Angel
Chapter 6
By Sakura aka Michelle
"Who are you?" Tomoyo questioned, disbelieve in her eyes. "Why are you masquerading as my dearest Sakura-chan? Just who on earth are you?"
Forced to react in this awkward situation, Sakura said the first thing that came straight to her mind, "I am Sakura." She nodded her head to emphasize that her words were true and tears welled up in her emerald eyes when she saw Tomoyo shaking her head furiously, not believing a word that she had said. "Honestly, I am. I'm Sakura and I know you..."
"If you are Sakura..." Tomoyo started, still firm in her stand. "Where's my cousin, the princess? Where is she? Did you kill her so that you can take her place as a princess? How could you do that?"
She looked at Tomoyo with wide eyes, hurt by all the accusations that she had made and then shifted her gaze to Eriol and knew the reason for Tomoyo's reaction immediately. She didn't know that the princess had died... Poor Tomoyo-chan... Taking a deep breath, she said the most outrageous lie in front of two people, "I am... a close relative of Princess Kinomoto Sakura. I am named after her because my parents simply adore the princess and hope that I will grow up to be like her. Forgive me for not making it clear to you at the beginning, Daidouji-sama."
Turning to Eriol, Sakura waited for his approval as well as Tomoyo's response to her lie. He nodded with a smile when he felt Tomoyo relaxed beside him and Sakura heaved a sigh of relief. Clear! She thought happily but her happiness was short-lived when Tomoyo said, "But what's all the future thing about then?"
"Did I say anything like that?" Eriol asked, coming to Sakura's rescue. "I did not remember saying anything like that..."
"Didn't you?" Tomoyo asked, looking at Eriol and then at Sakura suspiciously. "I thought I heard something like that."
"You must have heard wrongly, Daidouji-sama," Sakura assured her with a laugh. "Hiiragizawa-sama, may I ask you a question?"
"Sure, but first you must not address me as your sama(master) from now onwards since we are of equal rank, aren't you?"
Sakura looked hesitant about fulfilling Eriol's personal request but relented when Tomoyo assured her that he called Princess Sakura by her name too. "I don't think this is a very good idea but since Tomoyo-chan says so... I guess it should be all right, Eriol-kun..."
"Now that we are settled with personal issues... What is it that you wish to ask me, Sakura-san?"
A worried frown was on her face almost instantaneously, "It's about Li-kun. He's having a fever right now and I don't know what to do… Is there some kind of medicine here to relieve fever?"
Scratching his chin with a sly expression on his face, Eriol commented dryly, "So… Our Li-kun is having a fever? Hmm... Interesting!"
"Someone is sick and you are here, laughing at the poor guy?" Sakura chided. "You should not do that you know..."
"Where is he?" Tomoyo asked suddenly, breaking the mini banter of Sakura and Eriol. "I can give you directions on what to do after I have seen his condition myself. I am quite a good physician and specializes on healing abilities."
"Healing abilities?" Sakura asked skeptically, thinking that she had heard wrongly. "As in healing powers?"
Tomoyo was surprised, "You mean... You didn't know that?"
"Everyone in the castle knows about Tomoyo's healing abilities and asked for her help if anyone in the castle is sick or injured," Eriol supplied. "I guess being out of the castle for too long makes you kind of out-dated in the happenings of the castle."
"I guess so," Sakura replied solemnly, catching on with Eriol pretense. "He's in Princess Sakura's room and I really hope he hasn't tried to move out from that room yet. I think he should given lighter duties in the castle and not over-taxing him with all the duties..."
"Come on then," Tomoyo urged as she dragged Eriol and Sakura with her, marching towards the Princess's room.
"Actually, Syaoran isn't the only sorcerer here," Eriol confessed sheepishly. "I am one of them too..."
"What!?" Sakura exclaimed. "You mean you pushed all your duties to Li-kun? That's so unfair!"
Tomoyo hushed the two of them when they neared the Princess's room, saying that all Syaoran need now was peace, not havoc and certainly not unnecessary noises. "As if he knows what noises are; he usually would not say more than three words each day..."
"Are you sure you are not the one being sick today, Eriol?" Tomoyo asked, eyeing him quizzically. "You sure talk a lot more than the usual today."
"All right, all right," Eriol grumbled. "I'll just keep quiet from now onwards."
Thankfully, silence returned to the trio and Sakura finally had time to think about her situation. Why wasn't she told of the Princess's death? Then again... how long are they going to keep the news from her? She's bound to find it out herself on one of the days...
Tomoyo knocked on the door and was about to turn the knob when the door opened by itself, revealing a tired Syaoran leaning against banister of the balcony. "What do you want?" he asked coldly, as predicted.
"Now there Li-kun," Tomoyo warned. "This isn't the time to pretend. Sakura-chan told us you were sick and so here we are."
Turning to scowl at them he answered, "I don't need your help."
"Geez... What's wrong with him?" Tomoyo remarked. "This isn't his usual self... Listen Li-kun, you have to get treated. By the way, where is my cousin Sakura? Shouldn't she be with you? It has been years since I last saw her..."
"She's not here."
Sakura's eyes widened at Syaoran's answers and her eyes darted over to Tomoyo, afraid that she might learn the truth about the princess. "You mean she's out of the castle?" Tomoyo laughed. "She always like to do that; mingle with the commoners I mean... No wonder she's so popular in and out of the castle. She's favored upon by her people."
"No," Syaoran interrupted. "What I meant was that..."
"King Kinomoto sent her on a special mission," Eriol provided. "And that she must complete her mission on her own and I guess that explains Li's strange behavior."
"Hiiragizawa!" Syaoran hissed.
Eriol shook her head and spoke loud enough for only Syaoran to hear, "Now is not the time. I'll break the news to her somehow... Give me some time will you?"
Syaoran sighed and relented, "You can lie to her now but surely not forever. It's best to tell her straight-away though lest she found out by her own and hurt by our deception."
"So... When will Sakura be back? I have something important to tell her," Tomoyo asked.
"I don't know," Syaoran replied honestly. "Not so soon."
"Oh..." Disappointment was clearly on the young lady's face. "Since our chat is over, let me examine you Li-kun. This Sakura told me that you are having a fever..."
"I said I am fine."
"No, you are not," Sakura retorted. "You are still burning up! Get back into the room where it's much more comfortable than standing in the sun."
Tomoyo giggled from within the room, "You looked a lot like Princess Sakura and behaves so much like her."
Sakura froze at her position, not knowing how to react. Desperately trying to regain control of her thoughts, she tried, "Well, I should look like her... Since I'm her close relative after all."
"I knew that," Tomoyo said, dragging Syaoran into the room and deposit him on the bed while she tried to examine him. "Your condition isn't too bad Li. All you need is one of my special potion and a good night's rest."
"Which potion is that?" Eriol asked, walking out of the room as he did so. "I'll get it for you."
"The usual one, for treating fever and knowing that Li-kun will work so hard that he couldn't have much rest, bring a small portion of the sleeping drug too. That will help to knock him off for the night so that he can have enough rest."
"Yes, of course," Eriol laughed, eyeing Syaoran slyly. "The sleeping drug."
Syaoran leapt out of the bed, "I don't need the sleeping drug! I have a lot of matters to attend to!"
"Which means to say," Tomoyo continued, ignoring Syaoran totally. "That our Sakura-chan over here will have to keep watch over him and make sure he stays in bed."
"Me?" Sakura asked curiously. "Whatever for? Since you are giving him the sleeping drug."
Chuckling, Tomoyo answered her, "The sleeping drug will only be forced into him if he refused to stay in bed. The drug is pretty powerful and might be harmful to try but since Li-kun has taken the drug before, I hope his understands the side effect of the sleeping drug."
"That is why I am telling you now that I don't need that kind of stupid drug!"
"Side effects?"
"But not to worry," Tomoyo assured. "The side effects are almost non-existent unless you are his soul mate."
Soul mate? What has the drug got to do with soul mates? I don't see the connection... "As long as Li-kun is willing to stay in bed, he does not need the sleeping drug?" Sakura asked, turning to look at Syaoran, who was currently having the darkest scowl on his face.
"Yes," Eriol replied, stepping into the room with the potion and the drug in his hands and handing them over to Tomoyo, who gave Syaoran the potion.
"Drink it up," she said and added when Syaoran hesitated. "Don't worry, it's not the sleeping drug."
In a second, the bottle of potion was empty and it slipped from Syaoran's hands and clattered to the floor and Syaoran was slumped on the bed. Sakura screamed and Tomoyo eyed Eriol with a knowing look. "Look what you have done," she admonished.
Eriol grinned, "Just trying to have some fun here."
"What have you done to him?" Sakura demanded, tears in her eyes. "Didn't Tomoyo-chan say that it is the potion for his fever?"
"I believe what he just drank was, after all, the best formula Tomoyo has created."
"The best?" Sakura repeated and then gasped upon realization. "Don't tell me its…"
Eriol nodded, "Yes... It's the sleeping drug."
So Syaoran drank the sleeping drug... What are the side effects actually? Find out in the next chapter. Review please!