bit of feedback if it seemed too cliché or too sudden. Oh yeah, I would really appreciate it if you guys would tell me what you want to happen in the next chapters, maybe I could include your ideas or something….
Wolf jade – hmmm, I'm not really sure about Tomoyo figuring things out just yet. Originally I didn't plan on her finding out at all, but I'll keep your suggestion in mind! Lol, I don't mind if you didn't update your story that I'm reading yet. I'm just happy that now you're reading one of my fics. I finally understand how stressful it can be to try to update on schedule…
Rapscallion – I'm happy that you liked Artemis' scene. Actually, that part was sort of a last minute add-in. I hope you like this chapter just as well! Please tell me what you think of this chapter!
Babystyle – lol, well, I hope you are happy with this chapter! I added a little bit of fluff in! And finally – after four chapters – Sakura and Syaoran have met! Its about time ne?
Spongebob – thanks for the review! Hehe, I finally managed to put Sakura and Syaoran face to face in a scene, I hope you're happy with it. Please review again!
Cherry-990 – after about three months, I posted chapter seven! I made sure to include the banquet. Though I feel it was a bit rushed, what do you think? Anyway, thanks for the review, it helped push me to finish the chapter!
Anyway, that's all for now! Maybe by the next two chapters, my summary for this fic will start to make sense. Btw, do you guys think I should change it? The summary seems a little bit vague…
Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks!
