Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura, but Michiru belongs to me and does the plot of this story seeing as how it came from a dream. I don't own the falling off the cliff part, I kinda stole that from Lord of the Rings.
Comments: It's news to me that I'm not letting my story come out naturally even though I just write whatever comes to mind. It always sounds right to me and seems to flow naturally when I reread it. I've always written this way and no one has ever said anything about what I write not coming out naturally.
Anyway, this chapter wasn't edited as you can probably all tell since I just wanted to get it out. My muse has come back to me full force, but only on CCS stories, I don't think she likes Rurouni Kenshin very much.
Enjoy this chapter.
Chapter Two
Touya's POV
I stood on one of the palaces many balconies waiting for sight of the envoy to come through the gates of the capital. They should have showed up and hour ago, but they were late. Of course the storm last night could have delayed them. I trusted Michiru and Syaoran with making sure that my sister was save. But I didn't trust the rest of the soldiers, especially the soldiers belonging to the Western Kingdom. If they couldn't keep their own Royal family safe, what's to say that they'll be able to keep my sister safe. I sighed and leaned against the railing scanning the streets below. I looked at the gate in time to see it being opened to let in a group of people, including a carriage. I could see a flag, but couldn't tell what Kingdom it has came from. I ran into the bedroom and through the open door leading into the hall. I dodged the servants and guards as I went to meet the envoy that had just arrived. The doors leading outside opened as I reached them and without thinking I just raced out practically falling into one of the servants standing there. I straightened and watched as the carriage and a few horses walked into the courtyard of the palace. The first thing I noticed was that Sakura was on Syaoran's horse, sitting in front of him. He was keeping her on the horse with an arm around her middle. The next more noticeable thing was that Michiru was missing along with her horse and that the carriage looked like it had been through a war.
"What happened?" I shouted as I took the stairs two a time as I ran towards them. "Where's Michiru?"
"We were attacked by bandits," Syaoran explained, "Michiru took off after one of the bandits and she fell of her horse and went over the cliff." Sakura moaned and slowly opened her eyes. "Sakura got hit on the head, that's why she's with me."
"What?" Sakura whispered and I took her from Syaoran. "Touya?"
"Yes, it's me. Are you ok?" I asked as I carried her bridal style towards the doors. "Syaoran, find Michiru." I ordered over my shoulder as I waited for Sakura to answer.
"My head hurts," she whispered and she looked up at me. "What happened to Michiru?"
"It's nothing. She went to put the horses in the stable," I lied hoping that Sakura would believe me. "Let's get you inside and in bed. I want to the healers to look you over." I told her and she mumbled something closing her eyes. "Stay awake Sakura."
"But I'm tired." She muttered and I sighed.
"I know but I need you to stay awake. You hit your head and I want to make sure your ok before you go to sleep." I replied and by now we were nearing my bedroom. "We're almost there."
"Where's Syaoran?" She murmured and I looked down at her in shock.
"What?"
"Where's Syaoran?" She repeated.
"He went to go get Michiru." I answered thoughts whirling in my mind.
"Oh." She replied and she lay her head against my shoulder.
I pushed open the door to my bedroom, the room I used whenever I showed up in the western kingdom. I lay Sakura down on the bed and watched as she fell asleep before I could keep her awake. I sighed and told on of the guards at the door to get a healer. Once he left I headed out onto the balcony and I leaned once against the railing watching for Syaoran and …Michiru. So I was falling for her, hard. It's hard to believe that me, Prince of the Eastern Kingdom, who's so protective of his little sister would fall in love. It's even more hard to believe that I had fallen for Sakura's bodyguard. I looked into the bedroom and saw that the healer had arrived and was checking my sister over. With one last look towards the wall I went back into the bedroom and waiting, albeit unpatiently, for the healer to finish her examination of Sakura. In the meantime there was a knock on the door and I walked over, but the door opened before I reached it. Syaoran walked in and bowed to me moving out of the way to let in Michiru who looked like she'd been through hell and back. Her cloak was gone replaced by what looked like Syaoran's. Her hair was a mess, falling out of the braid she'd put it in. Her clothes weren't any better, splattered with mud and ripped. She didn't even glance at me instead looking past me at the bed where Sakura lay.
"Your highness," She said nodding her head in my direction, "is she going to be alright?"
"She'll be fine." Broke in the healer as she pushed past Michiru to leave the room, "She just needs to rest and get some sleep." With that said the healer left with all of us staring after her. "Princess." Said the healer looking at Michiru from a few feet down the hall.
"Right, me a princess?" Michiru retorted and I didn't miss the warning look she sent the healer.
"I'm sorry, you just look the princess who…"
"It's alright. This won't be the first time it's happened." Michiru said dismissing it with a wave of her hand. "Your highness you look dead, why don't you get some sleep." For once it sounded like an order, something she's never done. "Of course, I can stay with Princess Sakura if you want."
"No you'll get some sleep. You look dead." I retorted and she smirked. "Come on I'll show you to your room. I'm sure Syaoran will watch Sakura until I get back."
Syaoran nodded and moved to stand near the fireplace as I lead Michiru from the room. I put my arm around her shoulders once we turned the corner to a new hallway. She leaned against me and I sighed. I knew her and her brother's biggest secret and it was getting harder and harder to keep. I paused at a door and opened it and after checking to make sure no one was around I guided her into the room and closed the door behind us. I helped her get out of the stiff clothes into pants and a shirt that had come in her bag of clothes sent by my father. As she undid her braid and combed her hair I worked on making sure the fire was going strong. By the time I turned back to her she had already laid down on the bed and was now curled up.
"What's wrong Michiru?" I asked as I sat down beside her on the edge of the bed. "I can something is troubling you."
"Do you think our plan will work?" She asked me.
"Do I think it will work? Of course it will. I don't think my father will be to happy but he'll just have to live with it." I responded and she sighed. "Do you think he'll fall for it?"
"He already has. You should see the way he looks at her," She smiled, "when we first showed up he just stared at her for a few minutes as if she was some goddess." Her smile faded and she spoke again. "I think one of the advisors, Enishi, knows something it up. He tried to get Sakura to ride in the carriage with him when we met up with Syaoran."
"You don't like Enishi." I stated and she nodded. "Wasn't there an Enishi in the council that advised your mother and father?" I asked and yet again she nodded. "Let me guess, they're one in the same." Another nod and I growled.
"Calm down Touya, I already have a plan to get rid of Enishi," she advised and smirked. "As we speak three of my men are gathering 'fake evidence' that Enishi is conspiring against the alliance of four."
"Are you sure it'll work?" I asked as I started to play with her dark brown locks.
"Of course it'll work. There will be an anonymous tip from someone, a servant preferably, that they saw Enishi writing a letter to the king of the other continent and there was information that could be used against the alliance of four." She explained.
"I wish I had thought of that." I said truthfully and she laughed.
"I'll let you take the credit for it, if it works." She told me her voice lowering as she slipped further away to her dreamscape.
"I'll leave you to get some sleep." I said as I stood up only for her hand to grab mine.
"Stay until I fall asleep?" she asked and I smiled laying down next to her.
"Someone times you're a little child." I whispered and heard her light laugh. "Goodnight Michiru."
"Night Touya." She replied slowly and a few seconds later I heard her even breathing but I didn't make a move to leave.
Syaoran's POVI looked over at the fire burning low in the fireplace and then at the door as I waited for Touya to return to the room. It shouldn't take thirty minutes to show someone where their room is. All you need to do is the leave the person at their door, say goodnight and just leave. Of course that is if there isn't something going on between them. I smirked, something was definitely going on between Touya and my older sister. Finally giving up on watching the door I walked over to the chair beside the bed and sat down looking at Sakura. She really was beautiful, like a goddess. Her auburn hair fell against the pillow in waves. A small smile was across her lips, and I wished I could see her emerald eyes. Damn did I like those emerald eyes. A shade of my favorite color, why would I not like them…I was beginning to sound like a lovesick puppy. I didn't hear the door open but I heard the footsteps on the floor and in a flash I was on my feet the tip of my katana at Touya's neck.
"I'd rather much like to live past 23." Said Touya as he pushed the tip of the katana away from his neck. "Why don't you go get some sleep. I'll stand guard over my little sister."
I frowned by nodded as I placed my katana back into its scabbard. It was like Touya was warning against being with his sister. Not that it really mattered, there was no way I was going to fall for a spoiled brat. Correction, there was no way I was going to fall for someone who could be a spoiled brat. I left the room without a backwards glance and i started towards the stairs so I could go to the barracks where I was staying. Something wasn't sitting well with me and being in the Western Kingdom didn't help much. I didn't feel safe and when I don't feel safe, it's never a good thing. I pushed open the door leading outside and started across the courtyard towards the barracks situated near the stables. I looked towards the shadows near the palace walls and frowned. Someone was moving through the shadows. I shrugged it off, maybe it was just a night guard. I entered the barracks and was greeted by a few drunk soldiers that I have command over.
"All of you stop drinking and get some sleep, we have drills early in the morning." I ordered and a few snapped salutes, well the ones who only had less then two drinks saluted. "I don't want to have to save people from arrows going the wrong way."
With that said I entered a room below the stairs and went over to the bed to sleep until the sun came up. I fell asleep and only dreamt of Sakura. For once my dreams weren't filled with my family, they weren't nightmares of my family being murdered before my eyes, for once they were just dreams with…Sakura. I woke up suddenly as someone hit me with a pillow. I sat up and looked over at a laughing Michiru. I looked out the window and cursed seeing the sun was already up.
"I was surprised when you didn't show up at the drills this morning." She said as she sat on the chair that was against the wall.
"What?" I asked in disbelieve.
"It's noon." She told me with a straight face. "I commanded the drills until I could find time to come in here and see what was keeping you."
"I slept until noon." I said still not understanding exactly what she meant.
"You must have had some really good dreams." Said another voice, this one coming from someone standing near the wall. "It took Michiru like five hits to wake you up."
"Sakura!" Michiru exclaimed as they both burst out laughing again.
"I can't believe I slept through the drills." I uttered and Michiru shrugged.
"At least your up in time for lunch with the council." Sakura said and I groaned.
"Syaoran we're just being guards at the doors. Don't worry about it. We'll get something quick to eat." Michiru told me in a rush.
I got up and pushed Sakura and Michiru out of my room so I could change. Pulling on a uniform I left the room and found Sakura and Michiru talking to one of the soldiers in the common room. He was of the western kingdom. Michiru didn't seem happy and Sakura was just confused. I walked forward quickly and looked at Yukito, one of the soldiers I had met when I first arrived. He was a friend of Touya's and just happened to be related to Michiru and I. He was, is, our cousin. Finally Michiru just smiled and they started to follow him from the room when Sakura looked back and spotted me. She stopped causing Michiru to almost fall into her. They both straightened up and I moved over to them nodding at Yukito. He nodded back and led us from the barracks heading towards the main building, the palace.
"Syaoran," Michiru started, "I need to head back to the Eastern kingdom to take care of a few things. Prince Touya is coming with me. Princess Sakura will be staying here to help with the problems going on here. The Prince and I both think you should be her bodyguard until we return."
"Ok, of course." I agreed, mostly because I had no choice, but also because a part of me wanted to do this.
"Good, we're leaving after lunch." She told me and a smirk spread across her lips. "You start your job now though." With that said she started for the door to the palace quickly.
"Michiru," I shouted after her but she only waved and laughed. "'Great, just great."
"What's wrong?" Asked Sakura who dropped back a few steps to walk beside me.
"Nothing." I retorted.
"Right, I don't believe you." She said frankly and I glared at her but she only smiled. "Let's just be friends."
"I'm your bodyguard, we won't be friends." I hissed and she raised an eyebrow.
"Strange, Michiru is my friend and she's also my bodyguard." Sakura replied with a strange look in her eyes.
"Drop it." I hissed and she only shrugged as she walked forward so she entered the palace before me.
We walked into the great hall and I looked around and growled as I saw Touya and Michiru talking. Both looked over at us and Touya glared at me while Michiru only smiled. Sakura ran over to them and said a few words before she came back to rejoin me as we entered the grand dining room. I looked back and watched as Touya entered without Michiru, but there she was standing at the door looking in, scanning around for someone. I rolled my eyes and pulled out Sakura's chair for her. She thanked me and sat down, so I went over and stood against the wall behind her seat. I frowned as I saw Enishi watching her, a look of lust in his eyes. A strange sense to protect her from him surged through me and I looked at Michiru like she was crazy as she walked over to Enishi. She shared a look with Touya before she tapped Enishi on the shoulder and waited for him to turn.
"Can I help you?" Enishi asked well more like sneered.
"I'm sorry Enishi-san." Michiru said with something akin to malice in her voice. "Your wanted back in the Eastern Kingdom. You'll be traveling back with Prince Touya and myself immediately after lunch."
"That's Yamato-san to you Captain." Enishi sneered and Michiru didn't seem fazed. "Now what of the princess, is she coming? If she isn't I'd rather stay to advise her. My assistant can take care of what's going on in…"
"Enishi-san, I outrank you, so shut up and listen." Michiru hissed cutting him off and a few people looked over at her in shock. "Princess Sakura will be staying here. You'll be in my custody as soon as lunch is over. I didn't want to announce this to the whole group, but you're wanted back in the Eastern Kingdom for treason."
There were gasps around the room and the council members all stood up and looked down the table at Enishi and Michiru. With a sigh Michiru took the seat across from Touya, but next to Enishi as someone, one of the council members attendants, whispered something into her ear. She smiled at Prince Touya and nodded to the council members who had all sat down to start the lunch. The look on Enishi's face was not very nice. It's what one would say filled with fury and anger so great, that it wouldn't be good to sit beside him incase he exploded. I grin filtered across my face as I thought that. It would be nice if that happened, I wouldn't complain. Everyone started to eat and I looked at Michiru once again to see she wasn't eating much, presumably because she had probably eaten something earlier. It was like she and Touya were in a staring match, or rather they were talking with their eyes.
That concludes this chapter. Thanks to all the people who reviewed this. I enjoyed reading them. But since fanfiction has something against the authors replying to reviews, I can't answer them but there is a petition going around that will hopefully make fanfiction allow us to respond to those reviews. If you want me to send it to you just give me your email in your review.
Remember the more reviews I get, preferably over five per chapter, the faster I update.
Jade.
