This fic. Mine. CCS? CLAMP's.
Author's Notes: Eep. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. ::takes a deep breath:: Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. There is not enough strength in my poor, cramped fingers ( my poorly-devised attempt at gaining your sympathy) to keep clicking away at 'Copy' and 'Paste' in order to convey how sorry I really am. Which is a lot. ::bows head in shame:: I don't know how I got so slack with this, but I'll chalk it down to Writer's Block. I seriously had a lot of trouble with the next part of my fic – partly because all the characters and their relationships with each other were buzzing around in my head and every time one character would say or do something, I'd immediately delete it because it just didn't seem to suit him/her. And partly because…errr…::shifty eyes::… Anyway, I really hope you guys can forgive me for this. I'll even let you throw rotten tomatoes at me. ::ducks::
I thought my readers deserved a little bit of S+S, thus this chapter is just a filler chapter. Yes, I know. All these months and I only have a filler chapter to show for it, albeit a nice one! ^-^ It was a spur of the moment thing. Originally, I was going to get the plot going and leave poor Sakura and Syaoran unhappy and fed up with my evil plotline, but a rare feeling of generosity possessed me for the moment. Anyway, the next chapter contains a huge surprise (yes, I've started writing the next chapter before I even ended this one). Or it might not be huge. You might have figured it out already…Clue: Check the extra notes in the first chapter…::shifty eyes:: No, wait. Don't check. I want it to be a surprise. ^.^
A little suggestion of ExT here, folks. ExK supporters, I'm sorry. Ehh…Kaho…errr…found someone else…yeah…::shifty eyes:: To be honest, I never really thought of putting Kaho into this fic, but if there are enough Kaho supporters I guess I'm open to ideas. ^_^
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Character change
-------------------- Gap in time but same character
Give me
one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will feel, I will feel eternity
- One Moment In Time, Whitney Houston
Don't be sad, Daidouji-san. Tip your head up and take comfort in knowing that, no matter where you are, no matter the distance that keeps you apart, your loved ones are looking up at the very same sky.
Somebody special had told her that once. Somebody special had whispered it in her ear in that infuriatingly cordial, know-all way of his. It puzzled her when her knees had weakened and her heart had thumped wildly in her ribcage – when his soft lips had met hers and all she could do was tremble in his embrace. It puzzled her even more when that somebody special had hopped onto the next flight to England and proceeded to write her polished, friendly letters containing nothing but idle chitchat.
Tomoyo shivered slightly and wrapped her robe tightly around her. Just as he had promised her, she found solace in the thought and his words and prayed that, halfway around the world, Sakura and Syaoran had found some peace and comfort as well.
Even Hiiragizawa-kun.
Him, most of all.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Fall From GraceThe Calm Before The Storm
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
It had begun on a night quite like this one, when he had wandered into the sanctuary of the Li garden and set into course a series of events even Clow Reed would have been incapable of predicting. Tonight, his thoughts tumbled through his head, endless and unanswered, until he could no longer bear the burden of his own mind and the darkness that seemed to suffocate him with it. He slipped away from the warmth of his bed and padded softly downstairs, careful not to wake the others.
The night rustled around him as he stepped quietly into the courtyard, a faint light pooling at his feet from the half-hidden orb in the sky. The grass was damp and cool against his bare feet and Syaoran expelled a long sigh that misted, curled for a moment and then disappeared into nothingness. Finally, a breath of fresh air.
"You're supposed to be asleep, you know."
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and hid his smile at her unkempt appearance. So he hadn't been the only one tossing and turning all night. He gained some comfort from it.
"Jet lag," he answered vaguely. It wasn't completely untrue. "You?"
"Suppi-chan's snoring." They shared a laugh.
For a moment there was nothing but silence between them – a thousand miles of unspoken words and feelings they were too uncertain of to share.
"You're somewhere else," Sakura observed, and nudged a pebble with her toe, suddenly overcome by shyness. "Minh Ji Kim?" She spoke the words even before they had reached her brain and immediately wished she could withdraw them just as easily.
Syaoran glanced at her sharply. So she knew.
"I guess now is as good a time as any to clear things up between us."
His eyes searched hers and a jolt of panic seized her. They were going down an all-too familiar path, too soon. Two days ago she hadn't even known of his whereabouts. Now she was sharing conversation and the night sky with the guy. She tore her gaze away.
Anywhere but at him.
"She didn't meet me at the airport." Syaoran wasn't sure whether he should be happy or sad. He settled on empty.
"Oh." Sakura risked a glance and, despite her own personal feelings, felt a surge of pity for him. He had been an animal, caged. You were a heart, broken, she reminded herself. "Did you…do you love her?" She forced down the lump that rose in her throat.
Syaoran was at a loss for words. What did she want him to say? "I don't know," he said, finally. "Yes…no…maybe…Yes." A mosquito buzzed at his ear and he swatted it away.
Sakura's heart sank, but she hid it well. She blanched at the cheerfulness in her voice. "I'm happy for you!"
Liar.
Silence again. She shifted uncomfortably.
"Tell me everything." The small hand on his own made his heart hammer away loudly; he was certain she would be able to hear it if she took the tiniest step closer. He stepped back a fraction. "Everything. The truth."
Those eyes – no matter whom they belonged to – were impossible to resist. So he told her everything – almost everything. The truth included. And little by little Sakura felt her sadness and pain ebb away – not so much that it was gone in one whole night. But it was enough.
"I wanted to come back for you, did you know that?"
Did she? There was certainty in her voice. "Yes."
"But…"
There were always buts. Sakura cursed them.
"I still love her. Even if she decided not to come with me."
"Oh. I …understand."
He shook his head fervently. "I don't think you do. I…I just need a little more time."
She decided to change the subject. The intensity of his gaze was making her flush and she hoped the darkness was enough to cover up her scarlet cheeks. "So…what do we do now? The Elders aren't fools."
Syaoran shrugged. "We have to be prepared." That was all he could say. In honesty, even he didn't know what their next step should be. He was a pawn, no matter how he looked at it. There was still his family to think about, after all.
"I…" Sakura gazed at him questioningly. "I'm going to unseal the Book again. Soon." She didn't even need a moment's hesitation anymore. It had been the real reason she had been up all night, thinking. She was looking forward to seeing Kero-chan again, too.
"You don't have to."
It was her turn to shake her head. "No…I want to."
They relaxed into a silence – comfortable this time, content in each other's presence.
"Sakura, I…"
The words were on the tip of his tongue, hanging in the air between them. Sakura looked up and met his gaze full on and it was then that he lost his nerve.
"I…I'm glad you're here with me."
She smiled and it reached her eyes.
"Me too."
Her fingers intertwined with his and, in that one moment in time, he felt complete.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unbeknownst to the pair, two orbs of liquid sapphire watched them from the partially hidden window of the second floor. Hiiragizawa felt a small smile tug the corner of his lips and he shook his head in laughter. He should have known that the pair would find a way to carry on their blushings and stammerings of long ago. They weren't there yet – the future was uncertain, full of promise and letdowns and everything else in between– but he had faith that they would get there. And he would never let anything get between them again.
Paternal instinct, he supposed.
Daidouji-san would like that too.
He sighed.
Eriol
let the velvet of the curtain slip from his fingers and he turned away,
allowing them tonight's privacy. They deserved that, at least.
@-------^-----------
Gah, so short. Not worth it, I guess. I'm really sorry. Next chapter, I promise, will
be longer and, as I said before, will contain a surprise. ^_^ This chapter,
however, was supposed to focus on the main character's relationships with each
other. I thought it was kind of sweet. Every story – no matter if it's action
or horror or comedy – has to have a little bit of sappiness in it. Okay, so
they didn't get together. I've got to give you guys something to look
forward to! ^.^
SpringbloomOpal's Corner
::calls:: Kerooooooooooooooooooo-chan! Kero-chan! Don't be mad at me!!!! Sakura did say she was going to unseal the book. I swear you'll have a bigger part in the next chapter!!! ::sighs:: Kero-chan is being a big baby and sulking because he wasn't in this chapter either. Do you really want to be part of a sappy scene between Sakura and Syaoran?! Oh. He's mad at me because I made 'the gaki' and his Sakura-chan friendly…-_-;; Anyway, since Kero-chan is on strike I guess I'll have to do the Thank-You's this time. But that means the pudding goes to me! Aha!
Di: Ahhh, I finally updated, although it's not what all the readers probably expected. ::sighs:: Anyway, I hoped you liked it. I know it was short. It was meant to be. Ahhh, sorry for making you wait so long. Thanks for the review, though! ^_^Satan's Advocate: I hope you haven't given up on me. I thought I might take a break from making Syaoran suffer. ::shakes head:: It must be the flu going around. A temporary boat of kindness I suppose. ^_^ Yay! See that Kero-chan? Cheesecake!!! Of course, after all these months it's probably off…::sweatdrops:: Ahhh, I'm such a bad author. Forgive me?
pokey: Ahhh, and he's hot too…well, I'm imagining he is…anyway, you probably don't even remember what I'm replying to. Tan Wen does make her happy but…::whispers:: something's going to happen…Ahhh…I shouldn't tease you like that. Thanks for the review! Much appreciated!
Bonni-chan: lol. Thanks. I was a little afraid that my original characters would seem unrealistic, but I guess if you're happy... Thanks for your review!!!! ::huggles::
accursed-angel: ::Bows head:: Took me a long time, huh? And after that cliffhanger too. I'm guessing my readers would be a little peeved off at me…I reread your review and that's what inspired me to add this little chapter in. Whoo! Go you, you inspirer, you! Thanks so much for your review.
Sakura Blossom-Cilla READMEplz: Lol. Nuts. I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks for your review! =)Kawaii-CherryWolf: XD Haha! Poor Minh. Rotting in hell…well…many people may not realise it but…::sighs dramatically:: Kenpei's dead! ^_^ Yup! One Kenpei rotting in hell coming up. Okay, so he's not dead, but the only person who can unseal the barrier is Sakura (since, unlike Kenpei, she bound it to her powers) and she won't be able to unseal it anytime soon since she's in England right now! Yay! ::throws confetti:: Anyway, thanks for being such a wonderful reviewer and reader!
EdgeOfChaos: Ahhh, I hate to break it to you but…Kenpei is actually dead…or will die soon. He is trapped in the barrier and only Sakura can unseal it since she bound the barrier to her powers and he didn't. No food, no drink and the Elders don't want to help him because he's useless. Big let down, huh? Oh well. Maybe Sakura can summon him up again or something…Thanks for your review!!!!
Watery: Ehhh…::sweatdrops:: I…errr…didn't update soon. I'm so sorry, but I hope you haven't given up on me!!! I'm not a lost cause…yet. Hehehe. Thanks for the review!
AnimeObsessionFantasy: Heh…I am such a bad author…making you guys wait for so long. I don't even know why I bother replying to your reviews when you guys have all forgotten what you wrote in the first place after all this time. I hope you don't hate me. ^_^ Thanks for your review!
Evil Emzo-chan: Ahhh! I updated, I updated! Ehehehe! Be proud!!!! And Betty Crocker ROCKS, damn you! ROCKS!!!! ::shakes fist:: No! Not the milk! ::hides:: I'm lactose intolerant!!! ::cries::
spphirecrystal: ::glomps:: Yes! Lousy Elders! ::stabs them:: Errr…::raises from the dead since they are needed in the story:: Thanks so much for the review!!! ::huggles::
Tomoe2Kenshin: I love your reviews! Always so original. You are only one of two who thought Kenpei was the best character. Unfortunately, he's trapped in that barrier with no means of escape since the Elders now deem him useless. Poor Kenpei. Thanks for being so great!!!
kte-lido-azn: Errrr…::sighs:: I didn't update soon. I suck, ne? I hope you're still interested though. Readers like you are my inspiration. Thanks so much!!!
Haruka Hana: I hope you're not bald by now, pulling your hair out like that! I would never forgive myself! Kero-chan somehow found his way back to me and started harassing me again. ::sweatdrops:: You rock! I'm serious. You totally rock! Your ideas and reviews are so inspirational. ::huggles::
Avelyn Lauren: Heheh. Unfortunately, Kero's being a big baby. Wow. It seems as if you really thought about my story. You helped put things into perspective for me too! Thanks for being so wonderful! Seriously!!! ^_^ ::glomps::
There. Finally. Fourth chapter up. I really really really want to apologise
again for being so sucky and I just feel so lucky to have you guys as my
readers and reviewers.
::glomps:: I have already started on the fifth chapter. Hopefully it will be up sooner, ne?
One thing I'd like to clear up…Kenpei is dead. Or trapped. Or soon-to-be dead. Any way you want to look at it. He's stuck in that barrier and since Sakura bound it to her powers (which he, for the convenience of my story, forgot to do himself) she's the only one who can free him. The Elder's think he's useless and won't help him…::sighs:: Poor Kenpei. So sad. ::shakes head::
Anyway,
til next time, folks!