Disclaimer: must I repetitively do this every chapter?? The usual.
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.
Over the Border: Chapter Five
"To say yes, you have to sweat and roll up your sleeves and plunge both hands into life up to the elbows. It's easy to say no, even if it means dying."
For a strange reason, the gift Syaoran had given her was like nothing she had ever received. She had been given countless, expensive and precious gifts from princes of other countries – diamonds, jewels – anything worth giving to a princess.
And yet, Syaoran had given her a feeling she had never even experienced – never even knew existed.
And she liked it.
Walking along the forest pathway with Syaoran, Sakura could even daresay she didn't mind Syaoran as much as she thought she would.
"You look like you're deep in thought, Sakura,"
That phrase brought a smile to her lips, "So I am. I was just thinking, you're not as conceited as I thought you were in the beginning."
Syaoran smirked, and he said softly, "We didn't have the best of all beginnings, did we…"
Syaoran was rather shocked to hear laughter coming from the emerald eyed girl, "What's so funny?"
He was answered by Sakura's chuckle, and she replied, "You know, we can always meet halfway! The beginning doesn't necessary matter…as long as we can meet halfway…"
Syaoran could only stare as the girl he was walking with walked along the pathway, smiling at the lush green forest around her. This princess, was not who she seemed.
…
The arrival of Sakura's birthday. Her twentieth birthday. A date that was feared by the entire Kinomoto bloodline. Never had a birthday been so gloomy, so dull and lifeless. And yet, on the day before April's Fools, Sakura awoke in her bed.
This was the day that everything would piece together.
The day that everything her mother failed to tell her, would be revealed.
The day she met her fate.
The moment she was born, she was told of the curse – a sudden death amongst all Kinomoto women at the age of twenty – like a plague. None made it through their twentieth birthday without sacrificing everything.
It was time she got answers. And she wanted them desperately.
There was a sudden panic in her to find out what would happen. Would she die? Would she even leave an imprint on the sad, sad world?
For a strange reason, Sakura wanted to find out at that very moment.
She had never cared for her wellbeing. Her existence just didn't seem to matter much to the ever revolving world. In the palace, all the ministers were intrigued with her brother, Touya, and obeyed Fujitaka to his very command.
No one listened to the princesse.
Even in the towns, she was like an invisible sheet compared to her brother.
Once arriving to the grand hall, her question stunned the elders and her father, as she stated quite calmly, "I want answers. I don't know what is going to happen to me after today. I want to know. It's my life…I want to be in control"
Fujitaka, who was frozen in such a state of pouring wine into his glass, could not speak for a whole minute. Sakura could see his eyes had turned glassy, as if shielding his hurt away from everyone else.
Fujitaka smiled grimly, and he whispered, "Elders, please excuse me while I talk to Sakura privately."
They were excused to a private room, where Fujitaka sighed heavily, and smiled at Sakura. It was as if he knew Sakura would come to him that very day, and ask him that question.
"The curse…was laid upon our family, because of the Li clan…but before I get to that part…Sakura, I want you to know, the history of the Kinomoto bloodline…"
…
My mother was a Kinomoto…
My father was Akito Ikegi, the son of a noble.
And I, Fujitaka, was the next in line to the heir of the Kinomoto kingdom.
When I was eight, my mother fell deadly ill. She was rarely out of bed, and when she was, she was surrounded by maids and servants, lending her a hand. She could not eat without choking on her food, could not walk without tripping over, and could not sleep without crying.
It was like the world had shut its doors upon Nadeshiko.
I was little…I didn't know what was happening…I thought my mother would come back, healthy and energetic.
It was as if the rest of the palace knew what was happening...as if they were expecting my mother to fall so ill in such a short amount of time.
As if they knew death was slowly surrounding her.
And that morning, I found her in her room, with the knife in her hands…I was scared…so scared my legs were frozen.
My mother…my beautiful, kind, loving mother had become a murderer.
Never in my life had I been so panic-stricken, so desperate to leave the world.
And it was that day, which everything became clear to me.
My mother had killed my father…to save her own life.
She was a Kinomoto lady by birth, and a Kinomoto lady to death – she was cursed from the moment she began her life. A curse, that unless she found it in herself to kill Akito, she would never survive.
She had the choice of either killing herself, or killing Akito. She would either die, or kill her loved one to survive.
And Nadeshiko had chosen the second option – to kill the one she loved so her life could be spared.
…
"When a Kinomoto lady turns twenty, her mind is immediately driven by a psychological disorder – her will to kill. She would think of nothing, but the blood lust in her hands." Fujitaka whispered.
"My mother Nadeshiko…loved Papa very much…but…she was cursed…and from that moment, in order to continue living upon this earth, the only way was for her to kill him. It was either his death, or hers."
Sakura was speechless. Nadeshiko, her grandmother, had selfishly chosen her life over his.
"The only way, for a Kinomoto woman to live beyond the years of twenty…is for her to kill her one true love…with her bare hands…"
Sakura shook her head in denial. Tomorrow was her twentieth birthday…tomorrow was the day the lust of blood in her heart will activate. Her heart pounded with antagonism; and as her father finished speaking, Sakura could only come up with one decision.
She would never fall in love. Not with anyone.
And if she did, she would end her life with her own hands.
…
End of chapter five
…
Author's Note: I have a few more major plotlines to go through, and this story is done…I've never put this much thought into such a story before…to be honest, the original plan for this story was a plain, cheerful, kind of amateurish plotline…
But then I discussed this story with my editor – I realised I didn't have enough to write upon for more than, five chapters or so…
And then she gave me the idea of the curse, and the story…just suddenly expanded! And then I thought, Syaoran seems a little empty (at that point in time, he was "just the average prince"), and then…it hit me.
There are approximately, three more major events to happen… so…around 5 more chapters…or less??
Anyway…I hope all your questions are answered in the next few chapters… XD
Editor's Note: Oh yeah…go me and my idea-giving! Stupid Isabella won't tell me what's gonna happen next. shakes fist at Isabella Anyways…I don't think there's anything wrong or incorrect. Ha…she can finally spell…ehehehe…XD
Anyways…yeah. Hope you enjoyed it! Now press the review button and review (stole this idea from reading other fanfiction that deploys similar tactics).