Hello! I want to thank those who have reviewed, they were very encouraging. Thank you so much for pointing out the mistakes and OOC-ness. You see, I only watched Tsubasa Chronicles up to episode 26, and Sakura was kind of silent most of the time. I hope I'll get the hang of the characters…meanwhile, help me, okay?
Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa Chronicles. Simple as that.
c-h-a-p-t-e-r-2
Syaoran's eyes widened as he watched the princess fall to the ground. His limbs seemed to be in a state of paralysis, for he did not move a muscle to rush to her aid. He simply stood there, amber eyes watching Sakura falling. His mind then took control of his body and brought him closer to her. He managed to catch Sakura moments before her head touched the grating sand.
The princess' face was deathly pale. She could have been a ghost for all they knew. Syaoran traced her cheek with one finger, shuddering when he felt the ice-cold skin.
"Hime!" he said urgently, trying to see any signs of life from the frail body. Of course, she never reacted. Sakura's head lolled loosely past his arm, allowing her now dull brown hair to scrape the ground.
"We better bring her into the shade," Fye butted in, trying to help. Syaoran obeyed without hesitation and carried the unconscious princess bridal style towards the tree they were resting under before the encounter with the vile creature. Kurogane was already there, a water bottle in his hands. The cap had been screwed off the top and now lay in the ninja's palm.
"We need a bit of cloth," he pointed out bluntly. Syaoran frowned. Pulling out some cloth from their supplies and shredding it meant wasting precious time, and he did not know how long the princess could hold out.Suddenly, here was an unpleasant ripping sound behind him. Both the boy and the ninja turned around to see a huge piece of white fabric torn out of Fye's bell-shaped sleeve. He smiled idiotically and waved the fabric about.
"You said you wanted cloth, right?"
"We could've used one of the blankets instead, mage," Kurogane said offhandedly. Despite what he said, he grabbed the soft linen and held it over the mouth of the bottle. He tipped the container to the side, allowing the crystal-clear liquid inside to trickle out. The cloth lapped up the moisture eagerly.
Syaoran watched him anxiously as the ninja dabbed at Sakura's forehead, brushing away the sheen of cold sweat that had formed there. His attention was solely for the princess, and the princess alone.
He blamed himself thoroughly for the princess' current condition. He should have realized that the princess was ill since he was with her the whole time. How had he been oblivious to her plight?
The chestnut haired boy tried his best to keep his emotions in check. It would not do anyone good if he lost control of himself right now.
His main concern is for the princess of Clow.
Only Sakura, and Sakura alone.
His life was nothing compared to her safety…
Hime, Touya-ouji, I'm sorry. I failed you all.
….
"Ungh…"
Startled emerald eyes snapped open immediately. The lack of warmth from the marble floor really jolted her senses awake. Not to mention the painful ache she experienced in every single limb…it felt as thought they were about to break.
Sakura wiggled her fingers and toes gingerly. Nope, nothing broken. Just an unexplainable ache everywhere, as if she had run for several miles without stopping for a breather.
Now that she was assured she had suffered nothing physical, she proceeded to check out the surroundings. Thick, mammoth pillars towered high above her. Patterns that were curiously shaped into what seemed like letters of the ancient language were carved intricately into the solid cement. Or was it some kind of otherworldly solid? Sakura did not know.
Besides that, the entire hall she was in stood bare, showing off well-polished brown walls. It glistened eerily in the flickering light given off the countless torches that littered the room. Sakura uttered a horrified gasp when she saw what held the burning sticks in place.
Because…the holders are…
Bloody skulls, brown with caked blood that had dried up with time. Yet some thick, crimson liquid was trickling down every one of them, drenching the gruesome skulls in fresh blood. It made them appear much more hideous than they really were. Then again, the sight of a brownish skull is more than enough to scare anyone out of their skin.
Drip, drip…
Drip…
A dried, shriveled-up hand jutted out of every skull where the mouth should have been, all pointing towards the ceiling. Papery, semi-transparent skin stretched tautly over the bones.
A tar-like substance leaked out of non-existant pores, thick and pitch black, apparently the source of that eerie 'drip, drip' sound. It crawled down the scabbed skin and occasionally fed slivers to the burning torch it held in frail-looking fingers. Sakura could see the bone beneath the crinkled skin very clearly indeed.
They looked like fragile twigs, ready to break off at the slightest touch. The skin looks as though it could crumble if Sakura had the guts to blow lightly. She was sure that if she had sneezed, the whole place would crumble. Then again, those pillars do look sturdy…
"Awake already?" an imperious voice boomed. It seemed to echo loudly around the room, bouncing off the walls and pillars. Perhaps she had imagined it, but she was quite sure that she saw the flames being blown back and the skulls rattle about on the walls. To top it all off, the hands teetered precariously in the gaping holes bored into the skulls, threatening to fall and spread flames across the marble floor to lick at her feet.
Sakura lifted her head. There, in front of her, stood the most intimidating man she had ever seen. Even onii-chan would have been preferable. No, this man was not intimidating when it comes to physical appearance. In fact, he was scrawny and extremely thin. His shirt, made out of rich purple silk, was probably the smallest size Sakura had seen for an adult. Then again, she was in another world…perhaps the sizes of clothes were different here?
What frightened Sakura the most was the amount of power he seemed to have. Even from where she stood, she could see it in the cockiness of his stride and the way his steel-blue eyes danced without a trace of humour in them.
The temperature also seemed to drop by several degrees upon his arrival. It was as though his presence demanded absolute coldness in the surroundings. So cold…there was no warmth radiating from him, only pure evil. The air reeked of it.
And for someone as cheerful as Sakura, it was unbearable, intolerable. It wrapped around her frail figure and threatened to suffocate her, depriving her of oxygen. The hideous man grinned when he saw her uneasiness. He wallowed in her nervousness not unlike the way a bear would gorge on honey.
"What do you want?" Sakura managed to choke out despite her ever-growing fear. His smile grew wider, if possible. "Who are you?"
"Do you really need to ask? I want your feathers, of course. All of them. As for my name…it is none of your concern."
Sakura had to shudder. His voice…it was dripping with so much malice and sarcasm, she was surprised the floor did not melt where he stood. Her lungs took an involuntary gasp for air and she shuddered again. The ice-cold oxygen pierced through tissue and cell, turning the bronchi within her lungs into caves of icicles.
Why? Why did everyone want her feathers, her memories? Everyone seemed to be on the lookout for her pink-tipped white feathers, ready to grab them and use them for their own purposes, both for good and for greed, the second being the more frequent of the two.
"You know I won't agree, don't you?" she replied shakily. This man was already very powerful without the aid of her feather. She grimaced to think of the possible destruction that could come to pass if he got hold of her feathers. Even a single one in his hands would be a catastrophe. Sakura knew that much.
"Your consent does not count. Because -" he raised his arm to chest height "- I shall obtain it anyway, by force if necessary. I took great pains to bring you here, you know. But you made it difficult. You fought me off unconsciously, even when I exerted maximum power. At last, I succeed. You are in my clutches now, and there is nothing that can stop me."
The man brought his middle finger and his thumb together in a snap. It echoed loudly around the desolate room. Nothing stirred, not even the brittle spider webs that decorated the room.
Something was amiss…Sakura could sense that. Something didn't seem right…it was too quiet, too eerie…was his snap meant to summon his magic, or was it just what it was – a snap? Hopefully, it was only a sn-
Uh-uh. She wished too soon. There was a sudden gust of wind that nearly threw her off-balance. Her brown hair lashed at her cheek and obscured her vision with amber locks.
His magic struck the second her attention was diverted. Sakura felt herself being lifted up by an invisible force. It caused her hair to whip about even more wildly, stinging her face. Her arms left her sides involuntarily and raised themselves so that they were level with her eyes.
Sakura was afraid. This bizarre experience is definitely one she would rather miss. Seeing her fingers dangling in the air without physical support terrorized her, not to mention the bone-chilling fact that she had not wanted to lift it in the first place.
Her back hit something hard and cold, presumably a wall. The ice-cold concrete or whatever it was made of sent uncomfortable shivers down her spine. Her bell-sleeved arms plastered themselves into recesses in the wall that seemed to be made specially for that purpose.
Some unseen machinery chugged to work then. Sickly looking gray goo poured down and encased her arms tightly, solidifying as soon as it made contact with her skin or her sleeve. Sakura watched all this in fear. Her emerald eyes dilated, roaming frantically from her arm to the solidified fluid.
She was, however reluctantly, a prisoner.
The stone slabs moved sluggishly, protruding several inches from the wall. Heavy manacles appeared and clamped themselves firmly around her ankles. Sakura gasped and looked down in dismay.
Her spine arced at the sudden shift in position. She was now suspended in the air, she noticed dryly. The floor looked pretty close from where she hung. Sakura tried reaching out with her toes. She stretched them as far as they could go, nearly sighing in relief when the very tips of her toes touched what was unmistakably solid ground.
Despite that, it did not change the fact that she was a prisoner of a stranger who seemed to be power-hungry and bent on obtaining her feathers.
Big surprise.
Some weirdo would go bonkers over one feather, and her friends – Syaoran, Fye, and Kurogane – would struggle to retrieve it from the bad guys. And the results were not always pretty either.
"One last chance," the man drawled. "Give me your feathers, or else…" he left the sentence hanging, looking at her meaningfully. His expression told her all she needed to know. Obey…or die.
Sakura was rapidly growing desperate. She was painfully conscious of the fact that she was weak and defenseless. She had no weapon to defend herself with, nor a shield to parry any attacks. She felt so vulnerable.
One part of her, the part of her mind that was still functioning properly, told her to defy it. Past experience had taught her that a single feather in the possession of an evil person would bring about destruction and probably spill lots of blood and gore. Gross.
But this was not the time to dwell on it now. Her captor was awaiting her answer, and both of them knew what her answer was, even before she had opened her mouth. Sakura inhaled deeply.
"No," she said, a defiant glint evident in her emerald pools.
"So be it."
He snapped his fingers again. As before, nothing happened, save for a small gust of wind that picked up speed before dissipating into nothing.
The room was eerily silent. Too silent for comfort.
Then it happened.
His magic crashed down upon the helpless Sakura with the force of a raging bull. It all occured in a split second. One moment her eyes were locked with his in a defiant glare. The next moment, excruciating pain traveled up her blood stream and jabbed at her bones, slicing it down to the marrow within.
Sakura felt as though her heart was about to burst. It banged wildly against her ribs and seemed to pulse with unwonted force to the point every breath she drew was torture.
Her scream of absolute agony shook the air, but there was no one to hear her. The man had disappeared as well, leaving Sakura to her bleak fate.
',',
"Her fever's not going down," Kurogane grunted, squeezing the rag that used to be Fye's sleeve to drain it of excess water. The colour of the pale white fabric had dulled and now lay limp in the ninja's hand.
"No, it's not. On the contrary, it seems to be getting worse," Fye interjected and he placed a hand on Sakura's feverish forehead. Sakura whimpered and muttered incomprehensibly.
Syaoran held her hand in his, praying hard for her recovery. The princess did not give any indication that she knew he was there. Her mutterings subsided into soft moans. Syaoran watched her sadly and pulled the rough sack that served as her meager blanket higher to cover more of her frail body.
He knew that the princess was suffering, and it pained him that he was unable to help her. Seeing that fever eating at her from the inside was more than he could bear. He knew, despite their combined efforts to soothe the fever, Sakura was slowly slipping from their fingers.
He gripped the sack tightly, ignoring the itchy feeling it gave him. No, as long as there is still hope to save her, he will preserver.
"Mokona," he said abruptly, though not in a rough manner. The little manjuu bun looked up and hopped to rest on Syaoran's shoulder. There was no need to use any of his 108 Secret Skills to know that the boy was dejected and worried, despite the fact that he had tried his best to conceal it. The droopy aura around him was very easy to detect.
"Mokona is here! Anything Mokona can do to help?"
"Can you detect the feather?"
Mokona appeared dubious but complied to Syaoran's request. It shut its large eyes and concentrated hard. There were several uncomfortable moments of silence between the three companions before Mokona pricked up its ears and opened its eyes.
"Mokona can sense one, but it is very faint."
"What do you propose to do, kid?" Kurogane said, dabbing at Sakura's feverish forehead. He watched Syaoran from the corner of his eye. The boy was frowning, obviously deep in thought. The ninja raised an eyebrow when he saw Syaoran's fists clench into fists.
"Perhaps…just perhaps the princess can regain some of her strength if we found her another feather."
Fye scrutinized him thoroughly through half-lidded eyes. True, Sakura does acquire more strength and a glimmer of her former self with each feather she absorbed. Her emerald eyes had started to sparkle with life of late, and her cheeks had gained a rosy tint.
"I suppose it is worth a try…" Kurogane trailed off doubtfully. A million things could go wrong. This could be a trap set up by the enemy…with one small hitch. There are no enemies in sight.
"But what about the princess?" Fye asked. Syaoran's burning amber eyes looked up with determination evident in his chiseled features.
"I will carry Sakura-hime."
Both Kurogane and Fye looked at the younger boy before them. Despite being young, he carried all the traits of a true warrior, loyal to his princess. He could swing the sword with as much grace as a master swordsman, a tribute to Kurogane's teaching skills.
His brown eyes mirrored sheer determination and courage. His aura reeked of it. One could not help but feel respect for him.
"If you say so. Time to hit the road then," Fye said with a smile on his face. "Coming, Kuro-rin?"
Kurogane growled angrily and would have drawn his sword, but Sakura was in the way and he did not want to run the risk of harming her. So instead he contented himself with some well-chosen words aimed directly at the mage, using some pins he had found to secure a cloak of Fye's around the unconscious Sakura. Kurogane detested it. Why must he dote on the princess anyway? Taking care of others was so not his forte. Hurting others was.
Syaoran sensed his discomfort and took over the task, his hands slipping easily around Sakura's throat to fasten a button there. His eyes searched her pale face lovingly for any reaction, any sign of life from the fragile body. Sakura remained limp and silent in his arms.
He lowered his head to hide his eyes for a moment. Seeing his beloved in such a bedraggled state tugged painfully at his heartstrings. What's worse, he could do nothing to help her.
Syaoran shook himself out of his stupor and hoisted Sakura onto his broad back, his arms tucked beneath her knees. Her arms hung down from his shoulders, her head nestled peacefully in the crook of his neck.
There was a rustle of fabric as Syaoran stood up, his back facing the two travel companions. Fye and Kurogane were standing some distance away from the tree, both looking at Syaoran expectantly. Syaoran turned to face them, determination inscribed into every part of him.
"Let's go."
',',
As usual, tell me if any of them are out of character, please. You're all welcome to point out my mistakes, in fact they are very much appreciated.
Arigato gozaimasu! Oh, and by the way, I accept flames ONLY with a reasonable, uh, reason?
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