Author's Note: Now, I'm not going to lie to all of you. This chapter is extremely crappy. It's boring and one of the worst chapters I've ever written. It's really only a filler chapter to get the story moving along. I tried to add as much humor as I could, but I don't think I pulled it off.
But anyway, it's necessary and the real action starts next chapter. I'm sorry for making you wait so long, then giving you a horrible chapter, but, well, summer homework, parents, etc, came into the deal and… Yeah. Anyway, try to drag your eyes through this chapter and sit tight for the next one where the real fun begins.
Oh, and thanks for all of the reviews! And sorry for taking so long to update! You guys keep me going!
.:Sakura:.
Prince Syaoran is a real jerk. I mean, I have the decency to worry and go looking for the guy and what does he do? Jump out from an alley and drag me into it, kicking and screaming, until I realized it was just him. While he got his giggles over my pale-faced fear, I huffed and stormed back to the carriage.
He followed, of course, although I'd much have preferred to leave him in the village and let him get eaten by rats. But I suppose we can't always get what we want.
However, Prince Syaoran would be the least of my problems once I got back to the castle.
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"What?!" I screamed, practically steaming. This could not be happening. No way. I mean, sure, I wanted that stupid curse removed from me as soon as possible, but this was too much. This was horrible, terrible, evil, cruel, stupid, dangerous and… And… With HIM?! Why HIM?! Why couldn't I go with Hiiragazawa-san? Why couldn't I go with Tomoyo-chan? Or evil MELING-SAN would be better! But… But… HIM?!
Father only raised an amused eyebrow when I voiced all of this and waved it away with a disinterested hand. "Now, now, Sakura, don't you want that curse lifted?"
"I do, Dad, but—"
"But nothing, squirt. As much as I don't approve of you going ANYWHERE with that gaki—" A pause in which Touya and Li-baka exchanged glares. What those two had against each other, I'll never know. Actually, I didn't care either. "If this is the only way to get rid of the curse, then you should do it."
"But Dad, Clow Mountain is so far away, and you're making me go there to see some witch, who might be dead, with Li-baka, who'll probably shove me off a cliff and call it an accident?!" I protested, eyeing Li dubiously. He was smirking, probably imagining doing that in his sick, twisted head.
Dad rubbed his temples, sinking down further on his thrown and gesturing to Touya and Yukito to leave. I flushed as Yukito passed by me. What? WHAT?! He was… Nice, okay?!
Once they were gone, he turned to look at me and the other occupants of the room: Hiiragazawa-san, Tomoyo-chan, and Prince Syaoran. His eyes were fixed solely on me, however.
"Listen, Sakura—" I listened. "—that curse you have is very dangerous. If anybody outside those we trust were to find out, they could exploit it. They could make you do horrible things. They could even order you to kill your friends and family and you wouldn't have a choice. Do you want that?" I, of course, gulped and shook my head, paling as those images flashed through my mind. "That's what I thought. Now, you and Syaoran are to take two horses from the stable and leave the castle tonight, heading for Clow Mountain. Syaoran, I'm not sure exactly what you'll find out there, but it's sure to be dangerous. Equip yourself accordingly."
"Yes, sir." Goody-goody hypocrite."And Sakura, I expect and injuries you and Syaoran-san return with not to be of each other's doing, understood?"
"Yes, Dad." I murmured, glaring at Syaoran out of the corner of my eye. He glared right back.
"Then, hurry and get ready. The sun will set soon and I don't want too many people to see you leave. They'd ask questions we don't need to deal with until you're a safe enough distance away." I turned to leave, pausing as Dad called out absently, "Oh, and Sakura, do be sure to listen to Syaoran. I don't want you being stubborn and getting hurt."Oh no. No, no, no.
Syaoran smiled like a five-year-old at Christmas. "You heard your father, Sakura-chan. Listen to Syaoran."
I groaned. Listen to Syaoran. Listen to Syaoran.
Doomed.
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We were packed, set, and ready to leave by the time the sun had set and the stars were dotting the sky. Prince Syaoran was saddling the horses and I... Well, I was glaring daggers at Hiiragazawa-san over Tomoyo-chan's shoulder while she hugged me. He just gave me that 'I'm amused because I know something you don't know and won't know for quite some time now' look he always has on and smiled. Glare. Smile. Glare. Smile.
Was it me or did he remind me a lot of Dad? And Yukito. And... Stupid Hiiragazawa-san.
Tomoyo-chan finally let me go and I look a deep breath, screaming and nearly falling over when I felt something warm on my shoulder, only to flip around and see a chuckling Syaoran-baka and our horses.
"That was not funny!"
"Say it was funny, Sakura-chan."
"It was funny." I said automatically, then narrowed my eyes at him, grabbing my horse's reins out of his hands and huffing while he laughed. I hated him. I hated him so much it burned. And I don't hate anybody. But Syaoran... He was... Was... AH!
Tomoyo coughed. "Come on, Li-san. If you and Sakura-chan spend all your time fighting, you'll never reach Clow Mountain and then how will you be able to convince the witch to take the curse off Sakura-chan?"
Syaoran shrugged. "We'll figure that out when we get there. That is, if Sakura ever stops being afraid of her horse."
Huffing angrily, I lifted myself onto the horse (Whom I'd affectionately named K'tannaqui) and sat side-saddle in true princess fashion. Even though it was extremely uncomfortable. And I was better riding the normal way. Li raised an impressed eyebrow and mounted his own horse, looking from Tomoyo to Eriol and back again as they exchanged amused glances.
"If I find out that either of you planned this for whatever reason, I'll kill you both and feed your lifeless bodies to the carnivorous snails." He said as if he were telling them that he didn't like his soup cold. I rolled my eyes. Carnivorous snails. Pfft.
"Goodbye Sakura-chan! Take care! Don't let Li-san get you down! No making out!"
"TOMOYO-CHAN!"
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"Five."
"Ten."
"Five."
"Fifteen."
"Ten."
"Twenty."
"Ten."
"Twenty."
"Five.""Fifteen."
"Ten."
"Done." Syaoran and I shook hands as we finally came to an agreement on how many minutes he'd be waiting on guard duty while I took my bath. As he put it so eloquently two minutes later:
"Take longer than ten minutes, Sakura-chan, and I'm going to bed, leaving you to be eaten, maimed, murdered, chopped, sliced, diced, and otherwise mutilated and leaving me with a clear conscience – At least until I get back to the castle."
So comforting. It wasn't my fault that young ladies needed their baths and there just happened to be a hot spring just outside the village. I sank myself down into the water with a pleased sigh, quickly calling, "If you peek on me Syaoran Li, I swear I'll make so that you can never have children!"
"Peek on you? Oh please. I have no desire to lose my lunch."
"Hmph. I don't know what I was thinking. The Ice Prince never peeks on anyone, does he?"
"Oh, so now you WANT me to peek?"
"What? What?! No!"
"Then shut up and take your bath, princess."
Why that… I huffed angrily and sank myself even further into the water, dipping my head under quickly and washing out my hair. Usually Tomoyo was the one to do this. She loved my hair (And always told me so). She did I great job I imagined since the silky tendrils flowed through my fingers just as easily as water.
I was done with my bath in just six minutes.
I got out of the water and tied the towel even tighter around myself, eyeing the bushes carefully before calling out, "Syaoran?"
No answer. That jerk fell asleep on duty! What if I'd been kidnapped! Or maimed! Or—
…He'd throw a party. Baka.
I sighed angrily and was about to locate my clothes and storm back into camp to have a word or two with that baka prince when I felt a pair of hands close around my mouth to keep me from screaming and I was pulled up against someone's chest.
"Don't scream."
I gulped. Well, now I couldn't even if I wanted to!
I didn't get much time to brood on it anyway because the next moment I smelled something weird as the guy pressed a cloth to my nose and my vision swirled before fading into blackness.
My last thought before I lost consciousness was: Syaoran… I'm going to kill you!