I'm back again, with yet another chapter. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! –hugs everyone- Oh! I thought of something I thought you should know. In later chapters, there will be a little angst. Just a little. Why? Because I can write it! Bwuahaha! Just kidding…but I had a little influence. –coughAisakiSumicough- Besides, I thought I should stabilize the genres a little bit. There some romance, a bit of angst, and a bit of humor (well, at least I hope it appears humorous to you…I suck at humor…T-T)…or it will at least be a pathetic attempt to balance everything out. I don't know; it depends on your point of view. Anyhow, enough of my excessive babbling, onto the story!

Disclaimer: ME NO OWN CCS! –cough-

Release My Soul

Chapter 2: Releasing the Anger

Sakura's eyes widened. No…no…NO! "Y-you can't be serious!"

"Ah, but I am." Syaoran's eyes danced, thoroughly amused.

Sakura bumped her head on the door repetitively, hearing the small thumps over and over. "YOU…are Li Syaoran?"

"The one and only, Sakura."

She glared fiercely at him, but unfortunately for Sakura, he wasn't the least bit deterred. "Why…why…WHY? Out of all the trainers in the world, why did my dad have to hire YOU?" she said, mostly to herself.

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "You are being so overdramatic. We've only met each other for five minutes."

"Which is more than enough to last a billion lifetimes." Sakura added.

"Must you be so mean?"

Irritated, she grumbled, "To you—yes."

He laughed softly. "You are a very interesting person, Sakura."

"Glad you think so." She mumbled in a facetious tone. "Look, I don't want to put up w—"

"SYAORAN!" a loud voice echoed through the empty hallways of the mansion.

Sakura and Syaoran turned to see a girl about their age with long, black hair tied into pigtails. She had ferocious red eyes and a frown tugged at her lips as she ran up to Syaoran and directly digged her index finger at his chest. "Syaoran! Where have you been? Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting?"

Syaoran raised a brow. "Huh?"

The woman held up a pair of skates. "Hello? You were supposed to be at the skating rink forty-five minutes ago. Don't you remember?"

"Oh, sorry. I was…preoccupied." He shifted his gaze to Sakura.

The young lady followed his stare and noticed Sakura standing beside them with a bewildered expression implanted on her face. "Who—" she paused. "Oh! You must be the new guest! Kinomoto Sakura, was it?"

Sakura nodded.

The girl extended her arm towards her. "Hi Kinomoto-san! I'm Li Meiling, Syaoran's cousin."

Sakura slowly took her hand. "Pleased to meet you." She altered the gaze to Syaoran. "It's nice to know some people in this family who have manners, unlike a certain someone I know."

A goofy smile appeared on Syaoran's lips. Meiling looked at Sakura to Syaoran and back. "Eh? Did I miss something?"

Syaoran shook his head. "Naw, come on Meiling. Let's go." He hesitated, glancing at Sakura. "You can come too, you know. I planned to start practicing tomorrow, but why not now? Think of it like an early lesson."

She snorted. "Right…and spend more atrocious time with you when I can at least postpone it till tomorrow? I think I'll pass." She started to walk back in her room.

"Is that really the case? Or are you just afraid?" a cunning smirk tugged at Syaoran's lips.

Sakura stopped, her eyelids stretching out more than usual. She spun around, facing him. "What could I possibly be afraid of?"

"Showing what you can do, of course; you are visibly terrified of me seeing how awful a skater you are."

Sakura could feel her blood start to boil within her rapid pumping veins. "I'm not afraid! That's the last thing that could happen."

Syaoran asked skeptically, "Really? Then prove it to me."

"Fine!" Sakura said before she could even cease the urge. When her ears perked up to the challenge, she could not resist. She wanted to kick that boy's behind to where it belonged.

She entered her room and rummaged through her suitcase. Holding her skates, she stomped out and muttered to Syaoran, "Fine, I'll prove to you that I can skate, and you'll be sorry for ever saying that, Li!"

Sakura marched down the staircase, not bothering to wait for Syaoran and Mei Ling.

Meiling, who had witnessed the scene, frowned at her cousin. "What's gotten into you, Syaoran? I've never seen you act like that before."

Syaoran smiled. "It's just that—that girl interests me."

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Sakura stepped out of the shiny limousine. She ignored Syaoran the entire ride, refusing to face him and his outwardly haughty attitude. He only grinned at her, studying her carefully. He still hadn't figured her out quite yet, but her aggressive approach gave him a sort of attraction to her. One thing's for sure: on the outside, Kinomoto Sakura wasn't like other girls.

Meiling sat silently through the whole ride, glancing at Syaoran a couple times. He acted…different around this Kinomoto. What led him to it? She could not understand. He had many other female students; how was she different from all the rest?

Sakura sighed. Stupid Li. The elongated car stopped in front of a wide building. Its walls were painted a light cream color, standing out in the pure snow. The pointed roof was covered in a thin layer of ice. A neon sign had lightened up, blinking the words: Oikawa Skating Rink. There were a few windows, and Sakura could see and faintly hear the jocund children skating inside. The resonance of their laughter gave Sakura the urge to smile and laugh with them. Ice-skating could really turn a frown upside down, and she knew from previous experiences that it could work. She stepped inside the revolving doors, enjoying the warmth inside the structure. Syaoran and Meiling followed after her. At the center was a wide receptionist's desk, covered in papers, computers, and telephones. Two extensive hallways were built at the sides of the desk, and numerous doors stood on the walls.

Syaoran walked up to the receptionist's desk and told an employee, "We're here."

The worker looked up and nodded. "Go ahead, Li-san."

Syaoran entered the left corridor and stopped at the seventh door. He took out a key and unlocked the door. "Here we are. You might want to start putting on those skates." He told the girls as he walked up to a coffee machine. He snatched a Styrofoam cup and poured a bit of coffee inside. A pleasant steam arose from the hot liquid and gave a bit of heat to the cup, warming up his hands. He put in a packet of sugar and blended it well with a plastic spoon. He sipped some of the drink, and a heated sensation tingled his tongue and slithered down his throat. His eyes traveled from the drink to Sakura. Let's see what she can do…

Sakura looked around in awe. Long steps descended down the center of the room, where a round, hollow fence had ceased it. Inside the fence was a small ice rink. The surface had been cleaned and polished so well, and Sakura could almost see her refection upon the firm ice.

Sakura blinked. "This room's empty…" she said aloud, not to anyone particular.

Meiling overheard her and replied, "Yes, since Syaoran is one of the most popular coaches here, the Oikawa Skating Rink offered to him a private rink."

"I see…"

"Come on, Kinomoto-san." Meiling plunked onto a stair and patted to a space beside her. "Put on your skates."

Sakura nodded as she sat down beside her and untied the laces of her skates. She slipped her tiny feet out of the fuzzy snow boots she wore and transferred them to her skates. She tightly tied the laces back together, and in a few moments, she was ready. She rose up and glanced at Syaoran, who sipped on his cup of coffee and stared at her. Oh, I'll show that arrogant man who's an awful skater!

Sakura placed her right foot onto the ice, and instantly lost herself in a trance. Both her feet stood on the frozen water, gliding across the smooth exterior. She simply started to slide forward, warming up her muscles. She then reversed and skated backwards. She closed her eyes and found herself spinning in one spot. Her arms clutched her chest, resulting in a quicker spin. Suddenly, Sakura lost her thoughts of Syaoran. What he thought of her didn't matter anymore. Her mind wandered into her personal, familiar world. It appeared to her that the twirls pushed away her surroundings. Sakura flared her arms out, slowing down. She crunched down and picked up one foot out in front of her, continuing her rotation. Switching her position, she rose up and held her hands in the air, still whirling on one foot. A peaceful look crept onto her face, and she was like an angel dancing on the ice. Sakura opened her eyes and impeded her momentum. She skated around once more, building up her pace. With one last push from her left leg, Sakura jumped into the air and spun twice counterclockwise. She successfully landed on the solid ground. For her own contentment, she skated around without purpose, enjoying the straightforward feel when the blades of her skates slashed through the ice.

Meiling leaned on the fence, staring at Sakura with such enthrallment. Syaoran watched as well, strolling to Meiling to get a closer view to the gifted girl. He could help but smile: she really had proved him wrong.

"She's amazing when she gets on the ice, ne?" Meiling asked.

Syaoran had no choice but to agree.

After skating around for a while, Sakura abruptly stopped in the middle of the rink. Her eyes shifted around and the brilliance of her eyes unexpectedly drooped. Her countenance gave a sense of weariness, mystification, and mourning. She looked up, and tinges of desperation clouded her emerald orbs. She saw past the paved ceiling, past the atmosphere of the earth, and past the barrenness of space. Her pleading eyes sought out for the heaven above all that, searching to fill a sudden emptiness inside of her.

Syaoran and Meiling stared at her with curious eyes. They glimpsed at each other, wondering the same exact thing: what just happened?

"Kinomoto-san?" a soft voice escaped the lips of Meiling.

Sakura blinked, hearing her name. She turned to Meiling and Syaoran, a noticeable hint of disappointment shone within her now dull green eyes. Sakura stepped towards them, gazing at the floor. Once she met up with them, she looked up to face their inquisitive and concerned eyes.

"Is—is something wrong, Kinomoto-san?" Meiling asked.

Sakura tried to smile and hide her perplexing emotions, but to no avail. "No, nothing's wrong."

Syaoran stared deeply into Sakura's green orbs. "Are you sure?"

Sakura stared back at him, this time a bit stunned. His voice sounded…sincere? "Y-yeah…I'm okay."

She could tell Syaoran wasn't fairly satisfied with her answer, but she forgot all that when he said, "Good, because I wasn't sure whether or not you were going to break out insane and savagely." He hesitated, stroking his chin humorously. "Well, I guess you already are…"

That statement earned him a thwack in the head. "Idiot!"

Meiling's lips curled upward. Always leave it to Syaoran to brighten up the mood—or worsen it.

¤¤¤

Subsequent to the scene at the rink, Sakuraarrived back to the Li mansion and stomped in her room. Her usually beautiful face was crimson all over from anger. There were practically waves of steam coming from her ears, similar to a teakettle filled with sweltering water and pushing out the steam through its spout. She could not understand why that man continued to give her irritating comments about herself. That Li Syaoran! Yes, sadly, she had not yet adjusted to his presence.

She lied on her satin-covered bed and thrust her face right on a pillow. She screamed in the fluffy material to discharge as much rage as she could. The method did work in fact, for her at least. But the fury hit her again when she heard that horrible voice.

"Wow, first you trudge through the house like an overweight elephant, and now you scream in your pillow like a screeching bird that never keeps her calm. And I thought you couldn't get any more bizarre."

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed together and her teeth clenched into each other with such a powerful force as she lifted her head from her pillow. Finding Syaoran leaning at her door once again, she shouted, "ARRGH! Go away!"

Syaoran paid no attention to her, chuckling. "You sound like an impudent child."

"YOU are impudent child!" Her eyes searched for anything near, and she put on a wicked smile as she grabbed her pink hairbrush from the nightstand and threw it rapidly at his head. He saw the object flying at his head and made an attempt to dodge. Much to Sakura's satisfaction and his frustration, the brush swiftly hit the top of his forehead. Well, at least it did not hit his face full on, which in truth was her intention.

"Ow…" he rubbed the stinging spot on his forehead and picked up the brush. Syaoran was fully aware that a bruise of some size was already in form. He had not realized the short-tempered woman had such a superior aim.

Sakura was a bit let down when the pink item only knocked his forehead, but she was content. Sakura held out her tongue at him and got up from the bed. She took the hairbrush and shoved him out the room. Syaoran frowned and inquired, "Hey! Aren't you going to at least apologize and care for my wound?"

In response, Sakura wrinkled her nose. "Why would I do that?"

"Come on, don't you have any sympathy? In any case, you should take care of my injury."

"Don't you have any intellect? It's just a minor bruise; you'll live."

"Can't you at least put a band aid on it?" he pouted.

Sakura rolled her eyes as she closed the door. "Be a man, Li Syaoran! You can do it yourself." Syaoran heard from the other side of the door.

Syaoran grinned. "That Sakura…she's really something…" he muttered to himself as he left the door to find a first aid kit.

¤¤¤

That night, Syaoran entered the family library, closing the tall wooden doors behind him with a thud. The room was mostly shady. Small, light fires kindled very few candles, and the tip of the flames swiveled around a little, attempting to increase its warmth and radiance. The wax of the candles melted and emitted a sweet scent into the temperate air. A mysterious atmosphere enveloped the room. It was very silent; the only noises to be heard were inhaling and exhaling of his breath. Syaoran's intense amber orbs searched the dimly lit room and found his mother sitting quietly on a chair, looking out the window with deep concentration. Her legs were crossed and her head rested upon her hand. She was soundless, her hard eyes engrossed with the full moon in the shadowy sky. Her mind was lost in her thoughts. Her brows were creased, wrinkles showing in the space between.

"Syaoran?" her soft voice echoed throughout the room.

Syaoran felt a chill in his spine and gulped. "Yes, Mother? You called?"

Yelan nodded, turning to her son. An awkward silence filled the air as she scrutinized her son, taking note of every inch of his face. She finally said, "What happened to your forehead?"

She must have seen the two band-aids, crossing together in an attempt to cover up his moderate purple bruise. He laughed nervously. "Uh…let's just say a murderous beast rampaged into our house and hit me violently on the forehead." He smiled, knowing if Sakura heard him, she would tear him apart limb from limb.

Yelan stared at her son quizzically, but freed it from her mind. "Yes…well anyways…what do you think of Sakura-san?"

"Well…she's a very…interesting girl. And on the ice—she's certainly talented. With some training, I believe she has immense potential to carry onto the professional level."

"Coming from you, I suspect she is awfully good at what she does."

Syaoran grinned. "You could say that."

Yelan closed her eyes for a second, murmuring, "And to think, she's never ever taken lessons."

Syaoran's brows rose. "Are you serious?" he tapped his chin gently. "So everything she's done at this point…she's learned herself? Fascinating…"

"Yes. She's very capable of just about anything, like her father." She paused. "But Syaoran, take heed to these next few words. I will repeat something that has been said to me—'be careful with her.'"

Puzzlement overwhelmed Syaoran's face. "'Be careful with her'? What do you mean?"

Yelan frowned, and Syaoran got the feeling she did not know what it meant either. With an exhausted sigh, his mother waved her hand at him, giving permission for dismissal. He was reluctant to leave though, wanting an answer to his question. But he knew his mother did not have one, so he exited the room quietly.

He put his hands in his pockets and tilted his head up, wishing for a reply from the skies. He walked away from the wooden doors, the baffling statement engulfing his thoughts.

Be careful with her…

Perhaps Kinomoto Sakura was not all she's cracked up to be.

¤¤¤

…This chapter is very short, I know, I know! But I thought it would be good just to stop there. XD Hope it wasn't too boring for you. Hehehe. But keep in mind; other chapters will not be as short as this one (hopefully). So…yeah. Just be thankful I wrote this chapter and updated, instead of running around outside on Christmas break like the crazed maniac I am. Ha! I'm joking, but writing my stories really does pass time. So I'll continue to update when I can. But sometimes, I'll need a day or two to relax. –wink- So send some more reviews to encourage my indolent butt to write some more. Besides, I love reviews. XD