Chapter Four: Arukidasu Kimi to ima ("In Search of the Light")

Disclaimer: Yeah, Yeah! I know I don't own CCS! --;;

A.N.: You will notice as well go along that many of the chapters use Japanese Romaji. These are taken from lyrics of a single song-I think. I'm 95 sure I can confirm I got all the Japanese from the song "Fukai Mori"-Inuyasha. You will also notice that I use songs throughout some later chapters and maybe bits and pieces in early chapters. I want to warn the readers that I do not make my own songs when they are needed and therefore do not in any way make claims to me having said I made them.

Dedications: This one goes out to my sister, who has a keen interest in whatever I write-though, I suspect it unhealthy, because she's even more amused when she can't understand a single word.

"So let me get this straight, you and Yukio are a couple? A unit? In a partnership-relationship sort of bond?" Tomoyo asked on the plane.

"Yeah," Sakura smiled. "We had brunch together today! He bought me this absolutely unnecessary ring…" Sakura waved her ring finger at Tomoyo. "He told me the typical 'I fell in love with you the moment I laid eyes on you' bit, but I know he means well. I think he means it with all his heart. Scratch that, I know he means it."

"That's so sweet!" Tomoyo exclaimed, eyeing the ring.

"Uh huh," Sakura began. "He wants us to keep in almost non-stop contact." She rolled her eyes at this. "He gave me his cell phone, but only he'll call on it." She sighed at this point, staring at the cell in her curled hands. One of which had a finger that glinted with a new ring. "You know, his heart's always in the right place. He'd never try to hurt me. Maybe this time will be different for me. Maybe this time it'll work."

Tomoyo nodded, happy that Sakura was happy in this way for the first time since her first kiss. Her father had been there to experience basking in Sakura's happiness on that day. Tomoyo was happy for Sakura in a very conservative way. She did not altogether feel sure of this Yukio character. It was not that she believed Yukio would hurt Sakura, it was the fact that Tomoyo just knew when Sakura was mistaking her feelings.

Syaoran had heard just about enough about Yukio. It made him sick to his stomach to remember what he had almost thoroughly witnessed before. If it hadn't been for that blonde, Millenear, he would have seen those two lovebirds kiss for sure! Then he would have pounced on Yukio, accusing him of rape. Of course that would make only Syaoran look absurd. He vowed never to follow anyone ever again when it was not his business.

Sakura turned back into her and watched Syaoran scowl at his feet, his arms crossed.

"What's eating you?"

"Nothing," Syaoran said stubbornly. "What's it to you?"

"I don't know, I thought it'd be considerate to asked." Sakura shrugged. "You don't have to be a dumb ass about it."

"At least I'm not a pain in the ass."

"I am not a pain in the a-" Sakura was cut off by Syaoran's immediate reply.

"Yukio did this and he did this as well! Oh and he's such a darling! Oh! Guess what the cutie bought me today? Oh yes and he bought me this as well…and this…oh, I almost forgot this!" Syaoran mimicked in an excessively high-pitched, "girly" voice.

Sakura's frown melted into a grin, "You're jealousss!"

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are-you're jealousss!" Sakura teased.

"I'M NOT!"

"Sure, yeah, whatever." Sakura looked down at her nails as if they had become much more interesting than Syaoran.

"I am not jealous of him and neither am I of you." Syaoran stated stiffly to he uninterested neutrality.

"Of course you're not jealous of me, Syaoran, that would require you to be gay." Sakura looked up from her nails, smirking a bit as she furthered into her sentence. "Are you telling me you're gay?"

"Argh! I'm not gay!"

"Syaoran's gay and jealousss! Syaoran's gay and jealousss!" Sakura sang with the most devilishly clear smile ever, planted on her face.

Sachiko stepped in front of the crowd of tourists demanding a silence where she could speak. Once it was established five minutes after, she began to discuss the week's plans.

"Hey everyone! Hope you slept well. However, we must get to business whether you did or did not. I find that it's best we not bore and tire you people with pure history and historical sites. We have confirmed a few sailboats we've rented out and we will be heading downtown for their latest festival tomorrow. However, we will also be checking out the chocolate factories later on and on the third day I'm sure you'll want to go skiing. The fourth day has been reserved as a group hike day-no choices involved in this one, guys. The last day is for rest and packing." Sachiko sighed as if she hadn't breathed much while talking. "Remember that curfew is at 11:30 p.m."

Sakura looked excited, "Come on, Syaoran! We've got to get a boat! I want to sail."

"I think I'll pass," Syaoran yawned.

"Oh please! I need a partner." Sakura prepared her puppy eyes.

Eriol interrupted their conversation, "Did you guys notice that this hotel is not the Four Seasons?"

"It's the Steigenberger Belvedere Hotel. This is the best they have here. Switzerland does not support any Four Seasons hotels." Tomoyo said a-matter-of-factly.

"We've got our very own female Takashi…in a not-so story telling way. Unless you'd like to prove me wrong." Sakura chuckled.

"I'm sure the idiot is fantasizing new tales to tell Chiharu on their honeymoon right now. The poor girl has enough to put up with, but she could be a little patient with him. After all, he is entertaining."

Syaoran took advantage of the fact that he was completely lost on this topic, "I'll just be on my way up-"

"Oh no you don't!" Sakura grabbed his arm. "You're coming with me while Tomoyo and Eriol have some time alone upstairs."

"Wooo!" Sakura yelled against the windy current.

Syaoran had to admit that he was having a lot of fun as well, even if it was all wasted on Sakura's amusement. As annoying as she was, Sakura brought out the best in Syaoran, as well as his worst. He only wished he knew more people like her back home. Maybe then he wouldn't have been sent on such a tedious 'vacation'. It had become somewhat of a burden, as well as time to let loose. Ironic it seems.

Sakura sniffed at the crisp air delightedly, "Are we allowed to jump in? It looks cold!"

"I guess you can-if you can swim!" Syaoran yelled back through the thunder of crashing waves and the whistling wind. It wasn't one of those serene, slightly windy and perfect days to go sailing, but it was beautiful anyway.

As they neared the dock they had left from, Syaoran heard a splash. He secured the boat to the dock thoroughly, before he himself plunged himself into the not quite icy water.

Syaoran swam until he glimpsed Sakura dive back under the cool and fluid world below him. It looked as though she was looking for something-perhaps even trying to reach the bottom of the lake. Syaoran dived under after her to see her reach for something glimmering, when he remembered he vowed not to follow her again, especially after catching her and Yukio going at it in the heart of Milan.

Syaoran didn't know whether Sakura grabbed the think she had been after because she suddenly screamed silent bubbles of pain and resurfaced as quickly as she could. From below, Syaoran could see her racing to the dock and hoisting herself onto the solid ground again. He followed her out and onto the dock, a little more than confused.

"You looked as thought you were in pain down there? Did your ears crack a little over the top or something?" he asked, innocently.

Sakura was clutching a glimmering necklace that she must have dropped. Instead of putting it back on she was glaring at Syaoran, "How dare you follow me!"

"Huh?"

"You followed me in Milan and you acted as if-as if! Ha! Don't you do it ever again-I swear I'll-I don't know what I'll do!" Sakura had no idea what she was yelling at him. She got up abruptly and stomped off the dock, leaving everything behind. Syaoran grabbed their towels and his backpack. He caught up with Sakura and threw the towel unevenly over her shoulders. He then made attempts to straighten it and dry her without actually touching her.

"Stop it!" Sakura pushed him away.

"How did you know, Sakura?" Syaoran asked softly, for he was to blame. "You never saw me, at all."

"I just know! That's not important!"

"It's as if you read my mind though! I was thinking it just at the time-" Syaoran's eyes were wide.

Sakura was turning redder and redder. Soon enough she stopped and stuffed her face right up to his, "I've never heard such a ridiculous comment in all my life!"

She stomped off with an air of guilt and anger.

Syaoran knew that look well enough to have realized how incredulous the results were. Perhaps she could read minds, after all, the guilty look that stung her anger was a little obvious in her eyes.

He needed the truth-and he would get it.

------------Weee--------------

"Boy, Syaoran really likes chocolate." Tomoyo commented as Syaoran bought his fifth box of chocolates. This time they were truffles. The first box had been from the company 'Pot of Gold', while the second was a quite random chocolate bunny. The third box was milk chocolate of both regular and white mixed in seashells. Of course, Syaoran's fourth box was not a box of chocolates. He had bought a small bucket of ice cream, which he had shared with Sakura, Tomoyo and Eriol.

"He must work out a lot!" Eriol stared at how the chocolate had no affect whatsoever on his body size or health.

"Well, at least we know why he's so active all the time. All that sugar! Honestly!" Sakura insulted him in the unkindest way possible.

"At least I'm not violent in my sleep! You have some issues to work out…" Syaoran glared at Sakura with utmost dislike.

"At least I don't eat lice!" Sakura gritted back.

"So you're saying you have lice, do you?"

"No!" Sakura gritted a little louder.

"I don't get it," Tomoyo tried to roll the coded sentences of hatred around in her head to decipher the underlying meaning.

"It means just what they said…" Eriol laughed a bit. "Last night Sakura punched Syaoran in the face while she was sleeping. It was because Syaoran was, curiously, digging through her hair or something." He explained this with curiosity loud and clear, in his voice. "I only woke up to the jumble to see Syaoran run to the washroom with a nosebleed."

"I see," Tomoyo chuckled.

Syaoran ignored the laughter and mockery, "Anyun wans um chochhh lai?" Syaoran held out the case of truffles.

Sakura took one, "Which translates to 'Kick me 'cause I'm a dunce'."

"Hey! Da nop wha I sah." Syaoran glared through a mouthful of chocolate.

"Uh huh," She threw the truffle she'd taken a bite out of at his face.

"Why you!" Syaoran attacked Sakura. "What a waste of a perfectly good truffle!"

Someone coughed in the phoniest manner ever. Everyone looked up to see Sachiko standing over their pitiful appearance. People from their tour were staring at them. The tour guide was staring at Syaoran and Sakura with the an incredulous look on his face.

Sachiko was bitter and embarrassed, "You know, this kind gentleman here is trying to give us a tour of this factory. I wish you'd please stop."

Sakura blushed and pushed Syaoran off of her. "I'm sooo sorry! It won't happen again! We swear!"

"Let's go then," Sachiko said without mercy and turned to the rest of the tour group. "Get a move on people!"

Everyone followed obediently, especially Syaoran and Sakura.

"You know what I love about this country?" Eriol broke the silence between their group.

"What?" Tomoyo humoured him.

"It's every child's dream country! We should raise our future children here." Eriol suggested, aware it might cause a bit of a lash out from Sakura. "Of course it might also be a totally nightmare for them-being so close to all their dreams, but us controlling them in their fetishes of chocolate."

Sakura latched onto him immediately and attacked him like a fly does to rotting garbage. A.N. I was going to say shit.

--------------Censor? Why would I?------------

"If you touch me while I sleep again you're going to be in for it." Sakura warned as she slid herself under the blanket and got comfortable.
"Trust me."

"Whatever!" Syaoran said like a little schoolgirl. "It's not like I don't know what's going on."

"It's not like I ever understand a single word you ever say, Syaoran." Sakura mimicked with a little change.

"Bitch," Syaoran muttered under his breath.

"That's it!" Sakura screamed. "I'm gonna pound your face in!"

"Sakura, get off him!" Tomoyo raced to their bed. Eriol fell out of bed as well and crawled over to Sakura's side. He grabbed her and yanked her off of Syaoran.

"I'll sleep with you tonight, Sakura." Tomoyo tugged at Sakura. "We need to get sleep to go skiing tomorrow."

Eriol stiffly got into bed with Syaoran, "She's right."

"But he-" Sakura was cut off by Eriol's strict and extremely harsh voice.

"SLEEP!"

"Are you all ready?" Miroku's voice rang throughout the resort. "Okay, we're going to go out and tech you the basics of skiing. If you pass I'll let you go on to the next test, as presented by Masuyo. The third test is by Sachiko. If you pass all three tests we'll let you go off on your own on the ski hills. You will all be assigned certain colours at this point, which indicate which level hills you're allowed to ski on."

Sakura and Syaoran raced outside to get into line first, for the testing.

"To properly ski," Miroku began. "You need to plough like this!" He moved from side to side. "This ensures a slow, steady and controlled skiing trip."

Sakura caught on quickly, as did Syaoran, Eriol and Tomoyo. Soon enough they were skiing through their first obstacle and Sakura had passed with ease.

Miroku slapped her on her behind as she skied over to the next test. "Good job, hun!"

He wouldn't dare do that to Tomoyo! Sakura thought angrily. She suddenly wished Yukio were there with her.

Masuyo was waiting at a nearby slope for whoever had passed the first test. There were quite a few. In fact, it was very pathetic if anyone had to stay behind to redo his or her test.

"Have any of you ever skied before?" he asked, curiously, realizing pretty much everyone had passed their test.

Many people besides Sakura, Tomoyo, Eriol and Syaoran shook their heads. Sakura, Tomoyo and Eriol skied together often and enjoyed it very much. They were very open in what sports they all participated in. A fit and active youth!

"Okay, so just those six know how to ski already?" Masuyo asked rhetorically. "So how about you six show us how to plough down that hill behind me and come to a full stop?" he suggested. "If you do it like you say you can, then you may pas right away to the next test."

Sakura and her group nodded while the other two in some other groups nodded as well. The six of the experienced raced to the pulley, which pulled them up the hill. Sakura reached the top first. She discovered that the slope had cartoon characters used for 'obstacles'. It was meant for them to go a certain way around the characters.

Hmm, Sakura thought. That's left, right, left, left, turn right, go straight and stop. Sakura pushed herself down the hill. It was time she moved onto the more complicated course.

Sachiko's impatient stance marked the bottom of the third test. It was near the chair lifts that led to the actual hills and slopes of the ski area.

Sakura waved to Sachiko cheerily. She looked like she was having an awful time. She grumpily pointed at the pulley and the slope. "You know what to do."

Sakura nodded and grabbed onto the pulley, only to find herself up on another hill. She stared it down, realizing that the next course was simply marked with red and blue flags. She had to go around one of the coloured flags, which were a series of wide and small ploughs.

"Which flags do I go around!" Sakura yelled to Sachiko.

"Red!" Sachiko yelled back.

Sakura obediently swerved swiftly around the red flags her and there and everywhere. Sachiko, thoroughly impressed by Sakura's skill, but didn't want to show it, stamped the ski tag on her coat's zipper in black.

Sachiko sniffed, "That means unlimited access to any hill except for the one over there." She pointed to a hill marked with red flags that looked like they meant danger. The flags stopped about halfway down the mountain and the rest gave way to open space and then a forest.

Sakura nodded, "No problem."

Not too long after, Tomoyo and Eriol skied up to her. She was waiting by the chair lifts for them.

Tomoyo moaned when she saw Sakura's stamp, "I only got blue!"

"Same here…" Eriol looked amused. "And I've been skiing longer than the both of you!"

Syaoran followed in from behind, "I got black." He was grumbling in a sort of show-off manner.

Sakura nodded and said gruffly, "Yeah" to make sure he didn't think she hadn't gotten black as well.

"Way to run it in, guys." Tomoyo glared.

"Well then-time to go to the family hill! It's a good place to start." Eriol skied over to the chair lifts they were stationary beside.

Tomoyo grabbed his arm cheerily.

Sakura and Syaoran skied to the waiting line for the next chair lift. They were next, after Tomoyo and Eriol.

"Ready?" one of the mechanics at the lift, asked. They must've been one of the first chair lift users of the day, because normally a mechanic didn't really warn you when a chair was coming at you.

Tomoyo and Eriol were lifted into the distance and up onto the sloping hills.

"Come on now!" the mechanic said, urging them forwards.

Sakura shifted forwards and Syaoran followed suit. When the man yelled, "Sit!" they both collapsed nervously onto the lift. Sakura's legs to float so weightlessly above the hills below them. She kicked her legs in mid air to get rid of the weightless feeling. As a result her skis entangled in Syaoran's. Sakura pulled her skis away, trying to gain control again. Once she had untangled her skis from his, she started kicking again.

"Stop that!" Syaoran twitched and let his voice seep with coldness.

"No."

"Oh crap…we have to-"

"OFF!" Sakura jumped, but sort of slid out from the chair lift, as the bar lifted. Syaoran stumbled beside her.

"Don't be so idiotic next time!" Syaoran spat and skied up to Tomoyo and Eriol. Sakura followed him bitterly, just as fast.

"There's our hill!" Tomoyo pointed to a moderately high hill. It was not very steep and looked extremely safe and warming. Or maybe it was the effect of all the families skiing down it. There were couples with children and couples without. They were all laughing, falling down, helping each other and even standing around, teaching someone else how to ski. It would have been comforting if Sakura hasn't suddenly been struck by loneliness at the sight of them-that is, until Syaoran challenged her to a race.

---------Mummy!---------

"They've been racing for hours now!" Tomoyo grimaced.

Eriol shrugged, "I suppose we'll have to wait until someone wins." He was unable to suggest any alternate form of stopping the two. They had been at it for hours and it didn't seem to be progressive races. The two would tie and then when one would win the other would catch them for having "cheated" and they'd re-race over and over again. However, when Eriol looked at it carefully he realized that both Syaoran and Sakura were so equally matched and determined that it didn't matter who won-it would end up being a waver of the spirit or fatigue.

----------Boing---------------

Sakura lifted her snow-covered goggles off of her eyes. "Syaoran, we've finished all the hills. We have to start back at the first-"

"There's still that steep mountain-side over there…not many people have been using that one. I don't think any have. Must be a challenge!" Syaoran declared, pointing at the red-flagged 'path' on the side at the end of the row of hills they could get to. There was a sign pointing at it that labelled it 'Death of Fate'.

"Syaoran we're not suppo-Syaoran? Syaoran! Syaoran-kun!" Sakura called in anguish.

Syaoran stopped dead in his ski-tracks, right at the tip that slid into the 'Death of Fate' hill's path, which seemed dark and gloomy, as well as hard to pinpoint. Syaoran turned his head to the side, only halfway so Sakura could see his profile. His mouth was twitching, uncontrollably, but not excessively.

"Wh-what did you say?"

"I said we're not-"

"What did you call me?" Syaoran turned all the way around and let 'Death of Fate' feel the brush off, facing his back.

"Syaoran…kun." Sakura blushed and skied forward to him, causing him to blush as well. "I-I'm sorry. Force of habit…I didn't mean to so affectionately…use your-which is to-I mean, well, if you wanted, but I'm sure-I think what I meant was that…" Sakura's words drifted off as she reached him, at the deadly edge.

"Right…" Syaoran mumbled. "I…"

"Hm?" Sakura fidgeted a bit, kicking her foot and then suddenly realizing she was wearing skis. It caused her right boot to unhook itself from its placement in the ski. She bent down to fix it, while Syaoran stared at her bent over figure, lined up along the edge with him. He touched her back gently to tell her they should go into the chalet, as it was cold, but Sakura-not expecting it of him-jumped up and fell over on her skis, totally breaking both boots off. She ended up tipping of the edge and stumbling down the steep hill. She couldn't stop herself from rolling down it. She knew she saw Syaoran ski after her, but where the hell was he? Why hadn't he stopped her yet? She just kept falling.

Sakura only stopped when she hit her head hard against something. With a thud, everything went dark and Syaoran came racing after her.

Syaoran found Sakura lying horizontally against one of the many trees that led into a forest that covered the whole mount centre. The base was at the end of the forest, which would go straight back into the skiing grounds. Syaoran had no idea how they could go back unless they went through the forest. He looked down at Sakura, who's ankle looked awkward and sprained. She was unconscious. He tired lifting her, but she remained limp.

Syaoran took off his green scarf and wrapped it around her face instead, to keep her ears and rosy cheeks even warmer. He then removed her foggy, cracked goggles and tossed them on the ground. They were of no use broken. Besides, keeping her comfortable would avoid those weird psychic or telepathic connections she had every once in a while, wouldn't it?

"I heard that." Sakura moaned. "I'm no psychic, nor do I read minds."

"Telepathy is reading minds."

"No it's not. Besides, I don't read anything. I head things."

"Hearing voices aren't a good sign…"

Sakura sighed, "I figure I'm like this because of that bump on my head from awhile back…it wasn't even that hard!"

"No it wasn't…how do you figure it's from that?" he asked.

"The pain comes from the bump, which I still seem to have a bit of on my head. I think it's because I was stressing about stuff…"

"Look, this isn't the place. Are you hurt anywhere?" Syaoran grabbed her ankle and examined it. "Is it sprained?"

"I'm still mad about you following me in Milan, don't try and avoid it. And no, it's not sprained, but it hurts all the same." Sakura pulled her ankle and way and used Syaoran to pull herself onto her feet. Syaoran had to be a slight support for her.

"Let's get out of this place." Syaoran shuddered stumbling through the darkened forest with Sakura. Sakura stumbled in the same ways he did, in suit with him over the tree roots, the rocks and the little snow that had reached inside the dense forest.

It was 9:30 before they finally stopped to take a break. Syaoran's watch was still in good working condition, but their bodies were weary and they needed to stop.

"They'll be looking for us. We can stop." He insisted.

"I want to sleep though…"

"Er, I don't think that is possible." He tried reasoning.

Sakura had already bundled herself up and lied down on the floor, in front of a tree, absorbing whatever warmth it had too. Syaoran lifted her up easily and placed her in his arms as he lay against the tree instead, keeping Sakura warm with his body warmth.

"Sakura, I'm sorry for having not listened to you. I knew it was wrong to go to that hill-I knew we weren't supposed to. I feel guilty because it's my fault. I wanted to scare you." Syaoran admitted to her delicious hair.

"Hm? It's okay." Sakura shifted in his arms and turned in them. She faced his chest instead and snuggled into it. He chuckled because he was a little ticklish. "Promise not to be gone in the morning?" She was so innocent.

"I promise," Syaoran swore sincerely.

"Pinky promise?" Sakura held out her pinky, lifting her face from his chest and wrinkling her nose.

"I pinky promise." Syaoran hooked his pinky with hers. They didn't let go at all that night. Instead they fell asleep with each other's pinkies hooked and grasping each other for warmth, in a loving manner. This would be the beginning of an astronomical relationshi-

"Syaoran, stop snoring."

Syaoran grumbled, "I'm not."

Sakura kicked him, "You were! OW!"

"Stop kicking me…"

"Stop twisting my pinky…"

Well, at least it would be a decent relationship.

A.N.: grimaces> Yes...it took awhile. Is anyone even reading this, I wonder? Psh.