Misty Dreams

Card Captor Sakura

Chapter Nine

*starjade*

A Promise

Sakura hummed as she stitched up two patches of woven starwort. The prickles bit through her swollen hands, but she had to continue. She was sitting on the bench outside her small room, the sun shining in rays at the little garden she had fixed up.

Suddenly a small woof startled her. An old looking dog was staring at her with watery eyes, but the dog's teeth were bared in defence.

Sakura reached out with a hand, smiling as she touched the dog's head. The dog let her touch him, a small whimper coming from the dog. Suddenly, the dog jerked and growled.

Sakura looked up and Syaoran was walking towards them, looking sweaty as though he had just finished fighting.

" I guess you've met Kero. This is Meiling's dog. He's been really...testy lately, since Meiling disappeared," Syaoran said, his voice still as cold and un-giving as it always was.

Sakura was frowning at him. Leg, why fight? Practice? Stitches come out, no heal.

Syaoran caught the jist of what she was saying and stared ruefully down at his leg. " Can't keep myself away from practicing. The leg's getting better though."

Stitches. 20 days must stay. Then take out. Sakura motioned with her fingers, still frowning. It wasn't good for him to be up and fighting in his condition.

Syaoran ran a hand through his hair and sat down a few paces away from her. " Don't worry. I'll come to you to take out the stitches. I just came today because.." He turned away, and ran a hand through his chestnut hair again.

" I apologize for the way my uncle treated you yesterday. You must understand, I couldn't do much about it, for he is my elder and still has a position of authority, even though I am a prince." He paused and his jaw clenched, and he continued, grimly, " Though I promise you, I will never allow him to do such a thing again. Never."

Sakura was a bit startled at the vehemence in his tone. She put her stitching away and peered at him. Me, go home, when?

Syaoran glanced at her furtively, before taking his eyes away. " I need...you have to stay here. For a year and a half I've been searching for Meiling. And on that last day, when I grabbed you from the lake, you were the first sign that Meiling was still...alive. Can't you tell me...can't you tell me where Meiling is? If Meiling is alive?? What happened to her??"

Sakura's eyes saddened. Meiling could be dead right now, lying in the forest, her eyes sightless. She had no idea and felt a profound feeling race through her at Syaoran's pain, as she shook her head in a silent no.

Syaoran sighed. " Of course you couldn't tell me. You can't speak. Why can't you speak? Do you choose to not speak?"

Sakura just stared at him blankly and Syaoran groaned and turned away from her. " Why do I try," He muttered under her breath, so low that Sakura barely caught it.

Sakura stared at him and then struggled to motion, Meiling, why leave? Not happy?

Syaoran understood what she was trying to say, and sighed. " Out of all the questions...Meiling...well, she and I were really close. I was never....I never wanted to marry. I don't want to marry anyone. My parents are so intent on me marrying someone...so I just said...well enough about that. I guess the mistake was when Meiling was allowed to train with me. She loved martial arts almost as much as I did."

Syaoran closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. " She wanted to go out and prove that women can fight. Of course, woman couldn't join the army, but she disguised herself as a guy and somehow got in. Her first task ,the most deadliest one, was to go deep into the forest and attack the border of the Kinomoto Kingdom. Everyone died. Yet the thing that's keeping me going is the fact that they didn't find Meiling's body and the fact that you have her-"

He stopped and froze. " Shit." Without looking at her, he said formerly, " I hope you enjoy your stay here," and left quickly.

Sakura stared after him, eyes wide with surprise. He had told her so much, that cold exterior melting just a bit until once again, he drew that mental block around him once more.

The dog, Kero, pushed his muzzle into her hand and she stroked his nose tenderly. He probably was shocked into awareness about what he was doing. Talking to the Witch of the Li Kingdom, the enemy, the filthy wench who had lay a spell on him.
Mother, why did you do this to him? Sakura thought sombrely. Why did you force him to protect me?

************

Sakura scrunched her face up in pain as Tomoyo took out the piercing needles in her flesh.

" Come on, Keili, only one more!" Tomoyo said as she took out the last needle.

Sakura wrenched her hand away from Tomoyo, holding the throbbing hands to her chest. Tomoyo gently took it back and started to put a healing salve over it. Already, Sakura could see the swelling go down. Sakura knew all these remedies, for she was a healer herself, but she never did bother with her hands. It was only a little pain but Tomoyo was insistent on cutting down the risk of infection.

" I hope you'll be okay, Sakura, I really do. Why do you insist on making such shirts out of such a deadly plant?" Tomoyo asked, concernedly.

Sakura shrugged and Tomoyo sighed. " Look, just take care of yourself, alright? There's too much talk about you around the household..."

Sakura knew quite a lot of what was being said. She had bewitched Syaoran, that she was evil, she was a spy, she was a whore...things like that flew around the household like flies. The one rumour that was the most prominent however, was the one that she had put bewitching magic in Syaoran when she had healed him that one long day.

And sometimes, Sakura felt herself believing it. Of course, she had no magic. But her mother did. What if her mother had bewitched Syaoran into taking care of her? It was something her mother would do.

Sakura sighed, and looked at the empty sack that was used to carry her starwort. She needed more.

Quickly, she motioned to Tomoyo with her hands, pointing at the shirts she had made. Starwort, here? In Li Land? Where?

Tomoyo stared at her and then nodded, understanding. " You want to know about that plant your using to make those shirts, right? Well, they are here in Li Lands. They usually grown near lakes , right? Well there's a lake around these parts, where the plant grows aplenty. But it's too far from the Kingdom."

Sakura nodded slowly, a plan already formulating in her mind.

***************

Sakura walked along the steps of the huge Li Kingdom, trying not to meet the eyes of anyone. She felt someone spit at her and she shuddered. She was getting used to the dirty looks and the scornful whispers, and knew she'd never fit in.

Why would she want to, anyways? She was a Kinomoto! The Li's were the enemy. Their sworn enemy.

" Hey, Keili!"

Sakura jerked out of her thoughts and looked up. A smiling Eriol was coming towards her and she smiled back.

" You getting along okay?" Eriol asked as he came up to her. Sakura nodded and Eriol took a cautious look around them.

" I've been hearing a lot of crap around the Kingdom and even more worse things in the villages. Take care of yourself, alright?"
Sakura groaned inwardly. How many times had she heard that? Besides, the way that Syaoran was hovering around her all the time, there was no way she could ever even move an inch, besides getting out of the Kingdom.

Eriol grinned at her. " So did you really bewitch Syaoran? Seems like all the rumours are pointing to that!"

Sakura froze and stared at him. Eriol held his hands up.

" Hey, I'm joking! I know you didn't. Though I don't understand why Syaoran seems so vehement in keeping you here. Really, this is the most dangerous spot for a Kinomoto to stay. There are some people who are plotting to kill you-" Eriol stopped and looked back at Sakura, worriedly. " I really did not mean to say that!"

Sakura made a face. She had already expected that. She knew that it would've probably been worse, had there been a Li staying in the Kinomoto Kingdom.

Eriol grinned at her. " You probably already know that. Well, at least your not one of those rich Kinomotos. Then they'd probably try to get a ransom out of you."

Sakura tried to smile. Yah. That was real good.

Suddenly there was a scream that echoed through the whole room. It shocked Eriol and Sakura to the bone and woman everywhere began to run all around the room. Screams and shouts everywhere and Eriol was getting worried and was trying to stop one of the women but none of them would stop, or they would just babble non-coherent things.

Sakura picked up her skirt and raced up the stairs, where it seemed like everyone was going. She heard a screech, " Lady Tomoyo is going into labour!!" and saw Eriol's face go white. He pushed everyone aside running up the stairs faster than anyone had ever seen and Sakura followed him as he tried to get into Tomoyo's room.

The midwife stopped him with a pale look. " We need you to stay out of the room. She's gone into pre- mature labours and we don't know what's wrong, but the baby isn't coming out. We need you to stay out."

Sakura gasped. Tomoyo! She was her only friend and Sakura felt ice trickle down her spine at the mid-wife's words. Sakura had her own experience of these things, she was a healer and she knew instantly what was wrong. The baby was being born breech first.

Sakura tried to push her way into the room, but a woman pushed her so hard, that she fell to the ground.

" You witch are not going anywhere near the Lady! It's because of you she's going through this!" The woman screeched.

" Kinomoto whore!" Another woman muttered. " If we let her in, she's probably going to lay a spell on her."

Sakura tried desperately to motion that she could help but one of them grew pale and screamed, " She's laying a spell already!!"

One of them hit her with a broom and another spilled water all over her. Sakura stopped and stood there, drenched. Couldn't they understand that she could help??

Tears burning her eyes, she turned away as she heard another cry coming from the room. It hit her heart and she felt sad that she couldn't help her. Just this morning, Tomoyo was helping her take the thorns out of her skin. And now..

Sakura went down to her room, and took out the two shirts she had made and the third shirt that was almost finished. She could work on it...but the fact that there was chaos outside her door, she couldn't concentrate.

She sat there, watching her garden, trying to bury the urge to storm up the stairs and force herself into the room. She knew she couldn't. This was the Li household. She had bewitched the heir of the throne. What more harm could she do?

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Syaoran burst in. " Keili, they need your help!!" Syaoran said, desperately. " Tomoyo's in labour!"

Sakura motioned with her hands, No want me, push me away.

Syaoran's eyes grew steely. " Come on!" He grabbed her wrist and pulled her up the stairs and down the corridor into Tomoyo's room. There were protests and someone cried, " Don't let the Kinomoto witch in!" But Syaoran kept going and finally they were in her room.

Tomoyo was lying on the bed, her teeth clenched tight. Sweat poured down her forehead, her bangs plastered to her face. " S-Sakura?" She whispered. " I was calling for you.."

Sakura went up to her and wiped away her sweaty bangs and nodded slowly.

The midwife grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her away. " Don't touch her!" She hissed.

Syaoran growled, " She's going to help, midwife. Listen to her."

The midwife's eyes grew large. " What??"

" Listen. To. Her!" Syaoran said slowly, and then looked around the room. " If you don't, then I will be notified and you will all lose your jobs."

Everyone stared at Syaoran and then stared at Sakura. " Witch," Someone whispered, but Sakura ignored her as Tomoyo got into another contraction. Quickly, she ran around the room, gathering all things she needed and ran down the stairs to her room and grabbed all the healing herbs that she grew in her garden. Running back upstairs, she found Tomoyo already in labour.

Sakura wiped Tomoyo's forehead and mixed the herbs together into a concoction that she quickly boiled in water. A tea was formed and she gave it to Tomoyo who drunk it down, her eyes trusting.

" What is she doing? Is she crazy?" A girl whispered, but the midwife, with a tight set to her lips, set about helping Sakura. The tea helped Tomoyo get strength to push out the baby.

" It's being born breech first!" The midwife breathed. " The baby's not going to make it!"

Sakura clenched her teeth and Tomoyo screamed loudly as the baby came out. Please don't let the cord choke it, please...Sakura chanted in her mind as the baby's leg's appeared and then finally it's head. The cord was getting wrapped around the baby's neck and Sakura quickly cut it before it choked the baby.

" A baby boy!" The midwife cried.

All was silent.

" That baby's not crying," Someone whispered.

" It's dead."

Tomoyo was breathing hard. " My baby...my baby, is it dead?"

Sakura held the small baby in her arms, wiping it with the towel. He was silent and Sakura put two fingers against his neck. No pulse.

Someone started to cry and Sakura felt a sense of determination fill her. She wouldn't let it die!! She held the baby in her arms and put her mouth against his and breathed into him.

" What are you doing??" The midwife screeched and tried to pull the baby away, but Sakura kept a hold on it and breathed into the baby again. Breathe.

Suddenly, the baby began to wail. Everyone stared in shocked silence as the baby wailed and screamed and cried. Tomoyo began to laugh , a relieved laugh as Sakura handed the baby over to the midwife. Everything started to crash down on her as someone whispered, " She is a witch! She just proved it!"

Without pausing to think, Sakura got up and ran, ran out the door. She heard Eriol and Syaoran shout after her, but she kept on running, the front of her dress bloody, her breathing haggard and short. She ran outside the castle and into the gardens outside, down to the river and there, she collapsed on the shore. Tears poured from her eyes and she cried, hard.

She couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to go back home. She wanted to leave this place where everyone hated her. She wanted her brothers back. She wanted her father back.

Her body wracked with sobs, but she couldn't make a sound. She wanted to scream out her pain, but she had to hold it in. She wanted to pound the earth and yell out curses to those who hurt her, but she couldn't.

Why did this all have to happen to her?

" Keili?"

The voice, monotonous and cold as ever. Sakura kept her head buried in her hands and wouldn't look up.

Someone settled beside her, sitting a few feet away from her.

" Eriol wants to thank you," He finally said, after a few minutes. " Tomoyo and he are so happy. You saved their kid. You are a hero in this house now."

Sakura wanted to laugh bitterly. Hero?? How deluded was that? She was the enemy, the witch, the ugly whore who entranced the heir to the throne. She'd never save her brothers, or her father. She'd end up failing them all.

She was a failure.

Tears slipped out of her eyes and Syaoran sighed.

" Stop crying."

Another tear slipped out.

" God, would you stop??" Syaoran finally said, frustrated. " Can't you tell me why you cry all the time? What happened that night when you healed me? Where Meiling is, why I don't even know you and I care-"

He stopped and ran a hand through his hair as Sakura looked out over the water, keeping herself curled up and away from him. She didn't deserve his hospitality. Besides, she had bewitched him. What would he say to her once the spell wore off?

" Keili, I apologize," He took a deep breath. " You saved my life. You saved Eriol and Tomoyo's son. You've done so much for me. And what I do for you is bring you into a house where everyone hates you."

Sakura looked up surprised. It sounded strange coming from his mouth. His voice was still as expressionless and cold as ever, but the words were so different and-

Sakura shook her head. No. You did a lot for me.

Syaoran looked at her, and there was an expression in his eyes that Sakura didn't recognise. " Keili...promise me something. Promise me you won't leave this castle while you're in my care. Promise me."

Sakura stared at him. Of all things to ask...

Finally she nodded. Syaoran's face relaxed but Sakura was motioning again. You promise. Over water. Back home. Me.

Syaoran's jaw hardened but he nodded. " I promise. I'll take you home."

Sakura smiled at him and his lips twitched. He hid his face and looked out over the river again and then turned back to Sakura and got up.

" Ready to go back?" He asked.

Sakura grabbed his hand, without even thinking. He brought her up and flipped her hand quickly. Sakura winced as he inspected her hands with a grim demeanour.

" I don't like this," He finally said. " I don't like what you're doing to yourself. Why are you doing this?"

Sakura wrenched her hand away from him and turned away. Syaoran sighed. " When I know what's making you cry...why your hurting yourself...when I find out who is doing this to you...I won't spare them."

Sakura blinked at him, startled, but he had already started for the castle, leaving Sakura staring after him, surprised.

Syaoran was a mystery to her. A cold, unforgiving prince, showing such...kindness, if you can call it that, to his enemy, to a wretched girl he had found in the river. Why didn't he just torture the information out of her?? Why didn't he just throw her away in the dungeons??

She didn't know. But she wasn't stupid. She knew that even if it was dangerous staying in the enemy's castle, it was the only way for her to escape Oribia and complete her task without any outside interference.

But she needed more starwort. And the only way was to escape the castle grounds...even if it meant breaking her promise.

a/n: Hey! Wat up? See, I've done another chapter!! I really get pissed off wit da amount of detail I put in this story, (I'm a dialogue sort of person) But, it's needed. Besides, she can't talk! lol!

Aight, send me suggetions, comments, predictions, watever da hell you want, just REVIEW! lol!

see ya latez,

*starjade*