A/N: Okay every one, give your thanks to "Hooty" who sent me a convincing e-mail to continue this story. I'm sorry.
Chapter 4
"S-Sakura…?" she whispered in shock. She took in the familiar beauty before her as tears welled up in her eyes. "Yes… It is her…"
She scrambled over to a wooden bureau and immediately opened the bottom drawer. Carefully, she took out a bundled object and slowly unwrap the blanket revealing an old portrait… Two young girls, Tomoyo and the other, a reflection of the young woman resting on the floor.
"I thought you were dead…" she croaked out in barely a whisper, as her joyous tears fell one by one on the picture.
He didn't sleep the rest of the night; instead he retraced his assailant's steps, until he returned to his room where he sat on his bed examining the needle. He could smell and sense the toxic from the needle and nearly missed a highly defined imprint of vines and a familiar flower…
"My lord!" exclaimed Eriol, barging into the master room with a look of disbelief blatantly on his expression. "More than half of the guards are killed! And-and—"
"Be calm," Syaoran silenced him with a wave of his hand. "Reorder troops but first I want you to take a look at this, Hiiragizawa." Carefully, he placed the tainted needle on a small cloth and handed it to Eriol.
Eriol picked up the needle cautiously, raising the needle into the light for a clearer view. "Aahhh… Vines like the poison ivy and tiny flowers… Looks like cherry blossoms, I believe." He shifted his eyeglasses along the bridge of his nose and placed the needle back onto the cloth.
"Cherry blossoms…" Syaoran murmured. "Does that mean…?"
"Ying Fa, hari assassin was here," finished Eriol, rubbing his hands on his clothes.
A young girl grimaced in pain as she once again accidentally stabbed herself with the needle. "Mother, why do I have to do this?" she whined, comforting her bleeding finger with the warmth of her mouth. Her green eyes welled up and she brushed her hair aside from plastering against the stickiness of her face.
Her mother smiled softly at her daughter and replied, "Because stitching may help you in the future for patching up your clothing and of course, help you in getting a husband."
"A husband? Ewwww!" the little girl squeaked, scrunching up her face in disgust and forgetting all about her pricked finger.
Her mother just chuckled, continuing her work. The young girl glanced at her uneven, messy work and looked at her mother's. It was beautiful, cherry blossom flowers stitched along the border with professional designs that made her smile and eyes light up in delight, making her return back to her own work with enthusiasm and determination. It was no wonder why her mother was so good at it; she was after all, a seamstress.
A crash and screams erupting from outside, jolted the two workers from their activity. "Mommy!" she screamed, rushing to her side holding her tightly.
"Shhhh! Hide in the cabinet!" her mother ushered her, closing and barricading windows.
"But what about daddy and Touya?" she cried, coming out of her hiding place.
Her mother froze, realization crossing over her face. "No, he promised me…" she whispered.
"What mom?"
"Nothing."
"But…"
"No!"
The scared girl crawled back into her hiding black holding onto her mother's stitched cloth. The mother ran out of their home, yelling, "Touya! Fujitaka!" but her shouts were drowned by the screams of people running past her. Homes were on fire, women and children being slain… "Not in the village," she gasped.
She ran ahead where all were running from and came upon her husband being held by a Li warrior and being questioned by another with a sword to his throat. On the ground was her son Touya lying motionless…
"Are you a Hiiragizawa?" the Li warrior demanded, the sharp edge seeping deeper into the skin, already drawing a thin line of blood.
Fujitaka lifted his head, full of pride. "My mother was a Hiiragizawa. I am indeed a descendant of the Hiiragizawas!" he declared, his eyes blazing.
From his statement, his neck was sliced.
"NOOOOO!" she screamed along with a wail that belonged to a girl beside her. "Sakura? What did I tell you!"
She grabbed her daughter but was grasped by the two who had murdered her husband and son, being pulled away from her daughter, along with Sakura being held by another Li warrior. "Sakura!" she yelled but was silenced by the bloodied sword.
"Mommy!" Sakura cried out. In bitter comprehension that her family was dead, tears streamed down her soiled cheeks as she grabbed the needle left in the stitching and stabbed it in the wrist of the man who was hauling her.
He made a yelp in pain and dropped her. "You little bitch!" he growled, unsheathing his sword with his unwounded hand.
Sakura trembled as she backed away from him. As her hand sunk in dirt, an idea popped in his head. As he walked towards her, she grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it in his eyes, hearing his yell in protest and made a run for it.
She ran and ran, dodging people, and running in different directions of the others. She kept running until she could no longer, her legs giving way. She lied on the grass, covered by the mass of the trees, and she couldn't hear any screams… any killings… any body… only the sounds of the forest.
She was awake but she didn't dare open her eyes. First, she moved her arms and legs to see if they were injured in any way, then her hand went to her stomach where it had been penetrated by a dagger. It had been cleaned and bandaged, that, she was thankful for. What? NO… Under a warm blanket, she was undressed, the bandaged to her stomach and her bondage to her breasts. She knows…
Where's my knife? Where are my needles? Sakura thought frantically, sitting up abruptly but fell back in pain when her stomach objected.
"Ohaiyo gozaimasu, Sakura," greet a voice from the door. Tomoyo set down a tray full of food and tea on a small table.
Sakura grabbed a cutting knife from the tray and pointed it at her. "That is not my name… Not anymore… How is it that you know it?" she growled at her, not even trying to make her voice sound masculine, not when she is revealed as a woman.
Tomoyo smiled wearily and pointed to a picture on top of the bureau. Sakura, still pointing the knife at her, glanced at the picture and back at her.
"Go look at it," Tomoyo said, with a wave of her hand.
Sakura lowered the knife and slowly got up despite the pain. She clutched her stomach and Tomoyo quickly went to help her. They reached the bureau and Sakura grabbed the picture, gripping Tomoyo's arm. "That is you…" she whispered to Sakura.
The little girl with two short auburn pigtails and bright emerald eyes was smiling. She was happy, hugging her then best friend, Tomoyo. Sakura looked in the mirror and saw her reflection. Her eyes were a dull green gem, and her hair was wrapped tightly in a bun. She changed, she will never be the same.
Tomoyo lead her back to the small table and they sat down to eat. "Thank you," Sakura said quietly with a small smile.
"Your welcome." Tomoyo smiled. "How is your stomach?"
"It is fine, thank you."
"No, seriously. It was a pretty bad wound," Tomoyo said with concern.
"Oh, I thought you were talking about if I was full," Sakura replied, smiling. "But yes, seriously, it is fine thanks to you."
Tomoyo laughed. "Well, I was wondering because I was going into town to shop. I have to buy more food and supplies if you're going to stay here."
"Oh, ok."
"And I want you to come, but only if you're feeling up to it. But then again, you were sleeping for two days."
"Two days? No wonder I was so hungry," Sakura said, looking at all the empty dishes.
"I was going to ask you to help carry but I don't think you're going to be up to it after that injury."
"No, I'm coming. After what you've done for me, I should help you in return." Sakura looked at Tomoyo curiously. "Why didn't you ask me the reason for me dressed in man clothes? Why didn't you ask me how I got stabbed?" she asked.
Tomoyo smiled at her. "Because as I've known before, you would tell me yourself in time," she replied and got up to put away the dishes.
Sakura stared at her dumbfounded and waited until she returned with some clothes, a brush, and hair pins.
"What are you doing?" Sakura asked cautiously eyeing the pink fabric.
"You're going to be dressed as a woman," Tomoyo answered.
Sakura's eyes widened, not sure what to do.
The king paced the room, stomping his feet and muttering to himself. Eriol shook his head in irritation, trying to think of something to stop his king's madness.
An idea popped in his head.
"Your majesty, how about we take a trip into town to clear your head? There is to be a festival of young women, most seeking a husband. You need a wife, and soon, or else your lineage will come to an end," said Eriol, vigilantly.
King Syaoran stopped and glared at Eriol. "I don't need a wife. I don't want a wife. I just want to find that that that that man!" He roared in frustration.
"Well, in town…"
"In town! He might be there!" interrupted the King and grabbed Eriol's arm, pulling him out of the room.
"Aren't you a little obsessed with this guy?" Eriol moaned, flailing his arms.
The girls walked through town, and many men stared at Sakura. Tomoyo dragged her away before she, well, killed them.
"Wow, Sakura, you're drawing a LOT of attention," she teased Sakura.
Sakura fought not to blush but failed. "If you didn't make me leave my weapons at home, they'll not be looking at me this way at all."
Tomoyo laughed and showed her to a booth of jewelry.
Eriol followed Syaoran as he hastily walked through the crowd. "Did you have to dress not like a king? We could walk easily through this mob with them knowing you as their king."
King Syaoran frowned. "I don't want to draw too much attention to myself," he replied simply, looking around for anything suspicious.
He stopped as he stared at a beautiful young maiden next to the woman he tried to coax several days ago. She was absolutely the most stunning woman he ever saw; her long wavy auburn hair cascaded down her back complemented with small braids entwined with white blossoms; her eyes were jewels themselves, emeralds so green and twinkling with laughter, but a faraway sadness hidden inside; her light pink kimono portrayed her femininity, hugging her curves, and cherry blossoms beautifying her…. Cherry blossoms….
He snapped out of his trance as he remembered the reason he was there, yet he yearned to talk to her, caress her soft cheek, and be the one to make her smile. He frowned in confusion and hurried passed her. What the hell was I thinking?
Eriol watched him fight himself and smiled to himself. As he followed his King and passed the beautiful maiden, he felt a magic pull and stopped to look at her. There was something familiar about her that he couldn't place but it felt like his aura knew hers.
A/N: Okay, this chapter sucked… next chapter I have to put in some fighting or else it will die of boredom.