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Return to the Labyrinth	By : Capitalist Category: +. to F > Card Captor Sakura Views: 8620 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- 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
- 11
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- 13
Chapter 12

‘the wisdom’

They walked for hours. Li never heeded any of Sakura’s cautious suggestions to stop and rest, and frequently she caught him glancing over his shoulder with a hunted look in his eyes. Something had really scared him, and Sakura knew that someone as strong as Li could not be easily scared. So she swallowed her complaints, and bore the scrapes and blisters of walking barefoot as best she could.

Still, when they reached a pretty courtyard with a fountain, Sakura sank onto the wide stone rim around the water and knew she could go no further. If she did not rest, her feet would fall right off.

“Sakura, what are you doing? We have to keep going.”

“I can’t,” she wheezed. “I’m sorry, Syaoran, but I can’t. I know you’re in a hurry but I’m so tired, I can’t take another step. Please let me rest, just for a little while. I’m begging you.”

Li opened his mouth to argue, but when he took a second look at her face he changed his mind. His shoulders dropped, losing the tension they’d carried all morning, and the anxiety in his face melted away.

“You’re right. I’m the one who’s sorry, Sakura, I shouldn’t have pushed you like that. I forget that other people aren’t used to so much walking.”

She mustered up the energy to smile gratefully. “Thank you.” The cool water of the fountain felt wonderful on her swollen, aching feet, and she also took the time to splash her face.

“I’ll, uh, find us some food in a little while. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

“A little,” she admitted, understating the case considerably. “That would be nice.”

“I’ll do my best.” He sat down at the moment she chose to pull her feet out of the water and swivel back around, and her feet bumped him on the side of his arm. He couldn’t have shoved himself back faster if he’d touched a scalding brand, or his face turned any redder.

“Sorry!” he cried, though he’d done nothing wrong. Blood rushed to Sakura’s cheeks and she tucked her legs underneath her, heart hammering away within her chest. It was only an accidental touch, a very brief one; at this time yesterday she wouldn’t have even noticed it. But now everything was different, wasn’t it? It meant something to Li, or he wouldn’t have turned scarlet like that. And because it meant something to him, Sakura realized it meant something to her too. She was flustered, and her stomach felt strange.

“Sakura.” She almost jumped to her feet when his voice broke into her thoughts.

“Yes!” she squeaked, and quickly cleared her throat. He’d scooted back a bit, safely away from any more physical contact, but the fire in his face had died down and his eyes looked serious.

“Can I ask- I mean, I was wondering… what is your father like?”

“Tou-san?” Sakura blinked, slightly thrown by the change in topic. “Why are you wondering something like that?”

“I’m a little curious, I guess.” He smiled a brief, humorless smile. “I don’t have much to compare with. I just wanted to know what other fathers were like.”

“Oh.” The tightness in Sakura’s chest eased; this was a safer subject. “Well, he’s a very kind person. He’s always very patient with me and never scolds me, not like Onii-chan. I think he’s like that because he’s a teacher, an archaeology professor. That is, history,” she amended, when she saw his blank look. “He teaches people about ancient civilizations and the buildings and pottery that they left behind. He’s really good at it; he’s very smart. Right now he’s over in Egypt – that’s like another kingdom, far away from ours – studying some very famous buildings. They’re called pyramids, and they’re even bigger than Yue’s castle, built by kings thousands of years ago. When he comes back, he’ll have some neat pictures to show me.”

“So you… like to talk to him.”

“Of course!” She laughed, but smothered it when Li looked down. “I’m sorry, I’ll stop talking now.”

“No, it’s okay. I asked. So, you’ve never had to fight him, then.”

“Me, no. Tou-san and I have always been very happy. But it’s a different case with Onii-chan, he and my dad used to fight a lot when I was younger. Not like a physical fight!” she added quickly, when Li’s head jerked up with surprise. “Tou-san never raises his voice, let alone a hand, to either of us. I just mean they argued a lot. But that all ended years ago, after we came back from this place. I’m not exactly sure why, but something about it made Onii-chan not so unhappy anymore. Tou-san will never know what made it happen, because we promised each other we’d never tell him about the Labyrinth. He’s very relieved and grateful that they’re finally getting along, though; anyone can see that.”

Li grunted somewhere in the back of his throat, and Sakura thought she glimpsed envy in his eyes. Jealousy for her brother, perhaps, when he would never be able to simply ‘get along’ with his own father. Sakura melted in sympathy.

“You know, I think if my father met you, he’d like you a lot, Syaoran.”

“Would he really?”

“Sure. You’re a hard worker, and you’re brave about fighting for freedom against those trolls and gargoyles. He’s the kind of person that respects that. Sometimes he goes to places in the world that are a little scary, and he comes home and tells me stories about people just like you, people that are fighting their bad, um, kings. He admires those people a lot.”

“I’m happy to think he’d like me.” Another blush lit up his cheeks, fainter this time, but definitely present. It seemed that every time he did that, it made her heart beat a little faster. Funny how she was only just now noticing all these things about his eyes, and his face, and the way he talked. Li’s looks didn’t really compare to Yue’s unearthly beauty, but he had a nice jawline and warm brown eyes. She had a feeling he probably cut his ragged hair with his own knife, but in a way it looked good on him. The other girls in her class would probably say he was cute.

“Sakura?”

“Yes!” she squeaked again.

“Are you ready to move on?”

“Huh? Oh… yes. I feel better now, thanks for letting me rest.” She stretched her legs out, flexing her feet back and forth a few times before gingerly standing again. Then she turned to follow Li and promptly bumped into him, because he hadn’t moved so much as a step forward yet. He was standing very still, muscles tense, staring at something that stood in the courtyard exitway.

“Syaoran, what- oh wow, a peacock!” She’d never seen one outside of a zoo before. It was absolutely gorgeous, the feathers of its head and neck all in stunning blue that seemed to shimmer regardless of the wan sunlight. Sakura thought it was the most beautiful shade of blue she’d ever seen. The tail had not been raised, but swept out along the ground behind the peacock like a lady’s beautiful train. “It’s so pretty!”

“What do you want?” Li asked, every word cold and clipped.

“My beloved has sent me to greet you,” the peacock answered, with the lilting sweet voice of a woman. “He greatly desires your company, and invites you to come and visit.”

“Yeah, well he greatly pisses me off. You can tell him I said no.”

“He invites the princess also.”

“Tell him she said no.”

“Hey,” protested said princess, feeling a bit left out. “Who is this, Syaoran, and who’s she talking about?”

“You do not want to know. Now get out of our way, before I get mean.” Li drew his sword and took three long steps forward, point hovering just under the peacock’s beak. It – or she – did not flinch.

“Syaoran! What are you doing, you might hurt her!”

“That’s the idea.”

Sakura eyed the serene, beautiful bird. “Is it like the fairies? Is she really dangerous on the inside?”

“Any time you’re ready to scram,” Li told the peacock, and also, she noticed, not answering her question. “We’re in a hurry.”

“My beloved did have some concern that you might feel shy about intruding,” she answered calmly, and Li’s eyes blazed. “He therefore asks that you might come and join him for luncheon, as food is always more enjoyable with pleasant company.”

“Pleasant company,” Li scoffed, but flicked a concerned glance Sakura’s way. Self-consciously she put her hand over her stomach, as if that could stop it from growling at the word ‘food’.

“Please don’t worry about me, Syaoran. If you say it’s a bad idea, I believe you. We’ll find food somewhere else.”

“He’s waiting most eagerly,” the peacock reminded Li. His face twisted into a grimace, clearly torn, and finally he lowered his sword.

“Fine. Lead the way. But don’t expect me to be nice.”

“Such an expectation would indeed be a triumph of hope over experience.” The peacock turned, her brilliant spotted tail swishing behind her, and began to strut down a corridor. Li stomped after her, looking sulky, and Sakura hovered close to his side. She would have liked to ask why he disliked such a beautiful bird that could even talk, but she had a feeling the peacock could hear them and she didn’t want to be rude. He’d returned his sword to its amulet form, and there was nothing about his manner that indicated he worried about danger. More than anything, he just looked annoyed.

The peacock led them past a few twists and turns in the maze, before finally entering a beautiful little glade. Sakura stopped and stared. Li had taken her to some lovely spots within the labyrinth, but nothing compared to this! A little waterfall cascaded over some rocks and into a pool, clear as glass, and the honeysuckle vines draped over the walls were already thick and blooming without her touch. Violin music played softly, and she spotted a few songflowers blooming by the water’s edge. There was actual furniture too, including a round cherry wood table with three chairs, and a plush divan close to the pool. A boy about her age was lounging in it, reading a book, but when she stepped into the glade he looked up and beamed.

“Your highness! It is an honor to have you here, I am thrilled and gratified beyond measure. Welcome to my humble corner of the kingdom, where it will be my pleasure to offer you rest and repast. I know it’s been a very difficult few days for you.”

On his feet now, he bowed deeply, with an air of formality that left Sakura rather speechless.

“Th-thank you,” she stuttered, when she realized she’d been staring with her mouth open. “But, who are you?”

“A question, but the answer is known to many and therefore free. I am he who thinks for the labyrinth, the living mind of the maze. I am as old as these walls, I know practically everything there is to know in the world, I am a genius. Some call me the Wisdom of the labyrinth. I hope you, however, will call me Eriol.”

He bowed again, took her hand, and kissed it. Bright, piercingly blue eyes framed by glasses looked up at her and Sakura felt another rush of blood to her cheeks.

“And this is my better half, my darling Kaho, whom you have already met.” He gestured toward the peacock, who nodded graciously to Sakura. “She was kind enough to deliver my invitation to you, as I am somewhat hampered in the ways of mobility. I am delighted that you accepted.”

Somewhere behind her, Sakura heard Li’s quiet snort of irritation. Eriol must have heard it too, and for the first time affected to notice the boy behind her.

“Li,” he said simply, and promptly turned all his attention back on her. “Now please, do come sit. I won’t be a cad that keeps a lady on her feet. You must be starving, you haven’t eaten all day. Come, come.”

He placed his hand lightly on her back, eliciting a low growl from Li, and steered her to the table. Sakura was so overwhelmed by his courtly manners that she couldn’t find the words to politely demur, and once she saw what was on the table she didn’t even want to try.

“Real food!” she gasped. This wasn’t fruit from a tree or fish fresh from the creek, but the kind of food that only came out of a civilized kitchen: fluffy white rice and steaming dumplings. There was even a saucer brimming with soy sauce, and chopsticks arranged meticulously across the corner of each plate. “Oh, it looks delicious!”

She dropped into the seat Eriol was holding out for her, and Li slumped into the one next to hers with arms crossed petulantly.

“Thanks for the food!” she chanted, and reached for her chopsticks. Eriol had seated himself in the third chair, without a plate. “Oh, you’re not eating, Eriol-san?”

“Think nothing of it, your highness, for I am a mind, and the mind has no need for common food. I dine on more delicious fare, such as words, ideas, and principles.”

“Oh. I… see,” Sakura said doubtfully, though she wasn’t sure she did. In any case, she was very hungry. She snagged a dumpling with her chopsticks, dunked it in sauce, and popped it in her mouth. “Mm, it tastes wonderful. Thank you for providing it, but how did you know we haven’t eaten all day?”

“A question, but I’ve already provided that answer. I know practically everything in the world,” he reminded her. “And I’m a genius. Isn’t that right, Li?”

“You’re a condescending bastard who talks too much.”

“Syaoran!”

“Don’t trouble yourself about it, your highness,” Eriol soothed, smirking at the surly Li. “He doesn’t like me, you see, because it’s true that I am very condescending. It’s difficult not to be, around someone always so determined to think with his fists.”

Li snarled, which had no effect on Eriol’s beautific smile. “Won’t you eat, Li? I know you’re hungry too.”

“You also know I don’t know what any of this is.”

“It’s alright, Syaoran,” Sakura assured him. “This is food from my world, and it’s very yummy. Just hold the chopsticks like this, and grab a dumpling like so.”

Li watched her demonstrate, like she had for the fork. And, just like the fork, his attempt to wield them was awkward and clumsy. Three times he tried to grasp a dumpling like she could, but it kept slipping back out. Finally he stabbed the thin wooden sticks directly into it and thrust the whole thing in his mouth.

“Close enough,” Sakura decided, and smiled encouragingly at him. “So, Eriol-san, I’m not sure I quite understand. You are the… labyrinth’s mind? Like its brain?”

“Question, but rhetoricals are free. You seem perplexed, as if you hadn’t expected it to have one. Does not every living thing possess one?”

“The labyrinth is alive?”

“Naturally. It is old, and very still, but you mustn’t let that fool you. The labyrinth breathes and lives as well as you do, its heart bound to the king. The royal magic inside you, as you already know, has the same potential. The labyrinth is the grandest and most complex of all our creator’s legacies.” He produced a long, thin ivory cigarette holder from a sleeve of his silk Chinese clothing, and lit a flame by snapping his fingers. “I am the physical manifestation of its thought, and something of a derivative of our creator’s looks and personality. A fact for which I am unduly prideful.”

“C-creator?”

“Yue’s predecessor,” Eriol elaborated, blowing a thin stream of smoke out when he exhaled. “The great King Clow.”

“Wow. Syaoran, did you know all of this?”

“The Little Wolf’s pride has never allowed him to question me for my knowledge, I’m sorry to say.” Eriol exhaled again, this time deliberately blowing the smoke in Li’s direction. “Or rather, he’s sorry. If only you’d been willing to pay the price, Li, you could have learned who your father was in a much less dramatic fashion.”

One of the chopsticks snapped in two, and Li’s eyes glittered dangerously. “Have I told you to go to hell lately?”

“Question, but the answer is yours for the taking. Six months and three days, to be exact.”

“So think about it.”

“Ah, but as long as the labyrinth lives, so do I. So I shan’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Don’t try to hide your relief and joy, we all know your true feelings.”

Going by the look on his face, Li was hiding any such joy very well indeed. Seeking to divert the conversation, and satisfy her own curiosity, Sakura spoke up again.

“Does that mean you really do know everything, Eriol-san? I could ask you any question about anything, and you’d know the answer?”

“I am a genius.”

Li hmphed. Sakura glanced at him briefly and then down at her plate again, wondering just how wise Eriol was. If she could gather the courage to ask him about Yue, and Syaoran, and whether one might be more right for her after all, would he know the answer?

“I- I think I might have a question.”

“Pay the price, and my wisdom shall be yours, your highness.”

“Price?”

He indicated a small wooden box with a slotted lid, sitting on a small table close to the wall. “Just over there, if you please. Food is of no consequence, and can be freely given. But knowledge… that is a different story. Widely known, it is cheap and carelessly thrown around. The more difficult it is to attain, the more precious and expensive it becomes. Such knowledge can curse or bless a kingdom. If you’re not willing to pay the appropriate price for it, such knowledge does not belong in your hands.” Sakura felt small and uncomfortable under his intense blue gaze, and swallowed.

“You’d charge her?” Li complained. “But she’s your princess!”

“And who do you think is my most frequent customer, but his majesty Yue?”

“I don’t have any money,” Sakura said diffidently.

“I’ll take that.” He nodded to the diamond hanging around her neck, and reflexively Sakura’s clapped over it.

“This? Oh no, I couldn’t! It was Yue’s gift to me.”

“Then your question goes unanswered.” He studied her through another plume of smoke. “Or perhaps, that is your answer. For now, at least.” Sakura blushed under his knowing look, while Li just looked confused. “In other words, Little Wolf, it’s not too late to hope.”

He winked at Li, who turned immediately and predictably crimson. “Mind your own business, Wisdom.”

“But I am, for all business within the labyrinth is mine and I am the mind.”

“It’s not any of your concern!”

“You would be surprised just how wrong you are about that,” Kaho spoke up, and Sakura started. She’d forgotten all about the peacock. “Never underestimate the impact your heart’s desires may yet have on the world around you. Perhaps even more powerful than knowledge itself, love can build or topple a kingdom, spark war, or bring peace. Be it brief or be it true, never fool yourself into believing it affects no one but you. Dismiss its consequences at your peril.”

“Well spoken, my heart, I couldn’t have phrased it better myself.” Eriol extended a hand to tickle the feathers under her beak, and the peacock closed her eyes in obvious delight.

Sakura stared, and leaned in a little closer to Li. “Is he in love with -”

“Don’t think about it,” he hissed. “It’s worse if you think about it.”

“Leaving aside these tricky affairs of love and so on,” Eriol said breezily, “might I remind you of the day? You haven’t forgotten what a dangerous one it is, I’m sure.”

“Why is it dangerous?” Sakura asked.

“Question, but this answer is also widely known. Because Yue’s strength is tied to the moon above us and, though the Storm King’s clouds hide it from our sight, everyone knows it is the new moon tonight. Yue will be at his weakest. If he can find him, Rai will surely kill him.”

“If,” Li repeated dismissively. “He won’t. Not even Kero, his own little brother, can find him and he’s been searching for five years.”

“Do you know where he is, Eriol-san?”

“Question.” Eriol’s smile took on a slightly mocking flair. “How much do you think the answer to that one is worth?”

“You don’t have to be a smug ass about it,” Li snapped. “She was just asking.”

“For knowledge far too expensive to just give away, I’m afraid. Even for the honored princess.”

“You can call Yue’s whereabouts valuable if you want to. I’d be happy never knowing where he is, especially if he stayed there for good.”

“Oh, so cold,” Eriol sighed. The tip of his cigarette glowed orange when he inhaled. “Still nursing your hatred for Yue, Li? And after all the kindness he’s shown you.”

“Kindness?” Li echoed in disbelief. “Did I just hear you right? Kindness?”

“Sweet charity, even,” Eriol went on to say, grinning wickedly. “Did he not allow you and your mother to take refuge in his kingdom? And after she died, he shielded you from prying eyes and wondering minds by keeping you safely confined in the labyrinth.”

“Safely? But I -”

“You could say that much was merely covering himself from bad international fallout, but he took the trouble to nurture and protect you as well.”

“Say what!”

“He ordered his trolls to pick on you, so that you would learn to fight, and to punish you severely every time you lost, so that you would learn to fight very well. What better way to protect you? And he even gave you a sword so that you might defend yourself, one of his favorites.”

Sakura thought Li’s jaw might hit the table. “Gave me? I found it!”

“In whose labyrinth?”

“He threatened to execute me for carrying it!”

“Because at the time, he wanted you to do something for him. Honestly, Li, I thought you at least knew a little about our king. Yet again your inability to think beyond the obvious astounds me.”

“That’s it.” Li stood up so fast his chair toppled over backward. “I’ve had about enough bullshit for the next six months. Yesterday I found out I had a father, right after he tried to kill me. It upset me but I’m dealing with it, mostly. Now you’re going to try and tell me something even more insane, that Yue, that- that tyrant that has done nothing but make my life as miserable as it could possibly get, actually cares about me? You’re the Wisdom. You should know as well as I do that Yue doesn’t care about anything but himself, and getting what he wants. Come on, Sakura, let’s go.”

Eriol hadn’t batted an eye since Li opened his mouth, leisurely blowing the occasional smoke ring every now and then. “Actually, Li, please do excuse yourself if you must, but if you don’t mind, I have something I’d like to discuss with the princess in private.”

“Oh no, why would I mind? Let me just get out of the way, so you can ask what you’ve been dying to ask. Whatever gets me out of here fastest.”

He shot a final glower at first Eriol and then Kaho before whipping around and marching out of the glade, disappearing around a bend in the wall. Eriol did not seem in the least discomfitted by Li’s outburst.

“Absolutely predictable, to the last growl,” he sighed, and tapped some ashes loose. “I apologize for your sake, your highness, if that made you uncomfortable. It really is my fault, it seems I can never resist provoking him.”

“No, I’m fine.”

“You’re a patient soul indeed, to endure it all this time.”

“Oh no.” Rapidly Sakura shook her head. “Syaoran isn’t like that with me, he’s very kind and thoughtful. He’s been working so hard to keep me safe, and make me as comfortable as he can.”

“Syaoran,” Eriol repeated thoughtfully. His beautiful blue eyes were starting to unnerve Sakura more than a little. She could almost see the powerful intellect humming and clicking behind them, gathering information and processing it at a pace she could never comprehend. “That’s interesting.”

“We, uh, agreed I would call him that because -”

“It’s alright,” he interrupted smoothly. “The why is not important. Whether it will be enough to keep him, that is important.”

“Keep him?”

Eriol leaned in over the table, dropping his voice to a low murmur. “Do you trust him, your highness?”

“Should I not?”

“Question, but such an absurdly obvious one that I will answer it for free. Of course you shouldn’t trust him. He is the Little Wolf, and he hates Yue more than anything in this world. He has no reason to be loyal to him. He is not only the son of the enemy, but the only son of the enemy king who desperately needs an heir. And Li has already demonstrated his ability to betray a trust once before. Naturally you should not trust him. My question is, do you?”

Sakura had to swallow again. “I know he hasn’t had a very easy life, and I know he’s made mistakes. But since the moment we met, he’s done nothing but look after me and treat me like I am the center of his world. I don’t know if I can accept his feelings, but the least I can do is repay his devotion with the trust he deserves. I believe in him.”

Eriol sighed again. “Spoken like a true idealist. Or a naïve fool. I suppose only the future will decide which.”

“Does that mean you don’t know what will happen?”

“Not even I can see the future,” he admitted, a little ruefully. “I can only make extremely intelligent educated guesses. And I don’t quite like what I’ve deduced.”

Sakura smiled wanly. “You are a mind. I’ve decided to trust him because of what my heart tells me, not my head.”

“Hmm, touche.” He nodded his head in acknowledgement. “And it’s nothing less than your own life at risk. Not only a pretty princess, but a brave one too. It’s no wonder the labyrinth likes you.”

“It does?” Sakura flushed, strangely flattered that a lot of walls could ‘like’ her.

“It’s responded to your touch, hasn’t it? And you see through its tricks and optical illusions more easily than others; it’s opening itself to you, accepting you. If the worst should happen and you find yourself without Li’s guidance -”

“That won’t happen.”

“- but if it does, you will be able to find your way back to me. The labyrinth will help you.”

“I appreciate that, Eriol-san, but it won’t be necessary. Syaoran will keep me safe. I should go, I’m sure he’s getting very impatient.”

“Of course, I’ve kept you too long.” They both rose, and Eriol raised his voice to a normal volume. “I do bid you farewell, your highness, and wish you safety on your journey.”

“Thank you, Eriol-san. It was nice to meet you and- and Kaho-san too. You’ve been very kind.”

“The pleasure was all ours.” Again he took her hand and bowed, pressing his lips to her skin. He looked up when he was done, but did not release her hand. “Incidentally, your highness, if anything should happen to Yue, you’ll ascend to the throne and the labyrinth will bind its heart to you. That means the two of us will be bound together, at some level that no others can understand. I look forward to it.”

He moved aside, adroitly evading the rock that came flying over the top of the wall. “Just checking to see if he was listening. Adieu, your highness, and good luck – to you both.”

When he finally let go of her hand, Sakura bowed politely and backed away, scampering out of the glade. Li was in the corridor alongside it, pacing impatiently, and quickly looked up when she came around the bend.

“Well? What was your answer?” He saw the way she bit her lip and looked down, and shook his head. “You don’t have to be embarrassed about it. I know what he asked; I asked you the same question yesterday. So what was your answer?”

Sakura took a deep breath, lifted her chin, and closed the distance between them.

“I’m with you, Syaoran. Now lead the way.”

- - - - - -

Tomoyo did not remember falling asleep, but she must have drifted off at some point because now she was waking up. She heard her own breathing, slow and even, winced at the soreness that rippled through her body, and felt the solid warmth of Rai’s chest pressed against her back. She opened her eyes, saw his arm draped over her body, and smiled.

So it really did happen. A few times, actually. She’d never been given a choice in the matter but Tomoyo did not think she would have been able to reject him even if she had. Rai was not a gentle lover, not the Storm King, but the way his hands moved across her body was sure and confident. Her skin tingled wherever he touched, infecting her with his passion, and she had gasped and moaned and begged for more. She also remembered crying out with pain, the first time he penetrated her, and how he’d gathered her body close against his. He’d breathed deeply and evenly into her neck, silently prompting her to do the same, before he began to thrust. Deep breathing, she realized, had helped.

Tomoyo enjoyed what he’d done to her, and with the return to the waking world came the crushing conflict in loyalties she’d been trying so hard to ignore. In her heart, Tomoyo still cherished her memories of Sakura and wanted nothing bad to befall her. She would die before betraying her princess.

But now there was a new presence in her heart, much as she’d been trying to deny it. Rai was the enemy, but that did not make him wicked; he had come here to do only what any other king would do. If she were his servant from the beginning, she would be cheering for his victory. And he was a man, underneath his mantle of royal leadership, a man that could feel hurt and betrayed as much as anyone else. He trusted her; had spilled many of his sorrowful secrets to her. Tomoyo knew she was falling in love with him, and did not want anything bad to befall him either.

“It’s impossible,” she whispered. “I could never choose.”

Rai stirred behind her, and hastily she blinked back the sudden tears. There was nothing she could do about it here and now. As long as Sakura and the Little Wolf were out there in the labyrinth, and she trapped up here, she was safely in limbo.

“Just like old times,” Rai mumbled, “waking up to this hair. I’m glad you use lavender, or I might have really been confused.” He lifted himself up onto an elbow and rolled her onto her back, looking directly down on her with a drowsy smile. “To think that I, the Storm King, fell asleep after such a small thing. I must have been more excited than I realized, and wore myself out. It’s not too late, is it? I never meant to sleep.”

“I think it’s still midday, your majesty.”

“Good, there’s plenty of time.” He pushed a wayward lock of hair off his face, and stood up. Tomoyo rather hastily clutched at the sheet and held it to her body, a pointless act by now, but still a reflex. He donned his pants and pulled on his shirt, but kept looking outside, distracted from fastening the buttons.

“Of course, he might come earlier. We only agreed that he must come by sunset, if he wished to join me.”

Tomoyo’s mouth went rather dry. “You did?”

“Yes, but he could be coming even now. In any case, he must surely be on his way, because it’s a fair distance. I wonder how close he is?”

He grinned, abashed. “I really am too eager, I can’t even wait like a sensible man. I’ll just check his location quickly, I just want to see.”

“Check his…” Tomoyo watched him hunt for his belt and sheath, and withdraw the knife. “What are you doing?”

“You needn’t panic, sparrow, it’s only a prick.” He pressed the point to his fingertip, and out welled a drop of blood. “As often as I mocked Yue for his methods, even I know they can be useful. The potion with my blood in it pulls at the rest of my blood, it can lead me to him as long as he carries his mother’s pendant. I can even tell how close he is.”

Full of enthusiasm, and not noticing the dread that must have been all over her face, Rai moved closer to the edge with his hand extended. “Let’s see, I believe when I left him he was over this way, so he should be…”

Tomoyo wrapped the sheet more closely around her chest, biting her lip. She would have stood, but her legs felt like jelly and she didn’t think herself capable of it. Something wasn’t right, she could tell immediately by the way the muscles in his back tightened.

“He’s nowhere near the city. He’s… far out to the west now, even farther from the castle than when I found him. Why is he over there?”

A terrible silence descended, and Tomoyo hugged her legs to her chest to keep from trembling. She did not dare make a sound. Rai was the one who said it.

“He’s not coming. My son is not coming to me.”

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters



Yes, I made Kaho into a peacock. You can do stuff like that when you write trippy AU-fusion fantasy fics. Ain’t it great?

Eep, another chapter posted. A month ago I had a comfortable ten-chapter lead on you guys… but I’ve had severe writer’s block and now you’re creeping up on me. Please, feed the muse with reviews. (Or Yue might never come back.) (That was just a joke. Breathe, fangirls.)
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