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The Labyrinth	By : Capitalist Category: +. to F > Card Captor Sakura Views: 10491 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura, nor any of the characters from it, nor do I own Labyrinth. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Chapter 10
‘divide and conquer’

Sakura shook her head emphatically, pleading. “No, I couldn’t! I swear, Tomoyo, if I have one more bite then I’ll explode!”
“Just a taste. Please? I promise you’ve never had anything as delicious as this.” Hopefully Tomoyo pushed a pastry to the edge of the table, piping hot and drizzled with tiny berries. Sakura couldn’t even name half the things Tomoyo insisted she try, but each one had been more scrumptious than the last. It had all been waiting on this long elegant dining table when Sakura casually mentioned she was a bit hungry, and Tomoyo brought her here.
“Just a taste,” Sakura acceded reluctantly, and obediently dipped her spoon. The smooth creamy sweetness made her insides melt and she closed her eyes in delight. “Mmm! It’s so good!”
“I told you.”
“Open your mouth,” Sakura instructed, and Tomoyo obeyed, allowing Sakura to pop a spoonful in between her lips.
“Ish forbidden for shervants to eat in the company of their masters,” the dark-haired girl mumbled through a mouthful of food.
“So you said the first hundred times. I told you, a feast like this is no fun if you’re eating all alone.” Sakura pressed her lips together to hide a giggle.
“What?”
“I got powdered sugar on your nose. Sorry.”
Tomoyo gasped at this assault on her always-meticulous appearance, and wiped at her face. “Did I get it?”
“No.” Sakura found her panic all the more hilarious and had trouble repressing her laughter. Tomoyo mock glared.
“And how would you like it, I wonder?” Before Sakura could react, she swiped her finger through a patch of sugar and dabbed it on the tip of her petite nose. “So there!” At this uncharacteristically bold move Sakura could hold back no longer but burst out into peals of genuine laughter. Tomoyo couldn’t help herself either, and together the two girls giggled themselves sick until their sides were hurting too much to breathe.
Sakura was wiping away a tear when she felt a prickle run down her spine, and knew that something was different. When she looked up, Yue was standing in the doorway and watching her. His cold and statue-like appearance was enough to dry up the laughter in her throat, and she sobered instantly. At Sakura’s abrupt silence Tomoyo turned around, and squeaked in surprise. Horrified that she’d been caught in the act of socializing with her mistress, Tomoyo threw herself out of her chair and away from the table, prostrating herself on hands and knees before her king.
“Your majesty!” Trembling, she bowed her head.
Not sure how to react, Sakura stood up when Tomoyo dropped to the floor, wondering if she was supposed to get on her knees too. Uncertainly she started to copy Tomoyo.
“No!” her servant hissed. “Not in your dress!”
Sakura cringed and straightened again. Yue regarded her speculatively, making her heart beat a little faster and her palms sweat.
“Leave us,” he said at length, his crystalline eyes never straying from Sakura’s face. Tomoyo bowed her head again and scrambled to her feet, her eyes subserviently glued to the floor as she backed away. Sakura didn’t want her to go, didn’t want to be left alone with the frightening Yue, but couldn’t find the words to protest. Yue glided forward and behind him Tomoyo edged to the door. Sakura pleaded with her silently not to leave her, but Tomoyo could only shake her head helplessly. Then she offered an encouraging smile, a reminder for what they’d spoken of earlier.
She disappeared, and it was just the two of them. If only he didn’t stare so; his unflickering gaze made the butterflies in her stomach flutter even harder whenever she looked up. But Tomoyo did say that the king wanted her to be happy, and that she should smile. She worked up a tentative one, and curtsied politely.
“Thank you for the pretty dress,” she said nervously. “And the room, and the music… and stuff. Um, thanks.”
“I am pleased that it suits you. You look quite beautiful.” Her face turned pink, and then even pinker when he bent over and took her chin in one hand to examine her. He raised his other hand and she trembled, but all he did was wipe a fleck of sugar off her nose. “After all I have done for you, are you still afraid of me?”
She cringed and avoided eye contact, clasping her hands together in front of her. Yue studied her face just a moment longer and then, for the second time, scooped her up in his arms. She squealed in surprise, but shut up when he gave her a warning look.
“I would not advise that you move very much. It is some distance to the ground.” The large panoramic windows swung open at his mental command, and Sakura barely had time to clutch at his clothing before Yue spread his wings and soared out into open space. At first she cowered in his arms with her eyes squeezed shut, but the sensation of the cool night air flowing over her was too exhilirating to ignore. Tremulously she opened her eyes and gasped at the sight of the beautiful marble castle sparkling in the moonlight, its spires reaching up to the stars. Yue’s gigantic white wings flapped lazily and he completed an unhurried loop around his home, before he circled and dipped gracefully to land in his private garden.
“Wow,” Sakura exhaled when he deposited her gently on the ground. “That was so exciting! It must be fun to have wings.”
“They have their uses,” he acknowledged. He gestured toward the blooming cherry trees. “Walk with me.”
“Okay.” At first she kept obediently to his side, but her natural curiosity was too much and soon she was scampering from one patch of flowers to another, inhaling the scent of every different blossom that she could find and trying to name them all. In his peaceful sanctuary this should have been an unwelcome disruption, but Yue found her irrepressible energy pleasing. She brought a warm glow to his cold and merciless world.
Eventually she fluttered her way over to where he waited under the low boughs, and leapt adroitly onto a small mossy boulder. A tiny breeze showered loose petals over her, and she turned her face up in delight.
“This is all so magical.”
“Do you like it here, Sakura, in my castle?”
“Yes,” she replied sincerely. “I do like it, it’s very nice.”
“Would you like to be its princess?”
Her eyes popped open wide with amazement, and she gaped. “Me, princess? Really?” He inclined his head in confirmation, and her eyes shone with rapture. Then a shadow crossed her face, and she looked down. “But Onii-chan says I’d make a terrible princess. He says I’m too loud, and klutzy.”
She fidgeted a little, and when she looked back at Yue her young eyes were troubled. “Did he say you could take me away?”
“Yes,” came the unhesitating reply, “he did.”
A pair of tears welled up in her glass green eyes and trickled their way down her cheeks.
“Oh,” she sniffled, “I g-guess he doesn’t really love me.” Yue said nothing. “I mean, I know I made him fix me dinner and tell me a story, but I didn’t think he wanted to get rid of me. How could he be so mean?”
She nearly broke down and started crying in earnest, but then Yue’s cool hands brushed gently over her face, startling her out of her misery. Tenderly he wiped away the hot streaks each tear had left behind, his fingertips soft and smooth.
“If you were princess in my castle, no one would ever be mean to you. You can wear beautiful dresses and dance every day, and I will give you anything that is your heart’s desire. You are very precious to me, Sakura.”
She’d forgotten her tears and stared at him with wide eyes while he lightly stroked her face and hair, memorizing the feel of his newest possession. He’d more or less promised her to the little wolf, of course, but this was his kingdom and everything belonged to him in one way or another. So young and innocent, she was far easier to control than the other sibling, who even now was still struggling his way to the castle when he should have given up long ago. There remained only the fragile bond between them to sever, and she would be totally his.
“If he doesn’t love you as you deserve,” he murmured softly, “perhaps you will allow me to love you in his place?”
The shocked surprise etched on her face was priceless, and he stole just one more moment to savor it before he took her small hand in his and pressed it to his lips.
For he would have them both.

Touya shivered uncontrollably, fighting a sudden surge of nausea. Li noticed and shot him a sharp look out of the corner of his eye.
“Now what?”
“I… don’t know.” Touya wiped his sleeve across his forehead, feeling the fresh dew of nervous sweat that had broken out. “I just feel like – something bad happened.”
“Suck it up,” was Li’s gentle advice. “We don’t have time to hang around, you know.”
“You don’t have to tell me how little time we have,” Touya snapped irritably. “Don’t you think I know that? Don’t you think I’m keeping track?”
“Touch-y,” Li mocked. Touya threw him a smoking glare and Li fired back with one of his own, the exchange so habitual by now they didn’t even have to think about it. Floating leisurely ahead of them on the path, Kero rolled his eyes.
“Man, don’t you two ever give it a rest? What are you, brothers?”
“Brothers?” they both repeated, horrified, and quickly took a large step away from each other.
“God no,” Touya said disdainfully. “Whatever gave you that idea?”
“Well, you talk alike.”
“We do not,” they both denied at the same time, then promptly shot each other hostile looks. Kero smirked.
“Sure? Cuz you act just like me and my brother used to when we were younger.” He looked a little wistful when he said that.
“We are not related in any form or fashion,” Touya assured Kero. “We’re just working together. Sort of.”
“Unfortunately,” Li muttered.
“Stuff it, kid.”
“I’m telling you, I’m not a -”
“We know,” Touya and Kero both droned. Touya pressed the heel of his palm to his forehead, trying to curb another headache. It had been such a long night.
“Let’s just keep walking, okay? How much farther?” Kero wafted up above the walls, provoking a touch of envy on Touya’s part. What he wouldn’t give for a pair of wings to just fly right over this stupid maze.
“We’re on track,” Kero reported. “Not too much farther to the city. ‘Course, then you gotta make it past the soldiers to the castle.”
The headache grew a little. “You mean we have to fight our way in, too?” he groaned, realizing he should have guessed. Of course Yue wasn’t going to let him off that easy.
“Yep! But don’t worry, you’ll be all right as long as I’m with you. I got your back.” He puffed out his chest.
“Well I sure feel better,” Li muttered sarcastically. “And what do you intend to do, bite on their fingers until they give up and beg for mercy?”
“Whatever works,” Kero replied cheerfully. “Speaking of which, I need to get my strength up. Either of you got anything to eat? I’m starving!”
Li abruptly stopped walking, a funny look on his face, but Touya was slightly ahead of him and didn’t notice. He shook his head.
“Come to think of it, I’m pretty hungry too. Guess I should have eaten with Sakura after all.” The long night of ardurous travel without any calorie input was taking its toll, he was sure. Probably why he wasn’t feeling so great. Kero’s face fell.
“Shucks. But maybe I can rustle up some grub around here. Anyway, I’ll scout ahead for a little. Be right back!”
Wings flapping, he zoomed over the crumbling stone walls and disappeared. Touya stopped by another elaborate fountain and splashed his face, hoping some cool water would revive his energy.
He stood up and wiped his face with his sleeve, but Li didn’t move when he started walking again.
“Coming?”
“Uh…” Touya stopped and half-turned at Li’s inarticulate address, a little impatient.
“Yeah? What?”
“Um.” Li dropped his eyes until Touya could no longer see them behind his bangs, looking at something in his hands. Abruptly he tossed it to Touya, still not meeting the other’s eyes. “Here.”
Automatically Touya caught the small peach and looked at it, surprised. He hadn’t even realized the labyrinth had fruit like this, much less that Li of all people would share some with him.
“Oh, thanks. These are my favorite.” Obviously he’d misjudged the kid, and took an enthusiastic bite. “Tastes great. Let’s keep moving.”
Li blinked, looking faintly stunned, but Touya paid no attention as he started walking again, swallowing another mouthful of the sweet fruit. He really was hungry.
But the lingering nausea didn’t disappear. After a third bite it bubbled up again, so severely that he stopped walking and made himself take a deep breath. It didn’t help much, and when he looked at his hand he saw that it was trembling.
“Mm… I don’t- feel so…” He raked his fingers through his hair and noticed the walls of the labyrinth were blurring, running together. He blinked, but that didn’t help either. “I feel… strange.”
His mouth was dry and he tried to swallow, tasting the sticky sweetness of the peach again on his tongue. And then it clicked. “Oh.”
He stumbled and grasped at the head of a marble cherub to stay upright, his knees rapidly turning to jelly under him. He dropped the deceptively innocuous peach and it rolled a little ways away across the flagged stone ground, towards the other. Li was staring at him mutely, looking as horrified as if he was the one betrayed and not the other way around.
“I see,” he managed to get out between laboured breaths. “What… did he promise you?”
Stricken, Li opened his mouth helplessly, closed it, then turned on his heels and fled. Dully Touya watched him go, oddly unable to generate any anger or hatred. Instead there was only a detached sense of curiosity. So this was how Yue meant to win.
He could no longer stand and slumped to the ground, fighting to stay upright on his hands and knees. If only he wasn’t so dizzy; the ground insisted on spinning madly underneath him and Touya tried to remember which way the fountain was. If he could just get a little water then he would feel better. He knew it wasn’t far.
Reduced to the helplessness of a baby, Touya crawled maybe two steps before his strength gave out completely and he collapsed on the stones. Now darkness was bleeding into his vision, shrouding the labyrinth, but still he fought to hang onto consciousness. He couldn’t give in. Still had to… find…
He managed to roll himself halfway onto his back and stared glazedly up into the night sky. The full moon shimmered and blurred, silently taunting him. Pointless to resist. Pointless to struggle. Easier to submit.
Its seductive glow was the last thing he saw before his world went completely black.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters

And… no, the next chapter will not feature Touya in a Cinderella dress. Clamp already did that anyway. The next chapter is the reason this fic is rated Adult ++, so be ready for that! (Yue sure is.)
- 9
- 10
- 11
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The Labyrinth