Author note: A lot of reminiscing in this chapter people
Speaking of reminiscing, this story isn't getting enough reviews I have future chapters already typed up and ready for submission but unless I get more reviews, I ...just can't find them on my hard drive anymore. )
"Fleeing Dreams"
Footsteps pelted the hard concrete as droplets of water jumped forward in response. Merely a blur across paths as his exhaustion grew but his pace only managing to increase.
And that's when a shimmer caught his eye.
A brief shimmer of light as it cascaded off a park light and into the window of a nearby schoolhouse, the schoolhouse that he once attended. Li Syaoran recalled the many months he spent there dreading each and every morning routine as he would step into his homeroom and despair at the sight of another school day.
Until something brightened his morning everyday
His eyes stopping to focus on the golden reflective material hanging in the windowsill, a star strung by its arms to the window in a collage of many stars embedded within it.
Stars, too distant to be tangible but so close to one's eye they held the night sky with a defiant manner, refusing to give in to the darkness of the night. There were no stars this night as the clouds invaded every last inch of sky holding both the moon and stars hostage.
Self acknowledging the fact that it would be wise to continue running he was transfixed by the patterns the stars in the window had when realization struck him.
Constellations, like the ones he saw last night when it rained through the clear night sky. Constellations, but none he could recall, they all seemed…broken.
Thinking back he remembered the teachings of magic he had been taught as a young boy hardly seven years of age, the positioning of the stars and the most important constellations to magic, the Dragon, the Phoenix swirling above and below the immovable star.
But that night the immovable northern star was gone, and its guardians decimated, left gaping. The lines that once held the promise of watching over the Earth had scattered and abandoned its hope and in its place was a single lone twinkle as the minute raindrop caught its light and burnt out.
Memories spun in his head as the familiar pain sweeped through his mind and enveloped his consciousness in a blur of white that converted everything it touched into it's bright grip.
"The stars are beautiful tonight" The voice that haunted his every awakening said.
He analyzed his surroundings, the night sky above and a hill with wild grasses and leafy plants surrounded them in a secluded clearing atop the hill.
"I knew you would like this place" The smudged being said "It's green" and through the unclear image he saw a smile "and everyone knows how you like green".
"What do you have against green?" He spoke casually, the words leaving his mouth without his intention
"It's the color of grass" she stated matter-of-factly
His muscles moved on their own accord leaning closer to the distorted shape. So close he could almost see through the translucent cloud that covered her face.
"It's the color of your eyes"
With that he felt a slight impact on his shoulder and despite the momentary pain he let out a satisfied grin. He chuckled
"Besides, wouldn't you think it would be weird if I liked pink instead?'
And he heard a slight giggle echo through the soundless night, the laughter that filled his entire being with joy and compassion and he felt her hand rest lightly on his hand when he looked up and saw her staring lovingly at him through the mist. Her eyes that filled the darkness of the night with it's depths, illuminating every corner of the night sky with their beauty an her laughter.
"I lo-"
The night sky suddenly collapsed onto his senses and brought nothing but darkness, and he flashed back into awareness as a car drove past and showered cold water onto his body, not that it mattered to him he was already thoroughly soaked.
He saw images just then, tires cutting through water jade green eyes that stared at him hopelessly darkened by the taint of darkness, this dark red liquid that threatened to taint their pure depths with another world where she did not belong.
He remembered the rain that night and how it poured down in volleys much like how it rained now but forever engraved in his mind would be the rain the night before, how it fell from a clear midnight sky without warning and continued to shower its silent story onto the deaf ears of the city streets below.
He shrugged and continued his pace along the familiar streets and would always remember that night.
The night the stars were crying.
The criss-crossing winds dove from all directions and threw the descending dews of water into a random array of directions, all exploding into multitudes of crystal drops that descended to the ground. His journey coming to an end as he reached out his senses, trying to confirm his location when he came to an abrupt stop
Here
It ended here, the focal point of the faint but nagging magical signals that had accumulated over the days drew him
Here
The pale yellow outer-casing of the wall shone vibrantly although the lack of daylight would forbid such a display, but there he stood outside the gate facing the steps that would lead him in. The very house itself breathed with the familiar tinge of magic that had decorated his sword blade. Walking gingerly towards the gate he lay his hand on the copper plating and slid his hand slowly down the Japanese characters as he read them aloud.
"Kinomoto Residence"
Just an endnote
In Chinese/Japanese mythology the constellations of Dragon and Phoenix would circle around the gateway to heaven, the Big Dipper being the dragon with it's long tail and winding upper body, and Andromeda being the Phoenix because it looks like a bird, the gateway is the North star.
So if the gateway and guardians were broken then…you get the idea.