AN: Happy Christmas, minna!!! And an advance Merry New Year.... he....he..
I was hoping that I could finish this fic in time for Christmas so that it would be my gift to you all.... but since school happened, I guess I would have to reschedule.... _
Dun...dun..dun... My replies to reviewers!!
madmanalpha: Arigato!!!! Don't worry!! We're still on break so updates come faster!!!
Kawii-Neko-Neko-Chan: Arigato!!!!! For loving my name, for liking the past chapter and for sharing my sentiments in sewing!!! –cries- Merry Christmas, too, friend!! I love Christmas (maybe, mostly because there are presents involved..he..he). What about you? Oh, and I promise to update this fic..... It will be my Christmas gift to you and all my other reviewers, ne? What do you think? Oh, and I'm sorry for the meltdown!! tee...hee... And thank you for the new word!!!! Huggles!!! I love it about as much as I love your name!!! You're very, very welcome, by the way!!!! ^ __ ^
Noelle Smith the Snow Queen: Thanks for all your comments! They certainly are encouraging!!! XD !!!
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Warnings: AU, and major, major OOC's
Reminders: This is not a crossover. No matter how many characters that come from a wide variety of animes I place in this story. I simply do not like OC's. (since I'm no good in making one)
Fiction Rating: T
Summary: She will become Japan's greatest weapon, as long as she falls in love.
He is China's greatest hope, and chance of survival, until he falls victim into a power not even he, as a general of China's greatest battalion, could defeat. He is China's strongest man, until he finds himself falling in love. To his greatest enemy...
Disclaimer: Me: Santa, would you please give me CCS (and all those other anime characters)?
Santa: Hell, no!!!
Since Santa has refused to give my the rights to CCS (and all those other anime characters) this Christmas, I might as well stick to dreaming, be a good girl and update this fic often and hope that maybe next Christmas, Santa might give CCS to me. –sighs- Being nice is hard.
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VI. TEARS
He smirked as he noted that though Sakura objected to the fact that she was a princess, she didn't object to the fact that she was his.
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If Tomoyo noticed that being sleepy was becoming a wonderful new habit for Sakura the past few weeks, she was decent enough not to mention it.
The woman would just go on their usual routine in the morning, never insisting on trivial, for-children things that included sleeping for at least eight hours a day. Nor did she comment on the small hint of a shadow underneath Sakura's glowing eyes. She didn't even seem to register the fact that Sakura yawned after every few minutes. Neither did she become worried when falling asleep in their study sessions has become Sakura's favorite hobby, even though studying with Tomoyo was one of the things she looked forward to everyday.
.....Okay, so maybe she didn't notice anything at all.
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"Sakura," Tomoyo started out firmly, once she woke Sakura up, after she fell asleep for the fifth time through the course of discussing History.
"Hmmm?"
Tomoyo watched as her friend started to blink several times, to rid of the sleep in her eyes.
"Tell me," she continued, slowly, not knowing enough of private confrontations to get over these things smoothly. "Who's the lucky guy?"
Because Tomoyo knew that Sakura's lack of sleep, distance to her reality and constant whispers of an incoherent name can only be explained by love. There was no other thing more mysterious than that. She was sure.
Instead of the expected blush, Sakura's face paled to a deathly white, a reaction that was not to be expected.
"Please," Sakura begged, softly. "Please don't tell anyone about this, Tomoyo. I... I don't think I can bear to lie to you... You...I... I have to know that... I can trust you."
"You can trust me as much as you trust yourself, Sakura."
That was not a lie. Even though, she would probably go running to Hatori-sensei once she knew who this person was, it still wasn't a lie. The girl trusted her capabilities less than she trusted anything else.
A fact that Sakura seemed oblivious about for she sighed in relief and smiled.
"He told me that his name was Syaoran. We...we've been meeting in the garden for the past weeks, every night."
Tomoyo nodded, solemn.
There were about three things that she was sure about.
One: That Sakura's relationship with this man had developed further, as she now trusts him enough to stay with him alone every night.
Two: That she wasn't going to lie to Sakura, either. Her friend's pain is her pain and she cannot bear to use Sakura's growing feelings for her satisfaction. It was bad enough that she had to lose her memories and be taken away from the life she was used to. There was no need to cause her additional grief. She'd let her be happy. For the longest time she can.
And, three: The name Syaoran held a strange meaning for her, somehow. It was like she'd heard of it, sometime in the past, but find it hard to recall where it came from.
Strange.
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It was not in Syusuke Fuji's nature to be impatient.
Most of the time, he would calmly see through the most terrible of things and wait for the correct moment to strike back. His calculated manipulation tactics were something to be feared. And the fact that he was only as young as sixteen made him even more fearsome.
And because he was used to manipulating things to his advantage, he didn't mind sitting idle, while the biggest problem or the most troublesome crisis unfolds itself right before his very eyes.
Which was why it was very uncharacteristic of him to go riding back to the eastern city of the Chinese, leaving both his troops and Syaoran's under the care of his second-in-command.
But, honestly, he could not sit idle anymore. Syaoran still wasn't back and reports had come everyday, bringing more grave news, than not.
Japan was beginning its assault. On China's capital, no less.
One of the Feudal Lord's more desperate letters had pleaded Fuji to attack Japan, hoping they would stop once China began its attack as well.
But Fuji's military acumen, as well as his vast experience in battles told him that this was not the solution. Attacking Japan would only cause more trouble for China than for its opponent. Not when Japan already had a head start, not to mention their huge advantage.
Even though Fuji would win this battle, the Japanese soldiers – spies might be a better term – could be even more aggravated at Japan's loss and cause even more damage to China's capital.
How, though, were they able to infiltrate China this easily? The Chinese ranks consisted of well-disciplined soldiers, trained to their fullest extent. Surely, even one of those well-trained soldiers would have noticed something amiss within their camps.
But, no. Japanese spies successfully entered China, almost razing the entire capital, explosion after explosion.
And through all this, Syaoran had stayed silent. He had given no sign at all that, in fact, if Fuji believed as much of the supernatural as his sister did, he would have thought Syaoran had disappeared all together.
If Syaoran had been found out and executed, then Japan surely had been very humble and quiet about it. And that was something that was not in Japan's nature, either.
So that cancels out that option.
Option two would be that he didn't find anything useful and that pride did not allow him to return empty-handed.
But... even Syaoran knows his boundaries.
So, there's really no other reason for him to stay. Unless... Unless, there is an option three.
Option three would be.... NO!!
He shied away from the thought. Syaoran would never. Right? There really was no need for a third option, was there? With Syaoran, there were only two options. Just two, no more, no less.
But what if there really was a need for a third option?
He was debating on this fact when he impatiently ran down the short walk of his home, where his sister, Yumiko Fuji resided.
Before his hand even reached it, the door was opened by a woman, very much like Fuji himself. Honey-brown strands, creamed porcelain skin and the very same cerulean orbs, though not always as closed.
"Syusuke," she said, smiling softly at her little brother. "I've been expecting you."
"Since how long?" Fuji asked, surprised. He knew he shouldn't be. After all, his sister was one of China's greatest seers, the only one who was able to predict the future most accurately. No loopholes.
"An hour now," she said, gesturing to her tarot cards, ready on the living room table, as Fuji stepped inside.
Yes, Fuji believes, like his sister does, in the supernatural. He believed in seers and their ability to tell the future. But he just doesn't believe in it enough to be confident in beings like vampires, faeries and werewolves.
Things that his seer sister believed in.
"How are things going with Syaoran?" she asked while Fuji made himself comfortable as she shuffled the cards.
Fuji glared. "You know full well how things 'are going with Syaoran.'"
She smiled, unfazed. "Sure, I do."
If anything, his sister sounded obnoxious, smug.
"How do you girls manage it?" he asked, a delicate eyebrow rising. "Sounding and acting so childish and still getting away with it."
"I'm only twenty-five, Syusuke," she reminded him, setting the cards down.
"Which is nine years older than I am," Fuji added, exasperated.
She laughed. "Not my fault you, men are so serious. Better watch your emotions, little brother. Next thing I know, I'll be dreaming of you having your very first age line. Careful now. Wouldn't want to destroy your chances with my future sister-in-law when it sounds so promising."
"Could you stay out of my love life, please," Fuji said, rolling his eyes a little. He wasn't even seeing any girls, yet.
She laughed again. "Some tests, first?"
"So that you'll have the excuse to pry even more with my love issue? I'd rather not," Fuji replied, reading between his sister's lines.
Yumiko chuckled. "Fine, then."
She put her hands on top of the cards and ordered, "Show me Syaoran."
The card she showed Syusuke was definitely not what he had hoped for. Nor was it something that he wanted to see. But, he realized, as he took it from his sister with shaky hands, that it was to be expected.
It awakened his unfinished thought, that, just moments ago, he deemed impossible.
Option three would be that Syaoran found a reason to stay. A reason different from his purpose of coming. A reason so strong, it blocked out all of Syaoran's rationality.
A reason, that can only be a girl.
Because, really, why would his sister, the most talented seer in China, draw this card?
But he didn't blame Syaoran for it. Though the card clouded his vision, it had not clouded his judgement. Syaoran was human, no matter how the other Chinese thought of him otherwise. Syaoran has a heart. A heart that beats, that can die, that can befriend, that can love. He really was no traitor. He was just in love.
So,no. It was not Syaoran's fault. Not even when the card of The Two Lovers penetrated his gaze from his shaking palm.
"This would be..."
"Something you can't deny," his sister continued his unfinished sentence. "Syaoran fell in love."
"With a Japanese?" His tone wasn't incredulous or disbelieving or amused. Bleak would have been its best description.
"With a Japanese."
Something that Yumiko knew, wasn't quite right, as she looked at the card she'd drawn next. The Wheel of Fortune.
Part of a bigger plan, huh?
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Syaoran kicked yet another stone as he strolled farther down one of the remaining gardens of the laboratory.
He had taken this walk to sort his feelings out, and he wasn't getting nearer to anything, other than the looming fence that kept the laboratory out from the rest of Japan.
It was just that, no matter how much Syaoran tried to deny his blossoming feelings for Sakura, it just keeps coming, pressing on him harder and harder.
He was in love. With Sakura, though he still vehemently tried to shove those two facts out of his mind.
Being in love meant that the last thread of rationality he had desperately clung on to the past few weeks would soon snap.
He had already all but forgotten about his true purpose here, staying for Sakura, instead of information. He had already disregarded his responsibility to the empire, as one of its generals. He didn't even know what was happening to China anymore. He had already betrayed China's trust. Betrayed the Feudal Lord, the Li clan, his army and his best friend.
Can't he be in love and still have something left behind with him? Can't he be in love and still have his dignity beside him?
Apparently not.
Because he just had to fall in love with a Japanese. His greatest enemy.
His mind, his rationality screamed at him that this was beyond betrayal. That the barracks were his home. Where he was supposed to be. It wanted him to go back and fulfill his resonsibility to China, together with Syusuke, while he still can. While he wasn't in this too deep. While he still can bear to forget about Sakura and get himself an even more beautiful Chinese girl to love and spend the rest of his life with.
But he knew, he would find no one who could surpass Sakura's smiling visage. Who could surpass her humor, her auburn curls, her rich skin, her delicate grace, her emerald pools.
He laughed bitterly. His mind was wrong. He was already in this too deep. He can't..... won't find a way to resurface from those deep, twinkling emeralds.
Not when he loved her too much.
Not when he can't imagine life without her.
Not when his heart tells him that loving her is the right thing.
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TBC...
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There... another chappie finished! I'm so happy.... –cries tears of joy-
I'm a little emotional today.... Trying to write fluff seems to be rubbing off on me... ^ __ ^
So... Merry Christmas!!.... or Happy Hanukkah!!..... or simply Season's Greetings to all!!
Please remember to give me a gift this Christmas through your reviews, minna!!
Always remember, a review a day keeps muscle pains and writer's block away...
Signed and sealed,
Blue-feathered Wings