Transformations
Chapter 12: The Dreamers
By AutumnIllusion
Authoress' Notes: Wheee! I was looking forward to doing this chapter ::starry eyes:: hope u likes I had fun writng it…=)) Just hope I got the sister's names right…I checked some place that told me the names…hope I'm correct. I been watching the Olympic opening tonight! Soo cool…must watch the swimmers…::on a swim club:: soo cool…anyways, about the story =P Thanks to Hououza especially, who gave me the idea suggestion for what to do next…although I slightly changed it around, it was very helpful! Arigato!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own CCS and characters, CLAMP does. So there.
"Hi Xiao Lang! It's us, your sisters!"
Syaoran clenched his eyes shut, knowing what would come next. GLOMP or maybe more of a TRAMPLE. He tried to keep breathing through the four full grown females practically suffocating him in their embrace. "Hey Sis…"
"Aww, is this your girlfriend?!"
"What's her name?"
"She's adorable!"
"Way to go Little Wolf!"
Suddenly he was of release, literally dropped to the floor. Now the one he was going to hope had health insurance was Sakura. Aaahh, they think SAKURA'S my GIRLFRIEND!
:.:.:.:.:.:
"How long have you been dating?"
"You can just call me oneechan!"
Syaoran was in a sort of state of shock from the events happening in the last…say thirty seconds. He traced them over in his mind carefully, trying to find out just what had happened. His sisters had bound through the door at an alarming speed, had then tackled him, dropped him (quite a deadly combination), then ran over to Sakura because they thought…
"Phwee?" Sakura was also having trouble with adapting to the breathing situation while in the grips of some overly-excited girls cawing over her.
Rubbing his head from when someone's purse had met his skull, Syaoran finally scrambled up from the floor. "Uhh…"
"Xiao Lang,"
He stopped in mid stride in his attempt rescue Sakura before she fainted of surprise. "Mo-mother!" with one swift pivot of his heel, Syaoran turned and bowed immediately to the voice. When he looked up, his back was as straight as a board, and he held the posture. "Hello Mother,"
The woman at the doorway was in the simplest words, beautiful. Then again, to describe her so simply would seem a sense of dishonor to her. So in more detailed phrasing, she was like a porcelain china doll. Wearing traditional robes that lingered a high state around her, the woman stood, one foot in the doorway, arms folded across her chest. She seemed quite young, but much serious than others in her age category. Her long silky black hair was swept into a high ponytail decorated with red flower decorative, matching the sash on her robes. "You seem…well," the woman, apparently Syaoran's mother observed with a small wince.
"Yes, quite." Syaoran agreed in monotone. He gestured stiffly towards the couch, but then noticed that it was occupied with his giggling sisters already. "Uh, take a seat…somewhere," he murmured the last part.
"No, there's no need. First I need to go back and check how the butler is doing with the luggage." The woman backed out of the apartment. "Last time I checked, he hadn't even gotten it in the elevator." With those last words, she left, out of sight.
"Wha-?" Syaoran's mouth hung open, a sort of rare sight to see. "Since when are…" he merely pointed out his door, then at his living room. That gesture repeated multiple times before one of his sisters chirped in.
"We're visiting of course!" she bounced on the couch comfortably. Finally released of the girl's deathly hug, Sakura sweatdropped, sandwiched between the four.
"So this is your girlfriend, right?" inquired another sister, nodding approvingly at Sakura, which received red faces from both her and Syaoran.
Syaoran ran his hand through his hair casually, and then a small smirk came, one only Sakura noticed, but then faded as quickly as it had appeared. "Kura? Yeah, sure is," he decided it was his turn to make a joke. He would just let it go for a few minutes, a few minutes of fun…and evil.
"Gah…?" Sakura blinked in awe at Syaoran. "Wha…"
"Yeah, we've been going out for a few months already. Sure is a cutie, isn't she?" he carefully yanked Sakura over to him, then taking all his courage into this fun prank, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
"I wanna be your best man!" spurted one of his sisters again. Then she paused and looked over her choice of words. "Well, not man…can I be your bridesmaid?! Flower girl?!"
"Ahhhh…ahahahhh…" Syaoran furrowed at the imaginations of his sisters. Talk about planning ahead…not that him and Sakura would ever…they weren't even…
"Uhh…Syaoran, who are they?" Sakura tried to follow on with the scene. She looked up to Syaoran, and when she noticed how close he really was to her, she…blushed.
"Those are my sisters," he shook his head to explain just how amazed he was on the family relations he held with the four hyper-active girls, "That's Fuutie, Fu, Shiefa, and Fanren." He nodded his head towards each girl.
"O-ohh…" Sakura could smell a faint smell of chocolate smudged into Syaoran's aura. His shirt smelled of fresh ironing and even in that, the slightest tint of chocolate again. It smelled good. Wait, stop it! She squeezed her eyes shut, and opened them again to find herself standing alone. Syaoran had released her from his embrace, and now stood in the kitchen. "Anyone want a drink?"
Sakura stared at nothing in particular for a second, trying to remember feeling the warmth in Syaoran. Ah, nevermind, she brought herself to take a seat at a chair.
Five minutes or so of pretending, and finally Syaoran let Sakura out of her teasing. "Okay, really," Syaoran caught the attention of his sisters. "Sakura's just my close friend. We're not going out, never have," he explained, patting Sakura on the head, while all she said was, "Phwee…"
Then a pillow landed in Syaoran's face. "That wasn't nice Xiao-Lang! Tricking your nice sisters!" the girls squealed. "So who's your girlfriend?!"
"A girl named Jenny," Syaoran grinned. "You'll meet her soon."
"Yayayayay! Sister-in-law for us! And lets adopt Sakura!"
Syaoran laughed. Finally, Yelan arrived back in the apartment. "Well, it seems the butler's taking his time, but I'll just stay up here." She glided over to take a seat.
"Mother, Syaoran's girlfriend is a girl named Jenny! We'll meet her soon!" the girls chirped, mimicking Syaoran's words.
Yelan fanned herself gracefully. "Oh really?" she smiled a little at Sakura. "So who's this?"
"Sakura, one of my close friends." Syaoran scratched his head, it was getting funny having to explain it.
"She has a kind aura," Yelan nodded to Sakura, knowingly. As if she knew so much more. She had a way with those things. She would easily see right through anything her son felt.
…a little later…
"Moshi moshi,"
"Hi!"
"Oh, hey Jenny," Syaoran fiddled with the phone, held between his shoulder and ear. In his hands he held a knife and orange, curtsey of Fuutie's request on food. "What's up?"
"well, today………….." went the phone. Syaoran listened halfmindedly, with an occasional "Uh huh," or something similar.
"Okay, so you'll be over in ten minutes?" a pause. "Yeah, okay then. Ja," he turned off the phone and neatly dropped it, still preparing food.
"Hey, Syaoran, you need any help?" Sakura made her way over to the kitchen area, escaping the sisters. She leaned over the counter to inspect how the work was going.
"Ahhh, forget it." Syaoran shrugged and put down the utensils. Then turning to face everyone, suggested, "How 'bout we all just go out?"
… 'Out'…
"Oooh, what else is there to see?!" Syaoran cringed slightly at the chosen words that came from his sisters. He had heard that phrase at least a dozen times already. But then, it had been his idea to go give them a show of the town. Still, Yelan had decided on staying inside to rest from the trip.
"Oh, I know! Have you seen our high school yet?!" Sakura chirped in. "Well, it's not really anymore, but, you know!"
"Sure!" four voices cheered, letting Sakura lead the way.
Syaoran ran a hand through his hair casually, following. Next to him was Jenny, laughing slightly. "Your sisters seem sweet!"
"Ohhh…" he gave her a look of disbelief. "Suuuuure they are…a little bit of an overdose though."
At last in front of the school, Sakura proudly began the tour session. "This is Seijuu High, home to the Lions. The Lions have divisions in both football and soccer, each with quite good records." Sakura grinned. "Say, Syaoran was on the soccer team too." Then she continued. "Seijuu high was…"
After a minute or two more of Seijuu history, the group moved on.
"Oh, I know what next!" this time it was Jenny's input. She nodded at Sakura, then whispered something to her.
"Oh, those," Sakura agreed, shooting Syaoran an assuring look that said 'We'll be riiiiiight back! Meet you at Tomoeda park, penguin playground!' and without hesitation, Sakura and Jenny ran off.
Syaoran shrugged and started walking in the direction of the park. His sisters stood next to him, two on each side.
"Little Wolf, you look so grown up now!" Fuutie grinned.
"And handsome! But that's no surprise, seeing as you have us as sisters!" Shiefa remarked wisely. She patted Syaoran's head, although she had to stand on her toes to reach, now that he was taller.
"Ya know," Fu came into the conversation thoughtfully. "The Clan members would loooove to see how you've turned out," she assured. "There was a meeting about the new generation of Li's a week or two ago."
Syaoran carelessly nodded. He didn't care too much for returning a visit to the solemn ways of the Clan. "Oh."
"Dad was there." Shiefa added in. She fidgeted with her fingers a little at the topic. She knew what would come next.
"Oh, him." The words came from Syaoran's mouth raw and hard. "You know how much I hate him." He seared.
Shiefa sighed, knowing Syaoran was about to start.
"Heleft us. He didn't really give a damn about us, all five of us or Mother. He waited until I was born, the 5th child before telling Mother that he didn't care. Before he left us."
Silence fell upon the group for a moment or two, although it seemed an impossible task. The impossible only held for a little, though.
"You know," Fanren quietly said. She had been listening quietly the whole time, but now took center. "you're right." She faintly smiled at Syaoran. They were near the park now, walking down a lane of various different trees. The whole environment comforted at Fanren's way of kind words. "To leave us, after all that time when we thought he cared for us. That was wrong." She looked up at the bright sky that hung above. "But maybe it would have been worse if he never left."
At this, Syaoran bit his lip, looking down at the road.
After seeing Syaoran do that, Fanren continued. "Selfish of him, yes. But at least we knew the truth. Sometimes it hurts the most when you're pretending. Both to the person who pretends, and the people being lied to. Being to selfless hurts. It's inhumane."
Be selfish. Do things to make you happy.
Those words flashed in Syaoran's head. He had heard them before, somewhere…he traced his memories, trying to figure it out.
"I'm not saying he did the right thing, though, overall. I'm not protecting him, giving him a defense though, Syaoran." She looked to see how Syaoran was holding up. "I hate the fact that he led on the ones who loved him. That he let them believe that he cared. I think it's better to know the truth, no matter how much it hurts. Rather than live in a fake reality, where all those feelings really aren't there. It hurts to think you could be led on so easily, and really not have anything, but think it's all there. And it just hurts too much, to have to lead someone on like that, at the cost of pretending all the time, even if you really don't want it."
Syaoran knew those words. They were Jenny's. At graduation. The ones he had ignored. Suddenly, a bit of guilt leaked into him. And Jenny…was the one he was leading on. "I don't want to ever be like him." Syaoran said dully. Inside, he could already see a connection.
"I know you won't." Fuutie added, knowing that the 'moment' of seriousness Fanren had brought had broken. "But, you do have his eyes," she smiled. "But that's all, right? Promise? I dun want you to do anything like that,"
Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "Really? I have his eyes?" he cocked an eyebrow, inquiring.
"Yep," Fuutie agreed. "Sure do. So about that promise?"
"—" He started to reply. Luckily, he was interrupted.
"SCONES ARE HEREEE!!!!!!"
Syaoran breathed a bit of relief, he didn't know how to respond to his sister. If he lied, that would be the exact opposite of what he was supposed to promise. In he didn't that would just be…agh! He shook off the confusing thoughts. Then at seeing Sakura and Jenny running towards the group with a handful of scones, he let his jaw drop a little.
Four sisters plus one brother plus one girlfriend plus one friend who is a girl but not girlfriend but liked by girlfriends's boyfriend = a grand total of "SEVEN SCONES!" they came rushing towards them happily. (hehe, can you keep up with the complex math? I can't e.e ::rushes for calculator::)
"Uh, are you sure that…" Syaoran had a look of disbelief on his face.
"Phwee!" the scones went flying. At least they were in a carton. If only someone could catch it…
Syaoran expertly dashed to save Sakura from her fall, catching her. Seeing her flushed face from running, he started to blush, but it was cut off before he could turn red, by noticing the flying cones were coming to a landing.
"Syaoran, the sconeeesss!" whined his sisters.
He rolled his eyes and ran back to catch up with the scones. He held out his hands, getting ready to make the cath. Closer, closer…
SAFE
(dun worry, just think of in the first spidy movie -.- when he catches the food with MJ =P)
Sakura sweatdropped, Jenny sweatdropped, Fu Fuutie, Shiefa, and Fanren sweatdropped.
"Nani?"
"Well, we got scones…you okay Syao?"
"Yayayayay! Scones! Go Little Wolf! That catch should put you in baseball!"
… Night …
Thanks to Fu, Syaoran's apartment was booked full with six other occupants. His Mother slept in his room, his sisters in the guest room and living room, while Jenny, Sakura, and himself found little spaces to set up in the living room as well. Jenny had beamed at the idea that she would be getting closer to her boyfriend. Sakura had insisted on not staying, worried that it would be a hassle. Still, she gave in eventually. In the still of Syaoran's apartment, one voice murmured restlessly. "…no…"
Sakura tossed and turned in her pile of sheets where she lay in on the living room floor. Her hands unconsciously rose above her, as if trying to grab something. "Stop it Brend—" she was now on her back, rusting again.
From the murmuring, Syaoran listened under his covers, also in the living room where he had ended up slumbering. He watched Sakura in her sleep, obviously having a nightmare. Every few moments she would mutter something in a hoarse voice of fear. Should I wake her?
"Just be quiet…!" she strained out, her eyes shut tight. "Don't tell me…" she rolled over so that her back was to Syaoran and he couldn't hear her so well anymore. "Why did you choose her…" was something he could somewhat make out. "Just stop!" finally Sakura had straightened out, and even sat up. She didn't stop there. "Go away…!!!" she swatted a hand out and stood up… Oh please don't let her knock into something, Syaoran bit his lip. Time to stop this dream. He scampered upright, trailing Sakura as she made her way around the room, until she… "Ahh!"
He was guessing he had tripped over one of his sisters, lined up against the wall. She had knocked right into them, and then almost into the wall…but instead into Syaoran.
"Oh…" she seemed to have regained consciousness, and blinked in the dark, waiting for her eyes to adjust. Then she saw Syaoran, supporting her from the trip. "Err…gomen!"
Syaoran was lucky it was dark already, because he felt his cheeks flame. "That's okay Sakura…did you have a bad dream?" he stood her upright.
"…" Sakura looked down at the floor, ignoring Syaoran's eyes. "Yeah." She shivered, despite how stuffy the apartment was with so many people in it.
"Uh…" Syaoran looked around at the quiet atmosphere. "You okay?" was all he said.
Sakura shrugged, putting on a smile. Then gestured her head at the balcony outside his apartment. (hehe, fancy and expensive apartment) "Yeah…can I get some fresh air? Just for a minute."
Syaoran nodded, "Oh, sure," he let Sakura walk to the balcony, then retreated back to his sleeping mat. She should be alright now.
Sakura unlatched the lock on the sliding door, then stepped up to meet the railing. She sighed, letting the faint wind from the height of the balcony take over. The dream was blurry, but she remembered Brendan and Ruri. It still hurt. She closed her eyes, calming herself. She needed that.
He heard a cry of some sort. Straining his ears, Syaoran tried to listen. Sure enough, a kind of wimper came through the air, delicate. He stood up without a sound, carefully dodging around the lumps of bodies sprawled in sleep, until he reached Sakura. Her back faced him, and looked out at the town, dark, with a few dotted shines every here and there.
"Hey Syaoran."
Syaoran didn't move, not sure if he should try to comfort Sakura.
"Ugh, just thinking about some stuff, don't worry about me." A sniffle.
"But you were crying."
"Not anymore." Sakura turned, a small smile traced over her lips. Her face was pale, but shines from her tears reflected off her skin. "Thanks for coming, though."
"No problem." Syaoran finally joined Sakura at the rail, leaning against it like she did.
"You're a good friend." Her hair blew in the breeze gently, settling around her peacefully. She sighed, now feeling a little better. "I'm glad we met, ne?"
"Yeah, same with you," Syaoran grinned. "You've helped me a lot. Now I've got –" he nodded back towards Jenny's sleeping figure, "thanks to you."
A laugh escaped. "You're welcome." She looked down at her hands before her, strumming them on the railing. A tear trailed down her cheek none the less.
And to her surprise, she felt Syaoran's finger stop it, halfway down her cheek. "See, you're still crying."
"Oh well." Sakura shrugged. Syaoran really was someone she would want to know for the rest of her life. He was there for her now, and hoped he would be that same good friend always.
…Later…
After staying up with Sakura until she was ready to go back to sleep, Syaoran crawled back onto his sleeping mat, ready to sleep. They had talked some more, and he had done his best to comfort her. That was the least help he could do, seeing as how much she had done for him in that deal, even if it had finished long ago. Although he was dead tired, it took a while for him to fall asleep though. There were a few thoughts running through his mind, things he had to do soon.
……
The day was sunny, like most others this summer. There was something good about the feel, a quality in the air that made even Syaoran want to float. After all, he was sitting across from Sakura. They were at a café, easily chatting over some things they were going to do for the summer. A dish of truffles and cookies was placed in the middle of the table between them, while two coffees were at their sides.
"So Toya's going away for a week, doing stuff with his friends," Sakura continued describing plans.
Syaoran nodded in understanding.
"And Dad has some archeological dig later in the summer, so he's be away for two weeks…"
Syaoran watched the way Sakura calmly explained all of this. He picked a chocolate cookie from the tray, munching on it while listening.
"So what are you doing this summer? I've said a lot," Sakura laughed. "My turn listen."
Syaoran shrugged. "Maybe a summer job?"
Sakura laughed, showing that beautiful smile of hers, guaranteed to make anyone feel good. "A summer job? That's no fun!"
And suddenly, Syaoran found himself stop laughing along. He found himself leaning over the table, and closing the gap between him and Sakura, giving her…a kiss.
……
Authoress's Note: Ohohoho…this chappy was funness, pure funness. A bit weird, but fun. I guess the end most of u can figure out about, if u know…well anyways…how my sentimentally thingy with Fanren got through ok. -;; a bit confusing with four sisters going on and such…e.e. Can you keep up with all four? I can't - I personally liked Fanren's speeth though…lolz. P.S. I just put out my first one-shot! It's called Fall and it's a Meiling one-shot…read well, hope u liked this chap! Remember, tell me what you want to happen, suggestions on how to get S&S are more than welcome ::needs help:: eheh, not sure how that's gonna happen. ::cue the audience to gasp at Authoress's lack of plan:: eheheh…o wellz. Once again, I've reached a 10 page chapter! Wow…Drop a review, ne? =)
P.S., replying to something in chap 11: ragam() who reviewed, mentioned that Sakura and Tomoyo were friends from 'jk'…umm…didn't know what that stood for -.- ::denseness:: but sry for the 'error'. Just, this ficcy is AU, and I had intentionally changed things. So the time where the two met and became friends was changed, intentionally, so yeah…sorry if anyone was confused or anything. Thanks for telling me errors you see though! Critiques are always open! So I was then asked what kind of an author am I? Was that in a bad way? TT.TT well, to answer that…Umm…a 12 year old. Seriously. So sorry if I make mistakes…u'll just hafta put up with it I try my best…though I'll be 13 in Nov. hehe…