Chapter One: First Conflict
Author's Note: Hey! Thanks for checking out my story. Well this is my "attempt". Anyway, I'm hoping for the best.
Sakura remembered the first time she had seen him, many things in her life she had wanted to forget but this moment she had learnt off by heart. Like a line that she couldn't break no matter how hard she fought, it continued to cling to her.
Sakura lived with her parents in a small cottage next to the water; she was born here and was going to live here for the rest of her life. Her mother famed for her own beauty which she had passed down to her only daughter had married her father when she was only in her early twenties. Her mother had been an obedient child, always trying to bring out the best in her daughter. Despite Sakura's own lack of interest in her match-making schemes, she played along nevertheless.
Her father had a hatred for the hierarchy; he believed that they abused their power, using it against their own people. In a previous life, one which he wouldn't talk about anymore or would just ignore any question in relation to it, her mother had told her he had been the leader of the King's Royal Army.
Her father had taught her everything he knew about self defense, attacking to the best advantage, ways to get out of any situation. She could always win the fights with the local boys, although she was never too proud to show it off. The girls called her a flirt and their mothers scolded her for being too manly and unfeminine. She had hardly cared when she was younger, but when she was fifteen her mother started criticizing her appearances, trying to turn her from a girl to a lady.
Sakura had honey brown hair which she had always tried in vain to change. Her father and her mother both had copper brown locks. Her hair had grown down long, let down free, she had never bothered to look after it. The local girls had always despised her for putting so little effort into her looks, yet gaining so much attention. Despite all her mother's efforts in improving her manners, her father had continued her lessons much to her mother's disapproval.
It had been a bright day, cloudless and clear. Sakura was wearing one of the day dresses her mother had since insisted she wear whenever she went out to do anything at all. She had been doing her everyday chores, wandering into the forest to gather food for the community she lived in. No one else ever dared to walk into the forest in fear that they would never find their way out. There were talk of spirits that dwelled in the ancient roots of the trees, but her parents had taught her from an early age it was rubbish talk; trained to fool little children not to wander too far.
A large dark form had scrambled out of the bushes, clutching at a small pocket knife and shouting furiously at her to move out of the way or else he would attack her. His copper hair was tangled all across his face and his uniform was dirty. It looked as though he had been flung off his horse that had now run off.
Without any hesitation, Sakura dropped her basket letting all the apples she had picked roll out as she grabbed onto his wrist, twisting it around to hold his arms behind his back. In a split second she found her position reversed, he had both her hands behind her back with the knife dangerously close to her throat.
"I told you to move," he whispered gravely into her ear.
"And I never said I would," she replied boldly as she tore his arm away from her holding the knife to his back. Without a look of surprise he again reversed her position.
Sakura shot him an angry glare, determined not to let him win this stubborn duel she pirouetted around him, but before she could hold her position, he held her arms down.
"I'm impressed," he remarked smugly trying to stop the grin crawling onto his lips. "You're a persistent girl aren't you?"
"No I'm not," Sakura replied, "I just hat…" she stopped herself before she got too carried away, "I just dislike authority." She continued as she twirled around behind him.
Letting her have her moment, he spun her around trapping her against a tree. "People like me stop fights like this from happening,"
"People like you have your power and money so as to corrupt your own people," she snapped back at him, making no attempt to change the defensive position she was in.
He paused, unsure of what to say. Watching her stare off at a distant place, he hesitated unsure of how to break the awkward silence.
Sakura had smiled when she saw she had him, unable to meet his eyes she had turned away. After a moment, she broke the silence by her outburst of giggles.
"What's so funny?"
"You're not from around here are you?" she asked, already sure of the answer, as he nodded in answer. It was clear by the way he was acting, so sure of himself as if he was above everyone else.
"Sakura," She introduced herself, leaning back against the tree.
"Xiao…" he started before stopping in case he revealed himself. " It's Syaoran" he finished, awkwardly taking his arms that were around her off the tree.
And that was how it started, every summer he came back for a rematch, and every summer he would always win. It had started as their little secret, the local girls with whom she had hung around every summer before whispered their gossip around and soon it was known by everyone around the town that every summer she would disappear into the forest with a dark haired stranger.
It was a strange relationship; nobody knew where he was from, not even Sakura herself. She had never bothered to ask, and when she did he would just vaguely say 'Up North'. She returned to the forest to wait for him every year, sometimes he would come late, sometimes earlier than usual and then he would come to her house and wait for her, but every summer he came.
Author's Note: Well, that was kind of like a prologue, just establishing the setting. Review please! I don't mind whatever you say; just tell me what you think! Thanks!