Merry christmas everyone!! I'm really sorry for the late update, I was out for the whole week. Thanks again dear reviewers! I didn't get much reviews for chapter 2, though. Is the story really bad? Tell me if it is. I don't mind bad comments, but please, just comment on it. Here's chapter 3 for you guys! Hope you like it! Once again, ask me if there's anything you guys might not understand. Oh yea, there was this question 'Butterfle' asked me 'bout chapter 2:
"so is the castle/palace not on earth?"
Answer: It is. You see, the palace is far away. It takes a very long time to get there by foot. Syaoran knows a little magic, so he uses the magical dust to go to the peasants' place. His mother, the queen, ordered the guards to take away the dust and plans to lock him up in his room. So yeah, that was why he ran off before they could take it.
Thanks for asking, 'butterfle'!
Thank you also to: fluffyhamster, SnowCharms and Butterfle : for reviewing -hugs-
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of CCS, they belong to CLAMP. The plot of this story and some characters I might add later on is originally mine.
Here goes--chapter three for YOU! please enjoy and review at the end!
When Love Is Meant To Be--Chapter 3: Missing
Late evening
"Unh.."
Opening his eyes, he felt his surroundings spin as if he was on a carousel and it just won't stop.
"Kid, so you're finally awake?"
Syaoran sat up. Looking around him, he saw two concerned faces, and another that looked somewhat annoyed.
"Are you alright? You had been unconscious for more than half a day."
"Or you were just pretending," the annoyed one muttered under his breath, loud enough only for him to hear.
Unfortunately, someone else heard it.
"Onii-chan! What were you thinking?! Did you not see him bleeding badly this morning?"
There was no reply.
"Thank you for saving my life, sir. If it wasn't for you, I would've been dead," Syaoran said, grateful to be alive.
"You're most welcome. But tell me, what were you doing out there, all by yourself?"
He saw that coming. By that time, he knew the perfect answer to that question.
"I don't have a home. I am an orphan, or at least that was what I thought so. A few days ago, news reached to the ears of one of my acquaintance. I got to know from him then, that my parents are still alive. I'm hoping to find them here. Before this, I was from the orphanage in the next village," he explained, leaving out specific details.
'White lies won't hurt, I guess.'
Everyone paid attention, listening to his tale.
"I see. You can stay with us for the time being. Tell us if there's anything we could do to help. By the way, my name is Kinomoto Fujitaka. This is my son, Touya, and I think you've met my daughter, Sakura."
"Thank you, sir, but I think I should be going," Syaoran excused himself.
Touya silently agreed.
"Of course not! Stay at least for tonight. The inns are mostly full, I heard. You won't have anywhere to put a night in. If you do go out, heading nowhere, you might get hurt, just like last night," Sakura pointed out, insisting him to stay.
Someone winced at the background.
'I really have to leave soon. I can't let them get hurt.'
Before he could utter his protest, Fujitaka turned to him and said, "We're having boiled potatoes for dinner, hope you don't mind."
After dinner
Syaoran crept out alone, as he needed some fresh air. Nightingales and crickets were singing duets, creating melodious symphonies. The moon is up high, stars accompanying it. Twinkling in the dark skies, they seem to be mocking at him. As strange as it seems, they seem to be telling him something.
'What have I been doing all this while, as a heir to the throne?'
Syaoran sat down in the middle of the empty field. Pulling his knees towards his chest, he frowned, falling into his deep thoughts.
'My people had been suffering a lot. Why didn't father and mother notice it? Did they even care? The people's home are so ruined. Hardened mud as walls? Mud doesn't even exist in my palace. And they hardly eat anything. How will they survive? Only boiled potatoes for dinner? This is ridiculous! Had they been neglected all this while? I am sure mother knows about this. Why? Yet, they welcomed me so warmly. They even shared their every food with me. I swear I saw their eyes lighted up when they saw me enjoying every bit of the dinner. How did this happen? Why did it happen? Why?'
He felt the pain inside. It hurts. He never knew the meaning of hardship. He never knew what the word 'suffer' meant. He was unsure on what life is all about. His definitions of life all this while was comfort and luxury. Back home, he had exquisite food, servants ready at his service, guards to protect him all his life, and everything an average person would wish for. He has it all. However, he had this feeling, as if something was missing in his life. Something this family he knew had, and he never did. He just didn't know what.
'It's missing.'
"Kenzura-kun?"
'I will find it, someday, somehow.'
"Kenzura-kun?"
Sakura looked at Syaoran. He seems to be really thinking hard. Syaoran, on the other hand, was not familiar with the name, Kenzura. It was a lie, after all. Not realising his 'name' being called, he did not budge from his dazed position. Sakura wondered what was wrong with him. Then, she kneeled down and put her both hands on the ground. She moves forward, her face just inches away from his. Staring into his amber eyes, she tried to search for a reply.
"Ken-zu-ra-kun," Sakura said, emphasising every syllable of his name.
Seeing her sudden appearance, Syaoran fell back, startled. He felt heat rising on his cheeks as they flame bright red.
"K-Kinomoto," he stuttered.
Sakura laughed at the sight, falling back onto the ground herself.
"Anything wrong? I called you about three times and neither did you blink your eyes or finch an inch," she asked, cocking her head sideways.
"N-Nothing, I was just thinking."
'Now, that was quite obvious, wasn't it?' Sakura thought.
"You know, I think you can call me by my first name, since you had allowed me to call yours. Otto-san used to tell me that close friends and family members are the only ones who can call your first name. All my life, Onii-chan and Otto-san are the only two people who call me Sakura. You're going to be my close friend anyway, aren't you? Won't you want to call me Sakura? Come on, give it a try, say Sa-ku-ra," she pestered him lightly.
"Uh..Sa-ku-ra," he repeated after her.
She beamed, obviously proud of herself. Syaoran chuckled to himself, pleased to make her happy, at least.
"So, what were you thinking about?" Sakura asked, while plopping onto the empty spot next to him.
"Life."
"Life?"
"Yes, I was thinking about life."
"Oh," Sakura was still confused.
"Your life and mine," he said again.
"Tell me more about yours, and I'll tell you about mine later," Syaoran told her.
"Well.."
"I was young."
Little Sakura was only six. Her brown hair was messy and ruffled all over the place. She had emerald eyes, which shone bright with innocence. Sakura's lips were indeed tiny, and she had a small voice. Although timid, she had a sense of humour, and knew how to capture people's hearts with her words. Her hands and feet were dwarf-sized, and when she walks, you could hear her feet go pitter-patter. Everyone in the family adores her, loves her. Her father would do anything to make her smile; her mother would make sweet chocolate cookies that would make her laugh; and her loving brother, Touya, would protect her from every approaching danger.
Their house was indeed not a hut. It was big, huge, and lavish. It was what people call a mansion. The abode was grandly furnished, fit for a king. There were the servants, the butlers, the cooks, the governess, and the nurse, ready to serve their master.
One day, Sakura wandered around, searching for someone to play with. She reached her parents' room, and knocked on the door.
'Knock knock.'
There was no reply. She stepped into the room, and saw her father next to her mother on the bed. He was holding her hands. His expressions can't be seen, as he was facing down. Beside him, there stood a doctor, and he had a worried look on his face. He told Fujitaka something that was too soft to be heard. Later, the doctor left. Sakura went up to her father and climbed on the bed.
"Doo shimasta?"
She questioned her father, asking what was wrong.
He didn't answer. Touya came in from behind. He was only thirteen, but he knew what had happened.
"I became really scared. My father looked pale, and my mother was even paler. Touya pulled me aside, ready to tell me everything."
"Sakura, come let's go out and play," Touya said, ushering his sister out.
Outside, he told her. Everything. As soon as he finished, she burst into tears. Crying, she dashed into the house, heading to her parents' room.
"Okaa-san!"
Sakura ran straight to her mother, hugging her tightly and not wanting to let her go.
"Sakura-chan, my dear Sakura.." Nadeshiko said softly to her, while caressing her forehead.
"Okaa-san, please please please please be well soon!"
Fujitaka said nothing. He left the room, letting Sakura and his Nadeshiko spend some time together, alone.
He sold every property he had. His servants, butlers, cooks, governess, and the nurse all lost their jobs. The medicines and the potions were expensive. To keep her alive, he had to. He would do anything for Nadeshiko. He loved her. Besides, Sakura and Touya would want him to do the same. They would not mind living without luxury, as long as their mother would be save. By that time, Fujitaka had owed a lot of people money. He didn't tell anyone about it, especially not his dear children.
Time passed. Sakura's birthday was coming near.
"Sakura dear, what would you like for your birthday this year?" Nadeshiko asked her child, looking terribly ill.
"You to get well," was her only reply.
"I didn't want anything else in the world except my mother to get well. I loved her. I couldn't imagine life without her. On my birthday, something dreadful happened."
"Sakura.. Touya.. Come here, my dear children," Nadeshiko was white.
"Touya, please protect your sister always, never let any harm go near her, promise me, will you?"
"Hai, okaa-san. I promise. I'll promise anything," Touya said.
Then she turned to her daughter.
"Sakura, please be strong. I want you to grow up strong. Always follow your heart, and seek your dreams. Find them, and once you did, never let them go. Don't worry, everything will be all right. Look up into the skies at night when you need me, I'll be one of the stars watching over you."
Those were her last words.
Sakura was only seven.
Fujitaka had to sell the mansion to pay quarter of the debts. Ever since then, they all lived in a hut, starting a whole new life they never had.
"I'm grown up now," Sakura smiled meekly, holding back her tears.
"Sakura.. I'm so sorry. I didn't know," Syaoran told her, apologizing.
He hated to see the tears in her eyes. He just stared at them, not breaking the gaze.
"I loved her, Kenzura-kun. I loved her very much," Sakura whispered.
'Love,' he thought.
'That's the missing thing.'
The end. Not. The end for chapter 3, that is, haha! OMG, was it lame?? Was it? Was it? Tell me if it is! Please do comment. Thank you very much, everyone's who is reading it right now :D -smiles- I'll try to update faster for chapter 4, give me encouragements, will you? -winks- Got to go now, ja!