Misty Dreams

Card Captor Sakura

Chapter Fifteen

~starjade~

A Brother

In the morning, Yamaki brought her to the starwort patch to get more starwort. Sakura was oddly disappointed that Syaoran hadn't come with her....hadn't come to 'protect' her as he said he would.

She was quite capable of protecting herself....but the way he said it, the way his amber eyes shined with a dangerous quality....she thought that maybe his words were sincere....

Shaking her head softly, Sakura made her way into the dining room where the Li family gathered together to eat dinner. It was a long table, with the Queen sitting at the head of it. Sakura was usually sitting at the end with Tomoyo, Eriol or Yamaki. Besides Syaoran, those were the only three that actually talked to her in the Li castle.

It got lonely...especially when she would remember the day in the Kingdom. The villages and the forest were her favourite places to play. Everyone loved her, for she was a cheerful girl, chattering out stories and tales and helping out in any way possible.

Before her mother's death, it was her happiest memories. And when she was undergoing all the harsh treatment she had to bear in the Li Kingdom, she thought back to those times. Her mother's bright eyes, laughing smile and the way she always picked Sakura up and whirled her high in the air so she felt as if she was flying.

Recalling those memories, she sat down next to Tomoyo who smiled at her gently. Sakura smiled back as the chatter around the table grew.

As the food came in, Sakura tried to meet Syaoran's eyes, where he sat at the opposite end of the table. He was too engrossed in his conversation to look at her and she lowered her eyes dejected until Eriol offered her a plate of food.

She gasped hard.

Her eyes flying wide open, she stared at the food on a platter in the middle of the table. Dressed nicely, surrounded by vegetables and an enticing aroma surrounding the atmosphere, she felt bile rise to her throat fast.

It was a swan.

" Keili? Here's your plate!" Eriol said, a bit concerned at her expression.

Sakura couldn't take it. Horror was flooding through her veins and images rushed through her head. One of her brothers, who knew which one, killed and dressed up sitting in the middle of the table. Her eyes searched the people of the table, some who were looking her way at the expression on her face. People were eating....eating the swan!!

" Keili?" Eriol asked, still holding out the plate of food. Sakura leapt up, her chair slamming on the ground as she flung the plate out of Eriol's grasp. Everyone gasped, as the plate landed on the floor and shattered.

They all stared at her in shock and tears rose to her eyes as she looked at the swan. Please let it not be one of them, she thought hysterically. Not one of my brothers!!

She turned on her heel and ran out of the dining hall, running fast to the pond where she had gone when she had delivered Tomoyo's baby. Bending over the shrubs, she emptied her guts, she gagged and heaved until she could not anymore, where then she collapsed on the bank.

Her body shook and she took deep breaths, staring out at the calmness of the river, the water moving in ripples, reflecting the shining moon.

A swan.....a swan, all dressed and cooked-her brothers, changed into swans-She closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, praying to whoever could help her-let it not be my brother, let it not be any of my brothers.

She opened her eyes-and then her mouth dropped open in shock.

There in front of her, floating on the river was a swan. Not cooked, but alive, pure and white, it's eyes watching her with bright intelligence.

Sakura scrambled away, her heart beating hard. No, this was just another swan, it couldn't be her brother! But what if they killed this swan?

Please leave, she thought in her head. Please leave, please fly away to freedom before they-

" Sakura?"

Sakura's eyes jolted open and widened. Her heart clenching, she saw...she saw Yukito, watching her, his clothes ragged and his hair long and flowing for it had been a long time since they had been cursed on that fateful day by Oribia.

" Sakura, is that you?"

Her eyes began to water. No it couldn't be Yukito! It couldn't be! Yukito? She thought.

Yukito titled his head. " You didn't say anything...but I can hear you clearly. You said my name."

Sakura's eyes widened. He could hear her thoughts...like her mother could. He had come across the sea , for her-

Tears rushed past her eyes and she abandoned all suspicion and ran to her brother, wrapping her arms around his waist tightly and burying her face in his chest. Yukito...Yukito, oh god, I missed you so much!

" I missed you too, little one. What are you doing here-" His jaw clenched and his eyes hardened. " At the Li Kingdom, of all places? They aren't holding you prisoner, are they?"

Sakura couldn't think, so overwhelmed by happiness. Her brother-here, in the flesh. No-No, they aren't holding me prisoner. I am safest here, in my enemies kingdom-even though they show that they dislike me, nothing has happened to me...yet.

Yukito's fists were clenching. " What have they done to you, Sakura? They have done something, I can see it in your eyes. What happened? How did you come here? I had to search long and far for you."

It's nothing, dear brother. Where-where are the rest? Sakura asked, fear tickling down her spine. If Yukito was here and so were the rest of her brothers, than that swan, cooked on the table could be-

" No, they are back in the Kinomoto kingdom. When we turned to humans, two months back, we found out you were not in the Kinomoto land anymore. Since I am the only one of us who still retains my senses in my swan form....I looked for you and found you here." Yukito said.

Sakura looked at him and her shoulders drooped with relief. The swan wasn't her brother....thank god.

" But Sakura, what are you doing here? This isn't safe! You should've sought a farm, or a kindly neighbour-why the Li Kingdom? They could kill you at any second! They're monsters, the Li people and you are here?? Of all places?" Yukito asked incredulously.

Sakura hung her head. It's not bad, Yukito. Please, I know what I'm doing. I wish-I wish the others were here. We could be a family-once more.

Yukito hugged her tightly, and rested his chin on her head. Sakura buried her face in his chest, letting tears of homesickness fall from her eyes as she held onto her brother for dear life. She missed home so much. She missed her father-her brothers-her kingdom-she missed being loved, being cared for, being protected-

Yukito, don't leave again, Sakura thought foolishly. Please stay.

Yukito moved back form her to look into her eyes. " Sakura, you know that can't happen. I am a human only for tonight. Are the shirts done yet?"

Sakura shifted her eyes from his, shamefully. No...It might take me longer....than I previously hoped for.

Yukito's eyes shined with worry. " If you do not hurry however.....things are bad, Sakura. We can't survive as swans for much longer." Unbidden, the image of the cooked swan came to mind and Sakura held back a sob. " You do not have to worry about saving us. But if you still....are up to it, call for me once. You can call for us, all of us only once and we will come. Only when you have all the shirts ready."

Sakura nodded determinedly and Yukito held her hand tightly. " Sakura-"

" Keili? Keili, where are you?"

Sakura paled. Yukito, you have to get out of here! The prince is coming!

" The prince?" Yukito asked, his eyes flashing. " What-who-how do you-"

Go! Sakura yelled in her head and Yukito backed away, stumbling.

" Sakura, you have to explain. I'll come back, two months from now. Take care of yourself, Sakura. We love you."

I love you too, brothers, Sakura thought in her head sadly as crashes came over the hill behind the river as Yukito disappeared in the forest.

" Who was that?"

The words hit her hard like arrows and Sakura turned around, fearfully. Syaoran was breathing hard, his sword drawn and his eyes icy as he stared at the place where Yukito had blended into the forest.

" Who was he?" Syaoran asked, his tone dangerous and cold.

Sakura gulped. What could she say? Eriol was right behind Syaoran, but thankfully it was only those two.

" What was up at dinner, Keili? What happened?" Eriol was asking and then he noticed Syaoran's stature and his anger. " What's up with you, Xiao-Lang?"

" Who. Was. He?" Syaoran enunciated, his words threaded with fury.

Sakura shook. She couldn't say it was her brother...they'd realize that she was a royal Kinomoto and then they would have a real reason to kill her or hold her for ransom! But what could she say?

No one, Sakura motioned. I don't know you talk about.

Syaoran's eyes flitted to the edge of the forest where Yamazaki had disappeared and his eyes were like shards of glass. " Keili, don't lie to me. There was a man here. And you two..." His jaw moved but no sound came out and he coughed. " You-you looked pretty close. Was he...was he a suitor?"

Sakura gaped at Syaoran. What was he saying? Sakura quickly shook her head and Syaoran's shoulders visibly relaxed.

Eriol was watching the two of them with wide eyes. " Why would you think-what is happening here?"

" I don't know," Syaoran breathed out, running a hand through his hair. " I really-I don't know what got into me, I just felt all this anger when I saw-when I thought I saw a man-hugging Keili-" He clenched his jaw and then turned around quickly. " Never mind."

Eriol had a little knowing smirk on his face as he grinned at Syaoran. " Oh, I know what you're talking about."

Syaoran glared at Eriol and Eriol shrugged innocently. Sakura looked between them, not exactly getting what was going on, but relieved that her brother had gotten away.

Yamazaki....please come back....she thought in her mind as she looked back towards the forest. I miss you..

A hand suddenly came out and touched her elbow. " Keili, let me walk you to you're room. It's gotten pretty late."

Sakura turned and looked to Syaoran, who was watching her worriedly. Sakura nodded and followed the two men back to the castle. Eriol said his farewells as Syaoran and Sakura walked through the garden to the entrance of her room.

Sakura turned to smile at Syaoran and saw Syaoran watching the sky, his eyes on the crescent moon.

Sakura touched his shoulder to alert him and he jerked. " Oh Keili-sorry. I was just...lost in thought."

Sakura made a questioning expression and Syaoran looked down. " I was just wondering about my life. I've grown up to be a prince, a warrior. I'm supposed to be marrying Lady Rita. Yet sometimes I feel that......that maybe there's someone else out there for me. Someone that I'd never expect."

He looked to her and she nodded at him, understanding. He let out his breath. " I know I shouldn't feel that way. I'm the prince. I should be protecting my kingdom at all costs. Yet when the time comes, I can never protect my Kingdom. I let Meiling run away and get captured. I rejected all the princesses from other Kingdoms and made a few number of enemies because of that. And-"

Me, Sakura motioned. You brought me.

Syaoran turned to look at her. " I don't regret that. Ever. I will never regret bringing you here. You weren't safe out there, Keili. I don't exactly know why I still keep you here and I don't let you out and I feel the need to protect you and be with you and never let anyone else touch you-" He stopped and lowered his head quickly. " Forgive me. I speak too much."

Sakura wads feeling her heart lower quickly. It was because of her mother's spell he felt this way. Sakura had burdened him with so much....she reached out and touched his cheek with her swollen fingers.

He jerked and looked at her with surprised eyes and she smiled at him. No. You right.

Syaoran looked at her as if an internal battle was raging inside of him before one of his hands came up, shaking to rest over her hand that was placed over his cheek. Sakura had to bite her lip at the contact as she felt his touch race through her body like a wave.

" Thank-Thank you, Keili," He said softly.

Sakura felt her breath catch in her throat at his words and she felt her heart pang against her chest painfully. Did he....did he mean it?

The expression in his eyes was frightening. His amber eyes had darkened until it was smoky and she wanted to touch him, wanted to feel him but if she did-if she let this go on-she took her hand away and Syaoran started, confused.

Sakura curtsied, awkwardly before rushing inside her room and slamming the door shut behind her. Slowly, she slid to the ground, cursing her heart. This wasn't the way it was supposed to happen. Hell...this wasn't supposed to happen at all.

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

Tears burned her eyes as she sewed up two patches of starwort together. The needles pierced her already badly swollen hands and she choked down the bile that rose to her throat and held back the sob that wanted to explode out of her.

Breathing hard and ignoring the glares and murmurs of the ladies around her as they observed her strange habits, she heard a whisper coming from the pillar behind her and she turned around quickly.

It was Tomoyo.

" Keili, come here!" She whispered. Sakura got up and went around the pillar. Tomoyo took her arm, her other carrying Taryk in a little basket , and led her outside, onto a large hill where she settled down with a sigh.

" I love the breeze!" Tomoyo sighed, spreading her arms out wide as she set Taryk down. Sakura grinned widely at her and Tomoyo laughed. " I thought you'd want to get away from those ladies of the court. Horrible women, aren't they?"

Sakura nodded, solemnly and then cracked a grin. Tomoyo smiled with her as they settled onto the grass, Tomoyo making little children's sweaters and Sakura, forcing herself to do the painful task that she needed to complete for her brother's lives.

" Keili, really, you got to stop doing that!" Tomoyo said concernedly, grabbing Sakura's swollen, purpled hand. Sakura wrenched her hand away and shook her head.

Tomoyo sighed. " One day, I really want to know why you're torturing yourself like this."

Sakura smiled at her, thankful for her kindness. She'd really miss Tomoyo when she went back to the Kinomoto Kingdom....Tomoyo was one of the very few kind people in the Li Kingdom.

Suddenly, they heard cries coming from behind them and Tomoyo paled. " You can't let them see us, it's unseemly for woman to go outside on the hills," Tomoyo hissed and dragged Sakura behind the bushes. Sakura followed her and they peeked out of the bushes, waiting for the person who had stormed up the hill to go away.

It was Syaoran.

Sakura's eyes widened. Syaoran was pacing back and froth, his chestnut hair blowing back in the wind, his amber eyes furious.

" Xiao-Lang? Xiao-Lang, what's wrong?"

Sakura tensed at the soft voice. It sounded like Lady Rita. Sure enough, Lady Rita came walking up the hill, holding her skirt in a white gloved hand, her blue eyes wide with concern.

" Xiao-Lang?" She asked, her voice musical.

" Look, Rita. I-I can't just do this anymore, you know how hard this is for me!" Syaoran said in a shaking voice, anger prominent in his tone. " You keep on forcing more and more on me, you know I didn't want to marry you, yet you continue to act as if we are lovers!"

Sakura felt her eyes widen her and her heart lighten. They weren't lovers? This was news to her.

Lady Rita's eyes filled up with crystal tears. " Oh, Xiao-Lang. You know how much I love you-"

" Yes, I know! I KNOW! And I'm sorry! This just-I can't-it's so hard-" Syaoran stumbled, running a hand through his hair, a frustrated growl erupting from him.

Lady Rita's expression hardened and a dangerous glint shone in her cerulean eyes. " It's that Kinomoto peasant, isn't it?"

Sakura jerked at the mention of her and she felt Tomoyo tense beside her. Syaoran's eyes were wide. " What?"

" It's that filthy girl! You like her, even though I can't possibly fathom why!" Lady Rita cried, tears falling down her rosy cheeks.

For some reason, Syaoran flushed deep red.

" Wh-What? Of course not! I do not like her in the slightest, she is a Kinomoto an-an-and you heard I hate Kinomotos, I am only repaying a debt! She saved my life and that is it! If she hadn't, I would've left her to die on the cliffs in the Kinomoto land! She-"

He was rambling but Sakura had heard enough. Her heart felt like it had been crushed into a million pieces and tears rose to her eyes. And at that exact moment, Taryk let out a wail of outrage.

Syaoran halted in his rant, and Tomoyo grabbed Taryk from the carriage and stood up. Syaoran and Lady Rita gasped.

" Tomoyo? How long have you been there?" Syaoran asked, his eyes wide with shock.

That was when Sakura decided to stand up as well, getting up slowly, keeping her eyes on the ground. She could feel the shock coming from Syaoran and the slight triumph from Lady Rita. Slowly, she looked up and her tear filled eyes met his guilty amber ones.

He hated her...and yet was forced to protect her. Her heart was broken, her soul paralysed.

'...left her to die on the cliffs....'

a/n: Aw shit, that really sucks. How's Syaoran gonna get outta this one? And what's Sakura gonna do? And about Yamazaki? He made his entrance, what about dem other five brothers she has? And the duke and Lady Rita ain't outta the picture yet!

aight ppl, thank you sooo much for the supportive reviews ya'll been givin me, seriously, ya don't know how much ya'll have been helpin me! I've been goin through some bad shyt lately, so it's really nice to hear ya comments, so thank ya'll and keep reviewing, aight?

see ya latez and 'nuff luv,

~starjade~