AN: Well, here's another chapter!
As usual, I thank everyone who reviewed! Especially Azure Rosas! You said you'd read this and you did! You're soooooo nice! Oh, by the way, thanks for the suggestions!
DISCLAIMER: Seriously... do we HAVE TO put these things here? Ok, alright, I don't own CCS.
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes
Friend or Foe, by KawaiiSakuraAngel... Chapter Thirteen:
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ The Next Day ^*^*^*^*^*^*^
I wish today could have been just a boring day, like *always.* Sakura thought for the first time. Tomoyo, as usual (when she's excited), was ranting on and on. Sakura did her best to stop from rolling her eyes. It wasn't something she'd usually do, but Tomoyo had been talking for a long time now, from sunrise till noon.
Sighing, Sakura got up and stretched. Her back hurt from the fall yesterday. Tomoyo didn't notice, and continued. "Oh, and Sakura, it was SO amazing to watch you fight up on the roof! And my costume looked so cute on you! And do you know who that person was? They know magic, right?" Tomoyo went on and on. Sakura sighed again, and tried to explain once and again that she didn't even fight yesterday. The only thing she did was jump off a roof, and Tomoyo's costume was too cold to wear during the night.
Sakura shuddered at the thought. Yesterday was quite chilly, and wearing such a short.. gown just wasn't right. [AN: they didn't exactly have skirts back then.] Glancing back at Tomoyo, Sakura noticed her making another one of her 'creations'. Groaning, Sakura winced at the thought of something else like the outfit from yesterday.
Then again, Sakura's mind wondered to her own thoughts again, blocking out Tomoyo's comments, which often interrupted her thinking. She recalled last night, during her brief 'meeting' with the thief. It seems that it was the same one. The sword and the green aura were the same. This time, she saw a bit of his features: He had amber eyes. But that was all Sakura could catch before he leapt out of sight again, like the first time.
Was the person trying to give her some clues on who he was? Or were they clumsy, just like herself? No matter how much Sakura thought about it, every possible answer just leads to another one. Finally, the only thing that would make sense to her was the question: who was he?
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Meanwhile, With Syaoran ^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Syaoran felt disgusted at himself. Well, at least this time, he hadn't run away. But that was no excuse for not getting the Clow Cards. He had never taken so long on a mission before. Before he could stare out the window for long, something caught his eye. It was just a bird, he thought at first. As the figure got closer, it became obvious it wasn't your average, cute little singing bird. It was one of those huge vulture-like birds his mother owned. [Let's just say she does....]
Syaoran sighed in exasperation. She could have chosen one of the better- trained ones. This one was definitely an amateur, and that means it probably wouldn't be able to come into his room. The better-trained ones were able to use a bit of magic to shrink themselves. The bird-creature flew wobbly over to his window. At least the thing can recognize to whom it's delivering the letter, Syaoran thought too early.
When the 'thing' was just a few feet away from Syaoran's window, it swerved to the right, landing right on -
Eriol's study's window!
Syaoran groaned. Now everything was going to be ruined. Eriol probably already knew, but if his mother was plotting something... then it would be completely absurd for her to have chosen THAT to deliver a message. Almost right then, there was a soft knocking on his door. Hesitantly, Syaoran struggled to reach the door. His arm just wouldn't listen. Finally, he slowly took in a big breath, and opened the door.
In the doorway stood one of Eriol's guards [FYI: Syaoran is his secretary and advisor, not guard.] Knowing what the guard was going to say, Syaoran brushed past him, and headed for Eriol's study. Opening the door, he moved sluggishly into the room. Rolling his eyes first, he looked at Eriol. "What?" he asked, already knowing the answer. But he still needed to know what was in the note.
Eriol looked at him, then shook his head disapprovingly. During the whole time Syaoran was here, it was just his second time he had seen a serious expression on Eriol's face. Syaoran didn't want to look in the eyes. It was just a feeling, but he knew he would regret it if he did. His eyes landed on the window. There was that stupid bird, flying back towards his home -- the home before he came here.
At the thought, Syaoran was surprised. His 'old' home wasn't the 'home' he always thought it was anymore. Instead, a picture of Eriol's castle replaced the Li - formerly Kinomoto - one. Syaoran didn't understand, but he never had the time to figure it out.
"Li," Eriol said. Syaoran was really surprised now. The last time Eriol was mad, he had still called him 'Syaoran'. But now he simply said 'Li'. It was needless to say that this conversation was going to be VERY serious. Not a hint of the usual, smirking Eriol remained on his face. It was hard to believe they were the same person. [Anyway, let's keep going.] Eriol continued, while throwing 'the note' at Syaoran.
Just looking at the note made Syaoran almost flinch. He had always stayed by his mother, so he knew almost everything about her. That would include her handwriting. Strangely, his mother's handwriting has a slight variation, which depends on her mood. Merely a small glance, and he could tell how angry his mother was. Eriol didn't seem to notice, or at least he didn't make a comment. "THIS," Eriol said, indicating the note, "was from you mother. Go on, open it."
Syaoran picked the note up carefully, as if he might actually be scared of it. Getting a grip on himself, again for the second time that day, he opened it, and pulled out the contents. It consisted of a pretty short paragraph. Well, short for his mother anyway. The boy shut his eyes for a moment, then proceeded to reading the note:
~Xiaolang:
How many times did I tell you to write to me before you left? You made me look shameful to the clan/kingdom. Read carefully, and memorize everything you must do. If ONE step goes wrong, I will PERSONALLY make sure you are exiled. It's been two seasons already. The longest it ever took you to do a mission was in 10 days. What is wrong with you? As soon as you get this note and finish reading, reply. That's an order! Ok... these are the things you need to do:
1) Make sure you get the card before the cad mistress does. If she already has it, then follow the steps below.
2) If you can't get the cards, make sure you try everything to stop the mistress from transforming the cards. If she has, well then forget I even wrote this.
3) If your answer to the one above is that she has already transformed the cards, KILL HER. Or else, ignore this.
4) If you can't do ANY of the above, I will make sure that you are most definitely exiled.
-Yelan~
Syaoran was horrified. It was impossible for his mother to say that. She wanted him to kill the card mistress? Then, thinking back, he remembered something. She had told him that, whatever he must do, to do it before he regrets. Now he understood why. He had waited too long in trying to get the Clow Cards, and now it was impossible for him to kill Sa- Kinomoto, and his mother knew. Tears of frustration welled up in Syaoran's eyes. Quickly, he blinked them away.
Eriol was looking outside the window, apparently waiting for him to finish. Syaoran took no heed, and walked back to his room. As soon as he got there, he fell back against his door. His legs were too weak to support him. 'Kill' was not exactly the word he expected, although it was considered 'required' in his mission. Never, in any of his other missions, did he have to kill anyone. At the most, he had left them with a few broken bones; nothing you can't fix.
Now, for the first time, his mother was TELLING him to kill someone. The idea swam around in his mind, unwilling to go away. HE was going to have to kill Sakura. No, not Sakura - Kinomoto. Why was he calling her Sakura anyway? Wasn't she his rival, and in a way, enemy?
Racking his brain for an answer, Syaoran began pounding on his desk. As he did, he noticed another speck in the sky. As it grew, the figure revealed itself to be another on of his mother's birds, except that it was considerably smaller. It flew right through the open window, and dumped a letter right in front of his face. Blinking in confusion, Syaoran tore it open. It read:
~Xiaolang:
Just to inform you, the letter that ended up in King Hiiragizawa's room was completely false. What I really want you to do is to write me a letter, NOW. I need a reason for why you aren't finished yet. My point is, the Card MISTRESS is a GIRL. You should be able to beat her. Right now, the king might be foolishly putting metal bars on your window, but he'll never suspect that these birds can shrink. Reply, as soon as possible. If needed, I will have to go over and take care of her myself.
- Yelan~
Oh great... Syaoran thought. As if getting metal bars installed on his windows weren't enough, he has to reply to his mother. What would he say? Of course, to tell his mother that he had failed was the same thing as telling her to kill him. At least now he doesn't have to kill Sakura anymore. This point was as clear as a bright star that outshone all the others in the vast, open sky. Slowly, Syaoran began to write his reply.
As soon as he was finished, he strode towards the bird, fastened the little parchment on its leg, and practically hurled it out the window. About twenty arm's lengths away, the bird regained its balance, and soared out into the darkening world outside the castle. Something stroke a match in Syaoran's brain. If the bird could make it out, he could too, right? Walking towards the window, Syaoran moved cautiously. Suddenly, a force knocked Syaoran away.
Syaoran thought this over. He picked up a quill, and threw it out the window. It passed soundlessly. Moving towards the window again, Syaoran found himself pushed back for a second time. Growling, he cursed his luck. But maybe Hiiragizawa wasn't that smart after all. He didn't expect Syaoran to send a message by bird. Or supposedly, Eriol KNEW, but didn't show. After a long debate with himself, Syaoran ended up more confused than ever. Sighing, he decided to retire to bed.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ The Very Next Day ^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Syaoran was bored out of his wits. All day, he had been sitting in his room with nothing to do. Once, just a little while after sunrise, a platter of food appeared on his desk. As soon as he finished eating, it disappeared. Nothing else happened at all. It was the most dreadful thing that could happen to someone-- to be bored, and also locked up-- but not to Syaoran, and of course, his books.
He took this as an opportunity to practice his magic. He pulled out an ofuda with a spell on it, and touched it with his sword, which he had out. "Force, know my plight, the force ignite!" he yelled. Instantly, a blast of fire shot out. Forgetting the magic barrier, Syaoran was almost too slow in dodging the attack that was sent right back at him. The fire missed him, but it hit his table, which started a huge fire. At first, Syaoran thought about stopping it with a water ofuda. Then, thinking it over, he let it burn.
~~ Eriol, Tomoyo, and Sakura smelled something burning. It was starting to fill the room they were in, so they began to crouch down low to the ground. In an instant, Eriol had then all teleported to outside the castle. Now, the only living thing left in the smoky prison was Syaoran. Sakura and Tomoyo noticed that he was missing.
"Where's Li?" they asked at the same time, looking at Eriol for an explanation. Eriol had teleported everyone inside the castle to the outside, but Syaoran was not there.
"Uh.." Eriol racked his head for an excuse. "Um, he must have ran off. I'll go look for him!" yelled Eriol as he zoomed away. Once he was far away, he teleported himself back to Syaoran's room. Glaring, Eriol expected an answer from the annoyingly stubborn teen in front of him. Syaoran said nothing, but smirked.
For once, Eriol had a taste of his own medicine. He didn't mind, though. In fact, they almost had a smirking contest, but the smoke stopped them both. Crouched on the floor, Eriol just managed to choke out the words that removed the spell on the room, so that Syaoran can get out. Quickly, he transported them both to the other side of the castle, away from the girls.
Now, looking at the burning mess, Syaoran was beginning to go frantic. All of his stuff was still in the castle! That includes his spell books, and other similar things: his lucky quill, and many things his sisters had given him, and much more. Eriol smirked whole-heartedly at Syaoran, who glared back. He KNEW, he KNEW, and he was laughing. Syaoran thought angrily. It isn't funny at all. IF Hiiragizawa decides to lock me up again, I wont' even have anything to read! The thought bore into his mind.
Quickly, Syaoran decided that the worst thing that could happen to a person is to get locked up, with nothing to do. Now he was REALLY in a hurry to rescue his precious books and stuff. Eriol, reading Syaoran's mind (as usual) just rolled his eyes. Within a matter of seconds, all of Syaoran's stuff came crashing down on his head. Now that really hurt, especially when all his metal training weapons and armor were part of the mess.
Syaoran sunk underneath the weight. Growling at Eriol the whole time, he lowered everything hanging onto him, and stalked away. If he could get away from Eriol, that would be better than staying around, even with his books. This is going to be one LONG half-a-day. [This happened at noon, remember?]
SOOOOOOO how was it?!??!?!!?! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! Please? I beg all you kind reader who even read this!
Thank you! (to those who review, that is)
~KawaiiSakuraAngel~
As usual, I thank everyone who reviewed! Especially Azure Rosas! You said you'd read this and you did! You're soooooo nice! Oh, by the way, thanks for the suggestions!
DISCLAIMER: Seriously... do we HAVE TO put these things here? Ok, alright, I don't own CCS.
".."=talking ..=thinking ^*^*^*^*=change of setting [AN.]=Author's Notes
Friend or Foe, by KawaiiSakuraAngel... Chapter Thirteen:
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ The Next Day ^*^*^*^*^*^*^
I wish today could have been just a boring day, like *always.* Sakura thought for the first time. Tomoyo, as usual (when she's excited), was ranting on and on. Sakura did her best to stop from rolling her eyes. It wasn't something she'd usually do, but Tomoyo had been talking for a long time now, from sunrise till noon.
Sighing, Sakura got up and stretched. Her back hurt from the fall yesterday. Tomoyo didn't notice, and continued. "Oh, and Sakura, it was SO amazing to watch you fight up on the roof! And my costume looked so cute on you! And do you know who that person was? They know magic, right?" Tomoyo went on and on. Sakura sighed again, and tried to explain once and again that she didn't even fight yesterday. The only thing she did was jump off a roof, and Tomoyo's costume was too cold to wear during the night.
Sakura shuddered at the thought. Yesterday was quite chilly, and wearing such a short.. gown just wasn't right. [AN: they didn't exactly have skirts back then.] Glancing back at Tomoyo, Sakura noticed her making another one of her 'creations'. Groaning, Sakura winced at the thought of something else like the outfit from yesterday.
Then again, Sakura's mind wondered to her own thoughts again, blocking out Tomoyo's comments, which often interrupted her thinking. She recalled last night, during her brief 'meeting' with the thief. It seems that it was the same one. The sword and the green aura were the same. This time, she saw a bit of his features: He had amber eyes. But that was all Sakura could catch before he leapt out of sight again, like the first time.
Was the person trying to give her some clues on who he was? Or were they clumsy, just like herself? No matter how much Sakura thought about it, every possible answer just leads to another one. Finally, the only thing that would make sense to her was the question: who was he?
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Meanwhile, With Syaoran ^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Syaoran felt disgusted at himself. Well, at least this time, he hadn't run away. But that was no excuse for not getting the Clow Cards. He had never taken so long on a mission before. Before he could stare out the window for long, something caught his eye. It was just a bird, he thought at first. As the figure got closer, it became obvious it wasn't your average, cute little singing bird. It was one of those huge vulture-like birds his mother owned. [Let's just say she does....]
Syaoran sighed in exasperation. She could have chosen one of the better- trained ones. This one was definitely an amateur, and that means it probably wouldn't be able to come into his room. The better-trained ones were able to use a bit of magic to shrink themselves. The bird-creature flew wobbly over to his window. At least the thing can recognize to whom it's delivering the letter, Syaoran thought too early.
When the 'thing' was just a few feet away from Syaoran's window, it swerved to the right, landing right on -
Eriol's study's window!
Syaoran groaned. Now everything was going to be ruined. Eriol probably already knew, but if his mother was plotting something... then it would be completely absurd for her to have chosen THAT to deliver a message. Almost right then, there was a soft knocking on his door. Hesitantly, Syaoran struggled to reach the door. His arm just wouldn't listen. Finally, he slowly took in a big breath, and opened the door.
In the doorway stood one of Eriol's guards [FYI: Syaoran is his secretary and advisor, not guard.] Knowing what the guard was going to say, Syaoran brushed past him, and headed for Eriol's study. Opening the door, he moved sluggishly into the room. Rolling his eyes first, he looked at Eriol. "What?" he asked, already knowing the answer. But he still needed to know what was in the note.
Eriol looked at him, then shook his head disapprovingly. During the whole time Syaoran was here, it was just his second time he had seen a serious expression on Eriol's face. Syaoran didn't want to look in the eyes. It was just a feeling, but he knew he would regret it if he did. His eyes landed on the window. There was that stupid bird, flying back towards his home -- the home before he came here.
At the thought, Syaoran was surprised. His 'old' home wasn't the 'home' he always thought it was anymore. Instead, a picture of Eriol's castle replaced the Li - formerly Kinomoto - one. Syaoran didn't understand, but he never had the time to figure it out.
"Li," Eriol said. Syaoran was really surprised now. The last time Eriol was mad, he had still called him 'Syaoran'. But now he simply said 'Li'. It was needless to say that this conversation was going to be VERY serious. Not a hint of the usual, smirking Eriol remained on his face. It was hard to believe they were the same person. [Anyway, let's keep going.] Eriol continued, while throwing 'the note' at Syaoran.
Just looking at the note made Syaoran almost flinch. He had always stayed by his mother, so he knew almost everything about her. That would include her handwriting. Strangely, his mother's handwriting has a slight variation, which depends on her mood. Merely a small glance, and he could tell how angry his mother was. Eriol didn't seem to notice, or at least he didn't make a comment. "THIS," Eriol said, indicating the note, "was from you mother. Go on, open it."
Syaoran picked the note up carefully, as if he might actually be scared of it. Getting a grip on himself, again for the second time that day, he opened it, and pulled out the contents. It consisted of a pretty short paragraph. Well, short for his mother anyway. The boy shut his eyes for a moment, then proceeded to reading the note:
~Xiaolang:
How many times did I tell you to write to me before you left? You made me look shameful to the clan/kingdom. Read carefully, and memorize everything you must do. If ONE step goes wrong, I will PERSONALLY make sure you are exiled. It's been two seasons already. The longest it ever took you to do a mission was in 10 days. What is wrong with you? As soon as you get this note and finish reading, reply. That's an order! Ok... these are the things you need to do:
1) Make sure you get the card before the cad mistress does. If she already has it, then follow the steps below.
2) If you can't get the cards, make sure you try everything to stop the mistress from transforming the cards. If she has, well then forget I even wrote this.
3) If your answer to the one above is that she has already transformed the cards, KILL HER. Or else, ignore this.
4) If you can't do ANY of the above, I will make sure that you are most definitely exiled.
-Yelan~
Syaoran was horrified. It was impossible for his mother to say that. She wanted him to kill the card mistress? Then, thinking back, he remembered something. She had told him that, whatever he must do, to do it before he regrets. Now he understood why. He had waited too long in trying to get the Clow Cards, and now it was impossible for him to kill Sa- Kinomoto, and his mother knew. Tears of frustration welled up in Syaoran's eyes. Quickly, he blinked them away.
Eriol was looking outside the window, apparently waiting for him to finish. Syaoran took no heed, and walked back to his room. As soon as he got there, he fell back against his door. His legs were too weak to support him. 'Kill' was not exactly the word he expected, although it was considered 'required' in his mission. Never, in any of his other missions, did he have to kill anyone. At the most, he had left them with a few broken bones; nothing you can't fix.
Now, for the first time, his mother was TELLING him to kill someone. The idea swam around in his mind, unwilling to go away. HE was going to have to kill Sakura. No, not Sakura - Kinomoto. Why was he calling her Sakura anyway? Wasn't she his rival, and in a way, enemy?
Racking his brain for an answer, Syaoran began pounding on his desk. As he did, he noticed another speck in the sky. As it grew, the figure revealed itself to be another on of his mother's birds, except that it was considerably smaller. It flew right through the open window, and dumped a letter right in front of his face. Blinking in confusion, Syaoran tore it open. It read:
~Xiaolang:
Just to inform you, the letter that ended up in King Hiiragizawa's room was completely false. What I really want you to do is to write me a letter, NOW. I need a reason for why you aren't finished yet. My point is, the Card MISTRESS is a GIRL. You should be able to beat her. Right now, the king might be foolishly putting metal bars on your window, but he'll never suspect that these birds can shrink. Reply, as soon as possible. If needed, I will have to go over and take care of her myself.
- Yelan~
Oh great... Syaoran thought. As if getting metal bars installed on his windows weren't enough, he has to reply to his mother. What would he say? Of course, to tell his mother that he had failed was the same thing as telling her to kill him. At least now he doesn't have to kill Sakura anymore. This point was as clear as a bright star that outshone all the others in the vast, open sky. Slowly, Syaoran began to write his reply.
As soon as he was finished, he strode towards the bird, fastened the little parchment on its leg, and practically hurled it out the window. About twenty arm's lengths away, the bird regained its balance, and soared out into the darkening world outside the castle. Something stroke a match in Syaoran's brain. If the bird could make it out, he could too, right? Walking towards the window, Syaoran moved cautiously. Suddenly, a force knocked Syaoran away.
Syaoran thought this over. He picked up a quill, and threw it out the window. It passed soundlessly. Moving towards the window again, Syaoran found himself pushed back for a second time. Growling, he cursed his luck. But maybe Hiiragizawa wasn't that smart after all. He didn't expect Syaoran to send a message by bird. Or supposedly, Eriol KNEW, but didn't show. After a long debate with himself, Syaoran ended up more confused than ever. Sighing, he decided to retire to bed.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^ The Very Next Day ^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Syaoran was bored out of his wits. All day, he had been sitting in his room with nothing to do. Once, just a little while after sunrise, a platter of food appeared on his desk. As soon as he finished eating, it disappeared. Nothing else happened at all. It was the most dreadful thing that could happen to someone-- to be bored, and also locked up-- but not to Syaoran, and of course, his books.
He took this as an opportunity to practice his magic. He pulled out an ofuda with a spell on it, and touched it with his sword, which he had out. "Force, know my plight, the force ignite!" he yelled. Instantly, a blast of fire shot out. Forgetting the magic barrier, Syaoran was almost too slow in dodging the attack that was sent right back at him. The fire missed him, but it hit his table, which started a huge fire. At first, Syaoran thought about stopping it with a water ofuda. Then, thinking it over, he let it burn.
~~ Eriol, Tomoyo, and Sakura smelled something burning. It was starting to fill the room they were in, so they began to crouch down low to the ground. In an instant, Eriol had then all teleported to outside the castle. Now, the only living thing left in the smoky prison was Syaoran. Sakura and Tomoyo noticed that he was missing.
"Where's Li?" they asked at the same time, looking at Eriol for an explanation. Eriol had teleported everyone inside the castle to the outside, but Syaoran was not there.
"Uh.." Eriol racked his head for an excuse. "Um, he must have ran off. I'll go look for him!" yelled Eriol as he zoomed away. Once he was far away, he teleported himself back to Syaoran's room. Glaring, Eriol expected an answer from the annoyingly stubborn teen in front of him. Syaoran said nothing, but smirked.
For once, Eriol had a taste of his own medicine. He didn't mind, though. In fact, they almost had a smirking contest, but the smoke stopped them both. Crouched on the floor, Eriol just managed to choke out the words that removed the spell on the room, so that Syaoran can get out. Quickly, he transported them both to the other side of the castle, away from the girls.
Now, looking at the burning mess, Syaoran was beginning to go frantic. All of his stuff was still in the castle! That includes his spell books, and other similar things: his lucky quill, and many things his sisters had given him, and much more. Eriol smirked whole-heartedly at Syaoran, who glared back. He KNEW, he KNEW, and he was laughing. Syaoran thought angrily. It isn't funny at all. IF Hiiragizawa decides to lock me up again, I wont' even have anything to read! The thought bore into his mind.
Quickly, Syaoran decided that the worst thing that could happen to a person is to get locked up, with nothing to do. Now he was REALLY in a hurry to rescue his precious books and stuff. Eriol, reading Syaoran's mind (as usual) just rolled his eyes. Within a matter of seconds, all of Syaoran's stuff came crashing down on his head. Now that really hurt, especially when all his metal training weapons and armor were part of the mess.
Syaoran sunk underneath the weight. Growling at Eriol the whole time, he lowered everything hanging onto him, and stalked away. If he could get away from Eriol, that would be better than staying around, even with his books. This is going to be one LONG half-a-day. [This happened at noon, remember?]
SOOOOOOO how was it?!??!?!!?! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! Please? I beg all you kind reader who even read this!
Thank you! (to those who review, that is)
~KawaiiSakuraAngel~