Card Captor Sakura

Misty Dreams

Chapter Twenty Five

starjade--

A War

" Back to your kingdom," Syaoran said slowly. Water was dripping down his cheeks and his temples, sliding down into his shirt. His fists were tightening and a muscle jumped in his cheek as he clenched and unclenched his teeth. He let out his breath slowly as Sakura looked down to the ground, her eyes focusing on her puffy, swollen hands.

" Yes," She breathed out. " Back to my kingdom. Back...to my father. Back to my family. Back to...who I am."

" Who you are..." He repeated. " You're...Sakura. Not Keili. Sakura."

Sakura felt a wave of heat rush through her body as he said her name and felt like reaching out...just to touch him, just to bring back that twinkle in his eye that had made her heart melt in the months she had spent in the Li kingdom. He never looked so vulnerable as he did now, ever. Always the strong one, always the cold one, his eyes were like chips of ice set in a face of hard lines and planes. But now, his eyes were a soft chocolate, full of all the emotions he was feeling...and she couldn't handle them.

They were married. He was her husband.

And yet, it was a marriage based upon safety. On convenience. Not love. Never love.

I love you so much, you big fool...she whispered in her mind. I love you so much. I can't stay...I can't stay.

she whispered in her mind.

She remembered Lady Rita as she was lying in her prison, crying as she spoke about her love for Syaoran. She remembered Queen Yelan and the way her face softened every time she looked upon her son. She remembered the few times she had seen Syaoran's sisters, how they doted upon their younger brother.

He was needed in the Li Kingdom. She was needed in the Kinomoto Kingdom.

They could never be together. Ever.

" I-" His voice broke and he looked down, rapidly. " Your-"

He stopped and breathed slowly. Sakura couldn't take it. She took off her wedding ring, her treasured wedding ring, the one made of wood and crafted by Syaoran's own hands. And she shoved it back to him.

" Take it."

Syaoran stared at her and she could hardly take the expression on his face. Then he said coldly, " You keep it. If it means nothing to you, then it hardly means anything to me." A cold mask had slipped onto his face and he continued, " We'll have the marriage annulled. It's alright. It wasn't like-" His voice tripped but he covered it with a cough. " It wasn't like this marriage meant anything...to either of us."

Hurt tore through Sakura and she watched as Syaoran turned and reached out to open the door to step back inside. She followed him back inside, her eyes trained on his back as she felt the yells of her brothers much before she heard them.

" What the HELL were you doing taking my sister out into the rain?" She heard Eiden screaming but she quickly spoke, " Quiet! Please!"

She felt her brothers settle down and look at her, curiously. Her eyes still on Syaoran, she said softly, " We will be heading out to the Kinomoto Kingdom tomorrow. Please get ready, brothers. We will have to be ready to face Oribia and get back our kingdom."

She heard the silence that met her words and then Touya yell, " Oribia will pay!"

The rest of her brothers roared in agreement. Queen Yelan looked surprised at their valour and Meiling smiled, softly.

Queen Yelan spoke, " Let me show you to the place you will spend the night in."

Her brothers looked at Sakura doubtfully, but she nodded encouragingly and reassured upon the fact that their return to the Kinomoto Kingdom would be the following day, they followed the Queen to their sleeping quarters.

Sakura wondered at the Queen's kindness, even though the hate between the two kingdoms was so strong. Sparing a glance at Syaoran, she followed her brothers, walking behind them and feeling Yamazaki's eyes upon her as well as Syaoran's. Choking back tears, she fought against the urge to sob.

All she wanted to do was to hold him. To whisper in his earevery single feeling she had ever felt for him, just to touch him, just to feel him next to her, breathing the same air, feeling the same feelings, the passion, the fire, the bond...

And she knew, whether or not they were an ocean apart, a river apart, a land apart, even if they're marriage was annulled or they never saw each other ever again...they always had that bond. She would always have that bond with him..

Her first love. Never, would she ever love another man the way she loved Syaoran. The prince of her enemy country, the man who saved her life.

Never.

" You're so kawaii!" Tomoyo squealed, as she rode beside Sakura. Sakura blinked slowly, surprised.

The Li Kingdom was still in pieces, after the head of the army was revealed to be such a fraud. People began to doubt everything, even their own prince. Everything was crumbling and the royal parties were struggling to regain the trust of their people.

Sakura had already packed her meagre belongings and said goodbye to her room and to Kero. The dog was ecstatic over Meiling's return and probably wouldn't even notice Sakura's leaving. Tomoyo and Eriol were accompanying Sakura and her brothers while they rode out to the water body she would have to cross in order to return to her lands and her home.

" I never thought her voice would be so beautiful," Tomoyo sighed, dramatically.

" Maybe its because I haven't talked this whole time?" Sakura asked, a slight teasing tone in her voice. She smiled as Tomoyo giggled.

" Yeah, maybe that's it," Tomoyo laughed. Then her eyes grew sad as she saw the water body approaching quickly. " But once all this trouble is gone and you're able to speak...you have to leave. I can't believe it. A royal princess in our home...and you were treated like such..." Tomoyo couldn't say the words.

Eriol put a reassuring hand on Tomoyo's shoulder and smiled at Sakura. " She's okay now. She had to do what she had to do for her brothers and for her kingdom. Quite the hero, no?"

Sakura blushed and kept her eyes ahead. But the sight of Syaoran, straight-backed and leading the way to the water body made her heart ache.

All she wanted was to be with him. But as before...she had to do what she had to do...

" Sakura?"

Sakura snapped out of her reverie and turned to her side, surprised as the girl with long black odangos rode up beside her. She smiled, her ruby red eyes bright. " So, I don't think my necklace did you any good, did it?" Meiling asked, a bit sadly.

" No, no, no, it did me a lot of good!" Sakura protested, worriedly. " If Syaoran had left me in the Kinomoto Kingdom, it would've been easier for Oribia to capture me.."

" But she still had her connections in the Li Kingdom too," Meiling said softly.

Sakura kept her mouth shut and looked down. And then she felt her body jolt when Meiling said, " I know you love him."

Her fingers tightened on the reins and she looked up at Meiling with astonishment in her eyes. About to protest, Meiling smiled before she could. " It's alright. Thing is, I've never seen Syaoran so smitten with anyone before. He was...a loner and his mother was forcing him to marry someone. If he was harsh with you, I'm sorry. He hasn't had much contact with girls other than those who were trying to marry him for his prestige and money. And then there was my sister, who was so in love with the romance of being with Syaoran, she hadn't quite looked deep into him and realized exactly who he was."

Sakura stared at Meiling. The same idea had struck Sakura in her days within the holding cell and Lady Rita would come down and scream and cry. Lady Rita wasn't an evil person. She was just a romantic and clung to her ideals and notions of love for the crown prince.

" I have to go back." Sakura stated, her voice shaking slightly.

" I know," Meiling said, nodding. " I think Syaoran understands too. But right now...it's like a piece of his heart is breaking off."

I wish I could believe that, Sakura thought to herself. Her eyes looked downwards as she remembered his words. " It wasn't like this marriage meant anything...to either of us."

" We're here."

The call ripped through her body and she looked up. Blue, clear ocean met her eyes and the sun seemed to filter down on them in small rays of heat that made her body warm despite the coldness in her heart. Her brothers began to get off their horses, shouting with excitement as they climbed into the boat provided for them.

And then the scene turned serious as Touya walked up to Syaoran and looked at him deep in his eyes. Sakura felt her body shake as she saw the two tall men, almost fighting with their glares, a showdown that involved no physical violence, fighting or words.

Then Touya stuck out his hand. " You tried to help my sister," Touya said, shortly. " For that, I thank you."

Yukito quietly translated and Syaoran looked at Touya in surprise. And then with a short quirk of a smile, he shook Touya's hands.

" I would do anything.." He started and then he glanced at Sakura, quickly before turning back to Touya. " For your sister."

Touya looked at him, not needing Yukito's translation as he understood the feeling in Syaoran's words. He nodded, and then turned back, climbing into the ship, followed by Yukito. Hiiro and Eiden seemed to be amazed at the boat, jumping around and pulling on the ropes with utter amazement. Her whole family had never seen the ocean before and it was amusing to see their admiration of the structure that was to transport them across such a great body of water.

Sakura slowly climbed off her horse, and hugged Tomoyo and Eriol, so tightly that she knew they must've had difficulty breathing. Laughing softly, she looked at them with sadness in her eyes.

" I might never see you again," She said quietly.

" You will," Tomoyo said, determinedly. " If not, I'll get over to the Kinomoto Kingdom and see you myself!"

Sakura laughed, weakly as she turned to Meiling. Whispering a fierce, " Thank you," She hugged the girl tightly.

Meiling grinned. " Bye," Before saying something Sakura didn't quite understand.

" What does that mean?" Sakura asked.

Meiling grinned. " Future Sister in Law."

Sakura blinked and then turned red. Meiling laughed and Sakura felt her heart race as she turned to the last person there, Syaoran. He was staring off into the ocean, his jaw set determinedly.

" ...Syaoran?" She asked, quietly.

" Farewell, Princess Sakura," Syaoran said, shortly. " I hope we will see each other once again in the future."

Her heart breaking at his cold farewell, she stared at him, fighting back tears.

" Syaoran..." She breathed. " I-"

Don't do it.

Don't do it.

" I'll...remember you.."

He looked at her and for a short, brief second, she could see the emotions in his eyes. Every single piece of turmoil he was going through...her breath caught in her throat before the mask slipped onto his face once again.

" I promised you...that I would let you go back to the Kinomoto Kingdom when I found Meiling..." He said, quietly.

" Thank you." She said, even quieter.

They looked at each other and Sakura felt her heart ache. Please...do something...anything...

But he wouldn't. She knew he wouldn't. And she walked towards the boat, towards her brothers and away from him. And she could feel him, in her very being, his bright amber eyes on hers, his chestnut hair and his broad build and she could feel his heart, his softness, his fierce protectiveness and she could feel..

And the boat pulled away from the dock and drifted off into the ocean and she watched the shore until Syaoran was but a small speck in the horizon and she could feel the tears race down her cheeks and she could not breathe. She gripped onto her wedding ring, and could feel her brother's stares upon her but she could not turn to face them, all she could do was stare out at the Li lands and hope...wish...want...need...

Syaoran...

" ORIBIA!"

The scream echoed across the field. Her brothers had broken down the gateways and beat the guards to a bloody pulp. The anger and fury on their faces were deathly and even Sakura could feel the anger seeping through her own veins.

They had arrived on the Kinomoto lands just hours before and the brothers had stolen horses from a group of travelers and rode straight to the kingdom. From those travelers, they had found out that Oribia had transformed the Kingdom into a poverty stricken country, where everyone was training to be a soldier and cities were poor and hungry because all their food was given for taxes for the soldiers in the army.

Their half-brother was hardly a year old and her father was never shown in public. Rumours had it, that he spent his whole time in bed, in a deep sleep.

Sakura's heart broke at the news and a new anger boiled inside of her at Oribia. As they walked into the castle, her brothers effortlessly beating down the guards and soldiers that rushed on them, all she could think of was Oribia.

Oribia had taken everything away from her. Her brothers. Her family. Her father. And all she wanted...was to get rid of her. Get her father back. Get her country back.

" ORIBIA!" She screamed, letting her fury take over." GET OUT HERE! NOW! GIVE ME BACK MY FATHER! GIVE ME BACK MY KINGDOM!"

Her brothers stared at her, and then roared in agreement, before breaking down the doors leading into the castle. And then they stared at what they saw.

Oribia stood there, shaking with what seemed like shock and denial. Her stern face, thin lips and black hair in a knot brought back horrid memories for the Kinomoto children. But what horrified them the most was that a knife was held straight on the neck of their father, whose eyes were staring sightlessly ahead.

" FATHER!" Sakura screamed in horror.

" Father!" Kosumo shouted, and Touya had to hold him back as he fought to get to his father.

Oribia screamed, " You rotten children! I thought I had gotten rid of you for good! But you come back, over and over and this time-" She stopped and ran her knife across Fujitaka's neck, slowly, drawing a shallow line of blood that made Sakura's heart pang with an anger and fear that she had never experienced since her brothers were turned into swans.

" You fucking bitch," Eiden swore. " Don't you DARE touch our father! Get out of our kingdom before we make you regret everything you ever did to us!"

" Your going to make me regret it?" Oribia laughed, manically. " Sakura noticed for the first time that there was a baby carriage right beside Oribia. My half brother, Sakura thought.

" You who got turned into swans, stranded your sister in the Li Kingdom and your father, dumb and useless in the Kinomoto Kingdom?" Oribia shouted, her voice screechy.

Kosumo trembled with anger. Out of all the brothers, Kosumo was the closest to their father and Sakura could see the pain and anger in his eyes at seeing their father like that, lifeless and with a knife held to his neck.

" GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY FATHER!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, ripping himself out of Touya's grip and rushing towards Oribia. Cackling, Oribia opened up a bottled potion and threw it at Kosumo who screamed in pain.

" Kosumo!" Yamazaki shouted, worriedly as he rushed towards Kosumo. In front of their eyes, they could see welts and bruises begin to develop on Kosumo's skin and Kosumo screamed as they heard a crack and his leg seemed to twist in an awkward angle.

" BITCH!" Touya shook with anger, his eyes fiery.

Sakura could feel her heart pound. Oribia...the woman had ruined her life. And here they stood, in their castle, in their kingdom...she could hardly believe it had gotten so bad. She felt the familiarity of the castle wash over her but it was tinged with the evil Oribia had spread. And she could feel the anger just come over her as she felt her heart throb with anger.

She had hurt her father..

She had hurt her brothers..

She had hurt everyone she loved. And Sakura would make sure Oribia would regret it.

Oribia screamed, " GUARDS!" at the top of her lungs and Sakura watched in growing fear and horror as a small group of armed soldiers came rushing out behind them. Her brothers turned around and she could hear the clink of weaponry being brought out.

" No.." She whispered as with a yell, her brothers rushed towards the soldiers, fighting mercilessly, with anger that had been growing since the time Oribia had come into their household. Even Yamazaki was fighting, one armed as he fought using his wing as a weapon of intimidation.

" Sakura...dear Sakura.."

Sakura turned around, disgust apparent in her face as Oribia stared at her in triumph. " Little bitchy princess. Not so pretty now, are you? Scrawny, bear hands and wait a second, are those apple seeds or breasts?"

Sakura felt anger pound in her heart and she whispered, " Shut up."

" I heard you were sleeping around over there in the Li Kingdom. Daddy's little girl, a whore isn't she?"

" Shut up."

" Brat, you can't say that to me. I can kill your father any time I want to."

" SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" Sakura screamed. " You ugly little witch, get the fuck away from my father before I do something about it!"

Oribia's face crinkled up and she laughed, her voice high pitched and screechy. " You? Your going to do something about it? What if I do this?"

And slowly, Oribia traced the knife on Fujitaka's face, carving a O into Fujitaka's cheek.

And that was when Sakura broke.

Whipping out the dagger hidden in the belt around her dress, she ran towards Oribia with a scream of anger and as Oribia stumbled in shock, plunged the dagger into Oribia's stomach.

And then she gulped in astonishment as she felt anotherknife dig itself into her own stomach. Oribia had stabbed Sakura at the same time Sakura had knifed Oribia.

They stood there, among the commotion of fighting soldiers and the blood shed and she could hear a faint wailing as her half brother began to cry.

" You..." Oribia squeezed out, choking up blood as she held onto the dagger that was presently embedded in Sakura's stomach.

" Die..." Sakura whispered, tears springing to her eyes as she pushed the knife even deeper into Oribia's heart as she fought to breath. Pain was enveloping her quickly and she could feel a screen of blood over her eyes as the same substance rose to the back of throat. Her hands were slowly covering with blood and she wanted to scream, the pain was so strong, it felt as if her body had broken into two pieces.

Sakura looked at Oribia, who seemed to smirk. " I...haven't...lost...yet.." Oribia wheezed out and then with a trembling arm that Sakura could not stop, rose a vial to her lips and drank it quickly. Then her eyes rolled back to the back of her skull and she dropped to the floorand Sakura dropped with her.

No...no...Sakura thought. Your supposed to die, Oribia...not escape with your soul..

And she felt the blood from her stomach woundsurround her body and she could hear her brothers shouting her name as the baby wailed. And as she slipped into unconsciousness, her mother's hand softly stroked her hair and her father whispered her name and Syaoran held her hand, smiling at her ever so gently.

Keili..

a/n: The...Ending...Is...Near...

LOL. I'm not that great at these sort of gory scenes so if you understood that Oribia and Sakura both stabbed eachother but Oriba drank a potion that made her body die but her soul escape, then yea, you've got the story. Was this chapter at least acceptable? LOL dunt worry, Syaoran will coem back...or will he? shifty eyes

Anyways people, thanks for sticking with this story for so long. Really. It surprises me how dedicated you readers are! I lub u all! 'hugs' The next chappie will be out sooner then this one...'hides head in shame'

See ya later!

starjade