Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is property of CLAMP.
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Special thanks to BlueSnowDrop, Caro90 SS, James Birdsong, YX2007, Sandra Matute and Krizue. Your reviews really motivate me to keep going!
Chapter 3
Angel of music
By the moment they set foot in the ER the sun was already up, the sky clear. The woman in white sitting behind the front desk gave them a paper sheet to write down the basic information without bothering to lift her head from the screen she was staring at.
Syaoran stared at the woman infuriated, wondering how she could be so negligent.
It was evident that Sakura's condition required immediate attention. This bureaucratic nonsense could wait. Still, he decided to remain silent, from behind he could hear Sakura accepting the woman´s silent request, and he thought it wouldn't be fruitful to make a scene. He breathed in and out while walking towards an empty chair where Sakura could sit comfortably and fill the questionnaire.
He placed her down with care while glaring at the receptionist. He sighed. He shouldn't waste energy on this. The sooner they got over paperwork the sooner she'd receive medical care. He decided to remain calm, he didn't want to give Sakura another reason to worry. He turned to the emerald eyed woman and when his eyes landed on her, he felt his jaw drop, his mind trying to make sense out of what he was seeing.
She was scribbling while humming a sweet melody that somehow made him nostalgic. But that was the least important thing at the moment. Her black marks were gone, the scratches on her legs nowhere to be seen, she looked...fine. Nothing compared to what he'd seen when she was lying unconscious on the grass. She noticed his scrutinizing stare and blushed.
"Li, is everything alright?" He tried to articulate his thoughts. He knew what he saw back in the park. She was covered in bruises and black marks, he looked at her ankle and realized it was less swollen 'what's happening?, how?' his mind was running, he needed to make sense of what he was seeing. Without thinking it twice his hand reached out to touch the back of her head, she gasped at the sudden closeness. He noticed it, and even if a part of him felt uneasy by approaching her like this. He sensed the dry blood clotted in her hair. Carefully he tried to touch her scalp. He felt guilty, because he wanted to find the open wound, but instead…
"This is not possible" he felt his hands tremble, he was looking at her, feeling his stomach swirl. She seemed confused. Syaoran was in the process of finding his voice when he heard a man addressing him from behind.
"Everything alright, sir?" Syaoran turned around to find himself in front of a silver haired man, his grey eyes were sharp and had a bluish shine to them. Syaoran noticed the white coat and the scrubs. He wondered if it was adequate to verbalize his thoughts, he could win himself a trip to the psychiatry ward. He even started to wonder if she was not a figment of his imagination 'No. She spoke to the woman in the reception... right?'
"Yes… is just that" he started when he heard Sakura's voice
"He's a little worried because I haven't been seen by a physician yet" the tall, stoic man looked at her, and Syaoran felt a wave of relief 'He can hear and see her'. At the very least his dream girl was not a hallucination. He felt embarrassed when he realized what he was calling her in his mind. But still, he needed an explanation for how most of her wounds were completely healed, and the rest were getting better at an abnormal speed. He'd been hit before, several times while sparring and in actual fights. He'd had broken his head too, and he had never healed this fast.
No person he knew had this speed of recovery.
"I see…" the man took the medical forms from her and eyed them, making a long pause.
"Is there something wrong, doctor?" she asked. He took some seconds before answering, he eyed her again and Syaoran could perceive something had changed in the way he looked at her.
"Miss Kinomoto Sakura. My name is Tsukishiro Yue. Please come with me" she nodded and Syaoran lent his hand to help her up, ready to carry her in his arms again, but this time she felt more in control of her body and could slightly set her foot on the ground, she groaned but noticed she could stand with less help. Her eyes widened in realization and looked bewildered at Syaoran.
Until now she hadn't had the chance to take a look at herself, somehow, she thought that she had gotten used to the pain, or even that being carried around in a piggyback ride had served as a placebo. Now she could see that her legs looked perfectly normal, the white skin showing no signs of harm. She took a long, deep breath trying to widen her torso, this notion unchained no pain, shifting positions didn't do it either. Her abdomen and rib cage no longer hurt, the electric like pain she had felt on her face was gone. She felt her tongue dry while she transpired cold sweat, a sensation of void in her stomach and her heart beating fast. Her hands absentmindedly touched the spot on her head that had been bleeding and she noticed some tender scar tissue 'what?!'. She automatically took Syaoran's hand, he could feel she was terrorized.
"I can see you sprained your ankle. He can come with you as well" Said Yue while walking towards his office. Once Sakura was sure that she wouldn't be heard by the doctor she talked to her chocolate haired companion, her voice quivering.
"What's happening to me?"
"I don't know. I hoped you could explain it"
"I have no idea…"
"You mean this has never happened before?" She denied with her head, he felt lost, part of him wanted to leave this place with her, the other part still wanted her to have her medical checkup. Also, they had to notify that there was a cloaked violent, crazy person somewhere in this city. "I won't leave this place without you" he said firmly and she smiled in gratitude, her eyes still clouded with worry.
When they got to doctor Tsukishiro's office they both took their seats and Syaoran tried to ignore the personal routine questions she was asked. It didn't embarrass him to know the date of her last period, but he could understand how it could be uncomfortable for her to share that with… a stranger.
He got lost thinking of that last part, or the first time having the time to meditate over the events of the day.
They were strangers. Well, now he knew that she was 23 years old, only a year younger than him. That her birthday was in April and that she had no relevant illnesses. Also, that she heals inhumanly fast. Thinking of it, that made them more than complete strangers. Didn't it?
Once the routinary questions were answered, Sakura started to describe what happened, from the trouble sleeping to her passing out and then the walk to the hospital. The cold silver eyes of the doctor fixed on her, occasionally turning to Syaoran. Once she ended her recollection of the events Yue summarized.
"So, you were attacked by a stranger, who could or not, still lie unconscious somewhere in a park with a probable fracture on his jaw" he took a moment to resume, this time his gaze intensifying "if I understood correctly you sprained your ankle, received punches on the stomach, rib cage and face, finally he tossed you into a tree and you felt pain in your head" she nodded "that's when this gentleman stepped in" Syaoran frowned, there was something mysterious about the man in front of him, but he couldn't put his finger on what exactly, what he was asking was perfectly normal for a doctor "well, we have to run x-rays to see if you have any fracture or fissure, also we need to know if you have any internal organ injuries. And in regard to you mister…"
"Li"
"Li. You may step out" Sakura's hand reached out and grabbed his shirt tightly, Syaoran tried to remain composed while Yue's cold voice filled the room. They both knew it was common for physicians to stay alone with patients, but Sakura knew there was something else happening. Yue sighed when he saw the reaction of the young woman "for all I know you could be involved with her attacker" he said looking at Syaoran "The timing, though fortunate at first sight, is a very rare coincidence"
"It may seem suspicious. I agree" said Syaoran, Yue lifted one eyebrow, intrigued, the man in front of him had changed. His posture protective "I know you have to call the police. I have no issue with that" his voice was serious, but calm "have me interrogated and even investigated. I know I'm innocent and I have no trouble proving that. But there's something you need to understand. I won't leave her here. I won't leave this place without her" a silver strand of hair fell to Yue's face, his mind assessing the situation at hand.
He searched Sakura's eyes for information and confirmation. She nodded with a strong resolution, her hand still clasping the brown-haired man's t-shirt tightly. What he felt from her was not the fear of a helpless woman needing to be by her savior. What he could see was a strong determination to not be torn apart from what or in this case who, was hers. He then turned to Syaoran. He was astounded to see the amber in his eyes had turned yellowish. He was prepared to fight if needed. Yue knew better than to get in a fight with a wolf that guarded a member of his pack.
When they left the hospital, the sun was setting. They had barely eaten anything and they both looked worn out.
After the preliminary exam was conducted and while they waited for the X rays results, they had been interrogated by the police. They were told that there was no report of a cloaked person lying unconscious in a park, much less attacking anyone. Also, that they were going to search the hospital records for someone with a broken jaw or injury of the sort. It seemed that there was nothing left at the place where Sakura had been attacked to corroborate their story.
With no proof of the supposed attacker, Syaoran had to undergo a more exhausting and exhaustive interrogation. For the police, it was suspicious that he had been around and so far away from the running paths of the park at that convenient time. Fortunately, they had to let him go, since there was no evidence of his wrong doing and Sakura was against filing a complaint against him. They'd probably keep tabs on him until they could find the culprit.
By the end of the day Sakura could walk by herself. She had a slight limp, but she had improved a great deal. In her medical checkup Tsukishiro seemed puzzled by how everything seemed to be in working order. He even looked in a particularly suspicious manner at the dry blood clot in her head when he couldn't find any open wound, but he didn't say much.
"I'm so glad everything turned up fine" she said beaming at Syaoran, this action momentarily clearing his head and lightening his mood
"Yes, now… let's take you home" she smiled at him. Luckily, once they were leaving, the apparently cold and distant Yue Tsukishiro had given them money, Sakura remembered his words '"considering that you have nothing on you". He walked away before I could say anything. I must make sure to thank him on another occasion' Sakura thought while they boarded the cab that would take them to Sakura's place.
The cab ride was silent. They were emotionally drained and, though pleased with Sakura's miraculous healing process, it was a subject that worried both of them.
She wondered what it meant for her. Would it be a once in a lifetime kind of thing? What if it wasn't? Even if it was, should she do something about it?
"Is it here?" The cab driver asked, Sakura looked outside the window and recognized the street and the building. She nodded and drew the money that had been lent to them. Syaoran got out of the car and opened the door to then help her out, she still had to be careful, at least until this weird magic worked completely on her foot.
They carefully walked up the three floors until arriving at Sakura's doorstep, she searched her pockets and drew the keys. The only thing that she had taken with her, before leaving more than fifteen hours ago. She marveled in the way her life had changed in such a short time.
"I'm sorry if it's a little messy" she said embarrassed while turning the key, feeling nervous to think that he was coming inside. He noticed the change in the color of her cheeks and started to feel nervous as well. Her hand grabbed the knob and when the door was slightly open a strange sensation washed over her. Like cold water. She froze in place.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked. Her eyes looked puzzled, her voice grave.
"I don't know… I feel something is not right" she tried to put words to this feeling that invaded her, the words forming in her mind, like if they were revealed to her "I think, someone is inside" her hand immobile on the doorknob.
He clenched his teeth and positioned himself between her and the door. He could sense something was off as well. He didn't waste time wondering how she could tell the apartment was not empty, or how he felt a strange energy in the air. With a swift movement he kicked the door and found himself facing a tall shadow slightly visible for the slim beam of light entering the windows.
He felt the adrenaline kicking in, he placed his fists in front of his face, his feet automatically finding the right position to fight. He could sense the figure was watching them, even in the dark he could feel eyes over him and her.
"I've been looking for you, my angel of music" said a masculine, low voice "now, be a dear and sing for me" Syaoran's back tensed and the hair in the back of his neck stood up. A light circle with strange inscriptions illuminated the room. The light revealed a cloaked man, it looked very similar to the cloak they'd seen in the morning 'is it the same man?' Syaoran wondered, but he intuited he wasn't, even though he held the same staff he'd seen in the morning. He still was trying to make sense of the words he just heard from this intruder.
Sakura felt her body go numb at the sight of the illuminated characters in the circle. She had never seen such letters before, but somehow, she could understand what was written. She felt an invisible force controlling her, like a puppet pulled by strings. Her mouth opened and a song came from her lips.
When Syaoran heard that Sakura had started singing he panicked. Her voice brought him flashes of his dreams, which didn't feel like just nightmares anymore. He felt the urgency to stop this. He felt this was something very dangerous for him, and especially for her. He launched a punch at the cloaked man, but an invisible barrier kept him from getting to his target. He felt the despair invade him when Sakura's voice started to materialize in a pinkish light that was starting to group in front of her.
Something inside her felt alarmed, this person had to be stopped. The more she sang she felt colder, the pain increasing in her stomach, ankle, torso, face and head. It was excruciating. But she tried to use all her strength to impede her throat to keep singing.
"STOP!" Syaoran yelled and suddenly felt heat inside of him. She heard his strained pained voice. She realized that this could hurt Syaoran too. She wouldn't allow that. This thought lit a fire inside of her and the tight grip on her loosened enough for her to stop singing. She put her hands in her mouth and the bright, pink light in front of her vanished. Syaoran nervously saw a light coming from his left hand and he somehow knew it would be useful to protect her. He was relieved when the ball of light slowly blinked out of existence.
"Why must you always get in our way?" Growled the attacker while hitting the floor with the staff. This action generated a dense atmosphere in the room and Sakura felt the pull getting stronger on her. Then, in a swift movement, the stranger launched forward and before Syaoran could react he was hit hard on the side of the abdomen. This blow to the liver was familiarly blinding. He felt his knees trembling while he cursed himself for not blocking the blow. He couldn't lose, she was in danger.
Syaoran's right hand instinctively reached for his left. He was amazed when he drew a sword out of thin air. Again, he had no time to question anything.
Sword in hand and ignoring his pain he launched at the attacker, this time his weapon could cut through the invisible barrier and he found himself in front of his enemy. He lifted his left fist ready to land a hard blow when the cloak vanished into nothing, leaving Syaoran panting in the middle of the unorganized living room.
He fell to his knees in pain and drained. He trembled and felt cold, like he had all his vital energy soaked up. It was different from any other form of tiredness he had ever experienced. He could hear Sakura walking towards him, he tried to get up, she couldn't stay here, but he couldn't move. He felt like he couldn't even stay on his knees much longer.
She kneeled by him. She found herself sensing new things, she could even see a green colored halo around Syaoran, it was dim, she could tell he had used a lot of his stamina during the confrontation, also, she could see an energetic rip where he had been hit.
"I'm so glad you're ok" she said to him, stroking his cheek gently, he smiled trying to look fine enough that she wouldn't worry. He wanted to tell her how happy he was to see she was fine, that they had to leave, that she had to get somewhere else, somewhere safe. The words just wouldn't come out. He didn't even have the energy for that.
Carefully she took him by the shoulders and guided him effortlessly to her, his body posed no resistance and relaxed when his head was resting on her lap. She knew he would want to go somewhere else, but he was in no condition to do so, she could tell.
Now she understood the rare events of the day. She knew nothing of the people who chased her, but she understood why they were after her. Now that she knew what she could do she wondered what kind of decisions she would have to make.
She started to caress brown strands of hair away from his sweaty forehead, he felt cold to her touch. While her hands ran through his hair, he allowed himself to close his eyes, rejoicing in the sensations her touch elicited. She didn't know why she could do this, but she was determined to do her best for those around her.
She started to sing again. It was not the forced, sad voice he heard when they were attacked, but a soft, loving, happy one that he listened more with his heart, than with his ears. The corners of his mouth curled up in a smile, and as she sang, he could feel his body recovering, the heaviness was replaced by a sensation of lightness, the pain in his liver vanishing.
There, in Sakura Kinomoto's apartment, all lights off, a sword in his hand and her sweet singing voice filling the place, the pieces came together for Li Syaoran.
'I must be losing my goddamn mind'.
