Chapter 4,

Card Captor Sakura,

By Angel Stardust

Note: I told y'all that I'd update today, so here it is, okay? Hope you guys like it. It's a little weird and I didn't really end it as well I would have liked to, but this is the best I can do right now. I think I'm starting to have Writer's Block. So, yeah.

Confusion in the Hearts of All

Sakura stared into Syaoran's eyes for a long, long time. Suddenly, he looked away, blushing, obviously embarrassed by her stare. Sakura followed suit and looked beyond the horizon, at the approaching dusk. She watched the edge of the sky brighten from a dusty blue, to the thickness and glamour of a bright blue cape.

Slowly, she said, "Syaoran, it's almost lunchtime. I guess I should to leave now." Syaoran nodded and bided her farewell. His face was still the light shade of a rose petal—soft and beautiful, shying away.

Sakura tore her gaze away from Syaoran and began to walk home. She wondered why he had looked away…and why his face had turned pink. She didn't understand. After all, she hadn't been around young men a lot. Sakura wasn't used to their emotions or feelings. Was it normal for people to do that?

When Sakura reached the main gate of the city, she knew something was wrong inside. The gate was barred and the guards weren't patrolling outside. Confusion, then desperation swept through Sakura, as she realized her only way of entrance, had been barred. She groaned regretfully. If she hadn't snuck out, she wouldn't have to be here.

The wind was picking up, and the sun was rising higher and higher in the sky. Would she be able to get inside the castle, or would she be forced to wait outside until tomorrow morning? Sakura shuddered at the horrible thought. She didn't want to wait all day and night, alone!

Sakura kicked the thick, wooden gate in frustration. Why? Why had they locked the gates? It couldn't be past the curfew already! The curfew was at ten o'clock, and it wasn't even time for lunch yet!

As she stared up past the wall, at the astronomy tower, peaking over the edge of the gate, Sakura felt a sense of helplessness rise up in her breast. She wanted to cry. Here she was, just a young girl, stuck outside her own palace, waiting alone…alone…alone…

In the castle…

Toya paced around the throne room anxiously. He was worried about Sakura. He and Yukito had waited for two hours, and the servants still hadn't found the girl. Toya was starting to sense that some horrible end had come of his sister, and he had shut the gates in his irritation and resentment. He didn't exactly know why he had, but he just had. Probably to prevent some unknown peoples to enter the village while he was busy looking for Sakura. Yes, that was it.

Yukito sat near the throne, at a nearby table, finishing his star and moon chart, humming a soft tune to himself. Though the high priest shared the king's worry, he was much better at concealing his worry and putting a happy face forward.

Toya continued pacing and pacing. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. It would be just like Sakura to run and hide somewhere, to worry him. It would be just like her to try to get back at him for forcing her to stay inside…wouldn't it? Toya snapped his fingers, and grinned.

"Yukito! I've just thought of something!"

"Yes your majesty?"

"What if Sakura's hiding, just to get back at me for forbidding her to see the twit, Syaoran?"

"Hmm…very likely, but…"

Toya didn't bother to listen to Yukito's probability calculations. He ran up the steps that bore the throne and grabbed the gold-threaded tassel hanging down next to it. He was going to conduct a thorough search of the castle—including the secret passageways.

Outside…

Sakura sat by herself, her back to the sun-heated wall. She could already feel her stomach complaining loudly of hunger and thirst. The sun beat down upon her mercilessly, making her sweat, not matter how many times she wiped it away with her sleeve.

Sakura was out of ideas. She had tried yelling at the top of her lungs, banging on the wooden gate, stomping her feet, cursing Toya, and swearing with the only two cuss-words she knew (damn and fuck). None of them had worked. Poor Sakura was still stuck outside the gate with no food or water and now, a very bad temper.

Sakura longed to be in the shade, with a warm cup of green tea and a piece of chocolate cake. She wanted so badly to be able to lie down on something soft and warm…

Several hours later…

Sakura gasped and sat up. She had fallen asleep! She looked wildly around herself before realizing where she was. Great, she was still stuck outside.

The sun had begun to set, tingeing the sky a gentle, rose pink. The color reminded her of Syaoran's cheeks, when he had blushed earlier this morning…

Sakura sighed and wiped the sweat off her forehead. She already regretted her visit to the digging site. She wished she had obeyed Toya. He probably hadn't meant to be so mean; it probably just worried him that she was going places by herself. After all, after Fujitaka had died, Sakura and Toya were the only Kinomotos left. If either of them died, the other would be left completely alone, with no family in the world.

Sakura closed her eyes and let her thoughts wander…past the horizon, beyond the kingdom, past galaxies…

Back in the castle…

Toya growled in frustration and resentment. They had been searching the castle for hours, and they still hadn't found Sakura! How did the little brat know how to hide so well? It certainly wasn't like Sakura to hide like this and for so long. Usually, she would hide for an hour, then pop out at Toya, laughing that she had managed to worry him.

Toya wondered vaguely if something else, something worse, had happened to Sakura. He pushed the thought from his mind. Toya didn't want to think what else could happen to such an innocent little girl. She had to be in the castle. If she wasn't…

At the digging site…

Syaoran made his way around the camp, ringing his brass bell. It was dinnertime, and the young men began converging at the edge of the ruins, anxious for the meal to begin.

As they sat in silence, eating the rations King Toya had provided, Syaoran's thoughts drifted to the his encounter with Sakura in the afternoon. Soon, his thoughts pushed the encounter out of his mind and focused only on one thing—Sakura.

He wondered bleakly why she had come to the digging site in the morning. She had wanted so badly to know why Toya had been here. Was it really any business of hers, or was she just coming because she was worried?

Syaoran shook the thought from his head. No. Why was he thinking about her? He didn't even like her. He thought she was annoying! Or was he…NO! SYAORAN! STOP THINKING ABOUT HER! Syaoran was in complete desperation to put the thought of Sakura out of his head.

He walked over to where Eriol Hiirigizawa and Yamazaki Takashi were sitting, eating their share of food. It always helped to talk to his friends.

Unfortunately, the topic they were discussing was of no help to Syaoran. They seemed to be arguing over it, too.

"I'm telling you, those girls were so friggin' hot! If—"

"They were idiots and little spoiled brats! You could tell Syaoran didn't like them! I mean, he was all irritated afterwards."

"So? That's Syaoran's opinion, not yours or mine. Personally, I think that the girl with the long black hair was especially—"

"Ahem." Syaoran coughed lightly, intruding upon the heated conversation. Yamazaki and Eriol looked up at their friend, whose face was dusted a gentle pink and looked slightly embarrassed at having overheard their conversation.

Eriol immediately used this interruption to his advantage in the conversation.

"Syaoran! Don't you think those two girls who came during lunch yesterday were cute?"

Syaoran shifted uncomfortably. This was about the most personal question anyone could ask him at the moment. His heart was wrenched with a slight pain he couldn't name, and he seriously felt like screaming at Eriol for daring to ask him such a thing. Instead he replied in a calm tone.

"They are women. We are here to dig, not indulge ourselves."

Eriol gaped at him and Yamazaki laughed. A small grin cracked the solemn expression on Syaoran's face. His friends were just so funny; their expressions just so different.

Back at the castle…

Toya was close to getting a heart attack. Sakura was nowhere in the palace or the village. His troops had conducted a thorough search of both, and Sakura Kinomoto was nowhere to be found, and the sky was darkening.

Even Yukito was becoming worried. His normally smiling face was crease at the forehead, his anxious eyes darting around the throne room. He staff was in a ready position at his side. Yukito really didn't want to use it, but if some unknown person came into the room, he would.

Back outside…

Sakura burst into a flurry of tears. She just wanted to go home. She had been stuck outside every since lunch and her stomach was aching with hunger and her head hurt.

"Syaoran, Toya, Yukito, Tomoyo…ANYONE JUST SAVE ME FROM THIS STUPID PLACE!"

Sakura kicked the gate again. She honestly didn't care if Toya was angry with her. She didn't care if she would be locked in her room for a week. She just wanted to go home.

Suddenly, the gate creaked open, in response to Sakura's kick. A heavily armored guard poked his head through the crack and gasped at the disheveled portrait of Princess Sakura.

"Princess Sakura! His majesty has been searching all over for you! Where have you b—"

"Shut up and take me back to the castle already!"

The guard bowed his head with respect and beckoned the angry girl to follow him. As they walked, Sakura's thoughts turned wild. What if Toya was so angry, he locked her up and never let her out again? What if she had missed dinner (ha ha)? What if…it was too late. The guard had led her straight to the door of the throne room, and was in the act of banging on it loudly.

The door creaked open and Sakura walked in. The scene that met her eyes shocked her. Toya looked as if he had collapsed against his throne, his face pale, and his eyes disbelieving.

Yukito, on the other hand, looked perfectly overjoyed to see her. He had risen from his seat at Toya's right side and was striding over to her, the radiant smile back on his face.

"Princess Sakura! We've been looking for you all day! Where were y—"

Yukito's question was interrupted as Sakura dashed past him and into her brother's arms. The tears that had formed in her eyes spilled out. She hadn't expected her actions to hurt Toya so much!

Toya simply held her, his face buried in her auburn hair. He was incredulous, unbelieving that, despite all his searches, his sister could just appear out of thin air to comfort him, just as always.

They simply held each other until Yukito's slightly embarrassed cough snapped them both back to the present time. Sakura and Toya looked up, realizing that this was about the least formal meeting that was ever recorded in Kingdom Clow's history.

Sakura blushed and pulled herself away from Toya and stood next to his throne. Toya coughed and straightened in his throne.

Yukito smiled as he saw brother and sister putting aside their affections for each other in front of a full court of administers. They were just so brave, to do such a thing. Yukito knew that the administers would try to seize any chance to usurp Toya.

Today's problems were solved, but who knew what tomorrow would bring?

ooo

Thank you, everyone for all of your reviews! I love y'all so much! I'm going to update Dangerous Love in just a minute! Please make sure you review and everything! Thank you!

Love,

Aki-chan