Author's Note: No, your eyes do not deceive you...I have actually come out with another chapter. I'm sorry for all of you who have been waiting for it, but I just...well...I don't really have an excuse, except to say that I just seemed to loose the creative edge there for a while. Well, I hope (for whoever are still interested in this fic) that you enjoy the rest of the story. Again, I'm sorry.
a.n.g.e.l - Yes, Love really was that bad of a fighter. Think about it. With love being the card he was to begin with, fighting really didn't interest him at all. Without the practice most of the other cards had and with no desire to learn how to use a sword or other weapon, Love pretty much sucked at swordplay. Now, when Rage came into the picture later, he insisted that Love learn how to fight with a sword for his own protection. Love isn't that bad of a sword fighter now, but back then,...oh yeah...he was bad.
Sakura-chan - Thank you very much for your compliment. Four or so months ago I would have gladly accepted it, but now, with my tardiness...All I have to say is I might have been in league with the Mouse when I updated, but now,...no. Well...I'll just have to try and earn that compliment again. :)
azhrei - Thank you azhrei for that absolutely delightful review. I am so happy you find my story interesting...even during the work day when you're supposed to be working ~.^ I just feel so bad that you were looking forward to the next chapter so eagerly and I didn't provide it for you. I am really sorry for that. >.
Twisted Rose - I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, and I'm really sorry that I was too dense to put in a warning beforehand mentioning that there was shonen-ai in the chapter. It actually never even occurred to me. I promise, though, that there will be warnings at the beginning of each chapter from now on if there is any Yaoi in it.
Videl Cerasi Jade - Hey Shadowfire. I'm happy you liked the flashback. ^_^ Like I say, I hadn't planned that. Thank you for you confidence in my ability to write the romance portions of this fic. I hope It will turn out great like you think it will. *sigh* Everyone keeps mentioning how much they liked Famine. I really like him, too. It makes me feel guilty that he really only got one chapter. I feel like I should bring him back, but that would seriously interfere with my plot. Oh, and I can't wait to bring Magic in either, Shadowfire. All I can say is...I am going to have so much fun writing that part of my fic.
CreatiStar - Sorry to have kept you waiting, CreatiStar. I'll try to get that S+S in soon. *taps side of head* I have the whole fic worked out in here, and the romance IS coming. (lol...how many times have I said that now? ^_^a). I hope you DO get to go to Toronto Trek one day, it's really fun! I'm glad Insanity had an effect on you. ^_^ Hope you remember everything you wanted to write in your next review this time!
Kallima Angelos Tera - First of all, like the name ^.^ Thank you very much for your compliments on my grammar. That means quite a lot, actually. Lol...I correct my friends' sentences as well sometimes when they talk. >. *reeeeaaaalllly big grin* I'm happy you approve of my male characters. (thinks of Rage and gets dreamy expression on face) lol...I do try. Don't be sorry for the long review,...the longer the better. I love long reviews!
Sakura 1301 - Thank you.
Dalaofu - Now, Dalaofu-kun, I'm glad you like my fic, but do try not to spoil my story for others, hmm? You may be right about the four people that Insanity spoke of that you picked...but then again...maybe not. ^__^ Can't tell ya! Oh, and just between you and me (and whomever else is reading this right now ~.^) just because Love isn't a good fighter does not mean he doesn't have a big part to play. But, what do I know? I'm just the author...lol. Oh, and if you wish, you may call me Maurynna-chan, or in your words ^.^ Mau-chan.
Stevie - Thanks for the review Stevie! *sigh* EVERYONE says I need more S+S. *scratches head quizzically* you think that means something? lol...lol...*dodges angry reviewers* I get the point! Thanks again for reviewing, I love getting new reviewers (and if I updated more I'd probably have more people interested >.).
RadicalRavenclaw - aka I Am Canadian - Glad you like the story, and I hope you continue to enjoy it! See you again (hopefully) my fellow Canadian! I, am also Canadian, and damn proud of it! ^.^
SakuraBlossom86 - *cringes in corner* Oi, normally, a review like yours would have me smiling, but, I just feel guilty. I am so happy you like my story, and I'm sorry I haven't updated. I hope that, when I post this chapter, I'll still see you in the reviews. Gomen!
Jamie - Thank you very much. ^_^
I Am Canadian (who's too lazy to log in) - lol...I have that nasty habit too, not logging in. >. Oh man, if you were dying before...eeek!...I think I've killed someone!! Seriously though, sorry about the chapter delay. (does anyone else feel like I'm groveling? How many times have I said I'm sorry now?).
Suzaku no Miko - lol...I'll try Suzaku...I'll try to get that action/romance in. Thanks for the review!
dreamyblue - Thank you. ^.^
silverdroplets - Oh. My. God. Your review is one of THE nicest I have ever read, and boy do I feel REAL low right now. I think it's absolutely wonderful that you have that much confidence in my writing, and I am so sorry I disappointed you by not updating. I hope that, in the future, I'll be able to elevate myself back to the position I held in your eyes...I have a feeling that's going to take a lot of work. ^_^a...but you know what they say...nothing worth doing is ever easy. Thank you, again!
Sakura-chan - By all means, strangle me. ^.^a I'm sure more than one person here would help you. Don't bother with the virus though...someone already had that pleasure. Yes...someone sent me a virus through my e-mail, that is all I'll say on the matter. I'm happy you find my fic interesting, and I'll try to avoid situations in the future that will force you to commit violence to my person. ^.^ I hope (if you're even checking anymore) that you enjoy the rest of the fic.
Where have you been? - I know, I know...I HAD vanished off the net. Thanks for the compliment, Sir! (Ma'am?), and I'll get right on it soldier!! ^_^a
CreatiStar - Thank you for putting my on your Favourite Author and Story list, CreatiStar! ^_^ I'm flattered. Gee...you really are forgetful. Maybe, as your reading, you should write down the things you want to ask me so that you don't forget them later on. Just a suggestion. ~.^
Angel-chan - Thank you, I hope this will be great when its completed. As for the labyrinth/laboratory thing...Clow Reed has this little place he visits when he needs to be alone or do extensive Magic. Below this place is a labyrinth, yes, a maze, that only he know the way through. In the center of this maze in his 'laboratory' where he performs heavy Magic. Does this clear things up? Heh...^.^a...I hadn't even realized I'd been switching between the Japanese and English names of the characters, I was doing it without even realizing it! Oops...I'll try not to do it again.
kEro-kIro-chan (or my #1 FAN ~.^) - I'm sorry I haven't updated. I'm glad you like my fic so much and express so much enthusiasm towards it. Thanks for reading. And *sniff* it always makes me feel special when people like you make such wonderful comments...'I'd read anything you write, even if it's not my type...those types of things make me feel all warm and fuzzy, even when I'm undeserving of such comments. *sigh* You know what? I liked Famine, too, but, there is just no way I'm going to release him for the purpose of helping Sakura seal the other Forgotten. Why? I believe Sakura explained that in an earlier chapter. I swear...the next time I create such a nice character like him I'm not going to seal him up right in the same chapter! Sorry again! *Psst!* and by the way...I think I did feel you silently cheering me on in my dark moments. ^.^
Moon Angel - *nods head seriously* Yes, Rage and Love are cute, aren't they? *mutters* You're probably not going to like how this chapter ends. *smiles brilliantly again* And I do so love the idea of Tory x Julian/ Tory x Yue, but, I don't know...it just didn't seem to go that way this time around. Hope you enjoy the rest of my fic and thanks for reviewing and sharing your opinions!!
Blue Moon - Sorry.
Sakura- chan (haven't I mentioned you already? ;) ) - *gulp* *whispers* Sorry. I'll get right on that, Sir! I-I mean...Sakura.
Aisha-chan - Stop, stop crying Sakura1301!! *hands over box of tissues* *wails* I don't know how to deal with sobbing reviewers!! Well, for the sake of your life (hope I'm not too late) here's the next chapter.
Cherry Blossom - Thank you.
I did, too.
Yes it does, doesn't it?
*sigh* I know.
Gotcha! Read on!
And sorry it took so long.
FaithAngel - Well...for someone who stays up 'til 1:45 in the morning just to finish my fic then I'll have to update for you! Oh, and,...your whole not having started your homework thing....*lowers head* happens to me all the time. *winks* I'm a fanfic junkie. Or at least I was, until I disappeared off the net, as someone put it.
syrupjunkie - *blinks twice* Wow. *re-reads review a couple times* Just...wow.
I don't know what to say. First of all, I would just like to say thank
you for writing such a passionate review. It was the final straw-with the
help of the other reviews-that got me off my ass and typing the next chapter.
The next thing I'd like to say is I wasn't intentionally blocking you from
my e-mail (I wasn't intentionally blocking anyone). It's just, well...I
really haven't been on the Internet, much less my e-mail account, and when
I finally went in that thing to see what I had been missing...I had over
five hundred e-mails. *ehem* Heh...as you know (or not, depends) hotmail
wasn't too happy with me. Basically, nothing was getting into that account
until I erased some things. That's why you couldn't e-mail me. Again, sorry.
It wasn't because I was trying to keep you out or anything. Okay, the second
thing...I cannot believe how well you think of me as a writer.
The amounts of compliments in there! ...again...I am at a loss for words.
*shakes head in bewilderment* I certainly don't deserve them. There are
plenty
of other writers out there better at this than I am. But, I am
so flattered you think this way. Please tell Creati, if you see or hear
from her before she sees this, that I thank you both, and this review means
more to me then you know. Maurynna-chan
Okay...phew...now that I've tackled the huge monster called 'answering the reviewers' ~.^...let's get on to the story, shall we? One more thing though...I kind of went back over my chapters so that I'd be better prepared to write this, and, whomever pointed this out in the first place was right...the way I change the title of the fic on the main page is a bit confusing. All of the title changes were just the titles for the chapters. In truth, I really didn't have a title for the entire fic...until now. I've decided that I'm going to go with the original chapter title, Clow Reed's Mistake, as the main title for this fic. I think it suits the fic better than the other titles. So, whenever you look for this fic in the future, look for Clow Reed's Mistake, okay?
Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptors, nor do I claim to. I am not getting paid for this so please do not sue me.
Warning: Rage, Love, Famine, War, Disease, Death, Hate, Insanity, Despair, Fear, Betrayal, Dragon, and Magic belong to ME. Oh my...I do believe that's thirteen...
Warning: Shonen-ai! (^_^ Just thought you should now,
as I was an ass the last time and forgot to mention it.) And...um...if
anyone has a fear of bugs, if they give you a squicky feeling, then be
careful in this chapter. I don't go into great detail (for me) and the
passage isn't that long, but still. Know that you have been warned!!
Cardcaptors: Ignorance is a Frightening Thing-Ch.27
Once Sakura was able to calm down and the others' laughter abated she managed to get the group back into a semi-circle. When it became apparent that she had something to say everyone turned their attention to her, wondering. "Okay," she started, smiling brilliantly. "Now that we've gotten this whole thing settled, " finally "I think it's about time I learned about the other Forgotten. What?" Sakura asked as more than one person in the group gave her startled looks at her abrupt question. "Come on! I think this conversation is long overdo. With all of the trouble I've had with these guys so far I want to know all that I can about the remaining cards I have to capture. It's certainly not an unreasonable request." she muttered.
Kero shook himself. "Of course it's not, Sakura. It's just, well, you have a habit of just blurting out unusual things like that without warning. It kind of takes people off guard." he explained sheepishly.
"Gee, " Love whispered, leaning toward Rage, "now who does that remind you of?" he asked sarcastically. Rage made a silencing motion with his hand, wanting to hear everything he could of this conversation as it indirectly involved him.
"Well, " Kero scratched his head, "where should I start? You've only got seven more cards to capture out of the original thirteen. Let's see...there's the Betrayal card, the Insanity card, " no one noticed the way Li's eyes narrowed at the mention of the card that had placed such horrid visions of Sakura in his head for years. "the Dragon card, the Death card, the Magic card, and, of course, " Kero sent a hesitant glance towards Rage and Love, "the Rage and Love cards."
Everyone's attention turned to the two cards. Before anyone could ask the question Sakura knew everyone wanted to ask, including Rage and Love, she asked, "Tell me about them. It's good to know your enemies' weak points...and strong points." hoping to distract everyone back to the conversation at hand and away from Rage and Love.
Clearing his throat, Kero reluctantly let the question he wanted to ask slide. "Well, Betrayal is a fairly straight forward card. What she does is play on a person's feelings, more specifically, their vulnerability and their feelings of hurt and betrayal caused by another. She relies mostly upon her power of persuasion, convincing the victim that the target Betrayal wishes to kill or crush has never cared for the victim, has never been there for him or her, basically convincing the victim that the target has betrayed them in some unspeakable way. As I said, straight forward."
"Betrayal prefers to use others for her dirty work." Yue stepped in. Kero didn't seem to mind and Sakura got the impression that they used to do this all the time when they served Clow Reed, finishing the other's thoughts. "But do not underestimate her. She has knowledge of the basic Magics, as do all the Forgotten, and prefers to use the element of Air when she can. Her Magic is not great, but it is sufficient."
Sakura thought that was all she needed to know about Betrayal, and she was about to ask about one of the others when Rage spoke up unexpectedly. "Be careful of the bracelet she wears around her wrist."
Kero turned to him, frowning, "What bracelet?"
Rage glanced casually at Kero before turning his gaze back to Sakura. When the explanation came, it was, surprisingly, Love who gave it. "She wears a blue and red bracelet around her right wrist." he said slowly, quite serious. "It is a very...normal... thing, so, it would be easy to miss Kero Beros. Besides, she hadn't started wearing the thing until just before our..." Love glanced at Rage, "...confinement, so you might not have even ever seen it for yourself."
"Basically," Love explained, sitting up straighter, "the bracelet is made up of a hundred tiny, needle-sharp pins. Not impressed? Well, each one of those pins were dipped in a clear liquid poison called Narcisis (no...there is no hidden meaing in the word so don't look for one. It's just a word I picked at random from my head). If you get pricked with one of those pins..." Love trailed off his eyes hooded.
"...you'll die." Rage finished in a flat tone. Then one corner of his mouth picked up in one of his not-quite-smiles. "And that's putting it quite lightly."
Sakura glanced back and forth from Rage's calm expression to Love's shuttered one. "What, what do you mean, 'that's putting it lightly'?"
"Are you sure you want to hear what I have to say about it?" Rage asked quietly.
"Rage,..." Love said suddenly, a warning in his voice. Rage ignored him.
Kero, curious beyond all conceptions yet filled with a sense of unease, flew up to Sakura's ear. Sakura glanced at Love, truly concerned with his odd behaviour. "I-I guess so." she finally said.
Rage shrugged, indicating that the uneasiness practically flowing off of everyone in the group was of no concern to him. "At first, you feel nothing. You think, perhaps, that nothing is wrong and you worried over nothing. But then, twenty-four hours later, you will wake up feeling slightly disoriented. Nothing severe, just enough to make you feel that, perhaps, you didn't get as much sleep the night before as you had thought. During the duration of the day a tingling begins to invade your limbs, as though your foot or arm has fallen asleep...except...the tingling does not go away."
Sakura leaned forward on her knees, the tone of Rage's voice luring her. Just what was this leading up to? She noticed that Madison, too, was leaning forward, her eyes open wide in anticipation of how this tale was to end. Kero was clearly enthralled, as much of a storyteller as he himself already was. Even Li, who was trying to appear as if he had no great interest in the tale, was listening to every word. Only Love, who was sitting beside Rage, looked to be getting more upset the more Rage spoke. Was it because he knew the end to the tale...and didn't like the results? Or was there something else?
Sakura stopped her mental wandering as Rage continued speaking, "The tingling soon becomes an itch that you cannot scratch. If you are truly resilient you may be able to ignore it for a few hours, but eventually, the itching feeling fades to that of insects. Tiny, crawling, beady-eyed insects that are crawling all over your skin. You seek nothing but to remove them, except that, when you look, there is nothing there. But you can feel them, crawling under your skin, nesting, feeding. It is not pleasant." Rage remarked, as if in afterthought. Noticing the greenish colour of some of the faces around him, he arched an eyebrow. "You think that is the worst of it? Far from it."
"After the bugs comes the fever. You feel hot all over. You seek something, anything, that might be able to take the heat away, but nothing works. Soon, the fever gets so that you toss and turn in your bed, unable to sleep, unable to eat, unable to even sip water without it coming back up. Your strength wains, and when you think you will die because of dehydration...that's when the burning sets in."
"At first, you think the feeling is nothing more than one of your fever induced delusions, but when the delusion does not go away you realize it is something quite worse. The burning steadily increases, slowly, ever so slowly, starting with your hands and feet. It feels as if the skin is peeling from your hands. You look down and expect to find rotting, deteriorating flesh, glimpses of bone through whatever happens to be left, blood, burst blood vessels that cannot heal. But...your skin is normal, except for the natural paleness from what you are feeling."
"The burning gets worse."
"It spreads through your body, like the fever, and soon it becomes so intense that you begin to whimper, beg even, anything to make the pain stop. When everything damn thing has been tried to cool you down with no results whatsoever...your blood begins to boil. You cannot remember your own name or who is in the room with you, no matter how long you have been friends. You cannot even remember how to speak. " Rage paused, as if thinking about something. Continuing softly, he says, "The inhuman screams come not long after."
At this moment, Love bolted up from the grass and ran away from the group, sprinting as fast as his legs would carry him, unmindful of the concerned cries coming from behind him. He just ran. When he reached the fence surrounding the school he crashed into it, clinging to it, breathing heavily. He gripped the wire of the fence so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Sakura, who had risen in surprise when Love had bolted, stared after the figure, more concerned for him than she had ever been. Even the others, including Yue, were staring at Love's turned back in varying degrees of concern and curiousity. Sakura looked down at Rage, who hadn't moved, and saw the same concerned light flickering in his eyes. When he realized she was watching him, he quickly hid it away behind his mask.
Finally, Kero remarked quietly, "I didn't think he was that squeamish."
"He's not." Rage replied softly.
Eyes narrowed, Sakura stared at Rage suspiciously. "What have you left out?" she asked bluntly. He did have a habit of leaving out things that he didn't feel like discussing.
Rage looked up at her, studying her for a moment. Sakura stared right back, telling him silently loud and clear (^,^a) that she was NOT going to back down without an explanation. The others waited, curious, wondering what could have shaken Love so badly.
Finally, Rage sighed. Leaning back on the grass on his elbows, he looked around at everyone. Sakura couldn't help but notice that his shoulders seemed just a little slumped, that his expression was a bit more weary than she had ever seen it, like he had finally gotten to the point where his emotions were just so...built up...that he couldn't quite keep them in as well as he usually could. Looking down, Sakura asked, "Well?"
Rage attempted on of his half-smiles but it faded as soon as it had formed. Sighing again, he brushed a black gloved hand through his hair. "I have been pricked by one of those needles. All that I have described to you has been what I can remember. The rest, what I can't remember, I was told."
Sakura looked at him, wide-eyed, "No," she whispered, horrified. "it can't be true."
Rage shrugged. "It is." was all he said.
Suddenly, Sakura's horror and concern were washed away by a frightening anger. Frowning suddenly, she asked, "And you told all this, knowing that Love knew exactly who you were talking about?"
Rage nodded. "Yes. Why?" he asked, looking genuinely confused.
"Why?!" Sakura said, her voice set in an unbelieving tone. "Because look at what it did to him!" she finally replied, pointing vaguely behind her in Love's direction.
Rage took a brief glance past her, then returned his attention to her face. Frowning, he said slowly, "I honestly don't know why he overreacted. He has seen similar things in his time."
Sputtering, Sakura got out, "You...don't know why..." abruptly, she snapped her mouth shut. A moment later, she opened it again, and when she spoke this time, her voice was so loud that it made all of them wince. "He overreacted because he..." Sakura trailed off, suddenly remembering that she wasn't supposed to tell Rage about Love's feelings. Finishing up what she had been saying, her voice came out in no more than a whisper this time. "...because he's your friend."
Before Rage could form a reply to that, Sakura whirled around and ran to where Love was still gripping the fence. The others looked after her, all bewildered by her sudden shift in moods, but also understanding, if only a little, why she was so angry with Rage.
Li made to get up to follow her, concerned, but Yue shook his head silently at him, telling him to remain seated. Li shot Yue a gaze filled with questions, but he sat down. He didn't know the whole story here-though he did know there was one-but he trusted Yue's judgement.
When Sakura was within six feet of the obviously distressed card she stopped in her tracks, partly to regain her breath, partly to make sure he knew she was there and to make sure it was okay to be here in the first place. By the time Sakura had calmed her breathing Love still hadn't made a move to even indicate he knew she was there. So Sakura stood there, arms loosely at her sides, studying the man's back. She wondered what it must be like to love someone but not have them love you back. To have them be so completely unaware that they even disregarded your feelings as if they were nothing. Though, she supposed Rage wasn't ALL to blame. Love could have told him how he felt. And besides, Rage really was oblivious to Love's predicament. While she had been blasting into him she had noted the completely baffled expression on Rage's face...he had honestly thought that what he was describing would not have bothered Love at all. Sakura suspected that, if Rage had known that Love was this disturbed by the tale, he wouldn't have told it.
"What do you want?"
Sakura blinked, startled by the sudden and unexpected question. Love still had not moved, but he had, apparently, decided he was able to speak to her now. The fact that he had not turned around to face her worried Sakura still. Just how badly had Rage's recounting of his past bothered him?
"I came to see if you wanted to talk about it." Sakura replied gently.
Love's shoulders shook nd Sakura took that gesture to be a shrug. "What is there to talk about? I just...got a little grossed out. Must have been the bugs. I never did take to bugs." Love said dryly, a hint of humour creeping back into his voice.
Sakura was surprised Love didn't feel the hole she was drilling into his back right about now. "Rage may put on his mask whenever he wishes to hide from something, " Sakura began gently, "but don't you start creating you own mask, Love. It's not healthy." Sakura saw Love's shoulders tense and wasn't sure if she'd overstepped her boundaries and was about to be yelled at. Deciding she'd rather not find out, she said, "Besides, Rage already told the gang that it had been him he was talking about."
Love's shoulders slumped and his grip on the fence slackened for a moment. "So you know." he whispered, defeated.
Sakura nodded. She was the only one who knew how Love felt, and that must kill Love, knowing that the one person in the world who knows isn't the person who is supposed to know. "He didn't mean to upset you." Sakura said quietly, not quite sure how to make Love feel more comfortable. "He is worried about you, though he won't admit it."
Sakura watched Love, her worry increasing, when his shoulders began to shake. Taking a chance and walking up behind him, she whispered, "Love?" when she didn't get a response she cautiously moved to the fence and peered through the long fall of caramel hair that shadowed half of Love's face. She wasn't sure just what she would find, but she thought Love might have been crying, the way his shoulders were shaking. When she got a good look at his face, though, there was not a single tear visible upon the now pale skin, and no evidence that he had been crying before she had come over here. That would have normally been a sign to her that Love was taking this better than she had thought, except that the quaking shoulders and the way Love had his eyelids closed so tightly together that it looked painful had her saying, "It's okay to cry, you know."
She didn't know what he would say to that, but she didn't expect the hoarse, broken reply she got, "I can't."
"Of course you can, everyone cries once in a while." Sakura said soothingly, misinterpreting what Love was saying.
"No," Love said, taking a deep, shuddering breath. Straightening from the fence suddenly, Love opened his eyes and turned to face Sakura. Sakura noticed that the green in his eyes looked brighter than usual. His voice sounding more or less like it usually did, Love continued, "No, I can't cry. Not in front of him. Never in front of him." taking another deep breath to fortify himself, he went on, "There's already enough about me that will never compare to him. I don't need him thinking I'm weak by having him see me cry."
There wasn't really anything Sakura could say to that. She had a feeling that even if she tortured Love he would rather die than have Rage see him cry. So, instead, she changed directions. She knew that whenever she felt upset over something it had always helped to talk it out. So, repeating her earlier question, she asked, "You want to talk about it?"
Not surprisingly, Love didn't protest. Sakura was right when she assumed he just needed to let it all out,
"We were in England at the time. Rage had just come back from a mission given by Clow Reed, he'd actually been to see the sorcerer. I never went with him whenever he saw the sorcerer, though Rage had invited me a number of times. I just couldn't bring myself to face him. I think, now, that it was because I was guilty. Guilty of what? I'm not sure. Maybe for leaving, for not remaining true to him like Rage had. Anyways, that's not the point."
"We were in England. Rage was tense, irritable. I didn't ask, but I figured he might have run into one of the others. He always did hate talking to them, no matter who they were. So, I figured, he needed to relax. I took him to one of my favourite taverns. Nice and quiet, a place where no one asks any questions. I told the owner we didn't wish to be disturbed. I ordered ale and sat down across from Rage." Love shrugged. "I started talking, don't have a clue about what, just rambled, most likely. I only wanted to draw Rage out of his broodiness. Well, when it became apparent he didn't want to be drawn out of his moodiness, I got up and went to the bar to get us more ale for the ones we'd already finished."
"That's when I sensed her."
"Rage sensed her, too, I could tell by the way he sat. I don't suppose anyone else would have noticed the difference, but I did. I sort of got used to his body language after a while, and he was sitting like he does when he thinks there's danger about. So. I go to grab the pints and there she is, standing right beside me. Of course, I was startled. I hadn't even heard her come up behind me. I admit, she was pretty, but, " and Love grinned, "not quite my type." his smile vanished as he continued the story. "Anyway, she smiles at me says, 'I'd remember you a hundred years after I first met you.' Which probably wasn't so far off the mark. 'Love,' she says sweetly, practically purring in my ear. There is only one reason a woman takes that tone, and I tell you she wasn't interested in shopping. Of course, even if I hadn't met Rage I still wouldn't have slept with her. I have a rule: no sexual relations with the others." Love looked pointedly at Sakura. "You live longer that way."
"By now, Rage was openly watching us, but since Betrayal's back was turned she didn't notice him. I don't know if she knew he was here or not, though I wouldn't have been surprised if she hadn't. Rage is very good at suppressing his energy. I could tell he was silently asking whether or not I needed help. In answer, I looked away from him and at Betrayal. 'First off, ' I said, 'I don't socialize with other cards. Second, I'm not interested.' Blunt, I know, but I really wasn't in the mood to play soothe the overzealous woman. So, I walked away. Next thing I know she'd got me by the elbow. I turn on her, ready to give her what for, when I see her eyes. Their black, and I must say, quite intimidating, especially with the amount of hatred she had in them a that moment. Staring at me, she hisses, 'Not interested? You'll be interested when I show interest in you.' "
Love paused, looking uneasy. "I admit, I'm not the master of facial expressions as Rage is. What I did next was downright stupid. The reason I'd looked away from Rage before was because he always seems to know what I'm feeling through my eyes. I didn't want to put him in danger just because this card bothered me, so I'd looked away earlier. But now, I was uncomfortable...that's putting it lightly. So...what did I do? I didn't do the smart thing and just brush her off and leave, I did something without even thinking...I searched out a pair of icy blue eyes. Of course, as soon as my eyes touched his he was out of his seat and at my side before I could blink. Did I mention the bloody ass is the fastest card I've ever seen? Anyway, he comes up and gives Betrayal the 'Ice Glare'. Of course, the temperature in the tavern dropped twenty degrees. Very calmly, he says, 'Remove your hand.' Betrayal takes one look at Rage and decides she'd rather live. She lets go of me, but not before she glances at my face." Love rubbed the back of his head, as if still reprimanding himself today for things he did centuries ago. "Like I said, I'm not good at concealing my feelings. I guess, when she looked at my eyes, she saw at least a little of what I felt for Rage. Smiling suddenly, which is enough cause for alarm on its own, she turns to Rage and says, 'Sorry, didn't know he already had a lover.' I do believe, " Love mused, "that that was the first and only time I've ever seen Rage's jaw drop. Not that I was in any better condition."
"Taking advantage of our distraction, Betrayal quickly and cleverly detached one of those pins from her bracelet and pricked Rage on the forearm through his silk shirt. That got Rage's attention fast enough. His sword was out of its sheath before you knew it, but Betrayal had known she would have produced such a reaction. Laughing, she jumped backwards, just missing the sweep of Rage's blade. 'Fine!' she laughed, 'If you want to choose him over me then so be it!' and she teleported out." Smiling wryly, Love said, "I know, that sounds overly dramatic, but that's how Betrayal is."
"Anyway...after Betrayal had teleported out, Rage and I just stood there, tense and waiting. I was scared out of my mind that something horrible was about to happen to him. I don't know what I thought. After about a minute and nothing happened, I began to relax. Smiling, I said Betrayal must have just been trying to scare us. He shrugged it off, saying nothing. Then we both headed to our rooms."
"We left the tavern that day, and traveled on to the next village in the west. I don't know why we went there, but Rage had his reasons. I suspect it had something to do with Clow Reed and his blasted missions. Anyway, when we got there Rage disappeared for half the day and I was left to explore on my own. When he came back he found me at another decent tavern and we decided it would be fine to stay there. We sat down for the rest of the evening and talked. I noticed that every once in a while Rage kept rubbing at his left arm. I asked him if anything was wrong and he said that everything was fine. The lying bastard. So, we both went up the stairs and to our separate rooms for the night."
Love's expression became troubled, his gaze cloudy. "I woke up in the middle of the night to a scratching on the door of my room. Wary, I slipped out of bed as silently as I could. Grabbing my short sword I went to the door. Listening, I tried to determine who might be knocking on my door at this ungodly hour. I heard nothing, so I opened the door cautiously, my sword ready. I knew no mortal would be able to do my much harm anyway, but still, I never was one to take the risk of being seriously hurt. What was on the other side of that door was nothing that I expected. There was Rage, leaning on the door frame, his expression pained. Well, I was so surprised that all I could do was say, 'Rage!' He looked up into my face, his beautiful eyes glassy. Taking a breath, he said, 'Love,' and then his eyes closed and he commenced to fall forward. Scared now, I dropped my sword and caught him. 'Rage? Rage!' I called, but there was no answer. I tried to get a look at his face and shifted him in my arms. What I saw made me gape. He was sweating! In all the time that I've known Rage I have never, ever seen him sweat. No even when we were out one of those days that reach unbearable temperatures. Something was dreadfully wrong."
"Dragging him to my bed, I settled him in as best I could." dragging his hand through his hair in frustration, Love continued, "I had no idea what do to do. Our kind don't GET sick, at least, not without some pretty heavy Magic to influence an illness. I-I had once been wandering a battlefield after a war. I watched as humans bandaged their wounded. There were a few of these humans that suffered from a great heat on the inside. I remember that the human healers set cool clothes on them to try and decrease their temperature. I thought that was only logical now in this situation. Although, it was very odd...Rage is always cold. I don't know why whatever it was that made him so wasn't kicking in now."
"After taking off his sword belt and unlacing his shirt I went inn search of water. I went down to the establishments kitchens and stole a pitcher from water there. Going back to my room I sat on the edge of the bed and set the pitcher down carefully. Tearing a strip of my brown robes I used that as a cloth and dipped it into the water."
"I must have sat there for hours dipping the cloth in the water and bathing Rage's face and chest. Up until that point he hadn't seemed to be getting any worse...but he didn't seem to be getting better either. His eyes, that had previously been shut tight, sprang open suddenly. I recoiled involuntarily. His eyes...they were..." Love's own eyes closed, remembering, "The blue was hardly visible anymore. His pupils had almost entirely taken over the iris' so that his eyes looked like black pools of nothingness. He started muttering next, in a language that I had not heard since Clow Reed had taught it to us. The Latin he spoke rolled off the walls and the words he was uttering had the potential to cause small bursts of Magic that could destroy this entire tavern...if not the town. I tried to quiet him, to soothe him. I tried talking to him in English, hoping that if he heard the language he would start to speak it, too. I don't know what it was that finally did quiet him, but he stopped, suddenly and without warning. He was staring at something over my shoulder but I dared not take my eyes off him. My instincts told me there was nothing there anyways. Turning his gaze towards me, he whispered, 'Do you see that?' I stared at him warily before looking over my shoulder carefully. There was nothing there. When I turned back to face him he was still staring intently at me. Quietly, slowly, I said, 'Rage, there's nothing there.' He searched my eyes for what seemed an eternity before looking over my shoulder again. Then, closing his eyes slowly, he remained that way for a half hour."
"After two hours of delusions that kept getting worse and worse, things, again, took a turn for the worse. Rage began complaining that his skin was burning. I thought it was just the fever getting worse, so I wet the cloth with what little water I had left and smoothed it across his face again. He kept shaking his head back and forth, saying that what I was doing was not helping, that his skin was burning OFF. Panicked, I tore open the arm of his sleeve...but his skin was whole. No matter where I looked on his body I could not see a single burn mark. Though his skin did look redder than I thought was safe, even under these circumstances. I guess, I guess that was when his blood vessels started to burst."
"He started panting, his breathes short and raspy. He began to struggle. He was so tense I could see the cords in his neck standing out. Fearing that any wrong move in such a tense state would snap his spine, I quickly tried to restrain him. Climbing further onto the bed-I think I was crying by then, I really don't remember. No that it mattered, Rage was too far gone to notice-I propped him up and moved behind him, his back to my chest and his head resting on my shoulder. I wrapped my arms tightly about his waist, pinning his flailing arms to his sides. I closed my eyes and prayed to whatever god may be up there that this would be over soon." Love's eyes closed again, one hand coming up to press painfully into his face. Taking a deep breath that sounded more like a hitch in his breathing, Love continued, nearly choking on the words. "H-he started s-screaming. Oh Gods, it was horrible...he wouldn't stop...they were so horrible. It sounded as though he were dying."
Love slid down the fence and just sat there, not speaking, his hands over his eyes, his mouth in a pinched, straight line. Sakura stood, looking down at him, not saying anything. She knew he needed a little time to compose himself or he'd snap. God...the hell both him and Rage must have gone through that night...she couldn't even imagine. After a few minutes of silence, Love continued quietly, "Of course, Rage's screams brought the whole tavern to my door, terrified. After bursting in they all crowded around the bed, asking what was wrong. Of course...what could I tell them? I didn't know." Love laughed, humourless. Then his face hardened and his hands came away from his face, his eyes narrowed. "They wouldn't leave. Rage was still screaming. I knew, I knew that if I didn't do something that he would...would die." taking another breath, he said, "I did the only thing I could do."
When Love just stopped, Sakura crouched down on the balls of her feet, peering into his face. "What did you do?" she prompted quietly.
"I did the only thing I could do. I took him to someone that could help. The only one that could help...I took him to Clow Reed." Sakura gasped, she really couldn't help it. "Well what was I supposed to do? I had little options left. Anyway, I teleported right out of that tavern, much to the disbelief of the mortals, I'm sure, and headed right for Clow Reed. There's only so many places the sorcerer could be, and I was betting, hoping, he was at his laboratory. Thankfully, I was right. I just happened to teleport in on the rug right in front of the chair he was sitting on. I looked up, my startled hazel eyes meeting his black ones. He didn't appear surprised, just arched an eyebrow. He closed the book he was reading without a word and began to stand up. That was when I began to talk. To this day I will admit that that was the only time I've ever truly begged anyone for anything...and I begged. I pleaded with him not to send us away, to help Rage. I knew that Rage did things for Clow Reed every once in a while, but I didn't know if they were close or not. For all I knew, Rage was merely a convenience for the sorcerer and that, perhaps, I had just given him the opportunity to dispose of a pet that he no longer needed."
"Clow Reed merely lifted a finger to his lips, motioning for me to be silent. He knelt down next to Rage and I drew back with Rage in my arms, not sure of his purpose. He merely looked at me, and without him speaking I got the impression he was exasperated with me. Trying to relax, I let the sorcerer in close. He lifted his hand and passed it over Rage's face. The next thing I knew, Rage's screams were cut off and he went limp. Fearing the worst, I burst out, 'What did you do to him!?' Standing back up, Clow Reed adjusted his robes and headed for the door. Looking back over his shoulder, he said, 'Bring him. If you are done with your dramatics there is much to be done. The poison is eating him inside out, and soon, there will be nothing left. I must go to my laboratory, in the labyrinth. What I must do is not to be done here.' And he walked out. I sat there a moment, debating what to do. I thought, there is no way he can get any worse, so I hefted Rage over my shoulder and followed the retreating form of Clow Reed down the passageway."
"Suffice it to say, we went down a long way. Finally, we came to a large, double doored entrance. There were odd markings along the archway above the door but I couldn't quite read what the inscription said. It was similar to Latin...and yet...it wasn't Latin. The only thing I could determine from it was that it was some sort of warning, whether it was warning of something on the other side of those doors or a warning to stay out I don't know. We stopped there, however, and Clow Reed said something under his breath. One of the doors opened silently, and, I admit, I was curious. When I tried to peek in to see what was on the other side though, all I could make out was darkness."
"Turning back to me, Clow Reed said, 'I'll take him from here.' and then Rage's weight disappeared from my shoulders. I looked around but could not find Rage anywhere. I looked quizzically to Clow Reed, but he only smiled. Turning, he said, 'Wait here.' and then he walked through the doorway. Where the door had opened silently before, it shut now with an ominous thud. Somehow, I knew that if I even tried to get in there the results would not be pretty. So, I sat in the dim corridor and waited."
Love looked at Sakura and shrugged. "What else can I say? I don't know how long I sat there but I know it was a very long time. By the time Clow Reed emerged Rage was with him. Apparently, whatever Clow did it worked, and I can't say I'm not glad for it." sighing, he finished. "Rage and I left VERY soon after that. Rage didn't want to stay any longer then he had to and I had a feeling that was only because Clow Reed didn't want me there, which is understandable, I guess. So we left, and never spoke of the incident again...until today." looking up into the sky, Love seemed to contemplate something up there. "I still don't know exactly what Rage remembers, though he seemed to remember quite a bit back there just now."
Sakura waited a few moments before asking, "And Rage knows you were there the whole time? He knows it was you who took him to Clow Reed? Even though it could have possibly gotten you sealed again?"
Love shrugged. "I would imagine so. I don't know if he remembers me being there all through the...ordeal...with him, but he knows I was the one who took him to Clow Reed."
"Uh-huh." was all Sakura said. Then, smiling cheerfully, she asked, "Are you coming back to the group now?"
Love shook his head. "No, no I think I'm going to go wander somewhere. I need to be alone, clear my head. I'm sure that, that Rage doesn't need me here."
Still smiling, Sakura said, "Well, all right, if you say so. Though, try and talk to Rage, eh?"
Love nodded. Smiling a small smile back, he teleported out.
Even after Love left, Sakura still sat where she was, that same smile on her face. Truth be told, she wasn't the least bit happy right now...she was pissed. To think, after all Love had been through with Rage, for Rage, and Rage still had absolutely no concept of just how much Love was hurting. Sakura was aware that Rage didn't fully understand just what it was to express feelings to a great degree, but, what was going on had to stop. If Rage and Love were merely a normal couple Sakura happened to know, she would have told Love to leave Rage. But, as it were...
Sakura stood up. She may not be able to do much where Love was concerned, he wouldn't listen to her if she just told him to tell Rage how he felt, and he certainly wouldn't be happy with her if she told Rage. So...she'd just have to go to the next best source. Walking slowly back to the group Sakura tried to calm her anger toward a certain card. She walked past Tory, Madison, and Li, ignoring the curious, discrete glances they were sending her. Stopping in front of Rage, she waited until he looked up at her. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Shrugging, he stood up gracefully. Sakura led him a little ways away from the group in order not to cause a scene and have questions asked afterward. Stopping abruptly, she turned and faced Rage without warning. Surprised, Rage raised himself up on his toes for a moment so as not to bump into Sakura. "Love is gone." Sakura said flatly.
Settling back on his feet, Rage hooked his thumbs in his sword belt. "I know." he said simply.
Sakura's gaze narrowed slightly. "You know?" she repeated, her voice slightly lower, "Don't you think you should, maybe, go after him?"
Rage studied her. "Why? Love can handle himself." he was silent for a moment, then, "Why the sudden concern for Love? What's going on?"
"Why don't you go ask Love? I'm sure he'll tell you." Sakura said evasively. She had come out here to give Rage what for, but, now she found that her temper had somewhat deflated. Looking up into utterly puzzled eyes, Sakura found it hard to be angry with someone who had absolutely no idea what it was she was angry about. Sighing in defeat, Sakura turned to walk away. Looking back over her shoulder, Sakura said, "Talk to Love."
Sakura managed to make it all the way back to her abandoned spot on the grass without looking back behind her. Kero looked quizzically at her. "What's going on? Where did Love and Rage go?"
At Kero's words Sakura found the courage to peek over her shoulder. Rage was gone. Smiling, she turned back around, "It's nothing Kero. Just something between the two of them. So? Where were we?" she asked, looking around.
After a noticeable pause, Kero continued, "We were...finished...discussing Betrayal. I think I'll move on to Insanity now."
Sakura glanced over at a tense Li Syaoran. When she'd caught his attention, Sakura mouthed, 'Are you all right?' Li smiled reassuringly at her and gave her a not-so-discrete thumbs up. Sakura smiled back. Anytime anything about Insanity was mentioned, Li tended to close in on himself, with good reason. Sakura hoped he'd be okay throughout the conversation, and knew, without a doubt, that he would be. One of the things he seemed to hate most was showing weakness in front of others. The other thing was missing out on key information. If there was something here that may help defeat Insanity he wasn't going to miss out on it.
"Well...Insanity is...insane." Kero smiled lopsidedly scratching the back of his head, embarrassed at his lack of vocabulary. "He used to be like the others, but, over time, his 'Gift' got the best of him, I suppose. His ability is that of Visions. His power in that area is so great that it is said that he can sometimes see into the future. I do not know for sure. He does not carry weapons upon his person, but he has a knack for making potions and concoctions. He likes mixing things together that no one would normally ever mix together, and he is rewarded in his efforts by creating incredibly strong results. He carries small flasks no more than three centimeters wide and ten centimeters tall. Watch out for them, though he does prefer to get inside his victim's head rather than waste a potion." he glanced quickly at Li then back again. "In that, Insanity and Betrayal are somewhat the same."
"The Dragon card,...well...I think that's somewhat self explanatory. Basically, the card is just one, huge dragon. But, be careful! Like the dragons from legend, this one can spit Fire from it's nostrils and mouth. And, just to be original, " and Kero smiled wryly, "this dragon can also spit Ice."
"Ice?" Madison echoed, surprised.
Kero nodded. "Yep, Ice. Gives you something to think about, doesn't it? Okay, its scales are incredibly hard. No piercing those babies with a sword, " Kero glanced pointedly at Li, "and it will take some strong Magic to get through its defenses also. The tail is something else you've got to worry about."
"Great," Li replied blandly, "it's not as though we don't have enough to deal with." he said sarcastically.
Kero glared. "Don't interrupt, Kid." clearing his throat, the Guardian Beast got back to business. "The tail is covered in about two to three metres of more than razor-sharp spikes. If those things hit you..." Kero trailed off, not needing to finish.
Sakura watched Kero, puzzled, "Kero...?"
"Hmm?" he asked, turning to her.
"I was just wondering,...all of the other cards that Clow Reed had created have been in the image of people. Why, suddenly, a dragon?"
Although the question was serious, Kero smirked, "Clow Reed went through a dragon 'phase' during the Medieval times."
"Figures." Sakura muttered.
"The next card is the Death card." Kero grimaced in distaste. "You've met him." he said, addressing Sakura. Sakura only nodded. "Well, Death deals in the Dark Magicks. I can't really describe his attacks to you, I've never personally practiced the Dark arts, " Kero shuddered, "too 'out there'."
"That's okay," Sakura murmured, "I've already seen a few of his attacks."
"Well, for those who don't know, the best way I can describe it is, his Magic seems to...absorb...the things around him. He deals strictly in Magic and carries no weapons. He does carry what I like to call 'The Deathscythe', which is a staff with a very sharp blade at the end, like a sickle, but that is used to channel his Magic, not for physical contact. Though, "Kero muttered, "I don't doubt he could do some serious physical damage with it."
"The last on my list of entertainments for this evening, " Kero said lightly, trying for a bit of light humour. "Is the Magic card." Kero's slight smile disappeared, though, as he continued to speak, "Magic does carry a weapon, a sword, but he really doesn't use it that often. However, don't assume that means he doesn't know how to use it." he advised. His eyes darkening, he said slowly, "Magic's main weapon is Magic, but not Ice, Water, Fire, Air, Earth, Light, or Dark. He has the ability to do them all." Kero ignored the wide eyes around him. "Of course, he is stronger in some types of Magic than others-I know he cannot do the Dark type very well-but the point is, he can do them all. And he has great knowledge in the Magical arts. He also has the ability to create and call up demons, well, " Kero amended, "not full demons, thank God, but half demons are not to be messed with. I can only imagine how many he's been able to summon in the time he's had so far..."
"Kero!" Sakura burst in, her expression disbelieving, "How are we supposed to beat and seal a card like that?! With the amount of power he has..." she trailed off, thinking.
Kero eyed her evenly. "Clow was able to do it. So can you."
Sakura looked back up, frustration in her eyes, "First of all, Kero, I'm not Clow. I still haven't figured out how to get my Magic to work! Second, Clow really didn't seal him, Kero,...he just...trapped him for a few centuries. I have to seal him permanently."
Kero's gaze never flinched. "You can do it, Sakura. You can." you have to.
Sakura ran a hand through her hair. "This is too much, Kero. Saving the world...again!...it's too much to think about. Especially against the odds I'm suffering at the moment!"
"What odds?!" Madison said. Laughing, she continued, "You already captured six out os thirteen! That's almost half! I'd say you're doing pretty well, wouldn't you?"
"Yeah, but, " Sakura said, caving, "I had a whole lot of help."
"And you still will, Mistress," Yue said unexpectedly, "we will always be here to help you."
Sakura smiled slightly, but it was obvious something was still bothering her. Sitting up straight, Li put a scowl on his face. "Come on, Sakura. When I was a kid I used to think you were weak. I never thought you'd capture the Clow cards! Now look at where we are! Battling a whole new batch of Clow cards! You can't tell me you're still intimidated by them? If so," and Li paused dramatically, "then I guess I was right. You never should have been the Card captor. I could do a better job at catching those cards than you could."
For the first few seconds after that sudden and definitely unexpected speech there was silence. Then, Kero scowled and exploded, "Just a minute, you Chinese brat!..." Tory stood up and moved menacingly in Li's direction. Even Madison was eyeing him like he'd grown two heads. Everyone froze, though, when Sakura stood up behind them. Kero and Tory looked over their shoulders warily as Madison looked up, expecting to see Sakura's eyes filled with tears.
It wasn't tears her eyes were filled with, but there was something there. A furious, bright light, behind a pair of lowered eyebrows. Her lips turned down in a frown, she marched up to Li and Tory and Kero quickly back peddled to get out of her way. Stopping just inches form him, she poked a finger at his chest and looked up at his face. "Listen, I could beat you at beach volleyball, track and field, I'm a better gymnast than you, and I captured the Clow cards and gained Yue's approval and you didn't. So don't you tell me that I..." Sakura trailed off as she realized Li was smiling. In fact, his eyes were swimming with mirth. Furious, she demanded, "What's so funny!?"
Straightening his face with the utmost difficulty, Li said evenly, "It's good to know you've got your confidence back."
Sakura stood there, her finger still poking into Li's chest, at a loss for words. It took her a few moments to realize just what Li's real purpose in making her angry had been...to forget about her worries with the Forgotten....and yes, to even gain a bit of her self confidence back. A smile slowly spreading over her face, Sakura stood up on her tiptoes, and it was Li's turn to be dumbfounded as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Li." she said softly, backing away.
Li stared at her and the look on his face made Madison giggle, discretely,
of course, and behind her hand. (~.^) Tory was stuck between glaring at
Li and staring after his apparently insane sister. Finally, he muttered,
"I get her mad enough to spit and she starts throwing things at my head.
He
gets her mad enough to start throwing fireballs and what
does he get?...a kiss." Madison promptly elbowed him in the side.
~
"Sometimes...I don't know why I even bother."
Love paced back and forth on the earth as he muttered to himself, still upset over Rage. Gnawing on a fingernail, he said, "I's not like he's ever going to love me back, now is it? I should just leave, it's not like he needs me here. He's got his precious Sakura." sighing, Love plopped down on the grass. Raking long, narrow fingers through his hair he stared at some tree or another. Lying down abruptly, Love was unmindful of any dirt that may find its way into his clothes or hair. Flopping onto one side he lay still for a moment. Then, after a few minutes, he flopped over on his other side. Finally, he exploded upwards and exhaled a great gust of breath. Propping his face dejectedly on his hands so that his face looked a bit smooshed, he murmured, "It's hopeless. I could leave him, but I'd just end up coming back. God! That man is like a bleeding magnet!" Love sighed, "Why couldn't things be a bit different. Why couldn't he just...love me?"
"What was that?"
Love nearly pulled something in his neck as he turned around, Rage's sudden entrance scaring the daylights out of him. "Rage! How much did you hear?" Love was suddenly frightened...what if Rage had heard!?
"Not much," Rage said dismissively, "Actually, not anything. Do you usually have conversations with yourself when no one else is around?"
Love smiled. "Beats talking to trees. I answer myself."
Rage arched an eyebrow. "Uh-huh." was all he said. When Love didn't say anything else, Rage cleared his throat. He had noticed that Love had been bothered by something lately, but, he figured it was none of his business. Besides, if Love truly needed help, he would have come to him. Still, seeing the normally cheerful smile less and the brightness in the hazel eyes fade...Rage admitted he missed seeing those things. His life was a rather lonely, miserable thing, he could admit that. He didn't know if it was because of the type of card Clow had made him, or if, over the years, he'd become cynical, jaded, and bitter. He suspected it was a bit of both. Love was the only friend he had, and he enjoyed the attempts Love made to make him laugh...if those things disappeared..."Sakura asked me to follow you. She said something was bothering you." Rage said abruptly, the normally peaceful silence getting to him.
He wasn't quite sure what he had said-he knew he was never a great conversationalist to begin with-but whatever it had been, it had been the wrong thing.
Love's face darkened in disbelief, but then, why should he be surprised? He should have known the only reason Rage would have followed him would be because Sakura had asked him to. Love knew he was angry at that moment, knew he should just teleport out before speaking with Rage, give himself time to cool off, but he was just so irrationally angry and jealous at the moment, that he opened his big mouth. "Well...it's good to know you actually notice me once in a while, even if someone has to point me out to you first." he snarled.
Rage eyed Love carefully, never having seen Love this worked up before. "Love...I don't know..."
"Of course you don't know!" Love exploded. "You've never known! You just sit up there on your high horse, Ice Prince of the world! while we little people suffer. You're my friend Rage, but right now, I don't like you very much. If it takes someone else's prodding to get you to worry about me, then don't bother. As you know, I can take care of myself!" only after his tirade did Love teleport out in a huff.
Rage stood, staring at the little puffs of pink left behind by Love,
his mind a complete blank. He was no good at deciphering other peoples'
emotions, he didn't know the first thing about feelings, and he had absolutely
no idea what to do about Love. Something was very wrong, though, and seeing
Love so upset bothered Rage. He needed to think, try and find a way to
talk to Love. He'd always been able to do so before. But...not anytime
soon...Love had made it clear that he did not want to be
followed. At least...that's what Rage thought."
~
To be continued...
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Geez...you'd think guys would know by now that when a girl, or, in this case, a guy ^.^ storms out of a room (or thin air) you're supposed to follow them, whether they want you to or not...'cause they always do. ~.^ Boy, I kind of made Rage seem like a jerk in this chapter. ^.^a Oh well, it's part of his charm. Oh! and poor Love and Rage! They had a break-up! Well...as much of a break-up as you can have when you're not together in the first place! ^_^
Okay, I know there was no card in this chapter, but his was sort of a 'get back into the writing' thing for me, so I went easy. I did, though, give you a small background on the rest of the cards Sakura has to capture. I hope that's a small constellation. If not, oh well! We'll see what happens.
I guess that about does it. I will smack myself one more time to ensure
there will be no more four month periods between chapters. >. Gomen!
And, well, I've forgotten everything else I wanted to say. See you next
chapter!!