Author's note This is my second CCS story. It's a little bit of drama, I know it's completely unlike me coz I'm not good at writing drama stuff and secondly I'm not very fond of drama myself (I know you think I'm weird, but it's kinda true) but I reeeeeally wanted to give it a shot and I promise to bring in lots of romance and humor in my further chapters.

PS If this fic is similar to any other one then it is entirely coincidental. This idea is my own.

Full summary The capital of the Kinomoto Kingdom is destroyed…young princess Sakura Kinomoto embarks on a journey to find the magical Valley of the Butterflies in the Li kingdom in order to save her family who were cursed by an evil witch. But the journey isn't easy being cursed herself, to be a nightingale by day and a human by night and falling in love with the mysterious handsome prince of the Li Kingdom just complicates everything.

Disclaimer; Can't you do it for me? I hate to say it

Anyways here's the first chapter….

Chapter 1

A sixteen year old auburn haired girl ran across the forest in the moonlight. The leaves slapped against her face the rocky path tearing her shoes. Her clothes were ragged, her emerald eyes filled with tears. Her breath was coming out in gasps but she continued to run clutching a small diary as though it was her life. Finally she reached a cliff, exhaustion took over her and she fell over the cliff down into the water as memories flooded through her

Flashback

"HIROSHI!" a voice echoed through the halls of the Kinomoto Kingdom palace. Young princess Sakura Kinomoto stopped to think the likeliest places where she could find her older brother. It then dawned on her. She snapped her fingers and ran up the stairs climbing two at a time. The library! Hiroshi loved reading a book in the library.

She pushed open the tall doors of the library and forgetting to be quiet, yelled, "Hiroshi! Are you there?"

A tall young man with dark hair, sparkling blue eyes and wire rimmed glasses emerged from the book shelves,

"Shh! What's up little sis?" he asked playfully ruffling her auburn hair.

"Hurry!" she said impatiently yanking him by the arm. "Mother's just got a letter from dad. She wants us to come downstairs immediately,"

"Race you downstairs," he called already running ahead.

"Not fair," Sakura pouted and ran behind him.

Even though Sakura was sixteen and Hiroshi twenty, the two of them often forgot their ages and played like kids. Sakura was the youngest and only princess of the Kinomoto kingdom. Besides her, King Fujitaka and Queen Nadeshiko had another son, Touya Kinomoto. Hiroshi was Fujitaka's brother's son but his parents died when he was very young, so Fujitaka and Nadeshiko took him in and raised him like their own son. Hiroshi was a year younger than Touya and unlike him always defended for his little sister when she was being teased by him.

Sakura, being athletic could easily beat her brother but she bumped into the old maid Meeka on her way downstairs.

"Princess Sakura!" she gasped.

"Oops! Sorry" Sakura said sheepishly

"Why young lady! What are you doing running down the stairs. You are sixteen now, please try and behave like a lady," Meeka said. "Why, in my days, ladies your age…"

"…would have got married with their own families by now," Sakura finished quite used to this speech. "There's no time for that now,"

Meeka playfully slapped her but Sakura expertly dodged it and dashed downstairs, this time jumping three steps at time.

"I win" Hiroshi said triumphantly as Sakura entered the hall.

"That's coz I let you win," she replied crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"No you didn't. Admit it you're slow…"

"Look who's talking you…"

"Ah...ahem," a voice interrupted them from the doorway. Queen Nadeshiko entered the room, her ebony black hair cascaded down her shoulders, a twinkle in eyes.

"You two have to start acting your age,"

"So what has dad said?" Sakura asked eagerly.

Nadeshiko smiled at her enthusiastic daughter and said, "Good news. We've won the war. Your dad and Touya will be coming home next week,"

Sakura cheered and Hiroshi said, "Oh good, it's been a long time since they came home," Nadeshiko nodded and stated, "Well hurry and wash up. It's dinner time,"

The next week

The whole of the capital city of the Kinomoto kingdom was full of celebration due to the victory of the war and the return of their king. King Fujitaka was a kind person and was usually against wars but the situation in this particular case had gone a little too far, thereupon war had been the only way out.

"Wow! The city is so bright with all those lights and banners isn't it?" Sakura said her eyes wide in amazement as she looked out of the balcony.

"Yes," her mother replied, "Now go get dressed, your father will be arriving soon," Sakura sulked, "But mom, I hate frilly clothes,"

"Today, you have to bear with it," Her mother replied giving her a little shove.

"That's what you say all the time," she grumbled going towards her room.

Just as she left Hiroshi arrived smiling all over his face well dressed in his princely outfits.

"My, my you look handsome son. Now I know why all the girls keep drooling," his mother teased. Hiroshi flushed, 'Stop it mom, you're embarrassing me,"

Sakura appeared out of her room a little while later, "Mom, I can't get this sash done. Could you please give me a hand?"

Her mother went over to her, "You silly girl, the sash is torn. Now go get changed, wear that green dress you wore for the ball,"

"But I took nearly half an hour to put this dress on, now I have to change?" Sakura demanded furious.

"They're here!" Hiroshi called excitedly from the door way. Forgetting about her dress Sakura tore towards the door and flung herself on her father knocking the wind out of him, "You're finally back!"

"Sakura, allow me to breathe," her father gasped. "So how have you been?" her father asked.

"Well fine just as you see," his wife replied smiling. "How was your journey?"

"Great," came a reply before the King could answer. A young man a few inches taller than Hiroshi with dark hair and dark eyes entered smirking.

"Touya," Nadeshiko embraced her son.

Touya turned towards Sakura, "How have you been little monster?" he spotted her torn dress, "Are you that hungry that you ate your dress? The only monster that eats dresses,"

Sakura was about to retort angrily but as usual Hiroshi stepped in between, "Come on Touya. You've only just entered. Don't pick a fight already,"

"Protecting your baby sister as usual huh Hiro?" Touya asked pretending to be exasperated. "Of course," he smiled, "That's my job as a peacemaker isn't it?"

"Now, Sakura dear that dress…" her mother began.

Sakura sighed, "I know mom, and I'll get changed,"

"Now don't eat that dress as well, monster," Touya called mischievously after her.

"SHUT UP!"

Sakura dashed into her room and pulled out the dress that her mother had asked her to wear.

…..After 15 minutes

'Finally' she thought as she tied the sash, but as she was about to leave her room, she heard a huge explosion.

"What's going on?" Sakura yelled startled by the loud noise, she wasn't exactly fond of loud noises. Apparently no one heard her. Just before she could yell again, a shrieking voice came,

"How could you be celebrating!"

'Definitely female' she thought as she crept towards the stairs.

"But wait Miss Yuka…" she heard her father's voice.

"My son died in the war and you're celebrating!" came the voice again. Obviously the speaker wasn't going to be listening to anything. There was another explosion making Sakura jump out her wits. The entire castle shook and she could hear people screaming. She ran down the stairs to the hall where her family was. And to her horror there was a huge black cloud surrounding her parents and the once beautifully decorated hall was in a complete mess. Her father and both her brothers were unconscious but her mother seemed barely awake and her body was faintly glowing. Queen Nadeshiko was the one who had the strongest magical powers in the Kinomoto family.

"Mother!" she cried running and sitting towards her.

Sakura didn't notice the other woman in the room. The woman who was the cause of this entire was, fortunately for Sakura, now on her knees coughing out blood.

"Mother what happened?" she asked her mother tears flowing from her eyes.

Her mother opened her eyes and spoke, her voice barely a whisper, "Be strong, Sakura." and Sakura forcefully made an attempt to wipe her tears. "You're the only one who can save us. We've been cursed and the only way to break the curse is to go to the magical Valley of The Butterflies in the Li Kingdom. Here take this magic diary. It'll give you all the clues that you need," her mother gave her a small diary. Lost for words, Sakura nodded, silent tears flowing from her eyes.

"Now go!" her mother said her voice sounding weaker. "Go, before she sees you," Sakura got up and ran towards the door as her mother got enveloped by the cloud. But the witch saw her,

"Where do you think you're going?" she demanded teleporting in front of Sakura. She was wearing long robes that were covered in blood. She had long black hair which was in high ponytail except for a few strands and her eyes were narrow and piercing.

"This may be the last spell that I cast, but I don't care. I'm going to make you all pay for the misery you've caused." She yelled sending a wave of energy towards Sakura who dodged it and jumped out of the window onto the garden, gasping for breath.

Sakura stopped to catch her breath only for a second and then sprinted towards the forest leading to the Li kingdom. She heard the witch screaming something and she felt something hot run through her body and knew that the witch had put a spell on her as well, but it probably wasn't a powerful one because Yuka had lost most of her powers.

Before she entered the forest, she decided to look at the city once, so she went the special place where she and Hiroshi spent most of their time as it provided a bird's eye view of the entire city and was really a beautiful sight. But shockingly, the usually cheerful city was completely ruined. The entire city was burning and dead bodies were scattered everywhere. There was nothing but blood, terror and confusion all around. Sakura dropped to her knees and sobbed, her tears fell down on the sand.

Tears of sorrow, anguish and pain….

End of flashback

Splash!

Sakura landed in the water. And finally she managed to scramble out of the water and lay down on the grass in the riverbank panting due to exhaustion. She tried to get up but instead fell back into a dead faint due to her pain and weariness.

The sun rose from behind the mountains casting its light over the glimmering water, the trees on its bank and…

….a little nightingale

Author's note: Well that's the end of the first chapter. Sorry if it's short and a little angsty, but I wanted to bring in more emotion in my story. Don't worry; it'll be better from the next chapter. It's my first time writing emotional stuff, so bear with me. Good news ppl, Syaoran is coming in the next chapter (cheers). Please tell me what you think in your reviews. So R&R ppl!

Coming up in the next chapter

"We've got something for you your majesty,"

The prince strolled over majestically and looked, "Where did you get that nightingale?"

Stay tuned!