Chapter 7: You're Not Alone (Continuation of Chapter 6)
Sakura sighed as she plopped down onto the ground, her back leaning against the trunk of a tree. She closed her eyes and memories flashed through her head to the point where she felt sick.
"Don't fall asleep on us, Sakura, we have to go in a minute." That was Syaoran. His voice penetrated her thoughts deeply, and made her memories of him flicker through her mind more quickly.
"Sakura?" Her eyes popped open, and it wasn't until then that she realized she had fallen asleep. Syaoran was kneeling in front of her, one of his hand's on her shoulder. She stared into his dark, brown eyes for a moment before standing up quickly and brushing dirt off her costume.
"You look tired," Tomoyo said as she came to stand in front of her.
Sakura shook her head. "I'm not," she lied. "I just wanted to rest for a moment."
"Well, in any case, let's get you home and you can rest," Kero said, as he flew onto Tomoyo's shoulder. Tomoyo nodded agreement.
"I should be getting home, in any case," Tomoyo said. "My bodyguards won't be too happy with me if I get home late."
"I'll go with her," Kero said from Tomoyo's shoulder. "Just to make sure she gets home safe."
Sakura nodded, hugged her best friend and waved as she watched her and Kero run down the path.
Now Sakura and Syaoran were alone. "Well, let's get you home," Syaoran said. Sakura nodded as the two set off down the path the opposite way Tomoyo had gone.
It was quiet in the forest, the soft footsteps of the two was the only sound around, and silence stayed between the two for some minutes before Sakura spoke up.
"Where are you staying, Syaoran?" she asked.
"Meilin and I are staying at my old place, with Wei, and Eriol is staying at his old house as well."
"You weren't sopposed to come down for another few days," Sakura said quietly. She tilted her head a bit to peer over at him. "What made you come earlier?"
Syaoran sighed and kept his eyes on the path ahead. "When Eriol called me, telling me that he was also sensing something unusual, I had had enough. All three of us had felt it, and neither Kero nor Spinnel or Ruby Moon had felt anything. I was convinced by then, I had to come earlier than planned."
"I see.." Sakura's eye grew sad, and she did not know why. She should have been over-ridden by joy with having all of her friend's back, but for some reason she wasn't. She felt as if she was carrying a heavy burden on her shoulders, and no wonder. The loss of her Cards was like taking a part of herself away, mentally and spiritually. Her power was limited, and she felt overruled, overpowered. For the first time since capturing that first Card, she felt helpless. Weak, feeble, vulnerable, un-aided. She hadn't realised until then, that her Cards were her source of protection, her source of defence and security. But even though she had lost her Cards, she still felt a dwindling sense of safety. A safety that had been with her long ago, once left her, and now had suddenly come back. Could it possibly be… Syaoran?
"We'll get them back," Syaoran said, as if reading her mind. Sakura shifted her gaze over at him, trying hard not to widen her eyes. Syaoran starred back at her with soft eyes. He had changed. His eyes weren't as cold and as hard like before, but gentle and warm. And yet, he was still as handsome as ever, if not, more.
"Are you alright about this?" Syaoran spoke again. Sakura nodded silently and averted her eyes to the ground. This person walking beside her was in love with her, and dealing with it was confusing. She didn't know her own feelings, and yet she was seeking them frantically, unaware of what her heart felt.
Suddenly Sakura felt a hand touching her shoulder, and with surprise, she looked up and saw Syaoran taking a piece of her hair in his hand.
"You're hair is longer," he said, smiling. "It looks good."
Sakura didn't know how to react and just replied, "Thank you," as Syaoran let his hand fall back to his side.
"There's something different about you," Syaoran said, his smile fading. "You always used to be so cheerful and carefree, no matter what was happening, but I feel that's gone from you.."
"It's the Cards," Sakura said softly. "I feel like.. I've lost a part of me."
"All the more reason to get them back," Syaoran implied. "Once we've captured them all back, there will be nothing else to worry about."
"We?" Sakura fought hard to keep her tears back. "You're.. You're staying?"
Syaoran's face lit up when he smiled. "Of course I am. It will be like old times."
"Thank you," she whispered, tears welling up in her shining eyes. "It means so much to me."
"It's my duty," Syaoran said just as quietly. "To protect the one.. The only one.. That I-"
"Oh!" Sakura said suddenly, as the two walked off the path and back to the streets. "My dad's home from his business trip, I better get going."
"Alright," Syaoran replied, looking disappointed for some reason. Sakura didn't take much note of it as she was in a hurry to get home, and just before she turned away, she said, "Thank you again."
"You're welcome," he replied. "Take care."
"You too. Bye!" with that, she ran off down to her house.
Sakura sighed as she plopped down onto the ground, her back leaning against the trunk of a tree. She closed her eyes and memories flashed through her head to the point where she felt sick.
"Don't fall asleep on us, Sakura, we have to go in a minute." That was Syaoran. His voice penetrated her thoughts deeply, and made her memories of him flicker through her mind more quickly.
"Sakura?" Her eyes popped open, and it wasn't until then that she realized she had fallen asleep. Syaoran was kneeling in front of her, one of his hand's on her shoulder. She stared into his dark, brown eyes for a moment before standing up quickly and brushing dirt off her costume.
"You look tired," Tomoyo said as she came to stand in front of her.
Sakura shook her head. "I'm not," she lied. "I just wanted to rest for a moment."
"Well, in any case, let's get you home and you can rest," Kero said, as he flew onto Tomoyo's shoulder. Tomoyo nodded agreement.
"I should be getting home, in any case," Tomoyo said. "My bodyguards won't be too happy with me if I get home late."
"I'll go with her," Kero said from Tomoyo's shoulder. "Just to make sure she gets home safe."
Sakura nodded, hugged her best friend and waved as she watched her and Kero run down the path.
Now Sakura and Syaoran were alone. "Well, let's get you home," Syaoran said. Sakura nodded as the two set off down the path the opposite way Tomoyo had gone.
It was quiet in the forest, the soft footsteps of the two was the only sound around, and silence stayed between the two for some minutes before Sakura spoke up.
"Where are you staying, Syaoran?" she asked.
"Meilin and I are staying at my old place, with Wei, and Eriol is staying at his old house as well."
"You weren't sopposed to come down for another few days," Sakura said quietly. She tilted her head a bit to peer over at him. "What made you come earlier?"
Syaoran sighed and kept his eyes on the path ahead. "When Eriol called me, telling me that he was also sensing something unusual, I had had enough. All three of us had felt it, and neither Kero nor Spinnel or Ruby Moon had felt anything. I was convinced by then, I had to come earlier than planned."
"I see.." Sakura's eye grew sad, and she did not know why. She should have been over-ridden by joy with having all of her friend's back, but for some reason she wasn't. She felt as if she was carrying a heavy burden on her shoulders, and no wonder. The loss of her Cards was like taking a part of herself away, mentally and spiritually. Her power was limited, and she felt overruled, overpowered. For the first time since capturing that first Card, she felt helpless. Weak, feeble, vulnerable, un-aided. She hadn't realised until then, that her Cards were her source of protection, her source of defence and security. But even though she had lost her Cards, she still felt a dwindling sense of safety. A safety that had been with her long ago, once left her, and now had suddenly come back. Could it possibly be… Syaoran?
"We'll get them back," Syaoran said, as if reading her mind. Sakura shifted her gaze over at him, trying hard not to widen her eyes. Syaoran starred back at her with soft eyes. He had changed. His eyes weren't as cold and as hard like before, but gentle and warm. And yet, he was still as handsome as ever, if not, more.
"Are you alright about this?" Syaoran spoke again. Sakura nodded silently and averted her eyes to the ground. This person walking beside her was in love with her, and dealing with it was confusing. She didn't know her own feelings, and yet she was seeking them frantically, unaware of what her heart felt.
Suddenly Sakura felt a hand touching her shoulder, and with surprise, she looked up and saw Syaoran taking a piece of her hair in his hand.
"You're hair is longer," he said, smiling. "It looks good."
Sakura didn't know how to react and just replied, "Thank you," as Syaoran let his hand fall back to his side.
"There's something different about you," Syaoran said, his smile fading. "You always used to be so cheerful and carefree, no matter what was happening, but I feel that's gone from you.."
"It's the Cards," Sakura said softly. "I feel like.. I've lost a part of me."
"All the more reason to get them back," Syaoran implied. "Once we've captured them all back, there will be nothing else to worry about."
"We?" Sakura fought hard to keep her tears back. "You're.. You're staying?"
Syaoran's face lit up when he smiled. "Of course I am. It will be like old times."
"Thank you," she whispered, tears welling up in her shining eyes. "It means so much to me."
"It's my duty," Syaoran said just as quietly. "To protect the one.. The only one.. That I-"
"Oh!" Sakura said suddenly, as the two walked off the path and back to the streets. "My dad's home from his business trip, I better get going."
"Alright," Syaoran replied, looking disappointed for some reason. Sakura didn't take much note of it as she was in a hurry to get home, and just before she turned away, she said, "Thank you again."
"You're welcome," he replied. "Take care."
"You too. Bye!" with that, she ran off down to her house.