Disclaimer: Don't own Card Captor Sakura
The Veiled Piano Mistress
By: Lotus Dreams
Chapter 8: Don't Want To Be Found
Storming into his room, Syaoran slammed the door with a BAM!, and threw himself onto the bed. Sakura cringed as she watered the plant in his room.
"Ohayou, Your Highness," Sakura said carefully. "Um...bad mood?"
"Bad mood? OF COURSE I'M IN A BAD MOOD!! I CAN'T FIND WHO I'M LOOKING FOR, I END UP HURTING THE PERSON WHO I THOUGHT I WAS LOOKING FOR, THEN SHE GOES AND TATTLETALES ONTO MY MOTHER, AND THEN SHE TAKES AWAY ALL MY--"
"Um...would you like some chocolate, Your Highness?" Sakura said tentatively. Syaoran threw her an extemely angry scowl.
"NANI?!"
"I find chocolate soothes the soul," said Sakura, "Well, that one time I ate it, anyway. Would you like me to get you some chocolate?"
Syaoran looked at her funny for a moment, as if she were a complete alien; however, he shook his head, exhaling deeply.
"It's okay. I don't eat chocolate."
"Oh, okay," replied Sakura. "Well, it also might help to let everything out. Then you'll feel better because you've let out all your steam and you have none left to vent at people."
Syaoran looked at her with an annoyed look in his eyes, then it left and he sighed. "Well, you wouldn't know."
"It depends. I might."
"Well...you have to promise not to tell anyone."
Sakura said quickly, "I promise. If I dare break it, you can slit my throat and hang me. I mean, I won't tattletale on you...like that other person."
"It's Hikaru actually," replied Syaoran. "She was the one who went to my mother. You see, the reason I've been looking for all these maids for so long is because I know there's one maid I'm specifically looking for."
"Oh really?" said Sakura, her heart rate starting to speed up.
"Yes," sighed Syaoran, "And I can't seem to find her."
"Who are you looking for?"
"A certain maiden who can play the piano beautifully, and her music is as celestial as the stars..."
His words hit her like a club. "N-Nani?"
"Yeah, I said MAIDEN. I've never even seen her face, only heard her voice, and her music, but I want to find her. Females playing piano is illegal, I know, that's why I wanted you to keep the secret. But she plays so jaw-droppingly good, and she seems to bring out a part of me that I've never really known before..."
Sakura looked away. It's me, she thought to herself. It's me who brings out that part of you. ME. Simple little Sakura.
"And...why do you want to look for her?"
"I just said it, didn't I? She's amazing...even though we've only exchanged a few words. She's mysterious."
"And...did you think that--piano player--was Hikaru?"
Syaoran looked at her strangely. Weird, how she knows everything...
"As a matter of fact, yes," he said bitterly. "The first time I saw her, she was in maids's clothes, and she herself said that she was a maid. So for sure I know it's a maid." He seemed to be forgetting that Sakura was a maid. "The last time I saw her, she said her name was Hikaru." He smacked his head. "I knew she would have tried to throw me off! And then I go to Hikaru looking all smug and sly and everything and I say 'Hello, there, HIKARU' and she says 'Yes, Your Highness?' and I said 'Will you be willing to play the Moonlight Sonata for me one more time?' and she looks at me like I'm crazy and she says 'I don't how to play Your Highness, you know that women aren't allowed to play piano' and then I'M looking at her strange and I said 'Yes you do don't lie' and she says 'I would never lie to you Your Highness' and then I said 'You're doing it right now' and she said 'But I truly don't know how to play piano, Your Highness' and I got angry and I said 'But you said your name was Hikaru' and she says 'My name IS Hikaru, Your Highness' and then I said 'No, when you were in the Piano Room' and she says 'I have never stepped foot in the Piano Room in my LIFE' and I said 'Yes you did, you did it yesterday' and then she said 'NO I DIDN'T YOUR HIGHNESS PLEASE STOP PUTTING LIES INTO MY MOUTH JUST TO GET ME BEHEADED' and I said 'You stupid girl, what am I doing wrong?' and she says 'Just because I'm a lowly maid doesn't mean you can behead me anytime you want' and then I got really mad so I hit her and then she went to my okaa-san and she scolded me for being rude to a girl and now I'm here fuming my head off because of it!"
Sakura nodded. "I see. So you thought that the piano player was Hikaru?"
"HAI!!" shouted Syaoran. "I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN SHE WAS TRYING TO NOT GET FOUND BY ME!!"
Sakura didn't flinch. "Well, maybe she doesn't want to be."
That shut him up.
"Nani?" he said, in a low voice.
"Maybe she doesn't want to be 'found' by you, that's why she said her name was Hikaru when her name was actually...her own name. Maybe you should leave her alone," repeated Sakura, her voice firm.
"She doesn't WANT to be found by me?"
"You said you never saw her face. Why didn't you ever get to see her face?"
"Because she always wore a..." He exhaled deeply again, "...veil."
"Exactly, Your Highness," said Sakura. "If she wears a veil, then she doesn't want to be revealed."
"But I NEED to know who she is!"
"Naze?"
"Because...because..." He ran a hand through his hair. Sakura waited patiently. "Because...I just do." He looked out the large window in his room.
"It's for your own reasons," continued Sakura. "But don't you think it would be very upsetting for her because she tried so many times to conceal herself from you and then get found?"
He didn't answer. Yes! thought Sakura, I'm getting to him.
"I suppose so..."
"Perhaps you should just...forget about her." Sakura's voice suddenly changed. It sounded higher.
"I suppose so..." said Syaoran again, his voice unsure.
"I think that's the best way. Maybe you should just leave her be."
"Leave her be?"
"I think that's what she would want."
"You sure?" Syaoran turned to her, his face with a strange expression on it. "You sure she doesn't want to be found by me?"
Sakura averted her gaze. "I'm...positive. Just forget her and focus on something...else."
"You're drowning the violets," Syaoran pointed out. Sakura tilted her water can back up towards her.
"Thank you for telling me that, Your Highness." She curtsied. "Now if you'll excuse me, the other plants in the castle are waiting for me."
She turned to the door and started to leave. Before she stepped out though, she reminded him, "Remember to forget about that piano mistress, whoever she is. If you don't, it will only come back to hurt you."
"I'll try," sighed Syaoran. Sakura forced a smile and left. He watched her go.
"...But I can't."
"NANI?!"
"Shut up, Meiling!" said Syaoran angrily. "This is supposed to be a secret, you doofus!"
"I know but--NANI?!"
"Meiling!"
"Gomen--but--still--I mean--you think--"
"It's a hunch." Syaoran's voice was low and serious. "But I'm not sure."
"She sounds like she knows everything."
"Yeah."
"So you think it's--?"
"Yeah," said Syaoran quickly, "But I'm not sure."
"But even if she is...why do you think she told you that she doesn't want to be found? I mean, come on...give her a break." (A/N: You should know who they are talking about...) Syaoran faltered for a moment.
"But I just...want to know."
Meiling shook her head. "Leave her alone, Syaoran-kun. She wants to remain anonymous, so let her be. And besides, it's not life or death, is it?"
"But...she's so intriguing, and...I just can't forget about her. And I only want to make sure. Just to see if it IS her."
"Syaoran...even if she was, I think you should still give up this stupid search. You're wasting your time on a MAID, for goodness' sake, have you ever thought of that?"
Syaoran shook his head. "Meiling, you'll never understand. I HAVE to find her."
"I think I do," Meiling shot back. "You're doing this for your own selfish reasons. Come on, maybe she just likes playing the piano and she accidentally got discovered by YOU."
"Then why would she go again?"
"Maybe she's piano-sick, I just said that, you dodo-head."
"But still, if she got found by me once, why would she go again when she KNOWS that I know that she can play piano and she's a girl?"
"She trusts you, then."
"Exactly. I think that's a good reason to make sure she's the right person."
"But I don't think she trusts you completely, or she would have revealed herself to you already."
"Meiling..."
"Syaoran. Listen to me--forget about her. You told me that she says that she doesn't want to be found--so if you care about her so much, why not fulfill her wishes?"
"Who said I care about her?" said Syaoran hotly.
"Well, you worked so hard to find her, and you say you can't forget about her, that obviously means you care about her."
"No it doesn't."
"To me it does." Meiling's voice was firm. "If you really insist, then fine, you DON'T care about her. But if you ever realize you do, think about what you're doing, think about her feelings, and then I'll leave the decision up to you."
Meiling turned on her heel and left, the trail of her red gown billowing behind her elegantly.
Syaoran sighed. What am I going to do?
"You think you threw him off?"
"Iie." Sakura tossed a couple of herbs into the cooking pan.
"Then..."
"I think I've gotten him convinced that his so-called piano mistress doesn't want to be found.
"Really?!"
"Hopefully. I told him that if she wears a veil and told him her name was Hikaru when it wasn't, then she obviously wants to be left alone."
"Good job, Sakura-chan! Perhaps he will give up and forget."
"Perhaps." For some reason, Sakura didn't sound too happy. She sprinkled some salt into the cooking pan. "Now I can rest."
"Hai," agreed Tomoyo, "Now he won't be able to find out it's actually you."
"Hai," said Sakura, echoing Tomoyo. "He won't." She shook her head. "I've been extremely stupid, Tomoyo. He already saw me once, but because I just couldn't forget that stupid instrument, I just HAD to go back and get myself into this stupid mess. I just HAD to."
"It's okay," said Tomoyo sympathetically. "I know your love for the piano. Nobody blames you."
"But still...it was a stupid thing to do." Sakura shook her head again. "No more piano playing from now on."
"Why give up a talent you are so truly good at?" said a new voice, a totally unexpected one. Sakura and Tomoyo whirled around. Sakura's vegetable dish started to overcook, but they hardly noticed.
Standing in front of them, arms crossed, was Syaoran.
Uh oh, Syaoran knows that Sakura's the mystery girl now! What's going to happen? Read and review, of course, to get the rest!