Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Title: Red
Teaser: He would gladly kill for her, and that was the one thing she could never let him do.
Rating: T
Length: 1,376 words
Li Syaoran was seeing red.

Anger made his blood boil as it raced through his veins, flushing his face and giving his eyes a strange, almost manic glint. Lightning flickered and flashed around his body as his rage took physical manifestation, terrible and uncontrollable. His pounding legs took him ever closer to his targets . . . ever closer to his revenge.

How dare they?

He could see them ahead of him now, laughing at what they'd done. The fools. They wouldn't know what had hit them until it was too late. He could almost – almost – pity them, except . . .

. . . snow white wings crumpling, falling, stained a color that should never have marred their purity . . .

Dimly, Syaoran was aware that someone somewhere was screaming. It took him a moment to realize that that person was himself.

He was on his knees – how had he gotten on his knees? – his head clutched in his hands as if to keep the awful visions from assaulting his mind. His breath came in great, panting gasps. Staring at his hands – dirty hands, filthy hands, stained from the sin of failing her – he could see them shaking treacherously.

Sakura!

No. He couldn't think of her, not now, not until after she had been avenged. He couldn't think of how he had failed her, or . . .

A sound from up ahead brought his attention back to the situation at hand. He cursed softly; they knew he was here, now. With an unsteady lurch, he rose to his feet, staggering slightly before recovering. In one fluid motion, he drew and released his sword. The deadly blade flashed once in the moonlight before he sent a flood of lightning ahead of him, clearing his path. He followed behind like an angel of death, vengeance in his eyes.

They would pay. They had to pay. He would make them pay. He would . . .

"Syaoran, stop!"

He froze mere seconds from beheading the quailing man before him. What . . . ?

It wasn't possible. Losing her had been too much, he decided, and his mind had finally succumbed to madness. He rallied himself, his cold amber eyes narrowing in resolution, determined not to let his insanity stop his revenge . . .

. . . But . . .

. . . the scent of cherry blossoms on the wind, sweet and warm and comforting . . .

"Sakura . . . ?"

Gale-force winds swirled around him, ruffling his hair as they whisked his victims away, carrying them far beyond his reach. But none of that mattered now. His sword fell from his trembling fingers, landing with a clang on the ground, and, slowly, disbelievingly, he turned around.

"Sakura . . ."

It wasn't possible. It just wasn't possible. But there she was, standing before him, worn and tired, perhaps, but wonderfully, beautifully alive.

For the second time that night, Syaoran found himself suddenly on the ground as his knees gave out on him. This time, though, Sakura was there, catching him as he fell and cradling his head in her lap.

"Syaoran! Are you okay?" She searched his face desperately, then looked him up and down in search of wounds. "Are you all right, Syaoran?"

"I . . . You . . . I . . ." He gazed up at her, unable to believe that she was real, that she was here, holding him and looking down on him with those beloved green eyes so full of worry.

She stroked his brow tenderly, the soothing caress calming him enough to speak.

"You . . . You fell . . . They hurt you, and you fell, and there was so much blood . . . Sakura, I thought . . ." To his shame, the heir to the Li Clan found tears running down his cheeks, and angrily he blinked them away.

"Shh . . . I'm okay, Syaoran, really I am. Fly was hurt, a little, but she's easy enough to heal, and we're both okay, I'm okay . . . It's okay, it's okay . . ." She bent down and kissed him, assuring him of her health. "It's okay," she repeated, and she smiled at him.

Syaoran took a deep, shuddering breath, then sat up and crushed her in an embrace, rocking her back and forth. "Sakura, I thought I'd lost you . . . I thought I'd failed you."

She clutched him back. "You could never fail me, Syaoran. Never." And, as if to prove her words, she kissed him again.

He drank her in like he was a dying man and she his only salvation. Gods, to lose her would be . . .

But she was here, safe, in his arms, and so he banished those thoughts and lost himself to her.

"Right," he said when they broke apart, both of them panting a bit. Rising, he gestured at the men that had been bound by Windy's chains. "What should we do with them?"

Accepting his offered hand, Sakura let him pull her to her feet. "I'll take care of this."

Syaoran stepped back, a predatory smirk on his face. He loved this part.

The Mistress of the Clow's hair and clothing began to move in a wind that no one else could feel. To his magical senses, her aura throbbed with power, and when she spoke to her captives, her voice had taken on a commanding tone that quelled any protests before they even formed in the poor fools' minds.

"You have meddled in doings of which you cannot possibly understand. Your actions were cruel and foolish, and your punishment must be equal to your crimes." Her voice rang with power as she drew her star key and called, "Key that hides the power of the stars, show your true identity! By the Covenant, I, Sakura, command you! Release!"

With her Star Staff in her hands and the familiar magical seal at her feet, Sakura was truly an awe-inspiring presence. Syaoran smiled, his eyes full with pride in her accomplishments and relief at the sight that he'd been afraid he would never see again.

All too soon, it was over. As her magic faded from her, Sakura sank to the ground, exhausted.

Syaoran was at her side in an instant, kneeling beside her anxiously. "Are you all right?"

She smiled tiredly. "Yes. I'm fine. Really," she added when he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"What did you do to them, anyway?"

She blinked, surprised. "You don't know?"

He smiled wryly. "Sorry. I was too busy admiring you to pay attention to what you were doing."

She blushed and he grinned, delighting in how easily he could unsettle her (and conveniently forgetting that she could just as easily do the same to him). "I, um, just . . . sent them . . . to the place, and, er, they can learn a lesson there . . ." She broke off, gesturing vaguely. "You know," she added, and then yawned.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "It's past your bedtime, little girl. Let's get you home." He scooped her up into his arms and she snuggled closer to him, enjoying the way he held her.

Syaoran turned away from the battlefield and bent his legs, preparing to leap to the roof of the opposing building and take his love home, but something occurred to him and he straightened, his arms tightening about her.

"Sakura?"

"Yes, Syaoran?" Her voice was a tired mumble.

"You know I love you, right?"

"Yes, Syaoran," and he could hear the smile in her voice.

"And, Sakura?"

"Yes, Syaoran?"

"You know I'd die for you, right?"

She pressed her face into his chest. "Yes, Syaoran."

"And, Sakura?"

"Yes, Syaoran?"

"You know I'd . . . You know I'd kill for you, right?"

". . . Yes, Syaoran."

"Good."

"But, Syaoran . . ."

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Don't . . . Don't ever do that, okay? I wouldn't want that to . . . happen to you . . . It would change you, y'know? And . . ." She yawned again, her eyes fluttering closed.

"Yes, Sakura. I know.

"I know."