Dancing with the Dead

Chapter Seven

A/N: I own nothing. Please mind the mistakes.

"A long time ago, when the world was brand new, Fate decided it was time to bring the most powerful force there was into it. From there, she created two souls, each perfectly in tune with the other, and sent them to be born into two children of a small village. The children were born, never knowing they were created from Fate herself. The boy grew up handsome, strong, and gentle. The girl grew up beautiful, fair, and kind. When they finally met, it was as though the gods shouted from the heavens, and their great love was born. She loved him in a quiet fashion, giving him smiles and caresses to show her affection. He loved her strongly, with a fiery passion that she felt with each embrace and kiss. He protected her from any man who dared to lay their eyes on her, and she protected him from his own self.

One day, an arrogant god desired the girl, knowing full well she was a child from Fate. He did not like Fate for all her whims and tricks, and decided to play his own trick upon the goddess. He took the girl for himself one night during her slumber. When the boy heard this, he prayed to the gods. Fate, realizing what happened, grew angry, and answered the boy's prayers. She bestowed him with the ability to be able to find his beloved, no matter where she lay, along with the strength and fortune to assist him on his journey. The boy raged a war against the god who captured the girl, and against all odds, found her in the heavens in a tall tower surrounded by blossoms. When they found each other, they became one.

However, the god who desired the girl did not like to lose. Knowing that Fate would assist the boy, he placed a curse on the girl that the moment she would become one with her soul mate, her soul would pass. And surely, after one night together, the girl perished in his arms. Heartbroken, the boy stabbed his own heart to be with her.

Because they were children of Fate, they did not reach the afterlife. Their souls continued to be reborn, and each time they became one, the cycle would continue. Fate, despaired by the destinies of the two lovers, vowed to find a way to break the god's curse, and unite the lovers to be together for eternity."

The boy with the dark hair pushed his glasses up, staring intently at the impressive woman in front of him. She was smoking from a long pipe, peering at him, amused at his reaction.

"What do you think of the story?" she asked after giving one puff.

"It doesn't have pictures." It was his automatic response. Her grin widened akin to a cat's, and instantly, his cheeks flushed from embarrassment. He needed to rectify his statement. "I mean, what can Fate do to break the curse? I don't get it. And pictures would help make the story not as vague."

The woman's smile never left her face. To his annoyance, it seemed he had asked her the very questions she had been waiting to hear.

"Well, there are loopholes to all these curses and gifts, and depending on the god, it can make all the difference. Can you see the loophole in the god's curse?"

The boy sighed, but looked at the text again, brow furrowed in deep concentration. "What does it mean, to become one?"

The woman nearly chuckled at the child's innocence. "It's the expression of love. But it can mean different things. It is the moment when the lovers accepted their love for each other."

The boy seemed to accept the answer, despite its vagueness and continued to study the text again. He didn't want to admit defeat in front of this woman. "Her soul would pass and then she died right? So, all he has to do is get her soul back?"

In his mind, he believed he was reaching a bit for an answer, and it sounded stupid to his ears when he said it aloud. But the woman looked at him appraisingly, which let him now that somehow, he got the right answer. At that he frowned, because despite all the wonderful and impossible things she and he were able to do, that sounded a bit much.

The woman stared into her mirror, studying the battle inside. The boy saw a tall man fall into the sea. He didn't see why this was so fascinating, but he went along with it anyway, as he was wont to do.

"That's right."The woman stood up, her robes falling impressively down. Without words, the boy stood up as well, still very much smaller than her, but this did not worry him. Only a couple more centuries, and he would tower over her. "That is where we come in."

When I came to, I was in my room with Tomoyo at my side. She was reading one of our school books, so I didn't know how long she had been there. The events from earlier did not come to me until a few seconds later. There was a knock at my door, and I shut my eyes in an instant. I heard Tomoyo give permission to enter, and from the footsteps, I knew it was my brother.

"Still sleeping?" my brother asked. I could hear the worry drip from his voice.

"It would appear so," Tomoyo replied. From there I knew that she realized I was truly awake.

My brother heaved and coughed. "I can't help but worry. Every day, it feels like there is something that will take her from me."

I heard Tomoyo close her book, likely to be able to give my brother her full attention. "Since the accident?"

"No, I've felt this way since she was born." My brother's voice was near, and I felt his weight on my bed. "Tomoyo, did we ever tell you that Sakura was born two months premature? I remember her being in the hospital, so small and tiny with a weak heart. When she was born, that night I had a dream in that hospital. It was a tall woman with long, black hair who told me that my sister would be taken away soon. And then I saw a boy with deep brown hair and fierce eyes. I woke up scared, and promised to always protect Sakura. "

My heart pounded loudly. The boy in my brother's dream…could it have been Syaoran? But that was impossible, wasn't it? Then again, I was this world's Proserpina, so anything was possible. I was starting to get the feeling that we were all part of a much greater plan that had been around longer than we have. My brother kissed my forehead, snapping me out of my thoughts, and I heard him leave the room. My eyes opened immediately. With warmth in her gaze, Tomoyo smiled at me.

"Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty," she teased. In a flash, Kero jumped in through my window and on to my bed. Kero's familiar weight was on my legs, and I felt a sense of peace. "That cat is so good. It only comes in when Touya-nii-san isn't here. I wonder if he knows he is allergic."

"How long was I asleep?"

Tomoyo glanced at her phone. "Not too long. Just two hours. School's almost out for the day. Li took me out of class and transported us all here. He left to do his work in the Underworld. He said he would be back to see you tonight."

I tried not to look forward to this promise. "Is it okay for you to be out of school? If I'm out along with you and Syaoran, I think it will look suspicious."

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Tomoyo waved her hand nonchalantly. "I don't miss often, and the teachers are very understanding with you. Eriol would have been here too, but he is taking care of Li's illusion."

"Hoe? His what?"

"An illusion. Li has to leave at certain times during school to manage the dead. So he leaves an illusion of him in class, and Eriol is begrudgingly looking after it."

I figured this was another power of Syaoran's that I was not aware of, but I paid little attention to it. Instead, the memories of the day returned again, and my attention shifted. I looked at my locket and opened to see the pearl prettily change between pink and purple. There were so many things I wanted to ask Syaoran about this locket. How did it give me the power to rid a Fury?

"Did Syaoran tell you what happened?" I asked her while stifling a yawn. She noticed and handed me a still warm cup of coffee.

"Yes, he told me how you killed a Fury." Her face lost all amusement, and was full of questions. "Sakura-chan, that's not normally possible. I do have a theory. I think that the locket allows you to see where the heart is located when you get close enough, but no deity has ever had the power to destroy a Fury. It is a little concerning. What your brother said earlier worries me too."

"What do you mean?"

"Furies and the Fates are supposed to be similar to each other. But if you can kill a Fury, does that mean you can kill a Fate? Or are the Fates different. And your brother has encountered one way before you received that locket, so I wonder if you were already predestined to be Proserpina, and not chosen by Li like we thought."

I could almost feel my brain turn by this overwhelming news. "How do you know that my brother encountered the Fates?"

"His dream," she answered simply. "The woman with the long black hair appeared in mine the night of your mom's funeral, after you received your locket. That was when I thought it all started. But the same woman saw him when he was young and you were just born…just how do we all fit in this?"

"What do the Fates look like?"

"I've only encountered the woman. She's beautiful and tall, and really thin with long, black hair. Her eyes are also really red, but she isn't like a demon. She seemed kind. It is strange because I never actually met her. Eriol says he met the woman and the boy with her. But that was a long time ago."

"Syaoran keeps in contact with them," I said suddenly, remembering an earlier conversation with him. "He told me so once."

Tomoyo nodded. "That makes sense, considering what he does. All I know is that we have questions that need answered. I would like you to not be in danger by the time Kinomoto-san comes back. How long is your father's trip?"

"About two months. I think it was supposed to be longer, but he cut it short to be here."

"That's fine. Two months should be enough time."

I hoped that she would be right.

Since I did not consume the amount of caffeine that would have normally kept me awake, I easily slept throughout most of the day. At night, a warm hand took mine and my eyes opened without hesitation.

"Sakura," Syaoran's voice was low and deep and somewhere inside me, there was an excitement I tried to control.

"Syaoran," I greeted him with a smile. When I looked at his face, I could see worry in his features. "What is wrong?"

"I'm trying to figure out how to ask this without upsetting you…would you please come with me to the Underworld for just a short while this time? I promise you'll be safe."

I froze. I had not forgotten my time there, and while not unpleasant, I was anxious at visiting there. I was worried over a myriad of things, and a lot of it centered over Syaoran. But I knew he would not ask me if he didn't think it was important. I trusted him that he wouldn't make any decisions without my consent, and a rush of affection for him coursed through me.

"I will…if you will answer a question for me."

He looked wary, but sat down on the bed with me. His eyes peered deep into mine, and I nearly lost my courage to ask him the one thing that would clear me of any doubt.

"Is it a difficult question?"

"It doesn't have to be."

"Then ask me."

Taking a deep breath, I gathered up my thoughts. "Did you choose me because I remind you of your dead beloved? The one from when you were alive?"

He certainly did not expect me to ask him about her; at least, I did not think he knew I was even aware she existed. But her memory caused me anxiety, and if I really thought about it, it was the real reason why I was so hesitant to let myself fall for him.

"How…did you find…?"

"Eriol-kun," I answered hastily, the rest of my word spilling like a waterfall. "It is not his fault I asked. But knowing that she and I look similar, it makes me concerned that the only reason you love me is because I am the perfect substitute."

"No, that's not why." Syaoran's voice was both firm and gentle. "I chose you out of love for you. But it was foretold in that way. When I saw you the first time, I was struck by the resemblance, but more than that was this sense of familiarity. It was a sense of belonging. Looking at you felt like finally coming home without even realizing I was lost in the first place. I had a love when I was alive. And I have a theory that maybe a part of her is with you. But I love Kinomoto Sakura now, and no one else."

I went primal. It was the only word that could describe my actions. One moment, I was in bed and in control, and the next, my lips were all over his, feeling a hunger I could not satiate. For a brief moment, he was confused at my boldness, for I never made the first move, but he fell into rhythm quickly. His hands were everywhere: up my back and the back of my thighs, and soon trailing over my belly. My fingers tried to memorize the texture of his hair and the tightness of the muscles in his body. When I bit his bottom lip, I heard a growl from deep in his throat that vibrated through his core. I shivered in excitement, and that was when he pulled away breathlessly.

"You are making me lose control," he spoke rather surprised. He looked at me and saw I was only wearing a shirt and underwear. With a flushed face, he commanded, "Wear some bottoms before we go."

I tried not to look pleased.

"The Romans and Greeks had a healthy respect and fear for Pluto, or Hades, god of the underworld. He was powerful, rich, and grim with moods that were fearsome, but was content to leave one be. Best described as a lawful neutral being, he was a fair and just, and so long as one followed his rules and paid the ferry, there was not anything to fear. He was not the man responsible for the system—he was only enforcing it.

But Proserpina, or Persephone to the Greeks, was a different story.

She was the Iron Queen of the Underworld. According to Homer and other scholars, when men wanted to call curses down on the souls of the departed, they invoked her name. She terrified the Romans and Greeks, and few spoke her name for fear of drawing her attention to them. She was the goddess of life and death, of summer and winter, and commanded power over the life and death of men.

Her strongest weapon was the love of her husband, who was devoted to her for eternity. Pluto enforced the rules of the Underworld, but Proserpina decided on your fate."

The boy, older now, and near the woman's height, finished the page in annoyance. "Why are you having me read on these two again?" he asked her.

The woman, who did not age, gave her Cheshire grin. Immediately, he regretted speaking his thoughts. "What are your thoughts on Pluto and Proserpina?"

"I…suppose they are interesting." He didn't look at her, but at the shore they were standing on. She and him were waiting for those two to finally pass. She saw them earlier in her mirror, but figured she miscalculated. Her mirror sometimes saw far into the future, and she was never good at discerning time. "Pluto is very powerful, and compared to the other gods you had me read, the most reasonable."

"And what of Proserpina?"

"I think…"and he had to think hard about this one. Her earlier stories were of a girl so young and naïve, and the more he read about her life and legend, the more womanly she appeared. "I think she was more powerful than people realized."

"Good work!" she praised him, and he tried not to look happy by this. He pushed up his glasses to give him something to do aside from blush. "She was a very powerful goddess, though unassuming. But eventually others realized her worth."

"So what's the big idea? What are we doing here? What do deities have to do with anything?"

"I'm afraid I need to set things right with my children. And I found a loophole. Though I am sure the other side found it as well."

"You make no sense."

"No? That is fine. But it is time for the lovers to unite once and for all."

I expected to be in the land of night, but Syaoran took us to his room first. I had on my pajamas with added shorts, but had on my sneakers and his coat over me, for which I was grateful. His room was warm, but if we were to venture out, I wanted to be prepared. I had not forgotten how cold it was in his home. The room itself hadn't changed, but this time, Kero lay in his giant bed, curled up.

"I thought Kero was with me." I went over to pet him. He licked me affectionately before sleeping again.

"Kero goes wherever you go." Syaoran opened his large doors and motioned for me to follow. "He is a smart cat. I am grateful to have kept him."

I beamed at this. "So where are we going?"

The room led out to a large hallway. The walls were white with a ceiling that resembled the night sky. There were large botanical paintings hanging throughout. The more I looked, the more I was impressed. For it being the Underworld, Syaoran's home was light and inviting. We passed various rooms; a library, large kitchen, bedrooms, and even an art room.

"Yue's room. Yue is my right hand man, and I consult with him often. I would talk to Ruby, but she's busy for another hour." I noticed Syaoran's face was well aware of my curious eyes. He seemed pleased by this.

"Oh I remember Ruby Moon-san!" I cried out excitedly.

"She remembers you, too," he said fondly.

I was so awake and wired, that it severely improved my mood. It was nice not having to fight off exhaustion.

"For some reason, I feel so wide awake. It makes me happy!"

"That's because you're with me." He didn't state this romantically, but rather as a matter of fact. "I rule the Underworld, and your soul found mine. Your body remembers, and when it is with me, it is awake. When it is not, you need to find other ways not to fall to sleep."

I stared at him with my jaw dropped. "That's the reason?" It was incredulous.

Syaoran realized my slight annoyance. "I didn't mean for that to happen," he said quickly. "Your body is trying to return to me, that's all."

I couldn't find anything else to say to him after that. I tried to focus my attention elsewhere as we continued walking. When I noticed outside through the windows, I had to stop. Somehow, we reached to the back of the manor with the windows facing the lavish garden behind it. There were all sorts of vegetables and fruit—and a pomegranate tree which made me giggle—along with flowers I recognized like blossoms, lilies, and roses to the other ones which I figured must have been native to the Underworld.

"Do you like it?" Syaoran asked with trepidation. "It's our garden. I have someone who takes care of it. I hope they did a good job in the eyes of Tomoeda's best gardener."

"It's beautiful," I spoke honestly. My school garden paled in comparison. "Tomoyo-chan said nothing can grow here. But how can this garden exist?"

Syaoran snorted. "Daidouji has never been here. The Underworld morphs itself to my liking. So long as I do my job, I am paid back with full control over this world. Human are creatures of habit and familiarity. So I made this world like the human world. We have sunlight and plants and animals. The souls are transported by boat, which is what I used to command. That is why the river is to the east. The food here is what can be made in the human world. Anyone who is my follower lives west in the small town below the hill this manor sits on."

"That's incredible…"I commented, thoroughly impressed. Syaoran gave another boyish grin.

"It's a perk, I suppose. I am a deity with a land to rule. I assume whoever is the Jupiter and Neptune of this world get the same deal."

We had reached a large black door that looked out of place with the brightness of the manor. Syaoran did not even knock. He opened the door with ease and led me in. Inside resembled the land of night. The walls were filled with stars and planets, and galaxies from afar. A tall and beautiful man with long white hair, the one I recognized from before, stood in the corner, studying a bright silver constellation.

"Yue," Syaoran called out. The man looked up and nodded. He walked over to us and bowed.

"Hello Captain Li. And hello Ying Hua."

"Oh, hello," I squeaked, a bit intimidated by this man. "My name is actually Sakura…"

"Ying Hua means Sakura in Chinese. It is actually my first language, and I taught it to Yue as a child."

I had forgotten Syaoran was not Japanese. But Yue looked as though he was. But it was still surprising that there was no need for introductions. "How did you know my name?" I had figured Syaoran might have mentioned me, but something seemed off.

"I saw you in a vision. A long time ago…I assume you ask if I was able to contact the Fates. I have not."

"A vision?" I asked, not wanting to look over this.

"Yue has visions of the future. He has always had this gift," Syaoran answered for me. "When I brought him back to serve under me, he and Ruby have established connections with the Fates. He also serves as my guard."

"I remember," I said smiling. "It is nice to meet you officially."

Yue smiled at me, and it reminded me so much of Yukito-san. I wanted to bring this up, but Syaoran had other plans.

"Do you need to wait for Ruby Moon? She should be done soon. Your connection with the Fates is greater when you both are together."

I flinched. Looking down, I opened my locket quickly, knowing what I would find. Syaoran may have thought his manor was safe, but my burning locket and the black pearl inside it proved otherwise.

"Syaoran, I think we have a problem."

And a blood curling female scream echoed throughout the manor.

Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah: Hello, we are now in Chapter Seven. Things are getting complex (so feel free to ask questions, or leave me you thoughts!), and hopefully it makes sense. Here we see more of Syaoran and the Underworld. I wanted to show that Syaoran really isn't always this gloomy and hot headed god of the dead, and that Sakura will not be as naïve as the story continues (yay for character development!), so she will be growing up and being a lot like the Persephone that the Romans feared (but not that much! I don't want to make Sakura crazy!). And thank you so much everyone for your thoughts and messages over my family. We are going through chemo now and it is a struggle, so thanks for the support and patience. I highly appreciate it, and will write to my heart's content for you all.

Also, I have personal writing that I may try to have others read first. Would anyone be interested?

School starts soon….sigh….

Please review!