Disclaimer: CCS isn't mine!!! XD
"…Fujitaka?"
Nadeshiko attempted to scramble up, to explain to her son, that the situation wasn't what it looked like.
But to Fujitaka, she was a monster.
She had killed his father.
Nadeshiko gave a desperate scream, and lurched for her son, only to find his frightened eyes. And then he ran.
…End flashback…
Over the Border: Chapter Four
Today was white day, and Sakura Kinomoto was shivering at the very thought of it. She wondered what her 'Princes Charming' would attempt to do to gain her heart. Was there even a point?
Her death was just around the corner.
Ever since she was born, she was told that she would not live over the age of twenty, unless…
But whenever her mother would come close to telling her the secret…someone would interrupt, and her mother would be taken away. She never got the chance to tell Sakura the way to undo the curse…
When Sakura turned three, she found his father walking in the room, tears dropping onto the ground, glittering like diamonds upon a glass floor. Sakura had no idea what had happened…only later did she find out when her father hugged her, and asked if she was ever going to leave him.
Being the three year old, Sakura innocently replied, "Of course not Daddy…not if you give me candy!"
And then she felt her father's grip on her tighten even more, and he had whispered, "If candy's the only thing you wish for…daddy can give you lots…so much…just please don't leave me…"
Frightened, Sakura had let Fujitaka continue saying softly, "I've lost my father…and then my mother…and now, Nadeshiko. I let my own wife succumb to sickness…no…I was the one that succumbed to it…"
And for the rest of the night, Sakura could only hold onto her father while the tears flowed downwards, and did not stop.
…
She never felt the pain of losing her mother. She was too small, too innocent in regards to the ever revolving world.
She never knew what it felt like to have a mother, aside from the occasional feeding Nadeshiko gave her. Other times, her mother was keep away from her, for the royal family's own 'reasons'.
By the time she realized what had happened…Nadeshiko wasn't there anymore.
But she never felt the sorrow. Never felt the anguish. Not like how Fujitaka, her father, experienced it.
As she walked around the corner, she was blindly reminded of the fact, yet again, that it was White day.
"This is not good…" she murmured to herself as she entered the main hall.
Like she predicted, there her dashing Prince Charming was standing, Li Syaoran, with the all famous smirk upon his face.
A face that was covered by a mask.
"Let me take you to a place. This is my present for you." Syaoran murmured as Sakura entered, "A place…where I'm sure you've never been."
And Sakura was left stunned.
…
Syaoran ended up taking Sakura to an orphanage.
When they first arrived, Sakura's eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment.
"Why did you take me here?"
Syaoran didn't reply. Not until a girl came running up to Syaoran, and hugged him.
"Syaoran-kun! Okaeri nasai!" the little girl chirped.
Syaoran smiled back gently, and whispered, "I'm home."
Sakura didn't know what to think…either Syaoran had messed with the poor minds of the orphans, or he was sincere in his actions. Which was the truth? And why did he seem so familiar with the place?
Syaoran smiled knowingly, as if he knew the thoughts running through Sakura's head, "I'm an orphan. Maybe you didn't know that…my father, died when I was only four. And my mother passed away when I was seven.
"I've never really liked orphanages when I was little. It was as if the place was filled with foulness, uncleanness…I felt as if it would ruin the 'purity' of my soul.
"And then my parents passed away…and I had to face the music. One night…I wandered away from the castle…to here…"
…
...Flashback...
He could see the foul, dirty windows in the distance. Why on earth had he wandered here of all places? Of all the places he detested, it had to be the orphanage. A place of crying fools. A place of poor, weak-minded humans.
A place that seemed to have no warmth.
"Mama…why did you leave?" he muttered, as he run through the forest.
Amidst his tears, he did not see the mud upon the floor…
Crash.
"Mama…" Syaoran whimpered, the mud covering his face. He hated the feeling of isolation. The ministers and advisors in the castle didn't care about Syaoran. He was merely a pawn used in their game.
"Tatsukate…mama…"
And then suddenly, as if from a dream, a hand was extended towards him. Their face was bright, smiling, and the women seemed to actually care.
"Oh dear…Li-sama?"
And then he blacked out.
When Syaoran awoke, he was in a room. A tiny, insignificant room compared to the rooms within the palace. The walls were crumbling, and there was hardly any furniture within it.
Don't judge a book by its cover, Syaoran. A voice said to him.
Syaoran bit his bottom lip to stop himself from getting too emotional…why were the phrases his mama often said still coming back?
She was…
She was dead. She wasn't ever going to come back.
She had left him…
"Ohayou!" a sunny, bright voice greeted. Syaoran turned around abruptly, and found a young lady with a baby in her hands, "How are you?"
The baby made a whimpering noise, and succumbed to sleep. The woman smiled gently, and she held the baby out to Syaoran.
"She's the one I treasure the most!"
And Syaoran felt his eyes clouding up.
That was what his mother had often said about him.
Days passed…soon, weeks passed by, and Syaoran continued visiting the orphanage. Each time, the orphanage lady, whom Syaoran came to know as Emiko, would greet him with a smile.
Soon, years passed, and Syaoran strode into the orphanage, about to tell Emiko about his latest adventure…
But there wasn't a smile to greet him. No smile…at all.
And then, little Kari, Emiko's daughter, came running, tears running down her face.
No smile. No nothing.
...end flashback…
…
"…and this is Kari, whom I've known since she was a baby…right, Kari?" Syaoran said, holding the fragile hand of the little, ten year old girl.
The girl smiled, some of her teeth missing, making Sakura laugh contently.
"Well…it's nice to meet you Kari!"
…
Later onwards, while Syaoran took Sakura out to view the gardens, he whispered, "how does it feel like…to be a mother to a girl?"
Deadly silence followed.
Syaoran smiled, and he continued, "When Emiko passed away…all I could think of, was ending my own life. For all those years…she acted as my mother, took the place of my mother, Yelan, and she would care for me unconditionally, no matter how badly I would sometimes treat her by throwing tempers, having a 'royal fit'…and then, Kari clung onto me. And from that moment…I felt like I was a big brother. It was then, that I realized, Kari was my responsibility from now onwards. If I lose the fight…she'll lose as well. So I continued struggling. For Kari."
Sakura was speechless.
She didn't know Syaoran had that much strength in him.
Syaoran took a deep breathe, and then he said softly, "Happy white day, Sakura."
He smiled, "This is my gift. The gift of knowing…the feeling of being a mother…or a sister, to a younger. Something…we both missed out on, the feeling of warmth from a mother."
The quiet chirping of birds filled in the silence that followed, and Syaoran looked up at the sky, letting the calmness of nature engulf him.
Thank you…Emiko.
…
End of Chapter Four
…
A/N: keh…this chapter was surprisingly difficult to write…you might notice that there are several grammatical mistakes and such…which is why my BETA READER COMES IN!!! XD thanks VERY much to JANA!!
Please review?? XD
E/N: Um…what can I say, I helped her edit. Yeah…um…great story. EVERYONE WHO READS, REVIEW, please? Yeah…she rocks, but she needs to update more, right everyone? Review if you agree with me or disagree with me. This is Jana, signing out.