FAMILY
TIES
By JustAkiko
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but the story is all mine.
Setting: At the end of the anime… and the almost end of the manga.
Notes: This fic is mostly canon, focusing more on the manga than the anime. HOWEVER, I wrote this BEFORE I saw the first or second movie, so they have no relevance to this story. Hence the Li family etc are entirely characterised from my imagination.
Once again many thanks to people who reviewed the last chapter! huggles I am still a little unsure about my writing of fight sequences, so I was pleased to see people were happy with them. Fear not, Sakura will be making her come back soon against the Clan's nasty tricks, but first she needs to find a certain someone...Enjoy the next chapter and thanks to everyone who's reading! I'm so pleased people are following this story, it makes the characters etc feel all the more alive.
Please REVIEW when you've finished, good or bad, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks again to everyone. Now, on with the story...
Ja
Chapter 10
Consequences
"Syaoran-kun! Wait!"
She felt more than heard him stop in the passage beyond, leaving a sickening silence between them, causing her own laboured breathing to ring in her ears. After a long moment Sakura forced her shaking legs forwards and made her way cautiously towards him. She had no idea what to expect, all she could picture was Li Sheifa's silent body twisted on the ground, at her own hand. The sick feeling in her stomach threatened to overwhelm her as Sakura held back another dry sob. In defiance she wiped roughly at her eyes and straightened her crumpled, dusty dress. So much for making him smile.
With that depressing thought in mind she reached the silent corner. Taking a deep shuddering breath Sakura drew the tattered remains of her courage around her and moved to face him.
"I am so very sorry Sya…"
The words trailed off into empty space as Sakura stared blankly at the foot of a dark staircase. There was no messy haired boy waiting patiently on the bottom step, not even angry amber eyes to challenge her where she stood. Just emptiness and the lingering smell of sandalwood he always left behind.
He had heard her. He must have. She'd felt him stop and wait, thought he'd given her a chance. But looking helplessly at the empty space before her Sakura realised, perhaps she didn't deserve another chance. The image of Sheifa came to her once again and the crushed Card Mistress couldn't help but agree. She'd gained powers beyond her wildest dreams then lost control of them, at the worst possible moment, making perhaps the biggest mistake of her life.
The thought was too much for her battered heart and in that instant Sakura was sure it would break. With a final sob she collapsed onto the small staircase, flame and amber flashing across her eyes as she trembled with sadness. It was there Tomoyo found her soon after, a broken doll in a house not her own.
He was an idiot! A fool! A heartless, stupid fool. When he'd heard her delicate voice call out to him, cracking with tiredness in the dark corridor, Syaoran had almost stopped. Almost done the right thing and turned back to hold her while she explained everything. Instead he'd been a pig headed fool and resumed his pace, disappearing into a forgotten wing and leaving her to explain to thin air. He was so stupid!
But he'd been so angry. And not just at Sakura, but at his mother, the Clan, everyone for letting such a petty conflict turn into such a disaster. The sight of his youngest sister lying lifeless on the floor had sent his heart cold; then looking back to see Sakura, wand raised towards her, it had all been too much. The logical part of his brain knew it was all an accident; that his delicate cherry blossom didn't have it in her to harm someone intentionally, especially not someone he loved. But Sheifa's pale skin and pained grimace had clouded his usually clear judgement.
In a bid to escape the anger and fear which threatened to devour him he'd left the Arena without a word, dragging his feet away from the battered bodies of the two girls he cared for most in the world.
Only when he reached Sheifa's room, over an hour later, did he stop, so tired with worry and confusion that his mind had long since given up trying to understand. Desperate to forget Sakura's pained face he knocked softly before entering his poor sister's bedroom. What he saw almost gave him a heart attack.
There in her large blue bed, a brush in her delicate hand, sat Sheifa. She was pulling it half-heartedly through her long hair and chatting amiably to Futtie who sat in a chair by the bedside. The pale lifeless body that had lain so beaten on the Arena floor seemed working and in tact; in fact her cheeks were rosy and her face smiling as the girls laughed at some unknown joke.
Syaoran didn't understand. She was injured, dangerously so, why…
"Xiao Lang! I'm so pleased you're here."
His heart jumped at the vibrant call of Sheifa's voice. With curious eyes he met her cheerful gaze and walked a little more into the girl's room, forcing his own voice into action.
"So am I…Sheifa." He replied, his words guarded, almost as if he were unsure she was real. "You're feeling better then?" He asked with more than a little amazement in his voice.
The genki girl nodded enthusiastically but Syaoran didn't miss the sudden sharpening of Futtie's gaze beside her. Trying to ignore it he listened to the girlish reply.
"Yes of course I am! But did you see me Xiao Lang? Hmm? Did you see how well I did? I said I could do it and I did, I've been practising and…"
Before the exuberant girl could say more her older sister was standing by her side, one hand clamped firmly over the runaway mouth.
"What she means," cut in Fuutie, "is that she recovered a lot quicker than she expected thanks to Mother and some of the Elders. Isn't that right Sheifa?"
The younger girl winced at some unknown ailment before her eyes suddenly widened and she seemed to wilt in the bed.
"Yes." She replied, her voice now docile and calm "Of course I did. She hit me with something evil that Japanese brat but luckily Mother knows how to combat evil arts. It's a good thing, right Xiao?"
But Syaoran wasn't listening; in fact he'd stopped at Sheifa's first exclamation and Futtie's odd panic. She'd been practising? For what? And why was she looking so very well after being consumed by such massive magical energy? His mind was once again riddled with questions and the sudden tension between his two sisters was making his head pound. With a brief nod of his head he moved towards the door.
"Err…yes of course. Um…goodnight Futtie, Sheifa."
"Goodnight baby brother." He heard Futtie's tight voice reply as he snapped the door shut behind himself.
Once in the corridor he could feel his anxiety grow ever higher as confusion became disbelief. A quick decision later and he was running, away from that room and the sickening truths it held towards somewhere, anywhere that he could make sense of all this. In minutes he came to a stop by one of the enclosed gardens, the same one he'd kissed Sakura in and the same place he'd planned on meeting her tomorrow night.
At this late hour he expected it to be empty so Syaoran was amazed when a dark figure came into view sitting silently, silhouetted on the small steps. For a brief moment his heart leapt, as he imagined it was Sakura there, to be held and apologised to a thousand times over. But his dream faded as he recognised the serene face of his eldest sister Fanran. Her short hair played gently in the night breeze and she sat holding a cup of steaming tea in her hands, watching him closely as if she'd been waiting all evening.
"Do you understand now?" was the first thing she asked, her eyes calm but earnest. Syaoran didn't have to ask what she meant, simply allowed all the thoughts and questions inside him to come falling out.
"It was her. She did it, didn't she? Tell me Fanran, tell me I'm right, this was Mother's work all along. She planned it all didn't she?"
He growled in frustration as he tripped over words and thoughts in an angry rush. Hands cleched firmly at his side, he met his sister's wise gaze and found the answers he needed.
"Sheifa got better quickly didn't she?" she asked again, taking a sip from her cup. Syaoran's response was a humourless laugh.
"A little too quickly of course. Because it was Mother who healed her and it was Mother who tampered with Sakura's magic in the first place. She forced that horror on Sheifa, on both of them! What the hell is she thinking?"
He was pacing now, stomping angrily across the ground in front of the steps, hands twisting with frustration and disbelief. It was then Fanran reached out, grasping his tense arm and pulling him round to stand and face her.
"You know this isn't really about them, don't you, Xiao Lang?"
Her words were soft and clear but the emphasis was obvious. In a flash the pieces in Syaoran's head all joined together at once. If he weren't so angry he'd probably have laughed.
"This is about me…"
His sister didn't answer merely stared back at him with open eyes.
"This is to stop me loving her, to turn me against her. This is all just a test, between family and…"
As the ugly idea became clearer Syaoran groaned in despair, hands gripping his head in frustration.
"What have I done?" He whispered finally, "What must she think? I-I ran away! They pit her against my family and I chose them. I can't lose her because of this."
"Then I suggest you keep that little promise of yours tomorrow night." Fanran replied, eyes twinkling knowingly and a generous smile playing across her face. Syaoran saw the kindness there and felt himself calm, his own thankful smile appearing as he nodded in agreement. He watched his eldest sister rise and turn back towards the main house and he turned towards the garden. Fanran's clear voice stopped him in a final warning.
"When you truly have to choose, don't be bound by family ties…brother."
He turned back but she was gone, the words hanging in the air, a parting gift. With a glance at the moon Syaoran prayed for the night to be over soon. The sooner he could see her, the better.
Elsewhere in the Li mansion, blind to the night's revelations, a young Card Mistress lay wrapped in blankets, drifting in dreams of sadness and solitude with tear tracks painting her cheeks. Tomoyo watched her from the windowsill sending up her own prayer that things would soon turn out right.
The sun was setting slowly behind rustling trees as the final birds sang goodbye to the day. Despite the peace and tranquillity of the garden, Syaoran was fit to burst with anticipation. He hadn't seen Sakura since the disastrous evening before and despite sending a message to confirm their meeting earlier in the day, he had no way to know if she'd received it. Just as a rather grumpy Kero had fluttered from his window ledge, Syaoran had been called before the Council Of Elders. As expected, it hadn't been a pleasant affair. They'd tarred and feathered Sakura's name, calling her an unstablemonster of all things. Miraculously Syaoran had held his tongue and spent almost an hour listening to them berate his most precious person over and again.
He'd reasoned it all out last night, alone under the stars: the more he defended her the worse they became. All the pain Sakura suffered at their hands came from his rebellious love for her. Well he wouldn't give them that ammunition any more. If he feigned indifference, made them believe their little scheme with Sheifa had worked and he no longer cared then maybe, just maybe they'd ease off and let his love return home. She had claimed the Cards and no one could argue that, this continued game was all about Clan pride. And he wouldn't have her hurt for something as flimsy as that. He wouldn't hurt her anymore, even if it meant she left here without him.
But the old guys tactics were fierce and they'd thrown up one last obstacle for them to face before Sakura could be set free. It was this that Syaoran needed to discuss with her now, before the task began, or else all his pretence would have been for nothing and they would both be lost.
Soon the sun was sinking and twilight threatened to let in night at any moment. 'She's always late,' he told himself, 'She'll be here, she will.' Still, as the first stars winked into existence Syaoran felt his hope dwindle. But he couldn't leave, couldn't risk deserting her again, so he planted his feet stubbornly under the shadowy canopy of a small tree and reached out with his senses; not even a trace of her shimmering aura was anywhere on the night air.
He needed to see her before all this, damn it he needed to explain! To explain and apologise and hold and caress. To see her smile and feel his stomach tighten and meet an emerald gaze that wasn't filled with tears. He had to mend the wounds he had made the night before so he could meet their final challenge knowing they were whole.
An icy presence signalled that it was too late. Their time was up and Sakura wasn't coming. With a barely-hidden sigh Syaoran turned to face his waiting mother, a porcelain figure glowing on the twilit porch.
"Come Xiao Lang." She called out, her voice hard and commanding, "It is time."
A stiff pink skirt stitched to a high-necked bodice that shimmered in the light and bore at its centre a shining silver star. Thigh high socks in stark white and pink boots that reached all the way to follow them. Gloves to her elbows again in white with pink and gold trim. And to finish, one white, one pink ribbon that seemed to defy gravity, bowed in her honey hair and falling to below her waist in an elegant arch.
Tomoyo stood back, surveying her handiwork and felt tears gather in her lavender eyes. Sakura looked… perfect. An image of soft and powerful, the child she always was and the young woman she was growing to be. This was the outfit that Sakura would defeat the Li Clan in and assert her true claim over her magic and Cards once and for all. And it looked perfect. Yet as she watched her friend survey herself in the mirror, Tomoyo's heart clenched and she fought the urge to take the girl in her arms and hold her, wiping away the frown that spoiled the delicate face. It was all the outfit was missing: Sakura's adorable smile.
But that had been missing since yesterday, since Sakura's biggest fright and Li-kun's big mistake. Of course she sounded and seemed as genki as ever, but after watching the Card Mistress dotingly for nearly sixteen years Tomoyo could see the truth behind the façade. She watched the hurt bring a frown to her pretty pink lips, then anger crease her delicate brow. A battle was going on in that cute head as Sakura's frustrations at herself swung towards Syaoran and back again till there was no sign of a clear winner. That wouldn't happen till she'd seen him but his lack of communication and Sakura's stubborn streak made it unlikely that was going to happen anytime soon.
So Tomoyo had done all she could, talking about the weather, the Cards, home and how they could return soon. She'd tried everything to distract Sakura until finally the time had come to prepare for the task and all she could do was wrap her in love and luck made of pink and white silk. Sakura's nerves were almost palpable, but so was her determination. Perhaps the experiences of yesterday had done some good, Tomoyo mused, as the spark in Sakura's eyes flashed every time she looked at her Cards or surreptitiously touched the Key at her neck. Finally they were at the mirror waiting for a knock on the door. When it came Sakura didn't say a word, merely smiled at Tomoyo and gave her a brief hug before walking purposefully to meet her fate. Tomoyo turned to pick up her camera, still tingling from the unexpected contact, and smiled. Sakura would always have her, she realised, and no matter what happened, hopefully that would be enough. With that thought in mind she switched on the camera and headed out of the door.
Just as a very flustered looking Kero came tearing through the window.
"Sakura! Gomen, had to hide…and…there was cake…and pudding and I tried and you….
…
…Oh no."
Standing before the large familiar doors leading into the Arena, Sakura felt as if she would burst with fear and anxiety. Sure she'd been nervous before about these tasks – she remembered clearly the panic on that first day, which seemed so long ago now – but this was the end and she knew from experience that the Li's would make it memorable.
Her mind threatened to overload with all the unwanted feelings and frustration she'd harboured all day, but with practised ease she forced them into silence. She would finish this and then she could deal with everything else, home, the Li's and Syaoran.
"Hoe!"
Sakura jumped with a frightened start at the sudden pressure on her shoulder. Looking up she gazed into the deep brown eyes of her older brother.
"Onii-chan! What ar…"
Touya clapped a hand over her gaping mouth and patted her fondly on the head.
"We came to say good luck squirt." He whispered teasingly, "Don't go messing this up or we'll never get home."
It was his turn to flinch as nimble fingers reached around and tweaked his nose sharply. Following the offending hand came Yukito's smiling face and Sakura beamed even as her brother hissed in protest.
"What he means to say is we know you can do this Sakura-chan, so please be careful and do your best ok?"
Sakura smiled her first real smile of the day and reached out to embrace both men.
"Arigatou." She whispered, her head buried in both their chests, as she held on tight for a long moment.
Above her, Yukito caught the soft gaze with which Touya regarded his sister and smiled warmly at him. Touya grinned back wryly before leaning in to press his forehead against Yuki's and squeezed both those he loved even tighter.
When they finally broke apart, Tomoyo's delighted squeals becoming a little too distracting, Sakura could feel the glossy sheen of tears in her eyes. With a deep breath she raised her foot and brought of crashing down on Touya's own. The pink boot landed heavily and Touya yelped before hopping off the injured appendage and holding it worriedly. Sakura giggled with delight as she heard Tomoyo's gasp and Yukito's open laughter.
"That's for saying I might mess up." She declared, sticking her tongue out childishly catching Yukito's laughing eyes.
"Yue also sends his luck." He added in an undertone, muffled by Touya's continued moaning. "Not that you'll need it."
"Arigatou Yue-san." She replied, knowing the Guardian would hear somehow.
Yukito smiled warmly again before pointing to the door.
"Now don't you think you should make an entrance, before this one quiets down?"
He indicated to a now grumbling Touya who was gingerly testing his weight on the abused foot.
Sakura nodded sharply in response, taking one more look at her beloved brother before turning to face the ominous doors. With renewed determination she took a deep breath before reaching out to take Tomoyo's hand.
"Let's go." She whispered pushing the doors wide open.
Ok, the end is nigh. Sakura's final battle is coming in the next chapter, so please REVIEW and read next time!
Hugs
Ja x