Hey you guys! I'm in such happy mood! My B-DAY's in five days, I can't wait!!!!!!!
*clears throat. Anyways........I'm sorry for making you guys wait sooo long for Emike's answer
and just to let you know I didn't have much time to read everyone's reviews but I checked them
all today. They're sOoOoO beautiful! *starts crying. And in my defence, I am going somewhere
with this and to the worrywarts out there, not mentioning any names. *cough (hana no tenshi)
I'm sure you'll like the ending ^.^ well here's the next chappie!

P.S: I had writers block so that's why it took so long to write this chappie.



~ A LOVE BEFORE TIME ~

BY: Silent Wanderer




Mr. Walker waited impatiently as he waited for Sakura's or rather Emike's answer.

Li on the other hand was on the edge of his seat. His heart was bursting for her answer.
The only thing that was bothering him was the fact that he didn't know if Sakura would be
answering or Emike.

"Emike? do you need me to repeat the question?"

"No, I don't know how to answer." she replied, frankly.

Li slumped back into his chair, he was currently residing in. The moment he had heard no
he felt his heart shatter. But then he hadn't heard the rest of Emike's sentence.

"Can you tell me what you mean by that Emike? I mean it's a simple yes or no question."

"I know that," she said a bit flustered. "But I'm curious to know, do you want Emike's
answer or Sakura's?"

Mr. Walker rubbed his chin, profusely, obviously intrigued about the topic.

"What do you mean? Am I not speaking to Emike?"

"You are and you aren't."

"I'm not sure I know what you mean.Could you elaborate on that?"

"The girl you call Sakura has quite a strong will, there is no doubt about that, I can't
fully control her as Emike. So in a way you're talking to both, and since you're speaking to
both, you could say the two girl's personalities are combined, they form the person you are now
talking to. I see the future and the past."

"Interesting." was all Mr. Walker could say. "But I'm curious, would the answers of my
earlier question be different for the two girls?"

"I can't say. Each girl might lie, for someone else's essence is in this room."

Mr. Walker glanced around. "I see no one, who is this person?"

Li froze. Just stay here he thought to himself, even if Emike says you're here, Walker
still won't be able to see you."

"He is none other than Li, Syaoran."

Mr. Walker fumbled with his spectacles. "He is here?"

She didn't answer,Sakura's body winced for no reason. "Let go!" she cried, suddenly.

Mr. Walker immeadiately forgot about Li being in the room. "What's wrong Emike? did
something happen?"

"NO DON'T! You don't understand I love Syaoran." she seemed to be pleading. "I don't
know." she suddenly whispered. "Can you give me some time to think about it? I just don't know
who to choose."

Li watched Sakura's pained face. Indistictive words were pouring out of her mouth and
she appeared to be in some kind of pain. Move it doc he thought angrily, wake her up already!
Look what she's going through!

"Okay Sakura? you will wake up on the count of three. ONE............. TWO........THREE.
......" he clapped his hands together.

Sakura's eyes flashed open. She didn't know the reason but she was shaking all over, and
she was cold, very cold. Tears streaked down her face and they didn't seem to be drying, in fact
more seemed to pour out with every breath she took in. Her throat hurt, as if she had been
screaming or crying.

"W..w..what did you do to me?" she whispered. She looked down at her hands that couldn't
stop shaking.

"You don't remember anything Sakura?"

Sakura massaged her temple and forehead. "Everythings so blurry" she said, groggily,
still trembling. "What did I say?"

"Uh, trust me Sakura, nothing of importance."

Sakura nodded, trusting him. "C..c..can I go now?"

"Yes you may." he stopped her as she was just about to step out. "Oh and Sakura? I think
we're going to need another session like this."

Sakura just groaned and pulled herself out the door.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Outside Sakura wrapped her waist with her arms. "Li?"

He appeared instantly. "Yes?"

"What did I say, you know back in there, when I was Emike?" her face was still swollen
from crying.

"Nothing." he said, a little too quickly for Sakura. "Like Walker said, nothing of
impotance."

"You're a bad liar Li." she chided.

"I'm not lying Kinomoto." he said defensively.

Sakura didn't really care anymore, her head was throbbing.

"Are you uh, okay?"

"I..I feel like I was drugged."

"Drugged?" Li sounded out the word slowly.

Sakura smiled. "Oh I forgot, you don't what most words mean from out of your century."

For the rest of the way home, they walked in silence. Not that it was uncomfortable,
actually for Li it was nice. Then again as long as he was with Sakura it always felt nice.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Sakura rummaged through her locker, frantically trying to find her english books. Why?
she thought mournfully, Why did sunday have to pass by so quickly?she was actually starting to
enjoy spending her time with Li. For some unknown reason she found that he was being less hostile
towards her everyday.

She didn't realize she was day dreaming until he came along and broke her out of it.

"Sakura, in la-la land?"

Sakura turned to face the young man's voice. It was familiar, but then again many guys
had asked her out since she arrived at the school, though she said no to everyone,this voice
made her feel all mushy inside. She flashed her best smile.

Suddenly she gasped. Her throat was completely dry, still she fought to talk. "What are
you doing here?" she heard her voice crack and she scolded herself for being weak.

"Can't I just say hi. I'm new here Sakura, you could try to be a bit more polite ya
know."

Sakura had to look to the ground or else she was afraid she would get lost in his eyes
like she used to.

"What's wrong Sakura?" The young man's dark mysterious eyes bore into Sakura, but she
didn't show him the satifaction.

"Don't think you're perfect smile can make me forgive you Simon. I was a fool for ever
thinking you would love me."

"Oh come on Sakura, lets let by-gones be by-gones." he ran his hand through his beautiful
curly brown hair.

"Forget it pal, I'm not the same girl you used before."

Simon was deeply amused. "I didn't say you were Sakura. I just wanted you to forget about
the past. I'm not the same guy you knew before either."

Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing. She imagined her fist ramming into his gut.

"You're unbelievable you know that?"

"I try to think it but hey you said it."

Sakura shot him an incredulous look. "Do you know what you had said to me? you said that
your whory girlfriend was everything I could never be!" she took in a deep breath to calm herself.
"You don't just get over that you know? and now you jsut come trudging back into my life hoping
that I'll forgive you?"

Simon shrugged. "Okay so you were right, Amy was what you say she was, that's why I
dumped her. Sakura I was wrong,I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Sakura stared at Simon. "You can't be serious? I can never forgive you for what you did.
I never want to speak to you again." She grabbed her books and brushed by Simon.

Unfortunately he grabbed her by the wrist, and man did he have a strong grip.

"Let go of me Simon, I mean it or else I'll...."

Simon waited for Sakura to finish her sentence. "Yes........"

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Let go of me." she said sternly.

Simon held his hands up in a surrendering position. "Hey I didn't mean any harm Sakura,
I just wanted to talk."

"I don't want to talk, atleast not with the likes of you."

"Okay then that's understandable. I'll talk to you at lunch." he gave Sakura a small
salute and strode down the hallway, probably unaware of the sighs he was recieving from all the
young girls.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Sakura walked into her last class before school ended, which was science.

At lunch she had easily avoided speaking with Simon but only because Mei ling and her
"cool" gang was sticking as closely as they could with him, keeping him proccupied.

Unfortunately he was in her last class. She was hoping since she had asked to use one of
the computers in the library, she wouldn't have to see Simon and another factor was that Eriol
was with her.

"Fancy I'd see you here Sakura." he waltzed casually to the computer beside Sakura.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed. "Stalking is illegal you know!"

Simon just chuckled. "I have as much right to be here as you do Sakura. Stop being so
paranoid, my life doesn't just revolve around you you know?"

Sakura frowned. When did he get as sharp toungued as she herself was.

"Uh, beautiful? aren't you going to introduce me to you friend?"

Sakura nodded. "Simon this is Eriol, Eriol this is Simon."

Eriol frowned as did Simon.

"Are you two a couple?"

Eriol grinned. "Maybe." he wrapped his arm around Sakura's shoulder and she smiled. Go
Eriol she thought gaily. That's score one for him and zero for Simon.

"Maybe? don't you even know if you're in a relationship or not?"

Sakura shook her head. Now it's one-one.

"And why would you care latin boy?" Eriol handn't changed his tone.

"Oh me and Sakura go way back, don't we Sakura?"

Sakura didn't say anything.

Eriol pulled his arm away. "Sakura? are you okay?"

"I'm fine." she said quietly, while shooting Simon with the dirtiest look she could
conjure up. "I don't know what I ever saw in you."

Simon didn't seem to be phased at what Sakura was saying to him. "We'll talk to soon
Sakura, don't worry you just need to blow off some steam." and with that said he left the library.

"Sakura? who was that?"

Sakura growled. "He's nobody, just some guy."

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Sakura took in a deep breath of the fresh air outside. Finally she thought. School's out.
She walked to the sidewalk and headed for the mansion. Eriol had offered a ride but she had
politely refused.

"Sakura! you want a ride?" a beautiful convertable pulled up beside the sidewalk.

"I'm fine Simon. If I wanted a ride I would have asked for one."

"Are you sure? I was hoping we could talk."

"There is nothing to talk about. Now leave."

Simon began to hesitate. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay then See you tomorrow then." he flashed her an adorable smile. "Try to forgive me
Sakura."

Sakura felt a lump grow in her throat. I HATE HIM! I HATE HIM! she stomped the rest of
the way home and with every step she imagined it was him under her foot and not the concrete
pavement.

"I mean who does he think he is? he's the one who dumped me and now he wants me back? okay
maybe he didn't actually say that but why else would he want my forgiveness?"

She pushed away her thought's as soon as she entered the mansion. "I'm home!" she cried,
not that anyone would care. She rushed up the stairs and into her room.

"I have to get my mind off Simon." slowly she dumped her homework out onto her bed."This
should do it."

"Doing our homework a little early aren't we?"

"Yeah well I don't have anything better to do."

Li raised an eyebrow. "Usually you find something to do. You're not sick are you?"

"No I'm not sick. It's just that he's back."

"Who?"

"Uh, no one. Look Is it so bad to want to do your homework as soon as you get back from \
school."

"No." he sighed.

"Good, now that we got that cleared, I was just wondering since I've gotten to know you
a bit better now, can you tell me......"

"What?"

"I'm not trying to be rude but hoe did you die? I mean you look so young that's all."

"I don't know why I died, I just died."

Sakura didn't seem to be listening, instead she just tilted her head to study Li.

He is so different from Simon she thought. Simon's a flirt, Li's a loner, or someone who
doesn't like company. Simon likes me or atleast that what it looks like and Li doesn't really
want anything to do with me.

I used to like Simon and now I seem to like Li, though I'm sure he doesn't feel the same
way. So in a way they are complete opposites.

Before she knew what she was doing, she was running her hand down Li's chest. "Li? can
you change clothes?" for the past few days she had noticed how fashion challenged her so called
room mate was.

His black trousers were really weird looking and his white shirt looked like the ones
that are worn underneath tuxedos, and to make matter worse, the two top buttons weren't buttoned,
making Sakura feel awkward everytime she looked at him. But now she wasn't even noticing how
rude she was being with the way she was running her hand down his clothes.

Li was beginning to blush, no more like turning into a tomato. "Kinomoto?"

"What?" she asked as if she was doing nothing wrong.

"What are you trying to prove?"

"Huh?" she pulled her arm back to her side. "Oh sorry Li, I didn't mean to......."

"It's okay" he said, cutting her off. But before he could say anything else Sakura
collapsed into his arms.

Past Events

Emike? where were you? you left the mansion without telling me."

Sakura looked around at her surroundings. She shuddered, the room she was in was full
of dead animal heads. Mostly deer and on the ground lied a brown carpet. Probably from a bear
she thought, disgusted.

"Emike? did you hear me? why did you leave? don't you trust me enough to tell me where
you were?"

Sakura stared into Syaoran's hurt eyes and she felt guilty even though she hadn't done
anything wrong. "I trust you Syaoran, I undertsand if you're mad, but I just went for a walk."
she knew it was a lie or maybe it was the truth she didn't know. All she knew was that she couldn't
bear the fact that Syaoran was angry at her.

Syaoran looked to the ground and then back at Sakura. "Okay then I believe you, but next
time just please tell me where you're going before you actually leave. I don't want anything to
happen to you Emike." he took a step towards Sakura, exactly like he had done the day before.

This time Sakura didn't take a step back, Syaoran would think Emike was acting weird if
she did.

"I'm sorry Syaoran." she said. She held her breath as Syaoran placed his finger against
her mouth.

"Shhhh, It's okay Emike, I believe you." his voice was unusually husky. Slowly his finger
traced Sakura's face and down her neck. Sakura shivered as he did so.

"Cold?" he asked, seductively.

Sakura nodded, and swallowed the saliva that had built up in her mouth.

She hesitated as Syaoran wrapped his arms around her waist. Never before had she felt
something so loving. Her body seemed to melt in his arms and she gladly allowed it.

"Better?" he breathed.

"Better." she smiled.

Syaoran felt a small sensation pass through him. This was the second time he had felt
this warm tingle. She's definetly the right woman to marry he thought. No one had ever sent a
tingle like this through his body before.

He slowly leaned in for a kiss.

Sakura felt her heart beat faster than it had ever as she accepted his kiss. It was the
softest kiss she had ever had. His warm lips pressed lightly against hers though his tongue was
polite. He never tried to force her to do something she didn't want to do."

Sakura felt herself praying that this moment should never end. Until it happened, For
no apparent reason Syaoran pulled away from Sakura and just stared at her or maybe he was
gazing? well whatever he was doing it was making Sakura feel very uncomfortable.

What did I do wrong? she thought in horror. Did I just mess up Syaoran's wedding?






Whew pretty good chapter if I do say so myself. Well atleast it took a lot of energy, you
know wut? I can't even type anymore. Good bye and please review. - silent wanderer