Guardians of Tomoeda - Chapter Eight

Episode 8

Sakura’s Point of View

I turned, knowing I was safe from falling off the edge of the bed due to the chain that was pulled tight connecting Syaoran and I.

THUD.

…Oookay, or not.

I rubbed my head, looking at my other hand. When it finally came into focus, I gasped. N…no more chain…! I stared in shock for a few minutes, then shook it off and ran over to Syaoran.

“Syaoran! Syaoran!” I called happily.

“Sakura…” he mumbled.

I smiled. “Guess what? The chains came off; we’re free! Is- what?” I was confused now. Syaoran was still in a deep sleep, but he had mumbled my name. Maybe he knows someone else named Sakura…or something… I slapped myself. Hey, I don’t automatically assume that! People have dreams with their friends, it’s not abnormal! I laughed inwardly at myself, almost half-heartedly, as if I didn’t believe myself. But in my head, I did.

“Syaoran, you lump, get up!” I rolled him over; he pushed himself off the wall, a little harder than me. He rolled into me, ending up in my lap. I blushed, and slapped him. “Wake up, stupid!”

He opened his eyes, dazed. “Ow! What? What!?” he finally noticed he was in my lap. “What’s wrong with you…?!”

“Nothing, you rolled into my lap after you mumbled my name in your sleep! Now get up, the chains are gone!”

“I what..? WHAT!? No more chains!? AWESOME!” He jumped up. I should’ve started with that…

We proceeded with our morning routines, separately, thank god. I soaked in the tub for like an hour, enjoying the loneliness of my bath.

“So…Syaoran and I are friends now,” I said to myself, smiling. “Now it’ll be way easier to live…” The dream I'd had about a week ago flashed through my mind once again. I felt the colour rise to my face, but I shook it off. Though it was gone on the outside, I still thought about it on the inside. “What if we do…? No, no! I can't ask for more, we’re only just friends, and besides, it’s not like I’m in love with him…,” Yet. A voice at the back of my mind told me. I gasped, then leaned back and sighed. “I confuse even myself sometimes.”

When I had gotten out and eaten and everything, taking my own sweet time, as did Syaoran, it was about noon. I heard the doorbell ring. I ran over to the door and opened it, Syaoran coming out from the ‘library’. It was Eriol and Tomoyo, and they were holding hands, both looking very happy. Don’t you want that to be you and Syaoran? The voice in my mind said. I yelled at it inwardly. ‘No! Shut up! I don’t, really!’ The voice settled down, possibly believing me…man, I am so screwed up…voices…agh, getting on with it.

“H-hey, you guys. What’s with the linky-linky hand thing?” I greeted them stupidly.

Eriol looked confused, but Tomoyo got the gist of it.

“Well…we’re sort of…together now…” she looked at her feet, her head now a kettle.

Finally Eriol realized what I'd meant, and added, “It’s your encouragement that lead us to it, I realized how much I really liked Tomoyo and her kissing…,” he teased, his eyes darting to Little Miss Kettle. Her shoulders tensed, but so did her grip on Eriol’s hand.

I smiled. “You two are so cute together…I'm happy for you,” I said, swiping a glance at Syaoran, who didn’t look totally focused.

Tomoyo noticed this. “Are you and Syaoran…?”

“No!” I shouted. I covered my hand with my mouth, surprised at my reaction. Was that too quick…? Did it hurt Syaoran, make him think I hate him…? Agh, I'm being so paranoid! I shook it away once again.

“Oh, okay….well, the reason we came was to see if your chains came off, ‘cause ours did, when we…confessed…of sorts.” Tomoyo replied, her eyes darting everywhere.

“Yeah, they did, when I woke up they were gone. It’s probably because we’re actually friends now. Its nice, being free.” Syaoran joined, chuckling.

“Heeeyyyy! You guys! You aren’t having a party without me, are you?!” Meiling ran up the pathway (carefully so she wouldn’t fall to her death in the district below) waving her arm.

“Hi, Meiling!” I called to her; we had finally made up. She was over Syaoran now (so she said) and was satisfied with the Young Lord Kazushige Yoshida….wow, that sounds kind of cruel when you put it like that…

As soon as Meiling skidded to a halt at the door and mentioned the chains, everything went black and I couldn’t feel the floor beneath me. We were falling. “You guys?” I squeaked. I admit, I was a little afraid. Syaoran picked up on this.

“It’s okay Sakura, don’t be afraid.” I have to admit, his voice was soothing…almost perfect… I gasped when I felt his arms around me; I heard Eriol and Tomoyo glomp (yay, I made a new word! :D) together, Syaoran was playing follow the leader. But still, I blushed, but didn’t fight.

I was lucky to have Syaoran comforting me; the fall was hard, even when I landed on Syaoran. “Omigawd, Syaoran, are you okay?! I’m sorry, I fell right on top of you!” I apologized hurriedly.

He laughed it off. “It’s okay, fatty, nothing serious, my pancreas just exploded.” He continued to laugh, but held up his hands in surrender under my menacing gaze. “I’m joking,” he told me, throwing me a quick smile before he helped me up.

“So what are we here for, Lord Yoshida?” Eriol yelled. For the first time, I noticed Lord Yoshida, across the room, his smiling face resting on his right fist. Then I noticed the crowd around us, too.

“Today,” the Lord said, hoisting himself out of his throne, “Is a very special day for all of us. Our Guardians have confronted their problems and overcome them, working together in a loving manner, breaking the chains hateful bonds!” he spoke so dramatically, and was so into it. Well…I thought to myself, it didn’t quite happen like that…but lets not tell him that…

Yeah. I jumped as Syaoran’s voice popped into my head. Oh, I’m sorry, I think I accidentally heard that…sorry, again. He looked at me apologetically.

I shook my head. It’s okay, nothing private. We turned back to Lord Yoshida, who gazed at our ruling group admirably. “And now, we celebrate them. Please take these gloves to show your honour status.” He waved at three men by his side, who immediately began marching.

Great, first chains and now gloves? Syaoran thought heatedly. What the hell is with these people and their accessories? I mean, that’s just weird.

Yep, I sighed… thoughtedly…(yay, more new words^^)

One man came up to us with a pillow, which held two fingerless gloves. The design on the back, when they were together, showed the Guardian Beast, Cerberus. I quickly snapped a look at Eriol and Tomoyo’s- Spinel, another Guardian Beast. Meiling’s was sword, the full picture, for her right hand.

Syaoran picked up the left glove, sighing. I picked up mine, and we put them on. A flash of light went from the gloves, then they were gone. “What…?” I gasped.

The same thing had happened to Eriol and Tomoyo. Meiling’s too. “Whenever you need them, they’ll come,” the glove-bearer told us shyly.

Lord Yoshida beamed at us, before spreading his fingers and raising his hands to Tomoeda. “Citizens of Tomoeda!!! Behold, your new-,” his right hand swished back to us heavily, “-GUARDIANS OF TOMOEDA!!!” Everyone in the crowd broke out into cheering and clapping. They all looked like they were actually happy…not just an act.

I smiled. This all seems so important suddenly…I feel such a burst of pride at all these cheering people…Syaoran didn’t respond to my thoughts if he heard them.

In a flash, it was over, and we were falling back into our house as if nothing had happened.

Tomoyo blinked, then beamed, her smile touching her ears and forcing her eyes shut. “We TOTALLY have to celebrate this!!!!! We’re camping out tonight, at this garden hotspot in Tomoeda!!” Meiling nodded eagerly at Tomoyo’s idea.

I gaped at them. “But we just had a sleepover last night!”

Meiling huffed. “But it was interrupted. Great, I'm glad you agree, pack your bags, bye!” The three of them ran out before I could protest anymore. I sighed in defeat. "I guess we’re going.”

Syaoran nodded. “It can’t be all that bad…”

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